Marathon #28 - Massachusetts (Part 2)

As I mentioned in my last post, I am splitting up my review of the Boston Marathon into three posts.  The last post discussed the course.  This post will discuss the remaining aspects of the race.  The last post will talk about travel and tourism information while in Boston.

The Race: The Boston Marathon, Monday April 20, 2015 (Patriot's Day)

My Training Plan:  Boston was three weeks after my back-to-back marathons in Kansas and Arkansas, so I basically used them as my longest run leading up to Boston and tapered from there.  See my training plan for Kansas in my Kansas blog.

Weather:  The weather was less than ideal.  It was rainy and cold with some strong headwinds at points during the course.  The temperature stayed about 45-47 the entire time, and the headwind picked up right as we were turning onto Commonwealth Ave to begin the Newton hills.

Running Attire:  As usual, I wore my Liz shirt so the crowds could cheer me on by name.  I also wore my Marathon Maniac arm warmers and black tights in an attempt to stay warm.  My signature items are my bright yellow Delaware marathon hat and my iFitness belt where I keep my gels and phone.  I also had my Asics and Balega socks.  I wore a long sleeved throw away shirt at the beginning, which I took off around mile 2.  I forgot my gloves, and Rob was kind enough to bring them to me during mile 1.5.  The gloves were definitely needed during the cold, wet, windy run.

Atlanta Track Club runners

Who I Ran With:  I met so many great people before the race and on the journey, but I can't say that I ran with any of them.  There were several people from the Atlanta Track Club that I met at the ATC happy hour on Saturday evening, but I never saw any of them before the race.  

There was Debra from Canada, and Tami and Cheree from Utah that I met on the bus to the start line.  There was Stacey that I met in the tent at the Athlete Village.  But with the crowds and lines and different corrals, I didn't run with any of them.  They probably wouldn't have wanted to run with me anyway, as I kept stopping to take pictures throughout the course.

My buddies at the Athletes Village

Organization:  The organization of this race was probably the best I've seen yet, as it should be for the longest running marathon in the world.  Picking up my race number and shirt was smooth and quick, with very short lines and plenty of volunteers.  The race number/shirt pickup was separate from the expo, so if you only wanted to pick up your number, it was quick and easy to get in and out.  They provided a magazine of information on the event and articles about the race.  They also gave us a bottle of water in our race packet bag.

Race number pickup

The expo organization could have been improved.  The aisles were so narrow and the expo was so crowded that you could barely walk anywhere.  I don't know if it was the same on the other days, but on Sunday (the day before the race) it was packed.  There were a lot of great vendors and free stuff (runners love free stuff) and samples, but you could barely walk through it because of the narrow aisles and crowds.  Some of the vendors took up two spots (i.e. their booths were two aisles deep) which broke up the aisles, and it was hard to remember which aisles you had been down in order to get to all the vendors in either side of the big ones.

There was a pre-race pasta party that was free to participants, and you could purchase extra tickets (I'm not sure how much they cost).  Each participant was assigned a time to go, so they wouldn't have a huge crowd all at once.  My time was 4:30pm on Sunday.  I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly don't eat my pre-race dinner at 4:30pm (i.e. earlier than normal) especially when the race doesn't start until 10:50am (i.e. later than normal).  So. Other than the unfortunate timing, I can't comment on how good or bad the pre-race pasta party was.

The aid stations were well manned and were on both sides of the road (right side first and then left side a few feet after the right side station ended).  No matter which side of the road you were on, you didn't have to fight the runner traffic to get over to an aid station.  Both sides of the road had both Gatorade and water, and my favorite thing - there were different cups for the Gatorade and the water, so you always knew what you were getting!  More races should follow that plan!  Well done, Boston!

There was only one aid station that had Cliff gels, but as you will see in the Fans section below, there really wasn't a need for additional gel stations.  All aid stations had porta potties, many with up to 10 in a row.

Post race party at Fenway Park

The post race "Mile 27" party was a flop.  It probably would have been better if it wasn't raining the entire time, but I wouldn't recommend spending $20 per extra person to go, and likely won't go in the future, if I ever come back to Boston.  The $20 gets you a $9 concessions credit, which will get you one beer or will almost get you two food items (most items were $5 each).  You get to go into Fenway Park, which might have been cool if we could have seen the field, but it was blocked off due to the rain.  We could only go in the concessions area and the store.  There were corn hole games set up that you could play, and there were some photo booth opportunities, but there were long lines for those.  There was no place to sit and people were crowded under the stands so they wouldn't get rained on.

The information provided prior to the race was excellent!  They sent us information directly in the mail as well as newsletters via email.  The information in the mail was very thorough and contained our confirmation of acceptance, bib number and "Runner Passport" to pick up our bibs, travel information, and event information.  I felt very prepared even before arriving in Boston.

From what I hear,  it was very easy to follow a runner throughout the race.  They posted times at nearly every 5k mark, and apparently there was a little runner you could see on the screen that would move along as the real runner crossed each mat.  You did have to have the bib number on race day, because the site to sign up for text alerts crashed and was apparently unavailable by first and last name.

Swag:  Along with the typical technical (long-sleeved) shirt and the metal, we got a pint glass, car sticker, temporary tattoo, a poster with every participants' name, and one of those rubber wristbands that says There's Only One 2015 Boston Marathon. 

Starting line:  The starting line has two parts to it:  the Boston side and the Hopkinton side.

  

Gear check

In Boston Common (the city's big park), they had the gear check tents and the line for the buses to Hopkinton.  They had four different tents for the different waves you were in, and the tent was split out by numbers, so it was very easy to find where you needed to drop of your bag.  They had medical tents, music and an announcer that told you when to head to the buses.  

The lines for the buses were very short, and the volunteers were great to direct us to the bus with open seats.  Because it was so cold, everyone was ready to get on the warm bus as soon as possible.  Provided there was room, the volunteers let the later waves board the bus earlier then their allotted time.  As soon as the buses were full, they left and another group of empty buses pulled up to the lines to load.

Buses to Hopkinton

In the Athlete Village in Hopkinton, they had rows of porta potties (although there weren't enough, as the lines were about 10 minutes long) and two big tents that the runners could sit under to shield themselves from the wind and attempt to stay warm.  I saw a few people with coffee, so I know that was offered, but I didn't see where it came from.  I also think there was some food somewhere, but I didn't see it in the tent I was sitting in, and didn't notice it in the other tent until our corral had already been called to head to the starting line.

Athlete Village tent

There are four Waves that start about 20 minutes apart.  Each wave is split into 8 different corrals.  The runners are placed in their corral based on their finishing time, so theoretically everyone around you should have about the same pace.  The race is chip timed, so it doesn't matter how far back you are when the gun goes off - your time doesn't start until you cross the start line.  Each Wave has about 7,500 runners, so each corral has about 950 people.

Runners walking to start line

Runners walking to start line

The starting line was about a mile from the tents, and when our corral was called, we were guided by volunteers toward the start.

There were more porta potties and water along the way to the start, and volunteers were taking excess clothing from runners to donate after the race.  There were so many people heading to the corrals at the same time, I can imagine what cattle feel like when they are being hearded.  I arrived at my corral about 7 minutes before the Wave start.

A fan set up a tent in front of her house
with supplies for runners

Fans:  The fans are the absolute best thing about this race.  The entire city shuts down on Marathon Monday, and fans line the entire course.  I think there may have been two spots on the entire course where there wasn't someone cheering for me.  And the fans cheered for every runner.  With the weather as bad as it was (pretty much raining and cold the whole time) I didn't think there would be as many fans, but they are loyal to the race and came out anyway.  I can't imagine what it is like when the weather is good!

There are four places, specifically, where the fans are louder and more encouraging than ever:  Wellesley College, Boston College, the hills in Newton, and on Boylston Street near the finish line.  You can hear these fan spots from a half mile beforehand.  Every fan is cheering, giving high-fives, and wishing the runners well.

Fans lining the road to the Newton Hills

Not only did the fans cheer, they also provided support for the runners in other ways.  There were fans handing out Twizzlers, Fig Newtons, pretzel sticks, jelly beans, gummy bears and orange slices all along the way.

Finish Line:  The finish line was very well organized.  Unlike NYC, you didn't have to walk two miles just to get out where the fans were.  After crossing the line, you had to walk about 20 yards or so to get your metal.  They then gave you a bottle of water.  They also had tents with Gatorade recovery drinks.

What we were all eager for at that point was the heat blanket, which it seemed like we had to walk forever until we got that (but it probably wasn't that far, we were just all freezing).  The heat blanket wasn't just your standard mylar blanket you get at the end of a race.  It was more like a lined poncho with a hood and arm holes, which was nice.

Most of the food was all packaged up for us in a clear plastic bag, and there were people offering to open anything for the runners.  They had Cliff protein bars and bananas separate from the bag of food, and again offered to open them for the runners.  The volunteers at the finish line were fabulous!

Once you got through the metals, blankets, and food, there was a fork in the road where you either go straight to get back to Boston Common if you checked a bag or went right to go to the family meeting area if you hadn't checked a gear bag.  I checked a bag, so I went straight toward Boston Common.  On the way, I saw Rob waiting for me on the side of the road, and he joined me as I walked to Boston Common.  

I will say that the walk to Boston Common, while probably normally fairly short, seemed to take forever.  I was cold and wet and just ready to get my bad.  Once we got to Boston Common, it seemed like the gear tents were clear across the park, and we had to walk even farther.

Another great perk they had was a changing tent for the women runners. (I'm not sure if they had one for the men, but they might have.)  And it wasn't just for the elites.  After I got my gear bag, I stood in line for about 10 minutes before getting to the changing tent.  The tent was just a big enclosed tent that had chairs around the edges for people to sit in and change clothes.  The tent was completely packed with women changing into dry clothes.  Of course, after I changed into my dry clothes and left the tent, it started raining again, so we left the park and headed back to the hotel.

Results:  4:10:22

How I felt:  My goal for this race was primarily to finish, and secondarily to enjoy every mile along the way.  I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to run Boston again, so I wanted to make the most of the experience.

My shins hurt a little bit starting off, mainly because I didn't really warm up properly with the rain and cold and crowds.  After about three miles they warmed up and felt much better.  I felt great most of the time, and kept a pretty easy pace throughout the race.  As usually, around mile 15 my mind started playing tricks on me saying "Why do you do these races?" and "You're crazy."  But I always get over that by mile 20, and start pushing through to the end.  I did get pretty tired during mile 25, again as usual.  Mile 25 is always my worst mile.  Once I get past that, I can say "One more mile.  You can do anything for one mile." and push through to the end.  Once I took a picture of the finish line and realized I was that close, I actually started sprinting toward the end.  It was a great overall experience.

Boston does a great job of welcoming the runners to the city: before, during, and after the race.  They are a city that truly embraces the running community.  I am extremely impressed, and now know why this race is the most prestigious and longest running marathon in the world.

Marathon #28 - Massachusetts (Part 1)

My 28th marathon in my 28th state was the 2015 Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.  Because I took so many pictures and there is so much to talk about with this marathon, I am breaking out my review blog into three entries:  the course, the main race review, and travel/tourism.  Part one will be about the course.

The Race:  Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2015 (Patriot's Day).

My goal for the Boston Marathon was primarily to finish, as it is hard enough to get in to begin with, and who knows if I'll ever get in again in the future.  My secondary goal was to enjoy every mile along the way.  In order to do this, I stopped and took pictures, gave high-fives to the fans, and took in the course and the scenery.

Everyone talks about how difficult the course is, and how it can really take a toll on runners.  I think that is likely true, if you are from Florida and you have no place to train for hills.  Being from Atlanta, I run on hills all the time, and the course was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, based on the warnings I had gotten from other runners.

The course was really nice.  I was well prepared for what to expect because I read Michael Connelly's book 26.2 Miles to Boston, which details each miles' terrain along with the history that happened in each mile.  It's a fabulous read for anyone who wants to run Boston.  The course starts 26 miles outside of Boston in Hopkinton, MA and runs point-to-point into the city.  Most of the first half is downhill, although there are definitely some rolling hills mixed in. 

The course goes through eight cities along the way:  Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston.

Leaving Ashland

Running into Ashland

Entering Framingham

Framingham fans

Entering Natick

Entering Wellesley

Entering Newton

Fire station after turning onto Boyslton St. to start the Newton Hills

No one would ever say Boston is flat.  There are hills throughout the course, but the hardest hills are between miles 16 and 21. There are three hills that are pretty long (half mile to a mile long each) that happen back-to-back.  The last one is called Heartbreak Hill, basically because by the time you get to it, the other two hills have defeated you, and you don't have much energy left to get over that last big hill. 

Conquering the Newton Hills

Made it to the top!

Mile 20:  This is where the race really begins!

 

Brookline - the last city before Boston

The remainder of the course is rather easy compared to the three hills in Newton, MA.  There are still some rolling hills, but nothing as bad as the ones behind you at that point. And once you turn onto Boylston Street, you can see the finish line in the distance, motivating you to finish the last mile strong.

The scenery along the way is great too.  You go past several places where you can see the river.  

Running beside the Charles River

There are nice houses and small businesses on either side most of the way.  You go past Wellesley College and Boston College along the way, and both schools have some very nice buildings.  

Boston College in the distance behind the trees

Finally in Boston!

The Citgo sign in the background

Once you get close to the city, you start to see the old churches and the Citgo sign near Fenway Park.

Turning onto Boylston Street, you can see the finish line in the distance

And then the big buildings of the city welcome you to the finish line.

The road was surprisingly well kept for a northern start that gets a good deal of snow in the winter.  I find myself watching to road more than anything to keep from tripping on or falling into a pothole in most of the northern states I've run in, but not Boston.  I never really felt worried about potholes or other road issues because the road was so well kept.

The course was well marshaled, although you don't need much direction when it is basically a straight road the entire time.  There were local police and military police all along the course, so I never felt unsafe or like a car was going to drive through and hit the runners.  It was a closed course, so there were no cars driving around the runners.

Overall the course is a great course!  It's challenging enough, yet not too tough.  The tour through the suburbs on the way to Boston is a great way to see some of Massachusetts.

Marathon #27 - Arkansas

As we are trying to save money this year, I am doing more back-to-backs to get two states done for the price of one.  The Hogeye was my second marathon of the weekend. 

The Race:  Hogeye Marathon in Fayetteville, AR on March 29, 2015

My training plan:  This was my second race of the weekend, so my training plan consisted of many back-to-back runs (both long on weekends and short during the week).  For more details, see my Kansas blog.

The weather:  The weather was perfect for a race.  It started in 40s, and got into 50s to low 60s by the end.  It was sunny with a few clouds here and there, and slightly windy.

Running attire:  I wore shorts for this race, as it was going to be hotter toward the end.  I also wore my traditional Liz shirt, iFitness belt, and Delaware Marathon hat.  I had my Marathon Maniac arm warmers and gloves, both of which I ended up taking off toward the end.  I also had a throw away long-sleeved shirt that I got rid of by mile 2.

My favorite running partner

Who I ran with:  I was very excited to be able to run with my sister Stephanie for the first 8 miles before the Half Marathon and Marathon split.  During those first 8 miles, we met Jimmy from Tulsa, who happened to be wearing an Atlanta Track Club singlet.  From mile 19 through the end, I ran with the 4 hour pace group.

Course:  The course had some crazy hills at the beginning, but then flattened out by about mile 3 or 4.  At beginning there were some curbs that stuck out into the road.  The road was pretty packed with runners at that point, because all of the races started out together, and it would have been good to have some warning about the road narrowing with the curbs.  Once you got out of the downtown area, it was mostly bike trails, which were paved (although some were concrete).  The marathon course went around a lake, which was very scenic.  There was one tunnel that we had to go through somewhere around mile 22 or so that was wet with some pretty big puddles, but at least there was no wind in tunnel.  Toward the last part of the course there were a few spots where we had to run on the (non-existent) shoulder with cars coming behind you.  Everyone talks about the big hill at the end, but it was nothing compared to the ones at the beginning.  And once you got over that hill, you could see the finish line from two blocks out. 

Organization:  The organization of this race was very good overall.  The roads were well marshaled and the police ensured that the intersections were closed off to traffic when the runners were coming.  They had great emails and a Facebook page to ensure you knew what to do and what to expect.  They had a lot of amenities that you don't usually see at races, such as childcare (which we took advantage of) and a worship service before the race.  I can't comment on the Expo because we weren't able to make it in time, but I loved  that they had race day packet pickup.   The course was very well marked and marshaled with mile markers at every mile and tons of water stops and porta potties.  Volunteers were everywhere, and always very helpful and enthusiastic.

For the most part the water stops were great.  They were extremely frequent and had both water and Gatorade at all of them.  The one around the middle of the race had candy, PB&J, and a bunch of other goodies.  The one at mile 20ish had a wet towel.

Jimmy and me at the finish.  We stuck together to the end.

I only have a few suggestions for improvements.  There was no clock that I could see at the finish line or results posted.  Someone said there was a TV with the time and name of the participant showing, but I never saw it.  During the awards ceremony, people were trying to see their results from the one sheet that the announcer was using to give out the awards, and she got a little snippy.  It would be better if she had one list and another copy was posted for the runners to see.  I actually got third place in my age group, but I had no idea because nothing was posted, so I didn't even stay for the awards ceremony.  We also had no idea we were supposed to turn in our timing chips.  The people at the finish line weren't set up in time for the Half Marathoners to come through, so my sister still has hers.

Some of the water stops were not well manned, and I had to pick up my water/Gatorade cups myself.   I think the direction given to the volunteers was that the water was first and the Gatorade was second, but apparently some didn't follow that.  I never knew what I was going to get at the water stops toward the end.  I would grab a cup and sometimes it would be water and sometimes it would be Gatorade.  Also, the volunteers at the morning packet pickup didn't know the answers to our questions, such as where is childcare and where is the worship service.

Swag:  The swag is your typical shirt (dry fit) and metal.  The shirt is unisex, so it is very big.  I suggest that if you are going to have unisex shirts, you should offer XS for ladies.  The metals were huge for the marathon and it was obvious which race you participated in (marathon, relay, half).  They also gave out pig noses, but they were not set up in time for the Half finishers.

Starting line

Starting line:   The start line was right outside the host hotel, which was great!  There were a lot of people all over the place because the marathon, half marathon, 5k, and relay all started at the same time.  The experience could be improved with either a wave start or different start times for the different races, because was very tight until mile 3 or so.  With all the people everywhere, they could have used some sort of shoot to corral people into the start.  The pace teams seemed to all be at the beginning of the line, and it was hard to get up to them because of all the people.

The race seemed to start abruptly without warning.  The national anthem was sung and then a minute or so later, people just started running.  I didn't even hear a gun or anything that indicated that the race had start.  

Fans:  Fans were well scattered around course, but mostly where half marathon was.  The fans thinned out considerably during the marathon-only portion of the course.  There were no fans on much of the bike paths because there was really no way to get to those spots.  The relay points were great cheering zones.

Ice Bath at the finish while eating a yummy chicken sandwich

Finish line:  Other than the complaint about no clock at the finish and no results posted, the finish line was pretty amazing.  They had ice baths at the medical tent, free massages and plenty of porta potties.  For food they had chicken sandwiches and hot dogs, Gatorade, water, bananas, oranges, bagel quarters with cream cheese, little Debbie's (star crunches and zebra cakes),  granola bars, and peanuts.  I saw some chocolate milk cartons in the trash, but they must have run out by the time we got there.  They had someone calling out the names of some of the finishers, although I think I came in with too big of a group for them to call out my name, because I never heard it.

4 hour pace group

The amenities at finish line were great, but organization was not as great.  It didn't seem like the finish line was set up in time for the half marathon finishers, as there was no one taking off chips or giving out pig noses when my sister finished in 2hrs.  Once you finished you were intermingled with everyone else, runners and spectators.  The runners didn't really know what they were supposed to do next.  To improve this, there should be a shoot with medals, then chip removal, then photos, then food or something like that to guide runners.  They didn't have any Mylar blankets, so as soon as I had cooled down, I was cold and ready to leave to get back to the hotel to get changed and didn't stay around to see the awards ceremony. 

Results: 3:58:40.  The Kansas race was my fastest first race of a back-to-back series, but the Hogeye was my slowest second race.

How I felt:  I was find for the first 17 miles or so, but then all my energy seemed to have drained out of me and I felt miserable.  I think the worst part was the fact that I couldn't catch up to the 3:50 pace group and the 4 hour pace group kept gaining on me.  I felt like death in last few miles and seriously wanted to stop running.  I kept going, with the prodding of the pace group leaders (who were wonderful!).

Travel/tourism:  We stayed at the race host hotel The Chancellor Hotel.  The Chancellor was great!  They were big enough to accommodate all the runners, were nice enough to offer late check-out to everyone, were right next to the start line, and were able to accommodate a roll-away bed in our double queen room.  They offered free Internet and parking, although the parking garage was next door and not attached to the hotel.  The rooms had refrigerators, but no microwaves (refrigerators are way more important during races so we can store our water and Gatorade, so I didn't mind the lack of microwave).  The rooms were nice and modern, but the mattresses were too small for the bed frames.  Both me and my son knocked our shins on the corner of the bed frame because the mattress didn't extend all the way to the end of the frame.  The bathrooms had separate shampoo, body wash and conditioner in pumps in the shower and the towels were big and absorbent.  The first floor common bathrooms were big and accessible to runners prior to the race.  The lobby was nice, although perhaps too small for the number of people waiting for the race.  They had an indoor/outdoor pool that the girls took advantage of and loved.

The University of Arkansas is in Fayetteville, and we drove through the campus on the way out of town.  It looked like nice campus, and may have had other things to do that we didn't know about.

Walton's 5-10

Walmart Museum

We went to the Wal-Mart museum in Bentonville after the race.  The museum is free and shows how Wal-Mart grew through the years.  It is a step back in time to when Sam Walton first opened up the Walton 5-10.  It also has an ice cream shop and a gift shop.  It is located on the Bentonville Square, which is a nice little place with a fountain in the middle for the kids to run around.


Overall, the Hogeye Marathon was a great race that I would definitely recommend.  Although smaller in size, it had a big-race feel when it came to the finish line amenities and accommodations.  Great job to the race organizers!

Marathon #26 - Kansas

This year, we are really watching our money, and are trying to cut back as much as possible due to the  adoption.  For my 26th marathon, I chose Kansas.  I was looking for some back-to-backs to do this year, because I can finish two states for the price of one.  There was a race in Kansas on Saturday and one in Arkansas on Sunday, so I decided to check them out.  The states in the middle of the country also allow me to spend some time with my sister, who lives in Missouri.

The Race:  Wicked Marathon in Wamego, KS on March 28, 2015

My training plan:  Since I knew I was doing back-to-back marathons, I did plenty of back-to-back long runs on the weekend.  I did two 20/15 miles runs, plenty of other back-to-back long runs on weekends, and three back to back shorter training runs each week during the week 6-8 miles each) starting in January.

The weather:  The weather started out cold and sunny.  The start was around 40 degrees, and it got into upper 40s or low 50s by end.  There was a good deal of wind during the second half (it was at our backs during the first half).  The weather was nearly perfect for a marathon (less the wind).

Running attire:  This was the first race that I actually dressed in a costume.  I wore a Dorothy running costume created by the iGlowRunning Etsy shop, which is actually based in Atlanta.  I also wore a long sleeved shirt underneath, white tights, and gloves.  I spray-painted my running shoes red and got LED flashing red laces from NiteBeams,.

Who I ran with:  Because I knew I was running another marathon the next day, I didn't want to go any faster than 4:30.  The race is small, so there are no pace groups.  So I decided to make my own pace group.  I started out running with Sheila from South Dakota.  I had met her in a previous back-to-back race and have seen her in another race between then and now.   Toward the beginning, I asked the people around me what they were planning to run and if they wanted to run a 4:30.  We had as many as 6 people over the course of the race, and finished with 3.  I ran with Rich from Plano, TX the entire way.  Jenn from Lincoln NE started out with us.  Shawn from Virginia came up behind us about a quarter of the way into the race, so I asked if he wanted to join our pace team.  We passed Jackie from Boulder, CO around mile 10 and asked if she wanted to join us.  Jenn and Shawn eventually dropped back slightly, but Rich and Jackie stuck with me to the end.

Course:  The course was an out-and-back course with rolling hills,

and was very well marshaled..  The course was not a closed course.  There wasn't 'a lot of traffic on most of the course, but we did have several cars passing by us.  There was a stretch of road between mile 11 and 13 that was on the shoulder of a major road with 60 mph traffic..  The last 5 miles were on concrete and mostly uphill..  A couple spots along the course were smelly.  There was a skunk smell around mile 6 and a manure smell around mile 14.

Organization:  The race was a very small race, and it was in its second year of running.  With that being said, it had pretty good organization.  There was no expo, and you picked up your race packet at the sponsor's location.  They offered shuttle buses for those who were staying in Manhattan (the closest town with most of the hotels).  They also had shuttle buses from the race-day registration to the start line.  Parking was at the High School, where they had race day packet pickup and bathrooms.  The communication was very good, and the emails that went out prior to the race had all the necessary information.  They had a facebook page that provided information leading up to the race as well.  Their race website was pretty poor, though, with very little information.  It did have a mapmyrun course map, which was nice. 

Water stops were intermittent at best.  There was nothing between 13 and 16 when we were passing through.  It looked like there might have been water stops but they had closed down early and left.   The water stops that were manned had both water and Gatorade throughout the course, which was very nice.  The last two water stops also had food:  Cliff Bars and Skittles.  The Cliff Bar was definitely welcomed at that point in the race.

There were no porta potties at the start line, but that was clearly communicated in the pre-race emails.  They had said that there would be porta potties along the course, but we didn't see any until mile 6.   There were no timing mats or people checking at turn-around, so you could have easily turned around early and no one would have known.  There was supposed to be a costume contest, which I would have entered, but I had no idea how to enter it, as there were no signs or information.  They did post the winner on the facebook page, but it would have been nice to know how to enter.

 

Swag:  The swag at this race was the typical metal and shirt.  The shirt was a nice, soft dry fit material, and I think it was gender specific, because it looked like it would actually fit me.  They also gave us last year's metal.  The metals are a series, and they wanted us to have the first in the series to encourage us to come back next year to finish it out.

Starting line:  There literally was nothing at the start line.  It was in the middle of nowhere.  You had to take a shuttle from the High School to the start.  It was clearly stated in the pre-race emails that there was no parking or bathrooms at the start.  It was actually hard for me to even find something to lean up against to stretch.  I had to use a road sign.  The company that did the race timing was there setting up mats.  They must have brought their stuff in a small U-Haul type truck, because runners were crowded in there trying to stay warm.

Fans:  My favorite fans were my sister Stephanie, her two girls, and my son.  We made race signs, and they parked between mile 10 and 11 on the way out and 15 and 16 on the way back to cheer us on.  There were not many other fans, except at the water stops.  Other than at the water stops, any people I saw didn't really cheer for runners they didn't know.  If you need fan support to get you through a race, this is not the race to choose.  I don't necessarily need fan support, so the support from my sister and the kids were enough for me.

Finish line:  The race finished right in front of the Oz Museum in downtown Wamego.  It was a cute little downtown area, typical of a small town.  They called out your name and where you were from as you crossed the finish line, which is always nice.  They had Wizard of Oz costumed people at end that you could get a picture with.  They had free massages (but the line was long and there was only one masseuse by the time we finished.  Stephanie said they started out with three for the earlier finishers.  For food, they had bananas, apples and oranges.  For hydration, they had Gatorade and water. 

There were no porta potties at the finish.  They were directing runners to either use the bathroom in the museum or go back to the High School, which was several blocks away, if they needed a bathroom.  This is a definite improvement area, since by the time I'm done with a race, I pretty much need a bathroom ASAP.

Results:  4:28:09

How I felt:  I felt pretty good most of the way and enjoyed helping others out to get to their goal of 4:30.  This race gives me the confidence that I could actually be a decent pacer in other future races.  I even made a pit-stop at mile 20 and was able to catch back up to the group.

Travel/tourism:    We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Manhattan, which is the town where Kansas State is located.  They had a free breakfast that included hot items like eggs, bacon, waffles, etc.  They also have free internet, nice bathrooms with separate shampoo and conditioner and big towels, and a refrigerator and microwave.  They have pretty comfortable  beds,  but weren't able to give us a roll-away in the double queen room because there wasn't enough room.  They had a decent sized, indoor pool that the kids took advantage of the night before the race.  They were not able to offer a late checkout though because they were booked the next night.

The night before the race, as is tradition, we ate at the local IHOP.  Manhattan is a college town, and they had an IHOP so I could get my pre-race pancakes.  We also went to Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers for dessert for the kids.  Unfortunately, I can't eat ice cream the day before a race, so I wasn't able to enjoy it.  But the kids said it was yummy.
 

Wamego is a small town, so there isn't much to do in the way of tourism.  The race did end at the Oz Museum, so that was an option.  The museum costs $5 per child and $8 per adult.  Because of the cost, we didn't go inside, but the gift shop was nice. 

I asked for "local fast food" ideas on the facebook page and was recommended Kreem Kup, We tried it out after the race, and it was pretty good.   They serve hamburgers, chicken, hot ham & cheese, and other fast food options.  I got a 1/3 lb Angus burger and fries.  Their fries were a little crispy, so my dad would have loved them, but I'm more a fan of softer fies.

Kansas people are pretty friendly and nice.  I called the YMCA in Topeka the week before to see if they would let me use their shower, since the hotel didn't offer a late checkout.  They were kind enough to let me do so, free of charge.  Topeka was on our way between Wamego, KS and my next marathon in Arkansas, so it was convenient to stop on the drive after the race.

 Overall, the Wicked Marathon was a great race.  The organization was great (for a second year race), and I'm sure it will only get better.  Great job!

Marathon #25 - New York

Back in 2012, my sister-in-law Mimi and I applied for the New York City Marathon lottery and were accepted.  Then Hurricane Sandy hit the week before the race, and caused the marathon to be cancelled.  The marathon was kind enough to grant the participants several options.  We chose to defer our entry to 2014.  Thus, my 25th marathon was added to my calendar in November 2014.

The Race:  New York City Marathon, November 2, 2014

My Training Plan:  New York was three weeks after my back-to-back marathons in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, so I basically used them as my longest run leading up to NYC and tapered from there.  You can see my full training plan in my Connecticut blog post.

Weather:  The weather was windy and cold.  The temperature may have gotten into the 40s to low 50s, but the wind was crazy.  There were gusts up to 30mph or more, enough to actually blow me across the road.  I heard afterwards that some runners had lost their bibs to the wind during the first bridge, and weren't allowed to finish.  I'm not sure if that is true, but I wouldn't doubt that their bibs got blown off.

Running Attire:  I knew it was going to be windy and cold, so I wore my black running tights, my Liz shirt with arm warmers, gloves, my Delaware Marathon hat, and my iFitness running belt.  Even with all that, I was cold during the race.

Who I Ran With:  As I mentioned before, my sister-in-law and I both got into the NYC Marathon lottery, so we ran together.  About a month before the race, Mimi found out she was pregnant with her second child.  She called me to tell me and ask if I thought it would be okay to still run.  She decided to run anyway, and I told her we could take it as slow as she needed.  On race day, I also found out that the longest run she had done in preparation for the race was 10 miles.  For anyone who knows anything about running a marathon, trying to do 26 miles after only training with a long run of 10 miles is next to impossible.  It wasn't her first marathon, so she knew she could do the distance, but it definitely wasn't under ideal conditions.

The Course:  The best thing about this race is the course itself.  It runs through all the boroughs of the city and is a good mix of rolling hills and flats.  You get to see a lot of the city on foot, and NYC puts its best foot forward.  The race starts out crossing a bridge, which as I mentioned before was super windy.  The course was a closed course, for the most part, so there was very little traffic to deal with, even for the slower runners.  There is a few great photo ops along the course.  It finally ends in Central Park.

Organization:  As to be expected from the largest marathon in the world, it was pretty well organized.  The biggest complaint I have was the expo.  The Expo had a lot of great booths and merchandise, but the line to get in was ridiculous.  The line wrapped around the building when we arrived around 10:30am the day before the race.  We waited a good hour just to get into the expo.  I saw people trying to wait with kids in line.  I'm glad ours weren't with us, as they would have become extremely restless.  Then once we got in, I had to wait in another line that was about 30 minutes long to purchase the official race merchandise.  That line wrapped around the merchandise area.  Other than the lines and the waits, the expo had a lot of goodies and good expo participants.

The water stops were very well manned, even for the slower runners., with both water and Gatorade.  There were porta potties at every water stop.

Swag:  The race had the normal swag:  a technical shirt and metal.  We also got a credit card holder you could put on the back of your phone, ear buds and free ebook.  If you chose the no baggage option, you also got a very nice lined poncho at finish.

Starting Line:  The race starts much later than most races (I think the elites start at 9 or 9:30).   It took us about three hours to get from the hotel to the start.  It is a good thing that the race starts so late in the day, or the participants would never be able to get to the start on time.  We left the hotel around 6 and got to the start around 9.   To get to the start, we had to walk to the subway, take the subway to the ferry, take the ferry to the other side, and then take a bus to the start.  Because you had to get to the start super early, they had a good deal of amenities there.  There was free coffee, some food like power bars and bagels, water, etc.  They did run out of some of the food, I think, because there wasn't as good a selection as I had expected.

Because the race is the largest race in the world, there are several waves and corrals within each wave.  We were in the Orange corral in the 3rd wave, I believe.  There were volunteers to direct you to the different starting areas, but once you got closer to them, it was a little confusing.  I think when we arrived the wave before us was still lined up and hadn't left yet, so we had to figure out where our wave group started.  There were so many people at the start.

Fans:  Fans get an A+ here.  There were definitely fans most of the way, and they were good about cheering for all the runners.  There were a few places, like in the Bronx, where the fans were a little sparse, but for the most part, they were there cheering you on from start to finish, even the slower runners like us.

Finish Line:  At the finish line, they gave us a bag with all our food, drink, etc.  I love it when all the food and hydration are together in one bag.  After we walked about a mile, they split us up into baggage and no baggage participants and gave us our ponchos.  The finish line was so far away from the exit of the park to the spectators, probably about two-three miiles (or at least it seemed that long).  By the time we finished, it was already getting dark, and definitely getting cold.  The family meeting areas were a little confusing, as I think some of the volunteers had already left for the day by the time we got there.  We did come in late, so not sure if they were better for the earlier runners.

Results:  5:54:47

How I felt:  Because I was running much slower than normal, I felt pretty good the entire time.  Toward the end, my back was hurting, because of the long duration of the run, but other than that, I was mostly fine.

Travel/Tourism:  Obviously, NYC is a big city, so there are a lot of transportation options.  I flew into JFK airport and took the Super Shuttle to the hotel.  I also got a multiple day subway pass to get around town while we were there.

We stayed at the Salisbury Hotel.  The hotel was close to the subway, across from grocery store (Morton Williams), and about two blocks from the south side of Central Park.  It's also a short subway ride from the theater district.  The rooms were small and old, but that is to be expected in the city.  They were nice enough.  The lobby was very small, and they did not offer free breakfast or internet, which would have been nice.  But I would still recommend this hotel and would stay again if I was in the area.

We ate at several good places while there.  We got lunch at the Shake Shack.  Shake Shack is a small hamburger joint that also serves ice cream.  It was crowded, with a line out the door (luckily we got in just before the crowds).  We managed to find a table, although  tables are hard to come by, since it is such a small place.  For local fast food, it was pretty good.

For dinner, we tried 44 SW Ristorante Italian.  It was delicious!  I love Italian food - it is probably my favorite kind of food - and this place did not disappoint.  It is a little, family owned restaurant near the theater district.  The atmosphere was very nice, the wait staff was friendly, and the food was yummy.

For lunch the next day, we went to the Il Mare Pizza place.  It was very good.  It is a small place, that is more of a pizza take out place, but had some limited seating.  The line was out the door, which gave us as idea that it must be good before we even went inside.  I had a broccoli roll, which was delicious.  I went up for seconds too, and got a piece of pizza.  I would definitely recommend this place.

The night before the race, we ate at the Park Cafe diner.  I was looking for a place to have my traditional pre-race pancakes, and Park Cafe was on the way between where we were and the hotel.  It was okay food, but the service was typical diner service - slow.  They initially weren't going to allow us to substitute sides from the menu, but eventually did (after asking the manager).  I don't know that I would recommend this place or visit again.

The last place I ate was Angelo's 57th Italian place after the race.  Mimi and my brother had already left to fly back, so I was on my own.  I asked the hotel clerk for a suggestion of a good Italian place, and he suggested Angelo's.  It was right next to the hotel, so it was very convenient for me.   The food was amazing.  I had both dinner and dessert.  The  dining room wasn't big, but the food was delicious.  I would definitely recommend this place.

While we were in NYC, we had time to visit a few different attractions.  We went to FAO Schwartz to get the kids something.  We went to the  M &M World and the Hershey store to satisfy our sweet tooth.  Mimi and I also went to the theater to see Les Miserables.  Being the big city, there is never a want for things to do.

Overall, the race was a great experience, but I likely will never do it again.  Between the cost and the hassle to get to the start and out of the finish, I would rather stick to the smaller races.