What a day. I'm exhausted. My back hurts, my feet hurt, and I have two big blisters. I can't imagine what it was like for our 69 Team Reeve athletes who actually ran the 26.2 miles!
My favorite part of the day was talking to the runners after they finished. Some were bouncy, others dragging a little, but they all had the biggest smiles. From a guy named Christopher Reeves (who was tall enough and handsome enough to have been related despite the extra "S") to Nancy from Maine running in honor of her father-in-law to Dan, a video editor who after edited a piece about Team Reeve last year was so moved he signed up right then and there. So many wonderful stories, pictures, and video we have to bring to you over the next few weeks!
And, are you wondering how Matthew (Christopher Reeve's oldest son who was running his first marathon) did? Here is a few quotes from People.com and the AP:
Physically, the first half was absolutely fine. The 6 months of training certainly paid off, and I really enjoyed running through many parts of Brooklyn I'd never seen before.
The Pulaski bridge and the entrance into Queens certainly took its toll as it was a steep uphill, but I rallied through Long Island City and was feeling good.
Then came the Queensborough bridge.. a long steady incline.. followed by First Avenue, another long steady incline. Those two sections, plus crossing into the Bronx,
and all the way down to about mile 24, were absolutely brutal.
My legs felt like they were made of lead, every muscle hurt, and my feet were throbbing.
But that's where the crowd really helps. During my time training people had told me that
it would be like that, that the crowd carries you through, but to be honest I was skeptical, but now I've experienced it I completely appreciate what it is like; simply amazing.
Mile 24 to 26 were certainly tough physically, but the mental aspect really came into play here. The furthest I'd ever run during training was 20 miles, so every inch after that was new territory.
But by 24 to 26 I was really in physical pain, and you just have to plough through. So much of you wants to just give up. But I kept thinking of the money I'd raised and how I owed it
to all the people who have been kind and generous enough to sponsor me, and of course, I kept thinking of all the people living with a spinal cord injury, and the fact that there are 1.275 million of them,
and pretty quickly, those thoughts of quitting evaporate, and you just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and the next thing you know, the finish line is in sight, the crowd is roaring, you see your
family members watching, and you run those last two hundred yards as if they were the first.
Nice work Matthew and all the athletes.
Join us next year!The money is still coming in. So far, we are over $250,000.
You can still make a contribution to any of the athletes. Rob
