On Saturday, Oct 14, I ran my first half marathon in 2:00:28, official time.
It was the longest distance I’d ever run, with barely three weeks’ notice. A couple of my adventure-loving Bike & Build friends encouraged the rest of us to join them for the Brooklyn Rock ‘N’ Roll Half, and being just a little crazy and headstrong myself, I took on the challenge. Roughly, I figured I would need to do 7-mile and 9-mile training runs on the Saturdays leading up to the race (each one a record-breaking distance itself). These went surprisingly well, my confidence rose, and I happily finished out week three with one last hill run and bottomless carbohydrates (including birthday cake).
If all this sounds insane, the icing on the cake was the 12-hour interval right before the start line. My bus to NYC was stuck in traffic for an extra hour, finally pulling up to the Javits Convention Center at 6:56 PM, four minutes from closing. I rushed into the expo and managed to grab my bib and bag and change my corral number in the nick of time. Panic subsiding, I took the High Line down to meet Eunu at the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was pay-what-you-want entry that evening. We strolled through a fascinating Calder exhibit, then the seventh floor, and then a gallery of political resistance works, until my stomach couldn’t stand to go unfed any longer. After seeking out some perfectly satisfying noodle soup and dim sum, we parted ways and I finally reached my friends’ apartment in UES at 11:30. I slept four hours.
On race day, I also had to run a few blocks to catch the Q train on time, but from then on my scheduling woes were over. I found Kamila, Jane, and Tuna, and we started off running as a group (until I took off at my own pace in the first mile). Once my feet started pounding pavement, everything went ideally that morning. I was tuned in to my breathing (3-in, 4-out) and I found every possible opportunity to smile and boost my spirits (funny signs, passing people and keeping up with others, live music, seeing the elite frontrunners, and so on). The middle stretch on Ocean Parkway passed fluidly, steadily, until we were back at Prospect Park and I could feel a final 5k left in my legs. The last few miles felt the longest, but I actually sped up, passing more and more fellow runners until I saw the final archway and reflexively started to sprint. A triumphant sensation.
Loved being surrounded by all these beautiful, goofy faces this weekend. If it weren’t for my crazy and supportive Bike & Build teammates, I never would have pushed myself so soon and with so much fearlessness.
