I’m in, now what?

The Masses Await

I’m not a long distance runner. I’m a chaser. I run to and from things. I’m good at fleeing the scene, but on November 7th 2010 at 7am, my first stride in the New York City Marathon will begin.

So why am I engaging in one of the most grueling physical experiences known? Well it’s a personal story for me  and relateable to many of you out there reading. My sister, Kate died of Liver Cancer 2 years ago. She was only 27.  I continue to live in a surreal space with the notion that she is gone.  I ebb and flow between the whys and the hows of how this all happened and its effect on my life’s course. I miss her everyday, I hear her in the music we listened to together, in the jokes I still tell of hers and in the memories of us being so very close. So this is why I’m running the NYC Marathon on November 7th, I’m running in her memory for the American Liver Foundation and I would like your support.

I’ll be chronicling my progress with my training, sharing  various amusing antidotes from this journey to NYC, and giving you all my latest donation updates.

If you feel obliged to donate there are a couple ways of doing so, which are explained in the Sponsorship tab at the top or in the direct link on the side of the page. Look around and get feel free to get in touch. Cheers!

I do need to write a post about my 26.2 mile journey and I will most certainly do that when I have a little more time to sit and focus. But quickly I want to thank everyone out there for their support, encouragement and sentiments. I really couldn’t of done it without you. There was a time at mile 18 that i was thinking of stopping due to injury, but the combination of you all and my sister poerwed me to the finish line (and a 800mg of Tylenol). I ended up finishing in 4 hours 12 minutes and 19 seconds. A little longer than expected, but given the injury, a solid time… I’ll say more of the weekend soon, but thought you all deserved to hear that I made it to the finish line and I’m feeling pretty darn good.

more soon, promise.

45,000+ people in less than 2 minutes

Here’s the Verrazano bridge at around 9am, Two “gentleman” from Boston and one from Philly informed me of the customary practice of peeing off of the top of the bridge as you cross on over it… I think if you watch this a couple times you can see some people stopping and relieving themselves into the wind. A little side note/advice. If you happen to be running on the lower deck of the Verrazano, run in the middle of the bridge, so you don’t get sprayed with upper deck urine from god knows who. Blegh!

The Morning After

This pretty much says how I’m feeling right now… Like the tin man!

Mission Accomplished

Track me on race day

Try and find me!

In this day and age you can track a dust particle in the far of regions of space, so it’s only fitting that you can track me this weekend during the race.

Here’s the details:

My start time is 10:10 EST, so I  should be in the misdt of it as most of you arise Sunday morning… there’s a few ways to track, but the free way is to go to to www.INGNYCMarathon.org on race day and you can look me up… I think you’ll either need to enter my name or race number, which is: 31769.

Bueno? Bueno!

Nick

to singlet or not to singlet?

Such a dilemma. Here’s my running singlet courtesy of the American Liver Foundation. I haven’t worn one of these before, but I’m debating it for race day. it’s certainly called for given the occasion, but there’s a certain part of me, namely my teen wolf like physique, that feeling slightly self conscious about the idea.

Your thoughts are welcomed…

Friendly motivation

Hi all, just wanted to send out some thanks and gratitude this morning… Im on my way to the airport and ready to run. Theres been an outpouring of emails, texts, comments and this little ecard from a fellow running mate… Thanks Barrie for this little bit of love…

The 21 mile mental battle

21 Miles or 5.2 to go?

I’m in a good space. The longest training run is behind me. Believe it or not 21 miles is not so much a physical challenge, but a mental one. Towards the end, you almost forget that your legs are moving, you’re kind of go numb from the waist down. The burning after 18 miles plateaus and after a while it just seems to be something you make peace with. But then the biggest challenge kicks in to full stride, the mind.

The mind consistently asks you why the F#©k are you doing this? Offering up alternatives the whole way… food being my Achilles heel. So as much as your legs are moving, the mind races as well and It’s clocking faster split times than you can imagine, questioning step by step, why, what’s this all for, you know you want a jalapeno bagel… The only tool you have is will.

You have to will it into submission and eventually it tires, at least for a short while… but it’s unrelenting, strong like bull, it will never give up and it will always want you to prove to it, that you are worth this, that you can combat it’s devilish retorts. It wants you to call it quits, wants you to drop a few seconds of the pace, giving it some additional fuel. You dig deeper. A new tune, a new beat perhaps, anything to distract it. Music is my minds Kryptonite. Beats weaken it’s power and my body rushes with endorphins re-enlivening every cell. Music is my GU, the energetic pick me up that carries me up the steep San Francisco urban mountains, that curbs the pain and floods my mind with a neurological flood of renewed spirit.

Support

It comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes.         Shoes, bras, beams technical, words… But the type of support I’m getting from you all is just heavenly. I crossed my $5000 goal of fund raising on Wednesday and just wanted to share some of the words that people have sent me over the past few months. Keep the sentiments coming in… I’m planning on making a running shirt with have all of them on, so I can look down and see all your words of encouragement, to give me that extra bit of oomph, when I hit the runners wall.  Thanks all!

Thank you for keeping her memory alive in this way.

Good luck with the marathon, Nick! Kat is in my thoughts always. I miss her terribly and hope that the money you raise will help people who are surely loved as much as Kat was/is.

Nick, We are very proud of you. Reading your website gave me goosebumps. Good luck!!

Wish I could give more…. My thoughts are always with you and your family! I think of Katie often and miss her giggle!! You are an amazing brother… Enjoy the journey!

What an amazing thing to do for your sister and the many others that your commitment will benefit.

Bill Cosby sez: I would liiiiike yooouu to do the ruuunnning and the breathinnng and the winnnning and the so forth. Deeeelicious pppudding pops for winners! Ruuuudddyyy!

Another £undrai$ing Updat€!

Currenstatic!

So we’re 6 weeks away from game day. If you read that last post you’ll know of the itty bitty snag in the road, but have no fear supporters and comrades, this shall pass. Saw a physical therapist yesterday and we’ve worked out the recipe for success. Turns out I need a little more butt strength and a bit more hip flexibility. I’m on a strict schedule to hit the pavement again in a week or so, but will be doing some cross training in the mean while to get this all sorted out.

On the fund front, we’re at $4,600 mark, just $400 shy of my target. There have been a flurry of donations recently and I’m currently the third highest fundraiser for the American Liver Foundation!

Thanks to all of you out there who have reached deep in your pockets in support of me and my Sis. Truly appreciated.

To those of you out there that have it on your todo list. here’s a quick and easy way to accomplish that goal, just click on this little guy

<—— Your bacon goes here

This includes you Reid Roberts