Deciding to Jump

IMG_1140.jpg, originally uploaded by cloverlandfarm.

Friends,
Having been a New Yorker since 1995, I've watched many New York City Marathons, often through awe and some tears. Who cannot be utterly inspired by throngs of runners (all ages, all shapes & sizes), the wheelchair entrants or the Achilles runners?

The last few years I've stood on Bedford Ave in our beloved Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn to watch the Elite runners blaze by in flames of glory and lingered, only to head home voiceless from having cheered so loud and so long. Watching the marathon is a moving experience. It's my favorite day of the year in New York City.

Until recently I never seriously considered that I could be one of the 40,000+ runners. Since last fall I've been trying to develop a healthy addiction to running, except essentially, I am a non-runner. Well, having done two 1/2 marathons in the last month or so, maybe I'm not quite a non-runner, but, truth be told, I am a lazy, sporadic, slow, half-assed runner. That's no way to develop a healthy addiction. I love the feelings of accomplishment and pride that I've gained in my journey from couch to 5k to 10k to 15k to 10 miler to 1/2 marathon. But I experience serious procrastination once I'm back on the couch. That said, I've signed up for as many local New York Road Runners (NYRR) races possible in an effort to hold myself accountable. Accountability. Geez, I wish I could get by on less of that stuff.

Anyway, I entered the lottery for the 2011 NYC marathon. I was not chosen. So given I will run 9 NYRR races and volunteer at 1 this year, I could wait to run via guaranteed entry in 2012. But what if I'm not in to running any more by then? Healthy addiction abandoned. Soooo, after some hemmin-n-hawin I went to an info session with Team for Kids, the NYRR charity that basically holds your hand all the way from the first practice on June 4 to the finish line in November. In exchange for some pretty amazing coaching, I must raise $2620 to secure my place at the start. Lordy, lordy, how am I going to do that? I'm self-employed part-time with no co-workers to tap. Although the recession seems to be over for Wall Street, it's not quite finished for the rest of us, so who wants to give to another charity? And, seriously. I cannot imagine running 13.1 and then adding another 13.1 to it. How am I going to do that?

So I'm jumping. Jumping Zora Neale Hurston style. I may not reach the sun, but I'll get off the ground, especially with Team for Kids accountability and $help$ from my friends. I won't beg you to buy a mile yet, but soon enough you'll see me on my knees because, otherwise, come October, my Amex bill will have $2620 waiting to be paid in full. Yikes!