Fall Marathon Season.

Summing up my training journey and learning about consistency and preparation has been an experience like none other. There is a deep satisfaction in knowing that you have completed a long, enduring journey to the best of your ability under quality instruction, thanks to Marathon Training Academy. Having that feeling heading into Chicago certainly lightened the load of running my first marathon in almost a year. Even having run three marathons previously, each time feels like the first time all over again. I was eager to go out and take it on!

Traveling marathons with young kids has come with its pleasure as well as its struggles. And both are real!  It is a blend of a vacation with a high-performance event. It’s a tough balancing act with young children because until they get to the finish line and see all the cheering and running, they just don’t get that patient anticipation that a runner does! Chicago was a good city to us. The city showed very well during marathon weekend and it was a pleasure seeing another city putting on a major marathon. The city was welcoming, energetic, and accommodating from the Lyft drivers to the hotel workers, and the whole event staff for the marathon, which hosted over 45,000 runners over the weekend. We stayed at a great location at The Pendry hotel, just near Grant Park where the start and finish line was. I took part in the 5k run for a shake out the day before the marathon and felt like a celebrity with it being my first time up in Wave 1 at a major event!  

One of the greatest challenges I found on this marathon vacation or call it a ‘maracation’, was staying hydrated and focused while being a tourist at the same time. We spent the day exploring Chicago’s downtown and although I certainly got in my protein and carbs, I was not hydrating effectively. We took family photos by Michigan Lake, went on the sky deck at Willis Tower, visited the bean at Millenium Park, and had a good carb dinner on the Chicago river before ending the night on a relaxing boat tour of the Chicago skyline. It was a great family day, however, I probably missed out on the full preparation that would be required to run the type of marathon that I was striving for. 

The day is here! As I prepared for a cool/cold morning I exited the hotel with a throwaway hoodie to the surprisingly warm breeze that struck me as I opened the door to walk outside. The streets were beginning to pile up as the participants marched down Michigan Ave. to their corral entrances which were a breeze getting to. Chicago was an especially busy city for 7AM on a marathon morning and although the streets were filled by us runners, there were a few cars still lingering, enough for us to weave in and out of! Did they forget to close the street? I decided to jog down Michigan Ave., along the park to my entry to get the blood flowing a bit. The start in Chicago was a complete mosh pit of bathroom lines, and more bathroom lines. I was Wave 2, Corral F, a harsh snap back to really after getting Wave 1 in the much smaller pool of runners at the 5k shake out run. After getting the jittery bathroom urge I decided to go look for a bathroom down towards Wave 3, where the bathroom lines were lighter. That was a good decision and then I stuck around to find a good spot of grass to rest on as I laid back and listened to the ceremonial announcements and did some light stretching. I was completely zoned in. After another bathroom run, with a longer line this time, I walked out of the stall at 7:42 and my corral was scheduled to close at 7:45. So I got another warmup lap in running to my corral from Wave 3 only to find a mob of people pushing their way in slowly. The good news was that the Corral was not closed. It was the most crowded starting corral that I have ever seen to date. As I stood, I observed all of the pacers in the corrals ahead of me. 3:55, 3:45, 3:30. I began to walk up as there were no more dividers between corrals. I was eager to start and I knew that I would have to blow past all of these pace groups for the run that I was going for. 

The race has commenced! My much anticipated ‘slower’ pace for mile 1 coming out of the crowd went accordingly behind my marathon goal pace at around 7:45 and I remained in that range for the first 5k. I was perspiring profusely at mile 1 and it was a sign of the struggles to come. I completely neglected the temperature factor, being at 61 degrees at start time and what it meant for running a marathon where you’re exerting all of your energy. I was hyper focused on getting to the mile 18 mark at a 7-minute pace and I settled into that pace by the second 5k. I was blowing by fuel stations and the pacers that I had seen ahead of me back at the starting corrals. One of the SIAC coaches, Chris 40, told me a few weeks before the marathon to find someone who was going at the pace that I needed to be at, start random conversations and get with someone who is going for consistency throughout the race and finish strong. And so I ran beside two gentlemen who were talking about pace and sparked up a conversation. Low and behold they were targeting a sub-3 marathon as well so we ran together for a good part of the middle of the race. They were both all the way from Ireland and running hills at this pace was routine for them creating a good stage to meet their goal on a flat Chicago course. Connor and Paul, had already come from running sub-3:30 in previous marathons. Without knowing it yet, I was in over my head for this race. However, for a good amount of the race we were striving to catch up to the 3-hour pace as we breezed by the pace groups and eventually made it up to past the 3:15 pace group. It felt amazing and at the 2-hour mark I was at 18 miles with a real chance to hit a 3 hour marathon. That’s when it all came crashing down. 

The heat of the day caught up to me in a way that my body would not recover from and after mile 18, I would not run another mile faster than a 10-minute pace in a walk/jog for the remaining 7 miles as one hamstring after the other gave way to dehydration cramping so badly that I could barely walk at times. It was torturous as I kept glancing at my watch even though I was clearly heading for a PR, it was dreadful having to walk/jog for 7 miles after the pace that I held for miles 1 through 18. Nevertheless, I had to be grateful for the experience. It was a hot, humid day and I saw a lot of runners out there struggling. As I walked there were reminders of gratitude all around me. I still had shouts from the spectators for Team Achilles as I proudly wore the shirt of the organization that I was running for. One event volunteer at a fuel station, as he was handing me a cup of water that I desperately needed struck me with the words ‘remember your purpose.’  Wow! I immediately thought of my family. My purpose in life, to be a father, a husband, a role model and getting better at it every day, giving the 1% more. That certainly helped take up some of my mental head space during the brutal 7-mile walk-off. The final stretch of the race couldn’t come sooner. There was one final bridge over the Chicago River that brought us back on the final straight away to the Grant Park finish line. Along the way, we passed through Chinatown, the convention center where the expo was and I stopped at every Bio-Freeze station that I saw to help numb the recurring cramps in both of my hamstrings. Glancing down at my watch, I could only have wondered what my finish time could be without the cramping and the dehydration. All of the pace groups that I had ran by, passed me right up on their way to the finish line. The only one that seemed within reach was the 3:45 pace group. Knowing that my family was there waiting for me at the finish line, I had to do whatever I could in my power to get up on my feet running again. The final hill to the finish line was a pleasure to see after having just fought through the worse 7-miles of my short running career. And at this time, miraculously, no more cramping and able to jog in I was delighted in knowing that the finish was near.

After all the pain and the disappointment of my crashing finish, I was about to see my family full of excitement and about to PR my marathon time by a whole 45 minutes. The finish line bleachers were as cheerful as the millions of people that took the streets of Chicago that day. One runner in front of me grabbed his infant child from the crowd as he approached the finish line. Now that is amazing! I finally got to my fan club and they were shouting as loud as ever. My children were waving away, my wife recording and cheering, my mother, my nieces and nephew. And in that moment every step, every mile is rewarded by a human connection that is hard to match! As I crossed, the final time 3:48 was a bittersweet result and I walked over to greet my family relieved that the race was finished. Our family marathon vacation was another success after all.

To the big Apple! There was a lot of excitement coming off of Chicago and into New York. Both baseball teams in town were in the championship series right before the World Series and for my birthday week, my wife and I enjoyed a night out to an NLCS game between the Mets and the Dodgers! It was a much enjoyable recovery week. 

For recovery efforts, I continued to follow my running coach’s program and took a whole week off to recover. Then, I ran the most a 6-mile run, and all 3-4 mile runs in the two weeks leading up to the NYC Marathon. After an eventful few weeks of family camping trips, family gatherings, confirming my nephew in the Catholic Church, I felt both physically and mentally prepared to take on the streets of NYC. 

This time around I was paying extra close attention to my hydration and my nutrition the week before. It was a much better preparation week without having to travel. I was hydrating in anticipation of a warm day and was pleasantly surprised as the forecast came in at a cool 50 degrees on race day. We dodged a major bullet and missed a record warm temperature just two days prior. This would be my first marathon starting at Wave 1 with just making the cutoff at Corral F. The organization was superior the morning of thanks to the amazing volunteers and the New York Road Runners organization. I arrived at around 8:15am took a few family photos with my wife, her mom, and the kids and I was in my corral before the closing time at 8:45am. I met two gentlemen from Kansas who had just ran the Wichita, Kansas marathon and were in NYC for their first time. I asked about the energy in Manhattan having just experienced going to another city hosting a major and seeing the city at it’s best for the whole weekend. They said Manhattan was no exception and the energy levels were amazing all weekend being in Manhattan. Of course, the conversation started with a compliment on my socks that my wife and her mom bought me, even the volunteers that were handing me water along the route complimented them. NYC is a fashionable city, so I guess I checked that box on this day! 

In a pre-race discussion with my running coach, there was a mutual agreement that I will avoid the unrealistic goal of getting a sub-3-hour time in NY. The course is too challenging and even getting a PR was an aggressive thought. The more achievable and reasonable goal should be close to a 7:30 mile pace with a deep emphasis on reserving energy for a stronger finish. Something that I have yet to do for a marathon. At the expo I grabbed three bracelets in thought of the A-B-C goal strategy 3-hour, 3:20, and 3:30 were the three that I grabbed. All of them were still out of range. I decided that I would listen to my body and run with the 3:20 minute band with no pacing on my watch. Solely looking at the start time and total elapsed time on my band to gauge how I was doing on time and how my body felt to have a strong finish. Realistically my A-B-C goal was 3:30, 3:45 and sub-4

The start line is like no other for NYC right at the foot of the Verrazano Bridge and starting with a canon blast! I’ve yet to see better and yes, that includes the colosseum in Rome! That’s a bit bias since I live on Staten Island. In one of the commencing speeches to the Wave 1 start, the speaker spoke about how with greatness, comes great responsibility and we will be showcasing our greatness in every mile along NYC to millions of people watching. It reminded me of the purpose that I was reminded of in my last marathon. Anything worthy in life, success in a certain area, great achievements, relationships, comes with great responsibility and it’s an act that we work on and improve on every day. Just like marathons and training, we improve and work on our performance with each mile, and each race. The finish line is a lagging indicator of our progress just as success is in any area of discipline and focus.

This was the mental mantra that I kept with me throughout the race and helped me tremendously stay focused and stay in step for the full 26.2 miles. I would repeat in my head over and over again, ‘every mile counts, step by step’ and I even used the hymn from mass earlier that morning; ‘O’ Lord, You are my strength’. Throughout the miles of this run I could actually enjoy it and it wasn’t a complete blur, like Chicago. I ran the lower level of Verrazano bridge for the first time and I took the route of the BQE to the 65th Street exit where we caught 4th Ave. There was a good hill waiting for us right out of the bridge coming up the BQE, another reason that I was staying level in my effort to conserve energy for the miles ahead. Even though I was clearly falling behind the 3:20 pace with every mile that passed, I was feeling good! 

The energy in Brooklyn was just as amazing as my first experience. I bumped into a few fellow SIAC runners along 4th Ave. And even saw my real estate broker in the crowd cheering the runners on! As I got into Williamsburg, there were some quiet areas where I got to re-focus on the race strategy and prepare for the roller coaster ahead. Mile 8 was a good reminder that things were about to go uphill! I was fueling, hydrating and still staying at a good pace for a sub-2 half marathon time where another hill greeted me running over the Kosciuszko Bridge. The fun part about NYC is that the second half is your battleground from mile 15 all the way through to the finish and it is not one that you want to be hurt or walking for. Extremely conscious of this I took the Queensboro Bridge slowly and walked and stretched at the midway point making sure that I would come into 1st. Ave strongly. Knowing that the family was up 1st Ave. On 115th street, I was able to really enjoy the energetic Manhattan crowds. Finally a full bottle of smart water and the family fan club at 115th Street! A MAJOR boost before the Willis Ave. Bridge and the final stretch of the marathon. I paused to swig down the full 33 ounces with some pictures and hugs. 

I stopped again approaching the Bronx for a stretch and a walk as I visualized the remaining 6 miles. At mile 20, perhaps one of the most difficult miles for my body. I felt as if the wall was hitting me. I stayed calm and continued the mental mantra ‘step by step, every mile counts, O’ Lord you are my strength.’ I chugged along back into Manhattan and the turn on to 5th Ave. Gave me a good energy boost, knowing soon after I would get to see the family again! This time I grabbed the water bottle for the final stretch and kept it moving. I was determined to get the sub-4 time and at mile 22, I had to get 3.2 miles done in less than 30 minutes. I really felt the 5th Ave. Hill and repeating the mantra, I continued to battle through it to the entrance of the park. The downhill course in the park was a mental boost. I stopped for one last bathroom break in the crowds of Central Park, chugged the remaining water with electrolytes and made up my mind that I will cross that finish line in before the 4 hour mark! No pace, just my watch, counting down to 1:12, knowing that this morning, my watch ticked to 9:12 as I crossed the start line. Finally, at mile 24, I broke through. My legs were loose, I broke into a stride. I was running the course with purpose! As I turned out of the park on to Central Park South, the NYC energy was mind blowing! I kept my head up and took in every step. I was within seconds and I caught myself enjoying it a little too much and had to pick up the pace. As I turned into the park at Columbus circle to the race MC shouting at the runners for the finish line ahead, I made sure not to stumble on the thick curb in the narrow pathway heading back into the park. The flags were in sight, I went into the extra gear and I knew I had it. It was an amazing finish in an amazing city, on an amazing marathon course. 

Thank you to the FDNY and the NYPD for allowing me to rest immediately after the finish line in their camp. I was around ultra-athletes in that tent. These were all runners that started right behind the professionals! You heard iron man thrown around, 3:30 times and you can tell that this was a NY Marathon with the helping hands that their colleague were there to give them. As I slowly crept along the park exit at 68th Street, I walked across two avenues to meet my dear family on Columbus Ave. To complete a memorable NY Fall marathon day in the big city! This year I learned a lot. I gained more experience than ever in marathon training and in running the momentous course. I greatly look forward to completing more while I am blessed and healthy enough to run and I will carry my purpose with me every step of the way! It looks like my beautiful wife might be joining me as well!

Go Adriana! 

Lessons Learned:

Success is a lagging indicator! Progress is slow, success happens fast. Trust the process!

“Men, the philosopher's lecture-hall is a hospital—you shouldn't walk out of it feeling pleasure, but pain, for you aren't well when you enter it.”

Always do your best. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you give it a good honest try.

Plan for order and you'll be destroyed by chaos. Prepare for chaos and you'll thrive in any condition! Preparation always beats planning.

Set your standard and work to raise it every single day.

“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” — Confucius