I lost 70 pounds and I almost ran the New York Marathon in 2012. So, what's next?
Email: 94monkeys (at) gmaildotcom
"I'm in the hall already, on the wall already/ I'm a work of art, I'm a Warhol already." --Jay-Z
Registrants for the 2012 New York City Marathon will get a full refund of their entry fee or be guaranteed entry into the 2013, 2014 or 2015 edition of the race at the 2012 entry fee, the New York Road Runners will announce today. Runners who opt for the guaranteed-entry choice will have to pay to enter the future race.
The announcement will come almost seven weeks after the marathon was canceled on November 2… In the weeks following cancellation, NYRR released no further details on the logistics of the resolution. Many runners grew increasingly displeased and vocal with what they characterized as a lack of communication from NYRR…
Today’s announcement leaves many questions unanswered stemming from the marathon’s unprecedented cancellation, including how the lottery for the 2013 race will work in conjunction with 2012 registrants; when 2013 registration will open; whether 2012 charity runners will need to raise money again to obtain a 2013 charity spot; whether 2012’s professional field will be paid their full appearance fees; how 2012 sponsors will be compensated; and whether NYRR will have a negative net income for the year.
Tumblr > Runner’s World »» NY Road Runners social media, always. But here’s the official resolution.
For reachyourpeak and everyone else who’s waiting to hear about how New York marathoners this year will be compensated — more or less, don’t expect anyone official to say anything, and everything you read on the NYRR/ NYC Marathon Facebook pages is probably wrong. (They are entertaining hotbeds of Internet rage though!)
I do find it odd that, if the club is trying to “keep its public statements to a minimum” during this negotiation, as the article states, that Wittenberg would give an interview to the Wall Street Journal anyway and then outright say what a lot of people thought at the time — “There could have been no worse time to cancel the race.” Perhaps someone better schooled in PR than I am can explain that strategy?
Edit: And a new statement goes up on ingnycmarathon.org with no information whatsoever.
Current mood: wallowing.
You can accuse me of being selfish, that’s fine. I accept that I don’t have good perspective on this event right now. Later I will. But let me take away something you spent months and months dreaming of, and then see how you feel.
This year’s marathon is dedicated to the City of New York, the victims of the hurricane, and their families.
I know I’m a space cadet, but I also know none of those nightmares I’ve had about the race so far were real… right?!?!?!??!?!
I’m registered for a half-marathon this weekend and I’m not sure if I should run it or drop down to a 10K. My knee and calf have been bothering me since Saturday’s 20-miler — though I don’t know if it was the 20-miler or the fact that I have been sitting (and working) too much since then.
Pros of half-marathon:It’s on the training plan; will allow me to practice pacing and my mental game 1 more time; still have 2 weeks to rest if anything goes haywire.
Pros of 10K:Less wear and tear on the ol’ system; same swag at the end; not sure if I NEED need one more half or am just being stubborn.
What would you do?
Step 1: Open up “Track My Runners” application for the NYC Marathon to try and figure it out for family and friends.
Step 2: Panic when you don’t find yourself by name in there. Panic a LOT.
Step 3: Dig up bib number (#65397) from one of the 800,000 marathon-related emails you have now saved, like some kind of digital hoarder.
Step 4: Meet last year’s owner of your bib number, fantasize about alternate life in which you are a 62 year old man from Milan (who totally negative split this shit, so nice job, Roberto).
Ed Koren has crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon three times, an accomplishment that provided the inspiration for this week’s cover, “On Your Mark!” But how about his furry creatures? What was the inspiration for them? “During the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies, an avalanche of hirsutism and fuzziness took over the nation,” Koren told us. “Long hair, wild hairdos, exuberant facial appendages were everywhere as expressions of social rebellion, political revolt, and a general questioning of everything established.”
The mile markers are a bit off, but here’s most of my route from yesterday’s 20-miler. And this post is about 20 miles long in pixels.
I designed this route to follow parts of the marathon course that I hadn’t been exposed to yet (at miles ~10-17, then 18-20 on the map) and to get a lot of bridges in (there were 4). When I was back in Manhattan after 15 I picked up veggielife and we finished off the last 4-and-some miles. It was such a relief to turn into the park after the stop-and-go lights on First Ave. which I think hurt my leg more than a steady, slow pace would have.
I know I was thinking about something important, but (and I never thought I’d write this) most of those early miles were a blur. At one point I was passed by a guy with wool socks on his hands (like me, he must have been surprised by the “Feels like 32” temperatures that morning). I saw a film shoot setting up in Williamsburg, but no stars — apparently Robert DeNiro was around though? Mostly, I saw other runners and imagined they were all going to join me at Fort Wadsworth.
I made a few mistakes I’m hoping not to make on M-Day, but none of them were torpedo-ing. I forgot my knee strap, which definitely made a difference after Mile 11 or so. I also made an emergency bathroom stop around 11, which could happen on race day and if so, no big deal. (My mom asked me the other day if there are bathrooms on the marathon course. No mom, if you have to go, you get disqualified… the way we do here in the big city.)
Something that probably won’t happen on Marathon Day: I got lost 3 separate times — in Brooklyn before mile 4 (trying to avoid the Rock’n’Roll 10K crowds, no offense), in Chinatown looking for the Williamsburg Bridge entrance and in Long Island City looking for the Queensboro Bridge entrance. When I said I wanted to practice bridges, that is NOT WHAT I MEANT. There were a lot of traffic crossings and squinting ahead at street signs, through which I kept my watch running and watched it with concern.
The last time was fairly demoralizing because I was despairing of getting to our rendezvous point on time, and I knew that when I found the Queensboro Bridge I would then have to RUN it, so relief was some distance away. Ironically, it was then — at my lowest point — I realized I will do another marathon someday. I can’t explain it, it was just a feeling. Don’t tell everyone who already thinks I’m crazy, OK?
At long last, here we are at taper. So soon, marathon! So soon!
