Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run a marathon? Have you ever thought, “Hmmm… 26.2 miles is a long way and it takes FOREVER. What does one think about while they try not to focus on their legs?” If so, then this blog is for you. I am going to tell you a lot of my thoughts during those 5+ very long hours. But don’t worry, I won’t tell you all of them. Who has 5 hours to kill? (Me… I guess).
Pre-Start
Race Corral
Should I try
to pee again? I just tried but maybe I should try again? Oh god, what are the
port-potties gonna be like on the course? Is now when we need to take off our
sweats? Because I’m still cold and I don’t wanna. UGH ok fine I will. Should I
keep my tissues with me? Will they get soggy? They’re in a Ziploc but you never
know. I sweat a lot. So many questions. EW WHAT IS THAT SMELL!? Oh my god
port-o-potties. Wait… I can smell??? Oop! Now it’s gone. Thank god for this
sickness. Have people been smelling that the whole time? That must suck.
Start
Line
Oh wow! They
play Frank Sinatra before we start? That’s pretty cool. The people who work the
start line must be reallllly sick of this song if they play it every wave. This
would be the… 6th time they’re hearing it? How many apps do I need
to start on my phone? Strava – check. Nike Running – check. Spotify –
Check. How long will my phone last with
all of these apps on? I wonder if Strava works if my phone is on airplane mode.
I probably should have tested that. Too bad I downloaded it last night. I’ll do
anything for a free lululemon tank top. Tell me something I didn’t already
know. Ok. Time to run this sh*t. Or run-walk it. Or at least survive it. DAMNIT
I accidentally left my tissues in the pocket of my hoodie that I just donated.
I guess it’s snot-rockets from here on out.
START LINE! This is when I realized I had no tissues.
Not even a mile in and I was already taking pics.
Mile 1
Alright, this
isn’t too bad. The views are killer. Is it too soon to stop for a selfie? I’m
only doing this for Instagram likes anyway. Ok, that’s not entirely true. Damn,
I really wish I had my tissues. Should I still stop every 5 minutes to walk
like in my training? Everyone always says to take it easy through Brooklyn but
no one said anything about on the Verrazano. Then again, I don’t want to get
trampled. I guess I’ll stop to walk for 30 seconds and take a pic. Who knows
how long my phone will last.
Mile 2
*sees sign
“Yo! Welcome to Brooklyn!”* Oh cute!! Signs! I hope I see some witty ones.
Someone just welcomed me personally to Brooklyn by name. Such a good idea to
put my name on my shirt.
Mile 3
This isn’t too
bad! I wish this was a Turkey Trot. I’d almost be done. 23 miles to go. FML. Wait,
where did all those other people come from? Are they running the race, too? Let
me ask one of them. Ah yes, they are. They just started on the lower level of
the bridge. I wonder if that sucks. Not as many insta-opportunities. Well, look
at all of us together now. 53,000 people in one HUGE happy family.
Mile 4
Thank GOD
there are people out here with water bottles and TISSUES. Next year when I
cheer, I am def bringing a box of tissues. You never know if there will be
someone out there snot-rocketing their life away. Also, I’m glad I didn’t run
with a water bottle. It’s so nice to have my hands free! And there are people
all over the place handing them out.
Mile 5
First person I
know!! My coworker brought the whole family out to cheer for me! Gotta stop for
a selfie. OMG, her sign is made to look like my Braid in Manhattan business
card!! Am I too sweaty to give hugs? Meh whatever, they can shower. I
can’t shower. for 21 more miles. Woof.
Mile 6
I should be
looking for more people from the gym. YES! Spotted!! This is fun. It’s like a
super, super hard game of Where’s Waldo through the 5 boroughs.
Mile 7
Everyone wants
to high-five me but I don’t think they understand the germs on my hands. Ew.
Oh! That woman is giving high-fives with latex gloves on. Smart lady.
It’s 11:30!
Time for more Dayquil! “Um, ma’am? Excuse me? My hands are shaking and I really
need to open this Dayquil. Yes, I’m sick. No, I don’t feel great. Thanks!”
Alright, well
that took a full 90 seconds. Good thing I already knew I wouldn’t be making any
sort of time record. How many miles ‘til those meds kick in? 3? 4? 19? UGH.
Mile 8
The street
names are words now instead of numbers. I’ll never find any of my friends. My
dripping sweat is impeding my vision of street signs. OMG GYM FRIENDS! YAYYY
BROOKLYN! I have to stop for a photo or two. Another coworker! This is so fun!
More photos, please. Make sure everyone knows I am still alive. For now.
I actually turned around and walked back for this photo opp. #worthit
More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn
Mile 9
Full mile with
no one I know. Wahhh, this isn’t fun. Why am I doing this again? Also, every
time I stop for my scheduled walking breaks people scream my name to try and
make me run again. Maybe I shouldn’t have put my name on my shirt?
Mile 10
SISTER!!! I
hope I make it into her 1secondeveryday. I even made sure I was running! I can
give her a hug despite the sweat and snot. She’s related to me. Hopefully she
tells my mom I’m still alive. I wonder if I’ll spot her in Manhattan, too. I
think my Dayquil is setting in! I can ALMOST smell. Smell myself, that
is.
Mile 11
SO. MANY.
JEWS. I was warned about this deadening silence. Like, I see them. They see me.
But they’re pretending it’s just another normal day and 53,000 people aren’t
running down the street. Cool, cool. JK, not cool, this is annoying AF. I
almost wish I had headphones on. ALMOST.
Mile 12
No friends here either. Well at least there are a few spectators again. Why is everyone handing out candy? Oh yeah! It was just Halloween. I think I’ll stick with my Clif Bloks. I’m not trying to make any port-o breaks. Who knows how a Snickers will react in my stomach with all that Gatorade.
Mile 13
Remember when
I ran a half marathon and I was like EW NEVER AGAIN? Why the hell did I think,
“yea, let me do that TWICE IN A ROW.” I could be DONE now! And to make matters
worse, it’s another bridge! Wahhhh I hate uphills.
Mile 14
Another huge
bridge coming up. This is what I trained for. I’m EXHAUSTED. And the last two
people I was supposed to see, I couldn’t find. This isn’t fun anymore. Should I
just walk this whole bridge?
Mile 15
Oh, ok. So
EVERYONE walks this bridge. It makes sense, because I’m walking relatively
quickly and I’m almost passing some of the people “running.” Why waste my
energy? SELFIE BREAK! There are NYRR volunteers stationed in the middle of the
bridge specifically to take our pics. Ok, that’s probably not what they are specifically
there for, but it’s a good bonus. Sure, I’ll stop. Why not. I’m not going very
fast anyway.
The halfway mark! (and ANOTHER bridge, the Pulaski into Queens)
Middle of the Queensboro bridge on my way into Manhattan. See all the people taking pics behind me?
Mile 16
FRIENDS
FRIENDS EVERYWHERE!! I needed excuses to stop and chat. Just a little
coffee-clatching while very very sweaty. Should I change my shirt? My amazing
emoji bf brought me a change. If my hands weren’t working enough to open
Dayquil, I will probably struggle with the safety pins on my bib. Meh, I’ll
just stay sweaty. “Only” 10 miles left anyway. It’s so fun to see my friends
and their signs! Maybe I should just stay here. Ugh, ok FINE I guess I’ll go.
MY SISTER
AGAIN! YAY! She noticed I didn’t change my shirt, HA! And our friend brought
tissues. Thank god. Is it possible that Dayquil isn’t effective if you’re
pushing your body like this? Like how antibiotics make birth control not work?
Hmm, I should ask somebody that.
Mile 17
MORE FRIENDS!
Omg Jacy brought her baby! That is dedication. Gotta take another pic. First
baby on the course!
My sister disgusted by my nose-blowing and Sheridan’s festive hat
Jacy and my littlest spectator
Mile 18
Gotham Gators
out here with a personalized sign for me. Gotta chomp with them. At this point,
I do realize I’m just taking any opportunity I can to stop running. Where the
hell are the people with the water bottles like in Brooklyn?? I’M SO THIRSTY. I
wonder if people in Manhattan are too broke from paying rent to be handing out
free bottles of water. I really should have taken a water bottle with me. Come
to think of it… it’s been many many hours and I’ve been drinking water and
Gatorade at every mile… how don’t I have to pee at all? Is it all coming out of
my nose? Is that a thing? I should ask someone that question, too.
They had a sign with my name on it too, but I think I liked this one better.
Mile 19
PERSONAL
RECORD! I’ve never run more than 18 miles before. Yes, I feel like I want to
die but I did it! Even if I don’t finish, at least I am breaking my own
records. GOD I’m exhausted. Where is Sara? She said she’d be right on this
corner! I better stop to look for her. Also because I MUST STOP.
Wait, is that
her ponytail walking away? “SARA!” Omg! It’s her!! Come, walk with me. Forward
is forward. Let’s take a selfie. Ok. Gotta go to the Bronx, I’ll be back in
half an hour! I hope…
Mile 20
Willis Ave. Bridge. Well, good news is, I’m not the only one walking. Literally EVERYONE is. This is a secret piece of info no one ever told me. I did wonder how people run the whole thing. I guess the answer is, they don’t. Let me take a selfie and check on the battery percentage of my phone. 17% DAMN! I still have at LEAST an hour left! Oh damn, there’s a photographer. I guess he just got a pic of me on my phone and walking. It is what it is. #WorthIt for the selfie.
Mile 21
Good lord this
is not easy. There’s a whole slew of port-o-potties. I guess the good news is,
I still don’t have to pee at all. Bad news is… why? Should I be worried? My
left ankle hurts. That’s weird. It’s not even my “bad” ankle. It’s not too bad,
though. Oh, a biofreeze station, I’ll ask them to spray me. Hmm, that worked a
little bit! And there’s an NYRR volunteer with The Stick. I’ll roll my quads a
little. Plus, I need another break. God these stick thingies are miraculous.
I haven’t been to the Bronx since I filed something in court here. But now I guess I live here because I cannot move my legs anymore. HA! I cannot live in the Bronx. Jenny from the Block loved it so much and even she left. I must move. Forward is forward. I cannot stop coughing! I think these coughs are getting way worse. FINAL BRIDGE. A lady just screamed “This is the last f*cking bridge!” Hell yes, lady. Also, I enjoyed the sign that said, “F*ck it up, buttercup.” Obscenities are infiltrating my every thought at this point.
Mile 22
Holy hell this
is HARD. And my coughs are def getting worse. I don’t want to stop but I have
to double over from these coughing spells. I have some cramping in my abs, even,
from the coughing. Oh, thank god. There’s Sara again. PLEASE WALK/RUN WITH ME.
Yes, let’s go on Instagram-Live to distract me. No, I don’t think it matters
that you’re just joining the race course. I NEED HELP! I wonder if I’ll regret
talking about nipple chafing on Instagram? Meh, too late now. COUGH COUGH COUGH
OW. Well, good news is, everyone around me limping and walking super weird. I’m
running/walking totally fine. Except for when I’m doubled over struggling to
breath between coughs.
Mile 23
5K left! I can
do this. I’ve run a 5K a million times. Granted, I’ve never done it after
running 23 miles. Also, why is this uphill? Seems like a cruel joke. But the
crowds here are deafening. God, I love Manhattan.
Struggling to breathe through coughs at mile 22.
The struggle was so real, I was just trying to catch my breath.
BUT THE END WAS SO CLOSE!!
Mile 24
Time to go
back into Central Park. I can do this. I can do this. I know this park like the
back of my hand. Why do people say that? Do people look at the backs of their
hands a lot? I think I’m delirious. The sun is setting! I should take my
sunglasses off. What time is it? Damn. 5 hours. I’ve been running for 5 hours.
I thought I would be done by now. Oh well. I guess my new goal is beating the
sunset.
I just passed
a 40K sign. What the hell does that mean? How many K’s is a mile? Wait, 5K is
3.1 miles… 40/5 x 3.1… I cannot do mental math. I think I’m close to the next
mile marker? My phone is at 5%. I need to remember to stop my Strava at 1%. I
WILL NOT LET MY PHONE DIE.
Mile 25
25! More
coworkers! And another racecourse baby! The spectators keep saying “you’re
almost there, Emily!” and FINALLY they are telling the truth! They’ve been
saying that sh*t since mile 13. Which was incredibly annoying. But finally it’s
TRUE! Oh my god it’s so close. I can run, still! I need to run through the
finish.
This was just past the 40K mark (see it in the back?) I was definitely doing mental math here.
So excited to see another baby!
Group pic (and chance for a breathing break).
Mile 26
26 freaking
miles. The .2 is a cruel joke. Ok, that sign just said 800 meters to go. How
long is a meter? It would be really helpful to understand the metric system. I
know I’m close though. I bet I can run the whole rest of this. Phone at 2%. Omg
this is like the Hannukkah oil that lasted for 8 nights. Incredible. Will it
last ‘til the finish line???
Mile
26.1
Back in the
park! Look at all of these flags lining the street. SO COOL. I am so so so
close!
Mile
26.2
400 meters to
go. Welp, still don’t know what a meter is but I SEE THE FINISH LINE! I WILL
CROSS THIS THING WITH MY HANDS IN THE AIR!
FINISH LINE IN SIGHT!
FINISHING WITH MY HANDS IN THE AIR!
YASSSSS!!
FINISH
HOLY CRAP. I
did it. I DID IT! I thought I would cry but I don’t think I have enough fluids
in my body for that. Speaking of… how come I still don’t have to pee? And where
is there water?? I earned this medal! AHHH so cool! Phone at 1%. End Strava.
End Nike+ Run. End Fitbit.
“Hi! Excuse
me. First of all, congratulations. Second of all, will you take a photo of me
with my medal? Here’s how you switch the camera around. Oh. Sorry, my phone
just died.”
“Hi, sir? First of all, congratulations. Second of all, my phone just died. Can you maybe take a photo of me with my medal at the finish and then send it to me? Yes, I need you to take it on your own phone. Then send it to me. My phone died. Oh, you live in France and don’t have service? Ummmm, do you think you can Whatsapp it to me later when you have wifi?? I’d be soooo thankful. I’m never doing this thing ever again. Ever.”
If you made it all the way through this journey with me without even carb-loading first, you deserve a Gatorade. And a medal. But not my marathon medal because I’m never giving mine away. After reading this, do you think you want to run a marathon? No? Me either.
Last photo taken on my phone before it died.
Photo taken by my French friend and Whatsapped to me later.
I ran a freaking MARATHON. Do you know how long that is??? 26.2 miles. I literally ran from Staten Island, through Brooklyn, into Queens, into Manhattan, into the Bronx, and then BACK into Manhattan. On my own two feet. And yes, I am pretty damn proud of myself. And the only thing that matters is that I FINISHED! And also I got a pretty SWEET medal shaped like an apple.
When I ran my half marathon back in 2017, I took you mile by mile stream of
consciousness through the course with me. Since this course was twice as long,
I’m going to save that for a second installation. For this one, I want to tell
you all about what went WRONG for this race. Then I will tell you guys what went
RIGHT. And then next week, I will take you through my thoughts as I made my way
from Staten Island, allllll the way back to my home borough.
I told you
guys a little bit about my training back in mid-September, and after that
day, things went a little downhill. Almost everyone who runs a marathon will
tell you that they didn’t have the perfect training, so I wasn’t incredibly
worried about it, but I was a little. Here’s what happened. First of all, I
started traveling a lot. I traveled to Paris and had no problem keeping up with
some training because my mileage was low then. But according to my training
schedule, I was supposed to run 18 miles one Saturday while I was on vacation
in Greece, and I just knew that wouldn’t happen. So instead, I shifted that run
a week early, and hoped to do a 20-mile run when I came back from vacation. I
successfully completed the 18-mile run in Central Park (BRUTAL), and in the
process, I hurt my foot. I can’t say for sure what I did to it, because I was
too scared to go to a doctor. I took my talents to WebMD, and I was convinced I
had a stress fracture. So, I did what anyone does, I decided to take a week off
from running, and just walk 20,000 steps/day in Greece. I’m sure that is what
any doctor would have recommended…. NOT! Anyway, when I actually got back to
the States, I decided not to run the 20-miler at all, and to instead focus on
getting to the start line with healthy limbs. This was Strike 1 to my
well-intentioned training plan. It meant that I’d have to find 8.2 additional
miles within myself during the marathon to take me from my longest run of my
life (18 miles) to the marathon finish line. However, I was feeling good, and
my foot pain cleared up significantly to the point where I was still able to do
a 10-mile training run 2 weeks before the race with the NY Flyers, which let me
see the last 10 miles of the marathon course and try to internalize it.
Everything was going semi-according to plan.
Strike 2 came
the week before the marathon. I knew I had to travel to California for work
during the Fall, but I was presented with only two options. Either the week
before the marathon, or the day after. I knew that the worst possible thing for
recovery was sitting still. And even worse, to be cramped in a small space
(HELLOO LONGLEGSbigcity) for 6 hours. I thought I was being smart by picking to
travel the week before the race. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a
bad idea as well. Not only did it throw off my sleep schedule, you guessed it,
as one does when they travel across the country and back within a 48 hour
period, I got sick. Very sick. I actually made a doctor’s appointment from the
airport in LA and went there directly after my flight. Ok, not directly, I
showered first because I am not gross.
Anyway, I
guess the travel and the sickness count as strikes 2 and 3. The good news was
that I did not have strep, which is what I predicted. The bad news was that
since it was not strep, there were no antibiotics to help me, and the doctor
said it was likely to get worse before it got better. And it did. I spent the
next 2 days trying to get better. I called out of work, overdosed on Mucinex,
finished an entire bottle of airborne gummies, took multi-vitamins, went to
Juice Generation and maxed out on fruits and veggies and ginger, and still yet,
I woke up Sunday very sick. But not running was not an option, so I
packed Dayquil in my race bag, and I headed to the start village anyway.
Now guys, I
already started this blog by saying I RAN A FREAKING MARATHON, so obviously
some things had to go right, right? Hell yea. A lot went right. First of all, I
FINISHED THE FREAKING MARATHON!!!! Did I say that yet?
Another thing
that went right were my friends in the start village. I was a little nervous
and loopy from my Dayquil, and I took the ferry to Staten Island alone. I was
afraid I wouldn’t find my friends, so I brought a magazine for my 3-hour wait
until my start time, but soon enough, I found two of my friends who were in the
same corral as me, and we hung out and chatted so my nerves couldn’t kick in. They
kept me company in long port-o-potty lines, and we even went to the “therapy
dog” section of the village to hang out with some doggies. I don’t love animals,
but it was distracting and that’s all I needed. Of utmost importance – my
friend’s friend brought extra body glide! I thanked him profusely later, as I
watched person after person go to the med-tents for Vaseline popsicle sticks
they were handing out for chafing purposes and I was a-o-k.
Keeping warm in the start village
Group Pic!
I don’t love dogs, but the distraction was nice.
Shedded our layers, ready to run for hours, starting with the Verrazano behind us!
Speaking of
med tents – I didn’t need them AT ALL! I have been plagued with injury after
injury for the past few years. Ankles, knees, hips – you name it, I had it. The
fact that I did not have to stop once for help was a feat in and of itself. My
left ankle flared up a bit and I sprayed it with some Biofreeze at mile 20, but
it was definitely still runnable. I think my sickness was a blessing in
disguise here. I was so distracted by my runny nose and debilitating cough that
I was barely focusing on my legs at all!
This was basically me the whole race. When I wasn’t coughing.
Now about the
MOST important thing that went right: the spectators!! I had heard that from
many runners throughout my years, that the NYC Marathon is like no other
because the crowds are great, and everyone absolutely proved it to me. The main
thing I knew I wanted to do from my years of cheering for the marathon, was to
put my name on my shirt. So I got my iron-on letters from the same Etsy shop
where I ordered my iron-on for the half marathon (for that race, I put “I Hate
Running”) and I put EMILY emblazoned on the front, and “Braid in Manhattan” on
the back. The crowd delivered. From the second I stepped foot in Brooklyn, I
heard “WELCOME TO BROOKLYN EMILY!” And for the next 25 miles, people cheered me
on when I needed it the most. The spectators were electrifying, and they were
there the ENTIRE time. (Except for the Chasidic community in Brooklyn, but
that’s for the next post.) By mile 25, every time someone said “Emily, you are
SO CLOSE!” I knew I could pick it up to a jog again and bring it home. I
actually increased my speed the last two miles because of the morale boost from
the random strangers! It was awesome.
Taken by a friend/spectator/morale-booster
Show off them braidz!
And last but
CERTAINLY not least, extra shout-outs go to the spectators I actually DID know
– my friends and family. Starting at mile 4, I knew people along the racecourse
at almost every other mile. It gave me something to look forward to, an excuse
to stop for selfies (and cough breaks), and in some cases, a running buddy. At
mile 4, I saw my first coworker. In an office of only 10 full-time employees, 3
of them came out to cheer separately! At miles 4, 8 and 25, I had the support
of my office. And I know Brooklyn is meant to have great crowds and energy, but
the energy you get from people you actually know is different. I was so lucky
that my crew from the gym where I teach came out to cheer for me, as well! I
saw 4 different people from my spin classes, and I was able to stop and say hi
before I was on my way again. It was the first time I was thankful to teach in
a different borough from where I lived. And then as I was about to go into
Queens, I had a group with my sister, her husband, his brother, and they were
cheering and screaming and even got a short video of me running up to them!
Best part about friends on the sidelines: extra water and TISSUES
Sister-Sister!!
When I hit
Manhattan, it felt like I knew people every other block. First there was a
group of 17 people (SEVENTEEN!!!) at 64th street. They had signs and
they were cheering so loud, I heard people near them asking if I was a
celebrity! And my sweet boyfriend brought a shirt for me to change into, which
I originally planned to do, but decided I was too exhausted. Then 4 blocks later,
I saw more friends and my sister AGAIN! The MTA clearly travels faster than my
feet. It was so awesome to see my sister two times. I saw some other spectators
multiple times, as well! It helped my morale because I was thinking… if these
people are so dedicated to cheer me on throughout this race, then I better give
them what they’re looking for and keep chugging along!
10 blocks
later, I saw another friend and her baby out to cheer for me some more. And 10
blocks later, there was a huge University of Florida Gotham Gators cheer squad
with a sign for me! I stopped for a few chomps and then kept chugging along. I
won’t take you mile by mile, because I already promised that would be another post
entirely, but I do want to mention my final push, helped specifically by
another friend of mine. I saw her at mile 19, and she told me she’d catch me
again at mile 22. She didn’t know at the time how important that would be for
me. By mile 20, I was coughing a LOT. It was taking so much energy for me just
to breathe that running was getting extra tough. When I saw my friend at 22, I
was on the struggle bus FOR REAL. I didn’t even try to pretend I was running
when I saw her. I solely walked up to her, coughing all the while. She saw my
struggle and hopped right into the racecourse, holding her neon pink poster
board and everything. She literally ran the entire mile 22 with me, stopping to
walk when I needed coughing breaks, and joking with me to keep me laughing. She
even turned on Instagram Live at one point, joking with me about the bleeding-nipple-chafing
she had witnessed, which kept me laughing through the coughs. Once we hit mile
23 and I knew I had “only” a 5K to go, she told me to run like I trained and that
she knew I could finish strong. I don’t know how I would have gotten through
that mile without her!
Some of the group of 17
More of the 17, including my sweet emoji BF
Gym buddies!
More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn
The second time I saw my sister! Much sweatier than the first time.
Old gym friends further in Manhattan
More friends
Coworkers!
GO GATORS!
The energy and
support I received all day was just unbelievable. I had people tracking me from
Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even Singapore. By the time I turned my
phone on (it died at the finish line), I had 78 text messages, 3 Facebook
messages, and 26 Instagram DMs. I was BLOWN away. When I got home, my sweet boyfriend
presented me with flowers, and even more romantically, with 2 bags of ice. He
helped me into an ice bath and brought me water and more meds while I sat in
it.
When I saw my
friend the night of the marathon, she asked me if I loved it. The answer is
pretty simple: no. I don’t love running and running 26.2 miles is absolutely
torturous. HOWEVER, I feel incredibly accomplished and I’m so happy I did it.
People keep asking me if I plan on running it again and the truth is, I think
once is enough for me. But there is a small part of me that wonders what I
could have done if I had gotten to 20 miles in training, and if I hadn’t
traveled the week before, and if I hadn’t been incredibly sick. And as the days
pass and my legs feel normal again… I am thinking maybe I could try again??? I
am currently signed up for the lottery for the 2020 marathon. I have lost the
lottery 5 times before but if it’s meant to be…
