Date: November 6, 2023
How It All Began:
For those unfamiliar, the NYC Marathon is one of the Six World Major Marathons, alongside London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, and Boston. Getting a spot is HARD! You can qualify (with times even faster than Boston), raise money for charity, rely on luck through the lottery, take the volunteering route with the New York Road Runners, or run virtually (still paying the full fee) the previous year and then race the next year. With over 128,000 hopefuls trying their luck in the lottery this year, the odds are pretty slim, especially with the division into three groups (NYC residents, US residents, and international). It’s a 10% chance if the numbers are even!
The Training:
Although we technically had 9 weeks to train, that doesn’t translate to a full 9-week training window. In reality, it was 8 weeks, including a base week, 5 weeks of building (11 miles, 13 miles, 15 miles, 18 miles, and 20 miles), and 2 weeks of tapering. Lucky for me, I had a solid fitness base, having completed a Ironman Texas in April, the Santa Fe Century in May, maintaining some fitness over the summer, and training for the Santa Fe Half-Marathon in September. What made it even more special was running those long miles with Nadia and Therese, sharing the same goal of conquering the NYC Marathon.
The Pre-Race:
One of the cool things about the NYC Marathon is that you get to run through all five boroughs of New York City. Starting on Staten Island, crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, making your way to Queens, then the Bronx, before finally finishing in Manhattan’s Central Park. But, this also means a very early start! The bridge closes for the race at 7 am, so we had to be up and on the move several hours before that. We were extremely fortunate to have Meredith’s dad, a professional NYC driver, pick us up and take us to the start. No need to worry about catching the 5 am bus!
But, it was cold at that hour! We only wore long sleeves over our running gear, but soon realized we needed to warm up. Hot coffee and hats from Dunkin’ helped, but it was still chilly. Other runners had brought cheap blankets and other items to discard in donation boxes that go to homeless shelters. As you can see in one of the photos, we had no shame diving into the boxes to get some extra layers to keep us warm during our four-hour wait until our 10:20 am start!
The Race:
Going into the race, I had three goals, with the top one being having fun! I had heard that the NYC Marathon is like a massive party, and it lived up to its reputation! I know I am so lucky to be part of this incredible race, so I wanted to savor every moment. As you can see from the photos, I had an absolute blast! I danced, high-fived countless people, leaped for a Mario block, cheered and chatted with fellow runners, and more.
Also, if you’ve ever run with me, you know that I try to thank every volunteer, police officer, medical staff, and anyone else who makes these events possible. It’s all part of the fun and appreciation for the countless hours these folks put in to ensure a fantastic and safe experience for participants.
My second goal was to start and finish with my friends. For those unfamiliar with marathons, a lot can happen from mile 0 to 26.2. Injuries, muscle strains, illness, dehydration, severe chafing – you name it. To have all four of us finish together was a remarkable achievement. We made a pact from the beginning: start together, finish together. Mission accomplished!
Finally, my last goal was to beat my Ironman marathon time. While I didn’t set a specific pace goal (a 5-week running build wasn’t conducive to setting a personal record), I thought I should at least be in decent shape to complete a marathon faster than one following a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride. But, this wasn’t a hard goal, because the other more important goal was to stick together and keep our pace the same. And guess what? We did it! We completed the marathon in 4 hours and 40 minutes (compared to 4 hours and 53 minutes in my Ironman). This included bathroom breaks, party breaks, shoelace tying, and more. I also had us start walking at every aid station from mile 19 onward. I wanted us to stay cool and mentally power through the final 6 miles better with these mini breaks.
The Post-Race:
I’m honestly feeling surprisingly good. Sure, I’m sore, but not as tight or achy as I’ve been after previous marathons (like Ironman Texas and Pocatello Running the Gap – both intense races, one being a triathlon and the other a challenging course in Idaho). It seems I’m in better shape than I thought, which is a pleasant surprise!
We of course got lots of great post-race fuel, like NYC style pizza! Still not sure if I like it more than Chicago style.
What’s Next?
After Ironman Texas, I experienced “post-race blues.” I had to reflect on what I wanted to do as someone who doesn’t necessarily aim for world champion slots (I have too many other hobbies and interests and I’m not particularly fast), but still wants to keep pushing to improve. Even though running isn’t my favorite sport, I’m now setting my sights on completing the World Major Marathons (yes, it sounds a bit crazy!), with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon without relying on the charity option. This means I need to bring down my marathon pace to match my half-marathon PR pace. There’s plenty of work ahead, but it’s a thrilling goal that I get to pursue with my friends (we got this Nadia)!