Dave- I loved your RR! A 3-minute positive split is pretty great on a course like NYC. I think the second half is quite a bit harder than the first half and so I think even perfectly run it is a course with a slight positive split. It shows that you really evaluated yourself well, picked a challenging but achievable goal, and paced yourself well throughout, all of which are quite difficult to do in your first marathon. It sounds like you had a great running partner too! I'm glad that your NYC marathon experience was (just about) everything you wanted it to be, and I'll be curious to see what you can do if you decide to take on the distance again in the future.
Congratulations on an extremely well-run race!
I disagree completely with the folks who say the first marathon is a mulligan and you should just run it to finish, blah, blah, blah. It is much more satisfying IMHO to train appropriately and race the damn thing and that's exactly what you did. Did you do it perfectly? Of course not. We never prepare and race perfectly. But, you didn't "just finish." Bully for you.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
What a great RR, thank you for sharing it. Congratulations on a well run race!
Uffda
Wow, what a great job on your debut Marathon! I can fully realize what you went through - things like, what should I feel like at the midway point? What should I feel like at Mile 20? What should I feel like afterwards? All of the things you learned you will definitely use the next time you run this distance. It really is an endurance event. I'm very glad that you ran such a fantastic race at a such huge event. I'm sure you'll have a lot of memories from this.
- Andrew
Thanks Jay!
meaghan - Many thanks. I am sure I will take on the distance again some time, but I'll stick to shorter races for a while. So far, the Brooklyn Half is probably my goal race for next year. If I am not going to run another marathon, I might was well run one of the biggest races around.
LtH - As you know, you are one of the people who inspired me to not just finish. I never really thought I would run a 3:11 this year, but it helped me to know that you were able to achieve that after just a couple years of running. I know I can run faster if I train more and train better, but I did what I could this year and am happy with the results. Thanks for the inspiration. Now, I set my sights on a faster 5K.
Thank you Kimbalion.
Brrrr - Thanks so much. Yes, I do have a ton of memories and I am glad I have written them down. Like all memories, they will begin to fade. I'll look forward to reading about this race when I get ready run another marathon. I am sure there are a lot of lessons I can learn from the experience.
2013 goals: 800m: 2:20 | mile: 4:59 | 5k: 18:59 | 10k: 39:59 | HM: 1:32 | Marathon: 3:20
Dave, I admit that I read your RR a couple days ago. I was so moved by your description of your first experience and so in awe with the result of your race that I wanted to have the right words to express my admiration. But I have no words for you other than you did the right thing, you did great and you are a true champ now in my eyes.
I just love how you approached your first marathon with respect. You went for the best finish time, trained for it and you got there. And that you could do it with another wonderful person/runner such as Julia makes the moment even more special. I know the feeling, I was paced in that way in Boston and it's an experience only runners can understand. But at the end of your RR, I felt some sadness in what you wrote about not crossing the finish line with Julia. My view on this is that even though you may have shared the journey together, crossing the finish line is personal. It is your moment, it is her moment, and maybe it was best that things turned out this way. That's the way I see it. Now I know that when you said that one day you would match all of Brad's PRs, you really meant it. :-) I can't wait for your next marathon! I wish it was sooner than 2016...
Finally, you have the smile of someone who knows exactly where he wants to go and how he's going to get there. The smile of a champion! Congratulations on the fantastic finish time!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Skirt Runner
This report made me tear up a few times. Thank you for sharing. You worked very hard and it paid off!!! You ran a solid race, and you're so fast!!!! That was such a well written, descriptive, awesome RR thank you for sharing! I love that pace band! Congratulations! I have read 6 RRs about NYCM between B&B and L&O and they're all so different and it never gets old! I am doing the 9+1 in 2014 to qualify for 2015 and it is getting me so pumped!
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
Formerly sdnyc99
Dave! You're a NewRo Runner?!? We were probably on the same WRR bus. Small world! I'm Angela - used to post on RWOL often but now I just come here to lurk a bit every couple of weeks or so. Have we met in person (I am awful with names/faces)? I started joining in on NewRo's weekend runs a couple of months ago.
Congratulations on a brilliant first marathon and thank you for the race report. I truly enjoyed reading it.
(and maybe this is why your shirt looks so familiar...)
Angela
SheCan
Ohoh, sorry for being so late to congratulate you, but here it is, many congratulations to you! This is such a terrific time, especially for a debut marathon. Congratulations not just for the race, but also for making yourself really buckle down, and just do it. You're obviously a terrific athlete, and it's nice to see you live up to your talent. Plus, its so neat how supportive you and Julia were for each other through most of the race. That's a great, frameable picture there, too!
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson
happylily - I tend to not be very emotional, but you are bringing tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for your kinds words. I approached this race with specific goals in mind and I went after them. I didn't achieve them all, but I had a wonderful time trying and I truly have no regrets. I was a bundle of emotions (there we go with those emotions again) when I approached the finish line on my own. Part of me felt that it was best for Julia and me to cross the line on our own. This was a big race for both of us and it was very personal for each of us. We are both happy with how the race went and how it ended, but I couldn't process all my thoughts when I crossed the line. I wasn't sure how to feel about it at the time. Now, I am and I am still ecstatic. Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a personal and heartfelt response.
kristin - Thank you! Gee, I didn't mean to make you cry. I agree with you. I love reading race reports and it never gets old. Each person has a different story and approaches races differently. Have fun doing the 9+1 next year. I really enjoyed it and I am sure you will too. I'll probably run the Verrazano Half again next year. If I remember correctly, that is right in your neighborhood. Perhaps we will run into each other.
Hi Ang - Well this is unexpected. I think we were on the same bus, but I am not sure we have met before. Thanks for your kind words. I will pm you. I am sure we will meet soon.
She can - Thank you very much. I have been able get fairly fast in the shorter races running low-ish mileage, but there is no cheating in the marathon. I had to really work, put in the miles and train hard. Honestly, the hard training is just about as rewarding as the result itself. I can run a relatively fast mile without a lot of work. I'm glad I can do that, but I am not proud of it. I was just born that way. I am proud of the work I did to prepare for and run this marathon.
wow, great stuff and congrats! when you do this again, you will really slay this thing. enjoy the recovery and be well.
marathon pr - 3:16
on my way to badass
Still waiting for the perfect race picture. 5K PR-33:52 , 10K PR 1:11:16, First HM 2:42:28