This was about 2 weeks after The Rockaway Marathon and I am trying to keep it to 1 race a weekend (and failing at it). Still, Elizabeth and Jeremy expressed interest in it while Jessie didn't. Also, she had no where to go so it was only fair that I don't do this one. Sucks nonetheless...
Three of our group toed the line that day. It was Jeremy, Elizabeth and Adele. Jim ran over there to spectate with Jessie and me. Super storm Sandy was coming and it was windy and a little cold. As always, the course was again different. Why this has to happen is beyond me. There's always a valid reason tho. If you want to read a little more about Sandy, you can look at the NYRR Knickerbocker 60K race report.
In any case, it was chilly so we hung out in the manor house. Luckily I remembered the rest rooms upstairs as no one knew about them and the ones downstairs had a line. Our group stretched and Lee did her yoga stretches. It was almost time and we walked to the start. Not only is the course different every year but so is (obviously) the start. This time you start up a hill near the soccer field and then turn. I don't remember the course that much anymore but I think you then make a right turn at the manor house and go out of the fort towards the Throgs Neck Bridge where you are exposed to the wind and the weather. It's an out and back and then you are climbing back into the fort, near the manor house right by the finish for a loop around which also means you have a hill to climb to get to the finish.
Some people get dressed in these things as this race always has a halloween theme and the best costume in my opinion was the guy dressed as Fred Flinstone pushing a baby stroller. He did well too. I think we took his picture somewhere...
In any case, eventually, Jeremy came running by and eventually Elizabeth and Adele.
In Jim's and mine opinion this was probably the least organized year. At the finish, some runners didn't realize they had to go through the finish chute. We yelled at some of them who turned back to finish. Dominik from the old Quantum Feet came and yelled at us but we told him what happened and he apologized. Good that he apologized but he was being a schmuck. If I remember correctly, part of the finish line fell too because it was windy. Whatever.
Eventually Jeremy came by and then the girls.
Jim and I then said our goodbyes and then ran on the Cross Island Parkway(CIP). At Northern he turned right to go home while I turned left. I didn't feel like doing the water loop and wasn't going to but eventually decided to man up and do what needed to be done. On the CIP, the water was high. The storm was going to hit at high tide with a full moon. It was going to get ugly. When I was near the water during the water loop on the opposite side of where I was with Jim, I got a real sense of it. There's an area where they launch kayaks and boats. It's a dock I guess. The water was very high over there. Another foot or 2 and it would be over the dock. Whoa!
It was a good day and all had a good day but I don't know if I/we would do this race again. Very poorly organized...