Day Before: Hello. Goodbye.
With my ING NYC Marathon bib #, race shirt, and chronotrack D-tag in hand, I stood on a NYC corner and hailed a cab as I thought, “At this time tomorrow I, God willing, will be DONE! WOW!” I then stepped into the first cab that pulled over for me, asked him to bring me to my hotel in Times Square, and I sat back with a smile on my face. I hugged my race bib to my chest, and imagined myself gloriously crossing that finish line.

The cabbie decided to strike up a conversation with me and asked what I was doing in town. I let him know that I was in for the marathon.

He then glared at me through his rear-view mirror and with a puzzled look asked, “You came in just to watch the marathon? Do you know someone running it?”

I returned a puzzled look back at him and let him know that I was actually running it, not watching it.

And in an instant the happiness and joy and excitement I was feeling were all completely wiped with one quick comment by this stranger, “You? Running the marathon? I don’t understand. I saw you on the corner. You don’t look very thin. You know you gotta be in real good shape to run a marathon. Are you sure you’re in shape to do that? A marathon is far.”

The comments that followed were a bit of a blur. I just clearly remember sitting in the cab for the next 15 minutes fighting back the tears and asking myself, “Why? The day before my 2nd attempt at running 26.2 miles in two weeks, why does this random person look at me and say this. And OMG, could he be right? What if I can’t do this?”

The minute I stepped into my hotel room I called my Hubby and recounted the conversation as I burst into tears. “What if he’s right?” was all I could think & say. After hearing my Love tell me over and over again that I COULD run a marathon, gosh, I’d just proven that 2 weeks ago, and 3 other times before that, I got a grip. I stopped the tears, washed my face, and grabbed my special Times Square Billboard code I received at the expo. I marched over to W 44th and Broadway and texted my code. And within 5 minutes I looked up in amazement as I saw myself in the middle of Times Square.

Hello New York. Goodbye I Can't.
Goodbye Doubts.
Goodbye Fears.
Goodbye Negativity.
Goodbye Weakness.
Goodbye Stupid Cab Driver.

Although the time change offered me an extra hour of shut eye that night, I was restless, tossing and turning, imagining, wondering, watching each hour click by. Between my anxiety and the Halloween chaos in Times Square, I got maybe 3 hours of sleep total, but I didn’t let that bother me. The night before Marathon eve I had gotten over 12 hours of sleep. I made sure of it. I’ve learned in these last 2 years of marathoning that the quality of my sleep 2 nights before the big day makes more of an impact than the night before. So far that theory has worked for me.

Morning Of - Start: Signs.
I got up around 5am, looked out our 10th floor window to a rainy, dark morning and then remembered that had it not been for the special “honored guest” package I received through my company's connection with NYRR that I would have already been on my way to the Runner’s Village in Staten Island. But thanks to our corporate connection, my 5am bus pick up time had been pushed out to 6:45am. (Thank you PUMA!!)

I showered (yes, I always shower the morning of a marathon, straighten my hair, and even apply a little bit of makeup), got dressed, texted a few folks, went through some last minute details with my Bubsie (meet me at mile 17 with the fuel belt!), applied the 40th NYCM tattoo on my right arm, had my Love take some pics, packed my race bag (breakfast of bagels and peanut butter, post race marathon tshirt and snacks, garbage bag for the start line, and Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol”) and then I headed out to the Hilton a few blocks uptown for the shuttle pickup. I was lucky to spot Joan Benoit Samuelson in the hotel lobby that morning and considered that a great sign of the day ahead. I also noticed the rain had stopped, another fabulous sign.


The shuttle from Manhattan to Staten Island took about 30 minutes. I traveled with two other friends from work. For one, this was her very first marathon. For the other, his third. She was looking to enjoy the run and finish (She rocked it in 4:33!). He was looking to break 2:40 (He ran an insane 2:40:40!). We talked about the course and the whole time I was thinking, we’re taking a bus to the Start. And will have to RUN our way back. Pretty damn crazy.

And then we crossed over the Verrazano Bridge and arrived at the Runner’s Village. I was able to spot the marathon organizers lay down the Start mats for my GREEN corral and I got chills. I walked into the Village and felt the excitement and buzz. It reminded me (on a MUCH LARGER scale) of the 2 day Avon Walk for Breast Cancer I participate in. Tens of thousands of people all getting ready to embark on a journey. Same start. Same distance. Same finish. But each of us with our own story of how we got to the start line. And each of us with our own story of how we will persevere to the finish.


After dropping off my bag with UPS (that’s right, UPS was in charge of collecting our gear bags, transporting them to Central Park, and ensuring we received them at the Finish Line) I walked over to my Corral and waited in line for my final porta potty visit. This is key to a successful marathon for me. I learned that during Marathon #3 (the one that I started, but wasn’t able to finish thanks to dehydrating from not drinking because I needed to pee and didn’t want to stop on the course. Yeah, you know the one). While standing in line I noticed a guy with black dress shoes (name brand to remain nameless) and orange laces and then realized it was Andy Baldwin from The Bachelor. His plan was to run the whole distance in his dress shoes (and FYI, he did. He finished in 3:21:33). And I was reminded again, each one of us, yes, all 43,000+ of us had our own stories.


Our corral was then called to the Start line. O.M.G. I tried to call my Bubsie to let him know but was unable to get through. I tried to turn my iPhone Sirius on, but couldn’t connect. And then I realized that cell phone service couldn’t handle the 43,000+ runners. Holy Sh*t. This is huge.

We waited for about 15 minutes, maybe longer, I don’t recall. We listened to the singing of the National Anthem. We heard the gun go off. And then we started to shuffle to the Start. I could hear Frank Sinatra blaring through the sound system and then I just looked around me. I noticed a woman in her 40’s reapplying a French flag print on her right cheek. I noticed multiple men with “Espana” written on the back of their jerseys hug one another. I noticed an older, heavier set man with a shirt that read, “Slow John. But Steady John.” I noticed “runner-type” men & women with pace bracelets, and I secretly wished each of them a strong, Boston-qualifying finish. I noticed best friends dressed in matching outfits. I noticed a husband and wife with thirts that read, “The People’s Marathon, October 25, 2009.” And wished them a rockin’ back-to-back marathon. And a few tshirts that read, “6 Months Ago This Sounded Like A Good Idea.” And I chuckled.

Yes, here I was, in the middle of 43,000 people about to start the 40th running of the NYC Marathon, the largest marathon on the planet. I could hardly believe how quickly and seamlessly I was able to arrive at the start line and realized that my fears of feeling claustrophobic were for not. And then in a few steps I finally arrived at my starting mat. I heard the beep, I started my Garmin, and then looked up to the sky. “Please watch over me,” I whispered, as I did the sign of the cross.

Mile 1 – 16: WOW!
The first mile across the Verrazano bridge was slow and steady for me. My only goal for today was to make it to the Finish line healthy and become an official Marathon Maniac. I was not there to prove anything to anyone. I had no need for speed. I wanted to pace between a 9:30 – 10:00/mi just like I did Baystate 2 weeks prior. I looked at my Garmin and realized that my signal was gone. I had no idea what my pace was. So I just decided to run slow enough to allow others to pass me. And then I got off the bridge, headed into Brooklyn and was welcomed by the first crowd of spectators. WOW. What a rush. What energy. For miles I ran at what felt to be a slow, steady, easy pace, and yet my Garmin, which had received signal again, flashed 9:16, 9:17, 9:18 for miles.

I passed a steel drum band. I passed the music of a local Hispanic band. I passed folks still dressed in their Halloween costumes. Such incredible energy from the spectators. And while I tried to slow my pace down to 9:30/9:45’s it was just impossible. I’ve never felt anything like that in my life. I literally felt myself being carried by the crowds. I remember seeing a breakdance crew performing on a corner, and then a few blocks later noticed families of Hasidic Jews trying to cross the marathon course. What an amazing city. Such incredible diversity.

I was also amazed that, due to the world class organization of this event, I never felt congested or claustrophobic on the course, something I had been very concerned about. At around mile 6 I thought for a moment that just a half hour or so earlier the world’s best distance runners had traversed before me, on this same course. Amazing. My love for running grew deeper in that instant as I realized that in no other sport could one follow in the very same footsteps of the elite as I was doing that day.

At around mile 9 I noticed Alanis Morrissette on the side of the course stretching out a cramp. My heart went out to her. I remembered that she had just run her first marathon 2 weeks prior, and was running NYC today with Ed Norton & the Maasai Warriors to raise funds for the Maasai Wilderness Conversation Trust. I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to finish, considering how bad she looked so early in the race (I’m excited to report that she finished in 4:28! The power of the human spirit!!!)

At mile 12 I noticed the yellow, recognizable back of a “Marathon Maniac” singlet and I yelled out, “Hey Marathon Maniac!” The gentleman in the MM singlet turned to me and said hello. I asked if he minded if I ran alongside him to chat. He said he welcomed it. I let him know how much respect I have for him and all Marathon Maniacs and that today I was finishing my *qualifying* streak, 2 marathons in 2 weeks. He then told me that today he was running his 98th marathon! And I was humbled. We chatted for a bit, I learned he was from Honolulu and then realized he was pacing a sub-9:00. As much as I was enjoying our chat, I let him know that I needed to pull back, he was too fast for me! So he asked for my name and let me know he’d look for me on the Marathon Maniac site and off he went. Great inspiration as I approached the half-way point. Thank you Tom!

The clock flashed 2:01 at the 13.1 mi mark. Faster than I wanted. But honestly, it was impossible for me to go any slower. The energy of the course just does that to you! I was pleased with how well I was hydrating (2 oz of Gatorade from my fuel belt at every mile) and fueling (GU at the top of every hour). But regardless of how great I felt, I reminded myself that I needed to slow down. And soon that would happen, thanks to the Queensboro bridge. Note to self: Next year, no matter how much you hate it, TRAIN HILLS!!!! I had been warned from a friend who had done NY 3 times, “You are going to feel like crap during your 15th mile, but don’t be alarmed, it’s not you. It’s the Queensboro bridge. You’re going uphill for that mile. But don’t stress.” I couldn’t WAIT to be off that bridge. It seemed to go on for miles ……. Even with the beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline to my left, it still pretty much sucked.

And then finally I started to feel a downhill, and at that exact minute a song titled “The Human Spirit” started blaring on my iPod. PERFECT! I listened to it on the downhill, made my way off the bridge and then could hear the incredible sounds of the 1st Ave crowds. This, by far, was my most favorite moment of the marathon. The damn uphill bridge climb was finally over, and as I looped into Manhattan and onto 1st Ave, I found myself being welcomed by screaming New Yorkers treating me like I was a freakin' rockstar. That was pretty emotional. For a moment, I truly felt like a superstar. Very, very surreal. I did a couple of miles of people watching, it was so cool to make eye contact with spectators and smile at them. I high fived every litte kid who's outstretched arm I could reach. And in doing so, forced myself to slow down my pace. There were SO.MANY.PEOPLE. to say hello to!!!!!!!!!

Mile 17 – 24: Am I Really Running a Marathon?!??!
I started to get excited as I realized I’d soon be approaching Bubsie waiting for me at mile 17 to exchange fuel belts. And then I got freaked out. The crowds were 10 people deep, on both sides of 1st Ave. We weren’t specific about which side he’d be on. How was I going to spot him? How was he going to spot me? I decided I need to get on the west side of 1st Ave (I figured it would’ve been silly for Bubsie to cross over the marathon course and pretty impossible now on 1st Ave!) So I stuck to the west side, slowed down, turned off my music, and just looked out for my Bubsie’s towering head. At 6’4’ I had to be able to spot him!

And then I saw his sunshiney face as he yelled out, “BUBS!!!” while waving at me! I ran over to him, exchanged fuel belts, gave him a big fat kiss, and took off again as I heard a stranger from the crowd yell out, “Are you running another one 2 weeks from today, too?” I turned around and laughed as I made eye contact again with my Love. Apparently he had shared my Marathon Maniac quest with others!

I then turned my iPod back on and decided I’d stop people watching. At that moment it started to get a bit overwhelming. I mean, all of these people cheering for me. Well, I know they weren’t really there for me specifically, but it sure felt like they were, and I just didn’t feel worthy. All I was doing that day was running. That’s all. What’s so incredible about that??!!! I later told a friend this and he reminded me, “Magda, they weren’t just cheering for all of you running a marathon, which by the way, IS an incredible thing! They were also cheering for the power of the human spirit you were all demonstrating, which is a VERY incredible thing.” So true. Thank you P.

So the miles into the Bronx were quieter than the previous 20, but it didn’t bother me one bit. Many runners started to slow down. But I was feeling great. According to my Garmin I had finally slowed to the 9:30 - 9:40/mi pace that I wanted and I was happy about that. And before I knew it, I was headed back into Manhattan and I realized, I was approaching mile 21! How did that happen?!??!?!

A childhood friend of mine had driven into NYC from Boston to watch me run and was waiting for me at mile 21 with her little girl. She’s the same friend who inspired me to train for my 1st triathlon last year. I was very much looking forward to seeing her. Unfortunately though, while I tried to spot her, I never did. The crowds in Harlem was so deep again. Unfortunately I missed her. But later I learned she spotted me and screamed for me while her 8 year old girl waved the homemade sign she made for me. Sadly, I never noticed. Amy did say I looked strong and focused and she felt proud to witness me doing my “damn thing.”

The next 3 miles felt great as I made my way down 5th Ave and into Central Park. I continued to think to myself, “My goodness, was I really running a marathon?!?” Honestly, for 24 miles it never felt that way. I really thought I was just running a local road race. Well, multiple local road races. Up until that point every single neighborhood through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx had welcomed me into their homes with open arms. I felt like a local celebrity. And it felt amazing.

Mile 25 – Finish: wOOt! wOOt!
So here I am now approaching the home stretch of this incredible event. A hilly home stretch. I had heard that the rolling hills of Central Park were brutal, but I didn’t think much about it. Note to Self: Again, next year, TRAIN ON HILLS!!!!!! Mile 25 felt like it went on forever. It was really, really tough. And I felt really, really strange. I SO BADLY wanted it to end. But I SO BADLY wanted it to go on forever. I loved running this course. I loved this entire day. And I did not want it to end. But I did want the pain in my quads to PLEASE STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so focused on this internal struggle that I completely lost sight of the thousands of adoring fans in Central Park. For this last mile, it was just me and my screaming quads in Central Park.

And then I spotted the greatest number ever ….. 26!!!

My body responded with strength and I pushed the final .2. It was an extremely surreal experience for me. I didn’t even notice the time clock. I just couldn’t believe that I had run 26.2 miles. How did it go by so quickly? How was it already over? I crossed the final time mat and remembered all of my friends tracking me that day. Throughout the run, each time I came to a time mat, I hopped on it and thought to myself, “My friends are getting an update, NOW! wOOt! wOOt! Hope it’s good!!” And now here I was, sending my last update for the day. Already.

I grabbed my beautiful shiny medal and mylar cape, and then stood in line for my finish line photo. I struck a pose for the photographer, thanked him when he told me how great I looked after running 26.2 miles and then headed to the UPS truck to get my bag. As I walked to it, I smiled so big, stared at my shiny medal, yelled out a couple of wOOt! wOOt!’s and a final, “SCREW YOU MR. CAB DRIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


Oh and P.S. I finished in 4:09:55 .... 9:33/mi pace. Totally unexpected!!!!!! And OFFICIALLY Marathon Maniac #1911!!!!!