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.