Once race registration opened, I quickly signed up then realized the race started at 7am which didn't make me happy. If I left from my home in New Jersey, I would have to get up at 3:30am, get on the road by 4:30am, park and then get to the start by 6am. Since the race started at the Brooklyn Museum and finished in Coney Island and bags needed to be checked by 6:20, it was gong to be a challenge.
I made up my mind that I would stay in Brooklyn for the night at my mother & sister's house which would save me some time.
This would be my 6th Brooklyn Half Marathon, the first being in 1984, 30 years ago, when I was 25 years old. Back then, it started in Coney Island and finished in Prospect Park and there were only 1,000 runners. There would be over 25,000 runners for the 2014 race. I ran a 1:45:33 in 1984 and I was hoping to run it faster this year.
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| 1984 - 1:45:55 |
On Friday night my sister and I went out for dinner at Ortobello's on Bay Parkway. This was the first time ever we dined together alone. We had to catch up on a few things since our mother passed away 3 weeks ago. My sister and her kids lived with my mom the last 7 years and took care of her especially recently when she was sick.
Up at 4:15 in a familiar, but strange house, I slept surprisingly well on an air mattress. I was meeting up with Yoi, another fellow RVRR member and everything was going according to plan until the car service guy showed up 20 minutes early. As I went outside to tell him to wait for about 15 minutes, Yoi showed up and then I realized one of my sisters's cats pooped on the floor near the door and I stepped in it. I was now hopping around with cat crap on my running shoes trying to finish up and get ready to leave.
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| Elmo |
We got to the start in plenty of time, checked our bags and then headed to the start. I lost Yoi at that point so I chilled in my coral by myself. I was starting in wave 1 which would start at 7 am. Wave two started at 7:45. It was a perfect day for race, with temps in the 50's at the start.
My plan was to run 8 minute miles even though I haven't been running well since the Boston Marathon. I ran the Riverdale Y Half two weeks earlier in 1:56:43 which was extremely hilly and less than two weeks after my marathon.The first 3 miles were flat to downhill which made for an easy warm-up, but then into prospect park for a series on hills. I have run many races there so it was no surprise, although I felt like the course was easier then the Cherry Tree ten miler.
Once on Ocean Parkway, it is a straight shot to Coney Island. There was lots of crowd support along the course with many people holding signs.
After a slow start, I was clicking off sub 8's and feeling pretty good. I finished in 1:43:24 and this was with me taking photos along the way. I probably could have gone under 1:42 if I just ran.
After crossing the finish line I headed to MCU Park to meet up with Ray, Yoi, Sally, Sreeni & Kelly, Ray's niece. We tried to get a drink at Peggy O'Neils but it way too crowded. Since everyone was hungry I suggested L&B.
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| Sreeni, Me, Kelly, Ray & Sally |
After a slice and some spumoni, which I think everyone enjoyed, we parted ways.
Although it was a bit of a logistic nightmare to get to the starting line, I love running the streets of Brooklyn so I think I will be back next year.
Here were my splits,
| Mile 1 | 8.18 |
| Mile 2 | 8:13 |
| Mile 3 | 7.41 |
| Mile 4 | 7:57 |
| Mile 5 | 8:10 |
| Mile 6 | 8.40 |
| Mile 7 | 7:34 |
| Mile 8 | 7:32 |
| Mile 9 | 7:50 |
| Mile 10 | 7.42 |
| Mile 11 | 7.33 |
| Mile 12 | 7:55 |
| Mile 13 | 7.43 |
| Mile .1 | 0.46 |
