I believe it was around 16 miles into the New York marathon on Sunday when was starting to feel a little pain and fatigue setting in, that I heard one of the dozens of bands along the course break into the song "Eye of the Tiger". I laughed. The song was just what runners needed at that point. It also was what I preached in my last entry in this space. Unfortunately, It was tough for me to muster up at that point.
I was right on the 8:00 mile pace I was trying to run at that point. Unfortunately, a few miles later, I fell off it a bit and started making deals with myself. You know, I would allow myself to slow down if I needed, just not walk. So much for that. After 21, I admit that I walked through some water stops. It was hardly a 'run through a wall' mentality. So I finished with a slower time than I wanted. There could be many excuses, including the tough course, or the fact I was sick all week. But I don't know that those were really factors. The bottom line is I just didn't push when it came time to push. So that's my story. Now let's move on to the important stuff.
Everyone says New York is a grueling course. I guess it probably is, but I have no complaints. It was really exciting from start to finish. I spend several hours on Staten Island Sunday morning with 40,000 of my closest friends waiting to run. Runners have to catch buses or the Ferry starting at about 5 in the morning. The starting gun, for me, went off at 9:40.
I was lucky enough to get access to the V.I.P. tent, which was heated and offered food 
and an ample number of port-o-potties. That was a plus. I met some really interesting people, and saw some of the celebrity runners like former Olympians Kerri Strug and Brandi Chastain. (I plan to write more about them in a later entry.) But it was still a long, anxious wait.
But, before I sound like I'm complaining, let me say that I loved everything about the race. It was really well organized. You couldn't ask for better weather for a marathon. The temperature was in the mid 40's. It was sunny, and there was little wind. The legendary crowds were in full force along virtually the entire route, with the obvious exception of the bridges. But the bridges were my favorite place to run, despite the inclines. They were a solitary, quiet place offering beautiful views of the city and the rivers.
Every neighborhood was distinct, and offered it's own brand of support for the runners. They were enthusiastic, and it was a real motivational push for most. My favorite was the area where the Orthodox Jews with their long beards, dressed in black suits and hats were rushing off to synagogue during the middle of the race.
One negative I've heard from others who had run the race in previous years was that it was so crowded, they had places during the race where they were forced to slow down dramatically, especially near the start when you go over the Verrazano-Narrows bridge. I have to say I never experienced any of that. I was able to run the pace I wanted the entire way, without crowding.
This was also the first year they used a 'wave start' in New York. They broke up the 39,000 runner field into thirds, and started them 20 minutes apart. I was in the first wave, with about 13,000 others, and everyone got off well. Within each wave, they had at least six different corrals of runners seeded according to time. And about half started on the top of the bridge, the rest ran on the bottom of the double decker structure. I ran on the bottom, and crossed the start line within about 1:30 of the gun going off. They introduced this wave idea so they can look at the possibility of making the field larger in future years. 
I don't know about that, but in my opinion they pulled off the waves successfully.
I witnessed a lot of memorable scenes during the morning. The big screen near the 26 mile mark at the corner of Central Park was great. So was the sea of runners with mylar blankets after the finish line. But there were lots of other notable things along the way, like the hundreds of Obama signs and shirts in the crowd. Very few McCain supporters were evident, so I guess the Obama campaign can count on New York. 
That's been conceded by both campaigns for some time, but, I was surprised by the lopsided nature of it all.
I also noticed lots of inspirational signs along the way, but the one that stuck with me came at about mile 23 just before you enter Central Park for the final push. It said "Pain is temporary, but pride lasts forever". Now that is motivation when you need it. Everyone who ran has plenty to be proud of. And those who pushed through the pain and reached their goals can maybe have even a little more pride. The only person who really knows how much effort you give, or how much pain you endure in a marathon is you.
One other thought I want to share, for what it's worth. Several friends have asked my opinion about New York compared to the Chicago marathon. They are two very different cities, and two very different races, obviously. One is point to point, the other a loop. New York is a great experience, but I would honestly say I believe the neighborhoods are equally, if not more, diverse. And the fans lining the route in Chicago give nothing to the crowds in New York. They seem every bit as loud and enthusiastic. Oh, and the course in Chicago is flatter, faster, and easier. New York is great to do once as an experience, but Chicago is still my home and preference!
So congratulations to all the new friends I met along the way in New York. I went there by myself, and that meant I got to talk to a lot of people I probably wouldn't have if I was surrounded with a group of friends or family. A runner I met on the flight back travelled with his wife and called her a hero for catching him several times along the course. I agreed, but said my wife was also a hero for watching the three kids at home all weekend by herself! There were some amazing people, and runners everywhere in New York. It was a great experience, and it gives me plenty of motivation and inspiration for my future running goals. In fact, when I got back, my running buddy offered a quick congratulations, followed almost immediately by the question, "what's next?".
I'll get back to you on that. See you on the roads...
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