It was 2012, and the largest hurricane was about to hit the Northeast spanning from Florida to Maine with the most severe damage in New York and New Jersey, my hometown.
2012 was also a pivotal year for me as I was training for my first marathon. Six months of dedication; early 4:00am mornings, sore muscles, a case of plantar fasciitis and lots of chaffing had me excited, nervous and now questioning if I will even be able to run my first marathon.
The NYC Marathon was cancelled on Friday evening as I was checking into the W Hotel. My hotel was picked due to its proximity to the finish line and so I didn’t have to worry about commuting from Long Island on race day morning.
As soon as I got into my hotel room, I turned on the news. It was true. The Marathon was cancelled. Since we run through all five boroughs and the devastation the hurricane left in Staten Island there was no way the race could go on.
Considering most of NYC and Long Island was without power, it was a necessary decision that NYRR had to make.
For the next 12 days, I was without power, hot water and gas was not being delivered to Long Island. But I am fortunate that no one in my family was hurt and the loss was on items that could be replaced.
Once the effects of the hurricane subsided, my next course of action was well I trained for a marathon, I should run a marathon.
The closest marathon to run was in Harrisburg, PA. The state capital of PA and a short 4-and-a-half-hour drive from New York. But I was determined that the show must go on!
On November 11, 2012, I officially completed my first marathon in five hours and 13 minutes!
Overall, the course was flat. Except, of course, for a ginormous hill up to the finish line. But running over the bridge across the finish line was a memory I will never forget.
Ariana Cristina 