I Finally Ran a Half Marathon

I did it: I ran an entire half marathon—and beat my goal time! Saturday I joined more than 5,000 other runners on the boardwalk at Coney Island at the start of the Brooklyn Half Marathon, and 2 hours and 16 minutes later, I sprinted across the finish line.

I started the day with yogurt, toast, and peanut butter, and boarded the subway with my sister and two friends. We followed a horde of other runners off the train and down to the boardwalk area, where we stripped down to shorts and T-shirts and tossed our baggage onto buses. It was chilly, but perfect weather for running—in the low 50s and overcast.

The course was divided into three distinct areas, almost like we were running three different races. Here’s a quick review of each section.

The Boardwalk—3 miles
Pros: Running along the beach
is awesome, no question about it. We set off at a comfortable pace,
chatting occasionally about the scenery and the other runners, and I
enjoyed pointing out New York landmarks like Nathan’s hot dog stand and
the Cyclone roller coaster to my sister as we jogged. Thousands of feet
pounding the wooden boards produced a rhythmic, calming sound, kind of
like a rainstorm.

Cons: Those boards are old and scary! The ground was
literally moving under our feet, and we had to really concentrate on
where and how our feet fell. 

Ocean Parkway—6 miles
Pros: This long stretch of
road was flat, wide, and wonderful. It felt strangely firm under our
feet after our boardwalk adventure, and we picked up our pace. I
watched the clocks at every mile marker and realized we were running
close to a 9:30 mile—which is faster than I expected to be running
midway through the race. The cross streets on this big Brooklyn street
are lettered, and running down the alphabet from Avenue U was
strangely motivating. We called out the letters we passed as we
approached the park. Around mile 7, the crowd of runners had thinned
out enough that I felt safe wearing my headphones, so we switched our
music on for an extra boost of energy.

Cons: None, unless you count the dad with the baby stroller
or the two guys with full backpacks (maybe they missed the baggage
buses) who zoomed by us.

Prospect Park—4.1 miles
Pros: My home turf! I was
still feeling good when we hit the park, and the crowds were a great
motivator. I passed my parents and a few friends on the sidelines, and
I even saw Coach Mindy cheering on her Running Center team.

Cons:
The hills! This is my park, and I knew they were coming, but that
didn’t make them any easier, especially the gradual incline between
miles 12 and 13—literally the hardest mile I’ve ever done. Being so
familiar with the terrain messed with my head a bit, too. When I
entered, I thought, “That is it, I’m at the end!” But four miles to go
is not the end, not even close, and soon I had slowed down
considerably. The mile markers started to seem farther and my burning
legs would just not go any faster.

The finish
It probably took me about 15 minutes to jog the
last mile, but I didn’t stop and I didn’t walk—and I mustered up enough
desperate energy to sprint the last .1 mile past the finish line. I’d
hoped that I might be able to average an 11-minute mile, and I knew
right away that I’d been close. But after my parents checked the
results (I was too sore to walk down the grassy hill to the boards,
where they were posted), I realized I’d averaged about 10:30, which is
honestly how long it took me to run one mile just six months ago.

I’m ridiculously proud of my time, and the fact that I shaved 15
minutes off of what I now consider my pathetic performance in
Philadelphia. But I’m even more proud of the other changes I’ve made in
the last few months: I’m eating healthier, drinking less, going to bed
earlier, and managing my time better, all because of my training.

This week, while I’m nursing my still-sore quads, I’ve been
wondering what’s next. And just now as I write this, an email pops up
in my box from a friend (and “former runner,” he calls himself): “You
guys inspired me to run another half marathon—it’s the NYC half, July 27 if you want to join me.” Two and a half months to a new personal record? Sounds good to me!