NYC Marathon Part One: Expo and Pasta Dinner

Mike and I arrived in NYC on Friday afternoon, we stayed at the apartment of our good friends Jennifer and Nicole, who were out of town for the weekend. They live in a perfect location, not far from Times Square and Central Park, so we saw runners pretty much everywhere we went.  I can't tell you how that helped keep my stress level down, it was so nice to stay at a home and not a hotel.  After settling in, we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Les Halles.  We decided to walk down, but after about four blocks I decided to forgo vanity, and change back into my running shoes.  The last thing I needed was to get a blister from my shoes, I was wearing flats, but I wasn't taking any chances.

I slept HORRIBLY Friday night, my mind wouldn't calm down, and I kept thinking that the most important sleep is the one you get two nights before a race, so that didn't help matters.

Saturday morning came soon enough, and after coffee and bagels, we took a walk over to get some post race treats:

Screw Michael Bloomberg putting the calorie contents on everything, I knew I deserved a 450 calorie cupcake after a marathon.  Or two.

Then we met up with my Dad and sister Ali for an early lunch, where we caught up on things, and talked about the marathon.  My Dad ran NYC twice, and he couldn't get over the amount of people who run it now, compared to the 20,000 he ran with.  After lunch I took off for the Expo, while Mike headed to the Lego Store, and Hello Kitty Store to do some Christmas shopping (it's coming up fast folks).

As soon as I went up the escalator at the Javits Center, I saw Lisa from Early Morning Run standing there with her crutches, she is dealing with a stress fracture, but that didn't prevent her from volunteering at the Expo.  We chatted a bit, and then I went to get my bib and shirt, it's a women's size so it fits really well.  I am so OCD about certain things.  The whole time I was at the Expo I checked several times to make sure I had my bib, it was safe in my bag, but I was paranoid I was going to lose it.

I looked at some the items for sale, I needed a new visor, but they were sold out, but I came across a wall of hats.  There were about 30 pink ones left, but I wanted to see what else was available.  I came back 10 minutes later and there were only 3 left! So I bought one, and I love it.

I then went around to the different booths, I said hi to Cindy at Running Skirts, and thanked her for donating a skirt to my fundraising giveaway, then said thanks to the folks at nuun for donating as well.  I showed the CEP people that I was wearing my pink compression socks (I figured with all the walking I was doing that they would help my legs stay fresh).  I came upon a short line of people, they were waiting to meet Ryan Hall!  So I hung around, then spoke with him and got his autograph.  I felt like an Amazon standing next to him, I'm literally twice his size.

After that, I met up with Miss Zippy!

I had so much fun hanging out with her, we met up with Lisa again, then went through the Expo again, and chatted about all things running and family.  On our way out, I saw a runner with pink hair, and I immediately knew it was Tonia from Racing With Babes.  She and Katye  from Long Legs on the Loose had come straight from the train, and we did what all bloggers do, and took a photo.

After that I had about an hour to hang out at the apartment with Mike, before heading down to Little Italy for the pasta dinner with the Children's Tumor Foundation Team.  It was great to meet our team leaders Mary and Sarah, after "talking" these past 18 weeks through facebook and email.  I sat next to Lisa, a runner who came all the way from New Zealand, her daughter has NF, and their doctor had never heard of this disease.  While they were in the U.S. they were able to meet a doctor in Los Angeles, who gave their daughter a chemo therapy protocol to follow back in NZ.  How great is that?


Can I get more Cowbell?????

I also sat with my friends from high school, Angelo and Mario, who were on the team as well.

After a dinner of salad, pasta in red sauce, penne a la vodka, tiramisu and lots 'o bread, we got the subway back uptown.  We were getting nervous at this point, and were ready to go home and go to bed.

Once I got home, I laid out all my gear, took a shower, then realized I was starving.  So we went out into Times Square for a slice of pizza and garlic knots, while I wore my pajama bottoms and birkenstocks. I was happy that we had to set the clocks back, I went to bed at ten, but I knew I was getting an extra hour of sleep, so I was relaxed and tired.

Then I was out.