26.2 miles baby

Pre-NYC marathon @ Staten Island ferry terminal

I did it!

After months of early morning training [throughout the cold Canberra winter] and giving up way too many Saturday mornings, I finished the NYC marathon in 4 hours, 24 minutes and 12 seconds - hurrah!

Some observations/advice...

1. Wear throw-away clothing at the start. I made the mistake of freezing for a hour beforehand, only to be saved by some lovely Canadians with a daggy throwaway white t-shirt.

2. Be prepared for the national anthem to play before the start [cant exactly see this catching on at the City to Surf]. Americans tend to do the whole hand-on-heart patriotic thing - probably best not to laugh.

3. Be prepared for "New York New York" to be played at the start-line. This marked the first time during the race that I started to tear-up. In all seriousness.

4. Gatorade gels [especially the ones with caffeine] are awesome. Dose up.

5. Chafing is you biggest enemy. Don't scoff at the officials offering Vasoline-on-a-stick. They might help you out later on.

6. People cheer you on the WHOLE way. This is great when you're feeling a bit sore/tired but after 4 and a half hours (and Eye of the Tiger) the positivity becomes overwhelming and you just want them to go away.

7. You will never, EVER want to hear the word "Gaaa-tor-aaaade" in an American accent EVER again. And yes, they do say it like that.

8. It awesome to hear someone cheer your name [Dad managed to spot me and yell out at three different times during the course and I've never smiled so much.] It also explains why heaps of people write their name/nationalist on their shirts.

9. Have someone to meet up with at the end. You will probably be emotional, tired and [at the very least] need someone to whinge to about how sore you are. If you're really lucky they will buy you presents from Tiffanys.

10. If at all possible, do a marathon in the United States - 26.2 miles sounds WAY BETTER than 42.2 kilometres.

11. You will get beaten by someone dressed up as Superman, a banana or in a wig. Deal with it.

12. If you're getting bored/tired, start focussing on the spectator signs. Favourites include: "Finishing is your only fucking option" and "Free beer at the end". Favourite runner shirt was "18 weeks ago this seemed like a good idea".

13. You probably will start crying. I think I teared up about 5 or 6 times - not really from pain but from the combination of tiredness, an emotional couple of weeks and disbelief that I was about to finish the NYC marathon. Sunglasses are therefore a good idea. Otherwise the medics might start freaking out.

14. You will receive a bagel in your post-race food/fluid pack. Don't eat it. Bagels do not make for good recovery food.

15. Don't make any plans for that evening or the next day [unless they involve sleeping, eating or whinging, preferably all three simultaneously.]

16. Yep, it will probably be one of the best experiences of your life. Luckily it lasts a long time [and feels even longer than that!]