It’s been 21 days and two hours since I decided to run the NYC marathon, I’m not sure what I got myself into and if I’ll be able to finish…but I was given an offer that I couldn’t refuse.  However, I am already two weeks behind in training!  Sigh.

I don’t know why I do this to myself on an on-going basis, I sign up for events that at the time sound “fun” and “once in a lifetime”.  Then, as the date grows closer and closer and more eminent, I come up with several hundred reasons why I can skip out on said event and procrastinate my training.  In reality, I’ve only skipped one event that I’ve signed up for because I had performance anxiety.  I prefer to run events solo with out the support of friends or family — because with no one watching, I have nothing to prove and I’m not embarrassed by my performance no matter if the performance is good or lack luster.

The sad part is, when I’m super proud of myself for accomplishing something or finishing a race — I have no one to high-five me or to share in my excitement or at the very least give me a hug.  I’ve done many races and not told a soul that I was racing and then drove home afterwards a bit sad that I had no one to share that experience with.  It’s my own doing honestly, and the people I chose to hang out with when I was a baby triathlete.  I compare my speed, my weight, my distance, whatever to everyone else and some how I don’t come close to “everyone else”.  I had a good friend who perpetuated this in me, she was so competitive I never felt that she supported me, she always liked it when she did WAY better than me at whatever event we did together.  I realize now that her treatment of me was more about her own insecurities then my actual performance.  I now know that I AM a runner and I can finish this marathon and I can have fun!  There may not be a crowd of friends and family along the course screaming out for me, but I will accomplish my goal.

I’ll back track a bit and tell you how I got the awesome opportunity to run the NYC Marathon.  As part of my job, I get solicitations from all kinds of companies wanting me to buy what they’re selling — advertising, event sponsorships, social platforms, online engagement tools, the list goes on and on.  One of the hardest parts of my job is evaluating all the sales proposals and then saying “No”.  One of the solicitors I get calls from on a regular basis is from Runner’s World Magazine.  Runner’s World is the largest endemic running magazine in the US market and if I had the budget I would love to advertise with them on the regular.  However, each time they call me I have to kindly decline their offers.

Until 21 days ago when they gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.  My advertising account rep sent me an invite to the NYC marathon — the invite includes a guaranteed entry, a training plan from their Chief Running Officer, and a running gait analysis from their gear guy.  I totally ignored the invite when I first received it, and then thought about it and decided — that “sounds like fun and a once in a lifetime experience!”.

We’ll see how the next 17 weeks unfold and if I can get my plantar fasciitis healed up in time for some long run training.  Fingers and toes crossed.