Why I’m Running
Like Sean, I’ve been getting a lot of crazy looks when I tell people that I’m training for a marathon. Why would I subject myself to hours of agonizing training through freezing weather, Queens’s traffic, and the occasional angry dog?
To be honest, I have a hard time answering this question myself. I only started running track in my junior year of high school. I am not a naturally talented runner, and I think I get by mostly on my long stride. After I graduated high school though, running became just a way for me to stay in shape and I quickly lost any speed and stamina I had during my high school career.
Last summer I interned at Broadridge Financial and they participated in the Marcum & Kliegman Workplace Challenge. I signed up, trained a bit, and had a great time at the race. The race was 3.5 miles along Jones Beach and the energy from the race was palpable. Everyone just felt really good about themselves and for the first time in a while I felt the Runners High. I was hooked again. I found myself signing up for Robert C. McAvoy Labor Day race in Long Beach. This was a 5 mile race and I trained more for this one. I finished strong and had a time of just less than 40 minutes. More importantly though, I felt the same rush again from finishing the race and I knew I was going to stick with running. It really boosted my confidence and got me thinking about going out for longer races.
So naturally after finishing a 5 mile race the next progression should be like a 10K (6.2 miles) or maybe a half marathon (13.1 miles) right? Well somewhere along the way I’ve picked up the “go big or go home” mentality and I said I might as well try for the marathon. I really love the challenge of it. Most people tell me they can barely run a mile and here I am trying to run 26.2. It seems impossible and quite frankly, I love doing what people think is impossible. It’s as simple as that.
As for running it for charity, I have been looking for a way to give back to those around me for a while, but I have had trouble finding an organization that I could believe in and really be passionate about. Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City is a fantastic organization. I know they really deserve some support and I will be volunteering there soon to get a better idea of how the money we raise will help them.
~Andrew
