I was going to start writing the report for the race and realized I didn’t say a word about the pre-party…! Given this is my favorite race preparty, and it’d be too much for one post, I am putting some pictures here. There is also a traditional “expo” component, with some clothes and a couple of vendors. The race is sponsored by New Balance and they do have an amazing array of gear to sell (really cute stuff) but the party is the best. You should take a day off work next year and go spend some serious time there, and bring all your non-running friends too. I mean it.

Carolina and I met up first to get a fun ride ALL the WAY there. You know, us UpperEastSiders are far from every thing!!

So, Caro got me these and I was wondering if I should try to pull the Kara/Shalane type of outfits and wear these for the Brooklyn. The orange one read “lead from behind” which I think it’s my favorite.

these rundies are so cute right? also, they’re not that different from my usual tights…!

Anyway, the preparty is awesome. First of ALL, the views of the city.

Brooklyn is cool, ok? but the best of BK is how awesome NYC looks from over there. We don’t have these views in the city… so, I could hang out over there all day (well, a few hours, or I’ll get withdrawal syndrome). Juan was coming from work, hence the formal attire.

We went indoors and got our bibs in a second!

Left our shirts to get customized, which NB was doing for free, and went back out to wait for Patricia. Not a bad life:

There we so many games and stuff to do, and a band playing on stage, and food trucks with food, we could have been there all day eating, chatting and taking pics (which we did). Then Linda joined, Juan is the pimp apparently:

Doesn’t this look like so much fun? and how cool are these shirts?? the lettering is REFLECTIVE. I am definitely wearing this one!

so, pen it in for next year, because it’s the funnest “expo”, amiright?