the road to nyc

The Update

June 2026

Hey gang. I will continue to provide updates every month as my training progresses and my body slowly but surely breaks down. I think I threw my shoulder out on a 4-miler this week so vibes are high. I just want to say thank you in advance for supporting and following me along my journey so I can put the second 26.2 sticker on my bumper. Unlike Celine Dion, my heart will not go on without it.

Joking aside, I am excited to raise money for a cause I believe in and get back on a regimented training plan. If you are reading this, you know me. And if you know me, you know how critical it is for me to channel my competitive energy in the right direction and for the right cause. So I don’t kick a basketball across the entire court prompting people to wonder if I should go to the Olympics for kickball. Or smash the pickleball at my parent’s feet knowing my dad can’t bend well with his 3x torn quads. Or argue about the board game rules with my siblings. This is that healthier direction.

I can’t say I have always had a dream or goal of completing a marathon, I feel like I have actually said the opposite. But my dad always wanted to do the NYC marathon, but never had the opportunity to. So I guess in a sense, I am doing this for the bragging rights so I can say I accomplished something he did not. Again, joking. I am excited to do a marathon in the greatest city on earth and be part of a team again with Roads to Success.

My first and only marathon was the Big Sur Marathon in 2023. I ran that in 3:34 with 15 mph headwinds and 3x the elevation gain we will have in NYC, so 3:25 feels realistic. Things I have working in my favor: Michael plans to oversee my training and yell at me to run faster and ensure I am doing sprints, fewer hills on this course, more people watching me during marathon so I’ll pick it up. Things working against me: I am older and my body hurts in ways I never could have imagined, I am no longer in my funemployment, business school era so I am definitely not as in good of shape and not doing multiple workouts a day, I detest waking up early to exercise. We will see what side prevails in four months.

See you next month. Hopefully a tad faster, a tad less sore, and a tad closer to $5,000.

Jen