With that out of the way, let's open up a bottle of good whine. (By the way, this entry is going to be a pretty painfully long one, so you might want to skip it if you are not a running nerd or if you are selfish and don't care about Debbie Downer!)
Cruel, cruel summer
It's been a difficult training season. This was my first season really training in San Antonio. I had been living in cooler, hillier climates prior to former competitions. I sat out the past three season due to injuries and had a new injury resurface prior to this run.
Baby, it's cold outside
I was on a 5:30 a.m. bus to get to Staten Island for the 39th New York Marathon. I had the great fortune of befriending a New York Roadrunner on the bus ride. She (Ruth) and her friends (David, Victor, Amanda and Tami) were great company during the 4 hour-plus wait in the windy, low 40s field at Fort Wadsworth. During the wait, I, like many other runners, was underdressed. I had figured that I would be alright in my five layers of clothing, but had underestimated the brutal northeastern wind. If I could do it again, I'd have packed more layers, a jacket and a blanket. Also, I would have taken the best-kept-secret/ under-utilized Staten Island ferry to the starting line. Organizers don't really promote the option, but runners can wake up later and stay in the warm terminal until their wave (my wave was at 10:20 a.m.). Ask me about transportation details if you plan on running this marathon because I want you to learn from my mistakes.
Water you talking about, Willis?
Unfortunately, water and carbohydrates ran out quickly. Definely not enough on-hand for 39,000 participants during the four hour wait.
Looking back, I wasted energy shivering for four hours and not correctly hydrating prior to the run. Argh!
Once again, I have to be thankful for the opportunity. Going into the race, I knew I wasn't going to break any personal records, so I did my best to enjoy the ride.
I'll shut up now and let the photos do some of the talking.
Here is a smart runner who packed a blanket and caught a few zzzzzs during the wait.
Runners cast off layers of clothing during the race. Organizers collect the clothing and donate them to charity.
The course takes you from Staten Island to Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx then through Central Park for a glorious finish. The crowd support is great. There are about 100 bands lining the course and residents from the five boroughs come out to cheer for the mega-marathon participants. Great crowd support.I hit "the wall" (the point of muscle and mental fatigue) at mile 6. How embarrassing! Traditionally, "the wall" is reached around miles 18-22, so I hit the wall quick and hard! As mentioned, looking back, I believe I spent too much energy shivering at the start. I ingested an energy gel at mile 8 (usually don't need them until mile 18) and made peace with the fact that my lame ankle wasn't going to cooperate.
I've started wearing obnoxious Texas flag running shorts when running outside the state. It's a great conversation starter, makes me easily identifiable to friends and family, plus it garners additional support from South Americans. To explain: This is what the Texas flag looks like:
And this is what the Chilean flag looks like:
As you can see, the union of both countries (let's face it, Texas is its own country) are red, white and blue and both share a lone star. However, the Chilean flag has a longer read band across the bottom.So when I run, I get cheers from Texas as well as Chile. God bless geographic ignorance.
The run through Brooklyn was enjoyable. The run through Queens (miles 13-16 and the surrounding) was quite a drag. The neighborhoods were desolate and the roads were neglected.
Running through the Upper East Side of Manhattan was quite a treat! Mile 18 was well-welcomed site of seeing supporters Marilyn, Jon, Alyson and Russell. Thanks guys for coming out and braving the wind and cold! [Jon jumped in at mile 18 and ran along side until getting kicked out around mile 26.] Their names now join the list of you other wonderful sideline bravehearts to whom I am eternally indebted [Roll call! Laura, John, Ashley, Gaby, Connor, Brian, Vicki, Ed, Ron, Meta, Kasey D., Robin, Monica, Justin, Hiral, Erica, my mom and dad to name a few.]
One of the most beautiful moments of the race for me was when my favorite U2 songs, City of Blinding Lights, came on over my earbuds during one of my lulls. Bono once explained that the song is a reflection of a surreal naivety U2 had when they first arrived in New York in 1980. He said they were in awe looking out from New York into Brooklyn at night. The band revisited the sentiment when they played in New York following the 9-11 attacks. They then penned both occasions in this one song.
I remember looking out from Staten Island towards Manhattan in 2003 with my friend Dan and mentioning to him that someday I'd like to run New York. Five years later, God and Bono were there to remind me of the unexpected blessing as we reentered Manhattan at mile 21!
So how does the story end?
The unfortunate reality is that I ended up crossing the finish line about an hour later than my worst marathon time, but the course made for an enjoyable long run. Got to meet some new friends and reconnect with former contacts... Got to hobble away with a medal as well as a victory cape [foil insulating blanket]... Got to warm up while waiting for the group over a handy heated subway vent. All-in-all, a success!
Can't wait to see you all at the next race, whether it be as a spectator, volunteer or a competitor! Looking forward to hearing what great feats you accomplish! Only two months left in 2008... Finish strong!
