By Sara Black
Almost 55,000 marathoners from 139 countries ran through the five boroughs of New York City during the 44th annual New York City Marathon last November 1. New York is one of the most difficult courses among the four major marathons (including London, Boston, and Berlin) because of the inclines on its bridges.
At least 131 Filipinos ran the NYM, and it was a privilege for me to run this as my first marathon. Your slot in the NYM is determined through a lottery system; many sign up but only a few can be accommodated.
For me, it was a life-changing experience.
Here’s what I learned from running the NYM:
Finisher- the fruit of all the training and hard work Forty-two kilometers is no easy task but New Yorkers knew how to dish it to us in style. There were bands playing from all genres of music – jazz, hip-hop, soul, blues, pop, rock – you name it. There were people with banners like “Smile, if you peed a little,” and “Press this mushroom to power up (alluding to Mario Bros.).”
2. Be joyful, even when in pain! I was literally smiling through the whole course except for the last 5-km when I really had to dig deep to make my target time of five hours (I clocked in at five hours one minute). Aside from the amusing entertainment we runners got from the crowd, what really plastered that smile on my face was this immense sense of gratitude that I am running this 42-km right here, right now, in New York City, one of the most coveted marathons in the world.
3. The human connection is priceless. There were so many moments when I thought to myself, “No more, I don’t think I can take another step,” but thanks to the iron-on print of my name I had on my shirt (a veteran’s suggestion), the crowd kept cheering me on and chanting my name. To see and hear complete strangers wanting to see you succeed in your goal is a feeling that left me in pure awe. The solidarity felt like a mass prayer.
4. Energy ebbs and flows. There are times when you can let others ignite your energy as the crowd did to us; and there are times when you need to create it to propel yourself forward. When the crowd was thick and crazy I found my pace very much accelerated with no effort; when there was no crowd, like on the difficult bridges, my pace slowed down and I had to dig deep within me to push forward.
5. Life’s a journey, not a destination. I’ve been running for over a year, but the four months of intense training leading up to the marathon changed my life for the better. I was never an athletic person and this marathon allowed me to find that inner athlete in myself. It is a very empowering experience to know with certainty that you have immense command over your body. When you exercise it regularly, nourish it with the proper food and nurture it with love, your body can take you to heights you have never known before. I came to the concrete understanding that I was given this body as a gift, in this lifetime, and I want to use it to expand myself.
6. Let your spirit run free. For me, the marathon was also a spiritual exercise. The journey allowed me to experience freedom from all the blocks that told me I can’t do it. I came to the conclusion, that should I choose, I can live a life more and more without limits. I am limitless, abundant and eternal.
7. Be an inspiration to others. If you saw the way the crowd looked at us runners, your heart would be full. They gave us that I-wanna-be-like-you-some-day look. And guess, what? You can be. Get up and let’s run!