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📓 A whole city of strangers carried us
Published 5 days ago • 4 min read
Yesterday we ran the New York City Marathon, and we finished it!!!!!
Sara and I sat up late last night trying to describe it to each other, and every attempt fell short. How do you explain a million people you’ve never met cheering for you like you’re family? Or crossing a bridge with thousands of runners and hearing nothing but feet? We’ve traveled to a lot of places and seen a lot of things, but we’ve never felt anything like that. It’s easily one of the top ten moments of our lives.
A big reason it ranks that high is the crowd. We knew New York would show up, but we didn’t know what that would feel like from the middle of the road. For twenty-six miles there was hardly a quiet block. There were families in lawn chairs at the curb, kids holding out their hands for high fives, and people we’ll never see again shouting at us to keep going. In the late miles, when our legs stopped cooperating and every step felt like a negotiation, that noise was the only thing moving us forward. We’d hit a quiet stretch and start to fade, then turn a corner into another wall of people, and somehow we’d be running again.
It was emotional for both of us, more than once.
Back in September, when Peloton asked us to run with their team, we said yes before the email finished loading. We knew it was a big deal then. We understand it better now. People apply for years to run this race, and Peloton trusted us with a spot on their team. We're honored and humbled by that, and we'll be grateful for a long time.
From the outside, a marathon looks like something you do alone. It isn't. Every runner out there was being carried by somebody. Yesterday a whole city of strangers carried us, and this past week, so did you.
P.S. If we ran one more marathon somewhere in the world, where should it be? Hit reply with your pick and why. We'll share the best answers next week.
🎥 From the Archive
WE DID IT!! // Disney World Marathon
Before New York, there was Disney World. After months of training, we ran our first full marathon there, and it still feels like the right place to start.
We used the Peloton Tread Flex to help train for New York. It folds up when you're done, goes up to a 12.5% incline, and Peloton gives you a 30-day home trial, so you can try it in your own home before you commit.
On a Delta nonstop in December. Under three hours to the beach, in a big seat.
We find all of these through Going. It's worth setting up alerts for your home airport. Most of these deals won't last long, so if one catches your eye, don't sit on it.
Is there a city you wish we would feature for flights? Email us back and we'll put it in the next email.
💬 From the Replies
Before the race, we asked: if you've run a marathon, what's the one thing you wish someone had told you the week before?
Jo ran New York as her first marathon: "I loved it and embraced every moment, the best advice I got was run the mile you are in."
Dan has run ten: "The middle third of the race is where you may lose focus. Don't lose focus. Keep your thoughts on the finish line and the exuberance you will feel."
Charles is 75 and has run a lot of ultras, all on trails: "Take walk breaks - lots of them - there is NO shame in walk breaks and you will end up finishing sooner. Really."
One reader has run five, the last at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in our backyard: "Don't try to run the whole thing. Do like a run/walk pattern... Don't try to shoot for a certain time. Just enjoy it."
Renee kept it short: "Keep your food low fiber a couple of days before the race. IFYKYK"
Melanie played a song with a beat she wanted to dance to on repeat, "Like the purple people eater song. Had some people staring at me like I was insane."
Thank you for writing to us like friends do. Keep them coming.
Thanks for reading Field Notes. We're trying to make this a space worth saving, full of things we'd actually send to a friend.
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And if something in here made you laugh, think, or book a flight, we'd love to hear about it. Just hit reply or tag us @chrisandsara_ on Instagram.
Flight deals worth booking, travel news worth knowing, and the gear we actually use on the road. One free email from Chris and Sara, every Monday. Join 4,500+ readers.
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