I Finished the NYC Marathon!

It had been more than 7 years since my last marathon. I thought I was done with running. Or at least, that running was done with me. I got injured every time I ran. But when my running inspiration Fauja Singh passed away this year, my friend Ricky called and said I had to run his honor. I agreed with him and decided to run for Fauja Singh.

The run was hard, but it was also really fun. I made a couple of friends on the subway, a young woman named Grace who was running for the first time, and a Sikh named Harinder who was running his fifth marathon. I got there early enough to stretch and warm up, and when the cannon went off, I was ready to go—along with 55,000 other runners.

I started out faster than I had planned, though slower than I had in previous races. It was hard to stay disciplined and remind myself what my timing should be. But I felt good, and my legs felt strong, and the weather was perfect. And there were SO many people cheering us along the way. The vibes were incredible.

A few miles in, I saw my brother and sister-in-law by their place in Brooklyn. A few miles later, I saw my childhood friend Jasdeep, who accompanied me for about a mile. Then I caught some of my daughters' friends. Everything felt so great.

Until mile 18. Then, my legs started to crap out. I had to stop and stretch a couple of times. I could feel my hamstrings tighten and my back stiffen. And there were definitely a few times I thought about giving up. Running a marathon is a psychological test.

But every time those thoughts crossed my mind, I’d think of Fauja Singh, and how much he endured. And those reminders were enough to power me through.

After crossing the finish line, I was walking home through Central Park along the marathon route where I saw another inspiration— Avtar Singh Tinne, a 76-year-old who has run 34 straight NYC Marathons. I had to take a picture with him too.

I have no idea if I’ll make it to 76-years-old like he has, let alone 100, like Fauja Singh Ji. But man, what an inspiring weekend. I’m so grateful to have been able to participate in the world’s greatest marathon, to have been touched by Fauja Singh in his own life, and now, to be back on my feet running again, after seven years without a marathon.

Thank you all for your support throughout the training and through the race. I’m really really grateful.