Running with Lance

In my last post I pasted my archived results from the NYC Marathon Web Site. I have not been in that race for 20 years! In 1986 I ran 3:41 and in 1985 I ran 2:48. The reason for the large time disparity is because I had different reasons for running each race. In 1985 I ran the race seriously. I learned how much energy you have to spend just getting to the starting line. In 1986 I ran with Paul G., purposely starting towards the back, purposely out there to enjoy the journey. Both Paul and I stopped on the Varrazano Narrows Bridge to urinate from such a great height. We were two of hundreds doing the same thing. The urine evaporates before reaching the river, I hear. The NYC Marathon running crowd was so thick at the start in that part of the pack, even 21 years ago, that running was difficult. The crowd is tight, and you literally have to run diagonally down the streets to pass people. I think I ran with Paul for about 10 miles, then I couldn't stand the slow pace at that point. I started to work at passing people in that diagonal fashion. I probably ran an extra half mile in diagonals.

So I am in NYC 2006. I bypassed the lottery because I had a qualifying 1:25 time last year at the Liberty Half-Marathon. I have been focused at getting long mileage into my running program again. I am using summer 5K's as my speedwork, trying to ignore pre-race tapering, even for just a day. My plan is to run well at four long events between now and NYC. While I am tapering for NYC, to also run fast at shorter events in the two weekends preceding NYC. I want to run 2:55 at the slowest at NYC.

One of the reasons I was motivated to return to the marathon distance after all these years is when Lance Armstrong stated his intention to run it. Hell, I wanna run with Lance! I am sure there are a thousand Lance fans that want to run with him. He will probably be in the middle of a media cloud during the race. But what other opportunity will I, and the other thousands of Lance fans there, have to run with Lance? We will toe-the-line with equal footing. Just think, me and one of the greatest athletes of my lifetime, competing in the same event. What an awesome situation!