On Sunday, November 3, 2014 I joined 50,739 other runners and was part of the largest group ever to run a marathon. Only 436 of the runners who started did not finish (this very small percentage is impressive!), making this year's ING NYC Marathon the
largest marathon EVER in the world with 50,304 finishers. Incredible!
I ran this race with Team Believe, a team of 10 runners from Central Illinois which was formed to raise money and awareness for
Easter Seals of Central Illinois (
Easter Seals provides outpatient pediatric rehabilitation services for children to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities). Team Believe was formed earlier in 2013 and members participated in one or more of three races:
Run River City (a event consisting of a marathon and other shorter distances in Peoria, IL in May), the
Chicago Marathon and the
New York City Marathon. I spent the months leading up to the New York City Marathon not only training to run (well, and training to complete my
first Ironman) but also fundraising to reach my goal of $5000.
My brain is still spinning from the events that took place during my long weekend in the Big Apple. Just seven months after the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon in the city where one of the most terrible events in our history took place on 9/11/01, I was able to bear witness to some of the best characteristics of humanity: compassion, friendship, selflessness, generosity, dedication,
indomitable spirit and joyfulness. From the countless volunteers handing out water and supplies at aid stations, to the thousands of NYC policemen and others working tirelessly to keep the runners and spectators safe, to the friends and families on the sidelines cheering not only for their own loved ones but for the others running as well, to the runners themselves, I saw so many things that reminded me of the good in our world that is unfortunately often overshadowed by the negative things. Over this past week, I have enjoyed reading stories of runners who completed the race with me. In particular, I was touched by the
story of the first person with Down Syndrome to complete the New York City Marathon.
As is my typical style, I tend to be a bit wordy/detailed moving forward. If you care to read "The Long Version" (below!)...go for it. If not, here's a very condensed version with the important highlights:
~The race morning leading up to the event was extra-crazy at the NYC Marathon as it involved approximately 4 hours of travel, starting with a 6am van ride to a 7am Staten Island ferry ride, leading to a bus ride that takes runners to the starting line/"staging area" at Fort Wadsworth. Once at Fort Wadsworth I waited with teammate and friend Jenn in our corral until our 10:05am start time.
~The crowds of supporters were the most impressive of any race I'd ever completed
~All ten members of Team Believe made it to the finish!
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| Team Believe: Why do we run? Because we can! |
~I finished in 4:14:31, not my fastest marathon and but not my slowest either. As the focus of this marathon was not on my personal performance but furthering the mission of Easter Seals, I consider it to be a big success.
~Team Believe raised over $65,000 for Easter Seals through our fundraising efforts during training for the New York City Marathon, including $6000 raised by me. I am very grateful to EVERYONE who helped us achieve these milestones!
~The New York City Marathon is a truly incredible event...and one that I think all marathoners should have on his/her personal "race bucket list"
~THANK YOU again to everyone who has supported me and supported the kids and families of Easter Seals through this journey. Because of you, more children and families will have the opportunities to accomplish many more milestones
My NYC Marathon...the long version:
Saturday morning, November 2, I met a group in our hotel lobby and walked down to the starting area of the
Dash to the Finish 5k. Some members of our group were running this race...including our fearless leader Kim, Jennifer (the wife of one of our marathoners...who was actually running in her FIRST 5k here!), Helen and McKenna (my
random-stranger-turned-good-friend Jenn's 13-year old daughter).
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| Kim, Jennifer, McKenna and Helen |
After the racers left us to join their starting corrals, Jenn and I moseyed around the city for a bit. We stopped to grab some fruit and snacks and chatted about the excitement and fears we had pertaining to the next day's race. The weather was great and our spirits were generally high. We lamented for a bit that we didn't feel like our bodies were 100% (both dealing with nagging injuries), but also acknowledged that were were thrilled to finally be in the midst of our big race weekend.
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| NYC policemen and volunteers prepping the 5k course |
We made it to the 2 mile point of the race where we stood for a while and watched in awe as the the elite women speed by. It is just incredible to watch these really talented runners move! After staring in admiration (mixed with a tinge of jealousy!) for a few minutes, we made our way to the finish in Central Park (the Dash to the Finish shares the NYC Marathon finish line!). We passed the "Mile 26" banner that was hung for the following day's event and tried to imagine what it would feel like as we ran under it the next day...
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| Runners nearing the end of their Dash to the Finish 5k adventure under the beautiful fall foliage on display in Central Park. |
We made ourselves a space along a fence separating spectators from the course and it wasn't long after doing so that we saw McKenna powering her way to the finish!
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| McKenna finishing strong! She ran the 5k in 20:45, earning a third place finish in her age group! |
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| The Finish! |
The evening before the race I had dinner with my teammates at Carmine's, a delicious Italian restaurant not far from Times Square. The food was delicious (and portions gigantic!) and time with teammates and Team Believe supporters was great. My nerves were definitely high, though, as I worried about the race the next morning. Would I get where I needed to go at the appropriate times (travel to the start of this large event is somewhat complex and involves a variety of public transportation modes)? Would the injuries that plagued me the past 6 weeks cause me to have to end my race early (a back/neck injury from lifting, likely due poor form/general weakness; and a nagging pain in the inside of my right calf...something I first thought was sore/tight muscles, but had begun to realize was likely due to a suspected stress fracture)? Would my teammates all make it to the finish line? Would we have a
safe race?
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| McKenna, Jenn and me before dinner |
I did my best to distract myself by chatting and eating...and when dessert came (flourless chocolate cake!) I drowned my fears in ooey-gooey chocolate. Um....YUM!!!!
I might have packaged up a large chunk of this delightful cake that was left at my table after the dinner....and I may or may not have chowed down on it later in my hotel room prior to hitting the sack: pre-race bedtime snack of champions.
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| You can't tell me that doesn't look like the best pre-race fuel ever! |
The portions at our "family-style" dinner were MASSIVE...bread, salads, pasta (gluten-free for me of course!), dessert... We had so many leftovers that we asked our very kind server to package everything up so we could hand bags of food out to people who looked as if they might enjoy it as we walked back to our hotel. We ended up finding a woman who was quite excited to take it all off of our hands and told us she would be sharing the food with her family.
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| Jenn and me with just two of the six gigantic bags of leftovers that hopefully made their way into the tummies of some hungry people! |
As we were packing up to get ready to leave the restaurant, our waiter told us a great story. He told us about the previous November, on the night before the day the NYC Marathon was scheduled to run (
last year's NYC Marathon had been canceled due to the devastation caused to the city and surrounding cities by a hurricane). He told us he served many tables with should-be-marathon-runners that night and many of these runners were quite upset about the fact that the race had been canceled. He said this was really getting on his nerves, because from his perspective, it seemed as if the runners were selfishly focusing on their own disappointment while ignoring the fact that many people in the city were without electricity and heat and some had been hurt or killed as a result of the storm. He told us about one man in particular who he ended up having a heated conversation with. He told this particular person that he should worry less about the race that had been canceled and worry more about the people who were affected by the race and that he should do something to help them. Apparently his words had an impact on this young man.
The waiter went on to tell us that this year, a woman came up to him at the restaurant and hugged him. She introduced herself as the mother of the young man that the waiter had yelled at. She told him that her son had indeed volunteered to help with the hurricane relief efforts after the conversation. She went on to say that her son had been talking about the waiter's words and the impact they had on him for the past year and thanked him for giving her son that much-needed perspective. Pretty neat to hear how the words of one person had a lasting impact on the life of another, who in turn helped others.
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| Team Believe post-dinner: Ansel, Rachel (me!), Kevin, Chris, Jack, Darin, Andy, Kyle, Shawn and Jenn. |
As Jenn, McKenna, Angie and I walked back to our hotel we happened upon a small crowd gathered outside of an ordinary-looking building. As we walked closer we realized it was a fire station...
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| This station housed some of the 9/11 first responders. It was a somber sight, yet still full of hope |
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When we returned to the hotel I quickly busied myself making last-minute race preparations. I set out my clothing for the next day, as well as my watch, shoes, nutrition, breakfast and warm throw-away layers for the morning (volunteers would collect clothing cast aside by runners and donate it to charity). I lamented for a short period of time the fact that I had forgotten my iPod and thought about going out to find a Walgreens or something where I could possibly buy a pair of cheap earbuds and listen to music with my phone during the race. I decided to just do without the music...after all, I had completed an Ironman two months prior with no music. I guess I could run a marathon with no music.
My friend Dan drove down from Rochester, NY where he is currently living to stay with me and spectate the race! Before crashing for the night, he Face-Timed his wife (and my coach!)
Laura and she gave me some last-minute race-day advice which helped calm my nerves.
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| Dan, with Coach Laura on the screen! Love technology ;)! |
That night I slept less-than-soundly...but I know I got at least a few hours of shut-eye. When my alarm went off in the morning, I was able to jump up after only one or two "snooze" cycles (this is not my typical behavior...usually it takes me six or seven or so times of hitting snooze before I am able to pull my body out of bed!) and start my race-morning preparations. I ate a banana as I got dressed and participated in a silly text-exchange with Jenn who was getting ready in her room down the hall. In short, my race-morning delirium caused me to miss-read a text message resulting in thinking that Jenn was telling me she had literally crapped her pants and needed my help. Luckily, for both Jenn and her pants, I was mistaken...but this did result in anxiety-reducing laughter for both of us to start our day.
I joined Jenn in the elevator and asked, "What could I possibly be forgetting?" Answer: My race bib/number! Um....WHOOPS! So when the elevator made it down to the lobby I rode it back up to floor 21 and pounded on the door for poor Dan to let me in so I could secure my bib before hurrying back down to meet my group. We had a van scheduled to meet us at our hotel at 6am to take five of us to the Staten Island Ferry station where we would take a ferry to Staten Island. The other half of our team had taken an earlier van/ferry.
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| Me with Team Believe teammates Chris, Jack and Andy in our hotel lobby before boarding the van that took us to the Staten Island Ferry station. I'm rocking a throw-away jacket I scored after the Marine Corps Marathon last year which gave me a nice marshmallow-like appearance. |
We boarded the van and were on our way through the dark streets of New York City. Nervous joking and race-themed conversation filled the vehicle as we came closer and closer to the ferry station. After a 20-minute ride, we were there:
We went inside and waited until they announced that the 7am ferry was boarding. Ferries departed every 15 minutes (when you registered for the marathon, you also had to register for a ferry or shuttle ride to the starting line). We spent the waiting time by doing typical race-day activities including eating a bit (almonds for me), drinking from big bottles of water and using the bathroom (an activity completed countless times by most runners on race-day mornings!).
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| Might look silly, but it was functional! |
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| Big smiles = probably nerves. |
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| In line to board the 7am ferry |
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The ferry ride was kind of fun. I had been on a ferry to Staten Island twice before in my life, but in my opinion the novelty of it really doesn't get old. As we boarded, a funny guy announced in a loud, cheerful voice, "This way to Central Park!" Ha...right...this way to a boat ride to a shuttle ride to a 26.2 mile run to Central Park...We grabbed places on the crowded ferry next to windows on the right side of the boat where we'd have the best view. It's pretty neat to look out and see the Statue of Liberty...the city skyline...and other boats in the water (including a US Coast Guard boat sporting a gigantic gun protruding from the front!).
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| Waiting for the buses to Fort Wadsworth |
After the ferry ride, we were herded through a station where Jen and I decided to spend some time stopping at the Au Bon Pain inside for some coffees (by this time we had been awake for 3 hours with no coffee...typically I don't drink coffee before races because I'm afraid of what it will to do my stomach, but I was cold...and tired...and still had 2 hours to go until my corral's start time, so I decided to give the coffee a go). I also grabbed a container of two hard boiled eggs, realizing I probably needed to eat a little more than just the banana and almonds that I had consumed that morning. After making our purchases, we headed into the hallway to wait in the long bathroom line, deciding we would take advantage of the warmth of the building for as long as possible before heading outside to the buses waiting to take us to the starting line. Waiting in the cold, windy morning air we wondered what it might be like running 26.2 miles in the less-than-ideal weather. The buses were crowded, but warm. The ride took about twenty minutes. As we neared the end, a man fought his way through people standing in the aisle (I got to be one of the people he shoved) to the front to ask the driver to pull over because he had to pee. Are you kidding me?! Thankfully the bus driver informed him that he would just have to wait like everyone else, which did NOT make the man very happy.
When we got off of the bus, we went through a security checkpoint where police officers inspected each runner. The police officer checking me over asked me to open my bulging jacket pocket. She was pretty entertained by the container of two hard boiled eggs inside. As she finished looking me over, I noticed a girl dart off into the bushes. Some security officers tried to stop her but she told them "I really really have to go!" She pulled a big Thanksgiving tablecloth around herself (some runners had brought interesting things to keep them warm that morning before the start...tablecloths, bathrobes, towels, etc.) and proceeded to squat and pee in the bushes. The officers walked away, looking moderately disgusted. Yeah, runners are gross.
Jen and I made another pit stop at the porta-potties, I downed one of my hard boiled eggs and we made our way into Blue Corral #21 just in the nick of time! Officials were saying "two minutes! Two minutes until the gates close!" as we walked up! We quickly entered, thankful that we hadn't taken even longer back at the ferry station where we loitered for a while in the warmth! At the time we were there (approximately two hours prior to our assigned start time), we had felt as if we had all the time in the world. It actually worked out well for us, though. Even though we cut it a bit too close for comfort, once we were in we didn't have to wait long in our assigned corral before the officials began herding us all up to the start line.
Miss New York sang "America the Beautiful" as we nervously stretched and jumped around a bit
during our last few minutes. I looked down at my Garmin and laughed to see the heart rate reading as 175 beats per minute. Maybe it was inaccurate at the time, or maybe it really was displaying the correct reading for my crazily beating heart. Regardless, I definitely remember feeling quite anxious!
The canon blasted, signaling the start of the race. The loud speakers began playing "New York, New York" and we walked/danced/jogged the final meters up the the starting line while singing. It was festive...surreal...fun.
Jenn and I started off together and stayed together for the first few miles. As we ran across the Verrazano Narrows bridge (Mile 1!), we looked out across the water at the gorgeous city skyline and smiled. It was real...it was happening...we were running the New York City Marathon! Jenn and I checked in with one another with a few, "how are you feeling?"'s. My right inner calf area had been bothering me significantly the past few weeks, resulting in decreased mileage. Ok...to be real, I hadn't run in over two weeks prior to that day. Jenn was also battling her own injuries. But, at that early stage of the race things felt generally "okay." In my opinion, the cold helped numb everything for me which was really kind of great. I did my best to push the physical discomfort (and sometimes pain) out of my mind and concentrated on the race ahead of me.
By mile six, I knew I shouldn't try to keep the 8:30 pace that Jenn was rocking. Had I been at 100%, I probably could've stuck with her...but I wasn't. I made the decision to slow down a bit and to
concentrate on just running my race based on how I was feeling. I sent Jenn some silent "good luck" thoughts and dropped back. I knew my first mental break was coming at mile 8. Dan had told me he would be waiting at mile 8! I did my best to stick to the right-hand side of the course (where I had told him I would be running) and starting at mile 7 I kept an eye out for him. I had started the race wearing my Team Believe shirt, arm sleeves and my Team Believe jacket but by mile 5 I decided that I didn't want to keep the jacket for the rest of the race (I tied it around my waist) and that I needed to cast it off to Dan when I saw him. Therefore, I really didn't want to miss seeing him! Sometime around mile 8...there he was! Standing with his hilarious race signs and smiling face...a sight for sore eyes! I took my jacket off of my waist at the exact moment that he snapped a picture (making for a pretty funny-looking picture), thrust the jacket at him (thanks Dan!) and continued on my way. It's amazing how a familiar face can raise your spirits just enough to carry on during a long race!
Around mile 12, a guy about my age ran up next to me and said hi. He was also wearing an Ironman hat, and we quickly realized that commonality and began talking triathlon. He was friendly, engaging and the conversation was a welcome distraction to the pounding my leg was really starting to feel. We crossed the halfway-point together at 1:58:12. Shortly after this, we neared the Queensboro Bridge. As we got closer I told my new friend Andy, "we need to be sure to take the upper deck of the bridge. A friend of mine told me that we don't want the lower deck because oftentimes people will pee off of the top and if you're on the lower deck, that is bad news for you!!" He said, "Gross! I've never heard that!" We looked to try to figure out a "choice" of lower vs. upper decks, but couldn't seem to find an option. We ran the only way that was offered. Turns out, later I discovered that I had it all wrong: the FIRST bridge (Verrazano Narrows at miles 1-2) is the one that has an upper and lower deck. However, they had assigned start corrals/wave and we didn't have the option of choosing upper vs. lower. Luckily, though, my start corral/wave (blue wave 2, corral 21) was funneled through the upper deck so I never had to worry about the lower deck. Whew!
The Queensboro Bridge was L O N G....and challenging. It was eerily silent compared the rest of the course (no spectators were on the bridge) and the incline was just enough to be awful. It was nice to have a person to run with over the bridge for at least a bit of distraction. The bridge lasted from just before mile 14 to just after mile 16. As we rounded a corner to the left to exit the bridge, the crowds of spectators were insane. In my opinion, they were second only to the crowds at the end near the finish line in Central Park. I kept my eyes out for Dan...he had told me his next stop would be around mile 16. I also began to slow up and let Andy take off. I had 10 miles to go...and knew I shouldn't try to push my leg too hard. I was feeling "okay," but not ideal.
I saw Dan, this time on the left side of the road, right around mile 17. Later he told me that he had gotten there just about ten seconds prior to my passing the spot...talk about good timing! At this point, I really started feeling tired/sore and had to keep up some positive self-talk to keep moving. I wanted to walk...but was worried that if I did, I wouldn't start running again! I had far too much left of the race to give in at that point!
Just before mile 20, I noticed two girls who were wearing matching bright yellow/green shirts with black adhesive letters on the back spelling out "2 marathons in 8 days!" I slowed a bit and asked them which two marathons this referred to. I learned that they were sisters and had completed the Marine Corps Marathon the week prior! They were pursuing this crazy feat to raise money in honor of their friend who had a child pass away from complications due to
trisomy 18. They shared that they had raised about $3600 to donate to an organization that supports families affected by this disorder. Pretty awesome! I ran and chatted with them for about a mile and a half, and then they stopped to stretch for a bit (two marathons in 8 days?! Pretty sure they "earned" a stretching break if they need it!) and I carried on. Feeling progressively worse, I made a deal with myself that when I got to mile 23 I could walk. At mile marker 23, I immediately slowed to a walk. I got out my phone and sent a few text messages and snapped a few pictures.
After 5 minutes or so, I forced myself to pick it up. Man...starting running again once walking toward the end of a marathon is an AWFUL feeling. My body was screaming at me, reminding me that running was an absolutely terrible idea and that walking was so much more comfortable. Marathons aren't about being comfortable, though, so ignored the voice and pushed on. Before long I approached Central Park, home of the finish line! The crowds lined both sides of the paths and were extra-enthusiastic. Even though I wanted to walk or slow down, the crowds wouldn't allow this...which was a very, very good thing. I saw Dan around mile 24 and was grateful that I had forced myself to start running again so I wasn't walking when my supporter saw me!
As I neared the finish line, signs declaring "half a mile to go!" followed by "800 meters to go", "400 meters," "200 meters" and "100 meters" guided runners home. I personally really liked the mental reminders of decreasing distances, however I heard some people mentioning later that they hated it and just wanted it to be over!
Crossing the finish line felt incredible, as it always does. After quick fist pump as I crossed the finish, my legs automatically slowed. I received my hard-fought medal and snapped a nerdy "selfie" to immediately text to friends and family. I had done it! I can officially call myself a "ten-time marathoner"!
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| New York City Marathon finisher! Official finish time: 4:14:31 |
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| "Exit Ahead"...yes, ahead. Very FAR ahead... |
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| Ponchos |
After gathering my medal, I was given a handy foil-like "blanket" and shuffled through what felt like a never-ending line to gather a "recovery bag" (with water and snacks) and a big, bright orange poncho. Since I didn't check baggage at the beginning of the race (I personally HIGHLY recommend that you don't check baggage!), I was given a pink "early exit" bracelet and was allowed to go a slightly shorter (supposedly) route than those who had to go collect baggage. After a 15-minute or so walk (maybe longer?) I made my way to the poncho table. The poncho was AWESOME. Lined with soft blue fleece, my poncho felt like a little piece of heaven on my cold, sore body. The crowd of runners shuffling/limping slowly through the streets of New York sporting this unique outerwear had to look curious to passersby. We kind of looked like members of some sort of strange cult...
During my walk back to the hotel, I had to pee incredibly badly. The crowds were intense...my leg felt awful...and I just wanted some salt. I began literally praying that I would just happen upon a Chipotle. I knew I had seen one somewhere near my hotel the day prior as I explored the city a bit. It wasn't to be...due to police barricades blocking off streets both for marathon runners and spectators, it was a small miracle I even made it back to my hotel. The next day, what do you think I saw just two blocks from my hotel?
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| Blasted Chipotle...on the corner of Avenue of the Americas and 56th (my hotel was on the corner of Avenue of the Americas and 54th)...sigh.... |
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| Jenn and me at dinner, happy marathon finishers |
That night, I went to dinner with some Team Believe teammates and supporters and rehashed the events of the day. I was a combination of elated and exhausted that has become all-too-familiar after big races. After dinner, I went back to my hotel and slept hard and soundly! Waking up without an alarm clock felt luxurious, and I spent the morning walking (albeit awkwardly with my sore leg) around the city and enjoyed an Italian espresso for breakfast and a (gluten free!) pizza for lunch. This will be a trip that I never forget, and I am grateful to have had the experiences I did in New York City.
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| Me post-finish with one of the awesome signs Dan crafted |
Naturally, even before the New York City Marathon was behind me, I have been thinking about my "what's next." My first order of business is
rest. Like it or not, I am in a period of mandatory rest as I am currently in a walking boot to allow the stress fracture in my right tibia time to heal. To be truthful while being in a boot isn't fun and I would much rather have the freedom to run, I am not really upset about the situation. My body got me through the races that counted: my Ironman in September and the New York City Marathon this past weekend. Furthermore, I realized this week that FIVE of my now-ten marathons have been within the past 53 weeks. Five marathons in just one week longer than a year, in five different states (October 28, 2012: Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC; December 26, 2012: Jack's Marathon in Los Angeles; May 19, 2013: Run River City in Peoria, IL; September 8: Ironman Wisconsin; November 3, 2013: New York City Marathon)...yeah, it's probably time for at least a bit of a break :).
My second order of business will be crafting my race schedule for 2014. Likely, I won't participate in a race again until March 2014 or so. I plan to participate in the
Tri Shark Classic (sprint distance triathlon) on May 31 and also to participate in either the half or full marathon at the
U of Illinois on April 26. Additionally, I will add some
Rev3 triathlons to my calendar....hopefully including the Williamsburg race. We'll see!
Third, I plan to continue to stay involved with Team Believe/Easter Seals. My experience with this team in its first year of existence has made me quite excited about its future. Together, our ten marathoners raised over $67,000! Personally, I raised just over $6000! This money is an AMAZING help to families who have children with disabilities in Central, IL as it will help provide much-needed therapy services and supports for these families. I'm not yet certain what my involvement will look like moving forward in 2014, but I will definitely be supporting/participating with Team Believe in some way...stay tuned!
Thank you so, so much to everyone who supported me and the children and families of Easter Seals with financial contributions, kind texts/messages/Facebook posts, prayers and by asking about our training/fundraising. The members of Team Believe accomplished some pretty impressive milestones on Sunday at the New York City Marathon: completing a first marathon, completing a tenth marathon, completing her first large marathon after being present at the Boston bombings, completing a sub-three-hour marathon, completing a marathon while injured (more than one of us, unfortunately!)...and earning an 89th overall ranking in the world's largest marathon (accomplished by Ansel, one of my incredible teammates with a blisteringly fast time of 2:40). However, we know our marathon milestones pale in comparison to the milestones of our Easter Seals kiddos that we ran for on Sunday. We ran so that more children will achieve their milestones of first words, first steps, first bites of food, first minutes in a regular-education classroom, first "I love you" to Mom and Dad, first time playing with a new toy, first time writing her name, first time signing "more" to ask for more pushes in the swing from Dad...and we could NOT have done this without YOU.
I'm grateful for my time in New York City and for a body that allowed me to participate in and complete the marathon. I'm grateful for my teammates and for the friendships formed within our team. I'm grateful for Easter Seals and for the lives touched by this incredible organization. I'm grateful that because of Team Believe, more people are learning about Easter Seals and the amazing kiddos whose lives are changed there daily.
Keep running, keep dreaming...because you can.
