NYC Marathon Recap

Journey to the start (Ana)

One of the big things for marathon day is what will race day weather be like, especially for the NYC marathon which requires you to be up early for transport to the start line on Staten Island but but your actual start time could be several hours later. This requires planning the appropriate clothing and food for the 5+ hour journey (in my case). A few months out it was forecast to be a low in the 30s and a high in the 40s. Over time, the weather slowly changed to looking like potential rain and a higher temperature. Race day weather ended up being less than ideal and quite warm for November in New York, with a low in the mid-60s and a high in the 70s with very high humidity. So much for all the warm clothes we planned on wearing and then donating to charity at the start line! We ended up still taking all the clothes with us so we could still donate them.

Line to get on ferry

 My wave did not start until 11:30, but before I even had this information I had to select my transport from Manhattan to Staten Island. My friend that I was going with (Renee) was going to be in an earlier wave than me, but we wanted to go together so we selected the 7:30 am ferry. We were up before 6 am and did not have to wait long to get a train to the ferry station around 6:40 am. The train was absolutely packed with people and it did not look like we would fit but we managed to squeeze in. It was crazy how full it was and even more people got on. We made it to the ferry station early and managed to get onto the 7:15 am ferry to Staten Island (which was also pretty packed). We went outside on the back of the boat so we could get great view on this journey. This was my first time on a boat in New York City and it was really cool to get to go by the Statue of Liberty

Once we got off the ferry we had to walk up to the street and wait for bus to transport us to Fort Wadsworth, the location where the marathon starts. To say it was a total sh!t show would not be an understatement. There were busses lined up along the sidewalk and people as far as the eye could see trying to get on the busses. We were in the back and it was maybe 20-30 people deep trying to get on a bus.  There was one guy yelling for people to step back and to keep walking toward the front. Renee and moved up a little. We watched to busses pull up in our area and people fill them up and there was no movement in our line. I wondered if we should move up, but then one tiny school bus pulled up at the back where there was no line and opened its door. A few people rushed toward it and I grabbed Renee and and we ran toward the door. I wasn't sure we would be able to get on and then the next thing I knew we were in the last seats on the bus and on our way to the start village. We later read on a marathon help face book page that some people waited over 2 hours to get on a bus! I was so thankful we made it in only 10 or 15 minutes. 

Upon the arrival to the start village we had to clear security and then look for our appropriate start village based on the color we were assigned (I was orange which started on the top left side of the Verrazano Bridge). We found orange start village and realized it was just some booths with food and drinks, including one from Dunkin' Donuts. We ended up walking back to a grassy area that had some shade to hang out until our waves started. We ate some food, put on sun screen, used the porta potties multiple times (there were plenty of them!), and tried to pass the time. Renee was gone within an hour to start with her wave and I had another hour on my own which was excruciating because there was zero cell service due to almost 50,000 people trying to use their phones at the same time. Finally it was my time to head to the start wave and soon we were off.

Miles 1 & 2 Mike Appel

So there I was finally running the iconic New York City marathon after 6 months of planning, thinking, training, and stressing. It was so surreal to be running across the Verrazano Bridge toward Brooklyn after this being all I had thought about for so long. The first stretch was supposed to be the steepest section of the race, but the excitement of being there made it seem like nothing. There are no spectators on the bridge so its just you and the sound of feet for a couple of miles. The view from my side of the bridge (left) is looking towards Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, which was lovely. I guess sometimes the fire boats will be out there blowing red, white, and blue water, but if they were there that day, they were already gone by the time I started.

Soon we were on the downhill stretch and heading into Brooklyn. One borough done, four to go! It was great to make it the party that was Brooklyn. When people say that the NYC Marathon has the best spectators they are not lying (sorry Chicago, you don't compare). THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE! I think maybe it is just their excuse for a big party when the streets are closed and I'm sure having it be the first full capacity marathon since the pandemic started (2020 was virtual and 2021 was only 25,000 people) helped. I really tried to embrace the moment and high-five all the people, especially the kids.

                                                                   Mile 3 (Brooklyn): Cari

The Brooklyn party continued and I kept ticking off the miles (I took photos and sent them to the sponsors, but they aren't exciting enough to share here). 

4: Vanessa Feagin

5: Kim Groebner

6: Juli Goldstein

7: Grishma Kharod

8: Mike Stoddard

9: Catherine Garcia

I was VERY excited about hitting mile 8, sponsored by my uncle Mike because my cousin Garret was going to be there waiting for me with his girlfriend Kai! I haven't seen Garret in over 10 years (he was still a young teenager) and had never met Kai. They both wanted to hug me but I said no because I was so sweaty, but they insisted on hugging me anyways. It was so amazing to see them and such a boost since it really was not the best day. After this I got progressively more and more miserable because of the heat and humidity. Around Mile 10 (Mara and Janice) is when it really hit the fan. I didn't feel great and I really wanted some water. At the aid station THEY HAD RUN OUT OF CUPS, so there was no way to get fluids unless you had your own container. It was ridiculous. The same was true of the aid station for mile 11 (Jeannie and Jerry). As a side note, around miles 10 and 11 is the neighborhood of Williamsburg which is predominately inhabited by Hasidic Jewish people. Because of this there are no spectators and no cheering...like almost deafening silence. All you hear is the sound of your feet and your thoughts of misery. 

The cup given to
me by an angel

After I discovered there was no way to get fluid at mile 10, I texted my friend Jessica to ask her to please get me a bottle of water (she was meeting me at mile 13). Shortly after that I had the most miraculous thing happen, a lone Hasidic Jewish girl was standing at the edge of the sidewalk with a cup of water extended out toward me. It was the most incredible thing that happened to me that day. I kept the cup until I saw Jessica and could carry the bottle the rest of the way. From there on it was honestly just a sufferfest. I probably should have gone even slower than I already was at the beginning because of the weather, but alas, here I was miserable and not even half way through the race. I really didn't care about my finish time, my whole goal with the NYC marathon was to just enjoy the experience. This is my biggest regret that day is that I definitely got caught up in my misery and missed out on some of the experience. I wanted to take tons of photos and videos and interact with the crowd. Oh well it is what it is. 

I made it through mile 12 (Hilary Gaughen) and got to see another angel, my college roommate Jessica! I was sooooo happy to see her and she was there at mile 13, the mile that she sponsored, with a lovely bottle of water. We hadn't seen each other since 2018 when I went to visit her in Costa Rica the year she was living there with her family. It was another boost I need and she had the great news that she was going to be waiting for me at mile 22! Another thing to look forward to!

Mile 13 with Jessica!

So from there on out I was just ticking off the miles until I got to Jessica again. Right after I left her it was on to the Pulaski Bridge (mile 14: Dianna Blau) which took me into Queens (mile 15: Morgan Brown) and then pretty quickly onto the dreaded Queensboro Bridge (mile 16: Dana Haberling) which takes you into Manhattan for the first time. So I was three boroughs down and two to go (we visit Manhattan twice). 

View from the Queensboro Bridge (Dana Haberling)

According to NYC Marathon lore, coming off the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan is supposed to be an amazing experience. This is mainly due to transition from the silent Queensboro Bridge where no spectators are allowed to a wall a sound from spectators in Manhattan. Maybe it was because I was in the last wave, but this was not my experience (although I may have just been in a told brain fog and blocked it out). It still was very cool and turning the corner off the bridge was very pretty. I soon hit miles 17 (Jono Berry) and 18 (Rita Traxler), but 26.2 seemed a gazillion miles away. As a side note, I am not posting most of my selfies from my miles like I did from Chicago because, although I was completely miserable, I am smiling and not looking that miserable. I think this is just because I was just happier to be one mile closer to the finish.

And then I got to mile 19 (Jules Crumley)...and this is where everything changed for me. I just felt so miserable running (alright it was actually more of a jog) but knew that I was not going to give up. Walking felt so much better. I started doing the math (which honestly isn't easy that far into a run) and realized in the remaining 7 miles I could power walk and only add on about another 15-20 minutes to my time. So that's when I made the decision I was going to walk and not feel bad about it (and actually physically feel better). It really was the best decision! It took so much pressure off me and now I was just focusing on making it to mile 22 where I got to see Jessica again. Mile 20 (Suzy Kohin) took me over the Willis Avenue Bridge and through the Bronx. Mile 21 (Andrew Berry) was an epic achievement of crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge, the last bridge (!!!), bringing me back into Manhattan. Every year you will see Emily with he the LAST DAMN BRIDGE sign handing out treats (which were very much needed this year). Make sure you stop and say hi, and maybe even take a picture if you ever run the marathon!

LAST DAMN BRIDGE

Only 5 miles left and one mile to Jessica! I was so happy to back in the final borough, Manhattan (again), running through Harlem. The sun was starting to set, the lighting was amazing, and the finish was in reach. Soon I was at mile 22 (Bob Broilo) and got another quick visit with Jessica before I headed off on the last four miles!

Sunset in Harlem

Mile 23 (Jane and RJ) was done in a flash and the next thing I knew I was entering Central Park and finishing mile 24 (Nick and Nova). Mile 25 (Amy McMinn) took me down the east side of the park. 

So close!!!!

Soon I was at my last mile and it was really dark. Mile 26 takes you out of Central Park and onto 59th Street along the south edge of the park. Renee and another friend from work, Caitlin, were going to be somewhere close to the finish line. Caitlin texted that they were going to be at the stage by Columbus Circle. As I am reading her text right now to write this blog I realize I completely misread what she had written. In my mind at the time, I thought her text said they were right before the stands at the finish line. Renee texted she was just past the 800 meters to go sign on the left. In my mind I was thinking that 800 meters to go was after the 26 mile marker and inside the park (so a fraction of the 0.2 left to go), when I reality it would have been about a 1/2 mile to the finish. Math is hard!

You can see in the video how in the zone I was wanting to get to where I thought my friends were. I cannot believe I didn't hear them yelling for me. Needless to say, I totally missed both of them and spent the last 0.2 miles looking for them and getting totally disoriented before I hit the finish line in confusion. Once I crossed the finish line I wanted to take a selfie that showed me with the finish line banner, but they don't actually have one, just markers on the ground. At that point I just gave up and wanted to get my medal and food and go find Renee. I wish I would have soaked it all in more, but such is life.

Crossing the finish line (Dad)

I did it!!!!

Getting from the finish line back to the hotel was a marathon in itself (Renee sponsored this section which was fitting since we did most of it together). It was a little over a 1/2 mile to get from the finish line to 77th Street to exit Central Park). From there it was another mile to meet up with Renee at Lincoln Center and then another mile walk back to our hotel. Once we got there it was time for some stretching, a nice long shower, and some food (we got Smashburger)!

Despite the fact that I was miserable and there was a lot of complaining in describing the day for me, it was still the most amazing race I have done. Yes it would have been nice to have cooler temperatures, but maybe the crowds were so big because of the weather! Nothing really can compare to the NYC marathon. I also have to say that while marathons are a very selfish endeavor that take us away from many other things in our lives, there are two really important things beyond me that are associated with being able to do this race. 

The first is getting entry through running with Back on My Feet, which led to me volunteering for the Atlanta Chapter. I did have to pull back some on volunteering leading up to the marathon because it got to be too much with the training, but I will start running with them again soon. The weekend of the marathon we got to attend a brunch with all the other fundraisers, volunteers, and members of Back on My Feet.  We learned how we raised almost $350,000 and what that money would be used for. One new member talked about what BOMF has done for him and how it is has changed his life. It really does mean a lot to be doing a sport I love (most of the time) with a charity that uses the same sport to help people improve their lives and the money I raised is part of that. You can still donate to the charity here. 

Back on my Feet Brunch Marathon Weekend

The second thing that really made the entire race have a bigger meaning was running the race in the memory of the tissue donor for my ACL repair. I had sent his family a letter and my Triple Peach medal from 2019 and I got a letter back from them in October of 2020. Their son Bubba (his nickname) had died in a motor cycle accident at the age of 25 They kept the medal with some other keepsakes of him and asked me to keep them updated on my recovery. The memory of this letter popped up on my Facebook feed just a few weeks before the marathon and I took as a sign that I needed to try to find them.  Contact between donor families and recipients is somewhat anonymous, but I was able to find Bubba's mom on Facebook through the information she sent in her letter. I wasn't sure if it would be unwelcome contact, but I took a chance and sent her a message. I heard back from her within a few days and she was very happy I reached out. She ended up donating to Back on my Feet (yes I was balling when I saw it) and told me that Bubba's 30th birthday would have been three days after the marathon. I have kept in touch with her ever since and hope that one day we can meet in person.

For Bubba