Recap - After the Race

(much less interesting, but here for completeness sake)

Right Afterwards:

Right after you cross the finish line there are people guiding you where to go. They are also congratulating you so it’s pretty cool. Somebody handed me a medal and another person gave me a bottle of water. Then as you walk forward there is a final photography station to get post-marathon pictures. I was surprised to see it so close to the finish line, as you don’t really have that much time to compose yourself, but maybe that’s why they do it. There are tons of people finishing and they really have to move things along.

I took a couple of pictures with my medal and then continued shuffling forward. It was really tough to walk at this point. A few people were sitting on the side, but I was pretty sure that if I sat down I wouldn’t be able to get up. So I kept moving forward. Next I got one of those mylar capes. For some reason, that’s almost as exciting as getting the medal. Perhaps it’s because they both really represent the same thing. One nice thing is that they had this special tape so you could keep the cape around you without having to hold it.

It’s really a sight to see all these people in capes moving forward. There was a sign saying “food” with an arrow pointing forward, but it seemed to take forever to get there. It’s done on purpose to keep you walking after the race, but it’s really not fun at this point. Eventually I got the “food” which was a powerbar, an apple and tangerine, and the worst bagel ever. I took a few bites and kept moving.

Shortly after this we exited the park. There were signs directing you to the baggage trucks. I was chatting with the person next to me at this point, and that helped things move along faster. When I picked up my bag I was on 73rd street. I got my cell phone and checked to make sure there was nobody waiting for me in the family reunion area. Thankfully there wasn’t, and I was able to go straight to the subway on 72nd street. After spending 5 minutes getting down the stairs I eventually made it to the platform level. There was a cop saying “runners this way” as all runners were able to ride the subway for free. I felt like some sort of hero walking around with my mylar cape and medal on the subway.

I went to a friend’s apartment in the city, since my apartment would have been too far at this point. Once there, I took a few pictures, and then went into the shower. Well, sort of. After I turned the shower on, I realized I should probably do the “ice bath” thing, or at least “cold water” thing. So I left a little warm water in the bottom of the tub, and then closed the drain. I then tried to get myself in a sitting position in the tub. That took about 3 minutes! I couldn’t figure out how to maneuver myself into that position. It wasn’t just pain, it was more like my legs just wouldn’t move certain ways. Eventually, I figured it out, and sat myself down while the cold water filled the tub up over me. Once I was down with that I took a warm shower and got into some dry clothes. Aaahhh….

I had hoped to go out to dinner and show off my medal that night, but by this time I really didn’t feel like going out anymore. We just ordered in and ate there.


The Next Day:

The next morning I went to the marathon store to get official memorabilia. I picked up a “finisher” T-shirt, as well as some cool cuff links. I also picked up a copy of the Times with my name in it.

There were all sorts of stuff there, and people were really going crazy. The one thing I had considered was engraving my medal, but it was $20, and I really think that by next week I’ll never see this medal again. (Don’t forget I ordered a bib frame which comes with an extra medal, and will hang on my wall.)

I puttered around the rest of the day, and went out for dinner that night. (Monday night: all you can eat Sushi!) I wore my medal out to dinner, and although I felt a little nerdy, I was proud of my accomplishment. (It also explained to everyone why I was limping!)


Tuesday:

I had a bunch of things to do, and I was out and about doing them most of the day. My quads were still pretty sore, and I was still pretty much hobbling everywhere I went.

In the evening I had to go to a family affair. This was the part of my family that had come out to cheer me on in Brooklyn. Apparently, a lot more of the extended family had come out, but because I didn't know to look for them, I didn’t notice them. (That, and the fact that a bunch of them came down after I had already passed!) Either way, I was kind of a celebrity last night, and everyone wanted to see the medal, and ask all about it. I don’t think any of these people will ever run the marathon, but they were really fascinated by the whole idea. It was really cool.


Wednesday (Today):

Still working on the recap! I have lots of things to say about this marathon, and it looks like it’s going to take all week to say it. I guess that’s kind of good, since I’m not sure where I’m going from here. Obviously, the blog title no longer applies. Let’s just say I’m aware…

I’m also still hobbling around the house. Tomorrow I go back to work, for a 24 hour call. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get around the hospital ok. At least there are lots of elevators around.

I’m not sure when I’ll be able to run (or jog!) again. Today I’m not ready, and tomorrow I’m working. So possibly Friday, but I think Sunday will be more likely. For some reason, it’s kind of weird to think about that.

Next: Analysis...