I Need A Latte: Italy Run 5M Recap
Pre-Race:
Packet Pickup - I wanted a low bib number, so I planned to get my bib before work on the first day of packet pickup. Well ... subways are stupid, so that didn't happen. I went after work and still ended up with a relatively low number.
Getting There - I forgot that the trains were running local, so I didn't leave myself extra cushion room, and when the train had some delays ... I was not happy. I ended up getting to the corral area just as they were starting the race.
Today was Guava Lava's Race Debut!
Race Time:
The plan for this race was to treat it as a training run, and do my easy interval pace.
Interlude - I'm lightly claustrophobic and I have some mild crowd anxiety. It's never been a problem at a race, but there are times when I go places and I feel like there are too many people and I can't breathe. As it gets worse, more symptoms show up ... nausea, lightheadedness, and a complete lack of awareness of where I am and what's going on. Okay, end interlude.
Pre-Race ... Before It All Went Down. I'm A Mermaid ... Who Can't Figure Out How To Take A Picture (my phone was being stupid)
I settled into my intervals right away, but pretty close to the start of the race (like the second or third run interval), all of the sudden my brain sends me a kind of scary message ... "there are too many people here. I can't breathe." Oh crap, I'm starting to have an anxiety attack.
I took some time to focus on my breathing and realized that while it could be better, I was breathing okay, so I just needed to focus on maintaining that okay breathing. But this had never happened to me during a race before, and I was getting really scared that the attack was going to get worse. I kept reminding myself that the crowding would ease up and I would be okay soon.
I didn't think I needed medical attention - after all, I was breathing okay - but I told myself that if it got worse, I'd have to think about having someone get me to the medical tent just so that I could take a breather somewhere safe. I told myself that if I at any point lost awareness of where I was, that was when I had to go over to a volunteer and have them call medical. This race was no longer about meeting a goal. It wasn't even about getting to the finish line. It was about getting through the race in one piece.
The first half of the race was basically focused on getting through the attack. By the time I hit the mile 3 marker, I was feeling better, but I still had that mindset of "I don't want things to get worse." Even after the anxiety was mostly gone, it wasn't about enjoying the race ... I just wanted to finish.
Splits: (per Garmin, which hit the miles a little before the markers)
Mile 1 - 12:14
Mile 2 - 12:11
Mile 3 - 12:04
Mile 4 - 12:16
Mile 5 - 12:21
Overall Stats:
Gun Time: 1:16:35
Garmin Time: 1:01:53 (for 5.08 miles)
Chip Time: 1:01:47 (12:22/mile)
Overall Place: 7,270 (of 7,983)
Age Group (F 30-34) Place: 707 (of 773)
Gender Place: 3,412 (of 3,925)
(Age Graded Time: 1:01:46; Age Graded Place: 3,585; Age Graded %: 39.18%)
This was not my best race by a long shot, but ... I survived to run another day
Post-Race:
I grabbed some water, walked to bag check (I apparently missed my friend Tzippy, who was spectating by the finish line), grabbed my bag, grabbed some free Nutella & Go, stretched a bit, then went to Starbucks (I was originally planning to get plain coffee at Starbucks, but I got a latte because it helps with my anxiety). I used the bathroom at Starbucks (because I had downed a lot of water) and then went home. The end.
The Aftermath:
During the commute to the race I realized that I want to just get my volunteer shift for the marathon nailed down, so I did that - I'm registered for finish area bag check, shift 1 (9:30AM - 2:00PM). I think I get a free jacket (which is one of the reasons I wanted to do finish area). I'm mildly excited to congratulate marathoners while handing them their bags.
Also ... too lazy to post a screenshot, but I'm now 4 races away from guaranteed entry into the 2019 NYC marathon.
And I will be registering for the last of those four races at some point today.
What's Next:
There was a conversation with Coach Billy last week about maybe doing another race next Sunday. That's now not happening. I think this race may have (at least temporarily) cured me of my ambition to #runalltheraces. I’m glad I have a bit of a break before my next race.
As of right now, the next race is the NYRR R-U-N 5K in late July (which I need to register for...), but I also haven't totally ruled out the July 4th race, especially because that's a smaller race. We'll see.
