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| When did the new NYRR logo make its debut? Wouldn't 2012 be the first time it appears on a marathon medal? |
Showing posts with label medal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medal. Show all posts
19 November 2012
NYCM MEDAL
In other less joyful marathon news, last week I finally made the trip to the NYRR office to pick up the medal for the cancelled NYC Marathon 2012. I know, I know, I didn't run it, why take it? But I heard about it being given out, so I might as well take it. There was still no words about refund of registration fees, still so at the time of this writing, so might as well get the most out of the $216 I already spent. Maybe I can eBay it some day to recuperate part of the $216. Or maybe I'll just put it next to the 2011 Go! St. Louis Marathon medal. You may recall that I did not get to run the full marathon in St. Louis because the weather was deemed too hot and the marathon course was closed a few hours in. I ended up running a half-marathon with a lousy time because I lost some time asking officials for confirmation. At the finisher tent, I asked for a full-marathon medal because I thought registration fee for the full was more than the half. I would never show the St. Louis medal without telling its history and same thing for the NYCM.
18 November 2012
A MARATHON HAPPENED IN NEW YORK CITY
After the cancellation of the NYC Marathon, I definitely looked forward to the Brooklyn Marathon, scheduled for November 18, two weeks after the NYC one, in Prospect Park. I ran it today and made some mistakes that I believe prevented me from reaching a new personal record.
As usual, the night before the big day I set aside clothes, socks, gloves, Gu's, etc. I left the house two hours before the 8:30 AM start time but lost some time because I did not know that Wild Bagels across from P.S. 97 did not open early on Sundays, i.e. not around 6:30 AM. I ended up getting my bagel and coffee from Dunkin, not that further away but it took time to walk to two different places. I was hoping to have a repeat of the Staten Island Half Marathon, i.e. by having breakfast before the race. As feared, the MTA had disruptions and the F train, perhaps others, would not go near Prospect Park. I could have made a transfer from the D to some other line but instead I took the D to Prospect Avenue and made the long walk from Fourth Avenue to Prospect Park West. After emptying my bowels and again emptying my bladder, I got into the short corral just in time for to hear the National Anthem performed. After the anthem, I held back to let other runners pass me to wait for my Garmin to pick up satellite signal, then off I went. I did not stretch before the race! Argghhh!
On the question "Should race shirts be worn on the day of the race?" I am all for it. Some old-school people believe that it's simply wrong to do so, just because you haven't earned it yet. Once you run it, then you can wear it. For me, it's good for the spectators to know what's going on. It's also good for the organizers and sponsors. So I wore the shirt for the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon, which features white letters on a dark green background and is easier on the eyes than last year's, which had black letters on dark blue background. With most races, I proudly wear the singlet for Prospect Park Track Club, but it was cold and I didn't have any other PPTC piece of clothes. I had a Yonkers Marathon (short-sleeved) on the inside and the long-sleeved 2012 Brooklyn Marathon on the outside, and shorts for the lower half. I used baggage service to put away a hoodie and a pants. Running with fewer clothes should have helped me dissipate heat better, but I think if I had the PPTC singlet on the outside I would have gotten more cheers from other PPTC members. Instead, I only got encouragement from some members that know me, which is not that many as I'm new to the club. No stretching aside, I could have used the extra cheer.
A big part of the Brooklyn Marathon consists of six times around the big loop. I should have brought at least six packs of Gu's, but somehow I only had five, a fact I discovered too late, at the beginning of the sixth trip around the big loop. Last year I think I had at least 8 packs. Maybe I dropped a pack or maybe I actually brought along only five packs. After realizing the omission, I soldiered on and only stopped to walk at the west water station. Before that I stopped to walk at every mile marker. The strategy of walking a bit after every mile worked in Yonkers, but then again in Yonkers I also had a half-marathon finisher, some total stranger who I struck a conversation with, paced me for a few miles. Could it be Yonkers is flatter compared to Prospect Park? Yonkers' course included only two loops, so even though it was hilly you only had to run the hills twice. With Prospect Park, there was only one big hill but the runners have to surmount it six times. But then again, I finished the 2011 Brooklyn race in 5:08 and completed this year's Yonkers race in 5:10.
According to my Garmin GPS watch, I finished the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon in 5:11. I was really hoping to have sub-5 marathon, but I instead I had a worst finish-time, not counting the two NYC Marathons in the 1990s (6+ hours, yike!). Oh well. Maybe I didn't train enough, what with the few days after Hurricane Sandy visited I didn't run at all. There are always future marathons!
As usual, the night before the big day I set aside clothes, socks, gloves, Gu's, etc. I left the house two hours before the 8:30 AM start time but lost some time because I did not know that Wild Bagels across from P.S. 97 did not open early on Sundays, i.e. not around 6:30 AM. I ended up getting my bagel and coffee from Dunkin, not that further away but it took time to walk to two different places. I was hoping to have a repeat of the Staten Island Half Marathon, i.e. by having breakfast before the race. As feared, the MTA had disruptions and the F train, perhaps others, would not go near Prospect Park. I could have made a transfer from the D to some other line but instead I took the D to Prospect Avenue and made the long walk from Fourth Avenue to Prospect Park West. After emptying my bowels and again emptying my bladder, I got into the short corral just in time for to hear the National Anthem performed. After the anthem, I held back to let other runners pass me to wait for my Garmin to pick up satellite signal, then off I went. I did not stretch before the race! Argghhh!
On the question "Should race shirts be worn on the day of the race?" I am all for it. Some old-school people believe that it's simply wrong to do so, just because you haven't earned it yet. Once you run it, then you can wear it. For me, it's good for the spectators to know what's going on. It's also good for the organizers and sponsors. So I wore the shirt for the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon, which features white letters on a dark green background and is easier on the eyes than last year's, which had black letters on dark blue background. With most races, I proudly wear the singlet for Prospect Park Track Club, but it was cold and I didn't have any other PPTC piece of clothes. I had a Yonkers Marathon (short-sleeved) on the inside and the long-sleeved 2012 Brooklyn Marathon on the outside, and shorts for the lower half. I used baggage service to put away a hoodie and a pants. Running with fewer clothes should have helped me dissipate heat better, but I think if I had the PPTC singlet on the outside I would have gotten more cheers from other PPTC members. Instead, I only got encouragement from some members that know me, which is not that many as I'm new to the club. No stretching aside, I could have used the extra cheer.
A big part of the Brooklyn Marathon consists of six times around the big loop. I should have brought at least six packs of Gu's, but somehow I only had five, a fact I discovered too late, at the beginning of the sixth trip around the big loop. Last year I think I had at least 8 packs. Maybe I dropped a pack or maybe I actually brought along only five packs. After realizing the omission, I soldiered on and only stopped to walk at the west water station. Before that I stopped to walk at every mile marker. The strategy of walking a bit after every mile worked in Yonkers, but then again in Yonkers I also had a half-marathon finisher, some total stranger who I struck a conversation with, paced me for a few miles. Could it be Yonkers is flatter compared to Prospect Park? Yonkers' course included only two loops, so even though it was hilly you only had to run the hills twice. With Prospect Park, there was only one big hill but the runners have to surmount it six times. But then again, I finished the 2011 Brooklyn race in 5:08 and completed this year's Yonkers race in 5:10.
According to my Garmin GPS watch, I finished the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon in 5:11. I was really hoping to have sub-5 marathon, but I instead I had a worst finish-time, not counting the two NYC Marathons in the 1990s (6+ hours, yike!). Oh well. Maybe I didn't train enough, what with the few days after Hurricane Sandy visited I didn't run at all. There are always future marathons!
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| The front of the medal for the 2012 Brooklyn Marathon features fireworks over the Brooklyn Bridge. Note the holes on the bridge's necklace, i.e. cables. |
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| On the back of the medal, in the lower half, there is a circuit board and a button. Press the button and the bridge's necklace blinks! Cool, blinking bling! |
18 September 2012
LOST IN YONKERS... NOT!
I was planning to write Part 2 of the NYRR Bronx 10-Mile but something came up... The Yonkers Marathon!
The Yonkers Marathon is well-known for being the second oldest marathon in the U.S. (after the Boston Marathon) and for being very hilly. Much as I would love to, I don't want to spend money flying to different cities to run marathons. I make an exception if it involves visiting family. With the City of Yonkers just north of New York City, or its borough The Bronx, to be exact, running the Yonkers Marathon is a natural choice for me. And it was so affordable, too, just a mere $40 with early registration (I signed up in October 2011 for the Sept 16, 2012 race!)
During the weeks leading to the event, I read some blog posts about the race and got worried about its 5-hour limit. Will there be no official listing for the 5+ runners? Even no medals!? Will I have to fight traffic to cross the streets? A few days before the race, I checked the course and got worried that maybe I will run the wrong way at some point. I sweat so much so I cannot run with my near-sighted glasses so I cannot see far that well. I am already a slow runner, losing time by going off course won't help. A DailyMile friend dispelled my fear when he told me that the police department does a good job of directing traffic and guiding runners. It was also comforting to know that the marathon course is a double-loop, i.e. the same loop to be run twice. Chances are by the second time around I won't have other runners ahead of me to follow, but by then I would know the route to follow.
The day of the race, I got up early at 4:30 and left the house by 5. Got to the free parking lot just after 6. I took a nap in the car until 7:30 then lined up for the toilet. The race started shortly after the 8 AM scheduled time, with only a short speeches by the race director Steve Lastoe and Governor Mike Spano. With only one thousand people, I was able to join the crowd and crossed the starting mat as soon as my Garmin picked up satellite signal. Just in case I don't get official recognition, my Garmin will tell me the distance, time, and pace for the race, kilometer for kilometer.
Somewhere at the beginning, my speedy DailyMile friend Louis greeted me from behind. He should be at the front with other faster runners, so I was surprised that he came from behind me. He had to have a toilet, it turned out. We chatted a bit but I asked him to go ahead. The marathon was no time for me to start running at a faster pace from my usual runs.
At Mile #1, I remarked loudly that there were only 25 more miles to go and got a few chuckles out of nearby runners. The crowd got thinner quickly and we started to pass by a wooded area on the right, with the Metro North track and the Hudson River on the left. Some runners chose then to take another toilet break, in the wood, like how some people undoubtedly did on the Verrazano Bridge during the NYC Marathon. There were water stations at every mile, a short distance before the actual mile marker, which was both on the street and on telephone posts. All the volunteers and police officers were nice and helpful but some were different than others and came to mind more easily. Like the one guy who did not have anyone to help him, or the Boy Scouts troop, both somewhere on Warburton Avenue. I also appreciate the man on the bridge with the 2-liter Coke bottles, a tad before the right turn from Warburton into Main Street. The first time around I skipped the Coke but by the second loop I was so tired I figured I needed a sugary drink. He had no more cups and suggested pouring the Coke into my palms. I picked up some cup off the ground and drank from there instead. I am not a picky person!
The hill connecting Main Street to Broadway is the worst of them all, I think. The first time I hit it, I jogged slowly up but during the second pass I walked up. The few people in the cheering section at Warburton and Main got me resume running a bit, but by the time I reached the foot of the hill I was out of energy again. Pass the top of the hill was Mile #5. The water station was out in the sun and by the second loop it was already closed. Also on the second loop I saw a man taking a break to massage his legs. I asked if he was OK then went on. I was tired and had to convince myself to go forward one traffic cone at a time. Finally I reached the intersection of Tomkins and Broadway. I told the cross-guard there that it was good to see him, that it was so lonely back there, just me and the traffic cones. It was a good time to take a toilet break. After so much running, it felt weird to stand in one place. Just a short distance into Tomkins was the water station before Mile #6. I used one cup of water to wash my hands and took another for drinking as well as a cup of Gatorade. Before Mile #6 was the cemetery and the steep down-hill. Normally I like to use the descent to pick up some speed but this descent was too steep, I worried that I may not be able to keep up so I trotted down slowly. At the foot of the hill was the right turn into Nepperhan. The first time there was a time mat to mark the 10K point. Second time around there was just some crossing guards.
Nepperhan started out with some homes but eventually we ran into some industrial zone. When I got out of the toilets, some people passed by me and I followed along, able to exchanged a few encouraging words with them. When I slowed down for the down-hill, the others went further and I never caught up. In the industrial zone, I finally caught up to a runner but then I noticed the medal around his neck. I struck up a conversation with him and learned that he did indeed finished the half-mary but was going for the full too. "Galvin" and I pretty much stayed together from Mile #20 (?) to Mile 23. We walked together at water stations and then ran together afterward. Without Galvin I think I would have walked more often. Thanks for pacing me, Galvin! After Mile 23, I ran across the footbridge and Galvin was no longer by my side. I still hoped to make the marathon under 5 hours so I continued running. Those last few miles seemed to go forever though. I recognized South Broadway from the time when I ran the Holiday Marathons on Christmas Day 2011 in Tibbetts Park. I was really lost in Yonkers at that time. I could have gotten onto the Saw Mill Parkway easily from Tibbetts but I went the wrong way to South Broadway and made a U-turn. This time I was on foot and South Broadway seemed so long. After the right turn into Valentin I recognize a man-and-woman couple, the woman with blond hair, from the time I got out of the toilet back near Mile #6. I really wanted to pass at least these two people and they indeed stopped but before I could catch up they resumed running. Luckily, the stopped again shortly afterward and I did pass them. From then on, I only stopped for water one more time. I caught up with a runner and asked him if ahead was the turn from Warburton into Main Street for the final stretch. He thought it was, but it turned out to be another block. I called up some reserve energy and kept going, made the left turn at Main and shouted "I love Yonkers!" Up ahead I saw two runners walking so I shouted to them that if they did not start to run I would pass them. I did pass them and finally reached Mile 21, just a square card rested against a traffic cone. The 0.2 Mile is the distance from there to just before the parking lot, then a U-turn to the train station, under the train track to the water, then a left, then a right onto the pier. Just around the corner on the pier was the glorious finish line. I made it in 5:10:33, not sub-5 as I wished but it was good to have the official time and a medal.
More than 15 years ago I ran the NYC Marathon, twice, in 1994 and 1995, without much training. I ran maybe 5 miles a day and knew nothing about the recommended 20-mile run, on-course nutrition, etc. I still managed to finish, with the lousy time of 6:30 or worse. Last year (2011) my older self ran the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon in 5:08, a victory with the younger self from 15+ years ago. However, as the Brooklyn Marathon consisted of 2 small loops and 6 big loops of Prospect Park. I did not have a GPS watch with me and somehow thought I may have missed a loop. The Yonkers Marathon confirmed for me that a tad over 5 hours is indeed my marathon time. I did not train as much this year and the Yonkers Marathon is probably tougher than Brooklyn, so the two extra minutes is not a big deal.
One down, two to go! NYRR NYC Marathon and the second Brooklyn Marathon are coming in November, just 2 weeks apart! In the mean time, thank you Yonkers, NYC Runs, volunteers, police officers, and everyone who supported the race!
The Yonkers Marathon is well-known for being the second oldest marathon in the U.S. (after the Boston Marathon) and for being very hilly. Much as I would love to, I don't want to spend money flying to different cities to run marathons. I make an exception if it involves visiting family. With the City of Yonkers just north of New York City, or its borough The Bronx, to be exact, running the Yonkers Marathon is a natural choice for me. And it was so affordable, too, just a mere $40 with early registration (I signed up in October 2011 for the Sept 16, 2012 race!)
During the weeks leading to the event, I read some blog posts about the race and got worried about its 5-hour limit. Will there be no official listing for the 5+ runners? Even no medals!? Will I have to fight traffic to cross the streets? A few days before the race, I checked the course and got worried that maybe I will run the wrong way at some point. I sweat so much so I cannot run with my near-sighted glasses so I cannot see far that well. I am already a slow runner, losing time by going off course won't help. A DailyMile friend dispelled my fear when he told me that the police department does a good job of directing traffic and guiding runners. It was also comforting to know that the marathon course is a double-loop, i.e. the same loop to be run twice. Chances are by the second time around I won't have other runners ahead of me to follow, but by then I would know the route to follow.
The day of the race, I got up early at 4:30 and left the house by 5. Got to the free parking lot just after 6. I took a nap in the car until 7:30 then lined up for the toilet. The race started shortly after the 8 AM scheduled time, with only a short speeches by the race director Steve Lastoe and Governor Mike Spano. With only one thousand people, I was able to join the crowd and crossed the starting mat as soon as my Garmin picked up satellite signal. Just in case I don't get official recognition, my Garmin will tell me the distance, time, and pace for the race, kilometer for kilometer.
Somewhere at the beginning, my speedy DailyMile friend Louis greeted me from behind. He should be at the front with other faster runners, so I was surprised that he came from behind me. He had to have a toilet, it turned out. We chatted a bit but I asked him to go ahead. The marathon was no time for me to start running at a faster pace from my usual runs.
At Mile #1, I remarked loudly that there were only 25 more miles to go and got a few chuckles out of nearby runners. The crowd got thinner quickly and we started to pass by a wooded area on the right, with the Metro North track and the Hudson River on the left. Some runners chose then to take another toilet break, in the wood, like how some people undoubtedly did on the Verrazano Bridge during the NYC Marathon. There were water stations at every mile, a short distance before the actual mile marker, which was both on the street and on telephone posts. All the volunteers and police officers were nice and helpful but some were different than others and came to mind more easily. Like the one guy who did not have anyone to help him, or the Boy Scouts troop, both somewhere on Warburton Avenue. I also appreciate the man on the bridge with the 2-liter Coke bottles, a tad before the right turn from Warburton into Main Street. The first time around I skipped the Coke but by the second loop I was so tired I figured I needed a sugary drink. He had no more cups and suggested pouring the Coke into my palms. I picked up some cup off the ground and drank from there instead. I am not a picky person!
The hill connecting Main Street to Broadway is the worst of them all, I think. The first time I hit it, I jogged slowly up but during the second pass I walked up. The few people in the cheering section at Warburton and Main got me resume running a bit, but by the time I reached the foot of the hill I was out of energy again. Pass the top of the hill was Mile #5. The water station was out in the sun and by the second loop it was already closed. Also on the second loop I saw a man taking a break to massage his legs. I asked if he was OK then went on. I was tired and had to convince myself to go forward one traffic cone at a time. Finally I reached the intersection of Tomkins and Broadway. I told the cross-guard there that it was good to see him, that it was so lonely back there, just me and the traffic cones. It was a good time to take a toilet break. After so much running, it felt weird to stand in one place. Just a short distance into Tomkins was the water station before Mile #6. I used one cup of water to wash my hands and took another for drinking as well as a cup of Gatorade. Before Mile #6 was the cemetery and the steep down-hill. Normally I like to use the descent to pick up some speed but this descent was too steep, I worried that I may not be able to keep up so I trotted down slowly. At the foot of the hill was the right turn into Nepperhan. The first time there was a time mat to mark the 10K point. Second time around there was just some crossing guards.
Nepperhan started out with some homes but eventually we ran into some industrial zone. When I got out of the toilets, some people passed by me and I followed along, able to exchanged a few encouraging words with them. When I slowed down for the down-hill, the others went further and I never caught up. In the industrial zone, I finally caught up to a runner but then I noticed the medal around his neck. I struck up a conversation with him and learned that he did indeed finished the half-mary but was going for the full too. "Galvin" and I pretty much stayed together from Mile #20 (?) to Mile 23. We walked together at water stations and then ran together afterward. Without Galvin I think I would have walked more often. Thanks for pacing me, Galvin! After Mile 23, I ran across the footbridge and Galvin was no longer by my side. I still hoped to make the marathon under 5 hours so I continued running. Those last few miles seemed to go forever though. I recognized South Broadway from the time when I ran the Holiday Marathons on Christmas Day 2011 in Tibbetts Park. I was really lost in Yonkers at that time. I could have gotten onto the Saw Mill Parkway easily from Tibbetts but I went the wrong way to South Broadway and made a U-turn. This time I was on foot and South Broadway seemed so long. After the right turn into Valentin I recognize a man-and-woman couple, the woman with blond hair, from the time I got out of the toilet back near Mile #6. I really wanted to pass at least these two people and they indeed stopped but before I could catch up they resumed running. Luckily, the stopped again shortly afterward and I did pass them. From then on, I only stopped for water one more time. I caught up with a runner and asked him if ahead was the turn from Warburton into Main Street for the final stretch. He thought it was, but it turned out to be another block. I called up some reserve energy and kept going, made the left turn at Main and shouted "I love Yonkers!" Up ahead I saw two runners walking so I shouted to them that if they did not start to run I would pass them. I did pass them and finally reached Mile 21, just a square card rested against a traffic cone. The 0.2 Mile is the distance from there to just before the parking lot, then a U-turn to the train station, under the train track to the water, then a left, then a right onto the pier. Just around the corner on the pier was the glorious finish line. I made it in 5:10:33, not sub-5 as I wished but it was good to have the official time and a medal.
More than 15 years ago I ran the NYC Marathon, twice, in 1994 and 1995, without much training. I ran maybe 5 miles a day and knew nothing about the recommended 20-mile run, on-course nutrition, etc. I still managed to finish, with the lousy time of 6:30 or worse. Last year (2011) my older self ran the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon in 5:08, a victory with the younger self from 15+ years ago. However, as the Brooklyn Marathon consisted of 2 small loops and 6 big loops of Prospect Park. I did not have a GPS watch with me and somehow thought I may have missed a loop. The Yonkers Marathon confirmed for me that a tad over 5 hours is indeed my marathon time. I did not train as much this year and the Yonkers Marathon is probably tougher than Brooklyn, so the two extra minutes is not a big deal.
One down, two to go! NYRR NYC Marathon and the second Brooklyn Marathon are coming in November, just 2 weeks apart! In the mean time, thank you Yonkers, NYC Runs, volunteers, police officers, and everyone who supported the race!
29 July 2012
NYRR Queens 10K
The same weekend that I attended Pat Benatar's free concert courtesy of Fox & Friends, I ran the NYRR Queens 10K. About two years ago, it was after finishing the NYRR Queens Half-Marathon that I decided to give the full marathon a shot. I barely made the three hours limit and was really tired after the race but it was the first long-distance race I did in ages. Marathon or not, I got hooked on running long-distance and signed up for more. The year 2011 saw me in many half-marathons plus the Inaugural Brooklyn Marathon.
2012 so far has been disappointing as far as running and racing are concerned. The Manhattan Half got snowed out and became a fun run. I stayed home to shovel snow off my sidewalk and alley plus the car. Work schedule became more hectic and I have not run as much. It could be because of swimming schedule, too. I ran the Inaugural NYCRuns Verrazano Half then the NYRR Brooklyn Half and got cramps near the end of both, worse with the Verrazano. Queens Half went up in price and its distance cut to about half of a half marathon, or 10K. Maybe it was the hot weather, maybe it was something else, it still did not feel right. I signed up anyway since I lived in Queens for many years and the race is the one NYRR race that takes place in Queens.
Two years ago I was not familiar with the area of the park bordered by the Van Wyck Expressway. In recent months I've been visiting the Flushing Meadow Aquatic Center almost every weekend, to swim with my son, in the cold winter and these days in the hot summer. At the 2010 Queens Half, it was the first time I saw the building and found it impressive. That year I was not sure if it was okay to park under the Van Wyck but followed the crowd anyway. Now I know the shortcut to avoid traffic and traffic lights on College Point Boulevard. Alas, the shorter route for the 2012 run did not pass the FMAC.
The 2012 NYRR Queens 10K saw a hot day as expected, it was the beginning of July but it had been a hot summer so far. So hot that a runner friend who normally beat me by 20 minutes or more had only 10 minutes or so of lead time. Everyone said it was unusually hot, that it was a killer to run in that heat. I took caution and took water every two miles, more often near the end. I did not feel so bad afterward. All finishers got a nice medal but I felt like I missed something. In my view, only half-marathons and longer races should there be medals. My normal routine runs, at least not too long ago, usually covered 8 km, so getting a medal for a 10-km run seems a bit unnecessary. Since I have few sports medal, I'll still treasure the Queens 10K medal but it just did not feel the same as the NYRR Brooklyn Half.
2012 so far has been disappointing as far as running and racing are concerned. The Manhattan Half got snowed out and became a fun run. I stayed home to shovel snow off my sidewalk and alley plus the car. Work schedule became more hectic and I have not run as much. It could be because of swimming schedule, too. I ran the Inaugural NYCRuns Verrazano Half then the NYRR Brooklyn Half and got cramps near the end of both, worse with the Verrazano. Queens Half went up in price and its distance cut to about half of a half marathon, or 10K. Maybe it was the hot weather, maybe it was something else, it still did not feel right. I signed up anyway since I lived in Queens for many years and the race is the one NYRR race that takes place in Queens.
Two years ago I was not familiar with the area of the park bordered by the Van Wyck Expressway. In recent months I've been visiting the Flushing Meadow Aquatic Center almost every weekend, to swim with my son, in the cold winter and these days in the hot summer. At the 2010 Queens Half, it was the first time I saw the building and found it impressive. That year I was not sure if it was okay to park under the Van Wyck but followed the crowd anyway. Now I know the shortcut to avoid traffic and traffic lights on College Point Boulevard. Alas, the shorter route for the 2012 run did not pass the FMAC.
The 2012 NYRR Queens 10K saw a hot day as expected, it was the beginning of July but it had been a hot summer so far. So hot that a runner friend who normally beat me by 20 minutes or more had only 10 minutes or so of lead time. Everyone said it was unusually hot, that it was a killer to run in that heat. I took caution and took water every two miles, more often near the end. I did not feel so bad afterward. All finishers got a nice medal but I felt like I missed something. In my view, only half-marathons and longer races should there be medals. My normal routine runs, at least not too long ago, usually covered 8 km, so getting a medal for a 10-km run seems a bit unnecessary. Since I have few sports medal, I'll still treasure the Queens 10K medal but it just did not feel the same as the NYRR Brooklyn Half.
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| My meager medal collection. |
20 May 2012
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.
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.
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