Marathon Number Three -- Thanks MTP!

Allison B

In November, I will be running my third NYC Marathon.  As clichéd as it may seem, every year it gets better! I started running marathons 3 years ago and by no means did I think I would get hooked.  I loved to run since I was in high school.  And just for the fun of it I would always say one day I want to run a marathon.  But really deep down never thought I would – and I was totally fine with that.

Then one night over drinks I opened my mouth and the next thing I knew I was signed up to run the NYC Marathon 2010.  There was no turning back. I had to start my training and quickly!

That was the best “mistake” I ever made.  My first marathon I ran to finish.  I crossed the finish line in 2010 and was like "wow that was great – I don’t even feel tired!"  It was at that moment I knew I was hooked and definitely would be doing this again.   Yet my second year was a bit different; my motivation to start was just not there, I needed something – someone to get me back into it.  And I found that with the Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP) and MTP Coach Kari Smith. 

Coach Kari

Kari has been my coach for the past two years and she has pushed me to limits I never dreamed I could achieve.  I remember running my second marathon and going out and feeling awesome! And also running about 20 seconds faster than Kari had told me – well that pace only lasted for about 20 miles.  I then hit that dreaded wall.

I knew exactly where Kari would be in the race, right around the turn on to 5^th Avenue.  In my head I kept saying just make it to that point and put on a smile and then you can die, you just need to smile for her.  To this day I have no clue what I looked like when I passed her, but if it was anything close to how I felt it was not pretty.  Nevertheless, I finished that marathon with a time more than 20 minutes faster than I had the previous year.  The hard work and dedication had paid off!

Of course I couldn’t and wouldn’t stop there for this year as yet again I am gearing up to run the NYC Marathon with the help of Kari Smith and the rest of the wonderful MTP coaches and athletes.  The Flyers program has become a staple and highlight of my daily routines.  I know every Tuesday night around 11pm I will be getting an email from Head Coach Todd Weisse announcing where to meet for the speed workout, and then every Wednesday afternoon my weekly plan from Kari.  Sometimes I open the emails with excitement – and more times than not with a bit of dread – but at the end of every week I know that these coaches know what they are talking about and wouldn’t give us a workout we couldn’t do.  

MTP Runners Gather for a Workout

The support and motivation that comes from the coaches and athletes is one that surpassed everything I could have imagined.  The camaraderie and the friendships that I have formed are ones that I know will surpass the results of any marathon. The first Sunday of November will go down forever as my favorite day of the year. 

-Allison B.