Running the ING NYC Marathon

Last Sunday, November 1, it all came together. My training over the last 5 months, getting rest in the last week before the event and living like a saint, practically since the day after my birthday on October 1.

Getting up at 5.15am on marathon Sunday wasn't difficult, the excitement made it very easy and walking through mid town with my gear I already saw other participants on their way to Staten Island, where the marathon typically starts at the beginning of the Verrazano bridge from where the runners come into Brooklyn. In one of the many buses I was brought from Manhattan to the start village, this was it, I was going to run my first marathon!

After a long wait in the start village, nervously eating and drinking the necessary breakfast, the moment was there...surrounded by 43,000 other participants in 3 wave starts it was the time for wave start no. 2 to gather at the start. While 'New York, New York' by Frank Sinatra was blaring above us, we heard the big bang, the sign for us to start running, a moment I won't forget easily.

The rest is one big blur of the many, many great supporters screaming your name, live bands along every mile of the race, avoiding other runners surrounding me, concentrating on my pace and schedule, drinking enough, eating at the right time and fighting while walking and running on and off in the last 4 miles of the race...it all ended in Central Park after 3 hours, 57 minutes and 40 seconds. Passing the finish, I was overwhelmed by feelings of achievement, pain and happiness the race was over, tears came out of nowhere and I couldn't do anything about it. I had never gone so far and deep before to find every fibre of energy in my body to get there.

A friend emailed me before the race. He wrote: "If you are in pain, think about it this way. The pain is temporary, pride is forever!" And it's true, it was painful for one or two days after the race (I was limping around the city with my medal around my neck), but now I can only feel the pride of running the 26.2 miles in less than 4 hours!

A big THANKS to all who have supported me along the way and those who taught me how to prepare best for this adventure.

Coming up: My first marathon ever

In less than 2 weeks one of the world's most famous marathons will take place in the City. On Sunday November 1, the 40th ING New York City Marathon in which over 40.000 runners will participate and fill the streets of the 5 boroughs of New York. And I plan to be one of them, running my first ever marathon!

The last 5 months I have been training from scratch to where I'm now, feeling pretty fit and confident to make it, running the 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometers. From the start on Staten Island through Brooklyn into Queens, than move onto Manhattan and via a loop in the Bronx coming back to Manhattan where Central Park will be part of the last miles until the finish at Tavern on the Green. I think this will be a day to remember with five bridges to cross supported by more than 100 live bands and thousands of New Yorkers along the course.

The training has been intense in the last 2 months building endurance with 3 to 4 'short' runs during the week and 1 long run every weekend. The climax was a 20 miles (32 km) long run some weeks ago which I completed in 2hr52mins. It gave me the confidence of setting a personal goal of 3hr45mins for the full marathon. It's not going to be easy, but I'm loving it, working towards my goal of running the marathon in a competitive 'first-time marathoner' pace.
In the coming couple of weeks I will be trying to get as fit and well-rested as I can by reducing the mileage per training run. And I will try to remain far from my biggest fear: getting injured...
At the moment I feel excited and nervous about the day I have been focusing on. Let the pasta party begin, I'm ready to go!