Race Recap: 2019 Brooklyn Hot Chocolate 15k

This is it guys, the last time Kasey will ever run more than three miles in one go. She swears it, never again - and this time I can’t even point to some race that she is already registered for.

When I heard that the Hot Chocolate race series was coming to New York, I was excited and registered at the first opportunity. The race series is known for some great swag, with the giveaway being a zip up technical sweatshirt, a medal at the finish line that looks like a chocolate bar, and a mug full of hot chocolate and fondue.

I had been under the weather on Friday after eating something that turned out to be bad, and was out of commission for the day, so I was a bit nervous about how the race was going to play out - would my stomach even cooperate with a 9.3 mile run? Welp, we were going to find out one way or another.

My Uncle Tom had headed to the expo for us on Friday, as he works in the area. They expo had super limited hours, only operating from 10-7 on they day before the race, so it made it difficult to get to. But it was lucky for us that his job was in the area and he could pop into the expo to grab our bibs and jackets. Sophie and I had signed up with a promo code, so we got hats as well.

Come Saturday morning my alarm startled me into consciousness, and I had to shift an unconscious cat off of me to get moving. I had packed up my race day bag the night before, so I got dressed and was on the way. Sophie had agreed to drive into Brooklyn, so I only had to make the two mile drive to my parents house. Sophie was about as sleepy as me, and the two of us headed to Kasey’s house to grab her next. She was very bitter about the early hour, and she did not speak until we were a solid 20 minutes into the drive, at which point she could suddenly hear us talking.

The race guide had recommended reserving parking in advance, so we were headed for a parking garage just outside of Prospect park that we had found on spot hero. We got to the garage around 6:15, and while we though it would be quick to drop off the car, there was only one person working so it took longer than expected to drop it off - by the time we were walking to the start line it was 6:45. The race was scheduled to start at 7, and we had a little more than a mile to travel to get to the start line, which we knew was around the middle area of prospect park - it was going to be a bit of an adventure, as none of us really knew where we were going.

We headed in the direction of the start line, taking in some pre-race fuel as we moved, and eventually heard music in the distance. Once we heard the music we were able to follow it until we found the masses of runners heading in the same direction, and got to the start just as the first corral was being released. We pulled over quickly so i could re-tie my shoes, and then hopped into the next corral and were ready to get moving.

I suppose the walk had been a good warm up, because I was able to settle in faster than usual. The course was 2.5 loops of Prospect park, and I was worried that the hills would feel killer like they did when I ran the Jingle All the Way 5k with Mike and Carson, but they somehow felt more manageable this time around. We took on the largest of the hills right before the first mile, and would run up it twice more before the race was through.

Around the second mile marker they had a chocolate chip station, but it wasn’t well marked so i didn’t notice what it was until I was already passed it. There was also a Nuun and water station near there, and I did manage to grab a cup or strawberry-lemonade Nuun as we went by.

As we continued on our loop we soon reached the point where the 5k course split from the 15k course, and we had to take a moment to all jokingly suggest that we could easily turn left and just be done with the whole thing - Okay, for Kasey perhaps it was a little more than a joke, as she had threatened several times that she was going to drop down to the shorter race distance in the weeks leading up to the race, but Sophie and I somehow convinced her to stay signed up for the 15k so we could all run it together.

On the back side of the first loop was another aid station, this time serving marshmallows with the Nuun and water. Soon after my watch buzzed to indicate we were through mile 4, and I looked around for a mile marker, as I couldn’t see one, even in the distance. Eventually I managed to spot the sign - it had flopped over on the side of the road as a result of the wind.

Loop two slipped by quicker than the first, knowing exactly what to expect the second time around. We noticed that more and more of the mile markers were being knocked over by the wind, and the crowds of runners thinned out on the second loop - apparently many of the people running with us had opted for the 5k over the 15k. Towards the end of the second loop Kasey’s shoulder started bothering her, so I took over the responsibility of holding her water bottle… so I am pretty sure that’s worth her signing up for at least one more race, right?

The final loop was shorter than the first two, and after one final pass of the aid stations we followed the signs to the finish line. Kasey fell a little behind Sophie and I towards the end, but I could still spot her right there when I looked over my shoulder. There were some people on the course walking away from the finish line, totally oblivious that they were in the way of runners that were still on the course. We crossed the finish line, collected our medals, and then had a short walk over to the post-race party, where we collected our coveted finisher’s mugs. There was a dog park near the finisher party, so there were a ton of dogs wandering about, and one even had to come over and say hi to Sophie. The mugs were piled high with treats like hot chocolate, fondue, rice krispys and marshmallows. We hung out in the post race area long enough to fill up on goodies, and then retrieved Sophie’s car from the garage, and started our drive home.

Race recap: 2019 Disney Princess 10k

Early morning number two. The hardest part is waking up, and the majority of that was now behind me. I laid in bed for 10 minutes after my alarm went off, eventually mustering up the will to get moving. I had packed my bag the night before, so I really just had to get dressed and get out the door. It was cold in the hotel room, so just before leaving I decided to grab a sweatshirt- something I learned would not be necessary the second that I stepped outside.

The morning greeted me with a wall of humidity, and it was clear this race was going to be a hot one.

The bus was waiting when I got to the loading area, and I hopped on and snagged a seat next to another runner. We didn’t have a wait like the previous morning, and instead we were quickly on our way to the start area. I was so sleepy on the second morning that I was tempted to close my eyes on the bus. We got to the start area in about 15 minutes, and walked through the Epcot parking lot to get to the security check. No line again today, just a walk up to the table where they checked my bag.

I was flying solo for this race, so I walked into the start area and found a space to go through my bag, sorting out the stuff I wanted to bring with me and the stuff that I would check during the race. They once again changed the bag check situation - this race instead of checking the bag based off the first letter of your last name, runners could go up to any truck and were given a sticker to put on the back of my race bib to remind me which truck I had used.

Once my bag was checked I headed right into the corrals, and found a spot to sit towards the front of corral A. We had waited almost 40 minutes to start the 5k the day before, and I was just ready to get moving on day 2. The humidity was already heavy on my lungs, and I wondered just how rough this run was gonna be.

Around 5:15 they started moving us toward the start line, and I was just a few rows of people back from the start of the corral, which was exciting. We watched as the announcers went through the pre race show, and I even got picked to answer a trivia question by one of the announcers (did you know that Mulan is the only Disney Princess who wasn’t born into royalty or married to a prince?).

Eventually it was time for the race to start. The wheelchair athletes went off first, then the elite runners, followed by all of us in corral A. I was able to settle into a sub-9 minute mile, which was all I was hoping for during this race. The first mile flew by, and the only character sighting in that stretch was Pocahontas, who was stationed on top of an overpass, posing above as the runners went by below. Shortly after the first mile marker there was a LONG line for a character - I wondered how a line could already be that long this early in the race, but then I saw it was belle and beast posing with a stained glass rose window, and understood the long line. I snapped a photo as I ran by, but didn’t want to wait in such a long line that early in the race.

There was a slight uphill during the second mile, as we ran onto the next stretch of highway. I heard Hawaiian roller coaster ride playing as we approached the second character stop, and sure enough stitch was there taking photos with runners, all dressed up in his Elvis costume. The second mile marker featured belle, and it was still dark as night as I ran into the third mile.

There was a Donald Duck character stop that I believe was in mile 3 - he was just on the side of the highway without any backdrop, but I decided to run in for a photo as there was no line. I was starting to feel the effects of the heat by this point in the race, and was struggling to keep the pace I wanted at this point. It gets humid in NY in the summer, but I wasn’t accustomed to this kind of weather at this point in the year, so struggled as the race went on.

After passing the third mile marker we passed the waste treatment plant behind Epcot, which is easily identified by its smell, and ran under test track. Joy and Sadness were on the side of the rode, and I regretted not getting a photo with them during marathon weekend, so I stopped for one. Disgust would not have been pleased with how sweaty I looked in the photo.

Finally, we entered Epcot for the first time and started making our way around world showcase. I spotted Pinocchio hanging out in Italy, and ran right in for a photo. The countries were all lit up, and while I was struggling and feeling like I wanted the race to be over already, I tried to stay with a sub-9 pace while running, and reminded myself that if I was going to be running in weather that was hotter than preferred, I may as well be doing it in Disney.

As I approached the France pavilion I spotted Marie, who I had never managed to catch during a race before, and was super excited to get a chance photo with her. So excited in fact, that I forgot to pause my garmin, but it was a super quick stop, so it didn’t mess up my moving pace too much.

We exited Epcot after the France pavilion through the exit that leads to the board walk, and did a lap around the resorts before heading back into the park. The boardwalk loop was a huge struggle for me, knowing that I was going to have to deal with a few little hills within the next mile. The first was as soon as we left Epcot, and boy did I feel exhausted climbing that one. I had to back off the pace a little, as I started to feel nauseous as I climbed. Bleh. I do not miss summer running. As I made my way around the boardwalk Goofy was out, dressed as a baseball player. I thought about stopping since he had no line, but really just wanted to get to the finish line at that point. One more hill to leave the board walk, then into the construction area behind Epcot, where they are building the gondola system. It has been cool to see the construction progress over the last year, as many of the rundisney events have gone through that area. They had smart talking “construction workers” stationed in that area, joking around and rooting runners on.

We headed into Epcot a second time, and made our way towards future world. Mickey was stationed just before we turned towards spaceship earth with only 3-4 runners waiting, so I decided to do one more character stop. Our outfits did coordinate, after all, even if I was dressed as a villain.

I pushed hard to get back to a good pace after leaving Mickey, knowing that I had less than a half mile between me and the finish line. I ran towards spaceship earth, stopping for a jump shot along the way, then out of the park and towards the finish line. I didn’t make the same mistake I had during the wine and dine 10k and start sprinting towards the finish despite the heat, but instead just tried to hold a consistent pace. As I approached the finish line the runner next to me shouted “hi queen of hearts, this is good timing!” I turned to look, and she was dressed as Alice! Good timing indeed, as we did wind up in the same finish line photos.

I was very relieved to be done running, and happily accepted my medal, which featured Mulan. Then it was on to snack boxes and bag check. As usual, I checked a drawstring backpack to carry all of the goodies they give you at the finish line. There weren’t too many runners in the post race area so I headed over to the characters to check out the lines. They had aurora, Princess Minnie, and Elena out. I decided to hop on line for princess Minnie, which took about five minutes. Then noticed that the line for aurora was also labelled for Mulan. The cast member at the end of the line told me Mulan was due out in about 15 minutes, so I decided to wait there, but the line moved quickly and I got a photo with aurora. So, I hopped on the back of the line again, and was able to get a photo with Mulan the second time around. It was her race after all!

When the character photos were complete I made my way over to the buses and back to the hotel. We had breakfast reservations at be our guest, so I had time for a decent nap before heading to the parks for a day of fun.

Race Recap: RunDisney Wine and Dine 10k

As is tradition for runDisney events, my alarm went off just a little too early on race morning, but at least I had managed to get a solid 5-ish hours of sleep. I had assembled my running supplies the night before, so my roctane powder was already all mixed up into some water and my outfit was folded up in the bathroom, that way I could get up and get dressed without waking up Dennis - we were staying in the beach club, and our hotel room was setup so that the bathroom was around the corner from the bed, so even with me scuttling about to get ready, he didn’t seem to wake up. And if you know me, you know this is nothing short of a miracle, because try as I might I am just not a quiet person when I get ready. 

My alarm went off at 3:25, and I was out the door by 3:40. I met another runner on my way down to the bus, who introduced himself as Jonathan, and we chatted as we walked to the bus and waited. He told me about his podcast, about a mouse, and it was nice to have someone to chat with as we rode the bus to the start area. 

I was flying solo when I got to the start area, and wandered around to check out the characters that were out for meet and greets (lumiere, chef Mickey and goofy), and listened to the DJ for a few before heading towards the corral. 

Weather was mild on race morning, but being a chicken I had pulled on my long sleeve race shirt and rain coat because I was cold when I woke up- but I didn’t intend to run in these things, so I had to give them up when I checked my bag. Luckily I had saved the heat sheet that they gave me at the wineglass marathon, so I pulled that on and headed to the corrals, armed with my muffin and other assorted pre-race fuels. I considered a porter potty stop on the way, but ultimately I just found a spot to sit in the corral, hoping I wouldn’t later regret that choice. 

As I sat in the corral I thought about what I wanted out of this 10k. In the back of my mind I thought about really racing it - if I managed to PR it was possible that I could place in my age group, but it would be a stretch, as I really wasn’t in shape to PR at this point- my workouts had been lacking in October because of the craziness that was getting married. So I left my long term goal of placing in my age group at a rundisney race in my back pocket, and figured I would just play it by ear, and aim to have a good time on course. A cop out, perhaps. But I was worried that I would pass up a fun RunDisney experience for a PR that may not come. 

Eventually I did decide to go pee before the race, and of course as I headed back into the corral I saw they had started collapsing the corral and sending runners towards the start line. Timing, not my strong point. 

As the race started I struggled to hit a good pace, as the start line was crowded with runners and walkers. I’m all for running your own race, but it was a little bit frustrating that there were walked mixed into the first wave of corral A, which, in theory, should consist mostly of people who are running. I’m not trying to pace shame anyone- it was just frustrating to have to weave so much just to be able to keep running. 

The first mile of the race was all highway, with the big attraction being a screen attached to a overpass, playing clips of monsters inc. I hit the first mile in 8:09, feeling strong now that the crowd was thinning out a bit. 

In mile two there were some character stops- first lightning McQueen and to-Mater and then captain jack sparrow with his pirate ship. I’m not a huge fan of either of these, so I opted to run by these stops. The first water station was also in mile two. Pace for mile 2 was 8:18, and I was still feeling good. 

There were more “hills” than I’m accustomed to in Florida races, and they slowed me down a bit in mile three, with highway ramps becoming a part of the race. During mile three a green army man cheered us up the on ramp, commending us for our pace and encouraging us to keep it up- I lost a little time on this mile regardless, which came in at an 8:26. 

At this point, I knew we were approaching Epcot, and I stowed my phone in my pocket. So forgive me if I mess up some of the location details as we go on, as I don’t have any photos to reference. 

Mile 4 brought us backstage, and into Epcot through future world. Just before entering the park chip and dale were hanging out with a DJ and there was no line for photos..... I couldn’t resist. I ran in and got a quick picture before heading onward. We got our first glimpse of spaceship earth just before entering the park, which was alive with music, as they had a mix of pump up and Disney music playing through out Epcot. From future world we headed into world showcase, and then around England we headed backstage and got an up-close look at the gondola construction. 8:31, not too shabby. 

We hit mile 5 right as we headed back into Epcot, and right around there Oswald was hanging out in front of a tiny barn, again with no line! So I hopped off course for another character photo, and then began my last lap around world showcase before the finish line. There were plenty of photographers around world showcase, which was all lit up with lights on the buildings. When I spotted Jimminy cricket in one of the countries, I stopped for another quick photo before beginning my descent to the finish line. With two character stops, mile 6 came in at 8:36, and dad texted me asking if I had finished the race yet just before the mile marker. 

The last 0.2 miles of the course took me through the end of future world, and I attempted a jump shot before leaving the parks- we will find out soon enough if I was successful! The photographer said something to me as I ran by, but honestly I have no idea what he said. (good news- he got the shot!)

Just before rounding the corner to the finish line we went by a drum line, and then things went downhill fast- I let my competitive nature get the best of me. Just as we went by the last fence and the finish line came into sight, a runner that had been on my tail for the last mile or so shouted to me - “come on, don’t let me beat you now!”

A phrase which is basically my kryptonite. 

As he ramped up his speed trying to pass me, I picked mine up as well. He goaded me more, rooting me on to push for the finish line - and for the record, I in no way see this as a bad thing! I love a little friendly competition, and have raced to more than one finish line in the past. 

As we pushed each other to go faster, he started to pass me, and called out for me to help going, to which I responded, “if I puke I’m blaming you!” More jokingly than anything else. The finish line was less than 200m away, what could go wrong in that distance? 

And I was fine.... until I wasn’t. Suddenly my stomach seized, and I had to ease off the pace as a sudden wave of nausea hit me, and I started gagging. The finish line grew closer, it was less than 100m to go.... but I had to pull to the side of the race to puke. So sorry to anyone whose finish line photos may have me puking in the background, my bad. It was not something that I thought was in the realm of possibility for this race. 

But after a minute or so I was able to compose myself, and get over the finish line, with a time of 54:18- about three minutes slower than my PR, but I was pretty pleased with it. 

I made my way through the finish like chute, collecting my medal, poweraide, water, and the famous rundisney snack boxes, then grabbed the bag I had checked earlier that morning. I always pack a drawstring backpack into my checked bag so that it is easier to carry everything after the race. 

Once I had all my stuff together, I got a few character photos- Sebastian, Lumiere, and chefs Donald and goofy- before heading to the bus which would take me back to the beach club resort. 

It was a good morning all in all, and after a quick shower I proceeded to sleep for another two hours before heading to magic kingdom for a day of fastpasses and making Dennis take pictures of me with my new medal. It was a great day in the parks, made even better by family! That night I met up with a bunch of my cousins for dinner, who happened to have an overlapping vacation. We grabbed food at the brewery that is on the boardwalk, and it was hard to resist the margaritas - but I somehow managed, knowing that I had another early morning ahead of me.

Princess Half Marathon Recap: Arrival to Florida and Expo day

My journey to Florida for the princess half marathon began at MacArthur airport in NY, where I boarded a flight with my parents on Wednesday night. Dennis was supposed to be joining us for this trip, but he recently started a new job and had to cancel. Dad won the seat game, when he snagged the emergency exit row seat that had no seat in front of him – talk about leg room! I had recently gotten some free drink coupons from Southwest, so Mom had a celebratory vacation drink as we flew to Florida.

The flight was smooth sailing, and when we got to Florida Mom and I collected our luggage while Dad grabbed the rental car, then we were on the road to Disney. This first ride of the weekend through Florida began the saga of the tolls, where we scrambled for the millions of quarters that we would need to chuck into the provided bins. In retrospect, we probably should have invested in a SunPass, but at the time we didn’t realize just how many quarters we would have to dig for.

We pulled into the All-Star Music resort, and found our room in the country music section. I had completed the online check in that Disney offers, so I didn’t even need to stop by the front desk when we got there – we had received a text with our room number and our magic bands would open the door. The most complicated part was figuring out where to park! We started by following the numbers around the building, starting high and marking them off as they got lower… but the parking lot ended at building 6 and we were headed for building 5. So we doubled back and realized that we needed to be in the parking lot that All-Star Music and Sports shared.

Once we lugged all of the luggage into the hotel we settled in and called it a night, planning to get up early and meet up with my mom’s sister and her family, and all go to animal kingdom together.

In the morning my Aunt Liz and Uncle Keith met up with us at the hotel for breakfast. Since the best way to start a Disney day is with a Mickey Waffle (or a cinnamon bun, I’m not picky), Dad and I both got bounty platters, complete with Mickey waffles to start the trip off on the right foot.

We all piled into the minivan that Dad had rented and headed for animal kingdom, and were directed to the Dinosaur lot. We got there just a few minutes after opening, and once we were in the park headed to Pandora. The first ride of the day was “Na’vi river journey,” and since the park had just opened there was only a 20–minute stand by line.

After the ride we found my cousin Keith, his wife Kristen, and their baby, Ainsley. Or, more accurately, they found us! Kristen jumped right into a photo I was taking of my parents, and we all got a laugh out of her photo bomb. 

After a few minutes of catching up as we hung out in Pandora, we made our way to flight of passage. Just a week before our trip the park hours got changed, which released an extra hour of fastpasses, and I managed to snag us each one for flight of passage. I was happy that my mom agreed to come on the ride with us, as she isn’t always a “ride” person, but we all had a great time.

When we exited the ride we found Keith and Ainsley hanging out by the gift shop, and all headed to dino land so we could take Ainsley on tricera tops spin, then hung out there for a little bit. We made our way around animal kingdom throughout the rest of the day, taking in festival of the lion king, riding expedition Everest, and grabbing lunch at flame tree BBQ.

We all had a great time just hanging out and enjoying the park and each other’s company, but as the afternoon rolled into the evening I needed to head to the Expo to pick up my race bibs, so we all parted ways, and my mom left with my aunt and uncle, as she was planning on staying with them for the next few days as Dad and I hung out in Disney.

We headed to the expo around 5 pm, and hit a little bit of traffic heading into the ESPN sports complex. Once we were parked we went to the bib pickup area first, as bib pickup was obviously my priority. We headed into the arena, and the process was easy enough. Flash my ID, trade my signature for a bib, and then do it once more for a challenge bib. Since it was the 10th anniversary of the princess half, in addition to my bib I was given a luggage tag in the shape of the half medal, a set of bib boards featuring mickey, and a button featuring the race logo.

The next stop was the main expo hall, where the shirts were waiting to be picked up. There was no line to get into the building, so we were able to walk right in. I stopped for a few photos with some snow white props they had out, and then we walked to the back of the hall where the shirts were set up. I tried on one of my shirts and it seemed good. While we were in the Visa center we stopped at the pandora booth. I wanted to check out the charm they were selling for the race weekend. It was kind of pricey, as it had to be purchased with a bracelet, but my annual pass knocked 20% off the price, and we had a $50 gift card from waiving maid service in the hotel room, so I wound up getting the charm in the end. I walked around the vendors a little, but there was nothing that I really needed in terms of running supplies, so the only other thing I picked up was some applesauce and buy one get one free chipotle coupons. 

Finally, we headed to the runDisney Merchandise area. I picked up the pre-order jacket that I was bought – there was no reminder that I had purchased one at any point in the bib pickup process, so if you pre-order merchandise, remember to retrieve it! It has the same logo on it that the annual passholder shirt bore, with each race distance and associated princess. Then we wandered around the merchandise, and I picked up a few things – a wine glass, a tervis water bottle, the pins of the race medals to add to my backpack, and a 13.1 magnet to add to the back of my car…. Yep, I’m THAT kind of runner. For the first time, the runDisney merchandise had its own building, which I really preferred over the usual arrangement. It meant that there was plenty of space for the merchandise to be spread out, so I was able to shop leisurely instead of being crammed into a small aisle with too many people. Before heading out, I waited in line to get a photo with princess Minnie, all ready for race weekend in her pink dress. 

With the expo complete, Dad and I headed back to the hotel and grabbed some pizza from the food court for dinner before calling it a night. I set up my outfit for the next morning and packed my bag with everything I would need, and headed to bed, excited for the weekend full of running that I had ahead of me.

Race Recap: Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k

Over the last year or so I had been experiencing serious race-envy as I watched people complete “Hot Chocolate” race events, but being from NY where one is not hosted, it was not a race series that was easily accessible to me. I had played around with driving to Philly for the 2017 15k that they held there in April, but when that didn’t pan out I put the thought of doing one of the “Hot Chocolate” events on the back burner, and said “Maybe in 2018.”

So, when my cousin Jen first started running last summer, you better believe that I started researching races that coincided with dates that I would be available to visit Atlanta. After she decided to sign up for the Star Wars Half Marathon, which will take place in April of 2018 in Florida, we decided that February would be a good time for me to visit Atlanta, and a 15k would be about where she was up to in her training for the half. So, I proposed running the Hot Chocolate 15k that would take place on February 4th to her, and (not so) secretly did a happy dance when she agreed to run it with me, excited that I would finally get to experience one of these races that everyone spoke so highly of. Plus, I would get my hand on some nice race swag – a half zip, a giant chocolate shaped medal, and a big bowl of chocolate goodies.

I booked a flight for Friday night that I could take after work, and Dennis dropped me off at the airport. My flight was supposed to takeoff at 8:20, but due to high winds I had an hour and a half delay. As I waited in the airport, after I made the adult decision to have a pretzel for dinner, I realized that southwest had another flight heading to Atlanta, that was supposed to have left at 4:10 but was getting ready for an 8:20 departure… so I headed over to the gate agent, and by some tiny miracle they were able to change my flight so I could get out on the earlier plane! I am pretty sure I was the happiest customer on that flight, despite being a little squished by the broad-shouldered gentlemen who was seated next to me. Once we were in the air I turned on “The Office,” and before I knew it we had landed in Atlanta.

Jen picked me up at the airport and it was a joyful reunion, as always. I threw my stuff into the trunk of her car, and we headed to pick up her boyfriend, Will, before turning in for the night. The best part about picking up Will? I got to meet the cutest little golden retriever puppy, named noodles, and she was truly an excited ball of fluff.

By the time we got to their apartment and got my bed for the weekend all set up, it was around 1 am and we were all ready to call it a night. On Saturday we were planning to grab brunch, and then head to the race expo!

On Saturday morning I woke up before Jen and Will, so I read for a little bit and then got ready for the day. Once they were up we put our names in on the brunch list at a place near their apartment called “First Watch,” which was right by their apartment in Chamblee. We met up with Jen’s friend Nicole to eat, and this place had so many delicious sounding options. We all agreed to split an order of maple glazed bacon (which was an excellent choice), and I ordered a Chia Pudding power Bowl, which came with whole grain toast covered in almond butter, with a side of biscuits and gravy (mainly because I love this dish and it’s not something that is easily found in NY). Everyone else ordered some variation of eggs, and when the food came out it was a sight meant for a food-lovers Instagram. We passed around tastes of all our dishes, each trying to decide which breakfast was best. While they were all delicious, I still maintain that the winner was my chia pudding, topped with fresh fruit and granola. If I ever wind up having brunch here again, it would truly be a struggle to talk myself into ordering a different dish.

Once we were all well-fed we headed downtown to the race expo. I had never been to downtown GA beyond driving through it, and it was cool to see places that Jen goes to on a regular basis in her every-day life. We cut through the CNN center to get to the convention center where the race expo was held, and it was easy to navigate through the Georgia World Congress Center and find our expo hall, as there were signs pointing us in the right direction. The expo was on the smaller side compared to NYC or Disney expos, but still gave us a good selection of gear to check out.

Our first stop was at bib pickup, where we gave our last name and received our bibs before moving over to shirt pickup. They handed us our half-zips in plastic bags, and we also received hats with the race logo on them, as we had signed up with a promo code that gave us a “premium item” upgrade for free. There was an area to try on the shirts, so we went over there and made sure that the sizing was good, and both decided to stick with the size we had ordered (by which I mean I tried on a shirt and Jen declared that was good enough for her).

Then it was time to check out some running gear. Jen bought a new SPI belt, since she’s getting into higher mileage these days and will need to start carrying running fuel in addition to her phone and inhaler. Then we stopped by the “BFF electric foam roller” booth and tried out the massager they sell. While we all agreed that the massage felt great, holding the unit made our hands feel weird after a minute from all of the vibrating, so between that and the price we moved along. Both Jen and I took advantage of expo pricing and bought some Nuun, and even got to try out a few new flavors. They were giving out a “hot chocolate 5/15k” water bottle when you bought three tubes for $15, so that was the path we took. I even managed to pick up a tube of grape flavored Nuun for Kasey, who has been having trouble finding her favorite flavor locally. We sampled some chocolate snacks that were a sample of what was to come on race day, took a photo in front of the giant inflatable hot chocolate mug, and wandered around the entire expo, before making one last stop back at the track shack booth, where Jen decided to pick up some good priced gear – a Run Atlanta shirt and a water resistant jacket, since the forecast was calling for rain on race day. Lots of rain. And I know, every runner will tell you “nothing new on race day,” but I think we have all broken that rule at least once.

We took the rest of the day easy, heading to the movies to see “The Phantom Thread” and then getting dinner at The Olive Garden. Any excuse to eat breadsticks and pasta will get me into an Olive Garden, and Jen and I were excited for our pre-race meal, even if we maybe didn’t need THAT many carbs for a 15k.

Once dinner was done, we called it a night and headed back to the apartment to get everything together for race morning. We had been checking the weather all day in hopes that the forecast would change and maybe it wouldn’t rain, but as we put our outfits together, it was all but certain that we would be running in a downpour. After debating between several options, we both went for ProCompression socks, full length leggings, half zip long sleeve shirts, hats, gloves, and running jackets. Raining and 30 degrees… lovely weather for a 15k, right? I put thermal blankets, ponchos, and our race day fuel into a plastic bag that we could easily bring along the next morning, and we all headed to bed, our alarms set for 6 am the next morning.

Both Jen and I managed to have pre-race anxiety dreams, and it was indeed POURING when we woke up. My brain quickly entered a happy state of “You’re going to get soaked, but you can still enjoy this race. Make the best of what you have,” while Jen entered the state I had been in the night before, of what the heck are we getting ourselves into?!

We loaded into the car, which was thankfully in a garage so at least we stayed dry for the time being. Will was nice enough to drive us to the start area, and walk us through the CNN center before we parted ways. We had the luxury of indoor bathrooms, and after using them wrapped our feet in plastic bags and pulled out the thermal blankets and ponchos, which Will helped us assemble ourselves into, before heading out into the storm. We started following a group of runners heading for the start line. It was about a mile walk to get there, but lucky for us we were able to spend most of the trip indoors, cutting through the Georgia World Congress Center. We pulled off our shoe covers once we were inside, but kept the ponchos and heat sheets on until we got to the start line. It was a short outdoor walk once we got outside, and we got to the entrance of corral C just before the first corral began their race. We pulled off the ponchos and heat sheets, putting most of the stuff into a near by trash bin. I decided to fold my heat sheet up and put it in my pocket just in case conditions took a turn for the worse, but thankfully we did not need it. We clicked our Garmins into run mode as soon as we got into the corral, so they would have time to pick up the satellites before we started running, shuffled forward as the earlier corrals began their races. Then it was our turn – already wet from rain before the race had even started, we crossed the start line, which was under a bridge of giant inflatable marshmallow men.

Now, as I don’t know the geography of Atlanta well, and spent most of the race focusing on not stepping in puddles, please excuse my less than specific recollection of the race –

We crossed the start line in a mass of people, mingled between 5k and 15 k runners. As a result of the rain, the race had announced that people due to start in the second wave were now allowed to start in the first wave, and no one had been checking bibs as people entered the corrals, so it was truly a mixture of every speed as we started this race. There was a lot of weaving in mile one, and we soon came upon the course split where the 15k and 5k parted paths. We kept right, and continued on our journey. There were plenty of hills on course, leading us up and down, and when saw the first aid station we made our way to the right side of the road, thinking we would be able to grab some water. Our plan for the race was to walk all of the aid stations, and try not to do any walk breaks beyond that. But what we had originally thought was cups of water turned out to be little cups of chocolate chips! A cute touch for a chocolate themed race, but I passed because it just seemed like that would be too messy with all of the rain. Thankfully just after the chocolate chips the volunteers were handing out Nuun and water. Despite the rain, the volunteers throughout the whole course were happy and encouraging, which was super uplifting! Once we had finished our drinks we started running again, uphill of course.

Soon after this water stopped we started to encounter some street flooding, which meant our feet went from “kind-of wet” to “completely soaked,” as there was no way to navigate around these little rivers that ran through some intersections. The sloshing of wet shoes began, and we hoped that we would manage to get through the race blister free. After the first mini river, I turned to Jen and proposed a bet – the person with the least damaged feet at the end of the race buys drinks! That way if one of us wound up with a narly blister they would at least get a free drink out of it. The miles kept floating by as we battled hills, and Jen and I started high-fiving at every mile markers (there were a few fist bumps thrown in there too, as I eventually pulled all of my fingers into a fist in the center of my gloves). There was an aid station with marshmallows just after the 5k mark, but I again passed up the treat as the rain had left everything soggy, and the thought of taking off my rain soaked gloves to eat them was not appealing. We agreed that we would take a Gu when we hut the next aid station, and by then I had removed my gloves to see if my hands would be better off not in cold water soaked gloves – it was equally miserable in case you were wondering, but I opted to keep them off after that because they were holding so much water. As we walked through the third aid station, which was around mile 5, we passed by Jen’s friend Danielle, who she often does training runs with, and were quickly introduced to each other – I am so happy that Jen has found runners that she can share miles with in Atlanta! When we finished our Gu (salted watermelon for me and jet blackberry for Jen) and waters, we discarded the cups and started climbing the hill that was ahead of us. It was still raining at this point, and we were soaked to the bone, but honestly we were in such good spirits, and really enjoying the race together.

As we passed the 10k mark I got a text from my Dad – who was tracking us from NY – and pulled out my phone to respond. I had my phone wrapped in a zip lock bag to give it a little protection, even though it is supposed to be water resistant, and when I tried to answer the text my phone started freaking out! It was not wet, and I took it out of the bag to check it out, it was just freezing! I tried to shut it off so that it would stop flashing its screen on and off, and in the process managed to trigger the emergency response feature that the iPhone 10 has – eek! As we entered mile 7 and the second to last aid station, I tried to cancel the alert, and since no emergency response team showed up I guess I was successful? It made for a few stressful moments either way.

We ran through our last water stop of the race as I tried to calm my phone down, eventually just putting it away to deal with later. As we walked through the aid station, Jen said that she really wanted to run the rest of the race, and not have to walk at all for the last 2-ish miles. At this point, some of the streets were so flooded that we were being diverted around intersections and onto sidewalks to avoid puddles that were deeper than our ankles. Right before mile 8 we had a short out-and-back on the course, and I am pretty sure that this quarter mile or so was the ONLY flat stretch of road on the entire course. After we passed the mile 8 marker, the rain started to clear up. At this point we were entirely soaked, so it didn’t really aid us in any way. Jen remarked that she was upset that it had stopped, because it would have been a more bad-ass finish photo if it was pouring… I can’t say I disagreed with that thought. But at least my hands would be a little less wet, and I could just worry about trying to warm them up a bit and not about drying them off. The last mile of the course was a bit winding, but we were still going strong.

Finally, We approached the overpass that would be our last uphill climb, and deliver us to the finish line. This was nothing after the bridge we climbed during the Savannah bridge run back in December. We could see the split for the 5k and 15k participants, directing us to stay to the right as we entered the finish chute. As we made the final turn, we spotted Will and Nicole cheering and holding up signs, and Jen and I both teared up as we got closer still to the finish line – and then it was done. In a state of happy bliss, smiles as wide as could be, soaked to the bone, we crossed the finish line. Jens longest run to date – a 15k, clocking in at 9.5 miles rather than 9.3 on our garmins.

We were handed our medals, and in a moment of blissed out runner-brained panic Jen turns to me and says “Did I have to step on the finish line!?”

I laughed and reassured her that she was ok since she had passed over it, and we made our way passed the finish line to find Will and Nicole, and hugs were shared by all. Jen and I pulled the tag off of our bibs to get our finishers mugs, full of chocolatey treats, and once we had our mugs we made our way inside and snacked for a few minutes before heading to the car.

Despite less than stellar conditions, Jen and I both agree that we had an amazing time running the Hot Chocolate 15k. We love the half-zips we got, and the HUGE medals that we earned. When you have great company the miles fly by regardless of the weather, and I feel like I will always look back on this race fondly. Plus, now when we worry about the weather leading up to the Star Wars Darkside half-marathon in April, odds are we will be able to say we have raced in worse weather, no matter what gets thrown at us.

I hope that one day I can run this race again, hopefully in better conditions. But it will have to wait until after 2019, as next years race falls on the same day as the Walt Disney World Marathon.

Oh, and as for that blister bet- both of us came out unscathed, so Will agreed to buy each of us a drink. I would call it a win-win situation.

2017 TCS NYC Marathon

This is bound to be a long one folks, so grab your favorite carbs and buckle in:

The 2017 NYC Marathon

I suppose the place to start is the night before the race. I had been invited by my friend Sami, who is a fellow member of the Merrick Bicycles Tri Team, to stay with her the night before the race, as we were heading into Manhattan together on race morning. After a bunch of self-debate, I decided to stay with her as it would reduce my race morning stress. Plus, these days I keep hearing that the “good night sleep” you really need before a race is two days out anyway.

The pre-race dinner that Sami put together

This meant that on Saturday I had to make sure I had everything that I would need for race day packed up and ready to go – from fueling needs to spare ponytails. The hardest part of this was deciding what to wear, as the weather predictions had been somewhat varied leading up to race day. I narrowed my choices down to two options: both would use the NYPD running club shirt I had picked up at the expo, and then either my CW-X compression tights or my new balance 2 in 1 shorts would be paired with the tank. Both pant options had their own pros and cons – in the shorts I felt freer when running, but risked chafing if it rained too hard. In the CW-X tights I had extra support built in, but would feel closed in if it got too warm. How I dressed for previous marathons did not help much, as I had worn the tights for the first and the shorts for the second, and both had worked well for me. Each outfit option was paired with a pair of PRO compression socks (knee highs for the shorts or no shows for the leggings), my SPI belt, and a hat that I regularly run in. In addition to my outfits I packed a race morning breakfast, some water bottles, my throw away layers (an old pair of pajamas), running gloves and a headband just in case the weather took a turn for the worst. I also assembled sandwich bags of extra fueling (some Gu and some sport beans) and gave one to Dad and one to Dennis in case something went wrong with the fuel I was carrying on race day.

Dennis had agreed to drive me to Sami’s house when he got out of work Saturday, so we headed out around 6:30. Of course, 15 minutes into the drive I realized I had left my headphones on the charger at home and we needed to turn around to grab them. After the near tragedy of heading into the race sans headphones, we were finally on the road and he was able to drop me off at Sami’s for the night.

Sami is seriously the best host ever, and I could not ask for a better teammate. She had prepared an awesome carb filled dinner for us, and our teammate Talia joined us as well to chow down. They both have more experience with the NYC marathon than I do, so it was nice to get some race day advice and have my nerves calmed by two runners that had run the race before. Sami made an awesome, dinner spread with everything from pretzel bread and chicken to sweet potatoes and steak. And of course, lots of water.

After dinner I pulled out the outfits that I had packed and laid them out for the next morning. I pinned my bib to my tank top, and felt that I was as ready as I could be. This was real, the NYC marathon, after all these months, was one sleep away. I settled into the cot Sami had set up for me, and headed to sleep.

I managed to sleep better than I expected to, but even with the time change giving us a bonus hour of sleep 3:30 AM came too soon. After checking out the race day weather, I decided to go with the outfit consisting of shorts and compression socks with my tank top. I started picking at my bagel with peanut butter, not really sure how I should be fueling for a race that was still 7 hours away.

At 4:15 AM Mike and Denise, two more members of the tri team, arrived to pick us up. Denise was running the marathon too, and her husband Mike had agreed to drive us all to the subway in Queens. We had little idea of where exactly we were going, so Sami got the address from one of her friends that was meeting us there. After a little bit of confusion which included Sami sticking her head out of a window to “get her bearings,” a road that split confusingly in three directions, and a handful of shared laughs, we arrived at the subway around 5 AM to find the rest of the group that we were meeting.

We collected our stuff and headed underground. I had a metro card that was borrowed from a friend, and had the bad luck of it refusing to scan! Luckily, Denise had extra credit on her metro card and saved me, letting me into the subway. We waited for about a minute before the subway rolled in, and the settled down for the ride. We all chatted, lots of nervous energy between us.

It was still dark out when the subway rolled into Manhattan, and we gathered our things and shuffled out. When we surfaced again there were plenty of runners about. We had about a mile to walk to get to John Jay college, where we would board the NYPD running club busses and head to Staten Island. It was a bit damp out during the walk, and in retrospect I probably should have brought a second pair of shoes to do all of my traveling in. When we got to John Jay we deposited all of our stuff in the lobby, and I headed to the bathroom line so I would have the chance to use a non porter-potty.

We had about a half hour wait at John Jay before they started boarding the buses. They were NYPD buses, and they lined the block when we stepped outside. We hopped onto one and began our journey along the waterfront of Manhattan to Staten Island. The buses all had their lights on, and it was awesome to see the line of lights ahead of us with every turn. Soon enough we crossed the bridge onto Staten Island, and got our first glance of the start village. The NYPD busses took us to a baseball field that had a tent set up, with the heat on and a breakfast spread out and waiting for us. Our little group set up a blanket city in the corner of the tent, and I grabbed a cinnamon bun and nibbled on that. When we got to Staten Island it was around 7:30 AM, so we still had plenty of time to kill. We hung out and relaxed for a few hours, the bag bus eventually collected our stuff, and as 9:30 rolled around we started our migration towards the main start village.

We had to go through security to get into the village, where they checked our start area bags (they had to be the designated clear bags) and scanned us with medal detectors. It was amazing the number of people that were mulling about. My assigned start time was 10:40 am with wave three, in corral A of the blue section. So that I could start with Sami I decided to move into the orange start area of that same wave, which just like the blue group would run over the top deck of the Verrazano Bridge at the start of the race. The start village is divided by the color group that you start with (blue, orange or green) so we all headed into the orange area and found an empty bit of sidewalk to hang out on until it was time for wave 3 to move into the start corrals. I made my final pre-race preparations, moving everything that I would be taking with me into my SPI belt and putting on some sunscreen.

Pre-race jitters were in full force at this point. Four months of preparation to get here. It was while we were waiting that it started to drizzle a little, a weather condition that would persist for the whole race. Once we heard the start of wave two, which was noted with fireworks, we started to make our way towards the start corrals. We headed into our corral, which was already packed with people and I started removing my throw away layer. As they collapsed the start corrals and we moved towards the start line itself I broke out my pre-race Gu and ate that as we moved along.

We passed by some NYPD officers as we moved up, and I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted one of my Dad’s old partners! It was a good feeling to see a familiar face pre-race, and we of course took a photo to send to Dad.

The national anthem was sung, the announcers wished us all luck, and “New York, New York” began playing through the speakers. And just like that, I crossed the start line and the NYC Marathon had begun. I started the race with Sami and her friend Allison, and we would spend the first 7 miles of the course running together. All of the miles kind of melted together as I travelled through the five boroughs by foot, so forgive me as some parts of the race description below are less than specific.

As you may know, the course starts on the Verrazano Bridge. We got to start the race on the upper level, and were immediately heading uphill. It was fairly quiet on the bridge aside from the odd chatter of runners here and there. I was surprised by how many people were stopping to climb up on the median dividers and grab a selfie with the bridge in the background. The sky was overcast, and looking out from the bridge there was fog out over the water. It was still drizzly, but not really “raining” at this point in the race. We took it easy for the first mile, and picked up a few seconds during the second mile when the course shifted to being downhill. Once we got off the bridge I got to experience the beginning of all of the NYC Marathon spectators, as the streets were lined with people cheering and holding signs, and so many kids with their hands out for high-fives from passing runners. The first seven miles breezed by, in a sea of cheering crowds, aid stations, and assorted chatter. I was ready to pick up my pace a little, so Sami encouraged me to run on, and we parted ways.

Mentally, I broke the race down into where I knew I would find my people after this point. Merrick bicycles tri team would be at miles 8, 18, and 23. Dad, Grandpa and Kasey would be just passed Pulaski Bridge around mile 13. Mom, Dennis and Rachel would be right after the Queensboro Bridge at the beginning of First Avenue, right around mile 16. Remembering that I would get to see some of gave me a great push as I ran. Know that if you were one of my people out there, or even one of my virtual people who texted, snapchatted, or followed my journey through the NYC marathon app, your encouragement meant so much to me!

Cheering from afar: My cousin Jen made me this cheer card of her Dog, Lucy!

Spotted first was the tri team, along the street and full of energy as they cheered and held up signs, their cheering squad complete with a megaphone and monkey costumes – these guys went all out and it was so fun to see them. Their signs and massive numbers made them easy to spot, and after running by them I put my headphones in for the first time to get me through to mile 13, where I would see some of my family. The energy of the city was alive, and there were crowds everywhere but the bridges. I saw some of my favorite signs of the race along mile 11, where people went full force with “Stranger Things” references.

My basic fuel plan was a Gu before the race and then every 4-5 miles, depending on how I was feeling. I also had sport beans with me to use as a little pick-me-up as necessary. Early in the race I was cramping a little so I took my first on the run Gu at mile 4. Around mile 10 I failed at putting my sport beans back into my belt, and they plummeted onto the NYC streets. I texted Dad so that he was ready to pass me my back up bag of beans when I ran by.

When I got to the Pulaski Bridge I was super excited to get to see my family. Once I was in queens they were easy to spot, with Kasey and Dad both sporting signs that they had made for me, which was amazing. I was so happy to see them that I almost ran away without my beans, but they called me back to grab them just in time.

The weather continued to be very wet as I ran, although it never really rained. Just a constant drizzle that left puddles on the ground. I was glad that I had a running hat on to keep the water out of my face. Regardless of the weather, the crowds continued to be nonstop. As I headed over the Queensboro Bridge, it was the first moment of real silence that I had experienced for the whole race, the only noise being runner’s footsteps. But as the edge of the bridge approached, the spectators lining First Avenue could be heard long before they were seen! Even before I was off the bridge I paused my music so I could really take it all in, and right after turning onto first I could see Mom and her sign, cheering with Dennis and Rach, tucked into the crowds. Even two weeks post-race I tear up a little thinking about each moment that I got to see someone that came out to see me run this race, it just means the world to me. It felt like all of NYC was lining First Avenue after that bridge, it was just crazy.

The next spot I had to look for spectators was between mile markers 18 and 19, and I was still feeling good. As I headed there, texts came in from Mom and Dad that they would be in central park when I got there, just before mile 25. I read them on my Garmin and made a mental note to look for them. When I got to mile 18 I paused my music so that I could look out for the team, but I hit mile 19 without finding any of them. It was really disappointing to have missed them, and I had a more emotional response than I expected to not finding them. But I powered on, knowing that there were still plenty of miles to get through and more of my people ahead.

Mom with her sign

Around mile 20 I started having issues with my IT band, which had largely been cooperative throughout this training cycle, even though I had issues with it when I was training for the Long Island Marathon this past May and during that race. I had hoped that I would sneak through NY without any issues, since my long runs had all gone well, but my luck ran out around mile 20. It was bearable, just a slight annoyance at this point.

Early in the race, and I’m talking flashback to the first mile as we climbed the uphill of the Verrazano Bridge, we overhead a guy telling his friend that yes, this uphill was hard but it was the hardest hill of the race and would just get easier from there! Sami chimed in, asking if it was his first time running NY – it was not. She then promptly called him a liar, stating that the hill at mile 22 was worlds worse than the uphill of the bridge. I laughed at the statement and we ran onward, trying not to worry too much about what was ahead of us.

As I approached mile 22 I started to think of this hill, and knowing that it was coming I decided to stop and use the bathroom as I ran by a porter potty with no line, that way I would not be tempted to stop as the uphill got hard. I also had been warned that the finish line area took a long time to exit, so I didn’t want to be rushing through there to get to a bathroom.

After stopping for a minute, my IT band felt much better and I was able to pick up the pace a little. But soon after, my asthma started acting up and would continue to do so for the rest of the race. Thankfully I had my inhaler with me, but it caused me to slow my pace down by 1-2 minutes per mile which was beyond frustrating - because I knew that I was capable of a better pace. It didn’t help when the incline started at the end of mile 22, and continued for what felt like forever. I reminded myself that I would see some of the tri team during mile 23, and they did not disappoint. The team had spread out throughout the mile, which was awesome because I got to find people over and over again. First I saw Tara and her daughter with Talia, and jumped in for a hug because I could not contain my excitement when I saw them. Tara ran many of my long runs with me last winter when I was training for the Disney marathon, and Talia is a constant source of inspiration for me with her dedication to the sport and her speed! Next I saw a cluster of people covered in Team gear, and at the end of the mile, right as I was getting into my own head as I struggled with breathing, I heard Allison and Jeanine shouting and from up on a tall curb, and it was just the pick me up I needed!

I headed into mile 24 knowing I would see Mom right before mile 25, and was excited to find them next, even though at this point every stride forward was a struggle full of frustration and feeling like I had failed because my breathing was just so off. I was still running, I was still in this race, but it was harder than any run I had done before as a made my way through central park, and inched closer to that finish line. I found Mom cheering with Dennis and Rachel right before mile 25, and was so happy to see them. I practically collapsed onto Dennis with a hug, and before starting to run again I asked where Dad was – I had assumed they would all be together from what I had read on my watch earlier, but Mom thought he was either a mile earlier or a mile later than them, she was not sure. Sadly, I later learned that Dad and Kasey were right before mile 24, and I had somehow missed them. When the texts had come in from Mom and Dad earlier, I thought that they were together and misread Dads.

I didn’t realize that I had missed them at the time, so I kept looking for them as I ran through mile 25 of the race to no avail. When I passed through the final group of cheering spectators out on 5th avenue and hadn’t found them before I headed back into central park for the final stretch, I realized that I must have missed them which was upsetting. But there was less than a mile between me and the finish line at that point. Breathing was still an issue, but I was still running. I was questioning why I run marathons, I was questioning how I ever found running fun, I was questioning if I could even really finish this race, despite the fact that there was less than a mile left. It was, without a doubt, the hardest mile I have ever run. I felt really disappointed in myself, even though asthma is something that is totally out of my control, like I had done something wrong or messed up in some way. Honestly, two weeks post-race I am still dealing with feeling like this, even though I have mostly come to terms with it. This feeling is part of why it took me so long to write this post. It took a few days post-race to emotionally recover from the race, before I could really even think about the race without feeling upset.

I re-entered central park, and there were screens up reminding us that the finish line was just around the corner. Then I could see the grand stand seating, full of spectators. And just like that, the finish line was in view. I laid down everything that I had left as I ran towards it. As I ran by the last area of finish line seating I heard Mike, who had dropped me off at the subway early that morning, calling my name and cheering for me and it helped me with that last push. I crossed the finish line, and it was done. The NYC Marathon. I had finished the NYC Marathon. It had taken me 4 hours and 37 minutes, but it was done. Slower than Long Island, faster than Disney, more emotionally draining than either, and I had done it. I wanted to burst into tears as soon as I was over that line, but I could hardly breathe as it was. I focused on the shuffle forward. Inhale, exhale, deep breaths. A volunteer put a medal on me. I took a photo – I look happy, or maybe relieved? Someone handed me a Mylar blanket. I was warm but I knew that would pass since all of my clothing was soaked through, so I accepted it, and another volunteer taped it closed for me. Was I really finished? Was this happening? I kept moving forward, and someone spotted the NYPD running club shirt I was wearing, and directed me out of the main stream of traffic and to a side tent. A cadet was there to get me around the corner and to the NYPD tent. He asked if I was ok, and I nodded my head. If I spoke, hysterical tears would have erupted. Breathing was still all I could handle. Inhale, exhale, deep breaths. He asked if I needed to lean on him, but I was ok. I was moving forward, towards the tent. They gave me a poncho – possibly the worlds coziest, fleece lined poncho, and a recovery bag. Dad was calling, I found a bench and sat down at last. He asked where I was. I didn’t really know. I sent him a photo of where I was, and told him to use find my friends. My brain was reeling, that was all I could handle. Inhale, exhale, deep breaths.

After a few minutes of just sitting still on the bench I started to feel better. I took some Gatorade out of the recovery bag and started sipping it. My breathing started to return to normal. I took a minute to take it all in. It was still drizzling, the sky was overcast. I remembered that I needed to claim the bag that I checked with the NYPD running club, so I walked back to the tent to find out where I needed to go for that. They pointed me towards a group of runners loading into the back of a little cart, which drove us a few blocks over to where the vans were shuttling people over to John Jay, where some people were going to the NYPD running club after party. I sat down on a pillar on the corner and waited for Dad and Kasey to get there – I had called them to let them know I was moving from my previous location. Unfortunately, no one in the shuttle area knew where the finish line bags were, but luckily I ran into Denise who was heading to John Jay. She was able to ask someone there and let me know where to find the bus full of bags, which wound up being about a block away. By the time we found out where the bags were all of my people had found me at the finish line – Dad, Kasey, Mom, Dennis and Rachel. After grabbing my bag from the bus we headed towards the subway, which took us to Penn station, and then boarded the train which took us home to Long Island. I tried to eat some pretzels from the recovery bag, but my stomach was unhappy with me as we rode the train home, as sometimes happens to me after long runs. I was able to change out of my running clothes and into an outfit that Den had lugged into the city for me, which was nice and dry. Of course, I kept the NYRR poncho on because, as previously mentioned, it’s basically my new favorite accessory.

Post race photo of Dennis, me and Rachel

When I got home I showered to thaw myself out, and managed to eat a little bit of pasta before passing out. I would pay for not eating enough with a diminished mental capacity and general exhaustion for the following two days. Of course, I suppose that could also be attributed to running a marathon.

Overall, running the NYC marathon was an amazing experience, and I plan to run it again. The crowds were like no other that I have ever experienced, even if at times they made me feel like there was a lot of pressure on me. The changing views of the city and running over the bridges was a unique course, and I loved seeing so much of New York City in one day. The aid stations, like all aid stations I have experienced at New York Road Runner races, were great, with water and Gatorade clearly marked and always available.

I could not have asked for a better training cycle leading up to this race. I got all of my long runs in, hit the track at least once weekly, and managed to avoid any major injuries or illnesses. I think this great training cycle is the reason I feel a little disappointed in my results. I am proud that I finished, I am thankful for the experience, and I am humbled by this course, which was truly challenging. I just have to remind myself that my asthma is out of my control, and there was nothing that I could have done to avoid the breathing issues that I encountered. I was as prepared as I could be, running with my inhaler as I always do. While I have some lingering feelings of failure, the further I get from race day the more I feel like I learned a lot during this race, and the challenges I faced help me to grow both as a runner and as a person. They prepared me for the races and obstacles ahead of me.

So what is next?

I can’t say that I have another marathon on my schedule that I plan on running. I am technically signed up for Rock ‘n Roll D.C. in March of 2018, but as of now I am planning to run the half instead of the full, as I just don’t feel ready to commit to another training cycle for a full marathon. That will come in time I am sure, but after 3 marathons in 2017, I need a break before I dive in and give myself to this distance again.

Short term, I want to focus on improving my speed for shorter races – I haven’t raced a half marathon since November of 2016, and I would love to see what I can do now that I have a few fulls under my belt.

Long term? Well, I may or may not have entered the lottery for the 2018 Chicago marathon.