RAANAN RUNS THE NYC MARATHON: November 2008

The NYC marathon is behind me. Was amazing, justifying its slogan – “a race like no other”.
A bit late (and a bit long...) below is my race summary, feel free skipping the details and scrolling all the way down to Paula...
Thanks for all the support along the last 6 months!
Raanan

First, the bottom line:Time- 4:17:05; 18,180-overall (out of 38,377); 13,865-men division; 4,605-Men age division; 1-hapoel ramat gan fans division.

Before getting into the race itself, some memories from the weekend. It seems as NY during the marathon weekend is ALL around the marathon. TV, news, events and thousands or runners walking the streets of Manhattan with flags and running uniforms.

Thursday - Arrival in NY and the Marathon Expo

Thursday was Expo day, almost directly from JFK, collecting my marathon gear, Fred’s team uniform, and 5 hours of obsessive sports shopping (didn’t really buy that much but still made sure I go threw every booth). Best purchase of the day – throwable set of jacket-pants-gloves that would save me on the freezing wait for the marathon start.

Friday - last training run in Central Park

On Friday we (=first lady & me) went to do the last 5k of the marathon course. It was so cold I didn’t manage to get any sweat during a 30 minutes jog. But the skies were blue and the park was full of runners from all over the world running with uniforms and flags, singing songs and greeting each other

Friday - Finish line rehearsal and Respect to Fred Lebow

Saturday morning was the International Friendship Run – 5km from the UN to central park. The amount of ppl is overwhelming, many running in national costumes carrying flags. Later, brunch at 7A in the East Village followed by the movie Run For Your Life

Saturday - International 5k Run, Runners from Japan & The Netherlands

Early evening we went to Tavern on the Green in central park that hosted the traditional pre-race pasta party. 40,000 runners + spouses having dinner. The evening included pack, check, unpack, check again and so on of the race gear.

Saturday evening - Pasta party

Sunday started with 4:30 wakeup, 5:30 Fred’s team breakfast. Coffee, banana and a bagel with a couple of Gatorades.

Sunday wakeup

At 6 we all went out for a team picture at times square and boarded the buses. A dozen buses with a police escort leading the convey opening traffic lights for us (nice…). Later i found out that the first bus was carrying the elite runners (Paula too?...)

Sunday 6am - Fred's team at times square

The start village under the Verrazano is an amazing logistics operation hosting 40,000 runners. The freezing weather was a killer with 3 hours to the start at 10am.

The race started at 3 waves, 9:40 10:00 & 10:20. I was assigned to the 10:00 wave and at 9:15 I entered the orange corals (Orange & Blue – upper bridge, Green – lower). The next 45min were slow progress toward the start line at 9:55 I threw away my long training pants.

Sunday - at the start village under the Verrrazano Narrows bridge

The thing with the cloths is an amazing example of turning a big problem into a great feature – since its freezing during these several hours at the start camp you need plenty of layers, hats, gloves etc. After checking in your bag at the UPS trucks there is no way to deposit anything. So runners are encouraged to keep their warm cloths and get rid of them along the way. Yes – just throw them away to the sidewalks and volunteers collect these cloths that would be later cleaned and given to charity.

Sunday 10am - what a start...

At 10:00 I was getting close to the start line at the base of the Verrazano bridge and suddenly it started – the huge mass of people move from walking to running. At 10:05 I crossed the start line and started the 1 mile climb to the top of the bridge. What a site, the skies were clear blue and the bridge was a carpet of runners. Very exciting and emotional start, my hr was over 170bpm (my overall average hr was 150..). Got rid of the wind jacket and feeling great ready for Brooklyn. Brooklyn is the longest part of this 5 borough race, and definitely with the most diverse human scenery - the churches sometimes have their choirs out singing, hasidi men and women (seporated…), families, fire stations, police, students. At my 10k checkpoint I was feeling perfect, exactly on my 6:00 min/km pace, low hr of 145, gor rig of the gloves and the sweatshirt.

Brooklyn

Pulaski Bridge is the half marathon point, on pace, no pains, and Queens is on the other side of the bridge. Queens was my home for 3 years when I was seven years old, I have clear and wonderful memories from that period. At 25k entering the Queensboro Bridge. At the end of the bridge, a sharp left turn and its welcome-to-Manhattan. Up first avenue through the largest and loudest crowd on the course. Over two million people gather along the race course. Where else can a person see with his eyes 2 million people?..

Manhattan- 1st avenue 25k mark

After 500 meters up first Avenue I hear my name, looking back I see Ravit, 100 meters of suicidic run the opposite direction and i hand her my head and arm warmers and get some action pictures.

Fred's team & MSKCC Hospital at 27k

At mile 17, under the MSKCC hospital I pass by the Fred’s team staff and hospital patients. During 1^st avenue I passed by a naked runner who would later be named as “the naked guy”. Also saw Larry the Lighthouse , but didn’t manage to see the famous Mr. Testicles.

The Bronx

At 32k, crossing Willis Avenue Bridge and entering the BRONX. Exiting the bridge cant miss a very loud DJ, with hundreds of fans welcoming the runners with “this is not the fuxxen upper-east-side, this is the Bronx! you better start moving”. Two more kilometers over the Madison Avenue Bridge and its back to Manhattan through the laud crowd of Harlem.

At this point, with about 8km to the finish I am almost on pace, hr around 150bpm, my legs start hurting, nothing fatal but the pain is there and growing. At around 36k entering the Central Park, no “Wall” but the pain deepens.

After 40k with the smell of the finish line and the Central Park crowds all the pains disappeared.

40k mark Central Park

Finish line, medal, mylar blanket, food bag, in the route toward the exit. Two minutes after the finish everybody was shivering from the cold weather. The streets of Manhattan were loaded with tired but happy runners that would continue to wear the marathon medal all week long. Two hours after the finish line, an ice bath, massage (courtesy of Fred's team of course...) and ready for celebration dinner. Was AMAZING!...