Tri Again and NYC: 4th time the Charm

This past weekend I was in NJ and NYC. I came up to run the NYC Half Marathon. This was the first half marathon I ever ran and what started me down my slippery, race slope. I love this run. It's a loop around Central Park, you exit the park at 7th and Central Park South and run down through Time's Square, make a right onto 42nd Street, Left onto the West Side highway/Henry Hudson Parkway and run all the way until you hit Battery Square Park. Amazingly enough, this was the first year it was really hot. This leads me to what I don't like about the run -- that is is in August, in NYC. Still, some great runners were there -- Paula, Deena and Ryan. I think this is the only time I can say I ran with Paula and Deena (granted they were about 8000 people ahead of me, but still! Anyway, I couldn't help but think that in the 3.5 years since I started, how far (some might say obsessed) I've come.

I also realized that this was my first timed Half of the year -- not bad at 2:24:44. Last month's race was the NJ Triathlon with SM and KM. I did OK. It was nice that the course was flat, but I am a bit disappointed that I did not do the Olympic distance and opted to do the Sprint. However, considering how large the field was, it was for the best. Had I stayed in Olympic, I would have been the last wave to leave. SM and KM seemed to really enjoy it, so I'm glad (since I was the one that suggested they do try a tri in the first place).



This should give you an idea of how crowded it was. While I like the cross-training involved in a Tri, it's the transportation of gear that is the problem. Tris are something better served close to home, unlike running races where all I need to bring are sneakers.

I've actually done a lot of smaller races in NYC this year -- the mini 10k, the CPC run, and there are a couple in the fall that look fun. It would be nicer though if I actually lived in NYC instead of shlepping up from DC to do the runs.