Marathon – Page 2 – BEYOND DEFEAT

RACE REPORT: 089 The Connemarathon – 3:33:00

Posted on April 19, 2013 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 5 Comments

Due to the horrible tragedy that took place on Marathon Monday, I have been holding off on posting this as I felt it wasn’t appropriate. I wrote it before Boston. This has deeply affected me and I have been walking around in a daze for the last few days. The Marathon is test of human spirit and will power, it is what I live for and what now defines me. Hopefully, the meaning and beauty of the marathon is conveyed below.

—

So far, Ireland had been kind to us. Now we were about to face The Connemarathon, in one of the most beautiful, remote, and unforgiving races we had ever tackled.

RACE DAY

The whole time I had been in Ireland I was having really weird dreams. Race night of course, was no different. I tossed and turned from 4AM to 7 before deciding to wake.

The whole gang was downstairs having coffee and eating various things. I chose to not eat any breakfast as my race started at 10:30, a decision that would later haunt me. Instead I took down some delicious coffee and prayed to the weather gods. We all hugged Claire (who was racing the Ultra) as she set off.

SIDENOTE: 200 Ultra racers (Crazy ol Claire) caught a 7AM bus for a 9AM start. 500 Marathoners (Abs, Lisa, BoJo and myself) caught a 8AM bus for a 10:30AM start. 2,300 Half Marathoners (Maura, Chris, Aidan and Elyssa) caught a 9AM bus for an 11AM start.

All of us (minus Claire) piled into the Runner Army Elite Assault Vehicle at 7:45 and headed to church. We were late so we missed mass but made the buses.

Personally, I was excited, but I was also in my head thinking hard. What would happen out there? Am I healed? What if my knee gave out at mile 10 in the middle of nowhere? Why did I not eat breakfast?

Arriving out in ‘Da Schicks’ as Chris dubbed it, we saw the Ultra racers on their first 2 miles and actually saw Claire! She didn’t know it, but we were screaming to her.

We exited the bus on a curved section of road. One side led up a steep hill towards the beginning of a mountain, the other side into an icy dark lake. The wind was whipping around from the south and it was quite biting. All of the marathoners were huddled along a ditch where the mountain started trying to hide from the wind. The gals and I tried our best as well, but it was pretty hopeless. As beautiful the landscape might be, it was not very habitable.

I was able to put down 2 bananas while we waited which may have saved my life. I had 2 Gu’s with me for the rest of the race. On a normal day I need maybe 1 Gu but figured today might be different.

Lisa and I went and used the porto-lets one last time and as we returned there was a migration to the ‘Start’ line. All of a sudden the race was just on. The 4 of us started chugging along and guess what… my knee was healed. I kind of smiled at the gals and said I was going to flank everyone on the left and took off.

I started picking up the pace and never looked back. I can’t even tell you in words how excited I was to actually be running, and pain free at that! I had such a SEG on my face and was passing everyone. I wanted to be by myself on the open isolated course. Another thought that popped into my mind was that I hadn’t run further than 13.1 miles and that was 6 weeks ago. I never got a chance to train for the marathon as the doctors told me to stop running altogether. Do or die baby. The mind is more powerful than the body and it was time to prove it.

Miles 1 to 4 clicked of quickly. The aid stations were every 3 miles and only water. This would play a part in everyone’s race as well.

At this point during the race I felt awesome and had pulled away from the bulk of the group. We were now single file race formation 50 feet between runners.

I took a look up into the mountains and the sprawling landscape and thought about how tiny and insignificant we are. Here we are running along an ancient mountain range, a place where time has stood still. A place that will live on long after we die and our children’s children die. So rugged it could chew us up and spit us out, we, the toughest of tough marathoners. Then, I laughed out loud and thought, “If only my Dad could see me now… running a marathon through the mountains of old Ireland.” In my short list of life’s accomplishments (forget things like ‘job’, ‘kids’, or ‘nice house’), running marathons is at the top.

It was right around this moment when I was passing a fellow. He looked at me and in his Gaelic (or Irish language) language and said something. Obviously I had no idea what he told me, I just smiled and nodded my head. What a cool place to be running.

At mile 7 we took a sharp right and headed directly uphill and into the head winds which were clocked at some 40MPH. Things were about to get real. I also ate a delicious Gu, it’s whats for breakfast.

Miles 8 to 10 were this crazy steep downhill. I was now blasting forward all by myself. I looked up at the mountains and the harbor we seemed to be approaching and really took it all in. “This is exactly what I wanted.” I thought out loud. It was as if I was just running these roads by myself in peace and quiet. It was most likely not the best thing for my knee to be barreling down a steep decline, but I was lost in the moment of the marathon.

As the course leveled out around the harbor that we were now circumventing, the 40MPH headwinds made themselves known. From this point on, Mile 11, the race would be one of the most challenging I have ever faced, Ironman included.

Winding around the bend, I could see maybe 2 to 3 guys off in the distance. I wondered had I really got that close to the front of the leaders? I pushed on, not knowing that my energy and enthusiasm to chase would soon fade away.

One really cool aspect of this race was the large expanse of space. I knew the Half Marathoners were poised to start at any moment, so I trained my eyes across the harbor. It must have been 2 miles across, but I could see tiny masses of people moving onto the course. Up ahead right in front of me I saw this gal on a bike riding next to a runner. As I cruised up I realized this was lead female! She was absolutely killing it. I hadn’t seen another female since like mile 2! I gave her some props as I past.

Spectators acting sheepish. Thanks to Elyssa for all the great images!

At the 12 to 13 stage there were advertisements for breakfast for 9 Euro up ahead at an Inn. Guess who had 40 Euro on him? That’s right, me! It was really tempting to take a pit stop but I didn’t. That 40 Euro was also my beer money for the finish line so better spent there anyway.

The Half had started 5 minutes before I arrived so now, as I pushed up a very steep hill, I was at the back of the pack.

This hill was kicking my ass. I was bobbing and weaving through Half Marathoners and trying to hold onto some kind of decent pace. My knee still felt totally fine, but now, having zero training under my belt, it was starting to affect me. Towards the crest of the long hill I heard a motorcycle coming from behind. They had been going back and forth on the course and I had made buddies with one of them by nodding a lot. As it passed it was herding the runners to the left. There was a guy on back and he pointed to me and said, “Follow us!” Oh snap! Do I have enough energy? Sure did.

They cut a real nice path through all the chaos for me and a few other Full racers. Being that they were on a motorized vehicle, I couldn’t keep up for long but by this point things had opened up.

Around mile 16 I came across 4 runners I recognized. As I crept up I yelled in my best irish accent, “Hey you tree runners you, move out da way will ye!” Maura, Elyssa, Chris, and Aidan greeted me with a smile. I hung out with them for a few minutes before taking off.

Mile 18 is where the wheels came off. I ate my last Gu and had some of the water they were serving (only water mind you, no sports drink) and tried to press on. My pace was at it’s slowest here and my quads were on fire!

Mile 19 I was walking. I felt so weak and hungry, I wanted to curl up on the side of the road and sleep. People were passing me left and right and I was ready to throw in the towel. I thought about how far I had come to race in this foreign land. I thought about how lucky I was that my knee felt the best it’s felt in a month and I ‘could’ run. Then, outta nowhere thees young village kids showed up. “Haribo! Who needs em some Haribo?!” You bet your life I want some gummy bears! (bouncing here and there and everywhere.) I must have looked at them with bewilderment as well as looking like I might die because one kid said, “Go ahead now, take them all.”

Never have I shoveled candy into my mouth as fast I did at that moment. 1 huge handful of the most delightful, life saving energy food ever. I looked at the kids and said, “Thanks fellas, you just saved my life!” I mustered up a little willpower and started running. 10 minutes later I was back in action.

I felt pretty good, but not up to full speed of course, as I came into what must have been an aid station at Mile 20 or 21. They finally had some Gatorade-like substance here along with some crackers that I housed. I later found out from the rest of the group that there were no crackers, so either I imagined it or a civilian helped me.

I was just clicking off mile by mile, sending it home. I knew it wouldn’t be my best time, but dammit, I was going to finish.

Rounding a bend and turning back into the open merciless wind, the ‘Hell of the West’ (a notorious 2 mile incline miles 221-24) reared its head. It was actually quite a sight to take in, like the great migration or something. As far as you could see there were runners winding up and around the mountain range. Spectacular and yet wickedly sick all at once.

I began my assent into the clouds accepting of the challenge. I didn’t want to walk, and so I didn’t. Instead I picked up the pace and dug in. I started passing people slowly. There were a lot of walkers. About a mile up as we rounded the bend the hill just kept going. I noticed now that my knee was acting up. I knew it would at some point during the race, but with 2 miles to go I wasn’t about to stop.

At the top of the mountain you could literally see the finish line 2 miles away down in the valley. 2 miles never looked so far. I even thought out loud, “No way that’s only 2 miles, it looks like 5!”

I just held a slow, steady, even pace for the remainder. Coming into the finish with 3:33:00 (my 9th marathon, weird) on the clock. I’ll take it, thank you very much mystical land of Connemara.

Sex/ Age	Bib	Overall Place	Age Place	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile	AG %
M35	5236	63	n/a	3:33:00	8:07	58.21%

After collecting my hardware I made my way to the only physical structure for 5 miles, the hotel and bar.

I figured it would be packed, but it was far from it… for now. Entering the dark ‘hunting lodge-like’ room I at first thought it was closed. Then, to my left I noticed a blazing fire in the old stone fireplace. A young women then appeared from behind the bar, my savior.

“Oh hello. You just ran the race, congratulations. Would you like a glass of water?” I smiled and simply said, “I’ll have a Guinness.”

10 minutes later the room started to fill up and the first of my friends arrived, Maura, Chris, Aidan and Elyssa. We took over a big table and began chowing down and drinking, all very happy to have finished. Moments later Abbe, BoJo and Lisa arrived.

All of us, although happy to be done, were openly concerned about Claire as we had just run one of the hardest and most unforgiving courses. We all started telling our tales of turmoil followed by triumph, some teary eyed. This was no ordinary race, this was truly a battle on many levels.

3 drinks in I caught Claire at the entrance to the bar looking around. I stood up and pointed at her yelling, “WALSH!” She came over and was overwhelmed by all the hugs, bursting into tears. Being one of very few Ultra runners, it was as if a General had entered the bar. People stood and Claire received a big round of applause and cheer. I bought her a Guinness.

That night all of us went out in Galway, celebrating our achievements. I am honored, proud and happy to have such noble and inspirational friends.

I often hear “I could never do that.” in regards to my Marathons or Ironman races. It is my least favorite thing to hear, because I was once just an nonathletic artist, dared to run a marathon. With zero training and a bum knee I ran this race. I’m not trying to gloat, what I am telling non-believer is this, I ran the Connemarathon with my mind, not my body. So what are you waiting for, go pick a marathon.

RACE REPORT: 054 The Goofy Challenge

Posted on January 14, 2011 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 25 Comments

What are you made of?

SIDENOTE: This is a long story, grab a cup of coffee, a blanket and silence your cell phone.

I signed up for the Goofy Challenge (a Half Marathon Saturday followed by a Full Mary Sunday) with my girlfriend this summer. Since becoming single, (my girlfriend becoming another infamous ‘ex girlfriend’) the question I had pondered was whether to follow through with the race or bag it?

Enter my Mom…

In September my Mom (who lives in Tampa) started run/walking before work. She would cover roughly 1-2 miles. I was very proud of her for doing so and coached her on how to evolve to run without the walk part.

She bought a pair of Newtons and set out to improve her form and endurance. In less then a months time she could run 3 miles non-stop and was in love with her new sneakers. It was then she expressed interest in running the Half Marathon portion of the Goofy Challenge asking me “Chris, do you think I could do that?” I told that she most definitely could if she kept up with her running.

A month later she called and told me she was signing up! She would run the race in celebration of her being 20 years Cancer free! The Goofy Challenge was on!

FLASHBACK: When I was 13 my Mom was abruptly diagnosed with Colon Cancer. She hospitalized for over a month. My daily routine would be to go visit her after school in the hospital. It was a very scary time for me, my 2 brothers and my father. She just barely made it and now, she is a nurse because of her experience.

I arrived in Tampa on Thursday, and was picked up by my step dad Richard. The following day my mom and I ran errands and I made my ‘Race Burritos.’ She was a mess! She kept asking me if I thought she would finish? “What is the furthest distance you ran under my training program?” She looked worried and said, “Only 3 miles.” I was a bit worried hearing that but didn’t let it show. I mean, I had only ran 9 miles as my furthest run since November, so we were in the same boat and yes, we are related.

That afternoon we headed out to Orlando, checked into our condo and hit the expo.

At 6:30 we went to a restaurant called Fresco Italian Market. It rocks and my mom found it last year when I ran just the Marathon. It’s like the only non-chain restaurant in Orlando perhaps.

One of my best friends, Todd, who my readers might know as swim coach/partner, local swimmer, college buddy, drinking buddy etc. had his parents come meet us for dinner. They are like my second parents and are always the best hosts when I visit them in Boca. Todd’s dad Mike, who I call ‘Coach’ had asked a few months ago if he could sponsor one of my races, and that race would be the Goofy Challenge. Our agreement was that I would wear Boca Hoops branded gear while I ran, a basketball league he has run for the last 30 years.

…In the spring of 1989, in a kitchen in East Boca Raton, three men were brought together by a gentleman named Joe Murphy. Their purpose was to bring the game of “round ball” to the youth of Boca Raton. Their goal was a simple one, to teach the basics of basketball, while promoting sportsmanship and teamwork. Little did Bob Mullin, Mike Doyle, and Jody Forstot imagine that what would start as a league of 340 children in 1989,would grow to over 1350 children. That 34 teams would evolve into 136 teamsthose 18 gutsy girls would pave the way for over 440 girls and four coed divisions would become 5 boys divisions and 4 girls divisions…

bocahoops.com

The 5 of us had a fantastic meal… beer, wine and one of my staples Shrimp Fra Diavlo. At 9:30 we left, all of us knowing that we had to wake up at 3:30AM to get to the race on time. Insane! The Disney Marathon weekend has to be the earliest race starts in history. I even thought about staying up all night… but those of you who really know me understand how I can rarely stay up past midnight.

RACE DAY 1: Half Marathon (Saturday)

I was waking up every hour on the hour. I guess I was anxious, regardless I was glad because if I was to fall into a deeper sleep it would have been harder to pop out of bed.

3:30AM is early, so early in fact that I though of people in NYC getting ready to LEAVE the bars and head home for bed.

My mom and I geared up while her husband (my step-dad) helped out by making coffee and keeping us on schedule. We jumped in the car and headed toward Epcot where he dropped us off. It was 50 degrees and would shape up to be a perfect running day.

Coaching my mom, I instructed her to hit the porto-johns before we get into our corrals. There were a lot of people running (27,000) making the scene pretty chaotic. It took us 45 minutes to get to our corral in the sea of runners. While in the crowds we made some friends who liked that my mom and I had matching Newton sneakers on. I had been telling her all these months how cool runners are and she was experiencing it firsthand!

She was in Corral G and as we entered the guy was like “Hey man, what are you doing, you’re in the first Corral!” I smiled and put my arm around my mom and said “I’m running this thing with my mom, man.” Cool. As we stood there it started to fill in pretty quick. Then, Wave 1 set off and fireworks erupted! Every 6 minutes they let another Wave go and after 40 minutes it was finally our time.

We started slowly running and navigating through the throngs of walkers! I couldn’t believe how many people started the Half Mary by walking! I mean, I love anyone out there doing it, but I would save my walking for the end, right? Even my mom was getting annoyed and she started picking it up and bobbin’ ‘n weavin’! It was all quite amusing. We were holding down a steady 12 minute per mile pace and making good headway. We took turns leading.

At mile 3.5 we took a porto-john break. 50 minutes or so had elapsed. This was also the furthest my mom had ever run.

Pressing forward I shed a layer of clothing is the sun came out, heating us up. At the Aid Stations, it was really fun teaching my mom about how to grab the water cups and make a spigot so you don’t get water up your nose.

As we approached mile 5-6 the crowds started showing and cheering us on. Then, we hit the Magic Kingdom (which in my opinion is the highlight on both days). My mom was thrilled seeing all the Disney characters and getting to run through Cinderella’s Castle. I had to tell her “Mom, smile! We are being photographed all over the place!”

A little after mile 7 she asked if we could walk for a minute. Of course. I had told her that today was her race, anything she wanted to do was okay by me. She even asked a few times if I wanted to run ahead so my time wasn’t bad.

She would walk for maybe 100 meters then pick it up again, which I thought was outstanding! All-in-all we maybe walked ¾ of a mile the whole race!

There were lots of marching bands rocking out as we hit certain points. One of them was covering Cameo’s ‘Word Up’ and I couldn’t have been more excited. I looked at my mom and she was like “What? Why are you smiling?” I said, “Mom! That’s ‘Word Up’! You know, that guy with the funny voice who sings ‘Doin the Butt’?” as I attempted to sing the song. She just laughed.

Approaching the 10 mile mark we started hearing fire trucks and ambulances. As I looked back a fire truck was barreling down on us and hopped the median full speed, runners scattering like pigeons! It drove up the road and pulled over where someone was in dire need of medical attention. It was here my mom asked what time I thought we would finish? She assumed maybe 4 hours and was startled when I told her we were close to making 3 hours! She was really excited.

Ascending an overpass, this volunteer looked at me and said something. I looked to my left at my mom and she was smiling and said, “She was talking to me, not you! She likes my style!” My mom began explaining how her pink top matched her running capris because they had a pink stripe. Then, she noted that her bib matched her Newton sneakers. Yes mom, you were stylin.

Passing mile 12 I asked how she was doing. I got a thumbs up and so I said to her, “Lets do this! We’re gonna finish strong! Ready?” With that, I led us forward as we passed loads of runners. I knew my mom was hurting, but I also knew she could do this.

Finally rounding the corner, the finish in sight, we picked it up a little more! As we crossed the finish my mom and I threw our hands up! I looked at her and she smiled and said, “I did it!” I gave her a hug and congratulated her. She stopped me and said, “Chris, thank you for helping me through this. You were a great coach.” No prob mom… anytime.

Sex/
Age

Bib

Overall

Place

Age
Place

Finish
Time

Pace/
Mile

AG %

M32

20165

16623

1111

03:01:25

13.50

32.6 %

We got our Donald Duck medals and some water, then exited, meeting Richard. He gave my mom a big hug and then took some photos of us. My mom’s main concern was that she have a nice photo to put on facebook!

Richard cooked my mom and I a huge breakfast while we fielded phone calls and text messages from family and friends wishing to congratulate my mom.

I also gave my mom the necklace I had made by Erica Sara (www.ericasaradesigns.com). Aside from making really beautiful jewelry for everyday wear, she also makes ‘Race Bling’ which are cute pendants with inscriptions on them. I had mine say on the front: 13.1, Disney Half; and on the back: January 2011, 20 Years Cancer Free. My mom was so excited. She hasn’t taken it off since and will probably be buying lots more from Erica Sara Designs! Thanks Erica.

We showered and went to play some mini-golf, a favorite past-time of mine since I was 9. Afterwords we all took a power nap, then headed back out to Fresco Italian Market for dinner. It’s such a good place, why jeopardize pre-marathon dinner. I had linguine and white clams sauce. Awesome! We toasted to our success and celebrated mildly.

In bed by 10:30PM, alarm set for 3:30AM for the second day in a row. Pain.

RACE DAY 2: Full Marathon (Sunday)

I was really groggy and a total ‘space case’. It is rare to see me in this state and I encourage anyone witnessing it to tease me and savor the moment.

After a cup of coffee we were off. Richard met a nice lady named Karin the day before and offered her a ride so she joined our crew. My mom and Richard dropped us off at the start and I made my way to the corrals. I made some pals and our conversation revolved around… yes, running. We started talking about goals for the day and they asked me what I wanted to do? I looked up and just said “You know, I think Sub3 would be fantastic.” Moments later I thought, “Don’t write a check with your mouth that your ass can’t cash.”

The corral situation was night and day (or day-n-nite) compared with the Half. Instead of being in the very back, I was now toeing the start line.

As the national anthem came on I was transported to a moment in time, a memory. The president of our company, Mr. Allen Brill, was very patriotic and was always thrilled to hear of my running adventures. In fact, he is partly responsible for me even running in the first place.

He passed away on Thanksgiving weekend and shocked our entire company. He had been diagnosed 2 months earlier with stage 4 Lung Cancer. I had known him for 7 years which is a drop in the bucket compared so some of my fellow coworkers.

One of my last memories of him was being called to his office the Monday after the NYC Marathon. As I entered he looked weaker than normal and I knew he was sick. He was standing, smiling and shaking his head, “Three hours, one minute and fifty-nine seconds. Good god man! That’s outstanding!” We chatted some more before I left, happy, but worried about his health.

Another clear memory that popped into my head. The Friday before the NYC Marathon he called me as the day was coming to a close. “Mr. Baker, it’s Mr. Brill. I understand you will of course be running Sunday.” Yes, of course!” I cheered on. “Do me a favor. Run it for me.”

I didn’t run the NYC Marathon for him that Sunday. I ran it for me, but as I stood there in the cold night, in my bubble of thought, I looked up and said “For Allen. I will run THIS race for him, in his honor and for his love of sport.”

And with that, the gun went off and the race began.

The first mile was pretty uneventful. I was getting warmed up and summoning my energy, feeling my body… was it okay after a half mary the day prior.

I was speeding up and I knew it. Voices rattled in my head, “Negative splits.” “Don’t start too fast.” “Make your bed.” I felt great and was excited to be opening up my pace, passing loads of runners. Miles 2-5 were run at a 6:30 pace and as I thought about slowing down, being ‘logical’, I decided to run this race all heart. I thought, “If I’m running this for Allen, he is going to get a great race.”

The first 8 miles are super boring. Straight up highways where they have bands and clowns or whatever. It’s still boring. I got to see the same band that played ‘Word up’ which helped I guess. I also ate half of my ‘Race Burrito’ without slowing down so that kept me busy.

A few miles before the halfway point we entered the Magic Kingdom which is the highlight of the whole race. I saluted and waved to all the Disney Characters, especially Sleeping Beauty.

Of course, running through Cinderella’s Castle was sweet, especially because I was the only one in it for the Marathon. Exiting the Magic Kingdom was sad, because I knew that dark times were ahead. I was, however, looking forward to sunrise which was in the next 30 minutes.

During miles 15-16 this really cute blond gal and I were running together. The sun came up at this moment too and I tried to not get to overwhelmed at how beautiful it was because, well, I was racing. She was admittedly faster and just toying with me I think because at mile 16 she took off never to be seen again. I ran that mile in 6:22, I’m such a sucker.

Miles 16-18 are in the Animal Kingdom which sounds cool, but I never saw any animals. 19-21 are like th
e worst for this course and they were coming up, so I was frightened. M legs were on fire and hurting pretty bad. I thought, “Make it to mile 19 and then walk a bit.”

I ate a Honey Stinger and munched on my ‘Race Burrito’ some more. As 19 approached I slowed down and walked maybe 5 paces. Looking at my Garmin I realized at this moment that a Sub3 Marathon was within my grasp, but how? I was in so much pain, natural pain albeit. I thought about Allen and ran. I ran hard, tears being choked back as I thought not of him, but of my mom, and her battle with cancer and how proud of her I was.

I did something I have never done before in a race, although it’s such a simple principle. As I picked up my speed, legs burning, I said to myself, “This pain is temporary, it is only your brain telling you to stop running. You will be okay, you always are. Run to the finish,don’t stop, no matter what.” And I did.

The last few miles were excruciating (as all you runners know) and I kept busy by watching my Garmin. My mantra was to look at it and the yell, “Come on! Come on Baker!”

FUN ANECDOTE: At mile 23 you round a lake that is part of a Disney Resort, it’s very scenic. To my left was water and to my right, a grassy hill where something was moving towards me. It jumped into the middle of the sidewalk right in front of me as I dodged stepping on it. I simultaneously realized it was a fuzzy baby duck and yelled “CUTE!” I then looked back to see if my competition heard me say the ‘cute’ thing, worried about my street cred.

As the last mile was coming to a close, I realized that my ultimate goal of running a Sub3 Marathon was about to happen. I was thrilled. Crossing the finish I threw my hand up and yelled, “YEAH!” I was given my Mickey Marathon Medal, then walked over to the Goofy area where I got my 3rd Medal.

Sex/
Age

Bib

Overall

Place

Age
Place

Finish
Time

Pace/
Mile

AG %

M32

266

02:58:16

6:47

70.1 %

I saw my Mom and Richard who congratulated me, excited at my time. I had ran the Full Mary faster than the Half Mary, which in itself is bizarre, ironic, mysterious (if you don’t know the story) and straight up awesome.

We checked out of the hotel and headed to a Cracker Barrel at my request. We don’t have them in NYC and wow, I miss their breakfast.

That night we celebrated by having a fantastic steak dinner cooked by my Mom and Richard. I don’t often eat meat, but this was a celebration for my Mom as well as me. Many toasts were made as we reminisced about the races.

I left the next morning, returning to NYC with an overwhelming amount of joy.

“Battle Stations was called as we woke from sleep. The battle, it was real, and we came out of it triumphant.”

—

Triumphant does not even begin to describe the weekend. To see my Mom cross that finish line, with the look of a child who just discovered Christmas morning, is unforgettable. She beat Cancer, and now she achieved what she thought was unachievable. I am so proud of her. ‘There are only possibilities.’

Thanks to Boca Hoops Summer Camp for sponsoring me through this race.

Thanks to Richard, who put up with 2 crazy runners all week and was our unfaltering helper.

RACE REPORT: 052 – NYC Marathon: 3:01:59

Posted on November 10, 2010 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 19 Comments

This year’s New York City Marathon was a milestone as well as a day of reflection. 2 years ago, the 2008 NYCM marked my introduction into the world of running and later on, triathlons. At that time, my only intention was to run a marathon, little did I know it would change my life forever.

In the weeks prior to the marathon I kept being asked an interesting question. “How long have you been training for this?” Well, any of you who keep up with my blog know that I like to race every weekend if possible, therefore, I am in training year round. The only difference is that I up my weekend mileage 2 months before a marathon.

Friday after work Erika and I headed over to the Expo to get our numbers and meet up with some fellow runners to have dinner. Upon arrival we met up with Ronny, Hernan and Walter to get our race numbers. As always with NYRR, it was smooth sailing and I had everything in check within 10 minutes.

Wandering the Expo I made my way to the Zensah booth where Michelle, Mary, Jen, and Eva were already hanging. They initiated me into the Zensah Mafia and I walked away with both calf sleeves and arm sleeves. We were all slotted to have dinner together so we departed for 44th and 10th to eat.

On the way out I spotted Danny Abshire at the Newton booth and got caught up chatting with him. I had bought a pair of Distancias after doing a natural running clinic with him and now my mom is a Newton owner so we had a lot to discuss. I would be running the marathon in Newtons as well.

Dinner was great, all of us talking shop and getting excited for Sunday.

Saturday morning I went for a quick 4 mile run. I followed the course of the finish for Sunday but DID NOT go through the finish line. I’m superstitious and didn’t want to jinx myself.

Mid-day was spent making race preparations. I made 6 ‘Race Burritos’ and made a lethal Gatorade/Redbull/Emergen-C/Rock Salt blend (I cant believe I’m giving away all my secret formulas!) Pictured is the burrito process since so many people have expressed interest.

I spent the afternoon briefing my friend Ahern’s father Steve on the course and other FAQ’s he had. Although it wasn’t Steve’s first marathon by far, he wanted the scoop on NYCM since I had raced it before. I would have done the same if I were in his shoes.

For dinner Erika and I went up to Harlem to eat at her favorite Italian restaurant, Pisticci’s. It’s pretty amazing. I kept my beer consumption pretty low at 2 total. We watched a movie and were asleep by 10:30.

RACE DAY

Up at 5:30AM (that’s 8 hours of sleep with the time change people, aka PLENTY) and got some Irish oatmeal going. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all these running adventures, its to eat a hearty breakfast! I also made a to go cup of oatmeal (which would come in handy later) and had a to go cup of Cafe Bustelo. Oh yeah, where’s my coffee sponsorship?

Jim met Erika and I in front of my building and we all split a cab down to the SI Ferry. We met Ronny, Hernan and Walter there as well and all of us jumped on the 6:45 to fulfill our destiny.

Ferry to the bus to the fort… it was pretty painless. I did have to pee like a race horse all morning though for some weird reason. I think I was over hydrated. Thank you Brooklyn Lager.

At the Blue area, or ‘Club Blue’ as I had dubbed it (Daniel and Alex, didn’t see you guys at the hot tub area?), I ate my second big cup of oatmeal and a banana. I was ready. One more pee stop then off to my corrals.

I was wearing my running shorts, a blue sleeveless race top, Zensah sleeves, Rudy Project ‘Gozen’ sunglasses, gloves and a winter hat. It was perfect and so were the conditions, sunny and 45 degrees.

In my corral everyone was totally amped and I made friends with a few of the guys around me. A few speeches, announcement of the leaders, national anthem (which was horrible this year) and then the cannon! Sinatra’s ‘New York New York’ was blasting as we began our assent onto the Verrazanos Bridge!

For starting in the top 1000-2000 people I kept running (literally) into slow runners with high bib numbers. Had they cheated their way to the front? Did they hop a fence? It was causing quite a bit of traffic problems as the swarms of faster runners would overtake them. This was of course forgotten by the time we were making our descent and everyone was peeing off the side of the bridge! I ran my first mile in 8:40.

At the bottom of the bridge I ran into (or next to) my friend Robert! We used to train together 2 years ago. We chatted a bit and would be running within a few minutes of each other all race, which I thought was awesome! He would overtake me towards the end though as he is a machine when it comes to the marathon distance.

The first 2-8 miles are pretty much a straight shot up 4th Avenue in Brooklyn and, in my opinion, it is the most fun part of the race. The cheering in non-stop, with all walks of life joining in! I was feeling pretty good and should have slowed down. I ran a 5:40 for mile 2 to which is just plain stupid, but I think I got too excited and lost myself. I also pulled over to the first rest area to pee again. I don’t know what was going on – I never have to go that many times before a race.

At mile 4 one of the guys I was chatting with in the corrals earlier came up along side of me. He had arm sleeve tattoos, was from Great Britain, and this was his first time in New York City! “Wow.” I told him “You are going to see every part of town and have a blast!” His name was Kev and he was pretty cool. He got a big kick out of my ‘Race Burritos.’ I invited him and his girlfriend back to our after party before loosing him in the masses.

As we hit downtown Brooklyn ( mile 8 ) we veered right into Fort Green. In my head I had broken up the course into ‘Sectors’ and we had just cleared ‘Sector 1.’ Sweet! Fort Green might get the best cheer zone award. I mean, REALLY! It was like Tour De France (no I have never raced the TdF) with all the people out in the streets yelling! Strictly amazing!

Worst cheering goes to Williamsburg this year (and not just because I hate hipsters so much I made a shirt expressing it) but because there was a lull in the energy.

At mile 11 I said aloud “It’s lunchtime.” I proceeded to chomp away at the ‘Race Burrito’ I was carrying. Some of my friends wanted me to get some photos while I ate, so I waited till I saw the Brightroom gang and made some funny faces. In the photo above you can see me prepping to eat it.

As mile 13 came around I saw the Pulaski Bridge (separating Brooklyn and Queens) and thought, “Holy cow, when did that get so steep?” Fighting over it I thought ‘Sector 2, clear.’

Cruising through Queens I was excited as I knew I had a few sets of friends cheering people on. First up was TK on the right! 100 Meters down the road on the left were Josh and Susan (plus a few more I couldn’t make out). It lifted my spirits which was exactly what I needed because the dreaded Queensboro Bridge lay directly ahead. (Cue Darth Vader theme from Star Wars please.)

2 years ago the Queensboro kicked my ass. I walked a bit and may have even cried. This year, this race, things were going to be different. I steadied my pace and started pumping my arms in rhythm, leaning into the hill. I was taking quick, small strides and if I felt myself slowing, I would pick up my turnover rate. Looking into the distance I kept wondering when we would hit the apex. I managed to get in a 8:05 mile for the ‘painful’ part of the bridge. As we hit the descent I felt like a kid running down a hill, all my weight behind me, legs and arms relaxed, it was awesome!

Nearing the end of the bridge, I knew what lay in store from last time and was getting choked up and energized at the same time. I cued up ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ (Erika’s idea) and picked up my pace as I turned down the off ramp. Deafening crowds 8 deep all along the bridge exit greeted us! I threw my hands up and egged the crowd on, their volume increasing! Looping under the bridge and coming out onto 1st Avenue is overwhelming. Crowds that would rival any parade line the avenue as far as the eye can see and the noise is so great that even a runner’s headphones are drowned out. This is the time to soak it all in, this is the time to celebrate, because in a few more miles things get rough.

Running by 83rd Street (my street) I saw Ed (from ‘Dad Posse’) and his son Ben cheering me on. Ed yelling, “Kick ass Baker! Go!” Approaching 87th Street I started to put on the brakes and look for my pit crew. I saw Robin, Jeff and Allison among many others and stopped for a few high fives and for my Gatorade High Octane Blend. Off again, I tried to keep my spirits up and my pace steady. I had just under an hour to run 8 miles.

At the Mile 18 Aid Station I heard “Hi Chris Baker!” It was Jess! I was past the station by the time I realized who it was and didn’t have a chance to stop and say hello.

Nearing the Bronx, I noticed a guy to my right who people were cheering on as ‘Paddy.’ Then I saw his shirt ‘Paddy Runs for Haiti’ and I thought “Hey, Ila has a cousin that runs for that team! We are friends on Facebook!” I approached and said “Hey! You run for Team Paddy!” to which he responded “It’s not a team, I AM Paddy.” Too wild! As I was explaining that I knew Ila he stopped me and said “Wait, you’re Baker! No way!” We had a pretty good laugh about the whole thing. He and I had never met but were planning on meeting to talk shop at happy hour one night, but what are the odds of meeting during a 45,000 person marathon?! We ran together for awhile before loosing each other in the mayhem that is miles 20-23 aka PAIN.

The Bronx wasn’t nearly as bad as I remembered it, as far as crowd support goes. I knew we were only there for a hot second so I tried to take in as much of the course as I could. Looping around to the 5th Avenue bridge we were now back on the island and entering my least favorite part of the course.

Miles 21-23 follow 5th Avenue from the north all the way south to 90th Street, where we enter the Park. At this point in the day, the sun reflects off the street and all of the people cheering are silhouettes. It’s pretty weird and very ‘dreamlike.’

Marcus Garvey Park is straight up annoying because its like someone just dropped a plot of land right on top of 5th, blocking you so you have to run around it. Hello? I just lost 3 minutes Mr. Garvey.

Once I rounded Garvey’s ‘in-the-way’ park, I was confronted with the mighty uphill stretch leading to the Park. It’s a pretty heavy incline and at mile 23 it’s not exactly something you’re looking forward to. I looked at the ground and dug in. I also reached into my pocket and ate my last Honey Stinger. It was so good. I felt a little bit like a bear. I’m not going to lie, I wanted to quit on that hill. Throw in the towel, call it a day, hit the showers. Looking at my Garmin I was filled with a bit of hope as I saw my time, 2:45.
I had 15 minutes and just about 2 1/2 miles to cover. On any given day PRIOR to running 23 1/2 miles of a marathon I would have no problem pulling this off, but could I do it now while my calves burned like the devil?

Entering the Park was like stepping into my backyard. In the last 10 years I have run, biked and walked this Park thousands of times and knew its intricacies well. I picked up my pace and started feeling really good, all of my pain washing away as I knew the end lay near.

At Mile 24 I saw Sam and Erica and WOW did they ever give me a loud cheer! Cruising down ‘Cat Hill’ I was grateful we weren’t having to run up it. I was clocking 6:50 miles now and was on target for my goal, but it was going to be close, like Death Star close.

Right after that cheer squad I heard my name again, and up on an outcropping of rocks was Annie and Moses with their awesome dog Guapo. They might have had the best seats in the house. It was getting hard to cheer back at people by this point, but I made the best effort I could.

Mile 25 hit and I heard (yet again!) “Baker! Yea man!” It was Robin’s brother Nick B. and his crew! I saluted and barreled forward. One factor I didn’t calculate was that we didn’t go around the bottom of the Park, we went out onto 59th Street to cut across. Making the westward turn I was once again surprised at the incline we were climbing. It hurt bad and slowed me down tremendously.

As we turned into the Park at Columbus Circle I had 1 minute to get to the Finish Line. I knew this couldn’t be obtained but was still excited at being so close.

For me the Finish Line at NYC Marathon is always the most non-memorable part. I think it’s because all other parts of the course are run on legitimate city streets, neighborhoods where people had just walked out their door to cheer. Here, in the Park, was a fabricated gate system and banner that (although very cool) is very unremarkable looking back at the race as a whole.

Sex/
Age

Bib

Overall

Place

Age
Place

Finish
Time

Pace/
Mile

AG %

M32

4321

1050

198

03:01:59

6:57

68.64 %

I crossed at 3:01:59 with a 12 minute PR and my first ever Boston Qualifier!

Walking to get my baggage I ran into Antonio and Robert. We chatted about the race and had a few laughs before parting ways.

At 86th Street I took the X86 across the Park with no problem. Well, when I was getting on the bus I said to the driver “Hi! I get to ride free right because I ran the marathon!” She casually glanced up at me and said “Um, no you don’t.” Feeling like a child who was just told Christmas was canceled I paid my fare and sat down. A few of the riders said congratulations to me.

I exited the bus and was walking down 87th Street heading to the bar where all of my friends and family were hanging. It was now 1:00 PM, I cued up “Babba Riley” by the Who while walking and kinda had a ‘moment.’ For the first time all day I felt proud of my accomplishment and my new PR. A few spectators here and there saluted me and were thrilled about my time, lifting my spirits even more.

Entering the insanely crowded bar, I made my way straight back to the tables. I heard a loud cheer from my brother Jeff and was then bombarded with high fives from the whole gang. A few in attendance were… ROLE CALL: Jeff, Allison, Robin, Stephanie, Billy, Shamin, Peate, Cousin Phyllis, John, Cousin Cat, Jonboy, and many more. We stayed till 3 or so before heading out to Stag’s Head Tavern on 51st Street.

We had the entire outside area to ourselves. What a great time it was. Erika showed up after rocking a 4:28 finish. Some other marathon finisher friends showed up too like, Mr. Ahern, Sharon and Ilka! It was a glorious day for all! Stag’s Head ROLE CALL: Allen, Casey, Nick, Rayna, Eric, Asher, Todd, Ila, Andy, Michael, Tim, The Ahern Family, and probably a lot more I missed. We stayed there till 8PM before finally calling the night.

I finally get to race in Boston.

RACE REPORT: 026 Disney Marathon: 3:13:13

Posted on January 10, 2010 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 9 Comments

Overall Place	Gender Place	Age Place	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile
172 / 16883	165	42	3:13:13	7:22	64.6 %

Every January I try and make a stop down in Florida around my Mom’s birthday to get some one-on-one time with her. This year, I timed it so that I would also be running the Disney World Marathon, my second marathon. My mom has never seen me run a race so I wanted her and to be able to cheer me on for once.

Normally in Florida around this time, the mornings are mid-forties and the high gets upwards of 65. This seemed like perfect running weather. Little did I know that the greatest cold front Florida had ever seen was descending upon the race.

We drove up to Orlando from Tampa Saturday afternoon. We stopped off at the Disney Wide World of Sports Expo to pick up my race number and goodies. It was insanely crowded. We then checked into the Old Key West Resort suite I had booked. I picked it because it seemed to be within walking distance of the start line. It was a great little place that might even be bigger then my manhattan apartment.

At 7PM we went north to a restaurant my mom found called Fresco (by Universal Studios). It was perfect. I had my pasta fix, some red wine and we were off. I think we all got to bed just after 10 with the intention of waking up at 4:15AM. Yikes.

RACE DAY

My iphone alarm calmly woke me up at the slotted time. Was I tired? No. I need roughly 6 hours of sleep to be on my A game and I was on target. Brewed up some Cafe Bustelo that I brought with me (yes, Im that crazy about it and god help me if they ever ban it from racing). Ate a banana. Got geared up in my arctic attire… Track pants, Nike Dry fit top, Adidas track top, gloves and hat. The temperature was 28 degrees + windchill with a predicted high of 35. I mean, I’m from NYC and run in the cold, but not a whole 26 miles in sub freezing! Come on, give me a break Florida!

My stepfather Richard drove me (no way you can get my mom out of bed early- she’s like a college student) to the end of our resort entrance which is where the start was. I hopped out and ran across to the empty corrals.

I made pals with this guy Michael and we decided to hop the gates and get to our start. You’re supposed to go all the way around to the parking lots of Epcot but that takes 20 minutes.

TIME: 4:50AM… 50 minutes to start. Michael and I just bounced around in our corral trying to stay warm BSing about running until the rest of the group came. We were both in Corral A which was the lead group of 500 or so faster runners. It was still cold but now we had some protection from the wind. Seriously, not a fun time. For the first time ever I was upset that my sneakers had ventilation slots. SIDENOTE: Props to the volunteers who were out there since 1:30AM setting up.

A minute or two before gun time they had us scoot up. My right foot was ON the start line! Never before in a race of this caliber (17,000 runners) had I ever been first off! It was quite exciting.

National Anthem, fireworks, a fist bump to all my friends I had made and then we were off!

I started ballin’ down the highway in hot pursuit of the pack. Remember, its 5:40AM, pitch black, 28 degrees plus windchill and 26.2 miles to go. My main concern was to get my blood flowing and my body heat started, I could care less about silly things like ‘pacing’ or ‘taking it easy’ in the beginning. Thats also not my style.

The first 4 miles we looped into Epcot. It was very cool and I was in a line of runners watching the lead man slowly pull away. I had no intention of going after him, there were many more faster runners than me, I just wanted to break my own personal record and qualify for Boston. As the 4 miles finished we came back around to where we started but in a different chute. Now we were running up the highway with the rest of the runners to our right just getting going.

After we made it past the crowds it got real dark, real quiet, and real cold out on the highway. I switched on my ipod to keep me company. The guy in front of me was 40 yards ahead and the guy behind me the same. I started to fall into my rhythm and really get excited just to be there running a marathon. The last big race I had was the Ultra in November so I was itching for some time out on the road. I was in my head and running, just running, nothing else in the world to worry or think about but that moment.

As we hit mile 8 and 9 we started coming up to the Magic Kingdom… you know, Cinderella’s Castle, Frontier Land, Space Mountain. The crowds were back and my spirits soared. I made it a point to throw my hands up at the crowds in either the bull horns gesture or the love sign, instigating them to freak out! I wanted to have as much fun as I could on this and also wanted to show the people standing around in sub-freezing weather that we needed and appreciated them.

This next part may have been the most amazing experience of the whole race. When we think of Disney World we think of crowds, of lines, whiney kids, and chaos. I was now running through the Magic Kingdom BY MYSELF! there was no one around! Occasionally, a Disney character like Dopey or Cinderella would be sidelined, but other than that it was a ghost town. Because it was a winding path you couldn’t see the runner ahead or behind you. It was actually pretty creepy at times, until I ran right through the middle of the Castle! Unreal. I also blew a kiss at Minnie… sorry Mickey.

Departing the Magic Kingdom we were nearing mile 11 and I was looking forward to the Half-Marathon line as I set that to be snack time.

As soon as I crossed over the line I pulled over and ate the 3 Clif Shot Blocks I had in my pocket. I was starving and needed sustenance. During my last race, I had a few mini rice and bean burritos that I ate which worked phenomenally! I didn’t think I would need them on this run and I would later find out I was very wrong.

It was at this point people started catching up and passing me. It was also at this point I noticed that at all the water stations our drinks were more slushy/sno-cone like than liquid.

Back on the move through miles 14 and 15, feeling good but getting hungry again. My knees and toes were also numb from the cold. My timing was on par and at at this rate I would finish in 2:50 which was one of my goals (Sub 3 that is). I stopped and wolfed down another banana. Mmmmm.

Miles 17-19 we went through The Animal Kingdom and once again it was totally cool. It was like running through a man made jungle. Tiki Huts, Reggae Bands, the works.

Of course, as soon as we left the Animal Kingdom and got on to mile 20 I felt horrible. I was hungry again and not interested in bananas for once in my life. My pace was slowing and the cold was taking its toll on my body. I believe ‘bone cold’ would be a good term to describe it.

At mile 21 I realized my pace had slowed enough that in order to make sub 3 I would have to continue with a 6:20 pace. That was not going to happen and now I was just content with finishing as long as I broke my last marathon’s time of 3:15:51.

As we entered mile 24 we were brought full circle back into Epcot and I found myself running ‘Around the World.’ Runners were passing me now and on a normal day I would take offense to this and step it up, but I was a mess.

As I neared the finish line I knew my Mom and stepfather Richard would be watching. I would try and find them but I more importantly needed to get this race done! As I rounded the corner and saw the immense crowds I knew I would never spot them. Then, out of the roar of the crowd I heard this unforgettable sound, it was the sound of my Mother’s voice, “Chris!” I turned and smiled, waving as I went on to the finish line knowing they had seen me.

At my Ultra Marathon I sprinted to the finish giddy with excitement, not today. As soon as I crossed, my body was like “Get me food now or its over buddy!” My time was 3:13:13 which is a bit odd (numerically) I would say. I broke my personal record but did not qualify for Boston. I got my medal (super awesome gold Mickey Mouse head) my aluminum blanket and walked on to the food area. I heard a few other runners saying how they were unhappy with their times too. I grabbed a bagel and blueberry muffin and devoured them in record time.

My Mom and Richard came running over and gave me a big hug. They were really excited by the whole thing which was cool to see.
Back at the Resort my Mom whipped together a delicious breakfast. I took a hot shower and we headed back to Tampa.

I was supposed to be meeting my friend Morgan and 4-5 other run-bloggers who were there running but I just couldn’t stay out in the cold any longer. Sorry guys!

All in all it was a good race and I made great time. Its hard to stay upbeat though when you know what you are capable of and let it fall apart. Like I always tell people, you never whats going to happen on race day!

Congrats to all 17,000 Marathoners!

—

This is what I walk away with…

1- I didn’t train for this race at all. I ran maybe two 5 mile runs since November. I’m running the NJ Marathon and the NYC Marathon and I will train very hard to achieve my goals.

2- If rice and bean burritos work on a race, why leave them out for no logical reason? Bring my burritos to all distance races.

3- Eat a bigger breakfast before a marathon, maybe oatmeal (like I did for the Ultra which worked great).

It’s funny, on the Ultra I learned a great deal about distance running… food, etc. Then, I get to this marathon and I throw it all out the window!

NYC Marathon: Commentary

Posted on November 1, 2009 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 3 Comments

I did not run the 2009 NYC Marathon, BUT, in honor of my 3 friends who ran it I wanted to do a write up.

—

A common question I hear in the weeks up to, and during the Marathon was “Baker, are you running this year?”
I wanted to, believe me. As a runner and someone who has run NYC, to be a spectator definitely feels like you missed the bus. But, to be part of the cheering committee, especially when you know people running is great!

There are a few ways to run the NYC Marathon, and I did not get in using any of these tactics.

– Charity. Raise upwards of $2500-$3000 for any given team and you can run. Here’s the catch, if you don’t raise 3K, they take the difference out of your bank account. Last year this was how I got in. I wasn’t a runner at the time and never figured on doing multiple Marathons. In fact, I am quoted as saying at the finish to my friend Ila “I will never do this again!”

– Grandfather clause. Run 15 or more NYC Marathons and you’re in. No comment.

– Qualify. My time would need to be 2:55 in any marathon or 1:23 in a Half, which I just missed by 2 minutes at Grete’s Gallop.

– Lottery. 100,000 entries, roughly 40,000 accepted. Its like the Ivy League of running. I did not get in using this tactic this year.

– Lottery rejections. If you apply and are denied 3 years in a row, you get automatic entry the next year.

– Running! What better way to secure a spot? Run 9+ Road Runner Qualifying Races, volunteer once and you are locked in for the following year. So, with my 13+ races I am in for 2010! I will also run these races next season and ‘snowball’ myself into the marathon every year from here on out. Had I known this last year I might have done it, but remember, I wasn’t a runner at that point.

—

I went up to Bar Coastal on 78th and 1st around 11AM. Anyone who lives in NYC and hasn’t been a spectator at the world’s greatest spectator event really needs to get in gear. It was my little brother Jeff’s birthday so we had a dual purpose. Actually, our middle brother Phil, and his wife Naomi, had a child the night before. Cayden Charles Baker, so Jeff and I were also celebrating his birth and calling each other Uncles all day!

I would be lying if I didn’t say it was crowded. Any of you who know me well, understand I don’t do well in packed bars, but today is different. Today, you just accept it, mainly because every place you go is teeming with cheering New Yorkers.

Aside from partying, I was up there to cheer on my 3 runners…

Roll Call.

Becky!
Becky is my new roommate and friend. She is a runner and has done a marathon before, just not NY. Her leg has been bothering her, but after a visit to her doctor she said it was a green light for the race. I signed up for athlete tracker (which is cool) but beware, after 10K I didn’t receive any more updates for her and was a bit worried thinking she might have been injured. Jim and Elizabeth’s updates were streaming in fine. At around 4PM I got the message though, Becky had indeed finished strong! She’s a trooper and had to fly out on business that very night!

Elizabeth!
Elizabeth, or Ms Ritz, I met because we both write about running. Our friends Robert and Antonio (who I run with) introduced us. Her leg had also been bothering her 3 weeks prior to the race. She really wanted to run… anyone who knows a serious runner understands that once a goal is set, its hard to get around it even with doctors orders. I was getting all my updates for Elizabeth and man, she was cookin! 8:30s or less all day long! I owed Elizabeth a high-five as she was cheering me on at the Poland Spring race. I missed her and Becky at my post on 78th street as its so crowded and crazy. Its really hard to find your people. She finished and made her qualifying Boston time! Nice work Elizabeth, hopefully after my Disney marathon I will get a BQ and see you there!

Jim!
Jim is a member of the notorious “Dad Posse” also consisting of Ed, and Mike. Jim’s main goal was a Sub 4 marathon. Jim is pretty funny in the fact that he is real humble about racing. I mean, the guy has done an Ironman! There is no higher power than an IM. I was at the sidelines with Ed and Annelise, their 3 children Jack, Isabelle, and Ben Skywalker along with Jim’s wife Lisa and their 2 children Elizabeth, Josephine (and Louey!) We were anxiously awaiting Jim’s approach, the kids even had signs made up! Very cute. He cruised up looking pretty good for having run 17 miles, eating some gels his wife had and posing for some PR photo shoots. He bid us farewell after his 60 second stop and continued on.

I left the gang and headed indoors to continue Jeff’s birthday celebration. So many friends came out, it was great. We were maybe 20 deep having a blast when I get an email from Athlete Tracker saying Jim had finished in 3:58 and change. I threw my arm up in a fist pump and screamed, everyone around me wondering what the hell I was doing. I looked around and yelled “Jim ran a Sub 4! Hell Yea!” and still, people looked around at each other, “Who is Jim?”

It didn’t matter, my 2 worlds of racing and recreation were smashed together in a funny juxtaposition.

All 3 of my friends, new friends, who I met this year from running and am proud to call friends, were Beyond Defeat. They all accomplished their goals, and each one of them, as I have said in entry 1 of this blog, got to be King for a Day. Congratulations.

RACE REPORT: 001 NYC Marathon: 03:15:51

Posted on November 4, 2008 by admin

Posted in All, Race Reports, Running 2 Comments

Sex/ Age	Bib	Place	Gen Place	Age Place	Net Time	13.1 mi	Minutes per Mile
M30	8029	2354	2147	850	3:15:51	1:29:02	7:28

November 2, 2008

I was never a runner. My thing was bike riding, at least, for the the last 9 years that is. I race a single speed, brake-less track bike, throughout Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs. I do not do this for exercise, I do this because it makes me happy.

In 2007, my coworker Heather ran in the NYC Marathon. I stood sideline on 1st Avenue and cheered her on. It was then, that the magnitude of running a marathon really set in. I had never really grasped the concept nor was I concerned with it, but here, someone I knew was pushing their boundaries to complete a great personal challenge. I liked it.

The following week at work we had a party for her to celebrate the accomplishment. During this party the President of our company asked ‘who would run it next year?’ as his glance came my way. Without hesitation I simply said ‘I’ll do it’ and that was that. This was November of 2007.

My first actual run (5 miles) was during Thanksgiving weekend at my Mom’s house in tampa. I had purchased the Nike + to sync with my iPod. This would help alleviate my assumption that running was boring – now I had data to play with. Throughout the rest of the winter I would continue to go on 3-6 mile runs.

March 8th was a pinnacle moment for me. I set out in the morning with the notion that I would run 6 miles down the West Side bike path. Once I reached Battery Park I felt great and was flying, it was here I made the decision to keep going. I rounded the island and exited on Houston street making my way up 2nd Avenue. Glancing at my iPod it said I was at 11 miles! My greatest distance yet! I wanted to push the envelope, and knowing still that I had to make it home to 29th street, I decided Id round out my number to 15 miles. Looping around Midtown and finally making my way home I was very excited at my accomplishment. Entering my apartment my legs were on fire and I was beginning to develop a crazy hunger. I was shaking and kind of a mess. I showered and then got and egg and cheese sandwich devouring it and looking for more. This moment is crucial to me as my body was going through a very weird evolution. It was in shock. I would later coin this concept as ‘Body Evolution’.

The following weekend I ran the same distance, this time with no aftershock.

A week after that I ran my first 20 miler. March 15th to be exact. I had another ‘Body Evolution’ moment after this new distance where I felt in shock and my internal organs were going haywire. After this run I would no longer experience this sort of feeling, as if my body was adjusted to the distance and ready. Hence the term ‘Body Evolution’… most people call it training, but I think its something different. More of a conditioning of the body.

I would continue to run 3-8 mile runs before work and a long 12-22 mile run one weekend morning until it got close to Marathon time. There were some weeks I would go without running, mainly because I was out on my bike due to the nice weather.

The Night Before.

Jeffs Birthday was Saturday so we were all supposed to have a big Italian meal at Cucina de Pesce then head to Bleeker Bar. He, unfortunately, was hit with food poisoning that morning so all bets were off.

Todd suggested we still go to Cucina being that I needed some serious fuel for tomorrows race. We sat at the bar and polished off some pasta (I had shrimp scampi, a personal favorite) and a bottle of Cabernet. We met up with Andy and shot over to Todd and Ila’s place which was where I was sleeping due its close proximity to the Staten Island Ferry. We had some more wine as it got to be midnight or so. It was now that Andy reminded us that I did indeed have to run a Marathon the following morning and we should get some shut eye. agreed.

The morning was perfect. Todd and Ila rigged up some Cafe Bustelo for me and I had a bagel. I was a little nervous, but after some pep talking from the Doyles I was good to go. Ila was taking my bag to the finish line for me. I left for the Ferry and was definitely in my head during the walk. A chilly quiet morning in the Battery…

On the Ferry and Bus to the main event I mostly did some people watching. Once at the fair grounds my game instinct kicked in and I set off to hit my checklist. Eat a banana, use the restroom, and get to the start post. Finding my corral was very difficult and I almost didnt make it into my corral which would have upset me because I get to start with the Professional and Elite Men aka all the tall thin people.

I was waiting in the first 2000 people to go and had this German running squad next to me which was very intimidating as their pelvises all came up to my head. My sunglasses, however, were much cooler than any of theirs.

A little Frank Sinatra ‘New York, New York’ and we were off! It is very moving and emotional. To this day the memory that sticks with me the most is the Verranzano Bridge. As we were crossing, the sun was just taking its position in the sky as I glanced left and saw Manhattan off in the distance some 20 miles away, and in my head said ‘that’s where I need to get to.’

The first half of the race is of course the best because the pain and emotional drain hasn’t yet set in. I will give Brooklyn props to having a great cheering section. The difference is that you can actually make out what people are saying to you and can occasionally high five a young kid on the sidelines. At Atlantic Avenue I saw Anna and Danny and soon after Billy, all cheering me forward. It really does give you a burst of energy seeing friends like that.

The first half of the Marathon was going seemingly well and I was running 6:30 miles… which some of my runner friends would say is not smart. In my defense, this was my first race and I didn’t know what the word ‘pacing’ meant yet.

HALFTIME.

As soon as we entered the Queensboro Bridge all hell broke loose… and I mean in my head, not in the streets. For the first time in 14 miles you have no one cheering you on and you are in a dark tunnel running in silence over the river. It was painful. I struggled to keep up with the people I had been tailing. Sure enough though as we came over the top and started making our way down onto 1st Avenue I got some hope back. I also laughed because a group of police talking to each other in the tunnel said “Hey, look at that crazy guy, he’s wearing pants…” its true…

and then it happened…

I turned the corner onto 1st Avenue and it felt like I was the center of attention at my own parade. People were screaming my name, 5 deep in the crowds! My spirits soared and I held my head up and kept going increasing my pace. My target was 87th Street where my brother Jeff and my crew were waiting for me to pass by. Seriously, the Avenue is mayhem. I would later find out that many of my friends (even an ex-girlfriend) saw me and yelled my name, but it was like roaring white noise. As I approached 87th Street I really needed a break. I pulled over and saw my brother and his girlfriend Allison. I high-fived them and said “see you in an hour!” and moved on.

That was at mile 18. Things were about to take a serious turn for the worse and of course… I was headed straight for the South Bronx.

At mile 19 I heard from the right side of 1st Avenue, “Hey Chris!!! GO!” It was my friend Shamin pointing in my direction. I wa
s now close to the bridge into the Bronx. Wow, what a different ball game it is up there. Once again we lacked a cheering squad. I was moving in slow motion now, fighting pain and hunger. Luckily Todd had given me a Powerbar-like thing that I kept taking bites out of in a ration-like manner every mile. I compared myself to Frodo and Sam with their bread that they saved and rationed. It really did help though.

Once I entered old Manhattan again I still had 4 solid miles to go. The Autumn Sun was casting deep shadows across the street and into my eyes. I felt like I was out of my body. People kept yelling for me to go on, but this time in a more passionate understanding manner, as if they knew the pain we were all in at mile 21. “Come on Baker, not far now…” in a quiet soothing voice. It really did help. I picked out a guy going my speed and trailed him. He and I worked back and forth keeping our pace up. I felt like I was running 10 minute miles when in reality I was running a 7 minute mile, which shows you my mental state.

As I rounded the corner on the last mile I saw my friend Billy again. I could barely say hi. Taking a right onto Central Park South the crowds were back in full force! As I ran, to my left a cute blond gal caught my eye… I turned in her direction and she saw me at the same time. With a devilish smile she looked up and yelled “Thats right Baker! go go go!!!” With a shit eating grin on my face I sped along making my way closer to the finish.

Amazingly enough, the last 300 yards were easy, but blurry in my mind, like a dream. Ila was sidelining it right at the finish and I didnt even notice! As soon as I crossed, my mind was on one thing, FOOD!

I had finished in 3:15:51 which to me was great as I though for sure I had lost 20 minutes the last few miles. No, it was just an illusion. They threw the Medal around my neck and I felt like a Million Bucks.

I walked through to 86th Street where Ila had my bag. I met her with a big hug and she told me all about the calls she got from Todd’s parents and our mutual friends. I was quoted as saying “I will never do that again”

We jumped on the bus to head to Aces and Eights where everyone was awaiting our arrival. It is now 12:30.

As we entered the crowded bar I immediately came across my friend Peate. He was like “Baker! You’re done already?!” and he high fived me. As we pressed through the crowd we came to the back where there were 2 full tables of my friends who yelled upon seeing me in one piece. Roll call… Jeff, Allison, Robin, Ahern, Benny, Tess, Morgan, Julia, Andy, Claire, Jon Boy, and many more. We had some Italian Subs I had requested from Robin. She asked me the day before, if I could have any food after the race what would it be? That came to mind and wow, what a treat it was. They were so good. We took down a few pitchers of beer and occasionally strangers would yell and salute me, it really felt amazing.

We decided at 3 to go to Brother Jimmy’s so my Philly friends could watch the game. Whatever… if they have food I’m in.
At Brother Jimmy’s (the 92nd Street location) we grabbed a huge table in the back and in the middle. Beers, cocktails… then, the wait staff came out cheering with a giant fishbowl of booze for me on the house! I felt like a college student again! As we sat and drank and ate more friends showed up like… Roll Call… Asher, Justine, Jenn, Jaimie, Chad. It was a grand old time. Ahern and I must have celebrated our Irish heritage with Jameson shots like 3 times. The amazing thing, I was maybe buzzed, but not even close to drunk. Someone explain! At 10 PM, that’s right 10, we decided to call it a night.

On my way home I was walking down the street and an older woman, quite well-to-do and done up stopped me. She was on her cell phone and told her friend to hold on… “Hi.” she said, “You ran in the Marathon today?” she asked. “Yes, I certainly did.” she nodded her head and held her hand out for me to shake it. “Congratulations to you, that is quite a feat, I hope you’re proud of yourself.” I said thank you and went on my way home almost breaking into tears… seriously, it was one of those days.

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