The Marathon - New York City

The day of the marathon started early with a 3am start although with daylight saving finishing we did get an extra hours sleep.  Following toileting and getting dressed in the marathon race gear, black skins top and black exercise pants, I wipped down to one of the hotel meeting rooms to pick up breakfast at 4pm. The early start was too early for the kitchen so they had prepared breakfast packs for us containing fresh fruit salad, water, energy bar, banana, yoghurt and of course a bagel. They had also provider a waiter who served us hot tea or coffee and ticked our names off as we collected our goodies. 

At 4-30am I meet with Peter & Rob, gave Denise a hug and a kiss and then headed out to walk to where the buses were waiting on 5th Avenue. This walk took about 15 minutes and it was amazing the number of people still on the streets, quite a few Halloween revelers were still around - many worse for wear. We got to our buses at about 4:45am which was right on time. Prior to getting to our buses we past stacks of other buses that were waiting for the hoards of runners that would be arriving soon.

I loaded the bus with Ian, another NZ Achilles athlete who was competing on a recumberent cycle powered by his legs that were amputated above the knees. Ian suffered massive injuries following the blast from an explosion which injured his legs, left him with no right elbow and a brain injury. If you watch out you may see him compete in the Rio Oympics at swimming which he is going to try to qualify for. Also next to me on the bus was a Norwegian, he was making a comeback to the sport after 10 years having recently completed the Berlin marathon. There were probably about 13 wheelchair athletes on our bus from countries including Germany, Peru and even the USA! I imagined that as soon as we were loaded we would leave for the start line, instead we waited for almost 2 hours. Apparently we were waiting for a Police escort which did eventually arrive including CHIPS style motorcycle cops.

Celebrating post race with Ian Winson

As we drove off from 5th Avenue it was starting to get light so we could few some of the city. We eventually got to a road that was next to the river and we started to see some of the bridges, firstly Brooklyn bridge and then the Queensborough bridge which we would cross. Onward we went with our police escort, through the Wall St area of lower Manhatten and then into a very long tunnel under the Hudson River. We then drove on a freeway to the Verrazona Narrows bridge crossing it to get to Statten Island and the start.

With the delays of waiting for the police we only had about 15 minutes to get to the Achilles area, go to the toilet, get the racing chair ready and myself loaded but no decent chance to check things over. We were lucky though to have Peter Loft with us to help get organised. We then wheeled to the start line and waited about 20 minutes for the 8:30am start for the push rim mens. Before we get going we have a couple of speeches, including a short one from the mayor and then the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung and we were under starters orders. I am feeling good at the start line; a little nervous but eager to get going and I am feeling fresh even with the early start and the jet lag - LET THE RACE BEGIN!

With Peter Loft - Mr Achilles NZ

I was at the back of the mens field along with my Norwegian friend, a couple of Peruvians and 2 guys with standard chairs. The hooter sounds and we are off. By the time I get over the 2 electronic timer bumps the rest of the field have left me behind except the two guys in standard chairs. The race starts with the climb up the
Verrazona Narrows bridge, a vertical climb of about 50 metres over 1.3km. I make slow but steady progress with my training at Staveley definitely helping. As I near the crest of the bridge some of the elite women fly past me.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge

On the way down the bridge I get my speed into the +40km/hr zone. One decision I have made prior to the race is not too take any of the corners too quick, I don't want my race to end with a crash. As I desend the bridge another women goes past me so I follow her as closely as possible to help gauge the best speed and line.

I get off the bridge without any drama and then go through a few corners and get my first "Go Kiiwi!" call after someone recognises my black silver fern flag.  Next is a relatively steep little climb which takes me to the start of a very long and virtually straight run through Brooklyn.  This part of the course is undulating and the crowd support is pretty full on with many people giving me encouragement. I am in a rare position of travelling through the New York marathon course almost exclusively alone and I am therefore able to interact with the crowd in special way. I find myself pushing hard on the uphills and then once my momentum is built up on the downhill I look around and check out the sights. I can't stop a big smile on face, this experience is incredible and several times I get a tingle up my spine....part of my spine that is!!

Through Brooklyn my progress is really good and I am averaging a speed in excess of 16km/hr which is about the race pace I will need to finish the race in 2 1/2 hours. As I progress through Brooklyn there are some distinct neighbourhoods including a Jewish quarter and it also seems to get more affluent with leafy suburbs and more recognition of my black silver fern flag. After getting through Brooklyn the next milestone is the Polaski Bridge which takes me into Queens. I seemed to spin through Queens pretty quickly maintaining a + 16km/hr pace, although I am aware the Queensborough bridge is still coming up, I will need reserves to tackle this beast.

Head Down and Pushing Hard!

The entrance onto the bridge is not ideal with an uphill grade and tight left turn which leaves me at a virtual stand still.  As I start climbing the Queensborough bridge it seems a lot older than the Verrazona Bridge, it is also gloomy as we are on the lower level. With security tight following the bombing at the Boston marathon there are no spectators on the bridge so you are left in the quiet with your own thoughts although the silence is broken with a train rumbling  above me on the top deck of the bridge. As with Verrazona Narrows it is simply a matter of putting your head down and pushing as hard as I can. On the way up the bridge I notice I am still releasing air from my left wheel when I brush the valve with my glove. On the bridge with me is a cyclist, one of the race helpers, I get his attention near the crest of the bridge and get him to tighten the valve for me again. Unfortunately he does not have presto valve dust caps to fix the problem.

Once I am over the crest of the bridge it is time for another speedy decent although I have been warned the corner at the bottom of the bridge is a doozey and sure enough I see the hay bales again and there are plenty of marshalls warning me to slow down. The corner is basically a long hairpin which allows you to turn back underneath the bridge and start 1st Avenue.  This is one of the iconic parts of the course; loaded with spectators and therefore very noisy and a special piece of architecture.

1st Avenue under Queensborough Bridge

When I start 1st Avenue I have travelled about 26km and I am still feeling good. 1st avenue starts with a little downhill and then starts to climb and I push on with an average speed still in excess of 16km/hr. After the noisy and large crowds at the start of 1st Avenue the crowd starts to thin as I get further up the road, it is a bit like Brooklyn again with a long straight that last about 6km. By the time I get to the end of 1st Avenue there is only the occasional spectator, one elderly african american women shouts support to me "Goes Achilles!", these moments when people recognise your group or country are cool.

I am now have to climb another bridge (Willis Avenue Bridge), a smaller one but it is still a decent haul up to the crest and then I drop into the Bronx. The Bronx don't seem to last that long with 6 quick corners over about 1.5km. I do get my hearing assaulted in the Bronx by some some huge speakers and hippop music. As I climb another small bridge to exit the Bronx I realise this will be my last bridge :-)

 I am now getting pretty close to home (35km) and I get a vehry quick look at Harlem which tries to out noise the Bronx with another huge DJ speaker outfit. When I reach 5th Avenue and Central Park I can hear somebody reminding me that "The marathon starts at Central Park", and this is absolutely spot on for me.  With the park on your right you start climbing 5th Avenue, I knew that there was a climb here but didn't realise how long it was. By now I am definitely not feeling that good and the arms feel empty which makes the climb challenging but I seem to be going slower than I should. I look down at my left tire and realise it is now nearly flat which is making progress very difficult. The climb never seems to stop but eventually I make the top and then I am into the park and descending quite steeply and I am rather cautious not knowing how the flat tyre will handle. While I am going through the park I am looking and asking spectators if they have a pump without any luck.

The route then takes me back out of the park and I have now completed more information 40km and there is another very small hill to conquer but ever uphill grade with the flat is tough and I am running on the rims now. It is then back into the park, a downhill and then a uphill to the finish. The last rise to the finish line is painfully slow and the stands full of people around the finish all start backing me and chant "PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!!". This not how I wanted to finish crawling over the line but having all those people support me was a real buzz! Once through the finish I am given my medal, there is photo and then on through all the helpers getting ready for the flood of runners.

Finished!

Eventually with some help I get to the Achilles area where Deniďse and all the others are waiting and I can relax. Denise gives mea kiss and I am wrapped up to keep warm and we go to find my standard chair and I wrestler my way out of my race chair. It looks as though I completed the marathon in 3 hours 2 minutes, not my target but I am happy to finish. Recovery means food, drink and a change of clothes and we then wait for Ian to come in. Ian eventually makes it to the Achilles area and is in pretty good shape considering the fact that he was very sick and dehydrated yesterday. After some recovery for Ian we head to some transport for the trip back to the hotel. There are 2 reasonably large SUV's waiting for us, no Chevy Suburban's as I was hoping for though! Unfortunately they have nothing to accommodate Ian's power chair so he is forced to go back to the hotel in via the footpath. Once back at the hotel I am feeling pretty good and surprisingly don't sleep following the very early start. The day is concluded at a bar just up the road from the hotel with World Marathon Tours arranging free drinks and nibbles. The beer definitely taste sweet and I eat like a horse.