NYRR Gridiron Classic - Run4 Mile

The race started as NYRR races always do--at a walk. I didn't really hit my stride until 100y or so past the start line. In general, I held a pretty steady pace throughout. I didn't stop at any of the water stops and never looked at my watch at all. I was just trying to go as fast as I could go without redlining it too much. I tried to pick out some pacers and did pretty well. The pack got crowded in the last mile and it was hard to maneuver sometimes. I lost a couple of my pacers that way.
The finish line comes up quickly, so I was able to give a hard sprint the last 50y or so.

I suppose it would help if I lied about my pace and started closer to the front. As it is, I'm in the 8:00 pack, which, while I did run this race in 32 minutes twice before, it was in 2008. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result. I'm getting faster. Again.

Got an apple and a bagel, which I ate half of. Had a cup of water. Felt ok-- no leg problems at all. Walked back to baggage and got dressed.


It's been a while since I've been able to run this fast. This time is more than a minute faster than the 4-miler I ran in December.


This race has no post-race activities, but the pre-race activities are good. It's a good crowd, a lively atmosphere, and not as crowded as it's been in the past. I skipped it last year and missed doing it. I was happy to do it again. It's a fun race.