The Show Must Go On?

Last week, I nearly booked myself a plane ticket to New York City to watch the marathon this weekend. Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan would be in town. Meb Keflezighi would be running. The Halls would be there (at last check I swear they were coming). The Garmin guys would be running--go Jake and Justin! And of course all the latest and greatest gear would be on tap at the expo. Mizuno offered the chance to win a slot at a special brunch and they were showcasing the Breath Thermo top that looked like just the layer I needed to stay warm this winter--and after not being one of the lucky ones to win shoes or invited the Mezamashii Project, I'd take any opportunity I could to win a second chance. Basically, if I could get myself to the Big Apple without spending an arm and a leg, I wanted to be there.

Then Sandy happened. She tore across the East Coast and flooded some of the most unfathomable spots in the city that never sleeps, making New York look like it was Universal Studio's Earthquake ride (I promise I'm not joking about what happened, I just couldn't believe that so many Atlantic landmarks were destroyed). But what did I start thinking about after the initial OMG moments? The New York City Marathon. Would it go on as scheduled or would it be canceled?

The Daily Feed: Sites We're Searching 9/7

Can I watch this lake chaos instead of being part of it?

Weather woes. Taper tantrums. Phantom pains. I'm too much of a worry-wart with t-minus 34 hours, give or take, until Ironman Wisconsin starts to think about writing (as has been the case for most of the week too). You'd think that with two of these already under my belt, I'd be less anxious than I actually am. But being surrounded by an abnormal amount of uber-fit athletes and bikes that make my ride look like it needs to be retired, the race day jitters start to fly.

So what am I doing to calm my nerves? Definitely not looking at the weather forecast--that'll drive me crazy. Instead, I've been reading.

• Whoa, Lance Armstrong can't run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon? The Chicago Tribune and Runner's World explain why.
• If you loved the Epic Pass for its unlimited skiing at six, now seven, resorts in Colorado and Lake Tahoe, Vail Resorts just sweetened the deal on this less-than-$700-for-a-season-of-skiing pass. I know where I want to ski this winter--and it's not in the U.S.
• Yes! The Spartan Race is coming to Chicago in October!
• Who's running this 5K, or one of the others in the series, this month?
• I'm not even running the New York Marathon, but I'm thankful the race organizers reversed the baggage policy put into place two weeks ago.
• Gravity hits new heights with these yoga moves. If you missed the viral hit "The Contortionist", "The Balancing Act" is a follow up that's even more hair-raising--or motivating to get me back to regular yoga.

What links are you loving today? Share them with us!

Win a Golden Ticket to the ING New York City Marathon

Want a chance to run the NYC Marathon? Credit: Matthew Myers

We love contests, even when we know our odds of winning aren't good. And we really love contests when they involve giveaways for gear that we want but maybe can't afford (or want to splurge on) or race entries especially when the race is a tough one to gain entry into. So if you're OK with testing your luck, and running a marathon--and one that's on many a runner's bucket list, including mine--in the fall, Nissan's Innovation for Endurance program has a contest you want to enter. More like, you need to enter.

It's a race that's been run--and won--by Meb Keflezighi. It's been the debut marathon for Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan. And it's going to be run by Ryan Hall a mere 12 weeks after he tackles the Olympic marathon in London. That's a lot of Olympians who've tackled the five boroughs of New York City to finish running 26.2 miles in Central Park at the ING New York City Marathon.

NYC Marathon Preview: 10 People to Track

The world fires itself up more for the New York City Marathon than pretty much any other race, Boston included. That could be because it draws a crowd larger than Boston's, runners are practically begging to get in year after year with a packed-to-the-hilt lottery, there's always at least one celebrity running it (oh, Katie Holmes, I still remember when you took to the course and People snapped a Star Tracks photo), and it takes runners on a tour through all of New York's boroughs.

I've known that I've wanted to follow the November 6 race for months, even though I hardly know anyone, on a personal level, who's running. But in addition to the speedsters like Meb Keflezighi--and what could be a showdown between Meb and Geb (Gebre Gebremariam)--and Mary Keitany, here's who'll I'll be tracking when the race kicks off Sunday morning and runners start flooding the Verrazano Bridge:

1. Andy Baldwin
2. Kristin Armstrong
3. Mario Lopez
4. Christy Turlington Burns
5. Ryan Sutter
6. Dave Zimmer
7. Mya
8. Ethan Zohn
9. Apolo Ohno
10. Jennie Finch

You might recognize all of these names at the get-go with the exception of one. Dave Zimmer isn't famous in terms of being a reality TV star, a TV host and former Saved by the Bell star, a Runner's World columnist and author, or an Olympic athlete, but he's the owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago so I couldn't help but get excited.

Who do you know who is running the ING New York City Marathon?

Chicago Goes to New York

The Windy City's marquee race wasn't even a month ago, but Chicagoans who were either shut out of running on 10-10-10 in their hometown or wanted to run a fall 26.2 miler in a different state and on a different famed course took to the streets of New York City and its five boroughs on Sunday. Marking its 41st running--the first NYC Marathon was run in 1970 and cost $1--the Big Apple's fall classic didn't disappoint especially for any runner seeking cooler running temps, a lively crowd and a star-studded field.

The Land of Lincoln wasn't short of representation at this infamous race, and 511 finishers claimed Illinois as their state of residence among the results. And being that I'm located in the Land of Lincoln and tend to follow its runners (call me a race stalker since I recognize some of their names from Chicago races), I couldn't help but check the New York reports. And share a few of those race stories.

Take Dr. Brooke Jackson, a Chicagoan who was featured on banners across the city as part of the 10-10-10: The Date to Motivate campaign for the 33rd Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and her husband James Lackland. Both ran on Sunday with Jackson rectifying her Chicago experience across the streets of New York and bettering her time by 30 minutes.

Or Irina Reutovich who left New York with some bling--the 60-year-old Russian (according to race results) took third place in her age group with a 3:44:57.

Brian Grudowski can call himself the fastest Illinois male NYC Marathon finisher, running a 2:29:20 to finish 43rd overall. Meanwhile Elena Shemyakina, 51, claims the honor for the women, finishing third in her age group with a 3:08:49.

Tatyana McFadden races out of the University of Ilinois but she's among the wheeling leaders, not the running ones. And this year, she was the fastest wheelchair racer among the women, covering the course in 2:02:22. This wasn't the first time McFadden could claim victory...she won the 2009 Chicago Marathon and finished third in 2010.

At first I thought Matthew Ancona had a bad day out there, feeling the effects of racing the Ironman World Championship last month to turn in a 3:55 race. You'll usually find his name at the top of the race results--he won the Magellan Spring Half Marathon in Chicago back in May--not in the middle. But not so, at least if past NYC Marathons are any indication. In 2009, Ancona paced the four-hour group (the picture at left was snagged from Facebook), and my instinct tells me that he probably returned to do it again. How could you not want to run in New York for fun?

But not everyone had a good day out there. I really can't say who--as I pointed fingers at myself last month in Chicago--yet it's bound to happen over the course of 26.2 miles and 40,000-some runners. Does it really matter though? Sometimes it's all about crossing the finish line or helping someone else reach their time goal.

For more results from the 2010 New York City Marathon and to search for your friends and family running, click here. Do you have a race day story to share or a blog where you posted a race report? I'd love to read it!

Photo grabbed from puddy_uk at flickr.

Read This New York Race Report

I've never run the New York Marathon. I'm from New York--born and raised until I was seven and my parents uprooted my sister and I to Michigan--and love all too many things about it like the bagels, the pizza, the hot dog stands, the Yankees. But it's still one marathon that I've only been able to appreciate from afar--or live through the stories of others, like this one.

Take 2008 when Fit-Ink was still in its planning stages but Liz and I swapped race battle stories...me at Ironman Wisconsin and then Chicago (yes I did that funky double then, too), her at New York, and then me again at December's California International Marathon. We were both secretly on the quest for Boston Marathon berths--she got hers while I fell short. And well, I looked for every hint of race advice I could get for the December race since it'd be my last chance to join the 2009 Boston ranks.

Nothing was different in 2009--or 2010. When I wasn't running, I was reading others' tales, and when I was running, I'd scour the internet for experiences like my own. Like Sonja Wieck. Or Slater Fletcher. Or Weight In Vain. Or Adrienne Hengels. Or MJ the Ironman (MJ Slikas). Or Bree Wee. That's just starters...my internet cookies and random clicks kept my eyes busy.

But here's one recent race report (it's only maybe hours old) about the New York City Marathon that I was loving. Not because of who wrote it--my The Bachelor obsession, Dr. Andy Baldwin--but because it only solidifies my yen for marathon and testing my legs across New York's five boroughs. I'd trade the Windy City for the Big Apple any day to see those sleeping bags and herds gathered at the start on Staten Island, to listen to the crowds at the Central Park finish line, to spot celebrities like Trista and Ryan Sutter or Anthony Edwards, to hear the music playing through each neighborhood and engrave it to memory, to smell the familiar scents from the street carts and wish I could chow down, too.

Everyone's calling today Marathon Monday Mania, registering for their shot at admittance to the 2011 race--don't forget the lottery opened at noon--and parading their 2010 finisher medals around town. Call it the unseasonably warm weather we're having in Chicago, but I can see why. And no, I'm not talking about the chance to freely run with Yankees garb and avoid getting booed out of town. Chicago's full of medals and those limpers on Columbus Day, traditionally the day after the race, but minus the clamor for lottery slots. One thing is for sure: regardless of what marathon you run or watch, the day after leaves you wishing you could do it again or do your first. Did you register for a lottery spot or do you think you can gain guaranteed entrance with your speedy legs?


Photo grabbed from the NYC Marathon.

The Big Apple's Marathon Stars

It runs through five boroughs, including two islands and two bridges, with a finish line in one of the most spectacular spots in the Big Apple. It welcomes at least 45,000 runners and has held the honor of being the U.S. marathon with the most finishers in recent years--with 43,660 finishers in 2009, it has the most finishers ever in a marathon. And as it celebrates it's 40th anniversary this year, the ING New York City Marathon is pulling out all the stops with a star-studded field.

I would have said this months ago when the race announced that Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor would be two elite front runners come November...Keflezighi to defend his title and Kastor to shoot for her first NYC win. But I still have to stand by the assertion months later, even with Kastor pulling out after announcing her pregnancy. Why? Because not only are there a handful of famous names and faces toeing the line, but there are also some famous running faces embracing the "city that never sleeps" as the calendar to race day counts down.

For starters, Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor can be found at the marathon expo. These two may not be running much lately--between Hall first dropping out of Chicago, then dropping his coach Terence Mahon, and Kastor due in a few months-but they're out to support the runners. And so is Josh Cox, a Meb training buddy in Mammoth (check out this funny video from last winter) and close friends with former The Bachelor Andy Baldwin.

As for those toeing the line on Sunday, November 7, here are a few of the recognizable names among the 45,000 or so expected runners.

• Al Roker. This Today Show weatherman alluded to running his first marathon earlier this year but made his goal sound like more of a pipe dream than a reality. He's already notched a half marathon, completing August's Rock 'n' Roll Chicago, and his somewhat slimmer shape only further indicates that he's ready to chug through 26.2.
• Meredith Vieira. Maybe the Today Show likes running races in pairs? Hoda and Natalie did their first triathlon together last summer, and now it's Al and Meredith's turn. She predicted a 6-hour finish--or thereabouts--on Friday's show.
• Andy Baldwin. This Bachelor ran the Comrades Marathon in May--a 56-mile trek across South Africa--and now will be taking to the streets of New York.
• Shalane Flanagan. The last time an American woman won the NYC Marathon was 1977. And while Flanagan may be making her marathon debut on Sunday--following in the footsteps of Deena Kastor and Kara Goucher--many are thinking she could break the drought and become the top American marathoner.
• Desiree Ficker. I keep thinking of Ficker as the dark horse in this competiton. Because she's more known among the Ironman circuit--she finished second to Michellie Jones in Kona in 2006--but even more so because her running strength helped her achieve that runner-up slot. I can only imagine how fast her legs could potentially go when she doesn't have a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride before the marathon.
• Subway Jared. Is the famous sandwich-dieter now adding the same flair to marathoning? Maybe so as Jared Fogle takes on New York's 26.2 in hopes of inspiring others to get off the couch and get running--no matter the speed.
• Ethan Zohn and Ryan Sutter. You remember Sutter from The Bachelorette and Zohn from Survivor, but these two are more than reality TV stars. They're friends...but at this race they're friends racing within the race to see who can best whom to earn more money for their charities.
• Edison Pena. He's the Chilean miner who's also a marathoner and has been making the headlines since the 32 miners were rescued from the mine. Pena kept up with his training while underground, just a little modified.
• Haile Gebrselassie. Possibly the best part about Sunday's race will be the showdown between this speedster and defending champion Meb. It's been labeled Geb versus Meb and rightly so...these two could go stride from stride all the way to Central Park.

Know someone who's running and needs to make this list? Will you be watching or following on Sunday? Check ingmarathon.org for more details and be sure to tune in Sunday.

Photo by Julian Mason from London, UK (Crop of London Marathon 26.04.09 (3)) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Kastor and Keflezighi in NYC

Here's an update to my earlier post about the NYC Marathon lottery. I mentioned that the live lottery programming would also include an announcement about the first man and woman to be signed to the professional field. And now I have their names: Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi.

Neither runner is new to the New York race and to be honest, it was almost expected that Meb would be running. As the 2009 champion, he'd have to return to try to defend his title and maybe even lower his personal best 2:09:15. Kastor is going back to basics, returning to the course where she made her marathon debut in 2001. It'll be the second marathon for both this year with Deena running the Virgin London Marathon on April 25 and Meb running the Boston Marathon on April 19. Check out this press release for more details. Photo grabbed from daylife.com. (Note: Deena's name spelled wrong on her bib)

From Big Apple to Belfast

Running this weekend's New York City Marathon but already have your eyes set on running another 26.2 after the ground thaws? Not running in NYC but searching for a spring marathon to keep your legs busy this winter? Even if you can't answer yes to these questions, you might reconsider once you hear that Belfast, Northern Ireland's capital, wants you to run its Belfast City Marathon on May 3, 2010. So much so that runners participating in the New York City Marathon and across the globe will have the chance to enter to win an all-expenses-paid trip across the Atlantic.

NYC Marathoners can meet race organizers from Sport Northern Ireland at the NYC Marathon Health & Fitness Expo and submit their entry for a chance to win. Find the Belfast City Marathon at booth 108 in the Javits Center and enter any time during the expo's hours from Thursday, October 29 at 9 a.m. to Saturday, October 31 at 5 p.m. In addition to on-site contest entry at the Expo, runners everywhere can enter online at www.belfastcitymarathon. Two lucky winners will be announced November 9, 2009.

Still not convinced? Running in Belfast doesn't necessarily mean running another marathon. The race, celebrating its 29th running, prides itself on offering a marathon walk, wheelchair race, team relay and 3-mile fun run in addition to the marathon, although a 26.2-mile journey is never a bad way to tour a city (or at least this marathoner thinks so). Held on a Monday, May 3 is also a bank holiday, which means plenty of spectators for the 18,000 runners. Save 10 percent by signing up for the race at the NYC Marathon expo--perfect if you already know you want to run or know that you don't stand a chance at winning contests (that luck of the Irish just never goes your way) but still want to run and save some dough. And a vacation with a run built in--excuse enough for me--never disappoints. Maybe some soreness or blisters afterward but checking out Ireland's countryside makes it all worth it. Photos grabbed from Belfast City Online. Posted by Kate