So for only the 2nd time in history, the Flyers actually had a relay team for the Cherry Tree 10-miler and Relay. And the ironic thing? After years of me always advertising for relay partners (and having to crash another club’s team twice!) I was actually considering doing the full 10 this time around. But then I got an email from my teammate AG saying that he and LR were forming a team and wanted to know if I wanted to be “the cream between their cookies” (TWSS!) 🙂 How could I say no to that? Hence, Team Lickety Split was born.
So race day dawned, probably the warmest it’s ever been for this race (I have memories of being freezing last year-so much that it scarred one of my New York Flyer Gurls relay teammates from doing this one again, hehe.) Not quite shorts weather, but certainly capris…and…pink compression sox. In fact, all 3 of us were gonna be wearing them! (What have I started? 🙂 )
So AG drove me and a couple of other teammates out to Brooklyn-nice and easy (hey bus driver from last year’s Flyer bus to the Brooklyn Half-take note!) We stopped by the school to get our bibs, souvenirs (fleecey-type caps were ok for something different but I really really miss the long-sleeve shirts-bring them back please! 🙂 ) and the finishing touches on our “costumes.” AG brought black stuff to put under our eyes (like baseball and football players)…to make us look tough in spite of the pink, methinks? 🙂 We then decided on our pecking order-I’d start off, LR would be 2nd, AG would anchor. With everything done, we then jogged to Prospect Park for a warmup (well I did, I needed it before something short like this!)
When we got to the relay zone, there was still a few minutes to kill, so I practiced relay slap bracelet handoff with LR-took a couple of tries but we got it down. In fact, one of the officials wanted us to demonstrate for the other teams…yeah, like we’d give up our advantage? I don’t think so! 🙂 So then with about 10 minutes to go, I headed to the start…different this year, instead of on the main park drive it was near where the Brooklyn half usually starts-meaning the 1st mile would be a little less downhill than usual-which may be a good thing since I always take that mile out too fast! So we waited for the starting signal-and it was actually a horn, no “Go!” or something like that 🙂
As for my leg-once again, I’m reminded why I don’t like racing short in the winter! My legs just felt “tight” and not really warmed up-at least not til well into the 3rd mile 🙂 The 1st mile was slower than expected but that may have been partially due to less downhill than in the past…plus I think I was holding back a little. Though the mile split may not show it, I actually didn’t feel too bad on the hilly mile 2, and actually had enough to pick it up for mile 3 (whereas in the past I remember barely holding on!) I see the mile 3 marker and know I only have about a quarter mile left…pick it up a little more. I pass another relay team runner (relayers had red bibs on whereas the full 10 had white) but as we approached the relay handoff area it was pretty much a dead heat! I handed off to LR and my job was done. 25:03 for 3.25 miles, 7:43 pace. Obviously not where I was last summer, but still better than last year’s race…for whatever reason, I never seem to run well here. Too early in the season perhaps? But as this chart shows, probably better paced than in previous years?
| 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
| 7:39.3 | 7:37.1 | 7:22.8 | 7:17.8 |
| 8:11.4 | 8:31.3 | 8:20.3 | 8:09.4 |
| 7:32.3 | 7:58.9 | 7:51.0 | 7:41.7 |
| 1:40.3 (.25 mile-6:36 pace) |
1:18.0 (.19 mile-6:52 pace) |
2:31.8 (.36 mile-6:57 pace) |
2:31.5 (.37 mile-6:50 pace) |
*Note-2011/2012 I had the first leg, 2009/2010 I was the anchor, hence the .1 mile discrepancy.
So now my role was playing cheerleader for all the Flyers running the 10-miler and being lookout for LR. But there was a minor freak-out when the bib AG was wearing was a little bent-since he was the anchor, he had the bib with the B-tag on it and it got bent since he was wearing it on a race # belt. I just told him to take note of our time from the clock in case we didn’t get a final time (but as it turned out, was fine.) LR finished up his leg with a smooth transition to AG. And then we got to see and cheer on the finishers…oh but wait, not without incidident, as there was one point where there were 2 horses crossing the roadway-right after where the runners are making the turn to the finish and making their finishing kick! I think I did see a runner or 2 run into one of the horses, thank god no one seemed to get hurt…but I don’t know WTF those riders were thinking!
So when we began to see peeps that were running near me on my leg, I knew AG wouldn’t be that far behind…and he wrapped up a strong last leg for Team Lickety Split!! Total time for our team-1:16:19 (though based on a couple of my teammate’s times that I crossed the line with, looks like 14 seconds should be taken off of that…so 1:16:05 unofficial “net” time.)
And afterwards, even though I wanted the bagels and hot chocolate back at the school, the preference amongst our crew was pancakes and coffee (and for me, a mimosa!) before stopping off at Farrell’s for watered-down beer in a 32 oz styrofoam cup…yummy 😛
So yet another fun time in Brooklyn!! Til next year 😉
Flyers representing. With Team Lickety Split and all our pink-socked glory in the center.
training hard, hardly training... 
A week before the race I actually had a meeting with the owner of Kensingting Stables. He had his horses go around the park the other way, but he told me some private owners might not listen. He also informed me that horses are herd animals and it is really hard to get them to deviate from their regular path. The follow each other very well but do not go around anything.
Love that you got the guys to wear pink sox! They pull it off nicely 😉 glad it was fun / looks like. Nice turnout of flyers