Journey 26.2: NYC Marathon Finally Arrives!

In November 2018 Mike and I watched the NYC marathon on TV and had the realization that the 50th anniversary of the marathon would be in 2020. As I wrote in my January 5, 2019 blog post, we investigated the ways to gain entry and decided to participate in the 9+1 program in 2019 to gain guaranteed entry in 2020. Throughout 2019, we ran nine New York Road Runners races and volunteered for one. We spectated the 2019 race and visited the expo to get ourselves oriented and excited. We were so excited in January 2020 when we got the emails confirming our spot to run in November 2020. Of course, we all know what happened to races during the pandemic – CANCELLED!

As we saw the Boston Marathon being postponed in April 2021, we didn’t get our hopes up that 2021 would be the year. But as the vaccines rolled out, we received an email asking us to rank order our preference of which year we wanted to run over the next three years. We each rank ordered based on soonest to latest, but unfortunately, we couldn’t be guaranteed we would each get into the same year’s race. And, of course our real intent had been to run the 50th anniversary year so we really hoped we would gain entry in 2021, but with a smaller field we weren’t sure if that would be possible.  We were delighted to receive confirmation that we were both in for 2021.  

We trained throughout the summer and fall and all of sudden November 7 was approaching. Perhaps as a defense mechanism against being disappointed if it got cancelled, I didn’t feel much about this race as I trained – I was neither nervous nor excited. And then there was the prevailing mindset of “it’s just a marathon” after having done an Ironman – I don’t have to swim or bike before it!  But I knew a marathon could be hard in its own right, especially since I wasn’t finding enough time to get in every workout my training plan called for. The great thing about TriDot is that you do a lot of cross training to stay injury free, but I was having a hard time getting in three swims a week and a lot of my bike and run workouts called for more than one-hour workouts which I found tough to squeeze in during the week.

The emotions finally came to bear when I walked into the expo on Friday to pick up my bib. Seeing all of the inspirational signs brought tears to my eyes. I was really going to do this! Following is my race report…

I sleep well on Saturday night. Thanks to my friend Marjorie, we are staying in her Central Park West apartment, and I’m happy it was a quiet night. It’s 6:00am, and thanks to daylight savings time, I’m wide awake. Mike is just leaving since he has an earlier start time, but I have 90 minutes until I need to head out. I make myself some breakfast and start to get ready. As I go to put my contacts in, I realize they are already in – ugh – I accidently slept with yesterday’s contacts in.  Well, I figure, my hurting eyes will soon be replaced with all sorts of other hurts. I put an extra pair of contacts in my running belt in case I have issues.

I leave the apartment at 7:30am and catch the subway downtown to the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry horn blares as we depart and the runners clap and cheer. We leave Manhattan behind and see theVerrazano bridge in the distance where our journey will begin. Once on Staten Island, we load up in coach buses that weave through various neighborhoods until we get to Fort Wadsworth. Post-race I discover its history. Staten Island, as well as the rest of New York City, was occupied by the British between 1776 and 1783. British forces fortified the area now known as Fort Wadsworth in 1779. After the Revolutionary War, the new American government took it over and used it for various military purposes until it was turned over to the National Park Service in 1994. On this day, nearly 25,000 runners are passing through “the village” with fresh bagels, coffee, Gatorade and water as we watch the waves before us start on the Verrazano bridge that is serving as our backdrop.

We leave Manhattan on the Staten Island Ferrry

The Verrazano Bridge awaits us!

I eat a bagel and drink some coffee before heading over to my green corral area. I try and find my friend Lorraine to no avail. Unfortunately the cell phone service is spotty. Before I know it, they are telling me to enter my gate. I shed my extra clothes and put them in the donation bins, do a final potty stop, and begin some warm-up exercises.  As they have us proceed up to the bridge, Alicia Keys “Concrete Jungle” is playing 

….I'm the new Sinatra, and, since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere….
…In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York
New York, New York

I’m excited now! We proceed up to the start line on the bridge and get further inspired with the singing

of the National Anthem.  At 11:20 am, the cannon booms and my Wave 4 is off!!!!  I’m on the lower level of the Verrazano bridge which some would say is not as dramatic as being on the top, but I think it has some slight advantages in less elevation and wind. The longest bridge in New York City, it covers the first 2.6 miles of our race and is named for Giovanni da Verrazzano, who in 1524 was the first documented European explorer to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River.  The bridge is four years older than me, having been born in January 1964. Today, the $10.17 toll is included in my race fees.

As I get to the other side, I have to go to the bathroom already. The first and only porta potty I see has three people in line so I pass. I follow the lead of two women ahead of me and take a detour behind an overpass, which probably saved me time over the porta potty anyway.

I begin the 11+ mile journey through Brooklyn, where I will run the most miles of any Borough. As we enter into various neighborhoods, I’m already energized by the many spectators – both human and canine!  I love the signs – “touch here for power”, “funny running into you”, “you run better than the subway”, “worst parade ever”, and “no long runs on Saturday means more sex for baby on Friday” among others. I also love the bands – both official entertainment zone bands and the pop-up artists. I high five kids and gain energy from all of the people cheering for us. For the first half of the race I glide easily around my target 9:45/mile pace. I’ve predicted I’ll average around a 10:30 pace but since I feel good I’m going with the fast end of my marathon pace.  I’m moving so fast through this part of the race that I have to remind myself to take in Maurten gels every 30 minutes. I’m also conscious of the need to stay hydrated so I take quick Gatorade walk breaks through about every other aid station.

I hit the 13.1 mile marker at 2:09:54, only a couple of minutes off my half marathon PR. I wonder if I can keep up the pace for the second half of the marathon. Finally, we come to the Pulaski bridge that will take us into Queens. My pace is slowing slightly for a couple miles and then comes the 59th Street Bridge and its incline. As I round up to the top and feel the incline, I pass someone who I recognize as famous amongst runners and triathletes – John Young. John is a dwarf who has completed numerous races including becoming an Ironman at Ironman Maryland in 2016!  If you look up John you will see him quoted as saying, “The only real disability in life is a negative attitude.”  Well, seeing John makes me forgot about the incline and set my sights on the rest of the race. 

I start down the other side of the bridge and look forward to seeing friends who are supposed to be at the 59th Street Queensboro Bridge. It’s hard as a runner to pick people out of the crowds, and just as I’m fearing I may have missed them, I hear a large group of people screaming my name. I don’t even recognize them all but my friend Carole tells me later that a group of people banded together and decided to cheer on each others’ runners!

I head up First Avenue and while the crowds continue to give me energy, I feel my pace slowing. At one point the avenue does have a long incline that is enough to feel.  I’m able to keep about a 10:30 pace for miles 16 – 18 and then it starts to get harder. I pass many older runners who have accomplished amazing feats as the signs on their back proclaim, “I’ve completed 44 NYC marathons, 44 in a row.”

Finally I am at the Willis Avenue Bridge and enter into the Bronx at mile 20. The hurt factor increases but I think of our friend Dave Kuntz, who now lives in CA, who said to say hello to the Bronx for him. Fortunately I’m only in the Bronx for one mile and now cross my last bridge, the Madison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan for the last five miles of the race. I’m feeling the hurt at mile 23 and also feeling like I may need a bathroom break as I don’t want to have the urge once in Central Park for the last section. As I stop in the porta potty, I realize I must keep running because once I stop it may be hard to keep going. I pick up the pace for the last 2 miles and my watch is clicking off miles before the race mile markers, which is a challenging mind game.

I finally see the finish line in site!  After 4:37:42, I cross it. My watch says it’s been 26.57 miles with an average pace of 10:27.  I look at my tracker app and see that Mike completed the race with an incredible time of 3:36:26.  Albert Korir, the men’s winner, finished in 2:08:22 and Peres Jepchirchir, the women’s winner, finished in 2:22:44. John Young will finish the NYC marathon in 8:53:07. The last place winner, Rozanna Radakovich, age 74, will complete her 35th marathon at 12:21:03. That’s right, we all ran the same course, and we are all winners. 

There's nothin' you can't do. 
Now you're in New York.

Eagleman 70.3: First Post-Pandemic Race

After enjoying our trips to Cambridge, MD for Eagleman 70.3 and Ironman Maryland, we signed up for Eagleman again in 2019 only to see it cancelled due to the pandemic and our race entries deferred to 2021. In January 2021, with COVID seeing its biggest surge ever but the launch of the vaccines, I figured it was 50-50 the race would be on.  As the vaccines were becoming widespread and the virus prevalence was dramatically dropping, in April it appeared it would be a go.  

We spent our winter months skiing in Utah which generally only left time for 2 swims a week, 1 bike a week, and 1-2 runs per week -- not enough for proper training for a 70.3.  So when we came back East in late April, we knew we had to get serious about picking up with our training plans. We spent 2 weeks at our Connecticut home and then headed up to our Martha’s Vineyard home in early May to take full advantage of the perfect biking and running right out our door, as well as an open YMCA for swimming.

 

In the midst of this, the other thing that happened is we decided to foster a sweet English Bulldog, Nala, for Sandy Paws Rescue.  Knowing we would have to go off Island for the race and figuring we would need to focus on the race, I committed to a three-week foster stay. Well, we fell in love with Nala and she proved to be a well-tempered, go-with-the-flow kind of companion who loves all humans so when she wasn’t yet adopted, we couldn’t bear the thought of sending her back to the kennel.  Fortunately our AirBnB accepted dogs, and Barb decided to come to Maryland and dog sit for us the day of the race so we added Nala to our Ironman support crew!

The other thing that happened a week before the race was Mike getting bit by a dog on his last bike – run workout. If only he hadn’t run by our house to get that extra 2/10 of a mile to hit 4 miles!  Our neighbor’s dachshund unfortunately decided to take a chomp at Mike’s leg, and he arrived home a bloody mess with some serious puncture wounds. Our neighbor apologetically sent us the rabies certificate, and Mike’s doctor put him on antibiotics, which caused some stomach turmoil. And, of course, no swimming while it was healing up.

 

Watching the weather the week of the race, it was 90 degrees on the Sunday before the race, followed by rain on the Friday before the race. But Sunday, June 13 looked like great race conditions – party sunny/cloudy and not too much wind, which can be a challenge for this race.  Our car packed to the gills with dog and race gear, we drove from Martha’s Vineyard to our CT home for a couple nights, and then headed to Maryland on Friday morning driving through some heavy rain.

 

We arrived mid-afternoon at our AirBnB in Church Creek, about 15 min. from downtown Cambridge and right around mile 15 of the bike course. The house was built in 1908 and had a nice fenced in yard, as well as beautiful farmland with walking trails behind the house, for easy Nala walking. Barb arrived in the evening with Bella, and since Nala doesn’t like other dogs, we had already hatched a plan to divide up the house between the two dogs.

On Saturday we spent the day checking in with Nala in tow. We were amazed how many people were enamored with her – suddenly we are part of the triathlon Bulldog “in crowd”. They even let her into the “Athlete’s only” check in area. With the new CDC guidelines no longer requiring masks for vaccinated people, the COVID rules that we had been prepared to follow were much more relaxed. I did a swim warm up, and we socialized with our Philadelphia Tri Club and my TriDot teaming mates. We did our typical race eve pasta dinner and were in bed by 9pm.

 

We’ve rarely set an alarm during COVID times, naturally waking up when we need to, but race morning called for a 4am alarm. I slept remarkably well for race night sleep with a snoring dog in the room. Added to the race morning activities were fueling Nala, giving her eye drops, and her bathroom run in addition to ours!

 

Knowing I wasn’t in my prime racing shape, my goal was simply to enjoy the day and finish the race. Arriving at the race venue with the usual last-minute rushing around, porta potty stop, and National anthem amongst two thousand racers never felt so good! 

 

SWIM: Having done a pool test swim for the 1.2 mile distance in 49 minutes, I lined up in the 45-50 min swimming wave. The weather was a warm 73 degrees and still wet suit legal. As a started, the water was a bit choppy, and I found myself needing to breath every stroke. My first 500 yards were very slow but then I started to get into my rhythm as I was able to swim to the left of the sighting buoys outside the crowds. After the first turn buoy, the current was in my favor but I had more swimmers bumping into me and I felt a few, brief jellyfish stings. Rounding the second turn buoy, I headed to shore. The final gateway into the swim finish was crowded with swimmers. My swim was slower than expected at 56:45.

 

T1: I spent 8:37 in T1. I decided to put my socks on in T1, which took a little time drying my feet and the socks on after getting my wetsuit off. I was pretty well positioned for the bike exit, anyway.

 

Mike on bike

BIKE: Off on the bike, I was familiar with the flat course from the two prior races here. Early in the bike, a fellow athlete over corrected as he went to the right when he was being passed by someone on the left, and he flipped over his handle bars right in front of me. I stopped to help if I could. He was shaken up and hurting but appeared to be ok, and a volunteer on a bike was at the scene quickly so I continued on. He eventually got back in the saddle and caught up to me and thanked me for stopping.  Other than a few short stretches of road that were bumpy, the course was in generally good shape. At one point, I looked around and took notice of the beautiful scenery of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. But my aero position didn’t give me much opportunity to appreciate the scenery. I knew the more I could stay in aero, the better, but having not trained all winter on my tri bike, I took a few short breaks upright to stretch my neck and back. I kept a steady pace throughout the race with an average 16.42 mph, finishing in 3:24:56, which I was happy with.

T2: While it had been a fairly short bike exit, that meant it was a long bike re-entry. I had thought about stopping for a bathroom break on the bike course, but there were too many people at one rest stop so I needed a porta potty break. I also had made the rookie mistake of leaving my run hat in my bag so I had to open the bag and dig for it. In addition, this was the first race ever I didn’t have slip in shoe laces. I had meant to put some in my running shoes and do a long training run with them to insure the right comfort, but I misplaced them and didn’t find them until too late so I didn’t want to risk the wrong fit. All this added up to a 10:11 T2.

 

RUN: Despite not having run as much during the winter months, my long runs had been longer than they were in 2018 when I had put this race in as a B race in my training plan. I thought that might translate into feeling better on the run than I did in 2018. But it was cooler and rainy in 2018, and I haven’t had much running in the heat. This course is notorious for little shade and heat. While it could have been worse, I really felt the eighty-something degree hot sun, and I stopped at each aid station to drink some water and put ice in my tri suit and hat, and I took frequent walk breaks to keep my heart rate down. I saw Mike when I was at mile 3 and he was at mile 10. He looked strong and appeared to be having a good run. I finished the run in 2:41:59, a 12:19 pace, which was a bit slower than my previous two 70.3s.

 

All in all, I met my goal to finish. Post-race we enjoyed a crab dinner with some of my fellow TriDot ambassadors.  I’ll remember this race mostly as the first race coming on the other side of the pandemic after not having raced a long-course Ironman race for a year and half. And of course, my fond memories of having Nala as part of our support crew will remain with me forever. 

Mike and I with TriDot Ambassadors Ande Wegner and Rick Lagacy