I actually planned to do this race in 2023. Well, I've been trying to figure out how to get DC out of the way for a while and it always seemed difficult. Either websites unclear or lack of information. Whatever. In 2023, I finally decided to "just do it". I didn't have a December race AND I didn't have DC AND it fit my schedule AND Jamey was available AND I signed up. Then life happened. It's good news really but my nephew and his wife were having a baby right around that time. I kept praying he would either be early or late to the party but alas, he was right on time... The Bris should have been on the following Saturday but the Rabbi decided on the Sunday. The same marathon Sunday. Can't miss that. I get it. It is what it is. Did what I had to do and DNSed. Oh well. Jamey still went. So jealous... He reported it to be boring but very very muddy. So many puddles and he was oh so wet. Maybe I missed a bad one?
Skip forward almost a year and I realize that I need to have a conversation with Nephew regarding when the first birthday party will be. He remembered I missed a race. I remembered I missed a race. His mom was coming from out of country and so we settled on the November 30th AKA the Saturday before the race. YAY!!! I can still do this race. Talked to Jamey. No spousal permission. I talked to other people. Oh well, solo it is. Still, I should be happy to get DC out of the way...
So, I signed up for the race. I also got a hotel. Got all my ducks in a row.
The plan:
Saturday - Birthday party. Weather cold but Not too too too bad. After party go to DC. I couldn't decide if it made more sense to take 2 cars into Manhattan and leave to DC from there or just go back home with the famliy and then leave.
Sunday - Marathon and drive right back home.
Final decision was to only take 1 car. Ran short on Saturday and got back home. Drove to Manhattan and got a great spot. Came home and took a 30 minute nap before I left toward DC. What a smart thing to do... There would have been NO way that I would have made it otherwise... I was tired.
So, I left the house at 4pm after dog walk etc. ETA was 9pm. What should have been a 4 hour drive was going to take 5 hours assuming that I wasn't stopping at all. I remembered seeing an email that saif that if you arrive after 9pm, then they will consider your reservation null and void unless you call them. Shoot. So, before I left the house, I saved the number into my phone and was going to call from the road. I left the house and I'm on the Cross Island Parkway toward the Throgs Neck Bridge. I call them up and they need my reservation number. Seriously? I ask if I can identify myself through other means and they agreed to use my email and phone number. That took a few minutes until the identification process was completed. I mentioned the email and the woman confirmed that they need to be notified if I arrive after 9pm. So, I said that here I am notifying them to which she replied that I would need to inform the hotel, not them... Seriously? Why did I waste 10 minutes of my life for this?!? I got the number from her, entered into my phone while driving (BAD BAD BAD) and said my goodbyes. I called the correct number and got this awesome receptionist that said that unless I was arriving after midnight, I WAS ALL GOOD! Seriously?!? That stupid company freaked me out for NO REASON!
Whatever... Let's move on. I actually drove 5 hours straight without stopping at all. Went straight to the hotel and checked in and parked and in my room all by 9:15ish. NICE!
Went to sleep early and got up early to do my thing.
The Weather... Well, it was going to suck royally. It was going to be really really bad. Yay me. The drive in the AM was going to take less than 10 minutes so very uncharacteristically for me, I left the hotel around 6:30 for an 8am race. I got there and got parking. I wish it was a little closer but really, it was probably quite good. I checked in, got my stuff and went to the port-a-pottie.
Got ready. Walked a lot for the nerves and then went again to the port-a-potties for my nervous bladder. Huge line for 3 port-a-potties. Time was running out and I finally decided to copy the RD from SOS and yelled out that people need to finish up. Quick pee and I went back to the registration table and climbed up the stairs to the start. I was dressed with my usual COLD NY winter weather gear and so except for my eyes, nothing was showing. Still, a guy turns around and says to me, "I know you!". Serisouly??? I look at him and it was Andrew Motola AKA the owner of Brickwell. Apparently, even tho he has done triathlon, he either has only done 1 Ironman or none, I forget which. Bottom line is is that with his new age group 60-69, he now has a chance of BQing. Nice...
The course: If you ever did the Marine Corps Marathon 50K then this will look familiar to you. The difference between the 26.2 and the 50K, was that MCM added a section. Once you go over some bridge, you make a right for the 26.2 or go left down the hill and up until the turn around and then back to add distance and eventually you hook up again with the 26.2 people. While doing the 50K, I remember seeing this little trail on the other side of the road. That little trail was where we were.
Basically a dirt trail that you go 6.5, then turn around. If you're doing the 13.1 then you're done. If you're doing the 26.2, then do it twice. There were some aid stations and all they had was water and Gatorade. Really a no frills kinda thing. While Jamey had wet puddles, we had frozen puddles. I tried to avoid them and because of that, I strained my hip flexors a little bit.
I will say one really good thing about the race and the RD. It was a chip start and chip finish. Lots of small races are only chip finish. Point is, the RD specificially said that it was a small trail and some people are trying to BQ and since chip start, it makes NO SENSE for slower people to go early. So, without fanfare, if you're planning on under 3 hours, GO NOW. If you're under 3:15 GO NOW etc until everyone went. He purposly staggered everyone and everyone was cool about it. No issues. No complaints. No one being stupid.
I ran with some dude that I don't remember his name. I then ran with Wendell. We did almost a whole loop together before he took off. Dude did an awesome first marathon. I ran with some girl and had a great conversation. Eventually on my second loop, I hooked up with Elelta Sisay. I enjoyed time with her. It was her 2nd but her first was so long ago, that it was as if it was her first. She was great. My only complaint was that when we walked, she tended to Zombie Walk. Still, we finished together and it was good.
Overall the trail was boring and they ran out of Gatorade in certain aid stations but it was over and done with. Said my byes and went downstairs in search of food. Small bag of cookies. That was it. Really sucked actually. Peed and went to car to change clothes. Took me a little bit of time to change clothes but I knew I had to do it as I figure there would be traffic.
I was hoping (please God!!!) that I would have a good drive and perhaps miss traffic coming back but it was Thanksgiving day weekend and a bad time to travel. Changed clothes and got Waze going only to see that I have a 7 hour drive home!
Got gas. Took a small 20 minute nap and drove home whilst eating my Wendy's. Tradition is tradition...
Drive sucked. Things got better. I was flying. I was only 30 miles from home and stopped at a rest stop for final pee and restock of food. Got back into car and saw that that 30 miles would take an hour. Seriously??? I was on the NJ Turnpike and got off to the Verazanno bridge. That's when traffic stopped. I was on the phone with Jamey and every 10 seconds or so, I moved 4 feet. Crazy... Got through the Gothels Bridge and onto the Verazanno Bridge and then the Belt Parkway. Traffic moving better. On the phone with wife for 20 or 30 minutes till the end until I was almost home.
So so so so happy to be home. Showered and got ready for bed.
A few days later, the results were up and I discovered a few things.
I got DC even though I didn't exactly love the race. I think that's it for now.