Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Half Marathon is the fifth and final half marathon in the New York Road Runner's Half Marathon Series. My goal for 2010 was to run all five halfs in all five boroughs, and today I achieved my goal, and man does it feel good! (Though I'm wicked sore at the moment!)
I wasn't expecting to do well on this race for a few different reasons. First was that I hadn't had much time to train recently. My trip to Spain got me off my schedule, though I was able to get in three runs since I returned. The next reason is that my best mate Josh (I'm Australian for the rest of this entry) had his 30th birthday party last night, on 10-10-10 (FYI: 10+10+10=30!) I had to have at least a few drinks to celebrate. Finally, I started developing a stuffy nose and a foggy head Saturday morning, which unfortunately got worse throughout the day. All in all, I only got 4.5 hours of sleep last night, though I constantly woke up due to my stuffy nose.
I woke up at 6am and felt like a piece of crap. I met up with my friend Mary at the SI Ferry and kept repeating how much I wanted to go home and crawl back into bed. But I had a goal to run all five half marathons, and I'd just have to suck it up and build some character. The air was very cool in Staten Island when we arrived at 8am, reaching only in the low 50's. I used the wonderful port-a-potties and then got into my corral with two minutes to go before the race. Phew!
The first few miles went by fairly fast, and thankfully my nasal passages opened up and I was able to breathe, though I frequently had to make use of the pocketful of tissues I carried. The course was mostly flat, though there were of plenty of hills that kept things interesting and challenging. The first few miles abutted the water, making for pretty views.
I don't think I ever really woke up during the race, but I do remember feeling pretty good until about mile six when I hit a mini wall. I noticed a lot of people passing me, but all I wanted to do was finish under two hours, so I didn't care. Run your own race Benny, run your own race.
Things got a bit easier after mile eight, and I remember watching the slower runners go past me on the other side of the road after the turnaround. That kept my mind occupied and my body on cruise control. Around mile 10 I realized I could set a new PR if I hustled, so I stepped it up a tiny bit and planned for a burst for the last mile. I probably ran a seven minute mile on number 12, and before I knew it the race was over. My final time was 1:40:20 for a 7:40 minute mile pace, which was only 35 seconds slower than my PR at the Bronx Half Marathon in August. Not bad for feeling like crap and not getting much sleep!
My feet felt pretty sensitive due to the rough Staten Island pavement, and I guessed I had at least one blister on my right foot (yup, it was a fairly big blood blister...ewe.) The race really wasn't all that bad, but I felt very tired afterward, and was grateful I didn't have to wait to catch the ferry back to Manhattan. I didn't see any other VFF-clad runners on the course, though I did see at least three while on the ferry.
It feels great to have done five half marathons this year, and I'm really happy I made it a priority to complete them all. I'm also impressed that I sustained zero injuries this whole year (knock on wood), even though I've run more miles this year than any other my whole life. I truly enjoy running, and I couldn't have done it without Pose running and my Vibram Five Fingers.
I wasn't expecting to do well on this race for a few different reasons. First was that I hadn't had much time to train recently. My trip to Spain got me off my schedule, though I was able to get in three runs since I returned. The next reason is that my best mate Josh (I'm Australian for the rest of this entry) had his 30th birthday party last night, on 10-10-10 (FYI: 10+10+10=30!) I had to have at least a few drinks to celebrate. Finally, I started developing a stuffy nose and a foggy head Saturday morning, which unfortunately got worse throughout the day. All in all, I only got 4.5 hours of sleep last night, though I constantly woke up due to my stuffy nose.
I woke up at 6am and felt like a piece of crap. I met up with my friend Mary at the SI Ferry and kept repeating how much I wanted to go home and crawl back into bed. But I had a goal to run all five half marathons, and I'd just have to suck it up and build some character. The air was very cool in Staten Island when we arrived at 8am, reaching only in the low 50's. I used the wonderful port-a-potties and then got into my corral with two minutes to go before the race. Phew!
The first few miles went by fairly fast, and thankfully my nasal passages opened up and I was able to breathe, though I frequently had to make use of the pocketful of tissues I carried. The course was mostly flat, though there were of plenty of hills that kept things interesting and challenging. The first few miles abutted the water, making for pretty views.
I don't think I ever really woke up during the race, but I do remember feeling pretty good until about mile six when I hit a mini wall. I noticed a lot of people passing me, but all I wanted to do was finish under two hours, so I didn't care. Run your own race Benny, run your own race.
Things got a bit easier after mile eight, and I remember watching the slower runners go past me on the other side of the road after the turnaround. That kept my mind occupied and my body on cruise control. Around mile 10 I realized I could set a new PR if I hustled, so I stepped it up a tiny bit and planned for a burst for the last mile. I probably ran a seven minute mile on number 12, and before I knew it the race was over. My final time was 1:40:20 for a 7:40 minute mile pace, which was only 35 seconds slower than my PR at the Bronx Half Marathon in August. Not bad for feeling like crap and not getting much sleep!
My feet felt pretty sensitive due to the rough Staten Island pavement, and I guessed I had at least one blister on my right foot (yup, it was a fairly big blood blister...ewe.) The race really wasn't all that bad, but I felt very tired afterward, and was grateful I didn't have to wait to catch the ferry back to Manhattan. I didn't see any other VFF-clad runners on the course, though I did see at least three while on the ferry.
It feels great to have done five half marathons this year, and I'm really happy I made it a priority to complete them all. I'm also impressed that I sustained zero injuries this whole year (knock on wood), even though I've run more miles this year than any other my whole life. I truly enjoy running, and I couldn't have done it without Pose running and my Vibram Five Fingers.
Cruising near the finish!
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