nyc marathon: mo' running, mo' problems

the final installment. yes, the end is near.

miles 15-16 (8:15, 8:44) - up and down the queensboro bridge.

my mile 15 split was slow mostly due to stopping to yell at the fam but no big deal, they get worse from here. the random cramping checked out, and in it's place came non-functioning throat. i tried to continue my water/gatorade rotation, but i struggled to actually swallow the fluids. i'd get frustrated and toss the cup without getting much down. i semi-successfully took a third gu before the bridge (i think a vanilla orange roctane). i know it wasn't the gu or fluids themselves causing the throat issues/gag reflex; i'm hoping it was just because of whatever random-issue i have (had?) going on.

i hit the queensboro bridge and the runners seemed to be even more crowded. i didn't notice the other "hills" of the course, but this one was definitely noticeable. with all the runners around, you couldn't tell where the climb ended. a few people were stopping and walking without moving out of the way so that slowed me down some. before i reached the crest of the bridge the 3:30 pace group caught up to me. it's leader was announcing "almost there" and such, and i wondered how i had gotten in front of them. the descent came, and i took advantage of it/tried to make up time for a slow climb. garmin must have been a little 'off' (from being on the lower deck of the bridge?) as it told me i was running 9:40+ pace on a generous downhill. oh well.

mile 16 ticked away - welcome to manhattan; only 10 miles to go. after a quiet mile on the bridge, there was suddenly a wall of people cheering and lining the race course as i descended onto the city streets. it was an awesome boost. i looped under the bridge and onto a wide first avenue, where the runners finally seemed to thin out a little.

miles 17-20 (8:03, 7:25, 8:01, 8:30) - room to run, boost in the bronx.

these miles weren't that eventful for me. first ave was wide so for the first time in the race i had space to run and access the water stops. i did see a sign somewhere in here that said "(some girl's name) what's wrong with golf?". true that, i thought to myself.

i continued warding off the nausea by tuning out the crowds, but i was still having a hard time with fluids. it could've been worse so i didn't dwell on it much; i was still getting a few sips down. my body was tired; it was getting tough to maintain pace, my legs were tiring and i was slipping. the people working the poland spring station were handing out cold sponges around mile 17 and although it wasn't hot i grabbed one anyway. i know i squeezed it over my head but i can't remember what else i did with it - maybe wiped my neck? i also took another gu in mile 19 - either vanilla orange roctane or vanilla bean (from rick).

the journey down first ave seemed long, but eventually there was a ghetto bridge to the bronx. for those of you wanting more details on the pavement - i remember this bridge had a good amount of potholes. as i crossed into the bronx i realized "plan b" was slipping away. a friend of mine works for the nypd in south bronx so i was trying to keep an eye out for him as i ran through, but i never saw him. the crowds were thin here, but you could still feel the support of the community from those that did come out. shortly after mile marker 20 a radio station had a sound system set up and had just started playing jay z's "empire state of mind". the timing could not have been better. unfortunately the boost to my legs didn't last long once i was out of hearing range.

miles 21-23 (8:22, 8:21, 8:02) - where is the freakin' park.

i'm not one to pour over course maps or elevation charts, so i basically had no idea where i was throughout the whole race. i was tired, thirsty and wondered where the stupid park was. finally, i could see trees. the crowds were energetic, supportive and growing thicker the closer i got to the park. i think i took another gu (vanilla bean from rick!) around mile 22, figuring a little boost couldn't hurt. i only got about half of it down thanks to my throat malfunction.

at the mile 23 station i grabbed some water and took a sip. then i threw up. i stuck my hand out like i was going to catch it and then realized what i was doing. i put my hand down as i decided it didn't need to be caught. this was pretty much the highlight of my day.

miles 24-26.2 (8:49, 8:20, 8:18) - hey, i didn't die.

finally in the park. i was so glad to be almost done i didn't even notice the "uphills" until i got to enjoy the little downhill after. there were a couple of small rollers, nothing too long or steep. the road was curvy, but then the course spit back out onto central park south where the crowd was nuts. my parents and j were saw me around 25.2; i didn't even have to stop and yell at them. there was a sign at 1/2 mile to go and i picked it up. or well, i tried to. at the 1/4 mile to go sign i went into my kick.

unfortunately i would not get to celebrate this marathon with my fun, fast, kick finish. my calves seized. i don't know if they were cramping, but they felt like they were going to tear from the bone. (not a good feeling, in case you were wondering.) i pulled back from my favorite sprint and coasted in to the finish. i decided i'd rather be able to walk than have muscles detached from the bone. i know i was making a pained face because of the "about to tear off" feeling, so when i saw the ny times had put up "faces at the finish" i had to check immediately to make sure i wasn't one of them (thank goodness i am not).

miles 26.3-30 - or so it felt.

after crossing the finish line, being "medaled", food-bagged and heat-sheeted, i hobbled over to the side to lean on a fence. my calves were tight, my left foot hurt like the dickens, my legs ached (not like that was a surprise) and i didn't want to shuffle through the finishing area - i was aching. i knew it wasn't a good idea, but i sat down anyway. i chatted a bit with the guys sitting near me and peaked into the food bag. an apple, a bagel, some almonds - all things i am allergic too, nice. wasn't hungry anyway so it wasn't a big deal. i gave my apple to a guy who had just dropped his and eventually got back up to hobble and find my ups truck. my legs were obviously stiff, but loosened up as i walked. the top of my left foot was hurting really bad. i hoped it was just sore from the run and racing shoes. finally i began to see the ups trucks. oh good, the first one is for bib numbers in the 65,000's and i only have to walk all the way down to the 8,000 truck. comforting. i saw more foreigners (i assumed) freely changing into their warmer clothes, but thankfully did not get a full tour like mr. italy. i saw one guy half-changed being toted away on a stretcher, yikes. after quite a bit of walking i eventually found my beloved ups truck. i told the two ups workers they should've fought for a better parking spot closer to the finish. the lady told me to make sure i take the subway back to the hotel (i ended up walking back from 85th to 39th, for the record).

i headed towards the park exit to find my parents, j, and aunt/uncle/cousins who had come down from ct to watch the race. the nausea, which had so graciously stayed out of the spotlight thus far, decided it was time to shine. i'm just glad it held off for 26.2 miles even if i did miss out on all the sights and sounds.

i had a few struggles in this race, and since i've never had them before i am inclined to chalk it up to whatever i was fighting in the month leading up to race day. well, the calf pain i might attribute to the hard pr running effort or maybe my racing flats since i only wore them on one training run a week prior to the race. the shoes were broken in, but maybe my legs were spoiled from the extra cushion and support of my regular training shoes. my left foot was sore the day after the race, but feels fine now so i'm sure it was just flared tendons/overuse.

all in all, it was a solid 6+ minute pr in great weather and less-than perfect health. so far i've hacked off 30 minutes from my first marathon back in 2006 and i'm not finished yet :o)