NYC Marathon 2009

It’s Marathon week here in NYC and it’s safe to say that I’ve been thinking almost non-stop about the big race all week.

But who am I kidding, I’ve been thinking a lot about this race for the last 18 weeks of training.  And the months before that when I was hoping to get a spot via the lottery.  In truth, I’ve probably been thinking about this weekend a few times a week since a year ago, when I watched new friend James Griffin turn into a real-life hero in the matter of 26.2 miles (covered in a speedy 3hrs 27 mins).

But for all the thinking I’ve done over the last year, perhaps none was as sweet as the 30+ minutes I spent on Wednesday night in Central Park.  It was my last training run, and probably my latest, as the torrential rains all day forced me to push the run back to 9pm or so.

For 4 miles, it was just me and the rain slicked Central Park roads, which are now collecting the orangish-golden gifts of autumn leaves fallen for the winter.  It was a fitting ending to the training - just me and the Park where I’d logged so many miles.

And, of course, the final thoughts.

I thought a lot about the process and how the training plan may be the most disciplined I’ve been about doing anything in my whole life.  I remember looking at the printed out plan before week one and wondering if I’d be able to keep up the pace.  I thought about how that printed out plan, with completed workouts highlighted dutifully, is now a colorful testament of progress through hard work.  I kept it on my desk at work and watched the weeks count down to the big week.

But the plan wasn’t the only thing that motivated me to keep going.  There have been scores of friends, co-workers, neighbors and family who have contributed in ways big and small.  I thought a lot about the radical generosity that I was privileged to see, as those close to me pledged more than $3600 to the American Cancer Society on my behalf.  As my feet pounded pavement creating a rhythmic melody I’ve grown to love, I thought about the people in my life who’ve already battled cancer - and those who are yet to face to battle but surely will.  I was more sure than ever that these funds will be incredibly valuable for all of us.

Among the many who have helped along the way, those closest to me have undoubtedly stood out from the rest by doing anything and everything to make this dream a reality.  I thought about the phone calls and texts on the weekends from family as the “checked in” to see how the long runs had gone.  And how they’d driven out to meet me on long runs to hand me water and provide a friendly cheer.  More than anything, my family has told me how proud they are of me.  And what’s best, I know they are.  And it feels amazing.  Enough to make you want to run 26 miles for them!

As I made my way out of the Park and into the home stretch of my final run, I thought about my most loyal fan.  Tracy has literally been there every step of the way during this process.  Most everyone reading this has an idea of how encouraging she can be in everyday life.  Well, take that and multiply it by 10 to account for this special occasion.  Then multiply it again by 18 weeks.  I think that brings you to about a kajillion times more encouragement than any normal person can muster, which I think sounds about right.  I thought a lot about how thankful and proud I am to have her in my corner.  There’s no doubt she will be screaming herself silly (with a few “whoop whoops” thrown in for good measure) on Sunday.

With my final steps on my final run, I thought about my smallest fan who will be there on Sunday.  Baby Mans has been a constant source of inspiration during the process.  I thought about how someday I’ll have to tell him/her about how daddy once trained for the world’s biggest marathon. And he not only trained, but he ran the race.  And you were there - only you didn’t know it and it would be a few more weeks before you officially entered the world.  But you were there, Baby Mans. I thought a lot about how fun it’s going to be to tell that story.

And then I was home.