Advice for Running the 2011 NYC Marathon

I have run the NYC Marathon 3 times, plus three more marathons out of town. I’ve dealt with adversity: under-training, under-tapering, near-fainting, horrific cramps, and hunger so bad I nearly chewed my fingers. My last effort was nearly perfect, because I  finally learned how to prepare properly in the last few days before the race. Here's how you can do the same.  It's long, but so is the race!

Note: because there is no longer an official family reunion area for the NYC Marathon, I get a lot of traffic to this blog from runners looking for a post-race NYC Marathon meeting spot. Thus I have ordered the paragraphs to address that issue first; then I discuss info about pre-race nutrition, the start area, the course, where spectators should watch, etc.

MEETING AFTER THE RACE

Most runners exit the park at 77th and Central Park West; other runners will exit at 81st or 85th, and should have gotten an email telling them where they are scheduled to exit.  New York Road Runners has just announced the runners will be guided out to Columbus Avenue, one block West, and that no one will be able to meet runners east of Columbus.

The areas closest to the exit streets & Columbus will be an utter madhouse for most of the day. I would STRONGLY urge you to walk several blocks or avenues-which is good for you after the race anyway- to meet up with loved ones.

Outdoor locations are iffy if the support group shows up well after the runner and it's cold or rainy. There are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops nearby where you can wait indoors, and perhaps by some food or drink, while waiting for the other party to show.


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Possibilities include:

Starbucks has stores on Columbus Avenue, at 67th, 73rd, 76th, and 81st Streets.

Cosi Sandwich Shop is at 2186 Broadway (77th St.)

Lenny's is at 74th and Columbus. 

Ray Bari Pizza, City Pie, 72nd St. Bagel (a huge place) and Subway are on 72nd btw Columbus and Amsterdam

New York Sports Club: If you belong to a gym with a nearby facility, consider whether you can walk there, shower, then meet your family in the entrance area. New York Sports Club has a club on 73rd St., a half block from the park, and one 62nd St., about two blocks from the park.

If you end up winging it, the ING New York City Marathon Mobile Spectator App includes a GPS option for runners; this allows fans to follow your progress throughout the race and through the post-finish area. Friends can also call the Runner Information Hotline number: 800.496.6193 on marathon day and key in your race (bib) number to track your whereabouts both during and after the race. Because this is a new service, you should fully expect it to be buggy, so don't panic if, two hours into the race, it says your runner is still on Staten Island.

CELEBRATING AFTER THE RACE

After you recuperate for an hour or two and re-hydrate and begin to feel human, you will not want to sleep - you will want to celebrate and talk about your achievement. Find a great place to have a terrific evening, and WEAR YOUR MEDAL proudly. I highly recommend these places, all clients who promise to roll out the welcome mat for marathon runners:

The Brickyard Gastropub is at 52^nd and Ninth – about a kilometer from the finish line.  It has great food, terrific craft beers, and a great ambience – and NO STAIRS. They had a blowout bash last year, full of runners and their families all day and night. Call them at 212-767-0077 to reserve, or email them at Info@BrickyardNYC.com.

Tir na nog is at 33rd and 8th - perfect for those staying in hotels in the Madison Square Garden area or leaving the city through Penn Station or the Midtown Tunnel. It is a terrific upscale Irish pub with terrific food and beers, and NO STAIRS, and accommodates groups very well. Call (212) 630-0249 to reserve your spot or reserve on Open Table.

Also near Penn Station is Mustang Harry's, a large facility that will be showing all your favorite sports teams, has an excellent line-up of drinks and a solid menu of comfort food. Call them at (212) 268-8930 or reserve on Open Table. Sister restaurant Mustang Sally's has a similar offering.

For those on a budget, Tempest Bar NYC, at 30th and 8th, is a traditional Irish tavern with an excellent line-up of inexpensive beer and it lets you order-in food from several excellent eateries nearby, including NY Pizza Suprema and The Gardenia Deli. No reservations necessary.

THE TAPER

Yes, it’s maddening. But no, you’re not ruining all your training by taking it easy these last few days. Relax, continue to recover, the race will come soon enough, and your legs will be ready. I just saw a quote by a runner: "undercooked is better than overcooked." What he meant was that tapering too much is WAY better than tapering too little. Take it easy!

NUTRITION

The most important thing you can do right now is eat smartly right through race day. I took this for granted and thus screwed it up badly in my fifth marathon, and had my most disappointing effort. I got it precisely right in my last, and ran my fastest final 10K ever, even though I hadn't trained enough. 

For the 7 days leading up to the race, food is fuel that will drive your engine on Sunday. Hydrate adequately (but don't overdo it!!), and eat LOTS of fruit, veggies, the right kind of carbs, and protein.

For more on this, read What To Eat in the Week Before the NYC Marathon.

WEATHER

The weather can change drastically right up to race time, so be prepared for anything! Regardless of the forecast, there are two things you need to know: first, the early morning wait before the start will be very cold; you have to turn in your post-race bag about an hour before the start, so plan to have a throwaway blanket and lots of throwaway clothes. Second, the weather may warm up by mid-race, causing you to toss your hat, gloves and extra shirt – and then temps may drop again in the later miles, leaving you freezing. For more on this, read What To Wear in the NYC Marathon.

THE START AREA

This area is crowded and uncomfortable, and you spend most of it waiting on a bathroom line and talking to other runners. Don’t wait too long to bring your baggage to the truck, it can be a chaotic process that leaves you sprinting to the starting line!

THE RACE

If you have an ambitious time goal, do your best to be near the start of your wave.  I've started further back and no one was monitoring bib numbers; while it may be different closer to the front,  you should be able to move up past your assigned number. Unless you start near the beginning of a wave, there will be times in the first ten miles when you are very crowded; at times it will open up nicely, then get crowded again as waves come together. Don’t sweat it, and don’t waste a lot of energy zig-zagging. Go with the flow and know that it will clear out by about Mile 10, letting you run the final, most important 16 miles unimpeded.

There are three separate groups crossing the Verrazano - one on the upper left, upper right, and then lower - and they eventually join back up, one at a time. If the weather looks warm and sunny, try to start on the right side of the upper level of the bridge (green start?) - this means you run several miles in the shade on 4th Avenue, while the left side people run in unprotected sun  - this makes a BIG difference. Conversely, if it is cold, you may prefer the sun, so run on the left side of the upper level.

YOU CANNOT CROSS FROM ONE SIDE OF FOURTH AVENUE TO THE OTHER - YOU WILL END UP RUNNING EITHER 25.7 OR 26.7 MILES, SINCE EACH SIDE TAKES TURNS VEERING OFF FOURTH AVENUE FOR A HALF MILE.

Running across the Verrazano is an unbelievable experience - the views are stunning – NYC Skyline, Statue of Liberty, fireboats in the harbor spraying water. The first mile is straight uphill, but you don't feel it much since you're fresh and pumped; the second mile is a nice, rolling downhill, to the end of the bridge. DO NOT WORRY about freaking out on the bridge; I thought I would the first time, and I know dozens of others who felt the same way. I've never seen anyone actually do it, once you are up there, it is not intimidating in the least (but be forewarned of a phenomenon called "simultaneous lateral excitation - thousands of pairs of feet hitting the bridge in the exact same direction at once actually cause it to shake a tiny bit, and can make it feel like the ground is shifting underneath you. It takes about 3 seconds of nervous laughter till everyone gets used to it).

Then you run straight up 4th Avenue for about 4 miles, then weave 4 miles through ethnic neighborhoods in Brooklyn. These crowds are the best you'll see - spirited, proud of their heritage and eager to share it with the runners. ENJOY THEM!

The halfway point is on the Pulaski Bridge, going into Queens. It is fairly hard, but not that long.

You then run around Long Island City and onto the 59th St Bridge, the hardest part of the race. It is a long climb, somewhat similar to the Verrazano, though not quite as steep or long; it rises 110 feet over a 3/4 mile stretch to the top. There is no crowd support, and you're on the lower level, so it's dark and dank, the mood of all the runners drops, and you run seemingly forever before you even get over the water. I found it very hard the first two times, as I was not in top shape, but a bit easier the 3rd time. EMBRACE the solitude and gear up for the last ten miles.

Beware of the down hill of the 59th St Bridge - it is a short, steep, spiraling drop, and the 3rd time I wrenched my back a bit by taking it too fast - nothing too bad, but any little thing at 16 miles is a big thing.

Running up First Avenue is great - a rock star experience - the crowds are gigantic and boisterous and loud - though mostly obnoxious drunk young people, not as interesting as the crowds in Brooklyn. First Avenue has a slight incline the whole way. Make sure not to get carried away by the crowds; one elite runner famously ran a 4:34 mile on First Avenue because of the excitement, and did quite poorly the rest of the way.

When you get near the top of First Avenue, past 100th St or so, the crowds thin for the only time of the race; you cross a bridge at 138th St., then run a mile in the Bronx, then came across another bridge back into Manhattan. I've worn headphones for this 4 mile stretch, but otherwise you should not wear them, as you'll miss out on the crowd.

You then enter Spanish Harlem and Harlem, which are interesting places, and then end up on Fifth Avenue for a long run down to the entrance to the Park. The crowds on Fifth are fantastic because they are right on top of you; but they also shout "you're almost finished" when to you, 3 miles away is NOT almost finished. You enter the Park around 5th and 89th, and 8 blocks into the park, you get a fantastic, long, sloping downhill, that is rudely followed by a short, steep uphill - be ready for it so you don't come to a dead stop. You then run down to 59th and out onto Central Park South, then go back into the park on the West Drive, to the finish.

A virtual tour of the course created by a 2010 runner using data from his GPS system.

An ING "Runner Cam" that appears to by someone who ran the course near the back of the pack.

A view from a dashboard camera from someone who drove the course (you won't see any cars!)

SEEING FRIENDS AND FAMILY 

The runner has to find the spectators - if they simply stand at some random spot and look for you, odds are overwhelming that they will miss you, since many runners look the same and in your running get-up you don't look much like you do when they usually see you. So I always knew where they would be and ran right up to them; it gave me something to think about! They also got a distinctive mylar balloon so I could spot them a few blocks away.

My support group was ambitious and knows the city well, so they met me in 3 places, at Miles 14, 18 and 23. I always met my group at:

Long Island City (approx 13.5 miles) on Vernon Blvd. Between 47th and 48th (on the right hand side of the runners), right outside the Vernon/Jackson stop on the 7 train.

Then, they took the 7 towards Times Square and switched at Grand Central to the Lexington Line UPTOWN 6 local to 103rd St and walked back to 101st St, and met me on the northwest corner (runner’s left side) of 101st  and First Avenue (Mile 18). 

Then they walked across 101^st St and met me on the northeast corner (runner’s left side) of 101st and Fifth Avenue (Mile 23).

The good part of this arrangement is (1) Long Island City is less crowded and easy to get to - the meeting spot is right outside the subway station, and (2) It allows for three spots; you REALLY appreciate seeing them at Mile 23, and it's a great place to view the race.

The bad part is (1) they have to move quickly to get from stop 1 to 2; if you run a 9 minute pace, it's only about 38 minutes, and they have to take the 7, switch to the 6, then walk 3 avenues east; but it is doable, my family has done it 3x, with kids in tow, and never missed me; the reason they go to 101st is that First Avenue is very, very crowded, particularly at the streets of the subway stops; and (2) it is a LONG walk - about 2.5 miles - from 101 and Fifth across the park to CPW and down to the meeting area around 72nd St. It will take them about 50 minutes, while you'll finish about 30 minutes later at a 10 minute pace.

A less ambitious plan would be for them to see you in LI City and then take the 7 to the R train in Times Square; then take the R uptown to 59th and Lexington, walk up to 6th Avenue and watch you in Mile 25 along Central Park South; then it will only be about a one mile walk to where you exit the park.

Have a great run!