HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARY WITTENBERG!

Going with my tribute to big names in the road-running community, today we have Mary Wittenberg, head honcho at New York Road Runners (NYRR), which is synonymous with the New York City Marathon.  Like her or not, if you are a long-distance runner, you recognize the name.

New York City is caught in a heat wave and today is the third consecutive day with temperature over 95F, with other factors making it feel like 105.  I knew my run will have to be a morning run, as I plan to go help PPTC at the Al Goldstein 5K Summer Series race #5 this evening.  I didn't start out as early as I wanted and it was already hot by 8 AM.  I had a stop-over at Bath Playground to cool down with the half-broken water spray, the rest of the time I just tried to stay in the shade.  Luckily, while "Wittenberg" has many letters, most of them could be done within a block.  In other words, only "g", "b", "t", and "W" require going the extra block.  With the two "t"s next to each other, I even connected their horizontal strokes and avoid running back down the first "t" on the right.  (I live closer to the "g" so I spelled the name backward as I traced it out.)  Speaking of "g", its lower section is not as long as I would like, but over all the name is good.  No mistake on my part, none on the satellite as well.  It seems using Avenue U's area usually introduces bad lines by the GPS.  Weird.

Wittenberg, Mary Wittenberg.

http://connect.garmin.com/player/343953750 , over 10 km in about one hour twenty-two minutes, but the name itself took about 9 km and about one hour.

NYRR BROOKLYN-HALF 2013!

Three A.M.!  That was when I had to get up to be able to be in Prospect Park to volunteer at Water Station #4 of the NYRR Brooklyn Half-Marathon, with my PPTC friends.  As a morning runner, I am used to getting up early, but earliest I did, for running, was 5 A.M.  Back when I had a full-time job anyway.  Some years ago I decided to give Black Friday shopping a try and got up at 4 A.M. to spend some time waiting in queue then some more hours inside the store later on, trying to get the tired store clerk's attention.  I came home empty-handed and had a nasty headache for the rest of the day.  What a complete waste of time that was.  I hated shopping even more ever since.  With the volunteer gig with friends, it was totally different.  Sure I had to risk riding the bike at 3:30 A.M., complete with front and tail lights since it was still dark, but I hated to be at the mercy of the MTA's weekend construction work.  The ride was not so bad, as once I got to Ocean Parkway to make the journey north, along the way I pedaled past NYRR crews setting things up.  What's more, it was outdoor and I was surrounded by so much positive energy.

I was at the meeting place, East Drive near Lincoln Road, just as some of the PPTC folks arrived.  But there was no tables etc for the water station.  It was a good thing I came on bike, as I was able to zip around to see what's going on, and finally we found out that we were given bad info.  Or the water station was moved.  It was actually a bit near the big hill, a little past Center Drive.  With my bike, I was stationed for a while at the meeting point to re-direct anyone who came in later.  And a few did.  By six o'clock I decided it was late enough, I went to the water station and helped with setting up the paper cups.  Three tiers of cups on several tables stretching as far as the eye can see!  Bring on those 22,000 runners already!

With the expanded field, this year's Brooklyn Half had two waves of runners.  When they came, they came strong, even though we were near Mile 5 of the 13.1-mile course.  Unlike the NYC Half, when I was at Mile 11 on a cold day, runners at the Brooklyn Half sure made use of the water.  It was overcast and cool, but when you run you get hot quickly.  Before long one of us got splashed, cups were all over, and we worked feverishly to keep up with the demand.  As cups on the front rows got snatched and gulped down, we moved the ones in the back further forward.  We were well-staffed so I had some moments to snatch photos of the runners.

I went home along Ocean Parkway, pretty much the same way I came.  Vehicular traffic was jammed everywhere along the parkway, and even the bike path was not spared from the disruption.  Every now and then there would be a medical tent right at the corner, completely blocking the bike path.  I wonder if they really had to do that.  I had to go around the medical tents then hefted the bike over the railing to get back on the bike path.  Sure I could use the service road, but even with few cars nearby every now and then one would silently stalk me, I didn't want to deal with that.

While it was great that I did not have to deal with car traffic at intersections, there was plenty of pedestrian traffic.  Walkers on Ocean Parkway are normally mostly ignorant of the bike path, i.e. they walk in the bike lane when there is a separate walking lane.  With a big event like the Brooklyn Half, it only got worse.  It did not help that every now and then there would be a police cruiser completely blocking the ramp to the bike lane, or some officers standing in the bike lane.  Oh well, just have to use common sense and go around the obstacles.  Not like those cyclists barreling down the Manhattan Bridge toward Chinatown that I saw on Friday while volunteering with Transportation Alternatives.  You would think if you see a lot of people at the foot of the bridge, then you should slow down.

See more photos at

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5879864055100555393

Last but not least, with the two volunteer gigs over, on Sunday I was able to finally resume making GPS art (gwriting) on a run.  I promised a runner in the Run Junkees May Challenge to spell her name, "Miriam", and on Sunday I carried out the work.  It was the first time I wrote the lowercase "a" this way and it came out good.  Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing for the "r" and "i" being connected at the top.  I knew that it's best to connect the letters at the bottom but I thought I could get away with "r" and "i".  Instead, they look more like a fat lowercase "n".  I will try again!

NYRR NYC HALF-MARATHON 2013

In 2012, I had some extra money and poured it all into the NYRR 5-boro series.  It was no longer a 5-boro Half-Marathon series, since the Queens race was a 10K and Bronx's was a 10-miler.  Having done the entire series got me guaranteed entry into the NYRR NYC Half-Marathon, which runs through Times Square and down the West Side Highway, but I gave the NYC Half a pass.  For me, a half-marathon should be $50 max for early registration.  Maybe even $60, but $117 is way out of my league.  I suppose there are race amenities to die for in the NYRR NYC Half, but I don't mind not finding out.  I still wanted to get involved and to be caught in the excitement, so I originally signed up as a course volunteer, individually.  Shortly afterward, I found out that the North Brooklyn Runners (NRB) run-group had a water station assigned to them and welcome my club, Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC).  I cancelled my individual gig and joined the group effort.

Volunteering with the group near Mile 12, as opposed to doing it as an individual near the starting line, gave me an extra half hour of sleep.  I still had to try to get to the water station by 6 in the morning.  Much as I love the subway, and cycling, neither options are great if you have to go somewhere in the wee hours of the morning, on a very cold day.

The water station was referred to as near Rector Street and the West Side Highway but it was not that near.  More like one long avenue block south of Rector, on a traffic median outside the exit of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.  I bumped into a medical table and asked for direction.  I almost went the wrong way to some other station at Canal Street.  I suppose if the sun was out I could have seen better the so-called Rector water station a few blocks away.

The race was to start at 7:30 AM, some 12 miles away, but we had to be prepared for the onslaught of thirsty runners.  Water was run from a huge hose into big plastic bags housed in plastic bins.  Pitchers were made out of used Gatorade powder bottle and used to pour water into individual paper cups.  Have too many empty cups out and the wind would just blow the empty cups away, so I found it best to have the same person pour water and place the partially-filled cups down.  Runners shouldn't drink a whole cup of water, so the cups were only half-filled, or less.  Old signs were used to create tiers to have a total of three levels of water.  We had a lot of time, and many capable hands, so the work was done soon enough.  We were not even supposed to hand the runners water, they just have to snatch the water off the table themselves.  We had to leave some room so that the runners could easily pick up one cup without having to touch the neighboring cups.  Once the three tiers were filled with water, not much left to do but stand back and wait for the runners to arrive.

And arrive they did.  First were the hand-operated recumbent cyclists, just a few of them.  Then the elite runners with their first-name bibs.  Fast runners from local clubs, like Central Park Track Club (CPTC) and West Side Runners (WSX), were not far behind. Since we were not supposed to hand out water, there was not a whole lot to do other than cheer or take photos, and took photos I did.  A fellow PPTC member had some runner-tracking app but it didn't work for me as I missed the fastest PPTC person.  I managed to snap photos of a few others.  I stood on a low wall of the median to see farther down the road but it was not a good angle and I usually had only a few seconds to get ready to shoot.  Once or twice the PPTC runner would wave at the exact second I snapped the photo.  Other times some other runner would get in the way.  Oh well, things happen when many thousands fill the road.

Ideally I should be on the course, just off to the right of the runners, like the pro photographers with their big cameras.  My measly camera won't rapid-fire and capture every single runner but I would at least have a good view of the runners from far away, but with enough time to have second-chance shots.  But being on the course would mean totally abandoning the water station, even if there was not much work to do.  Eventually, the number of runners decreased greatly and we started to rake the discarded cups etc.  Beside getting the big task done piecemeal raking also got the body warm on this cold day.  In the end, most of the nicely stacked three tiers of water was wasted and we had many blue plastic bags of waste.

It was great to be caught up in the excitement.  I definitely going for a long run tomorrow.

Lots of ice-cold water awaiting for the thirsty runners just a tad past Mile 12 of the NYRR NYC Half-Marathon.

Some of my fellow PPTC members at the NBR-sponsored water station.

It was cold enough for icicles to form while the runners were still further up the road.

Elite runners!  At least the ones I managed to snap photos of.

Here comes the elite runners with their first-name bibs!

Fast local runners were not too far behind!

F1, F2, and F3, aka Top Three Female finishers.

PPTC members showed up!  V is for Victory, or Vinny!  I missed the fastest PPTC runner of this race, could really use a spotter like in that snipers duel scene in The Hurt Locker.

Nicole of PPTC ran the rest of the way to the finish line.

Another sub-2 PPTC finisher!  Go David!

There were three tiers of water per table but it was a cold day, look at those ice on the table surface!  Not that many took the water, both because it was a cold day and it was Mile 12 of a 13.1-mile race, but a few people actually poured water on themselves.  I would do that, too, but on a hot summer day, not a cold day like today.  Hope those people had dry clothes waiting for them.

See the complete album at

https://plus.google.com/photos/109153989599275468311/albums/5856394848360301985

FUN IN REFUND

There is a runner in Bath Beach
With no income, he ain't rich
Guaranteed entry?
No! With refund, you see
Each meal, for life, bánh mì sandwich!

Good news came from the New York Road Runners today.  After about two months of little news, NYRR finally announced that any runners who were scheduled to run the 2012 NYC Marathon, but couldn't because it was cancelled at the last minute, have the options to get a full refund, minus the $11 processing fee.  Other options are 

• not get a refund but get guaranteed entry for the 2013, 2014, or 2015 marathon, but pay all over again, albeit at 2012 price
• not get a refund but get guaranteed entry for the 2013 NYC Half Marathon and, again, pay for everything all over.

As the runner from Bath Beach with no income, I'll jump onto the refund option.  Road races always carry a no-refund policy, but NYRR made an exception for this unusual circumstance.  Maybe the deal struck with their insurer will cover everything, maybe 50% will be covered, who knows?  All I know is it's a good deal for people who can use the refund.  Good P.R. for NYRR! P.R., in this case, of course, means public relation, not Personal Record, Mr. and Ms. Runner.

From what I saw on Facebook, it seems many people don't mind foregoing the refund to secure a guaranteed entry.  And paying all over again, even if it'll be 2012 price.  Hmm, the mention of "2012 price" makes me think price will go up in 2013 and so on.  Price increase or not, that's still one stiff price to pay for a guaranteed spot.  I suppose if people don't have the time to do 9+1 then it's comparatively less costly to just "buy" a spot with the money already spent on the ill-fated 2012 race.  At the wild number of $30 a race, doing 9 races can set you back $270, as opposed to the $200+ already spent on the 2012 NYCM.  Personally, I'd rather do the 9 races and get something more out of it, including a way to gage my training.

The NYC Half option is even less attractive, in my opinion.  From what I read, last year the NYC Half ran through Times Square and ended with a party in the South Street Seaport, all for a mere $100+ fee etc.  Again, you sorta buy a guaranteed entry for the NYC Half.  Quite a popular race, the NYC Half also has a lottery system and its own system for guaranteed entry.  One way to get into the NYC Half is to participate in four out of the five five-borough race series.  I did all five in 2012, including the Manhattan Half Marathon that became a fun run because of snow, for which I got race credit even though I was home shoveling snow.  I had guaranteed entry for the NYC Half but I passed the chance to spend $100+.

One common confusion is that the Manhattan Half and NYC Half are the same.  They are not, even though both takes place entirely in Manhattan.  NYC Half is touristy and happens in Central Park, Times Square, West Side Highway, then South Street Seaport, in March when the weather is usually nice.  Manhattan Half happens entirely in Central Park and is scheduled for the cold month of January.  It also costs less and anyone can sign up provided it is not already sold out.

With the end of the year approaching, nothing will actually happen yet with the refund etc.  Some email will be sent out January 10 of the new year and the runners will have some window of time to make the selection.  It would be real bummer if the world will really end tomorrow, December 21, 2012.  Wonder if I should ping some Australian or Asian people I know.  It's already December 21 there, right?

Farewell, cruel world!

For the exact wordings from ING, the sponsor of the NYCM, visit http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/resolution.htm

NYRR BX 10M, PART ONE: JOYCE KILMER

In 2011, when the NYRR Bronx Half Marathon course was changed to start and end near Joyce Kilmer Park, I looked forward to visiting the park.  I hoped that there would be a memorial or plaque about the poet Joyce Kilmer.  Years ago, from a reference in a crossword puzzle, probably about the poem "Trees", I learned that Kilmer studied at Columbia University and lived in the New York metro area.  During World War One, he enlisted like the typical male person of the time and rose to the rank of sergeant.  He refused promotions and continued to work in the field.  He often volunteered for dangerous intelligence missions.  During the Battle of Marne, while out gathering intelligence, he was killed by a sniper.  Dying for one's country, always admirable, but in this case made more romantic because the dead was a poet.

The 2011 NYRR Bronx Half did not occur.  Hurricane Irene visited New York and the City revoked the permit.  For 2012, the race was shortened by 3.1 miles to become a 10-Miler.  Some people boycotted these shorter races but I still signed up.  Most Roadrunner races happen in Central Park, it gets boring quickly after a while, so I love the outer-borough races.  Besides, I want to visit Joyce Kilmer Park.

I left home by car around 5:30 AM.  There was little traffic on the road and I got to the NYRR-recommended garage shortly after 6.  Found a spot near the exit, took a nap since it was way early for the 8 AM race.  Eventually, I walked the short distance to Joyce Kilmer Park and wandered in it, as well as up the Grand Concourse and back to the park.  To my surprise, there was nothing in the park about the poet, other than a plaque saying the park's name.  Very odd.  I hope I am wrong.  I did discover the Bronx Museum of Art on Grand Concourse.  It seems the area near the park is the civic center for the Bronx, too, as there were a few court buildings nearby.  When I first came to the U.S., I lived in the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx for a few months and did not explore the area much.  With races like the Bronx Half that I hope to find out more about places outside my work or family routines.

For the race, I had my PPTC singlet on instead of the race shirt.  While out walking about, I saw a few other PPTC shirts and saluted them from afar.  I really have to go to some PPTC functions, e.g. group run or picnic, to get to know more people.  In my corral, for bib number 9000 and above, there was another PPTC member and I mentioned to her that it was unusual to meet a fellow club member in the slow corral.  When the race started, we walked slowly toward the start mat.  By the time I got to the mat, my Garmin still did not pick up satellite signal so I pulled aside to let others pass.  A short while later, satellite signal finally secured and off I went.

NYRR BROOKLYN HALF MARATHON 2012

NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon (BMH) 2012.  Another half-marathon completed, no Personal Record (PR) broken, but there are a few nice things to write about.


Below photo is my preparation for the big event.  15,000 spots and all was sold out in about 10 hours!  I happened to be near a computer at the 9th hour and got in just in time.  The picture is somewhat misleading as I did not run in the race shirt.  Instead, I debuted the team singlet I just got in the mail mere days before the event.

Weekend races are usually made more challenging thanks to the MTA's ongoing subway repair schedule.  There was no work done on the D line so I took it from home to Pacific Street.  I should have taken another subway to get to the starting area, Washington Avenue and Eastern Parkway, near the Brooklyn Museum.  I knew very well that my corral, the 18000, won't be anywhere near the start.  I incorrectly assumed that the corrals would stretch along Washington Avenue so a walk from Pacific Street may actually get me to my corral faster.  It turned out the corrals stretched along Eastern Parkway.  No problem, us long-distance runners don't mind a few miles of walking to get to our corrals.


I envy those people who have a running partner.  My life schedule only allows me to run real early in the morning, like 5 a.m. or 7 a.m., and no one I know can accommodate that schedule.  I made some good friends on DailyMile.com, social media for runners, and have great interactions with others on Facebook.  Still, I think to advance to the next level I need to run in a group, somehow.  The group I decided to become a paid member was the Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC).  I've seen their banner and table at some races then joined their FB group and learned more about them.  I should be able to join one of their weekend group runs one of these days.  For the Brooklyn Half, I debuted the PPTC team singlet.


I knew that there would be a PPTC cheering squad at the entrance to the park where Coney Island Avenue meets Prospect Park West etc.  The new course for the BHM went down Washington Avenue, up Flatbush Avenue and around the Grand Army Plaza, back down Flatbush again and along Prospect Park's perimeter to enter the park Coney Island Avenue.  One big loop of the park then exit at the same place to get to Ocean Parkway then all the way down to Coney Island.  I think even before I got to the PPTC cheering squad I already got some cheering from those who recognized the PPTC shirt.  At the park entrance I thought I recognize Michael from PPTC but without glasses I was not that sure.  I waved at the group and Michael gave me some words/sounds of encouragement.  I worried that by the time I got back to that spot, to exit the park, the cheering squad would not be there any more, as I understood they had to rush to Coney Island to cheer the team leading runners.  Luckily, they were still there when I exited the park and I even got a few photos taken of me.  What a perk for being a member!  Thank you Patty and PPTC!

One thing I remember from the 2011 BHM was that there was little cheering along the way on Ocean Parkway.  The 2012 race, from my perspective, had more spectator support along the Parkway.  Maybe it was a result of better publicity, or the earlier start time of the race somehow fitted better with spectators' schedules.


I was hoping for a new PR but it did not happen.  I avoided the mistake I made with the Verrazano Half and did not run any extra, sweat-laden pieces of clothes.  Just the shorts and singlet, but it did not help.  The finish time of 2:26:21 is actually worse than the Verrazano Half's 2:25:30, but of course the course for the BHM was hillier.  It was also a hotter day, that's for sure.  I did experience the onset of cramping during the BHM, but it happened at almost the very end, with about 200 meters to go.  Again I could not sprint for the finish line but then I did not walk either.  The finish line was just around the corner and then within sight, it would look really bad to walk to it, so I just kept running and hoped for the best.


PPTC cheers and photos made the BHM extra nice.  The other nice thing with the race was medal award.  With NYRR, as far as I know, runners get medals only for THE Marathon in November and the NYC Half Marathon in March.  Both cost an arm and a leg these days.  The Brooklyn Half is the only other race that offer medals.  From the list of available volunteer positions, runners learned about "medal distributors" and much excitement was generated before the race.  I don't recall seeing any official confirmation from NYRR about medals for the BHM, so as I saw finishers walking in the opposite direction on Ocean Parkway, I tried to see that they had medals around their necks.  No one I saw seemed to have a medal, but a finisher answered in the affirmative when I asked about the medal as I ran past him.  I only have a few sports awards so medals are great mementos for me.

COOGAN 2012

Another year, another Coogan 5K race.  I cannot remember why I signed up for Coogan 5K race last year.  Maybe it was because it was one of the few NYRR races that are not held in Central Park.  Or because I planned to explore the west side waterfront of Manhattan after the race, which I did, not exactly the waterfront but pretty far west nonetheless.  Or maybe it was the challenge of the terrain, very hilly, I was told.


This year I planned to have a post-race run across the George Washington Bridge and down the east coast of the neighboring New Jersey down to Newport to take the PATH back to New York.  It would be a great run except that it would take time.  It turned out my son missed the regular weekend swimming exercise last week so today we needed to make-up for it, even though we already had a session just yesterday.


With last year's Coogan, I had my fastest time up until then, 10:22 minutes per mile.  I beat that pace later in the year with the Jingle Bell Jog 6K (10:07) and the Ted Corbitt 15K (10:21).  I was on a roll and hoped that with the Coogan race in 2012 I would beat my finish time by a few minutes.  I managed to have a personal record (P.R.) alright, but by only 6 seconds, i.e. last year's finish time was 32:10 vs. this year's 32:04.  What is the margin of error on these things anyway?  Would an improvement of a few seconds negligible?  That only differences of a minute or more count?


I used to run these morning races on an empty stomach but since I discovered GU I do take them as "breakfast" to get a boost for the races.  I took one gel pack this morning, but perhaps not soon enough for the race.  The recommended time is 45 minutes before the race but I did it at 30 minutes.  Who knows, that 15-minute difference could have sent the necessary nutrition to my legs for a faster finish time.


There are a few good things about today's race, other than my meager P.R.  After finishing the race, a woman from behind told me that she used me as a marker, to push herself for the finish line.  Sort of like what I once referred to as stalk-running.  It was such a short race that I think I passed her at Mile 3 and there was only 0.1 mile to go, not much of a stalk really.  Still, I feel honored.


I had the good fortune of having my friend Mike come over from Fort Lee, just across the nearby GWB, to take photos for me at the event.  Brightroom was not at the event so even if you want to buy photos it is not an option.  NYRR photographers took some great shots of the event, but usually the people in the back corrals don't get any exposure, until now.  If you were in the 6000, see if you find yourself below.  If you find your photos and like it, look for a Chinese guy named Mike and buy him a drink at the Coogan Irish pub.

Wait wait don't tell me what Cooganized means.

More waiting.  I was so far back and it was so noisy, I did not hear the national anthem at all.

I was going to check-in the yellow hoodie but it was cold so I kept it.  Instead of fumbling with removing the bib from the official race shirt to put it on the hoodie, I just put the shirt on the outside... and looked kinda weird.

The #1 finisher, look at how that leg kicks back!

Almost there!  I think this was at Mile #3.

The Running Jokester

Some short time after the Queens Half-Marathon, I decided to run in the New York City Marathon.  It is one thing to want to run the Marathon and something else altogether to be accepted for it.  Some speedy people may get in automatically but for regular slowpokes like me the lottery is one of the few options available.  About 15 years ago when I ran the NYC Marathon, I don't recall of a 9+1 system, i.e. run 9 qualifier races and volunteer for one event and you are guaranteed a spot in the race.  I really dislike the lottery system, especially now that it cost $11 just to be in the lottery.  I am going for the 9+1 option, although I decided to run too late into the year and won't have enough time for the 2011 race.

The recent uproar over the NYRR's selection of runners for the NYC Half-Marathon didn't paint too nice a picture of it.  It appeared money-hungry, ready to grab as much as it can, without a second thought of serving the local runners community.  Still, to me, it's the volunteers that I come across the most during the races.  It seems a lonely and possibly unappreciated job, as people rush about aiming for their best times.  I try to greet them and thank them as I pass them during the runs.  I like to be funny and even quip jokes with them.  I hope they didn't mind but here are some of my "running jokes":

1. Where are the Four Loko?  (Asked at a water station.  Four Loko is a caffeinated alcohol recently banned in NYC.  Supposedly it worked too much like a drug.  I got a few loud chuckles with this one, or at least I heard people behind me laugh, not sure if it was a coincidence...)
2. Where's the shortcut?  (All the races I ran so far weaved through the streets or the park.  Surely there must be a shortcut, although you would be cheating yourself only if you take one.)
3. What are they serving at the finish line anyway?  (It's a good way to encourage oneself to keep going, but I knew for sure it would be cold bagel, banana, or apple.  No toasted bagel with cream cheese, orange juice, or coffee.  I guess that's what the stores are for.)
4. Should I keep going?  (Best asked a mile or half a mile from the finish line.  The answer, of course, should be "Yes!")
5. Can I borrow that?  (Shouted to a bicyclist passing by.  I got some laugh along the Grand Concourse during the Bronx Half-Marathon.)

Ted Corbitt 15K

This morning I ran in the New York Road Runners' Ted Corbitt 15K Race. It was a cold morning, somewhat like the morning I ran from my home to Manhattan's Chinatown, about 16K away. I did the 16K without stopping for water, not that I had any with me and most stores were not open yet at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday anyway. I only paused here and there to not get in the way of the typical NYC drivers, who turn whenever they want and more often than not don't yield to pedestrians.  The experience prompted me to try a new strategy to improve my time in today's race.  I stopped for water only once, which was also the time when I slowed to a walk.  It would not help to get choked by water going down the wrong pipe because I run and drink.  I still had to sprint near the end, at the 9-mile marker.  (I know, it was a 15K race but all the markers are in miles.  I suppose the NYRR hasn't upgraded their signage to go with the metric system.)  My best time, up to today, was at the Bronx Half Marathon in August of this year - 11:54 minute/mile.  Today's time is 10:57, almost a whopping minute, which is a lot in racing circles.  Of course, the Bronx Half's distance was 13.1 miles while today's race was 9.3, so who knows, another 3 miles more and I may not have a better pace.  On the other hand, maybe because it was my first race in Central Park, there appeared to be too many hills on the course, so it may not be as long as a half-marathon but definitely more challenging.

Running without taking in fluid along the way is probably not the best way to run, but we all have different capabilities so find your limit and try to exceed it.

Oh, no photos this time either.  What would be the point of trying to shave a minute off your pace only to spend some time pausing and taking photos?  I will just have to wait for Bright Room to make their offerings.