Liv Ran a Marathon

I liked this picture with the water cups littering the ground, because that is such a triggering sight for marathon runners everywhere, just as it’s sure to be for me going forward.

I did it. I crossed the finish line, still running, with a pained smile on my face.

It was not easy. In fact, I didn’t run nearly the marathon I wanted to or trained for. Several compounded factors left me not feeling super well after mile 10. But I did it anyway. I pushed through.

I want to thank my family (including Lindsay, adopted cousin) for making some wonderful signs and cheering me on in Queens and Harlem. I want to thank Grandpa Brian and Carole for being my sole Bronx supporters and getting me across that last bridge. I want to thank my friends, Lucy, Kristen, Christi, Kelly, Francis, Liv (roomie), Eve, Olivia, and Olivia’s sister Gabby for popping up all along the route, making great signs, and making me feel loved. I also want to thank my dad’s coworker Aoife for cheering me on with a hysterical sign that had my dad’s face all over it. I’m sure that will hang in the office.

I want to thank Scotch Colored Plastic Tape for sticking on me in a big “LIV” for all 26.2 miles, despite the sweat and the rain, allowing for countless strangers to help keep me going and tell me that I was their hero and that they loved me. I tried to respond with as many swollen thumbs-ups as I could.

Thank you to the volunteers who gave me many cups of Gatorade and water. Thank you to Brooks for making awesome shoes. Thank you to the Steelers for having a bye. Thank you to Gu for keeping me fueled through mile 10, when you unfortunately decided to make me want to vomit (but I didn’t, unlike others I saw). Thank you Mother Nature for giving us that little bit of rain to break up what other wise was a cruel, cruel act of yours.

Thank you to Apple Watch’s Spotify capability for helping me through my training. For the same reason, I would like to thank Goodr sunglasses and Camelbak and the many cute dogs of Central Park.

(Who I would not like to thank is anyone who was in charge of getting us from the ferry onto shuttle buses. I was standing in a thicket of thousands of anxious runners for, I kid you not, over two hours just waiting to get on a bus. There was absolutely no organization, and pretty much all of us missed the waves we were supposed to start with. Not to mention that my legs were tired already when I started running. But I digress. But I don’t digress. That should not have happened.)

Thank you to all my fellow runners for keeping me motivated when I wanted to quit. Thank you to Team ALS, with which I raised almost $8500 dollars in honor of Grandma Ann, who I am sure would be incredibly proud of me and who would have pushed me along when I stopped to give her a hug, just like she did my dad. (PS, you can still donate!)

Other than finally crossing the finish line—and seeing all my fans, of course—the best part of the day has to have been the ferry ride. All was calm and cool. I was able to sit and admire as we passed by Lady Liberty (who screamed at the top of her copper lungs, “VOTE TOMORROW”). The Coast Guard escorted us all the way, performing donuts in the water to great applause. You can tell that New York loves marathon Sunday.

So, I did it. I ran a marathon. Not just any marathon, but the marathon considered the greatest in the world. It’s certainly the biggest. And despite my current pain, and all the pain of yesterday, I will definitely do it again, though maybe not for a few years. First, it’s time for a massage.