NYC Marathon Watch Time of 5:41:10!

It is about 7 p.m. Eastern time here in East Rutherford, New Jersey where I have survived not only the New York City Marathon, but also a long walk from 77th St. to 42nd St. to get to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Bus Terminal.

I'm spent! Aside from the two courses that I did at elevation in Albuquerque and Flagstaff this summer, this course, as Edwin Quarles can attest to, is incredibly tough. I'm not sure I've run anything that mimics the inclines, past mile 22, before you go into Central Park and the undulating hills once you are inside it.

My watch time was 5:41:10! I think the clock time is 5:56:40.

From a time perspective, sure I'm a little disappointed; however, I finished it, even though I walked a lot between the 25K point and mile 20. From 20 to mile 23, it seemed like I was moving a little bit better and I actually ran the most of that stretch - albeit slow. (My quads took a beating; however, my feet and my ankles were in pain most of the back half. I think I might have compromised my success a little bit from a shoe perspective, but I don't know ... it was just a tough course.)

I ran the entire first half of the race, including all of the inclines and the entire Verrazano Narrows Bridge. I'm sure I paid for it on the back end, but you couldn't help feed off the energy and lay it all out on the line.

It was overcast and cool when we got started just after 10:10 a.m.; however, the sun came out shortly thereafter. But there was a good steady breeze most of the time. I haven't even checked yet to see if I got sunburned at all on my head.

26.2 miles is still the same distance any marathon you do; however, New York City is harder than the Marine Corps Marathon (hands down). At MCM, you go up a freeway off-ramp at mile 20, but the run on the freeway is basically flat. You come off of the freeway and the stretch through Crystal City and on Lee Highway are flat as well too.

In New York City, you have long inclines basically the entire course and of course, there are five (5) bridges (the last one coming back into Manhattan isn't that big of a deal.) The Verrazano Narrows and the Queensboro Bridges are the tough ones. Houston, if the weather is great, is a comparative walk in the park.

I picked up a 5:00 pace team bib at the Expo yesterday, but, to no one's surprise, I just went out and found my own stroke. They passed me at about mile 13.5 and the 5:30 pace team, led by Houston's Arlen Isham, got me before we entered into Central Park. I just couldn't see myself doing a 5-minute/1-minute the whole way. (However, I guess it works!)

And although the last 800 meters is pretty well downhill, it seemed as if that finish would never get there!

Time for a shower and then I'm going to venture out to find a decent bite to eat.