Race Reflections: Trip down memory lane

Excelent

inspired by jrjo's flashback thread

We may have done this before, but since its the fall racing season, and many of us are veterans, and running is the common bond that we all share, I'd thought we could all take a trip down memory lane. Even if you don't run anymore, it would be real neat to hear some stories, heartbreaks, and some funny yarns about this crazy thing we do.

What I am looking for:

Favorite Race
Best Race
Worst Race (one you'd rather forget)
Most Memorable Race
one race(or event) that you would like to do, but haven't

Anything else that you would like to share would be cool too.

Member

okay take your pick.....wrong turn with less than 200 meters for the finish, wrong turn and some guy on a scooter had to come find me, wrong turn because I didn't know the course at all and thought I'd follow the lead guy---except he was behind me.

wrongwaysue

Member

Funny...I was thinking about this a few days ago during a run. It has been 6 years and 1 month since I took up this crazy sport and I can't believe I'm still going at it and improving while most of my former high school XC teammates that I still keep in contact with have given it up long time ago. I was alot slower during those days, probably among the slowest in the team. I remembered when I first joined the team, I was dumb enough not to have ran the previous summer...I also ran the workouts and races in cross trainers. I have no idea how I managed to make it through the season without getting hurt...maybe it's because I only ran 2-3X a week at that time. Well being at the tender age of 16 and with no prior background or coaching, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. As it turned out, the first couple of months was probably the toughest period of my running career.
My worst race was most probably my first one (XC) in September 1999. I gallow-walked most of it after running all-out at the beginning. The situation was worsened by the hot weather and my sudden urge to pee at the halfway mark (it was a 3-4k course). I finished close to last (though not last surprisingly) and was a little embarassed...However a month and a half later, I was able to finish my last race of the season, a 6k course without walking, though still at the back of the pack.
My favorite race was my first half marathon in February, 2004, despite cramping up in the last mile. Other than the fact that it was my first one. I really enjoyed the crowd support and the excellent post-race brunch. Also, i wasn't pressured to run for a good time, since my first attempt will always result in a PR anyways!
My most memorable race will probably be the marathon this weekend...I guess I'll update that with a long race report next week!

As for future race plans, I'll like to run Boston one day, if I'm still keeping up with my running. I also hope I can still improve over the next few years with consistent training and at the same time have fun and enjoyment with it.

Pyromaniac

Adjunct

[*]Favorite Race
Broad Street Run. Straight 10 mile course

[*]Best Race
Rose Tree Park

[*]Worst Race (one you'd rather forget)
Ocean Drive Marathon 2001-30 mile and hour headwinds the whole way. Shear 4+ hours of misery

[*]Most Memorable Race
1999 Alaska Midnight Sun Marathon-first charity run. Raised money for Luekemia, ran for a close friend's son, had the disease. I got pneumonia the day before the race. Ran with a 102 degree fever. Hardest race I ever ran, but proud that I finished.
[*]one race(or event) that you would like to do, but haven't

NYC marathon. Wanted to run with my two bros. One can't sorry Greg, other is in Fla.

Member

I have run relatively few, so there's not a big selection for mine.

My favorite race is probably the Baton Rouge Beach Half Marathon. I plan on doing the full this December.

My worst race was a 5k in New Orleans in September of 2002. The whole race sucked... poor management, ugly course, bad music. I ran almost a minute slower than my worst race to date. And the T-shirt was hideous.

My best race was probably the 2004 Baton Rouge Beach Half Marathon. I say it was my best because it was my best effort. Despite being sick, I stuck it out with pretty even splits and PR'ed by 16 seconds over the year before.

Most memorable race.... eh.... I don't really have a good memory. I remember the Lake-to-Lake 5k that I won with a 19:10 (very small field), and my most recent, the Dash for Deaf Kids 5k where I set a PR of 18:48.

I will run Boston one year. Hopefully next April... depending on how things go in December. I want to run a few ultras, then do something really crazy.

POTFH

Favorite Race - I guess the Gate River Run.
Best Race 2004 Guana 50K
Worst Race (one you'd rather forget) 2004 Marine Corp Half Marathon
Most Memorable Race

2004 Guana 50K

[*]one race(or event) that you would like to do, but haven't One of the major Marathons or the Triple Marathon in Tahoe!

Excelent

Favorite Race - Broad Street Run (10 mile)
Best Race - Sharon Hill Fun Run 04 July 2005. Won age group, seventh overall
Worst Race (one you'd rather forget) - Philadelphia Marathon, 2001, experienced severe hip pain (bursitis) at mile 15, basically plodded my way home
Most Memorable Race - Broad Street 2002, 9 minute PR, my best race
one race(or event) that you would like to do, but haven't - NYC marathon. Also wanted to do some sort of tri which I was beginning to train for prior to diagnosis. A century would be real nice too someday, but not sure if that is doable or advisable

Member

Worst race: forgot what it was but I got there late, ran it backwards (untill I saw the frontrunners coming straight at me!) and afterwards noticed that the big "F" on my bib meant that the NYRRC had me listed as female - I'd been a member for a couple of years and never noticed! (They no longer put F/M on the bibs).

Most Memorable: 2001 NYC marathon. Not only my first, but emotions were high. Whenever we (runners) passed FDNY or NYPD (spectators) we cheered them. Even then, six weeks later, smoke was still rising from the fires underground.

I've also run several interesting races. Thru the Lincoln Tunnel, on a runway at JFK airport (pre-9/11, never happen again), and on Rikers Island, an island-jail complex for the NYC Dept of Corrections. Runners were instructed to display their bibs at all times (you bet!) and we had our hands stamped at the start, needed to get back on the bus leaving the island. The race course was patrolled by armed NYCDOC officers (their running club sponsored the race.)

My favorite is the Shea Stadium Run to Home Plate, sponsored by the NYRRC and the New York Mets. The race (5K) starts in the parking lot, winds thru Flushing Meadows Park, and returns to the stadium, ending on the field, on the warning track behind home plate. It's a flat, fast course (my 5Kpr) and the only time I ever get to go on the field at shea (and sit in the dugout!) I ran this race 7 of the 10 years it's been around.

Race Reflections: Trip down memory lane

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