Scratch that...

Well, the early reports coming out of NYC said the damage overall was light and the city would soon return to normal. As we've all seen over the past few days, that has not been the case. Residents remain stranded, without electricity, and the city's transportation infrastructure is crippled.

I am still doing 26.2 for the pets, still running as a member of Team Animal League, and still running every single inch of the miles I've dedicated to furry and human loved ones. But now that will happen next year as I have decided to defer my NYC marathon to 2013.

There has been a massive outcry from NYC residents who are outraged the marathon is continuing as planned. Regardless of your stance on the organizer's decision, this race will be clouded with controversy and riddled with difficulty for the participants. Ultimately, that is not the experience I want to be a part of.

I want my 26.2 for pets to be a celebration of the animals and people who have meant so much to us. It's difficult to celebrate in a city that is still reeling from a natural disaster. This is not the experience I want, or that they deserve.

Furthermore, I want to enjoy NYC for all I has to offer, and right now that isn't possible. Getting into and out of the city is a logistical nightmare as even cabs are stranded by lack of gas. This is hard enough for a New Yorker, but I have no clue how to navigate a half-operational transit system our nationa's largest city where some people are waiting 4 hours in line for a bus.

In the end, I think this is the wise decision to make for the people of NY and for everyone who has supported me.

You can be absolutely confident I'll be back next year. NYC will be back, as well, and I can't wait to run its streets.

As to the donations to North Shore Animal League America, they could not have been better timed. NSALA is right now taking in pets who have lost their homes and owners in the storm. They are sheltering many pets whose owners have had to evacuate. So the money you gave has already been a huge help in assisting with the recovery efforts.

Keep checking back for updates as I will continue posting updates about training, racing, and preparing to run 26.2 for the pets in NYC 2013!

IT'S ON!

So this has been a challenging couple days watching to see if the marathon will still go on after Sandy. That concern pales in comparison to the people who were enduring it in person and first responders out there saving lives during and after the storm. This includes the people of North Shore Animal League, my chosen race charity, who stayed behind to care for the pets of those who had evacuated.

With the city getting back to normal, there was a big question on whether the race could go on without the usual transportation options. Well, apparently the race will go on regardless. This is good news, but I still have to get to NYC and right now LaGuardia (where my flight is supposed to land) is still not operational. Early estimates look like Thursday evening they will start up again. This bodes well for me, our flight is Friday evening. After that, I suppose we could cab it everywhere if the subway is down...or take some combination of cabs and subway to get where we need to go. And then of course getting to Staten Island for the start on Sunday morning might be an epic journey in itself.

All that to say, IT'S ON, we'll figure it out, and I'm ready!

Mile 23 Dedication: Bill Norman

Mile 23 is dedicated in memory of Bill Norman.  Kate knows Bill's daughter, Jenni, through the horse community.  I asked Jenni to act as guest blogger for this post.  She writes:

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My dad, Bill Norman, didn't always wear his heart on his sleeve. As the owner and operator of a community oriented AM radio station in North Myrtle Beach, he was geared toward solutions, not problems. Yet, as driven as he was - as big as his dreams were - underneath it all, his heart was even bigger. 

I often joked that - since I moved out of the house - he grew to love his Dachshund Oscar more than me. This may not have been entirely true, but he loved that stubby-legged little guy almost as much. Oscar was joined a few years ago by Tommy, a short-haired Dachshund from the local animal shelter. You see, Tommy was one of three dogs surrendered to the shelter and aptly used to be named "Three" (he still answers to this if you call him, which is a bit of a cruel joke to play). My dad was always up to date on what kind of animals the shelter was taking in and hosted meetings for the Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach in his office. My dad would often comment on how much cat and dog food the shelter staff went through each week, how many animals were waiting for new homes ("Don't you need another cat?" "How about another dog?"), and how much the shelter could use more support. 

Though I could never picture my dad running a marathon, I can envision him giving advice to Erik, especially in the 23rd mile - so close to home! As I noted before, my dad was always solution oriented. "Just tell me what you need" was always his favorite expression. In other words, don't focus on the tough parts, just focus on what you need to accomplish the task at hand - so for Erik, my dad would encourage him to continue putting one foot in front of the other, despite how tough it gets. He had this dusty old poster in his office - it's been there since I was a baby - and the first words are: Press On. What better cause to press on for than this? My dad would be proud to support Erik's run and cause, and so I say, press on, Erik. Thank you for supporting a cause so close to my dad's heart, and so close to many other peoples' hearts.

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I am proud to run Mile 23 in Bill's memory and honor such a great man.

Mile 25 Dedication: Noreen Kenney

Having done a marathon before, I know that the last few miles are going to be especially tough.  Mile 25 promises to be particularly challenging, as I will be so close to the finish line, but also incredibly tired and fatigued.  Nicole Kenney, a close friend of mine, realized this when she chose Mile 25 for her dedication.  She wrote, "I'd like to sponsor mile 25 to honor my mom, who runs her own personal marathon every day."  Kate and I got to know Noreen, Nicole's mom, when Nicole moved in with Kate back in 2010.  She is a kind, generous, and talented woman - she did complicated alterations on Kate's wedding dress and saved scraps of the fabric as a surprise for a scrapbook.  Since 2010, Noreen has faced intense personal challenges but throughout, has shown immeasurable strength and persistence.  Channeling Noreen's persistence, I know I will make it through Mile 25.

Mile 3 & 10 Dedication: Cheshire the Cat

Cheshire the cat is so special that he has two miles dedicated in his memory!  Pat Dresner, Cheshire's owner, writes: "In memory of Cheshire, the world's best cat. This will in no way offend our current cat, Grisabella, who would prefer that people not like her anyway. If we can buy a mile, I would like mile #2 because that is about where I would quit. : ) Good luck Erik!!!"  Mile 2 was taken, so I'm giving Mile 3 to Cheshire.  Mike Flanagan, Kate's brother, also wanted to dedicate Mile 10 in Cheshire's memory.

Kate and Mike spent a lot of time at the Dresner family household, and remember Cheshire from when he was a small kitten.  He grew up into quite a handsome and dignified cat who had a fondness for doughnuts (although preferred to only take one bite out of each doughnut!).  He also preferred cat treats to be placed at his feet and not tossed for him to chase.  

Thank you to Pat, Howard, and Ethan Dresner for sponsoring Mile 3, and to Mike Flanagan for sponsoring Mile 10, all in Cheshire's memory.  He was indeed a great cat.

Mile 24 Dedication: David Egan

Finishing this marathon is going to take a lot of strength, both mental and physical.  This means that I am going to need some serious inspiration for those last few miles.  Mile 24 is dedicated in loving memory to David Egan, who passed away in September.  

David was the son of Audrey and Al Egan, who are close family friends.  Although I never had the opportunity to meet David in person, his friends and family always spoke of his personal strength, courage, and positive attitude in the face of adversity.  I am proud to honor David's memory in this way, and look forward to drawing from his strength and courage as I near the marathon's finish line.

Rewarding Workout

So today I did what will likely be the biggest workout of the marathon training schedule. It was 3 hours and 37 minutes long, consisting of 13 miles running then 27 miles biking. Total calorie burn: 3,712

For that reason, this was my dinner tonight at Hammerhead's in Louisville:

Full rack of baby back ribs. This is really why I run, so I can rationalize eating huge amounts of smoked meat!