2013 ING NYC Marathon - Expo & Day Before Race Day {Part I}

It's taken a month and a half to sit down and finally write. I don't want to forget anything about marathon weekend, so I'm writing and writing. Here goes nothing...

Marathon weekend came faster than I expected. I was in full on taper mode and took rest to heart. Barely running, no other exercising. I had cut out drinking for 3 weeks and cut out junk the week of the marathon. Some can drink the night before running, I can't. Some can eat poorly before, I can't. My body just doesn't agree with it.

On Friday afternoon, I left work early to head into the city with M to pick up my race bib, shop and get the stress and excitement of the expo out of the way. M had the day off and surprised me with a bouquet of flowers. He said they were the only flowers with a sunflower in them (my favorite). One of his very romantic things, although I now think that anyone who loves you enough to stand around and wait to see you run by for over 4 hours is romantic.

Unfortunately, getting to the expo was not simple. After an hour and a half of waiting for the free shuttle, a subway line closing and not being able to find a cab, we walked to the expo from Grand Central. Neither of us was happy to say the least, but once we got there, it was easy getting in and picking up everything was painless.

Walking into the expo...blurry iPhone Photo
I got to meet one of M's friends and teammates from his track days in college. We wandered around until I found myself a pink 26.2 magnet for my car along with picking out something for my parents to give me for Christmas.

I also ran into one of my friends from 'cuse. We had spent 10 days in Europe together and were very close. Even though we haven't seen each other in a few years, bumping into one another felt like we were back where we left off. She had terrible knee issues, so she wasn't going to be able to run the race she had hoped for, but she was still toughing it because she had worked so hard.

At the Expo
After we left, we ventured to midtown to get some dinner. We stumbled across this burger place that we had eaten at 2 years ago the day before one of the half marathons that I was running in Central Park. It felt like fate. Good burgers and a root beer left me full and tired. We took a late train home, and I got a rough night's sleep. Not what you want 2 nights before race day.

Race Day Outfit
Saturday we did random errands, and I got my race outfit ready. I couldn't believe that the day I'd been waiting for all my life was only hours away. I made sure to hydrate, eat a delicious dinner of tofu "meat"-balls and pasta, then get to bed early. But once I got in bed, I couldn't fall asleep. M had went out to spend time with one of our friends, and I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep until he was home.
12:30AM rolled around and still no sleep. My alarm was set to go off at 4:45AM, so I just kept counting down the hours. Finally M was home, and I actually drifted to sleep. Then my alarm went off, and I jumped out of bed.

...stay tuned for more.