12/50 - New York City Marathon

Ah, here we are; the end of my calendar year of marathons.  It’s been five months since my last marathon (Grandma's in Duluth, MN) and regrettably, my last entry.  I’ll be sure to run more so that I can write more next year!  As of now, I am not officially registered for a single race in 2012 although planning is well under way.  Having started this 50-in-50-by-50 goal with two marathons in 2009, four in 2010, six in 2011, I think I may need to plan for eight in 2012 (is that compulsive behavior?)!   

Training for NYC was an exercise in time management.  I have this inherent need to stretch myself so thin that I rather enjoy the forced isolation of my hours-per-day of train commuting to and from both jobs.  Fortunately, that time also makes up for the little sleep I manage at home!  This time around, I was balancing my career with a part-time job at a running store, playing shows and recording with my band, the minutia that encompasses home ownership, training for races, and raising a puppy - all at the height of motorcycle season!  I think I created a monster with the puppy; that girl is now up to running 20 miles per week with me!  It’s gotten to the point where she anxiously awaits for me to say the word “run” every.  single.  day.  She actually has our 5k route committed to memory.

The real issue in all of this was finding a training routine that worked.  In the end, there was no routine at all.  Having read my past entries, I’m sure that surprises none of you.  I often found myself out the door by 5 am or running between jobs, or getting off the train at an earlier stop and running home.  I was averaging about 40 miles per week.  Most runs were just fast with little variation so that I could get to the next task of the day.  I had no structured speed work or hill training.  I just didn’t have the time or energy.  I’ve also reached that point where I wake up every day and ache.  Shouldn’t I be getting paid for this?!  Am I really at the age that everyone warned me about the “running ravages of time”?  I remember when running was fun AND pain free.  Now, it’s just fun…and slightly obsessive.

I finished up the Homewood-Flossmoor 5K circuit series (having barely won it this year), did the Chicago Triathlon on a whim (I got a free entry three weeks prior and took the crash course in learning to swim via You Tube videos), and PRd at a half marathon in Calumet City.  I figured I would be fine for NYC.  We arrived two hours before the close of the expo, the night before the race.  We stayed near Wall St. in lower Manhattan due to its proximity to the Staten Island Ferry (if you run this race, take the 6:30 am ferry, the sunrise over Manhattan from the ferry is dazzling!) that takes us to the start of the race.  We spent the night in bed watching the ID Network (having given up cable months ago, this was quite indulgent!) with a bottle of wine and eating takeout pizza from Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar (http://www.harrysitalian.com/).  This was the evening of Daylight Saving Time and the extra hour of sleep was much appreciated! 

The NYC Marathon is massive.  47,000 people started the race this year!  It’s by far the best organized race I’ve run – from the start villages to the course to the finish (though I must say, the line for free Dunkin’ coffee was ten times longer than the bathroom line!).  It’s also surprisingly hilly.  Race day weather was perfect with no wind, full sun and 50 degrees F at the start (9:40am for me).  The course traverses the five boroughs of NYC (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan) with some incredible bridges and crowd support throughout.  This is NOT a fast course.  However, I went into this with little hill preparation and still planned to PR.  I was really enjoying myself at the halfway point (with a time of 1:26) but fell off my mark after that.  The second half of this course has an impressive collection of unrelenting hills.  I had a rather lackadaisical approach to this race and never felt like pushing myself too hard.  I kept it fun.  I finished feeling great (in 2:56) and off we went to walk the streets of Manhattan.  Between Sunday after the race and Monday, we walked from Central Park to Wall St. and back!  I think I’m sore from that alone. 

Some highlights of post-marathon NYC include;

Book of Mormon (http://www.bookofmormonbroadway.com/home.php) – Funny stuff.  Chicago, you’re lucky, it’s heading there in 2012.  I don’t know how we got these tickets (it’s always sold out) but I’m glad we did (though I still rank Avenue Q as the funniest play I’ve ever seen). 

Num Pang Sandwich Shop (http://www.numpangnyc.com/) – Wow, Cambodian goodness on bread. 

Totto Ramen (http://tottoramen.com/) – A Japanese noodle house the size of a closet.  Very good, very cool.

Chimichurri Grill (http://www.chimichurrigrill.com/) – If you’re like me and would put chimichurri on your cereal, you’ll love this Argentinian spot. 

McSorley’s Old Ale House (http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/) – Oldest Irish bar in NYC?  The floor is reminiscent of a hamster cage with wood shavings scattered throughout.  There are two beers on tap – light and dark.  It’s a must. 

Oh, and I can’t forget Matlock (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090481/).  Again, having no cable, it’s a real treat to lie in bed the morning after the race and watch two hours of Matlock; It's become somewhat of a post-marathon tradition.  Damn, I love this show.