No Sleep Till Brooklyn…

Bo K.

I had just come back a couple of weeks ago from a trip to South Africa where I attended a friend’s wedding and went on safari, then walked the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival, and now needed to get back into serious training mode for the Brooklyn Half Marathon.  I felt sluggish from all the travel.

The torrential downpours throughout the week in New York did little to discourage the excitement that I and my running mates had for running the Brooklyn Half last Saturday.  I didn’t know the course very well, other than having done the Prospect Park Cherry Tree 10 Miler relay with Elle G. and Lara K. in February.  That race was all a blur, but since we placed 7th overall in the female team category (epic girls!) I thought “how bad could that hill really be compared to Central Park’s Harlem Hill?”

Bad.  Really bad.

Derek R. and I took a cab from downtown the morning of the race, and just as we got into Brooklyn, Derek realized that he didn’t have his bib.  Oh well, there was nothing he could do about it and we’d have to figure it out when we got there (he did get another bib).  We ran into some other Flyers, wished everyone luck and then headed to our respective corrals.

It started off as a misty and chilly morning, but just before we started the race, the sun peaked out and smoothed away the mist and clouds.  I was hoping for a good start in the green corral but I was realistic; there were a lot of people and it was going to be crowded and insanely hot.

The starting horn blared and we were off!  Somehow, the start of this race and the start of the NYC Half Marathon in March, were different.  Maybe it was because the elites lead the pack in the former, and that benchmark and excitement trickled down to us.  Also, I’m not a big fan of looping each other around the same course.


And They're Off and Racing!

The second mile of the course included the dreaded hill.  It certainly didn’t feel bad at the beginning of the race but the second loop around was a bit trying.  I was averaging splits in the mid-sevens and that was a bit fast for me.  I slowed it down during the second loop around, but by then the sun had come out in full force and the temperature was in the mid-70s.  It felt brutally hot with humidity at 90%.

Racing Uphill and Through the Humidity

By the time we headed out of the park onto Ocean Parkway there was no breeze at all.  Sunshine beating down met pure concrete.  We were melting!  On top of that, there was just a sprinkling of folks here and there to cheer us on.  Incredible.  I think that’s why most of us enjoy races in NYC – the sheer energy, adrenaline and support of runners, non-runners, and even the tourists.  Everyone gets into it, and that’s why the NYC Marathon is the marathon to beat, hands down.

Funny, but post-race, I spoke to fellow Flyers and other runners, and we all were thinking the same thing around mile 9 – could we just take a cab to the finish?!  Unfortunately, I was cramping in both my left and right calves every time I sped up, so I had to pull back.  Annoyingly, my left knee also was bothering me as well.  

However, I was competing and there was no way I was going to let it go.  Besides, having rowed crew, run track and played on the tennis team, I know it is all mental when things get tough.  I had to channel the inner cheetah in me.  Yes, I had just seen them in the wild, and I pictured them running in front of me :)



Flyers Stephanie P. and Sondra M.
Churn Up the "Sarcastic" Ramp

Finally, the 11 and 12 mile markers came into sight.  Just a bit further…oh, but then there was that “sarcastic” ramp right near the end.  Luckily, Richard B. was there taking photos and that gave me extra encouragement.  And then, finally, I could see the sweetest finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk!  I was home…

Post-Race Playtime for Declan O, Ed A, and Elle G

But all work and no play makes Bo (and the rest of the Flyers) a dull girl.  So post-race, it was off to the beach to get a pedicure (read dipping your feet in the ocean and exfoliating on the sand), Peggy O’Neill's for some serious hydration (beer on tap), a champion’s lunch (burgers and dogs) at Nathan’s Famous, just because, and then a visit to Beer Island to hang with the rest of the Flyers gang.

Bo K, Jessica R and Elle G

The conditions were tough that day and some teammates pulled off PR’s (great job Jessica R, Elle G and Christine L!) while others didn’t have such a good race day (me included).  A friend of mine ran the race in 1:12, which is just insane!  However, learning from your mistakes, and knowing what works and what doesn’t work for you, is part of being a true competitor.  See you in 2012, Brooklyn.

Congratulations to everyone who ran the Brooklyn Half under such tough conditions!!  It was a fun race and a fun day on the beach.

Bo K.

Blogmaster's Note: Special thanks to Richard B for organizing the Flyers Brooklyn Half bus service once again!  He and Pat D arrived at the UES and UWS pickup locations especially early to make sure that everyone who registered got a seat, and everyone who was running late got a wake-up call.  And, thanks, too, to Julie W, who with Sondra M organized the  Post-Brooklyn Half Coney Island Adventure!  -Dave K.