NYC Half Marathon race report 8/16/09

Wow, listen to this! I set my alarm for 4:30 today for the NYC Half Marathon(7am start). I have about an hour commute to Manhatten from my house in NJ.
I'm not quite sure what happened to my alarm, but I woke up on my own at 5:30 in a panic!! An hour late and only one and a half hours to get ready, drive to NYC, hand in my drop bag, and get to the start line. Yikes!
I grab my stuff and run out the door, no shower, no breakfast.
I was making good time on the commute so I made a quick stop on Rt 4 to Dunkin Donuts. Grabbed a coffee and a Muffin. It was worth the few minutes for me to try to get something in my stomach.
Ended up only eating one bite of the muffin and a few sips of the coffee. (Couldn't stomach the muffin). Not my normal pre race breakfast.
I made it to the city at 6:30, I parked the car and started getting my drop bag ready and my stuff together. As I am packing up my bag I realize I don't have my wallet anymore!!! I used it at Dunkin Donuts so I think I either left it there or must of dropped it as I was getting back in the car. I searched the car 10 times. I called information and got the DD's number and called them. Of course they say they have no wallet.
Oh brother! Now I have like 15 minutes to bring my drop bag and get to the start line. I considered not racing and going back and looking for my wallet, but that only lasted a few seconds.
I dropped my bag, and ran to my corral as they are announcing they are closing the corrals and everyone else would have to go to 10 blocks away to the end of the line. Whew, made it!
Now I'm in desperate need of a porta potty! That's right, I didn't go to the bathroom before I left the house either!!
5 minutes to race start and I get on a very long line to use the bathrooms, (porta potty's in the corral) I'm prepared to wait as long as I have to at this point because I felt like I was about to explode (if you know what I mean).
The corrals start to move forward a bit so most of the people on the bathroom lines blow off their chance to use the toilets and they move forward. I jump in the next available porta potty. (Lesson to everyone, I always bring a couple of wipes w/ me on race day, just in case!!) Guess what, there is no toilet paper left in the porta potty! Thank goodness I had the wipes!!
I finish up, jump back in line and the gun goes off!
I am now sweating, and I haven't even started running yet.
Lol, I made it though! I'm now running.
After being late, and losing my wallet, I decided that I would wear my I-Pod for the race. (Something I never do) Figuring I could just crank the music so loud I wouldn't be able to distract myself thinking about this crazy morning. It worked pretty well, I just cranked it up and ran. I started off nice and easy around the park and about mile seven I started pushing it hard. It's only my second race ever that I ran Negative splits, passing many people in the second half of the race. Even though it was not a great overall time for me 1:49:20, I was happy that I finished really strong. The last two FULL marathons I ran earlier this year I made it to the half way point in 1:39 and 1:40. But it is August now and I just ran a 50k last Sunday, so I'll take this performance and be happy.
After the race, I pick up my drop bag and realize I have no wallet or money to get back uptown to my car. Ughhh.
So check this out, I'm walking by the subway entrance and I say to one of NY City's finest "By any chance are they letting runners ride the subway for free?" I knew damn well they weren't, I figured I'd just throw it out there. I explained to him briefly that I didn't have my wallet. This police officer walked me from the street, all the way down to the subway and swiped me through the turn style to ride the subway uptown!!!!
What and amazing guy, and so deserving of the title "NYC's Finest"! I thought I'd be running back uptown, but really wanted to get back to my car quickly and search for my wallet.
What a morning! All this happened and it was still only 10am. I never did find my wallet, so I spent some time when I got home cancelling a credit card and a Bank card.

Ps. I finished in 1909th place out of 10,100. racers with a time of 1:49:20.

Added 8/17/09- Some one that lives a couple of towns over from me brought my wallet back to my house later that day!!! He found it on the parking lot floor. SEEEEEEEEE, People are good!