Marathon Expo Pix, and More!

By popular demand, Marathon Expo pix!

But first, our newest member of the Fred's Team Honor Roll:

RICK SMITH

making the grand total to date going to the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research

$5,861

There is never a bad time to donate to the Aubrey Fund. Click here to access my Fred's Team page, where you can make a secure, online payment, and also read about Fred's Team, the Aubrey Fund and MSKCC.

Don't forget, just 1 more day to enter the final contest to guess my finish time. Last year's time was 4:42:53, and I know I'll do better this year! Send your guesses to mgcontest@earthlink.net Cut-off time for entry is, of course, the moment I step over the finish line.

So yesterday, after an exhilarating, if slightly too long, final run along the marathon course, which was filled with local and international runners (including what seemed like the entire continent of Italy!) I went to the Marathon Expo at the Javitz Center. I took my camera along, and here's the result:

When you first get to the Expo, you trade your bib card for your actual bib, get your chip verified, and then...

Shopper's Paradise! The Asics marathon section is the largest section of the Expo. There were less booths this year, but the big guns (Asics, Nike, etc.) got bigger.

Random shopper. Just showing the vastness of the hall. And I did buy one of these pink tops (the short-sleeved version.)

Ran into Teammates Lynn and David, and David's friend Tom.

A nice guy took this picture of the four of us (I've got the UPS bag with my entry stuff)

A minute later we ran into Rich, Harrie, their dad, and Liz Robbins (the woman who's writing the book on marathon runners I told you about in an earlier post) and her assistant Lori.

Here's the Fred's Team booth. That's Aubrey Barr herself in the orange, helping Team members with uniform exchange, etc. This will be Aubrey's 25th marathon, her 12th or 13th NYC.

I wanted to show you this part of the booth, it's got the famous picture of Grete Waitz crossing the finish line with Fred Lebow.

Karen (in the gray) was helping out in the booth, and that's Lucy in the black and white.

There's our coach, Jeff! I believe the gentlemen in the Fred's Team coat is Aubrey's father.

Teammates David and Nicole. Nicole and I walked around the Expo together. With everyone handing us samples and invitations to run other marathons, Nicole said, "It's like Halloween." I love that! Word of advice to expo-goers: if you are not running right there and then, avoid sampling the electrolyte replacement strips. My mouth tasted like grape-flavored salt for hours.

Karen, Aubrey and Jeff

Tired shoppers waiting for the shuttle back into midtown! Lynn, Rich, Harrie, David and Nicole.

Saturday, I was up at 7:00am and went outside to watch the Men's Olympics Trials. I tried to upload a video I took of the men as they made their way up 7th Avenue towards Central Park, at a "leisurely jog" of 5 minute miles, but I keep getting error messages, so some other time.We all know how it ended at this point. Tragic. I watched the event online, and there was an ambulance going through the Park, tailing the lead runners, and nobody knew why. Now we know, I guess.

Lastly, I was just at Paragon Sports (exchanging a headband I bought for gloves, and of course to get my freebie Lance Armstrong technical t-shirt, I'm a sucker for swag!!) and guess who was there -- my old buddy Grete Waitz! She was signing posters, hats and water bottles. I went over to see her, shake her hand and give her a Fred's Team bracelet. She asked if I wanted her to sign something. Coincidentally I was wearing my Norwegian Festival shirt (I was only wearing clothing from good races this week, for luck, you know!!) and she did, along with a poster and an Adidas ball cap. And because I am that geeky, I made sure that my race number hung out with her signature.

And just .2 to go from here!!!!!



Wish me luck!!