4 mile bridge run complete!

[pamela]

I was nervous going in because I spent the last 1.5 weeks nursing a lower leg injury.  I wasn't sure if it was a sprain or stress fracture.  Thankfully the last 2 days I didn't feel anything more than a few twinges after 10 days of no running at all.  I went for a 1.5 mile run the night before just to make sure all was good.  I was also worried about the heat, but even at 85 degrees and 75% humidity, once we got on the elevated stretch where the breeze could reach us, it wasn't too bad.  Organization wise, the worst part was that the only open parking lot near the finish had 1 pay machine and no attendants.  So it took us 30 minutes just to wait in line to pay for parking.  The line for the bus was scary long, but it did move fast.  They had 3 or 4 school buses running.  The start was held up by about 5 minutes waiting on the last bus, so not too bad. 

The start was divided into 2 corrals, runners and not runners.  I left my 2 walk/jog friends in the other one.  Thankfully this race did do chip times, unlike the last bridge run in the series (which did not warn us before that there was no start mat).  I didn't have to do near as much weaving as the last one. 

The first mile was surface streets headed towards the on ramp.  After the on ramp there was a short flat section before heading up again.  Right about that point there was a traffic sign that said "Stay in lane. Do not stop" that just felt perfect for how I was feeling.  Do not stop, do not stop.  My only goal was to just keep up the running motion the whole time.    Mind over body and I managed to keep going. 

The highest point of the bridge is 300 feet over the river, but I didn't get long to admire the view.  I did post a picture in the PIP where you run thread.  From the peak it was about a mile downhill.  Once we hit the end of the ramp at the convention center I was expecting the end to be right there so I kicked it up.  Nope.  Had to go all the way around the convention center at least another 1/4 mile to the finish. Ugh.  I did manage to find a tiny bit of reserve and kick it at the end.   

Results:43:xx, top 1/3rd in age group. 

I grabbed my water/gatorade/shirt and headed back to the finish to find my friends.  A light rain started about then, just enough to cool things off so that was really nice.  One more race to go in the series, then I think I'm done running bridges (hills) for while.  I prefer flat :-)

[fdcritt76]

Congrats!!

[Wines Not Whines]

Great race!

[venice2007]

Great job!!!

[trigal]

Well done!

[savan]

Nice job!

[sadlebred]

Great race! Sounds like a fun one!

[kams]

Awesome job!!

[taratru]

Great job Pamela!

[coconutbug]

Yay, great job!

[libbygrl109]

Very nice!

[mfluder]

Nice job! Where did you decide to go eat? Priorities

[pamela]

Jun 9, 2013 19:25:54 GMT -5 mfluder said:

Nice job! Where did you decide to go eat? Priorities

We ended up back in Metairie at pei wei - bah! They both live in a suburban bubble and weren't willing to go further into downtown. One of them suggested trying taqueria Sanchez in gretna after I told them DH and I checked it out and approved, but no way was I taking them there that late alone.

[mfluder]

Jun 9, 2013 20:17:04 GMT -5 pamela said:

Jun 9, 2013 19:25:54 GMT -5 mfluder said:

Nice job! Where did you decide to go eat? Priorities

We ended up back in Metairie at pei wei - bah! They both live in a suburban bubble and weren't willing to go further into downtown. One of them suggested trying taqueria Sanchez in gretna after I told them DH and I checked it out and approved, but no way was I taking them there that late alone.

lol to going to gretna but not downtown! (Didnt you finish in downtown?) Sorry about the post race food. I don't think I knew we had a pei wei...

[pamela]

Jun 9, 2013 20:23:56 GMT -5 mfluder said:

Jun 9, 2013 20:17:04 GMT -5 pamela said:

We ended up back in Metairie at pei wei - bah! They both live in a suburban bubble and weren't willing to go further into downtown. One of them suggested trying taqueria Sanchez in gretna after I told them DH and I checked it out and approved, but no way was I taking them there that late alone.

lol to going to gretna but not downtown! (Didnt you finish in downtown?) Sorry about the post race food. I don't think I knew we had a pei wei...

Well, we ended right at the port and parked right there.  But yeah, I don't claim to understand them. 

There is a little chain restraurant mecca in Metaire now between Trans and Clearview: Pei Wei, Bonefish, Panera and then there is a Coyote Blues (which is actually pretty good for fajitas and kabobs).

[gt7301b]

Great job!!

[shauni27]

nice work!

[boston340]

Awesome race report - well done!

[emuni04]

Great job! I wanted to run that one this year, but my family was in town.

Ugh, the buses. At least the line moved quickly! I waited for almost an hour this year for the bus from City Park to the CCC start!

[pamela]

Jun 10, 2013 11:52:57 GMT -5 emuni04 said:

Great job! I wanted to run that one this year, but my family was in town.

Ugh, the buses. At least the line moved quickly! I waited for almost an hour this year for the bus from City Park to the CCC start!

Better to me to wait at the start than the finish though.

[beckbech]

Nice job!

[LWoods]

Nice job!