Thank You, First Avenue

NYC Marathon Course Section: First Ave in Manhattan, Miles 16-18

The crowds along First Avenue are some of the biggest and most enthusiastic along the entire New York City Marathon course. Runners feel like rock stars with all the crowd support. The Queensboro bridge is tough for a lot of runners so the chance to stop and use the porta-potties (if necessary) experience the gentle downhill, and feel the good vibes from fans, (sometimes dubbed “the wall of sound,”) is a welcome relief.

Marathoners Rocking New York Song:

Track #11: Thank You, First Avenue

Time: 2:34

Tempo: 180 bpm

Treadmill Elevation: 1.0

NYC Marathon Course Section: Miles 16-18, 1st Ave, Manhattan.

For Sheena, in Marathoners Rocking New York, hitting First Avenue has special meaning. It was here that she first caught sight of the race the previous year. She and her friends watched, beer in hand, in front of one of the numerous bars along the avenue. It may have been the beer goggles, but she was immediately intrigued by the whole event. Her friends jokingly dared her to run it and laughed hysterically when she swore she would. It became an obsession for an entire year and she shocked everyone, including herself, in how well she took to it. The training gave her a purpose that she hadn’t felt in a long time. On this day her best pal Judy waits along the course with a ceremonial beer for them to cheers the fact that Sheena has made good on her bet. Now she’s really psyched up and ready to get going, the race is really heating up and Sheena wants to get to the end of it with a decent time.

Download “Thank You, First Avenue” on iTunes 

Thank You, First Ave Lyrics:

 VERSE 1

Look at this ovation,

an insane situation

You’re right on cue – 1st Avenue

Must be my birthday,

Cuz it looks like a party

What a great view – 1st Avenue

CHORUS

We need your cheers we want your beers

We need your cheers we want your beers

VERSE 2

Pounding Manhattan’s streets, never felt this sweet

Watch out I’m coming through – 1st Avenue

Don’t let it go to my head, or by 5th Ave I’ll be dead!

But what can I do – 1st Avenue

CHORUS

VERSE 3

If you make me a rock star, then I’ll go so far

Such a great crew – 1st Avenue

If you want me to succeed, then clap til your hands bleed

Thank you – First Avenue

Thank you …

We need your cheers we want your beers

We need your cheers we want your beers

Ahhhhhhh             whoo!

Ahhh yea                whoo!

Oh yea!

Oh yea!

Oh yea!

We need your cheers we want your beers

We need your cheers give us your beers

Marathoners Rocking New York is the rock’n’roll-fueled journey of a 70’s punk loving young woman named Sheena. She’s on the cusp of turning 30 with nothing to show for it. Her rock star dreams are not coming true. She succeeded at the downtown party lifestyle but not at keeping a band together. After stumbling on the New York City Marathon with friends, Sheena accepts a drunken dare to run it the following year. To her surprise, and everyone else’s she actually does the training (with a little help) and makes it to the start line on time.

Sheena runs the marathon without music, so Marathoners Rocking New York is the guitar-driven soundtrack going on in her mind as she navigates the course. The songs are influenced by the early punk movement in 1970’s New York with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, The Patti Smith Group, and Television. The album is in an excellent tempo for running playlists and a useful tool for marathon training that can be downloaded through iTunes.