Race Report: New York City Marathon 11/7/10

Folks have been asking for a more detailed report of the race, so here I go. I stayed in Manhattan the night before so I wouldn't have to get up so early to make the 6:15am bus (but the extra hour helped). Our bus took awhile to get to the start, which was fine. That meant more time inside and near a bathroom. We arrived at Ft. Wadsworth around 7:45, which gave us plenty of time to wait. Wave 3 didn't start until 10:40am. The start was a mob scene, so we just found our meeting place and sat down, trying to stay calm and focused.

Fast forward to 10::40am. The wind on the Verrazano Bridge felt like knives cutting through me. I thought if I could make it through the first mile, I would be good to go. I had a pair of Dad's tube socks on my arms. I planned to take them off when we left SI, but I kept them on the whole race. It was cold!

I love Brooklyn. Everyone on 4th avenue had tons of energy. There was a whole group of us Galloway run/walkers together through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Park Slope. I missed a friend at mile 6, but saw another at mile 7.5. A very kind person gave me a mini snickers bar somewhere around there. Delicious. My fabulous family was at mile 8 holding a giant sign that made them impossible to miss. We had time for a quick photo and some hugs and I headed onward to Lafayette, where I saw two more friends around mile 8.5/9. Coincidentally, they were right next to each other. R had a big M taped to her coat, which was awesome. I missed another friend right before them, but she texted me and said she'd seen me pass by. The crowds in Fort Greene and Bed Stuy were fabulous, and every friend I passed propelled me forward. At that point, three of us broke off from the rest of the group and kept on. Once we reached south Williamsburg, things got much quieter. It was a nice change before the craziness of north Williamsburg. We passed a bunch of bars on Bedford, all overflowing with celebrating spectators. A guy yelled that I was "effing beautiful." I'm sure that was totally accurate. He'd had a few beverages AND it was mile 11 of a marathon. Right. We passed through Williamsburg to Greenpoint and checked another borough off the list.

We crossed the Pulaski Bridge into Queens, still going strong. The first 12 miles passed very quickly, but we started to notice the distance after that. I saw three dear friends in Long Island City and my darling neighbor from 2 years at CUSSW by the base of the Queensborough Bridge (aka the bridge of doom). Their cheers and hugs propelled us up the hill (miles 14-15). The bridge feels endless and there are no spectators up there, only the noise of feet. The three of us were still together when Lynn, fabulous pace group leader, caught up with us. Our little group exited the bridge and turned onto 1st avenue, where Lynn's sister was waiting for us at 61st street. The peanut m&ms she had were delicious. (To a certain extent, I measured the miles by the candy I ate).

Three boroughs down. Two to go! First Avenue in Manhattan was not as crazy as I remember in 2006, but the crowds were still very supportive. We had a Galloway aid station at 105th Street (mile 18.5ish). I was able to see Mom and Dad there again, sign and all. Better than candy!

Through East Harlem, into the Bronx over the Willis Avenue bridge...The Bronx seemed extra long this year, but I definitely felt better this time than I did at the same point in 2006.

Back in Manhattan, we saw a fellow Galloway teammate near Marcus Garvey Park. She had some sustenance for us, so I had a sip of soda and kept moving. At that point, our group shrank to 3. I felt good, but I wanted to be done. I couldn't think, so I just put one foot in front of the other. On 5th Avenue, Lynn pointed out a giant sign with my name on it and said "I think that sign is for you!" Turns out, it was another dear friend with her husband. Just what I needed! Lynn and Christine stopped around 105 and 5th to use the bathroom, and I knew that if I stopped, it would be hard to start again. I told them I was going on ahead, so I set off alone. As I was about to turn into the park at 90th Street, I heard someone yelling my name. It was Nancy, my superstar pace leader from the days of Team Fireass (2006). I hadn't seen her in 4 years. She gave me a big hug and urged me on. She pushed me through to the finish in 2006, and I loved that she was there to push me the last few miles this year.

I entered the park and kept going. My right calf started to cramp up, but I just told myself it wasn't time to stop yet. The crowd yelled for me (thank goodness for my name on my shirt!) and I focused on their energy to carry me forward. Finally, I exited the park on Central Park South and could see Columbus Circle ahead. I walk that stretch of of street all the time, but it feels so much longer at mile 26 of a marathon! Mom and Dad were on Central Park South. I waved at them and told them I'd see them at the finish. I felt like I had plenty of energy left to kick at the end, and I ignored the last few walk breaks and ran it straight out. It was getting dark and it was cold, so there weren't that many spectators out, but I listened to the cheers and visualized a full crowd. Finally, I crossed the finish in 6:09, five minutes slower than Hartford. Jen and David, my first Galloway friends, finished 2 minutes before me and were there when I crossed. Al Roker was there too. I beat him by an hour (he started in Wave 2). What a great day and a great race!

So what's on deck? More PT, lots of yoga, rest. My goal is to get off the anti-inflammatory medication and stick to shorter distances for awhile. I'd love to do another marathon, but I need to heal first and figure out what is causing all of my injuries. I couldn't have done this without the support of friends, family, and teammates. I appreciate all of you so much. Thanks for helping me prove that 2006 wasn't a fluke!

Done!

Yesterday was a truly amazing day. I will write a longer post later, but for now, a huge thank you to all of the very special spectators who came out to cheer us on. I saw you at mile 7.5, mile 8, mile 9, mile 14, mile 18, mile 20, and mile 25. Lots of love to all of you!