NYC Runs Brooklyn Half Marathon Race Recap

Yesterday I completed my first postpartum half marathon!

Friday evening, once Katie went to sleep, Bo and I relaxed in typical pre-race fashion. He whipped up a delicious, pasta dinner while I set out all my race gear.

By 8pm, I was settled on the couch for the evening, relaxing in compression socks and excited for the morning’s race. I received so many sweet texts and messages from friends and followers, wishing me luck the next day. I headed to bed at 9:30, which would allow for 8 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, I was up four times to go to the bathroom between 9:30 and 11:30. I couldn’t pinpoint what triggered it but was happy to have it end at 11:30.

I slept well from 11:40 to 5:40, when I quickly jumped out of bed to get prepared for the race. As soon as I woke up, I heard the wind and rain. Instead of letting that get in the way of my positive vibes, I thought about all of those women and men who ran Boston in the pouring rain.

While getting dressed I used extra Glide, especially along my sports bra, shorts and sock lines. Then, I cut holes in a large, black yard trash bag and cut the ends off my compression socks that I wore the previous night. The size small is way too short on me so I realized that these could serve as perfect arm sleeves for race day.

I could tell that behind the positivity, my body was bundle of nerves as I could barely stomach my usual coffee and peanut butter banana toast. I sipped half the coffee and ate half the toast before giving up. At 6:15 I left the house and hopped on a Citibike, my preferred mode of transportation to Prospect Park race starts. The 10 minute, uphill bike ride was a great way to warm up my body and legs and by the time I reached Grand Army Plaza, near the start, the rain had changed to a light mist.

The race signage made it easy for runners to find our way from Grand Army Plaza to the starting area, just a few blocks away. Ten minutes later I had made my way through security and into my corral where I was greeted by tons of porta potties and other excited runners.  I spent the next few minutes chatting and doing dynamic stretches, while waiting for the start. I have to hand it to NYC Runs as they did a great job organizing the starting area for the race.  Right as they finished the national anthem I dashed to the bathroom one last time, hoping to be done. Spoiler alert – I wasn’t done.  Since I knew I didn’t have much in my stomach, I took 2 Shotblocks and water right before crossing the starting line, hoping this would help fuel me.

At 7:01 they announced the start, I took off the trash bag and by 7:03 I was crossing the starting line.  The weather was misty, breezy and humid but the temperature was delightfully cool.

 

My coach and I had discussed a race plan on Thursday, knowing that I’m famous for going out too fast, and instead would do better if I could execute the plan and finish faster, similar to many of my long runs.  Her plan for my goal of a sub-2 hour half marathon was as follows:

  • Mile 1-2 9:15-9:25
  • Mile 3 – 9:05
  • Mile 4-9 Around 9:10
  • Mile 10 9:09
  • Mile 11-13 As fast as possible, but sustainable, remember form
  • Mile 13-13.1 All out sprint

I wrote this plan on my hand so I could easily reference it.  I was smiling ear to ear when I saw that my first lap was 9:05 and my second and third lap were 9:25 and 9:06. This was perfectly on plan. As I approached the third mile I heard someone screaming my name, and was surprised to see my friend Zoe cheering on the sidelines. It turns out that she and Evann had been scheming with Bo all week. It was such a fun surprise and I was so excited to know I’d see her again soon. I took 2 shot blocks and more water, as my plan was to take 2 shot blocks every 3 miles.

After passing the 5k point the course leaves the cute, quiet, neighborhood streets of Brooklyn for Ocean Parkway. I’ve run this parkway many times as it is a common part of any Brooklyn half marathon.  Six of the seven times I’ve run it i’ve been bored to tears. The only year I wasn’t was when Amy and I were running together and spent the time watching for the many friends I knew running and were singing Brittney Spears greatest hits together since we were both listening to a shared playlist.  This is also the point in the race when signage became very confusing. There were mile markers for both the marathon and half marathon runners, but since they were the same exact style and color, many of us initially thought that the course was mismarked. Yesterday, I just told myself to buckle down and focus.  I was perfectly on pace for mile 4 (9:11) and then slowed a bit during mile 5 (9:21) due to headwind on the course and avoiding puddles. But I still felt good. I started to drop my speed a bit and was keeping around a 9:00 pace when suddenly I felt the urgent need for a bathroom. I quickly dashed back around, going back to the bathroom I’d just passed and was able to get in and out quickly, though I continued to have GI issues. I dashed out hoping to make up time and was able to hit a 9:21 and 9:33 pace for the next two miles. As I continued to run, I switched my playlist to the one of my favorite Spotify playlists, Song to Sing Along to in the Shower and tried to focus on the fun songs instead of my stomach. Unfortunately, I had to take another bathroom stop when I passed more portapotties at the middle of mile 8.  That bathroom stop meant that mile 8 was a 9:54. As we started climbing the hill back towards Prospect Park, I felt completely empty. I couldn’t hold down the shot blocks I was trying to take and just kept thinking that I had to keep moving. I pushed forward and up the ramp, hoping to see Zoe or Bo at mile 10.

At this point, I was mad and frustrated. As my legs still felt strong. I just had nothing inside of me. I was lightheaded and starting to have dry heaves. When I saw Zoe, just past the 11 mile point, she asked if I wanted company. I was thrilled because at this point all I wanted was to be done.  Since having my peanut butter toast I’d had three bathroom stops that left me sore and lethargic. My only goal at this point was to keep moving and not get into my head. I immediately apologized to Zoe. I told her I was sorry that she and Evann came out to cheer for me when I wasn’t going to have a PR day. Zoe reminded me that I not every race is perfect and even top athletes have days when they get injured, have stomach issues or have something else stand in their way. At least this was physical and not mental which for so many years was my case. We spent the next three miles making our way through Prospect Park and up the steep climb, towards the finish. I was focused on one thing at this point – seeing Bo and Katie at the finish line. On her sixteen month birthday, Katie was able to experience the joy and energy of a race finish for the very first time. As I did my best attempt at a sprint towards the finish line, I saw Katie on Bo’s shoulders, waving at every runner. That moment made up for the past six miles of misery and bathroom stops. That moment made every early morning and the hot and humid runs of training worth it.

Yesterday I may not have run the sub-2 hour half marathon that I hoped and trained for these past sixteen weeks. But, I ran my first post-partum half marathon after two years away from distance running in 2:08:35.  I have no clue what caused the stomach issues – nerves, too much cheese the night before or some random bug. I’ll never know, and there is no use wasting time trying to figure it out. Later in the day, I apologized to Bo for asking him to come out to the race and bring Katie since it wasn’t a PR day. His response was so true, and made me even happier to have seen Katie at the end.

“We came out to cheer for you so Katie can see her mom do awesome things.”

After hugs, pictures and of course, giving Katie my medal, we enjoyed a delicious brunch at French Louie, one of our favorite spots for brunch or dinner in our neighborhood.

Many people have asked me whether I’m going to quickly sign up for another half marathon since I’m trained and in half marathon shape. My initial answer, at this point, is no. I am content. Back in July, I hadn’t run further than four miles postpartum and now I’m in half marathon shape. Instead of focusing on another quick race, what I definitely want to do is stay in half marathon shape. Back in 2013-2015 I ran relaxed long runs throughout the year, making training for half marathons a bit easier. Since I have such wonderful friends in the area who also tend to run a number of marathons and half marathons, this is my initial goal, after taking this week off from formal training. The other thing that is preventing me from signing up from a race is my upcoming travel schedule. Between now and Christmas, I am traveling a few times for work and, more importantly, going to China for a “quick” one week business trip. There are three half marathons in our local area during December, and they are all either the first or second weekend, when I’ll be on a flight or extremely jet-lagged.  So, for now, my plan is to enjoy running, squeeze in a few shorter, local races during the holiday season, and hopefully run my next half in January or February.

Thank you for your support throughout this entire training cycle and especially leading up to yesterday’s race!

 

 

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Running a Sub 2:00 Half Marathon

diamond family run

It has been a while since I’ve had a fitness goal that excited me. During my pregnancy, my goal was to stay active and healthy. Following Katie’s birth, my goal was once again to stay active which helped me stay physically and mentally healthy. While I was able to achieve both of these and benefited greatly, now that I’m 11 months postpartum, I’m excited to focus on a goal that helps me return to my fitness roots – running.  While I’ve run more than 25 half marathons, 5 marathons and over 50 shorter races since beginning my running journey in 2006, I’ve never been able to break 2 hours in the half marathon.

I’m hoping to run a sub 2:00 half marathon at the NYCRuns Brooklyn Half marathon on October 20th!

Over the past few years, I’ve striven to improve my half marathon times. While I had a few highlights of running 2:01 half marathons along the way, I’ve had more than a few disappointments.  As I look back and read multiple race recaps, a few things stand out: over-training, lack of training, lack of strength training, or lack of recovery time.   I laugh as I read through prior posts and see that I was running 4-5 times a week in addition to taking boutique fitness classes on Classpass or when we lived abroad, traveling every single weekend. I wasn’t allowing my body anytime to recover. Then, when I read other recaps I realize that I went into a race with a stretching goal on very little training.

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This time around, I am doing a few things differently:

  • I’m balancing motherhood and a career which means my training needs to be efficient and effective.
  • I have given birth and gone through a level of pain that made me stronger mentally and physically.
  • I am starting my training early so I can build a strong base.
  • I am reading to gain knowledge and insights so that I can train smarter. In fact, what is your favorite book or resources? 
  • I am working with my friend Theodora, who is a run coach. As I train for my sub-2 this summer and fall,  she’s putting together a training for me. FYI, she is making plans for both remote runners and those local to NYC. Email her at Theodora@preppyrunner.com for more details.
  • I realize the importance of strength training, core training, and recovery in addition to running.
  • I am going to record EVERYTHING using Strava and my GPS watch.

So there you have it! I’ve shared my goal with you guys as well as with Bo and I am so excited for the training along the way. It has been a dream of mine to set an example for Katie and I can’t wait to run towards her and Bo at the finish line in October!

 

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Brooklyn Half Marathon Recap

Until yesterday, it didn’t really register for me that I was running the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I’ve run this race three two times before and didn’t love it either time, therefore deciding that I wouldn’t run it again. Until I made a alcohol influenced decision in Puerto Rico for Theodora’s 30th birthday. She saw everyone tweeting about it and convinced me to sign up for it. I figured that it would be a great way to keep me training after the New York City Half Marathon in March and kick off our vacation since we leave for Istanbul on Tuesday.

Well, training between March and now didn’t happen in a very organized fashion. NYC was definitely my PR race and I put my heart and muscles into training, following everything Gia coached me to do and making sure to log every run. Over the past two months I’ve enjoyed life. My workouts have been consistent, still squeezing in 5-6 workouts a week, but they’ve revolved around enjoyment versus a training plan. In addition to enjoying life the past three weeks have been filled with business travel which has meant that workouts have been shortened and a bit different.

Keeping all of this in mind, I decided to go into today’s half marathon with a positive, fun outlook. My only goal was to have a good time and finish.

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Katie, my dear friend who was running her first half, met up with me bright and early for a trip over to Brooklyn. The day didn’t start out too wonderfully as I realized around 6am that we had no bread, bananas, or peanut butter. Fail. I made a small thing of oatmeal instead hoping this would work. I also forgot to grab water in my haste to leave so I could catch the subway downtown. I don’t think there was anyone other than runners on the subway line this morning.

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By 7am we were in the corrals, ready for them to close at the planned 7:05am in advance of our 7:30 start since we were in wave 2. I have to give the New York Road Runners credit for their choice of starts and planning. The start was right near the subway station and each corral had plenty of portapotties, at least in the second wave.

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Once we got into the corral we even found Kristin, my Philadelphia marathon buddy. She is always such a joy to be around, filled with positive energy. Katie and I were laughing non-stop for the 20 minutes we waited.

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At 7:30 on the dot these pink running shoes all started their trek towards Coney Island. Katie decided that she wanted to start out slowly since it was her first half and she knew she had the energy to finish but wanted to enjoy every minute. Kristin and I both were focused on having fun but were toying with the idea of seeing how much we could push our speed. We decided we’d start together and split off if necessary.

The first seven miles were absolute bliss. The weather was overcast and cool though definitely humid. Kristin and I were either side by side or right in front of the other. Since she forgot her Garmin I would tell her our pace at the end of each mile. The first few miles before entering Prospect Park were speedy for us, under 9 minute mile pace. Once we hit Prospect Park I remembered it’s hidden hills, especially since my legs had just pushed through a 28:30 5k which is faster than my current 5k PR of 28:49. My goal for the park was to slow my speed a bit and focus on breathing and my music. The hills are no worse than Central Park so I knew it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I took a GU around mile 5.5 since my legs were feeling a bit heavy. At this point I heard someone yell hello and saw a smiling Katie at my side. As she’d predicted, the slow start had worked perfectly for her and now in the last 7 miles she was ready to drop her pace. Me, on the other hand, had just run a 59:34 10K which was also faster than my PR of 1:00:16.

As I crossed the 7 mile marker I had every emotion going through me. I knew that I was on track to run a sub 2:00 half marathon which is my long term half marathon goal. But, I also checked in with my body and realized just how exhausted I was. My heart rate was far too high, I felt nauseous, I was thirsty, and my legs were heavy. I told myself to just push on, get my pace closer to a 9:45 or 9:50 pace for a mile or two and then try and drop my pace past the 10 mile point.

Within minutes, everything started to get hazy and my right calf developed a horrible charley horse. When I saw the medical tent at mile 8 I knew I needed to pull over. I treated it like a drive through. I registered, sipped water, took some Pedialyte like substance they had for dehydration, promised them I’d run walk the rest, and then headed out within 5-6 minutes. I am a smarter runner than I was five years ago. I know my boundaries and I know when it’s stupid to push.

Since I knew a PR was no longer possible I went back to my original goals and focused on fun. I turned up my music, started taking pictures, took in the sights, and enjoyed motivating other runners.

How awesome is this woman’s outfit and sign? She was screaming and shouting like a crazy lady and I loved every second of it!

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I told myself that I needed to keep moving and not risk further cramps by stopping. I took the advice of the medics and kept a run walk pattern until mile 13. I would run three quarters a mile and then walk a quarter of a mile while also grabbing water at the fluid stations.

As soon as I saw mile 13 I knew that I’d made it. I had pushed through the race and still enjoyed myself even though it wasn’t the race I expected. There were so many runners with whom I’d chatted during these final miles – motivating them to keep moving, talking about the great weather in comparison to previous years, and just enjoying ourselves. In the final quarter mile, along the Coney Island boardwalk, I found myself so thankful. Running is a sport which keeps me guessing each time I lace up my shoes. I never know what the run will hold but I find that I learn something from each run and race. Today I learned to respect any distance, whether it’s a 5k or a marathon. I thought for a brief few seconds that I could PR without training and that my friends isn’t smart. I’m pretty pleased that my 14th half marathon was my 3rd fastest even with the medical tent stop. This has lit a fire inside of me for next month’s Oakley 10k! I can already taste that PR!

IMG_8603Luckily, as I crossed the finish line I saw a familiar face and reunited with Kristin who had also had a less than stellar race. We decided to end the day in pure joy by dashing down to the ocean for a natural ice bath!

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Your turn: What’s your favorite race distance? I am a huge fan of half marathons, especially when I train for them properly! It’s a challenging distance but it isn’t as large a commitment as a full marathon!

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