Just wanted to let you all know that I will be running in the ING New York City Marathon this Sunday. It caps my recovery from a heart attack over five years ago and it means a whole lot to me. I have been trying to get into this race for three years and finally got in this year. You can track my progress if you wish by logging on to the NY Road runners website at www.nyrr.org and finding the link to track a runner. My race number is 51144. Enter my number and the computer chip on my ankle will track me every 3.1 miles for the first 16 miles and every mile after that for the total of 26.2 miles. Not sure where the link is on the website because that feature is not up on the site yet, but they tell me it will happen. In any case, wish me luck. It's a long run, starting on Staten Island, over the Verrazano bridge running all the way North through Brooklyn and Queens, into Manhattan, up to the Bronx along First Avenue and down Fifth Avenue to Central Park, ending at Tavern on the Green on the West side of Central Park. Been training for it since the summer. I am in the best shape of my life, made my goal weight for the run. Say prayers for me for a successful and safe race. I'm looking for a finishing time of about 4 hours and 20 minutes but will be happy just to finish it running and not walking I'll let you all know how it turns out. Andy
Andy, GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it goes even better than you hope for. You have a great goal, and I do not doubt that you will be able to achieve it. We will all be rooting for you. Best wishes, and good health.....Mike
Yup! Heck~ I broke a sweat just READING that! It can't be any worse than putting a transmission in, right? Just imagine as you run, an old AD crawling along in the low end of second gear. That's about the mph you're looking at, right? See the truck. Be the truck~ All the best, Andy!
Go Andy Go! I'm thinking the only thing I've ever done in my life for 4 hrs. and 20 min. without stopping would have to be sleeping. Good luck to you!!! Bob
Go for it! Andy, sounds like the views will be fantastic! Good luck and I hope you set your personal best!
Thanks all, I'm jumping out of my skin waiting for the big day!!! I even closed my office today because I didn't want to be so distracted by thinking about it when working on patients. Going to NYC today to the Marathon Expo to pick up my race number and check in. VERY excited. Andy
I,m new here Andy But wanted to give You Kudo,s for doing it in the first place, & wish You the best of luck. Stay safe. Bob
Good luck Good on yer, just remember to run thru the wall, dont stop! Got to admit its a sore subject, bit of a pet hate of mine, my missus has run the london one a few times and endless half ones and even worse some tri-athlons! and ive had to drag myself half way round the bloody country watching her do it! standing in the pouring rain and freezing cold, even riding my mountain bike all over the muddy countryside to show weak enthusiasm as she trots past, only to head off to another part of the course to do it again for a few seconds then off again etc etc, and the bad moods she gets in while training! jees! shes a nightmare sometimes. Trouble is shes addicted now and even though she always suffers injuries, she wont give up, she always goes out running.....trouble is she always comes back! If only they had the tracking thingy over here, i could have watched at home with a cold one. Much better! Sorry, got into a bit of a rant then, anyway, wear proper running shoes, vaseline on the bits that chaffe lol plenty of fluids and you can do it! I will try and keep track. P.s. an i-pod makes the hours pass quicker.
From heart attack to marathon; now I know why the obstacles encountered during the truck saga were overcome. My admiration and best wishes to you.
Okay, Here's the skinny (as we say in Noo Yawk). Click this link http://fanalert.ingnycmarathon.org/Alerts.aspx Then register your email address and enter my race number of 51144. You will automatically be sent emails every time I pass a check point. Every 3.1 miles for the first 16 miles, then every mile for the last 10 miles including the finish. I went to the Marathon Expo today. Jumping out of my skin with excitement. Can't wait for the race. Andy
Past Marathons! If I recall correctly (IIRC), there was an incident where a marathon runner hired a cab to pick him up and drive to a forward place, whereby he jumped out fresh as a sheet of Bounce and finished the marathon. If memory serves, I think it was the Boston Marathon. Here's the deal, Andy! It is very hard to disguise a Chevy AD with Old Navy painted on the side, so take the keys with you so your kiddos don't try to give dad the winning edge You GO! big guy! You got any pledges on this? You finish this and I'll donate money to your favorite charity! PM me and we'll work out the details!
Finish! Congrats Andy! Checked the results, and looks like you made it! Amazing accomplishment. Hope the recovery goes well. I'm sure you are beyond exhausted. Hope it inspires others to set tough goals, and work hard towards them. Keep it up....Mike
Loooong Run It was indeed a very long run!!! I have never been in such ggod shape in my life and began the run very strong. When training, I ran 15 miles twice, 18 miles, 20 miles so I know I was ready for this! Then at mile 13 on sunday, the lateral ligaments on my knees began to stiffen up just like when I ran the Long Island marathon last year. I was extremely annoyed and perplexed. Why were my knees locking up at mile 13 when they gave me no trouble at all on 15, 18 or 20 mile runs when training? It was the COLD. My training runs were not done in 40 degree weather!!! My knees don't like the cold!!! NEXT year I'm going to wear my tights instead of shorts and that will keep my knees warmer. Anyway, my knees got really bad by mile 17 when I met Kathy for the second time. Thankfully, she secured me some Advil. I shuffled, hobbled, limped, walked to mile 20. At mile 20 (the infamous "Wall" that everybody talks about) I made a decision that I was not going to do the last 6.2 miles shuffling along like some cripple. I thought that maybe if I ran FASTER, my knees wouldn't hurt so much. I took off like a shot and ran in the last 6.2 miles (in severe pain). New York is great. With my name on my shirt, any time I slowed or stopped, the crowd would yell at me, "Come on, Andy. You can do it". Way cool. It really was a great day, but I still have trouble walking forwards down the stairs. I had to walk backwards down the stairs to get to the train home. But, it's a GOOD hurt, right??? No. Check out a couple of pics taken at mile 17 and after the race. Andy
