What it’s like to run the NYC Marathon

On June 1st, 2015, I laced up my running shoes and headed out the front door of my home in Southport, Connecticut and on November 1st, 2015 I shuffled over the TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

Words. There are no words to describe these past four months of training. There are no words to describe the transformation.

Beyond chaffing and sore feet I reached a manifestation within myself. This “a-hah” moment didn’t happen overnight.

I used to hate running. During elementary and middle school, I would always place last in the mile run state test. It was embarrassing to know that I was the slowest one there.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I realized how much running can give to the mind, body and soul. I was determined to turn something I hated into something I might potentially like.

I ran my first half marathon at the age of 16 with Casey Revman, a girl I met during my lunch period who has tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Seeing her passion for running amidst what she was going through inspired me to try the sport.

As I worked through the many muscle aches and gallons of sweat, Casey was there to say, “it doesn’t matter how fast you ran. As long as you finish strong.”

Fast forward to junior year of college. I ran the Empire Station half marathon with my dear friend. During race packet pick-up prior to the run I met Katherine Switzer, an SU alum and the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon didn’t allow women to run back in the 1960’s so she signed up as a male illegally (a total badass).

When I went up to her, I was immediately drawn towards her “can-do” attitude towards running and life. I asked her if she thought I could a run a marathon. In response she said, “running a half marathon doesn’t really require training but a marathon does. Get ready for it.” And get ready I did.

I started training for the NYC Marathon last summer. Before I would go into New York City for my internship, I would wake up at 6am and head out.

Getting into the habit of waking up early was difficult as I am not a morning person. But, I now live to see the sunrise.

When running became a part of my daily routine it felt just as natural as brushing my teeth or combing my hair.

Senior year is already exhausting enough; the job search, bar crawling and YOLO-ing can cause major burn out. I knew what I would have to commit so so I just took it one day at a time.

Because the NYC Marathon is so hard to get into (10 percent chance of getting in through a lottery system of 2,000,000 candidates) I opted to join a team. I joined Girls on the Run NYC and raised $3,000 in place of a spot in the marathon.

Girls on the Run is an organization who target low-income, vulnerable young women and provides programming that fosters mental wellness through training in athletics, in particular running. These are girls living in tough neighborhoods who didn’t grow up playing sports or even really playing outside, and whose curriculums at school don’t typically include room for self-esteem building or other activities that promote mental wellness.

A support letter I received from Girls on the Run

I’m a sister of Gamma Phi Beta and our philanthropy is Girls on the Run. I feel emotionally attached to such a cause having been a member of the philanthropy committee and putting time into making our fundraising events on campus fun and rewarding for both the participants, sisters and Girls on the Run Finger Lakes Region. Girls on the Run gave me more of a reason to hit the pavement every morning and make it count.

The NYC Marathon is like a love letter to the city: it goes though all five boroughs. There was no need to run to music with the vibe of the burroughs pulsating through you. The Marathon does so much to bring awareness to philanthropic efforts in the city. Running the marathon is a celebration of this space and and the community.

There wasn’t one inch within those 26.2 miles that didn’t have a person cheering. Being reunited with my friends and family was a blessing. Although my energy bank was empty my heart was full.

Running brings so much joy to me. Whether running past the boat harbor at home in Connecticut or braving through snowstorms at school in Syracuse, running is my constant and I hope to share this feeling with others. Along with learning discipline and resilience, I’ve found running as a way to connect to others on a community level and to thrive as a person on an individual level.

What lies ahead that I’m not so sure of. What if I’m on the west coast a year from now? What if I’m working abroad? I am willing to go anywhere as long as I bring my sneakers with me.

But for right now, you can find me running through the SU area snow or shine.