MY Brooklyn (NYC) Marathon...and my near run-in with Ennis Del Mar

[Fran Fine]

I love the marathon because every year my part of Brooklyn gets to SHOW OFF!! Oh my gosh, we really think we are so cool, and the problem is, the NY Times and other major papers and news outlets have written about our particular brand of marathon revelry, so we try to up it each year. We''re mile 8 on the route, so the elite runners run through our neigbhorhood like

, not even having broken at sweat at this point. Now, although we totally respect and honor these runners - my goodness, they''re practically superhuman - we''re really all about the "other" runners. The mid-pack. Pedestrians. People like us. The woman who''s running in her girdle because her tummy''s like mine and she needs to be a bit more fabulous as she knows everyone''s eyes will be on her. The guy who speedwalks along side some really P.O''d runners who are miffed because he''s making them look like they''re not running at all. The grandmas and grandpas. That''s who we cheer on. And I know that the entire city does this, but we bring a little something - we party. It'' so much fun - there''s a couple that hires a DJ (I believe that''s how the legend goes ) who evokes images of KC from KC and the Sunshine Band) and he stands on the front steps of their brownstone and plays 70''s and 80''s music - imagine a hyperenthusiastic MC at a wedding. The crowd sings and rocks and dances. It''s truly bizarre and truly amazing. Can you imagine 100''s of people doing the YMCA song and the runners joining in? I don''t care how jaded you are, you have to smile when you''re in the midst of all of that. It''s just one of the 467,000 reasons I love Brooklyn (don''t get me started on Bruce Ratner!

). Anyhoo, took some pics. Didn''t realize that my camera batteries sucked...so most of my pics didn''t come out - really P.O''d about that. I just wanted to share a couple of pics here...and no, i didn''t get Lance Armstrong - I was too late...

 

[Fran Fine]

This guy was awesome...he was waving the heck out of the flag, but it was backwards and everyone was laughing and yelling out, "Your flag! Turn it!" and he'd just keep waving and waving it, smiling wildly. Great guy...

 

[Fran Fine]

This guy (the one in the wig...!) said that wearing his hair like this helps him enjoy the race better...I guess he was right because tons of people came up to speak with him and he was just having a ball...

 

[Fran Fine]

Sorry this is so blurry - this is the marathon DJ...coolest guy in Brooklyn that day - he made everyone smile and kept the party going for hours...he''s been doing this for YEARS...

 

[Fran Fine]

I''m only putting this pic in because I slipped off the lampost I was standing on RIGHT after I took this shot...my hero fiance caught me and saved my ego and my camera

 

[Fran Fine]

My camera started to act up after this shot, but the guy with his arms up is the only proof I have that people were doing the YMCA song. In the next few shots, everyone''s arms were up, but of course, my camera was like, "Yeah, I don''t think so!"

 

[Fran Fine]

Random shot of my Brooklyn neighbors...beautiful fall day...check out the leaves! This was perfect marathon weather!

 

[Fran Fine]

Sorry again for the blurriness...this young guy in the center of the pic in the blue shorts and white shirt was so interesting! He was pretty far at the back of the pack, I mean with a bunch of older folks who were walking, but he was SPRINTING! It was as if he was at the front of the pack. We were all trying to figure out his story - did he start late? Get a really strong second wind??

We cheered him on though, and he loved it!

 

[decodelighted]

*SOB*

Missing Brooklyn! Spent 10 yrs in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens. Oh my parlor floor apartment ....

(drops head into bowl of Cheerios)

 

[Fran Fine]

This woman was AWESOME! She was way at the back, and we guess that was her husband pushing her, and they just went at their own pace and had a grand time. My fiance had just finished cheering her on, calling out for her to slow down and give the others a chance, and she just laughed and laughed! My fiance is one of those types that can brings a smile to any situation, and he had worked his magic yet again.

She was so awesome, I was bawling. I wasn''t sure what her ailment was, but what I did know is that whatever it was, she was a stronger and more powerful person than me.

 

[nejarb]

Those are great pics! Oh, it makes me so excited to see marathon pics. I hope I can run the NY marathon some day...I''ve never even been to NY. It seems like such a great place. Your neigborhood is beautiful.

 

[KimberlyH]

What great, funny, fun pictures! Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Fran Fine]

Ah...the very end...the ambulance, the police cars bringing up the rear...if you''re in BACK of these guys, oy vey...I had a friend who "ran" the marathon one year whose sole goal ended up being staying ahead of these guys.

It''s always a bit sad when you see these guys - you know the race is over, and it and its magic won''t be back for another year.

 

[brgirl]

I ran the marathon last year and totally did the YMCA!!! That section was completely awesome - we were so glad the crowd was into it and it really did help move things along! I remember the YMCA as the best part...i remember the last 6 miles as the not so best part, but I finished!

 

[Fran Fine]

And now...my humiliation for the day. So, we had started off the day in this tiny, little neighborhood cafe. My fiance and I had a craving for our first hot apple cider of the season. We ordered our ciders, and decided to sit for a moment, sipping our drinks in the pretty picture window at the front of the cafe. I was snapping pics through the window of the people passing by. This sweet couple with a baby came into the shop. The woman smiled at me, and I smiled back. They looked so adorable, so I decided to snap their pic - it was only their backs, but I just wanted to capture the scene. I snapped the photo, and looked at it through the viewfinder. When I snapped the pic, and the flash went off, the husband swung around and stared at me.

I was still looking into the camera at the pic, but I was keenly aware he was glaring at me, and I was a bit scared and embarassed to look up. I was like, omg, they didn''t appreciate having their pic taken. I didn''t dare look at him, but I could see through my peripheral vision that he was still looking at me. I was ready to say, "Sorry, you guys were such a cute couple, I just wanted to snap the pic, it''s only your back, please don''t go New York on me...". Mind you, my fiance and a friend of ours that had since walked in were busy chatting and were unaware of any tension. Finally, the guy just turned around and I finally breathed. I''m usually veeery respectful of folks when I take pics, and the only reason I took these guys was because they looked like such a cute family. The couple walked out, and the husband smiled at me as he left!! I was like, "Yay, he''s not mad at me!", and "Oh, da#$n, he''s gorgeous!!!"

I was just so relieved I wasn''t going to get yelled at. The cafe owner walks over with a big smile on his face, and was like, "Do you know who that was???" I was like, "No?" I thought he was going to yell at me for taking pics, and then he was like, "That''s Heath Ledger and Michelle WIlliams!" I was floored! Suddenly it all made sense - I had just snapped an intimate family moment with Heath Ledger and his family, and he thought that I was some jerk paparazzi!! I told the owner what had transpired and he laughed and laughed. He said, "Yeah, I was wondering why he was staring at you!" ...

Here''s their pic - they really were ADORABLE! I just hate that they would think I was one of those tacky celebrity stalkers who snap their pics without caring. That is soooooooo not me.

 

[Fran Fine]

The End! Hope you liked the show!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 11/7/2006 12:07:03 PM
Author: Fran Fine
The End! Hope you liked the show!

 

[curlygirl]

Fran, that was awesome!!!! How funny that you got that photo of Heath, Michelle and the baby (Matilda?)! Very random but I knew they lived in some fat brownstone in Brooklyn. What neighborhood do you live in? I''m in the City but my dear friends bought an adorable place in Cobble Hill and I just love going there. It feels like you''re out of NYC and it''s so neighborhoody. Love all the marathon support, seems like such a blast--I may have to join you in the festivities next year!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Cool pictures! That is so funny about Heath and Michelle. Awesome!

 

[kcoursolle]

Cool pictures, I love running events! Everyone''s spirit is always so positive and I end up having a great time whether I do well or not.

 

[Fran Fine]

Hi folks. I''m going to rush through my responses because I have a flight at 9pm flight (Virgin) to London tonight - or is it 8pm-, and I am HALF packed. Jeez, I don''t know why I''m being so blase - maybe because I know I''ll be in the country all week, hiking with my cousins dogs, and will get all muddy. So I''ll just pack old jeans and sneakers and sweaters. But I''m sitting here watching HGTV like I have nothing to do!

Decodelighted - I think I love you...can I say that??? I should have known you had Brooklyn in you! And a parlour floor apartment in Cobble Hill?? Retroactively jealous here! Because we live on the TOP floor of a brownstone, which is great cuz we have the skylights, and the rooftop views (we could see the World Trade Center prior to 9/11 - we used to grab a bottle of wine and go up on the roof and just chat, looking at the towers. And on July 4th, it''s the greatest view). CONS?? Walking downstairs to leave for the day, and realizing that you forgot something. And then dragging yourself up the three LONG flights to get said item, go BACK downstairs, and then realize you forgot something again. We''ve lived here for a few years and when we moved in we were like, "Oh, the stairs will be a BREEZE in a few months.... and I (me) am going to lose 40 pounds...HA!

Nejarb - Yes, my neighborhood is pretty cool - very diverse, and full of creative people. I''ve never run a marathon either, and don''t think that will ever happen.


KimberlyH - You''re welcome! I only wish they came out better.


brgirl - Wow, congrats on running the marathon last year! How did you do?? How did you feel at the end?? Good for you for doing the YMCA - kind of hard to do AND run.

Cehrabehra -

- takes a bow

curlygirl - Yes, it WAS weird about Heath, Michelle and Matilda. Embarassing, too! I can''t remember if their brownstone is in Park Slope or Cobble Hill. I LOVE this part of Brooklyn. We live in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. Not too long ago, this was not the safest neighborhood - now it''s one of the coolest in the city. TimeOut NY just named South Portland best block in NYC ny mag''s best block issue. It''s true - the vibe is definitely small town in a big city - I just love it.

Firegoddess

- it was pretty awesome...

kcoursolle - I know, what is it about running and runners that just makes everyone so cool? It''s like a community or something.

Anyway, I''m going to now tear around the house and finish packing. I can''t wait to get back next week and log on and see what''s going on in all of your lives, and gawk over the latest bling.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 11/7/2006 2:06:28 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Cool pictures! That is so funny about Heath and Michelle. Awesome!

oh ditto. that''s a hoot...

 

[CrownJewel]

FANTASTIC story about the marathon and yummy Heath Ledger! You''re so lucky! Heath Ledger stared you down, and should you ever run into him again, he''ll probably remember you. That''s when you can hug and laugh and then share an inside story about "that time when" he thought you were paparazzi but you really just thought his family was so cute.

Your photos were great and really captured the energy of the marathon. Loved it all. My fiance and I were talking about moving to Brooklyn, especially since almost all of my college friends live in Brooklyn right now. We are currently in Manhattan, waaaaaaaaaaay uptown next to Columbia (convenient for when I need to study at the library but it takes over an hour just to see my Brooklyn friends). If we ever do move to Brooklyn, I''ll watch the subways for your gorgeous EC (sparkling from Greased Lightning of course!)

 

[blueroses]

what AMAZING pictures--thank you Fran!!!!! God I miss New York. I never knew it was the marathon until my girlfriend and I would be wandering around shopping and eating and suddenly there''d be all these people dressed as tinfoil burritos around us--every year we were like, oh YEAH....the marathon...we forgot about it AGAIN!

 

[Stone Hunter]

THANKS for sharing these cool photos. Haven''t been there in years, and never to the marathon.

 

[diamondfan]

Fran, are you going upper class on Virgin? Actually a lovely flight, and I am so NOT a good flyer...get those pj''s on and sleep or catch up on some movies.

I love England and my dh has family there. Have fun...

From the post about the actor etc I thought you ran in the race and he trampled you!!!!!! I am sure he was a bit freaked but probably used to it...and he is getting to hang and be more regular in NY which is great for him if it works out that way...

 

[anchor31]

What a great, fun day! Thanks for sharing!

 

[sevens one]

Fabulous pictures Fran. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
I passed them on to my brother and daughter.