I did not write a blog after my first marathon so I am writing this from my memory.
I was really excited to run my first marathon, but I really had no idea what I was doing! I should have asked my high school coach more questions, but I was busy with sophomore year of college and did not train properly. The weather forecast for race day was cold so I went to Paragon Sports on Saturday and bought a pair of tights. Yup, brand new pair of tights for race day! What could go wrong?! I also wore a brand new race belt/fanny pack to hold my cell phone and Kodak disposable camera. Hahahah.
On race day, I took the bus with my brother in law and his cousin to the start. I do not remember if I planned it with my high school coach before the race, but I somehow managed to find my coach at the start village. The photo below is proof! Coach ran his last NYC Marathon that year!
Another new thing I did on race day was put on a Breathe Right strip on my nose. They were giving them out at the start village and my brother in law and I thought it would be cool to try it out. Everybody else was doing it so it could not have been that bad, right? Since 2002, I have seen Molly Huddle and Sara Hall wear them in races!
Fun Fact: Breathe Right strips came out in 1994 and were made popular by football players.
It was cold at the start and I kept my throw away clothes on for the first few miles. I ran with my brother in law for the first 13 miles, but we got separated at the fluid station and I remember looking for him as I ran up the Pulaski Bridge. It was very crowded and I never saw him again until after we both finished. I do not remember how I fueled during the race, but I knew I was powered by the excitement of my first marathon and the energy from the crowds. I did not notice all the hills on the course due to the adrenaline, but my muscles definitely noticed it. My calves started to cramp as I ran down 5th Avenue and I fell down right after entering Engineer’s Gate because both of my calves seized up at the same time!
Fun Fact: 2002 was the first year that runners entered Central Park at Engineer’s Gate. Before that, runners entered Central Park at 102nd Street.
After I fell down, a spectator wrapped his coat around me and two of my two friends came to my rescue and massaged my calves. I was so thankful for the warm coat and for my friends. After a few minutes, I was able to stand up and gingerly make my way to the finish line. The path where you re-enter Central Park at Columbus Circle used to be lined with volunteers who pulled bandits off the course. It was definitely a job for someone who had excellent vision! I do not remember when they stopped doing that, but I do wonder how many people bandit the marathon every year.
So how did the new tights work out? They were actually comfortable and I did not chafe! My fanny pack was another story. I think it gave me a nice open wound on my low back because my tank top did not fully cover my torso. Hahah. I have never worn full tights for a marathon since 2002 and I have never put on another Breathe Right strip! I do have a better fanny pack!
When I got my Kodak disposable camera developed at CVS after the race, I could not stop laughing at how some of the photos came out. Someone asked me if I actually ran the marathon or if I just took photos because I took a lot of photos! Looking back, I am thankful to have those photos and I have strong admiration for photographers. Looking back on history through photos is a different experience than just reading about history. The photos help tell more of the story and show more of the emotions experienced at that moment in time. I hope that through my words and photos, you can feel a little of what I felt on race day!
Race Numbers:
Finishers: 31,933
Men: 21,705
Women: 10,228
My Finishing Time: 4:48:00!
Women’s Champion: Joyce Chepchumba (Kenya) 2:25:56
Men’s Champion: Rogers Rop (Kenya) 2:08:07
Women’s Wheelchair Champion: Cheri Blauwet (USA) 2:14:39
Men’s Wheelchair Champion: Krige Schabort (USA) 1:38:27
Interesting to note that there were 7 women in the wheelchair field and 31 men in the wheelchair field.
Fun Fact: Meb Keflezghi ran his first marathon with me in 2002! He finished in 2:12:35 and placed 9th. You will read more about Meb in future posts!