NYC Marathon...As A Spectator

It was a weird feeling to NOT be running the NYC Marathon on Marathon Sunday. However, after an ass-kicking flu all weekend, I doubt I could have finished the course...or maybe I could have, but the time would be nothing I'd want to share.

Friday I started by feeling like I had a cold, but after my Spanish class, I was horizontal. Shivers, fevers, coughing, throat hurt, exhaustion, inability to move, all that good stuff that goes along with the flu. Stuck in bed, I read, slept, followed my friends' excitement abt the marathon via Twitter and FB.

And today, I felt a million times better - but still, not great. I went and handed water to the runners, and couldn't wait until the end (despite the fact that I arrived late) - I was just too exhausted. I went home and curled up in my bed with my little cat.

Is it stupid to run when you're so sick? How can you not? But how can you propel yourself when physically, your body is cursing you out?

Despite the flu shot, this flu had been a long time in the coming. I haven't had the flu since college (and my college years are long gone), and I've been staying up too late, getting lots of migraines, stressing lately. So getting sick essentially kicked my ass. And I hope it's over.

Still, the urge to go back to bed....

Going to the marathon today was very important to me. My most regular running partner, Nelson, along with many other awesome members of my team, including Mary, Katie, Mishka, Zandy, Fernando, Anna, and too many others to name, were running and I wanted to show my support. I bundled up and handed water to runners, cheering them on. It was SO weird to not be there, scanning the crowds for my parents and friends as I would push myself again, hoping for that oh-so-tantalizing PR that I always wanted. Can we ever get it? If we push enough, and things are right...it's never something you can easily predict.

And now, I'm going to make a cuppa tea and head to bed to curl up with the latest Jeffrey Eugenides...and my kitty!