The New York City Marathon

The day of the marathon arrived.  I spent the early part of the previous night trying to find a fitting pair of sunglasses to wear.  I was at the Urban outfitters at 9pm Saturday Night and found a lightweight pair.  Sleep was pretty fitful, I was afraid I would oversleep and miss my train.  I got up and got ready.  Jon walked me to the subway and rode part of the way with me.  Sunday morning at 7 and the only people on the train were racers.  There was a problem with the track, so we transferred to a bus taking us to the Staten Island Ferry

  The ferry was packed but I found a seat on the bottom deck and watched out the window as New York grew smaller.  It was a fairly quiet ride, maybe people were just as nervous, and we finally reached the shore and were herded to another bus taking us to Fort Wadsworth.  My start time was 10:40, and the drop off time for my bag to be taken to the finish line was 9:15.  I looked at my phone and realized I had less than five minutes to get rid of my clothes and whatever else I was leaving with the UPS trucks.  My warm pants and my coat and hoodie stayed behind.  I was in the 30 degree weather in my shorts and a long sleeve tee shirt.  Keith had given me a rain poncho just in case and I held onto that as well.  I spent the next hour hunkered down in what sunshine I could find under the poncho.  Around 10:15 we were herded into our corrals, then led toward the Verrazano Narrows bridge.  Before leaving the corrals, I ditched my long sleeve tee in the donation piles.  Waiting for the gun to start at the base of the bridge was cold and exciting.  A sea of people, all nationalities, all body types some excitedly talking, some crying, some that looked as nervous as I felt.

 Finally, as the shot rang out and a big cheer rose from the crowd, Frank Sinatra crooning "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..." over the loudspeakers pushed us over the starting line and up the slope to the bridge.
The bridges are the hardest part of the entire race for me.  The wind whipped around the runners and through our clothes on the bridges, the slope going over the bridges is pretty heavy and there aren't any other people on the bridge.  New Yorkers are amazing people, coming out in full force all along the route and cheering.  All along the streets through every neighborhood were young and old, bands playing, choirs singing, everyone cheering.  The toughest part of the course were the water/gatorade stops.  The runners bottlenecked and slowed, the ground was sticky and slippery.  Runners are never too concerned where they spit or throw their water so every mile was an exercise in not slipping and avoiding flying cups or spit or worse.  I felt pretty good most of the race.  I knew I had a long time to go to see my friends and Jon, waiting at mile 19, but that didn't stop Jonnie from calling my cell phone a few times to check my progress.   Yes, I was that guy that stopped to answer his phone. (At least I stopped, i saw people running and talking on their phone!)

 Coming across the bridge to First St and maybe 30 blocks from Jon and friends was quiet, no people but runners on the bridge, and cold.  The wind was all over the place and it was a long long bridge.  The reward was seeing Jon and Kara and James cheering and waiting on the side of the road.

The hardest part for me, I think I realized that the wall was facing me down, was right around mile 20 and I thought it should have been mile 21.  I was counting miles in my head and I was one off.  My legs were feeling heavy and I just wanted to get to the end.  Along the side of the road heading toward the park, I saw Julie and Kim and Loie.  Its nice to see faces you know in the madness of New York.  At long last I entered the park, and I knew the end was near.  My legs were ready to give up, but my lungs were feeling strong.  I passed a man running with an entourage and being filmed from the back of a golf cart in front of him.  I didn't realize til later that he was the Chilean miner.  I saw my good friend Jamie, who took the train from DC to New York.  Ahead I saw the finish line and I remember thinking to run harder across but I'm not sure my body was compliant.  As I crossed the finish line, my cell phone in my pouch rang and it was my mother calling to check on me.  Perfect ending to a long race.

Saturday nite

Tomorrow is the day-  I am feeling a bit nervous, but pretty good.  The weather is going to be cooler than I prefer but no rain and sunshine!  My run time is 10:40 so an hour later than Keith.  I'm in the third wave, so hopefully warmer than earlier.  Today has been interesting-trying to lay low and fight the urge to walk all over NYC.  I've done a good job, only walking to the fashion district to Mood, then for lunch at Chelsea Market and back to the hotel.  Trying to find pasta dinner in this town tonight is going to prove challenging but we're getting ready to go on the hunt.  I hope I can at least sleep tonight.

Nov 2nd- 5 days!!

I leave in two days for NYC, a bit nervous, but mostly excited.   I'm not sure what to expect, but am looking forward to the challenge.  I just hope I make my bus, I hope my bladder and my back hold out, my ankles stay strong, and I finish in a reasonable amount of time.  I worry about the dreaded wall, that I haven't eaten the right thing before the race, or drank enough water.  I worry that I am going to twist my ankle walking across the street the day before, or that I am not going to be able to resist being in New York and spend all day Saturday sight seeing and wear myself out.  I am trying to focus on the positive things about myself that will help me through.  I am positive that I have trained properly and though I am fairly slow, I can run distances.  I am happy with the way my lungs feel during long runs.  I'm absolutely positive that I have put too much into this and am way too stubborn to give up mid-race.  I have gotten somewhat a handle on my neck pains.  I am humbled by such immense support from Jon, and my sister Laura, my running buddies-Keith and Leslie, Lu and the Andreas and my friends.  I think that will keep me going through the "wall" or whatever obstacle.    I feel 100% positive that I have quit smoking for good and am finally going to put a nail in the coffin of that old habit.  I never thought I could do anything like this and, hopefully, I can check this off my list on Sunday.

October 23- 15 miles and two weeks to go!

Great morning run with the girls.  We met at Iroquois park early in the morning and ran down 3rd street to the Y.  The only real issue I had was my small bladder.  Thank God for the Y.  The run was fairly uneventful and straightforward.  I felt good and got it done.

October 16th 24 miles!!!

The weather was cool, but nice at 6:30 am.  I drove to Keiths and met him and Matthew who got out of bed to join us.  We were supposed to do 22.  I had the route planned but switched at the last minute.  We ran together for the first 15 miles, and swung by the house to ditch gloves and sweatshirt and to ding dong ditch Jon.  The sun was out and the weather warming up.  K and I separated shortly after and the boy was gone-within a minute just a speck far in front of me.  I feel sometimes I'm slow as molasses when I reach a certain point. Its funny at that moment in my running, maybe around 18 miles or so, I notice my brain telling my body to pick it up and my legs just refusing.  The good thing, I guess for me the most important thing, is that my lungs feel great.  I can still breathe, not out of breathe at all, and feel like I can run forever if I didn't need my legs.  After nearly twenty years of smoking, I never thought that possible.  I also have picked up some tricks to alleviating pains in my neck-keep my head down, and breathe deeply into those sharp chest pains (thanks Keith) and they are gone.  The gatorade packets in the water help (thanks Leslie) and as much as I hate carrying something, my little water bottle has saved my life (to which I owe thanks to Andrea and I'm still not wearing a belt-ha.)
Around mile 18 entering Cherokee Park from Eastern Pkwy, my leg was cramping and I was holding it off as best I could and needed a water refill.  I decided it would be best to stop at the top of the hill, which I think was smart.  I wouldn't have wanted to stop then start from the bottom.  I made it through to Seneca Park and was not feeling all that great, pains in the legs, but pushed through to the other side towards Keiths house.  I made it to Breckinridge and had to stop to cross heavy traffic.  It took me  a minute to get across the road, but it was enough to make it too hard for me to restart.  I walked the last bit back to warm coffee and breakfast.  Good ending to a hard run.

the fog rolling away from the river

  and away he goes...speedy

sunrise on the watertower

Oct 9 Indiana with the girls

Fifteen miles through beautiful Southern Indiana with the Andreas, Lesley and Lu.

I'm sure this is the actual sign my grandfather saw every morning going into work.  Catfish Dotson!

A beautiful morning for a run,  as I am coming toward the bridge thousands of runners are crossing both directions, all wearing pink for the Susan G. Komen race.

Oct 2 20 Miles!!!

Keith and I planned on a 20 mile run- our longest to date and a test for me.  I was worried, the twenty miles would be a good way to answer exactly how worried I should be about New York.  We met at 6:15 am on Saturday morning.  I am at the end of my allergy bout, with the past two weeks of not being able to breathe, or sleep and cutting into my running a bit and completely cutting out my yoga.  I had been going to the chiropractor, and despite some positive results I think my "back" problems are here to stay.  I did learn that my neck curves the opposite way and that my problem is most likely a neck issue and not a back or shoulder issue.  We started our run early on the coldest morning yet of the fall, of course unprepared in sleeveless shirts and shorts and both complaining of not being able to feel our fingers.  I think we both made mental notes to include a ditchable long sleeve sweatshirt, gloves and hat on the next run.  I mapped the first part of our run down Bardstown Rd. to have the benefit of the streetlights.  We left the main road and entered into the Seneca golf course as the sky started to turn.   About 8 miles in on the downhill from Seneca park towards Cherokee, I made an amazing discovery in regards to my neck pain.  Instead of running with my arm over my head, I ran with my head down and immediately noticed pressure taken off the knot in my neck.  I ran the rest of the way with my head down and able to for once focus on other pains in my body.   I designed our route to include some substantial hills a little over halfway into the run.  Mile ten through thirteen included both hills of Cherokee and exiting the park up Cochran Tunnel hill which made the tiny "bumps" in Beargrass creek seem like a steep incline.  Miles 14 through 17 took us down to River Road and Waterfront Park.  Keith is a good running partner and I feel bad if I slowed him down, at that time I felt a bit sluggish and that I had slowed down a bit.  The last two miles through the heart of downtown to Broadway then home.  And I did it-three hours and 25 minutes later, but I didn't stop and its given me a bit of hope for the twenty six.  I was only mildly sore and a bit dehydrated from the run, but I felt really good.  

Sept. 8-15

My week back from Burning Man was a recovery week, emotionally and physically, but I kept up running 6-8 mile runs.  I've missed two long runs because of my ankle being tender and being in the desert, so that has me a bit worried.  I am determined to do my long run on Sunday and mapped my route from home down to the river and along the path to Shawnee park and back for 17+ miles.  I started today out at Molly Malones for Ed's Sunday Funday which consisted of watching everyone have drinks and I chug my water. I started at 4 and ran at a slow pace and had a good start.  

I compromised on getting a water belt and got a hand strap with a water bottle.  (Andrea is going to love this)  By the time I got a few miles in, my water bottle was empty and I figured I could get a refill at Shawnee park, but not a water fountain to be found.  The running trail was beautiful though.

When I hit the golf course before the park, I was greeted by this signand a bicycling couple climbing over the rail.  Apparently the trail was safe but had been "closed" for safety reasons during flooding and never reopened.  I climbed the fence and continued my run.  The trail looked like something from "Life After People" and was safe but overgrown and neglected.  To the left of the fence was the golf course.

 I finally made it to Shawnee to the end where Broadway ends, and turned into the park looking for water.  I couldn't find a water fountain in the park so I re-entered the trail and headed back the way I came thirsty with the big Ohio River to my right (water water everywhere...)  I had been texting pictures to the Sunday Funday crew of my progress and this was my response.

By my mile seven they were on cocktail #7 so our days were pretty similar after all.  I made it out of the park and found water around mile 13, and continued, just around the bend and downtown in my sights.  I was feeling pretty bad, but at least determined to make it to the 15 mile mark.  It was a struggle, my legs were screaming at me to stop and my neck pain was bringing me down, but I hobbled the last couple of miles to the Muhammad Ali Center, my 15 mile marker and walked.  I had a 2 and a half mile walk to my house with a sufficient amount of pain.  

At home I found myself with chills and shaking, but showered and went to meet up with Sunday Funday, took a Glucose Tablet from Stephanie and ate a bit.

Black Rock City Mad Flava Running

My trip to Burning Man was delayed to Saturday evening so I was excited for a 14 mile run that morning.  It would have been the longest I've run to date.  I was in bed early and up at 5 to meet the girls at the y at 6, ready for the challenge, ready to break in my new shoes.  About five blocks into my run, I stepped on loose  concrete and twisted my ankle.  I stretched a bit and thought maybe I could run, but two steps in and I knew it wasn't happening.   I hobbled back to the Y and on to home, upset and feeling clumsy.  i iced my ankle and it swelled a bit.  We left for the desert that night.

We drove for 24 hours and the next night stopped in Wyoming for the night.  I went to bed with my running shorts on with the intention of getting up and trying to run.  I woke to lightning and rain and a pretty dismal stretch of hotels and fast food chains, not conducive to running.  We drove another 16 hours, waited three hours to get in, set up camp around 3 am, rode bikes til the sun came up and crashed in the cold.  At 9 am, the sun warmed up the tent and woke me.  I rolled over and saw an older man running by in a tiny speedo and got up and followed.
I ran about five miles and saw some amazing sights, sounds and people.  A lady yelled at me that there was a 5 k race the next day at 8 and I told her I would be there.
I got up and met people for the "Mad Flava Racing Black Rock City 5K."

  The lady I met yesterday was  named "something something Beaver" which I remember that part because she was wearing a bikini made of what I can only imagine was beaver fur.  I felt a bit under dressed for a bit (I wore running shorts) as people were in costume, wigs, tutus, until I ran next to someone really underdressed, naked barefoot guy.

Had a good run, met some nice people, even naked guy (who was faster naked and barefoot!) and ran 6-8 miles every day while I was in the desert.  

August 14-21

This is the week in running starting last Friday with a 630am 12 mile run.  I ran with the girls from the Y, Andrea, Andrea, Lesley and Abby, and when I say ran with, I really meant ran behind.  Those girls are fast!  It was a good flat run through downtown to the edge of Iroquois Park and back.  I felt really good through the whole thing.
Keith and I ran after waterfront yoga 4 miles, another 5 for me the day after, a quick early morning foggy double loop around the park the following day (a little over 5)  then Saturday at 630 I met the girls for a ten mile run.  By the time we got halfway through the park, the rain started coming down pretty heavy.  A couple of ladies stopped dead in their tracks and one said "I did not sign up for this!" and they retreated to their cars.  The rain felt pretty good, and we had some tree cover in the park.  We ran for maybe three miles when the sky really opened with heavy rain, lightning and thunder and we were directly under the storm as it passed overhead.  We took shelter in a very nice man's garage and waited for the downpour to let up.  fifteen minutes later we continued our run, through the neighborhood, alongside the golf course, up hills (thanks Abby!) and down (the best part of the hills!) and down Trevillion toward Bellarmine.  We crossed Newburg Rd and into Joe Creason Park.  I've passed by the park thousands of times and never knew what a huge and gorgeous space was behind the line of trees.  The path we took went up the hill toward the zoo and back around for maybe a mile loop.  By the time we came down the hill the rain was coming down pretty hard and my shoes felt heavy like it was 1983 and I was running with ankle weights.  My fingers looked like I had been in the tub too long, and we were all soaked to the bone.  Up the hill past Bellarmine and back to the car for a little over ten miles.  By the time I made it home, showered and ready to go to work, the sun was out and the day was warming up.  After running in the heat and humidity of the summer, the rain was a refreshing change of pace and a good lesson to learn that the weather in a race can be unpredictable and to prepare for anything.
thanks to Andrea H for a good route, lots of hills and turns to keep it interesting and to all the girls for their encouragement.

I went out later that day and bought new shoes at Fleet Feet and they feel like running on little clouds.  I still can't bring myself to wear a water belt, so I compromised and got a small hand bottle.  Jon, B and I went to dinner after work, good pesto basil pasta and I had the idea that I would eat about half because I was running a short night race at 9.  I ate the whole thing with an hour to spare before the race.  We ran home and changed, then I met Keith, Keith's dad, Kim, Julie and Linda near the park for a three mile night race.  Despite tasting basil pesto the entire time and a bit sore from the mornings ten miles, I moved through the dark park at a pretty good clip.  Thanks to my training, flew past people on the up hill parts of the park.  I finished in 24 minutes and we celebrated sneaking beers in front of the cops at a table on the sidewalk.

It was a good day.

Come Back Inn
Fleet Feet

August 7

Ran 8 miles from Cherokee to Seneca and back.  Felt great, especially coming up the big hill in the park.

My musical selections for the time are:

We Will Walk  Matisyahu
Your Love Is My Drug Ke$ha
Dancing On My Own Robyn
Dying Is Fine Ra Ra Riot
Airplanes, Part II  B.o.b.
Fire With Fire Scissor Sisters
All The Lovers Kylie Minogue
Please Don't Leave Me Pink
Young Forever Jay Z
Shark In The Water VV Brown
Rain Mika
Kings And Queens 30 Seconds to Mars (Jordan Catalano!)
Make Her Say [Explicit] Kid Cudi
Tessellate Tokyo Police Club
Konichiwa Bitches Robyn
Crossfire Brandon Flowers
Please Don't Go Mike Posner
Umbrella Rihanna (ella ella ay ay ay)