Broad Street Love

5:20 am rising + 1 oatmeal raisin PowerBar + 19,111 runners + 10 mile stretch of road through center city Philadelphia + Runner's high = Bliss.

Some people would disagree, but I couldn't have asked for a better Sunday. We started the morning strong. My roommates and I were up and at 'em bright and early (see us in picture waiting for the subway). We may have gotten to the race a tad bit early and this may or may not have been due to a certain roommates' insistence (I wont tell you her name). Regardless, we were all really excited to be so punctual because it gave us time to pre-pre-stretch, pre-stretch, and stretch before anyone even lined up. And although a certain other roommate may have made a few comments about our early arrival, these comments weren't deemed excessive. I mean, because there was nothing else to do, I may have started counting the comments, but it couldn't have been that many... although I did lose track after 39 mentions so I can't be sure...

Notably, the weather was perfect. There was just the right combination of sweat and breeze so that my DryFit T shirt kept me at just the right temperature throughout the race. Around mile 4, the runner's high really set in and carried me almost effortlessly to mile 7. There were actually times when I felt like I was floating down the street in the river of people as leisurely as if I were in one of those inner tubes in the lazy river at the waterpark (and for all of you who asked me what I think about while running for an hour and a half, you just got a small sample of it).

Although miles 7-10 were no piece of cake, I finished strong and was very happy with my time. I really prefer to not run with the sun beating down on me and wish be granted, the sun only came out after I had finished 9.75 miles. I finished in a glowing light of sunshine and glory. Oh yeah, and then, the highlight of the race: a dude a few people to my left vomited all over the road! You gotta admire someone who pushes themselves like that. I did however have to exercise some self control to refrain from saying: "Guess you shoulda trained with me, buddy!"

Following the race, we hung out in the sun, stopped for lunch and a couple beers, then headed home where I proceeded to take a much deserved shower and 3-hour nap. Like I said, between the early start, thousands of people that might as well have been pushing me down Broad Street in a shopping cart for how good I felt, plus sunshine, endorphins, and beer... It certainly was a Sunday for the books. What else could a girl ask for? Sub-9:00/miles?....

Don't push it. :)

Broad Street Run - Official Time and Placement

Chip Time: 1:31:02
Pace: 9:07/mile
Overall Placement: 9,110/19,111 (47.7%)
Field Placement (Females 20-24): 469/1397 (33.6%)
Gender Placement: 3,196/9,290 (34.4%)