Thirteen years ago I ran the Twin Cities Marathon. Well, sort of, I forgot to put the timing chip on my shoes, so as far as the record books are concerned, I've technically never finished a marathon. I've been running consistently every single year since, but marathon number two kept getting pushed further down the list, until I had the opportunity to work with my New Balance rep, Ansel, to get into New York City.
New York has always been the one for me. It's one of the World Marathon Majors, and there's something about the idea of running through all five boroughs that's stuck with me for years. I've heard the crowd support is unlike anything else, practically shoulder to shoulder for twenty six miles, and every borough offers something completely different. It's the kind of course where you're not just running a marathon, you're seeing a city. Getting in was always the hard part, between the lottery odds and the waitlists, it never quite lined up.
Ansel and I had talked about getting me an entry into New York, and when it came down to it, he came through and made it happen.
I'm now twelve weeks into training for New York. It's been a good year of training so far, with the highlight being a good race at the Door County Half in the spring, and this past Sunday I put in one of my longest runs of this training block yet. By mile twelve, the thought of putting down more fuel over the next six miles was difficult to process. (I really need to lock in my nutrition!) So I called one of my buddies, hoping a conversation could get me through it. He didn't pick up, so I left him a minute of frantic, half pleading rambling, and finished the last six miles alone.
Track along with me as I continue this journey toward New York City. I'll be sharing posts about training, the gear I'm using, and the ups and downs along the way.