My New York City Marathon Experience

So I guess this sort of counts as a race recap, since I have plenty to write about despite the fact that I didn't actually run this race. As everyone in  the running community around the world knows, the NYC Marathon was canceled for the first time in its 40 plus year history.

I have mixed feelings about the way this entire thing played out, but I love, love, love NYC and running the NYC Marathon is a bucket list event for me. I'm more determined than ever to cross that finish line, be it in 2013 or later. Even though I did not actually run this world class marathon, being in NYC that weekend was still a life changing event.

Here is my NYC Marathon story.

During the week we were supposed to leave for NYC, we watched for updates constantly. With Hurricane Sandy hurtling towards the east coast, no one knew whether or not we would actually be leaving on Friday. I kept checking the NYCM Facebook page and while it was questionable as to whether or not the marathon would go on, NYRR posted updates saying that every effort was being made to proceed with the event, even up until Thursday night and Friday morning.

I had mixed feelings about the continuation of the marathon after there was such destruction to many parts of  New York and New Jersey. The general consensus was that the marathon should go on if possible, bringing millions in much needed revenue and lifting spirits.

So I met my team of 30 runners at the airport at 5am Friday morning to begin our adventure. I've never run with or traveled in a group like this so it was a cool experience. The pilot on our flight even made an announcement wishing us well and giving accolades to our coach, Susan Loken, a 3 time competitor at the US Olympic trials.

And so it begins...

We arrived in NYC, made our way to the Sheraton Towers, which was a host hotel for the marathon, and then headed over to the expo.

It was after 5:00pm Friday night - I'd guess a majority of the close to 50,000 runners had arrived by this time - when my phone started blowing up with Facebook and Twitter messages from friends sending me their condolences about the race. WTF? What were they talking about? Seriously? After telling all of the runners to come, they canceled the race after most people had already arrived.

When we got to the expo, the packet pick up was at a stand still. It was not yet official, so we waited with thousands of other runners for the final word and I knew we were getting bad news when they brought in extra police and security before making the announcement.



Waiting for news

Thousands of disappointed runners after getting the news

Watching a statement made by the mayor and Mary Wittenberg

Our original plan for Saturday morning was to meet in the lobby, head over to Central Park, and then run the final 2 miles of the marathon course. After we all received the news of the cancellation, Susan sent a group text saying that we would still meet up in the morning.

Coach Susan giving us a pep talk

Susan tried to lift our spirits and told us how proud she was of us and how she'd like us to pick a marathon in the near future to run and she would continue to coach us. Of course, Tara and I have Goofy in 2 months, so I don't think I'm going to attempt another marathon in between then. (I think most of our group will be doing the  PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona marathon, but Goofy is 2 weeks prior, so maybe I will do the half.)

She reminded us that the actual race is not the largest part of running a marathon. It's the journey that matters. And she's right. I've learned so much and met so many amazing people on this journey.

Yep, Susan found a giant picture of herself at the expo.
Pretty damn cool.

One of the benefits of having an elite runner as a coach is that she's got connections. She had the famous Bart Yasso give us a pep talk, too.

Cool, huh?

Team Chances with Bart Yasso

After that, we headed to Central Park, which was less than a mile from our hotel. This is where I realized how thankful I was to have this experience regardless of the fact that the marathon was canceled.

The park was absolutely filled filled with runners. We took another group picture.

Why do I always end up looking like a midget?

And then everyone took off for a run. Everyone ran different distances. Tara and I decided to walk to the finish line. We walked through the last leg of the marathon and through the finisher's chute to the finish line. What an awesome experience. Flags of hundreds of countries lined the chute and runners of all nationalities were in the area; some running, some taking pictures.

Mile 26

It was sad to see the empty stands

This is as close as we could get to the actual finish line.

Tara

Yours truly

Even though there was much controversy surrounding the marathon and the announcement of the cancellation, I'm actually grateful that I was able to be in the city for this experience. Runners got together to give back by helping those displaced from their homes. One runner even managed to set up a make shift benefit run on Sunday with proceeds to help the victims. Some of our team members went to a local shelter on Saturday, some went to Staten Island, some donated clothes and money to the hotel staff that came to work when they had no power at their own homes.

Originally, I had a lot to say about the way this was handled. From the late cancellation to the villianization of the runners to the suffering of the people that lost everything. If one wants to see all sides of the matter ranted in specific detail, visit the NYC Marathon Facebook page. It's quite, um, colorful. And trust me, I had plenty to say. But some time has passed and it is what it is.

For me, the truth of the matter is that no one was going to be 100% happy with how things turned out. My heart aches for those that suffered so much loss during Hurricane Sandy and I also feel for those that did not get a chance to run. While I'm very disappointed, I realize that these things were beyond our control. I'm alive and well and I had a home to return to. I had an incredible experience in NYC and my desire to officially cross that finish line as a competitor has only increased.

Spewing hate all over Facebook is not the answer. The runners need to keep in mind that people are hurting in the storm's aftermath and others need to also accept that the NYC Marathon is not "just a race". It is possible to feel empathy for both sides. We're not enemies. I know that while I was there, I was able to make a difference in one person's life: a fellow NYC marathoner that also lost everything.

In the end, runners from all over the world came together to run in the park on Saturday and Sunday and also came together to make a difference in the lives affected by the storm.

Susan was right: it's the journey that matters. I will be back to run NYC one day.

A memento from this incredible journey.

Stay tuned for the rest of my amazing NYC journey!

Last Team Run

Today was our last Team Chances group run before we leave for NYC. We met at Coach Susan's house at 6:00 and it was still dark...and actually chilly! No more 90 degrees at 5:00 am. Thank God.

Cool, right?

Neighborhood run

Our run was only 40 minutes and then we had a team breakfast, which was really fun. Coach Susan went through all of our travel and race day information. I'm equal parts super excited and super scared. Eeeeeek!

Team Chances Arizona (I look like a midget)

Seriously, I don't feel like I'm this short!

(ETA: I totally forgot to give Ari credit for the team photo. I shamelessly stole it from her Facebook page.)

Going Gangam Style

Breakfast!

Me, Jason and Ari

Anyway, by this time next week, I will be in New York City! I love NYC. Can't wait to experience the finale of this crazy journey.

There's no I in Team!

Wow, what a night! We had a meeting for the NYC Marathon team for Team Chances. I had no idea what to expect or what kind of people would be part of the group, but I was certainly not disappointed. And I got my official team tech shirt. Woot!

There are 30 people on the team, so I didn't get to talk to everyone, but the group at my table was awesome. Everyone was not only friendly and nice, but also seemed like a lot of fun, which is important. I also met a follow blogger, Ari, who invited be to be part of an AZ blogger group, which is pretty cool!

I'm so excited about all of this. I truly think this entire experience will be life changing. Not only running my first full marathon - and the NYC marathon is considered to be the best marathon in the world - but also the process of training with a team and being part of a group that helps others better their lives. My first run with the group is Saturday morning and I'm actually looking forward to it!

Completely off topiic, but did anyone else watch the season finale of Criminal Minds last night? Holy...

That had to be the absolute best season finale I have ever seen.

(source)

I'm really bummed that Paget Brewster won't be on the show anymore. I loved her character. I numbed the pain by having this for dinner:

Yes, I will have another...

To top it all off, Bam Bam The Wonder Pony was an absolute angel this morning when I rode him. He's come so far. I'm a proud mommy.

Besides being a show horse, he's pretty good at entertaining himself.

So yeah, life is pretty wonderful these days.


It's Official!!!

 

The Team Chances group for the NYC Marathon was announced this tonight! I got the following email:

We are very excited to announce that our 2012 Team Chances New York City Marathon team is full and YOU are on the team!!!

Thank you so much for making the decision to support Chances for Children by signing up to train with Team Chances for one of the greatest marathons in the WORLD!!!

THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON!!!

 I kicked my own ass at the gym tonight. It took me 45 minutes to do 3 miles because I did a killer hill workout. Phoenix is surprisingly flat, so to get any hill work in, I have to do it on a treadmill.

                   Look how fit I am after a hill work out! I wish...           (source)

So, yeah I know, I'm still slow, but man, I never run hills, so that was asking a lot of my body.  As I was leaving the gym, a woman came up to me and said, "you really killed it in there!" I thought that was so nice of her. The incline took a toll on my knees and hips:

Don't be jealous of my super sexy PJs

I'm not really used to achy legs, mainly because I tend to not actually work out.

I've been so wrapped up in moving, riding Bam Bam the wonder pony, and obsessing over the NYC Marathon working out, that I pushed dating to the back burner. Someone please kick my ass and force me to go out so I don't end up with twenty cats. Part of me really likes avoiding the heart ache and drama that comes along with being in a relationship, but part of me wants someone to come home to.

I've seen my future...

I'm caught somewhere on the spectrum of content and not so content. Dating is hard. Is it worth it? Don't worry, I haven't given up, I just need to make it a priority. But don't hesitate to give me a kick in the ass, because sometimes I'm slow to get going.

V is for Video

Ahhh, letter V. We're getting close to the end of the alphabet. Finally.

I need to catch up! I'm supposed to post Z on April 30th...

When I was training for my first half marathon, I spent lots of time Google image searching pictures from half marathons. Having never run a race of any kind, I had no idea what to expect and it was fun to discover that there was a huge online running community.

I've run a total of 13 half marathons so far, so there hasn't been to inspire me to troll the Internet like a kid excited for Christmas until now. I have a new race distance to conquer: the marathon. Eek.

So, of course, I'm soaking in everything I can on the interwebz relating to the NYC Marathon. This video is really cool. Enjoy!

S is for Suspense

Hoooooly. Cow.

Today was the lottery for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. Registration for the marathon opened months ago and closed on Monday. Today was the opening ceremony to kick off the marathon and draw names for the lottery. (Like my letter S in NYC Marathon colors?)

Apparently, there were something along the lines of 150,000 entries and only 47,000 slots. There were a few ways to get guaranteed entry, such as a qualifying time or having been denied entry for the previous three years. Most people, like yours truly, had to wait several months for the lottery today, and man, did they over hype the event.

This was a total cluster f**k.

The lottery was supposed to be held at 12:30 EST (9:30 my time). The names of the lucky winners would scroll across a screen that people could watch live. Unfortunately, the site crashed and no one could get on to watch.

I had a lot of fun watching the freak outs on Facebook all day long. As the clock kept ticking and no lottery results were being posted, more and more people turned to Facebook and Twitter to vent. Once your name was selected, they immediately ran your credit card. If your card didn't go through for whatever reason, you got rejected. All day long, people - myself included - kept checking their credit cards online to see if the cards had been charged.

What an absolute mess. Five hours later, after people had been glued to their monitors all day long, FINALLY the website could be accessed. And then I found out I had been denied.

The 2012 ING New York City Marathon

We're sorry but you were not selected for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. We appreciate your commitment to running with us, but we must limit the size of the race field to make the event safe and enjoyable.

You're not in, Jaime!

I didn't really expect to get into NYC via lottery and I knew all along I would have to run for a charity if I wanted to participate, but I managed to get all nervous and hyped up with everyone else, so I did fee a little disappointed when it didn't pan out. But it's okay. Now I just need to find a charity and hope that I get accepted that way.

Here's a sampling of the comments all over FB:

David Laviska Everything about how you have handled this lottery/hype/announcement/entry process has been disappointing. It's shameful for such a well-established event to be run this way. Thanks for wasting my lunch hour and most of the afternoon. #lame #INGNYCfail

 

 

DeAnne Sapel Perhaps instead of acting like everything is cool and fun, you should apologize and promise to try to improve the way things are done next year...I think I a lot of us would be much less annoyed if you did that!!!

5 hours ago ·

Neil Gottlieb Actually, all NYRR needs to say is "if you haven't seen your credit card pending transaction, you are not in". Why the extra waiting? People, don't lose sleep if you didn't get a credit card charge....time to look at another November race.

5 hours ago ·

Darren Kreitman I think you guys suck since your own staff on the phone today said they don't agree with the way u do things. Then your own staff on the phone says everyone gets an email not just those accepted. Then I read your post that says "accepted" runners get an email. I'm speaking for many, a large company with millions should get their shit together and simply tell everyone the correct info the first time instead of have them watch a garbage web show where people get in for free from the crowd that had nothing to do with us. It's pathetic and why runs like the rock n roll series are passing u by. I hope next year it is run professionally. I am speaking on behalf of the 9,700 who wasted their time on your webcast today. Say what your going to do and do what you say!!

5 hours ago ·

Oh, what fun this opening kick off was. It's hard to have a huge party and expect everyone to play nice when less than a third of the entries will get in. There was less drama for the lottery of the Hunger Games and that involved the threat of death!

I'm still excited to run NYC. I can't think of a better city to run my first marathon. Today was a little bit of a let down because I still hoped lady luck would be on my side and now I know for sure I have to not only train to be able to run 26.2 miles, I also have to raise a few grand to be able to run NYC. And somehow ride my horse five days a week and still work 40 hours.





Soooo....Meh.

It's still going to be awesome. See you there!

 

 

Monday Musings

So much going on these days!

I was somehow able to avoid being productive at work today, yet still managed to have a big dollar day in my territory, so that's a win. I also got the best Cobb salad today for lunch. I'm once again trying to avoid grains. I swear, one of these days I will do more research on anxiety/depression and grains. But until then, doesn't this look amazing?

See? I can be healthy!

I entertained myself chatting back and forth via email with T about our upcoming marathon plans.

First up: NYC, baby!

Okay, I'm getting really excited about this. I can't think of a better city to run a full marathon than NYC. (I found a blog entry with great pictures about the NYC marathon today. Do I ever work?) Most importantly, I really need to think about what sort of tattoo I will need to fully commemorate the occasion. There's no way I'm running 26.2 miles and not getting inked. I nearly got a tattoo the last time I was in NYC, but that never came to fruition, so I won't miss out on that one again. I really like the idea of Roman numerals, except will the decimal thing be weird?

My stomach will never look like this...(source)

I also found this little gem while I was abusing the Google Image Search feature. I think this girl must have been an extra in the movie Avatar.

Holy shi*t. (source)

Second: Goofy Challenge 2013

A half marathon Saturday + a full marathon Sunday = 39.3 Miles

Running through all 4 parks? Magic. Or death. Maybe both.

Can. Not. Wait. (source)

Hey, anyone want to rent a suite at WDW and all camp out? Maybe if we split a room 47 ways we'll be able to afford all of this!

Third: Paris or London

I had actually researched the Berlin half marathon sometime last year, but then life happened and I put such ideas away until T brought it up today. My vote is for Paris, but I love London, too, so I would do either. (The London medal is one of the worst, though, and if I'm hitting up the international scene, do I really want a super ugly medal to commemorate the event?)

How cool is this? (source)

Next, we just need to find some money. T thinks prostitution a car wash would help. Anyone have any ideas how we're going to fund raise for all of these events? Especially considering we are going to have to fund raise for a charity just to participate in the NYC marathon? Help!

I went from thinking I was never, ever, ever going to do a full marathon to planning three. One of which immediately follows a half marathon the day before.

I guess I better up my training from meandering around the neighborhood for a couple of miles to something a little more serious.

(source)

And with that, I'm off to bed to think about far away places, aching legs and tattoos. Sleep well!