Goals for the Rock ‘N Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon

By Janelle @ Run With No Regrets | training

Oct 12

Disclaimer:  I received a free entry to the Rock ‘n Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

So the big day is almost here.  On Saturday morning, I’ll be running my fall goal race – Rock ‘n Roll Brooklyn!  As you can imagine, I’m full of all of the emotions as I approach race day.  I’ve worked hard these past 3 months and I’m hopeful that it’ll pay off…but you never know what race day will bring.  Today I’m sharing my goals for RNR Brooklyn!

I’m linking up with Susie, Debbie, Lora, and Rachel for the Running Coaches Corner and Annmarie, Nicole, and Jen for Wild Workout Wednesday! 

It's go time! Check out my goals for the @runrocknroll Brooklyn Half Marathon this weekend! #RNRBrooklyn #bibchat Click To Tweet

I'm sharing my goals for my big fall race - the Rock 'n Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon! Learn more about my race training at runwithnoregrets.com!

Goals for the Rock ‘n Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon

Rock ‘n Roll Brooklyn will mark my 15th half marathon and technically my 9th racecation of 2017!  This has been a busy year, and I’m really looking forward to things winding down once this race is over!  But wait – I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself here!  I’m very proud of all that I’ve been able to accomplish this year with the guidance of Coach Laura, and I am terrified but very optimistic that I can run a strong race on Saturday.  I already surpassed my goal to get under 2:15, and my new half marathon PR set in Buffalo is 2:07:56.  Can I push it even further in Brooklyn?

Logistics

Getting to New York City from Philadelphia is thankfully an easy commute.  The plan is to get to NYC on Friday afternoon and head straight to the Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  Hopefully, there will be some good swag to be had!  And hopefully, we’ll be able to have dinner somewhere that serves quality burgers and fries – that is my favorite pre-race meal and has been somewhat of a good luck charm!

What I’m really concerned about is the race-day logistics.  The race starts at 7 am but several trains won’t be running on Saturday, so it will take much more time to get down to the race start.  I think we’ll have to be up extremely early to have enough time to commute, drop off our bags, and warm up before the race!  I still have to sort out all the details…fingers crossed that we don’t have any issues!

Race Strategy

And without further ado, here’s the race strategy that Coach Laura has put together for me:

  • Warm up with dynamic stretches and an optional 5 minutes of easy jogging.
  • The ~2.75 miles are slightly downhill- use this to your advantage. Keep your effort light and aim for slightly slower than goal pace (9:40-9:50/mile) for the first mile and then ease into goal pace with the aid of the downhill (9:30-9:35/mile).
  • Maintain an even effort on the uphill at 2.75-3.1, letting your pace slow down a bit. Accelerate on the immediate downhill and use it to your advantage, going goal pace or slightly faster so long as the effort feels right.
  • At mile ~4.2, the course flattens out. Focus on holding goal pace (9:30-9:35/mile), give or take a few seconds per mile – this should feel comfortable and steady at this point. Take these flat middle miles one mile at a time.
  • At mile 10, there is a slight downhill – use this to help you increase your effort to hard. There is a gradual incline through 12.75, so focus on staying on goal pace as best as you can, if not slightly faster.
  • At mile 12.75, use that downhill to help you speed up to the finish.
You may also like:  RnR Philly Half Week 7 Recap: Hello Speedwork!

Let’s see where this plan takes me!  I’m grateful that the race course is mostly flat.  Now I’ve been fooled before about course elevations, so I will make sure that I follow Coach Laura’s advice to the letter.  I’m not sure how crowded the race will be, but I’m thinking that I may want to move up a corral or two so that I at least have the 2:05 pacer in my sights.

Fueling and Hydration

All week I have been drinking like a fish to ensure that I’m well hydrated for Saturday’s race.  The good news is that it appears that we won’t have summer-like weather on race morning, so that will be a huge relief! No new changes to my fueling strategy – Honey Stinger Chews every 3ish miles and drinking water with Vitalyte electrolyte powder, both stowed in my Orange Mud Hydraquiver.

brooklyn half weather

The one thing we can’t control is the weather, and unfortunately, as of 5:30 am on Thursday, the weather forecast for Saturday is going to be rainy!  I definitely didn’t see this coming, but no worries – I’ve been able to have successful races in the rain.  Hopefully it’ll help keep the weather cool since I have a tendency to overheat.  I’ll make sure I pack what I need to run in the rain!

I appreciate all of your encouragement and support as I’ve shared my training recaps each week over the past couple of months!  We’ll see how it goes on Saturday!  If you’re going to be in Brooklyn for the race, let me know – I’d love to meet!

Have you had your goal race yet this year?  Are you racing this weekend?  

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