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Finisher!

Too puffed for words right now. The full story will be in the next Metro.

Night before prep

In the great tradition of the NYC marathon, I went to a thrift story this afternoon to get a jersey that I can ditch at the start line. It was in Soho so not the cheapest second-hand shop in the city but I reckon my very appropriate oversized sweater is a pretty good buy for 5 bucks, Now I’m kind of sad about letting it go.

That there is dessert pizza. Carb bomb.

Little slice of rugby fever

Heading uptown to go to the marathon expo I had a rare Kiwi spotting on the subway platform. Lovely Collette from Hamilton was heading off to watch the Rugby World Cup final in full All Blacks get-up. We caught the terrific game at an English pub in Boerum Hill with a big plate of classic English Breakfast, blood pudding included. I hope that’s what the ABs had before their big match day too.

Inside the marathon expo. Bib, check. Directions, check. Impulse shopping, check.

While I take a lot of pride in my podium finishes, some of the most memorable races weren’t about where I finished, but how I finished.

Wise words from a winner

This is the best thing for me to read right now, Meb Keflezighi in The Player’s Tribune. Two days out and I’m concentrating on getting to the start line first, then the finish line. Good to know that even champions have less than ideal preparations - and race days.

“I needed to cross the finish line that day. I wanted to do it for all the people who had supported me up to that point — and I wanted to do it for all those that would have loved to finish the 2013 Boston Marathon, and the 2012 NYC Marathon. I was committed to getting to the finish line, even if I had to walk there.”

I like the sound of this bit too. Please New Yorkers, stay out there!

“There are a select few people who run in a marathon with the intention of winning; I’m fortunate enough to be among them. But at the heart and soul of this sport are the people who have no illusions of winning or even finishing in the top 100. They’re running for themselves, in memory of someone else or for a great charity. And that’s why none of the spectators watching the New York City marathon clear out after the lead pack passes. People stay for hours and hours to support those individuals who are running just to get across that finish line.”

One of the first marathons to captivate the public was run in 1908, in Madison Square Garden; the modern big-city race has roots in a 1976 run in New York.

How New York City Made the Modern Marathon

The New Yorker (who else?) has an interesting marathon history piece this week.

- The indoors marathon of 1908 at old Madison Garden: “The organizers constructed a track measuring a tenth of a mile; the race was two hundred and sixty-two laps.”

- St Louis Olympic marathon of 1904: “the real winner, Thomas Hicks, had been propelled to the finish line by a mid-race cocktail of brandy, egg whites, and rat poison.

- London Olympic marathon 1908: “he wore a handkerchief doused in balsamic vinegar on his head which he would occasionally put in his mouth to refresh himself.”

- New York City marathon 1970: “The winner—in 2:31:39—was a firefighter named Gary Muhrcke, who had just completed a night shift. He received a wristwatch for his efforts.”

#the new york city marathon

Hurricane watch

It’s raining and cool today - but the forecast for Sunday is looking good. Phew.

Billyburg

A timid few times around the park under the autumn leaves. I just took this picture because the dude behind me with a massive beard and a shaggy dog pushing a stroller was such a Williamsburger.

No running today but a lot of time on the feet pushing this happy little one around Lower Manhattan for hours and hours. I wonder whether Lydiard would count that.

Get Running: LA edition

That’s the dead-eyed look of someone who has just been for a very gentle 15-minute jog on a beautiful Californian morning and has no idea how she’s going to take that grumbling knee to 42km in one week. It was good to turn the legs over before hopping in another plane though.

Nothing says “Welcome to America” like a Halloween Dog Parade. It’s in my top five favourite parades.

New York, coming ready or not

In an ideal runner's world, every step of every mile would be 100 percent pain-free. No aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday's workout. The reality is that many runners constantly deal with a slight (or not so slight) disturbance—a tender foot, a tight hamstring, a whiny knee. While these nagging issues often aren't serious enough to require a time-out, they are annoying, especially when they don't let you fully enjoy your time on the roads.

The knee bone’s connected to the....

I don’t feel so alone. According to this Runner’s World article 40 per cent of runners get knee problems. Mine is the classic. The knee is sore but that’s not where the actual problem is. It’s a form issue leading to tightness in the hip pulling the IT band up and the knee goes with it. Ideally I’d have time off running and concentrate on building strength in the hips, butt and core then gradually get back into it. Not go run a marathon right now. Ah well.

Wednesday

9am: Aqua jogging

10am: Race day planning with coach Gaz

11am: massage

1pm: physio

This was not what I had in mind less than two weeks out.

Pinning hopes

It’s come to this. A whole lot of needles and some electric shocks.

New ‘Ork City or bust

Over the last couple of weeks things got bad - a stomach bug - then worse - the return of this winter’s favourite virus - then really, really scary. I was out for a run on Sunday trying to make up for the days I’d wasted miserable in bed and there was a pain in my knee so bad I ended up sobbing in a bus stop. It felt like New York was slipping away.

So I panicked. And since then a bunch of people have been telling me, “DON”T PANIC”. My wonderful coaches Gaz and Kiri at Get Running, my excellent acupuncturist David Craddock who directed lightning bolts through my leg, my understanding physio Richard at Sports Lab who showed me some magic stretches to do (at least I hope they’re magic). So much has to go right to do a marathon and it feels like they’re all wrong right now.

And then Ramona learnt how to say “New York City”.

This woman has completed 100 marathons—and is sharing what she's learned.

Juicy tips from inside the 100 marathon club. Kiri has some advice you don’t want to miss in a piece I did for Women’s Running.

#marathon lessons #marathon mantras #marathon tips

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