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.

7: Oh, So Now You Want Me?

I was contacted this week by the New York Road Runners. I have no idea how they got my work email address, but they did. They sent a sponsorship query. Maybe my company would like to affiliate its brands with the marathon?

The letter was much more personal than most of the sponsorship requests I get. It wished me good luck at the race next week and referenced a relationship with my boss' boss' boss. I followed protocol for processing through another department, but couldn't resist responding as well myself.

Almost immediately, I received another letter from the New York Road Runners, this time copying a larger group. I'm apparently "just the type of runner" they are hoping to entice to participate in the marathon, someone who goes through significant lifestyle changes in preparation for the big race.

They went on to explain the meaning behind their slogan, "I'm in! We're in!" The "I'm in!" part is about what the runner does after they are accepted and the "We're in!" part refers to how your family supports you as you prepare.

I wanted to write back and say how ironic it was that they were contacting me now because, actually, I did not "get in" through them. And that slogan absolutely tortured me for weeks after I found out, and before I knew I'd have a spot through my angel. "I'm in!" sounded pretty arrogant when most of the people I knew who had applied had not actually gotten in. I'm guessing they didn't run that copy through any focus groups.

The NYRR Business Development team wanted to get on the phone with me right away to talk. They read my blog and thought it was funny. I let them know it's a crazy time for me at work, with the pep rally coming up, not to mention, the marathon; and I told them we could talk later in the month.

I received one more email after that, from the EVP, with a little bit of a sales pitch, appreciation for my enthusiasm, and affirmation that they'd be happy to wait to talk to me until after things have calmed down. I'm looking forward to that.

Life is really weird. You can go from being on the outside, to being on the inside, over night - all because you have a little bit of budget and some booze at your disposal. Apparently, sneakers aren't enough.

8: Hustle & Flow

12 months of hustle, and now, it's just flow. I'm flowing through the days leading up to the marathon, trying to rest, trying not to freak out. I'm also trying not to get sick or fall down a flight of stairs. If you knew how klutzy I am you'd understand that's a real project!

Today a friend asked me if I'm still preparing and I sort of burst back, "Oh no! Not doing a thing! Haven't run since Saturday!" His eyes bugged out. Am I supposed to be running now? Probably. I mean, not long runs but short little ones or something. I've stopped looking at my schedule. I've even stopped entering data into my Training Peaks online training program. Really, none of it matters now. Right? All that crap was just stuff I used to get me to today. And I'm here.

I'm really good at hustle but, truth be told, I prefer flow. Flow is when my creative juices bubble up and I make huge leaps of progress in self-awareness and actualization. I let myself have radical plans. And that's a very good thing.

For example, running was the progeny of flow... I'd just quit a terribly intense job this time last year and I was going home after work to an empty apartment, bored to death. I had no idea what to do with my time. Running stopped the gap.

Right now in this period of flow I'm planning a party, planning my life, and feeling excited about all the things I still have left to experience. I have some ideas about what I'll hustle for next, but I'm not committing to anything yet. I don't need to. Still another week to go with flow... and I'm not done dreaming yet.

9: Cheers!

Only nine days to go!!! I need to start getting more sleep. And I need to stop drinking! I'm not doing any more social drinking until the marathon is over; but I am still drinking at work.

I look after a spirits brand and one of my job responsibilities is to evaluate beverage alcohol samples from the lab. Just this week, I had a 10AM meeting in which I needed to taste twenty new liquid prototypes! For serious. Thank goodness I've got that behind me and now I can get on to a week of clean living!

I'm still not quite clear on why everyone says you have to stop drinking so far ahead of a race, though. I've been asking people for their theories. The most likely ones I've heard are that drinking dehydrates you, and that over consumption can lead to tomfoolery and bodily injury. If anyone knows of any other reasons, I'd be curious to hear.

For now, I'm dry... but there's a bottle of bubbly already chilling in my fridge for one week from Sunday! Even if I don't make it to the finish line - OK maybe especially if I don't make it to the finish line - I'm popping that puppy open the minute I get back to my apartment! Even before the ice bath.

10: Write What You Know

The end is near; and I don't mean the running. I mean the blog.

After tonight I'll have just 9 more entries to write. I feel like I have a million topics I still want to putter around on. How did the time go so quickly?

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that for every blog entry I've posted, I've written two. Some days more. Sometimes it's hard to commit to one topic. Others I pick a topic that's so big it could go on forever, and I have to shut it down and switch back to something simple, like bananas... or socks. If I'm writing about socks, you can be sure that's just a front for something much longer and deeper that I couldn't put a bow on before bedtime.

There are a few things I want to say about what it's been like to have written a blog every single day for a year. First and foremost, the discipline of doing anything for a year, whether you want to or not, without a break, has taught me how (mechanically) to cast off fear. Just do whatever you're anxious about over and over again. Eventually, you'll forget why you were afraid, and you'll just start showing up for business, ready to play. You can't work on your skills until that fear is pushed to the side.

Next, I've had a bit of a coming of age with this blog, creatively. I've finally stopped making shit up and trying to sound important when I write. Finally, finally, finally I'm writing what I know! Every arts professor I've ever had has tried to drum this message into me. I didn't listen because I felt I didn't know anything. If I wrote what I knew it would have been a page with the sentence, "I have nothing to say," over and over on it. Quite literally.

So, instead of writing what I knew, I wrote what I thought sounded deep and literary. I made sure the words were beautifully organized, as a foil for the hollowness inside. In the studio arts, I focused on the quality of the components, their originality, the lines... I picked a meaningful theme with known emotions I could attach to. Not my emotions! Just some obvious universal emotions.

In writing I've always picked topics I found interesting but had no experience with. Protagonists dying of cancer, one with dissociative personality disorder, the woman painted in Degas' "Woman with Chrysanthemums," a few TV pilots with nobody remotely like me in the ensemble.

In the studio arts, I didn't just create around themes I didn't understand, I liked to employ shock value. For my sculpture class, I welded like a mad woman, poured aluminum, and hung mobiles from campus trees. It was fun. As my final project I picked a theme I thought I could project myself into - a woman's conflict between working and staying home to care for her children. I appropriated objects. There was a full size oven that I'd found at a junk yard and filled (literally filled) with cookies. On the range (which was lit) there was a seamstress' bust with a headless plastic baby stuck on top. Horrifying! I got an A+. Honestly, I should have gotten an F. What was I talking about? This was not my dilemma yet... It's still not my dilemma, even. That wasn't a topic for me to have tackled at 21.

My superficiality came to a head in college in my photography class. I finally had a professor who really called me out in an arresting way. I was a fine photographer by then; I'd started in high school, in the dark room, the whole thing. I was paid to do portraits. I shot a few Bat Mitzvahs. So, by college, I had to really deliver on content. For my final project senior year, like with sculpture, I was into being shocking. I created a series I called "Back Alley Abortion." Get ready. This is bad! I bought dead fish from the grocery store, butchered them with scalpels, lay the bloody mess on the white snow in the parking lot behind my apartment building, with a brick wall in the background, and then photographed the whole thing in black and white. It was so beautiful to look at! Haunting. The composition was perfect! I did my presentation Cooper Union style, with everyone in the class there for the critique; and I got reamed. What the fuck was I talking about! The teacher seemed very mad... Why hadn't I picked a subject I knew anything about? I remember how scared the other kids in my class looked for me when I was receiving my critique. They knew I was good. Was the teacher being unfair?

The teacher wasn't being unfair. She was expecting more of me. She wanted me to use my voice. I could be artful and clever, even shocking. But all my stories were flat because ultimately, I STILL HAD NOTHING TO SAY. Or, I thought, what I really had to say would be completely uninteresting to other people.

In writing for a year now about uninteresting things like running, and about what's happened to me because of running, I've finally tapped into what it means to write what you know. It surprises me daily that I haven't created imaginary characters to bulk up my story, or done anything to enhance the reader's experience, and I'm still writing. This exercise has been all about being genuine, and practicing sharing that in words.

There is a great responsibility in offering up wordsmithery for public viewing. You can't just say shit because the phrases sound nice together. You have to say things that are true in some way around a particular theme that you are qualified to speak about. Not to say you can't make up radical characters that are nothing like you; but they need to be characters you can see and feel yourself in; they must be genuinely you as you write. Writing fiction isn't about telling how it was, it's about becoming your subjects and bleeding their blood onto the keyboard.

That's the discipline of the writer. That's what defines you as a writer, if you are one - that you think about being genuine, and make a conscious effort to literally be your characters if you're writing fiction, so that you are always writing what you know. And you need to keep seeking out more to know... so that you have the license to keep writing new things. That is what makes being a writer so fun! The curious mindset and life of exploring that goes with it. Definitely not the carpal tunnel.

11: Last Minute Advice

Everybody has a ton of last minute advice for me. A blind man told me to run on the lower level of the Verrazano. He said the sound of the feet overhead would be something I'd never forget. Tonight I heard, whatever you do, do not run on the lower level of the Verrazano because everyone on the upper level whips it out and pees over the edge, and the people on the lower level get bombed with urine.

I just heard a story about a guy who got pushed, not even a mile into the race, and fell and knocked all his teeth out on the metal bridge floor. The moral of the story was, from this person's perspective, "You're a New Yorker. Push ahead of people. Don't let them push you." OK... I can't quite imagine myself pushing another runner out of the way! Not my style!

Today I heard about how I should starve myself, "Don't eat ANYTHING the week before the marathon. Like, a cracker is fine." This is up until a few days before the race. This person said every pound is 5 minutes faster. Dropping 10 lbs is recommended. Oh boy... I've heard this before and had a fantasy that I'd be wafer thin by the time the marathon happened but that hasn't happened. Could I really drop 5 lbs before next Wednesday? Maybe... I'm going to try!

I've had a few hydration lectures. And in fact, though it's all still 11 days away, I've been over-hydrating already, drinking Gatorade when I wake up, water all day long. I'm told the week before the marathon I should heavy-up and drink until I feel like I'm going to explode. Water and Gatorade. Coconut water. Excel something or other, a brand I don't know... I can't keep up!

And then there's the doozie that's really got me stumped. A 6-time marathoner told me tonight that I should plan to take about 10 Tylenol or Advil during the race. I thought this person was kidding! 10? Everything I've read says to abstain from any pain killers for 24 hours before the race, and 6 hours after, to protect your liver and kidneys. But this guy was insistent. 10. Take 2 an hour before you run, and then keep popping them. They prevent inflammation (and pain, of course) and this helps you run faster, better, longer. He said your body's burning everything up so fast while you run that there aren't any negative effects. Hmm...

I guess like with everything, you want take people's advice with a grain of (Hymalayan) salt. New information can be alluring, though. Is this the tidbit I need to make my run the best it can be? Is this what I've been missing all along, what would push me over the edge and make me faster? I suppose I will keep growing and learning right to the very moment the gun goes off... and even on race day. Hopefully, whatever I learn on Nov 7, 2010, I can put to good use as I train for marathon 2011.

12: Running With The Green Wave

Less than two weeks to go... My mind's starting to go between "numb" and "overdrive." I'm telling myself it's just 7 miserable hours. I can try my best for 7 hours. Women are in labor for much longer than that, cracking open, and they survive.

Big milestone today. I got my "wave" which determines where you go to start the race. I'm in the Green Wave. And I start at 10:40AM. That doesn't mean I actually start at 10:40. It means they intend for my group to start at 10:40, which means I could start any time after that - 10:40 is the last wave. This makes it hard to tell people when I'll be where along the route. I will have to try to map out a plan though.

This is my fantasy of how it's going to go. I would like to work on this and revise it a little before Nov 7th, though, because it's pretty scary:

Miles 1-2: running a little too fast, excited, no need to walk
Mile 3: empowered, no stopping, feeling strong, wishing the sun weren't so strong
Miles 4-8: running with a one minute walk break between every mile, ugh feeling a little bit spent, foot hurting
Miles 9-12: steady, in a groove, not so bad... endorphins are good, I can't feel my foot, this is the zone! yes!
Miles 13-16: hard... how the fuck am I going to finish this!? starting to see people... wanting to look good on 1st Ave...
Miles 17-21: oh holy hell i can't do this I'm walking half the time and all these people are looking at me, drinking, stopping to pee, stretching, considering stopping, the crowds going home, the street a dirty mess with cups and gels and trash, i am going to come in last, omg I can't believe some people are still standing here waiting for me - meanwhile 50% of the runners are home already in their ice baths and I'm the slow schmuck who didn't train enough, or just "can't" and... wait a minute! remember: this is a privilege! 5.2 more to go...
Miles 22-26.2: someone else in my body dragging my bloody stumps downtown and around the bend to the finish, so hard my brain can't compute, thoughts become deluded, i am flying on a magic carpet, there isn't anyone behind me, I am actually the last person to finish the marathon this year only I'm so late they have shut down the finish line and my race doesn't even count.

I've got to work on this because if I've learned one thing in my life it is, be careful what you envision because it always - and I mean ALWAYS - comes true.

13: Gonna Have a Pep Rally!

I need a pep rally right about now! So I've organized one with three others who are also running the marathon. We don't just share that in common - we're all also supporting the same charity, Blue Card.

Please come out and let me know you think I can do it!!! Offer a word of support, enjoy amazing drink specials ($3 bottled beer, $5 martinis), see old friends, meet new friends, get inspired to start being active yourself, maybe win some cashola through a 50/50 raffle... It's going to be a blast! Pass this invite on, too. More the merrier!

If you want to see me along the running route at the marathon itself, I'll have maps at the pep rally with meeting points and approximate times when and where I think you'll be able to catch me.

I am running to raise money for an amazing cause so I'll ask you to consider making a $10-20 donation at the door (unless you've already supported me online - just let me know at the door). Here is a link to my donation page:
http://www.crowdrise.com/michellesandersforbluecard/fundraiser/HatesToRun

My charity, Blue Card, is a very interesting one you may not have heard about before. It gives material support to impoverished survivors of the Holocaust - many of whom live in our country and are without family or other resources. Can you imagine surviving a concentration camp as a child, but now having to choose between medication and food in your old age?

If you make a donation to the Blue Card, your money won't be spent on petri dishes and direct mailings, it will go directly to survivors, giving them immediate solutions to problems most of us are privileged not to experience. You can read about Blue Card in this NYT article that ran in last week's Sports section: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/sports/22marathon.html?_r=4&ref=sports

I also have a special program going for kids 12 and under who want to come out and support me at the race itself! It's my "5 for $5" offer! All your child has to do is give me a high-5 along the way while I'm running and I'll donate $5 to the Blue Card in his or her name. (Don't worry, I'll make it easy! Just tell me where to look for you guys!)

So, where's the party? Address above, but here's a link if you like pictures and details. http://crotonnyc.com/

I'll be at The Croton Reservoir Tavern (aka Croton Tavern, Croton Reservoir, The Brick Lounge) starting at 5PM and there will be Happy Hour specials running until 9PM, so come on down! If you're a runner, or don't want to drink, there will be a bounty of bananas and delicious non-alcoholic drink options for you (and for me!).

Croton Tavern is conveniently located in Midtown near all mass transit, just blocks from Port Authority, Grand Central, Penn Station, Times Square and Bryant Park. Take the shuttle bus from the Javits Center to Times Square if you are going to the Marathon Expo first.

I hope to see you on Thursday, November 4th!

14: Just Ran the Last 10 Miles...

Running in NYC has become such a racket. When I started all this I said I wanted to train for the marathon with minimal financial investment. I never hired a trainer. I didn't join a gym. I used whatever basic "equipment" I had until I began knowing the difference; and I've managed to buy almost everything new that I've needed since then with at least a 10% discount. So, when I get suckered, like I did today, it really pisses me off.

My 10 mile run this morning was hosted by a club. A friend sent me the invite and what appealed to me was that the route was the same as the last 10 miles of the marathon. The email said that Gatorade, water, gels and bagels would be provided, as well as pacers, for an entrance fee of $40. That sounded steep... but I decided to indulge because I thought experiencing new things would motivate me - a new route, new people, a club, and pacers.

Well, as it turns out I read the email wrong - somehow. There was no water, Gatorade or gels at all. Right before the start I had to go to Starbucks and buy a huge bottle of water to carry with me. Ugh! And then my 12:00-13:00 pacer ran too fast, didn't know the mile markers, and eventually left me in the dust when I burned out around mile 6. (I only held out that long because I was afraid I'd get lost by myself in the Bronx!) Really disappointing experience.

We started after 8AM on East 60th Street and 1st Ave. The run up 1st was so much easier than I'd expected, even going too fast. The incline really wasn't that bad and it was empowering to watch the street numbers climb. I've been running in Central Park so long, anything different is a welcome distraction!

Then the Bronx was un-fun, scary and gross. I was still with my group then and we were marveling at the number of piles of unscooped dog poop and used condoms there were on the sidewalk. Not to mention the hobos and derelicts. Clearly, the City of New York doesn't give a crap about the Bronx. Kind of sad.

Harlem was the most fun. There were lots of ladies out running or walking and each one acknowledged me and offered an encouraging word. My foot was bothering me a lot so I walked from Marcus Garvey Park to 103rd St., just enjoying watching the city wake up.

I hated 5th Avenue below 103rd Street. It felt all uphill and I had to run on the cobble stones then because morning traffic was building. Team in Training was out in force with hydration stations dotting the Park and I was jealous. Their runners looked strong! And there were tons of other runners out too, crawling from crevices in the woodwork! Where have they been all year? My hands were all swollen from not having the proper hydration. I couldn't wait to be done. 3 more miles has never seemed so long.

As I finished through the south end of Central Park I crossed paths with my Saturday morning intenSati group and yelled "I love intenSati!" (And I really do. Can't wait to get back to doing that 3x a week.) I considered putting my ice bath off and joining class for an hour but had plans later that might have been compromised, so I didn't.

I stretched a little and then settled into my ice routine. I don't feel even the slightest bit sore right now. That's probably not the best sign. I suppose I didn't work hard enough. Then again, waking up and burning 900 calories before 10AM isn't too shabby. Tomorrow, though, I am sleeping in...

15: Poorly Rested

I'm running a 10 mile group long run tomorrow that follows the last 10 miles of the marathon route. I've tried to carb load, stay hydrated and lick salt over the last few days but I'm not sure I got the balance quite right. I feel a little dehydrated right now.

I also haven't gotten enough sleep. I was up at 4:15AM this morning to catch a flight, and then I worked like a maniac all day. I wish naps were enforced for adults. I want a carpet square with my name on it.

Now I am off to bed so I can be up at 6AM to hit the start line on East 60th street. It's strange. I'm looking forward to it in my head, but the rest of me is totally bummed and I'm sure in the morning will be begging to stay back in our cuddly down comforter swaddle heaven. It's going to be a challenge getting out the door for this one.

16: 5M Run in Chicago

Ever since I started this project I've dreamed of running along the Lake in Chicago. I've been here for work or pleasure maybe 5 times this year, but something has always come up - or it's been too cold. Today was the day.

I headed out from the Lincoln Park area around 6PM and went north. The path was paved, but then there was a narrow dirt shoulder alongside the main way that all the other runners seemed to favor, so I stayed over there too. Cushier on the joints, I guess.

The sky to my right was the pale blue color of my teenage bedroom, punctuated by a full white moon hanging out like a cheerful disk of micro-planed scallop. As the sun set, everything above smudged with baby pinks and yellows, a watercolor curtain backdrop for all the pretty sailboats docked and bobbing just off the shore. The path didn't stay right along the shore in many parts but there were "prairie gardens" planted (and dying) along the way to look at, and lots of dogs on leashes. Dogs and flowers are pretty much all I need to keep going across any terrain.

I didn't have a way to track my distance so I just went by time and my sense of things. I ran about 2.5 miles and then turned back to run the same route home. The people watching was great. Serious runners going for speed, novice women, teenagers in pairs, and speed walkers. I got some eye contact, especially from the folks I passed both ways, but of course, as is the runner's code no matter where you go, there was no actual acknowledgment of recognition. I'm doing my thing. You're doing yours. Let's keep going and get home before dark!

On my way back I accidentally turned into the city way too early and got lost. I really do manage to get lost in places where it's nearly impossible to get lost. There must be a subconscious agenda in this. No mind, I just kept running in what I thought was the right direction and eventually I got there...

It was cold outside but I loved that. By the time I got back to the house I'd perspired through my jacket and was very happy to grab a shower, change into sweats, and let my sister and her husband feed me a big bowl of homemade mussel soup. Much better than a powdered protein drink!

17: Magic Bus

Well, I almost had a little disaster on my hands. For those who've never run the NYC Marathon, you don't just take the ferry to Staten Island on the morning of the race and amble up to the start. There are 40,000 people who all need to be at the same place, at the same time, and the descent on SI is a highly orchestrated affair. You need to sign up for official transportation or you're not getting there. They close the roads and only official cars and busses can get through.

The real bummer about all this is that, with so many people to cart over to Staten Island, the procession has to start early. Real early. Like 5AM for some people. You get picked up in Manhattan, driven to Staten Island, and then wait in the cold for hours until the race starts in waves beginning a little bit before 10AM. Most people are pretty anxious the night before the marathon so they don't sleep anyway, and then they're up earlier than usual. It's a recipe for exhaustion; but go ahead and run 26.2 miles after all that!

Anyway, one of the great privileges of running as a guest of my amazing patron is that I've been invited to take their official bus over to the start. Their bus happens to pick up 4 blocks from my apartment and I don't have to be there until 6:15AM - so super swank! At least, that's how it was supposed to go...

I like knowing a plan is confirmed; but I haven't received any sort of communication from my sponsor about race day transportation. I started to get concerned so I sent them an email, just checking in. No reply. So I called - and it's a good thing I did. Apparently, oops, someone at HQ made a mistake and I wasn't on the transportation list, even though transportation had been outlined in my package.

My sponsor apologized and fixed the error - luckily there was still a spot open on the bus. Can you imagine if I hadn't called? All the regular transportation options through the NYRR are now closed. I might not have had a way to get there, though I suppose maybe I could have stayed over night at a hotel in Staten Island? What would I have done!

Hard to believe the marathon is just 17 days from today. I still have running to do. I'll take a nice outdoor jog along the Lake tomorrow here in Chicago, where I'm visiting on business for work. Then Saturday I'll be running 10 miles with a group. What else? I'm organizing a pep rally and fund raiser to take place a few days before the marathon! Details on that to follow...

18: Extra Extra

I've got well meaning friends and colleagues who like to set me up on dates. I find this flattering and rarely turn an introduction down because, well, I'm not married and, you never know. I've met my share of accountants, confirmed bachelor college friends of husbands, jackass bankers, over-complicated lawyers, and under-uncomplicated dog walkers. Today's "set up" was in a whole different category, though.

Early in the morning, one of my favorite colleagues bounded over to me full of enthusiasm about someone I just had to meet! This woman has excellent taste and knows me well. If anyone would have a chance of getting it right, it would be she. Her eyes were sparkling... it must be a good one, I thought!

"You have to get in touch with him!" she said, "He's your twin. He's so cute! He's 36, and he started running on a lark just like you did, and then he got tendinitis and he can't run now, but he's still going to run the marathon, and he's just like you! He even has a blog about running. And he's so cute! You have to meet him."

Turns out, it wasn't a friend of a friend, or someone she'd ever met. It was a guy she'd just read about in AM New York, one of the two free daily newspapers in NYC. Yes, people are setting me up with characters they read about in free newspapers. Should I consider this a problem?

An hour later, a wrinkled page 26 slid under my door. My colleague wasn't giving up; and it was true, from the article, it did look like this guy Kai and I had a lot in common; and he was cute, and funny. His blog was called Idiot Runner - and in the one entry I read he wrote about his stupid piece of shit Garmin that wasn't working. Hmmm...

I tracked the man down.

Long story short, Idiot Runner is not single. And his "real life" email alias, by the way, is something akin to StudMuffin@IdiotRunner.com, which might have been a red flag, were this story going where it isn't. Stud Muffin is, however, suffering from tendinitis, as I do, and we have a boatload else in common. Within a few hours we'd become pen pals, Stud Muffin and me. Not sure if we'll stay in touch but I'm pretty sure we'll be brushing shoulders in the last hours of the race, as we both push for our dreams to come true... and hopefully limp across that finish line.

The article: http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/nyc-marathon-2010-the-idiot-runner-copes-with-injury-1.2374333

19: Mr. Foot Dreams of His Holiday

When I was running yesterday, hurting, and grinding it out, I had fantasies of what I might post to my facebook status today: Michelle Sanders can't walk. Or maybe, Michelle Sanders is on ice. But, surprise, surprise, I'm totally fine... Sure, I'm a little bit sore, but nothing major and nothing compared to after previous long runs. I can climb stairs, sit and bend. I don't feel like a "shaken baby."

Formula for success: eating right for 3 days before the run; staying hydrated, salted and fed for the full run; stretching while running and after; more food and drinking; walking; ice bath; hot bath; foam roller; and 2 Advil the next morning. Totally fine. Miracle.

We'll see how I feel tomorrow. The only thing that's bothering me right now is my dear foot, where my original injury was. It feels worse than ever. I've got 3 weeks to nurse it back to mediocre so I can run one more long run - the big one! And after that, I'm sending Mr. Foot on a holiday! (Probably with the rest of me... because we're all going to need to lie down for a while after 26.2!)