Getting to NY and The Expo

I got on the 10:28 train on Saturday morning. Amy got on in Peekskill and we were on our way to The Big Apple!

Our hotel was on 31st between Park and Lexington. Can I just say how outraged I was and still am at the cost of a hotel room?!? $500 for 2 nights! You gotta be kidding me!

We walked over to the hotel and I was trying to not have my quad under a microscope, it was in the condition it was in and there was nothing I could do, other than fret and that is totally not productive. The walk did me good -relaxing me and all.

We dropped our luggage and strolled over to the expo.

It was great that I was at the expo last year with Doreen. I knew what to expect and what I needed to handle.

I gave Amy to list of things I needed to do at the expo, so that she would make sure there were no brain farts. The list was:

- get my bib

- get my UPS bag

- get 2 large pockets for my fuel belt

- get my official t-shirt

- buy my photo package

I had originally planned to go down to NYC on Thursday to go to the Expo. I wanted to avoid the 'zoo' of the Expo on Saturday. I had wanted to go into NYC the day before the marathon with nothing to do but the pasta dinner and then the marathon.

Then, the weather forecast turned to crap. I had a choice - NYC in the cold rain or a zoo. Hmmmmmmm........ cold rain vs Zoo. Zoo won.

Getting my bib and all was so easy. I forgot that the UPS bag was the bag you get your bib in. The advantage of going to the Expo on Thursday is that they do not run out of smaller sizes of the official t-shirts on Thursday. They have run out by Saturday. I now have a 2010 NYC Marathon official night shirt. Whatever.

Then we head over to Brightroom - the official photographer for the NYC Marathon. Last year, Doreen and I spent time figuring out what package she wanted, what plaque she liked and so on. She liked the shadowbox version from some 'non-official' photo people. I knew I preferred the one that came with The Manhattan Package.

I happened to be able to talk to the same woman who helped Doreen last year. I was standing there with Amy, looking at the plaques, knowing which one I preferred and not pulling the trigger. I asked what the advantage was of buying the package now. The answer came down to, I would save $20 on shipping.

I still am not pulling the trigger. Amy is obviously confused about why I am not choosing. So, I tell the truth. I point to the part of the plaque that says "Your Finish Time". That is what I am worried about. Will it be a time I will want on display? Will it be a time I would rather not call attention to and just be proud that I finished the damn thing.

At first, Amy wants to tell me I shouldn't feel that way, which, frankly never makes a difference for me. She was awesome because when I asked her to please not do that and to just get my concern. She did - it was really great - she just understood and heard me. I could let that go. I LOVED it.

Then, I asked the helpful woman - What if I don't finish - will I be out the $400. She said no. If I don't finish, they e-mail me and ask if I still want the photos. They can not give me the plaque because they can not give me a medal if I don't finish.

That did it for me - I bought it.

Then I got to do the intro to my DVD that comes with the package. I can't remember what I said, I just know it was straight from my heart and Amy said people watching were moved by it.

The we found the FuelBelt people and I got my larger pockets.

I was done by then and we walked back to the hotel.

Next stop - the team's pasta dinner at Carmines.