Half-Marathon Man, Take Two

I found myself in Coney Island this morning for the second time this month, but this trip wasn't for hot dogs.

I was there to watch my husband cross the finish line. Today was the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, Paul's first race of the season.

Paul ran the 13.1 mile course in 2:01:08, cutting a full ten minutes off of last year's time. That's a 9:14 minute mile, beating his personal goal by 16 seconds.

Last year the race started in Coney Island and ended in Prospect Park. This year it was just the opposite, with the finish line in front of the old Parachute Jump. More than 9,400 runners competed, and the boardwalk was crowded with friends and family cheering them on.

And it was hot. I wouldn't be surprised if more than one runner took a dip in the ocean between the race and the ride home.

I think Paul was tempted, but all in all he looked a lot better after this race than he did one year ago. There were only a few traces of salt lining his face, and his breathing was completely normal by the time I finally caught up with him about 20 minutes after he finished.

No photos of him running-- I didn't see him on the course until it was too late. But I did call his name as he sprinted by, and surprisingly, he did see me. I guess sometimes you have to live in the moment instead of taking pictures of it!