Long Branch half marathon 2013 race recap

I ran the Long Branch half marathon yesterday! I stuck with my goal, tried to ignore my pace, and just concentrated on having fun. It seemed to work.

It was a pretty weird race -- for me personally, not because of anything the NJ Marathon organizers did. They were actually great! This was hands down one of the most well-organized races I’ve ever run. I was expecting chaos. Since Boston, we runners have been receiving a lot of new rules updates from the race directors. The course isn’t a loop, spectators and runners weren’t allowed on the same bus (at least that was my understanding), and in previous years, there was horrific traffic getting to the start. I had no idea how I’d find my dad after the race or how we’d get to the race without sitting in traffic for at least an hour. But it couldn’t have gone better.*

I was also really impressed by the increased security. There were police officers and dogs everywhere. It was odd to see so much law enforcement presence at the race – especially when the loud helicopters were circling overhead for the first few miles – but I appreciated it. This sadly is becoming the new norm everywhere.

Anyway, onto the race! It was pretty chilly and windy – only about 40 degrees at the start. I did not check the weather the day before – umm clearly I took this “no pressure” racing approach a little too far – and regretted only wearing shorts and a long-sleeve tech tee. It was not enough clothes for me. I heard a few other runners commenting on the “great” weather, but I couldn’t feel my fingers until mile 7. I guess I need to accept that I’m becoming a southerner. Sigh.

I hung out with Steph before the start and tried not to whine about being cold too much. We lined up right behind the 1:50 pacer. I had no clue what I’d run for this race, and that was her goal time, so we huddled together until it was go time.

Then I took off because I’m crazy and thought I was fast. But then I remember that I’m not! The first 6ish miles were a mental struggle. I felt strong and though I could push harder, but I kept reminding myself to hold back since I was super undertrained. Still, I knew from the race clocks that I was holding a 8:10ish pace and thought I’d have no problem finishing sub-1:50.

Ha. I actually did set a PR in this race. I shattered my old record of 2 bathroom stops in a race! Once again, since it was just a “for fun” race, I did not watch my diet closely enough in the days beforehand and really paid for it. Lesson learned. I was so mad at myself. But I was also happy to be running a large race where there were plenty of portapotties. Every time I saw another bathroom opportunity, I swore to myself I’d never run a small race again for that reason.

Thanks to my not-so-awesome stomach, I knew by mile 10ish that this would be one of my slowest halves in a while, but I was surprisingly OK with that. I really, really love the Long Branch half course – not quite as much as the old loop course, but this one is still good. It’s flat, goes through quaint neighborhoods, and has awesome spectators. I saw Theodora, Danielle, and some other friends in the final few miles and it was really wonderful! I was feeling gross so it was great seeing familiar faces. Every time someone cheered my name, I ran a little harder and felt a little lighter. Spectators really are what separates racing from running.

The last 2 miles were the most challenging for me. I was feeling better and, as we made the left off Brighton Ave. to run alongside the beach my friends I used to go to, I kind of lost it. The wind was strong at this point, and it was hard for me to see the destroyed boardwalk.

I’ve been trying to avoid seeing Sandy damage since I’ve been home because it’s so upsetting, but I couldn’t ignore it here. But after a few minutes, I just felt thankful. I’ve been angry about Sandy and Boston and during this race, there were constant reminders of both events. But I just felt grateful that the Jersey Shore and running community are recovering and moving forward. I wasn’t running well, but in that moment there was no where else I wanted to be.

I crossed the finish in 1:51:49. Not my slowest, not my fastest, but given the circumstances, I’m proud of the race.

Thank you so much to the NJ marathon and Long Branch half organizers. I’ll be back to run every year that I can! Maybe one year I’ll even do the full… maybe.

*I’m sharing getting-to-the-start details so people who run this race in the future know what to do: we avoided route 36 to get to Monmouth Park. If you get off the Parkway at exit 105, I highly suggest taking back roads to the race track. We sat in a little bit of traffic, but not nearly as much as we did in ‘09 on route 36. My dad easily dropped me off at Monmouth Park and he parked – for free along a side street -- near the finish at Ocean Place Resort. I ran with my phone, called him after I finished, he picked me up 5 minutes later, and we took roads that were already re-opened to race traffic home. Super easy!