NY ING Marathon November 1st -

26.2 miles was no breeze but there were a few factors that made it painfully enjoyable.

* Ran with a fellow first time marathoner who did not mind my quarkiness

* No ipod, which gave me a chance to revel in the fact that there were millions of spectators lining the streets - cheering on the 43,000 runners,

* Little emphasis on miles run but rather, what borough I was running through,

* Seeing my family and friends along the way,

* Spotting random friends in the crowd,

* Remembering that not only was I running for a personal accomplishment but for the DOE Fund - for the men and women of NYC who were formally homeless and getting themselves back on their feet,

* Having fun with the crowd and cheering them on,

* and that pain is temporary - pride is forever!

Sleep was almost impossible the day before the race. Not only was I anxious but it was also the tail end of Halloween festivities with N.

No need for an alarm - I kept on waking up every thirty minutes before 5am. With my running gear on and bag in hand, I left the apartment praying I did not forget anything essential. Of course, there were no 1/2/3 trains going downtown from 103rd Street so I made my way to 96th Street. There were still folks walking around in their costumes although I noticed all the other marathoners with the official plastic ING bag slowly making their way to the subway.

I was assigned to take the shuttle from midtown and upon arrival chills of excitement started to tickle my spine. Hundreds of runners were calmly filing between the police barricades leading to the buses, while ING volunteers were directing us with bull horns. While on the bus, like a preview of the of the marathon route, it dawned on me that at some point I would be trekking through that area.

Another rush of enthusiasm came over me as we arrived at the starting point on Staten Island. A gauntlet of puffy eyed yet energized high schoolers welcomed us with cheers of encouragement.

Thankfully, I decided to bring my fleece and gloves because the autumn chill was present at our 5:30am delivery. Our bus was one of the first to arrive but within the next few hours thousands more weary eyed runner ascended in their designated corrals.

It was apparent who the veteran marathoners were because they were the ones that brought sleeping bags, tents, lounge chairs, patio furniture and blankets. My survival mode kicked in as I grabbed some discarded poland springs boxes and flattened them out for my temporary bed and curled up for a cat nap.

The time was 7:00am and I still had 3 hours before the start of my wave (10:20am). I started wandering aimlessly along with others, collected some snacks, a Dunkin Donut hat, had my pre race picture taken and wandered to other corral areas. I saw one of those outdoor overhead tents packed with hundreds of runners seeking shelter and some shut eye. It was quite a site!

Along the road on the opposite side of the tent were dozens of UPS trucks that later on collected our numbered bags. It dawned on me the magnitude of organizing an event and its intricacies. I realized now why the registration was as pricey as it was. From the entrant fee, to transportation of the runners, the bags from SI to the finish line, the water centers, photographers, the bands, police presence, closing of streets and major bridges, volunteers, media coverage and the list goes on!

Finally the last wave of the Blue group was called to the starting line and as folks were making their way to the front the amount of discarded clothing tossed to the ground, piled high in the garbage cans and strewn on the fences was mind boggling! Of course the marathon planners had volunteers collecting everything that was going to be donated to the homeless. There were articles of clothing all over the road through out the race course.

I was fortunate to meet a fellow first time marathoner (who I later learned went to college together) who I ran with for 18 miles before we lost track of each other after greeting our family members. Keeping in mind that the race was going to take at least 4 hours, my attitude was positive throughout. I did not hit the dreaded "wall" and other than my ailing foot injury at mile 20 - I felt like Superwoman. The other runners around us were for the most part trying to keep each others spirits high though as we completed miles we were seeing more people walking and looking exasperated.

I would say Park Slope and the Upper East Side were the highlights of the course along with crossing over the Varrazano Bridge in SI especially because I would zone out the crowds every now and then.

The erie part of the course was running through Bensonhurst, which was probably a mile or so in distance. There were no people holding signs, cheering, handing out cups of water or lined along the side walk. Some kids shyly held their hands out in hopes to receive an occasional high five.

My determination not stop me at any point in the race though I pushed my limits towards the end as I had to talk myself through the growing pain in my right foot. I knew my pace was slowing after mile 18 but thankfully I knew I would be seeing my family and friends. I was relieved in that brief moment when I spotted my mom, brother, J and N in the crowd and gave quick hugs and greetings.

I may have not finished in the desired time I had hoped for but I crossed the finish line feeling a sense of pride after months of training. I was in the best shape since my glory days in college playing field hockey and lacrosse.

Will I run another marathon? As long as I am chosen in the NYC marathon lottery!