Race Report: Ted Corbitt 15K

December 21st, 2008 § 4

Survival of the fittest may be a good title for this race which was held Saturday morning in a frigid Central Park. Temperature in the low twenties, a threatening wind, and a fresh blanket of snow on the park and park roads made this one to remember. Fewer runners than last weekend, but still a very large turnout in a winter wonderland. Had to hand it to the volunteers, this one should guarantee entry to the NCMY for standing there in sub freezing temperatures for hours watching the water in the cups freeze over. I could turn mine over at the water stop and none spilled out…

I ran this one with a friend as back of the pack bunnies, but as you can see by the graph, we snowplowed our way to negative splits. The bump at mile 6 was me taking a potty break. Here are the splits:

1. 10:12
2. 9:04
3. 8:53 

The first two miles was like learning how to skate again on a crowded rink, we were back in the third corral and it was pretty bunched up.

4. 8:41
5. 8:31 – 5 mile split of 45:21 – 9:04/mile
6. 9:17 – visit mr. john

7: 8:15
8: 8:12
9. 8:10 – second 5 mile split was 42:25 – 8:29/mile 

Totals 15k- 1:20:05 – 9:12/mile but the early crowding and the slippy start cost us a lot of time. At the end my friend had some mysterious jolt of energy around Cat Hill and opened up a 10 yard lead, by the last mile it had tripled- I didn’t see him finish. Nice kick. I was content with avoiding congestive heart failure…

We got lucky with the wind, which was not a factor although at the end heading northbound I was feeling it. But surprisingly not cold even at 25 degrees with the right clothing. 

End of year thoughts on running…

Some 500+ miles covered since June when I began. The calendar only says “June 1, first run”. I cannot remember how far or even where I went. Since then I have run in Ontario, Omaha, Dallas, New Delhi (ok, that was on a treadmill in the hotel gym…) and Bhutan-that was though rice fields.

It is hard to describe just what it is exactly that I have gotten out of running. Part of it is control, certainly, that I can make my body do something continuously, automatically even, that is outside of daily living and breathing. Like an engine, the body becomes a motor for the mind to drive around, and the world becomes the view out the window. It is not that far from photography really. The inner mind of perception looking out through an eye or lens or window onto the world. And the unfolding of a landscape rolling sideways. There are times in running where it does feel very much like this, like being in a car driving, or in a train looking out at the homes and fields and trees passing by. The way I am describing it suits my personality, for sure. I am describing being immersed yet distant from the world, and those of you that know me might recognize this characterization. For everyone else, welcome:)

“Fire up the colortini’s, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures as they fly though the air.”

I know I promised a review of the Eggleston show at the Whitney and part of that has been written. I just don’t know if I agree with it any more…but the prints are stunning, you should go just to get an idea of what colour should look like.

Maybe if i get inspired an end of year post with some dead certain conclusions about the state of the world we are in.

 

 

 

 

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