The Hills at the Brooklyn Half

#7. Know the hills (and it's not too late).

Prospect Park, if you've run it before, isn't really flat in places, more rolling (except near the lake). And Zoo Hill (the big hill that starts by the zoo), can be a challenge for the unprepared.

The way the course is structured, you have to run Zoo Hill twice - it's a somewhat steep, half-mile long hill that just seems to go on and on and on. Make sure you know it. Because, you know ... it's not that bad. There are plenty of steeper hills in races (think Central Park), or pretty much any place outside of New York. One thing I've found in running it is that, because of the undulations, the second part of it seems slightly steeper (and then you start thinking - when is this going to end).

Jog it a couple of times before the race if you have a chance (not on race day). It will not beat you. You will master it. (And note, once you hit Grand Army Plaza the second time, your major uphill work is done).