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ING 2010 New York City Marathon!!

November 7, 2010 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 45-50 degrees. bright sun, blue skies

Comments:
Where do I even begin?
The training process over the last 4 or 5 months was intense but also very enjoyable. I would have had an extremely difficult time training for this event had it not been for Lianne and Shannon. I honestly don't know what I would have done. The long runs, the hills, the sacrifice were all made that much more bearable thanks to them. Additionally... Mike Dixon is unfailingly generous and kind. To have "access" to his wisdom and advice throughout the entire process was possibly the greatest gift that I could have received. I owe more than a big thank you to Dixon, and I'm not sure how to justly repay him.

After running the NYRR Half-Marathon Series this year, I think I can claim that I am the only RVRR member for 2010 to run all 5 Borough Half-Marathons AND the NYC Full Marathon in the same calendar year! My apologies if this is not the case, but I'm confident that I am right.

Race day started at 4:45a, and the excitement was already buzzing as I moved around in the pre-dawn hours with purpose, and a slight twinkle in my eye. Layered up and ready to go!! The village at Ft. Wadsworth was a carnival, to be sure, but I did not get the sense that it was chaotic in any way. Shannon Weldy and I claimed our spot, got under the fleece blanket ($13 thank you) and thought about warm locales around the globe. At one point I turned to Shannon and said "sometimes I forget that we're about to run a marathon". To which she replied "Yeah, I feel like we're at a concert, waiting for something to happen". I took it as a sign that we were relaxed.

As the morning progressed, the multi-lingual announcements informed everyone that Wave 1 participants should make there way to the starting area on the bridge plaza. This is when things started to get exciting. Runners were moving quickly to the start, some were lost, some were late, but everyone was moving quickly. Shannon and I took note so that when Wave 2 was announced we would be ready. One last bathroom break (or so we thought) and then we were ready to move to the start. Shannon hit the port-a-potties two more times right before the start, and then we were on the plaza. We were supposed to start in the Orange corrals, but in the excitement we ended up lining up in the Green corrals. Not a big deal, except for the fact that we would run on the lower level of the Verrazano for the first 2 miles. Lesson learned.

The cannon went off and we were on our way! The nerves go away as soon as you cross the start line, and then you focus on the task at hand. The first 4 miles were slow as we warmed up for the long haul. At mile 5 we were on 4th avenue in Brooklyn and settled in at our goal pace. The miles were going by relatively easy, and the day was looking good. We were so happy to see Lianne and Dixon at mile 8! They jumped in and ran for a short while, took some pictures, and gave us such a great boost! The pace slowed again soon after that as we moved through the narrow streets of the Brooklyn neighborhoods. We randomly ran in to Pia and Ryen LoPresti around mile 9, and had a brief celebration. The four of us ran together for a while until Shannon started to get a stitch in her side. It was pretty painful and held her back a bit. She was a trooper and continued to run, but the pain was not subsiding. At mile 16 we drifted apart and continued the race separately. The long run up first avenue in Manhattan was the first time that I felt tired. Mile 18 was tough, but I knew that Central Park was getting closer. Mile 20 is usually when people hit the wall, but I had no such experience. I was tired, but I felt good. I ran the last 10k at a faster pace than the first 20 miles of the race. I must have passed at least 1,000 people that were dying, walking, or stretching. Hitting the park was great because of all the races that I've done there, I knew exactly what to expect. Rounding the last corner at Columbus Circle, I began to get the chills. This is really happening... I am about to finish the New York City Marathon! I made sure to look around, soak up the crowd, look up at the crisp blue sky. Then, finally, the finish line was in front of me. I was so happy to cross that line... it was a major accomplishment for me and I will always remember the elation and relief I felt. I waited in the chute for Shannon, and she came through a few minutes later. We hugged and cried. The walk to retrieve our bags seemed to take forever, but then everything would have seemed that way at that point. We met Lianne and Dixon on Central Park West and got some great hugs and kisses. It was so great to see them, and to share that experience.

The day was great and the experience was truly amazing! I am so thrilled that I did this.
I am already registered for NYC 2011, and I can't wait!