Bridges Runner

So remember me saying "I'm planning on using this as a training run..." last week? Well, I chose to take the Manhattan Half Marathon and show it who's boss! The weather was STICKY with a start temperature of 77 degrees with 82% humidity.  My dad came up with his friends for the half as well so it was like different generations meeting up.  Anyway, I met AB by the 72nd transverse at 6:45am and ran into Fullerflash and Wendi.  At the start AB and I ran into Kate so that worked out nicely.  It was her first half so we wanted to help her out.  I promised her my gift of pacing free of charge for the race:0)  So we line up along with 8000 of my fellow Manhattanites for the half.  The "original" plan was to run around 8:50min/mile and see how it goes. 

So we get final instructions and my favorite signature line "see you at the finish line."  The start had its usual clog up with walkers starting with 6 min milers and such.  I ended up running a 9 minute first mile...yuck!  Mile 2 we made up some time with an 8:38 and I was feeling pretty good.  The next mile included passing the Reservoir Dog station which was cool...I saw some of my fellow 'Dogs getting gatorade ready for the second time around!  Harlem Hills were suprisingly "easy" for me...at which point I started to consider going after my half PR.  Coming up around Harlem Hill I saw Susan out there to cheer me on...once you run a marathon with someone its forever a bond that cannot be broken!  Also saw Val from NYH as she was cheering us on:)  Kate was keeping up and seemed to be doing great!  We headed for lap 2 of the park at which point I made sure to tell her that she should make sure to drink as beyond 10 miles was unchartered territory! Passed the TRD stand once again and this time Sempre Libera was there as well as tousled!  Thanks so much!  Made a brief stop for gatorade which was a disaster as it was plastic, not paper so I couldn't funnel...and ended up with more gatorade on me, than in my mouth!  Once around Harlem Hills (definitely enjoyed the bag pipe guy!) Kate started to bonk a bit so she said to just go ahead and I started to really ponder a new PR.  I asked AB how she felt and she felt good as well so we decided to see how things went.  Once we got to within site line of the finish line I knew it was going to be VERY CLOSE!  Unfortunately, some asshole (sorry for the profanity) did the blocking technique!  He kept wavering back and forth which created a blockade for AB and I.  This started at around 400m to go and continued to within the last 100m.  I was getting really pissed and finally yelled "PICK A SIDE!".  I mean I know it's after 13  miles but please...you don't need the whole damn road!!  At the finish line I saw Coach Sponge and tousled!  Crossed the line with a net time of 1:52:50...missing a PR by 16 seconds.  However, this is incredibly deceiving as the PR was set in Philly and the weather was perfect last year. 

Once AB and I finished we did another 3 miles to create a 16 mile training run!  We kept saying how amazing we felt and what a difference in how we felt now to two weeks ago during the record heat! 

So my splits by the mile:
mile 1: 9:01
mile 2: 8:38
mile 3: 8:30
mile 4: 8:38
mile 5: 8:44
mile 6: 8:29
mile 7: 8:40
mile 8: 8:42
mile 9: 8:32
mile 10: 8:44
mile 11: 8:50
mile 12+13: 16:33 (forgot to do this split but I *think* AB told me mile 13 was 8:03

See why they call me the pace master? Pretty damn consistant, no?