Since nothing has really been happening racing front, I figure that I can use this opportunity to reflect on how running has become an integral part of my life.
Running in high school and college
I was a cross country and long-distance track runner in high school. For track and field, my events were the 1600 m and 3200 m. Every now and then, I would run the 800 m, but I absolutely hated running it because it’s not really a sprint, but it’s not really long-distance. Back then, I was not really into running, but it was a means to beef up my extracurricular activities. You know, that one needs something to offset Yearbook Club and Greco-Roman Club. ;)
Although I was not eligible (or interested) in a college athletic scholarship for cross country, I was a walk-on member of Xavier University of Louisiana’s cross country team. Ummmmm, yeah. . . I pretty much walked off of the team after a couple of days. Since practice started at 5:30 am as a means to avoid running in the humidity of New Orleans, I knew that running cross country in college just was not in the cards for me. Also, I had a feeling that I would not want to wake up before 7/8 am during my college years.
Jumping back into running
From 1998 to 2010, I ran for exercise pretty sporadically. In order to get my fix of physical torture, I became more of a cyclist and participated in multiple 50 mi, 75 mi, and 100 mi bike tours.
Some of my biking routes
During my postdoc, I commuted to work (Roosevelt Island to the UES) by bicycle. At this time, I was commuting on an expensive road bicycle (thanks to a really generous monetary gift from a family member), which was light as a feather. The problem with commuting on my light-as-a-feather road bike was constantly having to change flat tires. The roads of NYC are not bicycle-friendly, especially if your bicycle has very thin wheels.
My bicycle’s parking space at work . . . a closet with some of my lab’s radioactive waste.
One February morning, I saw that BOTH of my bicycle tires were flat. Frustrated with the common situation, I figured that I would just run to work. I mean, I already was wearing my athletic clothes and really did not feel like changing and inflating my bicycle’s tires. After a few weeks of running 3.5 mi to work, I started extending these runs. For example, I would run one loop around Roosevelt Island (~3.5 mi), then run my normal route across the Roosevelt Island Bridge, through a bit of Queens, across the 59th Street Bridge, and through a bit of the UES (another 3.5 mi). But, weren’t you sweaty and gross arriving to work? Fortunately for me, there was a Crunch fitness near my job so I would finish my run at the gym, shower, change, and walk 10 blocks to work.
Of course, when coworkers and friends hear that you have started running as a form of exercise, they always ask when you are going to run a half- or full marathon. Since my postdoc lab had a few runners, a couple of my colleagues/coworkers asked this question a few times.
Running and the New York Road Runners (NYRR)
When asked about running a marathon, I looked at folks as if they had 10 heads. To be perfectly honest, I really despised the NYC Marathon (my only marathon reference at the time) because of all of the '“marathon-induced” street closures that would impact my activities every first Sunday in November. One of my coworkers, who would run 7-10 miles during her lunch break told me about New York Road Runner’s 9+1 guaranteed entry program. Basically, if you run nine races and volunteer for one race, you will have a guaranteed spot in the following year’s marathon. So I thought, why not? I joined NYRR, started filling up my race calendar, and became hooked on racing . . . especially half marathons.
First Marathon (NYC Marathon, 2013)
During 2012, I ran all of my nine NYRR marathon-qualifying races plus a few more so I was all set to run NYC Marathon on November 3, 2013.
A few medals for my efforts
Training for the marathon was a bit grueling. I take that back. Training was not THAT difficult, but it was tough for me to stick to a training plan . . . especially when it came to the 13+ mi long runs during the hot summer months. Going into my first marathon, I wanted to have a sub 4 hr time. After the first 8 miles of the marathon, I knew that goal would not happen. But, while running this marathon, I changed my focus to running for fun and enjoying the marathon experience. Well . . . as much fun as one can have running 26.2 miles.
Doing my thing during NYC Marathon 2013. Man, I’m still mad at myself for losing my green racing cap.
(courtesy of New York Road Runners)
My favorite moments of my first marathon:
Taking the Staten Island Ferry packed with excited marathoners first thing in the morning. Since Hurricane Sandy canceled the previous year’s marathon, the running field was the largest in the history of the NYC Marathon.
Entering the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn after crossing the Verrazano Bridge. The excitement of the crowd was so powerful. I had to laugh at people holding signs that said “You got this! Only 25 miles to go!!!”
Seeing familiar faces along the course.
Entering Manhattan after crossing the 59th Street Bridge. The roar and energy from the crowds on First Avenue were very invigorating, which was very helpful at Mile 16. Man, the roaring was so loud that I could not hear my music.
Crossing the multicolored finish line and getting my medal.
Having a steak dinner and a couple of gin and sodas (I think there may have been champagne too) with friends after finishing. Boy was I starving. Right before dinner, I ate an ENTIRE apple (including the core) from my post-marathon goody bag.
My (un)favorite moments of my first marathon:
The time waiting to start. Since it was my first marathon, I took either the 1st or 2nd ferry to Staten Island because I feared that I would not make it to the start in time for my wave. I think I took the 6 am ferry for a 10 am start. Although arriving to something four hours early seems a bit crazy, but the logistics of getting to the start were kind of intense. You had to take the ferry over, wait in a long ling to take the bus to the start village, pass the security checkpoints, find your village (green, blue, or orange), and deal with bag drog. But they say that it’s better to be 3 hrs early than one second late.
The 59th Street Bridge. This bridge has a steady incline, which normally is fine; but it’s a bit annoying after running 15 miles. I would learn later that the 59th Street Bridge will always be the thorn in my side for the NYC Marathon.
The 59th Street Bridge (II). Unfortunately, I tripped TWICE while running across this bridge. Quite a few runners abruptly would switch sides while running across the bridge; probably so they could get on the correct side before entering Manhattan to see their friends and families. One person cut right in front of me, we tripped. Another person dropped his/her water bottle; I stepped on it and fell.
Although I did not physically hit the wall (i.e. completely depleting my glycogen stores), I did have a small mental breakdown around Mile 21. This is the portion where you enter Manhattan for the second time. Man, I was over the whole thing. Fortunately for me, a couple of my fellow runners gave me a bit of a pep talk. This is the point of the marathon where I wish that I did not put my name on my shirt because I was sick of people calling out my name (or rather my initials). Yeah, I was a bit of a crabby patty at that point, but my attitude did change for the better when we entered Central Park around Mile 23.
My first shower and the day after. Oh my word, water + soap + chaffing = a horrible nightmare of pain. The next morning I was sore . . . everywhere. The next day when I ordered sushi for lunch, I had to call the delivery guy waiting outside of my apartment and ask him to leave food outside of my apartment because I was too sore to walk and open the door. For future marathons, I make it point to go out and walk around to help with recovery. After my second NYC Marathon (or was it my third?), I went to work the next day. Technically, I did not really want to work, but I had to start an important 7-day experiment that I wanted to repeat once more before Thanksgiving break.
Post marathon blues. A week or so after the marathon, I lost all sense of meaning because I dedicated four months of training for this huge event and now it was over.
The takeaway because this is getting long
Although running my first marathon was tough, I knew that I would want to run more in the future. I wish that I performed better, but I would not change my experience for anything. Because of COVID-19, the future for NYC Marathon 2020 looks pretty bleak. This is really unfortunate because we should be celebrating the 50th year anniversary of the NYC Marathon. Last week, Boston canceled its marathon (which was already moved from April to September) for the first time in its 124-year history. Looking forward, I guess NYC can really celebrate in 2026, which will mark the 50th year anniversary for the five-borough NYC Marathon.
A little bit of trivia
The original NYC Marathon (1970) was multiple loops in Central Park. To celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in 1976, a marathon that hit all five boroughs was proposed. Although this five-borough marathon was supposed to be a one-time event, it was such a success that it became the marathon course that we know today.