My Three Year Journey to the New York City Marathon
An Inspirational Journal (Journey)
by
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Life is magical and so is a 26.2-mile run! Emil Zatopek, a Czechoslovakian runner, said it best at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, “If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.” In our life’s journey and during a 26.2-mile run, the only thing we know for sure is that we will experience many unknowns— some good, some bad, and some surprising moments! Nevertheless, life has given us “Purpose.” Life and a marathon both demand the characteristics of the human essence— endurance, patience, resilience, and suffering. We can inspire ourselves and others with the gifts given to us—our life and our unique two legs.
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About the Book
Journaling for this book began when Hae was accepted into the New York City Marathon. She achieved a qualifying time a year earlier at the Rome Marathon in April 2018. Starting in February 2019 she began writing about her daily training, her nutrition, and her workout recoveries—how she learned from training mistakes, struggles, disappointments, and triumphs, all the while intertwining her life’s pearls of wisdom and understanding of running as an amateur athlete. Targeting the 2019 New York City Marathon, her training became a three-year journey to finally run the marathon in 2021.
About the Author
Hae’s running journey began late in life. After suddenly losing her first husband at age 53, she entered the darkest period in her life, completely heartbroken and grieving. Acting on a friend’s suggestion, she began running trails behind her house starting with a one-mile run/walk. The running gave her the time to be alone without thoughts, listening to her breathing and footsteps. Running became her daily meditation. It helped her begin to heal and ease the sorrow and pain she was going through. At age 55 she met her new love, who had been running and racing for many years. They both signed up for the Run Rabbit Run Steamboat, Colorado 50-Mile Ultramarathon. This was the first race Hae ever signed up for and it was the beginning of her racing journey. For her, running was a sanctuary, unlike any other mental outlet. Running took her to places she only imagined and beyond. Since then, she has completed Boston Marathon(2019), Chicago Marathon(2021), and New York City Marathon(2021), and she has completed marathons in North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, and Europe. She is planning on running all six major marathons and marathons on all seven continents.