Firstly, if you're a fan of Arrested Development then you'll be familiar with the frozen banana stand.... which turned up in a couple of city locations during its "world" tour while promoting the upcoming new Netflix series. We passed by for a snap, the line for posters and photo ops was literally round the block.
Okay. Now onto the main event, Saturday's Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Number pickup on Thurdsday was a great location for me. About 2miles from work on my regular run home over the Manhattan Bridge. I just did 3miles and came home. It was held in the shell of the old tobacco building right under the Brooklyn Bridge.
They gave it a typical Brooklyn flavour with next door having some food stands and music. If you don't know by now that involved cupcakes, tacos, pickles, popcorn and beer.
So how many early starts do I tend to mention here? This morning involved a 4.50am roll out of bed, porridge, bagel, juice and due to the layout of the subway and Prospect Park actually involved taking a taxi the couple of miles to the start area. We have a good taxi service and just called at 5.15am for a 5.30am pickup.
After the Boston Marathon bombings there was increased security and everything had to go in the clear bag they provided at registration and this was partially inspected with only people with race numbers allowed past a certain point. Unusually the port-a-loos were within the start corals and you were limited to using the ones in your coral only. I guess mainly for security but it actually made for shorter lines. The 45 minute wait in the start coral was alright as the weather was perfect for racing, about 15 degrees and only a 3mph wind.
The runners gathered outside the Brooklyn Museum and after a couple of miles loop, came back up around Grand Army Plaza, all the way back around the outside of the park, then into Prospect Park for one complete 3 mile loop before heading out onto Ocean Parkway and the near 6 mile long flat straight drag all the way down to the legendary boardwalk at Coney Island.
I knew the first half of the route like the back of my hand and paced myself just right. I had hoped to get under my 1 hour 30 min pb and although the training had gone really well for the trail half two weeks before, it's never easy knowing what to do in between two races like that and I'd only done a couple of short runs that week.
I was through the ten mile mark two minutes quicker than I'd actually ran for the DC 10 Miler race last October. I then managed to pick up the pace for the last two miles and the ramp at 13miles up onto the boardwalk for the often forgotten .1 mile was nice as it was all soft and springy underfoot.
I finished in 1:26:49 for 495th place out of an amazing 21, 378 finishers. This was the largest entry field in what was the 33rd running of the event. I averaged 6:38 min miles with a good last mile of 6:22! Pretty good even splits for 5K (21:02), 10K (21:04), 15K (20:07) and 20K (20:17). The first half did have the minor inclines and the short hill in the park.
The worst part was probably the descending the ten steep metal steps to the baggage area from the boardwalk, ooooh, my quads.
Luckily our F train runs right to Coney Island so it was a short walk to the train although any normal passengers probably got a slight shock to be in carriages full of smelly sweaty runners!
Again, there was weekend work at our stop so I had to get off at the next one and walk home. It's only an extra 5 minutes plus I was glad to walk and it enabled me to stop at the bakery for some Key Lime pie for later.
No doubt, more race pics to follow.
Okay. Now onto the main event, Saturday's Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Number pickup on Thurdsday was a great location for me. About 2miles from work on my regular run home over the Manhattan Bridge. I just did 3miles and came home. It was held in the shell of the old tobacco building right under the Brooklyn Bridge.
They gave it a typical Brooklyn flavour with next door having some food stands and music. If you don't know by now that involved cupcakes, tacos, pickles, popcorn and beer.
So how many early starts do I tend to mention here? This morning involved a 4.50am roll out of bed, porridge, bagel, juice and due to the layout of the subway and Prospect Park actually involved taking a taxi the couple of miles to the start area. We have a good taxi service and just called at 5.15am for a 5.30am pickup.
After the Boston Marathon bombings there was increased security and everything had to go in the clear bag they provided at registration and this was partially inspected with only people with race numbers allowed past a certain point. Unusually the port-a-loos were within the start corals and you were limited to using the ones in your coral only. I guess mainly for security but it actually made for shorter lines. The 45 minute wait in the start coral was alright as the weather was perfect for racing, about 15 degrees and only a 3mph wind.
The runners gathered outside the Brooklyn Museum and after a couple of miles loop, came back up around Grand Army Plaza, all the way back around the outside of the park, then into Prospect Park for one complete 3 mile loop before heading out onto Ocean Parkway and the near 6 mile long flat straight drag all the way down to the legendary boardwalk at Coney Island.
I knew the first half of the route like the back of my hand and paced myself just right. I had hoped to get under my 1 hour 30 min pb and although the training had gone really well for the trail half two weeks before, it's never easy knowing what to do in between two races like that and I'd only done a couple of short runs that week.
 |
| MarathonFoto.com |
I finished in 1:26:49 for 495th place out of an amazing 21, 378 finishers. This was the largest entry field in what was the 33rd running of the event. I averaged 6:38 min miles with a good last mile of 6:22! Pretty good even splits for 5K (21:02), 10K (21:04), 15K (20:07) and 20K (20:17). The first half did have the minor inclines and the short hill in the park.
 |
| MarathonFoto.com |
The worst part was probably the descending the ten steep metal steps to the baggage area from the boardwalk, ooooh, my quads.
Luckily our F train runs right to Coney Island so it was a short walk to the train although any normal passengers probably got a slight shock to be in carriages full of smelly sweaty runners!
Again, there was weekend work at our stop so I had to get off at the next one and walk home. It's only an extra 5 minutes plus I was glad to walk and it enabled me to stop at the bakery for some Key Lime pie for later.
 |
| Mmmm, pie |
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