In the meantime I threw in PEC 4 weeks ago for a fast one this year, PB in 3:33. Like at Boston, New York was for the experience, yes just for fun.
This was to be a whirlwind trip. We could only take one day off work, so that would be Monday. Drove down Friday 4 PM after work, arriving 1 AM. Only grief was Oakville to Hamilton on the QEW. We left the car in a parking garage for 3 days, $45. Barry and his family have a condo on 204th St., puppy, SUV and all.
Saturday morning we went with brother and puppy to a local farmers market. Then we headed down in the SUV to the race expo at 33rd and 11th. I got a pair of next year's Mizuno's and a race hat. Lineups weren't as bad as I expected. Barry was having fun showing us (especially dawdling Heather) how to thrive in Manhattan. Walking aggressively, jumping lineups, arguing with waiters, and haggling with cabbies. Afterwards he dropped us off at 42nd St. pier where Heather and I took the 3 hour Circle Lines boat tour of the island. This was Heather's first time in New York City. 4:30 we walked through Times Square for a while then grabbed a cab back uptown. Then a pasta dinner and quiet evening.
Sunday morning went well, banana coffee and Cliff bar. Ride to the 6:30 Staten island Ferry. It was a cool and pretty windy morning on the water. Runners from all over, so many nations on the ferry. It was a good way to get there, shuttle buses at the other end. It is quite an amazingly organized operation, the whole race, with 40,000 people it has to be. I would say it is well run. I walked around most areas looking for stray Manics, didn't see any so I headed to my green area. Time actually went quick, it didn't seem like forever waiting. Dave Run26.2 spotted me in the portolet line and came over and shook hands. I also spotted someone from my town next to me at one point, had a good chat. I was essentially by myself but talked to people from all over the world. It is a most international event. All to soon we're lined up for the start. The race started 3 minutes late.??
The Verrazano Bridge didn't seem like such a tough incline, but the headwind was both cold and tough. Crowds weren't all that bad, just at times, like any big race. Nobody got peed on on the lower level, that is an urban myth for the most part. Brooklyn was great. It is half the race, I thought it might be too much of the same thing. It like the whole city is just a lot of distinct neighbourhoods. Every 4 blocks was often like a new town. In essence that what I got from this race: visiting a lot of proud neighbourhoods who came out to give you a big welcome. Great bands all along the course. People, lots of them, and such characters. Quite a few characters in the race too. As for my running, it was steady and solid. Not trying for a PB, I was doing 5:0X's to 5:10's for the first 35 K, then slipping a bit. One exception was the 59th St (Queensboro) Bridge, it was a tough slog. Probably the single hardest hill. The halfway point was on the uphill bridge between Brooklyn and Queens. Queens was quick, only 3 or 4 K, mostly memorable for its narrower streets. Then that bridge, to Manhattan, around 25 K.
Crowds on the island were big as expected. Felt just a little rough after the bridge. My achilles was especially painful, usually doesn't hurt much when I run. Large and loud crowds all up 1st Avenue of the Upper East Side, but I was starting to tune them out. Maybe it was the wider 6 lane road, or maybe the pain. There was a medium strong headwind for most of the first 20 miles. Soon enough we were in the Bronx, the last of the boroughs. A few short but exuberant blocks and its back to Manhattan.
Okay about here, the last 10K, it started feeling like the last part of a marathon. Because I hadn't been pushing flat out it wasn't too bad, but still. Started looking for Heather, Barry and his wife, it took a long time but they were one at of the places they said they might be, 116th St. Heather clicked a few pictures and then Barry ran alongside for a while to get more. After 5 blocks, I thought he was gone. Around the 23 mile mark, there was a very long hill, maybe a full K. That was tough. Once again I saw Barry running ahead, then stopping for pictures. Finally we entered Central Park. It was still hilly, some up some down. It seemed like one of the three lanes was for people limping along, really was quite a few. I felt better here and finally my pace picked up again. Good strong finish and we're done. 3:47:08, that's in the range I was aiming for, not too hard but respectable. I wasn't sure until raceday if I was over my cold I'd had or over 2 weeks, so I was pretty happy.
There was a really long walk for everyone after the finish, to get your food, medal, bag pickup and chip removal. As in 15 blocks or more, took about 30 minutes. My leg were painful here as usual after a marathon, but it took a while after eating for it to subside. I was cold again after like I had been before the race. JLA (Jessica) caught up with me when I was changing clothes n a park bench and we had a good chat. Then met up with the family at 81st St, no problem. Lunch nearby, then home to 204th St for beers and a bath.
So many people, runners, stories. In other words there was always a lot to take in. The hassle level that I expected was never all that great, from the starting area to the crowds on the route. Always there yes, but not all that bad. Certainly the large experiences more than made up for the grief. It would be a different story of course if we were doing it all in a rainy nor'easter. It is a great race, very different feel than Boston but very worth doing. I'd say it is the harder course of the two. Thanks New York for letting 40,000 strangers into your city and making them feel so welcome !
Here's some pictures. First one is 6:30 AM at the Staten island Ferry. My brother got up and drove me down from the north tip of Manhattan to the south. The next ones are on 5th Avenue from 116th Street in East Harlem at around the 23 mile mark. My brother ran along for 8 minutes at a 5:21 pace to take these pictures, so about a mile. Eventually we are beside Central Park. Final running ones show the long hill. Then after the finish, JLA and myself, and Barry and me.
And we can see your cute face because you are running with your head up in most of the pics and not looking at the ground 
