A New Master: Getting Better with Time

2017 United Airlines NYC Half - 1:28:15

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 3^rd 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:

https://www.strava.com/activities/906363218

Conclusion: the War Against Depression

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. 

Giving Thanks: 2016 TCS New York City Marathon Reflection.

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 11^th 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 4^th 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/59^th 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 2^nd 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! 

Winter Hibernation and Recovery

My winter running season is officially over upon conclusion of the 2016 United Airlines New York City Half. It was a learning experience to say the least. The words, "less is more" became more meaningful than any other time in all my years of running. If I'm going to have a strong Fall season, then shifting gears and getting the right balance of intense training and recovery is essential. 

Tight security and a cold 1st day of Spring #unitednychalf

This winter saw me take more frequent rest than in recent years. This aggravating hamstring has been a problem I can't seem to shake. I did a 17 day rest after the New Year (only running Joe Kleinerman at a slower pace), another 17 day rest after the cancelled Fred Lebow, and every other day workout with only high intensity once a week and at least 3 days rest before a race. It helped in allowing my legs to be fresh for all out racing but the post race hamstring pain would pretty much erase several days of healing time. 

It's colder out so it takes longer for your legs to warm up. Pushing the limits to reach my race pace to a sustained level probably caused some of the injured muscle fibers to abruptly undo any healing progress I made thus far. So after running races that sustained my fitness level (only PR at Washington Heights 5K at 19:03), another rest is in order. 

 

I'd say one more week of no running after a 1:29:58 performance at the United Airlines NYC Half. My teammates were great with motivating me to push through during the race. So many inspirational stories, such grit and determination. Mentally I'm at a state where I know I can do better. And Spring, my favorite time to build up my miles and speed is now upon us. As my relentless pursuit continues, the next stop: 2016 Airbnb Brooklyn Half. That's 2 months of honest preparation to give the best performance of my life! 

Bib #1090 at the United NYC Half Experience

Central Park Track Club Teammates: Felipe (Chile), Shane (Aussie), and I warming up at Whitehall Terminal before we celebrate our finish. #globalcitizens

The 2014 TCS New York City Marathon: A Dream Fulfilled.

Official Marathon PR - 3:19:21

Wow! What can I say? The 2014 TCS New York City Marathon was emotionally overwhelming. Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I had to let this one marinate a little bit before I can actually write anything down. I had to make sense of what happened. Saying it was amazing would be an understatement. But it didn’t start out that way. There were some early signs that things weren’t going to be so great. Regardless of what happened, I had made the decision to enjoy this. I dreamed about this for 11 years and worked hard for the past 6 years, to make it to this starting line. I was going to take it all in stride.

The Saturday before the race: I returned to Brooklyn from Paramus, New Jersey, after getting my teeth cleaned, the original plan was to drop my bag with a change of clothes for marathon day at the Jack Rabbit Store in Park Slope. During the marathon registration process, I had chosen the “No Baggage” option because I didn’t want to be bothered with bag retrieval after the marathon. There was also an incentive to choose this option where runners would get a free heat poncho once we completed the race. I figured I could get a free poncho and still drop my bags off at the Jack Rabbit store (best of both worlds). The bag drop off was closed as they had already taken the bags to their Upper West Side store on West 72^nd Street. I had just missed it be about 15 minutes. This actually made things difficult because it made me reconsider any plans I had with friends post-marathon.

Whatever! Take it all in stride. Disappointing? Yes. But don’t let it steal your joy. So I went for my final massage to relieve the lingering tightness in my Lehigh left hamstring injury. Then did my final carb load, taped up and went to bed. This time I applied KT Tape on both my hamstrings (as well as my routine knees and calves) in case the hamstring injury came back, I would at least have some muscle support and help in reducing any resulting pain. I prepared 4 salt tablets in a small zip lock sealed plastic bag stored in my SPIBelt. Last but not least, I decided to experiment with the athletic tape given to runners by Airbnb at the expo. The last couple of marathons I noticed I had tightness in my shoulders at the end of the run. I have been accused by fellow runners of crunching up my shoulders towards the end of my runs. It’s considered bad form and from time to time I always try to relax the shoulders and shake it out to encourage blood flow. Also, I am known to run with a knapsack during training so that could be the reason why I naturally tend to crunch my shoulders. I figured I would try the Airbnb athletic tape would provide any support for any pain that might occur in my shoulders during the marathon.

Race morning: I woke up to a text message from a friend in Connecticut hoping that I “break a leg”. Of course, in the acting world that would be a great thing, but in marathon world, that isn’t exactly the thing a runner wants to think about pre-race. But I knew what she meant and I thanked her for the well wishes. It’s nice that someone was thinking of me at 4:30 AM right before the biggest marathon of my life. Especially when they aren't running one. 

I continued to browse through my phone looking for any updates by the New York Road Runners as they usually do on race mornings. A buddy of mine on social media and my North Brooklyn Runner’s club posted a picture of him and his clothes that he would throw away once the race started. At that point I started thinking about my GoreTex windbreaker jacket I bought at the Road Runner Sports store back when in my Team In Training days. I knew it would be a cold morning and I chose that jacket to wear to keep me warm in the Start Village. I had come to terms with donating that jacket after 6 years of running with it during cold winters, which included cold mornings on the George Washington Bridge in the middle of January and running on the Brooklyn Bridge during Superstorm Sandy. Ironically, on my way to the Staten Island Ferry, I ran into him. After hearing me recount all the great running memories I had with the jacket, he offered to keep the jacket with his baggage for me so that I wouldn’t have to part with it. Yes it was old and faded, but it was clear that I had a sentimental attachment to it.

Staten Island Start Village: Arriving on Staten Island via the ferry, the shuttle bus to the corrals, and hanging out with some of my NBR teammates allowed for the three hours before the start to go swiftly. I spent about an hour in the Green Wave E Corral, performing my pre-marathon rituals of emptying out, stretching, and taking some gels so that I can be loose and ready for the start. The gun went off and I crossed the start at about 9:45 A.M. with just my running shorts, singlet, arm warmers, gloves and headband.  Other runners kept their jackets and Dunkin Donuts beanies on for the first mile as we took on the nasty cross-wind gusts on the Verrazano Bridge. For years I have heard rumors about the “Rain of Death” for those running the lower level of the bridge. However, announcers before the race emphasized in multiple languages that anybody peeing on the bridge would be disqualified. And I didn’t notice any moisture flying my way as I ran considerable slower that first mile. 

Brooklyn: Upon leaving the bridge and seeing people giving high fives to the cops keeping guard, that was when I felt like the race had started. The wind was still blowing, but it wasn't as bad as on the Verrazano. I had decided after that rough start that no matter what happened, I was going to ENJOY this one. Since I was in the Green wave, I got to run down Fort Hamilton Parkway to about 78^th Street and crossed the 5K mark at about 23 minutes into the race. This was a slow start and I didn’t care. As soon as I turned that corner up 4^th Avenue, that was when the energy from the sea of people hit me. It was incredible. So many little kids sticking their hands out to get high fives from the runners, I rounded the corner and just started slapping five. And if I didn’t get every kid, his or her faces were disappointed. I must have given and received love from at least 30 kids in the first 300 meters along 4^th Avenue. With my name on my shirt I just heard “DAVID” and “NBR” in thick Brooklyn accents while the rest of cheers sounded like white noise.

I had to move to the middle of the road so that at least attempt to run my race. With so much energy and adrenaline, I easily made up for my slow start by running the next 4 miles down 4^th Avenue oscillating between 6:30 and 7:30 min/mile pace. I would at times catch myself going too fast and it was a good thing for friends spotted along the route to slow me down as I ran through Park Slope. 

Dedicated the run to my friends I traveled to
Geneva with earlier in the year.

As I passed the Barclay Center, I began thinking about maintaining my marathon stride and holding form for the rest of the race. Runners from Switzerland and spectators in the crowd with Swiss flags yelled my name, pointed at me, and one even patted me on the shoulder telling me he was from Geneva. I had written a thank you sign on the back of my singlet to NYU’s Center for Global Affairs for letting me tour the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland with them earlier in the year. From Fort Green to Williamsburg, the Swiss runners and spectators were going strong. Then I hit the North Brooklyn Runners water table at mile 12. Gatorade, cheers, and love fueled me as I regained form to run this familiar stretch of the route.

SPIBelt with MetroCard attached.

It wasn’t until I hit the Pulaski Bridge that my SPIBelt started annoying me. The MetroCard holder hanging off my belt kept dangling as I kept using my hands to place it in my shorts pocket hoping it would stay there. I would play with this thing until the Queensboro Bridge, when I realized I had to hike my shorts up allowing it to stay stable in my pocket. Another annoying problem was my arm warmers. I wore different arm warmers where one didn’t have the same elasticity as the ends as the other. So I kept fiddling with the sleeve, rerolling them up my arm as I kept my legs moving. Proper runner’s form was out the window.

Queensboro Bridge and First Avenue: The crowds dissipated once I entered the bridge. I had mentally prepared myself for this part of the race for a long time. Luckily, the many distractions I had leading up to that point prevented me from running too fast early in the race which allowed me to run up and down the steep elevation changes with consistent flow. I saw an NBR teammate yell, complaining the race was over for them. This portion of the race was brutal - Runners and the bridge - No cheers from any crowds - Just runners either maintaining or slowing down in pain. It was the first separator.

Now all along the marathon route when I spotted a North Brooklyn Runner I would give them a fist bump. In the vast sea of runners and spectators, seeing that North Brooklyn Runners logo does remind you of training. It forces me to regain form, which I did as I exited the Queensboro Bridge.  However, at that point the first signs of fatigue started settling in and I knew I had to make adjustments. I decided to take my first salt tablet as I ran through the cheering crowds on 1st Avenue. At almost mile 17 I unzipped my SPIBelt to reach for the tablets I had stored. For about half a mile I had a hard time opening the reseal-able bag as I kept my legs moving. I finally managed to puncture the bottom of the bag and two tablets went flying out. At that point, I caught a hamstring strain as I approached the water station. I immediately went to the side to slow down but I didn’t stop. I stayed calm, took the dosage, and headed to the water station for Gatorade. 

The pain forced me to slow down as I still had one tablet left, so I remained calm. I slowly regained form with one tablet in my SPIBelt. Although it was cold, at that point in the race, I started throwing water on my body at water stations, not worried about the last tablet melting away as it did in previous races. I was determined to stay calm and focused, through all the energy with people in the crowd yelling my name. At that point in the race, people would make eye contact and I would move forward behind my sunglasses. Little kids would stick their hand out on the Upper East Side and East Harlem, and I would decline the high five. I just wanted to finish.

The Boogie Down Bronx: Mentally I was ready for the Willis Ave. Bridge. I was careful not to put to much pressure on my left leg as I approached the bridge. The electrolytes from the salt tablet were working and the KT Tape on my hamstring provided the pain relief necessary for my confidence in overcoming this bridge. When I took on the incline, I found myself changing my stride in such a way that I put most of my weight on my right leg to avoid any heavy lifting on my left leg. I soon found my pace down to almost 9:00 per mile as it looked like I was hopping on one leg up the bridge. Noticeable pressure was felt in my right quad and calf muscle. I attempted to regain form once I past the incline and made the left turn onto East 135^th St. Right before I came to a complete stop with the pain in my left hamstring much worse than before. I took the last tablet and drank Gatorade. Apparently, my coming to a complete stop angered a fellow female runner as she pushed me out of her way to get her fluids as I stood clutching my hamstring. 

Practically hopping on one leg as I enter The Bronx 

A quick massage on my hamstring and I started running again. Hopefully these tablets will kick in and I can pick up the pace. It felt like the race was completely over, but I didn't panic nor did I despair. I managed to maintain an 8:00 min/mile pace as I navigated the turns and back roads in the Bronx, up until the Madison Avenue Bridge. As I re-entered Manhattan, the consistent pain in my left leg didn’t prevent me from picking up the pace.

Re-entered Harlem, 5^th Avenue Mile, and Central Park: The tablets were working. The energy from the crowds in Harlem and gave me the adrenaline rush to push me forward. I paid little attention to my watch at that point, focusing only on the pain and propelling myself forward. I remained calm and was determined to keep my legs moving.

I had expected the stretch of 5^th Avenue to be difficult as I heard plenty of runners talk about how the slight incline prevented runners from finishing strong. I felt the opposite. It was there I caught my second wind and brought my pace down to sub-7:30 minutes per mile. Pain still in my leg, I was determined to finish strong. The rolling hills in Central Park had little effect on my pace because at that point I focused on managing the pain in my leg and applying my foot strikes based on the level of pain I was experience. So on an uphill, it would seem like I am skipping up the hill on my right leg, but on a downhill I would surge and allow for my pace to pick up with minimal energy spent.

I was relieved when I reached the straight away on 59^th Street. As I was making the right turn, I glanced at my watch and realized I still had a chance at a personal best marathon. I spotted a North Brooklyn Runner teammate ahead of me. As I did throughout the marathon, I would catch up and offer motivation, a congratulations, and a fist bump. I caught him with about 800 meters to go and I yelled, “North Brooklyn, c’mon lets move, only 800 to go.” That energy caused me to lose focus on my leg as I could feel the cramp coming back.

A PR Finish: As my leg started to cramp up, I thought to myself, “Hell no, not now!” I knew I was so close to the finish and resolved to ignore any pain, any cramps and surge ahead into a 6 minute-sprint that probably would have done permanent damage. The finish was too close and I was yelling in agony from the pain. But it didn’t matter. About 10 meters from the finish line, I just raised my arms in happiness as if I was ready to hug the “Finish” sign above.

It was OVER! With emotions flying, I quickly looked at my watch and saw 3:19, then pressed stop. I knew I had unofficially achieved a PR. Let’s just hope my watch was in sync with the official timekeeper. As I looked up ready to retrieve my medal, 2 feet past the finish line marker were Winston and his wife, Yannie, offering me congratulations. Now that was special. The first person you see at the finish line is your friend of almost 20 years fully supporting your journey. Seeing them there felt amazing and I didn’t expect it.

The Takeaway: Those who follow me on Facebook know about the inspirational quotes I post from time to time. As I was coming off of the emotional high from the marathon this week, this one in particular, posted November 4, caught my attention:

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you."

-- Will Rogers

A lot of bad things happened to me from a marathoner’s perspective. Those include not properly planning my baggage, to the nasty crosswinds on the bridges. The many distractions along the course such as dangling MetroCard and annoying sleeves. And of course injuries that slowed and stopped me, while being pushed to the side by a female runner, as I was agonizing in pain. The thought of stopping and walking crossed my mind several times. It was a good thing these prevented me from going out too fast. And the energy and love I received from all the spectators, consistently hearing my name throughout the white noise along the entire course fueled my focus and determination. Panicking like I’ve done in previous marathons was not an option. I never had the feeling of desperation as experienced in past marathons. This 26.2 mile journey was all about keeping my head strong. Something I have not been good at in the past.

There is a great deal of mental stamina involved in marathon running. If I can continue to work on balancing mental self control with physical performance, I’ll surely qualify for the Boston marathon sooner rather than later. After my performance at Lehigh, I knew that qualifying for Boston in New York City, with all the physical therapy sessions and injury recovery massages during my training, wouldn't happen. But a marathon PR in these windy conditions is a lot more than I could ask for. I am certainly satisfied. My New York City Marathon debut and first World Marathon Major is an absolute success. And it brings closure to an 11-year pursuit finally realized.