My Best Friend Ran the NYC Marathon
I don’t know what it is about the NYC Marathon that brings out the absolute best of the community, but as someone who usually complains about the traffic because of it, being immersed in its community this year was amazing. My wonderful cousin/sister/best friend girly decided to apply early this year to run and when she let us know we were beyond ecstatic. So of course I had to document the end result!
The Biggest Fan
It was amazing to watch my best person accomplish such a feat. Especially knowing how much hard work went into it. Not only the physical readiness and endurance, but also the mental preparation – it is inspiring. Not inspiring enough for me to run a race like this because, lets be honest, I haven’t run since that awkward time gym class made me for a fitness test. But inspiring in the sense that “Wow, all these months of effort and it shows.”
That morning, taking Lacey to the starting line of the NYC Marathon, I couldn’t help but feel the warm and fuzzies. Watching her excitement, her nerves, her morale – all of it just made me feel endlessly proud. Waiting along the marathon locations to get a five second glimpse of her was ridiculously exhilarating. Even cheering the names of strangers as they ran was exciting (note to future runners: put your names on your shirts because crazies like me will scream it).
But in specific, to my darling girl: Lacey.
There has been a lot of life we have lived together. From growing up in the same house, first loves, first heartaches, experiencing wins and losses, marriages, childbirth, divorces, deaths – all of it. We have done it all. And while we are adding this marathon to the list of things, there was just something about watching you go through it all this year, watching you overcome the adversity and struggles, and still find the time to push and challenge yourself. There was something in that glimmer in your eye watching you along the race, watching you start this running journey just a year ago and culminating to you crossing that finish line. Watching your daughter smile and grin from ear to ear because of how amazing her mom is was amazing. It was remarkable.
YOU are remarkable.
Forever your biggest fan.
-A.
