2015 NYC Half: 5 Days Away!

Being that the 2015 NYC half is only 5 days away (woohoo!), here are 5 things that I learned from my first half, the 2014 NYC Half last year. While there are definitely more than 5 things that I could've done to make my half 'better', these are the thoughts that really stuck with me. Let the countdown begin!

1. The early bird gets the worm...but the early bird also gets frostbite. Last year, we got there REALLY early and even though we had throwaway clothes, it was still SO. DANG. COLD!!! And just standing around shivering was not a good idea for muscles that were about to run 13.1 miles. I made the mistake of throwing away my throwaway clothes as soon as my corral was let loose. Big mistake, huge! It took a while for my legs to actually warm up after we started running because I was still so frozen. This year, I will give myself enough time to accommodate for any train delays, finding corrals, using the port-a-potties, and getting my stretches in. Oh, and some time to take a gazillion selfies of course! But not 2 hours. And i'll keep my throw away clothes until I'm thawed out.

2. Pace envy...it got me. I've never had a problem with being a not-speedy runner. Sexy pace, turtle pace, dang slow pace. Whatever you want to call it, i'm fine with it because it's MY pace. So...Cari pace. I know I'll never win any speedy awards, but I get the job done and bring home the bling. I don't know if it was the excitement of this being my first half that I was actually able to run, but watching different pace groups run past me really got to me. At first I used them as motivation to push a little harder. So, I started to pick up my pace, only to tire out pretty quickly. By mile 9.5-10, I was ready to give up (see below for more on that!). Which lead to a major case of pity-party frustration. No bueno! This year, I have a goal in mind. But it's not the end all be all of my day. I will definitely try to PR and meet my goal, but I will also listen to my body this year. If I miss that goal, bummer. But there's always the next race. And the medal around my neck to prove that my pace is pretty bad-ass! 

3. The Westside Highway sucks. I usually run on the highway for my shorter runs so I thought this part of the race would be a piece of cake because I know the area. It's my home turf. However, come race day, this was the death of me! It was SO. LONG. AND. BORING. The Goob were waiting for me at 23rd St., ready to cheer her frozen little heart out (it was so COLD that day!). But beyond 23rd st, the crowds were very sparse and it just seemed very quiet, like eerily quiet. I swear I heard my knee creaking! Ok, maybe not, but it was too quiet. It was the twilight zone down there, especially compared to the crazy energy from 42nd St. It was at this point that every little ache became a major pain. My knee was throbbing, my ankle was really sore, and my brain was thinking crazy thoughts of quitting. I had turned my music off earlier because there was so much energy in the park and through Times Square and I never turned it back on. So it was just me and my Negative Nelly thoughts. This year, once we hit that long stretch of nothingness, my power songs are coming back on to carry me through that vortex of silence. And I'm saving my extra special fuel snacks for this part...my sport jelly beans! HOLLA!! 

4. You've finished the race!...What're you gonna do now?! Food right away!! Yea, riiiight! As mentioned above, I'm not a speedy runner. So we figured that by the time we were done, it would be no problem finding a restaurant nearby to scarf down a plate of pancakes or wings or both. Every place we went to in the Financial District area had an at least 1 hour wait. Yea, no thanks. After walking around for about 40 minutes shivering in semi-wet clothes under my coat that the Hubs had brought to the finish line, we decided to head back home to Chelsea. At least the trains were empty. And we got a bunch of 'Congrats on your marathon'. And then the sky parted and angels exalted in glee as I stuffed my face at our local diner with mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers and a Pepsi. A real one, the kind thats full of delicious empty calories and bubbles. This year, the best bet would be to head straight out of that area...after post-race selfies, of course! And wear my medal at brunch near home again. (And I want that soda again.)

5. Most importantly...Enjoy the day and HAVE FUN!! Soak in all the energy of Times Square, wave at the angry drivers stuck in gridlock on 42nd St, ham it up for the photographers (but watch where you're going), hi-five random strangers cheering you on, and run with all your heart! We run this city, baby!!