One word. EPIC! I had the pleasure of running the NYRR Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon and it was hands-down the most fun I have ever had running a race and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Did I PR? Nope. But honestly, this year isn't about PRs for me. It's about race experiences.
Was I injury free? Nope. I am now a KT tape ninja when it comes to my ankle, hips and knees.
Was the weather ideal? Nope. It was actually pretty humid and it rained.

But you know what, none of that matters when you're running with over 26,000 people, all trying to accomplish the same goal, while smiling from all of the support on the course from volunteers and spectators.

Some cool facts about this race....

When registration opened, it sold out in less than 7 hours
The race was the largest half-marathon in the country this year with 26,482 finishers
Awesome after party on Coney Island

On the morning of the race I woke up at 4:15 after a crummy night of sleep (I'm always worried about sleeping through my alarm). I changed my shirt at the last minute because the probability of rain during the race was around 80%. I was in Wave 2 (Wave 1 runners started at 7:00 a.m.) and our start time was 7:45 a.m. I actually got to the start around 6:45 a.m. I was really early but I wanted to make sure I got there early so I would have time to enjoy my pre-run fuel - chocolate Honey Stinger waffle and Nunn with water.

Both waves started on time and I finally crossed the starting line around 8:00 a.m. After about 10 minutes I was sweating like crazy and I couldn't figure out why. It didnt feel that humid when I was waiting to start the race but as soon as I started running I really felt it! Thankfully it wasn't a super hot day and there was a bit of overcast as well.

Miles 1-3 take place on the streets surrounding Prospect Park. Pretty uneventful, some inclines/hills here and there, but not too bad. We entered the park after the 5K mark and that's when the first downpour happened. It wasn't just raining, it was pouring. I automatically thought back to Rock 'n' Roll DC and was praying that this race wouldn't be like that one (I really, really hated that entire race for multiple reasons). Luckily there was only one more really bad downpour and that lasted maybe around 10-15 minutes. I was just so happy it didn't rain for the whole race.

The next 3-4 miles were in Prospect Park. So to be totally honest, I know I underestimated the hills. I heard that they weren't as bad as the hills in Central Park so that's why I wasn't too worried. A little after mile 5 the hills were really starting to get to me. I couldn't find an elevation map of the course online but I will say that this course was not as flat as I thought it would be.

After the park the last half of the race takes place running down Ocean Parkway. This was so cool! Seriously, how many people can say they got to run down Ocean Parkway?!?!

Ocean Parkway was flat. I really wanted to pick up my pace here but my knee was giving me a lot of issues. It just wasn't cooperating. I almost stopped at the medical tent around mile 10 but i thought it would be awkward to run with a huge bag of ice on my knee for 3 miles. I just keep running as much as I could and then walking when need be. Sure it was a little disappointing, but at least I finished the race on my own two feet. I heard that a few runners needed medical attention on the course or at the finish line. Such a scary thought and I hope that those runners are okay.

I was really excited to get to the finish line because I knew that we would be running on the boardwalk at Coney Island!

After crossing the finish line I made my way over to the medical tent to get my ice bag for my knee. I had the nicest volunteer and we chatted for a few minutes while she secured the ice bag to my knee with saran wrap. After that I grabbed and an apple and some water and meet up with my parents and then headed back to CT.

The spectators were just rock stars! Their energy and positive words were such a mental boost for me, especially during the later half of the race. There was even a very kind woman handing out chocolates around mile 10 :) Two funny things that stood out:

One guy had a sign that said "You run faster than the BQE!" This made me laugh out loud around mile 3
Around mile 10 one guy screamed out "You're so close to getting hot dogs. Keep running!" Again, this made me laugh. Sadly, I did not get a hot dog after the race because the lines were really long, but I did have a hot dog and beer when I got home :)

The race t-shirt and bling were AWESOME!! Please, if you ever get the chance, sign up for this race!