A few weeks ago I completed my first half-marathon. Here's how it went down.
The Setup
Brooks Pure Cadence Running Shoes - It's an amazing shoe. Minimalistic and yet supportive. It relieved all "top of foot" pain that set my training back 4 weeks. It really did save me.
CEP Running Progressive Compression Socks - I don't know if it helped... but it certainly did not hurt.
RunKeeper App for iPhone to monitor my pace.
Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor.
Pandora App for iPhone to keep the music coming.
Beats By Dre Headset, iPhone, and Ray Ban's for the sun.
The Experience
To start it took about 20 - 30 minutes to reach the starting line... At which point I thought I heard some people say that they saw the front-runners. Shit, the race was half over and I had not started.
Nothing but painless fun for the first 6 miles. Even running up the hill on the westside of Central Park felt pretty good.
My favorite part of the race came when we exit the park on 7th and catch the view of Times Square in the distance... That was an amazing NYC experience. It really did feel unique and special.
My wife was waiting to greet me on 42nd street. I spotted her exactly where I thought she would be. But she forgot the darn camera:( She asked how I felt... and I did feel pretty good at that point.
Then half-way toward the west side highway my hip flexor began to flare up. I adjusted my stride and slowed down for the next few miles.
The Westside Highway was mostly quiet with a few bands sprinkled througout. I think I saw some "real" cheerleaders out there.
At this point, I started noticing the mile markers. The 9 mile marker was the point of no return. I figured if I can just let my legs move for 4 more miles, it'll all be over. I began speeding up to make up for lost time.
As we approached the tip of Manhattan, we all ran through the tunnel leading to the FDR drive. It's a couple of hundred meters of pure torcher. The lack of sunlight really weighs on your energy. I was desperate to find the light at the end of the tunnel.
As you exit the tunnel, you're reminded that you have another 800 meters to go. 800 meters never passed by more quickly. The roar from the spectators awaiting us at the South Street Seaport helps you forget pain.
50 meters to go, and I just take a mad dash to the finish... and it never hurt so good.
Well, for a few moments at least. I grabbed my medal, took my victory photo and hauled ass back home for some rest.
Would I do it again? Yes. I can't wait for the full marathon. In fact, I believe it should be a requirement for anyone who works or lives in NYC.
