2010 New York City Marathon

2010 ING New York City Marathon...finally!



Staying warm in the Start Village
before the start of the marathon.

 45,000 people.  That is how many entrants there were lined up on Staten Island in the cold, dark morning hours of November 7, 2010.  Yet, for all of the people that were there or arriving by the hundreds, it was very quiet.

I don't have a lot of running experience with which to compare my New York experience, but this one was different all the way.  From the first day of training until the moment I crossed the finish line, this marathon was truly something special and I learned something about myself in the process.

After I qualified for Boston with my marathon time at June's Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon, I had it in my head that I should hold back a bit and not wreck my body for New York. I thought I should save something for Boston in April 2011, since that will be my fourth marathon in fourteen months.

Before I even mention the marathon, I have to say that one of the best parts about the trip was to be able to see new things and go places with Christy and Gabriella.  Gabriella in particular has been very patient and supportive with all of this marathon nonsense, and I really don't think I could do it without her.  The entire week leading up to Sunday, I was thinking about how cool it was going to be to be able to see her and Christy out along the course somewhere.  However, it turns out that the best parts of the trip were all the things that we did together.  (Something to be learned from that)

Race day
Not wanting to be a real-life example of the Seinfeld episode, I had a small amount of paranoia that my alarm wouldn't go off and I would miss my ferry to the start.  Luckily, between two BlackBerries and two alarm clocks we found in the rented apartment, I was able to sleep with confidence that I would up at 4:05 a.m. without any drama.  As it turned out, my eyes opened a minute before the alarms went off.  I got ready, kissed my bride, and headed for the subway on time.


En route to Staten Island...a little inspiration.



Getting to the start village on Staten Island wasn't difficult - it just took a while. I exited the subway in Lower Manhattan at 5:30 and walked a couple minutes to the Staten Island Ferry. After only a short wait there, the rest of the zombies and I boarded the 5:45 ferry and were soon on our way.  Previously, I wasn't sure if there would be any light or not, and I'm glad there was not.  En route, we picked up a little inspiration shining in the dark.  At the other end, we walked to buses and headed the final three miles to the start villages.

To say it was cold would sound like complaining.  Of all the days we were in New York City, Sunday was the best of all them.  It either was pouring rain, was gray and cold, was windy, or was all of the above on each of the other days we were there.  However, it certainly was not comfortable like it has been for every other race I've run, and there was nowhere to go to get out of the chill.  I arrived at the start area at 6:30 and had until 8:10 to turn in my gear bag and move to the start corral, at which time I would have only the sweats I would discard as layers to cover me.  The only thing to do was to burn energy and keep moving around, and have a little hot coffee and hot water.

A little after 9:00, after sitting in the start corral for 40 minutes, we began moving to the start.  I discarded my sweats and had only a beanie and my gloves in addition to my t-shirt and shorts.  With the sun now out and the crowds breaking up the breeze, it actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be.

The start

After all the pre-race formalities, the cannon went off at 9:40 and the race was underway to Frank Sinatra (and most of the runners) singing "New York, New York."

It turned out that I crossed the start line about 3:20 after the gun went off - right as the song was ending.  I could not have planned it better if I wanted to!

The much-anticipated climb off of Staten Island up the first mile of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was (for me) much ado about nothing.  There were too many runners to go out too fast, and the slope up the 160-foot vertical climb was gentle and steady - certainly not as severe as any of the slopes I've trained on.  As I climbed and especially when I got to the top, I moved to the side so I could take in the amazing views with an eye toward Manhattan and the eventual finish.

Brooklyn
Coming off the bridge, it didn't take long to arrive into the middle of thousands of cheering fans hollering and clapping.  I think I high-fived most of the people along the right side of the course for about 6 miles and waved at the rest.  I was conscious of my pace the whole time, noting that I was going faster than planned but feeling good - a decision I would question later.  Brooklyn was wall-to-wall people all the way to the halfway point of the marathon, the Pulaski Bridge.  In retrospect, all the support was inspiring but the emotion of it was also overwhelming enough to take something out of me somewhat.  As I crossed the bridge headed for a quick trip through Queens, I thought that I might have to be careful to keep my emotions in check.

Queens, Queensboro Bridge
It was only two short, very turny miles through Queens, but there were still a lot of people.  I feel like I missed a lot of the atmosphere of Queens, though.  All I could think about was getting across the Queensboro Bridge to Manhattan and "my people" waiting for me on the other side.

Just after Mile 15, I began the climb up the bridge.  It suddenly got very quiet, and I instantly missed all the noise that I thought was tiring me out before.  Now all I could hear was the sound of struggle around me as some runners began to test their limits.  I was reminded of the last few miles of the Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon out on Fiesta Island.  It was warm, there were no spectators, and people were dying out there.

All I wanted to do was get off that damn bridge.

Manhattan, The Bronx, and Manhattan again
I could hear the crowd before I saw it.

After a nice downhill descent back to ground level,  I reached Mile 16 and left the bridge to even more people than were in Brooklyn.  Six to ten people deep along the sidewalks, the crowd was screaming and hollering and cheering.  I waved and they cheered louder, and it filled me up with emotion and energy.  Thousands of people cheering for me (and, yes, I know also for the other runners, too).

A couple of minutes later, I looked at my Garmin and noticed I was running a sub-7:00 pace.  Holy crap!!  Combined with the downhill of 1st Avenue, the emotions lit a booster rocket about 9 miles too early!  It took me the better part of the next mile, but I finally got myself slowed down where I needed to be and started counting down the blocks to the northeast corner of 1st Avenue and 85th Street.

Luckily, the crowd was all running on the left side of 1st Avenue - I have no idea why.  However, it was perfect.  As I passed 83rd Street, I moved to the right with no one else around me and began to search for the hot pink scarf wrapped around Gabriella's neck.  There they were!  I coasted to a stop and said my hellos, dropped off my hat and gloves I had stuffed into my pockets in Brooklyn, and got a kiss before taking off again.

That was the best part of the entire race.

Within a couple miles, I was crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge into The Bronx.  Mile 20 was ahead, and I was now beginning to feel pain which was gently masking the exhaustion.  The people of The Bronx were loud and proud did everything they could to push us on.  It wasn't their fault I didn't want to see them at all...I just wanted to get to Manhattan and get to the finish line.  I crossed the Madison Avenue Bridge and Mile 21, pleased to have my feet back on the ground in Manhattan.

It was about this point that a few doubts were creeping into my head.  My feet were in pain.  I knew I had a blister developing on one of my toes.  My legs were screaming.  The damn European runners kept cutting me off on the turns.  I actually thought about how good it would feel to stop, and quickly realized that I would still be in pain and would have failure piled on top of it.  I pressed on, but allowed my pace to drop a bit.  I was ahead of schedule and could afford to do it.



Smiling or just in pain???



At Mile 22, I ran around Marcus Garvey Park and could finally see 5th Avenue stretched before me.  It is a straight shot down 5th Avenue and into Central Park.  I was getting close, right?  In the distance, I could see the Plaza Hotel at the southeast corner of the park and knew we had to get to that point before we went around the south end of the park after Mile 25.  The Plaza looked as far away as Pluto...and it was uphill.

Pain.

And I knew then that I need to walk for 15 to 20 seconds to get my head back in check.

 I started again....legs screaming, people cheering.  We got to Central Park and shortly thereafter passed Mile 23.  Just a 5k from here...no problem.  A mile later, we entered the roads of Central Park and its rolling hills, and I knew I needed one more break before pushing through.

Just before Mile 25 is a vicious uphill.  I had seen it a couple days before and knew it was coming, and I picked that spot for my final gut-check.  After about a 30 second walk, I neared the top of the hill and took off.  Running around the south end of the park, the crowds got even louder and more thick.  Runners were struggling trying to feed off their energy, and I just pointed my gaze straight ahead.

We turned north and reentered the park.  Mile 26 was just ahead on a downhill stretch, and I passed it and started running as fast as I could.  The last 0.2 miles was going to get everything I got because there were grandstands full of people waiting for all of us to come through as fast and as hard as we could.  I couldn't even feel the uphill into the finish line as I waved and acknowledged the support from the stands.

3:27:52 after singing "New York, New York" on Staten Island, I was crossing the finish line and stumbling through the finish area.

Mission Accomplished.

NYC: Weeks 12, 13 & 14

The New York City Marathon will be my eighth running event this year.  Eight...  Ocho...  Whoa...

It will be the third marathon.  Combine that with two 10k's, one 10 miler, a 7k, and a half marathon and it might appear to some that I've become an addict.  I know, thanks to my Garmin, that those races plus training and recreational runs total 119 runs spanning 894 miles for an average of about 7.5 miles per run.  And its October.  Depending how much I run after New York, I might break 1000 miles this year.

The last three weeks were filled with some ups and downs caused both by running and outside factors that affected my plan.  Some of the downs were self-inflicted, which makes it easier to figure out who to blame.  I leave for New York in a few days, not really sure where I stand but taking solace that I am not going there to try to get another PR.  More on that below.

Week 12 was fantastic.  Where I otherwise would have had a long run on Sunday, I backed off a bit during the week and ran the Fans on the Field 10k on Saturday, October 10.  I was not planning to set a 10k PR, but I felt great and ended up shattering it by 2:22 by running a 6:56/mile pace.

On the road for most of Week 13, I got a total of 13 miles in but then thanks to some bad planning, bad luck, and bad decisions I got sick and wasn't able to complete my last long run of 20 miles on Sunday.  I was feeling pretty low for that and lots of other reasons and it affected (and is still affecting) my confidence.  However, I can change it...I can only vow to not repeat it.  Any of it.



Central Park, New York City



Week 14 should have been the first week of my three-week taper, but I had to get that 20-miler in or I would have gone crazy.  Even though it meant two-week taper, I'm glad I did because it was a grunt and I was a bit sore for a couple days.  As long as I allow my body to heal a bit and help it as much as I can, that extra endurance could be the difference between enjoying my run on November 7th and contemplating a jump into the East River.

 Most of all, I am lucky to have my support team coming with me.  My girls are the best - and although I know we are all going to love New York, my guess is that they probably would love it more if we were going there purely for fun and not because I was running the marathon.  Of course, they may end up at Bloomie's and I'll see them sometime after the race is over!  :)  But just knowing they are there is what got me through my first marathon in the desert in January...and to my PR in San Diego in June...and will no doubt power me out of the Bronx and into Central Park in ten days.

Not to get too far ahead of myself, but I'm registered for Boston on April 18, and I now have my travel and airfare arranged.  Training starts on December 27.

NYC: Weeks 10 & 11

Week 10....well, it bit.  While it started off well, and I was able to get in a great 10 mile run around Craig, Colorado after a work trip, I got the crud after that and wasn't able to do my long run on Sunday, September 26.  After stressing out about it for a couple days, I was reminded that:

1. I am running the New York Marathon for fun -  and not trying to set a PR, and;
2. Running is supposed to be fun no matter what...and not something to be stressed about. It mostly defeats the purpose!

Advice taken.  Attitude checked.

Week 11...I was still feeling a bit cruddy, but got in four miles on Tuesday in Alamosa, where I met one of the largest dogs I have ever seen in my life out on a county road in Dumpsville, Colorado.  I seemed to want to nibble on my hip pocket so I conjured the Dog Whisperer and gave it a strong "SHHHT!" sound.  Stopped it dead in its tracks.  When I pointed back to the trailer from whence it came, it turned around and when back, leaving me free to start breathing again.

In Montrose, Colorado on Thursday I got in 9 more and got back in schedule today with 18 miles.  It occurred to me this morning that I have seem some beautiful things in my runs around the state over the last couple years - things I never would have seen had I not started running in the first place.

That's the kind of stuff that makes it fun.

*****

I now know that in New York, I will be wearing Bib #9578.  I'll be in Blue Wave #1, Corral #9, and will start at 9:20 a.m.  Estimated finish time around 12:50 p.m. EST.  I'm bummed I won't be in the same wave as Erin and Kathleen (both Green), but we have to travel to Staten Island separately anyway.

34 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes......check out the course map!

NYC: Week 9

Climbing the ladder

"There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness. Many a runner has crossed it."   -Dean Karnazes

On Sunday - and for the next three out of the next four Sundays - the long runs get longer, maxing out at 20 miles in Week 13.  Nothing feels better than wrapping up that last long run before the marathon, but there are still a lot of miles between now and then.

This past Sunday, it was 14 miles, and it was the longest one since I had to pull up in the 14th mile of a planned 16-miler a few weeks ago and then battled a tight Achilles tendon and related calf muscles all the way up to Labor Day.  This time around: no problem.  The last three miles were a grunt, most likely because it was warm, and I also wasn't fueled quite enough and may have even been a tad dehydrated.  I've gotten better at stamina during warm (70+ degree) runs, but after a long football Saturday I wasn't 100% ready for a long run before a long football Sunday.

****

When I was out this time, I started trying to keep track of all the random things that were going through my mind so I could break it all down later and try to figure out why I was thinking most of them.  It is odd, but it seems like by the time I turn the last corner at the end of my run I have some sort of amnesia about almost all of it.  I think I know why.

There is no way that I could spend the whole time evaluating how I feel during long runs.  If I did, I'd probably feel like turning around to go home and have a beer and cheeseburger.  Unlike a lot of people, I don't have a running partner - someone that can kick me in the butt if I started complaining or dragging.  That is more of a blessing than a curse, though, and I am not complaining about it.  I have to find the motivation from within to keep pushing on, as I have had to do during the two marathons.  (The added bonus at marathons is having crowd noise and loud music)

I also am lucky to have a very supportive family - especially Gabriella and Christy, who have been at the finish line for both marathons.  Although, I'm afraid that they have had to deal with my one-track mind most of the time and general lack of ability to talk about anything else.  They are troopers.

So I guess I'll just take the random thoughts during long runs for what they are...chewing gum for the mind.

NYC: Week 8

Food coma

Week 8 started off on Labor Day with the Park to Park 10 Miler.  Halfway through the training is a great time for a half-marathon or something close to it.  Given all the previous issues I had been having, I wasn't planning on it being very memorable.  It seems like every time I think that is precisely when I surprise myself.

I was cruising early - maintaining about a 7:15 pace - but most of that was downhill and through City Park.  Once exiting City Park at about Mile 3, there is a long slow decent down 17th to Mile 4, which is where the climb begins.  My pace dropped to about 7:20, but I still felt pretty good.  Miles 6 & 7 after Cheeseman Park are downhill, and i was able to recover.  At Mile 8.5, I entered Washington Park and was still cruising, but with over a mile to go I didn't want to kick too early.

I can only blame myself, but I was goaded into picking up my pace by a guy I had been jockeying back and forth with the entire race.  I knew the last mile was fast, but as we sprinted the last quarter mile, I didn't realize we were doing it at a 6:50 pace.  I crossed the line in 1:12:09 - a PR by about three minutes representing a 7:12 pace.  Definitely in the New York Groove. (Run details: Garmin Connect - Park to Park 10 Miler)

Personal plans often make it hard to stick to training plans.  I only ran one time the rest of the week, and that was a five mile run in high heat and humidity in Seguin, Texas.  I was schedule for a 12 mile run Sunday, but all the food and beer from a weekend trip to watch Wyoming play Texas almost put me in a food coma.

I'm not too concerned about it, as I'm afraid even if I would have been 100%, I couldn't have lasted long in the heat and humidity.  The only disadvantage is that I am behind on my long, endurance runs and have to jump from 10 last Monday to 14 this coming Sunday in order to start climbing the ladder before New York City.

I'm halfway to New York City.  8 weeks down, 8 weeks to go.

NYC: Weeks 6 & 7

Back in the New York groove

I'm late on week 6 but early on week 7 so I thought with the holiday weekend upcoming, I would combine the two and get on with Wyoming's season opener in Laramie tomorrow.

Basically, I struggled the first six weeks.  Between the heat, some nagging injuries, poor sleep and diet, and just general malaise, I was dragging.  This week was a turn-around week, though, and just in time.  I have the Park-to-Park 10 Miler on Labor Day and then all my long runs on Sunday start getting longer all the way until week 13.  I've eaten better and slept better, for the most part, and finally feel like I'm back on track.

Next weekend's long run will be in Texas, since I'll be there for Wyoming vs. Texas, and I'm quite sure running at 450 feet above sea level will feel pretty darn good!

NYC: Week 5

Holy COW!

It turns out the cramp in my calf that cut my long run short last Sunday was a bit more than a cramp.  Readers' Digest version: I'm convinced now that the "little twinge" I felt in my Achilles during the San Diego Marathon was a bit more than a twinge and has never actually healed up.  From the base of my heel to my calf is sore and tight as a drum.  Between that and having a 10-k on Saturday, I took a slower week than normal and with fewer miles.

Moo.

Last year, I had done basically nothing after my first ever half-marathon in June - the Rock N' Roll Seattle.  I decided I would run the City of Westminster's Holy COW Trail Stampede since it happens literally in my backyard, and it kicked my butt!  I was not in good shape, and it was a motivator to get in gear for my first marathon in Phoenix four months after that.

I haven't exactly been tearing it up the last few weeks, which is just fine, but I definitely wanted to do better than last year.  I also didn't want aggravate the calf strain.  I stretched it out for a good twenty minutes before the race, and I had a little extra boost since Gabriella was there with me to do the 5-k. :-)

My first step off the line, I felt a lovely little pain shoot up the back of my leg but fought it off.  It got a little better as it warmed up some more, but it definitely slowed me down.  It was also hot and sunny again so I took a measured pace and knew right then there would be no PR's.  It was a good run, and even though I thought about stopping to stretch a couple of times, I gutted it out.  Turns out I finished 12th overall and brought home a silver, second place cowbell for my 30-39 year old division.

Not bad for a gimpy, almost-40-year old man.  This week, I'm taking a couple days off to let things heal and shortening the Sunday long run.  It's early in the training grid, and I do NOT want to screw up NYC.

NYC: Week 4

Since when is finishing not a goal?
I think I am pretty much over the "lack of a goal" thing, as I realized yesterday just how lucky I was to have finished two marathons, let alone qualify for Boston in the second.  It is not that came easily, but I may have taken in for granted in by getting greedy and wanting more.

Yesterday, I was scheduled to do a 16-miler to get caught back up on my training program.  I missed my 10-miler in week one, and did it in week two in place of a 12-miler, etc.  I had a pretty good week and thought I would just get back on track.  I ended the day asking myself, "How is it, exactly, did I make it 26.2 miles - twice?"

Blazing hot sun

Actually, it was a good run - but I started late and started getting very hot by the 8th mile.  I was going through my Cytomax pretty quickly and still feeling pretty dehydrated.  By the 10th mile, I was starting to develop a small but noticeable cramp in one of my calves.  I stopped and stretched, but it stuck around.  I slowed down a bit and pushed through to the 13th mile, but I was out of gas and cramping.  I pushed on through to the 14th mile and called it a day.  With 12 weeks to go to New York, I can't fathom any reason why getting hurt would solve anything.  However, as a matter of pride (as well as the fact I still had two miles to get home) I walked a mile and jogged the last one.  So, in a way, I guess I still got my 16 in.  It wiped me out for the rest of the day, though.

I am reminded of a couple of pretty important things, as I gimp around on Monday morning.

1. Get your butt out of bed and run before it gets too warm!
2. Hydrate or die
3. It is an achievement to finish any run, and maybe that ought to be a good goal for NYC. (The time will take care of itself)
4. Pat yourself on the back for stopping when there is no rational reason not to.

The timing is good. I've got a bit of a recovery week that is capped off with the Holy COW Westminster Trail Stampede right in my backyard on Saturday.

NYC: Week 3

Suffering from lack of a "goal"?

It dawned on me this last week that I am training for the New York City Marathon without a clearly identifiable target or goal and that might be hurting my motivation a bit. After all, the goal in Arizona was to finish and to try to do it under 3:30.  Mission accomplished.  The goal in San Diego was to finish under 3:21 and qualify for Boston. Mission accomplished.

There is no doubt about it, though.  All those miles training and only short break after Arizona before I started training for San Diego left me a bit dinged up.  New York is just going to be about experiencing the atmosphere and soaking up the flavors of the five boroughs.  But maybe that is not enough.  And setting a goal time that is slower than either of the two marathons I've already run seems like going backwards.

I might have a problem...

There is no way that I could continue to improve on my times each marathon I run. That might have been realistic had I started at 23 and not 38.  While breaking three hours would be an outstanding goal, that is a goal that is outside my capabilities now and probably forever.  Ten years ago, maybe....today, not a chance.  So for now, I have to try to figure out what it is going to be to motivate me to train right for New York.  I have not figured it out yet.

This was a good week, nonetheless.  While I had to push things back a day and missed a short 4-miler that would have otherwise been on Friday, I made up for it with 12 miles and hills on Sunday. Running west from my house on the Big Dry Creek Trail leads me on an 350 foot climb over 6 miles to the top of Standley Lake Reservoir.  Throw in warm temperatures and humid conditions, and I got a great workout.  It also felt better than last week's ten-miler, which gave me some comfort.  So far, the feet and ankles are holding up...I hope that is a trend that continues.

NYC: Week 2

Week 2 was a much better week.  I have new shoes with a different structure, and I got all my scheduled runs in for a nice 25 mile total for the week.  Early in the week, I spoke to the orthopedist who said that changing my shoes, stretching better, and icing after every run is about all that she recommends at this point and that there was no reason to stop running.  Only if things start to hurt to I have to stop, but I have intentionally chosen a much less rigorous training schedule this time around.  I've already qualified for Boston, and I'm not going to be setting any PR's in New York.

On my Sunday long run, I was shocked at how tired I got.  Granted it was much warmer and humid than I am used to running in, but I had to grunt out the last couple miles to make it 10!  It is amazing how fast you can lose your base after just a couple of weeks of goofing off, like I did after San Diego.  However, I came to the conclusion that I needed that break not just mentally but also because I did injure myself in that marathon.  I have aches and pains I didn't have before San Diego that I can trace to "twinges" and "tweaks" I felt as I was running San Diego.

With 14 weeks to New York and a less intense training plan, I'm not too worried.