As I’m writing this, my body is so extremely sore and it makes me oh so proud 🙂
Yesterday I ran the Bronx 10 Mile race and it was one of my favorite races I’ve done so far!
It was warmer than I had anticipated but it was a beautiful Sunday morning. John tagged along with me ’cause he is the best and the race started close enough to our apartment that it was just 2 easy trains away. I had a little bit of coffee and my usual 1/2 banana with 1 tsp PB. On our way there I ran into the woman who I owe my love of races to! We met 2 years ago in a running group and she helped me run my first race ever in November 2011, a 4 mile race. After that she hired me at Chanel and got me into long distance running. She runs multiple marathons a year and tons of other races. We don’t work together anymore but she is still a huge inspiration to me!
Like I said, it was a beautiful morning.
I’ve run 10 miles many times but I’ve never raced 10 miles, pushing my body to maintain a pace that is faster than I normally run for that many miles while taking no bathroom breaks. I had to pee SO bad from about 3 miles on, and the line for the porta-potties at each stop were too long so I decided to just power through. In all honesty, I didn’t care if I just peed my pants… but for some reason I couldn’t and eventually the feeling kinda goes away. Yay for that 🙂
When I would approach a water station, I would run up to it really fast, grab the cup and then power walk for a few seconds while I drank it. This turned out to be an amazing idea that I will do for my half marathons this and next weekend. I stopped 3 times to quickly stretch out my calves and IT band/knee because it would get really tight and “locked” feeling, if that makes sense. Each stop was just a few seconds and I didn’t care how it was affecting my pace. I’d much rather stay injury free than run through the pain that the tightening causes!
The miles went by pretty fast and the course was gorgeous. There were quite a few hills despite the website saying that the course was flat… not sure who determines what “flat” is but this was not flat! It was challenging but not insane. But my legs are so sore today that I know I put in some good work!
Before I knew it, we were near the finish line and I gave it my all! I nearly barfed at the finish line.
I finished in 1 hour and 47 minutes, which is a 10:42 average pace. I was aiming for 11 minute miles so I’m super happy!
I took a bite of a bagel that they give you after the race but I was too sick to eat it. Apparently everyone else was too.
After some foam rolling and a shower, John took me to brunch at my favorite place, the Brindle Room. We have gone 3 times now and I crave it every day! I get the smoked pork hash which is sauteed potatoes, bell peppers, onions and pieces of smoked pork with 2 poached eggs on top. With a side of their grilled sourdough bread with olive oil, it is the dreamiest meal ever.
That awful feeling you get after a hard race where you can’t eat as much as you normally do. I couldn’t finish this and I sincerely hate that feeling.
We had to make a stop to celebrate National Coffee Day.
I had a sugar-free iced soy dirty chai because I’m complicated. Turns out I should have just had water because I was pretty dehydrated from 2 hours of running in direct sunlight. Cue the migraine that ensued for the rest of the day…
I was craving salt so we stopped to get my favorite french fries with mustard sauce.
Barely made a dent in them. At this point I wanted to go home and go right to bed but I stopped to get froyo that made me SO sick. It wasn’t the froyo itself, it was that I needed rest and shouldn’t have walked around for 4 hours after a 10 mile race. But, I don’t have every Sunday off so I wanted to enjoy it. Lesson learned: if you don’t want to be sick in bed all night, go home and rest after a hard race!
So since I didn’t refuel all the calories I burned in the race (which was over 1,200 according to my heart rate monitor!) I am STARVING today. Treating myself to a bagel for lunch, ya’ll. It’s the little things.
Have you ever pushed yourself so hard in a race that you were sick? Is it sick that I love that feeling?
JEN SPINS NYC 
congrats on beating your planned pace! That’s a great time. I ran 10 miles yesterday through unfamiliar trails and it took 2 hours. Also twisted my left ankle twice so I’m elevating and working at home today. Your food pics are great, that smoked port looks really good! What’s your next run on the horizon?
Trail running sounds so fun but ouch! Hope that ankle feels better. The smoked pork hash is sooo good. If you come into the city, its a great brunch spot in the Lower East Side. My next race is this Sunday, the Grete-Gallop half marathon in Central Park!!
Congratulations! just started reading your blog and it’s really inspiring to me and my quest to get healthy and fit.
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Congrats on your time! You have me beat by about 4 mins 😉
My fiancé and I ran Bronx on Sunday too and it was definitely not flat. I am still pretty sore actually. And your brunch spot looks awesome. We went to a place in the west village that was just so so. I didn’t feel sick after the race but nothing disappoints me more than running a race and then getting a sub par breakfast.
Thank you for your inspiration though. Reading your blog has brought back my own enthusiasm for running. Good luck at the rest of the races!
Ahhhh thank you so much Andrea!! Congrats on your time! That course was not at all flat and my legs are still feeling those hills. What place did you go to in the West Village? You should definitely check out Brindle Room! It’s on East 10th between Ave. A and 1st Ave. So happy I have helped bring back your running enthusiasm!! ❤
Congratulations! I love reading your blog and seeing your pictures. I think I first reeeeally liked you when you were one of the few bloggers talking about better n peanut butter 🙂 isn’t it so weird how after a long race you aren’t even that hungry?? but the next day is when you are an empty pit!
Love me some Better’n PB! My long run hunger has gotten so much better than it used to be.. I used to be hungry for days after but now it just seems to be that next day and then I’m back to normal!!
WOO WOOO WOOOOO congrats!
Ha it cracked me up while I was reading because everything you ate you either couldn’t finish it or didn’t enjoy it and then you continued to eat something else…that you didn’t finish 😉 funny guuuurl.
High five to bagels for lunch!
What it comes down to is that i’m a mess hahaha God forbid I just go a few hours without food… 🙂
I am so envious of the beautiful places you have to run in NYC. KY and my local national park is beautiful, but I think I would love the big city. Congrats on your great time!
Congratulations on your race! So much delicious food! It’s always a shame when you cant eat it! I’ve been following you since the Women’s Health Article and you really are an inspiration! I’ve started running recently and your blog always keeps me motivated to keep moving! I’m training to increase my distance right now. Any tips on how to work on increasing speed? 🙂
Thank you so much!!! 🙂 I don’t really run for time myself because I am slow (11 minute miles, lucky if i get in the 10’s unless i’m racing!) but I LOVE distance running. As for increasing speed, i’ve read it many times and its as simple as “if you want to get faster, RUN FASTER” so you have to put in the work and do some running workouts. There are tempo runs, interval runs, fartleks, and many others you can look up and see what sounds good! For me I just go by how I feel on that day the minute I start running haha I don’t run competitively (just against myself) so I honestly focus on feeling good and having fun!
Hi I am messaging from Australia and am so desperate to start running I am sooo overweight and in my mind I am running hut cannot physically do it I am 42 HELP CHeryl
Hi Cheryl! Running is just something you have to start with slowly. I did nothing but walk for a year befofe adding in little bouts of running. I’d walk 4-5 miles a day every day and then add in a few 30 seconds of running throughout. Eventually that 30 seconds turns into 1 min, 2 mins, 10 mins, until youre running a full mile and then 3-4 straight! Just have to put your mind to it and you can do it 🙂