2013 New York City Marathon

This race report was originally published on the RunningAhead forums on November 4, 2013.  Some of the content has been edited since the initial publication.

Scroll all the way down to the end for the tl;dr version.

Prologue

The New York City Marathon (“NYCM”) is the largest marathon in the world. About 45-48,000 runners make their way through all five boroughs of the City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

In 2012, I trained for NYCM only to have the race canceled because of Superstorm Sandy. Undeterred, I ran 26.2 in Washington, D.C. in a pull-over that read “Run Anyway” and “I  ❤️ NY”.

I started training in late June following the 70-80 miles per week plan in Advanced Marathoning, Second Edition by Pete Pfitzinger (“Pfitz”). I struggled with goal paces in the heat but finished most of my workouts.  I had two “stunt” training goals this cycle, too: 1) I ran a 100-mile week in September and 2) ran every day from June 25th through the marathon for a 132-day running streak.

My tune-up races were a mixed bag. I had a disastrous Parks Half Marathon in September (1:35:43 or 7:19 pace) but a really good Army Ten Miler in October (1:08:40 or 6:52 pace).

Prior to the race, “TakeAHike”, who I met through an online forum on RunningAhead, and I decided to run together since we had similar goals – sub-3:20 (7:38 pace) and to enjoy the race.

Goals

Personal Records:

• Marathon PR & Most Recent Marathon: 3:23:53 (7:47 pace) at the 2013 Rock n Roll USA.

Achievable: Sub-3:20 (7:38 pace).

Stretch: Sub-3:15 (7:27 pace).

I programmed the paces for both in my Garmin – 3:15 being the fast end, and 3:20 being the slow. If TakeAHike and I stayed in that range, I figured we’d be good.

I also warned TakeAHike that I might try to get him to go ahead without me at some point. His race times were faster than mine and I thought he might actually have 3:15 in him. But, I also suspected I would probably cry at some point and didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable since we don’t know another that well.

Course

The New York City Marathon touches all five boroughs of the city.  The terrain is flat except for the bridges separating the boroughs, an incline on Fifth Avenue, and two small hills in Central Park.

The course starts at the base of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island and heads into Brooklyn. It continues into Queens after crossing the Pulaski Bridge.  The very steep Queensboro Bridge takes runners into Manhattan where roaring crowds await along First Avenue.  Then, the course heads to the Bronx after traversing the Willis Bridge.  After a mile, the route goes over the Madison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan and down Fifth Avenue.  Three miles later, runners enter Central Park for the finish.

There are water and Gatorade stations at every mile after Mile 3.

Cheering crowds line the entire course except for the bridges.

Playlist

I created a playlist of 49 songs – 3 hours and 20 minutes of music.

Although not on Spotify, “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z & Alicia Keys and “Good Time” by Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen were also in the playlist.

Pre-Race

Friday

Before I left for New York City, I ran 5 miles with strides.  The pace felt fine but my breathing hard and my legs were a bit sore. But overall, all systems were a go!

I took an Amtrak Acela train that left at noon and arrived in town a little before 3pm.  Full of excitement, I went straight to the expo at the Javits Convention Center from the  Sheraton New York Times Square.

The bib came with a blue ribbon in honor of those killed during the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing.  I also picked up an orange wrist band for runners who deferred from the 2012 NYCM.

I purchased an Asics marathon-branded sackpack, vest, and beanie. I also bought some Adidas tights and a t-shirt with a subway station theme.

Saturday

On Saturday, I ran my “shake out” run in Central Park.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the women finishing the Dash to the Finish 5K.  Seeing Molly Huddle, Emily Infeld, and Shalane Flanagan this close was pretty cool!

The run was an opportunity to scope out the hills in the later stage of the race. I didn’t think they were nearly as bad as the last four in Rock n Roll USA.  My breathing was still a little hard and my legs heavy but I was ready to go!

That afternoon, TakeAHike and I met up at One World Trade Center so we could meet in person before the race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Day

I got out of bed at 4:30am.  I ate a banana and coffee before heading out of my hotel room at 5:10am with my bag check bag and a blanket.  A woman asked if I was going to the subway and we end up trying to find our way to The Staten Island Ferry together.

During the ferry ride, I had a bagel while my new BFF and I talk. I get my first view of Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline:

It was a beautiful morning and I couldn’t believe it was finally my New York City Marathon race day!

When we got to Staten Island, we boarded a bus and struck up conversations with a few more runners.

We reached Fort Wadsworth at about 7:00am. Security is quick but I’m immediately told I can’t bring in my blanket.  We headed to the blue staging area and immediately used the port-o-potties. We heard a woman announcing we should follow her for a Dunkin Donuts hat. She took us over to another part of the village where we got our hat and discovered water, coffee, and bagels.

Hotel BFF and I laid out a heat shield and got our race gear organized. I ate a Luna bar and had some water. At 7:45am, I said goodbye to her and checked my bag.

By 8:15, I arrived at the rendezvous point that TakeAHike had agreed upon.  I got in line for the port-o-potties again and I see him pass by. Phew! After using the facilities, we headed over to the corral, found a spot towards the front, and spent the next half hour or so talking.

They closed the corrals and a few minutes later, walked us to the bridge. I was shocked at how close we were to the start!

They announced the elite men, a children’s choir sang the National Anthem, and after a few more announcements, we’re off to the sounds of “New York, New York,” by Frank Sinatra!

Weather

Temperature: 47 at 9:50am, 49 at 10:50am, 46 at 11:50am, 49 at 12:50am. Winds were 5-10 mph out of the N in Central Park w/17-20 mph gusts.

The Race

Early Miles – Miles 0 to 2 (Staten Island)

We immediately started climbing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and got the first taste of the wind.  After hours of standing around, it was a rude awakening.

It was TakeAHike’s first marathon and I wanted to make sure he enjoyed the experience, so I pointed out the New York City skyline to the left. He was doing a great job of getting around the crowds so I stayed close to him.

We crossed the bridge into Brooklyn and got our first sense for the crowds and they are awesome! I hear my first, “Go Julia!” and it really lifted my spirit. We turned onto a flat stretch of road that we’d stay on until Mile 8.

Splits (by course): 8:15, 7:17.

Early Miles – Miles 2 to 8 (Brooklyn)

We got our first aid station a little while later… The water stop were a bit of a challenge for TakeAHike.  I carried a water bottle with me to avoid the early water stops because they’re usually so crowded.  Because I wasn’t stopping, when he went over for water, he would have to work to catch back up with me.  I slowed a little so I wouldn’t lose him completely but I also wanted to keep us on pace.  Occasionally, I offered to share my water. I wanted to make sure he was drinking enough.

Down the road, we merged with the Green Wave coming in from our right. That created a little bit of a bottleneck as we all tried to find our place in the crowd and regain our rhythm. On the bridge, I had noticed we were running alongside the 3:30 pacer in the Orange Start so I was glad we didn’t merge with them until later.

During this stretch, I asked TakeAHike how he was feeling.  (Believe it or not, I was the one constantly breaking the “No Talking” rule!)  He said he was doing well but to me, he seemed to be breathing a little heavy.  “He’ll be fine,” I thought.  I did worry, though, because the pace felt harder than I thought it should.  At some point, I also noticed my right hamstring felt tight.  It wasn’t spasming like it did at the 2013 Rock n Roll USA so I was relieved.  I asked TakeAHike to hold my water bottle so I could take my first Clif Shot Energy Gel (Chocolate).  I nursed it for the next 30 minutes or so.

We were both constantly checking our watches and pace bands during this section trying to make sure we were on pace. Even though I had the pace ranges in my Garmin, I didn’t actually have the pace bands to know whether we’re on pace or not.  I also knew the miles are going to measure long so I’ve been trying to run at the low end of the pace ranges.  As we merged with the Orange Wave and turn onto Lafayette Ave., I asked TakeAHike how far ahead of pace we were. He said about 30 seconds.

Splits (by course): 7:36, 7:29, 7:25, 7:27, 7:30, 7:35.

Early Miles – Miles 8 to 14 (Brooklyn)

The crowds were amazing here!  In places, they had to be 2 or 3 people deep and people were cheering their lungs out. I get lots of shout-outs of my name and tried to give thumbs up in return each time.  There was a slight incline in this section and my Garmin wanted us to pick up the pace.  I started to feel really good, though and was hammering out the miles.  TakeAHike stayed a little behind me.  Not only was he having trouble at the water stops but because I was pushing the pace, he was also having to weave more to stay with me.  He was breathing a little heavier and clearing his throat more than I liked.  “He’ll be okay,” I thought again.

We made another turn and entered the Williamsburg neighborhood. The crowds were even more boisterous here. I felt as though my name was being called constantly.  “I am a rock star!”  There was a guy set off from the crowd by himself shouting really encouraging words to the runners.  He said something like, “You’re all amazing!” And, I point at him and shouted back, “You’re amazing!”  He loved it.  I think I almost knocked TakeAHike down in the process, though.  I also did some high-fiving at this part of the race.

We reached the half at 1:40ish. (Officially: 1:39:44 or 7:37 pace). I started to worry.  That meant we had to run the second half as fast as the first to reach our time goal.  I thought about Pfitz and how he suggested runners plan on a fade in the second half of the marathon and how I’d read in other places that the second half of this course was harder than the first. But, I wasn’t ready to give up on sub-3:20 quite yet.  This has been my goal for over a year!  I asked TakeAHike if he’d block the wind for me a bit and he happily moved to my other side.  We crossed the Pulaski Bridge and head into Queens.

Splits (by course): 7:36, 7:27, 7:45, 7:30, 7:44, 7:45.

Middle Miles – Miles 14 to 16 (Queens)

A close friend from back home was planning to cheer for me here and I started looking for her.  But, I was also really pushing the pace.  I wanted sub-3:20 so badly!  I lost track of TakeAHike but figured he’ll find me. Did I mention how much I wanted sub-3:20?  It may sound cruel but I truly believed he was a stronger runner than me and would be fine.  He caught up to me and actually spotted my friend and her family before I did!  They had a huge sign that said, “Hooray, Julia”.  Despite her telling me not to beforehand, I ran over to high-five them.

I rejoined TakeAHike and a few minutes later we were on the Queensboro Bridge.  I started my second Clif Shot Energy Gel (Mocha) somewhere around here.  TakeAHike requested that we take it easy on the bridge and I was happy to comply.  Our Garmins lost our signal and we didn’t know our pace.  It was hard climbing the bridge but we were rewarded with a nice downhill and roaring crowd on the other side.

Splits (by course): 8:02, 7:53.

Middle Miles – Miles 16 to 20 (Manhattan – First Avenue)

First Avenue was mostly flat but ended in a slight uphill. I’d never seen crowds like this. I couldn’t believe so many people came out to watch the race and the noise they made was unbelievable.

At about Mile 18, I started thinking I couldn’t keep this pace for 8 more miles. I slowed a little and TakeAHike did as well.  I asked him he was doing and he admitted he was feeling it.  I’m still not ready to give up on 3:20, though.  We saw TakeAHike’s family and that was another big boost.  He seemed to have a second wind and I thought if I could just keep up with him, we’d be fine.

As we start to cross the Willis Bridge, I asked TakeAHike if this was the hard bridge. I completely forgot we’d just run the Queenboro! Then, I asked if this is the last bridge. I didn’t think I had another one in me.  He said there’s another one back into Manhattan but it’s flat. I felt lucky to have him with me.

We got huge cheers when we entered the Bronx. There was a jumbotron where we could see ourselves so I do some fist pumps, of course. We hit Mile 20 and I tried to get a second wind. I told TakeAHike we just need to run a 48:00 10K and we’d get our time. Looking back, I think the expression on his face was, “Are you insane?”

Splits (by course): 7:39, 7:28, 7:30, 7:55. 

Later Miles – Miles 20 to 21 (The Bronx)

Over the next mile, there were a few spots where we found ourselves behind slower people and needed to pass.  I told TakeAHike we had to remember that people are slowing down and we had to keep pushing but he wisely pointed out we were wasting a lot of energy. Did I mention how much I wanted sub-3:20?

Splits (by course): 7:48.

Later Miles – Miles 21 to 24 (Manhattan – Fifth Avenue)

We made a few turns, crossed the Madison Avenue Bridge and then were finally on Fifth Avenue.  I felt some relief at being back in Manhattan.  I’m sure the crowds were great but in all honesty, I don’t remember this stretch very well.  All of a sudden, I hit some kind of wall and started to slow down. (Here’s how this part played out when I was retelling it to my friend who had been cheering in Queens after the race:

Queens Friend: “You ran a 3:22. You didn’t hit a wall”.

Me: “Okay, I hit a speed bump”.

Queens Friend: “You didn’t even hit a speed bump. You hit one of those things in the road that people just drive over”.

Me: “A speed table?”

Queens Friend: “Yeah, you hit a speed table”.

At this point, I told TakeAHike to go ahead because I thought he was okay and could get under 3:20.  I didn’t want to spoil the race for him.  In retrospect, I realized that that was MY goal more than his.  I think he would have been fine to stay with me.  But, I also knew I was about to become very sad as I saw my goal time slipping away.  My legs just would not go any faster.  He pulled ahead to look for his family.  I had been running with my iPod but with only one earbud.  I put both earbuds in and hoped the music could keep me going.  I lost track of TakeAHike for a while but then noticed he wasn’t moving much faster than I was.

I tried to catch up to him in as we approached Central Park – figuring if we were both going to miss our time we should at least finish together.  But, I couldn’t muster enough energy to make up the 25 yards between us and my carbohydrate deprived brain didn’t think to yell to him.

This stretch felt like it went forever. Where’s the entrance to Central Park?!

Splits (by course): 7:45, 8:04ish (in my delirium, I forgot to hit the lap button so this mile is long), 8:04.

Later Miles – Miles 24 to 26.2 (Central Park)

Finally. Central Park!  I ran this section of the race the day before and didn’t think the hills were tough.  But, I hadn’t run 23 miles beforehand.

I was still doing math to figure out what I had to run for sub-3:20. When I realized I couldn’t do it, I switched to motivating myself to set a PR.  But, it was not working.  I had no energy.

I hit Mile 26 and a few yards later, I saw the finish.  Normally, I manage some kind of kick at this point but I actually wanted to stop right there.  I was in such a bad place that I feel like time stopped for a few seconds and I found myself looking at the finish line quizzically.

I regained my senses and then I realize I was looking at the finish line! The sight I waited two years to see.  I teared up but didn’t cry. I don’t have the energy. I slugged forward and crossed the finish line. I was finally a New York City Marathon finisher!

Splits (by course): 8:07, 8:10, 1:57 (8:55 pace).

Result

I finished in 3:22:56 or 7:45 pace [Log Details].  I was the 3,191th finisher overall, 340th woman, and 44th in my age group!

Post-Race

TakeAHike finished only a few yards ahead of me, so we reunited almost immediately. We got our heat shields and medals. I kiss mine and think about how hard I worked to earn it. We talked briefly about those last miles. I explained I thought he was slowing down for me but he said that wasn’t the case so I felt a little bad for sending him ahead.  Soon, we said our good-byes.

Normally, I feel pretty good after marathons but not today. I thought, “So, this is how it’s supposed to feel” and smiled. It took me about half an hour to get my bag.  I put on warm clothes and found a nice stranger to take my picture.

Epilogue

The New York City Marathon is a tough course!  It seemed like it never went downhill after climbing a hill or bridge.  But, the crowds were amazing! I couldn’t believe how enthusiastically they cheered us on. And everything went off without a hitch. It took me an extra year to run it but I think I just ran my all-time favorite marathon.

Ironically, I wasn’t all that upset about not hitting sub-3:20. My only worry was that I may have ruined TakeAHike’s first marathon experience by pushing so hard but he’s assured me I didn’t. I had the best time and am so happy with how this training cycle ended. I’ll run sub-3:20 someday, somewhere. My business with NYCM is finished. My business with sub-3:20 is not.

Abridged Version

The New York City Marathon is a tough course!  I was registered to run my first New York City Marathon in 2012 but the race was cancelled because of Superstorm Sandy.  After a year of relentless training, I set a goal of running a sub-3:20 marathon. l ran with someone I met through the forums of my online running log.

We were on pace for sub-3:20 for most of the race but struggled on First Avenue.  We checked our watched constantly to make sure we were on pace.  On Fifth Avenue, I finally told my partner to take off without me.  I finished in 3:22:56 (7:45 pace).  My business with NYCM is finished.

My business with sub-3:20 is not.