Digging Deep Within – My NYC Marathon

The most common question a runner is asked is why.  Why run?  Why do we run so much?  Why do we put our bodies through such hell for a medal?  Well, I learned Sunday it is about the courage to step up to a new challenge (for me, my first NYC). It is the ability to find the courage inside of you to fight through the pain to get you to the finish line.  It is the pride that rushes through your body as a volunteer puts that finishers medal around your neck. A feeling that cannot be matched.

During a race, I never wanted to quit. There have been times where I cramped up, but pushed through it.  I never once put the idea of quitting half way through a race.  When it comes to running a marathon, the last thing I want to do is not finish.  After the 4 months of training, the idea of a DNF next to my name is never an option.  Well on Sunday, for the first time, I wanted to quit – just pack up my stuff and go back to my hotel.  There were times I started to walk and knew I was done.  I hit the wall and I hit it hard!  However, the crowd at Central Park was like no other and helped me push through the finish line in a time of 2:57:56!

Miles 1-13.1 – Fast Start

Going into the race my goal was to just finish.  After reading the course descriptions from the NYRR’s website, and from those who ran it before, I had no intentions of going for a personal best.  I started out exactly like I wanted to going over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – cool, calm and collective. I did not want to get sucked into the excitement of the NYC Marathon.  Nor did I want to try to weave in and out of runners and waste energy.  So instead, I stayed on a straight path, and just admired the breath taking view of lower Manhattan as I crossed over the bridge.  I ended up hitting the 1^st of 26-mile markers at a 7:40 mile pace – perfect!  Although the 7:40 is slower than most of my training runs, I knew I still had 25.2 miles to make up for that time.

The first half of the race was great time wise.  I was enjoying the crowds coming off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the live music was a great replacement for an iPod (something I wish Boston had).  As I started to get into a rhythm, I was hitting splits very similar to Boston.  However, when I hit the 5-mile mark at 6:07 I knew I was in trouble.  I knew I picked it up, but that was too fast for my liking. There was no way I could not keep this pace up!  Then mile 7 came, a 6:07 again – ugh oh.  Then mile 10 – 6:05 WHAT AM I THINKING??   When I went through the half marathon at 1:23:37 I started to think maybe a personal best sub 2:50 was possible.   Maybe I could back off a little bit and recover from those three fast mile splits.  My plan became settling into a 6:30 pace and just go with it.  Use the crowds and the scenery to get me to Central Park.  Sounded like a good idea at the time… I wish I knew then what I know now about the second half of the course!

Miles 14 – 19 – Still in control

After the halfway point, I settled into the pace I was hoping to.  I hit the next two miles at 6:22 and 6:29 respectfully.  Then I hit the first of two bridges that would start to knock me out – the Queensboro Bridge.  Going up the bridge, alone with no spectators to cheer me on, it was a tough climb.  I hit mile 16 at 6:40 then mile 17 at 6:23.  The Queensboro Bridge was tough, but I survived it.  The 6:40 would not throw me off too much off my pace, and I still had plenty of time to make up those 10 seconds.  Right?

Mile 20-25 – I wanted to quit!

Here was when I finally hit the wall.  For the next five miles my fastest mile split was a 7:25 and my slowest (mile 21) was an 8:13.  At this point I started to walk portions of the course.  I knew breaking 2:50 was now out of the question.  Now, it was a matter of just finishing.  I was questioning myself whether I could run anymore to the finish.  My legs gave up on me and the bottom of my foot felt like there was a blister the size of the moon on it.  It seemed like these 5 miles were a marathon in themselves. I did everything I could to get the legs somewhat moving again.  However, it just seemed as if the mile markers were 10 miles apart.  I was both physically and mentally done.  No matter how much Gatorade I had or how many gels I took, I hit the wall hard and there was no climbing over it.

Mile 26 – Finish – THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS AND SPECTATORS!!!!!

After mile 25 I realized a sub-3 hours was still possible.  Wait what?  After a grueling stretch between miles 20 and 25, I still had a chance of breaking 3 hours at my very first NYC Marathon?  A race I anticipated a finish of 3:05 when I registered?  That was when I knew I had to dig deep with everything I had within me to not give up.   As much as I wanted to walk, the crowd did not let me.  The final 1.2-mile push could not have been done without the screaming fans.   I kept my legs moving as fast as I could.  When I saw my girlfriend (who took the train in that morning from a very long conference in CT) and my best friend, I knew the end was near.  Then I saw the 800 meters sign, then the 400, 300, 200,100, and then the FINISH LINE!  When I crossed the line, and stopped my watch at 2:57:56, all the emotions of the NYC Marathon hit me like a ton of bricks.  I just put my hands on my head in shock and amazement I was able to pull through.  Then the tears came (ask my girlfriend, I never cry), however, the emotions of being beat both mentally and physically for 26.2 miles and still come through in that time was overwhelming.  The thought of my brother looking down on me knowing he’d be proud of the fight I just put up.

End it on this

I would like to end this post with a big THANK YOU! To New York City, I thank you for showing this Boston runner a hell of a good time!  Even though I forgot my camera in the hotel, finally being able to see Madison Square Garden, the Statue of Liberty, and the awe of Times Square at night for the first time was amazing.  To the bartenders who served me despite wearing my Bruins hat – I thank you! To those on the subway who didn’t say a peep when I called it the T – I thank you! But the biggest thank you goes out to the spectators and volunteers along the course!!  Hopefully, I will be back sometime down the road to try and conquer NYC one more time.

Now, it is time to rest and get my legs back under me.  My plan was to just take a few days off and get back to light running later in the week.  However, I looked at my calendar, and training for Boston does not start until for another month and a half.  So, why rush back??

(I will add pictures when they become available)