- Finish
- Have Fun
- Break 4:30
- If the stars aligned and everything went perfectly break 4:00
We stayed downtown, actually right across the street from Ground Zero, our view out of our hotel was directly into the construction hole that was once the World Trade Center. That was pretty sobering and really put into perspective how insignificant what we were going to do the next day was.
We had a nice dinner, and then went to bed around 11. I set 3 alarms, knowing that I wouldn’t need them but being a bit obsessive compulsive I felt that is what I needed to do. I woke up around 3am on my own and tossed and turned until the phone rang, cell phone beeped and alarm clock chimed at 5:00.
We showered, got dressed in layers, checked out of the hotel storing our bags with the bellman and headed down the few blocks to South Ferry to catch the Staten Island Ferry. We were a lot earlier then we needed to be, but better than rushing around so we let the first ferry leave. There were thousands of runners descending on the ferry terminal so we decided to take the next one, got a good seat and had a fun ride over to Staten Island. When we got to the SI ferry terminal we decided to hang out there a bit as it was warm and we were early, no sense standing outside for an extra hour. We finally caught a bus over to the start village at the base of the bridge and were amazed at this ‘runner’s city’ that had formed. It was one of the most organized and well planned events I had ever seen. Almost 40,000 runners and plenty of coffee, food and toilets for all. We killed some time, got some coffee and then dropped our post race bag at the UPS trucks to take to Central Park for us and headed to our start corral.
They were doing the start in three Waves 9:40, 10:00 and 10:20 within each of those there were 3 Colors telling you where to go and then Corrals telling you how to line up. We were 10:00 wave, Green, corral E They fired the cannon for the 9:40 wave which included the pros and elites and before you knew it they fired the cannon for our wave. It took us almost 30 minutes to get to actually get to the start line on the bridge from where we were in the corral, but you are wearing a chip so your time started when we crossed the line. It was so cool running across the Verrazano Bridge, the view of Manhattan and NY Harbor was amazing, there was a fireboat with all of it hoses blowing water below the bridge and with the sun it was creating a rainbow. People were stopping and taking pictures, we just settled into a comfortable pace and ran. The bridge was about 2 miles and before you knew it we came down the ramp into Brooklyn, there were some spectators on an overpass and some on the sides of the highway, but nothing like what was to come. When we got into Brooklyn proper the crowd started forming on the sides of the road. It was like a street festival with bands, people cheering, fire trucks, banners, people handing out paper towels (a very handy tissue when you are running in the cold) and kids along the street giving high fives. Each neighborhood in Brooklyn and Queens had its own character, Jewish, Irish, Italian, Hispanic, all lining the course and cheering on the runners like they were all their best friends.
Danielle and I ran the first 10k together, then she said for me to go ahead as she knew I wanted to run a little faster and I didn’t want her to push her pace too early. So we parted after about the first hour, in Brooklyn. After Queens, at about mile 15 I hit the 59th street bridge, over the east river and Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. The Bridge was LONGGGGG and uphill, both ways (it seemed) but I was feeling pretty good. We came down the exit ramp and you could hear this din that was getting louder and louder. We came out on 1st Avenue and it was amazing, lining the sidewalks were people 10 – 20 deep and they were cheering like it was a game 7 of the world series! The bars and restaurants were open and it was one big PARTY! We ran up 1st avenue through the upper east side and Harlem. In Harlem there was a gospel choir on the steps of a church singing and dancing. We crossed a long hard metal bridge at about mile 20 and came down in the Bronx.. (my memory of this section isn’t too good as I was really starting to hurt, so I was getting a bit in my own head to push through) But I do remember people yelling in their best Bronx accent…. Welcome to da Bronx. We came around a corner and there was a giant Jumbotron screen that had your image on it as you ran by. Fortunately the Bronx was the shortest part of the race, and before I knew it we were crossing another bridge back into Manhattan. Through Harlem again, I remember running past a school yard and these kids saw my Team for Kids jersey and started yelling ‘ Go Team for Kids.. Thank You’ it made the fundraising and the marathon worth it. We came down 5th Avenue through one park that I hoped was Central (but it wasn’t) and then started a long slight uphill for what seemed like miles. The crowds were probably even thicker than on 1st Ave, but at this point I was focused on the Empire State Building ahead and covering one mile at a time. We finally hit Central Park with about 3 miles to go. I don’t remember much else except thinking that the mile markers were really far apart. Finally reaching Central Park South we turned in front of the Plaza and could hear the finish line announcements. Mile 26 came and I thought less than a quarter mile to go, it is only once around the track… I picked up my pace and finished strong making sure to give a good finish line hands in the air pose as I crossed. They funneled you through the chute, put a medal around your neck, a foil warming blanket around your shoulders, taped it shut, handed you a bag with food and drink in it and medical were taking people that were not looking so good. As I was running for Team for Kids they had a special reunion area that Danielle and I had planned to meet in. I made it up there and after walking around some more to help redistribute the blood out of my legs and back to the rest of my body found a place to sit down. I ate an apple that was in the bag that they handed me and I swear it was the best damn apple that I have ever tasted in my life. The funny thing was I got
I waited there it didn’t seem too long and my phone rang, it was Danielle calling to say she finished and was on her way to find me. She got there and I got up so she could sit, I realized at that time that the sitting wasn’t the best idea, I was SORE. We had to cross this temporary pedestrian bridge to get over the finishing chute and out of the park, I have never hobbled up and down a set of stairs quite so painfully in my life. We slowly made our way to the westside of the park walked over to Columbus Ave to the Subway station. As we were going up to the ticket machine, the cop at the station in a gruff voice said “If you ran the marathon you don’t have to pay you can go through the gate.” Danielle said wow that is really nice, his response.. ‘Not my rule, if it was up to me I would make you pay.’ We laughed all the way downtown about it.
We got back to the hotel and grabbed our bags and went up to the health club to shower and change. It was the nicest shower that I have ever had. I didn’t want to get out. We had thought about staying in the city that night again, but when I looked at a second night in the hotel, it was $550 per night (I used Hilton points for our first night) so we got changed and caught a cab up to Penn Station to take the train back out to Long Island.
It was an amazing experience, and as tough as the training and actually running it was, I would do it again. The feeling of accomplishment was incredible. It took about 3 days for my legs to feel normal again, we went on Monday and got massages which I think helped the healing process. This week I took off of all training and tried to catch up on some sleep and work. Yesterday morning I went out and rode with some friends we did an easy 40 miles and I felt good. I plan to take it easy on the training focusing mainly on technique until after the first of the year. Then we start training for our next season. Sunday night after the marathon I was icing my legs and went online to check a friend’s split times from Ironman Florida that he raced on the Saturday before we ran the marathon. I was amazed to actually see that they had a registration link up on their website as the full ironman races normally sell out onsite when the open the registration for the next year’s race the day after the race. I think the endorphins were still ‘pumping’ in my body as I clicked the link and signed up for it. So next year I will start my season with a half Ironman in Oceanside, California in April and finish with a full Ironman in Panama City Beach, Florida in November. I will get to run my second marathon, only this time it will be after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike.
