Race Day Plan

For anyone trying to catch me on the marathon course, I can't be totally sure where I'll be and when. This is my first time. I have no idea what to expect. I want to try to just enjoy it and not worry about anything but moving forward.

That said, I've tried mapping out my best guesses of where I'll be, and when, so that anyone who can come and cheer me on will! Please leave a half-hour window though! I'm sorry if this plan is totally off. I'm doing my best. If you want precision, you can download the ING Marathon app and track me. I'm the only "Sander, M" listed in the directory. It will have my location by mile. Or, you can go to the nyrr.org website and track a runner there.

IMPORTANT: If you see me, do not scream "Michelle!" I won't know you are a friend and not some unknown reading my name on my shirt. Please say "Michelle Sanders" or "Sanders" - so I know to look at you!

My start time is 10:40AM, and I'm in corral #63.
My Green Bib # is: 63-721.
What I'm wearing: Black shorts and a cobalt blue short sleeved top with my name in Lime Green! (I am sacrificing fashion for visibility!)

Contact: My sister Ellen will field questions about my location, and has the iPhone App; call her!

What to do when you see me: Run with me if you want, as long as you want!
What to say when you see me: Keep going! Stay strong!

Here we go....!

Mile 1: 10:52AM
Mile 2: 11:04AM
Mile 3: 11:17AM
Mile 4: 11:31AM
Mile 5: 11:44AM
Mile 6: 11:57AM
Mile 7: 12:11PM
Mile 8: 12:24PM
MEETING POINT: Clinton & Lafayette
Mile 9: 12:40PM
Mile 10: 12:54PM
Mile 11: 1:09PM
Mile 12: 1:22PM
Mile 13: 1:36PM
Mile 14: 1:51PM
Mile 15: 2:07PM
Mile 16: 2:22PM
Mile 17: 2:36PM
Mile 18: 2:50PM
Mile 19: 3:05PM
Mile 20: 3:22PM
Mile 21: 3:40PM
Mile 22: 3:58PM
Mile 23: 4:14PM
MEETING POINT: 5th Ave & 100th Street, Stand on the West Side/Park Side of the Street!
Mile 24: 4:30PM
Mile 25: 4:44PM
MEETING POINT: Inside the Park at E. 66th Street, stand on the West Side of the route so you can cross through the park and meet me at the finish line/family meeting area.
Mile 26: 4:59PM
Mile 26.2: 5:02PM
MEETING POINT: Family Meeting Area under letter "S"

Thank you for your support! Hope to see you tomorrow!

Michelle

1: Marathon Expo

I worked from home today until 1:30PM and then took a taxi to the Javits Center to meet up with Sarah H. at the Marathon Expo where we needed to pick up our race bibs, D-tags and race day bags.

The Expo was basically a big runner's shopping mall with all the usual vendors in position. Asics was the title apparel and shoe sponsor and so had the largest area, and all the official Marathon clothing. Sarah and I went nuts trying on every single item in the "official" section, circling like hungry (confused) vulchers. We kept glancing at the price tags and then reassuring each other, "It's our first marathon! You only have one first marathon!" I ended up with one amazing light pink long sleeved shirt that I love. Sarah made a slightly larger investment!

Then we browsed the rest of the booths. I entered a contest to win a free Nissan and was startled when bells went off! "Winner, winner! Chicken Dinner!" the MC blasted into a microphone. I was walked to the front to receive my prize - which turned out to be a yellow mesh laundry bag. You have got to be kidding me! I mean I do generate a lot of laundry but...

Sarah bought a pair of sunglasses like the ones I got at the Expo at Disney, which I love, and some Shot Blocks. I ate some of the potato chips in the goodie bag we were given. That's carbs, right? We stopped at the Timex booth and let a tall, handsome hottie try to sell us a watch. We stayed strong! There were juices and power bars to try. We even looked at a race weekend in Bermuda a few days after my 40th birthday. Why not? And we talked about what we were going to wear at the race. I took my three options out of my bag to show Sarah.

"What are you going to wear," I asked back.

SFX: NEEDLE SCRATCHING ACROSS RECORD

So Sarah tells me how she's going to wear a... cotton T-shirt to the race. Everyone together now, "COTTON KILLS!" I freaked out on her but it was like she didn't even hear me.

"What? Cotton? I think it's fine. I always wear just a regular wife beater. I figure I won't be sweating anyway because it's going to be so cold."

You figure you won't sweat? On a 26.2 mile run? Woman have you lost your mind!? OMG. OMG. OMG. Emergency intervention. This person has popped a gasket!

Just at that moment, because Jesus loves Sarah, a guy I know - actually, my runner neighbor from my apartment building - the one whom I've watched race before, and who told me I looked fine after running 18 miles - just happened to walk across our path at the Expo. I corralled him into the debate and he shortly gave Sarah the same look of horror I was already wearing.

Eventually, Sarah was convinced and I took her over to Nike where she purchased a new white technical fiber T-shirt. I know you're not supposed to wear new things on race day but we are all going to have to make a little exception for Sarah on this one, so she don't die!

After her temporary stroke was over, and Sarah had checked out at the Nike store, she turned to me with a slightly alarmed look on her face, "What just happened to me? I was going to wear cotton... I am so messed up right now!"

All I could say was, "Me too..." I'm doing all these crazy weird things, forgetting my routine, not checking my checklist, mostly bumbling around crying and feeling nervous! I have not even mapped out my expected times yet. I haven't been eating salt. I didn't buy gels until about 8PM tonight - and I am completely out. I still don't have my name on my shirt. I forgot to buy groceries for tomorrow, or get a manicure, or pull out the blow up mattress for my sister who is staying over.

It's like... I'm standing still and the world is whooshing past me in a blur. Everything is making me cry. Not the least of which is that I just wrote "1" on the subject line of this blog entry. One? Really? We're down to a 24 hour countdown, now? Are we sure about that? Can I get an extension? Will there be a snow day? I think not. This is really happening.

2: Magic & Destiny

I started this blog post after coming home from my marathon pep rally fundraiser last night. I was so overwhelmed by the support and love I felt at the party, I didn't know where to begin to write. I wanted to tell you about the magical moments. I wanted to tell you that there was more evidence of destiny. I wanted to tell you how much money we raised for my charity, The Blue Card!

But around 1AM, I realized I was not making any sense on the screen, and that I needed to put myself to bed. So, for the first night in an entire year, I did not post.

3: Freaking Out

I'm now officially freaking out. My head feels like it might explode. I go between palpitations and numbness. I can't sleep.

People say, "You're probably tired of hearing this, but you are an inspiration."

I don't feel like an inspiration. My experience of myself is that I spent a lot of time this past year doing something I did not enjoy doing. And I was obsessive about continuing at it. Is that inspirational or just plain psychotic?

And what exactly about what I did was inspirational? Was it that I went through some kind of transformation? Or that I stuck to a commitment? Or that I got some exercise when it's awfully tempting to plop on the couch and watch TV instead?

Isn't the true test of "inspiration" whether you've actually inspired anybody to take action in their life, in a way that applies to their specific goals and dreams? Sure, if your dream was to become a runner, and you started running, that fits. But if running isn't your dream, does my brand of "inspirational" transfer?

I am searching for some motivation to get me through to Sunday. I don't need to run the marathon to prove anything to myself. My lesson is learned! (Or is that just the fear talking?)

I just wanted you to know what is going on for me. I'm a wreck. I feel like I need a hundred long hugs and for somebody to wake me up from this nightmare that's about to happen. I know, there are going to be amazing moments and it'll be an experience of a lifetime; but I don't want to do it. Now you know.

4: In Harm's Way

I was joking when I wrote last week that all I had to do in my last days before the marathon was avoid falling down a flight of stairs. I've been actively taking precautions to keep myself from harm's way; but apparently, I haven't been cautious enough.

On Saturday night, stone sober, I actually fell out of a chair and landed on my hip! I got a bunch of bruises on my arm, which I used to break the fall. My hip seems to be fine.

Then this morning, before work, I let a rocks glass filled with iced coffee slide off the kitchen counter and smash into a million pieces on my bare foot. I only got a small cut on the top, but that spooked me.

Right now I am on red alert! Making sure I pay attention to everything I'm doing. I hope I'll be lucky and nothing else will happen to me but, they say things come in threes...

5: Beating the Family Record!

The last time anyone in my family ran a marathon was in 1915, when my father Joseph's mother Lilly's father Abraham's sister Yetta's daughter Betty's husband, Albert Goodwin, got the bug. You think I'm kidding? I'm not! I've got my family's history going back to 1776, with the birth of Rubin Rotsheyn, and not a single other soul before or after Albert (or Al, as he liked to be called) has taken on the challenge. I'm not just running to prove something to myself; I'm running to set a new family record!

Running marathons was in great fashion in the Jewish community in New York City around 1915. My cousin Al would have been about 17 then. He may have participated through an athletic club in his neighborhood. That part I don't know. The prize for winning the marathon that year was a trip to San Francisco - to run the San Francisco marathon. There was already a marathon culture starting in the U.S.A. and first, second and third generation immigrants were fueling the growth.

The interesting thing about the New York City marathon in 1915, in particular, was that due to poor weather conditions on the scheduled race day, the date had to be moved to Washington's birthday. With this, the route had to be foreshortened from 26.2 miles, down to 20, but still went from the Bronx down to City Hall.

So, going strictly by mileage, one might note that Al and I are already neck-in-neck! (Watch your back, Al!) Of course, I might allow a few points off my standing considering I have access to a number of modern advantages. Things like, say... SNEAKERS! Also, Gatorade, my iPod, body glide, orthotics, compression shorts, I mean, even a Sport Bean would have helped the guy... Think about it. There was no such thing as technical fibers; they were running in wool, cotton and leather.

I'm attaching photos of Al's finisher's medal. On the front it's marked, "Modified Marathon," which speaks to the 20 mile distance. You can also see that The Evening Post is the event's title sponsor. (Their brand presence might actually be more prominent than ING's for this year's NYC marathon! Nice work, marketing department!)

Then, on the back, you can see where Al scratched his own name into the medal, and the year. There's also the word, SURVIVOR! Can you imagine the bragging rights at that time? I'll bet he enjoyed regaling the ladies with stories of his journey, and teasing his mother with threats of running a second marathon, "Oh Albert no! Once is enough! Please! Now, don't hurt yourself while you're passing me that kugel."

I haven't thought much about bragging rights as I've been training. I haven't worried about impressing others. I mean, what does anyone else care if I run a marathon? Lots of people run marathons. In fact, it seems sometimes like everybody I know has run at least one marathon!

Mostly I'm just doing this for myself, to see what it's like to exceed my own expectations. A tiny part of me hopes, though, that there are such things as angels; and on Sunday afternoon, somewhere up in the Bronx around mile 20, Albert will whisper down from the heavens into my ear and say, "Well done my dear. It's about time..."




Photo credit: Randy Parada. (Thanks, Randy!)

6: 365 Day Report

It's a year today and I just got back from a 5 mile run in Central Park. It took me one hour and 30 seconds. Not exactly a record but I don't mind. I loved it; and as I came to the end, crossing almost exactly where I hope to cross one week from today, the marathon finish line, I cried.

Let me be clear. I still don't love to run. Those first two miles are always brutal for me. I'm complaining the whole time. Every step is an effort. My head won't quiet. I'm too hot, my stomach's upset, my foot hurts, my breathing is strained. The water bottle belt is riding up and cutting into my ribs. My foot begins to re-blister. My shoulders hunch and strain. My face burns in the sun. My Yurbuds slip out. My old reliable songs don't pump me up. There's a camel toe. Honestly, I torture myself.

But then, I calm down. I acquiesce. I notice the blue sky and the white clouds. Today, there were gorgeous russet leaves to marvel at, and the smell of fall complementing the horse manure along the route. New York City is in its glory right now; it's peak fall weather. Crisp, bright, fresh and dry.

I've been thinking about all the ways my life is different today than it was 365 days ago. My life is so much better! When I started this journey, I had no idea what I was in for. I thought it was just going to be a year about running and writing. I'd either improve or I wouldn't, and that would be the story.

But that wasn't all I got. I got a new body, new friends, a new wardrobe and a tan. I lost 10 pounds, gave away my cat, and moved to a mostly pescaterian diet. I haven't had a migraine in a year, or taken an Ambien to fall asleep. I date differently. I spend money differently. I spend my time differently. Even my family has changed. Where I was sad and angry at my mother last year for letting herself fall apart in every way; now I am grateful to her for showing me what happens if you don't take care of yourself. I got myself together, and now I'm stepping in and saving her, as much as I possibly can.

I did under perform in an area where I had some expectations. Frankly, I thought I'd improve at running more than I have in a year. Isn't that ironic? I thought after a year of training I'd be running in just a sports bra and briefs, athletic in every way, happily emaciated, 40 pounds lighter, injury free, the vision of physical strength. Not so much.

In reality, my speed has improved, but not by that much. My endurance has improved but mostly due to the hurdles I've made with my mind. I'm thinner but, other than my legs, I'm not sure anyone would peg me as marathon bound.

I'm not complaining, though. What I've got is "enough." I'm content with how it went, with the effort put in and the return on investment. I didn't get what I thought I'd get, but I got more than I expected, by staying in the moment and pressing forward.

In terms of advice, I say, walk through every open door that has something even minorly interesting on the other side. Just go. You'll figure out what it means eventually. It all fits into your journey and you can't grow if you don't move into new spaces. Everything happens in perfect timing but you have to look for the openings and move through them. That's on you.

Visualize what makes you happy, especially when you are unhappy, so that you will recognize good things when they come along and not hesitate to grab them. Accept love in whatever form it's offered. And know only one thing for certain, and assert it over and over to yourself, so you don't forget... That is, you have no idea what you are capable of or what's best for you until you let go of trying to look good, and trying to sound good.

Do not be so obsessed with your "plan" that you miss new data points. The prize might not be where you think it is. You might be wrong. Throw your rules away and just bend to smell the flowers right now, or the horse manure, exactly where you are. Feel what it feels like to be you, living your life. You need to know yourself, and be kind to yourself, before you can be truly connected to others.

Sometimes growth can be awkward. You can't know right away if pain is a sign that you should turn around and go back, or a sign that you're about to grow.

Remember "growing pains" when you were a kid? They're real, right? You'd lie on the bed and your mom or your dad would pull on your legs. It's the same for us now as grown ups. Our minds sometimes want to lengthen before our habits and conventions are ready. Notice this when it happens to you, and label it growing pains, tell friends what it feels like for you and let them pull you through.

That's been my secret to success this year. Being open about the growing pains, and letting friends pull me through. I wasn't sure I was a runner; but my friends told me I was. Now, it is realized. I've grown and I'll never be small again.

Whatever your dream, your inclination, your undiscovered destiny, I wish you speed in seeing the open doors already around you. Share your experience with others so that they can learn from you, and they can help you when you need it. You will need help. Walk into your future with confidence - or better yet, run.