Palm Sunday — Run for the Parks 4-miler + C-SIG ride
It’s 10:30 at night and my legs are still tired.
Friday night, notices started to go up on the NY Cycle Club message board that Saturday SIG bike rides were being postponed to Sunday due to high winds. I knew that this was going to happen at least once — I was already scheduled to run a 4-mile race in Central Park on Sunday morning. However, I was fortunate on the scheduling. The 4-mile road race started at 8 instead of the usual 9 am and would take me about 35 minutes, and the finish line was at 72nd Street mid-park. The SIG ride began at 9 at the Boathouse, which is maybe a quarter-mile from 72nd Street. I could do both.
Saturday night I packed a bag of bike gear and asked Missy to walk my bike to the running finish line, so that I could change clothes mid-park. She’s been a great supporter of all of this, and very patient as I dedicate every weekend to something other than her.
Sunday morning, I walk the bag of bike clothes over to the baggage check and make my way to the starting line. Today’s race was bigger than average — they said 7,000 entrants, though only 5800 got finishing times on the NYRR results site. I suppose that if the race benefits the parks, then the 5,000-entrant limit doesn’t apply. My number was 3450, continuing the long slow march toward respectability that comes with the lowest possible starting number. I decided I was not going for any personal records, since I had a 40+ mile ride immediately following.
With that said, I didn’t plan to run 34:34, or 8:38 per mile. That was at least a minute slower than I wanted. I knew I was going to be s-l-o-w when I passed the 1-mile clock at 11 minutes (!!!) — it wasn’t that bad; my real 1-mile split was 8:40 because it took me 2 1/2 minutes to get to the start. The course is the same route they’ve used for most every other race this year: start on the southern part of the west drive, up Cat Hill, past the Metropolitan Museum, past the reservior, across the park at 102nd Street, then back down south over the rolling west hills, ending near the bandshell and Bethesda Terrace. The problem is that this is most of the same route I run for fitness and training, which means the race itself is boring but reliable. I (think I) know when to turn it up a bit, when to pace myself more, and when to relax. With that said, I really took it easy today. No single miles under 8:30, and that final time that was 93 seconds slower than 2 weeks ago on the exact same course.
I passed Missy holding my bike at 72nd Street and West Drive, so when I finished the race I turned back down to meet her, collect the bike and my gear, and change. She was extraordinarily patient and helpful as always. I made it to the Boathouse to meet the bike group at 9:02, recovery bagel in hand.
As a result of the early run, the bike ride was harder than usual — after about 15 miles my upper legs were sore, and the pace went from “leisurely” to “demanding” as a result. We ended up in Northvale for a late breakfast of blueberry pancakes and coffee, after a 2-minute side trip over the NJ/NY border into Tappan. 46 miles round trip at about a 15 mph cruising pace.
All I can say is that it *might* be easier for triathletes to do the bike before the run, but if I end up with a Saturday cycling cancellation again on the same day as a running race this spring, I’m going to dread it.
2 years ago