One of my FAVORITE running partners is someone I have known my entire life.  We ran side by side in our very first road race.  We ran together in high school cross country and track.

Both of us on H.S. track team in 1997.  I am one year older but she has always been taller than me!

We ran together in our first marathon when we were in college.  It’s been about ten years since our last race together but one week from today we will be heading to the starting line of the ING New York City Marathon.

Tricky (that’s my sister and yes, that is her real name!) does not keep a running blog but I thought her story for wanting to run in the NYC Marathon needed to be shared! 

Tricky is a wife and mother of two little boys (11 mos & 3 yrs).  She works full-time as a middle school art teacher in Connecticut.  She has so much going on in her life and every reason not to train for a marathon but here she is, 11 months after baby #2 getting ready to run one of the biggest races of her life.

1.  When did you first decide that you wanted to run the NYC marathon?
I decided I wanted to run the NYC marathon in September of 2011. I was 8 months pregnant, sitting in my doctors office, where he had photographs displayed of himself finishing the 2008 NYC marathon (which was the same year I ran my last marathon).  We talked for a bit about the race, and I when I left I knew NYC was something I wanted to do. But I didn’t know anything about it: the date, qualifying times, how the lottery worked, etc. After doing a lot of research I learned that big changes were in the works for the NYC marathon, especially for those people aiming to get a guaranteed spot.  I went ahead & entered the lottery in January of 2012, knowing full well my chances were slim.

2.  What race qualified you to run NYC?
I decided I didn’t want to rely solely on the lottery to get into the marathon, so I looked into the possibility of qualifying for a guaranteed spot. Unfortunately, after Jan 31st, 2012, NYRR wasn’t accepting qualifying times from any races besides the (already sold out) NYC half in March & the Brooklyn Half in May. As anticipated I did not get picked in the lottery, so all of my eggs were in the Brooklyn Half basket. I wasn’t even sure if I could make the qualifying time of 1:37 since my PR up to that point was only a 1:44:15. I do not consider myself a “runner” per say, I think I’m just drawn to the sport because it forces me to stay in shape.  But my sister Tia, who already had a guaranteed spot into the NYC marathon, seemed confident I could qualify. She came up with a 10 week training schedule for me, more rigorous than anything I had done before. The baby weight fell off as I put in the mileage, and I am happy to say I qualified at the Brooklyn Half Marathon with a time of 1:34:35!

3.  Describe briefly your NYC marathon training and how you make it work with your busy life?
I trained for the NYC marathon using a 15 wk individualized plan set up by the Run S.M.A.R.T team.  Due to my full time work schedule, and the fact that my husband & I work opposite shifts, training for this race has at times been nearly impossible.  Almost all of my runs have been completed before work (alarm set @ 4:45am!) or on a treadmill after my boys are in bed.  I utilized babysitters a few times for tempo runs, but in the future I will definitely look into setting up a regular running schedule with a babysitter.

4.  What are your marathon race goals?
I hope to run the marathon at an 8 minute pace, with a finish time around 3:30.  If I can do this it would allow me to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which has always been the end game.

Tricky was recently selected to represent the state of Connecticut as a Marathon Morning Across America state Ambassador in the Marathon Opening Ceremony Parade which will be in Central Park this Friday from 5:30-7 pm.

5.  How do you feel about being selected to represent Connecticut in the Opening Ceremony?
I am thrilled about being the Connecticut Ambassador at the Opening Ceremony.  What a surprise & extra perk this will be to make the marathon weekend an unforgettable experience.  The students I teach are excited that I’ll be wearing a shirt in the parade that they all signed.

Tricky’s PR’s:
Best 5K- 21:10 (March 2012)

Thank you, Tricky for taking the time to share your story here.  I am SO excited about spending time with you and getting to experience the NYC Marathon weekend together! I love you!!