May 17th challenge

Back when there were still enough active SLG'ers that challenges could be held, there was, on May 17th, 2008 a 10 k race. Stefan had made some vague remarks about wanting to do a run together and so I challenged him to a real "race" between us for the Healthy Kidney run.
I showed up at the my corral (yes, ALL the NYRR races have corrals at the start now) and there was no Stefan in sight. I thought he had chickened out before the gun went off.

The race went in the clockwise direction around the park, ending at Tavern on the green. Halfway up the Great hill, I spotted my fellow SLG'er in his orange training vest, so I sped up a bit, cought him rather easily and flew past him, no sweat! I bet you he must have been a bit surprised. Actually, during the frame by frame analysis after the race, Stefan did admit that he felt it a bit disloyal that I didn't stick with him. How can you call it a challenge, dude, if I would have stuck with you!

Anyway, we were marrily on our way and I felt pretty good. Of course in the back of my head, I knew that Stefan wouldn't give up so easily and I kept wondering how far behind he was, or whether he was right on my tail. But I was stubborn and smart and I did not waste any energy turning my head to figure out where he might be.

I decided to forego the fluid station at mile 4, where I usually drink, to save a few seconds, but also to try and shake the enemy a bit more. Stefan did admit later that he was counting on me to drink there and was a bit surprised when I didn't. I tired at mile 5, just south of the 72nd street transverse, where there is the dreaded uphill. Again, Stefan did admit that he had me in his viser the whole time and that he noticed the encouraging sign of "hands on hips", Lief's tired running mode.

And sure enough, I knew it would have been too good to be true. Just past the last mile marker, he passed me. I had seen orange shirts and bandanas and vests passing me by during the whole second half of the race, but here was the REAL THING, Stefan passing me. Ouch!!!!

As hard as I tried, I could not hang on to him and I had to let him go. This one really hurt!

Obviously we analyzed the race step by step at the finish line. While we were going over strategies etc. Grant showed up. He had also run the race and was eager to hear how we had fared. We went for our Brite Room group shot and walked slowly home. And then... it dawned on me. Stefan had started the race ahead of me.... how much time did he loose before the start? ... and how much had I?
Who would be the real winner here? The final result wouldn't be known until the official postings would be up.

Two hours later I got the congratulatory call from Stefan :


Sannen, Lief F50 Overall place : 2295, Finishing time: 51:18 , PPM 8:16

Ewald, Stefan M41 Overall place :2321, Finishing time: 51:25, PPM 8:17

Need I say more?

Fifty

Not only did I turn 50 this year. I share a birth year with the New York Road Runners club. They celebrated their 50th on Wednesday June 4th with a 5 mile run that started at 5.30 A.M. Entry was free and the race was limited to 5000 people. The claim from the Road Runners club was that all the slots were filled in 1 day.

I wasn't so sure about getting up at 4.45 am to go run around the park with 5000 of my closest friends and I decided that it wouldn't be the end of the world if I couldn't get my sorry behind out of bed. On the other hand, the symbolism of the 50 year old Queen of SLG running in celebration of NYRRC 50th anniversary was not wasted on me.

Wednesday morning, I was awakened at 4.30 a.m.... by unbelievably heavy rain! So that made my decision easy. I would turn over and go back to sleep. Of course, things are never as easy as they seem, especially if the decision is to run or not to run. 15 minutes later, the rain had mostly stopped, and then started again. Anyway, you catch my drift. Finally, at 5.05 I decided that there was no way I was going back to sleep now, so I might as well go out and run the damned thing, rain or no rain.
I trotted over to the start, in a little emergency rain poncho because the rain was now blowing sideways. Luckily there were, not quite 5000 but 1700 idiots who were jogging over in the dusk and the rain to the start with me. It was a no frills affair. Mary Wittenberg showed up at the start to thank the runners for their support of the NYRRC and off we went. The rain kept up pretty well, it actually rained so hard in spots that I could not see my split times. But I was happy I did it, and quite satisfied. There was no medal at the finish line, no cupcakes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NYRRC. There were no other SLG'er at the finish so I trotted home feeling a bit lonely, and I think I may have cried a bit, but I am not sure and nobody could tell anyway, because it was still raining....