Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:05:33 -0400 From: Shouri Chatterjee Subject: staten island half marathon Hi All, Last week, I decided to run the Staten Island today. After two trips to NYRRC yesterday morning, I finally managed to register and pick up my bib etc on the third trip. They gave me a t-shirt, power-gel, my bib number and the champion-chip. This morning I woke up at 6:00, did my ablutions and was off to Staten Island. I had a sweatshirt on top of the yellow asha t-shirt, and tracks on top of shorts. In my bag I had the power-gel and Ketan's asha t-shirt. I had to wait for the 1 train till 7:00 am - as a result I missed the 7:30 ferry. It was very very cold and I felt as if I was really underdressed... The ferry terminal was bustling with runners. Everyone there was running the half-marathon - the man at the lone snack shop was pleasantly surprised as he ran out of whatever he had. The 8:30 ferry reached us at Staten Island by 9:00. It was a pretty straight forward walk after that - follow the rest of the people - to the parking lot of the Yankees stadium. I met Nagi there and gave him Ketan's t-shirt. We accosted a few desis here and there, looking for Ketan - to no avail. The race started promptly at 9:40. Emerald Peanuts sponsored the race - "There is a new nut in town - Emerald Peanuts"... It was a beautiful course. I had shed my sweatshirt, but not my tracks. The tracks were interfering with my shoelaces and I was worried about the chip all the time. It was cold - but maybe it would have been a better idea to have shed my tracks as well. Anyway, once on the move, I continued on. The course went along the ocean for quite a while, we payed homage to the Verazano Narrows, and then along Bay Street. At times, other runners would shout out "Red Sox, who's your daddy?..." It was a fun run. At mile 5, I saw the front-runners coming back - they were at mile 8. I met Coachji and her daughter at mile 6.5. They were standing at the U-turn. They shouted for me and gave me a bottle of water. Thank you, Coachji. That was at about 54 min after the race started. The way back was pretty much along the onward way. There was only one gatorade stop - at mile 7. I sloshed myself (and almost choked) with green gatorade. I was still carrying the bottle of water and occasionally sipping from it. One guy came from behind and said, "Hey man, what do you have in there?" I gave him the bottle and he said no thanks. And then he said, "Looks like you have crack in there. You have one sip and then you fly..." :) Later he advised me further on how crack is not good for health. At mile 7-8 I saw a bright yellow t-shirt on the forward path (mile 5-6). The guy was wearing a red bandana, and on closer inspection, the t-shirt was an Asha t-shirt. Yaay! I waved at him and yelled "Go Ketan..." He waved back and then I chugged on. The rest of the run was pretty much the same, but against the wind. I finished in 1:47:50 (chip time). Nagi was there soon after the finish line. (He was there at the finish line but I didn't see him...) We had bagels, bananas, gatorade, the power-gel which I brought from NYRRC yesterday, Emerald peanuts... At 2:02, the guy with the red bandana and Asha t-shirt finished; we asked him if he was Ketan - to our dissappointment, he was Anand from Asha CNJ. We asked quite a few other desi looking people if they were Ketan - to no avail again. Waited at the finish line till 2:30 looking for Ketan - without any luck. Trudged back home after that. The ferry was jam-packed. The old lady sitting in front of me in the 1 train was showing off her trophy. I guess she won the title in her age-group. We see her every weekend in the park. She finished in around 1:40. So Ketan, now it is your turn to send out the detailed email.... :) Hope you had a good run! -Tuku