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?
As many of you probably know, I have been teaching fitness classes for 13 years. My favorite workout of all time is step aerobics, but I have mainly been teaching Spinning classes for the past 5 years.
I run sometimes but I largely hate it. Remember when I ran a marathon? LOL #NeverAgain
But guess what??? The gyms are closed. Indefinitely. Who knows when we will take another group fitness class?? No spin, no step, no nothing. So I have taken my talents to the pavement and I have started running again. A lot.
This blog post isn’t about my current running, though, it’s about my January running! Remember January? It was about 19 years ago. Or it feels like it. Anyway, my current return to running reminded me of a blog I meant to write after I completed a run streak in January.
At the beginning of each year, I put multiple goals in my Bullet Journal for the year. One of my Fitness Goals this year was to complete a month-long run streak. Run streaks have become more popular over the years, but I never attempted one because I have always had so many other fitness things going on, from teaching classes, to going to boot camps, training for races, etc. According to Runner’s World,
“a run streak simply means running on consecutive days, for a set period of time, without fail. The rules are simple: you set your intended timeframe, and then all you have to do is run (most runners opt for a minimum of one mile) every single day. Your run streak can be for weeks, months, or for the exceptionally committed runner, forever.”
Well, ladies and gents, there was no way I was doing that craziness for a full year. I wanted to be realistic, so my goal was one uninterrupted month. This year, with no marathon on the calendar and only teaching 2 classes per week, it was the perfect time to attempt a streak (with my clothes on). I figured, why put it off? Let’s start in January. Better yet, I got a head start and began on December 31st.
And guess what? For someone who had semi-recently run 26.2 miles, running 1 mile was still TOUGH!
Always with the #fastbraids and on-brand shirts.
Even though I generally work out a lot, I always allow myself one rest day per week, sometimes two. The difference between one rest day and zero was way more noticeable than I thought it would be. Also, I had to add the mile on to my already existing workouts. On Mondays and Thursdays, I got to the gym early for my spin class and hopped on the treadmill for a warmup mile. The mile itself wasn’t terrible, but Spin class afterward was way more difficult. I even adjusted my settings sometimes (Shhh! Don’t tell).
On Wednesdays and Fridays when I went to 7:00 am boot camp at the gym half a mile away, I left the house 5 minutes earlier and ran out of the way to make it a fulll mile before I got there. 7:00 am circuit training is never a cake walk but after a mile? Even harder.
And let’s not even talk about the few days when it was pouring rain. You know how people say “you can do anything for 10 minutes?” That was how I finally wrapped my brain around taking my butt off the couch and into a torrential downpour. I put my phone in a Ziploc bag and hit the pavement for 10 minutes. It was not easy.
Overall, I guess I’m glad I did it but I probably wouldn’t do it again. I only totaled about 45 miles, since I was rarely running more than 1 mile a day. I prefer what I’m doing now, which is a longer distance, taking walking breaks when I want, and taking days off when my legs feel like it.
For people who struggle with motivation, the 1-mile-a-day may be motivating because you will feel guilty breaking a streak. For me, I prefer making my own schedule rather than being tied to a made-up one. I did get brand new sneakers shipped to me in Texas yesterday, so I’m excited to continue hitting the pavement (when I feel like it).
Have any of you guys attempted a run streak? Were you successful? How long did it last?
Bullet Journal Run Streak! I made a foot stencil, and flipped it for the alternate foot btw.
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.
I ran a freaking MARATHON. Do you know how long that is??? 26.2 miles. I literally ran from Staten Island, through Brooklyn, into Queens, into Manhattan, into the Bronx, and then BACK into Manhattan. On my own two feet. And yes, I am pretty damn proud of myself. And the only thing that matters is that I FINISHED! And also I got a pretty SWEET medal shaped like an apple.
When I ran my half marathon back in 2017, I took you mile by mile stream of
consciousness through the course with me. Since this course was twice as long,
I’m going to save that for a second installation. For this one, I want to tell
you all about what went WRONG for this race. Then I will tell you guys what went
RIGHT. And then next week, I will take you through my thoughts as I made my way
from Staten Island, allllll the way back to my home borough.
I told you
guys a little bit about my training back in mid-September, and after that
day, things went a little downhill. Almost everyone who runs a marathon will
tell you that they didn’t have the perfect training, so I wasn’t incredibly
worried about it, but I was a little. Here’s what happened. First of all, I
started traveling a lot. I traveled to Paris and had no problem keeping up with
some training because my mileage was low then. But according to my training
schedule, I was supposed to run 18 miles one Saturday while I was on vacation
in Greece, and I just knew that wouldn’t happen. So instead, I shifted that run
a week early, and hoped to do a 20-mile run when I came back from vacation. I
successfully completed the 18-mile run in Central Park (BRUTAL), and in the
process, I hurt my foot. I can’t say for sure what I did to it, because I was
too scared to go to a doctor. I took my talents to WebMD, and I was convinced I
had a stress fracture. So, I did what anyone does, I decided to take a week off
from running, and just walk 20,000 steps/day in Greece. I’m sure that is what
any doctor would have recommended…. NOT! Anyway, when I actually got back to
the States, I decided not to run the 20-miler at all, and to instead focus on
getting to the start line with healthy limbs. This was Strike 1 to my
well-intentioned training plan. It meant that I’d have to find 8.2 additional
miles within myself during the marathon to take me from my longest run of my
life (18 miles) to the marathon finish line. However, I was feeling good, and
my foot pain cleared up significantly to the point where I was still able to do
a 10-mile training run 2 weeks before the race with the NY Flyers, which let me
see the last 10 miles of the marathon course and try to internalize it.
Everything was going semi-according to plan.
Strike 2 came
the week before the marathon. I knew I had to travel to California for work
during the Fall, but I was presented with only two options. Either the week
before the marathon, or the day after. I knew that the worst possible thing for
recovery was sitting still. And even worse, to be cramped in a small space
(HELLOO LONGLEGSbigcity) for 6 hours. I thought I was being smart by picking to
travel the week before the race. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a
bad idea as well. Not only did it throw off my sleep schedule, you guessed it,
as one does when they travel across the country and back within a 48 hour
period, I got sick. Very sick. I actually made a doctor’s appointment from the
airport in LA and went there directly after my flight. Ok, not directly, I
showered first because I am not gross.
Anyway, I
guess the travel and the sickness count as strikes 2 and 3. The good news was
that I did not have strep, which is what I predicted. The bad news was that
since it was not strep, there were no antibiotics to help me, and the doctor
said it was likely to get worse before it got better. And it did. I spent the
next 2 days trying to get better. I called out of work, overdosed on Mucinex,
finished an entire bottle of airborne gummies, took multi-vitamins, went to
Juice Generation and maxed out on fruits and veggies and ginger, and still yet,
I woke up Sunday very sick. But not running was not an option, so I
packed Dayquil in my race bag, and I headed to the start village anyway.
Now guys, I
already started this blog by saying I RAN A FREAKING MARATHON, so obviously
some things had to go right, right? Hell yea. A lot went right. First of all, I
FINISHED THE FREAKING MARATHON!!!! Did I say that yet?
Another thing
that went right were my friends in the start village. I was a little nervous
and loopy from my Dayquil, and I took the ferry to Staten Island alone. I was
afraid I wouldn’t find my friends, so I brought a magazine for my 3-hour wait
until my start time, but soon enough, I found two of my friends who were in the
same corral as me, and we hung out and chatted so my nerves couldn’t kick in. They
kept me company in long port-o-potty lines, and we even went to the “therapy
dog” section of the village to hang out with some doggies. I don’t love animals,
but it was distracting and that’s all I needed. Of utmost importance – my
friend’s friend brought extra body glide! I thanked him profusely later, as I
watched person after person go to the med-tents for Vaseline popsicle sticks
they were handing out for chafing purposes and I was a-o-k.
Keeping warm in the start village
Group Pic!
I don’t love dogs, but the distraction was nice.
Shedded our layers, ready to run for hours, starting with the Verrazano behind us!
Speaking of
med tents – I didn’t need them AT ALL! I have been plagued with injury after
injury for the past few years. Ankles, knees, hips – you name it, I had it. The
fact that I did not have to stop once for help was a feat in and of itself. My
left ankle flared up a bit and I sprayed it with some Biofreeze at mile 20, but
it was definitely still runnable. I think my sickness was a blessing in
disguise here. I was so distracted by my runny nose and debilitating cough that
I was barely focusing on my legs at all!
This was basically me the whole race. When I wasn’t coughing.
Now about the
MOST important thing that went right: the spectators!! I had heard that from
many runners throughout my years, that the NYC Marathon is like no other
because the crowds are great, and everyone absolutely proved it to me. The main
thing I knew I wanted to do from my years of cheering for the marathon, was to
put my name on my shirt. So I got my iron-on letters from the same Etsy shop
where I ordered my iron-on for the half marathon (for that race, I put “I Hate
Running”) and I put EMILY emblazoned on the front, and “Braid in Manhattan” on
the back. The crowd delivered. From the second I stepped foot in Brooklyn, I
heard “WELCOME TO BROOKLYN EMILY!” And for the next 25 miles, people cheered me
on when I needed it the most. The spectators were electrifying, and they were
there the ENTIRE time. (Except for the Chasidic community in Brooklyn, but
that’s for the next post.) By mile 25, every time someone said “Emily, you are
SO CLOSE!” I knew I could pick it up to a jog again and bring it home. I
actually increased my speed the last two miles because of the morale boost from
the random strangers! It was awesome.
Taken by a friend/spectator/morale-booster
Show off them braidz!
And last but
CERTAINLY not least, extra shout-outs go to the spectators I actually DID know
– my friends and family. Starting at mile 4, I knew people along the racecourse
at almost every other mile. It gave me something to look forward to, an excuse
to stop for selfies (and cough breaks), and in some cases, a running buddy. At
mile 4, I saw my first coworker. In an office of only 10 full-time employees, 3
of them came out to cheer separately! At miles 4, 8 and 25, I had the support
of my office. And I know Brooklyn is meant to have great crowds and energy, but
the energy you get from people you actually know is different. I was so lucky
that my crew from the gym where I teach came out to cheer for me, as well! I
saw 4 different people from my spin classes, and I was able to stop and say hi
before I was on my way again. It was the first time I was thankful to teach in
a different borough from where I lived. And then as I was about to go into
Queens, I had a group with my sister, her husband, his brother, and they were
cheering and screaming and even got a short video of me running up to them!
Best part about friends on the sidelines: extra water and TISSUES
Sister-Sister!!
When I hit
Manhattan, it felt like I knew people every other block. First there was a
group of 17 people (SEVENTEEN!!!) at 64th street. They had signs and
they were cheering so loud, I heard people near them asking if I was a
celebrity! And my sweet boyfriend brought a shirt for me to change into, which
I originally planned to do, but decided I was too exhausted. Then 4 blocks later,
I saw more friends and my sister AGAIN! The MTA clearly travels faster than my
feet. It was so awesome to see my sister two times. I saw some other spectators
multiple times, as well! It helped my morale because I was thinking… if these
people are so dedicated to cheer me on throughout this race, then I better give
them what they’re looking for and keep chugging along!
10 blocks
later, I saw another friend and her baby out to cheer for me some more. And 10
blocks later, there was a huge University of Florida Gotham Gators cheer squad
with a sign for me! I stopped for a few chomps and then kept chugging along. I
won’t take you mile by mile, because I already promised that would be another post
entirely, but I do want to mention my final push, helped specifically by
another friend of mine. I saw her at mile 19, and she told me she’d catch me
again at mile 22. She didn’t know at the time how important that would be for
me. By mile 20, I was coughing a LOT. It was taking so much energy for me just
to breathe that running was getting extra tough. When I saw my friend at 22, I
was on the struggle bus FOR REAL. I didn’t even try to pretend I was running
when I saw her. I solely walked up to her, coughing all the while. She saw my
struggle and hopped right into the racecourse, holding her neon pink poster
board and everything. She literally ran the entire mile 22 with me, stopping to
walk when I needed coughing breaks, and joking with me to keep me laughing. She
even turned on Instagram Live at one point, joking with me about the bleeding-nipple-chafing
she had witnessed, which kept me laughing through the coughs. Once we hit mile
23 and I knew I had “only” a 5K to go, she told me to run like I trained and that
she knew I could finish strong. I don’t know how I would have gotten through
that mile without her!
Some of the group of 17
More of the 17, including my sweet emoji BF
Gym buddies!
More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn
The second time I saw my sister! Much sweatier than the first time.
Old gym friends further in Manhattan
More friends
Coworkers!
GO GATORS!
The energy and
support I received all day was just unbelievable. I had people tracking me from
Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even Singapore. By the time I turned my
phone on (it died at the finish line), I had 78 text messages, 3 Facebook
messages, and 26 Instagram DMs. I was BLOWN away. When I got home, my sweet boyfriend
presented me with flowers, and even more romantically, with 2 bags of ice. He
helped me into an ice bath and brought me water and more meds while I sat in
it.
When I saw my
friend the night of the marathon, she asked me if I loved it. The answer is
pretty simple: no. I don’t love running and running 26.2 miles is absolutely
torturous. HOWEVER, I feel incredibly accomplished and I’m so happy I did it.
People keep asking me if I plan on running it again and the truth is, I think
once is enough for me. But there is a small part of me that wonders what I
could have done if I had gotten to 20 miles in training, and if I hadn’t
traveled the week before, and if I hadn’t been incredibly sick. And as the days
pass and my legs feel normal again… I am thinking maybe I could try again??? I
am currently signed up for the lottery for the 2020 marathon. I have lost the
lottery 5 times before but if it’s meant to be…
Hey guys! Long time, no see! I’ve been literally running
away from my followers for the past few months. But honestly, I couldn’t even
see you in my wake because of all the sweat in my eyes, so whatever.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about because you
voraciously jumped into this blog post without reading the title… I’M TRAINING
FOR A MARATHON! And I broke the very first cardinal rule of training: TELL
EVERYONE YOU ARE RUNNING A MARATHON. There, I said it! It’s true! New York Road
Runners already has hundreds of my dollars, they have many hard hours of my
work, and they have quite a few blisters on my feet. Ok, they don’t have
the blisters, I do.
I feel like every time I write a blog post, I start by apologizing for not writing more often. I am not apologizing anymore! I have been BUSY! If you’ve been following along for a while, I ran 9 races last year so that I could qualify for the NYC Marathon this year. It’s a long road to running the 26.2 miles through 5 boroughs of New York. Maybe they make the process so long so the race itself seems short. I literally just had that epiphany while typing this. I think that’s what Oprah calls an “A-HA Moment.”
Anyway, I took you guys through my journey 3 races at a time
last year, with the first 3,
then the
next 3, the volunteering
(+1), then I think I gave up on blogging about it because I got very involved
in a new hobby – hair
braiding. Although I ran 9 races last year, the longest distance I ran in
one single race was a 10K, or 6.2 miles. I do not know how that qualifies me to
run 26.2, but I set out to figure it out.
Back in 2017, which seems like ages ago, I ran one half
marathon. I remember when I finished that race, someone said to me, “what’s
next? A marathon???” And I remember saying “Hell no, I am not psycho.” And it’s
true! I am not someone who enjoys running, and therefore, running more than 26
miles seemed like idiocy to me.
However, a small part of me always wanted to run the NYC
Marathon. Ok, a big part of me. I have loved the 1st Sunday in
November ever since I moved to New York. I love the vibe of all of New York’s
citizens heading to the streets to cheer for complete strangers. Us New
Yorkers, we get a bad rap. It’s really not fair. We are nice people! We are also
BUSY people. We don’t have time to hold doors or walk slowly. But on the first
Sunday of November, we have time. Time to cheer for our neighbors, our
countrymen, and visitors from across the world who fly to our city and spend
astronomical amounts of money on hotel rooms. Time to drink beer at 9 am so we
are toasty when the pro runners speed by mile 17 at 11 am. Time to make scrappy
signs to show our support for runners’ dedication and training (or AMAZING
signs in my case). I LOVE being a part of the crowd. But I also had a strong
yearning to be in the street, not on the sideline. To high five everyone and to
cross the quiet, no spectator zone on the Queensborough Bridge and hit the “Wall
of Sound” on 1st Avenue. I tried to enter the lottery many times to
run the race, but I officially committed in 2018 by running the 9 races,
volunteering at one, and earning my 2019 race entry.
Unfortunately, I hit a roadblock. Right before my 9th
race in 2018, I sprained my
ankle for the FOURTH time. I knew that if I was going to train for the full
marathon, I needed to take some time off. So I took a full 6 months off from
running. I did a lot of Spinning, I did a lot of swimming, a lot of ankle exercises,
and I bided my time. Then in May, I started running again. First with short distances,
then slowly adding up to a mile, 2 miles, etc.
Back in 2017 when I ran my half marathon, I told you guys
how I prepared for my training runs by double tying my shoes, filling my
water bottle and braiding my hair (OMG
guys… foreshadowing??). And I will say, some of those things have remained
the same. Most days I do not leave the house without my #FastBraids for a run. But
some things have changed. For one – THE CHAFE LIFE IS REAL. I promise not to
give you many details here, but I will say I have some weird scars, like a
straight-line rug burn across my chest, redness on the inside of my upper arms,
etc. I have tried all of the things: glides, lotions, cremes… I give up. Also,
I no longer eat eggs before my runs. I eat nothing. If it’s more than 8 miles,
I have a Gu. And definitely do not drink coffee. Coffee is a strict no-no when
bathrooms are not guaranteed. As I once said in my own marathon sign, I leave
the bacon and coffee to the spectators.
I meant to write this blog about my actual running training,
but as I was free-flow writing, I realized that it is a very boring topic to a
majority of people. I have learned, over the past few months, that people’s
eyes glaze over once I start talking about my training. I will just leave you
with a few bullet points about my actual training:
I’m loosely following Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Training Schedule
Even though I am in shape from teaching fitness classes, I still considered myself a novice 1 because I never ran a marathon before! Also, I am recovering from a recurring injury.
No, I did not buy the Higdon program because I am cheap. I just copied a photo from google images and put it in my own Excel spreadsheet.
Yes, I put it in my bullet journal.
Yes, I’m still bullet journaling even though I know I told you I quit.
Due to my ankle injuries, I did a lot of research and many people recommended the Galloway Method – basically doing running and walking intervals.
I have done a majority of my training this way – running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 minute. I use an app on my phone called “Interval Timer” which beeps very annoyingly at me. This has helped both with reducing injury and mentally breaking a 3 hour run into manageable time chunks.
I have realized that I sweat a LOT. I already knew this, but it’s very important when running. I now always bring supplements with me on long runs, specifically Clif Bloks (the extra sodium ones – margarita flavored!)
They actually taste like lemon lime Gatorade, but margarita makes it sound WAY more fun.
I also have a Gu with 25 mg of caffeine in it before I start a long run. This helps for energy and is a substitute for my lack of coffee.
No, I am still not enjoying training.
As my last bullet point said, you may be wondering if I
officially like running. The answer is no. I do not. I enjoy being outside, but
in the summer, it is HOT. Too hot. Too hot to walk, nonetheless run many miles.
Also, Fall is my favorite season and it now has this huge black cloud of the marathon
hanging over it. Also, no drinking on Halloween. Also, no drinking many weekend
nights during college football games due to long runs the next morning. So no,
I am not thrilled with the training, but I AM excited to finally take part in
something amazing here in NYC. I’m all about the bucket list items, and since I’ve already
been in the Macy’s Parade, this seemed like the next logical (illogical?)
step.
Most likely, I will continue to write in my blog about
Marathon Training, because it’s the biggest thing going on in my life, and it’s
MY BLOG, SO BITE ME! I hope to make it semi-entertaining. And interactive. So
here I will ask for your participation: What should I write on my shirt for the
Marathon? Just “EMILY”? Should I put “Braid in Manhattan” on the back? Should I
put it in Duck Tape? Fancy Duck Tape? Should I order fun, sparkly, iron-on
letters from Etsy and commit to “ruining” a nice lululemon shirt? I did that
for my half marathon and I do not regret it. Let me know in the comments!
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.
Jumping pic! I probably could have run faster if I had the energy for this.
Obligatory apple-bagel pic.
They gave us medals!
#PeterCiacca
Finish Line Photo Opp.
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.
Flo-Rida Frenzy!!
His CREW.
I thought this would be as close as I got to him.
Then I snagged this awk selfie!
Then Amanda stole my glory with this amazing story.
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.
Pre-Race Corral Pic.
I found Amanda! The yellow shirt helped.
Had to take a selfie with a sign and my namesake #longlegs, #nicelegs, same thing) in the middle of the race! Added a few seconds to my time. #WorthIt
Awesome sign, and NYRR employees yelling at him to move to the side.
Post Run Bagel Pic
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.
Quick recap: I’m in the middle of a 9+1 journey to the 2019 TCS NYC Marathon. (Hashtag: #SoreLegsLongDistance). This means that to guarantee entry into the marathon, you can become a member of the New York Road Runners for a full year, complete at least nine NYRR-scored, qualifying races, and volunteer for one. Or if you really hate volunteering, NYRR gives you an option to donate $1,000 to NYRR’s youth and community services programs instead. In case you missed my 3-part series on my massive pile of student loan debt (Part 1, 2A, 2B, 3), suffice it to say, I “chose” to volunteer. I’m 5 races into my 9, although I have only recapped 3 of them for you so far, because I didn’t want to bore/scare away all 5 of my readers. Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!
Anyway, back to the topic at hand: my +1. Not +1 like “who the hell am I supposed to bring with me to this wedding?!” This is much better. An3.d much earlier. My call time for volunteering was 6:30 am. And it was COLD. But luckily, I live only 5 minutes away from our check-in place. So I rolled out of bed at 6, made an egg for breakfast, and bundled up. According to the NYRR website, they “highly recommend volunteering in the first half of the year, before completing nine races.” They say that it’s because there are many spots at the early races, but also because spots quickly fill up later in the year as many runners (like me!) rush to fulfill their requirements by December 31. I chose the Shape Half Marathon to volunteer because I liked the idea of volunteering at an all-female race, plus, I ran the race last year, so I knew how good it felt to finish and get my hardware!
My assignment was Medals, which I picked on purpose because I would much rather place a medal on the neck of a very thankful-to-be-done runner, than have water thrown back in my face by a holy-shit-there-are-8-more-miles!? runner.
Our first task was to check in and eat bagels and coffee. I did this very well. I sported my highlighter-yellow vest and cute volunteer hat (which we got to keep!) and consumed hot coffee, although it was difficult to decide whether to drink the coffee for warmth inside my body, or just hold it in the cup, to provide warmth to my hands. Luckily, NYRR also gave us hand warmers, which were life-saving. After coffee and bagels, we were presented with 40 boxes of medals, which we were supposed to untangle and hang on medal racks, to make it easier for us to hand out later.
In the park so early that there were no tourists at Strawberry Fields!
Check out my awesome free hat, and volunteer buddy!
Medals on Medals on Medals
Semi-Failed Jumping Pic. It was early!!
There were about 20 of us on medal duty, so this did not take much time. That was unfortunate because the water station people were short-handed. They saw that we were finished early and poached us to fill cups with water. This was not a fun task. First of all, filling thousands of cups is incredibly tedious. Also, spilling water when it is freezing is not fun. Lastly, this was a much more difficult task than you would think. Here’s why: even though it was 30 degrees, it was late April, which means it was technically spring. Pollen and other gross residue was falling off all of the trees above, and falling into our water cups. I think we spent just as much time emptying pollen from cups as we did filling the actual cups with water. UGH. Luckily our Medal Team Captain convinced the Water Team Captain that he needed all of us for medal distribution (shoutout Bob!) After a quick bathroom break, we lined up at the medal racks, ready to hand out shiny things to the finishers. (Pro tip: did you know there is a not-so-terrible public restroom underneath the bridge that goes beneath the 72nd Street underpass to Bethesda Terrace!? I didn’t. But it is definitely preferable to port-potties.)
I had SO MUCH FUN volunteering. I loved cheering on runners, telling them congratulations, and seeing the looks of relief and accomplishment all over their faces. Their smiles were HUGE! I especially loved when I had an extra second to put the medals around the runners’ necks, like I was crowning them for their huge achievement. Of the 20 Medal volunteers, about 10 of them were women. My favorite runners were the ones who insisted on receiving their medals from the female volunteers. #GirlPower! They said, “I ran this whole race with thousands of women; I didn’t get through the finish line to be congratulated by a man.” YOU GO GURL.
Although you are only required to volunteer once, NYRR encourages you to “give back to the community regularly,” and I fully plan to volunteer again once I’m done running all of these races. It was a great feeling, and a lot of runners thanked me, since many of them have done 9+1 and know what it is like to volunteer your time. Overall, it was an awesome experience and I can’t wait to do it again! Maybe I’ll get some more swag. I still sport my hat sometimes!
Some of you may remember Art Runs from my 2017 New Year Resolution that actually worked. My resolution was to find something new that made me excited again for physical activity. I found Runstreet Art Runs, a combination of running, exploring new neighborhoods, fantastic local murals and artists, and fab photos for my social media channels, taken by the talented Marques Jackson of Filles Garcons Photography.
A few weeks ago was the first huge event with Runstreet, the “BIGGEST ART RUN OF THE YEAR,” according to all of the promo emails I was spammed with. Originally, I wasn’t going to attend because I knew I was flying in from Chicago after midnight the night before, AND I had a 10K race the next day. TBH, I deleted the first 8 emails I got about it. But I made a lot of friends at previous art runs. And I follow them all on Instagram. And they ALL were posting about it. Eventually I gave into the peer pressure and FOMO (it’s a real thing).
JK, eventually I saw Marnie, creator of Runstreet, post a code for 50% off. I couldn’t resist. I love a good deal.
This big event was called the Daydream Art Run Festival, sponsored by Clif bar and Custom Performance PT. According to the website promo, it was going to include live music, costumes, a live Art Battle, interactive art photo stations, amazing murals, giveaways, a cash bar & taco truck. Tacos? I’m in.
Although the festival went on all day, there were hourly Art Runs in different waves named for many mythical, utopian creatures.
Best part though: it was called “Daydream” because it was supposed to celebrate a “Utopian land of dreams, where you are free to be whoever you please.” The website said to dress in costume for your wave or come as “whatever you desire.”
I ran in the 11 am wave, called “Unicorn,” because duh. 2017 was the “year of the unicorn,” even the year of the unicorn Frappuccino. Also, I chose that wave because it was the easiest wave to convince myself a tutu was appropriate costuming. Unfortunately, since the event was the morning after my flight home from Chicago, I totally forgot about the costume! Luckily, a friend who I know from art runs texted me the night before, asking what I was wearing. QUICKLY I searched through my costume box for my sparkliest tutu and tiara. Is a tiara unicorn-esque? Not really, but whatevs. It’s not a horn but it’s on your head. Close enough. And as far as I’m concerned, tiaras are ALWAYS approp.
Pre-race, coffee in hand, fanny pack on fleek.
Too much fun.
Casual photo opp.
Hey unicorn, are my fins alright?
I am used to showing up to a costume event as the most costumed person there (remember DIY costuming at Halloween?). When I showed up to the Daydream 5K I was pleasantly surprised, and incredibly underdressed. There were people in head-to-toe unitard onesies, thigh high socks, face paint, the whole 9. Luckily, they had people there doing free face-painting! Unluckily, it was the first day when the temperature reached 80, so I knew I would be stupid to put face paint on BEFORE the run. Quick flashback to my #sweatzilla posts from last summer.
Anyway, I arrived about 30 minutes early to check my metallic fanny pack at the bag check and hang out with a few friends. I even realized I recognized one of the girls who was going to run with us, and it was Hannah, one of the Peloton Instructors I like! Also, I met a girl who I had never met before, although we chat via Instagram all the time. Weird, I know. But this is the 21st century! She is another ex-lawyer in the fitness industry, although she does it full time, and my fitness is more of a fun side-hustle.
I mingled and gaped at the awesome costumes, and then at 11:15 we headed out on our 5K. I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t the best art run I’ve been on. Usually Marnie, the creator of Art Runs leads the pack, and she is super knowledgeable about street art and artists, so she is great about talking about the murals, their history, creators, etc. However, since there were 5 runs throughout the day, she couldn’t be expected to run all of them. The two girls in charge of the wave didn’t know much about the art. They had the notes on their phones, but it took a while to stop, pull up the notes, say the stuff, and by then, people were distracted and wanted to keep running. Also, it was a bit disorganized because the group was big. Sometimes, the guides would be done talking about the mural before half of the group even rounded the corner. We were lucky enough to still get some awesome pics from Marques, so that was fun. I wish I had learned a bit more about the art, though.
It’s a fun run.
So many unicorns… and a silver tutu princess.
Uni Mural with Unis IRL!
UNICORNS ARE COMING!!
When we returned to the Daydream home base at The Paper Box in Brooklyn, it was finally time to cool down, eat/drink some free stuff, and get my face painted! They had vendors from Boxed Water, Noosa Yoghurt (my absolute FAV in the world!), and Clif bar, of course. I grabbed as many nut-butter filled Clif bars and Clif blocks as my fanny pack would hold, and I hit the photo booth! I took a cute little gif with Marnie, and we posed on the back patio with the huge blow-up unicorn raft/photo prop. They had a raffle with more than 10 giveaways, but being the unluckiest person I know, I didn’t win anything. Oh well.
FREE SH*T!
Come pose with us, Liz!!
As we were getting ready to leave, the artists were getting ready for their art battle outside. I had to stay for another 20 minutes to watch them paint. They were on opposite sides of a white wall, so they couldn’t see each other’s work. @riiisaBoogie v. @theartalchemist, they both killed it! I prefer @theartalchemist’s style more, but it’s subjective. Check out the mini video of them on Runstreet’s page here.
Overall, I didn’t learn much of anything about art, but I got some great pics, I had fun, I had a shakeout run before my 10K, I got free food, AND I got to hang out with friends. Definitely a success.
I am in the middle of 9+1. 9+1… what?? You may ask. But no, this is not an adjective, it’s a noun. 9+1 is a right of passage. A task. A goal. A triumph. A calling. Maybe not that last one.
In short, 9+1 is a journey to the TCS NYC Marathon. I have always wanted to run the NYC Marathon. Ok, not always, but for the 8 years I’ve lived in New York. I love Marathon Day. I have written extensively about it on my blog. I love waking up early to watch coverage on TV. I’m currently live-streaming the Boston Marathon at my desk! I lovee to watch and I love being a spectator. I love making signs, I love cheering people on. And I love the idea of running through the 5 boroughs of my city, with the streets closed to traffic, and thousands of my fellow residents cheering each other on in a feat that pushes your body to the brink of disaster. I never wanted to run a marathon. But I always wanted to RUN NEW YORK. Here’s the issue: It’s impossible to get in.
There are a few ways to get into the largest marathon in the world, and there are fewer ways now than there were before. Here are your choices to subject yourself to 26.2 miles of pain and agony.
Lottery! I have tried this for years. 5 to be exact. I never get in. Cue the fb status about losing the lottery, then cue the many people who think they are hilarious in commenting about whether you are really “losing” or “winning” by not getting to run 26.2 miles. There are actually three separate lotteries, depending on where you live. The one for NYC residents is notoriously impossible to win. I considered waiting to run it until I moved out of New York, but that seemed counterintuitive.
3 strikes and you’re in. If you apply to the lottery and lose 3 years in a row, you get in. This rule was thrown out because too many people were denied entry for many years.
Repeat Runners. Runners who finish their 15th New York City Marathon will continue to be eligible for guaranteed entry in future years. These people are crazy.
Time qualify: For women in my age group, this means finishing a half marathon in 1:32. If you read about my only Half Marathon last year, you’d know I was not even close.
Ask your friends and family for a buttload of money to give to charity, all so you can run. You need to raise at least $2,500, but some charities may require more. I’m not a fan of this. Both the asking, and the giving so that I can do something crazy to my body, possibly injure myself, then blame my friends and family for sponsoring me. Not an option.
That leaves the 6th and final option: Become a member of the New York Road Runners for a full year, complete at least nine NYRR-scored, qualifying races, and volunteer for one. If you really hate volunteering, NYRR gives you an option to donate $1,000 to NYRR’s youth and community services programs instead.
I opted to do the 9+1 volunteer option, because A. I’m poor and B. I’m poor. Also, after running so many NYRR races, I was tempted to check out what it was like from the other, volunteer side. Who are these crazy people standing in the freezing cold, in fluorescent vests, handing me cups of water? Turns out I am one of those people. In fact, I just completed my “+1” over the weekend, and I promise to write a full blog entry about that soon.
But more on the 9 part of the 9+1. I mentioned I was poor (in fact, I think I mentioned it multiple times), but each one of these races cost money. Not to mention, even if you complete the 9+1, you still need to pay for the actual marathon entry, which is about $250. The 9+1 is just to received guaranteed entry. Before I embarked on this journey, I did my research. i.e. I read some blogs about how much this thing would actually cost me. Answer: A lot.
But there was a method to my madness. I did some planning to try and save money, save my muscles, and also save some sweat.
First, I had to become a NYRR member. I have been a member for years, so I renewed my membership for $40. Luckily, each race has a discounted price for members, so I took advantage of that. Also, I tried to be smart about my races by signing up early, and getting in on early bird pricing. Usually, early bird only saves about $5-$10, but when you multiply that by 9, it adds up! Longer races cost more money, which makes sense since they include more support staff, more security, and also sometimes a medal! I tried to cut down on costs by picking SHORT races. I also tried to cut down on blisters and sore muscles that way. I have already signed up for my 9+1 (early bird gets the worm!), here’s my racing schedule, distance, and cost. I set up a handy chart:
Date
Race
Distance
Price
1
2/4/2018
Gridiron
4 miles
$23.00
2
2/24/2018
Al Gordon Brooklyn
4 miles
$23.00
2
3/4/2018
Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks
5K
$31.00
3
4/8/2018
Boomer’s Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe
4 miles
$23.00
4
4/22/2018
Run as One
4 miles
$23.00
5
4/29/2018
UAE Healthy Kidney
10K
$23.00
6
6/3/2018
Italy Run by Ferrero
5 miles
$23.00
7
6/9/2018
New York Mini
10K
$35.00
8
6/23/2018
Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run
5 miles
$23.00
9
8/25/2018
Percy Sutton Harlem
5K
$30.00
TOTALS
40.6 miles
$257.00
So far I am at $257 in race entry fees, and $40 in annual membership fees. And of course that does not even touch on the amount of money spent on sneakers and carb-loading. 3 days of pasta prep are needed for a 3 mile race, right? Isn’t that why we really run?
This may seem like a lot of money to some people, but in New York, a workout class can easily run you $40 a pop. If you divide that total figure by $40, it’s really only 6 classes at Barry’s Bootcamp or SLT. Not bad considering you get a free shirt (or gloves, or other paraphernalia) each time!
I hate running when it is hot outside. therefore, I tried to front-load my races for the year to be during the cooler months. However, I worried about running out of races as the year comes to a close. The races tend to fill up and sell out as the year progresses, mostly due to thousands of 9+1-ers like me. Also, I worried that I would injure myself and not be able to finish off my 9 races. That is how I ended up running 3 races in June. Sweatzilla in full effect. I will definitely be stopping at all fluid stations for those babies. Thank you in advance to the volunteers handing me water!
You may have noticed one of my races on my chart was crossed off. I may have forgotten it was a Saturday race and slept straight through it. When I woke up with my alarm notifying me that the race was starting in 10 minutes, and I was in my bed in Manhattan and the race was in Brooklyn… no amount of hustle would have gotten me there on time. Especially with the state of the MTA on weekends. That was $23 down the drain. I’ll consider it my donation to New York Roadrunners.
Let’s get to the important things: hashtags and social media.
I am lucky enough to know someone who ran the marathon last year, and is very witty with words. Also, her fiancé is great with words. They came up with my hashtag: #SoreLegsLongDistance. If you search on Instagram, you can follow along with my journey! Also, I always add #NewGoalNewHashtag. This may be wayyyy less fun than #30Years30IceCreams, but I will definitely earn my ice cream along the way.
I decided that for photographic consistency purposes, I would run every race in the swag that I get with my race entry. That means that although I own enough lululemon gear to outfit a small army of runners, you will see me every race in my New Balance NYRR shirts! I even ran the last race in the short-sleeved shirt they gave me, despite it being 30 degrees. Clearly NYRR ordered their swag before they checked Mother Nature’s plan to continue the winter all the way into the summer.
I try to take a selfie at the start line before each race, or an ussie if I have a running buddy. Watch on Instagram for all of my selfies with water and apples and bagels at the finish line.
I won’t bore you with step by step recaps of each race; there are a lot of them! However, I’ll post a recap of my races after I’m done with 3, so you can follow along. This means I’m already behind and I better post my first recap soon! 3+1 down, 6 to go!
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.
Still warm and cozy inside… wearing everything we own.
My attempt at a mirror selfie. We look like Michelin Men.
Very. Very. Very. Cold Race.
I took 5 of these photos. This was the least blurry due to shaking hands.
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.
Coldest dance party I’ve ever attended.
Dancing to keep circulation flowing.
DANCE PARTY!
No further caption needed.
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.
At the start line, waiting impatiently for fireworks!
SO. COLD.
Look how red my nose is. This is before the race even started.
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:
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.
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.
No headphones = selfie opportunities in motion with Wonder Woman and Superman (or Spiderman? Can’t tell, we are too fast).
Dance Party Break on the 102nd Street Transverse!
Completely frozen “champagne”.
Me and my frozen “champagne.”
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??
Happy to be finished… and FREEZING.
Outdoor Bike = dancing in place.
So many steps by 2 am!
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!
