NYCM2005 - J'Net Lampron Scream Team Report

Race Report

New York City Marathon

Sunday, November 6, 2005

I was a little nervous about going to NYCM. It was the second weekend in a row that I was going to go to a race and not run. MCM was tough for me. I so wanted to be out there. NYC was the same but at the same time different.

Maybe the MCM experience let me know that I could have fun as a spectator. I had such a good time seeing Ken Myers. The whole long weekend in New York was an adventure..from start to finish. I had a blast.

I arrived at Harriet's on Thursday and went to Wings and Beer with the group (Harriet, Shelton and Bo). It had been so long since I had seen Ken and Ellen and Daniel. Karen made it too. I had seen her in DC and was so pleased to see her again so soon.

For the next two days I did the touristy thing and took the express train near Harriet's house in to town and did three double decker bus tours with stops along the way, and the Staten Island Ferry,. It was bright and warm. Great for sightseeing but a forbinger of doom for a lot of people on Sunday. My housemates stayed home and rested their legs, checked the weather forecasts and made plans for Sunday. Saturday we all met at the penguin gathering for the pasta dinner.. Daniel always arranges such a wonderful meal at such a nice place. I am such a country girl....I ate the salad ..then the pasta..all of it...........and then they brought the meal. :-) :-) Who knew? I'm such a hick. Veal parmegian , vegetables............Oh well........:-) The food was delicious and I ate most of it. Thanks again, Daniel. I sat across from Sue. I wish that I had read emails before the race. I didn't know that her husband needed a tour guide.

I HAD A PLAN!!!!!!!

Race morning Harriet drove in and then I took the car to a garage near the finish line. My plan immediately failed. All of the subway stops between 125th and 59th St were closed. Exits only. I had to walk to 59th from 75th..I am not supposed to be walking far or standing for any length of time yet.
Oh well. I had a Starbucks and then took off to Brooklyn, Mile 3...Shelton had given me his bullhorn. I greeted all of the early start people.......most of them Achilles athletes...........I was practically in tears as soldier after soldier with Freedom Team shirts wheeled, hand-cranked, hopped on spring prostheses, or ran on prostheses, went by me. I did my best to work the crowd.

I saw Harriet..she was blazing by.........Shoshona, Shelton and Bo. I saw them again at mile 8..still in Brooklyn..The Achilles folks by then were...Hey..Do you have a twin?? :-)

I got to Mile 14 in Queens and missed Harriet by half a block..I saw her hat .......:-) She was smoking. Shoshon and Shelton and Bo were still doing great........The bridge was ahead.

The wheels then came off my plan to be at 16...I had to wait over 20 minutes for a train..Harriet and Shoshona were long gone. I was in
danger of missing Bo and Shelton..........I did. So. I made it to the finish line where no one would let me in to the Achilles area...............I argued.....not successfully.....The police would not let anyone in who did not have a pass...............What pass????????

There weren't any given out. Achilles family members were kept up on the street. Some had wheel chairs...... I had sneaked down to within sight of the waiting area. Finally a bunch of people saw me who I had cheered for and they begged the police officer......to no avail......then one the guides gave me his bib.:-}}

I almost got through when evil-cop#1 said......."Don't let her in...."

Finally, a race official came over..we had a crowd of Achillles people who were all thanking me for being out on the course and the official gave me plastic sponsor pass!!!!!! From cheese whiz to creme boule I had a blast. Harriet was there..disappointed.....she had been on a 5:30 pace for 16
miles..She still finished great. We waited for Shoshona and then walked up to a great kosher steak place and had the best steak I've had in a long time. I would weigh 800 pounds if I lived in that city. I have no will power!

We then went to the car and drove to a parking spot around the corner where Shelton and Bo would exit the park. By that time the three of us had, shall we say, perspired a tad .........Shoshona needs heat so Harriet put the heat on in the car. I started flashing.........stripping clothes.........flashing.....melting.......... I was in the back seat....knowing what was going to happen..Shelton on one side........Bo on the other............and since they are men, I know that after 10 hours they had been sweating...men sweat..women perspire.:}}

It happened..........When they opened the doors..............it was so comical....."OMG" "OMG" Do you know how hot it is in here??:-}}} They were hilarious and I could not stop laughing and flashing.

Bo said that he was sitting next to a fr%^$**roman candle.:-}}}}} He was right on target.

The ride home was the longest, funniest , hottest adventure of my life...well......on second thought.........

Oh, that's another story..........

It was so great to be with four people who had accomplished so much that day. I feel privileged to have been able to share it with them.

I am only sorry that because of the early start schedule I missed seeing everyone else.
Congrats to all who ran.............You are all amazing.
This penguin salutes you.

J'net (Back at work in Maryland)