Dublin to New York

Shiny new medal!

Well what can we say? You are ALL amazing, and THANK YOU, thank you so, so much. You raised a whopping €10,000 for the Irish Cancer Society fantastic, it will make such a difference to so many, we are speechless.

Now for the long awaited update.

Dublin began with a cool morning and a spin into town with Emma and a great friend of mine Louis, who I convinced (not that he needed it) to run as well. We parked up the car stretched and hit the start line (precisely 30seconds back) the gun rung out and off we set. I kept to my pace right through town and into the phoenix park, such a wonderful place to run. However I hit dolphins barn and started to lag a bit and then quickly realised that something was wrong…..I couldn’t pin point it but I just felt like I had legs of lead…..not good as I wasn’t even at half way yet!!

Out of nowhere Louis popped up slapped me on the back and told me to get a move on as I had a flight to catch!! Brilliant as that was just what I needed, we ran for a bit and I put the head down and away I went. I actually feel like I sped up for the last 10 k which I was amazed with and I crossed the line with a time of 3:45:39 a new PB and the demons well and truly beaten.

Home and into an ice bath followed 48 hours later by the most painful massage of my life where I was literally beaten up, and I mean the masseuse was punching my legs, and I was yelping……It worked, one transatlantic flight later Emma and I were all set to go.

The Verrazano Bridge

New York began really early and I mean REALLY EARLY, four and a half hours before the start gun(or cannon in their case) early. We were up at 5 am and out of the hotel at 5.30 with an official start time of 10:10. Onto a coach and off to Staten Island and Fort Wandsworth to be precise where they had three holding villages for some 48,000 runners. We were in the second wave and we were herded into holding pens, quite all right really just very well organised and split appropriately as we had to start out on the Verrazano bridge the longest suspension bridge in America (they believe the world but who am I to dispute) for a jaw dropping start where you can literally see for miles and miles in every direction from an elevated position around New York.

Off that and into the Brooklyn for the longest section of the marathon and again jaw dropping sights as there was reported to be 2,500,000 people out on the streets in what can only be described as full on party mode, these guys loved it and we were like rock stars running through the streets. People screaming our names, cheering us on, it was amazing……I don’t think I will ever see the likes of it again at an event. Supporters of all ages and nationalities with their hands out ready to 'high five' you. Someone told us that when your energy levels are flagging draw your energy off the crowd, sounds somewhat crazy but it works!

Turning onto 1st avenue was ridiculous, it's a straight avenue and it's long. Really, really long. You can literally see for miles and the scary bit is, the crowd ahead of you disappeared into the distance, not a good thing because you know you have to run further than you can see! 
Into the Bronx(some Jay Z wannabe's greeted us with a sound stage and chats of 'Welcome to the Bronx, welcome to the Bronx') and out again on to the point of the race that can only be described as horrific! And we really do mean horrific, 5th avenue - the museum mile or mile 22 was all uphill. It's when the 'shuffle run' kicks in for many people, there's tears, and in some cases people dropping to their knees, one lady was in such a bad way Aubrey had to stop and help, she looked up, picked up and moved on with tears in her eyes. A race like this is like no other, if you're not an elite, you're competing against yourself, and the camaraderie along the way really shows true human kindness.

Crossing the finish line!

Out of the park, turn the corner up by the Plaza, up hill again to Columbus Circle, we were nearly there, back into the park and there 400 hundred yards(as the yanks call it), the finish line is right in our sights. And there it is, we've crossed it! Together one of the proudest moments of our lives, not only had we just run a marathon but we had run it for someone else, and with that we got wind that we had smashed the target and raised €10,000 for the Irish Cancer Society.

Thank you for Supporting, Donating, Running, Reading, and everything else we are truly grateful and honoured to have been part of something so special.

Aubrey and Emma.