On Sunday, November 6, 2011, I ran my first NYC Marathon. Whoa, what an experience! Over 47,000 people started the race and over 46,000 finished. There was no half option to bail out to if you got tired. The streets were crowded, the energy was high, and the weather was perfect. At 10:40am ET, the last wave of runners passed over the Verazzano Narrows Bridge with me in tow, and just over 5 hours and 12 minutes later, I crossed the finish line. I crushed San Diego by 14 minutes.
Overall, I finished much stronger and felt better the whole race than last time. I discovered that I probably race more conservatively than I could, because I am so protective of my health. The crowded course really affected me mentally and physically, as I darted and dodged to keep up my pace. The support from the crowd was AMAZING (more on that later) and the course was incredible. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool. In all, an incredible experience.
The start of the race was on Staten Island, basically a 2 mile long bridge, so one up and one down. Of course there were guys peeing off the bridge on the downhill side so I was glad to be on the upper deck of the bridge. It was just us runners here, with the helicopters recording our progress and the NYFD boats spraying water into the air to cheer us along. Then we turned off the bridge into Brooklyn and the wall of sound began. People were stacked up 3 to 5 deep, cheering us on, playing music, offering free beer. It was so motivating, no one stopped to walk until well past the 5K mark.
The 10K (6.2 mile) mark passed quickly and easily for me, right on target pace, smiling and high fiving the crowd. Clinton Hill (mile 9-ish) was where the hills started getting to me, not slowing me down, just making me notice. Very few places where the streets weren't packed with spectators, especially anywhere we passed under a bridge, where the cheering echoed and reverberated at least twice as loud as in the open. I cruised up to the Pulaski Bridge, and crossed the halfway mark (13.1 miles) into Queens feeling strong, though the crowded course was starting to get to me.
Mile 15, WHOA! Here comes the Queensboro bridge. A full mile uphill again. When we hit the top, a huge group of us smiled, nodded, and cheered in victory. Complete strangers, we had offered each other encouragement over that tough mile, and we bonded in victory. At the bottom of the bridge was a line of port-o-cans with no lines, so I stopped for a quick bathroom break. Then it was into the wall of sound entering Manhattan for the first time. Incredible; like a giant frat party for runners. I can only imagine how it feels for ball players to hear the crowds cheering them on.
At mile 18, some guy shoved me, hard, and almost knocked me down at the water station. He found out the hard way that I am no wilting flower as I grabbed the back of his shirt and let him know that's no way to treat a lady. I don't know whether he finished or not. I did not hurt him, but I think he went to the next porta potty. After that, I sucked down a Gu and slowed down as I discovered that chocolate mint is not my flavor. Started feeling better as we moved north into the Bronx and picked it up again. Until.... mile 21..... as we crossed back into Manhattan..... the guy next to me threw up on my foot.
I was so grossed out, I thought I was going to lose it. Then I remembered I had already come over 21 miles and only 5 to go. I was NOT going to let this stop me and I knew if I got sick to my stomach I was done. On went my game face. I did not look at my shoes and pulled my shirt up over my nose until the water station. A volunteer tried to stop me, but once she realized what had happened, she helped me. I grabbed a full jug of water and started dumping it on my feet. Blisters be dammed, I was finishing this race. She told me I was one tough mama and I was back off again.
Coming through Harlem around mile 22, a little girl really wanted to high 5 me. I cruised on by because my gloves were kind of icky by this point. Crying, she asked her mother how come the runner wouldn't give her a high 5. It broke my heart, so I turned around and told her the truth, I'd been using my gloves to wipe my nose and didn't want to give her germs. So I took off one glove and gave her a high 5 to make her day. Her mother was very appreciative that I had turned around to make a difference for her little girl! That gave me all the energy I needed to push down 5th Ave.
For anyone who checked my splits, there was a second bathroom break around mile 23. The cans were on the wrong side of the tape, and spectators were helping runners to keep from tripping when they crossed over. New Yorkers are so helpful that way!
Back out on the course, we turned into the park and it was hill city! Also, being the first day after the time change, the sun was coming down fast and blinded us for the first 1.5 miles in the park. People were trying to cross the road between runners and looked so confused as to why we weren't trying to avoid them. Hello! 1) We've been running for 24+ miles already and 2) we can't see you for the sun in our faces.
As we turned onto 59th with less than a mile to go, I was a little loopy. For some reason, I thought they had turned us out on Central Park West and was worried we would have to cross back over the other runners. I thought maybe that was who was trying to cross over the course. I kept thinking I should have had more than one Gu, but I was not about to try to stomach one now. Then I saw Columbus Circle and the turn back into the park right after the .5 mile marker and all was well. It was just low blood sugar panic, whew! I started a slow pickup to run past the bleachers at the finish line with spirit and strength. When I hit the last hill with 200 yards to go, it was all out. I sprinted to the finish with my hands in the air and a huge smile on my face.
I was bummed that I didn't make my time goal, but would have been more realistic if I'd known about the crowds. Also if I'd known that I would constantly have to stop and pull something off the bottom of my shoe! Among other things were a half finished Gu at 10K, a dried apple at mile 17 (that one KILLED my arch), and someone's cast off pace band at mile 20. It's hard to pull industrial strength tape off the bottom of your shoe at mile 20, trust me. I was hopping all over the place like a jumping bean. The course tested me, what with the crowded streets, the hills, being shoved and puked on, but I won in the end. I finished.
After the death march to the bag check trucks the race organizers assure you is good for you, I hobbled out of the park at 77th, met DH at 66th, then walked slowly down to the 59th St subway station where I crammed us into a completely packed #1 train for the ride back to the hotel. I pressed my fingertips hard against the roof of the train for balance since there wasn't even room to hold on to anything. So many congratulations for those of us wrapped up in those orange and blue space blankets, clutching our finisher food bags and proudly wearing our medals. All holding on to whatever we could for balance as the train rocked its way back downtown. What an amazing experience! New York, you rock!
