Splits (I ::heart:: Garmin):

Mile 1 - 13:17 (Verrazano Bridge)
Mile 2 - 11:29
Mile 3 - 11:26
Mile 4 - 11:24
Mile 5 - 10:57
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 10:27
Mile 8 - 10:46
Mile 9 - 11:17
Mile 10 - 10:28
Mile 11 - 11:11
Mile 12 - 11:16
Mile 13 - 10:14
Mile 14 - 11:17
Mile 15 - 12:38 (Queensboro Bridge)
Mile 16 - 13:36 (Queensboro Bridge)
Mile 17 - 10:11
Mile 18 - 10:32
Mile 19 - 11:37
Mile 20 - 11:59
Mile 21 - 12:01
Mile 22 - 11:49
Mile 23 - 11:05
Mile 24 - 11:35
Mile 25 - 11:50 (cramp)
Mile 26 - 11:45
Mile .2 - 9:33
FINISH! - 5:05:45
Avg pace: 11:39
Avg HR: 156

2006 Houston Marathon Time: 5:45:55
Avg pace: 13:12

PR of 40 minutes!!

*********************

The New York City Marathon was absolutely incredible. Going into this race, I told myself this would be my last marathon - finally, I could stop running and get my evenings and Saturday mornings back. But the second I crossed the finish line in Central Park, I wanted to do it all over again. (as it turns out, I am - the Houston Marathon on 1/13!) And as for my super shocking, “where the hell did that come from” 40 minute PR, I attribute it to the awesome weather, the screaming crowds and the kick-my-ass SMART training program. But who cares about PRs - I beat Katie Holmes! woohoo!

Pre-Race (Friday):

My first agenda item after arriving in New York was to pick up my race packet and bib from the Expo. After wandering around Times Square with my friend Abe, searching for the non-existent Expo shuttle, we ended up walking to the Javits Center.

When we arrived, the Expo was buzzing and packed full of runners. The butterflies in my stomach went into overdrive (and would continue until I heard the beep of my chip crossing the starting mat, two days later). Even Abe, a non-runner, was impressed. We took some pictures, gazed at the race course video, then wandered up and down the aisles checking every booth for free samples of food. The back of the Expo was filled with Asics branded Marathon gear, and of course I plopped down some alot of money for obligatory souvenir gear.

Afterwards, we took the marathon shuttle back into Midtown. Sitting behind me were two guys - one from Paris, the other from Orlando - who tried making small talk. Below are my favorite parts of their conversation:

Orlando Guy: What other marathons have you done?
Paris Guy: Mostly in Europe. My last one was the Amsterdam Marathon.
Orlando Guy: Amsterdam? Where is that?
Paris Guy: It’s a the capital of The Netherlands.
Orlando Guy: Netherlands? Where is that?
Paris Guy: Holland. Netherlands. You know, dutch people. Van Gogh.
Orlando Guy: Is that near France?
[silence]
Orlando Guy: So, are there tall buildings in Paris?
Paris Guy: Yes, we have many tall buildings.
Orlando Guy: Wow! I should go there someday.

Pre-Race (Saturday):

I had planned to watch the Olympic Trials in the morning with Cassie, but we decided against it - Friday had been filled with lots of walking, and I wanted to spent Saturday off my feet as much as possible. So, at 4pm, I packed a bag and headed downtown to my hotel across from the Empire State Building:

6:00 pm: After checking in, I settle into the overpriced walk-in closet posing as a hotel room and look forward to a night of complete quiet and privacy.
6:30 pm: The runners in the room next door start having some sort of party. I hear someone arriving with beer.
7:00 pm: I turn the TV on to drown out the noise. All the local news channels are covering Ryan Shay’s death at the Olympic Trials.
10:00 pm - 3:00am: Lots of tossing and turning. The race course video from the Expo keeps playing in my head.
3:20 am: Well, might as well get up.
3:45 am: All ready to go.
4:00 am: The 3 alarms I obsessively programmed start going off.
4:30 am: I go downstairs to check out. It’s pretty chilly. Two runners from Toronto are in the lobby. One is begging the concierge to heat up her day-old coffee, the other is piling on additional layers of clothes. When I say good morning, one looks at me and says, “26.2 We’re totally crazy, right?”
5:00 am: Cassie and I share a cab to the Staten Island Ferry. Even at 5:30am, the ferry station is filled with runners. We chat, though all I keep thinking is, “Oh my god, I never made it past 15 miles during training. What if I don’t finish? auuughhhhhh”.

At 6:20am, our shuttle bus finally arrived at the starting area in Staten Island. Cassie and I piled out, flashed our bibs at the entrance, then headed towards the corral areas. The starting area was organized by colors (Orange, Green, Blue), and each color was divided into corrals of 1000. I was in Orange, and Cassie was in Green. After a moment of separation anxiety (on my part), we wished each other good luck and headed to our corrals.

Although there were still 3.5 hours before race start, the Orange area was already teeming with runners. Most people were camped out on the main field, sitting on blankets, covered in layers of clothes and garbage bags. Let me say now, IT WAS FREEZING COLD. On top of my running clothes, I had two long sleeve shirts, a wool sweater, sweatpants, gloves and ear muffler…and it was still so cold, my cheeks were starting to hurt.

Before grabbing a spot on the field, I got in line for the free breakfast. I picked up a plain bagel, 2 Cookies & Cream Powerbars and a banana (skipped the coffee and soymilk). I also got a cup of hot water to thaw out my hands. I found a spot in the grass, pulled out a garbage bag to sit on (probably the most useful thing I brought with me - thanks Barb for the tip!!!), and started eating breakfast. I had brought a jar of peanut butter so I could stick with my usual pre-race breakfast of plain bagel/peanut butter. But within 20 minutes, the field was completely filled with runners - and the spot where I was sitting ended up being next to one of the few open paths left in the field. After several people came within inches of stepping on my food, hot water or ME, I decided to change locations. I packed up, and started wandering around.

Across the street were huge white tents completely packed with people sitting huddled together for warmth - it was really quite a sight. I carved out a tiny spot amongst the sea of people, and settled down. Unfortunately, the tent “walls” were basically long, flapping sheets so it was still fricking cold.

For the next two hours, I tried to kill time. I tried drinking lots of water/Gatorade, but stopped after my 3rd trip to the portacan (which were surprisingly clean). I tried meditating, but kept yawning - so I lay down, but kept imagining waking up completely alone because I had missed the start the race. Then I tried making friends with the Japanese ladies next to me, in hopes they would offer some of their awesome food (mochi rice cakes, rice balls, pound cake, crackers, candies, etc) but no luck. So, I decided to walk around again - got a cheesy pre-race photo taken, checked out the other Color areas, and stood under the Verrazano Bridge. I even ran into Cassie in the Green area - she was sitting in the sun, trying to warm up.

At 9am, I go to the Luggage Drop Off. The area is completely packed. UPS trucks line the road, each marked with a number. My bib says I should go to Truck #73, and underneath the number on #73 was another sign that read, “Late Finishers - Over 6:30:00″ Huh?? Ok, despite my anxiety about the Marathon, I couldn’t help but be a little put off. I asked a volunteer, “What if I finish under 6:30? Will I have to wait for this truck?” The volunteer tells me not to worry. Apparently, I wasn’t the only person concerned about leaving my stuff in the “Late Finisher Truck” - everyone else assigned to #73 asked the same thing.

After checking in my bag, I turned to get to my assigned starting corral….but the Luggage Area had become a virtual parking lot of people. The luggage area was basically a long and narrow end of a parking lot, bordered by a wire fence and UPS trucks, crammed so full with people that moving was impossible. People were pressed against me on all sides. It was close to 9:30am, there still hadn’t been much movement, so the crowd was getting tense. People started yelling, “Come on people, MOVE!!!!” “We’re trying!!” “The race is going to start!!” Some people even started hurling insults at the UPS workers. “Thanks for just standing there!” “You guys need to plan this better!!” Which was unfair because, really, what could they do? Eventually, the traffic jam subsided and I rushed over to my corral - 443000.

20 minutes to start. People were stretching, and starting to shed layers of clothes. Race Volunteers started arriving at each corral, holding ropes and signs that said, “You must stay in your assigned corral - do not pass these ropes.”

An older man, possibly in his late 60s, arrived at our corral. He was wearing brown loafers, a yellow polo tucked into belted khaki pants, and a race bib. Someone said something, and he replied, “This is what I wore last year.”

10 minutes to start. The Verranzano looked so far away from where we were. Someone in our corral said it took her 40 minutes to get to the starting line last year. I was offically nervous now.

The Long Race Start

Suddenly, everyone stood up. I didn’t hear any announcement - in fact, the area had gotten quieter all of a sudden. I squeezed my way to the front of the corral, and waited for a sign. After another few minutes, someone said, “Well, the race has started.” I hadn’t heard any gun, or any other signal, so it was a little anticlimatic. There was absolutely no movement in any of the corrals ahead of us, so it felt strange to start my Garmin. After another few minutes, we heard faint cheering a few blocks ahead of us, and we finally started inching our way forward.

It took 13 minutes to get to the starting line. As we marched slowly towards the Bridge, the air suddenly became warm. Just minutes before, I was sitting on the curb, shivering under a garbage bag - now, I was tossing my extra layers down to my running shorts and singlet. Huge piles of discarded clothes lined the roads, and helicopters circled above us. We started hearing music, and crowds cheering. The pace picked up a little. People started running as we passed under a big NYC Marathon arch - I asked a woman next to me if that was the starting line. “Oh no, we’re not there yet.” I immediately stopped jogging to conserve my energy. I turned another corner, and saw another line of Marathon Volunteers cheering for us…..but behind them was a huge crowd of runners silently watching us. It was the Green section - unlike the Orange and Blue sections, they had a wave start.

I made another turn, and suddenly I was on the Verranzano Bridge - UPPER DECK! For months, I had stared at those famous photos of the upper deck of the Verranzano, so I was really excited for the chance to experience it myself!! The starting mat lay abaout 50 ft ahead, but all I could see were the huge beams of this famous bridge.

Miles 0 – 2: Verrazano Bridge

I hit the starting mat, and started my Garmin. Immediately, I had the urge to start running, but forced myself to walk. At one of the SMART runs, Loren and Judith had stressed the importance of taking it SLOW on the Verranzano. Even volunteers were telling people to take it easy. The excitement was so much in the air, it was actually really difficult forcing myself to keep it realllly slow. But, soon, the bridge became so packed with runners, we had no choice but to walk. I decided to keep a fast walk and enjoy the experience….and what an experience it was. The sights were amazing. Ships were spraying white, blue and orange streams of water. The Manhattan skyline loomed in the distance. Helicopters kept circling above us. I peeked over the side of the bridge - and saw thousands of runners below us, still waiting to start the race! There were close to 40,000 runners registered, so the size of the crowds were crazy. However, I quickly moved away from the side - several guys were leaning up on their tip toes, trying to pee off the side of the bridge. It was windy, and no way I wanted to get splashed by any downwind effect (eeewww).

I loved that bridge. At one point, I jumped up on the concrete median to soak in the sight of the crowds - it was amazing. A guy turned to me and said, “Can you believe where we are? We’re in the New York Marathon! This is incredible!” I said I totally agreed, and we wished each other good luck.

Miles 2 – 4: Bay Ridge (5K)

We descended from the Bridge, and I prepared to get into race mode. I was really surprised that even so far south in Bay Ridge, the streets were already lined with spectators cheering us on.

Just after we left the bridge, I saw a runner lying on the side of the road surrounded by volunteers. His elbow and knees were bloody, and he was rolling around in pain. A volunteer was removing his bib, and another was calling someone on a cell phone. What terrible luck to get injured at mile 2.

We passed a Korean church, with a brass band of ajusshis and AJs (ajummas) in choir robes cheering out front. Woohoo!

Miles 4 – 8: Sunset Park/Park Slope (10K)

I knew that 4th Ave was the longest straightaway in the race, but the sight when I turned onto 4th took my breath away. The entire avenue was packed from end to end with runners and spectators. Although the starting area and Verranzano were also packed with people, the noise from the crowds made everything feel bigger.

Suddenly, I spotted a huge Korean flag about 100ft ahead of me. I sprinted to catch up, and saw it was the Korean Road Runners Club! Some of the members saw my Korean name on my shirt, so we exchanged hellos. They were relatively older (AJs even!), but they were FAST. I couldn’t keep up with them. hee.

I made my first water stop, and hit the 10K mat at 1:11. Not bad, especialy given I had walked the first 1 mile.

Miles 8 – 10: Clinton Hill (15K)

Ah, Clinton Hill! My old ‘hood, the 11238!! We headed up Lafayette, and I recognized streets, cafes, the familiar brownstones of Ft Greene/Clinton Hill. I saw that my favorite Cambodian restaurant had closed down. I saw the cafe where I used to get breakfast with Luna now and then, and various bodegas where I bought cigarettes during my smoking days. When I got to Grand, I wanted to turn to Gates Ave and check out my old apartment - but figured finishing the Marathon was kind of the priority at the moment.

Again, time seemed like it was flying. Suddenly I found myself in Bed Stuy and hitting the 15K mat at 1:45. I was feeling so good, I started to wonder if I was letting the excitement push myself too hard. I decided to make myself drink at every other water stop.

Miles 10 – 15: Williamsburg/Queens (20K) (Pulaski Bridge)

I hadn’t spent much time in Williamsburg when I lived in Brooklyn, so this stretch was a nice experience. I could definitely see the artsy, hipster, E Village vibe that people use to describe Williamsburg.

While all the water stops had plentiful amounts of water (thank goodness), the ground was covered with flattened cups, and slick from the Gatorade. At a water stop, a woman slipped and got some nasty scrapes on her leg. She told me she was OK, but I made a mental note to slow down at every stop.

Thanks to the frequent water stops, I made my 2nd-ever pit stop during a race.

I hit the Halfway mark at 2:26 - definitely a surprise.

Miles 15 – 16: Queensboro Bridge (25K)

For the first time since the Verranzano, there were no crowds cheering for us. It was also the first time since the Bridge that I stopped to walk. I don’t know if runners were also on the lower deck, but it seemed like they funneled everyone into a single lane of the upper deck. I tried jogging, but kept hitting the feet of people around me.

The Queensboro is an enclosed bridge, so it was dark and quiet inside. Once I started walking, I felt some soreness in my legs so I took 2 Tylenol and checked my cell phone. Some friends had sent messages, so I sent a group reply saying, “Ow.” Yes, I was texting during a Marathon.

Miles 16 – 19: 2^nd Ave (30K)

I had heard about the famous 2nd Ave stretch, but nothing really prepared me for it. One minute, I was in a dark and quiet bridge - and suddenly, I was in Manhattan, moving with a sea of runners surrounded by screaming crowds about 10 people thick on both sides. They made even the ones on 4th Ave in Brooklyn look tiny - and they were lined up all the way to the Bronx. Seriously, the crowds were amazing. Another thing about the crowds in Manhattan were all the spectators waving flags - Greece, Italy, Germany, Canada, Japan, etc. Truly an international Marathon.

The next water stop had wet sponges and Powerbars.

The turning point for me in this Marathon was when I saw the 30K marker. What? Already 18 miles?? I had been having such a fun time, I had forgotten to pay attention to the mileage! Physically, it felt like I had covered much less than 18 miles. I thought back to the Houston Marathon, and how I was definitely struggling at 18 back then…..and also my terrible 30K race in Sugarland. For the first time, I thought - hey, I might do pretty OK in this race…..

Miles 19 – 21: Bronx (Willis Ave Bridge)

After passing the 30K, I became much more focused on my Garmin but tried not to let myself get too excited. But I was definitely getting excited - my feet felt great, not a single blister or hot spot. But, I tried slowing myself down - last thing I wanted was to lose it right before the end.

Miles 21 – 23: Harlem (35K) (Madison Ave Bridge)

Before I knew it, I was back in Manhattan with Central Park straight ahead. When I hit the Mile 22 mark, I felt estatic - clearly, I was going to finish faster than my previous 5:45:55 in Houston.

Around Mile 22, I saw Richard Koo from SMART. He said he was going to walk the rest in - we waved goodbye, and I continued on.

I hit 35K at 4:14….I started to wonder….could I possibly finish under 5:00??

Miles 23 – 25: Central Park (40K)

I felt a huge wave of emotion when I entered Central Park. Finally, I was there - the home stretch. The crowds were still as thick, loud and encouraging as ever. For the first time, I felt the beginnings of exhaustion creeping in….but the crowds were making it easy to forget. I turned off my MP3 player, removed my headphones and listened to the crowds. Almost immediately, I got a second wind. I saw someone holding a sign that read, “PAIN IS TEMPORARY BUT FINISHING IS FOREVER”. That was huge motivation, so I started to go faster. Central Park is filled with rolling hills, so I tried sprinting down every downhill.

I hit the 40K mark at 4:49 - it was surreal. Before the race started, my goal was to finish at least 1 second under 5:45. RUN, RUN! I kept yelling at myself.

Miles 25 – 26: Columbus Circle

Mile 25 is probably the best stretch of the Marathon. Central Park on the right, Columbus Circle, the Time Warner and Trump Tower buildings straight ahead, and the roar of a crowd that knows that all of us were just moments from finishing the Marathon. People read my shirt and were screaming, “GO JEN!! YOU’RE ALMOST THERE! YOU CAN DO IT!!” It was so overwhelming, I started tearing up.

I tried sprinting, then my right quad suddenly cramped up. I grabbed it, and almost got barreled over by someone behind me. OW!! I jogged it off, but it wondered if sprinting down those downhills was the cause. Someone shouted, “KEEP GOING JEN! RUN THROUGH THE PAIN!” I’m telling you, the crowds were amazing.

Finish!!:

I made the turn at Columbus, and knew the finish was just ahead. The final stretch was lined with flags from all different countries, and banners read, “500M TO FINISH”. People were screaming. Many of us runners started hunching forward towards the finish. Then, I saw it - the FINISH. We had to run UPHILL to reach the finish line, and I remembered Matt’s advice from one of the track workouts - “When you’re in Central Park, pump those arms when you go uphill to that finish!” The finish line got closer and closer….and finally, I threw my arms up into the air and crossed the finish line!!! Immediately, I started crying (ugh, why I do I always do that?) I just finished the NYC Marathon. I checked my Garmin - 5:05. WHAT? I stopped and checked it again. Slowly, I made the calculation in my head…..5:45….wait…did I just make a 40 min PR? Some volunteers shoved a finisher’s bag into my hands, wrapped a NYC Marathon foil blanket around me - aka “The Cape of Coolness” - and shouted for everyone to KEEP MOVING.

Post Race Goodness:

I stumbled my way through the finisher’s area, feeling dazed but so, so happy.

We were a huge crowd of slow moving, limping people wrapped in foil capes. I saw several people fainting, and a good number of people throwing up on the side of the road.

Someone yelled, “YEAAH!! WE FINISHED!!” and a guy with his head in a trash can lifted an arm and gave a thumbs up! Hilarious.

I finally stumbled onto Central Park West, and realized that catching a cab uptown was an impossibility. No way I was going to walk a few avenue blocks to Broadway, so I decided to just take the nearest Subway even though it meant some transfers. Unfortunately, taking the subway meant taking stairs….down. The stairway was lined with other runners in capes, hanging on to the handrail and inching their way down. A funny sight. I grabbed the handrail and took a deep breath….OOWWW. I could only manage going sideways. A guy doing the same thing on the other side looked at me and said, “Now the REAL pain begins.” haha!

When we reached the end of the stairs, MTA station attendants were holding one of the gates open, announcing “ANYONE WHO FINISHED THE MARATHON RIDES FOR FREE!!” Awesome! When we arrived on the platform, people started clapping. I don’t ever remember New Yorkers being so friendly.

My Cape of Coolness definitely had its powers. I transfered at Columbus Circle, and people in the subway would say “good going!” and “congratulations!”. People made way for me on the stairway, and some kids even gave me their seat on the train. People on the train kept congratulating me and any other finisher. The well wishes continued all the way to Abe’s apartment at Columbia. Unfortunately, Abe lives at the top of a 4th floor walkup. Meaning, walk. Up. OW.

Sadly, in the days following the Marathon, and without the Cape of Coolness, I lost the sympathy of New Yorkers. People growled when I limped down towards the subways, or didn’t move fast enough. Ah, the world was back to normal.

My celebratory meal - jjajangmyun (noodles with black bean sauce), tangsuyook (sweet and sour pork) and BEER in Koreatown. Yes, BEER. My first alcohol since July. The beer was followed by some lots of soju (korean version of sake). mmmm

This was only my second Marathon, but I know it’s going to be a hard one to beat. I definitely want to do it again someday.

Tags: 26.2 mi race, PR, travel