Guest blogger of the day is my good friend Sean Pinney. Sean just finished up his fourth NYC Marathon and this is what he has to say about the race. Thanks for the write up Sean and again, congratulations! Enjoy!
-Brian
Although this was my
4th NYC marathon, it was the first I have run in 11 years. What I
remember most about it was the wind. It was present throughout the day. From
the time I picked up the bus at the Meadowlands until I finished, the wind
never went away. The staging area was just brutal. For safety reasons, they
could not put up the tents so we were all huddling together without any
protection. One guy actually crawled into a plastic trolley being used for
clothes donation to hide from the wind.

Running across the
Verrazano was like running in a wind tunnel. I wanted to run in a pack to get
protection from the wind, but I started at the tail end of the third wave and
was exposed. The wind was unrelenting and was blowing us sideways. Those were 2
long miles.
A highlight for me
was running through Bay Ridge. I was on the green start and it took me on a
different route through the neighborhood. It was a great pleasure to run into
co-worker who was waiting to cheer me on. I saw her, ran over and smiled. I gave
her a high five and then kept on running, making the turn onto 4th
Avenue.
The fans in Brooklyn
were fantastic. They were packed several deep along 4th Avenue and
cheering loudly. I loved hearing all the bands, in particular the one playing
“Danger Zone” from Top Gun, and another who was playing something from Rage
Against the Machine. That definitely got the blood pumping.
I also loved running
through Brooklyn because of the diverse people from one neighborhood to the
next. Going from 4th Avenue to Lafayette and on to Bedford Street,
the look and feel changes. I saw a woman in Williamsburg wave hello to a
Hasidic man who did not wave back or respond in any way. In Greenpoint, there
was a group of friends on a balcony who were in great spirits and probably had
already consumed a great amount of spirits as well. Running through Brooklyn
there would be times when the wind would disappear for a while only then to come
back and hit you in the face. I just smiled and kept on going.
My right knee started
hurting at the 9 mile mark. Prior to that, I was running perfectly consistent 10
minute miles in order to conserve my energy. After my knee started hurting,
these miles began to stretch out a bit. I made the halfway point at the Pulaski
Bridge at 2:13, which I was pretty happy with. I was feeling good and still had
lots of energy. I had plenty of gas in the tank. My knee still hurt a little,
but my legs weren’t too bad. I figured I would make 4:30 at this pace and would
be happy with it.
I was very nervous
about the Queensboro Bridge. I was afraid that the winds would be like
headwinds going across Verrazano. Also, the Queensboro Bridge was my nemesis in
2003. I had unexpectedly hit the wall back then between mile 15 and 16. It
crushed me. This year, I was mentally geared up to get across. It turns out
that there was little wind going across and I was psyched that I made it
without any problem at all.
I turned the corner
at 16 and smiled because I knew I would make it and would finish strong. I felt
that way until up until the Willis Avenue Bridge. Crossing into the Bronx, my legs
began to get sore and cramped up at the 21st mile. I had to walk a
bit and stretch them out, but was able to start jogging again. It was great to
make it across the Madison Avenue Bridge and be back on 1st Avenue.
I got hit again by the wind and just smiled and kept moving on. What else could
I do?
At the 23rd
mile, I passed by Mount Sinai where I work. It was good to be back on familiar
territory where I spend my days. I turned back into Central Park at 90th
street and felt tired, but good. Then when I was running downhill, I had to
stop because the pounding really hurt my knee. Who walks on downhills???
I finally ran out of
the Park and turned onto Central Park South. The crowds were still packed 10
deep and cheering loudly. My knee was a little sore and my legs were tight. I
had to shorten my stride, but I felt good and very excited to finish. I made
the turn at Columbus circle and pushed for home. I made sure I got my arms up
as I crossed the finish line. I did not feel exhausted or drained as I had in
years past. It was probably because I ran slower than in the past. Final time
4:45:03.
I loved getting the
finisher’s medal, wrapping myself in the Mylar blanket and feeling that
immediate warmth. Finally there was something that could break the wind. Walking from the
finish back to my car on the east side, people would stop and say
“congratulations.” People always say New Yorkers are mean, but they really are
nice. That’s what makes the NYC marathon a great experience. When else are New
Yorkers going to stand out in the cold and cheer for you?
There were so many
great sights and memories along the way. I came across people running their 30th
marathon and looking strong. I saw a guy who was dribbling a soccer ball the
entire way. Apparently there was also a guy juggling and another bouncing a
basketball, but I did not see them. Everyone running was having a great time.
Some of the great
signs I saw:
Toenails are for wimps.
You look great.
In your mind you are a Kenyan.
The phrase I heard
the most from the crowd, “You got this!” Running the NYC
Marathon is always a blast for me. It’s a great way to experience the city and
to see different neighborhoods. I cannot wait until I run again next year.