OMG: Last-minute running-a-marathon tips

This is adapted from the North Brooklyn Runners workshop from the 24th of October, where we shared our ideas on how to prep for the marathon. As the Educational Member Program Coordinator, I provided framework and ideas; everyone also shared their own great tips. While this is geared towards the NYC Marathon, you can apply many of the tips to any marathon. Ultras break all the rules, so many of them won't apply...unless, of course, they do!

BEFORE THE MARATHON
Last minute tapering...

• You can't cram in all the last minute training. These last two weeks, it's about maintaining your fitness and resting. Don't try anything new, don't exhaust yourself in workouts.
• Add in a bit of speed if you can - but nothing you won't recover from.
• Your mileage should be cut way down - 1/3 of peak to even 1/4 of peak. Less is best.
• If you haven't trained properly, tell yourself that undertraining is better than overtraining, because with overtraining you risk injury. 

Nutrition

• Eat normal food, nothing out of control new.
• Old school carb deprive/carb load is out. 
• You don't want to carb load w too many carbs. Sorry, you really don't need to eat 18 bagels.
• Low fiber the day before. If you have stomach issues, pay attention to the fiber you eat. I know a runner who (no joke) does a liquid diet the day before races because of her stomach issues. (Sounds miserable to me, but she swears by it).
• No beets the day before. No. Just no.

Marathon Expo

• Try to go earlier so you don't tire yourself out.
• Buy new clothes/gear is okay; using it race day might not be a great idea.
• Usually cheap place to buy gels - but so is Amazon Pantry. You pay $6 for a box and you fill it w goods. But don't buy new snacks to try marathon day. No new clothing or shoes for race day!

The Night Before

• Remember - Daylight Savings - fall behind!
• Set as many alarms as you possibly can. 
• Try to get lots of sleep all week long - it will make up if you don't sleep well the night before the race.
• You should have been hydrating all day long (and all week long really) but stop drinking an hour or two before bedtime. You don't want to wake up to pee 12x.
• If you can't sleep, try to relax. Meditate, rest as well as you can, maybe even read (but nothing too stressful....like, don't read articles about the current state of politics in the US).

MARATHON DAY
Breakfast and Coffee

• Only have coffee if you know it works. (Coffee makes you poop.)
• Low fiber breakfast - no more than 9 grams of fiber.
• Hydrate - but maybe stop drinking an hour or so before you get on the bridge.
• Hydration and coffee make it easier to poop.
• A little bit of protein for breakfast w your carbs - some examples - peanut butter on toast or bagel; banana pancakes (Don't those sound delicious?); maybe even maple pecan oatmeal (small portion); smoothie.

At Fort Wadsworth

• Stay warm. Bring throw-away clothes to stay warm. Hideous is fine, as long as it's warm.
• Keep your bib on the bottom layer.
• They have tea, coffee, bagels, bars, but don't try anything you haven't had before.
• Keep a disposable water bottle to carry with you into your corral.

First Few Miles - Halfway

• Use a pace bracelet (available at the expo) to keep track of your pace.
• Try to stay even to your pace.
• Don't get too excited too early.
• High fives are fun, but don't waste time high fiving everyone.
• Tell spectators to wear bright clothing or carry a specific balloon or sign - it's HARD to see them, and for them to spot use.
• Tell friends and family to track you with the app.
• If someone love you, they can see you three times - by Atlantic Terminal, go onto 1st ave up in the 90s, then go to 5th ave to see you one more time before they meet you at the finish.
• Set mini-goals (vs. "I have to run 12 more miles, shoot me...."): the next water stop, the crowds at 1st Avenue; seeing my BFF at mile 20; that huge TV screen in the Bronx; etc.
• Grab your cup - pinch it twice if you can.
• If someone wants to cheer for you, tell them chances are, you might be choking on water right after the aid station, so they shouldn't wait right there.

The Wall

• Get your calories in early - 100-300 calories is recommended every hour. Most people take a gel every 45 minutes or so (and take it with water).
• Regular nutrition can help prevent the wall. If you start to bonk, liquid nutrition (gels are great bc they're more calories than Gatorade) will be absorbed faster - and thus help you climb out faster.
• Send a friend to the Bronx - helps to have someone to look forward to.
• Set a goal - running in honor of a family member or friend - it's easier to dig deep for someone else than yourself. (I ran in honor of my Uncle Jimmy who died of leukemia; seeing all of the TNT peeps meant a lot to me that year he died.)

The Finish

• Last mile feels like forever - but the crowds at the bottom of the park ROCK.
• Don't look at your watch at the finish - it will ruin your finishing photo (and how can you get your photo on the bus then??). The will have your exact time online by the time you're ready to look anyway.
• Have your family meet you in the family meeting area.
• If you have a drop bag, add some sandals, socks, complete change of clothes. Also add a tasty snack with some protein if you are picky or if you want something more delicious post race.
• Drink lots of water.
• Change your clothes if you can - or at least get that wet sports bra off.

AFTER THE MARATHON

• Go run the next day. You will hate me for saying it, and it can be the slowest run you've ever done - seriously, 16 minute miles is fine - just get out there and DO IT. You'll get some of that crap out of your muscles and feel better. Then, take off the next week if you really want.
• You will want to eat everything in sight - the next day too. Protein helps with muscle recovery. Try to eat 15-30 minutes after you're done - something w protein.
• Get lots of sleep. You just trashed your body, your immune system is shaky - get lots of sleep.
• The engraving on your medal the next day is pretty freaking cool.
• Pick out your next marathon!!!!

SO MUCH FUN: 2015 NYC Marathon!!!

at fort wadsworth with NBR!

So NYC Marathon. It's kind of an experience like no other.

Even for someone who has sworn off of marathons, I'll do NYC. NYC is different. It's amazing. It's a giant party in the streets for 26.2 miles. It's 2 million spectators and too much freaking fun. When else are runners celebrated by over 2 million spectators? I think at my last race, Dick Collins 50 miler, there might've been ten people at the finish line....

So at Dick Collins, my asthma was in full F-you force. Meaning I wheezed for 50 miles. As pleasant as it sounds.

I was in regular communication with my doctor for the three weeks in between my races. Asmanex steroid inhaler. Prednisone oral steroids. Back on Asmanex. Nothing.

Chest x-rays. Breathing tests. Doctor's visits. Googling "lung cancer" and wanting to fall apart.

Luckily, all tests came back. I was okay.

My doctor thought maybe I should take off a week or two from running.

I'm a difficult patient. 

But I knew I was getting better.

So I ran. Slowly.

I held back. I walked on a few uphills for a few seconds. I stopped to kiss my love twice. I coughed.

But I finished.

Somehow in 3:47. HOW!??! I was hoping for sub 4, but not sure if I could get that. So I was thrilled to pieces with 3:47.

mile 12 or 13. photo by sheryl yvette.

 I started off feeling super excited. I chatted in Spanish with an Ecuadorian guy and then a Mexican guy on the Verrazano. And then I  thought in Spanish a lot, for some reason.

I ran. I looked at my Garmin, which wasn't always accurately showing times....but why was I running so many sub-8s? 7:20? 7:25? 7:30? It didn't feel like much....how was this possible?

I kept it up as long as I could...then I slowed down.

photo by oh snapper

It went by faster than it ever had before. And it was oh so fun....thank you, thank you, thank you, all of the two mil spectators, my amazing running club for giving me a team spot (GO NBR!!!), and my legs and lungs....

And then I got home and signed up for Brooklyn Marathon....I never learn.

Hey, this is who I am, Runners' World!

After I finished the NYC Marathon in 2013, this photo was snapped. This is my story.

The week prior, I ran 24 Hours the Hard Way, which was the 24 Hours National Championships USATF. I was desperately trying to break 120 miles so I could get a shot at qualifying for the National Team that would go to World Championships. My coach gave me advice, but severe blisters ended up costing me about 45-60 minutes. Medical helped out, but I needed treatment a few times. The blisters were pretty brutal.

I needed 120 to qualify. i ran 115.6 miles. 

I was pretty devastated, but I ended up taking 2nd place for USATF women. I won a check for $750, a neat medal. I stumbled onto the plane after a shower and flew home to New York, feeling pretty destroyed.

Less than a week later, I ran the New York City Marathon.

I tried to run hard, but my legs reminded me, HELLO, you just ran 115.6 miles last week. I stopped to hug friends. I smiled. I absorbed the energy from the streets.

Coming into the finish, something hit me. Cherie, you ran 115.6 miles last week. You were second USATF woman, and who else here can do that, and do what you're doing now? 3:45 - not bad, especially after that effort. You ran your heart off last week, and again this week. 

And I burst into tears that last half mile...that is my story.

RW has my image on an inspirational quote (see above). I am more than just a quote. I am a running body of energy, tears, sweat, passion, and love.

NYC Marathon 2013 Race Report

Almost in tears, awed by the fact that I ran 115.6miles (2nd USATF woman) the week prior and THEN ran NYC Marathon in 3:45

I kind of hate marathons. There's always the pressure to run really fast, and I always feel like if I don't PR, I suck. And then NYC marathon is crazy expensive and a big hassle.

But it's the best marathon ever. I've run Boston 3x and it doesn't even hold a candle to NYC.

I knew, a week after running 115.6 miles in 24 Hours at The Hard Way, I would be unlikely to PR. But hey, a girl can dream?

Regardless, I decided the best way to run this marathon would be to have fun! I wore my tutu, and got into the spirit of the marathon. I slapped high five, danced, sang along to the  music en route, waved, and smiled at EVERYONE. It was a blast. 

I went out at 7:30s, 7:40s, and slowed duh around mile 18. My body said, "Duh. You're an idiot. You ran 115.6 miles last week. You are a madwoman. And your legs are tired. We're slowing down."

Let's run with COLOUR!

But that was fun. More time to enjoy each moment.

The last mile, it hit me. THIS WAS HUGE. I was 2nd woman USATF the week before in the 24 hour National Championships and a week later, I was running the NYC Marathon. Tears gathered in my eyes and I sobbed aloud the last mile.

And then I was done. It was a beautifully fun day.

On the Verazanno Bridge!

Hmmm, maybe this marathon a week after a 24 hour wasn't such a hot idea?

Running on Empty

So they cancelled the marathon. All these people are so delighted because they didn't want anyone doing anything remotely happy - except, oh watching that basketball or football game (but people, those are what our society considers to be essentials). I understand a lot of the arguments, but a lot of what makes me angry is that people were circulating lies - like the cops were being taken off storm duty to do the marathon (not so - they're on overtime) or that the private generators were taken from people in Staten Island or that we were running through the worst neighborhoods (not so - if I'm correct, none of the neighborhoods that we are running through lost power or experienced extreme damage - not that other parts of the city didn't experience horrific damage). My own mother told me she wouldn't come and that kind of shut me off. I knew I wasn't an asshole for wanting to run - I did feel conflicted - but then there were the crazy parents in Park Slope demanding their children trick or trick b/c keeping them locked indoors for three days (OMG) was cruel & unusual punishment - and let's go protest the marathoners for running. WHAT? People are clearly insane.

One-third of the runners come from outside the United States...and they cancelled the marathon on Friday evening. My friend's mom came from London to watch her run (and now they are likely stranded in Greenpoint) and my friend's friend flew in from London to run. But no one is, because of bad feelings.

Don't get me wrong - I was VERY conflicted about running. But the cancelling of it - why and how it happened - and the blaming and the media circus - were wrong. It is not NYRR's fault that FEMA didn't get their act together to give out water.

My running club is planning on running to a volunteering point in Red Hook and helping out. I'll be there but I must admit, it's with a heavy heart. I had planned on PRing, running a fast marathon. I think if I had flown in from another country, I'd be like, "Screw volunteering." I'd be pissed at the city of NY. I'd be angry with the people, with how transit is messed up. And yeah, I'd be angry at my mom too.

But it's a bunch of things, it's controversial and all I know is, I'm drinking more champagne to forget at this wedding we are already late for. Four-hour lines for gas are not fun, but they are in Brooklyn.

"The Perfect Storm"

I was annoyed at the usage of "The Perfect Storm." That made it sound like a good thing. But really, for a lot of people in my neighborhood, it seemed that.

We didn't  lose power, internet, water. Nothing of my boyfriend and mine was damaged - we were so lucky. Everyone had a few free days off of work - in fact, if you head out, you'll notice all the bars are packed mid-day.

My job was in full effect - we were working the entire time. Normally we can work at home, and once the electricity went down in our building downtown (thus, killing our servers), we switched to using gmail and skype to communicate and worked offline. It kind of worked, a lot better than most would think. It was incredibly difficult to concentrate - esp as the wind was whipping around outside, as we listened to NPR and heard the horrifying stories of what had happened. I could barely concentrate.

My aunt and uncle lost their beautiful house, right on the water. They figured water would come in, so they stacked stuff up on high - not realizing the power of the water that nothing was safe, even things up high. The water came in, flooding, knocking down walls, taking away the floor boards, windows. My aunt lost irreplaceable things, jewelry, so much. It was so sad. Their house is destroyed and will probably be condemned.

Lower Manhattan still doesn't have power. The Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel are both still closed, with water inside. Many of the subway lines aren't open. Cell phones are bad for everyone. Some people can't drink their water. It is horrible.

And it gets worse, trees fell on people, killing them. 100 houses in Breezy Point, burnt to the ground. So much devastation...

An acquaintance posted on Facebook that Hurricane Sandy was "boring." They didn't lose power or internet or get flooded. What, you think devastation is exciting? Obnoxious.

The NYC Marathon is still happening this weekend. To be honest, I feel conflicted. I am excited to run - but there is so much devastation and sadness, it's hard to send your mind there and be as excited about it - esp when my aunt and uncle lost their home. They came and watched me run the marathon a few years ago, and Aunt Patti is definitely my favourite aunt (and always has been).

What can you do? What can you say to someone who just lost almost everything physically they have? She barely got out - waded in out in waist-high water. I'm so glad she has her life...but in a way, it seems weird to think, "Yay, I'm running a marathon."

So I'll celebrate. I'll think of her while I run and dedicate my run to her. I've dedicated runs to people in physical pain before (my grandfather, my grandmother) but this time, I'll dedicate what I do for her.

I better run a 3:14 now, ha!

NYC Marathon

I must admit, I am excited to run the NYC Marathon this year...

The Road To The Finish from StoryView on Vimeo.

Why did I decide to do the NYC Marathon?

This is question, and a moment for reflection, I suppose.

I've gotten way more into ultras in the past few years and I find it to be more fitting. I was a decent marathoner - I qualified for Boston a bunch of times and ran it three times - but I'm a better ultrarunner. I don't mind going long. I can keep going when others quit. I know how to push past pain (though I might be crying when I do that). But the trails, the pretty places, the views - they surpass anything I've seen in a marathon. And the people are much, much friendlier - they will stop or slow down or even throw away their race to help you - even if you are a stranger. It's the culture I like. In my local road running club, most people are quite friendly - but overall, in a road race, it's not the same. It's a lot of elbows and "how many minutes per mile did you do" and "what's your age grade" and all that sort of talk. Not about the love of your life and your dreams and all that good stuff.

But I decided to do NYC Marathon - it IS a very fun race, my running club goes into ecstasy over it, the crowds rock, it goes right by my house, my parents and friends watch me....

But this year, it's $216 for members. I ran 113.75 miles for just $24 a few weeks ago. Why? Big money appearance fees. Overtime for cops. And the recent article abt Mary Wittenberg in the NYT shows you where it goes.

I feel weird about it - it's SO much money. But it is so much fun. But, but, there are so many other races.

Next year, I'll be back at Javelina. I'll cheer my friends on, hand them candy bars. But I think my super competitive marathoning days are over, maybe. I know my heart belongs to the land of the trails and long and strong.

But you know what? I'm going to run in a tutu this year and I'm going to have fun and it's going to be good. Because you know what? I'll be running - and to me, that's the best thing in the world.

Why Don't I Care About the NYC Marathon Anymore?

In a moment of stupidity, I signed up for the lottery for the NYC Marathon. Even worse, my boyfriend (who has a half PR faster than me) agreed to pace me in the Brooklyn Half to qualify me in case I didn't make it.

But now, waiting for the results of the lottery,

I don't want to get in.

It seems sacrilegious; the NYC Marathon used to be my favourite race. Yes, it used to be. But now, I prefer trails. I prefer the chill helpful amazingly fun kind community of ultrarunning. I prefer to spend much less on a race - for four times as much distance. I prefer the beauty I see in nature. I also don't like road running, don't like the "OMG I was off by three seconds per mile!", don't like the energy, the vibe as much. Of course b/c it's NYC, it's a blast - the people are what makes it awesome (the crowds of diverse people, the music...). But honestly, if I get my choice, it's Pinhoti.

But if I get in...the entry fee is more than any race I've ever done. To throw it away...no, I'll just instead run it in a tutu as a speed workout for whichever 100 I want to do! 

My backup 100 choices are:

• Cajun Coyote, which I did last year and loved, mainly b/c the RDs and volunteers were freaking SO MUCH FUN!
• Chimera 100 Miler, which is supposed to be hard but beautiful!

NYC Marathon...As A Spectator

It was a weird feeling to NOT be running the NYC Marathon on Marathon Sunday. However, after an ass-kicking flu all weekend, I doubt I could have finished the course...or maybe I could have, but the time would be nothing I'd want to share.

Friday I started by feeling like I had a cold, but after my Spanish class, I was horizontal. Shivers, fevers, coughing, throat hurt, exhaustion, inability to move, all that good stuff that goes along with the flu. Stuck in bed, I read, slept, followed my friends' excitement abt the marathon via Twitter and FB.

And today, I felt a million times better - but still, not great. I went and handed water to the runners, and couldn't wait until the end (despite the fact that I arrived late) - I was just too exhausted. I went home and curled up in my bed with my little cat.

Is it stupid to run when you're so sick? How can you not? But how can you propel yourself when physically, your body is cursing you out?

Despite the flu shot, this flu had been a long time in the coming. I haven't had the flu since college (and my college years are long gone), and I've been staying up too late, getting lots of migraines, stressing lately. So getting sick essentially kicked my ass. And I hope it's over.

Still, the urge to go back to bed....

Going to the marathon today was very important to me. My most regular running partner, Nelson, along with many other awesome members of my team, including Mary, Katie, Mishka, Zandy, Fernando, Anna, and too many others to name, were running and I wanted to show my support. I bundled up and handed water to runners, cheering them on. It was SO weird to not be there, scanning the crowds for my parents and friends as I would push myself again, hoping for that oh-so-tantalizing PR that I always wanted. Can we ever get it? If we push enough, and things are right...it's never something you can easily predict.

And now, I'm going to make a cuppa tea and head to bed to curl up with the latest Jeffrey Eugenides...and my kitty!

"The" Marathon

If you live in a little city called New York, when people talk about "the" marathon, as if there were just one marathon in the world, they're referring to the New York City Marathon. I've run it six times, had a blast every time, but I must confess:

I'm done.

Oh, sure, I say this. I wouldn't mind running it just one more time, maybe next year, and trying to break 3:25 or even 3:20, old goals of mine. I was close - but not quite there. But now I feel SO far...so much slower.

I stopped doing marathons because they're hard to allow other things into your life, or, in my case, the other things being ultras. I have a ton of endurance; I can run farther than most people, but that speed...kind of died off. I do speed workouts, but they're not quite the same as it used to be when I was a 3:28 marathoner.

Last year, two weeks after doing Javelina, a race where I was incredible pain, crying, hallucinating, crawling much of the last 40 miles (Okay, I wasn't literally crawling, but...), I had intense swelling. (Cankles!) I spent a good bit of time getting a massage, but my legs were still not back to normal by the time THE marathon rolled around, so I decided I'd have fun. I wore a pink running skirt with pink feathers covering the bottom, and ran, chatting with friends through various points of the race. ("So do you think this means he likes me? I mean, I bring my laundry to his house in NJ?" "Leslie, I do think so!"), enjoying the day. But I didn't have IT in me. I didn't have that burning desire. It didn't feel like much of a massive accomplishment. I had finished a 100 miler in agony, over 100 miles actually, and the marathon, despite my second-slowest time, still was nowhere near as hard.

So I decided to take a year off.

Sometimes, your decisions really bother other people. Everyone keeps asking me. "So where can I watch you run THE marathon this year?" Nowhere, actually. Unless you want to see me hand water out - then, come by mile 12. I'm going to wear a bright pink shirt so my friend Nelson can see me. "Why won't you do THE marathon?" I'm not feeling it. Is that a good enough reason? "It's too short for you." Well, it is short, but that's actually nice. I mean, done in 3-4 hours? Sweet!

(And then there's the conversation I loathe:
Me: I run.
Person: Oh. What do you run?
Me: I run ultras, 50 mile, 100 mile races.
Person: Wow. That's crazy. That's incredible. I can't even 1 mile.
Me: Yeah...
Person: Have you ever done THE marathon?
Me: Yes, I've done it six times. That's only 26.2 miles. But yeah, I've done it. I like ultras better though.)

People get obsessed with THE marathon. I know, because I was super obsessed. It was the one day where people celebrated ME. My parents would come in and watch me at three spots, my mom lugging around homemade cookies and bars and brownies in a backpack. My sister even came one year. My boss would show up with a sign or a pompom. (How many people can say that of their boss? YAY!) My coworkers would be out there with bells. My friends would be cheering me on. Every year, people would witness me doing what I love most: RUNNING.

But running on roads isn't as fun. It hurts. It tears your body up more than running on trails. The crowds are nuts. The logistics of THE marathon (getting up super duper early, the corrals, everything) are stressful and a pain.

But the crowds cheering you on rock.

I'm torn, really. I'm part of a running club where everyone is 100% obsessed. It's like there's no other race at times.

I'm really excited about running the Cajun Coyote 100 Miler in December. But I think, "Maybe I should've tried one more year..."

I secretly want to try to qualify the last year I'll be able to qualify with a half-marathon time; maybe train faster in January-March, hopefully being able to once again, smash 1:37 like it's nothing. And if I did that, automatic entry. And then I'd give myself one more try to break 3:25.

But that's a lot of speed. Not as much time on the trails. Not as much time out there for long. Can ultras and marathons cooperate? I don't know. Can ultrarunners be marathoners? Sometimes. But I don't know what I want.

When I think of why running makes me happy, I remember the Iroquois Trail 50 Miler, when I was running FAST FAST FAST, up and down, on these absolutely gorgeous trails, enjoying the moments, pushing, pushing, pushing, fast, fast, oh look at the leaves, up, down, amazing, runners' high...

I have less of those moments in the dirty NYC streets...

It's a conflict I have within me, but I'll see if I can break through.

New York City Marathon Race Report

Funny how I've procrastinated writing this race report. I had a blast, though my time itself was my second slowest marathon time ever.

I ran Javelina just two weeks prior to NYC Marathon. I dealt with severe ankle, foot, and leg swelling following. A week post-Javelina, the swelling was still terrible, and I got a sports massage. That helped immensely, but I found any run, even of a distance of only 3 miles, left my legs feeling tired. The entire time I'd want to stop. That's not me. I think ideally I should have taken off a few weeks.

My team, North Brooklyn Runners, was super excited. I grabbed onto some of their energy and hoped the combination of that and the crowd support would pull me along.

Kurt, Miriam, Rob and I shared a cab to the Mid-Manhattan Buses, and they were all super nervous. I was excited. However, when I got to the freezing start at 6:15 a.m. and had to wait until 9:40 a.m. to run, I was more than a little cranky. I  alternated between that and super excited, amusing Kurt.

I started in the last corral in wave one. I worried I'd be running alone, but that wasn't the case. I was running with some seriously fantastic people - I know because I took the time to chat with them.

I decided I could approach the race two ways - I could race my heart out and probably crash, and be seriously disappointed I didn't PR.

Or I could run my heart out but not kill myself - run with my heart. Enjoy the crowds, run as fast as I could but enjoy the race.

I chose the latter option and it was great. I wore my pink flamingo running skirt, and the crowds loved it. "Pretty in pink!" "Tutu!" "Pink tutu!" "Princess!" I got a lot of great shouts, and I waved to everyone, enjoying the attention. A little different than Javelina, where I was often running alone. I guess my hallucinations kept me company!

The race was fun. Brooklyn is the best, of course. The people are astounding. I love past running past that school in Fort Greene where that high school band play the Rocky Theme song on repeat. I saw my boss, my parents, tons of friends, and my beloved team, NBR, at Mile 12. That was the best mile. In Greenpoint, I saw Cara and Jason. I missed Rachelle. I missed a lot of people. Some of them saw me as a pink feathery blur.

Queens. I saw Rachel & Megan & Gwendolyn & Ofer. I ran, feeling happy. I ate pretzels while I ran (Thanks, NBR & Mom & Dad). I waved at the crowds. I slapped little kids' hands.

1st Avenue. It started hurting more and more. I ran into Shawn. We caught up with each others' lives. "You're dating a person w/ kids too?" We laughed, traded stories. I let him go in the mid-80s. 

My parents at 90th St. Then Lesley at the gel station. Lesley and I ran together for a while. We talked about being in love (me) or the tension situations (L). We ran into the Bronx.

"God, this hurts." My hips ached. My stomach hurt. I pushed. The Bronx won't let you stop. C'mon, Boogie-down Bronx.

Back into Manhattan. No more bridges. Crowds in Harlem. Smiles. Shouts. It's like you're a rockstar. You don't get that in an ultra. You also don't get miles of shin-slapping pavement. Run faster. And on. The crowds love you. Love you.

Mom and Dad again. Know Mom has magic cookie bars in her bag and I'm starving. 

Mile 24 sucks. Why are all these people shouting? Can't they just shoot me and get it over with? Oh my god, my hips are killing me. Is this a 40-minute mile or what? Where is this stupid finish line? Oh my god, Central Park has way too many hills. Yeah, I know I look pretty in pink, but I feel like hell.

Mile 25. Pretzels and water. And...MAGIC.

Passing people. Later. I'm fast. I'm magic. That's right, I'm pretty in pink. This tutu is full of endorphins. Faster. Yeah, I know I'm awesome, thanks crowds. Yeah, yeah, YAY!

I'm so proud of myself - two weeks after Javelina, and still finishing! I celebrated with my parents - magic cookie bars and lunch, and then, lots of drinks and wonderful food with my awesome team. It was a great New York Day - and a super fun race. My thwarted sense of pain means this race hurt really bad - but hey, it's nothing, NOTHING compared to Javelina.

New York City Marathon on Sunday!

I should be feeling more excited, but right now, I'm filled with nervousness and dread, especially now that I started a brand-new cold. Luckily, today is the worst day, so I should be ready Friday, but I'm mostly nervous.

I'll be wearing my infamous Javelina pink flamingo skirt so if you see me en-route, say hi. I'm looking forward to seeing my parents along the course...and you!

NYC Marathon Race Report

Last Sunday was my fifth New York City Marathon, and my eighth marathon. Everyone was constantly saying to me, "Oh, a marathon? 26.2 miles is nothing to you." I disagreed with them before, during, and after the race. 

I like ultras better because you can stop and that's fine (even normal!), you meet tons of people because you're talking, you get to run slow, you see amazing nature, dirt is soft your feet, changing terrain is interesting.

However, as far as marathons go, I adore New York. The diverse neighborhoods, the people, my friends, family, coworkers (even boss) are all out there cheering me on. The communities really give so much of themselves and you understand why NYC is such an amazing place.

I had a tough race -- mentally and physically. I was aiming for 3:22, though I really wanted sub 3:20. I started out running strong. My first mile was slow because somehow all these 9:30 milers were ahead of me (!) and I had to shove through them all to be able to run a decent pace. I held strong, passing my parents and boss at mile 8 exactly when I was supposed to.

At one point early on, I felt pain, but ignored it -- I drew my energy from the crowds, from my fellow runners. I had a HUGE smile on my face -- nearly the entire time. It is such an amazing race -- even if you don't run marathons, do NYC once. You will be blown away.

Williamsburg was nice, and I saw all my friends from my running team, North Brooklyn Runners, at mile 12. Mile 13 was right by my house, and I felt good. I pushed over the Pulaski Bridge, and saw Megan and Kesha (coworker and former coworker) just past the bridge. I was struggling and starting to feel out of it but kept pushing.

Before we turned onto the 59th St Bridge, I saw these people with a table of food. I found I could no longer eat. (Part of my problem I later see is that I woke up too early, ate breakfast before 5am, and only had a gu and started running at 9:40. Not enough food...) "Please, food! Do you have pretzels?" I ate a bite of apple spice cake and a handful of pretzels. I was able to focus and pick it up.

On the bridge, well, I think if I jumped into the East River I might have felt better. My pace drastically slowed and everyone passed me. Ugh.

On 1st Avenue, I picked it up. How could I not? Like an idiot, I put my name on my shirt, and people would not shut up. Okay, I'll run faster.

After I passed my parents at 91st St, I was still on target for a PR, but not a 3:18.

Harlem...dragged...feet...hurt...felt...like..passing...out...

The Bronx. I stopped to pee. I stopped in a medical tent for pretzels (yes, I eat like an ultrarunner). I hated the Bronx. I always fall apart in the Bronx.

In Manhattan again. WTF? How was I so far north? To run all the way DOWN to 59th St, crosstown, and then up to 68th St? Is there a bus I could take? At least in an ultra, I can munch a brownie or pretzels and walk for a few minutes and there's no shame. In this race, the crowd will not let you walk.

I looked down and saw Nelson's legs -- his red tribal tattoos make him stand out. I ran up to him, and we both admitted we felt hellish. I gave him some jelly beans.

I had a smile, though. At 97th St, I saw my amazing coworker who had a homemade pink pompom and a sign with glitter and my time: 3:22 (which I told her I wanted to break). I was bummed.

Into the park. Thank god. The crowds would not stop screaming. Stupid hills. I've run in this park more than anywhere else, yet it seemed so foreign. I pushed, but wanted to do. "Don't give up! Cherie!!!" I ran on.

I couldn't...wait...to...finish...

Running along the bottom of Central Park takes forever. When I heard the band at the bottom of the park, I felt relief...but then I had to run UPHILL to the finish. The crowds would not shut up. I pushed, I struggled...

I finished.

3:46. Far from my goal time, but I finished. I finished in the city of my love, NYC.

just for fun!

i am in the top 11.7% of all marathoners in sunday's nyc marathon, top 4.9% of women, and top 3.0% of those in my age group (20-29, women AND men!). yay!

nyc marathon 2008: 3:32!!!

this photo is of me after grabbing some pretzels at mile 8. yum. my tummy was a wreck before then (which is not a good thing!)

this year's new york city marathon was exciting! it always is. i felt a little nervous since i've been training for longer races (i have done three ultras since late june!), and thus, running slower, but apparently the longer races really prepped me. mentally, it was easier. after twenty minutes of running, my stomach started hurting, and i thought, "well, only about three more hours of running." ultrarunning preps you so that marathons seem like short runs. pretty crazy.

the race day started out cold. i was nervous b/c i hadn't had a BM in a few days. (does this seem like a dangerous dan entry? hah!) i wasn't feeling too hot, but was cheered by mark and shawn on the ferry. we stretched together, and then i left them as i was an orange start -- starting on the upper left of the verazzano narrows bridge (staten island).

i was hanging out with a group of australian runners (more than 50% of nyc marathon runners are from other countries), chatting about the race, about what we would drink afterwards. we all nervously chatted during the star spangeled banner (and the sound kept going in and out) and all of the sudden, the gun!

"we started?" i shrieked to the ozzies.

"i guess so!"

the start was below 40; i ran across the bridge in a thick ugly powder blue fleece. shortly after i emerged from the bridge (panting, it was pretty tough on the uphill), i tossed it to an eager spectator with outstretched arms.

brooklyn. 4th avenue. the bands. the spectators. cheering. little kids with their hands out. people already standing there with boxes of bananas (which seem revolting to me while running). my stomach started hurting, but i thought, "ah, a half hour passed, just three more hours."

there are over 2.5 million spectators in this race, so it's an absolutely amazing race for any runner to do -- whenever you feel down, there's someone yelling, "go PINK! GO PINK!" it's an absolute blast. there's the band that plays the rocky theme song repeatedly as the marathoners go by.

i saw my boss at mile 7, and then my parents and friends were at mile 8. i turned onto lafayette in fort greene, my favourite place of the race. it's early enough where you are still fresh and feeling good and pushing yourself, with tons of people, great music (an amazing african drumming group really pushed me), and oh yeah, TONS of obama fans!

turning onto bedford is always an experience. the hasidic jewish people ignoring the runners, a woman walking across the street with a stroller, acting oblivious. quickly we entered latino williamsburg (yay! always great cheering!) and then hipster williamsburg. soon, into greenpoint, MY hood! i felt great, esp when i saw rachelle.

long island city was great b/c gwendolyn was there with a hot pink sign -- lovely surprise! i was ecstatic. my stomach throughout was bothering me, but i kept forcing myself to eat and drink and take endurolytes and drink gatorade.

i felt good on the bridge. i have done hill repeats on the bridge many times, but on marathon sunday, ugh, i really felt the incline. once i got to the top, i pushed myself down.

and onto 1st avenue!

1st avenue gives you goosebumps. you'd have to be dead to not get them, so says one famous runner. there are people so thick the people in the back can't see the course, but everyone is screaming, holding signs, going nuts. bars and restaurants hold marathon brunches, people are hanging out of windows. it's amazing. my stomach really started hurting me, but i forced down another gel and pushed on.

at 90th st, i saw my coworker john who went absolutely nuts. it really cheered me up. a block later, crista and tray and my parents. i got some gummy bears, forced them down, kept going.

on the willis avenue bridge, i decided, "i will not let the bronx get me down." and i didn't. i kept pushing.

i saw sin-d walking her little dog and it totally cheered me up. i grabbed an orange from someone. i kept going.

my stomach hurt me. i ran in harlem, cheering on the obama fans, them cheering me on. great music. passed a bunch of people.

saw the fam again just before i entered central park. in the park, i really started to get emotional.

"i won't run 3:25 [my goal] but i'll def PR." i kept pushing myself.

i passed people, i soaked in the screams and the cheers.

and i finished in 3:32! i was so emotional i almost started crying. immediately, i felt dizzy and a volunteer walked with me, but soon i recovered. i downed a bottle of water, and met my mom (with a magic cookie bar; thanks, mom!) after seeing shawn. it was so great.

after, we all gathered at my apt to eat food, drink sangria, and talk running. and those are my favorite things in life.

i think i'm going to take up a gentler sport...like football

who knew running was a contact sport?

of all the crazy trail races i do, the time i get the most injured running is in front of a club in my neighborhood on a street i've probably run down 100 times. i was running with crista, chatting abt nyc decompression (we went on sat and had a blast -- i'll post photos soon) when suddenly, i was tripping over a piece of sticking up concrete and hit the pavement and SLID! the palms of my hands are covered in cuts and are sore (and typing is slightly painful), my right shoulder is missing a large hunk of skin, there are cuts, scrapes and bruises on my elbow and legs and knees. ow.

then, this morning, miserable rain, gale-force winds, i did my last speed run (15 min tempo at MGP, 8xaccelerations of 150-200 meters) and just as i was finishing my tempo run (which i actually planned on doing 20 min), i slid as i was pushing it across the street. luckily, there were no cars, but i completely slid into a puddle, slamming into the ground. my left knee was throbbing, my gloves and pants were soaked, and i was more miserable than i have been in a while. my palms are still smarting from sunday's smash into concrete, and my shoulder is aching and it hurts to lift my arm.

but you know what? i'm so psyched for sunday's nyc marathon!

i can't believe i did this!

mile 18

"The truth is that running hurts."
Unknown

funniest thing i heard during the nyc marathon

in brooklyn, along lafayette: RUN, MOTHERFUCKERS, RUN

i was running with a bunch of european guys at this point, and this french and belgium guy were both laughing hysterically, saying, "yes, this is brooklyn."

yes, it is.