Run With Me.
A year ago today I was in New York running the marathon. Sometime in January of 2015 I told my friend Julio, ‘I want to run the New York marathon.’ Without hesitation, ‘Let’s do it, Riri.’ We put our names in the lotto, and a few months later I found out I got in. Julio did not. ‘You have to still run it… I can’t run alone. Do it for charity.’ It was a lot to ask. To raise all that money. He did it though. Running is my therapy… it’s how I clear my head. I was talking to my friend Christy a few weeks ago… I was in a state of distress, ‘Henry, go for a run and call me after.’ She was right.
When my friend Amy was turning 30 I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, ‘I want you to run the Chicago Marathon with me.’ I didn’t think about it. I just said yes. I’ve been running ever since. If you know Amy and I together, you can understand this is the healthiest component of our relationship. It was my gift to her, but also her gift to me…. I just didn’t know it at the time.
When I registered for NY I asked my mom and sister to come, and when they agreed, my aunt offered to come with too. Julio brought his mom, and my friend Tammy came with. The night before the marathon we all had dinner in Chelsea. This cute Italian place with low lighting, candles and exposed brick. I sat at that table and had this moment… this feeling of, how the did this happen? All these people at this table... right now… here to support Julio and I. My friends and family always show up… even in New York all those miles away from home. I’m a lucky dude.
We woke up the morning of the race and in the cab ride to the ferry watched all the Halloween revelers make their way home in their distressed costumes. We were not those people this year. We made our way to Long Island where the race starts. I had been selected to be in the last wave to start -11am. Julio was selected to be a few waves before me. He waited though. We were in this together. Before the start of each wave they fire a cannon and blare Frank Sinatra –‘New York, New York.’ As we approached the start of the race… my eyes started to tear. I hugged Julio…. ‘We made it, bud... thank you for getting me here.’
Every race is the same for me. Those last two miles, as the end is in sight. It hits me all at once. I begin to think about all the people that have supported me, and encouraged me, and showed up. I begin to think about how I fucking did this, and survived. I trained for this.. I committed to this... and I finished this.
I’ll never run NYC again… it was a hard marathon. However, one year later… I’ll scroll through those pictures from a year ago today… and I’ll be thankful all over again for the experience, and the people that participated. Julio… we did that, bud, and I’m still really proud of us…. –h