Marathon State #36 New York, New York

New York City Marathon
November 5th 2017

WOW! Do I really get to run the largest marathon in the world! The excitement grows as the days tick by getting closer and closer to what I expect will be one of the highlights of my running career. It's not actually a career, but it is definitely something I work hard at...well at least sometimes. I have given up Reese's Pumpkins and that is true sacrifice! I haven't even visited them in the Halloween section. Is that progress? Pizza hasn't crossed my lips in so long, I have forgotten what it tastes like, but that will be remedied once I get to New York City!

I did pack some energy bars for race morning...some people might call it a candy bar.  I call it pre-race fuel. It is a great year to run the race. Meb Keflezighi is running his 26th and final marathon and it is the first time Kathrine Switzer will run the street course of the NYC Marathon at age 70 although she won the race in 1974, the course took place entirely in Central Park. Meb~ran his first marathon in NYC and he said this will be his last, after running it ten times. Winning NYC in 2009 and winning Boston in 2014 are career highlights. He will retire after New York 2017~I also have the privilege of running both prestigious races during the year along with marathon legends Kathrine and Meb!

Finishes his 11th NYC marathon in 11th place with a time of 2:15...at age 42!!

Well, I won't be running with them, I will be starting in Orange Wave 2 Corral C...but I will be running behind them along with 50,000 other marathon running friends. Shalane Flanagan takes on the New York City Marathon, as well, after being forced to withdraw from Boston due to a back injury, but she trained really hard and she is ready to go and so am I...I think!

She wins the 2017 NYC Marathon

~The injury is a blessing in disguise. She rests and recovers instead of running Boston even taking a Hawaiian vacation. Once she returns to training it pays off in a very BIG WAY...she wins the 2017 New York Marathon...the first American female to win in forty years.~

My build up to New York doesn't involve rest and recovery, it includes two new states in South Dakota and Kansas and lots of good eating~my version of good eating anyway~Let's not get crazy! I convince my mom back in January to go with me. Still can't believe I have been anticipating this race for almost ten months. When the time finally comes, my mom and I bravely make our way to LAX for our red-eye flight to NYC. I am so excited that she has agreed to go with me.  I tried really hard to get my daughter to go too, but sadly, I could not convince her to come along...a blessing in disguise! ~There is too much noise, too many delays and too much frustrations on the trip...my poor my mom troops through it all, but it is too harried and I know my daughter would not have enjoyed "the crazy." Working full time and completing a master's degree is enough at the moment...a Hawaiian vacation may be more her style in the near future!

In the days prior to the race my only concern is the fear of cold weather. While most runners prefer cold I fear it. It is not so much running in the cold, but the three hour wait at the start area that has me worried. Anything below 60, is cool to me, but I guess that is why throw away clothes come in handy. My weather worries become nothing more than petty nonsense when I hear the news on Tuesday...

I am not in Kansas anymore!

A terrorist intentionally plows down innocent people on a bike path in New York City in a rented Home Depot truck on Halloween, killing eight people and injuring many more. My silly little fret about cold weather suddenly becomes inconsequential. I consider not going for a moment. My mom still wants to go and my husband assures me everything will be okay. The marathon will go on with even more security and diligence. 

After landing Thursday morning, we have three days to see and do as much as our tired bodies will allow. After a delay in Lax and circling the JFK airport for an hour we are diverted because of fog to Newark airport. We make our way to the hotel via the Long Island Railroad followed by the subway and a bit of a walk with luggage in tow to our Boutique hotel, a euphemism for overpriced dump. I have never been treated so rudely in all my years of traveling as we were at this little hotel near Times Square. Noise is expected in New York, but the lack of customer service at the old dilapidated place, we must call home for the next four nights, is what I find so shocking. The people of New York, on the other hand are some of the most helpful and kind people who are more than willing to help us out with directions. Don't get me wrong they are still strong confident and no nonsense, but willing to help obviously struggling older ladies trying to find our way. New York is filled with people, people and more people.

Once we are settled into our less than stellar abode, we hit the ground running. It is off to the expo, but first we need to eat. We find a place that becomes quite busy as the noon time work crowd emerges. I have a burger and fries and realize I am not off to a good start with maintaining healthy eating while traveling. I will definitely pay for it on race day. The expo is a short subway ride on the purple line followed by another short walk to the Javit's Convention Center. 

 Big marathons, always have big expos which can be fun and filled with excited runners and tons of cheerful volunteers. The NYC marathon has a downloadable app that can help runners navigate all aspects leading up to the race including the expo!  But do you think I analyzed  the app and maps before hand. No, that would make it easy and I don't like easy. I tend to prefer bumbling my way through...looking lost and confused. It is a much better way to live. The expo is actually fairly easy to navigate and is not too crowded on the first day.  I get suckered into buying the merchandise...the got to have it frenzy overtakes me. I have 72 marathon shirts, but somehow I need more even though I wear my Boston to Big Sur jacket the most and I didn't even have to pay for that. Runners are simply helping to improve the economy with representatives from all fifty states and 125 countries ready to spend money money money in the Big Apple! 

Or push you down...if you don't move out of the way!

(Even though some items are on sale online, once I get home, the most popular items pretty much sell out by Monday, many of the things I bought are cheaper and still available online.  But if there is something you really want...buy it, especially if it is a one and done marathon. The items I really wished I had bought are all gone. I didn't find any running stores to shop in while I was in New York...they usually have unique items for sale. I even broke down and bought a finisher shirt online after I got home.)

My mom and I take a little rest at the hotel mainly to unload all the purchases. We have not slept since Tuesday night, but we still feel the need to go out and explore the city.  We walk around Bryant Park, watch the skating, and look through lots of the shops.  It is

such a pleasant night out. There are so many people out skating eating and just enjoying the perfect weather. It is much colder back home in California, if you can believe that. The lighting and buildings creates a quintessential  New York image.
The good thing about staying near Times Square is the close proximity to the library. It is just behind the skating rink. It will be very easy for me to get up and get down here on Sunday morning to catch the bus to the start line in a matter of minutes. 

 For the next few days we are just tourists...in a big city. We take in all the hustle, bustle and buzz of such a hugely populated place. How can we not walk around Times Square since we are just a street away. The evening may still be young... but we are not! After making our way through the crowds and witnessing a flash mob proposal, we finally call it a night. As we crawl into our beds ready to sleep...the construction begins. Apparently, they work around the clock in New York.  It sounds like jack hammers

all night long. The whole Island of Manhattan is composed of bedrock which is extremely hard making it possible to drive piles or reinforced concrete into the ground which is necessary to build skyscrapers.  The areas surrounding Manhattan lack suitable bedrock hence no skyscrapers outside of Manhattan.  Info...provided by my engineer husband. He loves to educate me on various things when I call to complain about the noise. When I visit the front desk in my pjs, I explain to the clerk that I have been up all night the night before and I am not going to be able to sleep with all the noise.  He states, "I am not responsible for what you did last night!" I quickly comprehend that I will not be getting much sleep during my time in the city.  When I ask if they have any ear plugs he quickly quips, "We are not a pharmacy!"  I make my way back to the room with my tail between my legs.  Thankfully, my mom is able to sleep.  I play a game on the iPad for hours which helps pass the time and eventually, I do get some sleep. 

The next day we are up early.  Friday is  jam packed with activities.  We are off to the ferry for our tour of the Statue of Liberty.  My mom ordered tickets five months ahead of time and we are allowed to climb all the stairs to the crown. Tickets actually sell out three months in advance...We are quite surprised by the small space, but it is a neat experience to see the infrastructure of the statue. There are approximately 150 steps to the crown after the 400 steps to the pedestal.  The pedestal level allows for 360 degree views.  Friday is a very clear day allowing for great views of the city and the bridge that I will be running over on Sunday. It is funny how many people that live in the city have never been to the statue.  They think it is a touristy thing to do, but it is a national park. The audio tour  included with your ticket  provides informative educational details and historical facts as you tour the monument and surrounding area. It is a true testament to our nations liberty.

The original torch is on display inside the museum. The level of security is unreal.  We go through three separate metal detection points before finally being allowed inside. Absolutely no items other than a phone and a water bottle are allowed when going into the crown.  We have to put our bags in a locker that uses a fingerprint to open.  A first for me, as I struggle to follow the instructions to open the locker upon our return. I  give the machine too much credit thinking once I place my thumb on the screen, the locker will magically open. Nope, you still have to punch in the locker number...it is a duh moment!! I wonder if they collect fingerprints into a national database??

While we are still in the downtown area we visit the 911 Memorial and we grab a slice of pizza on the way.  There is construction everywhere. I see a construction worker come out of a deli with a slice and I know where I need to go. We grab two slices and find a bench to eat our snack like "New Yorkers!" They do not seem to have grocery stores in the city.  There are just tons of mini marts everywhere and they have a variety of hots foods salads and fresh fruit available. People must not cook at home. It is just so easy to buy food made to order in these little shops, and eat on the run and go...No need to shop, cook and clean up!! Upon our return to the hotel...we are allowed to change rooms to the "quiet side" of the hotel. We rushed back from our downtown visit; in order, to make the switch.  It seems much quieter, but we shall see... 

After a short rest, it is time to check out the finish line festivities. We ride the subway and walk to 67th Street the location of the finish line and pavilion. Dean Karnazes  is giving a talk about his Spartan run, I listen while I find my name on the wall of names.  Of course there is more merchandise for sale.
We do not last long in the pavilion due to the extreme heat inside the tent.  After walking in Central Park we find a place to sit in the grandstands for the "parade of nations" runner representatives from 125 countries walk down the finish line to kick off the marathon celebration.

 We watch a performance of "Stomp" and see as many of the countries as we can before heading to the play "Wicked." We grab some dinner on the way to the theater. I have some pasta and another slice! ~It takes me weeks and weeks to take off weight, but I sure can put it on in a matter of days!~ My mom ordered the tickets for the play ahead of time too...so of course we have really good seats. Thanks Mom! It is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. It is cleverly done and we thoroughly enjoy the production. 

The wicked witch has one magical voice. When we finally make it back to the room our total mileage for the day, according to the phone pedometer is nine miles. My build up to the race included lots of miles and my joints are aching and my It-band is doing some screaming at me. I apply pressure and massage the sore spots while icing my knees and ankle. I hope tomorrow will have a little less mileage. As we lay in our beds, we are missing something...the noise where is all the noise.  It is so quiet and yet I am still unable to sleep...back to the IPad. Sleeping in on Saturday morning really helps me feel better about race day. We decide to take it really easy today. We check out the skating rink at Rockefeller Center and have some lunch and walk through Times Square again...

For the most part, Saturday is a rest day with just under five miles of walking. We are relaxing in our room around 2 pm when we hear what sounds like a jet engine starting up.  It is so loud we have to move away from the window. When we call for someone to check the air conditioning unit, we are informed it is just a generator from another building.  He tells us it shouldn't last more than an hour.  It is so loud in the room that we go and sit in the lobby.  Upon our return from dinner a block away, the generator is still going. This can't be happening in the "Quiet Room!" Now it is time to get organized for race morning and chill before the big day, but it is hard to even think straight with the noise.  Thankfully, the generator shuts off around ten in the evening. We relish the quiet. I get some pretty good sleep and wake up at 4:20 before the alarm.  That extra hour from the time change is such a nice bonus.  I go down to the street to check out the temperature and it is fairly warm. I go back up to finish my final preparation.  I am as ready as I can be to run the New York City Marathon.  I walk two blocks to catch the six am bus. 

I don't even have to walk to the library as the organized line starts at Bryant Park. The line moves quickly and I am on the bus in no time at all. It is a pleasant ride out to Fort Wadsworth (an old lighthouse) and  the staging area for the athlete village. I sit next to a native New Yorker and we talk about the resiliency of people from New York.  She said, "We have to be otherwise we would be paralyzed in fear."  That sums up the people of New York; they are tough and strong and they persevere which is even more apparent at the 911 Memorial. It is a powerfully moving experience to walk around the World Trade Center Memorial and reflect back on one of the most horrific days in my lifetime.  A white flower is placed on each person's name every year on their birthday.

It is a quiet peaceful place of beauty that honors and pays tribute to all those who lost their lives on that tragic day! As we approach the village, the staggering number of police presence is what stands out. The security is extremely tight.  Runners should feel safe with the unbelievable amount of law enforcement from all different agencies in every direction.  A predominate feature during our time in the city is armed men with big guns and it is even more intensified as we exit the buses.

Finally, it is time for the race  I have waited all year to run.  It doesn't seem real.  I have to get my Dunkin' Donuts hat..can't miss out on the hat frenzy.  I have to find my village and a place to sit down to wait.  I find a patch of grass and take up residence next to Lindsay who is already parked in her spot with a magazine in hand.  She starts at 11 am and I am set to start at 10:15 am. We talk and share our excitement. The time passes fairly quickly as I talk with several other runners that are sitting nearby.  One young gal who is doing her first marathon asks for advice.  The only advice I can really offer is do not go out too fast...it will be the difference between getting passed in the last three miles or doing the passing.

Passing people is way more fun! I  have my layers and I am surprisingly warm and cozy. I do not waste any energy staying warm.  I luck out with a warm morning and a high dew point. The skies look ominous at times, but the rain holds off in the village.

The potties are in abundance.  I never have to wait in line which is a nice surprise.  I use the bathroom at least six times.  My bladder for some reason feels full almost the entire time I am in the village. ~I know you wanted to know that little tidbit~They definitely have their bathroom situation figured out nicely.  Once my corral time is announced, I ditch my bag and my pants and one jacket.  I have  two beanie hats. I got one for my husband, but I can only find one extra safety pin. I pin one to my belt.  The other one I fold under my belt...and during one of my many bathroom breaks the hat falls on the seat.  It is horrifying to me...what do I do? I end up folding it back under my belt and vow to double wash it when I get home.  During the same bathroom visit, my Gu that is in my pant pocket falls on the potty floor...another dilemma.  Do I pick it up...I have not had any real food and I am going to need energy.  I wipe the package with toilet paper and then with my gloves and tuck it back into the pocket.  I have reached a new sanitary low. 

I can't think about the disgusting levels I have reached in getting to the start line. We are on the Verazzano Bridge intact and ready to go. Except for a lady from France who tripped over the corral railing and fell on the way to the bridge. She skinned up her knee pretty good, but people help her up and she is fine for the moment anyway...while the adrenal keeps the pain away.  We wait patiently for the gun to go off. It isn't a gun, it is a freaking cannon...the sound is so loud I scream and my ears start to ring.  As the runners start moving the iconic "New York New York" song begins to play. It is the perfect send off. Corral C gets to hear the entire song as we make our way to the timing mat.

The beginning is always supposed to feel easy. Legs should feel light as if you can run forever. That did not happen. It is hard...why? The race starts will a mile climb up the bridge and my legs feel like concrete blocks. Oh no...this is going to be tougher than I thought. All the days of walking and lack of sleep is having an impact. I just don't feel refreshed. It doesn't help that my

pants keep slipping down. If I have to keep pulling my pants up...it is going to be a long day.  I eventually pull the pant legs above my knees and once I am good and sweaty my running pants stay in place.  As we descend the other side of the bridge I try to take it all in and look at the skyline.  It is a sea of humanity running on the bridge.  I still feel the need to pee and my gut is not the best.  Just have to squeeze my checks and keep moving.  

Once we leave the bridge the fun begins...cheering crowds line the street and boost our spirits.  I decide to take the disgusting Gu that fell on the bathroom floor when I reach for the package...it is gone.  Thank goodness, I will not be eating Gu that was picked up off the  pee covered floor.  I take the only clean Gu pack I have left out of my pouch.  I sure hope it can get me to mile 18, the only place Gu is given out on the course. The early miles are tough, but by mile eight all three waves merge onto the same course for the remainder of the race just as I start to feel strong and in the groove.  I am able to maintain a steady pace throughout with the first mile being my slowest mile of the entire marathon. It is getting more fun

with each mile. The people make the race so much fun.  The music, the signs the cheering crowds make it an absolute blast. I don't even notice the constant drizzle. Who cares that I look like a drowned rat...I want to soak in every mile. There are so many happy people out in the streets to cheer on all the runners. It is a special experience to treasure.  Never mind that at times it is elbow to elbow with other runners and dodging and weaving is required for much of the race and who cares that spectators run right in front of runners as they cross the street.  I don't even mind when other runners push me during the run. It is simply...fun.  I can't relax too much though, I have to keep my eyes on the ground and focus on my footing due to the slippery rain and stickiness from all the dropped cups of Gatorade. There is a lack of running space, as well, with so many other runners.  

The bananas appear at just the right time as my energy level drops. When the man hands me a half of banana it is a Godsend. It gives me the boost I need to keep barreling down the street and over the five bridges. After mile seventeen I think I see a water station up ahead and I pop two Tylenol in my mouth...oops that is not a water stop it is a sponge stop. I run with the two pills in the side of my

check. I only need to make it one mile until the next water station.  Out of nowhere with half a mile until the next water, beer appears.  I swing over and grab a beer to wash down the pills. The crowd roars as I take a beer...they have no idea my motivation...but it is tasty beer! Why is this so fun? I really do not know why...but there is something about  running a marathon that keeps me coming back for more...

The second half of the marathon flies by...I can't believe I am finally at the last bridge. Somewhere around mile twenty, I notice the beanie, I had tucked into my belt is gone! Dang...at least I shed the last unsanitary item.  With three miles to go I feel confident that I will finish in under four hours, but not before climbing up a mile long mean little grade on 5th Avenue before we finally turn into Central Park. The park is full of rolling hills until the finish line. I am having fun passing so many runners...my last marathon in Sioux Falls I gave up a first place age award because I went out way too fast and let runner after runner pass me by the last three miles. I am determined not to do the marathon shuffle in New York and yes, I can confirm...passing is definitely much funner. 

After Columbus Circle, the final stretch is within reach...one final hill to climb.  Coming into the marathon I was hoping to finish under 3:50, but once I get here my goal changes.  I happily cross the line in 3:55:18 completely exhausted. All I need now is water, a medal and a poncho and my trip will be complete. The walk out of the park seems to take forever...Patience is definitely a virtue. Once I have my medal and some water I follow the pack until I finally get bestowed with the coveted poncho. 

I can't thank my mom enough for patiently waiting for me all day. She makes a reservation at a restaurant near by and she has dry clothes for me to change into before we eat...Thanks Mom you are the best.

Enjoying our post run and post wait meal!!!!

The marathon takes up the entire day. I woke up at 4:20 am and by the time we walk back to the the hotel it is after 6 pm. I have no desire to do anything, but shower and crash and that is what we do!

The next morning we are up out and on the move before our flight home...back to the finish line for a quick picture at the Fred Lebow statue, the founder of the New York City marathon.  Shopping in the Pavilion is too crazy, but we have time for a bite to eat at a French bakery. There is always time to eat...

Followed by a peek at Rockefeller Center and the Today Show

...And a Shalane Flanagan sighting at the "Kelly and Ryan Show"

Hey, I have a medal...just like hers!!! My mom and I conquer the big city. I can't say I will be back anytime soon, but I am so thankful I had the opportunity to run the largest marathon in the world. I am especially thankful that my mom was with me on our memorable New York trip. Sorry Mom, we had a few mishaps especially the two hour flight delay coming home. I know getting home at two in the morning is just what you were looking forward to the most! Now that I am all caught up on my sleep...legs, hope you are ready because we  are pacing the Bakersfield marathon tomorrow! Remember...running is fun!