I had heard from everyone about how amazing the ING New York City Marathon was going to be, but no words could prepare me for the indescribable experience that I was about to embark upon. All the months of training had led me to this day. It began in the predawn hours, and I must say, I was feeling anxious, nervous and sick to my stomach. Nervous and anxious about what to expect from the race and sick to my stomach to run the same streets that had turned me into the person I was before my experience on The Biggest Loser. Every step of the 26.2 mile run was a new lesson I was teaching myself. Lessons about who I was, who I am, and who I want to become. Besides the fact that it is in New York, I think the NYC marathon brings a feeling of energy to the runner that cannot be had anywhere else in the world.
Every inch of the course was lined with supporters cheering you on. I couldn’t believe it! There were areas along the course that were eight people deep. I didn't even want to listen to my music! These supporters definitely helped me throughout the day.
My main objective was more symbolic than anything else, to see my old environment in a new light. But, of course, I also wanted to do better than I did in my Biggest Loser marathon. I was confident that my training was going to allow me to do this. The NYC marathon was quite different from the Biggest Loser marathon. On The Biggest Loser, I raced with three people, and here, I was with 42,000! With this race, I had a strategy, I broke the race into two ten-mile portions and a 10k to finish up strong and use whatever energy I had left. With 10 miles to go, I was feeling great and finished faster than I could have hoped for at 4 hours and 23 minutes. During the Biggest Loser marathon, there was no strategy; it was just about not stopping!
Coming back to the city where I lived and showing myself that I can be fit and that I can stay healthy in a big city was great motivation for me. This was an incredible experience and one that has given me a new perspective to take with me on my next journey!
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