NYC recap!

[starburst604]

So here goes...

This was my second marathon, first being Boston 2017. What I was hoping for out of this race was 1) to train injury-free and 2) to run in under 5 hours. When I ran Boston I had to cross train for 8 weeks with a hip injury and it was hot that day, my time was 5:58. I KNEW I was capable of under 5 with better training.

So I made it all 20 weeks without injury and trained with a friend with the plan we would run together. I took the train to NYC with my H on Friday, we enjoyed that day together and part of Sat, then he had to go back home for a family event. I’m glad we had that time together because he still felt like a part of the weekend. My running buddy C arrived Sat afternoon, but not before spraining her ankle running from her house to the car in the rain. It was big and swollen but not painful to walk on. When she arrived we went to the expo to get our numbers and bought her an ankle compression sleeve. She iced and elevated as much as possible the rest of the day.

Race day: my alarm was set for 4:15, and had to be at our team bus before departure at 5:45. I’d been fighting a cold for days and it had settled in. But I used some Afrin and ignored it. The ride to Staten Island felt like it took forever and once there we went to the Charity Village where our team had a tent with food, coffee and supplies. C was able to get ice and continued icing her ankle. We were in the final wave at 11am. Finally it was time to go to our corral and after some instructions and music to pump us up, we were off! What a beautiful day for a marathon! 55 and sunny. It was just what I’d have ordered up if I had to pick my favorite running weather. We were in the wave that takes the lower level of the bridge, and merged with the other wave around mile 8.

What an atmosphere NYC is! So many cheering people and fun live music and sights to see. I didn’t need my headphones once the entire time. C was feeling her ankle but didn’t want to slow at all so we took her mind off of it by playing word games (animals that start with a, b, etc”) We kept that up for about 8-10 miles. By the time we hit the half she was in a good deal of pain, but kept on trucking. I was feeling good and was happy with our pace. We hit the half at 2:17 so we were making good time.

Over the Queensboro we went into Manhattan! The crowd excitement when we exited the bridge was just like we heard it would be. Then on into the Bronx, Harlem - so lively and fun. By mile 20 we were still well on track for under 5:00. There was also a Biofreeze tent at that mile, C put some on her ankle and I smeared some on my lower legs. It actually seemed to help and I got back some bounce in my step for the next few miles. Finally, into Central Park. Goddamn hills!! It was the only time we found ourselves really cursing the course. Saw my H’s cousin along there, who is an NYC cop and yelled to me. At this point, C was in tears. We did a little walking here and there but she didn’t want to stop too much, was afraid she wouldn’t start up again. Once we hit mile 25 we pretty much hauled adrenaline ass and I think it was our fastest mile. At last, the finish!! Time: 4:54 - a 64 minute PR for me!

From there the long slog out of Central Park after we got our medals, recovery bags and ponchos. Felt like the longest walk everrrrrrr. We found C’s H and friend and went back to shower and change. I got on the train at 9 and finally in my front door at 2am. Thank god I took yesterday off! My legs are still stiff and I’m sick as a dog from this cold. But still feeling happy from achieving the time I was hoping for, and for raising $5,600 for my charity!!

C saw a PT yesterday who thinks she had a high ankle sprain and tore a ligament by running. Some people think she’s crazy for still running, but she has no regrets!

So if you’ve been thinking of trying NYC - DO IT! You won’t regret it!

[Wines Not Whines]

Congratulations!

[sassystace]

Congrats on the HUGE PR! I feel bad for your friend, but hey, she did it, and if she has no regrets, so be it!

[sadlebred]

Congratulations on your PR!

[emilyj]

A 64 minute PR? Damn girl. I bow to you. That is seriously bad ass.

[labbie]

Congratulations on a massive PR!!

[hannahb]

Congrats!

[brooke77]

Yay! Congrats on your PR!

[oswin]

Congrats on the PR!

[cinco]

Congrats! Loved hearing all the details. A 64 minute PR is incredible!

[jane6672]

Congratulations! Amazing PR!

I'm almost done with the 9+1 for 2019 (one race left!) and I had so much fun spectating this year. Very inspiring (and intimidating, ha) for next year!

[mrshandy]

Congrats on your PR!!!! Sounds like an awesome race!

Great job on raising money for charity! What charity did you run for?

[hurricanedrunk]

Congrats on your huge PR! I loved hearing all the details of NYCM. I'm also curious which charity you ran for, great job on raising all that money!

[starburst604]

hurricanedrunk , mrshandy , I ran with the Martin Richard Foundation (Team MR8). It's the foundation created by the family of the little boy who was killed in the Boston Marathon 2013 bombings. His dad was a colleague of my H's so the cause is near and dear to us. I ran for them in Boston 2017 and raised over $11,000 (much higher minimum commitment for that one vs NYC though). It definitely adds a layer to the experience.

[shauni27]

dude, you are amazing! I am in awe of you and your friend. I cannot believe she ran all of it! Good for her. And good for you for raising the amount you did--and for your EPIC PR!!

[starburst604]

Nov 7, 2018 15:49:27 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

dude, you are amazing! I am in awe of you and your friend. I cannot believe she ran all of it! Good for her. And good for you for raising the amount you did--and for your EPIC PR!!

No kidding, I really don’t know if I could have been as tough as she was!! My H asked me if I thought we’d have finished faster if she wasn’t injured, but there was never a time that I felt like I wanted to move faster but she was holding us back. If anything, she might have pushed us faster if she wasn’t injured so that would be the only way we might have! I was content with our pace.

It almost feels funny to say PR, because I basically ran Boston as an injured duck and with no concept of how much time I wasted on dumb things out there, and really inexperienced at managing my hydration and nutrition. This was the time I knew I SHOULD have had. Now of course I am out to beat that time haha.

[goldengirlz]

Congratulations on the PR! Awesome recap! And I hope your friend has an easy recovery.

My other takeaway was you had to get up so early for your 11am start! I would have been a mess of adrenaline.

[starburst604]

Nov 8, 2018 0:34:35 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Congratulations on the PR! Awesome recap! And I hope your friend has an easy recovery.

My other takeaway was you had to get up so early for your 11am start! I would have been a mess of adrenaline.

My only other marathon was Boston and the charity team buses had to get on the roads before they closed to everything but the BAA buses, so it was just as early but we got to the Village a lot faster and the wait was foreverrrrrrr. At least this time although it was a really early wake up, we didn’t wait around at the village as long because we sat in traffic. But yes, it’s a lot of adrenaline to manage, and meal planning because the start is so late! I basically ate 2 breakfasts.

[wawa]

What an awesome job!! Congratulations!

Also I'd love to pick your brain about fundraising. There's a few point to point bike events I'd love to do, but they all have fundraising requirements. We did one and ended up just paying a good chunk of it ourselves. Which we were happy to do, but limits doing it again.

How did you raise all that??

[irene adler]

That's amazing! Congrats!

[bostonmichelle]

Congratulations on an amazing PR!!

[moreace01]

Congrats on your amazing PR and on raising so much for charity! Your race description makes me want to run NY.

[thom]

Huge PR and sounds like an amazing day in NYC!! Congrats to you and your friend. It sounds so amazing and special to run NYC.

[melmel48]

Congrats!!!!! Is this the same friend I saw you running Boston with? I am SO excited for you! That is a HUGE PR. WOOHOOOOO!!!! To be honest, I would have been your friend. I would have said "EFF this; I am running!" lol.

You seriously make me want to consider NYC marathon, but for now I am sticking to " no more marathons" I am easily swayed though.

[melmel48]

Nov 7, 2018 14:38:43 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

hurricanedrunk , mrshandy , I ran with the Martin Richard Foundation (Team MR8). It's the foundation created by the family of the little boy who was killed in the Boston Marathon 2013 bombings. His dad was a colleague of my H's so the cause is near and dear to us. I ran for them in Boston 2017 and raised over $11,000 (much higher minimum commitment for that one vs NYC though). It definitely adds a layer to the experience.

My friend is running Boston for the Museum of Science next year! Any fundraising tips you have that I can pass on to her? Her fundraising minimum is $7,500.