Run (sort of) Far, Run (sort of) Fast: The Story of a 5K in BK

A chilly Sunday morning, and in a few hours, a road race. None of this was new to me, but for my companions, this would be their first 5K run. Having broken in their running shoes with a few neighborhood jogs, they were ready to test their mettle along the Bay Ridge waterfront for the 13^th Annual Race Against Violence put on by the Women Against Violence, a non-profit organization that educates, lobbies, and raises awareness on domestic violence issues. We would be joined by my friend (and fellow runner) Helly. But first, we had our journey to far Brooklyn.  

like a proud parent, I couldn’t help taking a pic on our steps

dry-roasted peanuts: the breakfast of champions?

have you ever seen a shoe run?

our destination …

… the end of the line

We got off the train in Bay Ridge and realized that it looks like pretty much any other part of un-gentrified Brooklyn, or Jersey City for that matter. After a short walk, during which we passed a hardware store where surely a modern Tony Manero toils, we reached John Paul Jones Park for number pick-up, warm-ups, and stretching.  We checked out the sights, the park, and all our swag: lint brushes, rubber jar-openers, Tylenol, calendars, and of course, a t-shirt. 

the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in close proximity

a monument to the defense of Brooklyn during World War I

it’s even older than Pop-pop!

Mandy is giddy with her first road-race swag; Tim, not so much.

As it turns out, no cultures consider being pooped on by a bird to be good luck.

 
Eventually, Helly arrived, and we gathered for the pre-race formalities. After a rendition of the national anthem and speeches from organizers and politicians, we were led from the park to the waterfront bike path and its wide vista. The air was considerably cooler here, but there was no turning back for an extra layer (or to use the bathroom.) Although only a hundred of us stood at the start, the crowd included an array of athletes: young and old, novice and veteran, some with jogging strollers and others with bad knees, and even a guy with a parrot on his shoulder. (He actually turned out be better than we thought, though probably more eccentric than can ever know.) Someone shouted “Go!” and off we ran. The very flat course followed the riverbank for 1.5 miles (or so), allowing the skyline of Jersey City, the Statue of Liberty, and downtown Manhattan to come into view at our own pace. Then, we turned around a cone and booked it back to the finish—seeing friends, cheering, and motivating each other along the way. We all finished strong, with no bi-vactuations or medical attention necessary; Mandy did get a cramp along the way, however, but no one pulled a hammy or even suffered a blister, and thankfully, no nipples were chafed.  

finished! and have a post-race sandwich why not?

festivities in the park

winners!

The sun now shone on what had become a beautiful autumn day, and with the race behind us, we could relax and snack in the afterglow of our accomplishment. We learned from a self-defense instructor that any ordinary object can become a weapon (a lesson just too violent for my liking), and we learned from the race organizers that Helly and I had won awards. She was the best female runner in her age group, and I got first place. And I even made the local paper, The Brooklyn Eagle—once edited by Walt Whitman in the 1840s.  

                                                              

While Tim and Mandy didn’t take home a prize, they did finish their first 5K and are looking forward to their next: the 6^th Annual Coney Island Boardwalk 5K Turkey Trot! Who’s gonna join us?