Speaker 1: Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power
Speaker 1: of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on
Speaker 1: your mark.
Speaker 2: The first woman to finish for the second straight year here
Speaker 2: in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a
Speaker 2: smiling Miki Gorman, and why not? 2- 29-30, the time for (inaudible) .
Speaker 3: Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes
Speaker 3: to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointed to the
Speaker 3: USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day
Speaker 3: for Matt McCluskey.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hey, everybody, and welcome back To Set the Pace presented
Rob Simmelkjaer: by Peloton, the official podcast of New York Roadrunners. I'm
Rob Simmelkjaer: your host and New York Roadrunners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, and
Rob Simmelkjaer: joining me for the second week as co- host from
Rob Simmelkjaer: Peloton, Becs Gentry. Becks, great to have you back. We
Rob Simmelkjaer: didn't scare you away week one. You decided to come
Rob Simmelkjaer: back for a second week. Great to have you back.
Becs Gentry: Thank you so much. Absolutely. You know it's going to
Becs Gentry: take a lot more to scare me away.
Rob Simmelkjaer: We know it. We know it. Becs, we got a really
Rob Simmelkjaer: fun show today. So many people getting excited for the
Rob Simmelkjaer: big race in Brooklyn in just a week and change,
Rob Simmelkjaer: the RBC Brooklyn Half. Our race director, Ted Metellus, will
Rob Simmelkjaer: be here in just a minute to give us all
Rob Simmelkjaer: the details, the ins and outs of the experience and
Rob Simmelkjaer: the race. Can't wait for Brooklyn. Hopefully we get a beautiful
Rob Simmelkjaer: day. It's such a fun race. So many people love
Rob Simmelkjaer: it. It's pretty flat. It finishes at Coney Island. It
Rob Simmelkjaer: is just a treat. And so Becs, I know a ton of people
Rob Simmelkjaer: are fired up for Brooklyn.
Becs Gentry: Oh, my gosh, and so they should be. It is
Becs Gentry: one of my favorite races in the city. It was
Becs Gentry: my first New York Roadrunners race I ever did. So
Becs Gentry: it holds a very special place in my heart. And
Becs Gentry: what's better than finishing at Coney Island?
Rob Simmelkjaer: You can run right to Nathan's for a hot dog.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I mean there's just so much you can do. I'm still so
Rob Simmelkjaer: upset with myself for never having run this race, Becs, and
Rob Simmelkjaer: it's going to be hard for me in this job
Rob Simmelkjaer: to run this race. I'm too busy, there's too much
Rob Simmelkjaer: going on, so it's a tough one. But maybe someday
Rob Simmelkjaer: when I retire from this particular job, I'll run it
Rob Simmelkjaer: then. Maybe that'll be the time because I feel jealous.
Becs Gentry: I mean, I'm sure there's some people who can fill in for you. We could
Becs Gentry: pretend to be Rob and you can do that park
Becs Gentry: to beach run that we all are so excited to do.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Maybe Ted can help me. I'll ask him when he
Rob Simmelkjaer: comes on the show in a little bit, but we
Rob Simmelkjaer: had such a great weekend this past weekend, Bec's here
Rob Simmelkjaer: in New York. Our first ever New York runners Mindful 5K
Rob Simmelkjaer: was out in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. This was
Rob Simmelkjaer: an event to really kick off mental health Awareness month
Rob Simmelkjaer: and it was such a great day out there, Becs.
Rob Simmelkjaer: We had meditation going on. Your partner's actually from Peloton,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Kristen McGee and Mariana Fernandez did a great job with
Rob Simmelkjaer: the meditation before the race. We had a meditation tent
Rob Simmelkjaer: brought to us by our friends at NAMI as well, and
Rob Simmelkjaer: I think people really enjoyed the chance to take running
Rob Simmelkjaer: in this different way and think about the impact that
Rob Simmelkjaer: it has on our mental health. It was a great
Rob Simmelkjaer: day, Becs, so I think we'll be doing it for many
Rob Simmelkjaer: years to come.
Becs Gentry: Great. It is so, so important. I mean we had
Becs Gentry: this in our podcast last week with Mariana, how important
Becs Gentry: mental health and exercise is. So for me personally, I
Becs Gentry: find that running frees my mind. It gives my mind
Becs Gentry: the space that it needs in this chaotic world that
Becs Gentry: we all live in right now, but this past weekend
Becs Gentry: looked stunning. The weather was, in a runner's world, perfect.
Becs Gentry: I feel like there was so many PRs all over
Becs Gentry: the social media. There was PR after PR, people were
Becs Gentry: pushing themselves. The meditation probably got everybody in the right
Becs Gentry: zone and off they went for this beautiful 5K.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It was beautiful. Of course, that's interesting. It's very flat,
Rob Simmelkjaer: which makes it great to run, but there are a lot
Rob Simmelkjaer: of turns. It's very technical and so for folks who
Rob Simmelkjaer: know how to run those tangents, it paid off because
Rob Simmelkjaer: they were able to run some fast times out in
Rob Simmelkjaer: Queens. And Becs, you had a pretty cool weekend as well,
Rob Simmelkjaer: having a chance to spend it down in Miami at
Rob Simmelkjaer: the Formula One event down there. That is a huge
Rob Simmelkjaer: event now on the American sports calendar. What were you doing down there?
Becs Gentry: I was down there with a couple of partners that I'm
Becs Gentry: working with to have a really strong fan experience. But
Becs Gentry: I will tell you, Rob, my 5K was a little
Becs Gentry: different to the New York Runner's Mindful 5K. Mine was
Becs Gentry: around the Miami Autodrome track, 5K of 48 degree heat
Becs Gentry: and me pretending that I'm a Formula One race car.
Becs Gentry: When I saw DRS, I was like, dude, that's your
Becs Gentry: time to accelerate. Let's go. So it was mindful in
Becs Gentry: a very different way.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely. Sounds like a lot of fun. That's an event
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'd love to get to one year, the F1 in Miami.
Rob Simmelkjaer: What could be better than fancy cars and South Beach?
Rob Simmelkjaer: Sounds like a great combination, Becs. I'm sure you had a
Rob Simmelkjaer: really good time. Becs, before we get to our guest,
Rob Simmelkjaer: it is so beautiful outside today and spring is my
Rob Simmelkjaer: favorite time of year to start a new workout routine.
Becs Gentry: Totally agree, Rob. With the weather warming up, it just
Becs Gentry: feels like so much easier to get into the rhythm
Becs Gentry: of things.
Rob Simmelkjaer: One of the things that works so well for me,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Becs, about Peloton is whether I've got 20 minutes to
Rob Simmelkjaer: kill or a full hour for a Pilates class or
Rob Simmelkjaer: maybe an outdoor guided walk, Peloton has everything I need
Rob Simmelkjaer: to help get me going.
Becs Gentry: It certainly does. It is such a great way to
Becs Gentry: get a head start on summer with Peloton. You can
Becs Gentry: find it at OnePeloton. com.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Well this week's episode, Becs, is going to focus on
Rob Simmelkjaer: the RBC Brooklyn Half and as we mentioned coming up,
Rob Simmelkjaer: we're going to have our senior vice president of events
Rob Simmelkjaer: and race director Ted Metellus giving us an overview of
Rob Simmelkjaer: all things RBC Brooklyn Half. And then after that we're
Rob Simmelkjaer: going to get to hear from our friend Meb with
Rob Simmelkjaer: our member moment as well as our Meb Minute. We're
Rob Simmelkjaer: going to focus on having a strong finish and Brooklyn
Rob Simmelkjaer: is a good race for a strong finish. It is
Rob Simmelkjaer: flat. Then you make that turn onto the boardwalk and
Rob Simmelkjaer: you see the ocean and the crowds are there. So
Rob Simmelkjaer: a great day for a strong finish, and Meb will
Rob Simmelkjaer: take us through how to make that happen. But without
Rob Simmelkjaer: any further ado, let's turn our focus to Brooklyn and
Rob Simmelkjaer: bring in our very own Ted Metellus, the race director
Rob Simmelkjaer: of the RBC Brooklyn Half and all other races at New
Rob Simmelkjaer: York Roadrunners. Mr. Metellus, thanks for coming back.
Ted Metellus: Thank you, Rob. Hey, Becs. Good to see you both.
Ted Metellus: Good to hear you both. Good to connect and chat
Ted Metellus: a little bit about this upcoming half.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely, and Ted, we've had you on a few times.
Rob Simmelkjaer: People love to get the inside scoop from you on
Rob Simmelkjaer: all things, especially for our biggest races. So Ted, what
Rob Simmelkjaer: do you love about this race? People just seem to
Rob Simmelkjaer: have a special feeling about the RBC Brooklyn Half. Why
Rob Simmelkjaer: do you think that is?
Ted Metellus: I think Becs started it off right by saying in many cases
Ted Metellus: it's their first half- marathon with New York Roadrunners. It's
Ted Metellus: our big spring race. It kicks off summer, it kicks
Ted Metellus: off summer training and preparation for the TCS New York
Ted Metellus: City Marathon. It's one of our largest local races. So
Ted Metellus: a lot of folks in the New York Tri- State area
Ted Metellus: get out and run. This is the race that they
Ted Metellus: mark on their calendar and say, Hey, you know what?
Ted Metellus: We've had a great winter, the fall's been nice, spring's
Ted Metellus: been kicking, but let's get out and do some miles
Ted Metellus: here. Let's train for this race.
Becs Gentry: Ted, if I've got this right, it's around 25, 000
Becs Gentry: people heading in this weekend?
Ted Metellus: Yeah. It is one of the largest half- marathons in North America with over
Ted Metellus: 25,000 participants.
Becs Gentry: Wow. Okay. So let's talk about the history of this race.
Becs Gentry: What can you tell us about the history?
Ted Metellus: So a couple of pieces here to share with y'all.
Ted Metellus: Let me talk about size and scope. To this date,
Ted Metellus: there's been over 305,000 finishers of this event. So this
Ted Metellus: event used to actually start in Coney Island and make
Ted Metellus: its way up to Prospect Park, and then we made
Ted Metellus: some changes and that course ran from 96 to 08 and then
Ted Metellus: we reversed the course. So we created some really cool
Ted Metellus: elements to it and watched the running community grow and
Ted Metellus: the race grow with it. Race starts right by the
Ted Metellus: Brooklyn Museum and it makes its way down through Prospect
Ted Metellus: Park, down Ocean Parkway, finishing Strong in Coney Island as
Ted Metellus: Rob mentioned, and it's been amazing. We have entertainment all
Ted Metellus: on the route. You finish, you get yourself a hot
Ted Metellus: dog when you complete and have a good time there.
Ted Metellus: But this event has really, really grown over the years and we've watched
Ted Metellus: it grow with the community that's grown with it.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ted, we know that lots of runners are out there
Rob Simmelkjaer: working to get ready. A lot of them are probably
Rob Simmelkjaer: already tapering a little bit as they hear this podcast,
Rob Simmelkjaer: but they've been putting in the work and the miles
Rob Simmelkjaer: over the last month, maybe more getting ready for this.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And what they don't know is that you and your
Rob Simmelkjaer: team have been very similarly putting in the work and
Rob Simmelkjaer: working hard to get ready for this event from the
Rob Simmelkjaer: operation side and the logistics side, and I think people
Rob Simmelkjaer: are always really interested to know what that process is
Rob Simmelkjaer: like to get ready for an event like this.
Ted Metellus: So it's a great way to say it, Rob. We
Ted Metellus: parallel the work that our participants put in. So first
Ted Metellus: and foremost we look at the route, we examine the
Ted Metellus: course work with the Department of Transportation, DOT, to see the
Ted Metellus: road conditions and seeing what's going on there. We work
Ted Metellus: closely with our partners from the MTA to see transportation to
Ted Metellus: get to the start line and then from the finish
Ted Metellus: line itself, over hauling the event and seeing what elements
Ted Metellus: may need to get enhanced and advance aid stations along
Ted Metellus: the course, medical stations along the course, those types of
Ted Metellus: things that we go in, similar to runners that are
Ted Metellus: getting themselves prepped and seeing, okay, what is this course
Ted Metellus: going to lay itself at? Starting on Washington, heading down
Ted Metellus: to Eastern Parkway, making that turn on Flatbush, which is
Ted Metellus: an out and back. We need to make sure that
Ted Metellus: those roads are clear. That's in a climb up Flatbush
Ted Metellus: Avenue and down Flatbush Avenue as you make a way
Ted Metellus: around Prospect Park and into the park for a climb.
Ted Metellus: When we talk about parks, we're working with our partners
Ted Metellus: from the Parks department and making sure that the park
Ted Metellus: is clear of any debris and any trash there and
Ted Metellus: putting up notices and information for the community at large
Ted Metellus: to know that there'll be a big vet coming through
Ted Metellus: big, and of course making sure that those roads are
Ted Metellus: ready to go for all our runners and making sure
Ted Metellus: that boardwalk at Coney Island is ready and set for us.
Becs Gentry: Wow, that is a lot of work and I can't
Becs Gentry: imagine putting on a race in a city as big as
Becs Gentry: New York. I think you've probably just scratched the surface
Becs Gentry: on what you actually all really do. But we've talked
Becs Gentry: about the need to knows of the other side, the
Becs Gentry: working side of New York Road owners and teams to
Becs Gentry: put on this race. Let's talk about what the runners
Becs Gentry: need to know. Ted, I want you to go through
Becs Gentry: every aspect of race week as it happens. So let's
Becs Gentry: kick off with where am I going to go to
Becs Gentry: get my BIP?
Ted Metellus: All right, Becs. So what you want to do here is
Ted Metellus: treat race day, race weekend like it would be if
Ted Metellus: you were traveling, if you were taking a trip with
Ted Metellus: your family or taking a solo trip someplace. The more
Ted Metellus: prepared you are going into that trip, the better the
Ted Metellus: overall experience is going to be, the smoother the overall
Ted Metellus: experience is going to be. So there is no BIP
Ted Metellus: pickup at the run center for our locals here. This
Ted Metellus: is a heavily local race. Yes, we have family and
Ted Metellus: friends and homies that are traveling from here and there
Ted Metellus: to come and run, but for those of us that
Ted Metellus: run every week, the BIP pickup is not at the
Ted Metellus: run center. So bib pickup for the RBC Brooklyn Half pre-
Ted Metellus: party presented by New Balance will take place at Pier
Ted Metellus: two at Brooklyn Bridge Park. BIP pickup is from 11 A.M.
Ted Metellus: to 9: 30 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That's the 15th, 16th and 17th.
Ted Metellus: At the pre- party, it is all you can get
Ted Metellus: as far ... I would say all you can eat because
Ted Metellus: there is food there, but it's all the experience that
Ted Metellus: you would want. There's music, there's entertainment, there are partners
Ted Metellus: that are there. You can get your pre- race gear
Ted Metellus: and equipment, get some fly- ass gear from New Balance,
Ted Metellus: get yourself prepped and ready to go, but the coolest
Ted Metellus: thing that I love about the pre- party is it
Ted Metellus: is a nice way to start off the weekend. You
Ted Metellus: see friends, you see colleagues, you see run partners and
Ted Metellus: people in your community that come together there. I love
Ted Metellus: the way the pre- party is, great sights of downtown,
Ted Metellus: Manhattan overlooking the river there. You're right by the Brooklyn
Ted Metellus: Bridge. So walk around and check out some of the
Ted Metellus: sights that are in that area. Brooklyn Bridge Park is
Ted Metellus: incredible and the partners there have done an amazing job,
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ted, it is a party. I had a great time
Rob Simmelkjaer: going to it last year. So I recommend people go
Rob Simmelkjaer: and give yourself some time to hang out and enjoy
Rob Simmelkjaer: it. It's not show up, grab your bib and leave.
Rob Simmelkjaer: It's hang out, experience, enjoy. It's a really fun time.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Hopefully we get some beautiful weather out there on the
Rob Simmelkjaer: pier because it's really a good time. Okay, so Ted, I'm
Rob Simmelkjaer: a runner. I've now got my bib. I've partied at
Rob Simmelkjaer: the pre- party. Now it's race morning, transportation always on
Rob Simmelkjaer: the mind and this race starts early as well. So
Rob Simmelkjaer: how do I get to the starting line on time,
Rob Simmelkjaer: ready to run on Saturday morning?
Ted Metellus: So two things that you'll note when you are picking
Ted Metellus: up your bib. There are two waves for this event.
Ted Metellus: So we have a 7 A. M. wave, which is
Ted Metellus: wave one and an 8 A. M. wave, which is
Ted Metellus: wave two. So you want to identify your time for
Ted Metellus: that. You want to, as I mentioned before, plan your
Ted Metellus: travel prior to where your landmarks are going to be,
Ted Metellus: either the Grand Army Plaza or Brooklyn museum as where
Ted Metellus: you want to make your way down to for the
Ted Metellus: start line. Public transportation is the way to go. So
Ted Metellus: definitely plan ahead if there's any service disruptions or any
Ted Metellus: changes because it's a Saturday morning. I want to stress
Ted Metellus: that to folks. It's a Saturday race, not a Sunday
Ted Metellus: race. So you want to plan that accordingly as well.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I feel like there must be people every year who
Rob Simmelkjaer: show up on Sunday and go, oh my gosh, this thing
Rob Simmelkjaer: is on Saturday? What happened?
Ted Metellus: Unfortunately, if you've gone to the pre- party Wednesday and Thursday
Ted Metellus: and Friday, you're going to get that information over and
Ted Metellus: over again that it's Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. So public transportation
Ted Metellus: is the way to go to make your way down
Ted Metellus: there. We will have pre- race fluids, restrooms for the
Ted Metellus: athletes as well as backdrop for those that need backdrop.
Ted Metellus: Everything that you'll need post- finish will be there and available to
Ted Metellus: you, post- race food amenities, heat sheets if the weather calls
Ted Metellus: for it. So we'll be prepped and ready for you.
Becs Gentry: Ted, you touched on it there, but okay, when I
Becs Gentry: ran it, I definitely was preparing myself for some fun
Becs Gentry: at Coney Island. It was a hot, hot day back
Becs Gentry: in 2018 I think it was. What should I put
Becs Gentry: in my bag to prepare and how is the baggage
Becs Gentry: going to be getting all the way to Coney Island
Becs Gentry: and waiting for me? What's the plan?
Ted Metellus: So a couple of quick things. You want to at
Ted Metellus: base have a change of clothes if need be and
Ted Metellus: maybe some snacks, but we'll provide everything for you. We'll
Ted Metellus: have fluids for you, we'll have electrolytes for you, we'll
Ted Metellus: have snacks for you. And oh by the way, we'll
Ted Metellus: get to this in a moment, there's an amazing post-
Ted Metellus: race party as well. So if you need something to
Ted Metellus: eat and drink, that'll be there and available for you
Ted Metellus: as well. We will be transporting all gear for the
Ted Metellus: participants via our UPS. They'll be transporting out. So again,
Ted Metellus: planning early. Similar to flying airlines, you don't get to
Ted Metellus: the airline 10 minutes before your flight thinking that they're
Ted Metellus: going to check your bag. Get there early enough to
Ted Metellus: drop off your bag, have the essential items that you
Ted Metellus: need for your race day, any gels, any pre- race
Ted Metellus: fluid that you need. We will have 10 aid stations
Ted Metellus: in the course. We'll have gel stations on the course
Ted Metellus: so all the aid and services that you need will
Ted Metellus: be there. But if you need an extra little something, something,
Ted Metellus: please have that with you in hand. And then when
Ted Metellus: you get to the finish line, post- finish, cross the
Ted Metellus: line, get your medal, take your photo, cruise on down,
Ted Metellus: thank a volunteer, and then you'll make your way over
Ted Metellus: to the lot where all your gear will be waiting
Ted Metellus: for you.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And pack enough to hang out for a while on
Rob Simmelkjaer: Coney Island because there's a lot going on. There's the post-
Rob Simmelkjaer: race party. I think it's one of the best post-
Rob Simmelkjaer: race environments around. So pack to hang out, right? Don't
Rob Simmelkjaer: just take off. I think it's a fun place to stay.
Ted Metellus: 100%. I mean the cool thing too is we have a
Ted Metellus: recovery zone for our partners at HSS. There'll be goodies
Ted Metellus: that you'll have, as I mentioned before, in your post-
Ted Metellus: race bag and then the post- party, the after party
Ted Metellus: as we like to say, that'll be there for folks
Ted Metellus: at Maimonides Park where we'll have an open field, photo
Ted Metellus: activations that'll be there, music that'll be there, area for
Ted Metellus: you to stretch and recover and chill out, food and
Ted Metellus: drink that'll be there as well that you can purchase.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, so let's talk about the course and what
Rob Simmelkjaer: people should know a little bit. Ted, you already gave
Rob Simmelkjaer: a preview of the course. For those who have run
Rob Simmelkjaer: it before, are there any things that they should know
Rob Simmelkjaer: are different? Maybe they ran it two or three years
Rob Simmelkjaer: ago that know where they went, they know what it's
Rob Simmelkjaer: like, but what's changed over the last couple of years
Rob Simmelkjaer: about this actual course and where people show up?
Ted Metellus: Well, I think two things that have changed on the
Ted Metellus: route that has been in line with the audience that
Ted Metellus: is running. You'll see so many more of the clubs
Ted Metellus: and crews out there cheering on the runners, not only
Ted Metellus: in Prospect Park, but also down along Ocean Parkway. So
Ted Metellus: that's one of the key things that are there that
Ted Metellus: I think that folks will see from an experience side.
Ted Metellus: Finish line, athletes will see a slight adjustment to how
Ted Metellus: they get onto the boardwalk, so it'll be very minor
Ted Metellus: instead of the path that we've been running up before.
Ted Metellus: There's a little bit of a wider path that folks
Ted Metellus: will make too, and then all the post- race recoveries
Ted Metellus: and goodies will be there for you. So those are
Ted Metellus: the two minor adjustments that they'll see there. But again,
Ted Metellus: I stress the importance of making sure that you see
Ted Metellus: the time that you're running and the wave that you're running in.
Becs Gentry: That sounds amazing. Okay, now let's get us into the
Becs Gentry: actual on the course, in the moment. So we know
Becs Gentry: it starts in Prospect Park, twisty, turny, there's some hills.
Becs Gentry: Then we get out of Prospect Park and all I
Becs Gentry: remember someone telling me was, " Don't look at the letters,"
Becs Gentry: And I was like, what? It was so cryptic. And then
Becs Gentry: as I was running I was like, oh, no, I
Becs Gentry: looked at the letters and the roads. Oh my goodness,
Becs Gentry: that threw me, but then you see the ocean and
Becs Gentry: there you are, you see it sparkling and you're running
Becs Gentry: towards it. So give us a preview of the major
Becs Gentry: points along the way, Ted.
Ted Metellus: So this course is beautiful as you are starting by the Brooklyn
Ted Metellus: Museum. That's where your start line is, so iconic shot
Ted Metellus: there. So for those of you that run with phones and
Ted Metellus: have phones handy, great pre- race morning photo, right by
Ted Metellus: that location. You'll be heading down Washington. You'll be making
Ted Metellus: a right turn on Eastern Parkway and then there's an
Ted Metellus: out and back on Flatbush Avenue. I love that section
Ted Metellus: of the course because you get to see participants going
Ted Metellus: down as you're making your way up, cheering each other
Ted Metellus: on, and then you're making your way out and around Prospect
Ted Metellus: Park before entering into the park itself and doing a
Ted Metellus: full loop of the park. There will be some climbs
Ted Metellus: as you're making your way up and around the park
Ted Metellus: there, so be prepared for that. Once you exit out of
Ted Metellus: the park, it's showtime go time as you make your
Ted Metellus: way down to Ocean Parkway. As you stated before, don't read
Ted Metellus: those letters as you go down. You have the width of the road, so
Ted Metellus: cruise out there. And I remember when I ran this
Ted Metellus: race years ago, the coolest thing about it was being
Ted Metellus: able to look to your left and to your right and
Ted Metellus: see your fellow runner out there and cheering each other and
Ted Metellus: supporting each other on while you're there. That was always
Ted Metellus: the coolest thing. You have this wide road, which is a
Ted Metellus: major thoroughfare that is completely taken over by runners.
Becs Gentry: Yeah, it's so cool that I remember all the crews
Becs Gentry: being there once you get on and it was just
Becs Gentry: full ... It was like a party zone getting closer and
Becs Gentry: closer to the ocean. The crews got bigger and bigger
Becs Gentry: and louder and louder. Wow.
Ted Metellus: Absolutely, absolutely. Quick points to mention because we've talked about
Ted Metellus: weather a couple of times, fun fact, we have no
Ted Metellus: control over it, we just have to navigate around it.
Ted Metellus: If you didn't notice that, now you know. So this
Ted Metellus: event, it could be hit or miss on what the
Ted Metellus: weather can be. We've had dry days, we've had wet
Ted Metellus: days, we've had cool days, we've had warm days. Prepare
Ted Metellus: accordingly, obviously paying attention to what the weather forecast is going
Ted Metellus: to be leading into the event. Know that there'll be
Ted Metellus: 10, eight stations on the course, water and Gatorade that'll be
Ted Metellus: available, SIS on the course as well for (inaudible)
Ted Metellus: recovery, and there'll be medical stations along the route as
Ted Metellus: well if need be. We'll also, if the weather recalls
Ted Metellus: for it, have misting stations on the route as well.
Ted Metellus: So you can say keep yourself cool as you're going
Ted Metellus: down. Listen to your body.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And Ted, we get the questions a lot about fluids.
Rob Simmelkjaer: You mentioned the eight stations on the course, but what can
Rob Simmelkjaer: people bring in terms of their own fluids to the race?
Ted Metellus: Yes, I'm a runner that brings their own fluids, brings
Ted Metellus: a bottle with you as long as it's under a
Ted Metellus: liter of fluid, so hydration bottles, handheld bottles. We do
Ted Metellus: not require athletes to bring bladders with you. Do not
Ted Metellus: bring a bladder, but bottles-
Rob Simmelkjaer: We don't allow it. We don't allow it. Exactly.
Ted Metellus: Correct, no bladders, but bring bottles. I know there's a
Ted Metellus: lot of folks that are wearing now these cool little
Ted Metellus: slick vests with their little bottles on it, so you can
Ted Metellus: bring those with you. We will have pre- race fluid
Ted Metellus: for athletes to fill up their bottles if need be
Ted Metellus: or if they like to fill up at the aid
Ted Metellus: stations, they'll be able to do that as well.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, and so we talked about the after a
Rob Simmelkjaer: little bit, and obviously the medals are going to be
Rob Simmelkjaer: handed out, there's medical tents, all the good stuff happening,
Rob Simmelkjaer: and then the after party as well, correct?
Ted Metellus: Correct. You'll be at Maimonides Park, big field, open space
Ted Metellus: there, hanging out, stretch, cool down, meet your colleagues and
Ted Metellus: friends there, track athletes on the app while you're making
Ted Metellus: your way over, great place. And then again, as you
Ted Metellus: stated, enjoy Coney Island, get on a ride, have a
Ted Metellus: hot dog, hang out for a little bit there. Cheer
Ted Metellus: the other runners on as they're making their way over.
Ted Metellus: Head over to check out the youth that are running
Ted Metellus: our (inaudible) in New York Roadrunners that will be participating
Ted Metellus: in the Boardwalk Run and cheer them on as well.
Ted Metellus: So there's so much that's happening in that community and
Ted Metellus: it's great to be able to contribute to that local economy.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And Becs, you're going to have a little something going on
Rob Simmelkjaer: after the race as well I hear.
Becs Gentry: Yeah, that is correct, Rob. So this race is really special for me and for
Becs Gentry: everybody. We've got a little something going on at the
Becs Gentry: after party and that is a live recording of set
Becs Gentry: the pace starting at 11 A. M. I am thrilled
Becs Gentry: that we are going to have a special interview with
Becs Gentry: Ali Feller, host of Ali on the Run Show podcast,
Becs Gentry: running commentator, and soon to be eight- time RBC Brooklyn
Becs Gentry: Half finisher, but that's not it. In addition, we'll be
Becs Gentry: providing some recovery tips and we'll have a special member
Becs Gentry: moment interview with the Bachelorette's Zac Clark, founder of Release Recovery.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's going to be amazing. Obviously people are always fired
Rob Simmelkjaer: up to see Ali, and Zac Clark who is just
Rob Simmelkjaer: incredible by the way. His organization does amazing things, helping
Rob Simmelkjaer: people recover from addiction and running a big part of
Rob Simmelkjaer: that, so what a great show that's going to be.
Rob Simmelkjaer: I'll be listening. I won't be there for this one,
Rob Simmelkjaer: but it's going to be phenomenal, Becs, and thank you so
Rob Simmelkjaer: much for doing that. So make sure everybody shows up
Rob Simmelkjaer: to check out that live edition of Set the Pace.
Becs Gentry: Absolutely. We're going to be bringing everybody in and touching on that. We are
Becs Gentry: not presuming that everybody out there listening to this is
Becs Gentry: going to be running the race, okay? So some of
Becs Gentry: you folks may be making their way down to be
Becs Gentry: a spectator, coming with family and friends from in the
Becs Gentry: city, out of the city or even another country. Who
Becs Gentry: knows? So Ted, let's give our spectators, the people who
Becs Gentry: energize the runners, the people who make us smile when
Becs Gentry: we're in those dark moments, let's give them some love.
Becs Gentry: Where should they be heading this weekend?
Ted Metellus: Yes, the spectators. We power the runners through as we're
Ted Metellus: out there spectating and cheering on our loved ones. So
Ted Metellus: first and foremost, definitely download the apps. You could track
Ted Metellus: your loved ones on the route there, see where they
Ted Metellus: are along the course. There'll be a couple of points
Ted Metellus: that you can catch them definitely on Flatbush Avenue outside
Ted Metellus: of Prospect Park or within Prospect Park because you can literally
Ted Metellus: catch them, go up and down Prospect Park, then sneak
Ted Metellus: inside and then see them make the loop around, zip
Ted Metellus: out, hop on the subway and head down to Ocean
Ted Metellus: Parkway and catch them there. And then zip on down
Ted Metellus: on the subway to Coney Island to catch your loved
Ted Metellus: one as they make their way down to finish. So
Ted Metellus: there's a couple of points along the route that you
Ted Metellus: can see, support, cheer and show love,. Hold those signs,
Ted Metellus: wave it loud, make some noise. And not only are you
Ted Metellus: showing love for the runners you know, but you're showing
Ted Metellus: love to all the runners that are out there.
Rob Simmelkjaer: And Ted, you mentioned the app for this one. It's
Rob Simmelkjaer: the NYRR Racing app you can find on the app
Rob Simmelkjaer: stores or you can head to Liveresults.nyrr. org as well
Rob Simmelkjaer: if you want to see how your runners are doing.
Rob Simmelkjaer: We do a great job, our timing and scoring team
Rob Simmelkjaer: does of tracking everybody and letting you know when your
Rob Simmelkjaer: people are going to show up and where on the
Rob Simmelkjaer: racecourse. So they all need that support. Hopefully you'll be
Rob Simmelkjaer: out there cheering them on. All right, Ted, this has
Rob Simmelkjaer: been an awesome overview of the RBC Brooklyn Half. Anything
Rob Simmelkjaer: else you think people should know as they get ready for
Rob Simmelkjaer: the big day?
Ted Metellus: So a couple of quick things. First and foremost, happy
Ted Metellus: birthday, Ali. Ali just celebrated her birthday, so you got
Ted Metellus: to show her some love there. So when you see her, wish her a happy birthday. Preparation for
Ted Metellus: the race starts now. So make sure you're hydrating, stretching,
Ted Metellus: and getting yourself prepped mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally for
Ted Metellus: what will be an amazing day for you. Pace yourself
Ted Metellus: as you go through, mind your space, mind your pace
Ted Metellus: as I like to save so often to folks as
Ted Metellus: they get ready for the day. Hydrate and get ready,
Ted Metellus: share with your loved ones where you're going to be
Ted Metellus: and how they can track you on long race day.
Ted Metellus: And lastly, see you volunteer, thank a volunteer.
Becs Gentry: Absolutely love that. That is a really wonderful saying, Ted.
Becs Gentry: I'm going to adopt that. Oh, my goodness, I'm so
Becs Gentry: excited for absolutely everybody running, spectating and all of the people who
Becs Gentry: have worked to bring this incredible race together.
Ted Metellus: Thank you so much.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Ted Metellus, thank you so much for joining us, always
Rob Simmelkjaer: giving us the 411 on all of our big races, the
Rob Simmelkjaer: details as well. Ted, thank you. Best of luck to
Rob Simmelkjaer: your team. Can't wait for the day and always great
Rob Simmelkjaer: to get your insights. Appreciate you.
Ted Metellus: Thank you so much. See you all soon.
Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, Ted Metellus, senior Vice President of Events and
Rob Simmelkjaer: Race director of the RBC Brooklyn Half. All right, if
Rob Simmelkjaer: you're listening to this show and someone who's also running,
Rob Simmelkjaer: maybe share this episode with them so they can be
Rob Simmelkjaer: as prepared as you are for the big day on
Rob Simmelkjaer: Saturday of next weekend. For today's member moment, we have
Rob Simmelkjaer: joining us NYRR member Helen Kwong. Helen is a co-
Rob Simmelkjaer: founder of the Misty Mountain Running Club, an incredible club
Rob Simmelkjaer: that just won the Team Spirit Award at this year's NYRR
Rob Simmelkjaer: Club night. She has run 49 races with New York
Rob Simmelkjaer: Roadrunners. She's an accomplished marathoner and an ultra marathoner, and
Rob Simmelkjaer: in fact, she just returned from the Canyons 100 mile
Rob Simmelkjaer: race, coming in second place in her age group. She
Rob Simmelkjaer: joins Meb.
Meb: Thanks, Rob. Helen, welcome to the Set the Pace. Helen,
Meb: you are one of the co- founder of the Misty
Meb: Mountain Runners Run Club. Although your club was only founded
Meb: in 2015, you already have over 700 members. What makes
Meb: Misty Mountain Runners so special?
Helen Kwong: Yeah, MEP, thanks for the question. Yeah, when I was invited by our founder,
Helen Kwong: Wendy Zhou, back in the 2015, I've not even imagined
Helen Kwong: this will happen today, and not only the rapid growing
Helen Kwong: members in Misty Mountain, also the impact in the greater
Helen Kwong: New York metro area and also in North American Chinese
Helen Kwong: learning communities. So what makes the club so special? I would
Helen Kwong: say its people and its culture. This is a group
Helen Kwong: of people are very passionate about running and committed to become
Helen Kwong: a better runner. And also not only better runner, more
Helen Kwong: important is better person with the purpose in their life.
Helen Kwong: So over the years, Misty Mountain is not only running
Helen Kwong: club, it becomes a tightly knitted community, a big family,
Helen Kwong: some would called home. The welcoming and inclusive culture just
Helen Kwong: gives people a sense of belonging. One of our member
Helen Kwong: put it in a very humorous way, says there was
Helen Kwong: not who I chose Misty Mountain, there was Misty Mountain
Helen Kwong: that provide me refuge. Yeah. Activities and friendships grow way
Helen Kwong: beyond the running. We also have all the other activities
Helen Kwong: and the positive vibes just keep growing and expanding.
Meb: Well, it sounds like a great community. This past February,
Meb: Misty Mountain Runner received the Team Spirit Award at NYRR's Club
Meb: Night. At every NYRR race, your flag is waving on
Meb: the sideline, cheering your members on. Where does your team
Meb: get that endurance and spirit from?
Helen Kwong: Yeah, the Team's Spirit Award was a big honor for our
Helen Kwong: clubs. So thank NYRR for the recognition, and also our
Helen Kwong: flags are not only along the NYRR races in New York
Helen Kwong: City, they're literally all over the world. Past, the London
Helen Kwong: Marathon few weeks ago, we had the station over there
Helen Kwong: at the (inaudible) 25,. And also when I run
Helen Kwong: my first a hundred- mile back in Lake Tahoe in
Helen Kwong: 2020, David and Wendy, they just flew there to support
Helen Kwong: me with our flags. Yeah. So we have a phrase
Helen Kwong: in our club always like to say, it's called pay
Helen Kwong: it forward, so pay it forward. I think that's where we
Helen Kwong: get our spirit from because everyone knows how important when
Helen Kwong: you are on the push, the limit in the race, like a shout-
Helen Kwong: out or like in ultra running, a ball of congee
Helen Kwong: for my Chinese stomach, how important that is. So I
Helen Kwong: got from this race, I want to pass it on
Helen Kwong: to the next race for other people, and also not
Helen Kwong: only for ourselves. Also, the spirit of cheering always like
Helen Kwong: to spread to family members and the friends, (inaudible)
Helen Kwong: Parents like to bring their children also volunteer and the
Helen Kwong: support. So the joy of giving and also the satisfaction
Helen Kwong: of helping others achieve their goals and the dreams, the
Helen Kwong: courage of paying forward. So that's Misty Mountain Runners, the
Helen Kwong: flag. You always see it everywhere in every race.
Meb: Sounds amazing experience. But, well, first tell us about how
Meb: your running journey started. Why did you start running and
Meb: how did your running evolve from 10Ks to 100 mile ultra marathon?
Meb: I just think about it, only down 26.2 miles, but
Meb: I can only imagine, but tell us about your journey.
Helen Kwong: Yeah, sure. I've been active all my life, but hiking and the workout
Helen Kwong: in the gym, I always think running is not for
Helen Kwong: me. Until 2013 when a friend coming over from North
Helen Kwong: Carolina to run New York City Marathon, I went to
Helen Kwong: cheer for her at the Central Park South, mile 25.
Helen Kwong: Oh, my God, I was completely overwhelmed by the energy,
Helen Kwong: by the excitement, inspiration. So I said I want to
Helen Kwong: run New York City Marathon. So the very night I registered
Helen Kwong: to be a NYRR member and registered my very first race,
Helen Kwong: which is the 2014 New Year's Eve four mile (inaudible)
Helen Kwong: run in Central Park. Everything (inaudible) There's no
Helen Kwong: stop sign, maybe around over 20 marathons. Then because I
Helen Kwong: like hiking, I like mountains and the running and hiking, that
Helen Kwong: should become trail racing. So that's why I get into
Helen Kwong: trail racing, the long distance, the beautiful scenery on the trail. Yeah, before
Helen Kwong: I know, I've been running a couple of 100 miles.
Meb: Wow, that's just amazing.
Helen Kwong: Yeah.
Meb: You are running the RBC Brooklyn Half a race. You
Meb: have run number of times, but not since 2019. How
Meb: are you feeling about this race?
Helen Kwong: I'm very excited. I mean, I love your Brooklyn Half
Helen Kwong: because the course circle around the park, then the (inaudible)
Helen Kwong: and the straight Ocean Parkway, then especially the energetic Coney
Helen Kwong: Island because when 2018, I moved from New City to North
Helen Kwong: Island. So that's why I don't do too many NYRR races, just
Helen Kwong: too much travel for early morning, but now I want
Helen Kwong: to get back to the road race and improve my
Helen Kwong: speed a little bit. So that's why now I registered for
Helen Kwong: the Brooklyn Half and really looking forward to it.
Meb: Well, Helen, by running those 100 miles, the Prospect Hill
Meb: is not going to be much for you, but thanks
Meb: for joining us on Set the Pace and wish you
Meb: all the best.
Helen Kwong: Thank you so much, Meb. It's a real pleasure to
Helen Kwong: talking to you.
Meb: Speaking of RBC Brooklyn Half, for this week's Meb Minute,
Meb: I want to talk to you all about having a
Meb: strong finish. The course of the RBC Brooklyn Half starts
Meb: with the Hilly Prospect Park, but then you cruise down
Meb: Ocean Parkway and get to Coney Island as you run
Meb: across the boardwalk. Finishing strong means so much in the half-
Meb: marathon, but you have to be patient at the beginning
Meb: and also going up the hills of Prospect Park. You
Meb: have to be able to engage your pace, your heart
Meb: rate, and not make foolish mistakes because those mistakes can
Meb: cost you a lot when you're going down the hill,
Meb: but you have to be able to just save something,
Meb: and then with the downhill finish on Ocean Parkway, it's
Meb: going to be an amazing experience. Don't be tempted to compete
Meb: against others so early on that you are done mile
Meb: eight or seven when the hills are over. Now what are you
Meb: going to do? So be patient, have fun, use the
Meb: crowd to your advantage, and then if you can finish
Meb: strong, it's going to have a great finish, but also it's
Meb: going to help you even recover faster.
Rob Simmelkjaer: Thank you so much, Meb, and I'm looking forward to seeing
Rob Simmelkjaer: so many of you out there as the summer approaches,
Rob Simmelkjaer: and thanks again to Ted Metellus for joining me and Becs and giving us
Rob Simmelkjaer: the rundown for the RBC Brooklyn Half. And of course,
Rob Simmelkjaer: thanks again to Helen Kwong for speaking with us today.
Rob Simmelkjaer: That's going to bring us to the finish line of
Rob Simmelkjaer: this episode of Set the Pace. Remember, if you liked
Rob Simmelkjaer: the episode, please go ahead, subscribe, rate, leave us a
Rob Simmelkjaer: comment so we know you're listening, and it helps other
Rob Simmelkjaer: people as well to find the show. Until next time,
Rob Simmelkjaer: enjoy the miles. We'll see you next time.