Oh what a difference two weeks can make. On October 22, I struggled in cool temperatures and pouring rain in Newport to finish my 33rd career marathon. Just 15 days later I found myself in the Big Apple competing in the 2005 Ing. New York City Marathon and these two experiences could not have been more different. As much as I struggled in the Newport race, I thrived on the streets of New York City.
Because of my disability, Cerebral Palsy, I prefer to race in warmer weather because the temperature allows more flexibility in my muscles, enabling me to find a rhythm. I couldn’t have had asked for better weather on November 6, the day of the New York Marathon. With sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60’s I knew it was going to be a good race and was eager to hit the road and get rolling on my 26.2-mile journey. Another advantage New York had over Newport; a competitor. It is very rare for me to have someone to race against who competes in the same fashion as me, pushing backwards in a wheelchair with their legs, but that’s exactly what I encountered in New York.
His name is Bill Reilly from New York. We have competed against each other in track & field quite a few times, but only squared off in a marathon once before, at last year’s New York Marathon. I crossed the finish line an hour-and-and-half before my rival in 2004 and this year I was determined to defeat him again but hopefully by a much larger margin.
As the starting time approached, and just inches away from Reilly, I was anxious to get started and could tell he was as well. At 8 a.m. the gun went off and the race began. I had raced against Reilly in short races on the track, but I’ve never seen him take off with the speed he did on this day. The second the gun went off he sprinted up the ¾ mile bridge and never looked back. This made me a nervous but my coach had warned me that Reilly would probably start strong, but that I should stick to my game plan and let him wear himself out. I took his advice and just concentrated on my race.
My first mile was a little slow but soon after I was warmed up and in my rhythm. After cranking out a few 12-minute miles my guides gave me the word that Reilly was in sight. A few minutes later I overtook him on a downhill. I never saw him again after that. That was mile six and it was just a race against the clock now.
I turned in my best time on the New York course in 1999. My time was 7 hours 29 minutes and 14 seconds. This year I hit the halfway mark (13.1 mile mark) at 3 hours and 29 minutes, so I knew a personal best was within reach. Each mile I felt stronger and stronger and was really enjoying everything about this race. Even the uphill portions of the course seemed to go by fast. It was like I was in a zone and my body was performing perfectly.
As I hit the 20-mile mark I was approaching 5 hours and 30 minutes. I knew I had a true shot at crossing the finish line in less than 7 hours but I’d really have to push it. As we got closer to the end of the race the street became crowded. Between the other runners and the enormous amount of spectators there was little space to maneuver. A few times I even hit people’s heels almost causing my chair to tip over. Following those close calls, I decided to play it safe and just keep a steady pace.
Before I knew it I had less than a mile to go and crossed the line with a pretty large crowd watching. My time was 7 hours 7 minutes and 39 seconds. I didn’t manage to break 7 hours, but I did set a personal best, beating my previous best by a little less than 22 minutes.
I was very pleased with my performance and I was even more pleased when I learned I had defeated Reilly by a little more than 3 hours. I’m thrilled to have set a personal best, and satisfied to surpass another athlete in my class. Now I’ll take it easy a little while and rest up over the holiday season. In January it’s back to training hard. That’s when I’ll begin to prepare to conquer the Boston Marathon once again in the spring. When I cross the line at Boston I’ll only have 15 marathons to go to my ultimate goal or completing 50.
Jason's Social Links: