It finally came the day and I made it to the finish line. At the last 2nd mile, I was walking and almost draging my falling apart body holding the power gel on my right hand toward the line. As soon as I saw the orange and blue finish line gate at the last mile, I took a deep breath and got myself together running again. I was smiling running the last mile. I felt great after all these months' training.
I ran my first marathon on Sunday and the race was a very nice and fun experience. On friday, I worked after school and was thinking about how I am going to take my exam on line before the race. That was really a pain in my neck. I felt like to hit my head against the wall asking god "WHY!!!". On the top of that my bus was leaving at 1am. After work, I flew home, finished packing and took a cat nap. Bus arrived at Chinatown around 7am Saturday. Ok, before the Expo center open for registration, I am going to study more for the exam, I told myself. There I was sitting in a tea shop eating dim sum and studying as hard as I could.
The Expo center was packed of people from all over the world. All the vendors tried their last effort to sell and promote their products for the last day of the registration. I got my bib and signed up for the bus to the start line at Staten Island tomorrow morning. Leaving with a full bag samples (T-shirt, pens, jam, and pain reliever), I went directly to the NY public library. I have to admit that I wanted to choke the person who literally used his cell phone next to me while I was taking the test with my lap top.... When I arrived at my aunt's, I just took a shower and went to bed.
Woke up at 4am, I took the train from Long Island to Penn Station. The sky was still dark blue while walking from Penn to the bus stop at NY library. As I walked closer to the library, people aggragated like going to see a concert or something. I was more excited than nervous.
It was really a wonderful race that I ever had. I was running with the 5 hour pace team in the beginning and the team leader was really fun. She would ask cheering people to say "5 hours rock", "5 hours rock". There were people all the way from the start line to the finish line to cheer you up. They called your name telling you don't give up, you are almost there, good job. To make the race more vivid, there were also live bands. Yep, bands with drums, microphones, guitars, bass, and amplifier. You don't need iPod really. Water and Gaterade were served every and every other mile. Poeple handed tissues, sponges, and things to show their supports. We clapped with the live band music, we waved when passing the camera, and we laughted when someone nearby said something to crack you up. I was tired but I was happy running this marathon.
Running through New York's five boroughs-Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan, I saw New York in five hours. That's pretty worthy, isn't it? People wore customes either to get people's attention or awarness of some issues. I saw two "rhinos" running. That's people from save the rhino organization. I saw a british nanny running team wearing bra running. There was no one minute boring while I ran.
I ran an official time of 5hours and one minute. It is pretty amazing that I was able to finish it and did not pass out. Thank you New York marathon for giving me such a pleasant marathon experience. I am coming back next year.
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