Running a Half for the First Time

All of my spring 2011 training was in preparation for the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 21, 2011.    My longest training run before the race was 12 miles.  While I thought 13.1 would be manageable,  I wasn't completely sure.

The race started with two laps around Prospect Park then went down Ocean Parkway to finish at Coney Island.  The first two laps were no problem.  There were people cheering in the park, that made running really exciting.  Exiting the park took me up to mile 7.  Immediately after the route took the runners down a highway ramp that was closed for the race.  I'll admit, I thought that running down a highway ramp was pretty damn cool.  However the stretch down Ocean Parkway was difficult.  There weren't as many spectators cheering and it felt like it went on forever.  Around mile 10, I started running with another woman who had noticed that I'd slowed down.  She helped me through the last 3 miles by encouraging me to walk a short distance so that I could finish strong.  By the time we got to the boardwalk, the crowds were back and I was able to cross the finish line with a smile.  My parents, Rebecca, and Alek were there waiting for me.  Sharing the excitement of my first half marathon with loved ones made it feel much more special.

My goal had been to finish in 2:30, and I just made it with a finish time of 2:29:22!

Its worth mentioning that I made some mistakes during the half marathon.  I hadn't been training with any sort of gels, so I didn't use any for the race.  I also avoided the Gatorade at the fluid stations in favor of water.  Later I learned that after about an hour and a half of activity your muscles need some sort of fuel to keep going.  For the rest of the day, every time I sat down to do something I dozed off.  A lot of that had to do with improper nutrition, but more on that later.

Nearly finished (I'm on the left)!