Brooklyn Half: Quick Reax and Random Thoughts

Some highly subjective comments about today's race - as always, feel free to agree/disagree/comment away:

*The volunteers at this race rock. Seriously. Mary Wittenberg said they were on hand at 1 a.m., and the effort showed. From the directions and the organization to the water stops (more on these in a sec) - they did a great job.

*The weather was ... well, as predicted, those who love heat and humidity had a great day. Took me a mile before I was dripping (and that was even before I started dumping cups of water on me). Thankfully, Ocean Parkway was mostly in the shade as I was running down (I'm wondering if the sun had gotten higher though as the race progressed?)

*The past several days of rain had a minimal impact in Prospect Park, though I wouldn't be surprised to hear of some slips and falls - in a few cases, parts of the inside lane really weren't suitable for running, and the puddle at the southern end of the park, while smaller than usual, was very present and made for interesting navigation during the first loop

*I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on the second loop of the course, when the faster runners and slower intermingled. During the long downhill on mile 6, when people separated, I think it was fine. But mile 5, from GAP to 15th Street? A bit messy.

*No way to back this up, but was mile 6 a tad long? (and I would think that mile 5 possibly a tad short as a result). Until losing it in the final mile of the race, it was my slowest mile by a good 10 seconds (and yes, I realize that part of the run was on Zoo Hill).

*Water stops at every mile (almost) on Ocean Parkway were incredibly helpful. The one quibble I'd have is the very first water stop (at mile 1), which may have been set up there because of the park construction, was a little too soon for most runners (of course it was welcome at mile 4).

*I think I've expressed some doubt about the change to the course a few years back, but I think I'm now a total convert - it's a hassle to finish in Coney Island and get back, but I like getting the hills out of the way early and being able to pound it out (or in today's case hang on) during the flat part for the second half of the race. (For the first time in three years, I wasn't fixated on the alphabet streets, which certainly helped.)

*One wonders whether the MTA and NYRR talked about the date before the race. I completely understand that work has to be done on the tracks, but having the F out of commission (shuttle buses aside) isn't a very smart move. (And, this probably could have been avoided by the people who got burnt by this, but the Brooklyn Bridge was also closed to Brooklyn bound traffic early in the day, which didn't help some folk.) It's never a good thing to see a couple of hundred people sprinting to the start during the national anthem (very beautiful today, btw).

*Part of that may also have to do with the bathrooms. The lines looked really long today. Longer race commute means more bathroom needs, me thinks.

*Is there a way to avoid closing baggage claim at 6:30? I'm sure there are reasons, but it gets messy, especially when folk are getting to the race late.

*Set the Brooklyn Half date now. Saturday, May 19, 2012. Get the speculation out of the way. Just do it.

*The water at Coney Island: a bit chilly, but was definitely worth walking into the surf to soothe some sore muscles.

*Runners are good people. After suffering brain freeze when I checked my bag with my Gu (so much for my perfect pre-race preparation), a friend's friend gave me a strawberry-banana Powergel as I was getting a bit desperate. Without that, my final mile almost-collapse would have happened a) a lot earlier and b) would have been a collapse. So thanks.

*I've got ties with/friends on both clubs, but I'd love to see a North Brooklyn Runners (95 finishers)/Prospect Park Club (89 finishers) showdown (and throw in Brooklyn Road Runners (17 finishers) to boot).

Most Competitive Brooklyn Club?

There was a query a little while ago: What's the most competitive Brooklyn club if you want to be racing?

At varying age levels, competitive is all relative. And, frankly, sometimes getting out the door for five days a week can be seen as competitive. So let me define this before answering, and opening the door for any comments:

Competitive, in my mind, is a mission within the club to support runners as they seek to achieve faster and faster and goals, and also achieve certain team goals. Within Manhattan, for example, Central Park Track Club is a competitive team, with an application to join.

I have tons of conflicts in answering this question, so please take with a grain of salt:

*If you're a superfast male (at this point, let's say you have aspirations for a sub-1:25 half or a sub 3 marathon), I'd go with North Brooklyn Runners or Brooklyn Road Runners

*If you're a superfast female, I'd go with Prospect Park Track Club, which has greater depth than the others.

There are plenty of options out there for runners - look at the club Web sites, go for training runs with the teams, get a sense of what's the most comfortable. Geographically, you may not find a fit, so be willing to travel a bit.

Also, go to NYRR and look at the race results: See how the various runners are placing. Just because the runners are placing doesn't mean that you're able to run with them - we all have unique schedules, so top runners may not be reaching group runs.

I'd love it if club representatives would make a case as to why they are the most competitive Brooklyn club - feel free to send an e-mail, or post a response.

New Year's Offerings

A longer January/February calendar will come later, but for those of you fretting about what to do in and around New Year's Eve/Day, fret no more. And of course, the great thing about it is that you don't have to leave Brooklyn, unless you choose to do so.

For example, the annual New Year's Eve Fun Run, sponsored by Brooklyn Road Runners and Slope Sports, kicks off at 11:15 p.m. There's a new start this year (9th Street, inside the park), and here's a description of the course:

"Start at 9th Street, down around the Lake, turn Left on Center Drive. At the end of Center Drive, turn right back onto West Drive to the Finish line at 9th Street. Runners, please make note of your times at the end of the race. There will be an unofficial timing and this is an unscored Fun Run."

As for the swag:

• A free pair of running shoes (value up to $100) from Slope Sports for Top Male & Top Female finisher!
• Running gloves for the first 250 participants
• Hot chocolate from Cousin John's Bakery
  

Not bad. $20 before race day (register on Active.com), $25 day of (with discounts for BRRC members - so check out their Web site if you're interested in joining).

For those of you who are ringing in the New Year in Manhattan, the always popular Midnight Run in Central Park takes place at midnight. No, you can't get the first of your 9 qualifying races for the NYC Marathon in 2011, but you can have a blast at this 4 mile fun run (course here). And did I mention the costume contest and dancing.

(P.S. A little side note. The Philadelphia Marathon this year had bandits handing out beer ... hint, hint).

OK, so you've survived the evening. The Prospect Park Track Club, however, is getting an early start for the new year with its club race, Harry's Handicap. Basically a loop of the park, the unique twist is that your starting time is based on the best estimate for a 5K time - so, for example, a 30 minute 5K runner would start 10 minutes ahead of a 20 minute 5K runner. The goal is to get all the runners to come in at the same time. It's a club event, but guests are always welcome (and you can even consider signing up for the club.) Race time at 9:30 a.m. A history is here.

*** UPDATE. Harry's Handicap has been moved to 9:30 a.m. (tho some runners may start as late as 10:01 a.m.) ****