On Sunday I Ran the City

With the howling winds and the deafening cheers from thousands of spectators and volunteers I finished my second New York City Marathon on Sunday. My three boys and their grandparents deserve their own medals for covering more miles than I did as they zipped around the city to hand off power bars, gels, and give much needed hugs and high-fives.

Runners from all over the globe descended on NYC last weekend in their matching tracksuits (yes, you Italians) and their crazy costumes (super heroes and a Dunkin Donuts coffee cup) to run the world's largest marathon. 50,564 of us crossed the finish line in Central Park, powered through the five boroughs by the energy and enthusiasm of total strangers shouting our names and encouraging us from the sidelines.

#startinglineselfie

Volunteers braved the cold and blustery conditions (without the benefit of running to stay warm) to hand out countless little green cups of water and gatorade, bananas, and power bars all with the biggest smiles on their faces. New York's Bravest and Finest were in full force ensuring the safety of the 26.2 mile long street party from Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island to the grandstands of Central Park.

From the gospel choirs in Brooklyn to the crowds five deep along Fifth Avenue there is truly nothing like running through the streets of New York City. My deepest gratitude goes out to all the volunteers and support crew, they are the reason why more than 150,000 people apply every year to be one of the lucky few.

In the past 14 weeks I've run more than 500 miles, gone through three pairs of my beloved Saucony Kinvaras, and declined countless cocktails all in preparation for running NYC. Now that it's over I'm happily re-hydrating properly, martini glass in hand with my still sore marathon feet propped up on the couch. We have some very big trips coming up in the next year and Mr. C&G has reminded me I can't use the "gone running" or "gone napping" excuse anymore. It's time to get back to research, planning, blogging, and cocktailing. Stay tuned!