NYCM2002 - Julia Kim

Race Report

New York City Marathon

Sunday, November 3, 2002

Okay. Well. I don't really know where to start. I am still overwhelmed thinking about Sunday so I'll start where I usually do, which is right at the beginning...:o)) Saturday night at Padrone's, Josh Knight (NYCE Dead), said he had a seat on the Taconic Road Runners bus, which he was not going to use. He had a streak going but had to break it this year because of various injuries, etc. He and Joe discovered that the pick up was only 5 minutes from where we were staying. Josh made a phone call after dinner and called to let us know that I was on the bus for the ride to Fort Wadsworth. I don't know how to thank Josh for this... I get all messed up when things get noisy before a race and I almost never have a good race when it's loud and chaotic beforehand. Thanks to Josh, I rode in comfort and warmth, in quiet with nice people who welcomed me, and I relaxed during that time alone. I managed to make it to the Penguin Condo at Fort Wadsworth and found a spot on the plastic tarp next to Marjorie Mullaly, Scott Whips, and Peggy Harper. Ken and Ellen Weissman made it in a little later - after their morning cup of coffee LOLOL!! It was great seeing them. I spotted Cher and MaryD, which was important since I was planning on running with them. Theresa and Kelly were writing their names on tape to tape to themselves. Paulette Chellis was wandering around a bit and Michael Sheldon (NE Dead) was covered up and sleeping. People were just sleeping, relaxing and chilling out. Abe and Nangel were hanging out and then I lost track of them. After a few visits to the portapotties, I decided to get my bag over to the baggage truck. Daniel had just returned from checking his back but walked to me back over to baggage truck area; Mike Sheldon joined us and on the return trip, I saw the longest urinal in the world - which I thought was a joke until I saw it with my own eyes!!! About 10:30, Cher, MaryD and I started over to the starting corrals after a pep talk and fast directions from Ron Horton. Regardless of our bib color and number, we decided to get to the start early and as close to the starting line as possible. We meandered over to the beginning of the red start and while waiting in line, MaryD started chatting it up with a couple of guys who turned out to own restaurants and a nightclub in the City, and had a friend who was in a penitentiary in OHIO!!! for MOB ACTIVITIES!!! Leave it to Mary to find these particular people in this particular crowd! Unbelievable! Soon, we were moving forward and we were right up on the bridge. People were packing in tighter and tighter and clothes were literally flying through the air as people got ready to run. We got as close to the starting line as possible - it took us only about 3 minutes to cross it. MaryD, Cher and I started out fine together. Nice and slow. There was really no other choice with the clothes strewn all about and people all around us. My first mile was over in 11:34 and the second mile was in11:58! It was slow going and it got hairy when Mary announced that the bridge was moving under out feet!!! After a pit stop on the other side of the V-Z bridge, I lost Mary and Cher. I thought they would eventually catch up to me. I saw Ron Horton and Lauren but then I didn't see anyone else for the rest of the race. I kept my eyes out for the Hot Flashes and Harriet but I didn't see them! At mile three, I started relaxing into the run. The streets were wall-to-wall runners and spectators. There is nothing more I can say about that. The support from the crowds was incredible and all I heard was noise from start to finish. At mile 3 I started panning the crowds for Milt, Joe, and Lisa. I knew they were going to be together and after mile 5, I decided it was futile. I thought that Milt might have on a pink hat but I wasn't seeing it. At mile 7, I saw flags up ahead. There they were - Lisa, Milt and Joe - waving the pink flags like crazy! I ran up, got a hug, and kept going. I took GU every 4 miles as I had planned. I took a SUCCEED at mile 9 as planned. My left foot started hurting at mile 14 and it got a little worse with each mile but it wasn't unbearable. There was a hot spot on the ball of my left foot and all I could think of was, I should have listened to Joe and use the new shoes with only 50 miles on them instead of the pair I had on that had 150 miles on them. My right hip was tight, the left quad was grumbling, check check check... I am alive cause things are hurting... things are working... check check check... time to zone out. Things are supposed to hurt and complain... check check check...It's getting warm! ARG!!! At mile 14, I saw the Joe, Milt, and Lisa once more... I got another hug and kept going... I don't remember much of anything after this. It was starting get cold... my foot and my hip and now my lower back was hurting... I think to myself that this is a tough course, and whoever told me it was easy should have their head examined - there is no let up from the crowd, they are cheering and screaming for each and every one of us... I remembered the places where I stood cheering last year as I passed them. I took water and ran through the water stops. I also carried my water bottle with GU2O in it - it's what I use in training, not Gatorade. The night before I was started to obsess about not having it with me so Joe just threw up his hands and told me to carry it! At mile 18, I think briefly about taking another SUCCEED but I hadn't done this in Training and am afraid to, so I decide not to take it. I do a "gut check" and my stomach is emptying - a good sign that I have at least some balance of electrolytes left in my system. I stop to stretch briefly at mile 19... it takes a minute or two and I keep going. I don't know where Mary and Cher are and all of a sudden I am feeling really lonely and strangely, kinda sad. I keep running. It's getting colder and colder - I am toying with the idea of putting on my long sleeve zip top which I have wrapped around my waist... but no, that will take time and I need all the time I can get - the cold won't kill me if the running certainly doesn't!!! I go over the Madison Ave Bridge, the last bridge before the homestretch. At mile 20, I stop and stretch again for a minute or two... I am not going to make my 4:30 goal and I am starting to get bummed out. I keep running and wonder where Central Park starts. I know Central Park as well as any frequently-visiting, non-New Yorker can... I've run in it, I know about Harlem Hill and Cat Hill... unfortunately, we won't be entering the park until later - around mile 23. At mile 21, I am really hurting and feeling very alone out there. I almost start to - don't ask... I am such a sap. I am thinking that no one cares!!! WAH!!!! :o( Brief moments of deranged thoughts pass. At 22, I see a pink flag ahead. It's JOE!!! ACK!!! He sees me and smiles, shouting and waving that silly pink flag. OMG! He is whooping and screaming. The sight is so comical that I have to smile. I am so happy to see him that I almost start crying. He gives me a hug and I think I said that I was hurting or something like that. He says something (I can't remember what exactly- something about me doing really well) and he runs beside me for a few seconds and talks to me for a minute before he quietly listens as I talk to myself. Then he leaves me and runs ahead a 100 yds and waves the flag and whoops out loud as I run up. He runs ahead again. And Again. And again and again... OMG... How long is he going to do this?? I shake my head a few times. He's totally insane! I know that he will have a hard time keeping this up when I get into Central Park because of all the fencing, etc. But he manages to follow me in. Then at mile 24, he abruptly disappears - what a nut, I think to myself... he got caught! LOL! He always manages to make me laugh! I hit Cat Hill and I know it's downhill. I know there is a rise and an decline, around the bend, another slight rise and dip, around the bend again, then it's back on to Central Park South which is a HILL!!! And then right onto Central Park West - another stupid HILL!!! Then into the Park and another hill - I hit mile 26, then the yard signs start - 300 yards to go, right behind that, 200 yards to go - this is the top of the last "hill" then beyond that 100 yards to go, I see the finish and I see the clock and I want to so desperately get until a 4:40 clock time so I SPRINT IT IN the last 100 yds - not that it mattered but... and I don't make it. ARG!!!! I crossed the finish, clicked off my watch and thought I SPRINTED IT IN??? ARG!!! I didn't run hard enough!!!! HFFFFFF!!!! Well, it's over. I stop and stretch - some nice person comes up to check on me and talk to me... they figure I am okay. I get a blanket and bag of food I will throw away, collect my bag (and put on dry clothes behind the baggage truck along with a few other runners who felt hypothermia setting in just like I did), my medal... I am headed out to the street at 77th and Joe calls on the phone. He is at 84th and will be making his way down to meet me. HURRY! I think I am gonna fall over!!! He meets me, give me a big hug, tells me I did great, carries everything for me, buys me a hot dog, holds me up when I almost fall over, and gently guides me to the subway where we pick our way over to the Portland Square Hotel and Cher's room so I can shower and change. I tell him I am never running another marathon again, that I am not running Disney or Boston and that I will probably never run again and will take up another hobby. :o[ I am not a happy girl. Someone behind me starts LAUGHING! Turns out to be another runner from Cambridge, MA, who totally understood where I was coming from! Afterwards, I get the scoop on Cher and MaryD and Scott Whipps. I take a shower and Cher arrives with Milt. She is in a good mood - unlike what I had expected! LOLOLOL!!! She showers and makes phone calls to other people and leave messages about dinner. We have decided to go to Del Friscos, which was recommended by one of the Mafia guys that Mary met in the corral. :o) We get in touch with Ken Fargnoli who had a great race and he also meets us at the restaurant for dinner - where I indulge myself with a generous pour of Talisker Single Malt, neat, with a side of water. :o)) My splits were as follows: Mile 1 11:34 (Crowded) Mile 2 11:58 (Crowded) Mile 3 9:56 Mile 4 10:34 (taking a GU) Mile 5 9:45 Mile 6 10:02 Mile 7 10:19 Mile 8 10:13 Mile 9 11:05 (stopped to take a SUCCEED) Mile 10: 9:59 Mile 11 10:41 (taking a GU) Mile 12 10:05 Mile 13 10:06 Mile 14 10:04 Mile 15 10:21 Mile 16 11:10 Mile 17 10:13 Mile 18 10:17 Mile 19 13:07 (Walked and stretched) Mile 20 9:27 Mile 21 10:33 Mile 22 10:22 Mile 23 11:54 (uphill and hurting) Mile 24 11:18 (still hurting) Mile 25 10:09 Mile 26 10:01 Mile .2 2:02 Chip time: 4:37:27 Marathon PR by 8:23 or something like that. I didn't hit my stretch goal of 4:30 but I am happy with my PR. This was a 10:35 pace overall and I was trying for a 10:30 pace. Each time I do one of these stupid races, I learn something. And if I am smart, I incorporate lessons I learned the next time around. (Suffice it to say that I am usually stupid...) So, what did I learn this time? I will wear shoes with no more than 50 miles on them, as I was told to. I will take a second SUCCEED capsule around mile 17 or 18. And not change anything else. Unless I get stupider as I run the next one. I am back in Boston, stretching and not too sore but kinda tight. This week and next week is recovery week, then I go right into Disney training. ORN: 26.2 miles in NY PORN: 2 miles tomorrow to test out the legs. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. If you didn't, Lord knows I understand! :o)) Julia in Boston