“if you’re losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon” – the great kathrine switzer.
this quote can go both ways, because running a marathon is almost always a life-changing experience as well. Even after nine of these (how the hell did that happen??), I learn something new about myself, the distance and my fellow humans every time. The NYC Marathon is especially unique, both because of how grand it has become and that it’s essentially in my backyard. I had no idea what to expect from this year’s race, given I had run a hard but awesome marathon three months ago in San Francisco, but I felt pretty good going into it.
the short story: 3:40:08, 8:24/mile (~3:30 minute course PR)
the longer story: looking back now, I think I can break the race into three parts.
start to the half: feeling great, yay running! (1:46 and change)
These miles felt pretty good/fairly easy and my pace was around 8:00min/mile, though it was A LOT warmer than I would have liked (I think 60s with 70% humidity, yikes!). Towards miles 12 and 13 I started to feel a bit fatigued and knew I probably wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace. I had also already finished all of the Nuun in my water bottle, which usually lasts until at least mile 16-17 in a cooler marathon. I got a little worried and started stopping at aid stations to stay on top of hydration – I was SO thirsty. I repeated positive mantras in my head and tried to look forward to my favorite part of the race – First Avenue.
miles 13-16: omg this is the most terrible thing ever in life why am I doing this to myself (very slow pace)
as per usual, I don’t really remember much about Queens, except this time a noticeable fatigue started to set in and I got a bit concerned about the many miles to go. The Queensboro bridge loomed by mile 14.5-ish, and upon entering the VERY, VERY LONG incline, I felt awful. This was the first part of the race when I contemplated either stopping, jumping into the east river (ew) and got a bit negative in my thoughts. But, just as my body slowed to a shuffle, I dug as deep as I possibly could, got over the incline without stopping and settled into the glorious decline to First Avenue. I knew if I got to that point, the crowds would pick me up and hopefully, I’d feel better.
miles 16-26.2: you are doing this, and it’s awesome so freaking enjoy it (slower pace but more steady, probably 8:20-8:40/mile)
i really wish everyone could experience running up First Avenue on marathon day – you feel like a celebrity and it’s so cool. The amazing crowds made all the difference and I knew I would be ok. I had friends up along the course here and later on Fifth Avenue, and looking for them really gave me something to look forward to and kept the pace steady. I also kept making sure to stop at most of the aid stations for Gatorade and water – for most of these I walked through them so as not to get most of the fluids up my nose. It definitely took up precious seconds/minutes, but I was too thirsty to care much. The crowds were awesome the whole way, and seeing some friends along the hill up Fifth Avenue (right near the hospital I work at) really helped pick me up. I hadn’t paid too much attention to my watch for most of these miles, but as mile 24 neared, I thought that maybe I’d still be able to eek out a sub-3:40 race. I pushed as hard as I possibly could along Central Park South and around Columbus Circle, and as the finished neared I kept pushing but knew I would be just a few seconds short.
finish photos = the struggle is real
even though I would have loved another BQ-worthy time, I can’t be upset or mad at how the day turned out and as always, learned a lot about the distance and how I handle it. I feel really lucky to be able to run this race every year (through NYRR’s 9 +1) and to have pushed myself to finish pretty strong. After crossing the finish and the long and painful poncho walk, I took a lengthy subway/bus journey home to the east side, got a falafel sandwich, showered and met some of my favorite running buddies for some well-earned cold beer.
for the rest of this week, I’m focusing on refueling with good protein, complex carbohydrates and antioxidant rich foods for recovery, stretching and foam rolling (OW).
greek yogurt, fruit, granola, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, green juice and coffee
next up (and I already can’t wait): BOSTON!