I was reluctant to do this race: rain was predicted, and it was a logistical nightmare to drive in from the suburbs to Greenpoint; we were required to load into the race area between 5 and 6 am to start running at 7; and the finish line was in Prospect Park, 15 subway stops (or a 9-mile UBER ride) from the starting line where I’d park my car. But then the rain prediction evaporated, and temps were going to be in the low 50s; I managed to get to bed by 8:45 for a 3:30 a.m. wake-up; and…
22,000 people signed up for this race! “The 3rd largest half marathon in the U.S.” My priority was to run by what felt good, but keep track of the time. I wanted to do better than Coach Steve’s estimated finish of 1:48 hours = 8:15 per mile “based on the available data.” Use that as a minimal acceptable limit, not as the best I could do.
Because I had left my Garmin in the car (rookie mistake!), I’d have to hit the lap button on my watch so I didn’t have a lot of data during each mile, only after passing each mile marker. But the lack of data was probably a good thing – less information to worry about.
Wave 1 is crowded, and folks are friendly (and young!) and I chatted with another triathlete wearing an Ironman 70.3 shirt, and it takes us almost 4 minutes to cross the starting line. Early on I meet another age grouper by the name of Andy (“What’s our pace? I left my Garmin in the car!” “That one was 8:13”), he sees my Philadelphia Marathon hat, asks if I’m from Phillie and says he’ll do his 11th Phillie Marathon this fall. I surge ahead, then he surges ahead, and I’m okay with being dropped: I am racing MY race, and Andy is clearly a Runner.
At Mile 3, I realize I’ve been running at around 8:00 min/mile, and decide that’s a nice goal. I run up to someone to comment on his shirt slogan, and realize the extra effort made my hamstring twinge, so I back off the pace. By Mile 5, I’m still at around 8:04s and my only concern is whether that’s sustainable, it’s starting to feel challenging, but I also don’t want to get slower, beating Coach Steve’s prediction has now become its own priority, competing with the “have fun” part.
I freak out a little at what I think is Mile 6 and my watch says “10:30” minutes, but I realize that’s the 10K (6.2 mile) marker, so I’m only a little slower. I’m breathing more deliberately to bring my heart rate under control; we’re about to start hitting the long hills and I don’t want to blow up. I have the discipline to follow my nutrition plan: at mile 6 or 7 or 1:00 hour, even though I don’t feel like it, I drink my flask of UCAN energy drink (feeling SO smart despite looking stupid with a water belt, as I never slowed down and jostled for a cup at the rest stations; instead, sipping every mile when I wanted, and still comfortable carrying a cell phone in the big pocket, in prep for that post-race UBER ride!) but I don’t want to give up the 8-minute goal, that’s what would define “Success,” and I realize: fearing failure is not a helpful thought, and we (the surging crowd of runners) get over that hill and the glory of downhill.
Still, at Mile 8 or 9 I’m anxious again that this is really starting to hurt.
Instead I focus on the extraordinary long, straight road crowded with runners, and the sun is beautiful, shining on the spring trees at the end of this vista, and there’s simply no room for the thoughts that make me anxious, yes this is getting tough but only 3 miles to go and I start to surge at Mile 11 and realize dammit this isn’t my last mile, there’s TWO more miles to go, and Andy (remember him?) is next to me and says “go for it”, and I’m quietly telling folks that I’m passing them (“on your left” like riding on the bike path) and with 1 ½ miles to go I warn a couple “I’m between you” and the young woman says “go for it” (or something like that) and I am getting FASTER and the curving road in Prospect Park seems familiar (did a duathlon here years ago) and impossibly long and I’m at the Finish Line.
And Bam! My watch says I averaged 8:01 min/mile!
I was surprised to find that my last half marathon was way back in 2019, and my best was in 2014 (1:36:21!) and of course I was faster then, but today’s race was faster than the two HMs I ran in 2018. And faster than the 15k and 20k races I ran earlier this year. As far as I’m concerned, this is PR.
And: my fourth race in a row (the 15k, 20k and Oceanside 70.3) where I enjoyed the entire race. THIS time with some reference to the watch, as a way to keep me motivated to go faster. I’m on a roll.