Liv Runs a Marathon
Sunday, November 7, 2021. I had just finished a soccer game on the Upper East Side and was making my way back downtown towards a coffee and home. But in the middle of my ride, I decided to make a pitstop. I exited the subway at 68th Street and walked east. My destination was First Avenue, because that morning, over thirty thousand runners were participating in the 50th NYC Marathon, and the city was starving to support them. With the cancellation of the 2020 race, this sunny November morning was a big deal, for the runners and their fans alike.
I pulled up just along the runners’ velvet rope, squeezing my way through spectators three rows deep. And I watched hundreds of runners go by in the span of just a few minutes. Some of them waved to friends and family spotted in the crowd. Some kept their heads down and minds dialed into the music in their ears. And many were still managing smiles, despite the fatigue, despite the fact that there were still ten miles to go, despite the fact that they may not be seeing any of their fans until the finish line. Bands and DJs played. Local cheerleading squads popped up above the crowd. The lovely volunteers handed out waters and Gatorades and energy gels. The atmosphere was electric, and even though I did not recognize anyone running past me, I couldn’t help but smile along with them.
I walked south along the course, right up until the runners were turning off of the 59th Street Bridge, and then I made my way home, deciding to walk the whole way because, if all those people could run 26.2 miles, then I could make it another twenty-eight blocks.
While on my walk, I called my parents. I said to them, next year, I am going to run the NYC Marathon. That’s still the plan.
I just wrapped up my second week of training, and I am following a schedule set for first-time full marathoners who have previous running and racing experience. On Saturday morning I ran a hilly seven miles in Central Park, the furthest I’ve gone since contracting COVID at the end of May. I felt good. I made a playlist titled “Liv Runs a Marathon” on Spotify and downloaded it to my Apple Watch. Just today in the mail, I got a dry-fit t-shirt from Team ALS, letting me know they are supporting me through every training run.
There are many ways one can qualify for the NYC Marathon, and one is by joining the team of an established charitable organization and fundraising for them. After losing my Grandma Ann to ALS in 2004, my family has remained active in the ALS community, with my dad running the NYC Marathon in 2011 as a member of Team ALS. Now, it’s my turn, not only to run the marathon, but also to do so in the name of a cause that means so much to my family and thousands of other families around the world.
(If you would like to donate to help me reach—or even exceed—my goal, here is the link. Even if you are unable to donate, please head to the site to read about my Grandma Ann and The ALS Association; it would mean a lot to me.)
Sure, I consider myself a runner. Sometimes, I even enjoy it. I’ve completed four half marathons and have run regularly, every week, for many years now. So I’ve set a goal for myself, one that plays to my strengths and feels so big sometimes that I can’t even believe I am going for it. That’s also a common reaction from those I tell about my training: near disbelief. But then there’s excitement on my behalf.
It is exciting. With each training run, I am making this big goal more of a reality. I’d like to thank my parents, everyone who has donated, Brooks Running (I am open for a sponsorship), and Trader Joe’s lactose free chocolate milk for getting me this far. And I’d like to thank myself for looking ahead to the next sixteen weeks with positive emotions rather than dread, which in itself is no easy feat. I cannot wait to make Team ALS proud, and I cannot wait to hopefully see some of you scattered among the boroughs of NYC, cheering me on in November. Maybe my smiling, sweaty face will inspire you to set the same goal I have.