NYC Half Marathon - DONE!!!!

This is the story of my first half-marathon, longest distance, longest time ran and one of the most overwhelmingly amazing experiences ever, in the 38 year history of my life.

So, it's Saturday night….. night before the race… thinking I had to wake up at 4am was completely daunting. Coming from a “Broadway baby” that doesn’t sleep tight until around 9am on weekends, I was trying to force myself to sleep by 9pm… HA. That was a joke. I just lay in bed, thinking about using my vertigo as an excuse to forego the race and sleep in all day. Though it’s subsiding, it’s definitely still there every time I lie down and get up. I think I finally fell asleep after 10pm sometime, knowing that I was at least going to attempt it and see how I felt in the a.m.

Woke up on my own at 4am… thankfully because my blackberry alarm I was depending on was only set to go off weekdays. Realizing this, I got up…. Got in the shower and put on my race-day clothes. I ate my bagel with peanut butter, my banana and some Gatorade…. And I left Brooklyn at about 5:05am.

THE MOMENT I got outside – in the darkness, the sky opened up and it started to pour rain!!!! My initial route to get there was to take the bus to the 4 train, instead of taking the dreaded G train. But as the really nice gentleman (seemed to be a kitchen worker going to work in a breakfast joint) pointed out to me while I was standing at the busstop alone, sans umbrella in the pouring rain – the bus doesn’t come that often on Sunday mornings at 5am. I didn’t have anything on me but my wrist band w/ money/metro card/ID, so that I didn’t have to check a bag at the race. Since I didn’t want to stand in the rain, I listened to my gut and took my chances with the G train.

Lo and behold, within 5 minutes, the train came!!!! It was definitely strange being on the train with not many people (and no other runners) at that time without it being a drunken train ride from a long night before, and I did encounter a few groups of kids that were doing just that, and in their drunken states TOTALLY encouraging me with statements like “YOU’RE GONNA TOTALLY ROCK THIS RACE!!!!” ahhaah Gosh I miss being that young... sometimes... lol I did my transfer to the 7 train to Grand Central and finally saw the mass of other runners that were on the same time schedule as I was, so I was very relieved I was relatively on time.

At that point I was happy to be on auto-pilot and just follow the crowd. It was about 6:15 when I got off the train at 96th and Lexington Ave - and they said the corral entrance closed at 6:35. So I had some time to get to the park and then some. I decided to listen again to my gut upon passing the Starbucks and use their bathroom. I knew that it would be madness once I entered the park … There were about 8 people on line – but it was worth the wait… talked to a few runners, finished my business and jogged over to the entrance!

People everywhere obviously…. Excited, nervous, with friends, groups… so it was interesting to be there solo….and just quietly take it all in. A friend from work Patrick Keane who is a seasoned runner had told me what a great event this was (as others did) and to make sure I just took it all in and had fun. That was my objective….

The pre race and waiting in the crowd of corrals consisted of listening to the chatter about timing, and nerves… joining in a few conversations….there was a guy with his buddy and he was saying how this would be his longest distance and that he feared “the bus” would pick him up because he wouldn’t be able to finish (there’s a bus that picks up runners that are slower than a 13:45 minute mile at the end and don’t finish quickly enough). I told him I may just be on the bus with him, and was in the same situation ... we laughed saying how it was probably a party bus … and his friend said, “I think it would be a pretty sad mood on that bus”… and I corrected him by saying, “honestly anyone that comes out to even start this race should be proud, so there’s no way I’ll be sad at any point!! Exhausted, but not sad!!"

Then the crowd started moving forward… the race was starting the front and they were moving us all up …. And we were OFF!

The first 4 miles for me are always brutal, but especially on Sunday when I hadn’t trained in 3 weeks, and running in Central park was ridiculously hard. They said in the news that even the world class runners don’t expect to break any records because the 1st half of the course is so incredibly difficult. So I just tried to keep my breath steady… and do what I’ve been doing since May…. Just run my pace.

Wow….all I have to say is, I’ll never look at "Harlem Hill" in CP the same way again. It’s not a hill it’s a MOUNTAIN!!! And they kept saying “this is the last hill”… they were lying!!! Hahaah It’s all very hilly in the park, and was truly one of the hardest runs I’ve ever done. I had a few people that were around me at the start of the race that I was pacing myself against as well. I’d be ahead… they’d move ahead… visa versa…. It was a good gauge. I would have enjoyed running with someone or a team – but honestly for me running is such an individual sport… I found that when someone (intentionally or not) sort of “pulled” me out of my zone - without my wanting to be pulled out – I would get very distracted and flustered and have to force myself back in the zone. Which was fine… it’s all a learning process. Also, I found at this race (as opposed to the Corporate Challenge I ran) there were such wonderful and gracious runners, I couldn’t help but be distracted watching the athleticism of every person. Amazing.

So the miles came and went, not that easily but they did …. 5 miles… 6…. 7 …. Got a drink twice and realized my body doesn’t really love drinking when running like this…. But I didn't want to dehydrate... and then finally rounding the turn to finally get out of the park and continue down 7th Avenue to 42nd Street.

I had planned to take a “break” at 42nd, that’s where they have the provided gross and disgusting Gel pack and a cup of Gatorade and stretch for a minute. On the way down 7th Avenue they had bands playing every mile or so… and gave out wonderful wet, cold sponges… the street was pretty open to have space to run and take it all in. There’s not many times in your life you can say you ran down 7th Avenue to Time Square with no traffic and the openness of Time Square inspiring in all its billboard glory….

Rounding the corner at 42nd street, I was really feeling fatigued and took a minute to walk it out…. Came up on the gel station and remembered along the way a woman saying how the chocolate gel tasted like pudding, so I opted for that. YAY!! It DID!! And didn’t gross me out or make me gag! I stretched a bit… got a few words of encouragement from walkers by… and got back on to the business of finishing the race.

At this point, my knees were aching a bit. Everything else felt fine…. Vertigo was in check (I just really couldn’t turn around and look over my shoulder too much because I got a little dizzy when I did that, so I just kept my head forward) …. my concern was more about my knees. So I made sure to keep in good form so as to not injure myself at all…. walked for about 30 seconds every few miles to get a full stretch in my legs, arms... etc...

Rounded the corner to the West Side … and felt my heart take a HUGE LEAP. I couldn’t believe I had made it that far … (and I’m crying as I type this)… I couldn’t believe it. This dream I had of training this year, running races, ½ marathons, and finally in November the marathon… it was finally truly taking shape. It was really really happening. I was doing it.

There was a runner during the race that I overheard saying, “the first few miles you run with your mind, the 2nd few you run with your body… and the rest and last miles you run with your heart.” Well, never to me were words so true, and that statement got me through the rest of the race.

One thing I have to say about those last miles…. Even though the crowd support was thin because of the rain… it was there… truly there. The people’s faces and cheers and unbelievable support were truly priceless. Truly!! I made as much eye contact as I could, and when I did, I didn’t hesitate to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to each person. Actually – not only the last miles but really through the whole race…especially the last part of Central Park… just inspiring to see how many people were there, for hours… people that perhaps knew runners, but some of them you could see didn’t know anyone and were just there… telling us “you can do it!!” “you look great, keep it up” … “don’t’ give up”… it was the stuff that the dream of life is made of… people supporting people in their life goals. I only wish that my mother and father could have been there to see it happen. I miss having them there to support me in times like this… however, I know they were there during those last miles, pulling me through, and telling me like they always did “you can do anything you want in life, you are special, don’t ever forget that”…

I passed Chelsea Piers I knew it wasn’t far to Battery Park. I kept my head up… kept my legs going… and saw the 800 meter marker… passed the World Trade Center and remembered all my friends who died there…. Gave thanks for my blessings… gave thanks to my God… and then there was the 400 meter marker…. And then…. I saw it… the finish line ..... I started crying again, and met eyes with a woman in the crowd who put out her hand and said to me “you made it … you did it… keep on going … finish strong”…. I jogged over, slapped her hand… and sprinted to the finish line.

I DID INDEED FINISH STRONG … in 2 hours… 36 minutes… and 2 seconds. Came in 9,888 out of 10,506 runners!

To anyone who ever had a dream…. Any dream…. I know you hear people say it when they fulfill their dreams… but YOU can do it. You can - you can!!!! I never thought I’d run one mile, let alone 13.1 … so don’t give up… ask for the help you may need from whoever will support you… and you will feel like I did this morning when I woke up and felt the soreness in my legs…. Such accomplishment…. So proud of my dedication… through all of the last three weeks with the vertigo… through all of the last 3 months with my training… and through all the work in trying to raise money find a cure for MS, even though this race wasn’t for MS… it’s the bigger picture… the race in November, and raising the money to eradicate this devastating illness. I just kept thinking, while I can use my legs, while I’m lucky enough to be healthy and functional… do whatever I can to use that strength to help others, and through that, help myself -- so much so I didn’t even realize how much.

Aftermath…. Knees were really sore, but I iced them through the afternoon/evening and they were fine when I woke up. I’m a little sore today – but much less than I anticipated from what I felt last night. I’m chaffed in a few places I didn’t expect either! I didn’t sleep well, but that’s okay. I think I’m still so wound up from what I accomplished, it’s gonna take a few days to come down from this unbelievable high.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading… and sharing my story through these months. I hope I’ve inspired even one person by what I’m doing. My love and support go out to all of you who share in a journey like mine…if ever you should need me as support for your cause/life/journey – I will be there.

xoxoxo
Curly

my official time:

http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/htmlos.exe/5611.2.736579485400014953