Here is my tale of not only my first NYC Marathon, but also my first marathon…
Crossing the Start Line
At 10:10 the starting cannon fired, Frank Sinatra started singing “New York New York”, and wave 2 was officially underway. When I crossed the starting line at 10:20 (or so) my trip to the starting line had already included a ferry trip, a bus ride, a cold seat on a curb, a long line for the porta potties, two-thirds of a bagel, and a small bottle of water. Oh yeah, and a 4 hour trip time.
Segment 1
Dale, my running coach, had set a goal of 1:03:00 for the first 6 miles of the race. This was a 10:30 pace. I had heard, and read, many times that the most common marathon mistake is getting too excited and going out too fast. As I made my way through the first mile I must have checked my watch a hundred times. As I reached the top of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge my watch beeped and announced that I had completed the 1st mile in exactly 10:30! I felt good and relaxed, and I settled into a comfortable pace. I ran the next 5 miles at a 9:41 pace and crossed the 6 mile mark at 0:58:55… a full 4 minutes ahead of schedule.
Segment 2
The segment 2 goal was 1:02:00 but was 7 miles long. That would mean a 8:51 pace for this segment. I tried to pick up the pace but when I did I started to cough. I had picked up a cold about a week before the race and while I felt fine there was a pesky cough that stuck around. I decided that I would stick to the pace I was on since I had gained a few minutes in the first segment. At just past mile 8 I saw Heather, Aaron, and Steph for the first time. It was great to see them and I knew that I would see them again in mile 14 ahead. I finished the segment in 1:09:29 for a total time of 2:08:24 which was 3:24 behind the target time for this point in the race.
When I look at the mile splits from my running watch I can see that mile 9 is where I started to struggle. My fitness level aerobically was fine, it was the legs. They felt heavy and were starting to hurt a little bit. I had never really experienced this in training so I just kept running. But, I slowed from my 9:36 pace at mile 8 to 10:13 for mile 13. At the 13.1 (technically half way) mile marker I stopped and took a walk break.
Segment 3:
Dale had set a 1:05:00 target for this 7 mile segment… that is a 9:17 pace. When I hit mile 13 though I knew it was not going to happen. Pain was starting to set in and I was starting to have thoughts of quitting. I knew I would see Heather again in mile 14 and I knew there was a subway station right there that would take me back to the hotel. Luckily before I got there I had talked myself into finishing even if I had to walk the last 12 miles. I told myself that there was no way that I had trained that long just to quit and that Heather, Aaron, and Steph had come to see me finish a marathon not quit a marathon.
I located Heather and even though it may not have looked like it, I was so happy to see her. She had Gatorade refills for me which I grabbed and continued on without a word before I gave a thought to quitting again. Mile 14 was at an 11:29 pace.
Coming off of the Queensboro Bridge into mile 16 is where it all officially fell apart for me. I still felt fine fitness-wise, but the muscles right above my knees started to really bother me and I had to mix walking segments with running segments in order to keep them loose.
I finished segment 3 in 1:29:09, a 12:44 average pace. The goal was to be here (mile 20) at 3:10:00 but instead I was at 3:27:33. I was 17 minutes behind and knew that my personal 4:29:59 goal was not going to happen.
Segment 4:
The last 6.2 miles were unknown since 20 miles was the furthest training run that I had done. Dale’s race strategy pretty much said “let’s see what happens”.
I continued to struggle with my legs and had to keep mixing running and walking. Downhill portions bothered me the most and the miles seemed to get longer and longer. I knew I was near the end though and any thoughts of quitting were totally gone by this point. I was going to finish if I had to drag myself the last few miles.
At mile 22, as I rounded a corner I was greeted by a message on a large screen that said, “I am proud of you Shane”. I’ll admit it. As I slowed to a walk to loosen up again I lost it. Some lady on the side of road looked at me strange probably thinking, “Why in the world is a grown man crying in the middle of a marathon?”
Somewhere before mile 24 I saw Heather and Steph again. Aaron was there somewhere taking pictures and claims he called my name, but I didn’t see, or hear, him.
At mile 24 the course turned into Central Park. If anyone tells you that halfway for a marathon is 13.1 miles, I will argue that mile 24 is halfway and the last 2 miles is the hardest half. It seemed like the mile markers kept moving further and further away.
The Finish:
I managed to run the last half mile entirely. I crossed the finish line in 5:10:15. While a part of me was disappointed with the time, a bigger part of me said, “I did it!” An average pace of 11:29 is nothing to brag about, but finishing a marathon is something to brag about… and I have the medal to prove it.
What’s Next?
In the last 2 miles (you know… the second half of the marathon) I told myself I would never do this again. When I crossed the finish line I told myself that I would never do it again. As I write this post it has been 5 days and I am starting to realize that I have some unfinished business with the marathon. I am not committing to another one right now, but don’t be surprised if I do.