NYC race

At the beginning of the year I made some resolutions -- Meatless Mondays, read 100 books, participate in the 365 photo challenge, and a few others. Last week I succeeded in accomplishing the goal of running a race in a new (to me) state when I ran the NYCRUNS Riverside Run #3 5K.

Months ago my running buddy, Sharon, took on the challenge of finding me a race in NYC. I did not want to run one very early in morning, nor did I want to spend a lot of money on a race. She found a race at 7 PM that only cost $10. How could I say no?

We took the train into NYC. Sharon gave me a quick tour of Columbia University, St. John the Divine, Tom's Restaurant, and Riverside Park. We checked into the race early and soaked up the ambiance.

It was a very sticky night. Very. It was in the 80s with 90% humidity, or so it seemed. I can't find the exact details. It was the type of night where you broke a sweat standing still.





Before the race began I studied the pool of runners. They all looked so fit. I was certain I would finish dead last. Turns out, I finished 287 out of 334, so there were a lot of people behind me.

My time was slow, even by my standards (37:18), but my splits were a lot more even than normal (each around a 12 minute mile). Best of all, I can say I ran a race in my 6th state (NJ, PA, CA, OH, FL, and now NY).

I thought this would be a locals-only race. I was surprised when the first people we met came from The Netherlands. The winner, and his wife, came from Germany. 

Overall, it was a very festive evening. The race did not offer any frills (no medals, no swag bags), but, as promised, with lower expectations came more enjoyment. Not sure how they did that! My friend, Sharon, placed in her age group and was rewarded with a glass, probably a leftover from a different race, just as our bibs were leftovers from previous races. No frills means no frills.

Best part, we missed the thunderstorms and made it home to New Jersey wet with sweat, but not with rain drops.