26.2 things to know about the New York City Marathon

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will be my fifth, going back to the first one in 2007. For those preparing now to live out the dream journey through the five boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan, here are some things you need to know:

10 Years of Running

My 10 Favorite: Miles | Medals | Shoes | Bibs

Thursday marks my 10th runnerversary, and thanks to anyone who has been along for the ride. I never imagined I would still be doing this on that Friday of December 1, 2006. That morning, I moved into a new apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City, and it was freshly painted. While waiting for the movers to arrive with my stuff, I walked over to the bodega at 73rd Street & Columbus, to buy a few items. I stepped out, and was standing there at the intersection, with a full box of KOOLS in my hand, ready to light one. I had visited the apartment earlier that week, huffing and puffing up the steps to the third floor, overweight and a smoker for the past six or seven years, to meet the tenants who were moving out. They changed my world, without knowing it, because they told me they belonged to the New York Road Runners club and that they regularly ran and biked Central Park a block away. With that healthy thought in my head, I looked at that full box of KOOLS and I broke it in half, drawing curious looks from women who stood beside me. I went into my new apartment, met the movers, unpacked, and then immediately took the A train down to Times Square and bought a pair of ASICS at a Foot Locker. I went to NYRR.org and paid for a one-year membership. That week I started running hilly Central Park, and on that December 10th I ran my first race, the Joe Kleinerman 10K, finishing with a net time of 1:18:40 (12:41 pace).



I have thought about this moment for a long time, and in counting down the days to this special runnerversary I have been posting several top-10 lists of my favorite things over this past decade of running. Today, I am going to celebrate by running Central Park at 5 a.m., then running around the Washington Monument later in the day, then by popping a bottle of champagne and spraying it all over myself. I am also going to celebrate by posting my final top-10 list, so here it is: 10 unbelievable things that happened after I quit smoking and started running.

10. It taught me to be a finisher in life. Set a goal, work hard, persevere and finish. My first goal was to run the New York City Marathon within my first year as a runner, and I did that in November 2007. In the past month I finished my fourth NYC Marathon, and 17th full or ultra.

9. There are 137 bibs on my bedroom wall. They signify all the races I have registered for and then got up for early starts and put one foot in front of another until I crossed a timing mat. That has equated to thousands and thousands and thousands of miles I have run either in those races or in training. It means my heart has pumped blood in wonderful fashion amid all that activity. I owe a special thanks to the New York Road Runners, for conducting all those races I have run, and to the people who take care of Central Park and keep it so pristine and the best place in the world to run -- my track!

The 0BPPG Plan: Why and How I Changed My World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

Please let me start by describing that dish above: One large grouper filet split in half, seasoned with turmeric and olive oil and steamed in aluminum foil on my grill; quinoa; and grilled squash. This was my first dinner after I changed my world last Thursday and I am not stopping. (Updated Aug. 10: 6 pounds lost in first 3 weeks, 2 pounds per week. Goal is 22 pounds total.)

Every runner knows that you don't look too far ahead when starting a major challenge. You focus on right now, the mile you're in, the present rather than the future. With that in mind, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself on my current challenge, but I wanted to share it as some have inquired.

On July 21, I decided to change my thoughts and change my world. I decided to quit consuming bread, pasta, pizza and gluten. I call it the 0BPPG Plan. My family was very helpful in advising how to go about it, and I evolved my thought process in walking down supermarket aisles. This is what I want to share: why I changed and how I changed, both equally important steps.

WHY I CHANGED

How Mark Zuckerberg just changed running forever

Mark Zuckerberg started his A Year Of Running group on Facebook less than a week ago, and in my experience as one of the first of about 100,000 to join it already is the biggest running social network in the world and is already changing lives and making a difference everywhere.

The Facebook founder started it as his annual commitment to try something new, and his objective is to run 365 miles in 2016 and get others to run as well. The results are already profound, and I predict that it will live on into 2017.

Here is why I am obsessed with it:

Introductions

Meet my new friend.

Thanks to my brother-in-law Joe for hooking me up with one of his trusty rides, a Schwinn Circuit. It has everything I need and I just need to do a tape job on the handlebars. The benefit for me is going to be big, a way not only to cross-train heading toward upcoming marathons, but also just to keep it fresh as I zoom toward my 10th runnerversary in 2016. You gotta mix things up.

Sweet ride, nice to meet you. It's been a long time since I actually rode a bike, believe it or not. Here we go! Follow me @Marathoner on Twitter and @Marath0ner on Instagram.

Idiots rock

Holiday Fitness Tips from Michelle Lovitt

ASICS Fitness Expert
Michelle Lovitt

From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, holiday traditions will bring us cherished memories of a lifetime . . . and some real challenges on the training front. ASICS & Pear Sports Fitness Expert (and NYC Marathon finisher) Michelle Lovitt is kind enough to share these important tips entering into this holiday season so you can make the most of a wonderful time of year and stay within your fit lifestyle.

Ready? Here goes:

1) Drink plenty of water before and after a meal. Water will not only help you feel more satiated it will help increase your metabolism and help your body burn calories more efficiently. Keep in mind that the increase in calories burned is modest, however the water keeps your body hydrated and functioning properly.



2) Don't drink your calories. If you partake in holiday festivities limit your alcohol (and eggnog) consumption to no more than two glasses. Drinking caloric beverages daily not only dehydrates you but also packs on unwanted pounds with extra calories.

ASICS Holiday Wishlist

I dropped in on my friends at the ASICS New York City Meatpacking District Store this afternoon and bought the new PR Thermal 2-N-1 Beanie reversable knit cap. I'll get plenty of use out of it as I start training through another tough NYC winter, this time for the Walt Disney World Marathon scheduled for Jan. 11. It's just $18 and a huge addition:

While I was in the ASICS store, I also took a barrage of photos of ASICS STUFF I WISH I HAD. Let's call it the ASICS @Marathoner Holiday Wishlist. If Santa wanted to drop any of this stuff under my Christmas tree or in a stocking next month, hey you're the jolly mon. Here are a dozen items that especially caught my eye on the "guy side" of the store, with links on asicsamerica.com.

10 Rules of Physical Therapy

Thanks to my friends at Professional P.T. in NYC / Chelsea for posting this in the men's locker room!

What do you think of PT? Got any more to add?

What to do in the final days before your marathon

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Being on the ASICS LA Marathon Blogger Team for Sunday's race has had many advantages, and one of them is being coached by Andrew Kastor, who trains Olympians and elite runners in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. It is a privilege, to say the least. I wanted to make sure running friends of mine might benefit from some of Coach Kastor's insights, so I am relaying these instructions from him for the final days:

Rest to conserve your energy. Get off your feet, and when you have the chance to sit down, take it! Maintain the diet you have been adhering to the entire training season. Just because your training volume has decreased, it doesn't mean that your caloric intake should be reduced as well. You should actually plan to put on one or two pounds this week, as your body is storing up precious calories, electrolytes, fat and water reserves that will be drawn from during the marathon.

Visualize yourself crossing the finish line as many times as possible before the race begins. See yourself throwing your hands up in the air in jubilation as you complete your 26.2 miles. For those of you with a goal time, envision that finish line clock ticking away, with the time you would like to hit, the time you've been dreaming about for the last few months (or years), in big, bold numbers before you.

And last but not least, DO NOT DO ANYTHING NEW!!! If you have not done it, or used it in practice, DO NOT try it during the race!

THE RACE

Coach Kastor also offered great motivational help for the marathon itself. First, he quoted his wife, U.S. women's distance legend Deena Kastor, from the opening line in the movie "Spirit of the Marathon": "Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most, define us." Then he shared these words with us:

During the race, there will come a time when you have to choose how hard you're going to push yourself. Some athletes will choose to stop and rest, and others will continue to push through the discomfort, forging ahead to their marathon goals. How strong will you be when the going gets tough? Will you be able to look yourself in the mirror on Sunday afternoon and honestly answer the question, "Did I give it my all?" or "Did I rise to the occasion?" Will you be proud of yourself and your accomplishment? You should be.You should already be proud of yourself for sticking with the training program, getting up early to get your long runs in on the weekends, running in all kinds of weather conditions, because getting this far is a challenge in and of itself… The marathon is merely the reward.

However, it is also a test of will and perseverance. And if you studied hard, if you followed the plan throughout the months, you’re ready to go! Each of you has committed a tremendous amount of time and energy to your marathon goal, so dig deep and do yourself proud. I know you can ace this final exam.

More from Coach Kastor: Mental Tips For Marathon Success

7 Important Lessons For 7 Years Of Running

This week I celebrate my seventh year as a real runner. I have run 80 New York Road Runners races and 92 overall races, including 12 marathons or ultras, since I traded smoking for running on 12/1/06. The best advice I can pass along from that experience is at the very bottom of this post, a lesson for each year.

Here were my first shoes -- the actual ASICS I bought at a Foot Locker in Times Square:

And here they were after I retired them about 350 miles and many spectacular runs later...



They are hopefully being worn by someone in Africa now, as I donated them to Soles 4 Souls with many other pairs two years ago to mark my fifth runnerversary.

First race: Joe Kleinerman 10K on Dec. 10, 2006 -- nine days after I quit smoking. It was one lap around Central Park in the cold. My net time was 1:18:40. NYRR chief Mary Wittenberg told us at the beginning: "Start easy and finish hard."

First Half: Manhattan Half on Jan. 21, 2007 -- two laps around Central Park. My net was 2:30:03. I was planning to quit after the first lap, but a woman in line with me at a portapotty said, "Just go out there and keep running, you can do it." I did it, and she taught me that I can find more in myself.

First Official Marathon: NYC Marathon on Nov. 4, 2007. My net was 6:08.25. I raised funds for Team for Kids and struggled the last 14 miles with a bad case of plantar fasciitis. It obviously was not the time I was looking for, but it was my  maiden voyage and finishing was like nothing else as I ran the last 400 meters looking up at the sky at my dad and crying in joy.

First Invented Marathon: Statues on Parade Marathon in July 2008. That is when I knew that I just loved running and would do anything to keep improving myself and see the world in a new way. I have loved creating my own unique races and routes. At Major League Baseball, we had 42 Statue of Liberty replicas positioned around NYC for All-Star Week, and I ran 26.2 miles to see each of them, stopping for a photo and to take notes with each one, running from the morning until 8 pm, even getting a hand from the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation to get me on a ferry fast to see the ones on those two islands.

First Ultra: Knickerbocker 60K on Nov. 15, 2008. It was 9 laps around the interior of Central Park, 37 miles. My net was 9:51:00. My future wife Lisa ran the last lap with me in the dark. I had PR'd in the NYC Marathon 2 weeks earlier, so I figured then was as good a time as any. It qualified me for Marathon Maniacs, and I am now member #6697.

First Time Being Supervised By Chinese State Police Guards: Running a half at one of the baseball venues at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It was about 45 laps around the warning track and whole field, under the watchful eye of my two new friends, who were smiling and handing me water when I was done. It is amazing what running can do. I have seen time and time again that it cuts through diplomatic and ethnic boundaries, a very transformative experience.

Most Amazing Run: Pictured to the right here, it's me running the entire 2009 New Jersey Marathon in the rain, and knowing that my life would be changed at the finish line. With help from race organizers, I grabbed the ringbox at the Mile 25 fluid station, and ran with it to the finish line along the ocean. I crossed the finish line, got down on a painful right knee, and Lisa jumped on me as she said yes. It was just an unmatched moment for me that I will treasure always, and running made it possible. It gives you more confidence in your personal life, and for me that had meant meeting Lisa on match.com, meeting her for the first time at the Ocean Grill restaurant on NYC's Upper West Side, and hititng it off immediately. We are happily in love, and she runs with me sometimes.

I have passed on any lessons I have learned along the way, through MySpace and then with Facebook and through my @Marathoner account on Twitter. At this point, most of what I know is just infused into my being, so that instinctively I know how to train, run a race and recover. I know how much running carries over into my personal and professional life, making me want to finish everything and reach beyond my boundaries. I have seen the running community grow by leaps and bounds in these seven years.

7 BIG LESSONS:

1. You can do anything you set your mind to. Just schedule a race.

2. There is no such thing as bad weather.

3. Wash your gear by hand and hang it to dry or lay your socks out flat. NEVER put socks in a dryer. I did that once, a seam was raised, and it caused a huge blister ruining a Miami Marathon.

4. Support other runners. Don't go it alone. Be part of the running community, and the support you get back will help you through the hardest times. Talk with runners at expos and races. We are all in this together, even though we have different shapes and different finish times. Make it a team sport.

5. It's all about the shoes. I mean ALL about the shoes. I spent the first year or so scuffling my way through tick-tack injuries, plantar fasciitis, shinsplints, etc. Finally a Fleet Feet store saleswoman in St. Louis, a marathon runner, got down on her knee and put her index finger under my foot and said, "You have high arches." I never knew that. She put me in a pair of neutrals. That's all it took. I have been healthy almost the entire way ever since, save for a 2012 bout of ITB that was actually caused by a weakened left hip, which I strengthed in 14 physical therapy sessions. It's all about the shoes. Nothing else comes close. If you're battling injury it's probably because of your shoes.

6. Keep a running blog, so you can go back like I am doing now and recall things you now take for granted. It is mainly for your own benefit, and maybe others will get something out of it as well.

7. Motivation will come and go, and you should not fret over the days when you find yourself yearning for a sense of purpose in your miles. It is going to happen, guaranteed. Especially after a big race like a marathon. In early 2009, I was really struggling with that, worrying too much. Then before I knew it, I was running that NJ Marathon in the rain and proposing. When your running purpose seems diminished and you lack a charge to go out for a run, just relax, wait for tomorrow, make sure you schedule a scary race, go buy yourself some new ASICS gear and drink a lot of water. Running is for life.