I thought running on no sleep would be horrible, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.
This weekend, I’m running the 2019 Brooklyn Half. It’s my first race since I became a dad and I think I’m excited? But even though this will be my fourth time on the course, I have no idea what to expect.
I like to overanalyze everything, and this race is no exception, especially since a few things have changed since this time last year. Here are some of the reoccurring themes that have been running through my head since I signed up for the 2019 Brooklyn Half.
After the 2018 NYC Half, I kind of figured I had peaked. Sure, this version of me is (a little) obsessive about executing training plans. But also, I really like chicken fingers and have zero desire to stop liking them.
Still, I was pretty optimistic after my build-up for the 2018 Brooklyn Half. And by “optimistic,” I felt that if everything went well, I could run 1:40 or slightly faster. “1:39:59 would be so cool,” I told anyone who would listen. “But a lot of things would have to fall into place for all my wildest dreams to come true.”
So, did things fall into place? Here’s the part where I force you to read on to find out!
Yesterday, I saw at least a half dozen stories on Instagram about the forecast for the 2018 Brooklyn Half. It does not look awesome. Apparently, we should expect some combination of rain, thunderstorms, and Sharknado on Saturday morning.
I have a well-documented history of complaining about race-day weather. But I learned a lot after this year’s Boston Marathon, even though I didn’t run it. My biggest takeaway? No matter how well you train for a race, there’s literally nothing you can do to stop a monsoon from happening.
But I also understand this isn’t comforting to anyone running the Brooklyn Half. I’m not pumped, either. Still, here are a few reminders to (maybe) help you get the most out of the race, even if all of your wildest dreams don’t come true.