« Mayhem, a week before NYC! | Home | NYC Marathon for state #10! »
Pre-NYC Marathon Prep
By Kevin | November 5, 2011
I arrived in New York last night, and connected with my cousin-in-law John, who is hosting me in his apartment, perfectly located just 2-blocks west of Columbus Circle. After catching up with him a bit, I made the short walk to Whole Foods Market for some dinner and groceries while John headed to bed (he’s a doctor, and on-call this weekend, so opportunities to sleep are rare).
Whole Foods was a zoo! It was almost impossible to move around the store, let alone get to the food on the shelves. Then, I entered the Disney-like maze of a line to access the 30-some cashier stations. It took me about 35-minutes to get to the cashier! I commented to her about how busy it was, and she said,
“This? Nah, the marathon crowd must not be in yet, this is much less than our normal crowd. We actually just let some staff go home because it’s so slow! You’re not from here, are you?”
Um, no, how’d you guess? As I walked out with my groceries, I noticed that there was now a line to get into the store, stretching out of the store, up the escalators (which were now stopped), and out into the Lincoln Center shopping plaza. I guess I made it just in time?!
As I stepped outside, the fireworks at Central Park had just started…I got goosebumps, and even a little teary-eyed, realizing that I was actually here. I was wishing Bethany and our kids could be here too.
After a good night’s sleep, and a lazy wake-up around 9am, I made some breakfast, then headed out to the marathon expo for race packet pick-up. I found the free shuttle easily, just a few blocks away, and arrived at the Javits Conference Center not long after. Walking in was when it really hit me…I’m at the NYC Marathon!!
It was crowded, but very well organized, starting with a security check and ID check just to get in. I got my packet, goodie bag and race tee, and checked out the vendors for a bit. The highlights were meeting Ryan Hall (US record holder, 2:04:58) and Josh Cox. Ryan autographed my bib. That’s about as close as I’ll get to running anywhere near him!
Another highlight was the marathon theater they had set up. It was literally a movie-theater in the middle of the expo, with a huge screen and surround-sound. They played a feature movie about the NYC Marathon every 30-minutes, and it was awesome! Parts of it gave me chills, and I really feel lucky to be running it tomorrow. It also reviewed the course from a runner’s view, so I could see where I’ll be headed tomorrow, and what the feel will be like for each section of the course. Kudos to the New York Road Running Club for a really inspiring and well-done movie!
Taking a break now, and making sure to eat and drink well, then headed to a dinner with about 35 other Marathon Maniacs who are running tomorrow. I’ve never met any of them, but we’re all part of the Marathon Maniacs club, and it’ll be fun to get us like-minded folks together tonight!
Topics: training entry | No Comments »