When I first moved to New York City, I had no idea the NYC marathon would run right through my neighborhood.
Every year, neighbors line the streets to cheer on strangers. And every year, I’d vacillate between “I could never run a marathon” and “Wow, wouldn’t it be cool to do that….”
I wound up landing a spot to run the NYC marathon this November for unexpected reasons. I’ve never identified as a runner. I’ve been a run-two-to-three-miles-every-once-in-a-while type of guy for as long as I can remember.
But after calling Brooklyn my home for the last decade, why the hell not? To kick off my training, I registered for my first half marathon—the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon—on March 20, 2022.
Spoiler alert: I made it! Plus, I made a video to memorialize this new chapter of “Kevin, the runner.” It was also a great excuse to splice footage of our new cat, Soleil.
Before training, a 13.1 mile half marathon felt like a substantial leap. The entire 26.2 seemed incomprehensible. Today, the half is doable, and the marathon distance feels slightly more comprehensible. It’s incredible how that works.
I’ve got months of training ahead and plenty more “longest runs of my life” to take on. Note to self: try to stay healthy and enjoy the process no matter what. See you on the streets.
Music: Self of Steam, bus15 75 by T-pain, Gargleblaster, dgah 85 by T-pain, Driving Home, Gospel Feel, H2 160 by T-pain
My First Half Marathon