Article about my two marathons, running and life in general lol

http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.7659361/k.5548/The_Distance_Shell_Go.htm

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Of all the marathons in all the world (and there are thousands) I made my first New York CIty.  After years of training in the gym my first PT took me outside for a run to start each weeks session, then the day before I flew to NYC in 2007 I went to his brothers Running Club for my first long 'at the time it was' run.  After returning from New York I felt almost home sick and that combined with what must have been memory loss of the pain of Lings running club I signed up for my first marathon in 2008 (I think I'd only ran a maximum of 5 miles at that point!)

My first marathon in New York got me hooked, already hooked on running I found a new drug, the atmosphere electric, the communities energetic with shouts of encouragement & cheers, amazing sights and sounds all the way round running to the beat of steel drums, teenage school bands, gospel choirs, rock bands, rappers, even indian drums, on the corners where there wasn't any live bands there was sound systems set up even down to stereos blasting out of bedrooms around the course every step to a different beat.  

Unfortunately I had a chest infection three days before the marathon so I was running at an average 11 minute miles which enabled me to take in the amazing sights starting with the stunning views of and from the Verazzano bridge following with the stunning architecture and taking in the diversity and contrast in cultures running through each borough finishing with the stunning run down into Central Park mixing steel and glass skyscrapers with amazingly beautiful parkland, all the colours of the rainbow in fall.  It seemed to me, having never seen anything like it before that they had been photoshopped together creating a stunning backdrop for what was a very emotional ending to the longest 4 hours and 59 minutes of my life!

Minutes later despite the pain I was in I was already missing the amazing New Yorkers cheering me on all the way round, trying to read sponsorkatie.com off my vest, the childrens screams and welcoming sights of New York's Finest at every corner sat on top of their firetrucks and police cars marshalling and more obviously enjoying the event though this was short lived as for the next 5 days people everywhere were congratulating me on the marathon asking how I'd done and stopping to chat outside every hotel in every story & restaurant.   4 years on and I'll never tire of hearing the words 'awesome, congratulations, marathon runner  and good job' in that unmistakeable New York dialect!  Not from a big headed point of view but the fimiliarity of the words, knowing that they were the sounds keeping you moving for 26.2 miles and that here is the only time you'll hear them in this setting and that you are most unlikely to hear them again ........... until next year!  Out of all the amazing things I love about the New York Marathon the people of New York City are by far the greatest, the support, the genuine excitement, the generosity (sliced oranges after 14 miles of running in the sun) the nicest thing I've ever tasted!), the volunteers and the genuine love of the New York Marathon and it's marathoners that mean year after year it never gets boring they line the avenues and cheer you on!  Saying that I'm not a great fan of the organised cheer zones it's the people hanging out of their workplace windows and those who set up camp outside their front doors with boxes of fruit out of their own pockets and the kids that add to the excitement of the day that make the marathon what it is...... intoxicating.

(Gosh I knew this was going to be a long post!) so if you are not asleep by now here's a quick summary of the following years!

2009 running with my Sister, her first marathon after only being running for less than a year I have never been so proud of anybody in all of my life kept going even with a foot injury by my amazing personal trainer who came all the way to New York City to run with Emily and give her the support she needed enabling me to race by myself to face my demons of last years chest infection.  (unfortunately this wasn't the case as around mile 14 after a great start something in my knee gave way and I ran walked the rest coming in slower than 2008 :-( )

2010 I ran the marathon alongside (well quite a bit behind lol) my personal trainers brother and a great girl we met from down the road from us in the UK, Sophie who's first marathon was by herself for the first time in NYC too.  Hmmm well the less said about this marathon for me the better, after an extremely stressful 6 months at mile 16 like Haille I desperately wanted to stop and had no motivation to keep going at all, though I did and finished even slower again.

2011 - A story in the making..... with ghosts to face and targets to achieve I'm training hard hard hard....... to be continued.....



Shocking Haircut, Shocking Jumper but one very proud and emotional little sis! - NYC 2009

Katie Gibson, Wai Ling Shin, Emily Cowling 

On my 21st birthday when Mark asked me if I wanted to go to NYC and I said no thanks lets go to Windermere again (due to my fear of flying) most people thought I was crazy (Now I get why!)

I was convinced though by my 22nd birthday to get on a plane (it was fine after all!) and Mark brought me to New York to propose to me in a helicopter (yes I'd graduated to more unsafe methods of being in the sky in  a matter of days!) over the statue of Liberty, ironic, lol I said yes and fell in love with the City at the same time.  Over the next 8 days we walked miles in freezing cold February and saw lots of different places museums, restaurants and had an amazing time.  I've been back for 3 marathons since and will go back every year till I can't run anymore!  And then I'll go back for holidays! 

The City never gets boring and never fails to find new ways to surprise me.


Me on the back of the Staten Island Ferry 2007, February in a ridiculous hat I bought from Century 21 just because it was freeeeeeeezing!