RED Episode 281 Footsteps Across New York Tales of Triumph at NYC Marathon and Fueling on the Run - podcast episode cover

RED Episode 281 Footsteps Across New York Tales of Triumph at NYC Marathon and Fueling on the Run

Apr 23, 202441 minSeason 7Ep. 281
--:--
--:--
Listen in podcast apps:

Episode description

Send us a text

As dawn broke over the iconic New York City skyline,  she couldn't help but feel a mix of nerves and excitement—the cocktail of emotions that Ana from @Ana_Runs_on_Coffee described as she boarded the bus to the marathon starting line. Clad in mylar blankets and loaded with carb-rich strategies, she joins us for a second episode to continue recounting the pre-marathon rituals that set the stage for 26.2 miles of urban adventure. Hear how her preparation unfolded into an orchestra of precision, emotion, and community spirit found only in the crowds of runners poised at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, ready to conquer the concrete jungle.

The crowd's energy is an intangible yet potent force, and this episode captures the essence of that support alongside the critical topic of marathon fueling. With anecdotes of energy gels and the sweet taste of success (or sometimes, just too much sugar), Ana dissects the tightrope walk of maintaining energy levels without stomach upsets. Glimpse into the heartwarming tales of spectator ingenuity and discover how the cheers of strangers can propel you through the physical challenge and emotional highs of passing each mile marker.

Post-race, the euphoria is palpable as we share the tales of her New York City Marathon experience, from the tear-streaked joy of crossing the finish line to the gastronomic bliss of a well-earned burger. Our journey concludes with brunch at Tiffany's Blue Box Cafe, a treasured photo by the mile 26 marker, and the comical mishaps of a much-needed coffee fix. Join us on this exhilarating tour of perseverance and celebration that encapsulates the marathon spirit, and perhaps you'll be inspired to lace up your running shoes for your next big race.

Find out more about the New York City Marathon here:
https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon

Get the Goodr glasses she wore at the 5K the day before her NYC Marathon Debut:
https://goodr.com/products/breakfast-run-to-tiffanys

Connect with Ana here:
https://www.instagram.com/ana.runs.on.coffee  (@ana.runs.on.coffee)
https://linktr.ee/Ana.Runs.On.Coffee

Check out Ana’s food and beverage recommendations here:

Tiffany’s Blue Box Cafe
https://blueboxcafenyc.com

PHD Terrace:
https://taogroup.com/venues/phd-terrace-new-york/menu/ 


Support the show


THAT’S A WRAP!

Thank you for listening! Because of your support, we are in our eighth year of the podcast! Don’t forget to follow us and tell us where to find you next on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Also, check out our store on the website and get some swag, thanks to Pure Creative Apparel. Thanks to www.PodcastMusic.com for providing the music for this episode, too!

Transcript

Aimee

Special thanks to all our patrons who support the show every single week . We couldn't do it without you . Head over to patreoncom slash run eat drink podcast and subscribe today for bonus content , exclusive happy hour , live chats and more Patrons . You help keep the run eat drink podcast going and we're so grateful for you . Not a patron yet ?

Join us today at patreoncom slash runeatdrinkpodcast . Help support the show by using our Amazon affiliate link anytime you shop on Amazon for running gear , food , beverages or anything else the little gray trucks might bring your way . Just use runeatdrinknet slash Amazon anytime you shop . It costs nothing extra .

It's only one extra click and it helps us keep the lights on and the bandwidth flowing . Just go to runeatdrinknet slash Amazon and we thank you for your support .

Ana

Hi , I'm Ana , part of the Runcation Nation and you're listening to Run Eat Drink podcast .

Aimee

part of the Runcation Nation and you're listening to Run Eat Drink podcast . Welcome to the Run Eat Drink podcast . We feature destination races from across the country and after the race , we take you on a tour of the best local food and beverage to celebrate .

So , whether you are an elite runner or a back of the packer like us , you'll know the best places to accomplish , explore and indulge on your next runcation . And now please welcome back Ana of Ana Runs on Coffee Instagram fame for part two of her New York City Marathon experience . Okay , you talked about how you took the bus to .

You got up early and your bus ride to the start was at five 5am .

Ana

Yeah , there's only two times that you can pick , and I think it's something like five and 515 or something like . It's early and they're very close because they have to shut down all these roads and they have to .

There's a way to get there and then that's the bridge to get out of there , and so once the race starts , you can't have the buses anymore , and if you go with the buses , you're you have to go emotionally prepared to wait for several hours outside by the start area .

Aimee

But there had to be in that pre-race experience . There had to be like plenty like they were prepared . They had the , as you showed , the hat for the Duncan experience , but that was probably just how was it the pre-race ?

Ana

When we walked from the hotel to where the buses are , and I think the buses were close to the library , I want to say , but I was I don't remember a whole lot of details from that walk because I was so emotional . I I teared up a few times and I'm like I need to keep my emotions in check .

I've had , I'm about to have to run very far , but because I had all those years of wanting to do this race and it was finally happening and all of that , I was just . I got teared up a couple of times but on the walk to the buses and then we got to the buses and the line went around the block .

Aimee

Wow .

Ana

And then went around like the library and stuff . So it was a very long line . We were nervous when we first saw the line . We're like how is this even going to work ? Yeah , super efficient , organized . The line went very smoothly around the buildings and around the block and then there was cops everywhere to keep us safe .

And then there was different lines that they would put you in , because there was I don't even know how many buses all lined up and ready to go , and so you get in line and they would get those certain number of people and that's how many were going to fit in this bus . And we're like right , people were walking .

And so then you get on the bus , all the buses , yeah , yeah , there was no messing around . So once we got to the line , I would sit down on the ground . Eventually , I lay down , but the line was actually moving . So it's not like I was laying there for a long time , it was , I just didn't want to be on my feet .

Yeah , so I would sit and scooch with the line , whatever , but but it was super well organized . We got on the bus and then all the buses . You just see a sea of buses all the way to staten island , just following each other , and then you get off the bus and they guide you through . They make sure that you're wearing the bib .

You , you can't just have the bib . You have to be wearing , it has to be attached to you , I think , to make sure that you don't pass it to other people and more people get in than they should . So you have to attach the bib to yourself and then they let you through security , they check your bags , they check everything .

You feel very safe , and then it's all fenced in . I and then , it's all fenced in . I mean it's 50,000 people , so they have different areas depending on what wave you're going to start in , and they have a ton of porta potties . They have several trucks for Dunkin' Coffee and bagels .

Dana

There's a lot of grass space where we literally took our blankets , our throwaway , everything that we brought was either nutrition we were going to run with or things we were going to throw away , and they were just for before the race Super smart , yeah .

Ana

So we had . We brought a mylar to put on the ground to make sure that the water if the grass was wet from dew or whatever it wasn't going to make the blanket wet . Then we put the blanket over it , we sat down , we had ponchos to stop the wind Even if it wasn't raining , it still keeps the heat in .

And then we had food , and one of the issues that I've had in recent races is with nutrition . I just don't eat enough for the miles that I'm supposed to be doing , and so the girls kept lovingly yelling at me to eat , lovingly lovingly . Yeah , yeah . So we we each had a bagel on the way out of the hotel .

By the time we got to the elevator , their bagels were gone for some reason . My bagel lasted all the way until we got to Staten Island , so it lasted more than an hour for me to get that bagel in . I just don't feel hungry before a race and it was emotional , right yeah .

And I know I have to eat , I just really don't want to , and so they kept bugging me . And then , once we got through security and I'm like you guys , I finished the bagel , I ate the whole thing . They're like great , it's time for the second bagel . I'm like no . Really yeah . So we had everything that we needed .

We had Tylenol in case anyone had a headache or wasn't feeling quite right . We had extra toilet paper , because you can't trust that the porta potties are going to have toilet paper which by the way bring toilet paper to the race as well .

So I actually have the snack size Ziploc bags that I always put a few , those flushable wipes , oh yeah , like the Cottonelle ones . But then I also get , like the anti-chafe like I use squirrel nut butter but whatever anti-chafe you like at , like the anti-chafe , like I use squirrel nut butter but whatever anti-chafe you like .

I actually get a glove and I put a bunch of it on the glove , I fold the glove out and then I put that with the wipes in a Ziploc bag with a hand sanitizer , a little pouch hand sanitizers . Anytime I need to use a porta potty during the race , I have stuff to wipe with .

I have the anti-chafe stuff to reapply and then I have a hand sanitizer for the way out of the porta potty so that I can still keep taking nutrition without feeling yucky .

Dana

Okay , this might be another great nugget .

Aimee

Yes , I really make sure I'm clear .

Dana

You're , you're , you're , you're putting the glove on , you scoop out the nut butter , then you turn the glove inside out and use the glove as the means .

Ana

So yeah . So basically , like when you go to the porta potty , you have four or five of the wipes available , depending on what you did in there , and then you have the I'm a nurse .

Dana

And regardless of what you did , if you end up with backsplash from the blue liquid in there , you're going to need all those wipes .

Ana

It's good . Yeah , I'm trying to be delicate because I'm a nurse and I know I freak people out with too many details , but anyway , exactly .

So we had the wipes , and then I have the gloves that you just put it on , and then you have the anti-chave stuff right there ready to go , which is on the glove and then you toss that as well , and then the last thing in the bag is a hand sanitizer . So I go to the porta potty , but I don't actually depend on the porta potty being fully stocked .

Because I heard that , especially if you start towards the back of New York City , the first few porta potties tend to be completely emptied out .

Dana

More like a war crime when you get in there .

Ana

Yeah , I didn't use the porta potty for several miles after the race started but I was prepared . So for every for run Disney races , for , for Chicago , for New York , I always have that . I always have two or three of those in one of my Brilliant , that's very smart .

Aimee

Yes , yes , I like it .

Dana

So can you talk a little bit about some of the other on course , supports , water stops , nutrition stops and , specifically , what do you carry on the course for nutrition ?

Ana

I , so that was probably the biggest challenge I had with New York City . I'm not new to marathons , but the last two marathons before New York I had hit the wall bad where I started feeling like I was going to faint and feeling very weak . The first time it happened I wasn't making any sense . I couldn't make full sentences anymore .

So I knew that something was wrong and I thought it was dehydration . And I probably was dehydrated , but really I just wasn't taking enough food and I , when I'm running , I know I have to take nutrition , but I most things upset my stomach . When I'm usually it doesn't , but like when I'm running , I just don't want it .

Everything tastes too sweet when I'm running as well . So goo completely out of a question . That is just like a diabetic attack in a little bag , and I'm not even diabetic . I can't . I tried it , but it just doesn't agree with me . So I have honey stingers .

Dana

They are cloyingly sweet .

Ana

It's like eating cake frosting . Yes , yeah , exactly I can't . It's like eating cake frosting . Yes , yeah , exactly I can't .

Dana

You just mentioned one . I do , though , honey stingers .

Ana

Honey stingers . Yes , so I like the waffles and I like the little gummies . And I like the gummies because they're small enough that I can take one per mile and it doesn't feel like I'm overdoing it with the sweets , but that will be fine for anything up to a half .

After that it's just not enough nutrition for me personally , and that's where the training comes in . Right , you have to figure out how much nutrition does your body need and like , how are you going to carry all of that ?

Dana

Yeah , so and you got to practice doing that . Yes , A lot of people forget that part . You've got to . When you get into those upper training miles . You got to practice doing that , yes , A lot of people forget that part . You've got to when you get into those upper training miles . You've got to practice how you're going to play on race day .

Ana

Yeah , so I didn't know . I went into New York not knowing what was going to work and what wasn't , because now I feel like I figured it out . The UCAN gels are magical for me . They don't upset my stomach , they're not too sweet .

Dana

What are they called ?

Ana

Generation you can yeah ? That is a sponsor . The letter U and C A N .

Aimee

A spokesperson Right .

Ana

Yeah , yeah . So yeah , there's no sponsoring or anything , I just they just agree with me . Yeah , and , and so I still take the honey stinger waffles and gummies , but every four miles or so I do the you can um gels . But back in the New York city marathon I hadn't figured that out yet , um , so I had .

I had pretzel bites in my pockets and I had the hard stick pretzels because I knew I needed salty stuff . I carried . I have a scrunchie that has a zipper and so I stuff , I carry the scrunchie with . It's all stuffed with Tylenol , with salt tablets and Imodium , just in case .

So I don't actually put the scrunchie on my hair , it's just an extra pocket where I have pills if I need them . But I just around mile eight I was starting to feel like I wasn't , I didn't have enough nutrition . And of course they have water , they have Gatorade or Powerade , I forget which one and then at certain times they have bananas .

They have Gatorade or Powerade , I forget which one and then at certain times they have bananas . They have things that they offer . They have the gels at every however many miles , but I knew that the banana would be fine , but there wasn't enough of them . The thing that agrees with me all the time is oranges .

But I can't run with six or seven oranges , can you imagine ? I know that would have been awesome . So I was blessed enough that I had friends that were cheering for us and just awesome run Disney people that were there , and so they asked ahead of time what , what we wanted , if we wanted anything on the course .

I said , if you can have oranges like , you will be my hero . And so they had oranges pre-cut ready to go like oranges . One of my , one of my best friend's dad actually lives in New York and so he had water bottles for us that were nice and chill .

At one point , like around mile I want to say it was around mile eight I was really struggling and I just knew I needed to have something , and so Susanna was with me and she actually disappeared . We always joke that she goes on side quests during the races because she like she'll do 30 miles every marathon , because she just wonders and goes on adventures .

But so she , she disappeared and she goes , just keep going . I go , okay , and all of a sudden she shows up and she has two oranges . I go what she had gone to one of the little markets and one of the neighborhoods .

Dana

Yeah .

Ana

She went into a bodega and got oranges . I'm like I'm equal parts proud and so glad you did that .

Dana

That's funny .

Ana

Oh my gosh . So technically , New York has a ton of nutrition and hydration . I don't carry water . I don't carry any of that when I'm running .

Dana

Oh no , hydration pack .

Ana

Yeah , no , not at all . As light as I can be , the better , because I'm already carrying me and that's plenty . So I use the water and the Gatorade and stuff . I did figure out at that race that my issue was entirely I'm not taking enough calories in . So now I feel much better . My times have been going better .

So that's one of the things that that was good . And then the biggest , aside from nutrition , the biggest support that they have to offer is really the crowd , the crowds .

Aimee

Oh , yes , we were gonna ask about this .

Ana

Absolutely insane . So in Chicago , which is what I'm used to , you have basically crowd support the entire course , like basically shoulder to shoulder the whole 26 miles there's people cheering . Shoulder to shoulder the whole 26 miles there's people cheering . New York is a whole other level .

There were sections on the course that the crowds were several people deep on both sides of the street and they were cheering so loud that I couldn't hear my own thoughts .

It was just like just take all this in enjoy and before you know it , another mile or two are gone , and you weren't thinking about pace , you weren't thinking about anything because you can hear it , but just everyone . It was just awesome .

Aimee

Did you run ? So you ran without headphones , I'm guessing .

Ana

Oh yeah . So for any major that I run , like at Disney now , I don't usually run with the headphones either , but it's because I'm hanging out with people and I want to talk to them and everything , yeah . But for the majors , especially if it's your first one , I would highly recommend not having headphones in .

If you do maybe have aftershocks where you can still hear the crowd oh yeah have something that you can just wear one year and not the other . Um , you want to be able to take that experience in . It is amazing . So I had zero headphones . It was just me , the crowds and my friends that I was running with .

Aimee

Yeah .

Dana

I can't imagine the noise level for that . That's got to be just a surreal experience . That sounds awesome yeah .

Ana

Oh , it was amazing and they know which parts of the course are hard , so they would be at like the heart when you were about to go on a hill . That was really long and there was people all the way through .

Dana

It was just awesome that's going to lead me into another question . Yeah , the way this race challenges you would you say it's more physical , more more mental , and in what ways ? And I know Boston's famous for Heartbreak Hill Are there parts of this race that just really kick your butt ? What were your impressions of the course ?

Ana

I thought I prepared well .

Dana

I like how you preface that .

Ana

I thought , I thought .

Aimee

I did ?

Ana

I like how you preface that . I thought I did yes , foreshadowing . The year before the race I stopped focusing on pace at all , probably more than I should have . I completely ignored pace , I completely ignored speed work and I wouldn't recommend going that extreme , but it's because I my biggest fear when it comes to running has always been hills .

I live in Chicago , I run races in Florida , flats , and so we live in Florida , we run races in Florida .

Aimee

We feel this in our souls and other places , but yeah , yes .

Ana

Yeah , but so I have all like . Anytime I've considered doing a marathon anywhere has . My first question is always is it hilly , is it Okay ? Then I'm not going . That's why I haven't done Nashville .

Dana

So you haven't signed up for San Francisco , is what I'm hearing .

Ana

No , absolutely not . So I knew that was a thing . That was obviously . Some of it is physical right , I have to train for those but also a lot of it was mental . That was just like me being afraid .

The thing when you knew with new york is that I've always wanted to do new york and it was just so exciting to have the possibility of maybe being able to do New York that when I signed up for the lottery , zero thoughts went into it . It was zero thoughts , just vibes . And so I signed up for the lottery and it ended up working .

And so once I got through I went oh my gosh , I'm in . Oh my gosh , the hills . And so I completely stopped training for anything other than hills . So 100% of my runs , from when I got through the lottery until the race , it was just focused on hills . So I did a ton of hills and I thought I was ready because I would go .

Okay , my pace is not what it used to be , but I should still be able to make the cutoff for the star . So I just need to focus on hills and I've trained so I'm good to go . So we start the race and me and my friends start , and Susanna has done . She's a six star finisher . She's done it all . She does ultras all the time .

Aimee

We call her the crazy one we're totally normal .

Ana

She's crazy , we're totally normal and she's crazy . So as soon as we start , she goes Ana , what's your strategy for the hills ? And that's when I realized I didn't think about strategy , I was just survive , that's a strategy . It is , I know .

So I told her I go , look , my goal is to just go as slow as I need to get through the hills and then I'll catch up , make up my time on the flats . She goes . What flats ? I go . The hills is it's the five bridges which I've always heard .

The bridges are hard because you go up and then you go down and then the finish , the last few miles , it's by Central Park and Central Park's very hilly . So I know that there's going to be hills there and the bridges , but aside from that , I'm just going to focus on catching up and focus on pace when I'm not on the hills .

She goes Ana , there's no flats , you're either going up or you're going down . Now it's not quite that bad . There are flat parts . When you're coming from chicago or florida , it doesn't feel like there's flats . I , the entire race , I felt like I was either going up or down . There was .

Now , if you talk to anyone who was less emotional , they'll tell you there are flat parts . I I still don't believe them . It felt like if I wasn't going up , I was going down , and so definitely prepare for hills . That was a challenge .

But having said that , something that I did during training must have worked , because even after we finished the race I wasn't sore at all . We walked to the hotel . I wasn't sore at all . We walked to the hotel , I wasn't sore at all . I was expecting to wake up the next day and be all tight . I wasn't sore at all .

I never hurt during the race , I didn't hurt . So the hill training worked . But having said that , emotionally I was not prepared for the amount I was prepared for . Five bridges at central park , that's what I was prepared for . five bridges in Central Park , that's what I was prepared for Probably should have looked at the course map .

Aimee

Okay .

Dana

That's not part of the race prep , is you just know it's how you're preparing for bridges and hills and when that diagram it doesn't really translate into what you're going to experience in real life ? Emotionally , it certainly doesn't , or physically Not know , emotionally it certainly doesn't .

Ana

Or physically Not know , I feel like . So thankfully the crowd knows where the hills are and they would be there and they were awesome . And there were signs . There was two signs that I want to make sure I mentioned this because they were amazing .

There was one as soon as you came off the bridge and you got to Queens , there was a guy holding a sign above his head . I must've been there for hours and he said welcome to Queens , now get out . Okay , now I feel like I got the full New York city experience right . Oh my gosh , it was awesome .

He was cheering hard , hard , like they were awesome , but it just felt so new york , like welcome to new york , get out . And then there was a lady with the whole setup on the last bridge and she had assigned us that last damn bridge and we stopped to take a picture with her because I was like , yes , it's the last one , it's the last damn bridge .

So it was good , but I would say , from somebody coming from such a flat , flat area , the hills were by far the biggest challenge . That's it .

Dana

Again , another nice pro tip there . Train for Hills ahead of this one .

Ana

Yeah , I would like to do it again with a little bit more focused on on pace , because I feel like that race took way too long compared to my usual time . But having said that , I'm I . I did what I went there to do , which was finishing time , to get my star and to really take on the experience I enjoyed every second of the entire weekend .

I went with the right people . They were amazing . Also , it was just , it was awesome and I can't recommend it enough . So it's good .

Aimee

How was the finish line for you ?

Ana

Oh it was , it's good . How was the finish line for you ? Oh it was , it was emotional . So the the 5k goes through part of the full , like the through the course , and so you go through central parts of central park that are part of the course , but you go the opposite way in certain parts and then you end up .

You finish the 5k at the finish for the marathon . So you see the mile marker , the 26 mile marker , and everyone was stopping to take pictures and the girls were going to stop and go . No , no , no , I'm only taking a picture by that mile marker when I've earned that mile marker , like taking a picture of it the day of the 5k .

Um , I want to take it on Sunday and so on Sunday that's one of the things when I say I want to work on time , because we started at the very end and I wasn't really thinking about pace . We finished not that long after sunset and I would like to do it again and finish when it's still daylight . It's just a personal goal of mine .

I want to do it before the sunset because I remember being in Manhattan going . I'm not that far , but the sun's going down really fast , but but we stopped at mile 26 . We took a selfie , celebrated , we finished .

I cried again because apparently that's what I do during races and so we finished , we celebrated , we took a bunch of selfies with with the girls and celebrated the fact that we all finished in time to get our stars . And and then we got our poncho , that I called it my superhero cape , and then we walked back to the hotel and then you're in New York City .

You can eat in a million places , you have all these options , but all we wanted was to not have to work that hard . So we showered , we put on like pajamas and the race jacket and went to the lobby restaurant and had burgers and fries . He was magical , you know .

Dana

he went back to the we've done that , we have we've done that , and there there is something the way there is something to be said about the way I'll tell you number one hilton makes a good burger yes , yes and the way that burger hits after a big , long run is so different , like this is the most expensive hamburger I've ever eaten , but it's so good .

Ana

Right . Yes , I totally get that Worth every penny .

Aimee

Yes , the fries were magical .

Ana

Everything was extra delicious Once you finish , okay .

Aimee

So did you have a celebratory beer with the burger ?

Ana

I the girls did , I don't drink , so I had ? I had water and I had probably Sprite , I don't even remember . No , I may have ordered something like cute and pretend adult drink .

Aimee

Like a mocktail .

Ana

But I don't even , but I don't even , I don't even remember . I was just so into those fries that I didn't care into the front ketchup , lots of ketchup . Yeah , I do know that there was water for sure , because the entire weekend , the theme of the weekend was Ana drink your water .

Ana , eat some food yeah , I did do that , but yeah , so they had just drinks from the hotel bar , but they were pretty .

Dana

Now was there a food spot that you got to while you were there that you would recommend ? Or suggest somebody go check out . It doesn't have to be right after the race , but just while you were there .

Ana

I had two places . I don't know if you guys know Carrie , second star runner . She's another Disney runner that's on Instagram and she lives in New York and we all have a bunch of friends from Disney that live in New York , but she just happened to be the one that I talked to more and so we were chatting about it and she was giving me recommendations .

We went , I want to say , the night before the 5k because we were out later . We went to phd terrace at dream midtown and it was fun for the girls because they , it's a bar and it's a it . They had a ton of options and it was fun because it also it's like a very instagram friendly place like it . It's just fun .

Like you can see , you can see Times Square they have also . It's just a pretty place . And so we were like , oh yeah , we can be girly and take , and because we were in like matinee time , because we couldn't be out late , because we had the races , it wasn't that crowded , so we sat down , we ate .

I told them I was their designated walker because I was not drinking and we were walking everywhere . I was like I'll make sure you get back to the hotel , drink whatever you want . It's just a 5k tomorrow , have fun .

But we had some pretty drinks , took pictures and stuff , but I think like it would be a fun place to just go and hang out and enjoy some drinks , so I would recommend it .

And then after the race so the Monday after the race , we wanted to make sure we celebrated it big and we wanted to close the loop , so we had brunch at the Blue Box Cafe , which is inside the Tiffany's store , I see a theme , oh yeah yeah , yeah , oh yeah , it was bougie and it was glorious .

And I found out that Tara doesn't eat caviar so I got her portion . Oh , magical for me . It's hard that one is a little tricky to get reservations because they don't open very far ahead and you don't quite know what day it's going to open .

So I remember for several days we would go in the morning and see if the day that we wanted would open , until we finally did and we got a reservation .

Aimee

And did it just take ? Did you feel like you were never going to get it ?

Ana

Yeah , I kept telling myself it's New York City If it doesn't . The menu and there's three different options of what kind of brunch you want . The middle of the road option was 60 bucks and it was breakfast at Tiffany's . It's called breakfast at Tiffany's and you get a tray and it has all sorts of little delicious things and it was just fun .

So we did that and then we went to central park . After that they have the new york city marathon has I don't even know what to call like a mini expo , I don't know . They have merch that hasn't sold yet . They bring it there the same way that , like run disney has merchandise the last race yeah they have that at central park .

close to the finish line area they have spots to take pictures and it's just fun to walk through the park with your medal and take it all in when you're not running as hard and you can enjoy yourself it's like a mini post party type post-race party yeah , yeah , no , I felt like it was a good way to celebrate .

we had a yummy brunch and then now usually that's the type of restaurant where you would dress up for race weekends . The there are like you can get away with a lot as far as dress code goes Race weekend because the whole town is invaded with 50,000 runners plus their families and stuff , and so we weren't sure like , are we going to have to dress up ?

Because we're not really in the mood to wear dressy things . We want to be able to be comfortable walking around . So we did look online like , like , what do people usually ? Wear we're like . No , we're wearing , you know , leggings or jeans or whatever , and then our finisher jacket and our medals .

And we were not the only ones at the restaurant doing the exact same thing I was gonna ask if you wore your medal yes , yes , and everyone was wearing them yeah , all around .

Aimee

I imagine that you would . I have to ask , as far as , while we're on beverages , where did you get the best cup of coffee of the weekend ?

Ana

so probably at the , the hotel , we didn't go anywhere . Fancy for coffee at blue box cafe was it was good , but it was outshined by the caviar on the eggs , of course . Delicious it was , it was magical . But the big joke anytime I'm with my running friends is me making coffee because I've screwed it up several times .

Historically , the , the one that they make fun of the most was during it was 2022 marathon weekend . We were . I was trying to be a nice roommate and I said I got the coffee , I'll make the coffee and you go get ready . And it was Maria at the time that was with me and don't know what happened .

But I made the coffee and I went to go get it and I made coffee for two people . Like the hotel at Disney , they have the little coffee . You literally just put a water and then the little two pouches and then you push , and then you're done . I forgot to push the button to make two instead of one .

So instead of two portions , all like it , all went into one cup . But then also , apparently I was sleepy to the point that I didn't take one of the cups out of the plastic wrapping . Oh my gosh . And the cup that the coffee went in was still wrapped with the plastic . So I made the coffee and I'm staring at the machine going what the heck just happened ?

What happened ? And I'm trying to make sense of it and Maria's like what's wrong ? I go I don't know what happened . She's thinking of me . I go . I don't think so we still have a picture . I'll have to show it to you guys . We have a picture of the two cups of coffee , One empty and the other one overflowing , and it was wrapped in plastic .

So from New York they're in the lobby area where they have a breakfast loungy area at the Hilton , and we included in our stay for us to have breakfast there the hotel , whenever we wanted to , and so we had lounge access . We went to the machine there's a video of me making the coffee and I'm all proud of myself .

I'm doing it right , I'm fully awake during the day . And then the girls go you messed it up . And then I freak out and then I realized they're just messing with me .

Aimee

But it's like an April fool's joke .

Ana

Yeah , so I don't know that it was the best tasting coffee , but it was definitely the most memorable of the weekend . But it was just regular coffee that I managed to not screw up . There you go .

Aimee

And Hilton has good coffee .

Dana

I'm not going to say that Typically they do , yeah , they do .

Ana

Yeah , I usually decaf . It sounds weird it sure does A week or two before I'm drinking coffee right now , but a week or two before the race weekend , I cut down on the amount of coffee as much as I can . I usually go down to one cup of coffee per day so that during the race weekend , when I need coffee , it will wake me up Smart .

Dana

Desensitize yourself a little bit ahead of time . Yes , so that's why there's not a ton .

Ana

Yeah , that's why there's not a ton of coffee experience during the weekend , Because at that point it was just about getting the job done , that's yes , yeah .

Aimee

I understand this .

Dana

You're firing for effect at that point .

Aimee

Good tip yes .

Dana

It sounds like you had an amazing time at this New York marathon . Yes , if this race ends up taking off and becoming a thing . I think that the members of the Runcation Nation might have a good time going to a race like this . Ana , where are you going to be accomplishing , exploring and indulging next ? What's next on your race roster ?

Ana

So I ended up doing Chicago , new York and Dopey way closer together than I usually like to do marathons , like they were way too close . And so I'm in the window of just not wanting to get burned out from running because I enjoy it and I want to make sure .

Right now I'm working the window of just not wanting to get burned out from running because I enjoy it and I want to make sure . Right now I'm working on pace . Only I'm running short distances and I'm working on pace , so I'm slowly getting faster .

My goal is , before July 1st , to renew my proof of time for Disney , because mine expired and the deadline for marathon weekend is July 1st . So I'm hoping to get a proof of time by then , and that's the only thing I'm focusing on right now .

And then my next big races are Chicago marathon in October and dopey in January , but I'm not thinking about that yet . I'll start training for those after July 1 . But I think I need the shorter distances just to not get burned out by doing tons of miles all the time , but also so I can work on pace .

Aimee

So changing gears a little bit . You say this is the first time that you have done New York City , but you sound like a pro at this particular race weekend .

Dana

The wisdom and nuggets you dropped in .

Aimee

Beautiful , awesome , beautiful , and I would love to have you back on for to actually break down Chicago .

Ana

Oh sure , yeah that one . You guys have to come to Chicago . It's nice and flat and it's fun . Come to Chicago . But , yes , I'll talk . I'll talk your ears off with Chicago . It's nice and flat and it's fun . Come to Chicago .

Aimee

But , yes , I'll talk your ears off with Chicago Maybe . Yeah , that would be .

That would be fantastic because you , I can't imagine the wealth of knowledge , tips , tricks , everything you have for that , because this has been a supersized episode of just amazing , a wonderful journey through the New York City Marathon experience that I think anybody could benefit from , and we can't thank you enough to for coming on the show and for sharing all

this knowledge and oh , my gosh .

Ana

No , I thank you for letting me come and hang out with you guys . I love you guys . Any excuse and chance I get to hang out with you guys so we hope to .

Aimee

We're hanging out virtually , but we hope to accomplish , explore and indulge with you really soon .

Ana

Sounds good , I'm ready . Come on over . That's a wrap .

Aimee

So thank you for joining us on your long run , your commute to work around the house . Wherever you are , I'm your host , Amy .

Dana

And I'm your co-host , Dana .

Aimee

Stay safe and well and we will accomplish , explore and indulge with you really soon . Thanks for listening to this week's episode of the Run Eat Drink podcast . We're having another great year thanks to your support . Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram . We're at run eat drink podcast and on Twitter , we're run eat drink pod .

You can also give us a call at 941-677-2733 or send us an email at info at run eat drinknet . Visit our website at run eatinknet and click on the subscribe link so you don't miss a minute . Find out how you can support the show at patreoncom . Slash runeatdrinkpodcast . Accomplish , explore and indulge right along with us . We'll talk to you next time .

Transcript source: Provided by creator in RSS feed: download file