Staten Island Ferry
Ground Zero
Bart Yasso at the NYC Marathon Expo
Marathon eve fireworks
Mile 26 on marathon eveTrial run to Staten Island
On Saturday AM, I got up earlier than necessary since I am kind of used to getting up pretty early and don't seem to be able to sleep late very often. I'd usually rather get up and going and then take a nap later in the day. I headed down to the Starbucks next door and the Duane Read to get my chai latte, coffee for Keith, breakfast for me, and some water and gatorade for the race the next day. If you've not been to NY, you really can't go very far without seeing a Starbucks or Duane Read (their version of Walgreens/Rite Aid/CVS). After having our tea and coffee, we headed out for the first stop of the day, our trial run to the Staten Island ferry where I needed to be at 6am on race day. It took a few tries to get the right subway station. We had the W line planned but realized after waiting a bit that was only a weekday stop so switched to the 1 which was the one everyone would probably take on Sunday AM. The station was right across the street from the hotel so that was perfect. We rode to the ferry terminal stop wondering if we'd find the ferry easily. As we emerged from the subway entrance, the huge 5 foot tall letters spelling "Staten Island Ferry" were a tip off that perhaps the trial run wasn't really needed after all! We walked in, stood there for 5 seconds and said, yep, this is the right place, and then went to get back on the subway. Still I did feel better knowing I'd know where to go the next morning.
On Saturday AM, I got up earlier than necessary since I am kind of used to getting up pretty early and don't seem to be able to sleep late very often. I'd usually rather get up and going and then take a nap later in the day. I headed down to the Starbucks next door and the Duane Read to get my chai latte, coffee for Keith, breakfast for me, and some water and gatorade for the race the next day. If you've not been to NY, you really can't go very far without seeing a Starbucks or Duane Read (their version of Walgreens/Rite Aid/CVS). After having our tea and coffee, we headed out for the first stop of the day, our trial run to the Staten Island ferry where I needed to be at 6am on race day. It took a few tries to get the right subway station. We had the W line planned but realized after waiting a bit that was only a weekday stop so switched to the 1 which was the one everyone would probably take on Sunday AM. The station was right across the street from the hotel so that was perfect. We rode to the ferry terminal stop wondering if we'd find the ferry easily. As we emerged from the subway entrance, the huge 5 foot tall letters spelling "Staten Island Ferry" were a tip off that perhaps the trial run wasn't really needed after all! We walked in, stood there for 5 seconds and said, yep, this is the right place, and then went to get back on the subway. Still I did feel better knowing I'd know where to go the next morning.
Ground Zero
We decided to stop at the World Trade Center site since it was close by. Keith had not been there post 9/11. It was wonderful to see the progress being made there but still such a sad reminder of that September day that started out like any other September day but ended so tragically. So many out of towners, particularly from other countries, were in the city for the race that it was a big tourist spot that day. We walked over to the WTC PATH station where you can get a good view between the fence of the enormous hole that was the footprint of the Twin Towers (as I'd always known them) that is still visible despite all the ongoing construction.
We decided to stop at the World Trade Center site since it was close by. Keith had not been there post 9/11. It was wonderful to see the progress being made there but still such a sad reminder of that September day that started out like any other September day but ended so tragically. So many out of towners, particularly from other countries, were in the city for the race that it was a big tourist spot that day. We walked over to the WTC PATH station where you can get a good view between the fence of the enormous hole that was the footprint of the Twin Towers (as I'd always known them) that is still visible despite all the ongoing construction.
Lunch at Jane
We decided to head into the Village for lunch and using his handy dandy Urbanspoon app Keith found a great place called Jane. Despite the line outside and a crowd inside, we were seated right away since it was easy to squeeze in a table for 2. We started with an appetizer of goat cheese and carmelized onion on flatbread, which was yummy. Again I opted for a pasta entree, this time a pumpkin ravioli with sage sauce which was awesome and not all sweet and nutmegy like many places do their pumpkin ravioli. After lunch I convinced Keith to pop over to the expo again so we took a cab to the Jacob Javitz center since I wanted to get some of those arm warmers in case it was chilly the next day.
Expo, Day 2
I fully expected the crowd today to be even worse than Friday but to my surprise it was noticeably thinner. I guess most folks had already picked up their numbers and certainly had done a lot of shopping prior to us getting there because the once crowded Asics store was now pretty well picked over. In fact they only had bright blue arm warmers left, no black. Keith asked if I wanted to be warm or fashionable? Well, fashionable of course. I was wearing black shorts and a red shirt tomorrow so no way was I wearing blue arm warmers! Plus I wasn't fully sold on them anyway so wanted some cheaper black ones and while they had other brands that would have matched, I was not willing to pay $25 or more for them. So I dismissed that idea but did get the cool gloves I saw that had one borough on each finger. Of course now I am thinking as I write this, I wonder which borough got the middle one! I'd have to guess the Bronx because they had the more colorful signs during the race (quitting is not an "f'ing" option said one sign along the course...they do know how to cheer you on!) but likely it's Queens since they are the 3rd borough you go through. I didn't wear these gloves for the race since I was aiming for more disposable stuff, but kept them for my cold weather runs coming up all too soon in Raleigh.
We decided to head into the Village for lunch and using his handy dandy Urbanspoon app Keith found a great place called Jane. Despite the line outside and a crowd inside, we were seated right away since it was easy to squeeze in a table for 2. We started with an appetizer of goat cheese and carmelized onion on flatbread, which was yummy. Again I opted for a pasta entree, this time a pumpkin ravioli with sage sauce which was awesome and not all sweet and nutmegy like many places do their pumpkin ravioli. After lunch I convinced Keith to pop over to the expo again so we took a cab to the Jacob Javitz center since I wanted to get some of those arm warmers in case it was chilly the next day.
Expo, Day 2
I fully expected the crowd today to be even worse than Friday but to my surprise it was noticeably thinner. I guess most folks had already picked up their numbers and certainly had done a lot of shopping prior to us getting there because the once crowded Asics store was now pretty well picked over. In fact they only had bright blue arm warmers left, no black. Keith asked if I wanted to be warm or fashionable? Well, fashionable of course. I was wearing black shorts and a red shirt tomorrow so no way was I wearing blue arm warmers! Plus I wasn't fully sold on them anyway so wanted some cheaper black ones and while they had other brands that would have matched, I was not willing to pay $25 or more for them. So I dismissed that idea but did get the cool gloves I saw that had one borough on each finger. Of course now I am thinking as I write this, I wonder which borough got the middle one! I'd have to guess the Bronx because they had the more colorful signs during the race (quitting is not an "f'ing" option said one sign along the course...they do know how to cheer you on!) but likely it's Queens since they are the 3rd borough you go through. I didn't wear these gloves for the race since I was aiming for more disposable stuff, but kept them for my cold weather runs coming up all too soon in Raleigh.
Famous running folks
We walked around the expo a bit, still searching for cheap arm warmers that I never found. But I did spot Bart Yasso, Grete Waitz, and Deena Kastor, all signing books and/or giving autographs. The line for seeing Grete was closed since she had to leave and I felt guilty getting on line to speak to Deena since I really was more of a Paula Radcliffe fan. But when I saw Bart Yasso, I had to stop by. He was at the Runner's World booth since he is their "Chief Running Officer". I had seen a few video clips earlier in the week on the Runner's World website where he offered tips for packing for a race, calming pre-race nerves and tips for the NYC Marathon. The one I recalled most was "don't get so excited after leaving the bridge onto First Ave that you start going too fast, because you still have 10 miles to go". I asked Keith to take my picture with Bart and told him I appreciated his video tips. And in the end I definitely remembered that one during the race. I also purchased his book for $15 because I am always up for a good running book and also felt cheesy for taking a picture and then not buying it. I am glad I did because it's very entertaining so far. After this we left the expo, feeling that a nap was in order. On the way back we stopped over on Columbus Ave and 81st (one block over from where I expected to exit the park after the race) to choose an EXACT spot we should meet after the race. I learned from the Marine Corp Marathon that it's frustrating wandering around for a long time searching after you've just run a marathon, so you can't be too specific. We picked a bike shop near the corner of 81st and Columbus, right by the Specialized sign (the brand of bike Keith favors). Then we headed back to the hotel so we could rest a bit before dinner.
My kingdom for a banana
Before going up to the room, we decided to stop to try to get the last remaining thing needed for the race...bananas. My god, how many stores and lines do we need to navigate to get a darn banana in the city! I bet going to the Central Park zoo and wrestling one from a monkey would have been faster and easier (ok, actually I don't know if they even have monkeys there but still!). We made the classic rookie mistake of thinking going to Whole Foods (or any food store for that matter) just before dinner time just to buy a few bananas for pre-race breakfast would be a quick stop. Oatmeal and bananas have been a standard for race days for me for a few months after hearing they worked for some running friends. So I had to get bananas. We ran into Whole Foods (in the basement level of a shopping mall in Columbus Circle) and got them and proceeded to check out. To our amazement we realized that the line snaked around the entire store! We promptly put the bananas back and decided to try someplace else after dinner.
Dinner at Topaz
After literally 3 straight days of pasta for lunch and dinner I felt I needed some variety and a bit of protein. There was a nice sushi place in the lobby of our hotel but I was not about to risk potential bad raw fish on race eve! Also needed to avoid something too spicy, but ultimately I agreed to the thai place that Keith found on Urbanspoon called Topaz. We ordered some satay for an appetizer and I didn't get any wine but took a few small sips of Keith's beer. I ordered a noodle dish with chicken so while it was still pasta-like it was at least some variety. I ordered it not spicy and it was actually a bit spicy but really tasted great. We had this along with some sticky rice. It really hit the spot. This was another not fancy local place with great cheap food. I was amused however at the bartender and chef doing shots behind the bar and the waiter sipping beer from a glass he had stashed on a shelf behind a small curtain. Glad we ate early because I wonder what the impact of that drinking was on the quality of the food and service for those dining later in the evening.
Dinner at Topaz
After literally 3 straight days of pasta for lunch and dinner I felt I needed some variety and a bit of protein. There was a nice sushi place in the lobby of our hotel but I was not about to risk potential bad raw fish on race eve! Also needed to avoid something too spicy, but ultimately I agreed to the thai place that Keith found on Urbanspoon called Topaz. We ordered some satay for an appetizer and I didn't get any wine but took a few small sips of Keith's beer. I ordered a noodle dish with chicken so while it was still pasta-like it was at least some variety. I ordered it not spicy and it was actually a bit spicy but really tasted great. We had this along with some sticky rice. It really hit the spot. This was another not fancy local place with great cheap food. I was amused however at the bartender and chef doing shots behind the bar and the waiter sipping beer from a glass he had stashed on a shelf behind a small curtain. Glad we ate early because I wonder what the impact of that drinking was on the quality of the food and service for those dining later in the evening.
Fireworks and nighty night
After dinner we headed over to Central Park as it started to drizzle to watch the fireworks display which was party of the marathon eve celebration. They were pretty cool and we could see them from around the mile 26 mark so didn't need to go all the way over to the finish line where the crowds were. We got back to the hotel pretty early and I spent lots of time laying out my clothes and stuff to bring to the race and for Keith to bring with him in my backpack for post-race. This included pinning my race number on, putting my timing device on my shoe, making the final call on clothes to wear and clothes I'd use to keep warm until the race started and then would toss (they collect them and give them to the needy), packing the clothes and other stuff Keith would bring, and figuring out the food I'd bring for the morning and what I'd eat before leaving. I was still undecided about the fuel belt so I put that in my bag thinking I'd bring it. After a lot of time spent doing this pre-race packing ritual that was more extreme for this race due to the fact that I'd be spending 3.5 hrs waiting around before the start, I took a shower and got ready for bed. We called Gran and Pop Pop, who were taking care of the kids at our place, to see how trick or treating went and they said it went well and the kids were already in bed. We had already talked to the kids earlier in the day and Owen wished me luck and said "I hope you win!". The Yankees game was on and I read a bit of my new Bart Yasso book, but decided to put that down for fear I'd stay up too late reading. Keith stayed up watching the game a bit and I turned over and tried to get to sleep around 9pm (after turning the clock back!), knowing I'd have trouble doing that and that the alarm would go off at 4am.
After dinner we headed over to Central Park as it started to drizzle to watch the fireworks display which was party of the marathon eve celebration. They were pretty cool and we could see them from around the mile 26 mark so didn't need to go all the way over to the finish line where the crowds were. We got back to the hotel pretty early and I spent lots of time laying out my clothes and stuff to bring to the race and for Keith to bring with him in my backpack for post-race. This included pinning my race number on, putting my timing device on my shoe, making the final call on clothes to wear and clothes I'd use to keep warm until the race started and then would toss (they collect them and give them to the needy), packing the clothes and other stuff Keith would bring, and figuring out the food I'd bring for the morning and what I'd eat before leaving. I was still undecided about the fuel belt so I put that in my bag thinking I'd bring it. After a lot of time spent doing this pre-race packing ritual that was more extreme for this race due to the fact that I'd be spending 3.5 hrs waiting around before the start, I took a shower and got ready for bed. We called Gran and Pop Pop, who were taking care of the kids at our place, to see how trick or treating went and they said it went well and the kids were already in bed. We had already talked to the kids earlier in the day and Owen wished me luck and said "I hope you win!". The Yankees game was on and I read a bit of my new Bart Yasso book, but decided to put that down for fear I'd stay up too late reading. Keith stayed up watching the game a bit and I turned over and tried to get to sleep around 9pm (after turning the clock back!), knowing I'd have trouble doing that and that the alarm would go off at 4am.
I can say that while I did sleep it wasn't a very sound sleep and I vividly recall dreaming that I missed the wave 1 start and then was about to also be late for the wave 2 start when I woke up and realized it was just a dream!
Stay tuned for the next blog post titled NYC Marathon 2009 - Part 3: Race day and beyond.
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