NYC Marathon 2023 to SYDNEY Marathon 2024

I was fortunate to be invited to run on Rod Dixon’s KIDSMARATHON team for the 2023 NYC Marathon. I decided I wanted to run NYC because my niece, Carly, was running. I had no idea how difficult it could be to get in. Luckily for me, my good friend, Lorraine Moller (Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist 1992) spoke to her good friend, Rod, and he was gracious enough to offer me a spot on his team.

I have run countless marathons, even qualifying for the 1988 Olympic Trials, but I had never before run for a specific charity. For me, putting on a race bib has always been about how fast I can get to the finish line. But, NYC 2023 was different precisely because it wasn’t just about me.

My training took on a different significance as the dual goal of raising money for such a worthy cause and staying injury-free so I could get to the start line became equally important. I loved knowing I was running for something besides myself. Running is an individual sport at its base, but being part of Rod’s team gave me added motivation. 

Lorraine offered coaching along the way and we had group meetings over Zoom that allowed us to track each other’s progress. For some people, it was literally just about finishing. For me, and a few others, there were time goals, but the truth is I was more excited to see money coming into my Freefunder fundraising account than I was about hitting certain times on the track.

The race itself was a blast as was being in NYC with my family. I grew up in Philadelphia but had not been to NYC since I was in college. Sharing the experience with my daughters, husband, and extended family that came was truly special.

After the race, I got an email that I had qualified for age-group world championships to be held in Sydney in September 2024. I was completely surprised as I had no idea what the qualifying time was or even that marathon age-group championships existed. The opportunity to go to Sydney and take my family was something I could not pass up.

Marathon build-ups are always challenging, but this year the start of mine began when I returned to Colorado from six months at sea level on the Big Island of Hawaii. Every year this gets a little more challenging. It may be that I am getting older and I won’t discount that, but I actually believe that much of it is in my mind versus my body. There is no question that  running at altitude is harder than at sea level. This year, I approached the transition a little differently. Instead of expecting to run well upon my return, I tried to accept the feeling of being tired and slow. I let my body adjust and have not forced myself to run faster than feels natural. As a result, after being back in Colorado for over a month I am feeling strong and able to take on the rigors of training for a marathon.

So now I am training for Sydney and I have to thank Rod and KIDSMARATHON for giving me the opportunity to run NYC last year. I would not be going to the Age-Group World Championships otherwise.