Starting line selfies: Photo credit
Andrea Afshar (bottom corner),
NYC Marathoners
Unlucky
number 13. Marathon 13 that is. Preceded
by one of my most challenging training cycles. Again, I had to let this one
marinate for a little while before I started writing in my blog. Too much
emotions, some similar and some new, that I have to sort out before I can make
sense of them and start writing my thoughts in my outdated version of Microsoft
Word. So what have I concluded after marathon number 13? That luck does play a
part in achieving your goals as a marathoner, but it still is only one variable.
Rough start to my training cycle: 1st race since my
rib injury - San Francisco 1st Half Marathon
Each
marathon is a learning experience that you can build off of for your next
marathon. Obviously our bodies can only handle so much and as we age, we need
to take the correct steps to ensure that we can handle any unexpected variables
that might prevent us from achieving our marathon potential. And that learning
experience from previous marathons, I certainly took into account as I went
into my 4th TCS New York City Marathon. I knew after last year’s 2
marathon-Fall season (well the last three Fall seasons were 2 marathon Fall seasons)
that I wanted to give my 13th marathon, “the training that it
deserved”.
Getting my confidence back at the
New Balance 5th Avenue Mile
“The
training it deserved” turned into a fight to bring myself back from a pretty
serious injury.
Early in the cycle, I had to cut workout shorts because of my
rib injury. Although I was cleared to resume physical activity, I had to listen
to my body much more to make sure I can even make it to the starting line. My
confidence grew after running a strong 5th Avenue Mile (comparable to last year). Although I was 1 second shy of last year’s time, my 2nd half was ran well under the 5 minute pace when I threw on the jets at the 800 meter mark. It was then I knew that I would definitely run NYC again this fall. But I had to train smart.
The
two-month lay-off from the injury allowed for some serious hamstring
healing; so no need to visit my physical
therapist. Yes I wanted to do well and get that strength training in but how
can I justify expense if I didn’t feel any issues with my hamstring. Thus,
resulting in a half ass strength-training regimen, just like I did for London.
The training a marathon deserves REQUIRES a solid strength-training program,
and this I realize in hindsight was what was lacking.
Mile
25!! I can taste the finish line. If only I can just keep the pace that I
managed to maintain throughout the marathon. Pulaski Bridge – CONQUERED! Ed
Koch Queensboro Bridge – thanks to the extra practice runs in the weeks leading
up to the race – CONQUERED! Willis Avenue Bridge – for the first time in the 4
times I’ve run NYC – CONQUERED! I was feeling great as I managed to get myself
back down to a 7:05 to 7:10ish pace as I was pacing through the Bronx in
rhythmic fashion. Back in the Manhattan,
high 5 for Alice and Michelle, and I was good until the 5th Avenue. Ok… my pace
is getting a little slower but let me just get through this slow rising hill
and I can get my pace back after the CPTC Wall of Orange when I enter Central
Park at Engineer’s Gate. A thumbs up to
our team photographer (or maybe he’s not our team photographer… you’ll have to
ask John Le Tran for yourself… either way his photos are amazing) and I was
ready to kick for the last 2 miles. A little bit of recovery before the backside
of Cat Hill and let’s do this.
Recovering after 5th Avenue Uphill while spotting John Le Tran with his camera and
the rest of the CPTC - New Balance teammates.
Yet
there was no kick. As a matter of fact a little bit of deliriousness settled
in. I haven’t felt this way since my earlier closer to 4-hour marathons when I
was less experienced. Ok… I am still conscious; I know where I am. I’ve run
Central Park 1000 times so just one foot in front of the other. Starting to
feel dazed and dizzy, as I extended my stride down Cat Hill and the hamstring
wanted to go. I started running stiff legged so that it wouldn’t pop. No
gunshot pulls, just the strain that I can live with as I ran with one leg
straight fighting through to the finish. As I approached 59th I only
heard one voice, “David finish strong, only a little bit left.” Aside from the
white noise and the shouts of “Go David” I was numb too from previous New York
City Marathons, Ron Romano was clearly in my head as his voice stood out from
all the rest. His phenomenal training cycle which included a 330+ mile month of
July and his excellent performance in the Chicago heat just 4 weeks prior had
me thinking ahead during my taper on how I was going to tackle my Boston marathon training.
Ron Romano, a source of inspiration this
training cycle and during the last mile of the race.
It
was then I had to reach deep into every fiber of energy I can find in order to
finish. I was slow at that point running at almost 9 minute pace, but I wasn’t
going to stop. I had nothing left as Ron passed me turning the corner on 59th
Street. Delirious, dizzy, strained
hamstring, rib pains (which came during the Ed Koch Bridge by the way) and now
hunger pains couldn’t stop me. I felt terrible but I finished in 3:13:45. I
could have saved at least 2 minutes had it not been the four times I stopped to
tie and finally tuck in my shoelaces earlier in the race. My third Boston
Qualifier, yes but not that 5 minute cushion I needed to guarantee my spot for
2019.
Absolutely nothing left as I crossed the finish line- looking and feeling terrible and totally drained.
So
marathons don’t always go the way you wish. Yes, I’ve run enough of these to
know how to better prepare for them. On the other hand, I did want to enjoy
this year in running a little more after my marathon PR and BQ performance in Chicago
last year. I did feel happier at this finish line than in any previous marathon
(except Chicago). I came back from a painful work related injury to run my
second fastest marathon and fastest New York City. Yet it
wasn’t the training that this marathon deserved. Every training
run required stronger effort, calculated intensity, and strategic recovery. But life gets in the way so I am certainly proud of the effort I put forth. And I left absolutely everything out there on the course. This marathon was certainly my conclusion to the preparation leading up to the race.
Like taking an exam after you spent a considerable amount of time studying.
Respect the shooter: @str8kim of Runthesol.com catches me at mile 9 before entering Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn.
Shoutouts!
Roland and Delgado giving positive energy as we meet
year after year at New York Road Runners races.
Amy and Joe at the starting line staying calm and cool prior to our 26.2 miles.
30 times NYC Marathoner and CPTC legend, Alan Ruben, post-race.
A little blurry at the finish line: CPTC teammate Ryan Starbuck sets
Guinness Book of World record for fastest marathon dressed as a lobster at 3:09
Dangerous work climbing buildings -
things happens when you least expect it.
I write in this blog hobbled at the moment, after sustaining muscle injuries in my rib cage area. A consequence of falling through an unfinished stair on one of my construction sites. I was able to minimize bodily damage by quickly extending my arms and catching the edge of a step so to reduce gravity's impact on my legs (oh those precious marathon legs). The blow to the rib cage was a sharp, stinging pain that sucked the wind out of me for a couple of minutes. After my breathing came back, it just felt like a side stitch cramp that would eventually go away like in some of my runs. But into the evening and the next day, the pain got worse. My first thoughts as I relented and headed to the emergency room was, "there goes my summer speed workouts!"
How did I get to this point? Was I being reckless these last couple of months? Of course not. After a measured Winter and Spring season where I paid particular attention to my recovery after two back-to-back Fall marathons, I was ready to go all out and set myself up for what I dubbed, "an Autumn for the Ages". It was this year, the year I turned 40, I would give the TCS New York City Marathon the training it deserved. No two marathon Falls like in the last 3 years, no scrambling to the physical therapist to treat my chronically injured hamstring, and no overtraining. I've learned many lessons after 12 marathons and developed a knowledge of my own physical capabilities that would have me confidently taking on my 4th New York City marathon in spectacular fashion. Now all of this is at risk.
I need to recover. And in an area that is unfamiliar with injury. The muscles underneath my rib cage. Or as the ER doctor labeled it, "Rib contusion". But I can do this. I've learned the art of balancing endurance training and recovery leading up to this years Virgin Money London Marathon. That marathon came with a few unexpected hiccups, but I got it done to complete my 3rd World Major in the Abbott World Majors Marathon Series. Next stop, the Boston Marathon in 2018. But first, this Fall - The TCS New York City Marathon.
Training for the Virgin Money London Marathon and AirBnB Brooklyn Half
Again, I ask: Can I get it done? What new workouts will I need to introduce to my regimen, and what will I need to throw away. Leading up to London, I was able to squeak out my 2nd fastest marathon at 3:14:54. I applied the same training principles I applied in Chicago:
Less running: instead of running 80 to 100 miles during peak week (about a month before race day), I topped at 50 miles. As mentioned in previous blog posts.
Focused more on intensity of workouts: Paid closer attention to heart rate and made sure to get my interval track workouts in every week.
Recovery: made sure I did recovery runs after intense workouts and gave myself an extra day of rest on both sides of the Al Gordon 4 mile and the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon.
Slower long runs: most of my long runs were about a minute to and minute and a half slower than marathon goal pace for Half to two thirds of the run.
Time rather than distance: the majority of the workouts outside of my interval track and long runs were based on time. Whatever I could do in 30 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour, that was what was to be done. I made sure my heart rate stayed within steady, aerobic and anaerobic zones depending upon what the training plan called for.
Cross-training: still getting used to triathlon training. Using my swims to strengthen my core and skipped a couple long runs in favor of some long bike rides.
Now is this my regimen moving forward. Probably not. It's a good regimen to run a strong marathon while keeping up with your other life demands. And towards the last month after the NYC it became extremely difficult to stay disciplined with the consistency of my workout, thus abandoning my training plan and "feeling" out the rest of the workouts. And it all allowed me to get through the London race injury-free.
Targeting Brooklyn, But Left So Much in London
London marathon buddy, inspirational CPTC teammate, Nobu, crushing a 2:34 in London
It was only the 2nd time since my hamstring injury that I didn't cramp up during a marathon. Just like Chicago, I ran with rhythmic motion. However, this time there were rolling hills, narrow roadway, and more loops and turns for my liking. Other than that, the Virgin Money London Marathon wasn't any different than previous marathons. I did have to dig deeper than usual for the final 3 miles to eek out a Boston Marathon qualifying time. This late effort did leave higher than normal to burning levels of soreness in my legs as I continued to vacation in Europe in the week that followed.
Teammate, David Greenburg, welcoming me to the ranks of CPTC Masters
This took away from my recovery / training balance that I wanted for my target race: the AirBnB Brooklyn Half. There I missed my half marathon PR by only 21 seconds and ran it 9 seconds slower than last year. And the same story as last year, too much energy spent in Prospect Park on legs not fully recovered from London.
Omar and I meet again at the AirBnB Brooklyn Half
Action shot coming out of Prospect Park. Feels great to be able to perform a strong half marathon.
Down But Not Out - More Unexpected Recovery for my Fall Comeback
Cross Training: Always learning - Friends at BTC Open Water Clinic advise me to get a wetsuit with more rubber (too much neoprene)
If I had only did more tempo workouts in Central Park over the Winter, my legs would have been ready. That would have been the best way to prepare for those rolling hills. And you can swim and bike for endurance all you want, as it does help you strengthen your stamina. But you still have to run to get faster. And boy was I ready to run this summer. Yes I had several races on deck, but they were to set me up for the Fall, so to answer a previous question, no I was not being reckless. Instead, I'm forced to continue recovery mode and hit the dreaded cancel button on some of these races. With help from my pain meds, I can hopefully be 100% for New York City this Fall.
Cross Training: 2017 TD Bike Tour - skipped the AirBnB Brooklyn Half training long run in favor of this 36 mile bike tour across the 5 boroughs.
Some Europe photos:
Updated 2017 pic with Rosetta Stone - British Museum
Monsieur Laurent Normand catch up over a great meal as he welcome me to Paris. #mba #globalcitizens
Updated pic with the original Mona Lisa at the L'Ouvre Museum 2017
It's an all-day party here in the streets of Amsterdam for the King's Birthday
Early carb loading for the Brooklyn Half at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam
Great to see childhood friend, Marin, from my navy brat days in Connecticut.
First CPTC friend, Christiaan I made when joining the running club welcomes me to his hometown, Amsterdam.
For me, running is therapeutic. And my way to fight depression. After embracing running in my 30s from absolutely no running in my
20s, I have a little perspective now that I can share. I have a good grasp of
how vastly different life has been during both times. I ran in my teens and grew to hate
it. That hatred carried into my 20s, until I decided to try it again for the
challenge of running a marathon. I love the challenge, I hate the stress. I can
say that about a lot of things in my life. As I enter into another decade, I’m
grateful for how far I’ve come and look forward to the challenges ahead.
Running as therapy:
Living in New York City is stressful. It’s expensive. People
are in your face almost constantly. No matter how nice people appear to be
after 9/11, there are still plenty of rude ones. And the weather is so unpredictable,
it can disrupt whatever plans you may have.
I work construction. Construction is stressful. Clients
demanding your services and for its completion yesterday, even though they
requested today. Government regulators making sure you are performing your
duties with priority to the public. And for the amount of stress that comes
with the job, the money isn’t enough to get ahead in this expensive city.
So I run. Not away from but towards the stress. Convert the
stressful, anxiety filled energy into a healthy, therapeutic energy. An energy
that brings benefit to the body for fighting disease, anxiety, and ironically…
stress. Using the running’s stress to fight negative, depressing, unproductive
stress. It is sort of an oxymoron but its true. By setting goals for myself,
like shooting for faster race times, and taking on new challenges, like
training for an Olympic triathlon, you add stress to beat stress.
Embracing another decade:
Swimming as cross training - Chelsea Piers
With the tools to defeat stress that took me a while to
learn, I embrace another decade in life. Feeling younger and healthy despite
being grayer and slower. Yes slower! My body aches more now after every run or
workout than just 5 years ago. Recovery has become a way of life that go
hand-in-hand with my running. I took up triathlons for cross training. It works
better for me than weight training. Those who knew me in my 20s remembered me
for being all about weight training. That has changed. I’ve evolved. Plus I had
a hernia, so I had to seriously cut back. And that freed up time for more
running.
As I was saying, entering a new decade has me equipped with
many lessons learned. I am able to perform better athletically despite getting older and slower physically, which requires me to apply these lessons on a daily
basis. The Results: I ran my 3rd fastest half marathon at the 2017
United Airlines NYC Half . More swimming for cross training, less running to
allow recovery time, and my consistent but not as frequent as when I am
marathon training, massage regimen.
So I remain optimistic that I can perform to even faster
times, without stressing the times. Whenever someone asks, “What time are you
shooting for?” for any particular race. I always reply,
“I’m just going to go out there and have fun and do the best
I can.”
And that is really how I see it. Speaking out loud an actual
goal time adds stress. Like when I was shooting for the Boston Marathon. Every
marathon I would shoot for a BQ time and then some, and every one I would be
disappointed. Scrambling to figure out where I went wrong as the post marathon
blues would settle in. Although the challenge was fun, the stress sucked. I am
so glad that is over with. April 2018, I’ll finally get to run Boston. In the
back of my mind I would like to do it again, sure. Just like when people ask me
about goal times for any other race, sure I have a number in the back of my
head. But I don’t need that kind of stress. It’s enough that my job and
regulators hold me accountable for things I do at my job, no need to add stress
by being accountable for race time goals I profess to the world. No thank you,
I got into running to defeat anxiety and unhealthy stress, not add to it.
Clip from my run portion of my first indoor tri in Garden City, NY - January 6, 2017
As a side note, the 2017 United Airlines NYC half felt like any other race. I did surprise myself by running a sub 1:30. My training focus has been for my next marathon and improving my swim. The usual culprits came back: left hamstring weak and on the verge of re-injury, as well as my chronic right hip problems I've been having during training. I was forced to take it extra slow along the West Side of Central Park. And by mile 11, I just didn't have the legs to run a negative split. I did finish strong in the last mile as I approached the tunnel. Check my Strava stats for this race below:
I spent years diving deep into numbers behind a computer
screen. Sitting behind a desk visualizing and coming up with plans that would
eventually become reality for the public to use. It is depressing when these
plans don’t work out as visualized. People can get hurt as watchdogs oversee your activities, ready to punish you. Clients prioritize their pockets over the public that
leaves you in a peculiar situation to keep paying the bills in an ever increasing costly city. All this allows for depression to settle in very
quickly.
Trying Normatec boots for the first time - March 2017
Especially after a marathon, when 3 or 4 months of training
has completed. What now! Did I get the time goal I wanted? How long can I keep
doing this? Oh you ran two marathons within a month of each other? Did you take
the time to digest what happened in the first one? Were you adequately prepared
for the second one? Are you in over your head? How many friends did I cancel on
to accommodate my training? Who’s birthday did I miss?
There are so many questions that add that unhealthy stress
and depression. But the beauty about this running lifestyle is: I shut my mind
off, put on my running shoes, and run. The important questions get answered
during your run. The rest can wait. And my life gets better. Because the run helps me not stress the small stuff. The big stuff gets dealt with through epiphany. Its like the miles help the blood circulate better to your brain, for better thinking, and less distractions on the open roads. And that will continue
as run my first marathon outside of the United States: The 2017 Virgin Money
London Marathon, April 23! Couldn’t ask for a better way to make my Masters
debut.
Every year, on this Thanksgiving Day, I always wake up with
some reflection on what I went through and what I envision for the year ahead.
For me, this holiday feels more like New Years than the actual New Year’s Day. And
of course, my reflection these last several years involves running. I can’t
reflect on my year and running without addressing the TCS New York City
Marathon. For me, this race has always been more than just training, making it
to the finish line, or making it to the starting line healthy. It has always
been about the coming together of people from all walks of life celebrating.
What exactly are they celebrating? That answer comes from the individuals
themselves. For me, it is celebrating another year of successes and failures
that contributes to the trajectory of my growth. Runners from every race, young
and old, from every parts of the globe, running through the city I was
born.
It’s not the easiest marathon course. I realized that after
running a BQ in Chicago. In fact, I appreciated the complexities of this course
more after running it a third time, and after 10 marathons. The training that I had leading up to the TCS
New York City marathon, was certainly not the correct one for me to perform at
my best. Although I did get some insight on how to best train myself for a
marathon, it does help to have a good understanding of the course before going
in. That includes looking at elevation
charts, where the twists and turns were, and adequate preparation for race day
nutrition: before, during, and after.
Nutrition: For the best carb-load, see Jed at Bar Toto in Brooklyn! They make a delicious Pappardelle al Pesto!
That last point became very apparent for my 11th marathon;
I bought some bagels the night to carry with me during my trip to Staten Island
the next morning. What is normally a 45-minute trip from where I live to the
Staten Island side of the Ferry turned into 2 hours and add another hour to
make it to the Start Village due to traffic! The bagels were stale so I threw
them away. I consumed only had the banana and Muscle Milk I had with me that morning.
Cutting it close to making the first
wave, I was still able to go through my usual pre-race routine of emptying out
(with my breakfast usually not fully digested yet, but this time not much of a
breakfast) and get motivated with familiar faces I see at the start.
Start line motivation with Central Park Track Club (CPTC)
The Training:
Just 4 weeks after my Chicago BQ, it was clear I was not
recovered and I knew it. The membership to my spa was expired and I wasn’t
ready to spend the 6-month membership dues yet. So my massage regimen was
limited to a discounted 90-minute massage with a new massage therapist the
night before that I bought with a one-time payment. She still did a great job
but it was clear she was unfamiliar with how to deal with my previous hamstring
issues I had told her about. She chose to focus on previously ignored muscle
groups (my quads and my neck) since they had tightness that I never really
addressed with my previous massage therapist. I was accustomed to trigger point
therapy that went directly for my knots both from every day activity and
marathon training. Loosening up these areas was certainly painful (the feel
good massage pain of course) but I don’t think it did me much good for the
marathon.
Always appreciate words of wisdom from these experienced marathoners, Delgado and Roland!
Two weeks of recovery running after Chicago as the soreness
slowly went away day by day. By the third week I was doing the rack workouts
with Central Park Track Club (CPTC) and the 6 mile Thursday night tempo. Both
workouts, for the most part, were completed at pre-Chicago training paces with
some struggle towards the end. I knew NYC wasn’t going to be pretty but at
least I could finish with a respectable time. I did what I had to do in Chicago
and the burden of qualifying for Boston was finally lifted. This was my victory
lap. Just go and have fun.
The Race:
I started the race, basically, at the same pace and even
faster for the first half of the marathon. On this third time around, I was
familiar with the relatively flat portion along 4th Avenue in
Brooklyn that had me pacing at 6:40 minute per mile up till I hit Flatbush
Avenue. I was running it as if I was still in Chicago: same rhythm, and
impressively, only a little bit more energy from the crowd. That tells you a
lot about how great the Chicago crowds were.
“What are your shooting for?” the runner next to me asked with a
European accent.
I knew I was going to fast. I had no real goal and I knew I
wasn’t full recovered. “I’m just having fun… no real goals.” I replied. And
then he sped off on a solid 6:30 pace. I was still holding my pace conscious
that I would have a tough time later in the race. But why not! Why not test my
body to the limit and see when the eventual struggle would happen.
Cheers from various friends, neighbors, former and current
teammates as well as the many strangers yelling my name as they read my name
bib, kept me motivated.
“Great job, David, you are keeping a good pace. Just keep
running up this hill and maintain.” Said one of the pacers as we ran along the
inclines and declines of Bedford Avenue.
“Thank you!” my robotic reply I was accustomed to yelling
every time I heard someone read my name bib. But as the pacer passed me, “Justin,
what’s up man!” I met him at the North Avenue Mile back in June and seen him regularly
at CPTC track workouts along the East River. He had the 3 hour pace group
rhythmically following him as he spoke motivating chants and encouraging words
through various parts of the course.
They slowly slipped away as my pace would seesaw between
6:50 and 7:00 min/mile. “Great job, David. You’re on pace to break 3 hours!”
yelled Sean from North Brooklyn Runners (NBR) as I snatched the Gatorade from his hand
at Mile 12. That one stuck! “Yes. I am going too fast. But I feel good and if I
can only hold this pace.” I thought to myself.
Hunger pains to starvation by Mile 18
That thought was challenged when I hit the Ed Koch
Queensboro/59th Street Bridge. I can feel the energy burn throughout
my body as I worked hard to maintain that pace on the incline. The 3:05 group
came and went but not without Omar, who I met at the Long Island marathon back
in 2015, saying to me, “You have to listen to your body, Dave. It’s one thing to
stay with the pace group but if your body is telling you to take it easy, you
can’t risk the injuries!” He was right as I slipped to 7:30 min/mile. But I still had something in me as I exited
the bridge and locked into form on the First Avenue straightaway.
By then I was spent. My body was going through rhythmic
motion with my mind losing complete control. I managed to get the pace back to
7:15 min/mile but I was running on fumes. The bridge took whatever nutritional
energy I had and the carb reserves completely out of my system. I was running purely
on muscular reflexes from months of training. The collapse was inevitable! But
when would it happen? My stomach was growling in agony as I could feel my pace further dropping. As I continued up First Avenue, the Gatorade, water, and gels
I was taking was not enough. I NEEDED
FOOD!
The collapse was soon to come. I can see a man distributing
orange slices as I passed mile 18. My mind, completely ignoring what my body
was doing, focused on him. As I struggled to reach for the man to grab some
oranges, 29-time New York City marathon legend and fellow CPTC teammate, Alan
Ruben, tapped me on the boom-boom and at that instant I came to a complete
stop. The feelings of both validation and failure rushed through my body as I
walked up to the man for 3 orange slices.
The Collapse:
It was over. I had pulled the plug on the race in the
interest of self-preservation. The marathon wasn’t over though, I still had 8
more miles and I wanted the medal. Walking would take too long. And as it turns
out, the oranges made the hunger pains worse. The low pH from the oranges
combined with my bubbling stomach acids only activated my chronic reflux
disease into higher than normal levels to add to my starvation. I resolved to
apply the walk-run method I learned from my friend Jerry back in my first
marathon in New Jersey, 6 and a half
years ago.
Relentless push through Willis Avenue Bridge with nothing in the tank.
“C’MON DAVID!! KEEP IT MOVING!! YOU GOT THIS!! NO WALKING!!
KEEP PUSHING!” That person didn’t sound like she was reading my name bib. Man
she had power in her voice. I looked up and it was another CPTC teammate,
Cynthia, posted at the Willis Avenue Bridge, probably going hoarse cheering for
people she knew. “Damn, maybe I should stop walking!” I thought to myself as I
was perplexed by how loud her cheers were.
Lucky for me, as I entered the Bronx, just around the corner
was an older lady with a lovely display of cookies, pretzels,
potato chips and coconut water near mile 20.
“Please, I’m starving. I have to stop and eat!” as I ran to
the table.
“Sure. Do what you need to do,” she replied.
I sat there and watched teammate after teammate, runner after runner, pass me as I
was munching down on food. Some of my familiars were shouting for me to keep going. But I shook my head, “NO!” as I continued to fill my stomach. After about 10 minutes,
“Thank you so much for the food. I didn’t eat a good enough breakfast and I ran
Chicago just 4 weeks ago. My body didn’t fully recover.”
“No problem.” She was surprised at how much I ate, as she went to
refill her bowls with an awkward look n her face. “I’ve done that too in my day: running both Chicago and New
York within the same month. I know how you feel.”
“Thank you,” as I regained my rhythm and ran off. Slow and
steady, feeling refreshed and realizing that this marathon was going by fast.
Mile 21 already and it was anything but boring.
The Community:
Christian celebrates a marathon PR!
I've seen more recognizable faces and interactions with
strangers than I ever have. High five for Kaitlin, high-five Alice, shook the
hand of the little guy that gave me a water bottle in Harlem. And excitement as I noticed
more cookies just past mile 23!
“David, what are you doing? Don’t eat cookies! You need to
go! Finish strong!” I looked at Judith like she wasn’t making any sense.
Clearly my brain felt that eating chocolate covered graham cookies was more
important than finishing the race. I ate a couple, and grabbed a handful for my
trip down Fifth Avenue.
A flurry of high-fives from CPTC as I entered Engineer’s
Gate, I was feeling good. And no hamstring issues for what looked like the 2nd
marathon in a row. Or so it seemed.
After my routine water and Gatorade sips at the mile 25 water stop, a spectator
crossing the road interrupted my rhythm. We clutch each other to prevent us
from both tripping as my weak hamstring locked up for yet another marathon. Another complete and painful stop. I stretch
and shake my leg as the claps began when I proceeded to regain my run that
carried me to the finish.
My medal was secured! My time was respectable! A picture
with Christian and a hug from Amy and this race was over! I just wanted to move
on and get myself mentally ready for the Virgin Money London Marathon in April 2017.
I couldn’t be disappointed because I had expected this to happen. However, I was
pleased with seeing so many more recognizable faces along the course. If anything, this race proved to me that I am
definitely more connected with the NYC runner community, than ever before.
There wasn’t a moment on the course where I didn’t hear my name and was able to
distinguish from strangers reading my name bib to familiar voices from people I
knew. From Felipe’s cheers in Long Island City, the CPTC and NBR friends at
various spots along the course, to the interactions with friends and strangers
that ran with me. Not to mention the endless high-fives from the kids in all
five boroughs. I can’t express enough how enjoyable it is to run the largest
marathon in the world in another record-breaking year. It made my 3 hours 35
minutes and 52 seconds of running feel much faster. That alone was certainly enough for me to be thankful for!
