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Philadelphia Marathon Tips

I had to laugh when last week, after I announced that I was running the Philadelphia Marathon instead of New York, a few people emailed, tweeted, or left me Facebook messages asking if I’d do a tips and tricks post for the marathon in advance of November 18th. My first reaction was laughter as I knew very little about the marathon when I signed up. Sure I lived in Philadelphia for 3 years and ran the half multiple times but I don’t know the full course very well.

So what do I do when you’re confused or don’t know the answer to something? Ask for help!

I quickly reached out to a few friends and acquaintances who have run the marathon multiple times and am now able to share with you a pretty amazing Philadelphia Marathon Tips guide for both runners and spectators. If you find this helpful, please feel free to share with friends or across your social networks! If I missed anything, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to get you an answer before Thursday!

The Course: I am inspired by my co-worker Mark on a daily basis. Not only is his 40 something body able to run a 3:17 marathon, but he is the most helpful and kind runner I know! He has sent me multiple inspirational messages during this training journey and has accompanied me on many a run. As soon as he heard I was running Philadelphia he put me in touch with his friend, a local Philadelphia runner, so I could understand the ins and outs of the course. After training for New York, a marathon that I’ve run twice before, it felt weird to sign up for a marathon whose course I don’t know very well in advance. I was amazed when his friend sent over a VERY thorough course description which included his tips. I asked him permission and he was more than happy for me to share it directly on the blog for everyone’s benefit!

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Happy to help – the course has been essentially the same for a while now.  Apologies for the length here, but I’m avoiding election coverage and welcome the distraction.  

Overall, it’s fairly flat and known for being a pretty fast course.  If you’ve been training for NYC in the city itself (including bridge work and/or the hills of central park), none of the hills that are on the course should adversely effect you. Philly used to be one of the marathons people ran to qualify for Boston. 

Start is by the Art Museum – they’ve made a lot of progress with corrals and spacing, in the past few years.  My recommendation is to be at or near the front of the corral behind the one to which you are assigned.  This way, you can help avoid getting stuck in a crowd and can find whatever pace you feel comfortable with, early on.  Also, you’re more apt to start catching runners in the group in front of you, as you go.  (Always good for the psyche.) Keep in mind, unlike NYC, you’re also running with half-marathoners.  Slightly different crowd. 

Anyway, the first 6 to 6.5 miles run through the flat streets of Philly proper: center city (which is the closest Philly comes to nyc midtown environment) and old city (which can include brief sections of cobblestone).  You’ll know you’re heading into old city when you run through Independence Mall.  Through this section of the race, you’ll find a few turns along the way, which can slow you down, depending on crowds around you.  Also, the streets get more narrow in sections.  They don’t always clear the streets of cars, so it can get like the sections of NYC you find in Brooklyn. (Think bay ridge).
Bw 6 and 7, you’ll cross a bridge into west Philadelphia.  That’s when you’ll notice some hills starting.  You’ll also get some nice energy from the greeks at Penn. (Don’t feed them.). The hill at mile 7 or so isn’t going to kill you – especially if you’ve done your bridgework.  It’s a little long and the pitch is roughly equivalent to the Williamsburg bridge. Keep your pacing honest and respect the hill here and you’ll be fine. I mention this because the worst hill on the course comes at around mile 9 or so, when you start to head to the zoo.  Before you hit that hill, you’ll notice you’ve lost the crowds.  They largely stop when you’re past Penn and Drexel. There will be select areas w some crowds as you go – but they can get kind of sparse for prolonged sections of the remainder of the race.

One more word about the hill at mile 9 – it’s a solid hill. Fairly prolonged, good steepness to it.  A lot of people run it really stupidly.  Expect to slow your pace here.  I’m always conservative with this hill, unless someone’s chasing me. Good news is, you’ll know this hill when you see it and the rest of the course is frankly pretty routine.  After the hill at 9, you’ll get a downhill return for roughly 4 miles – you’ll see "Boathouse Row" on the left and you’ll see you’ll find yourself back at the Art Museum.  This is where you’ll lose the half-marathoners. They’ll go straight to their finish, while you’ll head left out to a town called Manayunk. 

The Manayunk leg is an out and back: 6 out, tap Manayunk and run the 10k back to the finish.  Depending on who you talk to, some describe this leg as downhill out and uphill back – others describe it as a series of mini-hills.  Both descriptions are basically right.  This section is part of a very popular running route in philly: tree lined, right along the river and largely scenic.  You’ll get some crowd support in a couple of sections of this leg – depending on the weather, it can get very strong. 

I’m not a fan of "out and backs" generally, but this one is tolerable.  Just ignore the mile markers and runners in the opposite direction (ie ahead of you) when you’re heading out.  
Preparing for NYC will serve you well here, because good training can put you in position to make up some time on this section. The one thing I’ll mention on this section is to remember that, near the very end of the return (and the marathon itself) you have a gradual hill that’s roughly 1 mile long.  After 24 miles plus, it has beaten up many a runner and it’s a frequent mistake for people to forget about it.  Don’t forget it’s there – it starts at the end of Boathouse Row on your return.  Can’t miss it. Save some energy for it.  Once you’re atop the hill, with the Art Museum again on your right, it’s the last point 2 to the finish.  Empty the tank then.

I think that’s about it.  It’s a pretty well run race – the water stops are stocked and staffed well.  They’ve expanded the field to try to accommodate the abandoned NYC marathoners (adding 3k more).  So, it should be more crowded than usual.  But, it doesn’t get more crowded than the upper deck of the Verrazano.  You should be fine.

Spectating: The Philadelphia Marathon is known for amazing spectators the majority of the first 13 miles. After that, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There are always a number of spectators at the end and in Manayunk. Therefore, I would highly suggest asking your friends and or family to spectate in one of the “dead zones” if at all possible. Since it’s an out and back course for part of the marathon, if they chose a spot along here they could not only see you at the beginning and end, but also the tough parts. Here are my suggestions based on course research and where I’ll be requesting the amazing BETH to try and spectate if possible.

  • Do not attempt to spectate in the first few miles of the marathon. Due to the start, which includes half marathon runners, it is pretty crowded at this point and will make finding people very difficult. The crowd spreads out a bit after mile 3 so this is the best place to even consider spectating during the early miles.
  • If you hang out on Kelly Drive towards the Mile 15 point, you’ll see your runners at mile 15 and 24. These are both pivotal miles as 15 is when it has truly set in that you’re running a marathon and you’ve broken off from the half marathon crowd. Mile 24 can also be a tipping point in a PR so knowing that you’re going to see someone at that point can really help push you through mile 23. The great thing about this location is that it’s only 2 miles down Kelly Drive from the finish so if you’re a runner, walker, or jogger spectating you can walk back to the finish to meet your runner.
  • Tell your spectators to wear something that will stand out to you. For example, I may have Bo where his bright red North Face jacket or a Georgia Tech baseball hat. Things like this, or an I Love Sweat T-Shirt, make finding your spectators easier!
  • Make super fun signs and come up with a few cheers. In addition, do not say the following to marathon runners UNLESS you are standing at mile 26. (pictures and suggestions on what not to say from Erica Sara’s blog)
      • You’re almost there (when they are NOT almost there)
      • This is the last hill (when it’s NOT the last hill)
      • Run faster (trust me, they are trying)

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I hope these tips help!

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An Emotional Rollercoaster

The last 48 hours have been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. It’s been more than 48 hours since I last posted and so much has taken place that I don’t even know where to begin.

I’ll start with a thank you. The number of emails, phone calls, text messages, visits, comments, Facebook messages, and more that both Bo and I have received over the past 36 hours have been incredible. We are so blessed to have a strong community of friends and family in addition to the blogging community and friendships that I’ve built over the past few years.

As you may remember, I took Friday off of work to volunteer at the ING NYC Marathon Expo, handing out bibs with Ashley and Beth from 9-3pm. It was exactly the motivation and inspiration we needed to get excited about the weekend! We met people from all over the world who were so excited to be in New York City and run in the marathon. Many even asked where they could make donations and help those who had been affected by the hurricane! It was an overwhelming but wonderful morning.

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It was also the first day I wore makeup or straightened my hair all last week. Needless to say I spent 45 minutes in the bathroom at Equinox just enjoying the heat, electricity, and warm water.

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I was smiling like this for the next few hours. I ran a few last minute errands, our amazing friends offered us their warm apartment on the Upper West Side for the weekend since it was near the marathon finish, and I finally ended my afternoon near Bo’s office, getting a pre-marathon manicure and toe nail polish change around 5pm.

Fifteen minutes later I received a text from Theodora asking me how I was doing that she’d just seen the news. I had no idea what she was talking about. Then, thanks to Twitter, I was quickly updated on the situation.

The next 24 hours are a bit of a blur following the announcement. While I, like many others, believe the right decision was made in the end, I was most frustrated about the communication and the timing. After the reality set in I went through more emotions than I realized possible. I cried at the nail salon for a good 30 minutes while talking with Monica, Bo, Gia, and my family on the phone.  I yelled at Bo when he didn’t seem as emotional and merely said that there was nothing we could do so there was no sense in getting upset. I frantically tried to find another race but quickly realized I couldn’t join the Richmond Marathon brigade from New York since we have a wedding next weekend. Then I just shutdown. I was tired of talking about it and I was tired of thinking about it. Ten of us came together to laugh and morn over drinks Friday night which ended up lasting until past midnight. It was so fun spending the evening with people that I’ve met through running and blogging in New York City. Each and every one of these ladies touched me that night just by understanding and I can’t thank them enough. Then as the night progressed our friends’ outpouring of calls, texts, and even venturing downtown from the Upper East Side for drinks just made our hearts so happy.

When I woke up Saturday morning I was in full depression mode. I slept for 11 hours, didn’t want to leave bed, and called my dad to cry for a good 30 minutes. Between he and Bo they both helped me realize that I personally wanted to find another Fall marathon. While Bo is holding out for New York City Marathon next year or possibly a Spring marathon, I really wanted to put all my training to the test and run a marathon this Fall. After two hours of research, crossing my fingers, saying a few prayers, and support from Laura, Theodora, Bo and my family I decided to sign up for the Philadelphia Marathon.

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I lived in Philadelphia for 3 years before New York City and still remember toeing the line of my first half marathon there five years ago.

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I am thankful that I was able to secure a bib through a local Philadelphia charity. Even better, the charity is something that I’m passionate about supporting and am excited to share with friends and family. This will be my first time running with a charity organization and I’m excited to support a smaller, grassroots charity.

Yesterday, by noon, I found out that I was accepted and officially in the Philadelphia Marathon. As soon as I had this confirmation the weekend was able to turnaround for me mentally and emotionally. An angel had extra tickets to Book of Mormon which she shared with us yesterday and laughing for 2 hours was the perfect way to kick off a better mood. If you haven’t seen this show yet, do whatever it takes whether that means standing in the back, to see this hilarious musical. It is 100% politically incorrect but so much fun. The entire audience, old and young alike, were laughing for the whole show.

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The rest of the evening included multiple Chelsea Pumpkin Ale’s with a spiced rim, great friends, college football, laughter, and birthday celebrations at a cute little bar and restaurant we discovered on 48th and 9th, West End Bar & Grill.

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This morning I woke up refreshed and ready to conquer a double digit run in the beautiful Central Park with Laura, Theodora, Marcial, and thousand of other runners from across the world. I never expected the number of runners to be in the thousands but it was an amazing run. There were donation bins where people could donate food, water, fuel, or clothing along with thousands of runners enjoying 26.2 or 2 miles in Central Park’s late Fall beauty. The air was cold, the path was packed, bikers didn’t have a chance, and spectators even came out to support everyone. The 11 miles weren’t the easiest considering my tight legs and two days of late beer filled nights but I was smiling ear to ear the entire run.

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This was definitely the perfect end to an emotional weekend filled with highs and lows. For now, Bo and I are spending the rest of our Sunday donating clothes, fuel, and shoes to local shelters and I’m working on a fun project to help out a fellow health blogger who lost everything last week. Check back tonight for a post explaining how you can help Jen and her family with just a few clicks of a button! Here’s a little hint..

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A Few Random Thoughts

Looking out the window from my midtown office this morning, it was as if Sandy never happened.

There are so many things I could talk about in this post but honestly right now I just don’t have the energy. Instead, I’ll summarize a few of my thoughts and then share with you the fun information, like how you can track me during the marathon on Sunday.

  • Life without power: Last night after a much needed yoga class at Equinox with Sarra Morton who was substituting uptown, we showered and picked up dinner in midtown before making the trek back downtown. Crossing 38th street it literally felt like you were crossing into a black hole. Walking into our apartment, after navigating the dark stairwell up two flights of steps, is even darker. But, once we come into the house, crack a window for ventilation, light the 15 scented candles I’ve accumulated over the years, turn Friends on via the iPad, and cuddle on the couch all is right in the world. Bo and I have both decided we can handle the dark and even the lack of power. At the end of the day it’s not having water that is driving me insane. I drink a lot of water. Think gallons per day. Therefore, just the thought of once I walk through the door of our apartment I am limited to the bottle water we have on hand which as of last night was dwindling, gives me a parched mouth. In addition, no water means no flushing toilets, no water to rinse our dishes which have now piled up, and no way to easily carry out my evening ritual of washing my face and brushing my teeth drives me insane. But, then I sit and think about how lucky we are versus some of the other people we know and everything is put into perspective. Is it kind of crazy that I’ll have to go to a friends house tomorrow on my day off to do a blog post, download new music from iTunes, and create my playlist? Sure it does but you know what, I’ll get through it. In addition, Bo and I have decided that living through this has brought the two of us even closer. Want to get close with your significant other, suffer through food poisioing at the same time and live without utilities under the same roof for mutliple days.
  • Why haven’t we taken refuge at our friends’ homes? In simple terms, it’s just easier to stay. We have been limiting our time at home now that our offices and gyms are open which means that we are only home to sleep. Sleeping in the comfort of our queen size bed, even if it means doing so in a sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants due to the cold, is more comfortable than an air mattress or the hard floor. While we can’t really change the situation we can make our marathon taper as comfortable as possible and this seems to help.
  • Do I feel like the marathon should take place this Sunday?  I can no longer count on two hands the number of people who have asked me the question since Mary Whittenberg and Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday that the ING NYC Marathon will run on Sunday. This, similar to politics, is just something that I don’t want to discuss on the blog. At the end of the day I think of my readers as friends and rarely do I bring up politics or religion with friends, especially in a group situation. I will provide you all with the same answer I gave to my mom and co-workers today though. I am trusting that Mary Whittenberg, Mayor Bloomberg, the NYRR, and all parties involved made the decision that they felt best not only for the runners but the city and surrounding areas and parties involved. Instead of talking more about this topic I’ll direct you to my lovely friend Erica’s site where she said everything that I have been thinking. In addition, I’ll let you know that come Sunday I’ll be thinking about my dear friend and co-worker Joanne, who has suffered more than anyone else I know these past few days, every step of the way.

So, now that we’ve covered all those random thoughts of all the things I need to do before Sunday morning.

I have this fear that due to the chaos of everything right now I’ll forget something so I figure sharing it here is a good way to remember.

  • Go to marathon expo to pick up bib (Bo and I are going tonight and I’m not volunteering there tomorrow from 9-2. If you’re there, find me and say hi!)
  • Buy an iPod shuffle (My current iPod was found one day in a cab and while it’s served me well for over a year, it hasn’t been very reliable lately and I want something smaller for the marathon.)
  • Make a playlist for Sunday.
  • Charge my Garmin and find a Garmin for Bo to use on Sunday
  • Figure out our throw away clothes situation (I don’t feel right going to Salvation Army right now as there are other people who truly need these clothes. I think we’ll use old flannel pj pants and drugstore robes.)
  • Figure out our Saturday plans for dinner and charging things as it now sounds like Con-Edison has told all of Manhattan that power won’t be back until 11pm on Saturday.
  • Put Bo’s name on his race day shirt.
  • Get my nails painted for the race (I’m thinking Lincoln Park After Dark will go best with my black and pink outfit but we’ll see).

So, if you’ve made it through all this and are still interested in tracking me on Sunday, here are my details:

Start: 10:55, Blue Wave #4, Corral #59

Bib: 59623

If you go to this site you can track me, and up to 3 runners via text. In addition, you can also track me via Facebook and Twitter. It costs $2.99 in advance and $3.99 on race day.ORYou can track via the web on race day “live time.”

For those who are spectating, I will post a picture of my outfit in Saturday’s post though I can tell you know that I’m wearing neon pink zensah calf sleeves, black CW-X shorts, a neon pink sparkly skirt, a dark gray Lululemon long sleeve shirt that has my name on the front, along with my Camelbak! I’ll also do my best to stay on the left side of the street to make things easier.

I still plan on doing a post tomorrow sharing my race day tips and tricks for the New York City Marathon, though many are no longer valid due to changes in transportation methods.

Until next time, I’m off to the ING NYC Marathon Expo with Bo! I’m so excited to experience the next few days with him since it’s all new for him.

Thanks for the warm wishes, texts, tweets, Facebook messages, and more! You guys are amazing!

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