Learnings From NYC Vets

Since establishing my intentions to run the NYCM, I've contacted several friends about it - all in the name of fact finding. One of them is my colleague in LA who is currently training for the Chicago Marathon. Besides the coming Chicago in October, he has also run LA, Singapore and New York before and so he's a great source of good info. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from him last week when he was in Singapore for a business trip. In the 20 minutes or so that we spoke he enlightened me on some very interesting points.

1. The atmosphere in New York simply has to be experienced. The crowd support were deafening to the point that my colleague was unable to hear the music via his earphones.
   
2. It's not necessary to get hotel rooms in Manhattan. Look instead for options in Brooklyn or Queens as it will half your accommodation expenses. The subway services run 24-hours so travelling to the shuttle pickup points are not so much an issue. My thought is that staying in Manhattan will let me be where the action is without travelling around so much. An important consideration unless I'm travelling in a group.
   
3. There are cheap disposable gloves and raincoats for sale at the Expo, so if you didn't bring any along or decide to throw them away as the race progresses, these are cheap alternatives. I don't know if I misheard him but my colleague mentioned that the gloves went for something like $1+.
   
4. It's easy to get dehydrated in colder weather as you can mistake your freshness for state of hydration. Another friend informed me that he cramped big time partially due to salt loss. I've also read in forums that some runners skipped the initial refreshment stations thinking they're fine except to suffer from cramps later.
   
5. Layering is strongly adviced. Either bring along scarves, sweatshirts, windbreakers and trackpants or whatever to keep you warm while waiting for the start. This can be up to 3 hours long. You can chuck your sweats once you're warmer or on the Verazzano Bridge for the volunteers to pick up. Personally I think the garbage liner makes for good windbreaker but it doesn't offer anything thermally. So an option would be to put on the bin liner on top of your sweatshirt.
   
6. It's advisable to bring along some light carbs to eat while on the bus. Once you reach the holding point at the Fort, you can grab the bagels, bars, coffee, tea and other refreshment setup. You should eat since it's still 3 hours away till the start.
   

Liep, if you're reading this, I wanna say thanks for all your feedback. If you think of anything else, please feel free to let me know. Will post something on layering the next round. Meanwhile I leave you something from Nike here.

Arriving at JFK

Things starts to get exciting the moment you touch down. After collecting baggage and clearing customs, and because you'll be carrying your luggage and probably unfamiliar with the city goings-on, you'd want to get to your hotel as quickly and cheaply as possible. Jetlag will be quite common and you should be stiff and tired from the 21-hour flight (if like me, you're from Kuala Lumpur). You won't want to spend time and what's left of your energy learning the transportation system. Get to your hotel in the most direct manner. It's for this reason that I recommend Super Shuttle. They have services to most hotels and you can book 2-way rides easing your worries. The only drawback is that it serves only the Manhattan borough. Same limitations for the Airport Shuttle Service. So if you're staying in Brooklyn or Queens, the cab could be the alternative option on top of the buses.

NYC is blessed with a multitude of transportation options from buses, shuttle services, cabs, limos and car rentals. For purposes of scope I will not touch on limos and car rentals but if that's what you're looking for, visit Avis or National Car for more info.

The following portion was obtained from http://www.nycvisit.com/, an excellent trip-planning site.

John F Kennedy International Airport
Jamaica, Queens, New York, 718/244-4444
This airport is New York's largest, serving more than 110 primarily international airlines. And this is the one you'll most likely be landing at. It is approximately 15 miles from midtown Manhattan. Follow signs marked "Ground Transportation" as you exit the airport.

Taxi
$45 flat fee (non-metered) plus bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity; 30-60 minutes to midtown Manhattan. 212/NYC-TAXI (212/692-8294)
One fare covers all passengers. Accept taxi ride offers only from uniformed airport agents and only in yellow medallion taxis. Do not accept rides from people who approach you in the airport if you have not booked a private car service in advance. Tipping is not mandatory, but a 15%-20% gratuity is expected.

AirTrain
$5 (children under 5 free); 60-90 minutes to midtown Manhattan
Operating 24 hours and every day, AirTrain JFK is the airport train service that takes you between John F. Kennedy International Airport and MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) subways and local buses. A trip from JFK to Jamaica or Howard Beach will average about 12 minutes; add 60-75 minutes for the subway to midtown Manhattan. You will need to purchase a MetroCard to pay for the trip. You will use the MetroCard entering and exiting AirTrain at the Howard Beach or Jamaica stations.

Subway
$7: $2 subway + $5 for AirTrain; 60-75 minutes to midtown Manhattan from the A subway line at the Howard Beach station or the E, J, Z subway lines at Jamaica station
It's about an hour on the A train to Howard Beach from Midtown; at the Howard Beach station, you will need to use a MetroCard vending machine to purchase a $5 card to ride the AirTrain, which connects the station to the airport's terminals. Allow 15-25 minutes for the AirTrain connection.

Public Bus
$2 (free transfer from subway); 60-75 minutes to midtown Manhattan. 718/330-1234; non-English, 718/330-4847; MTA bus information, 718/995-4700
Public bus transportation is offered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which runs the Q10 bus (formerly the Green Line Q-10) at JFK. In front of each terminal at the airport, look for the Q10 bus stop. Buses run approximately every 20-25 minutes, 24 hours a day. Take the bus to the last stop: Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike. Directly in front of this stop is the connection to the E (Eighth Avenue) and F (Sixth Avenue) subway lines into midtown Manhattan.

Shuttle Bus

New York Airport Service
$10-13 to midtown; $17-23 for hotel shuttle service; 45-60 minutes to midtown Manhattan. 718/875-8200, 212/875-8200
Bus to Manhattan and shuttle to/from JFK and LaGuardia airports and midtown hotels.
From airports: At the airports, New York Airport Service bus stops are located outside the baggage claim area at every terminal; look for a bus stop sign that says New York Airport Service. Buses run approximately every 20-30 minutes and make stops at Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and Port Authority Bus Station.

For transfer service to hotels: Take shuttle to Grand Central; transfer is available to midtown hotels for an additional fee.

From Midtown to airports: Service is available from Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal.

From midtown hotels to airports: You can either make a round-trip reservation upon arrival at airport Ground Transportation area or call from Midtown; a 24-hour advance reservation for pick-up is required. Visit www.nyairportservice.com for more information.

SuperShuttle
$15-20 one-way fare; 45-60 minutes to midtown Manhattan. 800/258-3826, 212/315-3006
Door-to-door airport transfers. From airports: Go to Ground Transportation desk; use SuperShuttle courtesy phone to connect to dispatcher who will arrange for your pick- up directly outside the terminal. From midtown/hotel: Reservations are required 24 hours in advance of pick-up. Visit www.supershuttle.com for more information.

Sports Stores Worth Checking Out

Niketown

Location: 6 E 57th St.

Directions: <coming. as soon as i map it out>

New York Road Runners Club (NYRRC)

Location: 9 East 89th Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenues), less than a block from Central Park,

Opening hours: Weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Facilities: Changing facilities, lockers, toilets, and water fountains.

Running Gallery/Store Hours: Wednesday– Friday 12:00 – 6:00

Super Runners Shop

Location: East 89th St. and Lexington Ave. Located 4 blocks east of the New York City Road Runners Club, on the south east corner of Lexington Ave. & East 89th street.

Opening hours: Monday-Friday 10:00am till 7:00pm, Thursday 10:00am-9:00pm, Saturday 10:00am till 6:00pm, Sunday 12:00noon till 5:00pm

Location: Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse

Opening hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am till 8:00pm, Saturday 10:00am till 6:00pm, Sunday 12:00noon till 5:00pm

The Running Company

Location: The Shops @ Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, 2nd Floor
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am – 9pm; Sunday 11am – 7pm

Urban Athletics

Location: 1291 Madison Avenue @ 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128 (160 meters from Central Park)
Directions: Located on the East Side of Madison Avenue, between 91st Street and 92nd Street. From #4, 5, or 6 subway line traveling uptown: Exit at 86th St. Station; walk north to 92nd St.; walk west to Madison Ave. (Urban Athletics is located on the southeast corner of Madison Ave and 92nsd St.). From #4, 5, or 6 subway line traveling downtown: Exit at 96th St. Station; walk south to 92nd St.; walk west to Madison Ave. (Urban Athletics is located on the southeast corner of Madison Ave and 92nsd St.)

An Average Guy's Road To New York City

I'm just an average middle-class male approaching 40. The "average-ness" extends to my looks, my anatomy, my paycheck, my savings, the size of my family, my running PRs. You won't be able to pick me out from the crowd. I hold a full-time job at a financial institution, juggling my limited hours between family, commuting to/from work and running, though sometimes the order of things are pretty hazy and quite often something gives way for the other. I've 2 boys - a 4-year old and a 6-month old - and both give me different joys. My wife doesn't share my joy for running no matter how hard I try to convince her, but I'm not giving up.

What is not average however, is my passion for running. I've been involved in the sport from every angle - participant, volunteer and soon race directing. I'm also co-facilitating a weekly Beginner's Running Program and have contributed to a couple of shoe wear-test program as well as written for the Men's Health magazine. I also have a handful of dreams when it comes to running (but that doesn't mean I don't have dreams related to other aspect of my Life but let's not complicate matters, shall we?).

The reason I set up this blog is to document my preparations leading up to the race as well as to put in a single place all the resources that I've gathered in planning for the trip. I noticed that there's a lack of information on travelling to NYC and racing the big one there especially from the viewpoint of an Asian, specifically a Malaysian. What makes NYC such a vibrant metropolis also makes it a daunting prospect for the first-time visitor. I'm not an expert in NYC nor on any parts of the United States. NYC will be the furthest I've travelled to, probably in my life. But I hope to gather as much info and structure this blog the best I can to make this blog as informative and useful as possible.

Time will tell whether this blog will be the point of reference for runners from this part of Asia who also share a common dream of running the NYC Marathon someday.