It’s My 2 Year Runniversary! A Look Back At Year 2.

TODAY IS MY 2 YEAR RUNNIVERSARY!!

Wow! I can’t believe that it’s been two years since I started running long distance. As someone who never thought that long distance running would be my “thing”, this is truly amazing. (I’ve been an athlete my whole life but I was a sprinter.) Two years ago today I put my name in for the 2019 NYC Half Marathon lottery and got out for my first training run. Little did I know that I would not only be selected to run the Half but that it would get me so hooked into long distance running that I would be here two years later and still going strong.

My second year of running encountered some interesting challenges but I did not let them discourage me from running and I am proud that I remained strong and kept going. In fact, within this second year I set three new personal records; one for my 5K time, my 15K time, and my 10 Mile time. In January of 2020 I had some unexpected foot pains leading up to the Fred Lebow Half Marathon in Central Park in New York City. A lot of ice and 9 days of rest leading up to the race got me out on the course and ready to go. Granted, I was not 100% for that race and resting for 9 days leading up to a Half is not ideal. I had only gotten in one 6 mile practice run three days before the race to see how my foot was doing but I was lucky enough that it felt good enough to run.

Of course after that 2020 went into high gear and Covid-19 started to spread around the globe. In person races were being canceled left and right and then New York City became the epicenter of the virus for the world. Then out of nowhere my county on Long Island became the epicenter for a while which was scary. If there was anything this year that tested my dedication it was this. With every race I was registered for getting canceled or transferred to a virtual race, it was up to me on how I wanted to handle the situation and what I would do concerning my training. I chose to run. I chose to keep running and to keep my normal schedule like nothing had happened. I ran safely and socially distanced myself from others but I stayed motivated and determined to keep my running schedule going. I was really proud of myself for that. Where some saw the cancellation of races as a time to take a small break I chose to stay strong and power through. I ran my share of virtual races but at that point I was running for myself. I ran because I truly learned to love long distance running. It had become a positive outlet for me to relax. Training remained time consuming and I was heart broken was it was announced that the NYC Marathon was canceled. I had qualified for the marathon and it would have been my first but I will be patient and run it in 2021. I did not sign up for the Virtual NYC Marathon as I didn’t want my first marathon, or my first NYC Marathon, to be virtual.

During my first year I became a part of the New York running community. Following this, I would say that in my second year I became a part of the online running community as a whole. I have met some amazing people in the community through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and really learned how supportive the community can be. I stated earlier how I ran a good handful of virtual races and they were fun but it was getting to share these runs with the online community that made them exciting. Like spectators at a race we supported each other and cheered for our victories and accomplishments. We were there to support each other when we had difficult runs. Through it all we were there for each other and that felt great.

I have to admit that there were a lot more smiles for me this year than frowns and considering all the hardships the running community faced this year I am really happy that I can say that. I know there are many people out there that may scoff at races being canceled as “hardships” but unless you are a runner you may not understand what those races mean to us. Getting to run with hundreds or thousands of other runners at your side, getting to race the same race as world elite and Olympians, and having crowds of strangers cheer you on as you conquer a difficult hill or sprint towards that finish line … it is everything to a runner. Having that taken away so suddenly was a harsh transition to deal with. All the same, I managed to push forward.

As with my first year, running this year has had days where I felt like a million dollars and that I was on top of the world as well as days where I hobbled along walking uneasy and in slight pain because of injury or soreness in my knees or feet. Through it all, it has taught me to take the good and the bad and come out stronger because of both.

I am really proud of how far I have come in my first two years of running and what I have accomplished. When I first started running I didn’t look too far into the future but I can say that I didn’t picture that I would still be going two years later. I continue to feel fit and healthy which I am incredibly proud of. But most of all, to echo myself from my thoughts on my first year (because it still holds quite true), through all the hard work, sweat, and pain that training has brought, I have pushed through and become stronger than I knew I could be. I am proud of myself.

I AM A RUNNER.