Another race! Revlon Run/Walk 5K!

My work rocks and is sponsoring another race. The Revlon Run/Walk 5K today Sunday, 5/5. That's CInco de Mayo! So many people. 40,000+ will run/walk 5K which is about 3.5 miles. Insane.

So the start line was in Times Square. How convenient. It's only about 10 blocks from where I live. So I walk down there and as the race begins up 7th Avenue, I notice I am running back to my apartment. I was thinking I could have just hopped on the race from 56th St.!!! Oh well.

So I finished it. Was a bit tired and eh hum dehydrated, because I was out the night before. Note to self, do not go out the day before running or do something low key.

I am now a NYRR member!

I am now a NYRR member! I found out there are a lot of benefits to be a NYRR (New York Road Runners) member! You get discounts at local running stores, special rates on race entry for events sponsored by NYRR, and if you run enough races you have guaranteed race entry int the NYC Marathon the following year!

So I signed up for a bunch of races. That should be fun! Also tonight, Lauren and I went to a Team in Training info. session at Wild Salmon after work. Lauren's one of this happy runners. She's done a ton of races plus the half and full marathon. Anyways, Wild Salmon is a fancy restaurant with free wine and food as the people tell you about racing with TNT and raising funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I found out they want you to raise $3900. Seems like a lot of money but they have wise runners that will help coach you properly and get you out to your event. That seems cool. Thinking about it... Lauren says she can't do the race in SF because her sister is getting married. Oh well. Wine was good. She and I had a few glasses. Thanks TNT!

"The key to marathon training is to sign up for as many NYRR races possible."

"The key to marathon training is to sign up for as many NYRR races possible." - Fellow colleague from the office.

WTF? Sounds about right though. So I told a few select individuals that I am doing the half marathon in October. Most responses I get is "Great!...How far is that again?" And I have to tell them it's 13.1 miles. Then they have this blank stare look - and they typically respond with "Wow, that's far! You're crazy! Good luck!" Oh yea, and most of the people I work with are computer nerds, so most are unathletic or are like me and aspire at post-college time to be the hard-core athlete we never were as a child because we were too busy studying! :)

Anyways, one of my colleagues Sal did the NYC marathon a few years ago. He looks like he's in shape and knew what he was doing, so I asked him for any tips. He said to sign up for as many races possible.

SoIdidthat.

As it turns out my work sponsors some races held in Central Park, and there was one on Sunday, 4/29. I love my job.

So I had a really hot date on Saturday night and before I left for it, I tried to be a good aspiring runner - atleast mentally and check the "gun time". For those of you non-runners, I found out that's what they call the start time for the race - GUN TIME is at...get this...are you ready? 8:30am!!!!!!!! That's a date killer. I was a little late to the race in the AM. I was a little concerned I would not find it. No worries. I discovered that there is a cult of runners in NYC who LOVE to run on Sunday mornings. It was like a beehive of runners all anxious for the race and the season to start. Must have been several thousand people.

Good thing I live so freakin close to the Park.

So how did I do? I reached my goal which was not to collapse and die before the finish line and do the entire 4 miles.

I finished my first ever 4 mile run!!! Before that I think I had only done a 5K for a corporate challege one year. Yay me! :)