New York Foundling Staff Member Gears Up for 9th Marathon
Above: Marines running the Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Marathon runners across the city are anticipating the big TCS NYC Marathon on Nov. 5, 2017. One of those runners is Marines, who works in The Foundling’s Crisis Nursery. This year’s marathon will be her 5th consecutive NYC marathon, and her 9th overall marathon.
We’re so amazed by her accomplishments, so we asked her a few questions about her passion for running!
Q: Why did you start running, and how did you get involved with marathon running?
A: A friend and neighbor who have been running for over 20 years motivated me to start running back when I was in high school. I ran during the summer only but after graduating high school I started running all year around. My first reason for running was to be more healthy and active. I played volleyball and soccer in high school, but after that was over I wanted to continue to live an active lifestyle.
Q: What do you enjoy most about running marathons?
A: I enjoy running marathons for various reasons. The main reason is that I get to meet many runners from around the world, who share different beliefs, culture, language etc., but who have one thing in common: their love for running. I also love that the training helps me to not only to stay fit, but I am more mindful of my nutrition (pre- and post-workout meals, carbohydrate, protein intake, etc.)
Q: How long have you been training for this year’s marathon?
A: I have been training consistently since the beginning of July 2017. For every marathon I train for about 16 to 18 weeks total. I log about 40 to 50 miles per week. I have a long training run every Saturday. On this day I run between 15 to 20 miles. I have one speed work and a tempo run every week. The rest of the week I cross-train (I ride my bicycle; do weight training to strengthen my core, and Pilates).
Q: How have you performed in marathons in the past?
A: Last year I ran a PR (Personal Best) marathon. I ran the Chicago marathon in October 2016. This race was my fastest marathon so far. My finish time was 3 hours and 28 mins.
Q: What was your favorite or most memorable race?
A: My most memorable race was the 120th Boston marathon in 2016. This marathon celebrates the finest runners in the world and commemorates the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord, the opening salvos in the U.S War of Independence against Great Britain. The Boston marathon has a time qualifying standard for runners so only a special few earn the honor of participating in this marathon, so being able to qualify for this race made me so happy. This race is a marathoner’s experience of a lifetime; I hope to be able to run it again someday.
This year, Marines joins more than 50,000 other runners in this year’s TCS NYC Marathon — including 5 official Team Foundling runners. Learn more about how you can support The Foundling in this year’s marathon.
Meet our Team Foundling runners in the blog posts below:
