Before this: NYCM2011: All over the press / NYCM2011: At the NYCM Press Conference / NYCM2011: FootLocker Run – Bart, Ryan, Bobby, Carrie, Steph, well… everyone was there!

Thursday I had an after-work work thing, so I had to go to the expo earlier in the day. Blaise (my training partner) and I met up for the trip, because I knew that as soon as we got there, we’d get separated… This is how you ride to the Expo!

Cool right? NYC transforms into running mecca for the marathon!! Everywhere you look there’s banners, ads, signs, elite runners, whatever. It’s kinda really too cool. And it’s Fall. There’s no better week to be in this fabulous city!

Mandatory expo shot:

As soon as I walk in, even before I get my bib, I walk into one of my best friends and most favorite people in the world!! I met Karen at Team in Training and we shared offices for a month. It’s a small city. Or a small expo!?!? Runners tend to hang out in the same circles… though she was volunteering at the expo.

Another mandatory expo shot I’ve done 5 years in a row…! Yey for rituals!

The Asics store is usually the biggest booth and always pretty amazing. Because of that, I looked down and blazes thru it repeating out loud ‘I don’t need anything” like a crazy person.

Ok, I lied. I didn’t look down. I looked up: their ads are pretty osom!

At the NYRR’s booth, with Daphne. Fab new logo, Fab Daphne…

More fabulosity… the love story continues… Laura, watch out!!!!!

Ah, the TNT booth! Katie looking fabulous in purple, my favorite color. What are the odds?

And there’s John again, who I talked about yesterday. He was manning the NYRR Training Program booth with another one of NYRR’s osom coaches, Stuart Calderwood. The guy is pretty phenomenal and is about to break all records ever. yeap. Sorry for the blurry pictures, these two are just fast for a regular camera!

That’s Dari, at the Sparkly Soul booth with fabulous shiny headbands. She’s a TNT coach so in two seconds we were both screaming!

HA, and Tegla Loroupe was signing pictures. I wished her good luck and she signed a card for me! Uh, my head is enormous. Maybe that’s why those headbands are so tight!?!??!

I took some pictures of the adidas booth because I love Grete…

Went back to the RW booth to say goodbye to Barth and Amby was there… We chatted a bit about the Loop and Smart Coach and stuff. I think he’s like Neo in the matrix and he just sees numbers and code…

It was a fun trip and it always takes forever. I got a few “I know who you are!!!” or, “I read about you!!”, which was weird and cool at the same time. I looked at the medal, which is always fun. That’s all I think about come mile 22… 2 days to go and I am exhausted. I am thinkign about skipping the RW party tonight. It’s sad but I am toast!

After this: NYCM2011: Have you seen a Marathon Morning like this? /  NYCM2011: Get Ready, Set, GO! / NYCM2011: Beyond The Finish Line (finally the last post!) / NYCM2011: Marathon Monday (Ed, the breakfast, Carrie, the press conference, etc.!) /