OWL-DRAGON

New York Marathon

I waited some time to post about this race. I didn’t have a terrible day but there was disappointment.

I had run NY in 2001 and I have run the Marine Corps Marathon and Boston so I thought I knew big races but nothing had prepared me for this NY. I realize now that because of the tragedy of Sept 11 the number of participants was down in 2001. Coming down the long stretches of 4th and 1st it is just impossible to believe the numbers of runners.

However let me begin at the beginning. I drove down to Jersey City Saturday morning. In an earlier incarnation I was a monk, a member of the religious order known as LaSallian Christian Brothers. My old friend Paul who had remained in the order and is also a marathoner invited me to stay in the Brothers' residence at Hudson Catholic in Jersey City.

The school is a few blocks from the PATH station at Journal Square. Saturday I took the train into Manhattan for the Expo. Didn't seem that great for such a big marathon, but I did get to meet Ed Whitlock (a 70+ runner who does 3 hour marathons) and Deanna Drossin.

Sunday morning I again made my way to the Path Station. This time I used the Newark - World Trade Center connection. Despite the early hour there were plenty of people on the train including a few runners. It was striking to get off at WTC and see the gaping hole and realize just how close this station was to the destruction.

I followed a runner who seemed to know where he was going and made my way down to Battery Park to the marathon buses. (If I had it to do over again I would have take the Ferry over to Staten Island.) No problem getting the bus; boarder promptly and left almost immediately. The trip out to Ft. Wadsworth seemed to take no time at all.

Found a comfortable spot in blue area (I had brought two plastic bags to place on the ground) and settled in for the long wait. It was a little chilly but had some coffee and yogurt. Did a little exploring but mostly tried to relax. Porta potties were initially pretty good but as it got closer to 10 O'clock the lines were pretty long and people had gone over the snow fence and into woods. It is amazing to see how quickly people are to ignore ordinary limits. Explains a lot about the disorders that follow a natural disaster.
I spoke to the 4 hours pace runner and decided I would line up slightly further forward (about 50 yards). Just about where my number said I should be. We began moving forward about 9:55. We were still moving toward the bridge when I heard the cannon go off. I thought I might be a long time getting to the start but it was only about four minutes. I was able to run immediately but very slowly. In 2001 I had been on the left side which definitely had the better view (not that it matter fog pretty much obscured every thing). If you run NY try for the orange start. There was a strange sensation that the bridge was moving - is this possible could the runners actually make it move?



The incline didn't seem all that difficult but when we got to mile one I was very disappointed to see it had taken me 11 minutes. I still had hope to make it up in the next mile which would be downhill but no one seemed to be speeding up and it was impossible to move forward without a lot of dodging and weaving that didn't seem wise. I looked at the orange side which seemed to be moving faster and was tempted to climb over the medial strip.

Coming down you can clearly see the two streams. The orange takes a sharp left while the blue and green continue on a couple of blocks before turning.

For most of Brooklyn the two streams flow down on separate sides. The orange mile markers are slightly after the blue/green markers. This initially confused me until I realized how they were color coded. The second mile was also slow - again much slower then I expected. I kept thinking at least I didn't go out too fast (little did I know). I tried to take in as much of the crowd (runners and spectators) as I could. The water stations were difficult. I wasn't prepared for the pushing and shoving. (This continued for most of the first 15 miles and twice I almost had words with runners I thought were unnecessarily aggressive.) Because of the congestion I missed the first couple of Gatorade stations. That I think came back to haunt me. I was once again tempted to switch to the orange side since it seemed slightly less crowded but I thought what if everyone decided they could simply ignore the routes so I stuck with the course. Mostly I tried to stay on the blue line. When we got to 8 miles and all three courses merge it was even tighter. During this time I was gradually increasing speed and at 13.1 was 2:07. Not on target but not badly off.

One of the last neighborhoods in Brooklyn is Williamsburg where there is a large Hasidic community (an ultra conservative Jewish sect). The crowds were sparse but those watching seem interested yet there wass no cheering or clapping. Does anyone know why? Is there a Talmudic proscription against it? (I hadn't noticed last time but someone pointed out that almost all the young children are girls. Perhaps all the young boys are engaged in religious studies.)

The Pulaski Bridge is not much of an incline but already many people were walking. I still felt pretty good but was concerned because I was soaking wet, yet despite that I had the urge to dehydrate. Didn't seem a good sign if I was properly taking up water. I was using my Succeed tablets and had taken two gels. Yet I wasn’t confident that I was hydrating properly.

When we got to the Queensboro Bridge at mile 15 it seemed more people were walking than running. This is a very long uphill (the uphill on this bridge seems longer than the downhill - is that possible?). I was still reluctant to walk since I suspected I might have some problems later so I ran but that did mean some dodging.



Those who have run NY will tell you that coming off the Queensboro is one of the highlights of the race. It has been a tough climb and very quiet. After miles of spectators there are none for more than a mile, then you hear the dull roar and that gets louder and louder and suddenly you see that huge crowd at the base of bridge and hear the loudest cheering of the race. It was thrilling in 2001 and was just a thrilling in 2005.

First Avenue is great. The number of spectators between 16 and 18 is incredible. I however have slowed down. Still not bad but I am no longer making up time and I am drifting toward a 4:20 finish. Somewhere on First Avenue I past a runner with the legend on her back - Six month cancer survivor and I'm ahead of you.

In Harlem the crowds peter out. To enter the Bronx you cross the Willis Ave Bridge. This is the bridge that they cover with "rugs" to cover the metal grating of the bridge.

On the bridge, there is some kind of construction and concrete barriers force a narrowing of the course. Now almost everyone is walking and in the press of people I finally give up and walk. Even after it opens a little I continue to walk until the downhill and into the Bronx. I never remember a race where so late the crowds were so dense as to interfere with running.

When we turn onto Alexander Ave there is an empty porta pottie and I take advantage of it. It bothers me that this late in the race I should need it. At the bridge that crosses back into Manhattan I am hit with the first bad cramping. Eventually I will cramp almost everywhere but these first ones are in my right forearm and right foot. So begins the last six miles of more and more walking and less running. Nor am I alone. Hundreds are walking and trying to stretch out cramps. For the most part and I walk and for the most part I can walk quickly so I stick with that. Once or twice I think I will have to stop altogether but mostly the cramps respond to a change of pace. The only muscle that really gives me trouble is my right quad.

While on First Avenue I had felt really hot, it doesn't seem so bad now. The park is beautiful and I can pick out the areas where I saw the Gates last February. Great crowds and I am embarrassed to be walking so much. But at this point there is little to be done. I am just trying to avoid seizing up all together and find myself unable to go forward at all. Ironically it all seems to going so fast - my time is slow but the experience seems to be flowing always all too quickly. I will actually be disappointed to be finished. Does that sound strange? I am having a hard time expressing it but the sensory load is so great - there is so much to take in. I am enjoying it all despite my appalling time.

There are lots of nice downhills in Central Park and couple of times I got up a pretty good head of steam before the next spasm came along. I am determined I will run the last half mile. The signs show 2000 K, then 400 Meters, then 400 yards, then 200 yards. I am running not very fast but I am running.

The rest is anticlimax. There is an incredibly long walk out of the park, but lots of camaraderie. You receive your medal. Very nice. Your Mylar blanket and a small piece of tape to close it. I did get a small bag of food but never opened it. The baggage car was another hike but at least my truck wasn't crowded. The truck beside me had one of the free for all scenes with people holding up their numbers and bags being tossed out.

Something I had never seen before. Two different guys in two different areas stripped down naked on Fifth Avenue to change. The one actually took time to pour water out and sponge off. I am just not that uninhibited. Must have been Europeans.

I asked a police office about getting downtown. He said don't use the Fifth Ave subway (too crowded) walk down a couple of blocks and take the 1. Even that train is packed and I hear a New Yorker grumble that they should have been on a weekday schedule. I have no idea where to get off but several passengers were helpful with directions. (Ironically when I got out of the subway and was walking to the Path train a young lady asked me for directions. Not quite sure I would have accosted a stranger that looked like me. Had to explain I too was a stranger. She realized that I had run the marathon and was suitably impressed.)

While waiting for the subway had a nice conversation with an older gentleman who had run the race in the eighties. He remembered a race when it was in the nineties and remembered there were a couple of fatalities. At that time the race was in October and he said that led to it being moved to November. He looked in pretty good shape and I told him he should give it another go.

On the way back to NJ had another good talk with a family from Connecticut staying in NJ. Mom was the marathon runner. The kids and Dad seemed very proud of her. It was nice to see.

Another nice thing in this race are the Achilles runners. They are all the runners with some handicap. When I encounter them on the course it is humbling that they and their guides will be fighting the good fight long after I have finished even my slow race.

So NY. My slowest ever (4:40) yet strangely satisfying. Somehow it was less disappointing to fail spectacularly then it would have to just missed my goal.

The big marathons never disappoint even when you have a rough day.