Well what a trip...Beryl and I had a wonderful time in New York, visiting places and meeting people and to top it off the marathon went well for both of us.
My NY marathon experience....it is definitely one of the tougher marathon courses that I have ever done. Right from the start you run uphill for approximately one mile (just under 2ks). The course runs over 5 bridges and through all the boroughs starting at Staten Island through to Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and ending at Central Park, Manhattan. In the last 5ks there are several ascents that make the going tough and even in the last half a km it is up a moderate hill which is the last thing you want at the end of a marathon. Having said that, I had a good run and felt great all the way. Along the course there are 105 bands to keep the runnersentertained and a record 43,000 plus competitors turned out for this year’s 40th.
We arrived at the start just after 6am and our race was set to commence at 10.20 so it was a long wait. Fortunately the time went by very quickly and before we knew it we were off. I had strained my achilles in the Pelorous Trust half marathon 6 weeks prior and as a result had only run 7 times for no longer than 40 minutes so I was worried that I wasn’t going to finish. My strategy was to alternate running and walking every 30 minutes to maximise my chances of finishing. As it happened I found I couldn’t bring myself to stop and walk after 30 minutes as there were too many runners around me and I felt very self conscious stopping. As it turned out I managed to run (albeit cautiously) all the way only stopping to walk at the water/Gatorade stops. I think the fact that I had strapped my ankle well and made sure I ate heartily in the week leading up to and in the morning of the run helped immensely.
I wore a singlet with the words ‘New Zealand’ on the front and back. All along the course there were big cheers for the ‘kiwi’ girl and crowds yelling ‘go New Zealand’! It was a buzz! The crowds, music and atmosphere helped the time go by really fast. I finally made it to the finish in 5.06, 2 minutes faster than Rotorua this year and my second slowest marathon. Unfortunately that wasn’t the end of being on my feet as I had to walk back to my hotel which took nearly two hours! Still I had some energy left to go out to dinner and celebrate and we soon found out that New Yorkers love achievers. We wore our medals and everywhere we went people would come up and congratulate us. Unlike kiwis they never ask what time you did, just the fact that you had completed a marathon was enough to warrant their praise and adoration. It was a nice feeling to be considered ‘special’ in New York.
This was my ninth marathon and one that is up there in terms of the best experience. I’m one marathon away from completing my goal of running 10 by the time I turn 50. The only options before the end of April areWaitarere. I don’t have the money or the qualifying time to do Boston so Waitarere looks like it. I just have to adjust to the fact that it will be a far cry from New York.
Kathy Clark
