Last weekend I went up to Brooklyn to visit with my wife’s aunt and uncle. I checked in ahead of time with Michelle J. (@missjoy) to see if there were any runs going on. Lucky for me, it just so happened that the Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC) was putting on “The Race For The Hardcore Is Back!” Cherry Tree 10 Miler, and the start was only 3 miles from where I was staying. I always try to find runs in places I have never been before. They make both the trip and the races more memorable.
The three mile run to the race was a perfect warm up. I got to the park and at the bag drop I was able to find Michelle, Samantha (Sam), Eissa, and Robyn and chat for a little bit. Michelle and I headed to the start of this low key race and lined up near the front. Some people were running a three person relay and some were running the full 10. I was running the full ten. Looking around I tried to size up the other runners, it looked like a lot of talent showed up. A little over 800 runners were doing the full according to the results.
The park is beautiful and I loved running in New York. To get the full ten miles in we did three loops around the park. On one side there was a large hill that lasted for about three quarters of a mile. The first loop I wasn’t that into the race, I was tired and a bit unmotivated. Half way through the second loop I considered DNFing the race. I was mentally a turd. There was one runner that kept passing me and then slowing down, so on the second run up the hill I passed them and cranked it up a notch with the hopes of leaving them behind for good. It worked. It also helped me get my head back in the run. I realized I only had to run up that hill one more time. I picked up the pace and pushed a little harder. I ended up with a PR 1:12:48, coming in 175th overall (867 runners + 138 relay teams) and 16th in my age group. Not too shabby for not really being into the race.
The race course was great, the event was a lot of fun and very low key. People were friendly. For the $25 entry fee you received a timing chip bib and an ugly polar fleece hat. If you are in Brooklyn you should get a run in with the PPTC. I think anybody that likes to run, should run in Brooklyn at least once in their life.
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I am so happy you were able to run a fun race in Prospect Park and get to see where I run a lot. That hill is so HILLY! Also, for feeling like a turd, you sure ran an amazing 10 mile PR!!! Way to go Mad Hatter!!!!
So cool! Thanks for the recap! My best friend lives in NY and years ago, I used to run in Brooklyn whenever I stayed for a visit. She lived in Park Slope and I would run through Prospect Park or just around the streets. Running is New York is great but running in New York in a fresh snow is amazing! Like you said, it's a must! 🙂