Tag Archives: new york marathon

NYC Marathon 2023 Race Report: Unforgettable

It’s hard to know where to begin with my 2023 NYC Marathon race report because the level of EPICness was off the charts. I’ll just start by telling you that my facial muscles are still recovering from smiling and laughing so much. This race was an absolute hoot from start to finish, even when my legs were screaming. 

Let’s start at the beginning though. I flew in to New York with my husband and daughter Thursday afternoon after starting our days at 3:30 am in Santa Barbara (Jeffrey and me) and San Francisco (Olivia). My awesome decades-long friend/college BFF/running partner, Janet Cook, arrived later that evening from Hood River, OR. 

Friday morning Janet and I hopped on a subway to the Jacob Javits Center, where we picked up our race bibs and immersed ourselves in all things marathon. The flurry of positive vibes hit us the moment we walked into the convention center. You could feel the joy, excitement, and nerves, as well as a large dose of mutual admiration, swirling together as each of us knew how much we had put into getting to this weekend, and how lucky we were to finally be here.

In addition to the many photo ops, vendors, and speakers, there was an overwhelming amount of merch for sale, which sucked us in for far too long. We left walloped, but giddy, ready to finally get this party started! 

Saturday Janet and I went on a shake-out run through Central Park on a classic, crisp autumn morning. We couldn’t get over our luck with the perfect weather, especially since it had rained every single weekend for over two months straight. A USATF 5k Championship race was taking place while we were there, with multitudes of runners and walkers blazing through the park, which only added to the charged atmosphere. As Janet and I stopped to take one of our many selfies along the way, a runner wearing a chicken costume photo bombed us, which sent us totally over the edge. So classic. 

Saturday evening, after cruising around the city with my family far more than anyone would recommend the day before a big race, Janet and I met up to go over our race gear, fuel, and logistics. We got it all dialed in, and in the process, my laugh muscles got a massive workout as Janet tried to figure out how she was going to carry all her fuel during this race, momentarily opting for the “vending machine” look. OMG this chica has a future in stand-up.

RACE DAY: Sunday morning arrived in a blink, with our Lyft driver arriving at 5:15 to take us to our private Team for Kids ferry, which would then take us to Staten Island. When we arrived at the dock, we were greeted by our fabulous teammates as well a beautiful sunrise, reinforcing that indeed, it really was our day. Everything felt perfect. Our ferry even cruised right past the Statue of Liberty on the way.

Once on Staten Island our team was guided to buses, which took us to Fort Wadsworth military installation a few miles away. This is where we would station ourselves until we lined up for the start of the race on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Our bus driver, Vinny, had driven runners to the start of this marathon for the past 20 years, which earned him a rousing round of applause from our bus full of appreciative athletes.

When we arrived at Fort Wadsworth we were led to the private Team for Kids tent area, complete with food, drinks, heat, fantastic volunteers, and porta-potties exclusively for our team—a huge amenity with 51,000+ runners. Inside our designated area we ate, stretched, hung out, took pictures, got our gear just right, peeled off our warm clothes and placed them in donation boxes. Then we warmed up and mentally prepared ourselves to run 26.2 miles.

I wrote DAD on my hand, just like I did 25 years ago when I ran this race in honor of him. Once again, I would honor him, and focus on some of his last words to me: “You are a tough bird.” He would be tickled that I was still loving life and chasing after it all at 57, when his life was cut short by cancer at 51. I also wrote the names of my #1 Support Crew (aka my husband, Jeffrey, and daughter, Olivia), who have always been there for me on every crazy adventure, and who sacrifice a lot so I can train and do special events like this. I knew I would be leaning on their love and support to help carry me through. Thank you, dear peeps.

In no time, it was our turn to queue up for the start of the race. Helicopters hovered overhead and a Jumbotron live streamed the elite runners who were sprinting the entire marathon–an awe-inspiring sight, which got us even more fired up. We were placed in a special Team for Kids corral inside the Pink Wave 2 group. When Janet and I saw that our corral was with the 3:45 finishers we simultaneously howled and got nauseous.

As we all began moving toward the starting line on the bridge, heart-pumping music pulsed through the air. Adrenaline surged. Butterflies got busy. Then came a beautiful rendition of the national anthem sung by a fellow runner, followed by the announcer’s “radio party voice:”

“All right Wave #2 I want them to hear you in Brooklyn this morning! LET’S WAKE UP THE NEIGHBORS!!!” to which we hooted and hollered.

“A sea of humanity from New York City awaits you, runners! Enjoy every step of your marathon journey!

“Wave #2, on your mark”……BOOM…the cannon exploded, signaling the start of our journey through the five boroughs of New York. Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York began wafting through the air, which instantly produced a lump in my throat.

“Oh shit!” the young woman squealed behind us, like she was momentarily terrified and still in denial that this was actually happening.

Janet and I hugged, screamed, laughed, high-five, then began shuffling with the crowd until we could eventually ease into a nice warm-up run pace heading over the bridge toward Brooklyn. “Oh my god, we’re doing this!!!!! We are moving, we are moving,” we joked in our best Eddie Murphy Coming to America voices. (IYKYK).

As it turned out, there was no need for our prior pseudo-freakout about being placed in the 3:45 pace group because there was quickly plenty of room for everyone to spread so there was little chance of being trampled or slowing anyone down. Team for Kids knows what it’s doing.

My only disappointment in this entire race was that our corral ran on the bottom span of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge instead of over the iconic top span, which I was hoping Janet could experience, like I had when I ran my first three races here. With 51,000+ runners though, you win some and you lose some. It was a minuscule detail in the grand scheme of our awesome day, and we were appreciative of how flawless this event was run, and especially blown away by Team for Kids, who took care of us with their extraordinary hospitality, organization, and attention to every detail. The silver lining of running on the lower span was that our legs saved a tiny bit of energy because it has a smaller incline than the top. Either way, the start of the race gets your heart pumping right away. Fortunately, it’s only for about a mile, and then you quickly start descending.

As we were coming down across the bridge and heading into Brooklyn we both knew we were running too fast so we slowed down, reminding ourselves we had a long day ahead of us. 

It wasn’t long before Brooklyn’s massive “street party” wrapped its raucous arms around us. It was block after block, mile after mile of nonstop support. All of our senses were bombarded with people clapping, cheering, hooting and hollering, clanking cowbells, tooting horns, and banging pans and buckets. Large party poppers exploded, launching confetti into the air. People held clever, and often hysterically off-color signs, and handed out everything from oranges, pretzels, and drinks to napkins and an assortment of candy options. Bands played rocking music, dancers shook their groove thing, spectators called out our names as if we were their best friends. “Go Becky! Go JC! You’re looking strong!” “Yeah ladies, power on!”

The energy bouncing back and forth between runners and spectators was intoxicating. Every kind of person showed up. Families. Young people. Old people. Stylish people. Sporty people. College kids drinking and celebrating their dizzying Brooklyn race day tradition. Costumed people (a giant pickle being one of my favs). People peacefully making political statements. Languages from near and far and beautiful skin tones to match. The love, energy, and untold smiles we received from Brooklyn launched us right up into Queens. Pure magic.

I was having so much fun mixing it up with the crowd, high-fiving rows of kids, hitting nearly every sign that said, “Tap here to Power Up,” encouraging the crowd to chant Janet’s nickname: “JC, JC, JC”, and telling them it was her first marathon, and witnessing her reaction to the magic of this day, I have to admit I took my eye off the my fuel and hydration. It was also rapidly heating up from 54 degrees to 61 degrees, and I was already sweating buckets. I should have been downing a ton of electrolytes and salt chews in between deeply reveling in the joy of it all. But…Alas.

My quads felt it first. Oh oh. Then my calves got twingy and thought about getting grumpy. Just before we hit the half-way point on the Pulaski Bridge, I pounded my Nuun electrolytes again, another SIS gel, and a salted watermelon chew, then threw a prayer up to the heavens that it wouldn’t get any worse.

Then we reached the Queensboro Bridge, which is long and devoid of spectators. Janet said a mantra out loud, “Run the mile you’re in.” So perfect. “Just keep moving forward,” I repeated to myself as we worked our way up the incline. Then I chirped, “We like hills, we eat them up. We like hills, we never give up.”

We were right on pace to reach a sub-5 hour finish, which is what Janet was quietly hoping for after both of us having to adjust our training many times due to injuries and bumps along the way. I had zero expectations for a finish time. My only goal was to soak up the joy and madness of this crazy marathon again after 25 years, and celebrate Janet’s first marathon, but I 1000% wanted Janet to reach her goal, no matter what. 

Coming off the quiet and challenging Queensboro Bridge just past Mile 16, and turning onto the cacophony of 1st Avenue lifted our spirits ten feet off the ground. Throngs of spectators instantly took our minds off our bodies with their chanting, cowbell’ing, and hooting and hollering, and boy was I happy about that because my legs were getting loud and sassy.

One of the most remarkable moments came when Janet somehow, in the midst of thousands of spectators, spotted her friend Chrissie, who had flown to NY to cheer her on. I still don’t know how she saw her, but what a fun moment for all! I was thrilled I happened to have my camera out right then.

My support crew had initially planned to go near the same area, but got stuck in the maze of barriers in Central Park. They could see us on the live stream in the park though, and snapped this fun photo of us as we continued our way up 1st Avenue in Queens, heading toward The Bronx.

When we reached our fourth bridge of the day, the Willis, at Mile 20, I could see in Janet’s gait and body language that she was feeling strong, and could definitely do more, so I insisted she take off so she could reach her goal. She was hesitant, not wanting to abandon me, but I was adamant. “This may be the only marathon you ever do in your entire life. You go and see what you can do. GO CRUSH IT!!!” With that, she picked up her pace, and I happily continued on solo, knowing she would reach her goal. She is the epitome of grit. Remember, this is the woman who broke ribs on both sides of her body while windfoiling just a few short months ago, then got right back at training as soon as she could breathe semi-deeply again.

The last 6 miles were what you might expect, especially when my longest training run was only 18 miles for this race. It simply came down to mind over matter.

What’s an extra 6.2 miles? You’ve done this many times before, I reminded myself. You know how to finish.

I counted steps…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…focused on what felt strong at the moment (that was difficult to ascertain – haha), thought about my dad, and also thought about all my Team for Kids supporters who generously donated to this awesome organization. Our team raised 7 million dollars during this event! Then I thought about all the little kids who would likely grow up to run this remarkable race themselves.

I continued to soak up the energy of the crowd who constantly called out my name and propelled me to the next aid station. I thanked volunteers profusely, just like I had throughout the entire race, because this event would be half of what it is without them. Such heroes.

At mile 23, a volunteer shrieked, “Hey, my name is Becky too!! Do you want a banana?” That received a big high-five and a, “Hell yes!” from me. Cheers to you, Becky! That banana and your joyful energy were just what I needed.

Between mile 24 and 25 it felt like people were dropping like flies. One guy on my right suddenly tripped, and in a shocked, adrenaline-induced moment somehow popped right back up, only to realize he may have broken his ankle. Poor guy. Argh. Not much farther up the road, I came across another warrior, a guy from Texas, whom Janet and I had been running with in Brooklyn, laying on his back with one leg in the air as another runner tried to press his foot back to release the cramp in his calf. Some were staggering. Others were limping and grunting.

“Just keep moving forward,” I told myself.

Then suddenly out of nowhere, I heard my people cheering for me!! OMG, where did they come from? I was expecting to see them in the grandstands at the finish line, but this was even better! What a wonderful moment seeing their smiling faces on Central Park South! Olivia was jumping up and down and screaming, “Go Mom!!!!” and Jeffrey was doing his crazy soccer announcer voice, “Go Beeckyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! You got this Beeeeeeeeee!!!!” I didn’t know they were going to be at that location, so as luck would have it, I was on the other side of the street, which prevented me from stopping and hugging them, but I felt their love deeply. Jeffrey captured a little video as I pushed on down the road. “Only 1 more mile to go. You can do anything for 1 mile.” I reminded myself.

Oh man, that one mile was a loooonnng one, but the park was glorious in its blaze of color, and the spectators made us feel like we were all 1st Place finishers. There was no way they were going to allow us to slow down or stop, no matter how much our bodies were complaining.

And then, just like that, with one final uphill push, the finish line appeared. Halle-freaking-lujah!! Another unforgettable New York City Marathon in the books. What a day!! 5:08:09. I’ll take it, especially since it nearly matched my finish time from 25 years ago. 658 out of 1,322 in our age group. Stats were not the point of this race though, AT ALL. I got everything I came for and more. Especially when I saw that Janet crossed the finish line 19 SECONDS ahead of her 5 hour goal!!!!!! She killed it!!!!! So incredibly happy for her, and proud of her. Welcome to the wonderful world of marathon running, my friend!

What made this moment especially fabulous was when

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Week #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping Our Game

With just five weeks to go until race day, we are now heading into our peak weeks of training before we start tapering back down to get our batteries fully recharged before our big event. This is both an exciting and grueling few weeks because while we’ve been steadily building up our bodies to be able to handle the load, no matter how disciplined we’ve been with our training, we are still doing long runs of 18 and 20-miles in addition to all our other usual training. GREAT stuff all around.

These are also the weeks when we focus on putting it all together in earnest, working intently on our mental game, fueling our bodies well, and trying to get as much rest as possible.

I’ve said this numerous times before, but endurance events are 85-90% mental. If you skimp on training your mind in addition to your legs, lungs and heart, you will do yourself a great disservice. Long runs offer us perfect opportunities to work on steeling ourselves to the challenges and discomfort that come with this sport. How will you respond when fatigue hits hard? What will you do to keep moving forward when your feet are telling you they have other ideas? What kind of discipline and focus will you have to remember to fuel and hydrate like clockwork so you feel your best? What mental techniques will you use to help you reach your goals when the going gets tough?

For me it’s mantras, counting steps, visualizing, singing, focusing on what feels strong, not letting my mind wander too far so that I don’t space out my nutrition, and most of all it’s about swimming in gratitude. It’s celebrating the fact that I GET TO DO THIS and be part of this remarkable moment.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It has a way of wrapping itself around your pain and reminding you of how lucky you are that you get to experience this incredible journey–the one you so boldly signed up for so long ago, and trained your heart out to get to where you are. So many other people will never know the beauty of this adventure, so be in the moment and appreciate it all, especially during the hardest moments.

Here’s a peek at my Week #15 training schedule (Sept 25-Oct 1):

  • Mon 9/25: Run 6 miles (w/ 2.5 mile pick-up effort in the middle), strength 45 min. (Kim Miller Fitness legs/glutes)
  • Tues 9/26: Spin class 55 min EZ (15 miles), mobility work 25 min
  • Wed 9/27: Run 6 miles, undulating hills
  • Thur 9/28: Active recovery day–yoga, core, & foot exercises 35 min, walk with Jeffrey
  • Fri 9/29: Run 5 miles with 4x80m strides, core and mobility work 25 min.
  • Sat 9/30: Run 18 miles
  • Sun 10/1: Rest & recovery day, yoga, walks

Monday morning, short on time, I set out directly from my house instead of driving somewhere scenic, and knocked out a 6-mile run on nothing but concrete and asphalt. It wasn’t the most exciting route, but it was good mental practice for running through the streets of NYC. In the middle of the run I pushed the pace for 2.5 miles.

Feeling stronger each week, and spending time focusing on my mental game.
Monday afternoon was a quick strength and core session after seeing a chiropractor and getting my Covid vaccination.

Tuesday was another fun outdoor spin class at the gym with Kristine. I intentionally took it easy and used this workout to simply flush out my legs from Monday’s run in preparation for Wednesday’s run. I came across a quote somewhere the other day that said something like, “The sign of a maturity in a runner is knowing when to reign it in, and also having the discipline to do it.” I’m definitely a work-in-progress in that department, but today was a win.

Refueling after spin class with a garden salad and a fruit smoothie with protein.

Wednesday I felt strong after taking it easy on Tuesday, and knocked out 6 miles of rolling hills in the early morning. Repetez, s’il vous plait: “I like hills, I eat them up. I like hills, I never give up.” Mantras aren’t just for race day! 🙂

Testing another new pair of shoes (Hoka Rincon 3s again), still trying to make my feet happy for the long haul. Up and down hills today, getting my quads ready for the bridges of NY and the final push in Central Park.

Thursday was an active recovery day after yesterday’s hills, and in preparation for Friday’s 5-miler and Saturday’s 18-miler.

Mash-up yoga, core, mobility, foot exercises, and balance. Still trying to embrace pigeon pose and get past the “oy.”
Went on a nice morning walk with my main squeeze (aka my hubby Jeffrey, who also happens to be my #1 supporter). Clearly we’ve been married a long time when we meet up and discover we’re wearing the same kind of vibe. Next thing you know we’ll be wearing matching silk baseball jackets. 🙂

Friday morning was a steady 5-mile maintenance run, topped off with 4-5 strides at the end. I countered our gray weather with cheery color, fiery tunes, and thoughts drifting to race day.

Chasing the gray away and embracing the journey by being transported to NY in my mind during my run.

Visualization is a powerful training tool I lean on often for endurance events. For NYC, I begin by imagining myself at the starting line on Staten Island, swimming in gratitude, feeling all the feels, then taking off, light on my feet, soaking up the experience, smiling, running strong and steady, turning the crowd’s energy into my own, remembering to fuel and hydrate as I cruise through each borough, powering over the “forever long and quiet” Queensboro Bridge, and then being lifted off the ground by the indescribable energy reverberating from throngs of spectators as we turn onto 1st Avenue; making it all the way up to the top of the course at mile 21 then turning left and heading back down 5th Avenue into Harlem, knowing this is where it gets especially real; thinking about how I will focus on the parts of my body that feel strong, then count steps to stay focused, remind myself of tall posture and good form; then finally, oh finally, turning into Central Park where there last two miles will feel like forever, but knowing my mental toughness will help me find another gear to get across the finish line, all the while savoring every second and appreciating all that has gone into getting to this moment.

Saturday was an 18-mile dry run for race day, starting with carbo loading the night before, trying out shorts I plan to wear, practicing my fueling and hydration, testing out the shoes I’m hoping will work, and working on my mental game. This ended up being a great learning day, for which I’m eternally grateful, because some things did not work well for me. Traditional carbo loading did not feel good on my run so I will adjust that to a lighter pre-race meal and start with small carb meals/snacks earlier throughout the day. The shorts I had to planned to wear on race day continually felt like they were going to fall off (which Becca and I laughed about hysterically. Thankfully I discovered this during our quick warm-up loop not far from my car, and had also thrown in a back-up pair of shorts in my car so I was able to remedy the annoying problem before knocking out the other 17 miles.

Team B & B (Becca & Becky) sharing laughs on our long run.

Sunday is a whole lot of aaaaah (ie-rest, recovery, and reset) after yesterday’s long run. The deeper we get into training, the more important this day feels in order to be ready to knock out another run on Monday. Today is all about good food, nice walks, and friends and family.

Things I’m Loving Right Now

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time, as we well know. Finding time to make gourmet meals to replenish our bodies isn’t always easy, even with good planning, so I thought I would share a few ideas here that I have leaned on recently when there aren’t enough hours in the day (or energy in the body).

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My Love of Marathons Started 25 years ago and I Owe It All to the Big Apple

The iconic start of the NYC Marathon, running over the Varrazzo-Narrows bridge from Staten Island.
Photo credit: New York Road Runners

It has been 25 years since I crossed the finish line in Central Park, having just run 26.2 miles through the lively streets of New York, knowing I’d never be the same.

Gobsmacked would be the best way to describe how I’m currently feeling about the fact that two and half decades have already flown by since that memorable autumn day, especially since I remember it like it was yesterday.

As I’ve been deep in the throes of training for this year’s New York Marathon, which I’ll be running soon (!!) with my dear friend, and former college roommate, Janet Cook Hixson, I’ve been reminiscing about my first experience in the Big Apple, along with the many marathons that followed.

Yesterday I came across an ancient article I wrote for Runner’s World, which chronicled my first journey through New York. The beauty of being a Goddess Keeper of All Things Sentimental (aka pack rat) is that it’s never too difficult to put my fingers on memories. I’m sharing this relic here because it brings back all the feels, and leaves me sporting a big goofy smile, just like my finish line photo. A digital version of this piece never existed, so I’m simply posting a snapshot of the article, which will hopefully be legible enough to read.

Legendary runner and former Runner’s World Editor, Amby Burfoot (1968 Boston Marathon winner), was generous in accepting an article from a newbie writer. This little piece helped launched my budding writing career when my full-time career at the time was running our bustling photo agency. Never underestimate what one small act of kindness can do for another person. 🙂
In a full circle moment, Janet, who I’m running this year’s race with, and who is a talented writer, and Editor of The Gorge Magazine, was also beyond generous with her time back in the day, helping me carve down a truly horrible and massive first draft of my article into something much more appropriate for publication. Without her advice, I’m not sure this would have ever seen the light of day.

When this little piece was published in November 1999, I was about to head back to New York to run my second marathon with Fred’s Team, an organization I cannot say enough good things about. The mission of this nonprofit, raising funds for Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, along with the fabulous (now former) Directors, Sue Shay and Sheila Lennon, and the team of passionate athletes who each had their own reasons for being part of it, all swirled together into a priceless gift for each of us.

One of the many NYC highlights: high-fiving pediatric cancer patients who came out in front of Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to cheer us on.

The second and third time running New York were just as fun and gratifying as the first, especially when my friend Elizabeth Whitton joined the team and ran her first marathon along side me. Then in 2002 Elizabeth and I headed to France to run the Paris Marathon with Fred’s Team; and 2003 took my hubby Jeffrey and me to Italy so I could combine running the Rome Marathon with our honeymoon afterward. Then came the Portland Marathon nine months after our daughter was born, and then the inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon. The two most recent marathons I completed took place during Ironman triathlons in Arizona and Sacramento. Each of these races was different and memorable in its own way, and I do believe none of these marathons would have happened if I hadn’t fallen madly in love with my first one. If you want to see photos from some of those events, click on SPECIAL PEEPS | PLACES | EVENTS or find it on the menu bar at the top of this blog.

As Janet and I head to New York in early November, I cannot wait to share her first marathon with her, and also experience the race again through fresh, more mature eyes. I wonder if Janet will get hooked on 26.2 like I did or be thrilled with “one and done?” Will the energy be the same? Will the scale, almost 20,000 more runners than in 1998, be energizing or overwhelming, or both? Will I get choked up at the starting line like I always do? And when I cross the finish line will I know that it’s just the beginning of another adventure or decide 10 marathons is enough?

Whatever lies ahead, I know it will be memorable. New York never disappoints.

Onward we go!