By Alexis Rodriguez
On November 4, 2018, the NYC Marathon took place. 50,000 runners, 5 boroughs, running from 8:30 am all the way until around 6-7 pm. Running this marathon is one of the greatest accomplishments anyone could aspire to, and is certainly one of the hardest as well. As I was watching the marathon runners in the Bronx pass by, the runners showed an incredible amount of determination, and drive, to keep on going. Certainly they were tired, but the look in their eyes told everyone watching that they loved every minute of it. One of the main reasons I was there, was to watch my mother do the marathon. It wasn’t an easy task, but she crossed the finish line after 3 long hours of running. Here are some of the things that I asked her about her experience of the marathon:
Map of the route through New York’s 5 boroughs.
Q: What made you want to start running?
A: “I started running about a year and a half ago. A friend had invited me to do a quick 3 mile Father’s Day run in Long Island. Trying to be healthy, I said yes, not really thinking anything of it. After that one race I loved the feeling it gave me and completely fell in love with running.”
Q: What’s the most rewarding thing about running?
A: “Well, to be honest, when i first start running, I didn’t really like it. The best part is towards the end, especially during a race. That accomplished and excited feeling you get while crossing the finish line makes everything worth it.”
Q: What makes you want to run such a long distance?
A: “I never would have imagined wanting to do a marathon, I mean its 26 miles, thats a really long time! But, somehow I started running longer distances until I realized that long distance running is what I’m best at.”
Runners can meet interesting people along the route.
Q: How did you prepare for the Marathon?
A: “When I realized that I wanted to do the marathon, I started doing a really high number of miles like 16 and 17 every other week. The most I did before the actual marathon was 23, so this was the first time i did the 26.2 miles. For the last 3 miles, the crowd’s cheering helped me push through.”
Q: Did you ever have a moment where you wanted to give up while running the marathon?
A: “Sometimes you get so tired that you just want to give up, but I have a strong mind and I resisted that temptation. The good thing about long distance running is that it gives you a strong mind because half the time you have to tell yourself to keep on going!”
Q: How did you feel after crossing the finish line?
A: “Oh my gosh, I felt so amazing. I felt like I could do anything in the world. It was really the best feeling and I encourage every long-distance runner, if they haven’t already, to do it every year. It is really a great experience.”
A man from Japan even ran the marathon in costume…
Q: Lastly, what did you do right after you completed the marathon?
A: “I ate so much food, I was starving! But mostly I rested the whole day after, because running across the city for 3 hours was very tiring. But the marathon was worth the tired feeling.”
***
Watching my mother as well as other people I knew cross the finish line, was truly inspirational. I encourage everyone reading this to start running, because there is no other feeling like completing a long race, whether it’s 3 miles or 30 miles. If there’s anything this interview has taught me, it’s that we can all achieve anything we want if we work hard enough for it. Sometimes it’s not even just about crossing that finish line, but about the journey involved in getting there.