Where do I even start? If you hung with me here awhile, you know I’ve been dreaming about this one for longer than any other marathon. Boston came quickly, before I had a chance to even think it was a possibility. But NYC? I watched that iconic start on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge for longer than I can remember. I summoned the nerve to get in the lottery in 2010. Then I waited, and waited and waited. Granted there were some years in there I hoped I’d not be picked as I was injured or running crappily or something. Thank my lucky stars, I was the last of those grandfathered into the “3 denials and you’re in” clause. So 2014 was my year. I’ll never forget the look on Caveman’s face when he saw the charge come thru on the credit card. “You’re doing what?” For how much??”
I felt like I was the last runner to arrive Saturday morning, but no. My plane was packed with runners headed to the big apple. Let the festival of running chatter begin. So much fun.
We scored a great room at the Hilton Garden Inn that went down in price not once, not twice but 3 times. 5 blocks from the finish line. Meant to be!
Saturday was rainy and grey as we headed to the Javits Center for packet pickup. It was a madhouse and I wanted all the things. I settled for a half zip, hat, kombucha glass and some new (hard to find) Balega Blister resist socks, which in hindsight, I should’ve worn. Cue ominous foreshadowing.
I relaxed in the afternoon then enjoyed a carby dinner at a pizza place I promised myself I’d remember the name of, alas I do not.
Race day dawned as expected: overcast with howling winds. We cabbed to the Staten Island ferry where I was to meet Julie, alas I never found her. Police with bomb sniffing dogs checked our baggage out. This was the first of four times I’d be searched or scanned before making it to the start line. Sad it’s come to this but I appreciate all the effort too.
Ferrying past lady Liberty.
Before long we exited the ferry and boarded buses bound for Runners’ Village. The bus ride was way longer than anticipated. I was so glad I had food with me.
The Village looked like a refugee camp. No tents could be erected due to the extreme winds so there we sat, cowering, on cardboard, plastic, whatever, trying to stay warm. Such a great mix of people. I’d be talking with a pack of ladies from Denmark one minute, a guy from Germany the next. My bus seat mate was from India. Running the universal theme. So cool.
I was rather proud of my throwaway clothes: A giant down parka in baked potato brown I named ‘big nasty’ and some vintage yoga pants with a waist so high it tucked right under my boobs. Super stylin’ but warm.
The canon sounded and the elites went off. All the runners in the village cheered wildly. Every time the canon fired for another wave, all I could think was Hunger Games. Someone’s dead. Haha!
I thought I had all kinds of time but it flew. My corral closed at 10:10. Then it was time to lose my yoga pants and the big nasty and go. We filed like sheep to the bridge. This was it.
Goals: I’m here to soak in and enjoy. I aimed for 10 – 10:30 pace, although this was my goal pre-wind advisory.
The canon sounded and Frank Sinatra’s New York New York blared. Due to the high winds, there was no starting structure to run under. This was freaking it. Surreal. I am here. Healthy. At the starting line I’d dreamed about for so long. What a gift.
The wind was insane. It literally knocked a couple runners near me to the ground. We’d all lurch to the side with the especially strong gusts. We’re talking 25mph headwinds with gusts up to 40mph for most of the race. But I had my head around it. Nothing was going to stop me from enjoying this day. I’ve done heat and hurricanes and blizzards. I hate wind but I know I am stronger than any wind. People were throwing off shirts and jackets and heat sheets and they’d go airborne high in the sky.
The bridge felt effortless. Of course we were going that slow. But who cares?
We came off the bridge and entered Brooklyn. I loved the crowds. Firefighters throughout the entire course parked their trucks on side streets and lined up to cheer. It was awesome.
The miles clicked away faster than in any race I’d ever run. I cruised along. Effortless. But trying to stay around 10 minute miles. All the better to soak it all in.
In the hasidic neighborhood, everyone pretty much went about their business and ignored 50 thousand runners traipsing down the street. I spotted 4 adorable little girls standing on a porch in matching black coats watching though, and waved.
This course doesn’t have steep hills, but rather looooong inclines then looong declines. Mile 9 was a long incline but I loved the gospel choir out on the church steps on Lafayette Ave. I did not love the way my left foot was feeling.
After mile 13 my fuel belt was dry and I had the brilliant plan to stop (on the incline of a bridge no less) to mix some Accelerade powder. So I pulled over and got out my ziploc bag. Powder pretty much blew away. Ha! Nice try, Einstein.
Soon after, I pulled over again for water for the little powder that made it into my bottle. Note to self: No more mixing brew mid-run. This was plain stupid. After this fiasco I fell out of my groove. I felt like I got behind the 8-ball on hydration and just couldn’t get enough to drink at water stations. Maybe it was the wind. The satan’s spawn Queensboro bridge unraveled me further and jacked with my Garmin signal.
Miles 16-20 were on First Avenue. I spotted the Caveman at mile 17 or so. Do not know how I saw him among the crazy throngs. This street is long. With incline. Many struggle here. I did not, although my pace was slipping. Some gusts of wind were so strong they stopped me in my tracks and I walked for a bit. I wasn’t going to waste energy fighting it. The miles were still coming fast. When I got beyond mile 20 I wondered what my body would do. Would my cranky knee hold out? Still I felt so dry and the last gel barely made it down.
When we entered Central Park, the path was so bottle necked I had to walk. I was tired and stabby now. 5 guys jumped in with a girl ahead of me to run. Really? All 5 need to do this? Then two ladies (one with a walker) decided they needed to cross the path in front of the runners. Let’s just say they did not cross quickly. It took way too much effort to get around them. That’s the depletion talking. I knew it. I cracked out my Honey Stinger Chews and packed my cheeks with them. Mouth too dry to dissolve anything. Cheering pathside was Yanni and Tony Randall. Later the Caveman told me Tony Randall was long dead. Apparently depletion makes me see dead celebs.
After mile 23 or so I got angry with myself for slagging and picked it up. I skipped the mile 25 water station. I could smell the finish. Caveman said I looked strong along 6th Ave. before turning back into Central Park for the finish and I felt strong too. The final stretch was lined with flags and bleachers and I knew this was it. I thought of all the times I’d watched the TV coverage of the elites covering this final stretch. It is surreal I am finally here. One last small yet insidious uphill and I finished.
Finish time: 4:35
I didn’t light the world on fire, but that was never the goal. I came to run a pace I could enjoy and soak in everything. Given the conditions, I’m quite happy with how everything went. We got our medals and heat sheets and walked a million miles until us non gear checkers got awesome ponchos. I’m trying to think of how I can wear it again. Maybe I’ll picnic on it or wear it to the school bus stop on rainy days. It is seriously cozy and badass.
The medal and race shirt are stunning. Seriously I love them both. Asics did a great job with all the race apparel too.
Final words: This race is so well done. The expo was great, I loved the course, not the easiest by any means but that’s ok. Crowds and support are amazing. Despite the challenging conditions, it was an amazing day. The runners and crowds together were so joyful and supportive. NYC truly shuts down and embraces this race. Going through the five burroughs and soaking in the flavor and culture of each is something I’ll cherish forever. Nobody runs a marathon in a vacuum. We all have friends and family who make it possible to get the training done. This race felt like a total celebration honoring not only the hard work and dedication of the runners but of friends and family who are our support system. I am grateful for all of it.
Great job finishing strong on such a challenging day. I thought the crowd’s enthusiasm compensated for the nasty weather. What a great race to be a part of!
You are making me want to do it! I love how you ran this race, soaking up the entire adventure of it. And seeing dead actors to boot! Congrats on making the most of it and having a special day out there!
Congratulations on a great race! The conditions could’ve derailed anyone, but you took it in stride and kept your goal in mind. Your recap makes me think how awesome this would be to do someday….maybe, if I can get up the nerve to do a full 26.2:) Enjoy a well-deserved rest!
I would be proud, like you said, you did what you intended, and sometimes it is best to enjoy a race, soak it all in. In fact, sometimes I wish I did that more, I tend to be so serious on race day, and miss a lot of the fun. You did it, and especially in those winds, it was a tough day for all! LOVED reading your final words 🙂
Congratulations again! Way to enjoy a tough day out there–wind is no joke, but you enjoyed yourself anyway as you should have.
Great recap! You make me want to run it. I love that your goal was not to race it but to enjoy it. I think we all need to do more of that with these races!
And lol on the dead celebrity sightings!!!
Love the story – especially the part describing your throw away clothes – sexy – and the hasidic neighborhood! Congratulations!
Honestly Marcia you write the best race recaps! I’m so happy you got to experience this race and enjoyed it. Congrats again!!
I’ve never really had an interest in doing NYCM, but after this race report I must admit I’m intrigued. Or at least getting a poncho.
I am so happy you got to run this after all that waiting! Gah, too bad it had to be so freaking windy! You did such a great job with how bad it was out! 🙂 Congratulations!
When I ran it I thought it was nutso how early you had to get to the starting village but then found out I loved talking to all those different people from around the world! It’s such a blast to hear everyone’s story!!!!
The Queensboro Bridge is evil! 😉
I want to see all your new swag! They do such a great job with it for this race! And the medal is super cool this year!
this just makes me happy- and it also reminded of the dog check! i had forgotten about that one. So glad you still enjoyed the race despite the conditions. hopefully we will see each other at another race soon!
Love this report and AM so glad you loved the race as much as I do. I know there were high expectations and tough conditions but you had the best attitude. Somewhere around Mile 20 I was convinced that you and my other first timer friends may never forgive me. What extra gear did you get? I got a sweeet coffee mug and I love my 5 borough gloves. Got some more for me and my friends!
What tough conditions but oh my gosh – GREAT job! I think that’s an absolutely lovely time given that absurd wind!
Congrats on the finish despite the tough conditions. If there is one race that I would not really care about PRing it would be NYCM since the crowds and the sights are so awesome. It is actually more fun to be on the course longer to soak it all in! I can relate to your thoughts at mile 20 about if your knee would break down in the last 6.2. I have had the same thoughts of “what part of me will break down” dread at mile 20ish during all my marathons! Congrats again!
Great job!! It was a tough day due to the weather, but sounds like you made the best of it!
This is awesome!!! Congrats and great job! I love that your whole goal was to enjoy every minute!
You look so fresh and so happy! Glad for you to have it done and enjoying it all!
I’m glad that you were able to do exactly what you set out to do – run and enjoy that entire race. I was starting to get worried that you had gotten dehydrated – glad you are OK!!!
Hope you had a super time in New York!!
Congratulations on your race! Your report was such a joy to read. I love the outlook you took on the day and the goal to enjoy it.
You didn’t need to light the world on fire in one day – you can do it every day! (That sounds cheesy but I’m leaving it!)
YOU ROCK!!!! Anyone that does a marathon is a winner to me!!! I have no desire! 🙂 What a great recap & something you will always rememebr & cherish!!!!
This was so exciting and inspiring to read. There are plans afoot over here for a contingent of our squad to come over next year to run NY. I’m currently working on my husband. It’s always a good idea to start preparing him a good year in advance.
I have been catching up on reading blogs and as I was going to yours I wondered how your race was. I am glad to hear it went so well! That is great to get started on the right foot with fellow runners on the plane, discounts with the hotel, good food and being put together well!
I was stalking you all day 🙂 SO HAPPY you had such a solid race, because those conditions were chew you up and spit you out brutal. Or maybe I just REALLY hate the wind. This is the one really big marathon that I’d still like to run – NYC is such an amazing city. Congrats!!
Amazing, Marcia! It sounds like such a great race and you were very clearly prepared. When I saw that it was covered on ESPN it was the first time in a long time I wished I weren’t cable free. Love the medal! I do have to wonder why the ladies were even allowed to consider crossing the path of a major race.
I tracked you on my phone.
I feel it is like stalking for run bloggers.
I got so into tracking you all that I am contemplating my no marathons until I get healthier rule, and am thinking about trying the lottery just to see what happens.
I was so proud of how you all did in those horrid, windy, crazy conditions.
Congratulations on a race well done!!!
I am so darn proud of you. What a great recap!
Huge congrats!!! You did great, especially on such a tough day. I wish I had known to look for you. My husband started at the same time and finished in 4:33!! Congrats again on a great race. 🙂
Oh geez Erin! I had no idea you were there! Congrats to your husband! I wonder if I saw him?
I am so happy for you that you got to run NYC! What an experience! Also, I am extra impressed, because that wind was no joke. Those were the worst conditions I remember for the marathon – you’re even more of a rockstar. I still have my fuzzy-lined cape from last year because it was so amazing – I can’t bring myself to throw it out! I’m bummed I didn’t see you – I knew roughly what time you’d be going past since I was tracking you, so I was searching for your face. I was cheering you on regardless. 🙂 CONGRATS!
Congrats! That is an amazing time for the conditions! Great job!
Awesome! Your throw away clothes sound perfect (and stylish) :-). Funny about the cannon triggering Hunger Games thoughts. Crazy about the wind and your drink powder blowing away.
Glad you enjoyed the race. Going in with that goal instead of time makes racing much more enjoyable to me.
Marcia!!! I am beyond thrilled for you, it sounds like a perfect experience, minus the wind! Congrats!!
NYCM is an experience wrapped in a race. I’ve done about 50 races in Central Park but never did the “big one.” Your write up makes me want to think about it.
Sounds like an epic experience!
Joe seriously you need to run this. Put it on the list! 🙂
WOW! Truly amazing and inspiring! I thought of you when I caught some of the race on TV. I am sure this is an experience that stays with you forever (eve though big nasty did not! HA!) Loved the recap!
I finally had some time to read this! Yay! Congratulations again!
The conditions were tough, but it sounds like you handled them well. And going out there to just enjoy it, especially since it is something you wanted to do for so long, is a great plan. This race isn’t on my bucket list, but it is on Mike’s. I hope that he gets to run it someday!
Congratulations!!!! I ran the NYC Marathon this year too (as my first marathon) and we had almost the exact same finish time. I’m trying to figure out a way to wear that poncho again too…