Enjoying the time, untimed

By | July 15, 2017

on the warning track behind home plate

Today was the Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium. Could there be a better 5K location? I don’t think so. I forgot my watch would likely have an issue finding the GPS signal inside the stadium where the run began and since I didn’t want to destroy my battery running Strava, I decided not to time. I figured they might, and if they didn’t it was just a nice run. I also knew the course was going to be positively evil and planned to walk some anyway.

Our heat went off at 10:23 and I quickly realized how disorienting it is to run inside. I had no idea how far one lap of Yankee Stadium was or how quickly I was running. When we exited out onto the warning track there was a marker for mile one and I looked at my watch, yeah, this wasn’t going to be pretty. It was about 17 minutes. It wasn’t that I was running that slow, it was that I kept pausing to look around and chat. This was definitely going to be a fun run and not a race. So I embraced it and hammed my way around the warning track – I can’t wait to see the official photos.

I jogged up the first flight of stairs before noping out of that. They were part of why my hip flared up two weeks ago and my knee wasn’t going to have it so I walked. From there it was pretty much a walk run between water stations as it was quite humid. Oddly, my next two miles must have been faster than my first when I was running. I’m not entirely sure it was exactly 5K or 3 miles as there were two “Mile 2” indicators and either the second mile was really long or the 3rd was closer to a half a mile.

Lap 1 around the warning track

Stadium from stairs to 300 level

I wasn’t sweating it, but I was definitely sweating. Even walking, it was gross but fun. Lots of fun photos of a relatively empty stadium and fun enjoying running in the Stadium. I’d definitely rather have these photos than a better time.

Damon Runyon has raised an amazing amount and done phenomenal work toward cancer research. There’s no better fundraiser and in Yankee Stadium to boot the week of Dad’s anniversary. He was with me today, even before I was fueled by his beloved DOTS.

Dad Sign

 

Oh, I do have my time because they timed it. It was ugly. But if you look at place, it wasn’t that ugly compared to everyone else. And I’ll track it honestly even though it’s going to hurt my average pace, in part because I could use the 49 minutes to help my average time.

Pre:

  • 30:41 average time
  • 12:44 average pace

Post:

  • 32:48 average time
  • 13:10 average pace

As I’ve said with bad food days: tracked and moved on.

Runyon5K Time

4 thoughts on “Enjoying the time, untimed

  1. Liz Dexter

    I had a really crappy run today where I hated EVERY moment of 10 miles then really enjoyed the last 1.5 getting distance up in the park with two pals who were making up from 14 to 16. Weird. This looks fun and I love the idea of you hamming it up – I’m a terrible ham in races, even though I’m pretty quiet normally!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Same re: abnormal ham. Something about the atmosphere, I think.
      I rebounded today, luckily. Nice to know garbage is an exception and not a trend. Yay on you having a good final burst. Our bodies are weird. Impressive that you’re back up to that distance after the time off. Did you lose speed at all or picked up where you left off?

      Reply
      1. Liz Dexter

        I’m on about the same speed as when I stopped for my op. I went from walking to fast (for me) running because I was just so blooming glad to be able to do it. Abnormal ham I love as an expression, by the way – so true! I will add this to the “proactive wee” my running friend shared as her phrase for when all the girls suddenly need the loo so we stop off and you don’t but you think, “Well, I might as well while I’m here”.

        Reply
        1. cari Post author

          LOL. Our group calls it a “pre wee”. Same exact meaning.

          Reply

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