I ran this NYC Marathon last Sunday with Jacob and David from Sprinklr. We ran in support of Boston Children's Hospital, where David's son, Joe Joe, gets treatment for a very rough, chronic condition. This is Jacob and me picking up our bibs on Saturday morning.
Morning of, I decided at the last minute not to chance the Subway. Uber to the terminal seemed like a safe bet.
The ferry ride to Staten Island was beautiful. It was chilly, but being out in the air woke me up.
Ferry, to bus, to... three hours of waiting in the grass. Jacob was loosed in an earlier wave than I was, but I didn't mind. It was gorgeous out!
When my turn finally came around 10:45am, I was funnelled into a "corral" with several thousand of my closest friends and we walk-jogged to the start, just at the foot of the bridge. Very cool vibe.
Marathons are funny. Last time I did New York, two years ago, I felt GREAT at the start. I headed out fast, and ran out of gas at about mile 16. The last ten miles were MISERABLE, and I even walked a few times. It was very disheartening.
This time I had no expectations. I felt kind of sore and tired, and figured I'd just try not to walk at all.
Somehow, though, as I ran I felt better and better. Maybe because of Covid, the crowds seemed particularly enthusiastic and supportive this year. Early on I decided any time I heard someone yell my name (which was across my singlet), I'd try to make eye contact and yell back "thank you!" I got so much energy from that and from high-fiving little kids that the race seemed to fly by.
At one point it occurred to me that I probably looked like a lunatic, smiling constantly and yelling "thank you" from side to side. But it was so fun.
Several groups of Sprinklr friends stationed themselves at various points on the route and stood there for HOURS waiting to cheer for David, Jacob and me as we ran by. I tried to spot them and stop.
This is Lindsey and Lauren from finance at mile 15.
And this is Dasle, Deborah, and Diane from Culture and Talent (HR) at mile 17. Dasle arranged all of our fundraising and the watching parties. Deborah and Diane came all the way from Raleigh, NC to cheer for us! How nice is that!? Diane is my colleague on the executive team and the first person who interviewed me at Sprinklr. Over the past two years she has become one of my dearest friends. She is one of the most positive, inspirational people I know.
The pro photography shots confirmed it: I was smiling like a lunatic the whole time!
About 2/3 of the way through I realized I was actually making a pretty good time, with gas in the tank. So I picked it up. My last three miles were my fastest, and by the end I was more or less sprinting the last mile to try and beat four hours. Still smiling though. The crowds down the stretch were INCREDIBLE, and the Sprinklr crew all somehow made it to the finish for one last cheer.
I cleared four minutes by a whopping twelve whole seconds! I could not have felt better at the end. This was without a doubt the most fun race I have ever run. It felt like 26.2 miles of pure positive energy infusion.
It was great to see this 14 year old at the end. I really appreciate Melissa for bringing her down, and Amy and Christian for hosting both of them at their beautiful new home - conveniently located just blocks from the finish, and one block from the bar where, by total coincidence, the Sprinklr crew gathered for post-race beers!
I again really lucked out in my colleagues. Incredibly good people.
David and Jacob both had great races too. Jacob finished in just over THREE hours - running a sustained 7 minute per mile pace. That is INSANE.
After everyone dispersed, Diane and Deborah took the runners out for a wonderful dinner. What a great way to cap a just fantastic day.
