The Last Marathon – A New Beginning.
In November 2008, at 40 years old, I ran my first marathon – the New York Marathon.
The rush, the energy, and the sheer accomplishment led me to run the Amsterdam and Rotterdam marathons in the following years.
Then, I stopped running.
Fast forward to 2018, I planned to return to New York for another marathon at 50, alongside Gerdy, for her first.
Training was going well until Achilles tendinitis hit, crushing my plans.
Not only did I miss the marathon, I also missed sharing that milestone with Gerdy, AND… I had to let go of my idea of running the New York marathon every decade.
The disappointment was so deep that it turned me off running altogether.
That is, until my 55th birthday in 2023.
Determined to age healthily, I set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal: running the Santa Cruz Marathon in Tenerife.
With the guidance of Mark, an ex-military personal trainer, I dove into a grueling five-month training program.
For the first time, I found joy in the process – the sweat, the struggle, the growth.
I crushed personal records and even ran a practice marathon without injury.
But in the final weeks leading up to the marathon, my body began to protest.
Overtrained and exhausted, I limped into race day.
The Santa Cruz Marathon tested me with its relentless hills, scorching heat, and poor planning with my energy bars and gels.
By the second half, every step was a struggle. But I didn’t stop.
Crossing the finish line in 4:10 hours – exactly 30 minutes faster than my New York time 15 years earlier (but 11 minutes slower than my goal was) – I felt both triumph and defeat.
I vowed never to run another marathon again.
But here’s the twist: while long-distance running may be behind me, the love for movement I discovered is stronger than ever.
As I’m writing this, in August 2024, I’m working out daily, training like an athlete, and loving every minute of it.
Maybe marathons aren’t in my future anymore, but the pursuit of strength, resilience, and health certainly is.
