I am so excited for today~ Every year I know more and more people who are running in todays BIGGEST marathon! I have a client who has been training with me for over 18 weeks to prep for todays race. I can’t believe it’s actually here! My client Mary is running today and I know and witnessed her hard work, focus and determination! I feel as though I should reach out to you all to tell you about my journey along side of Mary My client. A while back, I received a voice mail from a Mary Melvin who wanted personal training at the Greenwich Country Club. my schedule was full, I was tired from my OWN long runs and workouts I was trying to figure out where I could squeeze Mary in. Maybe I was being a bit selfish or lazy because I figured if I didn’t have the time that maybe Mario could train her. Quite honestly I really didn’t want another client my plate was FULL. After some hesitation I called her one afternoon and we spoke for about 10 minutes. She was telling me how she wanted to train for the NYC Marathon in November. As soon as she told me she was a runner, my ears lit up, and I instantly thought to myself, “I am training Mary Melvin, forget Mario!” I MADE TIME FOR HER!
Mary walked in on our first session with this amazing and contagious energy about her. Her big brown eyes and bright smile were enough to brighten or wake up the most dark morning. She was READY for action!
Fast forward to today, Mary has come such a long way in her training. When we first started working out, I introduced her to Kettle bell swings, squat jumps, static stretches and stiff dead lifts. Every week Mary would come in and tell me about her long runs, and when she told me about her 20 mile runs, I thought to myself; “She is nuts!” I could NEVER do a FULL marathon and just so you all know, running is such a deep passion and obsession of mine. Her shoulder presses went from 5 pound dumb bells to 15 pound dumbbells. Her kettle bells swings went from 15 pounds to 30 pounds, you should all watch her! Her balance was pretty bad when we met (sorry Mary), but now her core is so strong, her balance is so much better! She even gets this vein running down her bicep which I think is so “HOT” and a sign of leanness! Ask her about it! She has so much focus drive and determination each session, I have really grown to respect appreciate and adore her. You see, in my profession I see all sorts of clients. Clients who are LAZY, clients to love to gossip, clients who think I am a shrink, and clients who pay me but never show up. Then once in a while I get REALLY lucky and someone like Mary walks into my life- She is a personal trainers DREAM! Anyone who has MY intensity, drive and passion for running, working out and a huge love of life, is someone who I LOVE TO SPEND my day working with. She is ALWAYS so positive happy and filled with hope! It doesn’t matter what time our session is, she walks in with a smile and leaves with a smile! Does she EVER have a bad day? hmmm! Although there are days when she looks tired or a little carb depleted from her 20 mile runs, I KNOW this is one girl who will cross that finish line and cross it with great time, and a huge smile on her face with a heart filled with accomplishment. Our 30 minutes sessions turned into one hour sessions and even they fly by so quickly! I am a bit sad because once the race is over, I am sure Mary will take some time off and yes she deserves it, but I will be sad to lose such an incredible client.
Mary, I am sure your dad- your hero, is with you during every run, and will be there with you the day of your race telling you the same things he did when you were little, critiquing your run, and telling you that you only have one more mile to go! ;O)
GO MARY GO!!!!!!! I am so happy and excited for you!
History of the ING NY Marathon….
The first New York City Marathon, though, was a humble affair. In 1970, 127 runners paid the $1 entry fee to NYRR to participate in a 26.2-mile race that looped several times within Central Park. Fifty-five runners crossed the finish line.
When Lebow redrew the course through all five New York boroughs six years later, not everyone could appreciate his vision. But 2,090 runners lined up at the start for the chance to run from Staten Island through Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to Manhattan. The expanded course attracted two-time Olympic marathon medalist Frank Shorter, along with reporters and television cameras. Thousands of spectators lined the streets and cheered the runners. By reconfiguring the course, Lebow had drawn the city together and attracted recognition around the world.
The New York City Marathon’s unique mix of athletics, neighborhood spirit, and international media attention soon attracted the world’s best runners to the annual fall race. By the late 1970s, the running boom was exploding and New York was at the center. More than 9,000 people participated in 1978 when Norwegian Grete Waitz set a women’s marathon world record, finishing in 2:32:30.
Several men’s and women’s records fell in the early years, but the New York race was soon about more than speed. When international sanctions against South African athletes were lifted in 1992, Willie Mtolo chose to run New York. He bested the field and garnered media coverage around the world. When Tegla Loroupe broke the tape at the Central Park finish in 1994, her win proved that African women were on par with the African men in their ability to run the 26.2-mile distance. She did it in New York, and the world took notice. Soon Kenyan women were invited to other major distance races.
In 2000, NYRR added an official wheelchair division to the marathon. Now the ING New York City Marathon has grown to become one of the most competitive wheelchair marathons anywhere in the world, with more than 200 wheelchair and handcycle athletes. In addition, a wide variety of ambulatory athletes with disabilities participate.
While the marathon has always been a focus of community spirit, with more than two million New Yorkers lining the streets to support the runners, that aspect of the race was most apparent in November 2001. Less than two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the New York City Marathon became a race of hope and renewal for participants, spectators, and all New Yorkers, and patriotism ran high as the marathon hosted the men’s and women’s USA Marathon Championships.
New York has continued to lead in race management. In 2002, NYRR created a separate start for the professional women as a way to highlight the most competitive women’s field in race history. In 2003, ING became the title sponsor of the race and joined with NYRR to fund grassroots running and fitness programs among the city’s youth through the ING Run for Something Better program.
NYRR hosted the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon in Central Park on the day before the ING New York City Marathon 2007. In 2008, the marathon was successfully staged with three wave starts in order to reduce congestion at the start, along the course, and at the finish. The 2009 race will be the marathon’s 40th running and will include special celebrations of this important milestone. NYRR will host the 2009 USA Men’s Marathon Championship in conjunction with the race.
Forty years after its start, the ING New York City Marathon continues to grow in size and to be the leader among marathons around the world.
