New York City Marathon
Hey, guys. I just took an ice bath and am in an enormous amount of pain right now and going through a full range of emotions in the most spectacular day of my 48-year-old life other than the birth of my three beautiful sons Matt, Ben and Josh. I will blog much more. I mainly wanted to thank everyone for your beautiful comments and for your thoughts. I congratulate any other friends I have who ran in the New York City Marathon as well. Let me just take the time quickly here to tell you my emotions, and I will get to the fun details later.
Proud. I am so proud to be a New Yorker. I had heard so much about the crowds lining the 26.2 mile course. Nothing, nothing at all, could prepare you for what you experience. Strangers screamed "Let's Go Mark!" and "You're Doing Great Mark!" and "Looking Good Mark!" all day, probably over 2,000 or 3,000 times conservatively. I felt like I had friends from start to finish...and I did. I can think of at least 25 times specifically when I was walking and struggling and someone pushed me, and as a result of their encouragement I suddenly was running. It really happens. It meant the world...it cannot possibly be articulated here.
Overcome with emotion. When I ran under the 24 Mile mark inside Central Park, I started to cry as all those darn people were watching on both sides. I kept running with as much heart as I could muster. My plantar fasciitis started at Mile 4 and it got worse all day but I breathed in the pain and did the best I could despite finishing with an embarrassing time (6:08 net -- you guys know me and you know how I feel about that). It doesn't matter (much). Time doesn't matter to me. What matters is that when I came upon the finish line at Tavern on the Green and ran under that 26 Mile mark, I broke down like a baby while I was running and thought of my Dad. This was about him and my boys, all of whom were on the sign on my back. I regained my composure to cross the finish line with my arms high in the air and a big smile, and HERE YOU GO MY PEOPLE -- I am pretty sure I was the only runner, judging by the crowd reaction, who DANCED across the finish line. I did a Nelly to the left, a Nelly to the right, a Nelly to the left, and it felt so damn good. Dad, this was for you.
Thankful. I am just so thankful that I made the decision to stop smoking last December and to become a runner. I know that I could knock an hour and a half off my time just by my right foot healing -- if it ever can. I thought it would have by not running on it for all of October. I am a runner now, I am hooked. I just loved today, from the early bus ride to running over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to high-fiving over 1,000 children along the way. If I hadn't stopped to pet an English Bulldog for 5 minutes, if I hadn't stopped to call my Mom collect from a pay phone booth at the 13 Mile mark (haha), I would have broken 6 hours. Ha. And that brings me to this:
Living in the Moment. I can honestly say that no one lived in the moment today more than me out of the 40,000 runner field. I can guarantee you that. I soaked it all in, I appreciated every step of the way, and those people...it was a memory and a moment that no one ever will be able to take away from me now.
I will blog lots of pictures, videos and details at some point later. I have to rest. Thank you all...Mark
ps, here is the link to the marathon results page, and I'm runner 26323.
Comments
Yay mark!
Honestly, it's not the time that counts. Though I know how you feel. It really wasn't *that* far off your goals.
And the best part is that there is more to come.
I'm sure you'll be sore over the next few days, but it won't matter. Just remember the feelings that you expressed above.
YOU DID IT!
All the best in your continued running journey.