Bridge Run Race Report

For the first time, I ran with no expectations, I just wanted to see where I was before I started training for the Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon in DC on St. Patty's Day.  And what a great day it was...weather was perfect - last year was super cold and I had my decent 10K time with 9:15 min miles.  This year, I knew a better time wasn't going to happen (too many injuries and just starting to get back into running and my recent break-up with the orthodics).  I was more petrified that the dreaded P word (plantar fascitiis) would occur the next morning when I swung the legs out of bed to feed the cat.

SPOILER ALERT - I was able to walk in the morning

Back to the weather - it was 35 degrees around 7am which I knew would probably reach mid-40's during the race at 8:30am.  I met with Christine and my sister, Theresa, in the morning to drive over.

If you haven't run the bridge run, it is a great local race, you start in Camden, NJ, home of...

 Campbell Soup

 

 Rutgers

 

 

and yes, more importantly the crackheads.

Hard to find images of crackheads....This guy did a 6 min mile running from the cops...

 You run over the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philly and back for the first 3 miles.  It's all in all a pretty flat run -just the initial climb up and over the bridge and back. The first 1/2 mile you zig zag to get around your new 4,000 friends. 

People are all over the bridge hanging out and cheering which is so much fun!  I didn't run with my Garmin since it wasn't charged as usual....I ran super easy for the first three miles and was feeling really good.  Once you get over the bridge, you run through the "relatively nice" areas....I walked the water stop at mile 4 and had a Cherry Roctane that tastes like cherry coke and was feeling really good so I started picking up the pace. I can't figure out if it was the Gu or the guy with the sign that said "Run like you stole something." (in my opinion, this was the most appropriate sign for Camden).

At mile 5, there is another small incline.  Christine told me to just go at that point, so I did and was surprised at my energy level going in, I felt like I should have run at that pace from the beginning but I was just being cautious.

The outcome was 1 hour exactly with my chip time which was 9:40 miles - maybe not the 9:15 I did last year but I was still happy because now I know I where I am and how much work I have ahead of me.  My feet did not hurt.  The big "ah-ha" for me was that being slow and steady for the first half can lead to better performance for the second half of a race...(duh...)

 After was hanging at the Team Triumph tent for breakfast and the decision has been made....

MOOSEMAN 70.3 in June - more on that later...

and then meeting up with my mom while we shopped for our race "presents."  Christine and I buy ourselves a "gift" for completing a race. 

In this case it was a little Urban Outfitters fun tops and scarf!
All in all a great day!