I’m so pumped. Like WAY pumped. In fact, I need to get less pumped because its 9pm and the race is in 12 hours.
After all the training and the knee-freak-out and the desperate medical treatment; after the packing and traveling and time zone differences; after the press conferences and media appearances and technical meetings…its finally here.
THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON BABY!
47,000 people will wake up with me at 5am tomorrow and cram some oatmeal into their fluttering stomachs. We’ll triple check that we have everything we need before boarding buses to Staten Island. We’ll convince ourselves we are standing on a hot beach in Mexico to stop the full body shivering from the low 40’s temps until we finally get on with the bloody thing.
Other than that, I have no idea what will happen. I’ve received some great advice from you guys so I feel much more prepared than most first timers, but my own marathon experience awaits.
Am I nervous? It comes in waves. My right hand is twitching while I write this, so yeah, this would be one of those waves. I try to acknowledge it and then let it pass through me. Mostly I’m excited because I feel I have nothing to lose. Its an adventure–a new experience, and I’m starting to appreciate how valuable new experiences are.
For 9 weeks I’ve trained like a marathoner (at least for me) and I’ve already achieved what I set out to do when I signed up for this thing. This race itself is the reward.
If you want to stay updated on the race tomorrow you can watch it live on Universal Sports. There is a tape delayed highlight show on NBC from 2-4pm Eastern. Jesse will be tweeting updates throughout the race as well (which is your best bet if you are my family or friends who don’t like running and only want to know how I’m doing).
The more I think about it, the more my right hand twitches and my heart races, so in the name of settling down to sleep I’ll finish this post with a photographic story of my New York Marathon Experience so far, and tomorrow I’ll give you the post-race breakdown. Just know that no matter what happens, I’ll be happy with it because I’ll do my best out there. Thanks a million for all the supportive comments this week you guys. You’ve really lifted me up for the challenge.

At the press conference, I had seven times as many people asking me questions as you'd find at a track meet (yes there are exactly seven people at the table; easy math). Turns out the media likes marathons.

Scoping out the finish line, where I was approached by the one and only Jere Longman about a story for the NY Times and nearly peed my pants.

Very excited to find out my knee is behaving after treatment from Jon Murray at home and a stop to see John Ball in Phoenix.

This is me at Nike Town attempting to give marathon advice to other runners when I've never done one. They went easy on me.

At the gorgeous NYRR fundraiser dinner on Thursday, the highlight for me (other than meeting the amazing Tegla Leroupe) was witnessing pizza hanging from hooks.

Went for a run on Friday in Central Park and it was so beautiful I pushed some newlyweds out of the shot and asked their photographer for a photo.
So excited for you, I’ll be watching. Thanks for sharing this moment with us! And good luck! π
Love. This.
Heading off to bed now – I’ll be out there running for like 1.5 hours after you’re done, but I’ll be thinking about you starting as I shiver back in corral 18! Best of luck…you deserve an incredible race π
Lauren, Thanks for sharing your excitement and recap of the last few days. The photos are great. Sounds like your experience has been amazing so far. I have no doubt that tomorrow will be equally amazing for you. Soak it up and stay warm! There will be a lot of pajama laden Eugenians rooting for you.
yay lauren!!! will be sending positive energy and cheering you on tomorrow. kick butt!! π
Good luck!! You are a beast. 26.2 aint got nothin on you! Run smart, run strong, and believe!
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN! Enjoy the reward! You got this!
You will do great!!! Kelly (Lewis) and Vicki Goodwin ran the LA marathon a few years back. So much fun to watch!!
Good luck Lauren! I will be thinking of you finishing…as I’m passing the 10 mile marker!
Go flesh!! You will do great! Know that jazzy Janet and I are rooting for you in your honor I will jog the 3 miles to breakfast xoxo have fun!
Reading your blog, you are such an inspiration. I love your outlook on life and running. A great spirit running a great race. Good Luck! π
Oatmeal!!?? That’s what I eat! Wow; so cool. Good luck! I’ll be following the Jesse tweets and routing you on.
Good luck.. Hang tough and have fun!
So excited for you!! Have a fabulous race, and hope you can get some good sleep tonight!
Good luck tomorrow Lauren. You are going to rock it! It’s been fun and inspiring to read about your marathon training experience. Thanks for sharing! I’ll be cheering for you from Eugene!
Good luck Lauren!!! So excited to follow your race! <3
best of luck. Will be at columbus Circle cheering and yellling!
Go Lauren! All your Israeli based fans are rooting for you to have a great experience today π
hey lauren, just saw your tweet and clicked to read this. we’ll be watching over here at 3pm in Switzerland:-) good luck from over the pond!!!
Good Luck Lauren and run to your destiny!
Good luck Lauren! I love your blog and will be following you today. I can’t wait to hearnall about it. Yesterday I met Tegla too…..and Paula!
Good luck Lauren!!!!
Best of luck Lauren!!! Your an inspiration!
Good luck Lauren – we’ll be cheering you at the 6 mile mark (4th ave and 11th st)…
Good Luck Lauren!! You are truely an inspiration on young inspiring runners. π
Wahooo! Following Jesse’s tweets. You are crushing it! So excited for you
2:37:23. Awesome job!!!!
Congrats! Awesome debut!
Congrats! You are amazing!
Congratulations! You’re definitely a marathoner now!
16th, Really?! Outstanding! Congrats! Really Really Exciting!!! Was there any left in the toothpaste tube? 2012’s gonna be awesome! Thanks again for the inspiration!
Congratulations Lauren! Fantastic job today.
Congratulations on your awesome race, and on becoming a marathoner!! Enjoy the rest of your time in NYC! Really looking forward to the race recap.
You’re basically just the most amazing person ever. I know there’s a ton of more AMAZING that will come from you! Congratulations!
Great job today! Amazing for your first time. Can’t wait till I can run a marathon someday, although what you said for flotrack isn’t too encouraging. haha
Amazingly fast pace for the long first half+ of the race, what a stud-ette! How did you keep the hub caps from falling off??? Your excellent adventure ended with a 16th place finish, not bad for your rookie experience!
Wonderful race Lauren.
Congratulations on your perseverance and ability to run through that wall of pain.We are having a drink to celebrate your marathon.Your time was the second best U.S.women’s finish..I sent Jesse a photo of you waiting to be interviewed .Love to you both.
Sandra
Congratulations! You ran so fearlessly, especially after the last couple of weeks you have had and I am totally in awe of that!
I love your desire to expand your life with new challenges and experiences. . . it’s really the only way to live. Congratulations on an incredible marathon debut and hope to see you in NYC in ’12!!
Lauren I’m a new yorker and I was SO excited to see you out there today. I was right at the turn after mile 25 and i was the crazy fan yelling at you. I could tell you had bonked by your facial expression -marathons are no joke and that is one of the tough portions of the race but you attacked that race with everything you had, especially with the crazy up downs of the season for you and all your injury emotional turmoil. You are the true meaning of a warrior because you pushed past it and had a positive outlook and fearlessly took on NYC. I also loved your pink streaks & pink BIC band you were by the far snazziest runner out there. The marathon was the best experience and I was so happy to see you out there. We are all so proud of you and CONGRATS ON YOUR MARATHON DEBUT! You are injury free and that is the biggest yay of it all, ( enough to run it at least). I love following this blog because of your outlook on it all. Just like the person above said – your desire to try new challenges and expand your life – that’s why we all come back and read your posts! Keep it up! can’t wait to see what’s next up for you! and please post a recap of the race i am dying to know it all from your perspective.
Lauren,
HOLY COW!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooooo proud of you. You dug deep and it was just amazing. I am training for my first marathon and have such a long way to go. When I read the times article on you, I cried and felt a sense of awe wondering how you found it within. I think it must be the PICKY BARS. They did it. π
Cheers to your effort, your fantastic endurance, your debut time _ (ah hello, and you are not even a marathoner and you gave them some honking competition!!!) and your network there to support you.
Can’t wait to read your updates, about your recovery, and if you feel it was worth it.
THANK YOU for your guts. I gotta get me some PICKY BARS! π
All the best!
Congrats! Finishing a marathon is a great accomplishment and finishing with in the time it took you to run it even better. I’m waiting for the Philly marathon on the 20th and am entering the freak-out stage (one week before the event). It is a time where I question everything and feel the smallest twinges all over that I haven’t felt in training. Since I know this is my freak-out time I expect these sensations but I’m wondering, how do you handle it?
Congratulations on your marathon debut in NYC. Your accomplishments in running have inspired me to start running again.
Table 8 Position 2 …??!!!! Multiply 8 x 2 and you get 16.
…Hot Like 16
Just sayin.’
I was at both of those parties, and thought you might have been wearing the same dress! π