First Race of 2010 DONE!!

Hi all!!

So this morning all of us TNTers (Team in Training runners) completed our first road race of 2010. I'm not exactly new to the road racing scene, having run about 2 races per month in the 2009 racing season here in NY, and it felt great to be back at it!! We ran the Al Gordon Classic, which was a nice little 4 mile race commemorating a famed NY runner who lived to be 107 and once actually ran from his apartment to LaGuardia to catch a flight. Bananas! The race itself was in Prospect Park (that's in Brooklyn, for you non-New Yorkers). Our coach mentioned that there is a "bitch of a hill" in Prospect Park, and thankfully that bitch showed her face very early in the race - most of the first mile was uphill, and then after that it wasn't bad at all. And actually I didn't find the hill to be terribly bitchy, but perhaps that's because it was at the beginning of the race and not the end.

The sun was out, which was GREAT since we got snowmageddon 2.0 this past week. Though having fair skin, and with the bright sun reflecting off the bright white snow, I of course managed to get a mild sunburn. Only I would manage to get a sunburn in February...

This was my first race as part of TNT, so that made it quite special. Some of the go-to coaches, coordinators, and mentors stood at various parts of the course and cheered us on, waving purple gear and ringing cowbells! Having spent the majority of my life being a cheerleader for other people, I never really learned what it was like on the other side. I figured it must be nice to see a familiar face in the crowd, and I kind of left it at that. But I have to say, seeing those groups clad in purple, yelling "GO TEAM" every mile or so was an incredible boost!! It also puts a huge smile on your face so those god-awful pictures the BrightRoom people take look ever so slightly less horrible.

I can't decide if this would make me an excellent professional athlete or a horrible one. Hearing an entire stadium of people must give you the most insane adrenaline rush - but I don't know if I could ignore something like that and focus on the race/game. I do know, however, that it feels amazing to be part of a team again. I play volleyball recreationally, but TNT is a true organized sports team, and I don't think I realized how much I missed this.

GO TEAM!!!

Love,
Rach