Before I get started, you should know that I ran this half marathon last year. It was my second half marathon and I was just convinced I was going to get a PR...even though I knew nothing about the course. To summarize, I was so frustrated by mile 5 that I almost turned around and walked back to the start. I didn't care about a DNF at that point. I also called my mom in tears because I was so frustrated that I was running much slower than I wanted to and the hills were giving me issues. Also my legs were KILLING me. It wasn't a great experience and I vowed never to do the race again.

Fast forward to the end of last year when I signed up for the race again (LOL). I basically knew that I needed to redeem myself - I had to tackle that course again and have a much better experience.

The weather was very strange for June - 95% humidity but only around 65 degrees. Plus it was overcast, a little rainy and windy. Luckily it didn't rain during the race but we did get the occasional wind gusts. Side note - I feel like I banked some good weather karma after running in a monsoon during Rock'n'Roll DC in March. After dealing with crazy weather the past two weekends, I was very happy to run in cooler temperatures. The race takes place in Fairfield, CT which is about a 25 minute drive from my house. After we parked, we took a school bus to Jennings Beach for the start of the race. That ride only took about 7-10 minutes. After arriving at the beach, I found the tents for bib and t-shirt pickup. I still had about 40 minutes before the 8:15 start time so my parents and I decided to take a few photos.

For this race, the men and women have the same start time but different start areas. Both men and women merge around mile 1. I think the reasoning behind this is to make the start less cramped and crowded. Throughout the race the course did seem a little congested in some areas but then it would open up. Miles 1-3 were pretty good but the first hill came right before mile 3 and then another small hill between miles 3-4. Miles 4-5 were pretty flat, then another hill between miles 5-6. Miles 6-9 were glorious - nice and flat and great scenery. Between miles 8-9 we saw a raccoon in the grass. I think he must have been crazy because he literally just stared at all the runners as we ran by. It was almost like he was pissed that we were running in his neighborhood lol. Miles 9-10 had 2 more nice sized hills but the great thing was that there were no more hills after mile 10! Smooth sailing with flat terrain until the end!

I'm more than happy to report that although I didn't get a PR, I beat last year's course time by 30 minutes. I ran the entire half marathon, no walk breaks, not even to power up the hills. I felt good after crossing the finish line but I'm definitely feeling sore today! That runner's high only lasted a few hours.

If you're ever in the New England area, especially CT, this would be a great race to add to your calendar. It's been named the #1 half marathon in CT by a few different sources. I didn't notice this last year because I was so frustrated, but it's really a beautiful course. You can beat the image of the water as you're running by. Also the beach is a pretty decent size.

I ran the NYRR Oakley New York Mini 10K race in Central Park. I knew the weather would be pretty bad so I didn't have any high expectations about this race, but I was surprised at how hard this race was for me today. But first, the good stuff!

NYRR is one of the most organized race organizations. For this race, they provided a few perks as well such as a post-race festival - featuring a photo booth, Oakley product displays and demos, raffles, and an eyewear-cleaning station where those who get their glasses cleaned will receive $20 gift cards valid at Oakley stores - Pretty cool! I arrived to Central Park a little after 7am and as always, bib and t-shirt pickup was a breeze.

I saw a lot of runners taking advantage of the photos inside the Oakley tent but I decided to pass.

Before I knew it it was time to line up for the race. I just kind of assumed the race was going to be one full loop on Central Park - nope! (I really guess I should have read the race route instead of just assuming). We ran in the street for about 1.5 miles. It was kind of strange and I didn't really like it to be honest. I would rather the whole race be in the park.

Central Park has hills, but I've done a few races there so I know what to expect. During the last 10K I ran in Central Park in April, I ran the whole thing without stopping for walk breaks - powered up all the hills, etc. Today? Not even close. The wheels pretty much came off around mile 3. I've heard of runners "bonking" or hitting the wall" but never experienced that until today. I'm not sure how I feel about bonking at mile 3 during a 6.2 mile race, but yes it happened, and yes it sucked...hard. My pace was actually pretty good during the first half of the race and I ran up the really big hill but after that everything started going wrong.

I was so HOT. The race report says it was 77 degrees with 56% humidity but I really think it felt worse than that. I had sweat in places one should NEVER have sweat (I'll let everyone just use their imagination on that). Also I forgot my handana, so I was just a wet, sweaty mess.

This race was so crowded! I hear people say this about NYRR races all the time but I never really agreed. It just seemed like it was hard to get into a rhythm or get any space because there were so many runners.

Some positives about the race:

Really, really, really well organized! Tons of volunteers. Its always nice to see happy volunteers that smile and cheer you on as well!
Sprinklers. I don't know who thought of this, but I love you. I think there were 3 or 4 sprinklers on the course and I fully enjoyed all of them.
Water Stations. I was using my Nathan handheld so I didn't need to stop for water, but I did see stations at every mile.
Bling, Bling. The medal is really nice and I think it's great to get a medal for a 10k race since that's rare.
All women race. I really like all women races and love the empowerment feel of running with thousands of women
Spectators. As always, awesome spectators with really funny signs. There were also a group of guys cheering while wearing tutus. Thank you :)

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!