Well we did it! Sister and I set out to run the NYC marathon on Sunday amongst 47,000 runners and we both finished (Sarah-4:13, Ruth 4:03). It wasn’t my best time and while I was bummed about that initially it was hard to be upset after completing a dream. A highlight for me in a quest to run in the NYC marathon, that started 5 years ago. I told myself I would run a different marathon every year until I ended with NY and it truly was one of the most memorable days of my life. Getting up early and making our way to the start village in Staten Island, surrounded by thousands of runners of all sizes, ages, abilities, and from all over the world, I couldn’t help but get choked up as I looked around. As we made our way to the start, New York, New York began to play and we were off, over the Verrazano Bridge, for the first few steps of what would be a grand tour of one of the best cities in the world.
The energy that filled every mile of the race course was infectious and at any moment if I felt like giving up or was fatiguing I simply looked up at the faces that were cheering all around me. I was prepared for what I thought were going to be a few hills here and there but I have to admit I had NO IDEA NYC was such an incline, definitely the most challenging course for me that I have run, but also the most memorable. Thank you to everyone for all of your support and notes leading up to, on the day of and after the race, they have meant the world to me! And to my family and friends for being on the sidelines, seeing you in the crowd truly kept me going. Now I need to figure out what my next challenge will be as I think NYC is where my marathon shoes will retire.
