New York Marathon Race Report
It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks at the Fundamentally FIT HQ. As many of you know I recently got back from New York where I completed the marathon. This event has been a year in the planning and I am pleased to report it was a huge success with all four of our team successfully completing the 26.2-mile course.
This race was a milestone personally as it’s the first major event I have trained for since moving and launching my business in Walton. Life does sometimes get in the way even for Personal Trainers and the last 18 months have been exciting, challenging and ultimately not driven by my own exercise and competing as much as I would have liked.
When we entered the marathon we used it as a milestone in the year and focussed all our training solely on running rather than triathlon as per normal. With the marathon in November this allowed a steady build up and a gradual integration of the training as the year progressed. This is the same technique I successfully use with my clients. Start small and manageable and layer it week by week, month by month. Come August we were ready to start the specific structured training. We used a mixture of Park Runs, local events and longer runs around Richmond Park meaning that come the big day we were ready for the challenge.
The event starts on Staten Island and begins with a mile and a half run over the bridge into Brooklyn. The view from the bridge was stunning as the iconic city skyline is laid out before you. The run tracks through all five boroughs, each louder than the last. The support on the course was like no other race I’ve ever been to. I have raced all over the world competing in running events and triathlons and this was a whole new level of noise and support. With the exception of the bridges the entire 26.2 miles was fully supported.
The run itself takes in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx before finishing in Central Park. The route is much tougher than I had anticipated with long stretches on a gradual incline. While nothing was very steep it was just enough to sap the legs. Running through Manhattan also proved a mental challenge as you run a straight line most of the way and can see runners stretched out ahead of you, yet you never seem to get any closer.
The highlights for me were the people in the Bronx who seemed to shout the loudest and with high five lines that never seemed to stop. The woman dressed as a unicorn hanging off a lamppost particularly made me smile when I was digging in for last few miles.
Despite missing my wave start due to delays caused by enhanced security I still had a fantastic day. I ended up in wave three of four instead of wave one and as such was unable to run at my planned race pace. Coming into the finish line I felt very proud of how I had run and the challenges of the day I had overcome. I felt lucky and proud to have been apart such a diverse and well-supported event. I was also very pleased to have raised so much money for Topic of Cancer and to run with a purpose beyond my own enjoyment.
Looking forward I am eying a return to the triathlon race scene next spring/summer and have already booked Geneva Half Marathon in May. NY was a big goal for me and it was awesome to cross the line and collect that medal. Ultimately though fitness is not a destination and when one goal gets ticked off the list it means it’s time to start planning some more. Now that I am finding a better work-life/training balance I can’t wait to get racing again. I might even squeeze in the Kingston 10K at the end of the month.
A massive Thank You to all who supported my fundraising for Topic of Cancer. I will be announcing the final amount very soon.
Andy Strong