There was a 5-mile race organized by McAvoy family on Long Beach this labor day. It was its 22nd anniversary and I just learn about it this past week. After The Bronx half marathon got canceled the weekend before due to the hurricane Irene, I was searching for a substitute race to get to a competitive mode before my big race—Marine Corps marathon on Oct. 30. The running season is almost over and I haven’t run any race yet, if I don’t count the Marcum Workplace Challenge run.

The week prior to this race wasn’t very successful. All surrounding parks were closed due to fallen trees after the hurricane Irene. The fact that I had to improvise the courses on the roads combined with a different weather made me tired more than usual. Nevertheless, I have overcome the apathy and forced myself to sign up on the race day. It was rather humid day, but the breeze made it comfortable.

I started rather conservatively, then picked it up the 2nd mile, slowed down the 3rd and 4th miles, and picked it up again the last mile.  The 3rd and 4th miles were run on the boardwalk, so the bouncy planks and the wind could cause the slower pace. In general, I was happy with my resulting time of 31:15 given I was in the middle of marathon preparation. You could see the part of result in the picture and the entire results were posted on Finish Line Road Race Technicians web site.