The night before the 2012 Brooklyn Half Marathon race I was a good girl and got all organized. I ate my usual pre-race night meal: whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, and I laid out all my gear for the next morning. The half started at 7am so I was trying to make sure to maximize my sleep time and also to prevent the frantic race-morning search for one thing or another (which is my usual situation).
- All ready for the morning!
This morning I pulled myself out of bed and headed off to the train. Luckily, the race start was in Prospect Park. That is so much closer to me than Central Park, which is where where most of the NYRR races are held.. What a nice treat! I have to admit that I broke one of my main running rules: don’t try anything new on race day! My pre-race fuel was a Think Thin bar and some pretzels. But usually I have a Clif bar however for some reason I wasn’t in the mood for it. Risky move, but it worked out just fine. (Remember, do as I say not as I do! I don’t recommend this.)
I also wore a hat to run today (which I never wear) because the sun on Ocean Parkway is notorious for being brutal and I didn’t want to burn. Adding a hat isn’t a huge deal, I know, but its still something new. By the way, I loved it 
I may just be a hat-wearing type of runner!
I may just be a hat-wearing type of runner!The course started outside the park, looped through Grand Army Plaza, into and around Prospect Park, out of the park to Ocean Parkway, and to the Coney Island boardwalk for the finish. I LOVED this course, I thought it was perfect for a half marathon and very scenic. I especially loved running past the lake in PP and on the boardwalk on CI. Here’s a few photos from this awesome course.
- Around Grand Army Plaza
- Up the PP hill where I saw this great sign…
- If that isn’t running motivation, I don’t know what is!
- Down the ramp to Ocean Parkway
- And the finish line after the race was over.
So you may be wondering (or not, but I’ll continue anyway)… “Megan, thanks for the summary of the course.. but how did you do?” Well, I am pleased to report first of all that I finished. For me right now, that’s an accomplishment. With my recent injury, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to complete the race. Not only did I finish but I was able to run somewhere between 7-8 miles without severe pain in my knee! If you remember, a few weeks ago I was only able to make it about a mile without pain so this is a huge deal.
For the first 5-6 miles, which took place around Prospect Park and within it, everything was going swimmingly. I did walk a bit on the big hill in PP only because I was afraid it would aggravate my knee. My goal in the park was just to get out of the park without walking (success!). Around mile 6 I started to feel the familiar twinge in my knee but it wasn’t bad enough for me to stop. I walked for a minute or so between miles 6-7 to make sure it wasn’t worse that I thought, but then made sure to run out of PP and onto Ocean Parkway. There were cheering fans and that transition point between the park and the highway really kept me motivated.
Somewhere between miles 7-8 on Ocean Parkway (my Timex forgot to measure distance. Damn technology!), the pain got a bit too much. I probably could have ran longer but I knew if it got too bad I wouldn’t be able to finish the race at all. And also I didn’t want to aggravate it too bad and prolong my healing. So I started speed walking. I walked pretty much the length of Ocean Parkway, with some bursts of running on the grass on the side in between. I was envious of all the happy runners and wanted to start running again SO bad, but I had to talk myself into resisting that urge.
- Picture of me walking (in black/green) from Erica Sara ( https://twitter.com/#!/ericasara )
Ocean Parkway was LONG! Basically it was a straight shot, flat, with no twists or turns. The sun was out in full force but luckily, the left side of the road had some shade. I hid in that most of the time There were also a few sprinklers from the fire hydrants set up along the course, which I loved. It was so refreshing!
There were also a few sprinklers from the fire hydrants set up along the course, which I loved. It was so refreshing!On Ocean Parkway I was keeping track of the lettered roads (e.g. Avenue A, Avenue B, etc.) I was SO happy when I reached Avenue Z. It took a while, especially because I was walking most of it, so it was a happy sight. Not long after that, I saw the boardwalk in the distance!
After I saw the mile 13 sign, I had all intentions of running the whole last mile but my knee wasn’t having it. So I kept walking until about half mile to the finish and then started running. I ran up to the boardwalk (which was much nicer on my knee!) and crossed the finishline. Even with walking a little less than half the race, I finished in 2:31. A far cry from my 2:06 NYC Half finish, but I actually ran that whole race injury-free. As you can see below, my splits were fine up until the 10K mark. I started walking after that, which is why the rest of my splits are so off.
I am honestly incredibly proud of this finish. I feel like its harder to walk part of a race when all you want to do is run. I feel really accomplished for doing this half at all and also for listening to my body the whole time. And in the meantime I also had a great time. The positive of walking though was that I got to take in more of the course and take some cool pictures!
After the race, I got some ice from the medical tent for my knee (which is feeling just fine now) and went to the CI beach to stretch. I got a little tweak in my back at mile 13 so I wanted to loosen it up. Laying on the shady cool sand felt SO good! I love this race finish location.
- Changed out of my smelly race clothes and into my Aspaeris Pivot shorts for recovery!
Now the race wasn’t perfect, here’s some cons:
- The race start was a bit crowded. For the first few miles there was some congestion but it did clear up in the park and I had no problem after that.
- I wish there was more time on the boardwalk (basically it was only .10 miles on the boardwalk or something). I wanted to run longer near the ocean!
- It was impossible to get cell service after the race. That’s not NYRR’s fault at all, but it made for a confusing post-race for me. For a big race like this, make sure to prepare a meeting spot ahead of time!
Despite some negatives, this was a fantastic race all around. It was well organized by NYRR, the volunteers were great (as always), the weather was perfect, and the course was really fun. I definitely want to run this again next year, hopefully injury-free!
UPDATE: Race photos came in. Its a miracle, some are actually GOOD!
Running onto the Coney Island boardwalk. Almost at the finish!
Um, did I see a ghost? Why am I the only one looking that way?
Reaching the finishline
I’ve always wanted a photo like this.
Did you run any races this weekend?
Did you run the Brooklyn Half? Tell me about your experience!
I totally should have worn a hat!! It was so bright! I definitely liked running the last .1 on the boardwalk but I agree it was too short…I loved the breeze once we got closer to the water!
Great job
The hat was a life-saver. That and my SPF 60 haha. Such a good decision! The breeze was definitely really nice, I would have loved to have it earlier!
Hope you had a great race and lots of fun
Way to go! Good for you for finishing despite the pain!
sounds like a fun race- i’ve never done a half but this one sounds awesome!
Thanks Katie
It was a ton of fun! You should definitely do a half they are great!
Congrats on finishing! I ran/walked this race today too.
Thanks! Congrats to you too, hope you had an awesome race!! It was a nice day for a run
Way to go on the finish!! Awesome accomplishment pushing through the injury! Great pictures, and I also loved that hot dog sign — so funny!
Thanks so much! And congrats on your PR! Awesome job, hope you had a good time
Haha I know, that was the best sign I saw.. I mean a giant hot dog?! I had to take a picture.
Congrats on the finish – and it seems you were able to run more than you anticipated! That’s progress!
Thanks so much! Progress for sure.. I’m thrilled to be able to run a nice distance now as opposed to the 1 mile I could run a month ago. Yay!
Congratulations!!! Waw i am very impressed That you were Able to run That much!! Beautiful Medal to add to the collection!!
After my 5 hours flight yesterday my knee is starting to be painful when I walk!!! Honestly I am hating this injury I hope you won’t feel much pain the next day !! Road to recovery ! You are doing great!!
Thanks so much!
Oh no!! Pain is no good, hopefully all the exercises and stretching you are doing will start working ASAP. I think the PT is really helping me, especially the manual therapy. Maybe take an antiinflammatory next time you fly? Something about sitting for a while must irritate or stiffen it! Feel better!!
Awesom job Megan!!! So glad your knee held up for so long! I know you were extremely happy about that and it not making your quit! Sad part? You finished 3 mins faster than the half I did an was PROUD of! Granted my knee hurt for ten miles and my opposite calf muscle cramped up at mile 8… I hope to see more like 2:15 for my next half!
Thanks girl!! I’m happy the knee is recovering slowly.
You SHOULD be really proud of running your half, especially with all that pain!! Most people I know wouldn’t even attempt to run 3 miles let alone 13.1. I can’t believe you even kept going with the knee pain and calf cramp for that many miles, thats impressive! I just started walking instead lol. Your time will only get better girl, you are doing great
Congratulations!! You did a great job in spite of your injury and it sounds like you really had a good time
Hope you’re enjoying the rest of the weekend and celebrating!
Thanks so much Lisa!! It was a ton of fun and a beautiful day to run! Hope you had a great weekend too
Awesome job on your half marathon!! I only dream about running that far!
Hope your knee feels better! I know what injuries are like.
Thanks Heather
You should run a half someday, you can totally do it!
The knee is slowly improving (thankfully). PT really is great! Injuries are the worst.. life would be so much better without them!
You did great! I had a rough go at my half yesterday and I knew shortly into my run I was definitely not PRing like I had planned so I swtiched my mentality to just finish this thing and get your medal. I still felt great when I finished it because hey, we did 13 miles and we’re awesome!
At least you were able to recognize that and not push yourself too much (thats how injuries happen! Take it from an injury-prone runner haha).
And I’m sure you did a great job and yes, you ran THIRTEEN miles!!! Most people can’t even fathom running that distance. Congrats on your half girl, glad you enjoyed it
Congrats on your finish! It looks like great weather. I heard it was a tough course, but a fun one!
Thanks so much! It was challenging at times for sure but a ton of fun
Pingback: My Weekend in Pictures | Run Like A Grl
You rock!!! I actually tried looking for you! I burnt out on that Parkway badly. When is your next race?? We have to force each other to meet up!
Thanks girl! I tried looking for you too at the start and then throughout the race
My next race is in Lake Placid but for NYRR its the Bronx 10 miler. Next time we will pick a meeting spot beforehand.. we didn’t think this one through! (actually I didn’t realize what 15,000 runners really looks like haha)
Congratulations on a smart race!! You did great! Sometimes it is harder to stop and walk than to keep running.
I want to run in a race in the city with you!
Thanks girl! It was definitely harder to walk this time. I was so tempted to keep running but I knew better! And my knee thanks me for it today haha.
You should definitely come run a race!!! I’m signed up for a few in the fall. Theres always races going on here I feel like so it should be easy to run one together!
Pingback: A Trip to Food Heaven & A Chocolately Reduced-Guilt Granola Recipe | Run Like A Grl
Great finish line picture! Congrats again on finishing
Thanks Amanda, I actually had my eyes open for once!
Pingback: 38 Days of Running | Run Like A Grl
I ran the Brooklyn Half and LOVED it!! It was my first race in NYC and I loved the energy and excitement. Awesome course, I was shocked that 90% of it managed to be in the shade! My only complaint was the two turns in the last 800 meters. At that point, you just want to sprint to the finish, and all the turning takes the steam out of you! But overall, I agree! I loved it and am excited to run it again next year!! Congrats on the finish and hope your knee feels better soon!
Awesome!! If you ever running in NYC again, let me know
I agree about the ending of the course!! I was so confused about what was going on and I didn’t really like the turns either, especially the last one right near the finish. I wish there was more time on the boardwalk too! Glad you had a great race though and had fun! It was definitely a race I’ll run again.
Nice job. If you are looking for some photos of the run along Ocean Parkway check out http://www.friendsofoceanparkway.org. Took most of the photos around Avenue Z.
Thanks for the link! Great photos
Well done!
Pingback: Running Around Brooklyn | Run Like A Grl
Pingback: One Year Runiversary | Run Like A Grl
Pingback: Stride Box Winner & Sunday Randomness | Run Like A Grl