The Marathon: In a Nutshell

I’ve spent four weeks trying to write about the marathon, and I just can’t do it justice. So here’s the nutshell version.

The marathon weekend was absolutely wonderful. More fun than I’ve had in a long time. Traveling with the group was great. The marathon was as incredible as I’d hoped it would be. And I broke my foot.

Again, nutshell: My right foot started hurting during the Saturday morning run the week before the race. I hoped it was nothing, iced it, soaked it, stretched it, worried about it, etc. It still hurt. But let’s face it, there was no way I was missing the marathon. The disappointment would have been much worse than the physical pain.

And I wasn't wrong about that.

I don’t know, and can’t find out, whether the bone was already broken at the starting line. All I know is that it was plenty broken by the time I reached the finish line. Broken and sprained (not to mention a few blisters).



Pretty, right?












This is where I must stop and thank my running partner Tara. She got me through the race. I never could have done it without her. Tara, YOU ROCK!

















I was the first NYC TNT runner ever to go from the finish line to a wheel chair. So, I’m a minor celebrity among the NYC team – I should say I was a minor celebrity. I think my 15 minutes are up. But it was fun while it lasted. Ramon, the head coach, steered the wheel chair through the airport like a pro (pro race car driver, that is -- weeeeeeee!) and my friends all offered to get me home.


(Above: Me with my coach/wheelchair driver.)

In the end, Caroline got me to my apartment and saw that I got inside safely. I had to go up the steps on my butt. She wished she’d had her camera. I was glad she didn’t. (Below: Me and Caroline the night before the race.)


















Caroline also got me to the doctor the next day, and I owe her a lot for all of her help since then. Ramon's support and funny voice mail messages helped a lot too. And Rob's thoughtful phone call to check up on me. And Maura, as always, checking in to make sure I'm taken care of. I'm sure I'm leaving people out, and this is starting to sound like an acceptace speech at an awards show, so I'll leave it at that. (Go TNT! Woo Hoo!)

Speaking of awards, I was honored and amused to receive the "Coach's Pick" award from Ramon at our celebratory "Misbehaving Party". I'm pretty sure that, had I not broken my foot, they would have had to come up with some creative award for me like "The girl whose name I just learned" award, or "girl whose Mom came to practice one day" award, or maybe the "you ran this race with us?" award. I'm exaggerating, but it was fun to be recognized as a trooper... a hero... OK, let's just say it... a rock star.


(Above: My proudest moment! If only I could stand!)

But, like I said, my fifteen minutes are up. The team members have gotten back to their lives, the coaches have moved on to the next season's team, and I'm trying to move on too. But to what?

I can't get to the office because I have a hellish commute even with two working feet -- lots of stairs and subways. So I tried to work from home for the first two weeks, but it wasn’t working. Now I’m on short-term disability until March. And instead of sitting in my dark cave of an apartment (it really is a very nice apartment -- when you have the ability to leave), I’ve come to convalesce at my mother’s place in cold, snowy Pennsylvania. Lots of windows here, and no stairs.

I have spent a lot of time since the race looking at pictures from the trip to Phoenix, the race itself, and the Misbehaving Party afterwards. A Lot Of Time. I think it might even be fair to say too much time. It's hard to let go of an experience that was so incredible and meant so much. And I've spent four weeks trying and failing to come up with words worthy of describing it. There are no words. But at least there are pictures.

There you have it: the nutshell version.

(See below for more thank yous!)

I must also thank my mother for flying all the way to Phoenix to spend the day driving around trying to figure out where she’d be able to see me next along the race route. Must have been a ton of fun. And thanks, Mom, for taking all the great pictures of me pretending not to be in pain! Oh, and for fetching me ice all night long after the race.


(Above:Me with Mom after the race.)

Also, huge thanks to my dear friend Lee and her beautiful daughter Charlotte, for driving my mother around all day and for opening their home up to my mother for the night. It was great seeing you – I with I could have stayed longer!


(Above: Lee and Charlotte)

More pictures:


Above: Me with Mom, Lee and Charlotte -- my own personal fan club!


Above: Me with my awesome mentor, Maura.


Above: The NYC TNT Team, morning of the marathon!


Above: Me, changing shoes before the marathon.


Above: Ramon checking my foot the night before -- it looked fine!.


Above: Some of the team at the Victory Party, after the marathon.


Above: Our sexy coaches.


Above: Me with Caroline at the infamous "Misbehaving Party" -- I did as much misbehaving as the next guy, broken foot and all!


Above: Me with mentor Rob -- an amazing mentor for all of us. And very tall. (And I don't hold the fact that mine was the last name he learned against him -- much.)


Above: Me with the best coach ever!


Above: Tara and Caroline holding up my real trophy!