I will continue running. I am not going to run the Marathon in 2025, but could run it in 2026. Now the goal will be pace improvements, and whatever it takes to do that. That could include loosing significant weight and adding muscle.

Need to bring my pace down to 10 min or less.

• Conversational running

Pace targets

• 5k in less than 30
• 10k in less than 60
• 10M less than 2 hours
• Half less than 2.5 hours
• MARATHON in less 5.5 hours

Strength targets

In terms of reps, and muslces

And I also voted in my first Presidential Election. Just like I had visualized in December 2022.

I fucking did it. I am ridiculously proud of myself. I haven’t been able to look away from my medal. The feeling I got when I achieved this – I cannot express it.

Saturday Night

I ate some pasta and went to sleep. I didn’t seem to have jitters. It was a good night.

Sunday morning – Getting to the start

I got up after a good sleep. Started having breakfast. Took the train to South Ferry (saw some of the marathoners on the way). Got to the ferry early. Ferry was packed. I was annoyed that I had to stand the whole way. The ferry went to the place where we disembarked for the Staten Island.

I went to the restroom there, and then waited in line to get onto a bus, which would take us to the Village. I had some biscotti with me, which I was eating. I got on the bus, and we went to the village. As soon as we got off the bus we got security checked. Then, I just walked to the village area.

Village

I went to my village area, and just chilled a bit. They had food there. I ate bagel. Drank water. The village was pretty awesome. All kinds of people doing all kinds of things.

Eventually, my start time came up, and we walked to my corral. Inside the set of corrals, there were no barriers. So I could move up a bit.

The start and first few miles

Got lined up. They played the anthem. Then they fired the fucking cannon. With the song “New York” playing. Started to run up the Verizanno bridge.

I started too fast. I was excited. I was keeping my 10k time. Probably bad idea based on what happened later. I kept my face and I felt good for the first 8 miles. My HR was at around 160ish. Maybe that was a bit too much.

Reaching the half

By the time I got to the half, I was getting tired. I decided to walk the half marathon bridge.

Queensboro Bridge

What the fuck. I was SO DEAD. My headphones ran out of battery. I walked the whole way. Probably should not have.

Manhattan

This was a LONG. My legs were really cooked at this point. I was trying not to cramp up. Walking too much. Got to the bridge

Bronx

At this point, I was loosing it. Felt like I would cramp up at any point.

Manhattan

Took the bridge back into Manhattan. I broke down here. I got pretty emotional. “You are doing this for your youngerself, to make that person proud. For not achieving the goals younger me had set for myself. At least giving myself this success.” They say you have to “run with your heart” and my god, how true that is.

It was getting dark now. That felt annoying. Everything in manhattan was HARD. Very fucking HARD.

Everything people said was true: the marathon is a 20 mile warmup for the last 10k.

Central park

“This is familiar territory” yet it was SO HARD. I was now mentally loosing it. Body was gone. Absolutely gone.

The last mile

Now it felt like it was never ending

Crossing the finish

What a feeling. And to get that medal. My word

After

I collapsed. Ate an apple, drank the gatorade. I sat down for some time. Eventually just went home, had a beer and burger. And it was done.

My toe nails are fucked up! The next day I could barely walk.

But by day 5, I felt fine.

My toe nails are still messed up so not sure if I can run yet.

Nutrition:

• I took many gels. One to two an hour. The coffee one was great.
• Biscotti to help me
• I had to take some salt. It felt like my leg was giving way a bit.

Other thoughts:

• It didn’t feel long. I mentally turned myself off. The energy of the crowds was great too
• The energy of the crowd was AMAZING. It felt like I was a celebrity, especially in Brooklyn. My god, it was so much fun!
• I touched a tree in every borough

---

I am definitely dreaming of the NY Marathon. I feel like that is when I will truly become a New Yorker. What will be the state of the world by then? Will I be married? Have a child (or on the way)? Will I be leading my own team? Will I even be in New York?

No matter what, I will run the marathon in 2024. This is the goal.

And then, 2 days after the marathon, I will vote in my first presidential election.

This marathon will be associated with such a crescendo of memories.

-- Jan 2023

Tomorrow is the NYC Marathon. The even that started this whole journey two years ago. And now … it’s about to happen.

It has been a long journey, but also feels so short in some sense. Scary.

I am not sure if I am nervous. I am just happy that the day has arrived.

7 hours of running? Maybe more? A much longer day than that in general?

FUCK I am getting JAZZED about this race. JAZZED TO THE TITS.

FUCK IT DUDE, you have WORKED FOR TWO FUCKING YEARS. CHIN UP. YOU HAVE GAS IN THE TANK.

This is MEANT to be a HARD RACE.

Keep your pace within the bracket. Get appropriately jazzed up. Get your gels going. WE are GOOD

More on this later. But one big thing checked off, based on the plan set in motion 2 years ago.

Mile	Todo	Mindset
BEFORE	* Get to the ferry at the right time * Don’t get stressed due to that. Remember the NYC Half, you were on POINT * Take a shower in the morning. * NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY
1,2,3,4	This is the beginning. Starts with the bridge. NO EGO Goal is to get WARMED UP 5k mark will have water. STAY SLOWWWWWWWWW	Run with the Mind
5,6,7,8	Cmon, you have done 5 miles so many times. Legs will start to come alive a bit. Just keep the pace Straight segment, ends at the CHICANE STAY SLOW / MEDIUM	Run with the Mind
9	Chicane to Bedford STAY CONSERVATIVE	Run with the Mind
10, 11, 12, 13.2	Bedford to The CREEK for HALF Just GET to this point. Mental RESET South Street numbers are going down. THen they flip to North Streets. Manhattan Avenue FUEL UP THERE IS AN UPHILL AT THE CREEEK WALK IS ITS FINE. PRESERVE << BUT KEEP IT HOT >>	Run outside your head
Post half, 14, 15	There is a little downhill, USE THAT TO RE-ENERGIZE DONT BE TIRED. Conserve until the Bridge FUEL UP	Run outside your head
QUEENSBORO BRIDGE (15, 16)	This will MENTALLY KILL YOU. So PERSERVERE. JUST WALK	Run outside your head
16, 17, 18	First Avenue Long straight to Bronx. THIS WILL BE BRUTAL. You need to MENTALLY CHECK OUT <<< YOU ARE NOT HERE ANYMORE >>> <<< YOUR BODY IS JUST A VESSEL >>> <<< GET TO THE LAST 10 K >>>
19, 20	On the Willies Bridge. WALK and RESET << 20 MILES IS MASSIVE >> << BEGINNING OF THE END >>	Run outside your head
20, 21, 22	<< NEW TERRITORY >> REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS YOU WILL BE DYING RIGHT NOW, BUT WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS << UNTIL MANHATTAN >> DOWNHILL, so you can RESET << BANANAS >> You will start seeing FAMILIAR TERRITORY YOU ARE MENTALLY NOT HERE – LET THE BODY WORK	Run with Heart
23 110th street CENTRAL PARK SECTION	Holy uphill mother of god REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS THIS IS TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING <<< SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND >> HERE, YOU WILL DIE. BUT YOU WILL AWAKEN THIS IS BRUTAL MAN PEOPLE ARE REALLY DYING HERE. SO BE CAREFUL	Run with Heart
24, 25	FUCK BRUTAL Might need divine intervention. Japji Sahib	Run with Heart
24	Enter the park	Run with Heart
26.2	FINISH	Run with Heart

It’s not flat at all. You are always going UP or DOWN

First bridge is the most intense.

Windy

Plan the race break it down into multiple things

Section 1: From the start to when the race joins together.

---

Army style. Beat One One Two One One

https://twitter.com/interesting_ail/status/1844415639424766080?s=46

There is just NO OTHER OPTION.

You wont LOVE every single day. But you NEED TO KNOW that it contributes.

Case in point: the 20 mile run is not killing you these days. Compared to the half marathon in march. Shit compounds.