Race Recap: 2019 Broad Street Run
The annual Broad Street Run has been a Philadelphia tradition for 40 years. It’s become so popular that in order to participate you must enter a lottery! Each year approximately 40,000 people are randomly selected to run the 10-mile course throughout the equally historic and beautiful city. For three years, I’ve entered that lottery hoping for the chance to join the tradition, and 2019 was my year!
The course itself was a dream, the weather...not so much. Mile one starts slightly downhill, easy on the legs and lungs. Most of the course remained completely flat, with only one or two slight inclines for a short distance. But the forecast was not in our favor. There was consistent rain and wind, but the energy of the thousands of runners was palpable (Nicole, if you’re reading this, laugh with me here!). Given the poor conditions, before arriving at the start line I decided my only goal would be to finish the race safely. No personal record or maximum effort was worth getting injured or falling (like in my last race two months ago).
That decision was so freeing. In the past 8 months I’ve completed four half marathons, and two 5Ks. And with every race I usually have a goal in mind, a time I’d like to beat. This time, I decided this would be a fun run. Now I know 10 miles doesn’t sound exactly fun... but it was 10 miles of running through a city I’ve missed so much, exchanging words of encouragement with strangers, giving too many high fives to count, and letting the rain hit my face to keep me cool. I stopped and took pictures, smiled at all the strangers standing in the rain to cheer us runners on, and soaked in the shared experience I was having with 40,000 people. Letting go and going with the flow made all the difference.
But aside from the weather, there was another factor that initially made this race a tad daunting. Those that are reading this likely know me as an active person--consistently Cross-fitting, Body-Pumping, and running each week. However, leading up to the Broad Street run, I hadn’t gone on a run in a whole month! The last run I did was only 3 miles, and my most recent “long distance” was more than two months ago. I basically went into this race relying (and praying) that my cross-training would save me. Thankfully, it did!
The power of cross-training is something I like to discuss often, especially with those that have specific fitness goals. The proof is in the pudding. When you find a variety of ways to move your body, your progress in strength and stamina will be clear. As I faced this 10-mile race, I realized I hadn’t actually gone on a long run in two months. But during that time I was weightlifting, rowing, completing weekly body weight workouts, dancing, and more. Incorporating several different modes of training makes us strong and well-equipped not only for competition, but everyday life. If you’re seeing stagnant results, or seeing improvement in limited areas of fitness (i.e. endurance, strength, flexibility, body composition), try cross-training for improved total fitness. Your body will thank you!
With love, health & happiness,
Ciara