Brooklyn Pride Run!

My fifth race was the Brooklyn Pride Run 5K, presented by Brooklyn Pride and Front Runners New York, on June 9, 2012. The race took place in Brooklyn, around the loop in Prospect Park. I was really looking forward to this race, because I had never a run in Prospect Park before, on my own OR for a race. For those of you that have never been, Prospect Park is GORGEOUS. It was designed by the same geniuses that designed Central Park. Not to mention, it is much easier/quicker for me to get to from my apartment than it is to get to Central Park, which is where the majority of the races in the city take place.

I was also really pumped for this race because it was a Pride run! June is LGBT Pride month, which celebrates LGBT history and LGBT communities. My queer identity is central to who I am, and running has become one of the most important aspects of my life, so being a part of this run meant a lot to me.

Brooklyn Pride!

I left my apartment at 7:45AM, which was a little later than I had hoped [which seems to be an ongoing trend for me in terms of leaving my apartment for races], but I made it to the Park with plenty of time to spare before the 9:00AM race time.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this run was the first that I participated in that wasn’t an NYRR event. Shortly after I arrived to the park, I saw my coworkers Nathan, Shannon, and Victor and chatted them up for a bit. I knew that they were going to be there, and I was really happy that we got to spend some time together before the race. I was a little more nervous than usual because of the unfamiliar environment of the race, and spending some time with friends definitely helped calm my nerves!

Thankfully, I [miraculously] did not need to use the facilities before the run. There was only one port-a-potty for everyone at the race, which, as you can imagine, was super problematic! After a while, a few other port-a-potties by the entrance were opened. If I needed port-a-potty access, I’m sure that I would have been a sad panda!

Lube trash can — only at a queer event!

The race got started around 9:10AM. I felt good throughout the race. I had a lot to look at, since this running venue was new to me. The loop in Prospect Park is really pretty, and is COVERED with trees. Shady, shady trees. It was super hot out, so the shade was much appreciated.

After the first mile, I saw a water fountain and sprinted towards it. I don’t know what it is, but I’m the thirstiest runner ever. There was a water station at the halfway mark, about a mile and a half in, and I made sure to stop there as well for some much needed hydration.

Prospect Park is HILLY. The hill in Prospect Park eats Cats Hill in Central Park for breakfast. My coworker Victor mentioned this prior to the start of the race, and he was NOT kidding! I panted my way up. But then had the pleasure of speeding my way down! Gravity, you are the best.

In the last stretch of the race, I saw something that gave me just the push that I needed to finish…MEDALS! FINISHER RAINBOW MEDALS. When I saw runners that had finished walking around with medals around their neck, and I GUNNED it. I was so excited! A few moments later, I heard Victor [who, by the way, was my previous medical provider...I mentioned him briefly in my City Run for the Parks blog entry] cheering for me as I ran by him. He had already finished his run, and tagged along with me to finish the remainder of my run with me. While we were running, he was very kind with his words of encouragement, which motivated me that much more to push harder. We crossed the finish together, me for the first time and him for the second, and I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter gesture! It meant a lot to me to have his support, not only as someone who used to help manage my medical care, but also as my coworker and friend.

Victor and I met up with Shannon and Nathan, and posed for a photo!

From left to right: Shannon, Nathan, Victor, and Me!

Then we posted with all of the race participants. See below for the cuteness!

I’m towards the left, by the pole!

The best part of the race was the E-mail that I received a few weeks later declaring finish times:

21:27? That’s a 7 minute mile…

Don’t get too excited…this is not accurate! I didn’t even know that they were taking time — I had just assumed that it was a fun run when I wasn’t given a time tracking device when I picked up my bib. This is just an expected casualty when timing is done by hand! Ha, definitely made for a good chuckle. To give you some perspective, I run about an 11 minute mile, give or take [spoiler alert: my best pace so far during a race is 10:51, but I haven't written about that race yet]!

But, seriously? The best best part of the race was that A LOT of money was raised for youth service programs at the Brooklyn Pride Community Center, since a portion of the race’s registration fees were donated to the agency. YES! It’s all about giving back.

Added to the Wall of Fame [in my room]!

I’m wayyyy behind in updating about the races I’ve run over the past few months, but am hoping to be caught up within the next few weeks. Until next time!