Arriving in New York at about 4pm on Friday, we scooted over to the official Expo to pick up our race numbers and join in the pre-race build up.
I’ve been to marathon expos before – in Edinburgh and in Brussels – but the New York one was a lot bigger and a lot more commercial. All the big name brands touted for business: racks and racks of brightly coloured lycra were interspersed with banners carrying huge logos: Asics, Adidas, Nike, Mizuno.
Stall after stall offered caps, gels, water, fingerless gloves, pac-a-macs and whole host of other things you never knew you needed but all of a sudden wanted.
I took a shine to the Asics official marathon rain jacket but decided $120 was a bit steep and settled for The Stick – a self massage tool – instead, hoping it might aid my recovery and the ongoing problem of my knee. 
The Stick is a space-age plastic rod covered with spindles which roll independently over the muscle. It’s supposed to provide a “stripping massage” to your muscles by pin-pointing the tender spots. Apparently the US Olympic team use them...
Buoyed up with our new purchases and our race numbers and chips, we headed over to The Spotted Pig in the West Village, where we shared a Brooklyn Brewery “Local 1” – brewed in NYC – and the attentions of two locals, who delighted in our English accents and marathon running prowess. Their special brand of all-American enthusiasm and confidence was infectious, reminding me how special this experience was going to be and what an incredible achievement running a marathon is.
After putting away a goat cheese and onion tart, a cheese burger and shoestring fries and a massive slice of banoffee pie, we both glazed over, as jetlag and food induced stupor set in, morphing us in to one of those couples that sit across from each other not speaking. Home to bed was the only option!
Saturday morning came along with the pre-marathon jog in Central Park. This was one of my favourite parts of the trip. The park was beautiful and we ran three slow and achy miles around Jackie Onassis Lake.
A trip to Brooklyn to visit some relatives of mine and indulge in marathon-boosting pasta and American style trick or treating rounded the day off and I went to bed feeling relaxed and ready for the next day...
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