Queens 10k Race Report and Worst Race Pic Ever

Last weekend I ran in the Queens 10k.  For those not following NY weather, the previous week and Saturday were brutally hot -- like 95 degrees and humidity.  I saw one report from Friday the 19th where it was 99 and felt like 109 in NYC.  That is crazy.,  So, for the 10k planned for July 20, NYRR cancelled the event (still gave everyone NY marathon credit though).

Sunday though, brought cooler temps -- in the mid seventies, and relatively mild humidity -- and a Queens 10k around the Flushing Meadow Park.  Getting to the race was a little confusing, and I ended up parking in the back forty and had about a mile to walk to the race.  And then the race had run out of  t shirts, which was a mild bummer because the shirts were a technical running shirt, not a cotton tee (NYRR has ordered more and promised to mail one to me).  And there was a big crowd -- nearly 7,000 runners.

The course itself while technically in Flushing Meadow Park (home of the Unissphere) was really not very picturesque.  The vast majority of the course was around the edge of the park, running parallel to highways.  And the Park includes natural water from the Long Island Sound, which at low tide is mudflat.  And smells bad.  The course also had some mud on it in a couple places, for about 30 or so yards.  My shoes and clothes got muddy, with stinky swampy mud.  Ugh.

The race itself was Ok, and I ended up finishing right at a 8:10 pace and 51 minutes.  I felt good, my heart rate didn't go crazy and ran a pretty solid race.  And finished in the 1600's.  I was kind of disappointed because I thought I had done well, but I guess a top 20% finish is Ok.  I can't post any of my run data (or even examine it) because my new running watch, the Tom Tom runner, won't update and let me get the data off.  I will refrain from passing judgment on the watch publicly until later. All in all I felt pretty good about it.

And then yesterday, the running photos came.  Oh wow, was that depressing.  I didn't dress to look studly, in that I wore compression socks up to my knees. (Haven't worn them enough to know if they help.)  But the look was terrible, with my green running shirt.  I  looked fat, like a pudgy Jolly Green Giant, with mirrored sunglasses and a yellow/black running hat.  And my running form looked atrocious.  You know they "keep on trucking" guy?  That looked like me, heel striking, leaning back..



(Imagine that guy in green, with about 50 pounds on him and you have my running pic).

I am used to bad race pics, but wow, this one took the cake.  I know the event is a run and not a fashion show, but i have this mental image of myself as like a locomotive, steady strong, poised.  Not the Jolly green giant heel striker.  Motivation to lose weight and improve form, and a lesson for the future...