Monday, November 10, 2014

The New York City Marathon Recap

Oof. I have no idea where to begin with this recap. I truly thought that the NYC Marathon would be the most amazing experience of my life. But it wasn't. Not even close.



The first cool thing I did was go to the Asics tweet up with my friend, Ari, at the NY Public Library. It was rainy and kind of gross outside, but I got to meet some cool people I follow on Instagram and we got free Asics gear, which was a score all around.

After the tweet up, we headed to the expo. I won't go into crazy detail about that because once you've been to one major race expo, you've been to them all. Sadly, I didn't find anything I couldn't live without and I had purchased the NYCM back pack the week before, which I am in love with. I want to snuggle with it at night, I love it so much.





 
 


 
As for the race, well, let's just nothing I wanted to happen, happened. Except for the whole finishing every single mile of the course and then some, according to my Garmin. First of all, let's talk wind. The wind that day was so incredibly strong that it actually knocked some people over and the wheel chair start was moved off of the Verrazano bridge for the safety of the competitors. As I was running along the bridge, the wind actually ripped my ear buds out multiple times and caused my iPod to pause. But it was still one of the coolest parts of the course. 



 

I didn't have high expectations for a good finish time for this race because of the wind and the fact that I had been sidelined for a month due to my knee injury, but I also didn't expect the wind to make me feel so, so sick. My lungs burned for the entire race and it was not from exertion.





 


I won't bore you with a mile by mile recount of my experience, because over all, it pretty much sucked. I'm probably the only runner on the planet that has run the NYCM and thought it was miserable. One thing that really contributed to my misery was that I found myself at the very end of the course support for the race. The course has a 7 hour time limit and I have no idea if that time limit starts from the first wave or the last, but it seemed to happen way too early.

There are no sweepers and you can finish the race even after the 7 hour time limit, but let me tell you how demoralizing it is to see all of the emergency vehicles and listen to an endless loop on loudspeaker saying, "this is the end of the New York City Marathon" for an hour straight because they were moving at the same pace as me at that point. The longer I had to hear it, the more upset I became until I pretty much ran out of steam.



 I'm not sure how I got caught up in that procession, though, which just adds to my frustration. I was in corral A of the last wave, which started at 10:55. That processional came through when I was at or very close to mile 20. It was only 4:00, meaning I had only been on the course for 5 hours and was definitely set to finish under 7 hours. Now, my pace slowed exponentially at this point because I was so upset about a whole bunch of things, but I still finished under 7.

 I think I would have had a better outlook if I wasn't beating myself up for being at the end of the race. Never mind the fact that there were tons of runners behind me. Also, I was incapable of doing math at this point, so in my mind, I was going to finish an hour later than I actually did. 


 


And the Wall of Sound that everyone talks about on the Queensboro bridge in every recap I have ever read? Yeah, that shit is non existent for the later runners. I had imagined that experience for years and so I kept pulling out my ear buds over and over hoping to experience it for myself. Nope.  

Luckily, two very good friends, Abby and Debra, talked me off the ledge via text when I was losing my shit at about mile 17. So, a huge heartfelt thank you to both of them, because I was so upset and so miserable that I wished I had someone with me.


It was not the race I trained for nor hoped for, but I did it. Every last single mile of that course. And you know what, a week later, I'm feeling pretty impressed with myself. I was sick, injured and hadn't run in a month in an effort to save my knee for the race itself. A month ago, I could have pulled off a 5:45 time and it took me an extra hour to finish. But I finished. And it's going to be a really long time -if ever- that I do a full marathon again.


Also, the poncho is super warm and kitten approved.



 
 
 
 


 

12 comments:

  1. Oh no! So sorry it wasn't the race you hoped for. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't read too many positive recaps of this race this year. You guys didn't have the best circumstances. I would have been upset too hearing the loud speaker cry out "this is the end". But ya know what, you DID it and time doesn't matter. All that is forgotten and you have a beautiful medal and what looks like a necklace to show for it! Good for you my friend. By the way, I saw a facebook friend post a NYC tiffany necklace. Did that come with the race or did you have to buy that separate?

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    1. Thank you so much! The whole thing was really rough, so maybe I should read some other recaps so I know I'm not the only one, lol!

      The necklace was actually part of a special line Tiffany's puts out every year for the NYCM. My family ordered that for me and had the name and date engraved on the back. It was such a thoughtful gift!

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  2. All that matters is that you did it. The last time I did the LA Marathon, it was cold blustery winds. I had stomach cramps and my IT problems that usually start in my knee radiated up into my hip. I broke down and cried more than a few times trying to plod through and finish. By the time I got to the finish line, they'd taken everything down due to the wind. I wasn't even sure when I was coming up on it. Then I got turned around and ended up walking around the wrong parking structure before I realized it and found the one my car was actually in. Not to try to compete with your race story, but I totally get having a miserable time when everything conspires against you. I've done three of my four full marathons alone, and one was mostly solo, but I was with a training program so I saw people I knew here and there along the way. It would probably be nice to have someone the whole way to help you push through when you get to despair. The weather is always so hard to predict. I'm not sure it worked in anyone's favor in NYC this year. You did it, though! You finished the New York City Marathon!

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    1. Thank you! I seriously kept thinking that universe just didn't want me to run NYCM- from it being cancelled in 2012, to being injured, to this year's weather. I was so disappointed. (I know, whine, whine, whine!)

      Part of me wants a do-over but i just can't stomach the idea of training for this in the AZ summer again. How frustrating to be trying to find your car after a marathon. I probably would have sat down on the ground and cried.

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  3. Jamie I am so sad that your NYC Marathon experience ended up being so horrible. The weather was a huge factor and that certainly would throw anyone off their normal race pace. Be proud that you finished the thing and have that beautiful medal for your efforts. I figure I will be at the tail end of Boston, but my 88 year old mother will be cheering for me, along with my husband and daughter so I don't care if I am the last to cross the finish line. You did it and I am proud of you for overcoming your injury and finishing on an extremely tough race day.

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    1. Just being a Boston qualifier makes you amazing in my book! Thanks for your kind words. My coworker just tried to convince me I want to try again and she wants to run it with me... Yikes. Lol!

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  4. I am so proud of you! You're such a rockstar. There is no shame in not loving the NYCM- you don't have to- you finished it! Who cares?! And I'm 99% positive that wall of sound is an urban legend.

    I'm so glad I was able to be there for you even if I wasn't physically there.

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  5. ROCK STAR. A marathon is tough enough but then throw in the crazy weather. You finished the NYC Marathon! You should definitely be proud of yourself and you have a beautiful medal to show for it.

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    1. Thanks, Em! Certainly not as fun as bitching my way through it with you and Abby! But it's done and I never have to do it again, lol!

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  6. I think you were amazing. I'm so sorry you struggled during the race, though. I've been there, done that - and wanted to slap myself for all the whining but sometimes it's all you can do. Did you get the Tiffany necklace at the Expo?

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    1. Thank you so much! My family actually preordered it online and had it engraved with my name and the date on the back. They surprised me after the race with it. It's so cool!

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Thanks for reading!