Rocked Broad Street!

1/2 mile to go - good picture mom!!

Broad Street Run 2009
1:22:29/8:15 pace

Here were my thoughts at 6:30am this morning: Nick has slept through the night for the last 2 weeks. He decides today to get up at 4am. Gah!! It's raining. I'm tired. The alarm never went off.

I got ready and ate my PB and toast and half a balance bar - these things are good for my stomach. My goal was under 1:30, but after watching the Boston marathon on the T.V. last night and watching Kara Goucher running the last 10k, I was really psyched and wanted to run fast. I didn't know what I could do. I did a 1:28 at the Ocean Drive 10 miler about a month ago, when I did the 20 mile training run, so I kind of wanted to beat that.

my mom loves taking pictures. She got out of the car when I got out to take my picture
I missed her at the finish line at boston. (she was still working her way back from mile 21)

Drank some tea and water! Off we go! My dad has been my chauffeur for the past 5 years. My sister was running today too but stayed at her boyfriend's house last night and he was driving her down (me not too thrilled, was looking forward to going down w/ my sis). My mom and dad picked me up a little after 7am. Bill stayed home with Nick, yucky weather and swine flu. No need for him to be around 26,000 people. I pumped in the car, it was drizzling on the way down. They dropped me off where they usually do right near a bridge about .25 miles from the start. Then they go to South Street and get breakfast and hang out around mile 9. I want to be a 30 year finisher of this race (started in 2004) and need to plan any further pregnancies around it to make that happen, so I hope they enjoy this tradition!


I jogged up to the start to get warmed up and felt pretty good! My sister found me around 8:10 and we chatted and got into the red corral. I was yellow and she was orange, but fighting the crowds for her to go back to orange wasn't really worth it, so we stayed there. They weren't really strict about it like Boston (totally on top of it!) She started telling me she hadn't run since Boston (with me) and that she had Mexican food for dinner last night. All I could think of was 2 years ago, her first Broad Street run, we did not even make it to mile 2. She had worked until around 1 am on an event, and drank red bulls in the morning and ate something that she had an allergy to, and we ended up in an ambulance, and ultimately, at Temple hospital. I was so sad that I didn't finish (although, I felt really bad for her). I have this heartfelt connection to this race since it was my very first race, back in 2004. Nope, I didn't start with a 5k, but instead a 10 miler! In the end, I was bummed, but more I was happy that she was ok!

I knew that today I wanted to see what I had in the tank, so I wasn't sure if I should start with her or not, but we started together. I started what felt like sprinting and left her after 2-3 minutes. I felt somewhat selfish, but she hadn't trained, and this is the last 10 mile race of the spring. It was a good idea.

Mile 1: 8:04. Holy crap! I can run this fast still? Am I really running this pace?
Mile 2: 15:43 I just went a mile under 8 min pace. S*** - I better slow it down. I am going to pay later.
Mile 3: 22 something - still under 8 - realizing that I am going to fade out and probably die at mile 6.

Since it was raining and kind of dreary, I was just in my own thoughts and music, trying to enjoy the race, thanking the people giving out the cups, but realizing that I was tired. I think around mile 4 I just felt tired and wondered when I would start to fade out and stop holding the pace. Around mile 5 which was right on 40 minutes, I was starting to wonder how in hell I ran the marathon 2 weeks ago. I was fading. I don't recommend the shuffle mode on the ipod. This was kind of not a priority for me to fix my playlist and the shuffle stinks! I kept hearing the same songs.

I was holding 8 minute miles or under until mile 6. Kind of wish I had a Garmin to see all of my splits, but I'm going from memory here.

There weren't too many people out, and my stomach was a bit screwy. I was starting to think I should have taken it easy and ran with my sister. I think it would be a good memory to actually start and finish a race together, instead of being bandits for each other! Some day!

As I approached city hall, I got a little bit more psyched. Missed Gov. Rendell and high 5, but was really interested in just finishing at this point. I saw a shirt that said something like "running for those who can't" and tried to shift my attitude and view. I thought of those who can't run and how lucky all of us running are. Don't take it for granted! Enjoy it!

6 miles was around 48:30. After that I was just trying to hold whatever pace I could and not look at my watch too much. I started to go off the 8 minute mile pace and going into survival mode. I forget when I had GU, but my stomach wasn't feeling it. I didn't eat the whole thing and stopped at most of the water stops after mile 5. I was just trying to stay below a 9 min mile pace on the clock time, even though it wasn't really good enough for me, I kind of didn't care. My mom called me around 6.5 miles to tell me they were near the stadium and all I could manage was "I'm at 6.5, I'm dying, I gotta go."

I was wondering if I should have more GU and decided to just keep getting water. Mile 7 was around 57 something? Miles 8-10 I just kept reminding myself 2 miles to go! I told myself, 1:25. I'll try to break that. I can do it. Don't slow down. You're fine! My parents always stake out around the same place and I was able to see them with about 1/2 mile to go. All I could manage was "ALMOST DONE!" I was smiling! That's the picture from up above. That last stretch until you see the finish, is kind of a long one! First there's the fake finish - the navy yard entrance with the arch, and finally you get to the real finish.



I felt good after! I always find my parents easily. My dad had walked down and found me, my mom stayed in place and waited for my sister, and my dad and I found a spot by the finish to look for her. We found her and yelled her name and she finished! First successful Broad Street finish. Way to go Kristen! I told her next year she should train and we can wear sisters shirts that are bright colored and run together! She was a little iffy. The non runner.

W/ Dad

w/ mom


The 4 of us, just Rich is missing! Time to get him running!

Now - I have my feet up and recovery socks on. Why did Nick wake up at 4am!! I am tired.
I need another run to do! Next up - Kennett run 10k?? What else is local out there?

Way to go Marathoners and runners this weekend. Today was a rainy humid day!!