The week before the run was extremely stressful mentally and my back was sore. The drive down to Miami didn’t help as it took almost 6 hours vs. 3.5 hours and I got run off the road. I was not in the best mental state before the race, but I was there and going to run.
I was in coral B, which to my surprise was with the elite athletes! There was a ton of space to warm up and even a restroom. As I watched the other athletes warm up, I thought I probably should as well. It was a fast start and my time was only .16 seconds off the gun time! I held back as much as I could given everyone running with me. Starting that early I had mixed feelings as people were not just passing me they were leaving me in the dust! I think it was good overall as it helped me keep up a good pace.
Aide stations were interesting with this group as I usually walk through and drink my water, they were sprinting through and chugging water then would throw the cups. I don’t know how many times I got hit with a cup!
I finished the race strong, which made me proud. I enjoyed an alcohol free beer and watching others finishing before the drive back up to Orlando.
Sunday I made my second trip down to the Epcot art festival and it turned out to be a great night with some friends. We walked around and had some good food from the booths and finished with listening to some amazing disney broadway performers.
I met Mickey Mouse for the first time They added chalk art throughout the park
I sometimes forget how lovely our little town is. I took a walk this morning to post a package and went for a cup of tea. The city decorates for Christmas (and most holidays) and hosts all sorts of events.
Then I took a walk around a little lake. Everyone I walked said good morning, even the school kids walking to school.
I walked past an older gentleman walking and he asked about my marathon jacket. We chatted for quite a bit about his marathon experiences when he was younger.
We went down to Animal Kingdom for a 5k. I really do not like the 2:30 am wake up required to get to the start line for a 5k… but that is a Disney race. What they do have is excellent race photographers!
I am starting a 6-week program to work on increasing my marathon speed and today was my first workout… I think I am in for a few weeks of hard work, but it will all be worth it!
I ran the 2002 NYC Marathon, something I never imagined I would be able to complete a few years ago. It is amazing what you can do when you believe in yourself! There was a poster at the expo that I thought was interesting and after completing the marathon it was so true.
The race started late for me at 11:30. In order to get to the start line in time I had to leave the hotel at 7:00, so it was a journey just to get to the start line. First a bus to the ferry dock, then a ferry to Staten Island and then a bus to the start area. With over 50,000 runners it was such a large race that they have three “villages”, each village was a complete start area. The amazing thing with my village is that I never waited for a portable potty, which is a first in a race for me. They had hot tea and plenty of water and places to hang out until your wave was called.
The race started great the first mile was the biggest incline, the Verrazzano bridge. I learned it is the largest suspension bridge in the world and is almost 1 mile of incline to the center! Due to the number of runners they had us on both sides and on the bottom lanes of the bridge. It would not be until mile 8 that all the runners joined together. The race was going great even with the record temperatures for the run at 74 degrees. Unfortunately at the mile 10 aid station they ran out of cups and this continued at 6 of the next 7 aid stations so I got pretty dehydrated, started having some cramping and getting light headed. Then I took on too much water and got sick on the course. I thought about quitting and was going to just walk the last few miles, but I had a temporary tattoo that said “If not now, then when” so I decided to finish running. It was definitely an emotional finish and I am so proud of myself for completing the race.
Race highlights were running through Brooklyn, the crowds were so much fun! It was like running through a block party for miles, and then you ran into 2 blocks of silence. Everyone on the streets looks at you like you are crazy. I found out later it is the largest Hasidic community in the world. Finishing in Central Park would have been a bit better if it would have been light out, but starting at 11:30 and with daylight savings time that wasn’t going to be an option for me.
We finished the day with a long walk back to the hotel, but did stop off for some pizza and a nice beer!
Thanks to people jumping in front of the camera, I didn’t get many photos!
The Johnsons 