What a weekend!  A whirl wind and I’m not just talking about the outrageous weather on race day. 

Friday:   We checked into the Waldorf Astoria.  Why not make it REALLY good right?!  Not much time before meeting family at Oceana Restaurant where I was scheduled to receive a personalized copy of Chef Pollinger’s new book School of Fish.  

On the way… Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

We didn’t realize they offered skating prior to December.  Guess we ought to visit more often. 

After a glass of wine at a wine bar close by, a lively chat with Adam from San Francisco, we arrived early at Oceana and learned Chef was off that night. It was Halloween and he texted me later the next day to say he was trick or treating with his 3 kids and dropped the ball.  Disappointed but dinner was great and we would still get back and try to meet up on Saturday.

Saturday – pre race day.

We had a microwave in the room so I cooked a sweet potato to take along for a snack if we were late eating lunch.  *Had to request the microwave and coffee pot before hand.

A hearty breakfast of egg white omelet with salad greens, dry whole grain bread at Le Pain. Organic, fresh and near to perfection. The only draw back:  We ordered oatmeal to share and it came covered in syrup and nuts and bananas.  I couldn’t eat it but Ted did.

breakfast at le pain

We each had our own coffee pot. Perfect!

own coffee pot

The omelet.  The only gripe I had with breakfast, other than the adulterated oatmeal was that the wonderful, fresh bread wasn’t toasted.  Unfortunate but maybe I should have asked for “TOAST” as I should have asked for all oatmeal toppings on the side

Egg whites and greenery morning before breakfast

Then it was on to the expo.   Shuttle buses were available to and from the Javits center from somewhere around 52nd and 7th Streets.  Good thing because even though we could have walked, it was raining, windy and cold. 

Once at the expo, we met Richard and picked up the bib plus a few TCS NYC Marathon shirts. 

Expo2

As you might guess with a marathon of 50000 runners, the expo was packed. The marathon clothing from Asics was limited as it had sold out the two days prior.  This was one expo I really didn’t enjoy.   It seemed as if the wise thing would have been to open it up more since the Javits Center is so large. 

Went up a level for the TCS NYC MARATHON experience to get a poster. Then I was starving. Had my potato then waited in line for the shuttle to get back to Midtown and have lunch.  Rosie O’Grady’s was delicious and fun!

We walked too much as we went back to the hotel, went on a search for bagels and bananas before ultimately going back to Oceana to find Chef Pollinger. STILL not there. I left him a note which said I’d email him.  My feet hurt. Not good.

We ended up cancelling our dinner at Serafina’s and stayed in the hotel to enjoy an excellent early meal at The Bull and Bear.

Bull and bear

The salad

salad bull and bear

The fish – Black Cod, crispy top and melt in your mouth tender. Delicious!

crispy topped halibut

A restless night before…RACE DAY!  

The weather looked bad as I continually checked to see if there was any sign the winds would die down and the temperatures would heat up.  Forecast predicted up to 26 mph gusting winds and 41 degrees which would feel more like 30 degrees.  I had never run a marathon in such conditions. Cold, yes.  Wind, no.  Cold AND wind, double no – no. 

What I wore.   I decided on risking being too warm and wore the Patagonia wind and rain breaker which was ultra thin, my Boston tank, Oiselle capris, and high knee Injinji socks. I had my  TCS NYC Marathon visor which I secured with a Philadelphia Marathon head band, plus throw away gloves from the Dollar Store.

Went to bed knowing the cell phones would automatically update for Day Light Savings Time but still tossed and turned for a sleepless night.

Next – RACE DAY!  The wind, the cold, the wall.

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