Blue Line at Mile 24
Simple. Distinctive. The blue line is the path to the promised land … the finish line of a marathon. I had been waiting all week for the blue lines to appear for the final 2+ miles down the East Drive of Central Park leading to the finish on the West Drive. Due to all of the rain this week, workers held off until either late last night or early this morning. Since there was a slight rain overnight, it looks like the staff may need to reapply the lines along parts of the course. No matter. I snapped this pic at Mile 24 where I usually start my run on the Outer Loop. I wanted a pic of the mile marker, but it was already twisted in the trees.
Despite the sub par weather … 63*, 94% humidity and an annoying wind that hit me in the face no matter which direction I was running … runners were everywhere this morning. As I was making my way down the East Drive (following the blue line), I saw an amazing array of runners … some singing, taking photos, complaining about the hills of Central Park … it was cool stuff. Since today would be my last opportunity to run thru the finish line, I made a point of doing it multiple times. My timing in the first instance was not optimal. Runners participating in the 4 mile International Friendship Run had the same idea as me … their race ended at the Marathon finish line. Therefore, I had to make my way thru about 2,000 runners who had no incentive to get out of my way … ugh. After navigating a few tight corners and jostling a bit, I managed to regain my stride/pace once I cleared the runners.
The balance of the run was uneven. I felt fatigued at miles 5-7 … heavy legs, no bounce, no burst, etc. Harlem Hill likely had something to do with it as I hit it twice during that stretch (reversed my route). Once the GU started taking effect, I felt better and my pace picked up. Overall, the run was … uneven. I never felt great … at times, good, but mainly fatigued. After giving it some thought, I realized it was my 5th day of running in a row with all but yesterday on asphalt. I could have stopped short (Seinfeld reference!), but I was too close to a big monthly PR to let it go. In the end, 13.2 miles at a 9:08 pace, but felt like 19:08 pace. I’m looking forward to the next 2 rest days. Goodbye October.