A Race to Remember
My marathon week
Well, friends…I did it. It wasn’t easy, but…I RAN A MARATHON!
For this guy!
Thanks Again to My Supporters
I want to take a moment at the top of this admittedly very long email to thank everyone who donated to my race. It would not have been possible without you! I raised a total of $5,531.40 for Hope Story! Thanks especially to these final donors:
The Devine Family
Steven Gomez
JP Preisser
Colleen Lehane
Matt Portillo
To date, Team Hope Story has raised $86,462.92!
This is going to allow Hope Story to do a lot of great work for families like ours. I’m so humbled and thankful to be a part of this incredible cause.
And, it’s not quite over yet…
It’s Giving Tuesday
My donor page will stay active through the rest of 2022, and I would love it if you would consider making a donation to Hope Story, either today or as a year-end gift. This organization means a lot to our family, and I feel like our work with them is only just beginning.
And now, here’s a recap of my marathon week!
Pre-Race Festivities
Before Marathon Sunday, I picked up my bib at the Javits Center.
I even ran into the Smiths! This is Rick and Abbie, the co-founders of Hope Story, and their family. Their son Noah is the one who inspired this whole thing. He’s the reason we were all doing this, so it was pretty cool to see them there!
On Friday night, Katelyn, Noah, and I attended the Team Hope Story dinner at Patsy’s Pizzeria. It was great to finally be in person with the team after so long!
The guest speaker was John Cronin, founder and “Chief Happiness Officer” of John’s Crazy Socks. John is a young man with Down Syndrome who, together with his dad Mark, started a multi-million dollar sock business.
It was an inspirational story, and the socks are indeed crazy (and awesome)! Socks make great holiday gifts, too. Check them out now!
On Saturday, I met up with a few members of Team Hope Story for a two-mile shakedown run in Manhattan, and we wound up at the finish line in Central Park. It was an awe-inspiring moment to reflect on what I was about to do.
The Big Day
Then it was Sunday, and time for the race! It was a bit rough getting to the starting line with the huge crowds, but I made it to my corral and starting line with plenty of time to spare.
Right around 11:30, as promised, my wave started…and we were off!
Despite telling myself I wouldn’t, I came out of the gate a bit too fast. I stayed on pace with the 5h 30m finish pace group (around 12:35/mile), but once I hit Brooklyn I started to get some knee pain and had to slow way down. They left me in the dust!
But that’s okay, because I was on the course mostly to have fun and take a lot of photos.
Like, a lot of photos.
It was kind of a problem.
Thankfully, after taking it easy, my knee stopped hurting and I could keep running! It was a hot and humid day (70 degrees!) but the crowds were just as advertised - extremely energetic and encouraging. They kept me going!
I made the decision to run with Noah’s name on my bib instead of my own. Each time someone called out “Let’s go Noah!” I would think of him and remember why I was doing this.
Katelyn, Noah, and our friend Eunice met me three different times on the course. It was a huge pick-me-up!
Finally, over six hours after I started, the sun had gone down, the course felt like it would never end, but then — I neared the finish line! I put on a burst of speed and energy to finish strong.
And then…I crossed it!
And got my hard-won medal.
But the best gift was sharing my accomplishment with my son.
My final time was 6:17:07! Not what I originally aimed for, but all in all, not bad for a first time. I’m just glad I finished.
It was an epic day for sure. A lot of people have asked how I’m recovering and whether I’d do it again. I feel great, and I think I would…in a few years! Maybe Noah can run with me one day.
Thanks again, one and all, for donating, encouraging me, and cheering me on. This will definitely be an experience I’ll never forget!