Well, well, well. It's finally here - race weekend and everything that comes with it. Unlike normal race weekends, this one is filled with lots of itineraries and logistical nightmares. When I race triathlons, the only logistics to deal with are getting there and getting home, everything else is pretty much in one spot: transition. With the NYC Marathon, there are spreadsheets and subway maps and time-tables and race routes galore. I honestly think SJ has secretly been training for her own spectator-marathon on the sly because she'll be running from subway stop to marathon route and back to subway stop multiple times throughout the day.
She's probably thinking that at least with a triathlon she only has to bring a chair and a book to kill the time between seeing me.
Without getting too heavy into the psychological mindset that I'm in right now, it's safe to say that this weekend - and this whole past week - has been unlike most race weeks. I don't know if it's because I have never run a marathon before, or if it's because I have both made - and stuck with - a training plan for the first time, or if it's because I have loftier goals (more on those in a minute) than most would have the first time they run a marathon, but it has been a slightly weird week. I can only describe it as a bit like the week leading up to SJ's and my wedding - there were nerves, and jitters, and butterflies, but there was also just so much crap to get done that it was easy to just focus on the immediate tasks at hand and forget about the bigger picture. Now that it's here and M-Day is tomorrow, everything is starting to settle in.
And with that in mind, here are my Race Day Goals. I was told once to have more than one goal on race day, because if you only set one benchmark for yourself and you know early in the game that it's just not gonna happen for you, then your mental mindset goes into "defeat mode" and can completely throw your own game. I don't usually write about my RDGs, but I figured it's high time I let you all in on what it is I'm aiming for:
A)
Sub-3:30 pace: This is the loftiest of lofty goals for a first-time marathon. I know this. I am aware of the fact that most people aim to simply finish the marathon the first time and set no time frame on when that occurs. However, let me let you in on a little secret: EVERYONE who trains for a marathon has a time frame in their mind. Whether or not they say it out loud, each and every runner out there will have a time that they would like to finish in. And if they say they don't, then they are a liar.
B)
Boston Qualify: I need to run a sub-3:35:00 marathon in order to qualify, which gives me an extra 5:00 on my A goal. Race capacity has already been met for the 2014 Boston Marathon, which means that if I BQ in this year's NYC Marathon, I will be eligible for entry into 2015. Lord knows what will be going on my life at that time, but if this happens then be assured that the 2015 Boston Marathon will be a priority.
C)
Sub-3:45 pace: I have been running most of my long runs at a pace that could hit this benchmark, so if all else fails and I end up having a horrible race day for whatever reason - stomach issues, injury, overall bad day - then if I can finish in this time frame I will be okay with my performance.
D)
Don't crap myself: I know, I know. This doesn't seem like a huge goal, but even if you've never trained for a marathon you know the feeling of needing a bathroom and not being able to get to one quick enough. You're stuck in traffic. There's only one toilet and the line is ten people deep. There's no toilet paper ANYWHERE. Everyone knows the feeling, and it's not fun. If this is the one and only goal I reach tomorrow, I will be okay with that. And if it's not - well, I probably won't be meeting everyone at the bar afterwards.
Speaking of afterwards - if anyone is in the city tomorrow to cheer on the runners, we'll be meeting at Ryan's Daughter on the corner of 85th and 1st Avenue in the afternoon. They are having a marathon special - $50 open bar, but anyone in our group can get in on it for $40. A bunch of the girls will be right there on the corner of 85th and 1st for a large part of the race, so feel free to stop on by. Just look for the loud, crazy ones with containers of mimosas!
Here is the app to track runners on your phones. My info is below:
