Hobbled But Not Out: My Extended Recovery

An Unexpected Injury:

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: 

1. 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.
2. Focused more on intensity of workouts: Paid closer attention to heart rate and made sure to get my interval track workouts in every week.
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. 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. 
6. 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.

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! 

2015 TCS NYC Marathon Prep: My Need for Speed

Bronx 10-mile PR 1:04:53 September 2015

Here we are, marathon week and the emotions are building up. I have a sense of the energy that will be waiting for me as I journey through the five boroughs from last year's experience. Training for this marathon in particular was intense. This whole year has been one where I've finally found myself on my desired path in all areas of my life, not just running. Sacrifices made where excess baggage was removed permanently, while the things and people that mattered remained. All due to my year long PREPARATION for the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon and my 2015 miles in 2015 journey. 

Speed: I had to get faster. Since my Team In Training days, I've always looked forward to the summer where I can get some high intensity speed training in that would reap great benefits in the Fall. After this year's Brooklyn Half, I ran two 10k's - the United Arab Emarites Healthy Kidney and the Queens Five Borough Series. (And thank you to those who donated to the National Kidney Foundation on my behalf, I haven't forgotten you. Be on the lookout for a special thank you this holiday season). Although I achieved a PR and my second fastest 10K under hot and humid conditions, respectively, I knew I had the potential to finally break 40 minutes. I needed recovery. The coaches and fellow runners at Central Park Track Club literally screamed at me to cut back on my mileage and focus more on high intensity workouts. This meant HONEST track work and tempo runs, with some soft surface long runs as we get closer to the marathon. 

Ok, maybe next year. I already signed up for the Self-Transcendence Marathon in Rockland State Park by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team. That meant a high mileage summer as well as the track and tempo workouts.  On any given Tuesday night, you can catch me at the East 6th Street Track near the FDR Drive where I worked on achieving a whole new level of speed performance. 400s, 800s, recovery, repeat, 600s, Yasso's, and pickups. All different combinations on any given week designed to compliment your tempo and weekend long runs. I can speak about this in my marathon blog, but for now, let's talk about the preparation.

East 6th Street Track along the East River

Was it working? Was I getting faster? Before I answer that question, I first must say that these workouts were painful. I kept up with my massage regimen to ensure I had the proper recovery. I needed to be able to keep up with the new speedy friends I made in the running club. Sure we are all there to help each other and it wasn't a competition, but we did bring the best out of each other. Being around the team at workouts,  New York Road Runner races, and Central Park Track club events always gave me the energy and inspiration I needed to make sure that my PREPARATION was at its best. That meant weekly physical therapy sessions for strengthening and injury prevention, as well as my massages. If I knew I didn't have what it takes to give at least 80% at the workouts, I didn't bother showing up and opted for slow recovery runs instead.

USATF National Club Track and Field Championships July 2015

One Central Park Track Club event that was truly inspiring was when I volunteered at the 2015 USATF National Club Track and Field Championships at Icahn Stadium. Post collegiate, mostly amateur athletes competing for the joy of it, with some impressive performances. So impressive that a particular fellow Manhattan College Jasper and Olympian was in attendance. Seeing my friend of 20 years, and 4 time Olympian, Aliann Pompey, was just the boost I needed to grind out those summer speed workouts. I remember vividly our college days where she practically lived on the track while I was buried in engineering books. Her work is a testament for the need to do all the little things that pays dividends in the future: Run, recovery, nutrition, repeat. Today she's Commissioner of the Guyana National Sports Commission and is actively involved with mentoring and educating youth in the New York City area. When speaking to her today, she is still the same humble, soft spoken person who never let success change her. The difference between her and her peers is she took that extra step to understand the challenge before her. Aliann was HONEST in her PREPARATION to achieve what she set out to achieve. All while remaining calm and never allowing the task at hand to overwhelm her. 

With all that said, you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to meticulously PREPARE for the task at hand. Any runner, at all levels should be HONEST in how they prepare to achieve their running goals. Take for example, Christine Cook, whom I've had the pleasure of conversing with through her NYC Marathon Runner's forum she created. 

Christine posing at the Verrazano during the 2015 Staten Island Half

After searching online for forums where people would share info about PREPARING for and participating in the New York City Marathon, Christine decided to start one of her own to accomplish just that. In less than a year it quickly grew to over 1000 members (and counting) with people from all walks of life within the United States and overseas. 

What makes Christine and the group so unique: 

1. It's not just another blog forum for like-minded runners. The common ground that all the members share is their participation: past, present, and future, in the New York City Marathon. 

2.  Christine actively engages and encourages members to post about their weekend running and non-running adventures. This keeps us all thinking about our training with tips, suggestions, and comments being shared. 

3. Meet ups are sometimes scheduled so that active forum members can meet face to face and have a better feel from the people they converse with on a regular basis. 

Not only is this impressive to me, but also inspirational. Christine realized that a great way to PREPARE for the New York City Marathon, was to create a one stop shop for information sharing and social interaction that fulfilled a need that was previously unmet with such efficiency. Not only did she use the technological tools available to her, but was able to attract runners at all levels to share their experiences in a way that would provide a community benefit.

So I ask myself: Did I do everything to PREPARE for the biggest marathon in the world? Did I incorporate lessons learned from last year? Did I do all I could with the time available to me to get faster? With chronic pain in my hamstring from last year's Lehigh Via Marathon injury, did I do all I could for injury prevention? Can I do better? Was I HONEST with my training and expectations for this year's marathon? Well these are question I prefer to answer after the race. I would rather enjoy the moment and the pre-marathon festivities now. Stay tuned for my marathon blog post after the race. 

HONEST PREPARATION: Hamstring Stretches at Brooklyn Health Physical Therapy

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.