When I entered the lottery for the TCS NYC Marathon, I figured there was little to no chance that I’d actually be selected. I actually didn’t even tell my husband that I entered, as I figured it would be immaterial in the long run.

Come selection day in early March, I was at work in a team meeting when I received the, “Congratulations, You’re In” email, and I literally almost died! Two of my teammates are also runners, so I felt no shame when I interrupted the meeting with, “Holy shit! I’m running NYC Marathon!” I texted my husband to fill him in on the fact that we would be planning a fall trip to New York, and oh yeah, we won’t be around to celebrate our daughter’s first Halloween. =/ Of course he was on board and immediately excited!

This was my first time following a training plan that incorporated workouts into the weekly structure. I purchased a virtual training plan through the NYC Marathon website that was built around the elevation profile and overall course for this marathon specifically. Having a training plan catered to a specific race was so helpful. Not only does it increase your confidence moving into the race, but it also gives you a better idea of what a realistic time goal is for the course. NYC Marathon is known to be a challenging, hilly course, so I expected to line up farther back than I typically would at a marathon. However, according to my actual times on my training runs, the system predicted I’d finish between 3:40 and 3:53. That is actually right on, or even faster than, my standard race pace!

Training was going really well until week 11. I did my 15 mile long run in week 8 and felt great, then ran the Park to Park Half Marathon in week 9, where I ran a PR race. I was starting to believe the virtual trainer predictions and started thinking that maybe I’d be able to shoot for a PR. However, in week 11 I started feeling some psoas pain. This has been a nagging injury that has flared up from time to time over the last few years. Every time it flares up, the pain is so strong that it sidelines me for two to three weeks. I know better than this, I know I need to work on glute and hip strengthening to fend this issue off forever. But, of course I didn’t, and found myself sidelined for two weeks. After a few short runs of getting back on the horse and making sure I’m pain-free, I was able to muster another 15 mile long run two weeks before the race. This was the longest I was able to build to, so my new goal for NY was to just have fun, take in the scenery, and bask in the fact that I would be running NYC MARATHON!

We flew in on Saturday morning for the Sunday race. We stayed at the Hudson Hotel due to its proximity to the finish line. It is just a few blocks off of Central Park, so once I finished I could just walk back to our room.

When we got to New York, we checked in and went immediately to pick up my packet. I had this recurring dream that our flight was going to be delayed and I’d miss packet pickup. We walked to the expo, which was at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center about 1.5 miles from our hotel. That seemed like the perfect way to get our legs moving after our flight, but what Google didn’t tell us is that it was all downhill on the way to the expo, meaning our walk back would be all uphill. To save my legs, we took the subway back to our hotel. The expo itself f is really well-marked and very organized. The only drawback was the lines for the registers. If you wanted to purchase any merchandise, you were going to be waiting in a line that was at least an hour-long to check out.

Next stop was dinner. Typically I would make sure I eat a well-balanced, carb rich/lean protein filled dinner, but I was in New York, and if you recall, I knew I wasn’t going to be breaking any records. My husband and I are big How I Met Your Mother fans, and McGee’s, the bar that MacLaren’s Pub from the show, was really close to our hotel. So, instead of that healthy pre-race meal, I went for a greasy hamburger and a beer. I know, I know. Again…I know…but I got caught up in the moment!

I was taking the bus to the race village/starting line from the Midtown Library. This was only 2 miles from my hotel, so I considered just taking a cab, but I figured the most reliable/punctual mode of transportation would be the subway. I was totally wrong. The train was 25 minutes late, and I had to ask the volunteers to let me into the bus line, as they already closed off the line for my time-slot. I wasn’t alone. There were others on the late train, so at least we got to panic together. The line went extremely fast, even though it was wrapped around the block. Before I knew it, we were off to the race village to run the NYC Marathon!

I’ve never done a race that had a race village before this. It was huge! They organized the runners to various corrals based on expected finish time. Each corral had its own set of bathrooms, a tent, snacks, etc. There was also a common area with multiple vendors, one of which was Dunkin’ Donuts. This made my day, as Dunkin’ Donuts is one of my favorites and we don’t have them in Minnesota. So, I took my free hat (which came in handy because it was cold, and I was going to be standing around for a few hours before I started running), my coffee and a bagel, and found a place in the grass to stretch and relax.

The bridge behind me is where the first two miles of the NYC Marathon take place. The first mile has a 150ft incline to the middle of the bridge, then a 150ft decline to the other side. I was told many times to take these miles slow, as it can easily ruin your legs. I took this advice to heart and ran a 10:00 mile for my first mile, and because I was going to enjoy the experience, I even pulled over on the bridge to take a picture of the gorgeous view of Manhattan.

My GPS watch wasn’t registering my pace accurately on the way down the other side of the bridge. It was telling me I was running over a 15 min/mi pace, which obviously wasn’t right. So, I just tried to take it easy and make my way across the bridge. When my watch reconnected and corrected itself, I learned that my “easy” second mile was a 7:02 minute mile. That was definitely not my intention, and I just made the first mistake of my race.

Miles 3-13.1 were really even, averaging about 8:30/mi. I crossed the half marathon point at 1:53, which I felt good about. However, I knew I was fading fast. My feet felt like they were dragging below me, and at one point I actually didn’t pick up my foot and I almost fell, right there in the middle of the street. I thankfully caught myself, but took that as a mental note that I needed to recheck myself, reset, and figure out how I was going to muster up another 13.1 miles. I took the opportunity to stop at the porta-potties at mile 14. I didn’t care that this was going to add a few minutes to my time, I needed the reset. I didn’t really even have to go to the bathroom, I just needed a change of scenery. You know it is bad when I choose the porta-potty over the streets of NY for a change of scenery! =(

I came out of the porta-potty with a new mentality. I resolved to a walk/run, which is the earliest I’ve ever let myself walk in a marathon, but that was ok with me. Again, I was running the NYC Marathon, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I figured that if I was walking I’d really be able to look around and really take it all in. At least that is how I justified it in my head.

I averaged about 10:00/mi for the next 10 miles. It was truly amazing to see the streets lined with people along the entire course. The only places you didn’t have rows of spectators were over the bridges, which were the opportunities I took to refocus on my posture, cadence, breathing, and try to give myself a mental pep talk.

There is a decent hill at mile 13 with the Pulaski Bridge. Although the first half of this race is deceptively hilly (the elevation profile really doesn’t tell the true story), the inclines I remember most are the first mile, the Pulaski Bridge at 13, and the worst one being the Queensboro Bridge at mile 15. The Queensboro Bridge was actually my favorite part of the NYC Marathon. Coming off of that bridge and entering First Avenue was an experience unlike anything else. The crowd support seemed to have tripled, it was so loud, so energetic, and finally downhill!

As everyone knows, this marathon ends in Central Park, which is just a gorgeous way to finish a 26 mile run. However, before you can enter Central Park, you need to run up a long, steep hill at mile 23. This hill turned out to be one of my favorite race moments to date. I was walking up the hill when I heard the loudest group of spectators cheering, to the point where I looked behind me to see what runner was lucky enough to have such an amazing support crew. When I turned back around after not seeing who their target was, one of the spectators stepped a foot into the street, pointed at me and said, “No, YOU!” I smiled, teared up, and started running up the hill. The way they cheered for their success of getting me to start running made me feel like I had just made their day, when in fact, they had just made mine!

I finished in 4:11:48, which is not one of my proudest finish times, but that doesn’t even matter. I knew this wasn’t going to be a great race for me time-wise, but that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to show up, have fun, and take in the experience, which is exactly what I did. Even after hitting a permanent wall at mile 13!

After you finish, be prepared to walk a long way through Central Park before you can exit and find your spectators. The volunteers are amazing, but they won’t let you sit down. I felt pretty nauseous after finishing, so I wanted nothing more than to just sit for a second. They really want to keep you moving to prevent cramping, help you recover, and keep the finish area moving. You also get a really fun finisher cape/jacket, which I’m sad I didn’t get a photo of. I do still have it in my closet, but wearing it now for a photo just seems wrong.

So, here is my reflection of what went well and what I wish I had done differently:

What went well at the NYC Marathon:

• I had FUN. It is so easy to get tunnel vision when you’re feeling like garbage in a race and forget to look around. I didn’t do that. I took the entire experience in and really, truly had fun.
• I ran the first half of the race really consistent, with the exception of mile 2.
• I conquered the hills at a solid pace. I didn’t let the hills slow me down (until the end), which tells me that I had the strength, I just didn’t have the energy.

Mistakes / What I could have done better:

• Mile 2. This is the mile that I was warned about, and I still fell victim to. This mile really killed my legs, and I felt it.
• I let myself walk more than I probably needed to. I took the “run/walk” plan a little too far. Learning to fight through mental barriers is something I know I need to work on.
• I took a preventative pain pill (prescribed) for my hip, as I was worried about a flare up during the run. I think it made me feel lethargic, which explains why I felt like my brain was telling my legs to move, but my legs just wouldn’t move.
• I didn’t plan ahead well for pre-race fuel. I should have brought more food onto the bus with me that I could eat while waiting for my start time. When I started the race at 10:15am, I was already hungry.

My final words: if you have the opportunity to run the NYC Marathon, TAKE IT! I am proof that this can become one of your favorite marathons, even when your performance was one of your personal worst. This marathon really is magical!