Wow, this was such a great experience I dont even know where to start! I had a lot of goals for this race but the most important one was to have fun. Running Chicago last year was such a defeating sufferfest that I really wanted to finish this with a smile on my face. I started out with my pal Sharon and we ran together for more than the first 13m. I had written where to look for pals on my pace bracelet so I was pretty much going from friend to friend, poster to poster which was so cool. The crowds were great all through Brooklyn and I was ahead of pace. (translation: went out too fast!) but I was flying and it felt effortless. My fueling was great and I made sure to take a gel before the queensburough bridge. The bridge was tough but I hung onto a decent pace and pumped the tuned. Then getting onto first ave was the best welcoming crowd ever! It felt like manhattan rolled out the red carpet just for me! I kept trucking, slowing down a little. Then around 19 my legs were aching from the climbs and bumps. Walked through the water station, then started struggling again at m 22. I was able to hang in there with a few walk breaks and finished strong! It was so much fun and this race totally took the fear out of the distance for me. I feel so confident that I have a sub 4 in me. This was a rough training season for me and a tough course, so all I need is a good setup. I was also so lucky to have awesome training pals and cheer pals on this one, such a great finish to the year and a great milestone! :D