I remember when I swore off ever running again my senior year of high school. When I went off to college, I was going to the gym every day but didn't really feel like I was getting much out of my workouts. 20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes power walking, and 20 minutes hiking really wasn't doing it for me! I remember going to the gym one Sunday morning in November 2009 and was power walking (I refused to let myself run) on the treadmill and I was watching the NYC Marathon. I told myself : "I'm going to do that one day". If you asked me 4 years ago if I thought I would actually be running the New York City Marathon, I would tell you no. The day I committed to running a marathon and then 5 months later committing to run a half marathon were two moments that literally changed my life for the better.
When I ran the Baltimore Half in 2010, I had trained by myself and came up with my own training plan. I finished in 2:09, which is pretty admirable for a first half! All I remember during that race was running as fast as I could and pushing myself. Then, a year later, I ran my first full marathon - the Marine Corps Marathon. Although I didn't have the best finishing time, I definitely learned that it takes a *little* more time to train for a full marathon than a half 😉. I used that experience to improve the next year and hopefully this year the training has paid off as well!
Earlier this year I was having weird tingling sensations in my foot so I went to the doctor and they said the only way for the pain to go away was if I stopped running. Telling a runner to stop running is like telling a movie star they can't act or a singer they can't sing. I was devastated.
I took some time off from running and did bikram yoga and pool running ... For a few weeks.. But I couldn't wait to pound the pavement. I went back to running and still felt the pain so I decided to defer the Vermont City Marathon I had been training for until next year. I was heart broken, but this injury was actually a blessing in disguise.
A few months later (mid August), I found out I got into the NYC Marathon. Seriously. What a surprise! Some people go 10 years of entering the lottery and being denied before they are let in. Some people never even get the chance to run a marathon in their lives! I'm so incredibly thankful and blessed that I will have the opportunity to run 26.2 miles with 50,000 other crazy runners tomorrow - among them are Olympians, world record holders, and even Pamela Anderson!
I went to the race expo yesterday at the Javits Center and it was a zoo- I had to double check and make sure I wasn't at a UN Conference because it was so crowded and there were people from all over the world speaking different languages. Last night I stopped by the Opening Ceremony for the Marathon- WOW! It was very well organized and seeing the finish line gave me goosebumps.
I cannot imagine who or where I would be without running. Running is not just part of my lifestyle, but it's part of my career. The satisfaction I get from being able to inspire others to run cannot be compared to anything else in this world . Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a constant support system - especially my family and friends.
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