2018 Brooklyn R-U-N 5K

I’ve been taking a little break from long distance running this year. Last November, I injured my left knee at Mile 18 of the New York City Marathon. Except for the 2018 Disney Princess Half Marathon in February, all of my races this year are five miles or less. I must admit it’s been nice to be able to relax and not have my weekends revolve around morning long distance training runs this summer.

My most recent race, the 2018 Brooklyn R-U-N 5K, took place last Monday evening. I honestly can’t remember the last time I ran a race on a Monday night (if ever), but it was a fun summer treat!

I got out to Prospect Park with enough time to find my corral and enjoy a little pre-race entertainment. The race itself was a bit chaotic – I’m not a huge fan of congested courses. I don’t know if it was due to the heat advisory or poor corral placement, but the crowds didn’t lighten until after the first mile. I’m sure I wasted a lot of energy weaving around people. There was also a hill on the course between Mile 1 and 2. It wasn’t as steep as the hills I’m used to in Central Park, but boy, did it go on and on. Can we just chalk up my negative race attitude for this 5K to being a “case of the Mondays”?

My mood lightened once I crossed the finish line though – especially when I was handed a Brooklyn-made People’s Pops popsicle! Is there any better way to end a race than a popsicle and a gorgeous sunset in a park? Later, I found out my official time was 25:28 which I believe is a new PR!