The November 4 ING New York City Marathon will be my third 26.2 of 2012, following the Miami Marathon in January and Marathon de Paris in April. With 42 days to go for the trifecta, just reminding myself of what it feels like . . .
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Miami...Paris...New York City
The November 4 ING New York City Marathon will be my third 26.2 of 2012, following the Miami Marathon in January and Marathon de Paris in April. With 42 days to go for the trifecta, just reminding myself of what it feels like . . .
2012 NYRR Race Report
Here it is, the 9+1 required for guaranteed entry in the 2013 ING NYC Marathon -- nine scored qualifier races plus one volunteer assignment in the previous (2012) calendar year. Have gradually speeded up through the year. The first race (Joe Kleinerman 10K) was the one where my IT Band syndrome popped up and after a short ambulance ride I hobbled over the finish line a half-hour late.
| Race Name, Date | Dist. (miles) | Gun Time | Net Time | Pace per Mile | Overall Place/ Total Finishers | Gender Place/ Total Males | Age Place/ Total in Age Group | Age-Graded Time | Age-Graded Performance Percentage |
| Volunteer Credit December 31, 2012 | VQ VQ | VQ VQ | |||||||
| NFL Back to Football Run August 30, 2012 | 4.0 | 45:52 | 42:22 | 10:35 | 2693 / 3446 | 1468 / 1685 | 70 / 85 | 36:09 | 46.5 % |
| Run to Breathe July 21, 2012 | 6.2 | 1:15:02 | 1:06:57 | 10:47 | 3951 / 4840 | 2204 / 2470 | 155 / 185 | 57:37 | 46.5 % |
| CPC Run for Central Park July 14, 2012 | 4.0 | 46:02 | 42:32 | 10:38 | 4123 / 5073 | 2366 / 2622 | 182 / 202 | 36:36 | 46.0 % |
| Achilles Hope and Possibility June 24, 2012 | 5.0 | 58:37 | 54:47 | 10:57 | 2356 / 3382 | 1307 / 1673 | 105 / 131 | 47:08 | 45.2 % |
| Portugal Day June 17, 2012 | 5.0 | 57:14 | 52:11 | 10:26 | 3643 / 4425 | 2472 / 2749 | 205 / 227 | 44:54 | 47.5 % |
| Brooklyn Half Marathon May 19, 2012 | 13.1 | 2:38:57 | 2:29:15 | 11:23 | 12839 / 14187 | 6761 / 7110 | 335 / 363 | 2:09:44 | 45.6 % |
| UAE Healthy Kidney 10K May 12, 2012 | 6.2 | 1:17:28 | 1:10:21 | 11:20 | 7204 / 7934 | 3968 / 4191 | 271 / 294 | 1:00:32 | 44.3 % |
| NYC Half March 18, 2012 | 13.1 | 2:52:00 | 2:27:45 | 11:16 | 13623 / 15376 | 7007 / 7476 | 528 / 565 | 2:08:26 | 46.1 % |
| Joe Kleinerman 10K January 7, 2012 | 6.2 | 1:34:54 | 1:29:33 | 14:26 | 5261 / 5313 | 2770 / 2779 | 201 / 202 | 1:17:04 | 34.8 % |
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
NYC Marathon veterans give advice to first-timers
Today the New York City Marathon's Facebook page asked veteran NYCM runners to share advice with those running it for the first time on Nov. 4. This is worth sharing to all marathon runners, so I'm doing a simple copy-and-paste of the comments so far, including mine. It will be my third.
- Gregory E. Brown Exercise patience -- before, during, and after the race; even the day after. This way you are better able to cherish your entire experience.
- Mark Waldron Take some old clothes to keep you warm @ the start, then when you discard items they go to worthy causes! Then relax and enjoy as the AMAZING crowd cheer you on to the finish.
- Joseph Chiu Don't start off too fast because of the initial buzz and excitement and keep your pace in check when you get off the bridge into Manhattan too because that crowd will amp you for sure! Oh, and most importantly, ENJOY IT TO THE FULLEST because no matter what happens, your finishing time will be your course PR, right? :)
- Katie Elizabeth Gibson if you're flying in resist the urge to pound the streets of Manhattan shopping in the days prior to the marathon - Note to self you're going to need your Feet! (It took me four yrs to learn that doh!)
- Cathy Watts Enjoy the crowd, name on shirt nd smile. Its an awesum experience to be savoued from stsrt to finish
- Zaida G Ramirez Be careful of the people taking pictures when crossing the Verrazano bridge. Enjoy the race...even if you are out of fuel the crowds will get you to the finish line
- Tara Murphy Arnold Dress WARM for Staten Island.
ENJOY the roar of the crowds for the ENTIRE 26.2 miles! - Lauri Laitinen 1) I agree with Brent - you get an enormous amount of mental power when 3 million spectators cheer your name!
2) Also, the morning can be cold. Nevertheless, don't overdress yourself! - Natali Niente have fun and enjoy the crowds. THe race is pretty flat except the bridges and the last 3-4 miles are all a slow incline. PACE
- Erin Thompson Collins I saw folks wearing bathrobes in the village. They looked so warm and then they donated them to charity! I'll be wearing a bathrobe this year!! It seemed like such a smart idea!
- Jeanne Marie San Diego Bring TP...be patient on the Verrazano & watch out for bottles, clothing & 'wet spots' while on the bridge. Do Hi-5 at least a few kids in every borough. Merge smoothly to the side for any reason that you have to stop. Enjoy EVERYTHING!
- Craig Williams All the above and watch this video it has al you need, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geBHrV_GiQE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
- Michael Ring 1st Ave is slightly up hill and concrete. Besides the 1,000,000 people cheering for you it is not so much fun.
- Brenda Bryant prepare yourself for lots and lots of noise.....crowd is fantastic, but like nothing you have EVER experienced!!!!!
- Maria A Fontanes Enjoy the crowd, name ur t-shirt, train rolling hills, takes warm clothes and many xtra layers to leave them all at start line,tanktop with arm warmers and the bandana scarff for later, that bnadana they give u is so useful when the air cold, u can cover ur mouth and nose with that scarff bandana, use t
hose mitten with removable finger tips cover u can buy in NYC anywhere on the streets. Enjoy yourself, the crowd and NYC 5 boroughs its the experience of all - Claire Bellenger Guys you are all giving me goosebumps. Can't imagine what I will be like on race morning!!!
- Runar B. Gundersen Don't be stressed if you think you are running slowly the first mile because of all the people. DO NOT start to run zig-zag to pass people. You may gain 10 seconds doing that, but it may cost you 10 minutes in the end of the race.
It opens up after the first mile, so no stress!
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runarweb.com - Vincent O Leary Forget the iPod, you will not be listening to it. The support from the crowd is unreal!!!!!!
- Lisa Colon-Heron Absolutely agree in With Vincent if you run this race with music you are going to miss the whole race
- Vincent Casillo that anxiety and feeling you have in the pit of your stomach, have no fear all the runners are expierencing the same feeling
- Laureen Reeny Mannino Try not to think about how ridiculously expensive it is, not including the Expo shakedown.
- Danielle Renaud Soule erin thank you I will now wear a bathrobe to donate!! Why name your shirt?? so people can cheer you on? I am so psyched and very happy I have trained on ridiculous hills I feel I will be ready!
- Carolyn Fritzsche Bring throw away clothes to wear on your way to the start and while you are waiting at Staten Island.
- Carolyn Fritzsche Take in everything about NYC run and enjoy the race. It's like no other marathon!!
- James Winston Definately train on hills for the bridges also soak in all of the race and feel the love the crowd is giving u while u and 40,000 other runners, enjoy it!!!!!
- Eddy Mentzer Bring a cheap pool float you can lay on before start. Coupled with some throw away sweats and an emergency blanket you can lay down and chill and be toasty warm hours before the race.
- Nick Ponyhead Wear your name on your shirt - the fantastic crowds will cheer you on; leave *PLENTY* of time to get your transportation to the start; avoid the potholes and drain covers in Queens; don't let the Queensboro Bridge on ramp get you down; stare out First Avenue and take it one step at a time; enjoy the best marathon in the world, in the greatest city in the world :)
- Dale Pierce Taylor Put your name on your shirt in big BIG letters!
Smile have fun and go out slowly!! - Dale Pierce Taylor I like having music for the tough spots which u will get through! My first marathon we stopped for a mini massage during the race given by volunteers! I was running with some Australians and when we arrived in central park we were singing waltzing Matilda!! Fun!
- Krista MacDonald After all the time, energy, money and training - enjoy EVERY second of the NYCM because it will be over before you know it! Best experience of my life. I almost wish I ran slower so the experience could have lasted a little bit longer ;) Have fun! (and forget the iPod).
- Gregory Vidler Don't go out too fast -- don't get too caught up in the excitement. And have fun (it is a great experience)!!!
- Ravi Prakash Ignore all the noise about what happens when you come off he bridge at 15-16 miles etc..execute your race as you trained and enjoy the expereince..life is a marathon and it is all about the experience.
- Christy Gonzales Have fun and enjoy every little thing - the bands, the crowds, everything! It's a once in a lifetime experience!
- Sally Cohen Stilwell Don't get tense. I ran last year for the first time and held all my nervous tension in my back between my shoulder blades. By mile 9 I was feeling so uncomfortable and it stayed with me almost the entire rest of the marathon. Keep your arms loose and stretch out the neck and back before you start. Breathe and smile and just enjoy. :)
- Ian Edgar It's cold and windy on the Verrazano bridge. At my first NYC marathon I wondered why vets stayed wrapped up at the start! Enjoy!! Ian. London
- Lisa Kaire Lubarsky Have fun!!!! That's the first thing. The other bit of advice is stop at every water station and make sure to drink preferably Gatorade. Even if u don't feel thirsty! See ya on the road!
- Karen Walrafen Just enjoy the awesome event!!! Oh, the sights, sounds, and all of NYC including the wonderful spectators!
- Tara McCabe High five people in each of the boroughs :) Hold back on the Verrazano- easy to run your fastest miles there; get your regular pace by mile 3. Run hills & if in NY consider getting in the last ten pre race- it builds excitement and confidence. Conserve energy 1-2 days before. Good luck & have fun!!
- David Allweiss Sleep more the night before, take a nap at Fort Wadsworth, go S-L-O-W up Fourth Ave in Brooklyn no matter how loud the crowd gets, and GUN IT through Central Park at the end! :)
- MarathonRuns MRuns It is not a race. It is once in life time trip to see great NYC. It took 16 miles to realize that. Enjoy it! You can always race next marathon. MRuns.com
- Laura Watson Forget the iPod, you'll want to hear all the bands and crowds and take everything in, NYC has its own energy that'll keep you moving!
- Keith Schindel Have fun, do some 'hi-five' training, watch out for pedestrians, its people soup and difficult to run your pace at times so remember we trained well enjoy the privilege of running the streets of NYC!
- Robert Archer Wow! Thanks for all the tips guys, very helpful. I'm so excited and my tummys doin somersaults now lol :-)
- Paulette Ann Roberts Find a good pacer (holding a sign with your pace). You can forget about keeping track of your own pace and enjoy the other parts of the race. Don't worry when people pass you at the beginning. You will pass them after mile 15. If you live in NYC, as a training long run, try running from the finish line up into the Bronx and down to the 59th street bridge, and then reverse it to the finish. This will give you some idea of what the finish will be like.
- Chris Snell New York is THE best place in the whole world on marathon day, so take your time to enjoy the wonderful supporters and the amazing experience... The finish line will come all too soon and then you'll have a cool story for life!
- Katherine Andrade Enjoy it, my 1st NYCM I got sentimental. Even today driving up on 1st ave or down on 5th ave. Pace yourself, hydrate nd get ready to high five the crowds!
- Ricky Djoko Basoeki Thanks guys.. !! So excited bout the crowd and seeing people from around the world, it feels like race in the olimpics
- Fabian Mora I haven't run it yet and I don't know when I gonna be able to but as a runner who loves the big apple I can say enjoy NYC and leave only your footprints. I hope I can the list on 2013
- Mark Newman Run in the middle and don't get caught up in high-fiving. It is so inviting and actually saps energy. Don't get excited and come out fast, and chunk it by focusing on 10m 10m 10k.
- Venus Mui Was a bit discouraged as I strained a muscle & started PT last week.., bus seeing all these comments is awesome as I have lived here for 39 yrs and now cannot wait to just take it all in... different mindset now that I'm recovering but will take it slow and enjoy every damn minute of it!!! So excited!
- Regis Andrino You must be strong in the 23th mile. It is the hardest of all course! Keep the pace like a Kenyan, you are almost there!!!
- David Chung Definitely layer up in warm clothes that you can discard after the start; it's a long wait at the start. Enjoy the bagels and coffee while you're waiting :-)
- Cindy Green Gersch Thank you all so much. This is getting me even more excited for my first NYC marathon!!!!
- Annette DeBonis- Johnson any advice on the waiting before the race? ....when did you eat first? seems like a long gap of waiting before my start time and bus time...
- Anne DeMarco Put your name on your race shirt because the crowd will cheer you on and believe me at miles 24-26.2 it really comes in handy:)
- Michael J. Wilson Bring a half roll of toilet paper with you for the start of the race. Though there are plenty of Port-a-Potty's available, they still contain "Port-a-Potty" toilet paper!!!
- Christine Crouchman Bailey Wear throw away clothes over top and don't take it off to donate until after the first bridge trust me.
- Christine Crouchman Bailey The waiting on the ground under a tent before is the worst part. Bring a throw away blanket and pillow too.
- Christine Crouchman Bailey Bring gel fuels for during the race otherwise you'll starve. Eat light very early morning, drink lots of water.
- Bill Homan Run hills and RESPECT THE BRIDGES! Five suspension bridges take a toll on your legs so pace yourself when running over each of them. The last 10K can be tough so conserve your energy until then and then run it out with heart!
- Angel Pérez Enjoy it, try to run hills and hard underground. But sincerilly enjoy it, every step, every breath you take its amazing. I specially remember Clinton Hills, wow. And one thing be cool, don´t let your self go. I will never forget this marathon and this city.
- Catherine Petroski For the start: Bring a large Glad garbage bag to sit on, the ground might be moist!
- Kendra Alcock Don't walk aimlessly in the start area burning valuable energy and fatiguing your legs, bring a blanket and snacks.
- Geneva Simms The sleep you get 2 nights before is more important than the sleep you get the night before the race.
- Geneva Simms Don't mix Gatorade and gels...and don't eat anything with too much fiber the day before and day of the marathon. On the route, don't over hydrate; drink ONLY when thirsty.
- Rachel Encarnacion It is definitely an awesome experience... Definitely include hills in your training... The 59th street bridge was the hardest part for me. The expo was also great. I purchased a disposable warm up suit there that was perfect for the cold morning start.
- Donna Wood Wise Don't know that I can add much to the great tips already given here! Do some of your long training runs starting at the same time as you'll start at NYC & practice you pre-race nutrition then, too. Definitely be PREPARED for the hills in CP! Leave your music at home--the crowds are part of what make this race so fantastic! Watch out on the Verrazano--people stop along the sides to look & take pics! Love the bathrobe idea! Last year I found a Snuggie for $5 & ended up not using it, so it's going back with me! Don't forget to get your Dunkin' Donuts beanie like I did! Take it all in, esp when you come off the Queensboro into Manhattan! Be extra careful about walking in NYC prior to the race--it's very difficult not to! Be sure to get a special edition of the NY Times on Marathon Monday--and make the newsie's day by asking to get their pic with you/it too! New Yorkers REALLY support us in this race! Holy cow, there are so many more tips to share! Have a GREAT time! It's an incredible race!
- Kim Ablondi Bring extra toilet paper, some cardboard to sit on -- the ground is cold and often wet. Throw-a-way clothes are a must. Bring your own pre-race food -- so you eat only what you are used to. Use the portapotties -- a lot. It's no fun peeing behind a parked car ! Have a great time. You will -- even when you start to feel lousy and want to throw up - it passes when you see the finish line.
- Katherine DiLeo Walk at the water stations and take the crowds and everyone cheering all in! It's the greatest race in the world!
- Pam Starcher Be careful in Brooklyn. Narrow streets and crazy spectators that do not care there are 47k people trying to run
- Ashley Massis These comments make it real. I can't believe it's almost here! Thanks for all of the advice!
- Karen J. Barry Enjoy the ride - you'll have so much fun during this race! Embrace the music and people cheering! If you're not having fun at the heart of it, you're not really running NYC. And the folks in the Bronx cheering will carry you through the toughest parts. Go ahead and laugh at the silly signs - they will save you.
- Cathy Stuman Patterson Take the R1 subway to Ferry Island, ride the Ferry then hop on bus to Staten Island. All waiting areas are Color Marked clearly. Enjoy every Second of the Beauty of Running NYC, it's where the Whole World Comes to Run:)
Good Luck to All:) - Andrew Orrom Don't get over excited when you cross into Manhattan.
It's tempting to forget that there's a few miles yet to come! - Angela Anderson If you aren't worried about how fast you run, I would take a camera on the course and take pictures.
- Kami Reinwald Alessandro Get to the portajohn in a timely manner before you have to get in your corral and don't forget something to keep you warm before the start that you can donate when you peel it off!!!
- Luanne Cresswell-Cardillo Enjoy the scenery, the N. Y. C. skyline, the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, the 5 Boroughs of N. Y. C. cheering you on, and most important be sure to cross the finish line at Central Park. Remember to never quit at any time, walk if you have to, FINISHING THIS PRESTIGIOUS EVENT IS THE BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD! I am a proud finisher of The 1980 N. Y. C. Marathon when I was only 19 years of age. I still get chills down my spine to think I among the best of the best runners in the world in the 1980 N. Y. C. Marathon! Good Luck All First-timers !" If you can make it here you can make it anywhere it's up to you New York." FRANK SINATRA
- Sean Howland The beginning of the marathon is sooo exciting and it is hard to not just take off fast but remember to stay on "your" pace from the start
- Martrese White Although finishing is pretty awesome, nothing beats the anticipation on the Staten Island Ferry ride to the start - so much quiet energy, the calm before the storm, those million-dollar views - soak it in. Savor it. There's nothing like it.
- Dorie Holst run slower than you think is even "normal" - you may say "but that nun with the walker is passing me!" and you're still going too fast. also - WRITE YOUR NAME ON YOUR SHIRT!! people love cheering for you. it's AMAZING to hear your name.
- Seán McDonald Make sure you are in your corral on time. Some close 45 mins. prior to start time. You don't want to have to start in the back after training for you pace.
- Yolanda Batts Sitting here in tears. As a first-timer, I have those moments when I question my sanity in pursuing this dream. But there is a desire within me that is too strong to ignore. Thank you all for the love, humor and wisdom. I'm pumped!! :-)
- Kevin Glynn If the guy in the rhino costume, the lady dressed as a ninja, the person dressed as the Eiffel Tower and the dozens of military personnel in full uniform can do this - so can you.
- Ilana Shapiro So excited for my first marathon! Last year, I pulled a muscle a week before the race.. Can't wait to run it this year! Thanks for all of the great advice!
- Raimundo Riojas A The first 10k will dictate your race. If you start too fast you will pay at the end. Strive for a negative split and enjoy all the energy from the crowd. Running my 8th in a row. No better race in the world!
- Victor Volin Run!! No seriously, pace yourself, 26.2 is no joke, the first few miles are ridiculously crowded- use it as your warm up.
@Yolanda Batts do what works for you, do your 3 long runs, training is the hardest part, the marathon is the easy part. Lol.
