RACE REVIEW:NYC MARATHON

"If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve their goals."

~ Zig Ziglar

This past April, on the Friday night before the Boston marathon, I ran into my dear friend, Joyce Cron, at a dinner for Team With A Vision.  I was guiding for Jared Broughton and Joyce, who is visually impaired, was running with a different guide but we had run Boston together back in 2016 and 2017 and we have remained close friends over the years.  She told me that she was planning to run the NYC marathon in November with Team Achilles and asked I would consider guiding her again.  

Boston 2016

I didn't have to think twice.  I'd always wanted to do NY and I was eager to partner up with Joyce again so I answered with a resounding, HELL YES!  We made plans to get in touch after the summer and wished each other well for Boston.  She killed it, by the way by, running a blazing 4:09 and placing first in her division for Para athletes.  Fast forward to October.  Joyce reached out to give me an update on her training.  She had run Berlin in September and it did not go well.  The heat really impacted her and she ended up having to do a fair amount of walk/jogging to get to the finish line.  When she got back home she took some much needed rest but then when she started to ramp back up for New York she noticed that she was having trouble with her recovery.  She could get her miles in but then she was completely exhausted for the rest of the day.  For obvious reasons, she was worried.  Things just didn't feel right.  So she made a plan.  She would stop running and see if her body could bounce back.  If that worked, she'd go forward and line up in NY and if not, she'd have to reassess.  As of the week before the race, she was finally feeling like herself again so we were now officially on. Which brings us to last Saturday.  I drove down to NYC in the morning and met up with Joyce in the lobby of our hotel around 11:00am.  She looked distressed.  In a nutshell, she explained that she was feeling off again, that she had no appetite, that she had very low energy and that she was having dizzy spells.  This was not good.  But, as any marathoner will tell you, they will wait until the very last minute to pull the plug because they've done the work and, dammit, they want to race.  Or, at least, this was the case for Joyce.  And I understood.  We decided to go to the expo together and grab our numbers and then to have her rest for the remainder of the day.  We'd check back in later in the evening and make a decision.

Joyce's guide dog, Sherbet

While I have attended several expos, this was my first time navigating one with both a visually impaired athlete and a guide dog.  I have to say, Sherbet was amazing.  The scene, as you can imagine, was nuts.  People were everywhere - asking questions, taking photos, looking for family, running around with their kids.  Very few were paying attention to the three of us.  Sherbet was calm, cool and collected.  So, thanks to her, we made it through successfully without any issues.  Bravo, Sherbet!  Joyce and her husband, Dan, decided to find the information booth and ask them what the process was for deferring until 2026 if that's what she decided to do.  I left them to it and walked around and checked things out on my own.  

Obviously I had to find my name on the wall.  I also took a little stroll around the floor to find some free goodies and there were plenty of them.  I picked up some Dove skincare products, some gel samples that I'd never heard of, a yogurt smoothie, basically anything that looked remotely appealing.  The expo is always super chaotic but it's worth the stress when you leave with a bag of treats.  

Joyce and I met down in the lobby again around 7:00pm.  She had finally come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth pushing herself given how she felt and that she would officially defer so she would have an automatic entry in 2026.  It was such a hard decision for her.  But we both knew it was the right one.  She didn't feel strong enough and because of this she wasn't even remotely excited to race.  This wasn't the experience she wanted.  And it simply wasn't worth the risk just to get a medal.  While she was sad, I could also tell that she was relieved.  She'd been so stressed all day about making a decision and you could almost see the weight lifted in her demeanor.  We said goodnight and I made my way back up to my room to ponder my next steps.

Obviously, I had signed up for NYC with the intent to guide Joyce.  Now, here I was with a bib and no one to guide.  I also had no intention of racing this marathon on my own.  My options were to either bail all together and go home or to see if I could find someone else who needed my assistance on race day.  Before going to bed I confirmed with Achilles that I could still use my number and decided it was worth trying to find another athlete who might need help.  I got up on Sunday around 4:00am and hopped on the bus with the team.  My plan was to find Karen, the woman in charge of our group, and to ask if she knew of anyone else who might need a hand.  And then fate connected me to Cindy Kuhn. Cindy was chatting with her guide, Lindy (I know, you can’t make that up) in the seats behind me on the bus and we eventually all struck up a conversation.  A few minutes after getting off the bus, we reconnected in the AWD tent.  I explained my situation to them - that I had been planning to guide for Joyce and that she unfortunately wasn't feeling well enough to race so I was now looking to see if I could help someone else.  Both Cindy and Lindy agreed that I should join them along with their second guide, Michael, as they could use the extra hands and would be happy to have me along in case something went wrong. I was thrilled. And more than ready to step up.  

THE RACE

Miles 1-6 (9:50, 7:56, 8:22, 8:18, 8:10, 8:08)

Prior to leaving the tent, Cindy had said she'd like to run around 3:45-4:00, but really was just going by feel.  It sounded good to me.  We started on the lower section of the Verrazano bridge.  Thankfully, we did not get peed on by those above us, though many had said this might be an issue.  Is that really true??  We were packed up in our corral like sardines so getting going was pretty slow for us.  Our first mile we were walk/jogging and just trying to keep people from getting in Cindy's way.  It's also uphill.  So, for both of those reasons, this mile was our slowest.  But after that, we were locked in; rolling right around 8:15 give or take a few seconds.  The morning had started off cool but when we got into the sun we could feel the heat rising so fluids became a priority.  Each time we came up to a water station whoever was closest would grab cups of water and Gatorade and pass them over to Cindy first and then around to the rest of our crew if people needed them.

Miles 7-13 (8:04, 8:17, 8:15, 8:01, 8:14, 8:17, 8:11)

We all got into a really good rhythm by the third mile.  One of us would be on either side of Cindy and then one of us behind her.  This way we could all check in with her regularly and make sure she had what she needed but also gave us some insurance in case someone needed to break off for a second and come back.  At one point Lyndi said she felt like we were the secret service agents and we were guarding Cindy like she was the president.  That is exactly how it felt.  The crowds in NY are nuts.  I have run Boston many times.  NY is next level.  Aside from when we were on the bridges, the volume was at a ten the entire time.  We also saw some wild getups like the Statue of Liberty in full dress complete with skirt, crown and torch, a blow-up chicken with a sign that said she was just trying to cross the road, a shark costume, several bananas.  We even ran behind Frida Kahlo for a while.  Clearly I was focused on Cindy but when things were calm for us I was having a blast soaking up the scene.  We also made sure to let Cindy know when the cameras were around and to take full advantage of every photo opportunity presented to us.  

 

Miles 14-20 (8:11, 8:23, 8:39, 8:07, 8:08, 8:16, 8:22)

Cindy was in total control.  Her pace was steady.  She was able to communicate easily.  It felt like we were on cruise control.  As we got further along the course the fluid stations started to get crazy.  Because of the heat, people needed more water and electrolytes than planned and the ground was like an ocean of cups every other mile.  The volunteers couldn't pour it or sweep them out fast enough.  Michael lives in NYC so he knew every nook and cranny and was able to tell us when things like hills and turns were coming up.  That was a nice little bonus.  

All business up the hill

 

Miles 21-26 (8:08, 8:05, 8:06, 8:17, 8:09, 8:07)

Right around mile 20, Michael looked at us and said, I'm not gonna lie, this is a nasty hill and it's gonna suck.   And he wasn't lying.  It was a very long hill.  But, Cindy and I both agreed that it wasn't as bad as Heartbreak Hill on the Boston course.  Some may beg to differ with us on that.  Regardless, we got up and over without any issues and after this we knew we had it in the bag.  Cindy was flying now and I could tell she felt good.  We were totally crushing it, picking up the pace a bit with confidence.  As we got closer to the park I started raising my hands up to the crowd to get them to cheer for us while also pointing at Cindy to emphasize what an absolute badass she was.  

Running a marathon is hard.  Running a marathon as a visually impaired athlete is notably harder.  It was clear from the minute I met Cindy that she did not let anything get in her way of what she wanted to achieve.  She had battled cancer and had multiple surgeries.  She lost vision and hearing when her tumors were removed.  A marathon?  Bring it.  Nothing was stopping her.  It is such an honor to run for someone as a guide.  The partnership that is formed is so special.  That bond starts the second you meet and only gets stronger with every mile.  So, yea.  On Sunday, my job was to help Cindy get to the finish line and keep her safe along the way.  Mission accomplished.  I can only hope that our paths cross again both as runners and as friends.

Listen to this:

No Pain - Modern Living, Cosmo's Midnight, Sumner

Modern Living · No Pain (feat. Cosmo's Midnight & Sumner)

RWR:MEET NATOSHA ROGERS - PRO RUNNER

"I'm a very emotional runner. I also have a wild side… I'm just going to be honest. But now that I'm getting older it's kind of dying out. Like, I'm too tired."

~ Natosha Rogers, Citius Mag

Today I am really excited to introduce you to the fast and fabulous, Natosha Rogers.  If you're even remotely interested in the professional running world you are likely already familiar with her.  If not, pull up a chair.  Rogers ran for Texas A&M and has an impressive resume from her college years.  After college, she turned pro and turned back to the track where she focused on both the 5000m and 10,000m.  Back in 2012, at just 21 years old, she placed second in the 10,000m at the US Olympic Trials even after taking a fall during the race.  Talk about grit.  Fast forward to 2023, Rogers made the decision to go all in on her running, signed with Puma and eventually began to focus on the road.  I love her openness and honesty about the transition from the track to the road.  In an interview with Citius Magazine on training for the marathon Rogers claimed, "Oh my God – this is for, like, psychotic, masochistic people.’  I suppose that makes her one of "them" now as she is clearly very good at the distance.  That year she qualified for the US Olympic Trials marathon with a half marathon running a mind blowing 1:09:36.  As is the case with most runners, it hasn't all been daisies.  She had a tough debut at the marathon trials and has dealt with some injuries in the past few years.  But she stayed true to herself and the sport and never doubted her goal.  A little over two weeks ago Rogers was the first American woman across the line at the Chicago marathon and she clocked a blazing 2:23:28. So, yea, Rogers is here to stay.  And, even after all of this, she's really just getting started on this next chapter.  Personally, I can't wait to see how the rest of her career unfolds as I'm assuming, based on what's she's done so far, the doors are about to be blown off.  Though, she might also blow doors off with her music choices as they are hard core and I'm guessing she turns the volume way up when she's rocking out. That's it from me, let's meet Natosha Rogers, a RUNNER WHO ROCKS! 

RUNNERS WHO ROCK: NATOSHA ROGERS

Name: Natosha Rogers
Where you're from: Denver, CO
Where you reside now: Denver, CO
Age:34
Occupation: Pro Running
Instagram: @natosha_rogers

ON RUNNING & MUSIC
What do you love most about running? How cathartic it is.
What do you love most about music? Same as above.

NATOSHA'S FAVORITES:
Band (current, all time or both): Current: Kerala Dust. All time: Led Zeppelin  
Album (current, all time or both): Brand New - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
Race venue: The OG Hayward Field 
Music venue: The Brooklyn Mirage 
Race distance: Half Marathon 
Show you've seen live: Poppy
Ice cream flavor: Half Baked 

THIS OR THAT?
Sweet or salty? Need both
Live or recorded? Live
Coffee or tea? Coffee, hands down
Summer or winter? Summer
 

MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could?  Rammstein 
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could? Either Led Zeppelin or The Doors 
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Robert Plant - I would die
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Boris Brejcha - house techno is the best for running 

Led Zeppelin

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like……..….(fill in the blank)

Lazy one week out from the marathon and on a break 🙃

Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both?
Nothing - Poppy (running on anger)
Obsession - Thornhill (running or rocking out in the car)
Love In The Underground - Kerala Dust (dancing)
Blow Out - The Crystal Method (dance or run techno)
One - Vakhtang (run techno)

Last 5 Songs you listened to today?
REAPER - Tayla
Pet - A Perfect Circle
The Distance - Cake 
Eden to Eden - Kerala Dust 
New Generation - Layton Giordani

Listen to this:

Nothing by Poppy

Poppy · nothing

RACE REVIEW:HARTFORD MARATHON #37

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."

~ Arnold Shawrzenegger

On Saturday I ran my 37th marathon in Hartford, CT.  My goal was to "crush it", as my friend, Halston suggested.  Ideally, I wanted to finish in under 3 hours but truly I just wanted to run strong and have fun.  I had a really solid training block for this one and after talking to my coach, I felt cautiously optimistic.  I was heading down to CT on Friday afternoon with my Whirlaway teammate Lauren and her sister Meghan and then the next morning we were meeting up with our other teammates, Allyson and Katy who were also racing.  So it was a run-family affair, which always makes these things more exciting.  Normally I like to arrive at a race with enough time to grab my number and then sit and relax a bit before turning in.  That was just not an option this time as I had XC practice before I left and really wanted to be there for that.  So, I ate dinner in the car and attempted to roll out my legs with a tennis ball as we sat in traffic.  We pulled into Hartford around 6:15pm.  When we arrived at the expo I was surprised to see a life sized poster of myself from last year's race.  They had not told me they were doing this and I was humbled if not a wee bit embarrassed.  But, also, it's kind of cool and Lauren insisted on the photo.  After we got our bibs and shirts we made our way up to our hotel rooms for the rest of the evening making plans to meet up in the morning to walk over to the start together.  

My race gear was out and ready to go.  I ran the same race last year and when we got started the temps were in the 30s so I brought throw away clothes and an old blanket to keep myself warm in case it was cold again this year.  Shivering before a race starts is no bueno.  I ate one more small meal and drank the rest of the Powerade that I'd bought earlier that afternoon as a way to get some more calories in later in the day.  More on this later.

I was in bed at 8:00pm and out by 8:30. Nothing new there.  The race was starting at 8:00am so I set my alarm for 5:00 so I could wake up, enjoy some coffee, eat some oatmeal and have time to relax and digest before making my way over.  It was a very easygoing morning for me and I was happy to be starting things off feeling pretty relaxed both physically and mentally.  I met Lauren and Meghan along with our friend Mary down in the lobby at 6:50 and the three of us walked over to meet up with Katy and Allyson. 

 

Pre-race with Mary, Lauren and Megan

The weather was pretty perfect.  It was in the 50s and cloudy.  I was very happy about this.  We found the tent and our friends, dropped our bags and spent some time getting organized and ready to walk over to the line.  So far, the day had been hassle free and I was really grateful for this as my nerves were now kicking into high gear.  Around 7:45 the race organizers gathered us up and led us over to the start corral.  Ready or not.  It was go time.

Calm before the storm

THE RACE:

Miles 1-5 (6:44, 6:51, 6:50, 6:39, 6:43, 6:43)

I was standing next to my teammate, Allyson, who was aiming to run the same time as I was as well as next to a lovely gal named Maria who told me she was also shooting for this pace.  It's always nice to have some people that share your goal to work with, at least for the start of the race.  At 8:00am the gun blew and we were rolling.  It's easy to start off too fast on this course because the beginning is downhill so it's key to reign yourself in and make sure you don't get too excited.  Very similar to Boston that way.  The three of us locked into step together and began cruising.  We checked in on our first couple miles and after finding a good rhythm we put ourselves into cruise control.  The pace felt good, my body was happy, my mind was sharp.  I was really good.  Like, better than usual.  We rolled through some water stops and passed cups back and forth without issue.  Things were right where I wanted them to be.

Miles 6-10 (6:43, 6:43, 6:42, 6:45, 6:50)

Still right on pace, I began to whisper some mantras to myself.  Breathe.  Stay calm.  Find your flow.  And so on.  Around mile 8 I felt like I needed to use the bathroom.  No big deal.  I've done this often mid-race and have figured out how to zip in and zip out in just seconds.  I wasn't worried, though I wasn't seeing a porto anywhere and started to get a little preoccupied with the situation.  At mile 10 I finally saw one and I let Allyson know my plan and wished her good luck.  Sucks to loose your pace buddy but sucks more to be uncomfortable.  So I dealt really fast, as planned, and hopped back in without losing much time.

Miles 11-21 (7:05, 6:53, 6:56, 7:05, 7:16, 7:16, 7:31, 7:29, 7:27, 7:37, 7:33)

For the first couple miles post-break I was fine.  But then, I wasn't.  It was my stomach.  I started to feel nauseous.  And with each mile, it got worse.  I'd taken two gels at this point and was going to need at least two more.  When I tried to take my third I gagged.  It was not going down.  Obviously, I was slowing.  I felt like the more I moved the worse it felt so I tried to ease up on pace and keep my motion to a minimum.  Now I was stressed.  It was a serious dilemma.  I needed the fuel.  But I could not take the fuel.  I was taking baby sips of water and trying to just eat the gel little bits at a time.  But the nausea was getting worse and now I was just wondering if I could hold on until the finish.  Around mile 19, a lovely gal, who I would later learn was named Colleen, pulled up next to me and asked how I was doing.  I told her I couldn't keep anything down and didn't know what to do.  She felt bad, asked if I needed elctrolytes or wanted to try one of her gels instead of what I had.  She talked to me for about 2 miles and told me not to freak out if I ended up having to puke and rally.  She tried to get me to keep up with her but I just kept feeling worse until she finally pulled ahead.  I might have cried a little here.  Happens.

Mile 22 - 26.2 (8:03, 7:54, 7:51, 8:03, 8:23, 7:32)

And then my stomach waved the white flag.  I had to pulled over to the side and everything came out.  I won't go into detail, but I did notice that it was orange which I thought was odd because I'd only been drinking clear liquid (water and UCan) on the course.  After that I took a second to reset and then started back up.  Honestly, I felt notably better.  But, I was now very dehydrated and scared to take in any more fluids or fuel.  My legs were fine.  My stomach was in knots and I had really bad cramping so I was running hunched over as this felt better than standing up straight.  Oh my, this last part was long.  Every minute felt like ten.  It's hard to do anything after throwing up but really hard to finish a marathon.  It was sheer will that got me to that line.  Somehow I managed to finish in 3 hours and 12 minutes despite the bathroom stop, the slow down and the vomit session.  Side note, if you're reading this and I was on your yard, I'm really sorry.  When I was done, I fell into Lauren's arms, literally and just stood there in total disbelief.  I'd done it.  It had been terrible.  But I'd done it.  

I sat and processed for a few minutes as I tried to put on my sweats.  I was obviously sad, angry, annoyed; all of it. This one was easily one of my hardest to get through both mentally and physically.  I kept replaying my days leading up to the race to try and figure out what could have possibly caused this situation.  And then, as we hobbled back to the hotel, I had a lightbulb moment.  You know how you always hear people say not to try anything new before or on race day? Well, for some reason, despite how many times I’ve heard this, I did it anyway. Yes. Stupid. I was so full from all the calories I was consuming during my carb load that I bought a large orange PowerAde and polished it off between Friday night and Saturday morning.  Normally I only drink water and NUUN so why I thought this was a good decision is anyone's guess.  Honestly, I don't know if this is what caused me to get sick.  I do know that this was the only thing I did differently the 24 hours before the race.  So, while I'll never be sure what made me sick, I am 100% sure I should have not thrown something different into the mix.  Rookie mistake.  Never again....said the 50 year old who's run 37 marathons.  Can you feel me rolling my eyes?  As we drove home, or Lauren drove us home (bless her), I got a text from my mother-in-law congratulating me on my age group win.  At first I thought she was looking at last year's results but, no, she was right.  I was the first 50 year old female across the line. 

"Rest, recover and feel proud," she said.  Some very wise words that I absolutely needed to hear.  The marathon is a beast. The training? Also a beast. I know this. You do, too. I’m proud, and I want more. I can be both. But no more orange Powerade. Ever. 

Listen to this:

No Pain by Modern Living with Sumner

Modern Living · No Pain (feat. Cosmo's Midnight)

STAY GOLD

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

I love the warm sunny days of summer.  And I loathe the cold, dark days of winter.  Why do I live in New England?  I honestly have no idea. But that’s a different story.  This past August I read Melissa Kirsch's article, Golden Hour , from the New York Times and it struck a nerve.  Despite the fact that it was Labor Day weekend, when most of us inevitably make the mental shift toward fall, she reminded readers that we still had 22 days left of summer.  She also suggested that we hold on just a little longer to that final stage of the season rather than prematurely shift gears into autumn.  She threw out the #equinoctialchallenge for those, like myself, who weren't quite ready to let go, in which we make a point to do one summery thing every day between Labor Day and the equinox on September 22nd.  I absolutely loved this idea and immediately jumped in. It was not hard to do.  Throw the flip flops on for walks with the dogs.  Easy.  Sit on the porch with friends for a sunset drink.  Please and thank you.  Grab the fresh tomatoes from the Saturday farmer's market for the caprese sandwiches.  Done and done.  And while fall is now officially here, I see no reason not to keep up with this challenge for as long as Mother Nature will allow me to.  Because yes, the equinox has come and gone.  But the veil of darkness, aka winter, has not yet begun to fall.  Therefore I have decided that I will continue to do these summery things for as long as possible and I will aim to tap into that easygoing, relaxed mindset whenever I get a chance.  Hell, maybe I’ll keep at it throughout the winter.  Roast s’mores in the fireplace.  Bundle up in layers and take the dogs to the beach.  Grill dinner outside on the porch as the snow falls.  Okay, these are a stretch, but still.  You get the point. Summer magic.  There is nothing like it.  And, a little bit of that gold sprinkled throughout the rest of the year sounds delightful to me.

EQUINOCTIAL CHALLENGE*: TOP PICKS (PICS)

*There's still time

DITCH THE SHIRT

MAKE THE ICED COFFEE 

(Drink it outside, obvs!)

PICKLE THE VEGETABLES

WEAR THE FLIP FLOPS

 (But, don't show the dogs!)

WORK OUTSIDE

GRILL THE BURGERS

TAKE THE DOGS TO THE BEACH

LISTEN TO THIS:

GOLD LUCK by SUPER DUPER

Super Duper · Gold Luck