As I said, it's been rough and it still kinda is but I digress.
I saw the announcement last year about this and was sort of considering it. I mean I do not like Central Park and this is loops of it (again) but it is a new race and I guess you gotta do it once, right? And then the killer...Jim said he's considering it. So I signed up. Turns out he didn't but I did. That's why I had such a low bib number. I guess another reason to do it is to support a company that's giving competition to NYRR. All these reasons sound good, right?
About a month before the race, Hammad started running with us. I usually see him in the pool and we always said that one day we will either run or ride together but it didn't happen. He didn't feel ready yet. His first run with us was the water loop - 10.5 miles of joy. Nothing like a trial by fire, right? He did well actually. A little slower pace but we all have those days sometimes. He eventually got to 13 miles tho with some calf cramping and walking. I told him about the CP Marathon and he immediatly decided to do the half. He's a scrapper, I'll definitly give him that.
It was almost race day and I started looking at this race a little more. I'm telling you the excitement/anticipation is at a lowtime low. Apparently, they do not have race day pickup and their locations and days/times frankly suck! Also, I do not know anyone going to the race and what to do...Well, NYCRUNS decided on a new thing. You can pay $ 10.00 and they will mail you the bib in the mail. OK - did it. Sucks. What a waste of $$ but whatever. See, with Brooklyn they asked people to pick up before race day but made race day available. Here it wasn't an option. So I got my bib in the mail. Paid $ 10.00 for a 50 cent stamp. Nice.
Meanwhile Hammad did register and went to pickup. I didn't know yet if he is reliable in this so I did what I had to do.
I asked him if I can get a ride with him to Manhattan. He lives near by in Queens Village and was planning on driving. I figured I'll ride with him in and after that figure something out. I'll just take cash, credit card, Metro card and my LIRR ticket and between all those options, I'll get home. I mean, I could either walk/cab/subway to Penn station and take the closest train available to home or perhaps sunway all the way to Queens. Whatever.
We start getting ready. It's a little chilly but there is a wind and I decide to be comfortable. Wearing my windbreaker underneath my MM singlet. Hammad on the other hand always ends up stripping so he has to figure things out for himself.
We are finally ready and head into the park for the port-a-potties. His race starts 30 minutes earlier than mine. How stupid is that? Usually the halfs and fulls start at the same time or the halfs go a little later. Still, here they go first. I know why too. It's because the course is such a mess.
The Marathon Course: 5 big loops of the park (counter clockwise) followed by a small loop.
The Half-Marathon Course: 1 big loop (counter clockwise) followed by a medium loop followed by a smaller loop.
They started the Halfers 30 minutes before us because their big loop is bigger than ours. This way, they can close that part of the course and be done with it. Less confusion. Still that sucked. So as a first for me, I escorted Hammad to the start line so he can start. Cheered him on and then again to the port-a-potty. Been having lots of issues with my stomach during runs these days so I figured it can't hurt.
Before that tho, we headed to baggage check and out of the corner of my eye, I see a girl running from behind me and about to slap me on the butt. I turn around and it's Julia K. Cool. She lives close by so she came to run. We talk and that's cool.
Anyway, I thought that I would have to go after the race to packet pickup to pick up my hoodie but it turns out they brought it to race start. So, that's what I paid $ 10 for?!? What a scam... Still, glad I didn't have to go afterwards.
Checked in my stuff and who else is here? Becky... Who I met and ran with a little at the Alley Pond BUS 50K. Nice. Off we go toward our start line which was different than the Halfers and who shows up? Pete Lantin, Paul Arroyo and some other people. Took a group picture of MM's and soon enough we were on our way.
I can't reiterate how much I hate loops and how much Central Park isn't my favorite especially after the 60K in CP, all 10 loops of it. Started running with the MM's and eventually we all made our way. Ran my own as I usually do.
It was a weird day weather wise. Little cold and windy but during the day, the sun actually broke through and it started getting warm tho later during the race it suddenly got colder too.
Now considering I am writing this 2 months later, let's see what I actually remember...
So, I left the MM's and then eventually a group caught up with me and we ran together. I think I was with Pete, Paul, Mary Harvey and some other girl. Eventually, Paul and Mary (I think) pulled over to use indoor plumbing. I continued and all was good until about mile 10 when my stomach had issues. Went to the port-a-potties twice pre-race and still it rebels. WONDERFUL! I was with this MM girl who I think might have been from France. I told her I gotta stop at the port-a-pottie and she said she will too. We got to an aid station and very ungentlemanlike I apologized and ran ahead to grab the first one. Sorry but had to.
It was disgusting. There was stuff on the seat (not going further on this) and no toilet paper which wasn't an issue since I always carry wipes. I cleaned up and did my thing and of course apologized to the woman coming in after me - "It wasn't me....I cleaned it up...!"
Felt so much better. Continued. Bought a coke and enjoyed the day. Eventually ran a little with Mary and included Becky but then Mary took off and eventually so did Becky. That's cool. Enjoying the day... Making the best of it with friends.
At one point I started running with Julia. It was nice just talking and running. She told me about her 2 brain surgeries to remove cancer. I shared what we went through when they took the football size tumor out of our 3rd child (the dog) who truly is a member of the family.
I was a dealer/pusher that day... I gave pretzels to Julia. Later tylenol to Paul when we caught up with him. We later dropped him. Eventually we caught up to Pete and I offered tylenol but if I remember correctly he preferred the gum once he knew I had. Maybe I'm wrong.
Pete is an interesting guy. He remembers me for pulling him into a PR at the Air Force Marathon. Since then he went to break 4 hours which I cannot seem to do. I think he also has unofficially achieved 10 stars status. Kudos to him!
I ran between 2 and 3 loops with Julia that day. She is also faster than me but her adductors where giving her issues. She stopped gladly to take some peanuts at an aid station for the protein. She really is a nice person.
One of her friends, I can't rememebr the name anymore, an ultramarathoner joined us. We had previously discussed the course, Julia and I, and decided that it's just 5 loops. Well we were almost at the end of the 4th loop and I stopped to buy another coke and let them go. It was at this point that I realized that it's actually a 5 loop course and then an additional smaller loop. I just didn't get it until then. I don't know why. Then it hit me that Julia is gonna go short and stop after the 5th loop.
Small tangent... By the way, NYCRUN had a rule that you could use headphones but must take them off about 200 yards from the finish/end of lap marker. Under thread of DQ you had to take them off and they had the running equivalent of the Gestapo yelling at people. Really? I get it that runners need to hear and understand instructions but really?!? Whatever... Julia thought she hid the headphones but she got yelled at as well.
Drank the runners elixir and started chasing them down to alert them of the future booboo. I was between 1 and 1.5 mile away from them carrying a bottle of coke and chasing them down. Caught them and explained my theory. Julia disagreed but her friend said it made sense. Still Julia was willing to wait and see. Well, during this loop is when we actually caught up with Peter who ran with us and then dropped. We also said goodbye to Julia's friend. We continuued running toward our salvation. We also ran into Hammad who decided to hang out and wait for me. God bless him...He still had about 40-60 minutes to wait for us but thank God he did. I truly didn't feel like mass-transiting it home.
We were about a 1/2 mile from the finish on the extra small loop and I told Julia that I usually like to sprint to the finish but I just don't feel like I can. She said if I need to then I should. I again told her that I just cannot...
At around this point a guy passed us and we congratulated him. Didn't chase him. I stayed with Julia... It was about 200 yards to the finish, up a small little hill that didn't neccessarily feel like one and we made our final left turn and I saw the dude again. Like the proverbial Bull seeing red, I apologized to Julia who yelled GO! which further spurred me on and (what prose I doth write) like a torpedo I latched onto that guy and gave chase. I was about 25 yards away from the finish as I passed him. I yelled "Sorry" to him as I flew by only to hear "YOU F**K...." which again only served really one purpose and that is to go faster. I crossed the finish line and pretty much crashed into someone who had just finished. DUDE! Get out of the way if you finish... Well, I didn't crash into him as almost did. I had to put my hand out and banged that into him. I apologized tho he should have moved. I then went to the guy I passed and we man hugged and congratulated each other. He apologized for the comment and I laughed and said "it only helped". Meanwhile his girlfriend/wife/whatever caught the moment and I had her email it to me right on the spot. Yay...
Got Hot chocolate and my bag and Hammad made our way to the car as Pete ran by with only a 1/2 mile away. I should have run him in but I was done (sorry) so I said my congrats and took my leave.
This wasn't my favorite race and I still don't see the magic of CP. Also, NYCRUNS is getting more and more like NYRR which sucks. Oh well. On a side note, even tho the NYRR 60K Knickerbocker was longer, I like that course (clockwise) and whatever differences better. Just saying. Could be the weather or my general feeling but it is what it is.
