This past Saturday was an amazing day. We held our First Annual Teens Run Yonkers 10K in Tibbetts Brook Park and it was a hot one. I'm not sure what the temperature was when we fired off the starting gun (OK, it was actually an app on my phone designed to sound like a gun) but it easily seemed like we were in the 90's.
The course that day was a deceptively challenging one - three miles up the new South Trail Extension to Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers. What you never exactly realize till you have the fun of running back the same way is that about 1.5 of those first miles is completely uphill. Not a steep elevation but slightly worse (depending on your perspective) just a long one. Once your over that it's a bit windy but at least well shaded which was the reason for the choice.
Anyway, despite the weather conditions and the challenging course, our runners and Running Leaders, did a fantastic job. Our top two finishers, Will Lewis and Alonzo Lockly finished in 48 and 55 minutes respectively (7 and 8 minute miles) and the balance of the group all finished a few behind but still with excellent times. Please note that the writer of this blog can only imagine a 7 or 8 minute mile and it would be on a cool day on the flattest, fastest surface imaginable. And it certainly wouldn't have been for six miles.
But speed isn't the point. Every runner gave a 110% effort and in many cases, surprised themselves with their results. And that's the idea. Effort over outcome. Achievement that occasionally surprises. It was all there.
Afterwards, the team celebrated with trophies, t-shirts, bagels, bars and water.
Most important, the excellent showing for the race made it clear that the team is well on its way to doing a phenomenal job for our goal of running in the Yonkers Half Marathon on September 16th.
Congratulations to all!
Pictures can be seen on our Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Run-Yonkers/130787670273053?ref=hl
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