Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5k

Pre-race

I ran this a week after Al Gordon, and after a weeklong trip to Romania for work. I managed to get some runs in while I was there (maybe I should write about my cool training runs 🤔), so I was definitely in better shape.

This race takes place on the Upper West Side, so it was a lot easier to take a train from my apartment. I hilariously saw some people running uptown past the station, probably since they were treating the race as part of their long runs.

I left my bag in a very muddy dropoff area and stretched out my calves on the curb.

Race

This course was immediately hilly, but manageable since I was fresh. Mile two through the loop in Fort Tryon Park was tough, but the views were pretty awesome.

The last mile definitely hurt, but I had come in with the goal to not stop at all. I took the uphills on the way back slowly, and made it up on the downhills.

Once again, I managed a good kick for the last part. This probably means I could have spread my effort a bit better throughout the race.

Post-race

Afterwards, I had an apple. I have learned I am mildly allergic to apples, so my mouth was itchy.

Reflections

Not a ton to discuss about the race itself since it was short, but I did learn a few things:

• I enjoy having spectators, they add a lot of energy to the course.
• I should try to study the course ahead of time. Even then, it's tricky to look at the elevation chart and know how it'll actually feel.

This race led directly into my training block for the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon. The experience here left me feeling motivated.