I have run enough races, and some races multiple times, that I just have a few in mind where the adrenaline gets flowing more than others. I get really into running the Miami half marathon now because it was my first race, there’s great hype and energy at the starting line, and, on the right day, you just can’t beat seeing the sunrise over the water in Miami. I think I do run a better race, and enjoy the experience more, when I can get really into the excitement of the whole experience.
I think it’s interesting sometimes to think about race routes in the same sense as basketball stadiums. I put the clip of Winning Time up earlier because you know that Reggie Miller, along with many other athletes, pick up their game when they are on the biggest stage. It’s the same for me when I am in races. I just don’t get as excited about the local 10k’s as I do about the half marathons with more than 5,000 participants. I mean I really enjoy the James Joyce Ramble and the Harpoon 5-Miler; but, get me in a big city, thousands of runners, and a crowded starting line, and I am so energized.
What would be the Madison Square Garden of races? The New York City Marathon? The Boston Marathon? I haven’t run the New York City Marathon, but I’m going to guess that it is a very high-energy atmosphere. The Boston route has some dull moments, as any 26.2 mile stretch of pavement would, but it’s tough to say what race is the “world’s most famous arena” equivalent.
As some people know, I really don’t need the adrenaline of a race to get me excited about waking up early to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles. I just have that intensity most Saturday mornings anyways. But I just find the Miami half, running Boston of course, and even the NYC half which I did in 2009, to add something that makes me run better when I’m there.
What are some races you get pumped up for?
