Inspiration.

Update: I "officially" began training for the 2011 NYC Marathon on July 4, 2011. By "officially," I mean that July 4th was 18 weeks from November 6th, and I use Hal Higdon's 18 week marathon training program. However, I ran the Smith Rock Summer Classic Half Marathon on July 9th (in my Vibrams!), so unofficially, I am ahead of schedule.

Longest run yet in my Vibram FiveFingers. Photo by Brian Mosbaugh.

I am NOT ahead of schedule on my fundraising, but I am not panicking yet. I have raised $905.00 so far, with $1,715.00 left to go. (Help please!)

The most exciting news is that it looks like my sister Melissa will definitely be racing with me. She is in the process of getting married, moving to England and job searching, so there was a period there where she wasn't sure she would be able to run the marathon. I was having some serious mixed feelings because I don't want to just run the NYC marathon, I want to run with with my sister. I am thrilled that she will be able to run, and it will be our "last hurrah" before she moves to England. It feels like things are really starting to take shape, and this has had me reminiscing about when this NYC Marathon seed was planted. Time for a trip down memory lane....

Melissa moved to NYC in August-ish of 2008. I was in my third year of law school in Harrisburg, PA, just a three-hour train ride from the city. This was a huge deal because we hadn't lived this close to each other since she had gone off to college at the University of Pittsburgh. I went to visit her over Halloween, 2008, which was also the weekend of the marathon that year. We were Sarah Palin and Miss Wasilla for Halloween.

What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull?

On Sunday, we watched Melissa's friend Dawn run the marathon. At that point, I had just run my first half marathon, and it was a disaster. I had been having issues with my IT band all summer and ended up walking the last 6 miles of the race. It hardly counted as having done a half marathon, aside from the fact that I eventually managed to cross the finish line. Anyway, Melissa lived just a block from Central Park at that time, so we got up early on a crisp, beautiful autumn morning, got coffee and bagels, and walked along W 59th Street just in time to see the first wheel chair racers finishing.

Talk about inspiration. 

After watching the wheelchair racers fly past to the finish, we headed over to 1st Ave. to catch the runners as they passed mile 17, just north of the Queensboro Bridge. 1st Ave was packed with spectators, friends, neighbors and families, and the energy was electric! People were chattering, laughing, cheering, snapping pictures and ringing cowbells. Before long, the elite male runners flew by, followed closely by the elite females.

Elite female runners approaching.

Flyyyyyying.

Some time after the elite runners came by, the masses of people that make up a field of 40,000+ runners flooded 1st Ave like a tidal wave. There were all ages, shapes, sizes and colors imaginable. Some people wore costumes. Some people had their name on the front of their shirt, and we screamed out their name as they passed. We even managed to catch a glimpse of Dawn as she rolled by, looking comfortable and smooth at mile 17. Who knew you could get an adrenaline rush while standing on a sidewalk drinking coffee and eating a bagel?

After we saw Dawn cross mile 17, we headed back across town to post up around mile 22 in Central Park. We remained there for the rest of the race, watching people complete the last few miles to the finish. It was incredibly inspiring to see so many different people achieving their own level of greatness.

Melissa and I made so many happy memories that weekend. I remember talking with her about how amazing it would be able to run the NYC marathon "some day." At that point, a marathon seemed so daunting! I had barely survived a half marathon just a few weeks before, so I couldn't even comprehend running twice that distance. From that point on, Melissa and I would go on runs together in Central Park whenever I came to visit. We even tried rollerblading....but that's a hilarious adventure to be told another day. The point is, we had been inspired, and the NYC Marathon seed was planted.

Melissa and me in Central Park.

In March of 2009, I took another stab at the half marathon distance and finished the National Half Marathon in Washington, DC, in 1:48:27 (still my PR!). I moved to Portland, OR, in May of that year, and Melissa came to visit me in October. We ran an all-women's half in Vancouver, Washington, dressed alike in pink, and we giggled when spectators commented, "Look, twins!" It was Melissa's first half marathon and she rocked it! I loved running side by side with her, encouraging each other onward to the finish line. In November, 2009, I ran my first full marathon in Seattle. It wasn't as disastrous as my first half marathon, but I wouldn't describe it as a pleasant experience. I hit the wall somewhere around mile 20, and that was before the hilly part. I learned some lessons about training (e.g., don't skip long training runs), and improved by about 40 minutes when I ran my second marathon in Portland in October, 2010.

Melissa and I tried for the NYC Marathon lottery in 2010, and when we didn't get in, we agreed to make sure we would get a spot in the 2011 field. She qualified by running at least nine NYC Road Runners races throughout the year, and I qualified by pledging to raise money for Team for Kids. There are so many aspects of this race that make November 6, 2011, particularly meaningful. Not only will we be participating in one of the top races in the world, in one of our favorite cities, but when we run together this November, a dream that began 4 years ago will come to fruition. It will be Melissa's first marathon, and her last race before moving across the Atlantic. What a way to say goodbye to four years of living in New York City! I am inspired by my sister and ecstatic to be able to share this experience with her. I know that it is one we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. And you bet we will be dressed like twins on Nov. 6th (right, Melis??)!