Luiz Ferreira's Blog

The best race I have ever run

It's amazing how people get involved with the race.  More than two million fans cheering runners on as they speed through the five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx. The race this year attracted incredibly 98,000 applicants for only 38,000 guaranteed spots. This is why it is one of the most popular and prestigious road races in the world.

To secure a spot you can run for charity or buy a travel package.  Over 5,000 participants ran this year in support of charitable organizations and over $12 million dollars was raised for their various causes.  The other ways are to apply to the lottery or joining New York Road Runner (NYRR) races.  This year I bought a travel package, but I'll try to run for charity in 2008.

There are people from everywhere in the world and each one brings a few of his/her style. The city is crowded with runners.  From start to finish of the marathon, and the day after, people are motivating you.  It looks like each observer is your own supporter.  During the race there are over 120 live bands along the route playing gospel, jazz, rock, hip-hop and other types of music.  The greater part of the marathon's route does not have barricades separating the runners from the spectators; this allows runners to have more involvement with the spectators.  People yell out the names written on the runners' shirts.

You can find many curious things during the route.  At about 2km (1.25mi) there was a guy who was holding up a sign that read: "FINISHING IS THE ONLY F**KING OPTION!".  I liked it!

Why preparation is so important

From 4 to 6 months before the race, the athlete has to have a strong (albeit flexible) discipline.  Eating and run training are as important as physical workouts and sleep.  You have to eat at regular intervals, go to the gym when you are not really feeling motivated to do anything and get up early on a raining Sunday morning to run 20km (12.5mi), and so on.  And If you relax you can lose everything.

I made a mistake when I put the marathon in the middle of my vacation agenda.  It should have been the first commitment because it's difficult to keep your regular feeding time in another country.  For example, all runners know how important it is to eat bananas.  Personally, I used to eat about a dozen bananas/week. For about fifteen days before the race, I did not eat a single banana.  The consequence was that at 32km (20mi) I had a terrible cramp which made me stop running for ten minutes and walk the effect off for 6km (3.75mi).  Also, in a low temperature, to stop running loses heat too fast and you get too cold.  So I completed the race in 4h 57m 47s, not a good time for one that was expecting to complete the marathon in less than four hours.

Correct running shoes

It's important to choose the correct running shoes.  This year I ran two marathons, in Rio de Janeiro and New York City. I ran the one in Rio de Janeiro with the wrong running shoes and because of this I felt a lot of pain the next day. After evaluating my footstep, I chose the correct running shoes. I ran in New York with them and the next day I was able to jog 10km (6.25mi) with no problem! So I strongly recommend to you to choose the correct running shoes if you decide to run. It can be a short or a long race, even a training, but choose the correct running shoes.

Donating clothes for the homeless

The marathon starts at 10:10 am. The buses start to get the runners at 5 am in front of the NYC Public Library to take them to the start line in Fort Wadsworth. Until the race starts, the runners can have a breakfast with coffee, tea, milk, bagels, cereal bars, apple, banana and water.

I took the bus at 6 am and at 7 am I was in the start line. When I left Manhattan it was cold, so I got a coat and gloves. At 7 am the sun rose and the sky was crystal clear. I figured it would be a beautiful sunny, warm and fresh Sunday, with the temperature around 14ºC (57ºF). At 10 am the temperature was warming up. And everybody started to take off their coats and gloves. I had to take mine off too! The day stayed warm until about 1 pm, when the sun left and it started to get cold. I am accustomed to running in Rio de Janeiro in temperatures of 35ºC (95ºF) or higher. At the end of the race I felt cold. The temperature was about 5ºC (41ºF). Due to the cramp that I had and the 6km (3.75mi) walk, I was feeling very cold in the finish line. I was only thinking of the coat I had left 42km behind. Anyway, I made my donation!

It's not one more marathon, it is the New York City Marathon!

In the middle of the Queensboro Bridge after 25.6km (16mi) there was a series of signs. I only became aware that I was running in New York when I read the following signs in the following sequence: first "If Easy Means Having Only 10 Miles Left", second "Then Welcome To Easy" and third "Welcome to Manhattan". When you enter Manhattan the First Avenue is crowded with runners and spectators just waiting for you. Finally, the moment of glory had arrived. It was terrific!

The day after

It's fantastic how everybody gets out wearing the medal. People in the streets congratulate you, the Guggenheim Museum is free for the runners, and you feel like a rock idol. The funniest experience I had was the bus driver that saw me with my medal and said "Congratulations! I saw you on TV!". I thanked him and laughed, and he laughed too.

Plans for the next year

I'll start a campaign with my friends to run this race again, so don't be surprised if you receive an email inviting you to participate in the race. As I previously stated, the ways to run the race are the lottery system, running on support of an affiliated charity organization, applying through an international travel partner, or joining New York Road Runners and completing nine scored NYRR races in the calendar year preceding the marathon.

The finish line certainly symbolizes one thing: accomplishment. It challenges you to come back and do it again next year. From the 39,085 runners who started this year's marathon, above 98 percent finished. This shows the determination of the runners who participate from around the world.

Map of the Race

Pics of New York City

   
 

Links

Ferreira, Luiz M28 [BIB 22052] Result www.ingnycmarathon.com/results/

New York Times Slide Show www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/11/04/nyregion/

The New York Times Newspaper www.nytimes.com

The ING New York City Marathon Official Web Site www.ingnycmarathon.com

New York Road Runners www.nyrr.org

NYC Marathon Charity Partners (2007) www.ingnycmarathon.com/about/charity_partners.php

NYC Marathon Official Photo (2007) www.ingnycmarathonphotos.com

ING Run for Something Better (2007) www.ingrfsb.com/?d=5

Published December 7, 2007.