The decision to go to Sea Girt was last minute, but when Jason invited me to be a part of his family’s team - “Team Coneys” - I jumped at the opportunity. Why? There were many reasons, but the big ones were these:
1. It would be a great tempo run. 5K race pace is faster than my current tempo runs, so it would be a nice supplement to my race plan on an “off” week.
2. I ran the 5K back in 2003 with my dad. This was the summer before I started cross-country. Since I had run the race previously, I decided to challenge myself to defeat my previous time of 23:38.
3. I would be an honorary part of a legendary family that has run the race together since 1995. They even have matching t-shirts, sponsored and paid for by a local restaurant!
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| The shirts! |
Everyone on Team Coneys woke up early Sunday and ready to race. It had rained the night prior, but it did not rain the remainder of the day. This made for cooler than normal (but humid) conditions. There was a great spread of NJ bagels in the dining room, but I resisted the temptation because I never eat before I run. (I did grab two of them after the race, though!) I took in some water and did some very light stretching. We took the first group picture in front of Jason’s aunt’s house, which is right along the race course. After that, I handed off my camera to his grandfather, who got a couple of great shots during the race. We then headed down to the start line in groups.
The race has definitely grown in size from 2003. There was a very large crowd at the start. Members of Team Coneys scattered throughout, based on their position in the race. I started in a small group in the middle. We had ample time for preparation, including more light stretching, fluid intake, and checking on shoelaces. I was not nervous at all.
Every year, the race is dedicated to a specific charity. This year, it went to the Wounded Warrior Project. As a result, at the start of the race there were a lot of words to be said about those who serve in the military. Many people, both present and in spirit, were honored. Then came the Pledge of Allegiance (perhaps the first time I’ve said it since my time as a counselor!), the national anthem, and the announcing of special groups - including Team Coneys.
Before long, the lead motorcycles revved their engines, and the race was off. A large crowd meant that we were packed in tight for a good distance before establishing our race paces. However, one of my favorite parts of races is coming from behind and picking people off, so this proved to be a fun challenge. Before long, I settled into a 7:45 pace, which I kept pretty much throughout the entire race (including the middle mile - the slowest in a 5K). Jason’s uncle, Jeff, kept pace with me for pretty much the entire race - until he had to stop to tie a shoelace. I even chatted with him a little bit during the race, a feat I would not have attempted during my cross country years.
The race environment was very suburban - in that we saw little except for the beautiful Sea Girt houses with their own enthusiastic cheering sections. The only turns were at blocks in the road. The roads stretched pretty wide, though, and there was no congestion around the turns. I got a lot of cheers at the Coneys household near mile 1.5 from Jason’s grand-aunt and other family members. One of my favorite parts of the race, which broke up the monotony, was when we ran near the shore. There were bagpipers to welcome us, as well as Jason’s grandfather, who took this photo:
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| That's me in the yellow shirt. Somewhere to my right (your left) is Jeff. |
I ran strong throughout the race and finished well, too. When I crossed the finish line, it was on to the water, bagels, free back massages, and free brunch at our sponsoring restaurant (Fratello’s). Jeff crossed the finish line very shortly after me, so I went to congratulate him. I also watched as many runners from Team Coneys crossed the finish line. Apparently, I missed one team member finish who threw up as she crossed. I guess I picked a good time to get a massage after the run!
My end time was 23:40. Technically, I did not meet my goal. In spite of this, I was very happy with myself, considering I had not been training for 5Ks and had not run at this pace in a long time. It felt easy, and I was able to make conversation during the run. I also had the distinct honor of leading the Team Coneys pack. Although it might not show in the number, I think I bested my 2003 self in terms of pure fitness. However, I will definitely see this as a challenge to come back in the future and shatter this time. Perhaps that will be the focus of a subsequent year’s running!
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| The victorious Team Coneys in front of Fratello's |
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