Sister Act

Julie C

Everyone has their own introduction to running. For me the seeds towards my becoming a runner were first laid in high school, where, as member of the tennis team, I took running as an elective gym class. We would run the streets of our NJ town during class with the football coach who was also our gym teacher. I remember coming home one day after school telling my Mom excitedly how much I liked the class and she replied quickly and emphatically: “I always knew you would like running.”

Fast-forward now 10+ years, a time during which I would casually jog semi-regularly to avoid the dullness of working out in a gym. At that time a co-resident of mine encouraged me to sign up with her for the NYC Race for the Cure 5K. Somewhere during those 3.1 miles I became hooked. At the race’s end, I found the NYRR table at the post-race fair and promptly signed up for membership. My first NYRR race was the Mini 10K that same year. I now try to run the Mini every year, if possible, to celebrate my start in running. From that point on, 10 years ago this year, running became a major part of my life.

My sister Alyssa is 9+ years my junior. Coincidentally, her introduction to running also came in high school where she ran winter track. She was primarily a softball and tennis player, however, by signing up for winter track she avoided having to take a P.E class during the winter months. And, it allowed her more time to hang out with her close friends, all of whom ran winter track too. During college, Alyssa would jog around the Charles River in Boston from time to time but running was never her focus.

Alyssa Enjoys A Sunset Run Along the Charles River
(Okay, that's not Alyssa, but it is the Charles --
Sure Beats Running Along the FDR/East River! :)

Fast-forward to 2008, I ran my first NYC Marathon (my first marathon ever!) and upon finishing offered Alyssa a challenge: run the Disney Princess Half Marathon with me the following spring. We both grew up in a Disney-loving household so it only seemed natural to return there for her first half-marathon. I mean, who wouldn’t want the chance to run through Cinderella’s castle!?! Alyssa took this challenge on gamely. Over the course of the next few months Alyssa, who was living in New Orleans at the time, gradually re-introduced herself to running with dedication and focus. I even dragged her to Flyer Tuesday night speedwork sessions a few times when she was back in NY on long weekends. Alyssa wound up finishing her first half in Disney that spring with great success and from then on running also became a huge part of her life.


NYC Half 2009
(Dad In The Middle
Raced It, Too!)

Lucky for me, Alyssa moved back to NYC in the summer of 2009. Since then, it has been an awesome experience to train with my sister and watch her blossom as a runner. The park, not surprisingly, is our home away from home. Additionally, we have run many races together, not only here in NY but in many cities along the East Coast: the Cherry Blossom in DC (when I was sick with the stomach flu), the Rock and Roll Half Marathons in Philadelphia and Rhode Island (absolute pouring rain), the Boston 10K and another Disney Half-Marathon to name a few.



After NYC Marathon 2009
Greeted by Alyssa -- Still Wearing Her Disney-Half Princess Crown!

After having Alyssa as my designated post-marathon pick-up person the past few years, saving my parents from seeing me in a half-delusional state barely able to stand up, Alyssa ran her first marathon this fall. We ran together weekly as she prepared for NYC last November. It was incredibly important to me to be able to part of her training and she was a huge motivating factor in my choosing to run NY again, as well. Without being overly cheesy, I can say it was a real moment for me to be out in Fort Wadsworth with her as she was about to run her first marathon. Then to meet her at the end, to see she finished strong (in 3:23 nonetheless!!), was just so special. I was/and remain, so proud. This all made what was a personally hard year of running in 2011, due to injury, still a great year of running for me.


Alyssa and Julie:
"We Got Our Medals, But Where's the Crowd?"

Being the older sister, I am always secretly excited when Alyssa and I are asked if we are twins while running together. Seriously, though, I am incredibly blessed to have her as part of my running life. She motivates me to keep running and encourages me to stay positive when things are tough, as they were this past year. She helped me re-discover the fun in my running again; it had somehow gotten lost. I am lucky to have her as my cheerleader and part of my support team.

Post-Boston 2011

When she started back running in 2008, Alyssa was putting in 9 minute miles on the treadmill in the Tulane gym. This February she was the 6th overall female finisher in the NYRR Gridiron 4-miler! It is not always an easy experience to see a sibling out-achieve you in a sport -- it must have to do with something embedded in our DNA code I suspect. But I am just so proud of everything Alyssa has done in the relatively short time that she has been a runner. I cannot wait to continue to see where this running journey takes us both. The Mini 10K, though, will have to wait another year as this June 9th, the next running of the Mini, will be Alyssa’s wedding day! Not surprisingly, she is marrying not only a wonderful, lovely man but one who is also a kick-ass runner himself. Just don’t hold it against them that they are NY Harriers.

-Julie C.