An Unexpected Path Towards Becoming a Runner and a New York Flyer

Liz C

I never really cared for running. My sister, Susan, got me intrigued a few years ago when she began signing up for races. She, her husband, and my gorgeous 8-year-old nephew have bibs galore peppering an entire wall of race achievements—but even still, nothing ever really motivated me to run, much less sign up for a race.  Nothing, that is, until April 15, 2013.

Although I consider myself a proud New Yorker (been here for 15 extraordinary years), I call Boston home. On April 15, 2013 at 3:03 pm, I received a text and a Facebook post from my sister that read: “Explosions at the Marathon finish line!! We are all here at my parents’ house. No idea if pipe bomb.” —my heart stopped.

My parents live less than a mile from the finish line, so they and my sister’s family always go to cheer on the runners approaching the finish. Moments later, I got another text that my beautiful cousin and her husband were also at the finish line but couldn’t be accounted for and weren’t answering their phones. Later it was confirmed that they were among those injured by the first bomb. How could something so horrifying happen at such a wonderfully celebrated event, in my childhood back yard, and with my family in harm’s way?

A Family Tradition
My Parents Crossing the Boston Marathon Finish Line with my Nephew in 2009

Both my cousin and her husband sustained severe shrapnel wounds to their legs, and my cousin’s left hand was left shattered and partially de-gloved. She’s undergone numerous surgeries to reconstruct her hand, and more surgeries lie ahead. To help with uncertain and undeniable mounting medical bills, I launched a fundraiser website on GiveForward.com. Desperate for support, I posted links to the fundraiser on Facebook and Twitter and got much reception, but something was urging me to get off of my couch and get the word out—physically. So, I turned to my local running community.

In keeping with the family tradition, this is my nephew, flag-in-hand, at the 2013 Boston Marathon. The flag was given to him by Carlos Arrendono, "The Cowboy Hero" who, about an hour after this photo was taken, saved Jeff Bauman's life.

I signed up for my first timed NYRR race (Run as One), and I ran the race on April 28, 2013 while wearing a sign on my back directing folks to my cousin’s fundraiser site. At first I didn’t enjoy the race. I found myself out of shape and gasping for air, but I got so many thumbs-up from fellow runners that all those good vibes somehow carried me to the finish line. Inspired, I decided to sign up for a few more races, again, with the sole intent to wear the fundraiser sign on my back.

My First Timed NYRR Race (Run as One) on April 28, 2013

By June, the fundraiser was in full swing. We had just hit $30,000, and I had just completed my fourth race (Achilles Hope and Possibility). While my pace was still a morbid 13:00-14:00 minutes per mile, I really started enjoying these races—especially the thrill of crossing the finish line. To ward off discouragement, I told myself that my slooooow pace gave people enough time to read the fundraiser sign on my back :)

Moreover, I suddenly realized I only had five more races to go to qualify for guaranteed entry in the 2014 NYC Marathon! “Me? Marathon? Never. Maybe? Nooooo…this is not what these races are about…oh…but that would be SO COOL!” So there in June ensued the spark of interest toward next year’s NYC Marathon.

On June 30, 2013, I posted this picture on Facebook with the following caption: “Boston was pretty strong today. We had a Boston Marathon victim, (Mery Daniel) race and finish with us today.”

By August, the fundraiser was finished. You can click HERE if you'd like to see the page with its warm thanks from my cousin. The link to my fundraiser website no longer is active, but donations to help the victims may be made via the One Fund Boston website. GiveForward.com gave us 133 amazing days, during which we raised $66,451 from 690 donations made by family, friends, and complete strangers. GiveForward and other websites were being used by other fellow Marathon victims, and we all visited each other’s fundraiser sites and gave. So many runners and fans of runners left the loveliest messages on all the different fundraiser sites, including ours. What an amazing community.  

Meanwhile, back in NYC, I’d been running with thousands of fellow runners over the course of what eventually became eight races. It felt rewarding, but something was missing. I’d yet to make any friends or acquaintances among the runners. Though fulfilling, running became an individual activity. My co-worker and friend, Mark Pendarvis, kept urging me to join a club if I was serious about training for the 2014 NYC Marathon. He told me I needed a community around me for such a demanding endeavor. He was right. To my blessing, Mark recommended the New York Flyers.

The morning of my first Half-Marathon, Grete’s Great Gallop. A huge personal accomplishment, but a little lonesome at the start and finish line, since I had yet to find a group in the running community

A few days after I joined the Flyers, I had the pleasure of meeting my first NY Flyer, Alan G. What a blast he was! He and I were among the volunteers giving out medals at this year’s ING NYC Marathon. I gave out medals to hundreds of finishers, but only a few stuck out as most memorable. One was that of an utterly gorgeous woman who approached me after she crossed the finish line. She had this gorgeous cascading hair that flowed gracefully past her shoulders. She looked like a Marathon Goddess, and of course she was wearing a red NY Flyers shirt. She was the second Flyer I’d ever met. She told me she’d completed several Marathons prior to that day, and I felt so honored to place the medal around her neck. I believe she had the name “Isabel” inscribed across her Flyer shirt. I can’t wait to meet her again. I’ve been told she’s Flyer Isabel J.

Marathon Sunday, the Day I Met my First Two NY Flyers

Now here I am a full seven months from my first real race in April, and I'm delighted to have spent Thanksgiving with my family—including my dear cousin and her husband who are both recovering amazingly well. Also, I am officially training for the 2014 NYC Marathon, although I’m no longer training alone—I am now training as a New York Flyer. In fact, the day I completed my ninth official qualifying race (Join the Voices) on November 17, 2013, I began at the start line with a fabulous crew of fellow NY Flyers, Victoria S, Dave K, and Howard C.  Starting my ninth race, which I needed to complete for guaranteed entry to the 2014 NYC Marathon, alongside these lovely Flyers was so sweet and meaningful on so many levels. I guess it’s true when people say that life’s paths can lead you to unexpectedly wonderful places.

At the Start of my 9th Qualifying Race with Three Wonderfully Amazing Flyers:
Howard C, Dave K, and Victoria S

For someone who never really cared much about running, I now can’t imagine NOT running. What started as a desperate attempt to help my cousin with her recovery from the injuries she sustained in the Boston Marathon tragedy, unexpectedly turned into my embracing running and then qualifying for the 2014 NYC Marathon. It also turned me onto a new path with the wonderful community of the New York Flyers. Next stop: The NY Flyers Holiday Party!!!!!!

-Liz C.