NYC Marathon Race Report: Warning! It 'Aint Pretty

Since I maintain a personal blog, I am including the link here as cutting and pasting is difficult with all of the embedded images, etc.


http://runsjbrun.blogspot.com/2011/11/nyc-marathon-race-report.html


On another note: Thanks to the many 365ers for all of your support! It was great to see a few of you over the weekend - fun times!

This is my favorite race report of yours. Not because you suffered so much, but because you kept going. And because I know you can do SO much more. You ran a huge PR on a tough course on a horrific day (or so your body thought)...think about what you'll do on an easier course and without all the internal stuff!

Sara Jane, it's too bad that the race was not what you had in mind. But, I guarantee you that some day the toughness you showed during the marathon will come back to help you. It may not even be a race situation. But, this will stick with you and make you better. You will kill 4 hours in a marathon. And, if the going gets tough and the "demon" shows up, you will laugh.
Way to get it done and congrats on the new PR. Pleasure meeting you as well.

Bummer that the race didn't go as planned, but I was honestly surprised when I looked at your splits. From reading your report I though the wheels had completely come off, but you still managed to keep going pretty well and didn't drop off that much. I think your being a little hard on yourself - you got a PR and turned in a very respectable time (plus, hey, you just finished the NY freakin marathon!). Hang in there and I don't think you did poorly at all...

Sara Jane, you are one tough runner! I've never read a report where a runner was in so much unexpected pain from almost the very start, yet persevered to not only finish, but finish with a big PR. I'm don't blame you for not being able to look back on the marathon (but obviously not the whole weekend) with anything but unhappy memories, but I do hope that you're able to take great pride in how you hung in there and ran your fastest marathon. That's an amazing job!
You wrote a great report, and the photos are a terrific addition!

Hey, I've been there too and every one of my raced marathon experiences feels like you've described NY. You'll be more happy with the PR and time soon while still having the drive to run a race more in line with your great training. For now, congrats on the PR and rest up and then get back out there!

SJ > you will be stronger because of this. Congrats.

It's horrible when everything goes wrong on race day. But the fact that you were able to press on and improve your PR by as much as you did -- even as everything was going wrong -- is a testament to your training and inner strength. Your ordeal only made you stronger.

I'm glad you want to keep at it. Because I have a feeling that, when things go right, they'll go very right.

It was wonderful to finally meet you and I'm so sad that you had such a bad time (not clock). You did get the PR, and I know you are disappointed, but a PR is a PR and I'm certain the next one will be even bigger. Sometimes our bodies just don't cooperate, but I could never tell you that I know why.

Rest up and recover. Start dreaming about the next one and good things will all come together. You have made such incredible progress in a short time this year. Keep up the fantastic work.

Ouch! I don't know if I would have been able to keep going like you did. I'm impressed! I know it didn't end up as a fun way to race, but I think the fact that you stuck it out and got that PR is quite an accomplishment and that you should be very proud!

Don't forget about that huge 6 minute PR! And the great weekend in NYC!

Sara, sorry the race was such a miserable experience for you. But I repeatedly come back to the fact that you PR'ed. I waxed poetic about what a great race I had, but even I didn't PR. I had a thought today. You PR'ed big time in the Parks Half Marathon as well. That PR showed that you are very capable of a sub-4:00. NYCM just wasn't your day and I suspect that you were coming down with something due to how terrible you felt during and post-race. Take some time off to recover and then later to work on your overall fitness. Next year should be a great year for you. The sub-4:00 is there and you just need the right time for it to come out.

Thanks all. You're all so lovely and encouraging.

I think the reason the PR doesn't feel like one is because my current one is still very weak. The 4:23 I ran at Grandma's was, relatively speaking, run very easy. I am a different runner (than the one who ran 4:57) and I just knew I was fit for so much more. I went into the race "knowing" I could very easily PR. PRing wasn't really my goal. So it isn't fulfilling - even if it should be.

Not being negative, just revealing what's inside.

But I'll try to recognize that it was an accomplishment...one step on the road to where I want to be!

Way to keep going despite how tough it was.

An improvement like that is something to be proud of and under those circumstances it's awesome. Enjoy the journey...that 4 hour marathon will just be that much more special knowing how hard you are working to get there.

I'm sorry it wasn't the PR you hoped it would be, but you are making progress, both speed/endurance-wise and, more importantly, mental toughness-wise. That is going to pay off big time when your body does cooperate on race day.

Great job toughing it out! The next race, everything could very well fall together to give you a great day and an even better PR that reflects where you are right now.

I have no idea what I would do if I felt in mile 2 of a marathon the kind of pain that you felt. But continuing on would be unlikely. Sometimes the stars align. Sometimes they don't. And sometimes things are just bad from the start. Very few of us could make a silk purse out of the sow's ear that you drew on race day. Maahvelous! When we met for drinks after, I would never have guessed that you had to deal with such pain during the race. I'm glad you were able to surmount it and that it went away when you stopped running. Quaffing a few pints at House of Brews and Hibernia was much more fun, no? I think they should have played the theme to Chariots of Fire when we came through the door!

Great pics, report and result! Congratulations on the PR.

But still a PR, and only 2 minutes shy of Jerry's first marathon, 8 more, you will be in sub 3.

Congratulations on the PR, Sara!