Challenges Everywhere

I can't tell you what it is like to run a marathon. That is a challenge that I have as yet not attempted. The only thing that I can write about, is what it is like to be the proud mother and mother-in-law of marathon runners.

We too feel anticipation of the day, though our hopes are a bit different. We don't focus on a specific finishing time. We want our loved ones to be safe and feel good about themselves at the end of the race. In short - we continue to be "Jewish Mothers".

I spent the day racing around the city, from downtown Brooklyn to Williamsburg (the New York Times caught a better shot, but I had fun trying to get a photo of the natives trying to dodge the runners as they crossed the street {now THERE'S a challenge!} - see my photo below), then on to the Bronx and Manhattan's East Side. I think I covered more miles on the subway than Joey did on the course, and I made WORSE time (I actually missed him in one location and near missed him in several others...). I couldn't have done it without a certain person who hates to be mentioned on blog but who knows the NY Subway system like nobody's business. So you know who you are - thanks a LOT!!

We were there to cheer on the runners, provide sustenance in the form of bananas and "goo", and rejoice in the spirit of goal setting and accomplishments.

... and the end result? Two very happy runners who are eager to push themselves again to achieve newer and greater heights.

Cristoph Niemann of The New York Times, embarked on a project to "live illustrate" the marathon as he ran. He completed the course, and 46 sketches in an undisclosed amount of time but the results are quite entertaining. You can see his works here.