Run To Breathe 4 Mile Race Recap + A Video Announcement!

It was a beautiful morning (for July) the temperature was about 71, humidity 75 and the race would be held in the gorgeous Central Park in NYC.

It had been a long time since I had done a New York Road Runners race. They manage the New York Marathon every year and boy you can see why, their races are extremely well organized and I even bought a membership for the year because the races they do are phenomenal.

I was really excited about this 4mile race–and usually I am terrified. This is how my running pattern was (before 10k training and the running bug bit)

• Browse active.com
• Find a really cool looking 5k
• Register
• Don’t run until race day
• Wake up race day morning wondering why the eff I did this
• Pray to make it to the finish line
• Make it to the finish line (hurting)
• Go home
• Repeat cycle

Now that I have actually been practicing running, I was geeked to run this race. 4miles is longer than my normal 3.1 but I had no fears, I knew in my bones I could do it.

When I arrived at the race there were literally thousands of people there. Since the race is a scored qualifying race for the 2016 marathon it sold out rather quickly. The race was benefitting Boomer Esiason’s Cystic Fibrosis foundation and the total amount of participants was just over 5000!

Even as the bell chimed and the music began I really didn’t cross the starting line until 20 minutes after the first runners started. I turned on my nikeplus app (since this is the app I train with for every run) and started easy with a jog.

However, I was stunned when I felt like giving up in the first 3 minutes. I didn’t understand why I was so tired so early! I walked for a minute, regrouped, and started running again. After about 5 minutes I started to feel good again, getting into longer run/shorter walk patterns.

I was very happy to be under 12 min per mile after the first mile because there were some hills involved. Second mile I was still under 12 so I knew if I could keep pushing I would have a PR because my usual miles are 12:30ish (on a good day). Mile 3 was harder, I walked a lot of that one but Mile 4 made me want to run to the end!

When it was all said and done Nike Plus said that I averaged 11:58 per mile! I was so excited I almost hugged everyone when I crossed the line. I beat my own expectations and I felt great during  the race. I even felt like I could keep going!

There was a lot of post race fun like a great band and vendors but really,  all I wanted to do was eat my cinnamon Raisin bagel and bask in what I just did.

It really goes to show that your only limits are the ones you set on yourself. When I said I wanted to run a 10k in January as a part of my fitness bucket list, I didn’t know how it would happen. I figured let me throw it out there and let the universe do what it may. Boy, did it ever.

I know I have a lot of miles to log and training runs to complete. I will be honest here, I feel ready, more than ready for my 10k races this fall. For the first time ever I can see past the 5k and even the 10k. Is there a Brooklyn Half in my future? Who knows! This is no longer an impossible idea and for that I am grateful.

This running bug has me ignoring my scale, reading running books, listening to running podcasts… I am loving it so much and it is giving me a new appreciation for my body. Putting on step in front of the other (no matter how fast or slow) is one of the greatest things you can do.

My next race is a 5mile run in August. Until then, train train train!

I did something a little crazy! Check out my video 🙂

httpv://youtu.be/BE8fsNT26zk

It’s Friday! Don’t forget to check in! How did you do with your fitness and wellness goals this week? What have you done lately that surprised yourself?