It’s already been over a week since I ran my first New York City Marathon and I have SO much to say about the whole experience. I’ve spent the past few days since the race recovering, processing and remembering all the special moments. It’s Friday now (when I wrote this) and I finally feel like my legs feel more normal (still dealing with some shin/hamstring pain I hope subsides with rest) and I am slowly catching up on sleep (the past two night I have been asleep by 7pm).

Since all good stories start with a beginning, I’ll start from the day we flew into NYC. We arrived at 6:30pm and we were all exhausted. The boys did a great job flying and even got a special note and snacks from the flight attendant complimenting the boys on their manners (proud parents!). Only minor hiccups occurred, like Declan spilling apple juice all over himself. As a whole, it was a smooth travel day. Once we made it to our hotel (Aloft Chelsea), we wanted to grab a quick dinner that was easy, so walked to Whole Foods. We ate back at the hotel and I was ready for bed! Lance took boys out for ice cream with my sister and nephew.

It took me forever to go to sleep (nerves + not being on east coast time) so I didn’t fall asleep until close to 1am.

Day Before the Marathon

Not the best sleep, but it didn’t seem to matter when I woke up to a beautiful day in New York City. We tried to all wake up before 8am to get our bodies adjusted to the time difference. Lance went out with a very excited and eager Hudson to pick up coffee/hot cocoa nearby.

I did a 2-mile shakeout from the hotel and ran along the High Line. It almost felt like I wasn’t running, but floating through a beautiful city I have been dreaming up for months to run in. The day was so close and it felt so exciting to actually be there. I ended my run at the Expo and picked up my bib and shirt. I sat in a chair and waited for my family to meet up with me. We went through the Expo together. I bought this, which I love and have already worn a handful of times. The Expo felt a bit overwhelming especially with a bunch of little kids but we survived, got some pictures and found my name on the wall.

The rest of the day, I definitely struggled a bit with nerves from the race and feeling like I wanted to rest, but also being pulled on by our kids that were tired/struggling to adapt to being out of our normal routines. Lance and I definitely shared some moments of wondering if this was the best decision to bring all the kids with us. There were absolutely some hard moments, but already looking back, I’m thankful they were there to watch and cheer and soak in the experience with us.

After the Expo, we let the kids run around at a park across the street and then we all went into the Vessel at Hudson Yards. I wasn’t planning on going, but it was free for marathon runners so I tagged along, but stopped after a couple flights of stairs because I didn’t want to fatigue my legs. I sat in the sunshine and watched college football. After, we headed back to hotel. We found a soccer field on the walk back, so of course had to stop there and I pretended to run to get some cool pics!

Later in the day, Lance bravely took all three boys to Central Park on the subway so I could have some time by myself. I rested, listened to the Live New York Marathon show from the Nobody Asked Us Podcast, and laid out everything I would be wearing for the race and took the all-important night before race photo. We ate Italian food my sister picked up from Eataly in the hotel lobby. I was nervous and again felt overwhelmed by the kids. We quickly called it a night and I again struggled to go to sleep. Thankful that we gained an extra hour with the time change. Tomorrow was the big day!

I popped out of bed at 4:30am. Lance was amazingly helpful and also woke up early to make my coffee and oatmeal using the room coffee maker. I got all ready, grabbed my plastic race day bag, and headed out the door at 5am to make sure I was at the New York Public Library before 5:30 for the bus to Staten Island.

I made it on the bus and chatted with a guy from North Carolina who also had children a similar age and planned to run a 2:40. It was helpful to have a bit of a distraction and not get too in my head or nervous. I actually stayed pretty calm most of the morning. The bus ride was much quicker than I expected.

Once we got there, I felt a little bit lost and didn’t know exactly what I should be doing. I was also pretty cold (like shaking cold). I probably could of used an extra layer. I wore a Let’s Go Chia sweatshirt that was too small for Lance, cotton leggings, and an ear warmer headband. All of which I had to toss at the donation bin.

After eating my oatmeal from the hotel on the curb, I eventually found the Orange Village, grabbed a cup of coffee to help warm up and got one of the Dunkin’ hats to give to the boys. I found another curb to sit on for a bit and then I heard the announcement that the corrals for wave 1 opened, so I headed to corral B.

The Marathon

The start felt just like I imagined it would. Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York played in the background, NYPD helicopters swooped by off to my right and I felt genuinely so happy to finally be running across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge! I tried to stay calm and controlled, but naturally ran my fastest mile in the second mile (5:59). I was really running within myself and basically was running exactly what I planned to in the hopes to run a 2:50 marathon. That time didn’t end up happening, but I was happy I at least made an effort to do that. Miles 1-6 were also under 6:40 pace and I was on target to reach my goal.

Running through Brooklynn was definitely some of my very favorite miles. I still felt good and I was soaking in all the energy from the crowds. I also got to see my family just a bit past the 8-mile marker. I threw them the Dunkin’ beanie and waved! All through Brooklynn, I felt like I was smiling the entire time. I high-fived little kids and made it a point to high-five the hands of a couple little girls. I read all the signs. I looked back and forth and really took it all in: the people, the views, the magic of the city.

Miles 7-14 were all still solid. I was beginning to feel it in my legs a bit and pace was beginning to slow down. In Greenpoint, I heard my name and looked over and it was the parents of a good friend/teammate of mine from high school. This familiarity, felt so nice and it was good to see them (thank you Mr. and Mrs. Hagedorn!). At the half marathon marker I mentally knew I was off goal pace, but with a 1:28 half-marathon, I knew a sub-3 was still possible.

At this point, time was less of my focus, I looked at my watch a lot less and I was mostly focused on staying present and enjoying each mile, even in the pain.

Miles 15-20 things started to get even slower. I wouldn’t even say the wheels were falling off, but my legs simply couldn’t hold the pace and were beginning to really burn. I’m thankful I never had to stop or pull over. I was in a good amount of pain, but I was able to run through it. I mentally stayed positive. I knew I was off my goal pace, but this really didn’t change the race much for me. The Queensboro bridge was surprisingly not bad for me. I definitely didn’t run it fast, but a moment to just hear footsteps and breathing was a welcomed change.

I knew my family was planning on coming to mile 16, so as I ran along 1st Ave, I tried to find them, but unfortunately the crowds were too big, we both missed each other. I did hear the cheers from a mom I knew from a mom group (she moved to NY). It was nice to again see a familiar face! It definitely helped because at this point, I was physically not feeling great.

Nutritionally, I feel like I fueled for this marathon well and never once had any stomach issues. I had a Maurten gel 20-minutes before the race. I then had a gel at mile 5, I had a caffeinated Maurten at mile 10, and then regular ones at miles 15 and 20. I grabbed water at every water station and grabbed Gatorade once or twice after mile 20. The LSKD Fusion Shorts were the perfect marathon racing short! The pockets on these shorts are super deep and I was able to put two gels on each side. It made it so much easier to grab gels from my shorts, rather than unzipping from my running belt. I did also use the LSKD rep running belt to hold my phone and it was perfect. It felt like I wasn’t even running with a belt on. No bouncing!!

The last 6 miles were rough in terms of pace. My lungs were good, but my legs were on fire. These last few miles, the crowds pulled me through despite slower miles. I even got to hear the cheers from Rebecca Mehra (amazing pro runner/friend from high school running) and that gave me an extra boost. I was happy to see my family at mile 25, I waved and knew I was SO close.

Lance is still giving me a hard time for this, but in the finish, I did something, I’ve never done before: I put my hands in the air. It just felt like the thing to do when you cross the NYC marathon finish line, so I did it. It’s funny because I’ve crossed finish lines with much more impressive times and even won races and broke the tape and hadn’t put my hands in the air. Why now? Why with a 3:05 (my slowest marathon time of the three)? Like I always write about, crossing off these goals and finish lines are always about something beyond running and racing for me. This training block was particularly hard to make happen. Life with three little kids looks so different from even the last time I ran the Mountains 2 Beach race. It felt like a fight to get in the training this time around. And I truly fought to make it happen. I set early alarms. I prioritized things and did less in certain areas of my life. It is hard to intensely marathon train period, but the demands of three young children definitely adds an extra challenge (nursing, broken sleep, school/sport schedules).

Marathon training always feels very metaphoric to me. I think this is why I do a marathon 1-year postpartum after each baby. It is my way of giving myself time outside of being a mom. It is SO easy to lose yourself in the demands of motherhood. Marathon training is my fight to hold on to a piece of who I was before I became a mom. It is a 26.2 mile celebration showcasing that I can do hard things and get to the finish even in the most demanding/draining seasons. It’s not always going to be a PR finish. It won’t always feel great/perfect, but I will get there and I might just throw my hands in the air.

This is a race that I truly am proud of and it has nothing to do with the time. It was the attitude I brought into the race. I often in both racing and life get so serious, and this seriousness sometimes removes the joy in what I’m doing. I was determined to make this race a joy-filled one, regardless of the outcome. And I really did that. As I looked through all the race photos, I saw a version of myself that was actually enjoying the ride. A waving, smiling, hands in the air version of myself. I want to continue this into my real life. It’s okay to soak it in a little bit more. It doesn’t always have to be so serious. NYC, thank you for the miles, the crowds and this beautiful reminder.

Right after the finish, I hobbled the long walk over from Central Park to meet my family. It was painful, but I also felt a sense of relief and happiness that the race was over. I happily clenched my orange poncho around me and made it to Lincoln Square. I met them at the big clock tower. Right when Declan saw me, he immediately reached for me and wanted milk. I nursed him with the orange poncho around us both and it reminded me of nursing Thatcher immediately after my last marathon. We took photos and then headed back via subway with a bunch of tired kids.

After lots of rest in the hotel bed and letting the kids watch a movie, we made it back out and went to Chez Nicks for dinner. It was a long trek to get there again via subway, but it was a delicious spot and had a nice casual atmosphere with kids. It was also so fun to be out and see other runners in the city finishing with their orange ponchos and medals. We had a nice conversation with a New Yorker woman on the subway who just had finished and she gushed how it’s the best marathon in the world.

I feel so thankful I got to experience this. Thank you to my husband Lance for making it possible to train, for writing all the training, and tackling the craziness of the city to watch and cheer for me. Thank you to my mom and sister and nephew for all joining to cheer! And a big thanks to a few of the brands that sponsored me for this race: New Balance (loved getting to wear the New York FuelCell SuperComp Elite), LSKD (truly my new favorite sports bra, run belt and running shorts), and Hydration Room (kept me free from sickness and extra hydrated).

Training and running a marathon always feels like a slightly selfish act and takes a whole support team to make it happen, and I’m very thankful for mine!

Exploring NYC with Kids

We spent our last couple days in the city exploring and soaking in as much of New York as we could before heading home. We got bagels at Leon’s Bagel, played at Washington Square Park, walked around SOHO, ate lunch and enjoyed DUMBO/Brooklyn Heights. We saw the Statue of Liberty from a distance. On our last night, Lance got things to make root beer floats and we ate them on the floor of our hotel room and each shared our favorite thing of the city. The next day was our travel day home, but before heading to airport, we walked to Bryant Park to see the Winter Village and then to show the boys Times Square. We were again reminded how we do not like this area of the city, but wanted to check it off the list. We then walked over to Central Park for the boys to climb on rocks and play. After packing up and checking out of the hotel, we went on one last outing through Chelsea. We walked along the High Line. I love it there. As we were exiting and heading to Chelsea market to grab one last meal, there was a guy selling souvenirs on a table. Hudson’s eyes popped as he saw New York mini snow globes. He had told me that he wanted one before we had even left on the trip. We got it for him and it felt like the perfect reminder of this trip for him. We should have known that getting a breakable souvenir was not the best idea (remember our Hawaii trip souvenir story?). It broke at the airport as the boys were fighting over milk. Less than ideal, but the breaking of this snow globe did allow for a good teachable moment of not fighting over things that do not matter!

In our final minutes in the city, we spotted the actor, Lucien Laviscount, that plays Alfie in Emily in Paris! We walked past him as he was sitting outside an empty restaurant, talking on the phone. We instantly recognized him and his accent. He was super nice and said hi to Lance as we walked by.

I will forever remember this marathon and trip! Now, ready to take a much needed break from training and soak in all the holiday things with the kids.