the NYC Marathon

I finally have some time to sit down and reflect on running the NYC marathon. I wasn't nervous leading up to the race; in fact, I was psyched to run. I couldn't wait – I was jumping out of my skin. I didn't get to rest that much prior. I took a yoga class at lululemon and then worked till 2:30. For some reason, I just couldn't sit still and rest. Kristen made me a great dinner of brown rice and salmon. We topped it off with a huge chocolate chip cookie.

Woke up at 4:15am b/c it was very necessary to be at the start at 6:30 for a 9:40am start! Met Ashley and Michael at the Staten Island Ferry and we were off. Riding the ferry was a highlight -it was something I have been wanting to do for a long time. So check! It was freezing though. Thank god for throw-away clothes and Dunkin Donut's hats!


We sat around, eating donuts and holding hot water to stay warm! The start area is really impressive – 3 different color starts. I met up with Tony in the green wave area. I was starting to get a little nervous b/c my legs were stiff and tired but I had already decided to just have fun, run and enjoy the experience. We sat around in the coral and waited and waited and waited. Finally, we were set free and we all shuffled to the start line. It was amazing! The Verrazano bridge, the people, the city skyline.

Started about 2:30 off the official clock. I was in the green wave so we started on the lower level of the Verrazano bridge. It was cold and windy. Holy god was it windy. I just kept looking for big guys so I could tuck in behind them!

Flew off the bridge and was in BK. The crowds started to grow and I was psyched. So much energy and I was just eating it up. Got onto 4th ave and it was electric. Tons of people screaming and cheering for us. I was passed the lulu ladies and was feeling great at mile 7. I saw a bunch of friends which gave me huge boosts of energy. Saw Allison and Carl a little passed mile 8 as we turned onto Lafayette. I loved that road. Great crowds and energy and such a picturesque road.

Brooklyn was incredible – I don't remember every part but Bedford Ave was fun and then we were in W'burg. I was feeling great and was making great time. I hit the half way mark at 1:39 and cruised up the Pulaski Bridge. The weather was great and I was happy to check another borough off the list!

Queens is mile 13-15 and honestly, I don't really remember it. There were some music and crowds but I think I was too focused on getting to Manhattan and conquering the 59th St bridge. The crowds right before the bridge are great and pumped me up. Now, I walked 2 of the hills in Boston and I never felt like I was good on the hills during training so I was prepared to walk a bit. I didn't need to though. I felt good and strong and no one else was walking so I just kept plugging away. I turned on my music and rocked it out till the crest of the hill. That bridge, by the way, sucks. It never ends! I turned off my music when I got to the top; I was waiting to hear the roar of the 1st ave crowds. There was this wall of sound as we neared the end of the bridge and turned into Manhattan. It caught my breath.

First ave was awesome but not as crazy as I was expecting. I stayed closer to the middle so I didn't really feel like the crowds were helping me. I saw one friend but missed a few others. I loved the crowds closer to mile 18. I think I walked at mile 18 to make sure I got water with my Shot Bloks.

A little note – I think elevation charts lie! First ave definitely rolls and then the bridges to get in and out of the Bronx were inclines! I cruised though – no stopping me.

The Bronx was fun. It was quick but the crowds were awesome! Go Bronx!

I hit mile 20 and almost started crying b/c I knew I had 3:25 in the bag. I was feeling good and had my running buddy to look forward to. Came of the bridge, turned into Manhattan with Michael Jackson and Jess getting the crowds going!

I was doing well but definitely feeling the effects of 21 miles. I stopped to get water at every water stop past mile 20. I was cramping more than normal and knew I would need that water and Gatorade those last few miles. The lulu cheer station at mile 21.5 was incredible. I felt like a rock star running past them. I didn't even hear the music they were playing b/c they were screaming so loudly. I rounded a corner, saw Carl and Holly and mentally prepared for the 5th Ave climb. I don't remember it being that hard (Jess probably remembers differently- I'm sure I was complaining!) I just remember the crowds and the people being soooo close and loud. I loved how we were crowded in a bit. I do remember waiting to turn into Central Park. I think I asked Jess 5 times when we were turning.

Central Park was intense and fun. Saw Stacy (didn't know it was her until 3 days later though). All the runners were so psyched to be in Central Park. There was an Italian guy behind me who went crazy when we turned into CP - vamos, vamos, vamos!

So this is when the marathon hit me and hit me hard. My quads were really cramping and my knee was really hurting. I was really worried about being able to walk and put pressure on it. I knew I could run 9min miles the last 2 miles and still finish in 3:25 however, that was looking a little worrisome. Jess just told me to run and think about my knee later. I look her advice and blocked out the pain in my knee and pushed on. The little hill after the 72nd transverse was a nightmare and I had to walk a bit.

I saw the end of the Park and knew I only had .6 or .7 miles to go. I picked it up a bit and tried to look up and see the crowds on Central Park South. I then turned back into CP and couldn't believe it. I started to get emotional as I saw the 400 meters sign, the 300 meters sign and then the 200 meters sign. I think I tried to pick it up but I was beat. The video of me finishing is pretty funny – I don't look like I'm running really fast! I crossed the finish line and felt like crap! I was so happy that I made my goal but everything hurt. My knee was in bad shape and I just wanted to get some water. Stopped and got my picture taken to revel in my moment! Walking to 77th st was terrible. We all just shuffled onwards. I didn't want to stop in the medical tent b/c I just wanted to get out of the park and sit down!

Overall, the marathon was an incredible experience. I felt like a rock star and only have good memories. I'm not making plans to run a marathon for a bit. Looking forward to relaxing and doing some chill, fun runs this spring. Thinking my next goal will be a 1:35 half marathon. Run Meghan run!

3:25 - check!

I did it. I ran the NYC Marathon in 3hr, 25 mins and 12 seconds. I felt like a rockstar the whole run, okay, that's a lie. I felt like a rockstar for 23 miles and then I started to feel the wear and tear.

More to come on my run but it was amazing, epic, wonderful, intense, crazy, fun, hard, and one of the best runs of my life.

i want to walk around with a sign that says "3:25" :)

last training run

I think I'm a little anxious about this race. Woke up at 2:30am and then at 7:45am totally awake-I didn't even want to sleep for that extra 15 mins. Got up, threw on my shoes and headed out the door for my last training run of the season. 45 degrees, humid and a little on the rainy side. I ran down to the water and along the new park area. 3 miles was meant to be easy but I felt so good and running 7:45s wasn't that hard so I banged out my last run at marathon pace. oops? nah, I have those MELT balls and a foam roller at my disposal so my legs will feel like new in about 15 mins.

The one thought I had in my head as I was running today, well, besides "kick ass meghan" was: thank god i'm not running the Philly marathon! I am over training!! :)

MELT

Just got back from a MELT Method class with Zoe Levine (www.everydaybalancenyc.com) at lululemon Brooklyn and I feel GREAT. The class is amazing, seriously. If you haven't tried it, it's worth the money to try. There's a lot of foam rolling but instead of just plopping down and rolling out the muscles/areas that feel tight, she teaches you how to isolate areas in your leg and do different "rinsing patterns" to achieve more alignment and balance.

My favorite part is using the MELT balls (which I bought so anyone living in NYC who wants to try them out, come on down to BK and we'll MELT your feet!) There are 3 different size balls that you move across and up and down your feet in different patterns. My hamstrings completely release after using the MELT balls. I don't have the constant, nagging pain that I have in my left hamstring and glute. I feel so good and balanced and aligned.

I am a MELT fanatic!

chills

I ran the Poland Spring marathon kickoff 5 mile race yesterday with the lululemon run clubs out of SoHo and Brooklyn. I got chills as I was coming around the bottom corner and could see the finish line! I am so pumped for the marathon.

And now a word from our sponsors

I get a lot of questions about what I wear while running, what I eat, how I train, etc. So, here's the lowdown....

Clothes
I work at lululemon and love their clothes. I think they have some great products for runners, both male and female. I love the Speed Shorts (I have 6 pairs!) for warm weather running and indoor. For races and cooler weather running, I wear crops and long tights for the winter. All lulu crops/tights are made out of luxtreme so it's very moisture wicking and retains its shape. For tops, I love the Cool Racerback and the Swiftly Tech. I wear lulu socks and the hilariously names "smooth move" thongs when I run. For cold weather running, I layer a Swiftly Tech long sleeve with a long sleeve top made of our running luon (moisture-wicking yet warmer b/c it's brushed, so it feels like fleece). When it's really cold and/or rainy/windy, I wear one of our DWR jackets.
Caveat- I get cold very easily. I can run a full fall marathon in a long sleeve top.

Food while training
Cliff bar or oatmeal packet pre long run. A GU or Cliff Shot Bloks every 6 miles. Coconut water post run (O.N.E with passion fruit is my current fave). Sometimes a gatorade- just depends on where we end the long run. (if there's a dude selling gatorade and i'm dying, i buy it)
I drink Nuun post long runs for the electrolytes.

Sneakers
Brooks! I have been wearing the Adrenaline series for 6 years. I just recently purchased the Mizuno Wave Elixirs and am in love. They are a light weight shoe that feels wonderful.

Training
My training schedules are a mixture of schedules from my previous coach in Florida, advice from runners/triathletes and a lot pf personal experience. I've learned that less mileage works better for but that I need 3-4 20ish mile long runs. I do a lot more cross-training and yoga now during my training. I roughly use the 4 week build up, 1 week drop off. I gradually build up my miles for 4 weeks and then drop down to a 13 or 15 mile long run. I've also stopped doing a medium long run in the middle of the week. I'll do 7 miles but it's broken up. Speed is a workout I try not to miss.

Riding in a van with 5 strangers

My latest Ragnar adventure was completely different from my previous experience. 1) we had vans- big vans where we could stretch out and lay down, 2) I was with Ragnar employees and 3) we had hotel rooms instead of sleeping bags on pavement. It was a great whirlwind trip.

I arrived on thurs, picked up the 15 passenger van and promptly got lost. Ended up driving through the Vegas strip. Finally found my way out of town and headed to the Lowes Hotel in Lake Las Vegas. Met 2 of my teammates, who I was also sharing a room with, Trish and Ang. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow at 11pm. We met our team in the lobby at 4:20 and headed to the start, in the Valley of Fire. My van was: trish and ang (they are friends), Kevin (marketing dir at Ragnar), Bruce (safety and Ragnar course creator extraordinaire), his friend Garit and me. The park we started in was beautiful - the rock formations are very cool, very red and everywhere.

We started our 195 mile journey at 7am. I ran legs 4, 16 and 28. My first leg was 6.5 miles. I'm apparently not very adept at reading elevation charts b/c I didn't think I had to climb a lot but boy did I! Uphill for over 2 miles and I'm not talking about Park Slope inclines. This was a big climb. I had some relief with some flats and downhill but then another climb came. I had to stop and walk b/c I felt like my heart was about to pound out of my chest! I finished in 50mins. When I finished my leg I was bent over panting and trying to figure out why i was dying and then one of my teammates clued me in that we are at an elevation of 2500 which is significant for me coming from sealevel about 12 hrs prior. I forgave myself for dying on the uphills.

After our 6th leg, we met up with van 2 at exchange 6. Their van was 6 guys; 6 very funny guys. After our first leg of the race, we had time to go back to the hotel and rest. We ate and swam in the pool. Then, at 5ish, we were off to start our 2nd leg of the relay. Most of us had short, easy runs. Mine was 3.1 miles at 6:45pm and I did it in 21:40. I was flying and felt great. I slowed down at mile 2.4ish when the bike trail turned to sand and I had to jump down a 2 ft ledge. Kinda ruined my stride. I was psyched though for my time and how I felt.

After this leg we went to a hotel and got to sleep for about 2.5 hrs. I also got a lesson on how people from Utah speak and experienced my first Jack in the Box restaurant outing (although I didn't eat anything and use the term "restaurant" loosely).

Our 3rd leg began at 2:30ish. I had a 7mile trail run. It was incredible. A little rough on the feet b/c of the big rocks and uneven road but being out there alone in the desert with a near full moon was beautiful. I flew through my 7 miles and finished in 53:45.

At the end of our 3rd set of runs we got pancakes and I was a happy, happy camper! The finish line was at the Red Rock hotel. We lounged by the pool, got some food and drank some beer.

I'm now falling asleep on my red eye back to nyc. The trip was totally worth the tiredness and sore legs that are coming. I'm hooked on these races and can't wait to do another one!