Another NYC Race Report -- Long (Read 631 times)

Let me start off by writing that running the NYC Marathon has been something I have wanted to do most of my life. I grew up outside NY and would spend every first Sunday of November celebrating my Grandfather's birthday first in the Bronx and later in NYC a few blocks away from the finish line. I was excited and scared when I got late in August because I was having a bunch of set backs (back and hip) after the NJ Marathon in May but I could never turn down an invitation to run this marathon! I went in Saturday morning with my neighbor who runs fast enough to qualify to get in. We were going to drop our bags off at the hotel and surprisingly they let us check in at 10 a.m.! Great start to the weekend! We then went straight to the expo where we picked up our race packets and walked around. Tons of people so we didn't stay too long because it was hard to get around. After that we decided to lay low and go back to the hotel and watch movies until it was time for dinner. Had dinner and went to sleep early. After 2.5 hours of sleep (midnight) I woke up and that was it! I was up and so I just hung out until the alarm went off at 4 a.m. I wasn't upset about it -- I just rested and made the best of it. We walked 2 blocks to the library and got on the 5 a.m. bus to Staten Island. Arriving at Staten Island was quite a sight. People milling around and looking for a spot to camp out. It was only 5:30 and freezing! We had a long wait ahead of us. We found the Blue tent and grabbed a spot. Had we really thought ahead we would have brought more clothes, blankets, garbage bags, anything! The ground was COLD. We laid down for awhile and after the sun came up everyone started talking. It was incredible . . . we were listening to everyone and no one was American. We finally took a poll -- Italy, France, Venezuela, Germany, Holland, Wales, Ireland, Morocco. At about 7 a.m. my friend headed off to her start area (she was starting at 9:40) and I was on my own. I was really nervous about this -- my start time was 10:20. Very late for me. I was peeing too much and eating more than I usually do. Not sure what to make of this and just hoped it wouldn't cause problems later. After almost 5 hours of sitting outside in the cold I just wanted to start. Finally, Wave 3 was called. I made my way to the front and soon we were off. It was absolutely incredible! Had a minor setback at mile 2 when I went to take a sip from my Ultima and I had lost one of my bottles already. Oh well! I can honestly say that I do not remember the first 10 miles. So many people, music, sites. So far nothing was hurting but I knew I was starting to get alittle tired because I was wasn't paying attention to my pace. I felt good and was on target for the 4:15 that I wanted. Mile 16 was tough. You cross the Queensboro Bridge and it is just an endless slow climb. I took a minor walking break and then started running again when I heard the crowds cheering. Things continued but I was definitely starting to slow down. My back started hurting (from the previous injuries) and I decided that finishing was all I wanted. At mile 20 I was ready to finish. Maybe it was because I was in areas that I recognized and in my head knew how much further I had. I was alternating between hot and freezing depending on the wind. At 22 I started getting some minor legs cramps which meant I had to start a walk/run remedy -- luckily it was more running than walking. Coming up towards Central Park I had my only celebrity siting . . . Michael J. Fox was outside his building with one of his kids! As I entered the park I called my friend (who ran 3:39) to tell her I was almost there. And finally I saw it . . . the finish line! Tears started to stream and I was so happy! Getting that medal was just the best feeling! My time was 4:25:48. Not bad given the last 4 miles. After the race was over and dealing with baggage pick up, chip, etc. was miserable and long. We then couldn't find a taxi and walked 2 miles back to the hotel to pick up our bags. We were exhausted but so happy we did it. I can honestly say that I loved this day (the good and the bad) and I hope to run NYC again one day. Thanks for reading this report. This is actually my first real RR so I my thoughts are all over the place. Thanks also my wonderful and supportive friends in the LLR! MTA: Just wanted to also write how cool it is that you get your name in the NY Times! The marathon addition is definitely a keeper.

We laid down for awhile and after the sun came up everyone started talking. It was incredible . . . we were listening to everyone and no one was American. We finally took a poll -- Italy, France, Venezuela, Germany, Holland, Wales, Ireland, Morocco. That struck me, too. God, the wait was ENDLESS on SI - and I got there just after 6 for a 9:40 corral. They ran it great though: I had no wait for any portopotty - and believe me, I used 'em. Coffee, food, water. All well done. Congrats on your race!

Way to go Sara! The race is definately special and the crowd is just great. It's amazing how many people are from other countries. The staging areas seemed like an Olympic village with the loud speakers making announcements in various languages and if you can think of a country I'm sure you'd find a runner from it.

CONGRATS SARA!!!! AWESOME JOB! Very cool that you got to run NYC! Great report hun Enjoy your recovery!

Sara: Congratulations on an amazing finish and wonderful race report. I'm sitting here wondering if/and hoping that someday I can be writing my own marathon race report. You give me tremendous hope - thank you for that... dari

Congrats, Sara!

Dear Sara, Congrats! This is one of my goals too - I grew up around mile 23 - its great to know that you achieved yours. Your report was dreamy. Bask in the glow! A

There is nothing quite like the New York marathon. What a great experience, to have that be your first one! Great report and awesome finish time too. Congratulations marathoner.