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Health & Fitness

My First 16,000 Sneakers: From 5K to 42K the Runners of the Long Island Marathon

Have you ever thought of running a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Monty? A first hand account of an overweight, overaged optimist in her first 10K, with a few of her closest 8,000 friends.

What makes Marty run? … What compels 8,000 other Long Islanders to create a one day community, risking blisters, parking bottlenecks, port-a-potties, Two-Aleve-level pain and the humility of competing with top athletes? Setauket Tennis and Fitness gym members gathered to support Friends of Karen, a charity providing financial, emotional and advocacy support for tri-state families coping with the catastrophic impact of their child’s life-threatening illness. With 297 participants Friends of Karen, $340,000 was raised to date this year.

We rallied at the start line, donning our ‘Friends of Karen’ shirts, becoming an Army of Help. Our pre-race pep talk came from a mother who announced her young son had recovered enough to be able to run in the 5K next year: he was ‘out of the woods’ of his gripping disease. Imagine her energy and joy running that day! Amongst the runners were Marty Kaplan, Sue Seel, and myself.

Marty a pediatrician and long time member of Setauket Tennis and Fitness shared with me his reason for supporting ‘Friends’ and running, recalling the raw anxiety and concern of mothers and fathers experiencing their child’s life threatening illnesses, and sometimes facing bereavement. He started running at age 40 and this year came in 10th in the half marathon, 13.1 miles, (with all those runners!!) in his age category.

Sue Seel, a life coach, told me her number one goal is to encourage others.
She and I walked and ran together. Sue has triathlons and marathons strewn throughout her running career: I have never run a race in my life. She explained she started running long distances because … she hated it! She saw it as a challenge to overcome. Her giving of time and funding to ‘Friend’ keeps her grounded to how fortunate she truly is. 

I signed up because Marty asked so I knew that the charity must be a reputable and worthy one, and I knew it was good for me; like liver and kale. I had wanted to do the half marathon but my mile per minute time was too slow. Who cares? I pivoted to the shorter 10K.

At the starting line, Sue and I marveled at a runner ahead of us performing a repertoire of yoga moves, right on the gritty road, to warm up for the race. These were the same positions Lois Healion, our gym yoga instructor taught us. Cool!

During the race when my knees ached and feet swelled to the point I shed socks and sneakers, I turned my mind to toddlers bearing the agony of chemo therapy, or parents witnessing their children in pain. My inner tears of petty self pity dried up.

The finish line suddenly came into our sights and I was determined to run over that line – and suddenly felt great! A medal was hung over my neck: now that was a first for me. I made my best time… because it was my first time! Poor Sue must have made her slowest time – so we both were record breakers!

The member community at Setauket Tennis and Fitness consistently teaches and inspires us to be more, to do more outside the gym. Next year, join us. Guaranteed you’ll get a medal, guaranteed you’ll feel some discomfort, but you’ll also hear the encouraging cheer of crowds lining the streets, you’ll meet all kinds of people running for all kinds of reasons, and you’ll help a charity that brings relief and support to Long Island families in crisis through no fault of their own.

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