By now, if you haven’t heard about AI, you must have been living under a rock for the last year or so. This post is not to weigh into the pros or cons of this technology nor a moral judgement of it. It is a story on how a beautiful running story came to be.
My friend Ted S. had some time on his hands during a recent rainy weekend and browsing some pictures on his computer found one where he and I are running on this beautiful wood bridge in Hollywood Beach on a Saturday morning. It is one of the favorite running pictures for both of us, as it reflects so much of what running and running with a good friend is all about.
So, with not much to do, he started playing with Windows Copilot, through Bing Chat on the Edge browser, and this is what he shared with our running group chat:
[17:01, 12/16/2023] Ted S: So, dipped my toes into AI this rainy afternoon and got something pretty cool. Check it out…
[17:01, 12/16/2023] Ted S: I gave it this image:
Photo by Claudia Diaz, who was running a few meters behind us.
[17:02, 12/16/2023] Ted S: One of my favorites…
[17:02, 12/16/2023] Ted S: And told it to give me a story. This is what it wrote…
[17:02, 12/16/2023] Ted S: \”As the first light of dawn breaks, casting a gentle glow over the horizon, two intrepid runners embark on a journey across a rustic wooden bridge. The planks creak underfoot, a testament to the countless stories they hold. The runners, silhouetted against the soft hues of the awakening sky, move with determination and grace.
The bridge, a symbol of transition and resilience, stands firm amidst the wild embrace of nature. It carries them over untamed lands, where the thrill of adventure pulses with every heartbeat. Power lines stretch into the distance, like silent sentinels bearing witness to this fleeting moment of triumph over the terrain.
This is not just a run; it’s a dance with danger, a flirtation with the raw beauty of the world. And as they reach the end of the bridge, they know that this is but one of many bridges they will cross in the marathon of life.\”
——
This story truly touched me. It reflects the mood of the photo and of that particular run, which I remember vividly. It nails the experience of running with a good friend and of spending time practicing the sport you love. And it is done in such a poetic way.
If AI is coming for my job as a writer or will replace me as a blogger, it remains to be seen. But if it keeps pouring out beautiful stories like this one, I’d better start perfecting my dexterity in the subject right away.
When the New York City Marathon decided to go virtual, I received an invitation to participate in it, not sure why since I did not register even for the lottery. I had no interest. Why would I do a virtual New York when I’ve done it in person twice and it is one of the most amazing running experiences, ever? But the more I thought about it, having a 26.2 on my schedule would give me a tangible goal that, otherwise, there is no chance I would even get close to.
A beautiful addition to the collection that I should be getting soon. This will commemorate my 10th Marathon
Sixty dollars was an affordable price, and a spectacular medal a welcomed incentive. Not sure what else is included, but it is irrelevant. You had between October 17 and November 1 to complete the 26.2. This was just between 8 and 10 weeks away depending on the date I ran it. I settled for October 24th so I could have an extra week of training and a spare one should anything go wrong.
Because of an injury some and health issues I went through last year, I hadn’t run more than 10 kilometers straight during the year. I had gone longer when including walking breaks. Run/walk intervals allowed me to get my fitness and aerobic capacity back. I also had to shed a few extra pounds. So I prepared a NYC plan focusing on steady increment of mileage, management of effort and heart rate control based on full recovery. Finishing time for this one was a secondary consideration. Finishing strong and without injury was more than enough reward.
My plan called for a few running miles at the start and from there on, run half mile and walk another half. Yes, a lot of walking, but I didn’t want to get my heart rate so high that that it would become unsustainable and force me to walk the last 10 miles. As I trained and was able to run more miles, I felt the recovery periods were way too long, so I adjusted. My longest training session was 17 miles, my longest non-stop run was 9 miles. My run/walk intervals got set to .6/.4. I was ready to go.
Thanking God as I cross the finish line, surrounded by my running family.
Then, October 24th, 2020 arrived and at 2:26AM I hit the road. I ran the first 6 miles and met with Bill and Rita about 3:30 am for my first water and resupply stop. From there on, I started my run/walk protocol. At first it bothered me to walk when I still felt strong, but I knew it was an investment towards the last miles, and it paid off. At mile 10, I met up with Ted, who accompanied me the next 8 miles. Up to this point my wife followed me in the car, so slow that a cop found it suspicious enough to stop her.
Close to Mile 17, the most amazing thing happened. A caravan of my running buddies passed by with horns, cowbells, yelling and screaming. A shot of adrenaline invaded my body. They were going to our regular Saturday starting spot, where I met them to pick up my last supply cache from Patrick. Once there, I kept going for my last 8.2 miles with a few friends here and there. Ruben stuck with me and ran/walked with me the whole way, sacrificing his training for the day.
I may have missed then entrance to First Avenue from the Queensboro Bridge, but what my buddies from the No-Club Runners had at the finish line was equally impressive. I choked as I ran towards the line through a tunnel of screaming, yelling, cowbells, paparazzi and the support of those who were genuinely elated to share this moment with me. It was not Central Park, but I wouldn’t trade this finish line for it.
Final time accepted by NYRRC was 5:28:14. Almost two minutes below my wildest expectations.
Post-marathon celebration with my buddies from the No-Club Runners. What an amazing bunch of people.
I have been asked if I count this experience as a completed marathon. If I count it as my 3rd time completing NYC? The answer to both questions is yes. The answers are affirmative because this was an established and scheduled race. It did not happen this year because of Covid. This is not a race that popped up to sell you a medal taking advantage of the pandemic. There was a strict time frame on when to do complete the specific distance. This was not a “run what you want, when you want” scheme. On a personal level, it is not like I’ve ran 26.2 so often that I lost count. This is just my 10th time at the distance.
This experience taught me is that I am mentally stronger than I thought. That if I am smart about how to approach certain challenges, adjusting as I work towards them, I can achieve and complete them successfully and safely. That the marathon is still a great adversary, but no unconquerable. And, above all, that I have a running family for which superlative adjectives to qualify them would make no justice to what they mean to me.
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