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.
With less than two weeks before the 
I never thought I’d say this, but my long weekend runs have become the easiest part of my training program. Sure, it took me 98 minutes to run 9.5 miles on Saturday, but 98 measly minutes out of a full weekend of leisure is an easy sacrifice. 
Last week during a session at the gym, Trainer Mike said something that really stuck. I was doing a modification of the 
My running music has become painfully boring. I haven’t updated my iPod since Christmas 2006, and for those long jogs in the park, I need a fast tempo and catchy lyrics to keep me going.
When I revamped my training schedule a few weeks ago, I realized I need to tread a thin line: I want to train as hard as I can in the next two months to prepare for the 
I avoid running with other people. I worry that I’ll be too slow and hold them back. Maybe I’ll breathe too loud or sweat too much. Even worse, they might actually try to carry on a conversation
