Miscellaneous

Braiding Marathon

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I have written a lot on my blog about marathons. Half-marathon training, full marathon training, marathon-running. Even marathon-DRINKING. But this year, I’m writing about a whole different kind of marathon: a marathon of braiding.

Yes, you read that right. 10 days ago, I braided for 19 hours. 2 days, 21 people, 49 braids.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I started a side hustle in 2018 called Braid in Manhattan. Since my tiny little blog post in July of 2018, I’ve built a website, a Yelp page, a Tik Tok, and an Instagram with nearly 4,000 followers. But due to the unfortunate timing of Covid, I never really had a chance to scale my side hustle the way I wanted. The last thing I wanted to do over the last 18 months was be in close proximity to strangers’ faces for extended periods of time. But recently I started feeling a little better about contact, and I knew it was time to get back on my braiding game.

I had done a few events over the past season, a 10-year-old’s birthday party, a woman who was trying something new with her hair for the humidity, and a few people going to the Electric Zoo music festival. My goal was to try and get 8-10 clients for the New York Marathon. I felt better about braiding for the marathon because I got my Covid booster and I knew that 100% of the runners were vaccinated and/or recently tested.

Back in 2018 for the NYC Marathon, I worked at a braid bar event associated with a running fitness studio. It was 7 braiders and a whirlwind of fun. Since then, running and braiding hair have gone hand in hand.  A professional runner, Colleen Quigley, started the “Fast Braid Friday” movement celebrating strong runners and associating them with braided hair. It’s a cross-cultural phenomenon about celebrating the concept of “look good, feel good” (and run fast). Plus, it’s functional because it keeps hair out of your face while racing. I started to get a following of runners on my Instagram, which is never what I intended with my brand. I started my company to focus on special event hairstyling, more boho and romantic looks. But it turns out that “athletic” braiding is a niche no one else seemed to be filling, and it turned out that I was quick and good at it!

With the lead-up to the marathon fast-approaching, I had 6 clients locked in and it was crunch time to meet my goal. Then, one Wednesday I was sitting on the couch watching Ted Lasso with Chris when my phone started BLOWING UP. I was getting emails. I was getting inquiries through my “contact me” page on my website. I was getting Instagram DMs. Facebook messages. I looked at Chris and I said … “I think I’m going viral.”

Sure enough, a woman who booked me for her own hair was in a Facebook group for people running the NYC Marathon, and someone posted asking for a hair recommendation. The woman who had booked me earlier in the day mentioned my company and BAM. The rest is history. I spent the next 3-4 days replying to people, scheduling on 45-minute intervals, and trying to organize the styles everyone wanted in spreadsheets. I was originally charging by time, but it got so impossible to organize that I ended up charging a flat fee toward the end. I needed an assistant!!

I had two weeks’ notice before the big event, and luckily I had all of my supplies with the exception of elastics. In earlyyy 2020, I was supposed to braid at a hair show with the brand StyleFactor, and the hair show was cancelled, but they’ve been sending me boxes of product every since! I have cases of edge control, which is generally used for more textured hair, but also works wonders to make styles stay through 26.2 miles. This stuff does not budge! I also have fitting foam and hair spray, all of which contribute to a super long-lasting style. I’ve had multiple people wear my racing styles for over a week!

I placed an order on Amazon for my favorite rubber band hair elastics, and I even reached out to my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE hair tie brand and asked if they wanted to collaborate with me. TIY (tie it yourself) is another woman-owned start-up and Andrea, the owner and founder, is the best. Sure enough, she said YES! She said I could take some photos and videos for her, and she would send me enough TIY’s to give to each one of my clients. The results were amazing. Also, she sent all orange, so it was easy to “spot the knots” throughout the race course, which is their motto.

  • Spot the knots!
  • Double Dutch
  • 4 braids are better than 1!
  • Cross-national BFFs

The Friday before the marathon, I got to work. I had a client from Germany. From Seattle. From Philadelphia. From Austin. From Boston. From Naples. People running with their friends they met in online Facebook groups. People running with their husbands they met in running clubs. People running with Type 1 Diabetes who were running for a charity to support Diabetes research. People running for charities to support mental health support for family members of people with cancer. People running with run clubs. People running their first marathons. And one person running their final (6!) world major marathon. The stories were all so incredibly inspiring.

I wrote to all of the women who I braided and they have been writing reviews on my Yelp and Facebook, but better yet, they’ve been sending me all of their post-race medal photos in their braids and I am just KVELLING with pride.

Was standing for 19 hours difficult? Yes. Was my back killing me because I am ancient-years-old? Also, yes. But was I enthralled all weekend listening to the stories of women from around the world who waited 2 years to run the streets of my home city??? Also YES. It ALMOST makes me want to run a marathon again. ALMOST. But even more so, it makes me want to travel to another marathon to braid more hair! Where should I go next?? Berlin? Chicago? Boston?

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Big City Living, Fitness

NYC Marathon (in stream of consciousness)

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run a marathon? Have you ever thought, “Hmmm… 26.2 miles is a long way and it takes FOREVER. What does one think about while they try not to focus on their legs?” If so, then this blog is for you. I am going to tell you a lot of my thoughts during those 5+ very long hours. But don’t worry, I won’t tell you all of them. Who has 5 hours to kill? (Me… I guess).

Pre-Start Race Corral

Should I try to pee again? I just tried but maybe I should try again? Oh god, what are the port-potties gonna be like on the course? Is now when we need to take off our sweats? Because I’m still cold and I don’t wanna. UGH ok fine I will. Should I keep my tissues with me? Will they get soggy? They’re in a Ziploc but you never know. I sweat a lot. So many questions. EW WHAT IS THAT SMELL!? Oh my god port-o-potties. Wait… I can smell??? Oop! Now it’s gone. Thank god for this sickness. Have people been smelling that the whole time? That must suck.

Start Line

Oh wow! They play Frank Sinatra before we start? That’s pretty cool. The people who work the start line must be reallllly sick of this song if they play it every wave. This would be the… 6th time they’re hearing it? How many apps do I need to start on my phone? Strava – check. Nike Running – check. Spotify – Check.  How long will my phone last with all of these apps on? I wonder if Strava works if my phone is on airplane mode. I probably should have tested that. Too bad I downloaded it last night. I’ll do anything for a free lululemon tank top. Tell me something I didn’t already know. Ok. Time to run this sh*t. Or run-walk it. Or at least survive it. DAMNIT I accidentally left my tissues in the pocket of my hoodie that I just donated. I guess it’s snot-rockets from here on out.

  • START LINE! This is when I realized I had no tissues.
  • Not even a mile in and I was already taking pics.

Mile 1

Alright, this isn’t too bad. The views are killer. Is it too soon to stop for a selfie? I’m only doing this for Instagram likes anyway. Ok, that’s not entirely true. Damn, I really wish I had my tissues. Should I still stop every 5 minutes to walk like in my training? Everyone always says to take it easy through Brooklyn but no one said anything about on the Verrazano. Then again, I don’t want to get trampled. I guess I’ll stop to walk for 30 seconds and take a pic. Who knows how long my phone will last.

Mile 2

*sees sign “Yo! Welcome to Brooklyn!”* Oh cute!! Signs! I hope I see some witty ones. Someone just welcomed me personally to Brooklyn by name. Such a good idea to put my name on my shirt.

Mile 3

This isn’t too bad! I wish this was a Turkey Trot. I’d almost be done. 23 miles to go. FML. Wait, where did all those other people come from? Are they running the race, too? Let me ask one of them. Ah yes, they are. They just started on the lower level of the bridge. I wonder if that sucks. Not as many insta-opportunities. Well, look at all of us together now. 53,000 people in one HUGE happy family.

Mile 4

Thank GOD there are people out here with water bottles and TISSUES. Next year when I cheer, I am def bringing a box of tissues. You never know if there will be someone out there snot-rocketing their life away. Also, I’m glad I didn’t run with a water bottle. It’s so nice to have my hands free! And there are people all over the place handing them out.

Mile 5

First person I know!! My coworker brought the whole family out to cheer for me! Gotta stop for a selfie. OMG, her sign is made to look like my Braid in Manhattan business card!! Am I too sweaty to give hugs? Meh whatever, they can shower. I can’t shower. for 21 more miles. Woof.

Mile 6

I should be looking for more people from the gym. YES! Spotted!! This is fun. It’s like a super, super hard game of Where’s Waldo through the 5 boroughs.

Mile 7

Everyone wants to high-five me but I don’t think they understand the germs on my hands. Ew. Oh! That woman is giving high-fives with latex gloves on. Smart lady.

It’s 11:30! Time for more Dayquil! “Um, ma’am? Excuse me? My hands are shaking and I really need to open this Dayquil. Yes, I’m sick. No, I don’t feel great. Thanks!”

Alright, well that took a full 90 seconds. Good thing I already knew I wouldn’t be making any sort of time record. How many miles ‘til those meds kick in? 3? 4? 19? UGH.

Mile 8

The street names are words now instead of numbers. I’ll never find any of my friends. My dripping sweat is impeding my vision of street signs. OMG GYM FRIENDS! YAYYY BROOKLYN! I have to stop for a photo or two. Another coworker! This is so fun! More photos, please. Make sure everyone knows I am still alive. For now.

  • I actually turned around and walked back for this photo opp. #worthit
  • More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn

Mile 9

Full mile with no one I know. Wahhh, this isn’t fun. Why am I doing this again? Also, every time I stop for my scheduled walking breaks people scream my name to try and make me run again. Maybe I shouldn’t have put my name on my shirt?

Mile 10

SISTER!!! I hope I make it into her 1secondeveryday. I even made sure I was running! I can give her a hug despite the sweat and snot. She’s related to me. Hopefully she tells my mom I’m still alive. I wonder if I’ll spot her in Manhattan, too. I think my Dayquil is setting in! I can ALMOST smell. Smell myself, that is.

Mile 11

SO. MANY. JEWS. I was warned about this deadening silence. Like, I see them. They see me. But they’re pretending it’s just another normal day and 53,000 people aren’t running down the street. Cool, cool. JK, not cool, this is annoying AF. I almost wish I had headphones on. ALMOST.

Mile 12

No friends here either. Well at least there are a few spectators again. Why is everyone handing out candy? Oh yeah! It was just Halloween. I think I’ll stick with my Clif Bloks. I’m not trying to make any port-o breaks. Who knows how a Snickers will react in my stomach with all that Gatorade.

Mile 13

Remember when I ran a half marathon and I was like EW NEVER AGAIN? Why the hell did I think, “yea, let me do that TWICE IN A ROW.” I could be DONE now! And to make matters worse, it’s another bridge! Wahhhh I hate uphills.

Mile 14

Another huge bridge coming up. This is what I trained for. I’m EXHAUSTED. And the last two people I was supposed to see, I couldn’t find. This isn’t fun anymore. Should I just walk this whole bridge?

Mile 15

Oh, ok. So EVERYONE walks this bridge. It makes sense, because I’m walking relatively quickly and I’m almost passing some of the people “running.” Why waste my energy? SELFIE BREAK! There are NYRR volunteers stationed in the middle of the bridge specifically to take our pics. Ok, that’s probably not what they are specifically there for, but it’s a good bonus. Sure, I’ll stop. Why not. I’m not going very fast anyway.

  • The halfway mark! (and ANOTHER bridge, the Pulaski into Queens)
  • Middle of the Queensboro bridge on my way into Manhattan. See all the people taking pics behind me?

Mile 16

FRIENDS FRIENDS EVERYWHERE!! I needed excuses to stop and chat. Just a little coffee-clatching while very very sweaty. Should I change my shirt? My amazing emoji bf brought me a change. If my hands weren’t working enough to open Dayquil, I will probably struggle with the safety pins on my bib. Meh, I’ll just stay sweaty. “Only” 10 miles left anyway. It’s so fun to see my friends and their signs! Maybe I should just stay here. Ugh, ok FINE I guess I’ll go.

MY SISTER AGAIN! YAY! She noticed I didn’t change my shirt, HA! And our friend brought tissues. Thank god. Is it possible that Dayquil isn’t effective if you’re pushing your body like this? Like how antibiotics make birth control not work? Hmm, I should ask somebody that.

Mile 17

MORE FRIENDS! Omg Jacy brought her baby! That is dedication. Gotta take another pic. First baby on the course!

  • My sister disgusted by my nose-blowing and Sheridan’s festive hat
  • Jacy and my littlest spectator

Mile 18

Gotham Gators out here with a personalized sign for me. Gotta chomp with them. At this point, I do realize I’m just taking any opportunity I can to stop running. Where the hell are the people with the water bottles like in Brooklyn?? I’M SO THIRSTY. I wonder if people in Manhattan are too broke from paying rent to be handing out free bottles of water. I really should have taken a water bottle with me. Come to think of it… it’s been many many hours and I’ve been drinking water and Gatorade at every mile… how don’t I have to pee at all? Is it all coming out of my nose? Is that a thing? I should ask someone that question, too.

They had a sign with my name on it too, but I think I liked this one better.

Mile 19

PERSONAL RECORD! I’ve never run more than 18 miles before. Yes, I feel like I want to die but I did it! Even if I don’t finish, at least I am breaking my own records. GOD I’m exhausted. Where is Sara? She said she’d be right on this corner! I better stop to look for her. Also because I MUST STOP.

Wait, is that her ponytail walking away? “SARA!” Omg! It’s her!! Come, walk with me. Forward is forward. Let’s take a selfie. Ok. Gotta go to the Bronx, I’ll be back in half an hour! I hope…

Mile 20

Willis Ave. Bridge. Well, good news is, I’m not the only one walking. Literally EVERYONE is. This is a secret piece of info no one ever told me. I did wonder how people run the whole thing. I guess the answer is, they don’t. Let me take a selfie and check on the battery percentage of my phone. 17% DAMN! I still have at LEAST an hour left! Oh damn, there’s a photographer. I guess he just got a pic of me on my phone and walking. It is what it is. #WorthIt for the selfie.

Mile 21

Good lord this is not easy. There’s a whole slew of port-o-potties. I guess the good news is, I still don’t have to pee at all. Bad news is… why? Should I be worried? My left ankle hurts. That’s weird. It’s not even my “bad” ankle. It’s not too bad, though. Oh, a biofreeze station, I’ll ask them to spray me. Hmm, that worked a little bit! And there’s an NYRR volunteer with The Stick. I’ll roll my quads a little. Plus, I need another break. God these stick thingies are miraculous.

I haven’t been to the Bronx since I filed something in court here. But now I guess I live here because I cannot move my legs anymore. HA! I cannot live in the Bronx. Jenny from the Block loved it so much and even she left. I must move. Forward is forward. I cannot stop coughing! I think these coughs are getting way worse. FINAL BRIDGE. A lady just screamed “This is the last f*cking bridge!” Hell yes, lady. Also, I enjoyed the sign that said, “F*ck it up, buttercup.” Obscenities are infiltrating my every thought at this point.

Mile 22

Holy hell this is HARD. And my coughs are def getting worse. I don’t want to stop but I have to double over from these coughing spells. I have some cramping in my abs, even, from the coughing. Oh, thank god. There’s Sara again. PLEASE WALK/RUN WITH ME. Yes, let’s go on Instagram-Live to distract me. No, I don’t think it matters that you’re just joining the race course. I NEED HELP! I wonder if I’ll regret talking about nipple chafing on Instagram? Meh, too late now. COUGH COUGH COUGH OW. Well, good news is, everyone around me limping and walking super weird. I’m running/walking totally fine. Except for when I’m doubled over struggling to breath between coughs.

Mile 23

5K left! I can do this. I’ve run a 5K a million times. Granted, I’ve never done it after running 23 miles. Also, why is this uphill? Seems like a cruel joke. But the crowds here are deafening. God, I love Manhattan.

  • Struggling to breathe through coughs at mile 22.
  • The struggle was so real, I was just trying to catch my breath.
  • BUT THE END WAS SO CLOSE!!

Mile 24

Time to go back into Central Park. I can do this. I can do this. I know this park like the back of my hand. Why do people say that? Do people look at the backs of their hands a lot? I think I’m delirious. The sun is setting! I should take my sunglasses off. What time is it? Damn. 5 hours. I’ve been running for 5 hours. I thought I would be done by now. Oh well. I guess my new goal is beating the sunset.

I just passed a 40K sign. What the hell does that mean? How many K’s is a mile? Wait, 5K is 3.1 miles… 40/5 x 3.1… I cannot do mental math. I think I’m close to the next mile marker? My phone is at 5%. I need to remember to stop my Strava at 1%. I WILL NOT LET MY PHONE DIE.

Mile 25

25! More coworkers! And another racecourse baby! The spectators keep saying “you’re almost there, Emily!” and FINALLY they are telling the truth! They’ve been saying that sh*t since mile 13. Which was incredibly annoying. But finally it’s TRUE! Oh my god it’s so close. I can run, still! I need to run through the finish.

  • This was just past the 40K mark (see it in the back?) I was definitely doing mental math here.
  • So excited to see another baby!
  • Group pic (and chance for a breathing break).

Mile 26

26 freaking miles. The .2 is a cruel joke. Ok, that sign just said 800 meters to go. How long is a meter? It would be really helpful to understand the metric system. I know I’m close though. I bet I can run the whole rest of this. Phone at 2%. Omg this is like the Hannukkah oil that lasted for 8 nights. Incredible. Will it last ‘til the finish line???

Mile 26.1

Back in the park! Look at all of these flags lining the street. SO COOL. I am so so so close!

Mile 26.2

400 meters to go. Welp, still don’t know what a meter is but I SEE THE FINISH LINE! I WILL CROSS THIS THING WITH MY HANDS IN THE AIR!

  • FINISH LINE IN SIGHT!
  • FINISHING WITH MY HANDS IN THE AIR!
  • YASSSSS!!

FINISH

HOLY CRAP. I did it. I DID IT! I thought I would cry but I don’t think I have enough fluids in my body for that. Speaking of… how come I still don’t have to pee? And where is there water?? I earned this medal! AHHH so cool! Phone at 1%. End Strava. End Nike+ Run. End Fitbit.

“Hi! Excuse me. First of all, congratulations. Second of all, will you take a photo of me with my medal? Here’s how you switch the camera around. Oh. Sorry, my phone just died.”

“Hi, sir? First of all, congratulations. Second of all, my phone just died. Can you maybe take a photo of me with my medal at the finish and then send it to me? Yes, I need you to take it on your own phone. Then send it to me. My phone died. Oh, you live in France and don’t have service? Ummmm, do you think you can Whatsapp it to me later when you have wifi?? I’d be soooo thankful. I’m never doing this thing ever again. Ever.”

If you made it all the way through this journey with me without even carb-loading first, you deserve a Gatorade. And a medal. But not my marathon medal because I’m never giving mine away. After reading this, do you think you want to run a marathon? No? Me either.

  • Last photo taken on my phone before it died.
  • Photo taken by my French friend and Whatsapped to me later.
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Fitness

SoreLegsLongDistance – The Second Three of 9+1

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Here we go again, 3 more races down! I have actually finished 7 at this point, but I promised to only tell you about 3 at a time in order to not bore all of my readers. If you didn’t read my first recap, you can find it here. And if you have no idea what I’m even talking about, you can read the intro about #SoreLegsLongDistance, The Road to 9+1 here. Please don’t unsubscribe if you hate running, I hate running, too! I even have a shirt that says so!

Run As One

Date: April 22nd

Location: Central Park

Distance: 4 miles

Pace: 9:45

Drink. Drank. Drunk. TBH there’s not much I can say about this race because I don’t remember all of it. Let me summarize in one word: WOOF. That may not even be a word. More of an onomatopoeia.

The night before this race I had a going away party for two of my friends from Spin class. We went to Royal Palms Shuffleboard club (SO fun), and I had unlimited wine for 2 hours. How much wine can I drink in that amount of time? Unclear, but probably around 2 bottles. I do not remember getting home. I don’t think I’ve been that drunk since I was in college.

Needless to say, that is not the best way to prepare for a race. I woke up on the morning of the race, somehow managed to cook an egg, braid my hair, and stick a Clif Shot Energy Gel Double Energy Espresso in my pocket. I tried to stomach some of it as I walked across Central Park to the start line. I’m not sure if it was the drunken hangover, or the simple fact that the Clif Shot consistency is nauseating, but I barely downed half of it before I threw it in the nearest trash.

Mile 1 went surprisingly well, maybe I was still drunk. By mile 2, I felt like I was run over by an 18-wheeler. I was sweating like crazy, it was warm for the first race ever, and my heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my ears. By mile 3, I think I walked half of it. I ran on the perimeter of the course, and I can’t remember how many times I put my hand in the air to signal to the runners behind me that I was about to stop and walk. I had only one thought in my head: “MUST. FINISH. TO. GET. RACE. CREDIT.” Somehow, I got through mile 4 and crossed the finish line. I had an hour to get home, shower, chug coffee and water, and get to the airport for my work trip to Chicago. It was a ROUGH day. This race made 4+1 complete, so technically half of my requirements for Marathon qualification were complete!

UAE Healthy Kidney

Date: April 29th

Location: Central Park

Distance: 10 K (6.2 miles)

Pace: 9:35

I did it! I really did it. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to complete this one. I hadn’t run more than 4 miles consecutively since the Half Marathon I ran last year. I took 7 months completely off running after that, and it’s been a slow build back. I’m not going to lie, this race was not easy. 6.2 miles is a lot more than 4.

Luckily, I wasn’t drunk/hungover this week, which does wonders for stamina. My heart was definitely beating, but it wasn’t pounding out of my chest, trying to rid my body of bottles of sauvignon blanc. Mini win. However, I went to the Daydream 5K the day before. It was fun, and not a race, but I usually try not to do any exercise the day before a race so I can have fresh legs. Also, I had taken a plane flight in tiny seats the night before the 5K, so my knee was killing me. I slept the night before this race with a brace on my knee, and I took an anti-inflammatory before I left the house. I tried some of the Clif Blok chews for extra energy. Plus, I had gotten them for free at the Daydream 5K. My favorite price! Whatever I did worked; it wasn’t my fastest race, but I was happy to finish.

Central Park is notoriously hilly, and unlike the 4 mile “middle four” loop, the 10K loop goes around the entire park, which includes “Harlem Hill.” It’s about 4/10 of a mile, and about 100 feet of elevation. 4/10 of a mile is a longgg uphill. By the time I finally hit the 5K mark (halfway there!) I felt a LOT more tired than after a 5K distance during a middle four race. Plus, I knew I still had 3.1 miles left to go! I took a bit of a breather to walk, grab water, and mentally prepare for the second half of the course.

With half a mile to go, I looked to my right and I saw a pregnant woman. This was great motivation. I would not be beat by someone carrying another life inside her! If I was only trying to carry my own body, I could pick it up. I checked my watch and noticed I was at 58 minutes and I had a chance to finish in under an hour, my goal! Then, when I saw the “200M to the Finish” sign, I took my brother’s advice and went to my arms. He always says, “your legs have done all of the work, now it’s time to go to your arms!” And I sprinted to the finish. Finishing time of 59:31! Not bad considering 0 training and a distance PR for the year. This race made 5+1 complete, so a majority of the runs were done! After the race, they gave us a medal (surprise!) and I snagged a photo with Peter Ciacca, local celeb aka New York Roadrunners President.

As a celebration, we went to the post-race celebration, and to our huge surprise, Flo-Rida was there! We had heard that the UAE sponsors did not spare any expense and that was definitely true. They gave away TWO all-expenses paid trips to the United Arab Emirates, and the Prince of Dubai was there with Flo-Rida. I tried to sneak a pic in with him, but it’s pretty awkward. Crazily enough, my friend walked out of the park right behind him and he offered to pose for a photo!! Extra nice points to Flo-Rida.

Italy Run by Ferrero

Date: June 3rd

Location: Central Park

Distance: 5 Miles

Pace: 9:35

Well guys, I said I wouldn’t do it again, but I did it again. I went out the day before a race. Not just out, though, I had a birthday celebration! I went to a beer garden, and I had 9 beers. Yeah, probably not the best idea in hindsight. I set myself a 9 pm curfew to switch to water, which sort of worked. I woke up not feeling like an 18-wheeler ran over my head, just a minivan. Maybe even a Honda CRV. It wasn’t terrible, but not ideal.

At least the race started 10 steps from my front door. I was not only on time, I was early! It gave me extra time for my hangover to set in. I SWEAR next race I won’t go out before. Ok, I probably should swear that. Anyway, the race went alright. It was 5 miles, so it was doable, and the weather was great. In fact, I finished with one of my fastest paces to date. That probably is because I have been hungover every race, though. It’s all relative. I was particularly impressed with my pace because I generally try to take the day off of leg work the day before a race, but I had offered to sub a Spin class the day before, so I was on 6-days-in-a-row leg work on the day of my race! #KillinIt

The best part was definitely the post-race celebration. They had a huge raffle, and even though I didn’t win anything, they had free mini packs of Nutella and dipping sticks (think: Dunkaroos but more adult), so I felt like I won.

Total Miles To Date: 26.3

Average Pace To Date: 9:27 (how am I getting slower?!)

Total Free Tshirts To Date: 6

Total Selfies With Post-Race Treats In My Mouth: Too Many To Count.

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Fitness

New Year’s Eve Midnight Run

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Last night I froze to death. Ok, maybe not to death, but pretty darn close. Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!! Last night I made one of the dumbest decisions of my life (and trust me, I’ve made some dumb ones), and I ran the Midnight Run with New York Road Runners in Central Park. Only problem: it was 10⁰ Fahrenheit, FEELS LIKE -7!! Wind gusts of up to 21 mph. For those of you non-Americans out there, that is -22⁰ Celsius. What. The. F*ck. I guess a lot of (less crazy) people chickened out, because the race was sold out at 5,000-person capacity, but according to the website there were only 3,988 finishers. Hopefully those 1,012 people decided not to come, and did not die of frostbite somewhere before the finish.

Here’s why I ran the race: I’ve always wanted to but I never had someone to do it with, my friend asked me to, I didn’t really have any other plans, and I didn’t want to drink two nights in a row. You see, we always go out the night before New Year’s Eve because it is so much cheaper and less crowded in NYC. It’s called Practice New Year’s Eve. More on that next year.

All of the reasons I ran the race did not take into account the weather. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to worry about that, I mean, it is midnight in December/January in New York… maybe I have a few screws loose. I definitely lost a few screws last night in the cold so I’m missing even more now. I have a new appreciation for those people in A Mountain Between Us who got stranded on a mountain after a plane crash.

The race was to begin at 12:00 am, but there was a complimentary pre-race party at 10 pm. However, since that party was OUTSIDE, my friend and I decided only to go the last 30 minutes. She came to my house at 9:30 to reflect on Practice New Year and talk through our various outfits. I say outfitS plural, but in reality, we wore all of them. On top of each other. Here’s what I ended up wearing, from the bottom up:

  • Sneakers with a light on them.
  • Ski sock to my knees.
  • Black capri leggings (but there was no skin showing).
  • A padded sports bra (gotta keep the jewels warm).
  • A tank top.
  • A long sleeve thermal.
  • A half zip pullover.
  • A full zip hooded jacket with full neck collar.
  • A down running vest.
  • A ski buff to cover my face.
  • An ear-warmer headband.
  • Running gloves.
  • An additional pair of gloves.

My friend wore two pairs of socks and two pairs of leggings. I didn’t. I regretted that decision.

We left my apartment and headed to the park, where five thousand other crazy people joined us at Rumsey Playfield for the pre-race party. I have never seen so many people dancing to a live DJ. I mean, literally EVERYONE was dancing. We had to. It was the only way to attempt to stay warm. According to my Fitbit, I logged a 17 -minute outdoor bike ride. But no, it was just furious dancing to Despacito to try and keep circulation in my toes.

We all headed to the race corrals around 11:50, where were given our final race instructions “stay warm and don’t die.” Ok, maybe he didn’t say exactly that, but I was too cold to listen. At midnight, our own private fireworks show started in Central Park, which was pretty darn awesome. The fireworks went on for FOREVER. And after 4 minutes, I was ready to start running, i.e. I was losing feeling in my extremities. We finally crossed the start line at about 8:40 and then we were off! The fireworks were still going off overhead, so I was trying dodge people who kept stopping to turn around and look to the sky.

The race course was the middle 4 miles of Central Park, and I know that park like the back of my hand. I know every hill and turn, thanks to many many Wednesdays with lululemon Run Club, and training for, and finishing the Shape Half Marathon back in April. I was well-prepared, but also, I had never run in temps like this before. It was NOT easy. Around mile 3, it started to feel like the entire course was uphill. This was my first race ever without music or headphones, because I wanted to take it all in. Luckily, that also made it possible for me to listen to people around me. When I was struggling up the mile 3 hills, I heard a few people around me also lamenting the hills, and I was glad I wasn’t alone. The combination of cold cold air to breathe, and cold muscles made it much more difficult than any other day.

My two favorite parts of the race:

  1. At mile 2, there was a dance party. A random DJ set up and people stopped right on the race course to dance around. There was also a champagne (apple juice) toast. However, I think it had been sitting out there for a few minutes because it was COMPLETELY frozen. I had decided before the race not to have water during, because I was scared of how cold it would be, but I couldn’t resist a slushie/icey of apple juice. I shaved off a bit with my teeth, decided it was not a good idea, then continued running.
  2. Running without headphones meant I was able to tell all of the police and volunteers Happy New Year. I gave countless high fives and I was able to laugh along with all of the conversations. One group of girls was asking people around them to tell their New Year Resolutions, which I thought was a cute idea. I almost yelled out mine but realized I was running very much ahead of their pace, and I couldn’t afford to slow down in the temperature.

When the race was over, I met up with my friend and we decided to take the subway home instead of waiting outside for a (few and far between) cab. Unfortunately, our clothes were WET at that point, and while it was warmer underground, it was still freezing. Literally. My friend had icicles on her eyelashes and she said she saw ice in my hair. After 20 minutes of waiting for a train, they made an announcement that due to a stalled train at another station, there would not be any trains. THANKS MTA. We called an Uber. Can you say SURGE??

When I got home, I peeled off my 6 layers, and stood in a steaming hot shower for 20 minutes. I also didn’t wash my hair because I was afraid to have wet hair. I put on long johns and continued to shiver in bed for about one hour, blowing my nose and coughing the whole time. I finally made it to sleep around 3 am, and I was SURE I would wake up sick this morning. But 2018, the surprise is on me, because I feel awesome! And I woke up with 12,400 steps already on my Fitbit so I don’t feel bad at all about sitting in bed writing this, as my Fitbit yells at me every hour to move. NOPE. NOT TODAY.

I will be teaching Spin tonight at the YMCA though. Top songs of 2017. Who’s coming??

Happy New Year to all of my subscribers, and readers who are not subscribers. To you latter category of people, stop procrastinating and hit subscribe; it can be your New Year’s Resolution!

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