I have done numerous 5Ks, half marathons, marathons, and a 50K. This was by far my favorite event that I have ever done or been to. The race expo was amazing. I went on Saturday morning. I had expected it to be ridiculously busy. It was busy, however the convention center was huge. There was plenty of room inside. Despite a large crowd, I never felt like it was too congested. There was a lot of event merchandise to choose from, and numerous other vendors displaying their products. I did end up buying some Aftershockz headphones. I hadn't planned on buying them beforehand, but since I was able to try them on and listen, I didn't want to pass on them. I'm really glad I got them. I was also able to meet Bart Yasso and Dean Karnazes at the expo.

The pre-race staging area was well stocked with coffee, bagels, Gatorade, PowerBars and fruit. There were plenty of porta potty's. I never had to wait more than 5-8 minutes to use one. I had heard a lot of stories about the long wait before the race started, but I was pleasantly surprised by this experience. The time seemed to pass relatively quickly.
The race itself was incredible. I wasn't going to race it for a PR. I had never been to NYC before and just wanted to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the event. I loved experiencing each of the boroughs throughout the course. The crowds were amazing, especially in the Williamsburg portion of the race. I felt like I was in the Tour de France on the Alpe d'Huez stage with thousands of spectators cheering me on. It was electric.

I had read about all of the hills and elevation change throughout the race, but I think I still underestimated it. Central Indiana is pancake flat, so I found it a little difficult to prepare for the elevation changes. the bridges definitely make it worse, and by the time that I arrived on the Queensboro Bridge, my quads, hamstrings, and even my right achilles were suffering significant cramps. Unfortunately, those cramps continued up 1st Avenue in Manhattan, through the Bronx, Harlem, and back through Manhattan. Basically, I cramped the rest of the race.

I finished the race nearly 45 minutes slower than I had wanted to finish. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the race, and would absolutely love to do it again. I thought the course challenging, but I loved it. The energy of the crowd was amazing. This was definitely one of those special races that makes me want to come back.

The post-race walk seemed to take forever. By this time, my legs were just screaming for me to be finished and lay down. Thankfully, I selected the poncho option, so I was able to exit Central Park early. I stayed in a hotel on 71st Street, just off Central Park West, about 3-4 blocks from the exit of the Poncho area. I only had to walk a few more minutes to my room for a hot shower.

I would absolutely recommend this race to a friend. It was by far the best event that I have been to so far. I really hope that I'm able to go back and run it again.