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

I Ran a FREAKING MARATHON

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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…

  • SUCCESS!!!
  • See you next year? LOL
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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

SoreLegsLongDistance – The First Three of 9+1

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Welcome to the first installment of Recaps for #SoreLegsLongDistance, the road to 9+1. If you’re already lost, you probably didn’t read the introductory post. Go click on that link then come back here. Ok, are you back? Good. This isn’t a purely running blog, so I promise not to bore you with mile-by-mile recaps, like I did for the Half Marathon last year. Instead, I will do a quick 2-3 paragraph recap, in installments of 3. Plus one for my “plus one.” See what I did there?

I will try not to be that corny the whole time. Since this is a personal blog, I’m taking you all along on this personal journey of mine. There are sure to be “sore legs,” “long distances,” and probably some sprained ankles. But that didn’t look cool in the hashtag. So far, I am 5 races in, but I’ll stay true to my promise of not boring you by only writing about 3 at a time. Oh, and I promise lots of photos. I know that’s what y’all are here for anyway. Selfies of me in my race shirt with a bagel/apple/cup of water in my mouth. I will not disappoint.

Gridiron
Date: February 4th
Location: Central Park
Distance: 4 miles
Pace: 9:16

I expected this race to be cold, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought in February. After the Midnight Race, I was expecting frigid temps but I was able to wear my long-sleeved free New Balance shirt, as previously planned for all of my 9+1 races, and I was ok. The race course itself is what most runners call the “middle 4,” or, the middle 4 miles of Central Park. It almost always starts on the east side, with the biggest hill of the course, Cat Hill. From that point, it’s mostly smooth sailing until mile 3, when you think you may die again. The best part of the middle 4, is that the final mile is almost completely downhill. It lets you settle into a good cadence and finish strong. It’s always a good feeling to cross the finish line thinking you are going faster and stronger than the previous mile.

I was happy with my pace for this one, plus, because it was the Gridiron, on Superbowl Sunday, you get to run in a lane at the end to say who you want to win the big game. OBVIOUSLY I chose the Eagles, because nobody like the Patriots, and also because my parents live in Philly, and also because I love a good underdog story. We all know how that turned out (Fly Eagles Fly!) Race Success!

Washington Heights Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks
Date: March 4th
Location: Washington Heights & The Cloisters
Distance: 5K (3.1 miles)
Pace: 9:30

I had planned to train a bit more and run between the Gridiron and this race, but you know what they say about the best laid plans. I showed up to this race without having run even once since the February race. Luckily, it was only 5K distance. Unluckily, the entire course was hills. So. Many. Hills.
The course was beautiful, and I had never been to the Cloisters, so I got to see a bit of that beautiful scenery. It was nice to get out of Central Park, even though it is much less convenient for me. It was fun to ride the C train north that morning, where we picked up more race participants at every stop. It felt like a private NYRR shuttle!

Again, I ran wearing the long sleeve shirt NYRR gave for free with the race registration and again I was pleasantly surprised with the weather. I ran into a few friends from Runstreet Art Runs, which is always fun. There were people running up and down the streets warming up, but I was content hanging out chatting with friends. Maybe that is why I never run in the 8-min mile pace.
I waited for my friend to arrive, who lives around the corner, so she showed up with 30 seconds to spare. We started running together, but then I went ahead a bit. I decided not to wear headphones because it was supposed to be a Salsa & Blues Race, with bands playing music along the course. Unfortunately there were only two spots with bands, but it was fun to run without music, and take in the spectators.

With about one mile left, there was a woman standing next to the course screaming “only two more big hills then you are home free.” I wanted to punch that woman in the face. I did not want any more big hills. Not one, and definitely not two.

The best part of this race was after it was over. My friend lives in the neighborhood, and it was her birthday, so we went out to celebrate at El Malecon, an AMAZING Dominican restaurant with the best rotisserie chicken you’ll have in your life. It was delicious and I rolled myself out of there, completely forgetting that I had run a race.

Boomer’s Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe
Date: April 8th
Location: Central Park
Distance: 4 miles
Pace: 9:05

Another race, another “middle 4” in Central Park. I actually ran twice between the last race and this one, so I was determined to do better. Not only did I run faster, but I felt like I could have run even faster! I was a bit disappointed at the end because I felt I could have pushed harder, and gotten into the 8-min-mile-range club. I think the swimming cross-training really helped with tackling the hills. The good news is, I had another running partner buddy! My friend Amanda ran this race with me, so I had someone to hang out with in the corral.

This race was much colder than expected. Possibly even colder than the February and March races. Unfortunately, NYRR must have been thinking “April Race… short sleeves.” I had already made the commitment to run in the free shirts I get, so I froze to death. I had the forethought to wear gloves, at least. At the beginning of the race, I did not see one other person wearing the t-shirt without another layer underneath. I guess I am a trendsetter. By mile three, everyone was shedding layers and I was finally comfortable. 3 down, 6 to go!

Total Miles To Date: 11.1

Average Pace To Date: 9:17

Total Free Tshirts To Date: 3

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

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Fitness

SoreLegsLongDistance: The Road to 9+1

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

Check out my hashtag!

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