{"id":1020,"date":"2024-05-01T11:03:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T11:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racereportblog.com\/?p=1020"},"modified":"2025-02-25T20:45:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T20:45:42","slug":"nycruns-brooklyn-half-marathon-april-28-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racereportblog.com\/?p=1020","title":{"rendered":"NYCRuns Brooklyn Half Marathon – April 28, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I was reluctant to do this race:  rain was predicted, and it was a logistical nightmare to drive in from the suburbs to Greenpoint; we were required to load into the race area between 5 and 6 am to start running at 7; and the finish line was in Prospect Park, 15 subway stops (or a 9-mile UBER ride)  from the starting line where I\u2019d park my car.   But then the rain prediction evaporated, and temps were going to be in the low 50s; I managed to get to bed by 8:45 for a 3:30 a.m. wake-up; and\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even though my pre-paid, reserved parking lot was blocked off by the police because of the race, I found a spot two blocks from the starting area.  So a good start!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

22,000 people signed up for this race!  \u201cThe 3rd largest half marathon in the U.S.\u201d My priority was to run by what felt good, but keep track of the time. I wanted to do better than Coach Steve\u2019s estimated finish of 1:48 hours = 8:15 per mile \u201cbased on the available data.\u201d Use that as a minimal acceptable limit, not as the best I could do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hurry up and wait. We went through security, gathered in a parking lot before going into the pre-assigned corrals\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because I had left my Garmin in the car (rookie mistake!), I\u2019d have to hit the lap button on my watch so I didn\u2019t have a lot of data during each mile, only after passing each mile marker. But the lack of data was probably a good thing – less information to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wave 1 is crowded, and folks are friendly (and young!) and I chatted with another triathlete wearing an Ironman 70.3 shirt, and it takes us almost 4 minutes to cross the starting line. Early on I meet another age grouper by the name of Andy (\u201cWhat\u2019s our pace? I left my Garmin in the car!\u201d  \u201cThat one was 8:13\u201d), he sees my Philadelphia Marathon hat, asks if I\u2019m from Phillie and says he\u2019ll do his 11th Phillie Marathon this fall. I surge ahead, then he surges ahead, and I\u2019m okay with being dropped: I am racing MY race, and Andy is clearly a Runner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Mile 3, I realize I\u2019ve been running at around 8:00 min\/mile, and decide that\u2019s a nice goal.  I run up to someone to comment on his shirt slogan, and realize the extra effort made my hamstring twinge, so I back off the pace.  By Mile 5, I\u2019m still at around 8:04s and my only concern is whether that\u2019s sustainable, it\u2019s starting to feel challenging, but I also don\u2019t want to get slower, beating Coach Steve\u2019s prediction has now become its own priority, competing with the \u201chave fun\u201d part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I freak out a little at what I think is Mile 6 and my watch says \u201c10:30\u201d minutes, but I realize that\u2019s the 10K (6.2 mile) marker, so I\u2019m only a little slower.  I\u2019m breathing more deliberately to bring my heart rate under control; we\u2019re about to start hitting the long hills and I don\u2019t want to blow up.  I have the discipline to follow my nutrition plan: at mile 6 or 7 or 1:00 hour, even though I don\u2019t feel like it, I drink my flask of UCAN energy drink (feeling SO smart despite looking stupid with a water belt, as I never slowed down and jostled for a cup at the rest stations; instead, sipping every mile when I wanted, and still comfortable carrying a cell phone in the big pocket, in prep for that post-race UBER ride!) but I don\u2019t want to give up the 8-minute goal, that\u2019s what would define \u201cSuccess,\u201d and I realize:  fearing failure is not a helpful thought, and we (the surging crowd of runners) get over that hill and the glory of downhill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, at Mile 8 or 9 I\u2019m anxious again that this is really starting to hurt.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead I focus on the extraordinary long, straight road crowded with runners, and the sun is beautiful, shining on the spring trees at the end of this vista, and there\u2019s simply no room for the thoughts that make me anxious, yes this is getting tough but only 3 miles to go and I start to surge at Mile 11 and realize dammit this isn\u2019t my last mile, there\u2019s TWO more miles to go, and Andy (remember him?) is next to me and says \u201cgo for it\u201d, and I\u2019m quietly telling folks that I\u2019m passing them (\u201con your left\u201d like riding on the bike path) and with 1 \u00bd miles to go I warn a couple \u201cI\u2019m between you\u201d and the young woman says \u201cgo for it\u201d (or something like that) and I am getting FASTER and the curving road in Prospect Park seems familiar (did a duathlon here years ago) and impossibly long and I\u2019m at the Finish Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nailed it!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n