Howth

ALL THE AUTUMN ADKS GURL

Autumn: What’s your favorite thing about Autumn?

the brisk turn in the air, crunchy leaves, drinking warm drinks, cuddling, the fashion!!!!, i can’t pick!!

Apples: What’s your favorite type of apple?

granny smith for life bro but lately i’ve been having fiji apples for breakfast and that’s chill

Apple Cider: What’s your favorite seasonal drink?

HONESTLY i love drinking hot apple cider through a cinnamon stick, it’s a family tradition but it’s more for around christmas. for fall i love coffee bean and tea leaf’s pecan latte but there are no cbtls around campus :( so i’ll settle for the bistro’s cinn-full latte :)

Apple picking: if you could go anywhere, where would it be and why?

rn, i’d really like to visit my brother in pittsburgh! i miss him :(

Big sweaters: do you prefer the cold, warmth, or a perfect in-between?

the cold holy fuck no contest at all

Bonfires: Do you prefer going out or staying in on a fall evening?

depends on the type of evening! if it’s a brisk kind of cold, i love to go out. but if it’s rainy and i’m sleepy and haven’t been having time to read much, i’m staying in, no question.

Boots: Favorite pair of shoes/boots you own?

i love my black booties! they’re lace-up with a really cool velcro buckle and spikes on the ankles, plus they’re wedges. they are My Party Shoes and YES i almost broke my neck in them last satruday and YES it took three people to get them off of me that night HOWEVER they are so worth it they’re adorable and i never used to wear them in high school??? why??? !!!!

Black friday: what is one thing, if anything, you would sell your soul to own?

honestly nothing lmao i can’t think of anything i want that badly…

Candles: What’s your favorite fall scent?

i love every fall scent tbh i’m such a sucker, but i LOVE the smell of campfires, and applecider, and that fake pumpkin-spicy smell, but my absolute favorite is the smell of cold rain on cement, how it’s kind of almost cinnamony at first and then it mellows out and smells so clean and cold and it makes your hands a little chilly and i just can’t stop smiling when i open my window and that smell drifts in!!! (and then my roommate yells at me lol)

Caramel Apples: Favorite Halloween candy?

uhhhh fucking kit kats (still salty about that one time @samfloras fuckin ATE ALL OF MY KIT KATS BUT W/E) or honestly peanutbutter m&ms!! OH SHIT NO fuckin crunch bars. yes. bless those things i only ever eat them around halloween.

Cozy blankets: where do you feel the most safe and at home?

probably my living room back home, i used to always curl up on the couch where there’s the most light with a book and a blanket and just exist knowing my family was somewhere close, and i could look out the window and see the world outside. by the time i left for college i slept out there more than i did in my own bed tbh. at college tho, i definitely feel happiest in the hall lounge (my hall is so codependent and cute i love us) b/c there’s always someone to talk to or cuddle with or just exist with, too. so it’s kind of the same deal as what i needed back home.

Chilly air: what’s your least favorite and favorite type of weather?

least favorite - humid heat

favorite type - brisk but with clear skies

corn mazes: do you have any secret talents/abilities?

i’m fucking bomb at balancing trays in the dining hall and also blocking out how the foot tastes???

Fairs: Have you ever been to a state fair? How was it?

i Have Not :(

Flannel: How many blankets do you sleep with in the fall/winter?

as many as possible! but usually three-ish (one sheet, one blanket, and a comforter)!

Falling leaves: you’re stranded on a desert island and here’s the twist; what three things do you NOT bring with you?

1) a hairbrush 

2) an umbrella 

3) jeans

Fuzzy Socks: How do you spend a night in in the fall?

quietly and with lots of tea and music and coziness, preferably

Halloween: Do you plan on going out for Halloween this year? And as what?

uhhh hell yeah my school has a pretty small party scene but apparently we go ham for halloween?? i have no idea yet, but probably a basic witch (aka dressing up witchy but also ~basic~ and carrying around starbucks??)

Haunted houses: what’s your scariest memory? (if you don’t have one/ don’t want to talk about it, what’s your biggest fear?)

my biggest fear is spiders or anything crawling inside me tbh

Hay rides: if you could pick absolutely anything to be your form of transportation, what would it be?

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

Hot Chocolate: How do you make/order your hot chocolate?

honestly i love nestle’s hot chocolate mix even though it is Tasteless AF but hey 

Holding hands: do you believe in soulmates?

i believe there are people in our lives that we are meant to meet for some reason, but i don’t believe there is only One Person Out There who’s the Only Person You Need, bc that’s kind of :////

Hot tea: when was the last time you kissed someone (if you haven’t had your first kiss, who would you like that first someone to be?)

uhhhhhhh augustish i think???

Leaves: What’s your favorite color the leaves turn?

red!!! 

Mini pumpkins: How do you decorate for fall/Halloween?

as much as i can! i love cute candles and fake leaves and lights and spooky decorations 

Pumpkin: Do you carve a pumpkin for Halloween?

usually! my hall is gonna have a pumpkin-carving event bc of fucking course we are, probably someone’s gonna chop their hand of tho 

Pumpkin Spice: Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

absolutely not

Pumpkin Pie: What’s your favorite autumnal dessert?

pumpkin pie! 

Rain: How do you spend a rainy day in?

reading, listening to music, drinking a hot beverage and looking at the rain, splashing in puddles, cuddling up with a fantastic blanket, pointing at the windows and yelling “look at the rain” at whoever will pay attention to me

Sweaters: What’s your favorite sweater?

this one i just bought like last weekend!! it was a very hungover purchase tbh!! but it’s gray/white/maroon and it has a hood and it’s HUGE like 3 sizes too big and i wear it as a dress and it’s so cute and honestly it’s the softest thing ever on the inside 

Scarves: What’s your favorite album to listen to in the fall?

anything by the 1975, anything by wolf alice, anything by keaton henson, screentime by addie pray - i have The Chillest autumn playlist on spotify tbh

Scarves: if you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life what would it be?

what i wore last saturday! the black booties i’m obsessed with + these high-waisted leggings from torrid that lace up the backs of the calves + this criss-crossy bralette + this sheer long-sleeved shimmery black shirt…… i looked fucking bomb thanks

Smelly candles: what’s your absolute favorite scent?

lavender bc it has so many tender memories attached to it, my grandmother’s perfume (bluegrass), the lotion my step-dad rubs my mom’s hands with every night - i could never pick between those tbh

Thanksgiving: what is something/someone you’re the most thankful for? any particular reason?

i’m so thankful for my family (which of course includes friends) bc they’re everything good in me and my inspiration

The color orange: do you have a specific song that reminds you of autumn? what is it?

“somebody else” by the 1975, (for late cold tired nights) “email” by addie pray, (for studying in a coffeeshop), “10 am Gare du Nor” by keaton henson (for when it’s rainy and sad out and you’re feelin it), and “feel right” by esme patterson” (for brisk days and brisker walks)

Wool socks: what’s something you look forward to in fall?

the weather officially changing and seeing it on campus!! getting apple cider at the bistro!! family weekend!! going home for thanksgiving, letting everyone know how much they mean to me, finishing my damn scarf

Windy nights:if you could go to any concert whose would it be?

WOLF ALICE i’m SO MAD they played in LA over the summer AND I MISSED IT and now they’re playing in hollywood AT THE AMEOBA!!! AND I’M GOING TO MISS IT AGAIN!! AAAAAAA it’s not like they’re lowkey one of my favorite bands that NEVER are in the united states ever lmao !!! :(((((((

Entering Phase 2

As of yesterday, I am 4 months out from my next marathon.  It is time for me to switch gears a little bit and start focusing - especially now that the wedding is over!

Originally, the plan was for Dave and me to get married at a courthouse in June, then have a large party back home after CIM.  Ultimately, as we started to plan we realized it would be a huge hassle to plan two parties (because, of course, we would have had to celebrate somehow after the initial ceremony, and it turns out that we have a lot of friends!).  Also, the thought of planning a party during the peak of marathon training did not sound appealing, so it worked out to have a 60 day engagement and get married before I got into the thick of marathon training.

Yes, my wedding was partially planned around running and I am #notashamed.  

The last 60 days were a little bit more stressful than I imagined.  I grew frustrated with myself when I was especially tired and had to shift around my training, or when - during my wedding week - running took a backseat.  There were definitely a couple times where I thought why am I doing this?  Is this necessary?  I would rather just train.  I had to remind myself frequently that sometimes giving 100% doesn’t look like a nailed workout or a PR.  Sometimes, giving 100% means cutting a run short so that you have time to go to the grocery store and buy real food and fuel, or starting a new, more secure life with someone and getting health insurance.  [I should point out here that I have a dry sense of humor.]

The wedding weekend itself was amazing.  I have always scoffed at people who have said that their wedding day was the happiest day of their life.  I mean, I love Dave and all, but it has always seemed depressing to think that you might peak at the beginning of your marriage and then have to live up to that moment for the next 30 - 60 years.  

I get it, now.

Having all of our favorite people in one of our favorite places was really freaking fun.  The day went by faster than I ever could have imagined.  It turns out all the clichés are true!  

My coach had warned me all along that my training might take a hit because of wedding stress.  I scoffed.  I didn’t believe him.  I’m Anna effing Weber and come hell or high water, I was going to get in my mileage no matter what.  

I almost made it.  Wedding week proved to be my unraveling.  On Friday, Dave and I set out for a 20 mile run in the dunes.  I made it three miles and just couldn’t keep going.  It was one of those runs where you are looking at your watch 20 minutes in and calculating how many more minutes you have left.  So, we stopped and went for a 2.5 hour walk through the dunes instead.  I figured a long run is really just time spent on your feet so if I can’t run, might as well walk!  It was a gorgeous day and it was nice to spend some relaxing time with Dave before things got out of control.  

Friday evening, I got to spend time with four of my 6 bridesmaids.  We went to Chicago and had dinner at The Publican, which was fantastic.  Everything is family style, and everyone sits at a shared table.  The only downside was that it was loud.  Had I known I would be screaming over people the whole night, I probably would not have made reservations there.  However, that would have been a shame because I would have missed out on really good food like snail sausage, squid ink pasta, pork rillette, fried cauliflower, and mussels.  Two of the bridesmaids that were with me were my nieces, and the other two were my college teammates/roommates.  Having 4 of my favorite people together in one place was really, really fun.  

When I got back to the hotel I was TIRED.  I waited for Dave to return from his bachelor party that consisted of eating at the Ritz Klub in Michigan City (best kept secret burger) and then drinking copious amounts of beer.  I gave him one rule:  do not throw up in our hotel room.  He had one job.  I truthfully did not care what he did that night or where he went, I just didn’t want him to puke in our hotel room.  I’m sure you know how this story ends.....

Saturday morning arrived way too quickly.  Everyone told me I wouldn’t sleep the night before my wedding.  Nope, I was definitely out.  

The plan for Saturday morning was to do a “freedom run” first thing.  We started this tradition at Dani’s wedding.  We ran from the hotel, down to the beach.  I jokingly said we should stop by my sister’s house (she flew in from Philly the night before), but we didn’t even have to knock because she and my brother in law were already sitting in the front porch.  We stopped and said hello, then took a selfie:

This is easily the best jumping selfie I have ever taken (sorry Dani!).  Jayne and I wound up getting in 12 miles, which made me feel better about not having gotten my long run in the day before.  

Following my freedom run, I returned to my room to find all the groomsmen and a cooler full of beer.  We chatted and got ready to go to brunch.  Instead of having a rehearsal dinner, Dave and I opted for a rehearsal brunch, which was intended only for our wedding party and officiant.  Really, the whole goal of the weekend was to be as low key as possible.  We had a great lunch at Fiddlehead.  My amazing pre-wedding burger:

My goal in having bridesmaids was to be able to spend extra time with the people who mean the most to me.  I didn’t want them to have any real obligations...no one had to awkwardly walk down an aisle with someone she did not know, hold flowers, or wear an ugly dress.  I asked them to simply wear a dress they already owned that was in a color found in a peacock feather (i.e. blue, purple, green, gold, etc.)

After lunch, we went back to the hotel and spent a couple hours lounging and getting ready.  The biggest stressor of my day:  not being able to get my earrings in.  I rarely wear earrings, so one of the holes was slightly closed and it took me 30 minutes to get it through.  Wouldn’t have been a big deal, but I bought those earrings specially for my wedding day!

Jayne brought a great bottle of champagne that we shared while listening to music and getting pretty.  I opted to do my own hair and makeup.  Besides not really having money in our budget, I just have never been super impressed with anyone else’s version of my style.  I bought a couple items that I wouldn’t normally wear, like primer and setting spray, and felt pretty confident.  Emma brought a bun contraption that gave my hair a perfect bun, and I was happy!

We got to the zoo around 4:30 and I found my dad.  We hung out in the rotary castle for about 30 minutes before the ceremony began.  This was one of my favorite parts of the evening.  My dad has been sick my entire life, and I was never certain he would see me get married.  I wasn’t really emotional about the day until I saw him and it hit me I wouldn’t have to worry about that any more.

We chose a gorgeous overlook at the zoo for the ceremony (which lasted a grand total of 5.5 minute).  Our goal was to eliminate everything from a wedding and reception that we didn’t like.  No long readings or vows. No receiving line.  Nothing superfluous.  We said enough to make it legal and we read some short vows of our own.  

View from our “altar”

after

Following the ceremony, guests were given an opportunity to walk through the zoo or sit and mingle in the picnic area. Our families went above and beyond to make this happen.  

Dinner was true region fare - fried chicken, Italian beef, mac & cheese, and roasted veggies with three types of cheesecake catered by my sister’s cafe, South Bend Chocolate Company, for dessert.  Dave and I had a special dessert:  apple pie made by my mom.

Dave and I were able to sneak away from guests for a few minutes and take a tour of the zoo ourselves.  One of my favorite photos from the evening was a selfie where our ceremony was held.

At 8 PM, we headed over the Guy Foreman Amphitheater for drinks and socializing.  Dave and I both hate loud music at wedding receptions, so we had very light music playing in the background from a carefully curated playlist of songs that have special meaning for us.  We had 3 boxes of wine and 1.5 kegs.

The weather turned out to be perfect.  High of 77, low of 58, no humidity, and no wind.  If you are familiar with northwest Indiana, you know that this type of weather is practically unheard of for late July.  Normally, it is either raining and windy, or hot and miserable.

Following the amphitheater was the final stop in our wedding crawl:  Blue Chip Casino.  This was where we were staying, as well as many of our friends.  The zoo, amphitheater, and casino were all within a half mile of one another, so it was very easy to get between all three places.  These two photos are my absolute favorite from the night:

The following morning was a rough one.  I don’t think I have drank that much in YEARS.  I didn’t wind up running that day like I thought I would, but I did have a fantastic morning at the beach.

The last part of the day was heading over to my sister’s house to eat all of the leftover food from the wedding and drink the rest of the beer before heading to my parents’ house to open gifts.

We were blown away by the thoughtful gifts we received, many of which were handmade.  Perhaps the one that surprised us most was this one from the zoo:

We had an amazing weekend, but I’m happy to get back to a routine and move on to phase 2, of both life and training.  I am racing the USATF IN 5 mile championships tomorrow.  It will either be awesome because wedding stress is gone, or terrible, because wedding stress is catching up with me.  Either way, I’m really happy with where I am right now.

It was Kristen's last weekend here and with the weather looking iffy, we planned to stay close to home and do some more local touristy things around Cape Town. On Friday night after finishing project planning, we took a taxi to the Hout Bay Harbour Market. It's an indoor market where there there was a live band, hand crafted items for sale, and lots of delicious food to sample. We went with a big group of friends from house, and it was nice to wind down with everyone after the crazy week. On Saturday morning, we got up early and braved the dreary weather to head downtown to the Old Biscuit Mill. This is a weekend must-do and any food lover's dream. There are some upscale clothing and souvenir shops, but the main attraction is several indoor/outdoor food tents that literally have every kind of food you could possibly imagine. The food market is open from to 9am to 2pm, and we both aren't ashamed to admit that we got there first thing when they opened and left when they closed down for the day. We ate our way through multiple stands trying everything from warm and melty avocado fries to decadent homemade chocolate pastries. Afterwards, we escaped the rain and burned off some calories at the V&A Waterfront, which is a very posh shopping district and wharf. Most of the tour boats to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for two decades) leave from here, and some of the other main attractions include a beautiful large Ferris wheel and a huge mall. Later, everyone in the house came home and enjoyed a quiet pizza and movie night in. And of course, when in Africa, the obvious movie choice has to be The Lion King :) We woke up to a very sunny and cold Sunday morning, only to find out that our abseiling tour for later in the day had already been cancelled. The windy conditions and previous evening's torrential downpours were not making for safe climbing conditions. A petrified Kristen secretly felt the cancellation was a blessing in disguise, but hopefully Brooke will still be able to do this another time on one of her free weekends after Kristen leaves! We also were unable to book a last-minute Peninsula tour, so we decided to call a taxi and make our own route. Our driver was a very kind, toothless older man named Cobus who he ended up spending the entire day with us. First, he drove us to a lookout spot overlooking the little surf town of Muizenberg. There's a "Shark Spotter" station high up on the cliff where it's a person's job to watch the waves and alert the surfers if anything dangerous is in the water (Brooke's dream job someday after retirement). Sharks had been reported in the area a day earlier, but sadly, we did not see any ourselves. Next, we stopped in Kalk Bay at a fishing wharf where all the fishermen were unloading their early morning catches right off their boats. This place is also home to a colony of the largest, laziest seals we have ever seen! They apparently live off the fish that the fisherman don't sell and spend their days lolling around the boardwalk waiting for their next meal. We were able to get so close we could have reached out and touched them. Then we were off to Boulder Beach to see the penguins. Yes...penguins! Our driver actually took us to a secret beach off the beaten path from the hoards of penguin paparazzi, and we were able to see tons of nesting penguins and even some of their half-grown babies. Brooke absolutely loved Boulder Beach, even despite conking her head on a rock! We continued our long winding drive to the Cape of Good Hope (the most southwestern point in Africa) and Cape Point (where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet). There's an old lighthouse you can climb to at the point, and the views from there literally took our breath away. It was shocking to think that from where we stood, we were closer to Antarctica than we were to home! Finally, we finished out our day with a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. All day long, we kept saying that the views we've seen couldn't be beat. We were wrong. Table Mountain is the oldest mountain in the world, and it towers 3500 feet above the city giving you 360° panoramic views of Cape Town. It was absolutely freezing (there had been snow on top of the mountain earlier in the day), but we braved the cold and finally got to see a beautiful South Africa sunset. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic weekend!

Photo by TCS New York City Marathon

It’s been 10 days since I’ve ran the TCS New York City Marathon and it’s ALL FINALLY sunk in. I’ve never thought I would be able to ever run a marathon, because I was never a sporty kinda girl. But ever since I feel in love with running 5 years ago, the longest I’ve ran was a half marathon and that took a lot of training. I thought if I can do a half, maybe I can do a full.  It’s always been in the back of mind like “One day I hope to run my one and only full marathon and it would be in New York City!” It’s been on my “secret” bucket list for a couple of years. Then when I turned 40, I felt this was the year to start crossing things off that list.

March 2017: Hitting the Jackpot.

When I found out I won a spot to the TCS NYC Marathon, my jaws just dropped with disbelief and excitement. Then reality hit me and I thought to myself, “Shit is about to get real!” To be honest, I secretly didn’t want to get in, because I knew how much work was ahead of me. But good old Mr. Fate made the decision for me. Lesson: Be careful what you wish for.

April – October: My Training.

The perfect person to train me was Peter, my husband. With his athletic background and an Ironman finisher, he knew what it takes to complete a race. He drafted an 18 week running program that was suitable for me. It was a compilation of adding miles per week consistently and resting when I needed to. The key is to build endurance. As any of my races, I always allow extra time to prepare myself for training. Basically starting from scratch.

It hasn’t been easy, especially when I travel. It took some time off from training, but the extra months I gave myself to train allowed the weeks here and there off. There were days I was too exhausted to run, but the words of encouragement from Peter, “No. You have to run today.” Then I say “Ok!”. Get my lazy butt off the sofa and go on that run for the day.

After putting 7 months of running 767 miles, 136 hours and 152 runs, I felt READY!

October 31st – The Manhattan Attack.

The day before I left for New York City, I learned about the terrible news of a terrorist attack in Manhattan. It made me feel dishearten. When will it ever stop? My heart was broken for all the innocent lives that were lost. I decided to run for those that lost their lives that day. For the first time in a long time, I felt unsafe in my own home, especially when I’m about to participate in one of the world’s largest race.

November 2nd – Taking it all in. 

With all the awful news in the past few days on the back of my, I had to refocus and keep my eyes on the prize. It was time to pick up my race packet and bib number. I arrived at the Jacob Javits Center with full of adrenaline and excitement. I was jumping up and down allover the place, people thought I was nuts. One volunteer said “Is this your first marathon?”. “Hell yeah!” I said.

November 4th – The day before the marathon.

I’ve been worried about the weather all week, checking every single day. All the weather channels said it will rain. I’m starting to freak out on how it will effect my race, from my race gear to how I will wear my hair. Then I start to second guess everything. Will it be too cold? Do I have enough nutrition? At this point, I’ve done all I can to prepare. Peter says, “Trust your training. You’ve got this!”. For this, I feel more at ease.

November 5th – RACE DAY.

7:00 AM

I woke up and put on my race clothes. The sky was covered in grey with slight rain in the 60’s. It’s the perfect running weather. I’m used to this type of forecast from all the training in Seattle. So it didn’t bother me. I was just hoping it doesn’t get windy and I had enough layers to keep me warm.

My usual morning breakfast is a Starbucks flat white, madeleines and a banana. Many coaching professionals suggest to eat your normal meals and to not over eat on race day, so you don’t get an upset stomach. So I did just that.

8:30 AM

I took the 1 train to Whitehall Staten Island ferry terminal, where the race starts. On the train, I made friends with a fellow runner named Anne. It was her 7th marathon. I’m thinking “whao she looks like she knows what she’s doing! I’m sticking with her!” She wound up being the coolest person ever! It was nice to have a buddy to help settle in the butterflies. We even had the same wave start, so we stuck to each other like glue.

Once we arrived to Staten Island there were wall to wall people in all shapes and sizes, waiting to get onto the bus that’ll take all the runners to Fort Wadsworth, where the race started. The feeling in the ferry hall was anxiety, excitement and bundles of nerves between everyone. We all wanted to just get it started. My new friend Anne made the lonely long wait go by much faster. Our conversations were light and fun, so it kept me calm.

10:00 AM

Once we got onto the bus, it was another 15 minutes ride to the starting area. The atmosphere was quiet. As we got off the bus, we go through a strict police security search. We then walk to the race area with signage of “TCS New York City Marathon“ everywhere. I knew it was about to get real. While walking through a sea of people, I saw runners getting ready. Some were stretching, some taking off their clothing layers and others going to the porta-potties for their last relief. I’m a nervous bathroom goer, so I went at least twice.

As we walk through the village of people, there were tons of vendors offering nutritional food and volunteers directing people. I saw tons of racers with their names on their shirts and I realized I didn’t have my name visible anywhere. Experienced racers had told me to to put my name on my shirt, so spectators can cheer me on. I found a medical tent that has a red sharpie. So I had Anne write “Elisa” across my chest. I’m so glad I did this, because without it my race experience wouldn’t have been the same.

10:45 AM

Now I’m feeling pumped and my energy was on an all time high! Double checking my nutrition and gear to make sure I have everything in place. Hundreds of us are ready to go!

11:00 AM

There were lots of nervous chatter, energetic music and announcements on wave starts. They finally called out our wave start to get ready. “Wave 4 Corral E are you ready?” Here I am screaming my lungs out “woohoo!” Then I hear the gunshot “BOOM”! Started to walk towards the start line. It took me 4 minutes (yes it was that many people ahead of me) to cross the start line.

1 Mile – Staten Island

I started with a very light 12:30 minute/mile jog, getting my stride. We were on the start of the bridge and runners were yelling with excitement. Some were standing on the barriers in the middle of the bridge to take pictures. I didn’t have time for that. I needed to meet my sub 5 hour goal, so I just kept going.

I chose not to listen to music so I can take it ALL IN. I didn’t care. I want to hear all the spectators cheering for me, the noise, music and excitement.

6 Mile – Brooklyn

Running through Brooklyn was one of the longest runs on the race. I saw deejays, bands, choirs and singers coming out in the rain to support the runners and providing entertainment to the spectators. I’m feeling fantastic here and had a bulk of energy left in me. This is still the beginning.

9 Mile 

At this point Anne had to slow down and run her own pace. Now I’m on my own to run my own race. I realized I was getting tired and forgot to eat. I quickly took some Shot Bloks, energy chews that are 100 calories per block. It was my only form of nutrition. Ten minutest later, I was back on track.

10 Mile

I finally saw some familiar faces. Peter, Kinsley and a group of friends were waiting for me at Williamsburg. I was so excited to see all of them. It gave me an extra bolt of energy to go on. My friend Kim also joined me for a one mile run. That mile made it go by so much faster with her.

16 Mile – Manhattan

A wall of noise came coming out of nowhere, as I descend down from the Queensboro Bridge. The most excitement from spectators definitely came from Manhattan. That energy definitely left me feeling good mentally and physically. Seeing my sister and her family holding up a giant pink sign saying “go ah-yee! (go Auntie!)”, made it even better. I was very touched  they came to support me, while standing in the rain.

20 Mile – The Bronx

Checking my watch from time to time on my pace, which is about 11 minute/mile. I’m feeling a little tired but trying to keep up my pace. There are slight sharp pain in my knees and the backaches are starting to bother me. However, it didn’t stop me, because every time I needed more energy, I’d run on the side to hear the cheers of my name. I felt like a celebrity, everyone knew my name. It gave me a recharge of energy to carry on.

24 Mile – Central Park. Almost there.

As all the runners make their way inside the park, I’m finally feeling exhausted and tired. At this time, everything was a blur. I knew it was mind over matter, but the last 2.2 miles felt like eternity. I can’t even hear the people screaming my name. But I know I can’t stop. All I wanted is to get it done!

The last 600 yards had an incline and it was brutal. My quads hated it and so did the rest of my body. Then I hear this loud cheer from Peter, Kinsley and my parents from the bleachers right by the finish line. I just wanted to hug them, but Peter yells “finish and get it under 5 hours”. So I ran as hard as I could!

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26.2 Mile – The Finish Line!

I crushed it! I beat my goal by 2 minutes. As tired as I was at the finish line, the range of emotions from feeling excitement, pride, exhaustion, adrenaline and pure joy came over me with tears running down my face. The time, hard work and dedication I’ve put in, finally paid off. Giving up was never the answer. I knew I had to push through and came here to FINISH. So I did!

Accomplishing something that’s bigger than you, is like being on top of the world. If you asked me 10 years ago to run a marathon, I would look at you with crazy eyes. But now that I’ve done it, I truly believe I can do anything!

The best part is I ran it in my hometown with family and friends cheering for me from near and far. I felt the exuberance of support from everyone and how proud they are. New York City will always be home. I’m grateful I got to run my first, may not be my last marathon, with my city.

With the support of Peter, family, friends and coworkers, I was able to complete this bucket list. Extra special thanks to my husband who’s been my biggest cheerleader and coach, taking the time to train me mentally and physically. It was not just my effort, it was ours. Thank you love!

Hey, if a little girl from New York City, Chinatown can run a marathon, anyone can!

  Xo,

E.

  A JOURNEY TO THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON It's been 10 days since I've ran the TCS New York City Marathon and it's ALL FINALLY sunk in.