NYC Marathon

6 months, 336 miles, and one inspiring article later...

Mile 1 - No Rain on the Moon.

The Cannon (not a typical race gun) goes off at 10:10. I reach the starting line in about 3 minutes which is much sooner than I thought. I'm in the Green start (one of 3 different start lines) and it runs through the lower level of the Verrazano Bridge. One of the veteran marathoners near me says to stay away from the left edge of the road because some people on the upper level of the bridge do their dirty business off the edge. Luckily, it doesn't "rain" that day, but he is right because we fly by some folks doing the same thing on the lower level. Not sure why they couldn't just go before the start.

As I make my way to the very top of the bridge, the bridge is bouncing. If I push off the bridge at exactly the right moment, I get a little help as if I was walking on the moon. Land at the wrong time and I feel like I missed a step going up a flight of stairs.

Mile 2 - The Wave.

I reach the top of the bridge and enjoy the view of the City to the left. Some runners start cheering behind me in the distance. The wave gets louder and closer and then everyone near me is screaming at the top of their lungs. The cheers pass over us to the people in front. A tanker nearby blows its very, very loud horn and another wave of cheers pass over us.

A fire boat is working full steam directly below the bridge and pumping all the water it can and creating a symmetrical fountain for the runners to appreciate.

The second mile is almost entirely downhill and it's run fast by everyone - and definitely my fastest of the entire marathon. We pass someone that took a pretty bad spill already and his knees are scraped and bloody. Not to worry though because someone in front alerts a medical volunteer on the bridge.

Mile 3 - Brooklyn Dodgers.

At this point, I'm looking to get water or Gatorade which I'm supposed to do every 2 or 3 miles. People are flying by me, I'm also trying to dodge other folks and I quickly realize it's going to be tight quarters all the way through. Right around the end of the 3 mile mark is when I get my first cup of water. If you're not a professional runner, I recommend stopping while drinking, otherwise you'll just douse yourself. This is not to say that I poured water all over myself, but I'm just saying... I used two cups.

Mile 4 to 8 - Five-Mile Road.

The 5K mark comes up and I go over the red mats. The RFID tag attached to my shoe gets detected by the marathon technology in the mats and the system sends an email message to all of my friends and family. It alerts them that I'm not even close to finishing. Yes, it's heartbreaking.

But I try to think of short term goals like getting to the 6 mile mark so I can take my first PowerBar Gel. They're supposed to replenish the salt content that I'm losing from sweat and also give me some quick energy in the form of carbohydrates.

The race goes onto 4th Avenue in Brooklyn and the Green Start meets up with the other two starts but we're still in separate corrals. The Avenue runs forever but there are some good downhills here so I can conserve energy and keep up my pace. At this point, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower comes into view which is the 8 mile mark, but I'm still pretty far. It serves as a good short term goal for when I can look for friends and family. They're supposed to be around that mark holding up a big letter "S" wrapped in aluminum foil - Ami's idea which worked out perfectly.

I pass some interesting folks along the way. Bands playing rock, reggae, and punk are lined up along the course -- all very representative of the Brooklyn neighborhoods that the marathon tours. A firefighter in full gear is running along side of me. Up ahead, there's someone else with no legs. He's wearing stilts that look like bendable hockey sticks, and he's flying past us. Amazing.

I reach the 10K mark and another alert goes out. I stop and get some Gatorade to wash down my first PowerBar Gel. Now I start up again and try to look for the big "S". More downhills to keep up the pace so all is good so far. Finally, as I approach the Williamsburgh Tower, the crowds are getting louder and louder, and I see the "S" a block away! There's Manay with a camera, and Ami (who I give my hat and gloves to, thanks Ami!), Vivek, Kevin, Ami's parents, Alok, Kristen, and Malay! We all let out some serious cheers and I'm off using the energy passed the Tower and into Clinton Hill and Williamsburg.

Mile 9 to 13.1 - Trouble.

This is where the three starts merge and we're no longer on separate streets. Where there was some running room in the previous mile, now it's like the start of the race again . There's very little room to run on the narrow streets through Williamsburg.

I begin to notice that the tape on my feet has come loose and I might be blistering up. I guess it's not a good idea to tape up my feet differently than what I've done in the past. Lesson learned. I make a plan to check my feet at mile 12 when I stop for another Gel.

Things are still crowded and now slippery near the water stations with all the cups on the ground. I get some more water and Gatorade at mile 10 and 11. As I approach Mile 12, I get my second Gel ready in one hand and stop near a park. I take off my shoes and socks and notice that both of my feet have very large blisters on them. I'm extremely upset at myself for trying something new with tape on the day of the marathon, but there's nothing I can do. I remove the tape, put my socks back on and start running again. I take my second Gel and wash it down with water and I'm off running.

I don't go more than 50 feet and realize that the rest of my Gels have fallen out of my unzipped back pocket and onto the crowded street behind me. I quickly stop and run back almost plowing over a few runners who aren't happy with me. Hoping that the Gels don't get stepped on and splattered everywhere, I wait for an opening and pick them up. I make sure I zip up my pocket this time. Another lesson learned.

As I get closer to the halfway point, I have to use the restroom. I find a marathon commissioned Johnny on the Spot in front of a nice view of midtown Manhattan - I felt lucky. Both the blister incident and the rest took 2 minutes off my pace and I pass the halfway point before the Pulaski Bridge in 2 hours and 3 minutes, within reach of the under-4-hour marathon. But at this point, I give up on that goal. It's highly unlikely that I would finish under 4 hours with the Queensborough Bridge and the infamous 5th avenue hill coming up. I would be happy with anything under 4:15. So all I would have to do is keep my pace and could even slow down a little and I would achieve my goal time.

Mile 13.1 to 15 - Queens.

The view of the Manhattan going over the Pulaski Bridge is tremendous. We travel through a warehouse district in Queens and I begin to look for my parents, uncle and aunt near the Citibank building. Things seem blurry right now and the miles pass with effort and ease at the same time. Suddenly, I see my dad holding a video camera and I wave! I hug my mom, my uncle gives me a lemonade and I move on to the Queensborough Bridge.

The climb is steep and goes for almost a mile, a daunting sight to see in front of me. I push it up the bridge to keep my pace and we pass through a part of the bridge under construction that's completely covered. It's so dark in there that all I see are silhouettes of people running in front of me and I'm hoping that I don't trip. Some runners yell out (not to me of course), "Keep your hands to yourself, man!" and "Ouch, not there!"

Mile 16 to 20 - Second Wind.

Then comes the downhill portion of the bridge and I try to make up the time I lost on the uphill. The road veers to the left and I see a huge crowd of people on 2nd Avenue! It's a moment of true euphoria. I can feel the hair on my arms stand up as everyone is cheering. We come off the bridge, around a hairpin turn, and onto 1st avenue and it gets louder and louder. The cheers echo off the buildings and it's amazing! I can't help but run faster and smile. All I can think about is the fact that I'm locked in right now and can keep running forever.

I stay to the left and start scanning the crowd for the "S" sign, and yes! Ami is standing on a lamp post with the sign in her hand a block and a half away! I let out a big yelp to all of my friends and family as I pass by. Interestingly enough, the 18th mile is my second fastest mile of the marathon.

Volunteers are handing out all sorts of stuff on 1st Avenue to get over the "Wall." Sponge Bob sponges to cool you down (this time, I'm supposed to douse myself), bananas (slippery banana peels everywhere), and PowerBar Gels. I take a Gel and hope that I can get over the Wall in the 20th mile.

Mile 20 to 23 - The Bronx and Harlem.

The race now goes over the Willis Avenue Bridge and into the Bronx. The crowd thins out a little bit, but different things keep me going now. There are little kids standing in a row holding out their arms and I low-five them as I run by. Jay-Z is blaring from speakers on the sidelines. Only 1 mile in the Bronx, and it's over as quickly as it started. I near the Madison Avenue Bridge, look to the right to see one of my favorite landmarks, Yankee Stadium, and run over the bridge into Harlem.

From here, I can see Marcus Garvey Park which signifies the beginning of the 5th Avenue hill. I reach for one more Gel for some last energy and down it with a Gatorade. Then all of a sudden, stopping and starting causes my left foot to shift in my shoe and my blister pops. Let's just say it doesn't feel good.

Mile 24 - The Wall.

I've heard people talk about the wall as Mile 18 and Mile 20. I passed those markers without a problem. I guess it's different for different people. For me, it's Mile 24. It's a section of 5th avenue that climbs forever or at least it seems that way after running 23 miles.

This is where your will is tested. Runners are gasping for air, they're stopped or walking, nobody is running their pace up this hill. It's not that I'm not getting enough oxygen, it's just that my everything is cramping up. Maybe that does mean that I'm not getting enough oxygen... I'm delerious. I think about the support that my friends and family have shown me through this endeavor and that I might get to see them at the top of the hill. I slow down, but my feet keep moving.

Mile 25 to 26.2 - The Finish.

We turn into Central Park and it's within reach. I see friends and family one last time and hug some of them as I make it through the home stretch. I stop to stretch a few times. A band playing "Mr. Brightside" carries me through Central Park South, only to find out that the surge causes more cramping. The final push to the finish line is uphill - what a great idea - and I cross the finish in 4:08:24.

I don't think words can do justice to the way I feel. It's all worth the trouble. Some ask why 36,999 people enter a marathon just to lose. It's cliche to say that they're all winners. The answer is the Marathon. If you love the City as much as all New Yorkers do, this race represents everything about the City. The different cultures, neighborhoods, boroughs, races, music, languages on the grandest stage in the world. You feel as if you're part of something bigger and it's a humbling feeling. The City is transformed into a stadium, the ticket is free, and the prize is priceless.

This is for my friends and family that were with me on the sidelines and in spirit. Their support and encouragement inspired me through the hardest parts, especially mile 24. I can't wait to lose this race again one day.