MARATHON 25
For me, the New York City Marathon is what started it all… running it on a dare from the CEO of Rolex in 2008. It changed my life.
Running the New York City Marathon is hard, it’s a challenging course with bridges and the weather is very un[predicable but most times hot. The alternative is to ‘not’ run it and watch all your friends being the center of everyone’s attention. So I choose to run.
BY LAND OR SEA
This year for the first time ever, I opted for a bus to Staten Island versus my usual ferry ride. I was awake by 4:45am (Emily made me some oatmeal to go) and I was out the door by 5:05. It was 42 degrees and looked like it would be a great day to run with a high of 62. I had on a winter hat, gloves, long sleeve sweatshirt and sweats as my ‘throwaway clothes.’
Our Upper West Side bus left around 5:30am and I was sitting with a few of my fellow Manhattan Track Club runners, which made the ride all the better!
We were dropped off outside of base camp around 6:30am (not bad) and waited for over an hour is a ridiculously unorganized security line (very bad). I actually ran to my corral area after we were through to be safe.
CORRALS
I waited for Rowland and D, then we all entered our coral to hang out. When the corrals close, they take it quite seriously so there’s a chance of a lock out. We made a few friends while waiting before we made the energizing march out onto the highway to the start line.
After some standard issue Frank Sinatra we headed out over the mighty Varazzano. The discussion we had as a group was to go out conservatively, with the aim of having a great race and trying to enjoy ourselves. I was game.
As we hit the apex of the bridge in a flying vee, I looked out towards Manhattan, always a gorgeous sight and a shining reminder of why I live here. My heart leapt and let out a yell to my comrades as we made our descent into Brooklyn.
WHERE BROOKLYN AT?
Brooklyn comes hard with the party vibes. They always have.
Once you clear the highway and wind onto Fourth Avenue, you can fall into a steady rhythm for the next 5-6 miles as you cruise along the mostly straight route. We were rocking a 6:55-7:00 pace and I felt good, not particularly speedy, but smooth. I didn’t have to pee, so that alone was a major win.
At Mile 6 I saw my cousin Morgan and her boyfriend Reed (Miller Music) cheering, which boosted my spirits. Then, around Mile 7 I saw teammate and major speedster Carly (who dropped a sub3 in Chicago a few weeks prior).
SEE YOU AT THE CROSSROADS
Mile 8 takes runners through a historic convergence of transit and traffic, now dominated by the Barclays Center. The sky opens up and the cheer squads increase exponentially as you take the hard right onto Lafayette and into Fort Greene. This is where I lost D and Rowland.
Miles 4-8 were a squeak under 7:00 per mile and I was still feeling good.
DEATH STAR RUN
Lafayette in Fort Greene up through Williamsburg on Bedford Avenue are where the streets get narrower and the crowds thicker, it’s mayhem and if you’re having a good race a lot of fun. I could also feel my pace quickening ever so slightly as my excitement grew.
I got to see my friend Jenn and her boyfriend Curtis around Mile 12, right before we left Greenpoint for Long Island City.
TIME TO JUICE UP
At Book Club the week prior to the race my friend Amanda and I reminisced about how in 2018 she and her husband Stephan passed me a Redbull at Mile 14. I would go on to run under 3 hours that year. So we decided to try it again this year!
As I left the miserable Pulaski Bridge and descended into Queens I got excited. Sure enough, her, Stephan and their kids were cheering hard and had a Redbull ready. It got all over me. Have you ever tried to open a soda while running at race pace? It’s tricky.
I also got to see my friend Chip and his family right after which rocked!
CHASE THE HIGH
It was getting pretty hot out there at this point, nearing 65 degrees with no shade, so I was looking forward to the dreaded Queensboro Bridge and its cold darkness. I no longer fear it as I know how good the payoff on the other side is.
I plodded along on the far right, head down, laser focused on steadiness and breathing while my body cooled down. I was running a 7:20ish pace here all the while getting excited. As we crested the span and started to make our way down I lengthened my stride and shook out my body. As soon as we start to run over the island of Manhattan, my home, my ears perk up. Quite possibly my favorite moment in any race is here, when the roaring sound of thousands of spectators begins to stir, the white noise slowly increasing.
I yelled out to my fellow runners, “Here we go! Come on, get pumped!” Many other runners ‘whooped’ out at this.
I always get a little choked up descending and making that hard left onto 59th Street seeing the crowds, the roar hitting you like a sonic wave. Everything leading up to the New York City Marathon is about this moment to me. So fleeting, so perfect.
STAY COOL
As the smile on my face grew, I tried to maintain my pace while steadying myself to the right side of the course as I always do. My pace was still in the 7ish range along 1st Avenue.
I saw numerous friends cheering along this stretch, which is always thrilling. At 93rd Street I spotted the massive gold CB balloons my wife (and Cheer Squad Leader) Emily had in tow. There was a huge crowd of friends as I passed by – I even managed to get a solid high five from my father-in-law, Len.
I held a solid pace up until Mile 20 as we were headed into the Bronx, where I felt my energy kind of sputtering.
BAKER IS BURNING
The sun was kicking my ass. By now it was pushing 11 o’clock and it was high in the sky doing its thing, which meant increasing our body temperature as we ran. I had been fueling properly with gels, gatorade and salt tabs so I wasn’t sure why I was feeling this way. I stopped and stretched for 15-20 seconds which did help.
Mile 21 was a 7:52. Yikes.
As we came over into Manhattan again I was still a mess. I didn’t want to stop to walk, but I told myself I’d do it at the next aid station to slam some gatorade and get my bearings. I was very concerned that the rest of the race would continue like this.
THAT’S BANANAS
Of course I randomly decided to stop at the one aid station where they were serving up bananas! It was so delicious. Did you know that I love bananas and eat them almost daily? I even brought 2 to Staten Island (the extra one is always in case a friend is hungry).
Mile 22 came in at 7:58.
As I took off running though, I had a new found energy and lift! I knew everything was going to be okay. That was my final walk break of the race.
MANHATTAN TRACK CLUB CHEER ZONE
I knew I had one mile to go before my team’s cheer zone, which is always electric. They were out in full force with megaphones, signs, and high fives, lifting every runner who passed.
Mile 23 came in at 7:09. I was back.
From there I spotted Emily and my cheer squad up on 93rd, right before I entered my backyard: Central Park.
ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE
Cruising down the straightaway in the Park, where so many of my team workouts have taken place Wednesday mornings leading up to the race, felt like home. The colors in the park were also spectacular, with the sunlight piering through the trees in yellow, orange and red bursts.
If you can make it to the park, you can make it to the finish line. Many friends had been cheering for me along the park but I missed all of them as I was in the zone, knowing I had a few miles to go. The crowds in the park were the wildest I’ve ever seen in all the years I’ve run it.
59TH STREET SUCKS
As you leave the sanctity of the park you hook a right and are confronted with a long steady 3 avenue incline up 59th Street. It’s never a great time. I just plodded along.
Coming into the park I was holding a 7:15 pace but I was pretty spent. I crossed the line in 3:08:40, which I would have liked to say something closer to 3 flat, but I was happy.
After collecting my medal and my pretzels, which were life saving, I waited for my friends on Central Park West.
BURGERS AT A TACO JOINT
I met Emily, Liz, Len, Quinton, and Kristin at Playa Bettys right after for lunch, one of our neighborhood taco spots a few blocks from the Finish Line. And yes, I ordered the burger.
I had an hour at home to chill and shower before heading out to Manhattan Track Club’s team celebration. It was great catching up with the crew and hearing war stories about everyone’s individual races… their struggles and accomplishments.