Well the NYC Marathon is done and boy what an experience!! OOOFFFF! My finishing time was 4:24. Not what I wanted but it was better than last years time which was a 5:07. I'm trying not to be competative but I still find myself wanting to beat my own time to get my personal best. The marathon was great as usual. The peole were wonderful and the weather was great. Around the 12 mile mark I was running and thinking to myself, "If I could only share this wonderful feeling with people" I cannot describe the feeling. Some people say it's the runers high but I disagree because I'm never that euphoric when I'm doing a 20 mile training run. I really think it's just the energy of people being positive and cheering you on and everyone working as one for an experience. The pain started to hit around mile 16 and it intensified until finishing. My buddy got really bad cramps and had to stop a couple of times. I stopped with him but it just my my situation a little harder because I found it harder to start every time. even when we stopped it was wonderful. One woman came up and gave my friend a terrific leg massag with ben gay to try to stop his cramped. She asked me if I wanted one and I thank her and said no. I think if I said yes I probably wouldn't have wanted to finish the race because she really did do a good job. :o)
I finished the run got my goodies and went to find my family. One thign about doing such an extreme activity, when you are done you are overwhelmed with emotion. I found my family and hugged them and just cried. Just let everything out. My kids know me and tease me asking me if my sinuses are acting up again. Of course I said yes,:o) We took the subway to get back to my car and forgot to get off at a stop so we ended up in Brooklyn. I really didn't care. We got a nice view of the sunset when we went over the bridge and I got to tell race stories to people who congradulated me about the race on the train.
We forgot the camera in the car so I don't havenay post race pics. My wife took some on my cell phone but I have to figure out how to get them to my computer. I think I can e-mail them to me. We also weren't able to get pics of my wife or the guys I ran with so I aplogize. The two pics are one before the race and the other is a post race pic. I'm sure you can figure which one is which
4 comments:
cool! good job, you did it!!!
it's nice when human beings can gather like that and encourage each other liek that. Wow.
We need that more than ever!
Congrats on beating your own record. From your pic I see a very tired but happy , content man. I truly am happy for you. I have never run a marathon . I may have to put that on my 100 things to do before I die list.
I did get to climb a mountain to the top. I understand what you mean about teh inner challengs and how when you want to give up others are cheering you on. Right before I reached the top it was very steep with many switchbacks. The pain in my calves was screaming to stop but my spirit said no way. I am glad I did it!
It took me just over 8 hours. I fell down a rock slide once because it had rained but it still felt good when I reached the bottom with a sore bum and a skinned knee. :o)
Again great job! (((((( Patting your back)))))
Here is some info on the mountain I climbed. It's not My. McKinely but to me it was a great accomplishment.
http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Mt_Char/North_Loop/North_Loop.htm
Dumb blogger. Put .htm after the word loop at the end of that link and it will take you to the proper link. Drats. :o)~
Thank you e-merge and Raven for your support. It is truly appreciated. I did think of you guys when I ran through Williamsburg Brooklyn. I Lived there until I was 5 years old. At the time it was one of the worst neighborhoods in NY. Now it's an up and coming yuppy area. Anyway when I run by the building I used to live in I pay respects to my father and mother and often think about those in my life. So thank you for being a part of my life.
Raven I checked out the North loop trail site. OOOFFF. That is quite the trail and you should be proud. I was in Colorado and it took me 3 days to adjust to the altitude. I can imagine the challenge of doing such a trail. I also have a thing about cliff edges. Theres a pic of Mount Charlestons east face with humans. OOOOFFF!!! I'm not afraid of heights but I am afraid of steep edges. I think Imust have fallen off one in a previouse life.
Thanks again to both of you
Blessings
Epi
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