Central Park Marathon in three days

I really have no desire to run the New York City Marathon.  People keep asking me when I am going to do it, but I tell them that if I ever do, it will be the last one and a long time from now; my victory lap after many years of marathon running.

Besides, New York is a big state and there are plenty of choices to check it off my list as I strive to run a marathon in every state.  There is one in the Wappingers Falls area that piqued my interest as well as the Hamptons Marathon that is sure to be nice.

It's funny, then, that my next marathon, only three days from now, is going to be in New York City after all.

A few months ago, a co-worker and fellow runner told me about this new marathon that was being planned in Central Park - a back-to-basics alternative to the big, crazy tourist spectacle of the annual November race that attracts more than 40,000 runners and winds through every borough in the city.

This new February race would be five laps through the interior of Central Park.  That is it.  Simple, kind of boring, and no frills.

After the debacle of the December marathon in Delaware, in which I got sick and posted my worst time ever, I jumped right back into marathon training, not something I usually do.  Typically, I will rest for a few days then concentrate on short races for a few months.  This time, I was right back to doing long runs with my eye tentatively on this NYC race, but figuring that I would eventually burn out and back out of a marathon that was only two months after the previous one.

But I never burned out.  In fact, I got stronger.  Those runs on the D&R Canal inspired me.  And even the brutal 20 milers through the mountainous hills in the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, and Montclair left me confident. 

So, after once again putting in the work - hill sprints, speed intervals, tempo runs, three 20-milers - of the "Advanced I" program at HalHigdon.com, I find myself ready to run my eighth marathon. It will be cold and windy on Sunday, but that is OK.  I decided that this is my "reset" race.  No preconceived ideals, no gunning for a personal record, just getting out there and running 26.2 miles to the best of my ability without getting sick or hitting the wall. 

For that, I am ready.