Yesterday, I ran my 19th NYC Marathon since 1996. I was excited for this year after a disappointing run last year. My training was solid and my main goal was to enjoy the run. I set a goal of smiling so much that my face hurt more than my legs at the end. I had a time goal in mind but I was just hoping to feel good and to enjoy myself.
As always, I had an amazing weekend. It included a visit with Larry and Dan, catching up with many friends, a Runstreet Art Run, the Streaker / 15+ party with my former teammates, going to the Expo with Sue and, of course, the race. The Husband got stuck in Chicago with flight issues, so I was solo. I stayed with Kathy and her family and went out with our college friends on Friday night. Saturday, Nicole and I cheered at the 5K, I did the Runstreet Run, had lunch with Kelly and visited Andrea and Matt. Then, I had a pre-marathon dinner with Chicago (and former Chicago) friends.
Race day started early with the trek to Staten Island. I met Scott for our annual subway/ferry/bus trek to the start. We met Erin C. and new friend, Anne, at the ferry terminal. Erin ran in 2014 and was going for a personal best. Anne had never run NYC so we gave her some last minute pointers and helped her navigate the race logistics. As always, we enjoyed the pre-race morning rituals.
We stayed together for a while and I headed over to the Orange corrals to meet Candice and Stephen. I was in Blue with the 15+ / streaker runners. I decided to start with Candice to have some company in the early miles.
The time flew and before we knew it, Candice, Stephen and I were on the bridge getting ready to start. They were looking for faster times than I was, so I decided to run the first 5K with them and then to pull back. This goes against all of my good advice, but I know the course really well and decided to do that and see how it went.
As always, it was a thrill to run over the bridge. We started after only 3 minutes and it was not hard to set a good pace starting at mile 1. Mile 1 was a decent pace and mile 2 was fast because of the hills (up then down). The crowds started at Mile 3 and pretty much never stopped! I’m still in awe of the sheer size and scope of the race after all of these years.
After 5K, I wished them well and started running with a group of runners from the North Brooklyn Runners. They were relaxed and chatting and were running 10 – 15 seconds per mile slower than my friends. I started talking with one of the women, Sara, and she has just run a PR in Berlin and was running for fun. Her friends were going for a faster time, so we decided to run together. We ran from mile 4 to 15 together and chatted and enjoyed sharing stories. It was great!
We chatted and soaked in the energy from the amazing crowds in Brooklyn. I didn’t have friends out on 4th Ave this year, so I started looking for Mandie at Mile 8. Mile 8 is my favorite mile. I didn’t see her but I loved the mile as always. I think this year was one of the best yet! The crowds from mile 10 – 13 have really grown in the last few years. There were some really cool new Entertainment Zones, too. Before we knew it, we were crossing the half way mark. The race was going by so fast – but in a good way – not in a “what have I done, I went too fast kind of way.”
My friend, Carolyn, and her son, Michael were at mile 13.5 and caught some great moments. I was cheesing pretty hard as you can see. I felt amazing. My hamstring / glute gave me no issues and I felt relaxed and comfortable. Sara and I ran onto the Queensboro Bridge and into the silence. I let Sara go ahead as I didn’t want to take the bridge too aggressively. I was surprised at how relaxed I felt. Last year, I was really struggling by then and this year, I felt great.
First Avenue was raucous and amazing, as always! I took in the energy and headed toward Lauren and her family at 72nd. After a quick hug and high fives, I took off. I saw Chicago friend, Brooke in the race. She was having some tummy troubles but pushed on for a solid finish.
I crossed to the west side of the street to see Eric and Nolan near our old apartment. Eric’s been cheering there with Neal since the early 2000s! After high fives, I headed up to the 100s to see Andrea, Natalie and Grace and then Lief. This was awesome. I still felt strong and headed uptown and over the Willis Avenue Bridge. It’s always longer than I remember!
The Bronx is only a mile. I saw Daphne just before the last bridge. I almost cried when I thought about how much better I felt than when I saw her in the same spot last year. I loved all of the “last bridge” signs and happily ran back into Manhattan. There was great music and cheer stations in Harlem. I smiled and thanked as many volunteers as possible. Before I knew it, I hit Mile 22 and thought of the “mile 22 fan club” though none of them were there this year.
On 5th Ave, I saw gave sweaty hugs to super fan Nicole who had to skip this year for an injury. Then, I saw Greg and hugged him, too! 5th Ave is always a tough stretch and I kept it moving. My legs were getting stiff and I had to do some mental pep talking. I looked for Kelly and John and her boys but I didn’t find them. I could see the entrance to Central Park and just focused on it.
Once I got into the park, I smiled and high fived people in the crowd. I happily ran toward the 24 mile water stop where Kathy and Little David were waiting for me. I was so excited and felt great as I powered by. It was worlds away from last year. As I went down Cat Hill, I started to have cramps in my hamstrings and calves. I just kept moving and awkwardly ran and enjoyed the crowds. I was excited that I never had to stop but I slowed considerably.
On Central Park South, I powered through and saw Marie. She urged me ahead and I told her to go and that I’d find her at the finish. Once I got to Columbus Circle, my legs started working a bit better as I got back into Central Park, I moved as quickly as I could and beamed. I saw friends Robin and Jeff in the bleachers. Before I knew it, I crossed the finish line.
My time was 3:53.50. My goal was 3:45 – 3:55. I was happy with this result – especially because I met my first goal to enjoy and appreciate every step! It was also more than 15 minutes faster than last year which is moving in the right direction! As for my goal of smiling until my face hurt and enjoying every step, I crushed it. This was one of my best NYC Marathons yet. It wasn’t the fastest or the slowest, but I felt amazing, relaxed, in control and so happy! That’s a huge win.
I found Marie and we got our medals, heat shields and ponchos and caught up on our races and the day. It was an unforgettable one!
A million thanks to all who cheered, texted, Instagrammed, Facebooked, called and supported me. I’m so grateful and humbled by all of the love and support year after year. Congrats to friends, old and new, who impress me year after year. Special shout outs to Erin C (who broke 3 hours) and to Anne (who ran a 3:14) for PRs on this tough course!
Marathon #48 and NY Marathon #19 is in the books. Not many people can say that – right?
That’s a wrap – see you next year NYC Marathon!