R-Day, part I

The night before the race we rented a hotel room. My gym buddy had joined me on my journey from Oregon to New York to witness my historic run. The hotel was a genius idea. However, I was unable to sleep more that a few restless hours at best. I had ill-rational thoughts that I would oversleep, twist an ankle, take the wrong train to get to the race start, and the small fact that I was going to run a marathon kept bouncing around my head. I decided to go to bed early and take a couple of Tylenol PMs to try to get to sleep. If not for those little blue pills, I don’t believe I would have slept at all.

I feel sorry for my friend who joined me on my trip to NYC. She had never been to the big city before and I was unable to really show her the town. You’re not supposed to walk overly much before the race. Fatiguing your muscles before a marathon is a sure way to doom your run. The night before the run was Halloween. And the mischief available for two single ladies in NYC was huge – if one of ladies was not doing an endurance run the morning following. She was very understanding, which is why I am nominating her for sainthood. Do you have to be a catholic to become a saint? I digress.
Before I went to bed, I laid out all my clothing for the race. I made sure that I had my train fare, directions to the train & Staten Island Ferry, and money for any last minute necessities. I made sure that my racing bib was attached to my shirt and my shoe tracker was attached correctly to my shoe.

I woke at 5:45AM and left at 6:30PM. We were staying in Brooklyn near some friends of mine. The race starts on Staten Island. My transportation to the start was scheduled at 8 AM from Battery Park. I walked from the hotel in the direction I was sure I was supposed to be heading. And I walked. Then I walked some more. I realized that I was nowhere near where I was supposed to be. I regrouped and finally found the subway station I was supposed to go to. I estimate that I walked at least two miles out of my way; only twenty six point two left to go.

When I arrived at my stop, it was in the financial district. I was to take the Staten Island Ferry, where the official race bus shuttles would shuttle me to the race start. I was in the third wave (blue wave) of the race. My wave of the race wasn’t scheduled to start until 10:20 AM. By the time I arrived at the race start I still had over two hours until I started running. Saying that I was antsy or worried; would be an understatement.

The start was pandemonium. Or perhaps that is what every marathon start looks like. Thousands of people milling around, looking for places to sit and stretch and trying to figure out what the PA announcers are saying in the five different languages they keep using. Speaking of foreigners, I had no idea that there were so many French marathon runners! My favorite was a french runner
running with a metal model of the Effiel tower on his sholders. 

To be continued....