marathon time!

The NYC Marathon was a held a couple weekends ago on the most gorgeous fall day ever. It was so perfect for the runners. Unlike last year, I didn't have any friends running (no dog in the race, per se?) that I wanted to see, so Kurt and I leisurely watched on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn near my apartment. We grabbed some coffee and found a spot on the route. Hilariously, we were watching near a banana station which held more entertainment than you would think. 

I can't describe how much I love the marathon. There is nothing but positivity buzzing through the streets in a city that can sometimes seem rough around the edges. Over forty thousand people are attempting an amazing feat and they have the support of thousands of strangers to help them get there. I'm such a sap, but I'm practically in tears every year. It's so touching! You must experience the marathon at least once! Plan a trip for next year. Hotel Melissa is currently taking reservations for November 2012 :)

{good photos by Kurt}

Marathon!

This Sunday was one of my favorite New York events: the Marathon! Amazingly, the route runs right down my street and this was the first year I was able to enjoy a little bit of the race from my window.

The first round is the wheelchairs...

...then the Elite Women...

...then the Elite Men. 

Eventually all the regular people got started, so we moved down the street in hopes of spotting our friend Majo who has been training for months! Our friends, Erin and Paul, have a great ground floor apartment a couple blocks from mine. They have a large parking area in front where we hung out with Bloody Marys and Mimosas while cheering on the runners.

Their block was super fun! There was a DJ across the street pumping out dance music to motivate the runners. Everyone, I'm talking onlookers and runners, got really into YMCA. It's such an amazing day where so many New Yorkers unite for this one cause. Thousands of people take on this incredible challenge and their neighbors, friends, and strangers come out offering nothing other than love and support. Our outpost was at about the 8 mile mark so it was great to see the runners relatively early in the race. I hope they were just as chipper towards the end! 

At times the crowd of runners was pretty dense and nearly impossible to spot one person. We nearly missed Majo! We didn't see her until she was right upon us and was gone in a flash. At least she heard us cheer her on for a moment. We saw her later on in the evening for celebration drinks. Apparently she didn't pace herself well enough in the beginning and had to walk a bit towards the middle of the race. She finished a little slower than she had hoped. But seriously?! She finished! I give her major kudos for that!

While we were a cheering support post for Majo, she had other friends set up along the route supplying her with water and fuel. Erik and Silvia were kind enough to take a bike expedition to meet Majo at a couple crucial points in Manhattan when morale can be at its lowest. Luckily their signs and happy faces made it worth continuing. {Image thanks to Silvia.}

I was amazed how many runners take part in the marathon. The crowd of athletes was thick for hours but eventually thinned out at our 8 mile mark. The cheering sections dispersed a bit too, so we decided it was our job to cheer on the remaining slowpokes (and the people in crazy costumes). 

Mets and Yankees.

Ladies in bras (only). I think they power walked the whole thing.

Not even sure what to call this one.

Staying to watch the stragglers was a little sad. Eventually they have the Sweep Bus come and pick up people who are obviously not going to finish. You want to cheer them on but if they are struggling that much at mile 8, the rest of the race doesn't look too promising. Regardless, it was a great day (lovely running weather too) and I'm so proud of all the runners. Congratulations!

I fell in love with this little guy.

Battle of Brooklyn

I've never fancied myself much of a runner but have surprisingly been getting into it this year. During the cold months (when I could muster enough willpower to make it to the YMCA), I got started on the treadmill at the gym. Since it's been warm, I put my gym membership on hold and have been running outside. It's so much more interesting than staring at a screen at the gym. I get to learn my neighborhood and explore other areas of Brooklyn. There are so many interesting things to see! Whenever I can peel myself out of bed early, I try to go for a run in the morning. One of my favorite routes is around Fort Greene park. There is no leash enforcement for dogs between 9pm and 9am, so I get to see all the pups frolic about. It makes my day!

Anyway, I have a friend, Majo, who is training for the NYC Marathon in November. She is always trying to get people into running and got myself and a few of our friends to run a 5k in March. I didn't die then, so I thought I would continue to give the whole running thing a try. Earlier in the summer, Majo sent out a notice for a race in Prospect Park called the Battle of Brooklyn (Kurt fondly calls his neighborhood Battle Hill after this Revolutionary War event). The park has a loop which is about 3.3 miles around. 3 laps equals 10 miles. You could either run the whole thing (like Majo and several of her other hardcore running friends) or organize a 3 person relay team. I am no shape to run 10 miles, so I teamed up with a couple of Majo's friends, Lizz and Tina, for the race this past weekend. Majo suggested we call our team Majo's Angels. It was perfect since she was the one to bring us together in the first place! She even made us cute graphics to pin on our shirts for the race.

I was a pretty rainy day but wasn't so miserable because it kept us cool. Lizz ran the first leg, then me, and Tina finished strong for us. We weren't breaking any speed records but it was still a fun day.

Our cheering section complete with cowbells and enthusiasm. They were troopers to sit out in the rain for a couple hours early on a Sunday morning. Thanks Jenn, Kristin, and Kurt for your support!

Kurt rode his bike alongside me for the final stretch of my lap. It only encouraged me to run faster to escape his taunts and obnoxious cowbell. Thanks.

Look at Majo go! I can't wait to cheer her on in November! I'm so excited to watch the marathon this year because the route goes directly in front of my apartment. The marathon is such a fun New York experience. The locals really get into it and the city is full of excitement. I'm in awe of all the runners.

Majo's Angels post race, all sweaty and rained on. We clocked a time of 1 hour 44 minutes. Sadly, the race was sort of disorganized, so we didn't get our individual lap times.

Post-race. Way to go ladies!