Am I Real New Yorker Yet?

Cassandra G

Never in my life have the first 16 miles of a run gone by in the blink of an eye. Never in my life have I thought to myself  "Oh man, only 10 miles left?" with a tinge of disappointment. That all changed for me on Nov. 3, 2013 — my first NYC marathon. Of course, that disappointment of only having 10 miles left was quickly replaced by a remarkably strong desire to just get to the finish line already, but we'll get to that later. 

It all started back in May. I had only just gotten into running again, despite having completed two marathons (Pittsburgh and Buffalo) about three years ago. I didn't know any other runners when I moved to NYC, which led me to temporarily abandon the sport (don't worry, I promise that will never happen again). 

As a transplant, I'm chipping away at my "real New Yorker" points, and word on the street is that running the marathon is like a good 10 points. When the most recent spring arrived, I decided to lace up my shoes once again and get back out there. It was only a matter of days before I decided to enter the marathon lottery, believing fate would get me in if it were meant to be. I was heartbroken to learn that I didn't win a spot, but I didn't stop there — oh no, the ball was already in motion and I wasn't giving up that easily. By now, I had already decided that I will run the NYC Marathon, so, you know, that was that. 

I started exploring charity options and I was pleased to see the USO listed. I come from a long line of veterans, including my grandfather, father and both big brothers. I reached out the night I was rejected from the lottery, and by morning they called to say I was accepted off the waiting list and would have a spot in the marathon with them. It was an honor to run for an organization that benefits our troops, and I set up my personal fundraising page with information and photos to highlight why running for the USO resonates so deeply with me. I'm proud to say my generous family, friends and coworkers helped me reach my initial fundraising goal well before race day.

My Two Big Brothers and My Father

One thing I did differently this time around to prepare for my marathon was to join a structured training program. I enrolled in the New York Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP) for the training plans, group speedwork sessions, and coaching provided by the Run S.M.A.R.T. Project. Signing up for MTP instantly proved to be worth it, both because of the workouts, which I was definitely not disciplined enough to do on my own, and because of the amazing people I met, whom I know will be training partners and friends for years to come. Joining the NY Flyers was a decision that continues to keep me involved in the running community and around a generally-sane, even-keeled group of people who remind me that there is more to life than work — there is running, after all. 

Flyers MTP at Our Last Group Work-Out
Before the NYC Marathon

Four months and a good 40-degree temperature drop later, it was race weekend —  the biggest indicator being the arrival of my little Italian ma, armed with granola bars and holy water. It was time to do this thing — and I felt ready. 

Coincidentally, my first New York City Marathon also meant my first trip to Staten Island. Two birds with one stone, right there.  On race day morning, I felt excited and bolted out the door with a smile on my face!

My Flyers MTP training pals —  Amanda Y. and Kimberly T. —  and I decided to run together, which meant them coming all the way back to me in corral 68 and running on the bottom part of the bridge (pleased to report that we were not struck by any falling urine, which was a big, big concern of mine). Suddenly, after hours of anticipation, we were off, dodging jackets, hats and scarves that littered the ground.

Mile 16

I knew my mom, aunt and cousin would be waiting for me at Mile 16. Perhaps that is why the first 16 miles seemed to fly by. Or maybe it was the live bands playing on the corners in Brooklyn and Queens, or the gospel choir on the steps of a church, or the hilarious signs like "If a marathon were easy, it would be called your mom," or the dozens of people reading my name on my shirt and yelling "Go Cassie!," and even the ones who yelled "Go Casey!" (hey, I got the point). 

When I saw my family at Mile 16, it was the highlight of the day, the moment I had been waiting for. Running over for a quick hug is definitely what got me through till Mile 19 without so much as a glance at my watch. Mile 19. 

HUGS!!

That's where it alllllll started to change. Suddenly, this marathon thing was hard. I actually was in pain. I really kind of wanted to just stop. 

But I didn't. 

The trudge (that's right, it was a trudge) down Fifth Avenue to Central Park was really the most grueling part of the day. It felt like this race would never end. People were walking left and right, seemingly letting the pain get the best of them. Don't get me wrong —  it's not that I didn't want to walk, too. I just knew that if I started walking, I might not be able to start running again. So onward I trudged. 

Finally, Mile 25. Knowing my family would by now also be at the finish line (I got them grandstand tickets) put a little extra pep in my step right at the last minute. As I rounded the bend past Columbus Circle, I was overcome with joy. I knew any second I would spot my family. And any second after that I would cross the finish line. Suddenly, I saw them cheering for me on the sidelines and the tears hit —  yep, I totally cried. Ain't no shame in my game. With a final burst of energy, I sprinted towards the finish line, so happy to be finished and see this incredible experience come to a glorious close. 

Minutes later, a heavenly angel placed a warm, armhole-less poncho over my shoulders, rubbed my back and said, "See now, isn't that better?" Yes, dear woman, angel of God, it was better. With a medal around my neck and an orange poncho on my back, I shuffled the 10 blocks to meet my family and went straight for a New York slice of pizza. 

Then I walked another 15 blocks home. If that doesn't make me a real New Yorker, I don't know what will. 

-Cassandra G.

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A Visit to the Netherlands

A Visit to the Netherlands — Canals, Trains, Bicycles and Dunes

 

by Papa Bear

My wife and I spent 10 days in the Netherlands in September, primarily in the area near Amsterdam. For her it was to attend a meeting of an organization she belongs to. For me it was as a tourist and allowed me to spend the time learning about and enjoying a country I had never been to.

Yes, I did a little running, but that was almost an afterthought. I characterize this experiences as being about canals, trains, bicycles and dunes, in no particular order. Of course that means I left out windmills, churches, museums, dikes, statues, restaurants with great food, Peace Palaces, town squares, hidden churches, Market Day in Leiden, De Rosse Buurt, etc., etc. You could probably think of more. But I decided to concentrate of a few things and leave it to you to go there and check out the many other things. And yes, I would also enjoy going back to enjoy this beautiful country again. 

Enjoy,
Papa Bear

 

Canals: For drainage, for commerce, for defense and for relaxing

A

msterdam is a very old city, going back to the 13th century. It is said one of the original canals was formed when walls were built along the Amstel River to prevent flooding. A part canal / part street, the Damrak, follows the original course of this river from the harbor south to the town square. As the city grew, land was drained and canals served to carry drainage water to the harbor.

Looking south from the harbor through the old part of Amsterdam

A canal, once used to ship grain,
goes through a rural town

As time went by, dikes were built to keep out the tides and the canals served the function of commerce in bringing goods and people to and from Amsterdam and other coastal cities to the low lying countryside. Much of the form of Amsterdam with its concentric rings of major canals intercepted by small radial canals was built in the 17th century to promote residential development, commerce and defense. But to this day, drainage is an important function of these waterways. The windmills pumped, and the canals flowed in the never ending battle against the water.

The Singelgracht Canal

The canal shown in the top picture of this report (also the thumbnail to the right — click on it), with the flower decked bridge and grand estates, is the Singelgracht canal, which became the outer limit of the city during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th Century. The Rijksmuseum, a stately building housing many masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer, sits on the south side of this canal. It was my favorite spot in my short visit to the city. Look at the picture and you can see why.

Relaxing for food or drinks with friends

But in the current day, my impression is that the canals have become the locus for relaxation and elegant dining. I just want to sit by them, to walk along them, to eat next to them, and to travel by boat on them. We didn't get to do that on this trip  — there were just too many tourists competing for space on the tour boats. I guess I'll need to find out when the off season is.

Trains: clean, fast and cheap!

A local train stopping at Bloemendaal Station

Trains? What's so special about trains? Well, trains can be pretty ordinary, but in the Netherlands they are modern, fast, and they go everywhere. It would be as if the whole of New York State had service as good or better than Metro North. They will take you 5 miles to the next town or 300 miles to Paris or Frankfurt. I would say the long haul trains are on the level of Amtrak's Acela, only faster and cheaper.

A Tram outside of Amsterdam Central Station

And the fare system is universal from local trams (aka surface trolleys) and buses to high speed intercity trains. You just wave your card when you get on and again when you get off and it all gets figured out. Warning: don't forget to wave the card when you get off or you'll be charged for the furthest destination. Sort of like losing your ticket on the thruway. Think of it like a combination of a Metrocard, a Metro North ticket and an EasyPass.

We took trains from Haarlem to The Hague, then to Leiden and numerous times to Amsterdam, plus local buses, trams and metros (subways) along the way. This excellent transit system, plus the emphasis on bicycles for local trips, illustrates the Netherland's attempt to cope with the the issues of energy use and pollution.

Bicycles: they are everywhere and are used by everyone!

Bike parking lot at a suburban train station

One of the first things you will notice when you get to the Netherlands, is the bicycles. They are literally everywhere. All the roads (excepting the major highways) have bike paths, usually on both sides. And these are not like the pathetic bike paths in New York like those along First or Second Avenue. These are really separate from both the travel lanes and the pedestrian sidewalks. The intersections and the traffic lights are built with the bikers in mind. And everyone uses bikes. From kids just big enough to ride to grandmothers. And folks are (generally) not out biking, they are going somewhere — by the most efficient method. Almost everyone commutes to the local train station by bike. And the train stations have bike parking lots to accommodate them. Some roads have a single car lane for two-way traffic, but will have a bike lane on either side.

Kids riding in a wooden bin

Helmets? Never saw one while I was there. Folks are adept and don't fall down and cars would have a hard time hitting them given the layout. Little kids? Groceries? No fancy child seats, baskets or panniers, but usually just wooden bins. You frequently will see a couple of little kids in a bin riding in the front of a bike.

It's hard to describe how big a difference this culture of bikes is compared to any notion I carried with me from New York. But, as they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.

Here's a picture of a New York City bike rental station: And here's a picture of a bike parking lot for Amsterdam's Central Train Station: To use a word I usually like to avoid — Awesome!.

At Last, Some Running: over the Dunes in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park!

W

hen I planned for the trip to the Netherlands, I thought I would have opportunities to do some short runs near where we were staying and perhaps fit in a long run or two — after all, we would be there 10 days. Well, it didn't happen. First there was little time available considering the many "must see" and "must do" things that presented themselves. And secondly, the layout of the cities and towns were not particularly conducive to running. Yes, there were sidewalks and bike paths, but they were quite crowded with pedestrians and bikes. It seems everyone but a few of the population biked, and those few who didn't, walked. I think the only ones who drove cars were American tourists (only kidding).

But I did get to do a long run — twice! It turns out we were staying with my wife's friend, Ellie, in Bloemendaal, a place about 15 miles west of Amsterdam, a little north of Haarlem. Bloemendaal is about 4 miles from the North Sea and between it and the sea is a large National Park — Zuid-Kennemerland National Park — consisting almost entirely of sand dunes. Over the centuries these dunes supplied fresh water to Amsterdam and also protected the cities from flooding from the sea. Before the park was created, much of the area was undeveloped except for some large estates owned by the wealthy. The coming of the National Park protected this area as a watershed and as a unique natural environment. And because the area was laced with old roads and paths, these were designated as bike paths, hiking (and running) paths and equestrian paths. There are only a few areas accessible by auto and almost the entire park is slowly reverting to it's original natural state, including native flora and fauna. The next picture gives a good sense of the area. It was taken from a high dune about ⅔ of the way across to the sea. Click on the picture for a larger version.

And here's an excellent link with lots more information on this valuable resource: Zuid Kennemerland National Park (pdf)
 

View from a high dune of the North Sea and the Visitor's Center

Our hostess, Ellie, is an avid walker and suggested following a hiking path over to the North Sea and back, which was supposed to be about 12 kilometers, and which took about 4 hours round trip to walk. This seemed great, and I studied her map and took off early Sunday morning for my run. Unfortunately about halfway through, just before I should have reached the North Sea, I lost the trail and got disoriented. At first I asked walkers and bikers I encountered how to get to the sea (everyone spoke English, thank goodness) but after going this way and that, I gave that up and tried to ask how to get back. Unfortunately I didn't know the (Dutch) name of where I started, so that didn't work. Finally I recalled that there was a soccer club at the park entrance (actually more of a drinking club whose members occasionally played or watched some games on the field in front of the club) and if I asked how to get to the "football club", I was good. Eventually I got back safe and sound, with plenty of pictures and called it a day.

A week later I got to have a "do-over", only this time I took a map. I saw some beautiful areas, met some very tame "wild" animals and lots of nice folks, saw the sea, and got back fine and dandy. The mileage (see the route map below) was between 9 and 10 miles, but the dunes made that the equivalent of a good deal more. After finishing and studying the map I realized I was very close to the sea when I had given up on the previous attempt, but in retrospect I'm glad I did it twice. If you ever go to Amsterdam, find this place and take a nice run. But remember to get a map and take it with you.

I have put together a slideshow which shows the main points along the way. It's worth a look (it comes up in another window in front of this one). Here it is:    (Note: the slideshow runs at a fairly rapid rate. If you want to slow it down, move the mouse over the bottom of the picture and click the "+" on the "seconds".)

Here's a map of my route. Click HERE and you'll get an interactive Google Map.

USATF Map of the route over the Dunes

A word on our itinerary

W

e spent 10 days in the Netherlands (not counying the "red eye" trip from JFK the night before day 1). The amount of tourist + running activity I did could probably fit into 6 or 7 days. The rest involved various things we did associated with my wife's meeting. Our major activities that were of general interest were 1) a visit to The Hague and the Peace Palace, 2) a visit to Leiden for sight-seeing and to experience market day. 3) 3 trips to Amsterdam for sight-seeing, museums, etc., and 4) two long runs over the dunes, plus a number of lunches, dinners, walks in the woods, etc.

You could probably fit an equivalent amout of activity into a week's visit, but since the largest cost is almost always the air fare, I recommend you spend as much time there as you can afford to allocate. But of course that advice pretty much applies to any vacation.

Enjoy!

This post was adapted from a report on Papa Bear's web site: A Visit to the Netherlands

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An Historic type of Race, Set to a Modern City... and Still Breathes that SAME Competitive Drive

Dermot H

NYC has a lingering IV, laced in competition, that never seems to bottom out. Even after a SUPER Thrill, when the NYCM has the last runner cross the line and you'd think its finally tanked the the system, the "Drive" still drips away. 

If you remember from high school, or from Olympic Track+Field Events, the Relay Race is a meticulous feat + FULL Throttle excitement. In a relay race, all competitors handle the exact same conditions and distance (still FAR more exciting than NASCAR). But what if the course sections were different for each member running? This type of road race actually does exists, and it does have a name...It is called the "Ekiden."

The Ekiden is a relay race, involving at least two legs, where no leg has the same length (and/or path conditions), and most courses require team members to engage ONLY one leg. This term (Japanese) was originally coined for transport communications during the late 1800s––since all communications being relayed did not have a clean set distance interval, or the same terrain to cover. The first race using this naming was in 1917, for a journey from Kyoto to Tokyo (about 510km) commemorating the moving of Japan's capital city. The Ekiden is still a popular race style in Japan, and also has been an established part of high school /collegiate track events.

The idea of Ekiden is slowing coming Stateside, but VERY slowly I may add, when compared to other relay systems (Ragnar relay as an Example). And New York City is fortunate to claim stake to hosting an Ekiden, thanks to the NYCRUNs Ekiden. 

I have found the idea of THIS type of race very intriguing and needed NO hesitation to give it a go last year. I had heard of uneven relays before, but never knew the exact name, and never knew where they were hosted––besides out of country. An extensive display of support comes through for every team in participation, and a non-fading excitement. Fellow Flyer Adam M, and I signed up as a dynamic duo (and both of us were deep under "disabled active list" at the time). 

The swath of runners was literally from EVERY KNOWN LRG in the City. The low count of participants, when compared to other races, did not deprive this race at all (I think it brought in more attention from the bystanders). Most of the competitors were comprised into 4-person teams, engaging both the tradition and giving a fresh set of legs to each leg. The competition came out extremely fierce, regardless of the leg they were on, but the runners held a surprisingly strong camaraderie attitude.

NYCRUNS Ekiden 2012

Most of you who know me are likely to know that I'm never eager about shorter runs, especially anything involving stampede sensations. THIS race, however, really left a mark on me. I knew after that race was over I would be looking to relive it all-over again.

A year has nearly passed since the race was run, and the 2-Man Band is gonna be back at it...Hopefully NEITHER of us be injury-laden come December.

...So what's making THIS race important otherwise for us (i.e., Flyers)?

Its not every race that an opportunity like this comes around. As tight-knit a Running Group as we can be, it's one of those races to really exploit the best that we got. And by exploit, I mean the capacity to get runners bonded to common goals AND ability to smother the ambient airwaves with "Go Flyers!!" We have some great distance runners, alongside some great short ground runners, and BOTH feats are desired for such a course. It screams for us to TAKE OVER.

I also must make an important note, after learning of some special news.

I mentioned competition somewhere here, right? Since NYCRUNs is hosting this race, they have also raised the stakes–– by making this a points race towards the NYCRUNS Interclub Challenge. A NEWSFLASH for those not aware––we are currently hovering 5th Place, close-by amongst other big-named local running clubs, but we have a very good (but equal) opportunity at nabbing 3rd Place before 2013s closing.

But WAIT...It's all getting better!!!

NYCRUNs this year is debuting a Half Marathon, on the same day (later time), called the "Frozen Bonsai Half-Marathon." This race also is a POINTS race. It won't be two full dreaded Central Park loops, like a pre-manhattan half, so don't fret on that mental course image.

We have an ever-great opportunity at snagging some serious points, all done in ONE day, through two events....And maybe, just maybe, pulling a BIG upset for 3rd Place!!!

And let's not forget, on the same day as the Ekiden and the Frozen Bonsai Half is the Shoe4Africa 5K and Kids Races directed by the Flyers own Coach Toby T, with all of the "profits" going toward Toby's on-going mission to fund and construct a Children's Hospital in Kenya!

-Dermot H.

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Own 26.2: Chicago Marathon 2013

Lara K

My thinking of what my fall 2013 marathon was gonna be started off last year. Even though I have said that I wouldn’t want to run the Chicago Marathon until they push the race date back a week or two (given the bad luck the race has had with warm weather in the last few years-thank you global warming!) in the midst of commotion about a certain other big-city marathon and their emotional “baggage,” I got to thinking “you know, Chicago was really the best-organized marathon I have ever run. If the only thing that didn’t go right was the weather, well, you can’t blame that on the race director.” 

I loved the race when I ran it in 2010 and wanted to get another shot at it under (hopefully) better conditions. And so my marathon choice was made. 

It wasn’t all so easy, I had to make sure I got registered first. I had a feeling the race would sell out fast, given that things with NYCM were still in limbo and I’m sure people wanted to make sure their fall marathon plans were set. So ever-so-neurotic me just kept hitting refresh on the registration page a few minutes before it was supposed to open and jumped on it as soon as I had the chance––like that, I was in. However, not everyone had it so lucky, as they had to suspend registration with 15,000 slots remaining due to multiple server crashes, and then hold a lottery for the remaining 15K slots. Does this mean the future of the Chicago Marathon will totally go lottery? Let’s not think about that right now…

But who knew that registering would be the easy part compared to the training. Yep, was not my best training cycle between multiple Heatpocalypses, some personal conflicts and a coupla bouts with illness during the peak mileage month...well even though I got in my long runs (many thanks to the NYRR LTR’s we pacelead, the Palisades Run and last but not least-the 3 Bridges Run!) overall mileage took a hit and I had to accept I was gonna go into this one a bit undertrained and that there would be no PR or BQ on 10-13-13. So I set my goals for the day-enjoy it, finish sub-4 (keeping up my streak) and don’t wind up in the med tent. There. Done.

So my time in the Windy City leading up to race day was great, just as it was 3 years ago. Friday I got into town and hit up the expo...got my bib, got a Chicago race shirt (or 2 or 3) for me to wear for post-race celebrating––a little superstition I have (ask me if you want more details!), got a picture at the Nike booth with me holding my bib and the background claiming that I “own 26.2.” Well played Nike. Well played. And during the course of the day, I was called out for jaywalking by a few locals who shouted “Why doesn’t she have to wait for the light?” I called back “Because I’m a New Yorker, that’s why!”  You can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take New York out of…

Saturday was team bonding day!! OK, not quite. I met up with our “Flyer on the Fly” Angela G, who now resides in Chi-town. I had a lovely brunch with Angela, her husband and her little girl. Then Angela, her daughter and I hung out in Millennium Park and caught up while watching her daughter play (her little girl is gonna be quite a runner someday!) before we scoped out the start and post-party area at Grant Park––was nice for me to have a sneak preview for the next day. 

With Angela G
And Baby Makes Three

The evening brought carbo-loading with Flyers Adam M, Francesco P and James M at Rosebud Theater District––and the restaurant was very prepared for us with a special “marathon” menu (I had a feeling something was up when they asked if it was a pre-marathon dinner when confirming the reservation!). 

Anyways, food and company were good, we discussed everything from how to get to the start the next morning to how to be “in training” for the Wall Street Run...ok, guess you had to be there for the latter ;-) We then went our separate ways to prep for the next morning. I got my race “costume” and shoes ready to go, and got my appropriate 8 hours sleep (ha!)

At Least My Race "Costume" Got a Good Night's Sleep

At 5 AM I awoke to the sound of “Roar” by Katy Perry coming from the clock radio. Nice song to start the day, I took it as a good sign. I then listened to the rest of my “marathon morning mix” while doing my pre-race prep, then headed out the door at 6AM to get my pre-race Starbucks (Pikes Place w/ vanilla––it’s my “thing”) and head over to Grant Park. 

How nice it was that the starting area was a 10-15 minute walk from my hotel––no 3-leg trip to get to the start :) As this was the first World Marathon Major in the U.S. after Boston, you can bet security was upped. They added security checkpoints just to get into Grant Park––with an “express” line if you didn’t have a bag to check––but even with the bag, it wasn’t long of a wait at all. 

I made my final preparations, checked my bag and headed to Corral C. Thankfully this time, there were several checkpoints for the corrals meaning less bottlenecks. (In 2010, there was only one checkpoint for the seeded corrals and a huge bottleneck, meaning I got to my corral after it was “closed” and had to scale a fence to get into it!) 

Once in the corral, I saw Adam and we just chit-chatted while waiting for the start––though I got to the corral with at least a half hour til the start, the time seemed to pass quickly. They had a moment of silence for Boston, but then a couple of faux pas. The microphone kept cutting out during the singing of the national anthem, but the runners filled in the gaps :) After that there was supposed to be a flyover which we heard...but didn’t see, as it looked like the planes missed the target. The wheelchair racers were off and so I knew it was going to be our turn soon enough. 7:30 AM and the start of the race marked by the playing of “Born to Run.” Three minutes later, I crossed the start, with the city of Chicago awaiting me.

And We're Off and Running!

OK, I absolutely love the first half of this marathon. From the get-go, it’s a lot more lively than NYC, where you don’t intercept the cheering crowds until mile 3. Loved running through the streets near Magnificent Mile and the Loop and up LaSalle. I was smiling and just having a blast. Instead of my Flyers top, I was wearing a throwback 2008 Team USA tank...and it was just magical hearing people cheering “U-S-A! U-S-A!” Pacing––I was doing pretty good so far, consistently between 8:45-8:55...ok maybe not “go out at 9 minute pace and see what happens” but I felt good so I went with it.

Mile 6 in Lincoln Park, Flyer David G passed me trying to catch another pace group. He tried to encourage me to go with him but I said no––gotta stick to plan. He thought I’d catch up later, I said “I better not!” Boystown, Old Town, River North––just kept clicking off the miles and soaking up the energy from the crowds (I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first four 5K splits were really consistent!). Over the river, back to the Loop and the halfway point, which I hit in 1:55 and change, so as far as I was concerned, I was more than on track for my goal as long as I didn’t collapse in the second half. 

Mile 14 was the fun “Charity Block Party,” with the streets lined with cheering crews from all the different charities. My favorite were the ones dressed up in dog and cat suits for PAWS Chicago––I tried the give the doggie a high-five but missed. Mile 16 was my first mile over 9 minutes...was hoping this wasn’t a fade, I tried to tell myself to get it together, I just have a 10 mile race left.  Mile 17 slipped a little more...I had to tell myself I was in “single digit miles to go.”  Mile 18 had the PowerGel station so of course I thought of the Flyers and where I’ll be on November 3rd! 

But I was indeed fading. Partially being undertrained was catching up with me. Additionally, even though the weather conditions were relatively cool, there was not a cloud in the sky and the second half of the course is mostly unshaded––and I feel that the sun is like Kryptonite to me in a race. (For what it’s worth, I had the same fade in 2010 when I was much better trained). My pace kept slipping through the neighborhood of Pilsen––even the sounds of “Danza Kuduro” couldn’t perk me up.

I hit Mile 20 just under 2:59-so I knew I HAD to run the last 10K in an hour to break 4. I told myself to just stick to my long-run pace of 9:30’s until we made the turn onto Michigan Ave with about 2.5 miles to go, and just like in 2010, under no circumstances will I walk. That worked for Miles 21 and 22 through the festive Chinatown. Mile 23, I was forced to slow to an almost stop at one of the water stations in order to avoid a collision, and I found it tough to re-accelerate after that. It was around there that I caught back up to David G. “Stick with me!” I called out to him as I passed. I didn’t look back, but I was hoping he would. 

So just like in 2010, Miles 23 and 24 were my slowest miles of the race...felt like survival mode, especially 24. Just tried as hard as possible to not let my pace get into the 10’s, and again not to walk. I thought of the end of the Palisades run, the hill up to the bridge after we exit the park. I didn’t care how slow I was moving then––just stayed in motion and didn’t walk, and tried to do the same now.

Making the turn onto Michigan Avenue felt like a huge relief, I was really in the home stretch. I had a feeling it was going to be really close at this point, whether I was going to get under 4 or not.  At Mile 25 I started to pick it up (and had to fight against a slight headwind!). I wasn’t injured, so no excuses. 

There were some special people I was running the last 10K for––some that I know have endured far more pain than my legs were feeling at that moment, so what's another 2.2 miles. It was time for me to give whatever’s left––whatever "it" may be. Hitting the Mile 25 marker I knew the end was near but I couldn’t coast yet––was still gonna be close (and I just had to think that in 2010, I had been done running by this time...). I saw my time at the “1 mile to go” sign and felt a bit of relief––I think I had it. The 800 meters to go sign was an even more beautiful sight. 

Seeing the right turn up ahead onto Roosevelt Road, and even making that turn, I felt very emotional and maybe almost teared up. Up the only hill of the course––alright, compared to NYC standards not so bad, but at mile 26 on an otherwise flat course!––and made the final left turn to the finish. About 400 meters later, I had finished my 6th marathon and got my sub-4 hour goal with a 3:58:52!

And I was all too happy to stop running, so I know I left it all out there. Not only that, I was walking vveeeerrrryyyy slowly through the post-finish area. But finally I got my medal, food, drink and MOST importantly––BEER!! Yep, Chicago gives everyone a nice-sized cup of Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale just after the finish. They know how it should be done, we need to rehydrate and replenish our carbs :) Thank god I had that, it made my wait for my bag a bit more tolerable. Probably the only thing that I feel the race could improve on in future years, it seemed that almost everyone with a 9xxx bib number finished in 4 hours and they weren’t staffed enough for the flow of runners. 

After what seemed like forever, I retrieved my bag and headed over to the “27th Mile Post-Party”, where I hit up the Goose Island tent for another 312 (all runners have a free coupon on their bibs that they can redeem at the beer tent!). Was a beautiful afternoon to sit down and stretch out on the grass of Grant Park, sip my beer and enjoy the day. Later that day was more celebratory beers and burgers, the following morning was some celebratory Chicago deep-dish pizza, and before I knew it, I was at O’Hare on my way back to NYC. 

Even though this was not a PR, I was still very happy with the outcome. I accomplished what I set out to do.

• Enjoy myself. As I mentioned before, I was loving the first half, and even when I was fading in the second half, I was actually thinking “I want to run this one again!”
• Finish in under 4 hours. I kept my streak intact––all my marathons have been sub-4 (well...except Boston 2012, but that doesn’t count due to the 85 degree heat, right?).  And the crowds were so supportive––”you’re killing 4 hours!” in the middle miles, “you’re going to break 4!” in the last mile.  Something about it felt so special, maybe that’s why I always wanted to pace the 4-hr group back when the Flyers paced the More Marathon (or the 2-hour group in the half!).
• OWN the race. Didn’t start too aggressively, dug majorly deep in the final miles, finished in great spirits. At the risk of sounding traitorous to NYC, something about Chicago just feels like it’s “my” race.

NYCM’ers––you’re up next! Your turn to own 26.2. Good luck on 11/3/13––see you at mile 18!

-Lara K.

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