Race Recap: Brooklyn Half Marathon

"I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go."

-Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

Brooklyn Half finish line on the Coney Island Boardwalk

Saturday I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon marking both my third half marathon and my third race to qualify for 9+1 entry to the 2015 NYC Marathon.  Packet pick up was Friday in Brooklyn along the East River.  Unfortunately the weather was not so great so most of the entertainment was canceled.  CeCe and I took advantage of the bad weather and were able to eat the famous Grimaldi's Pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge without even waiting for a table (usually the wait is upwards of two hours).

Bib Pick-Up

Best Pizza in NYC

Unlike Friday, Saturday was perfect weather- a first in my marathoning career.  This made getting out of bed at 3:30 am much easier.  Although I was still running leading up to this race I didn't really train for it like I have for my other two half marathons.  I did no speed work and only a couple long runs so I was most impressed by my timeliness for this race.  I was in Brooklyn, had my bag checked, and already used the restroom by 6:10 am giving me plenty of time to stretch in front of the Brooklyn Museum. 

Brooklyn Museum at sunrise

The Brooklyn Half course begins in front of the Brooklyn Museum takes you through Prospect Park and then down to Coney Island finishing along the beach.  

Brooklyn Half Course

The nice part of this course is all the hills are in the beginning.  The bad part is the second half is pretty monotonous down the highway.  This was the first time I really struggled during a race.  Around mile 9 I really wanted to stop, probably because I hadn't done many long runs leading up to this race.  However, that just made finishing feel even better.  And what's better than a marathon that finishes along the beach?

The spectators were also amazing and really helped push me along.  There were some great signs, my two favorites were, "Run like you're in an elevator with Solange" and "MTA are you taking notes on how to run?!"

Despite feeling fatigue during the race I had no problems recovering.  I was a little tired after the race, but had no soreness (yay!).  Over the next few months I have several shorter distance races so my plan is to focus on strength training and speed work until the end of July when I will start training for the Staten Island Half Marathon and the Baltimore Marathon- my first full marathon.  More posts to come!

2 boroughs down- 3 to go!

3 races down- 6 more until guaranteed entry to 2015 NYC Marathon!