Jake’s Journal: 26.2 reasons I heart NYC

10) Blog comments. Nearly 50 of you submitted a prediction. So every time I wanted to slow down (or actually did slow down), I was held accountable. 11) High-fives from strangers. 12) Porta-potties. (see No. 6) 13) Reaching the halfway mark at the beginning of 3 miles of bridge running. 14) Queens. We weren’t there for long, but we were welcomed like heroes. 15) Racing with the stars. In no other sport could a guy like me take part in the same event as the world’s elite. And by compete, I mean finish 90 minutes later. 16) Manhattan. After two hours, we were mere blocks from Central Park. But direct routes are for wimps, so we ran toward the Bronx.

17) Ryan Hall, Deena Kastor and Constantina Tomescu-Dita. Inspiration through conversation. 18) Volunteers. They braved the chill and handed us drinks with a smile. 19) Kids’ candor. “I have a dog named Jake,” she said as she waved wildly. Everyone knows a pet, mechanic, bartender or embarrassing uncle named Jake. 20) The Bronx. Another quick visit, but worth every painful step. 21) Garmin Connect. I actually sped up for this mile, which by this time wasn’t really that speedy, just because I knew my 405’s auto lap was going to keep me honest. 22) The other name on my shirt. During the last four miles, I heard more people yell, “Go Garmin!” than I could count. I don’t know whether they all own a nuvi or an outdoor handheld – or an Edge cycling computer (a few cheers were for “Garmin-Chipotle”, probably because of my argyle socks) – or if they all just like a company where hard work pays off.

23) Central Park. Though the 23rd mile would be my slowest (at 9:44, the same as our first on the initial bridge climb) – it would also be the beginning of the home stretch. And people never let you quit on the home stretch. 24) Virtual Partner. By this time, Joel and I were separated in the narrowed, crowded path. But Virtual Partner was still there, running 8-minute miles – which helped my final kick. 25) Rolling hills. It sounds crazy, but I’d rather have rollers in the park than never-enders on a bridge. Even with dead legs, it would be my fastest mile since just past the halfway point. 26) The gun lap. Never has a single mile seemed longer – or more gratifying when you don’t slow or stop (as I did two weeks ago in the home stretch of KC). At 7:53, my fastest since the 11-mile mark. 26.2) Family and friends. Knowing that several of my friends and coworkers had signed up for e-mail alerts, many of you cheered me through Twitter  – and with my wife and her sister waiting at the finish line – I ran through the pain and covered the final half-mile (they always pad the actual distance) at a 7:09 pace for a final time of 3:41.03.

Slower than Kansas City two weeks ago but faster than Chicago last summer, this was pure fun. And two of you were within 10 seconds of my final time. I’ll be sending Team Garmin T-shirts and limited-edition Oregon geocoins  your way. For more from New York, stay tuned to the blog, our Flickr page and YouTube channel (where you can also see the brand-new 2008 “Get a Garmin” holiday ads).

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