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Many members of the Eyewitness News Team have completed the NYC Marathon over the years - look for their stories and memorable accounts here on the blog. Meteorologist Amy Freeze and Eyewitness News Producer Jay Holder will lead our blog coverage, but we invite you to post comments, send in ideas and share your own marathon stories. Good luck in your 2012 ING NYC Marathon!  

 

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Raised to Run: Ellen Hart

I met Ellen Hart while I was living in Denver while I was training for my very first marathon.  She was more than fast.  I admire her for her strength beyond running.  Overcoming obstacles, being a working mother, and always a friend on the race course!  Here is a great article on her and below are her thoughts on running.  This will be her first ING NYC Marathon! 

Ellen Hart

Amy Freeze:  What are the reasons behind your runs?  You have returned to competitive running!

Ellen Hart:  I run because it makes me feel good. Now, not every run feels good, but overall, there is never a day that I don't feel better after I've gone running, than I did before. It makes my body, my mind and my heart feel better. I seldom run with music (only when I'm on a treadmill), so I have lots of time for thinking on a run. Sometimes I have a worry or a problem to figure out, but usually I let my mind wander where it will. It's as if the bucket of stuff gets sorted somehow, settles itself into an order I might not have discovered on my own. I think I was put on the earth for a few reasons. One of them is running--I never have to question the "rightness" of running. When I feel strong and fast, I exult in the capabilities of the human body. When I feel slow and hunched over, I am grateful for the quality of persistence, and the opportunity just to be able to run at all (one of my sisters has MS). When I am in a period of running consistently (there have been injuries and children requiring time off) I like how my body responds to the demands of the activity. I like breathing hard, I like muscles.

TEAMABC7: Amy Freeze

The pictures above are from last year's race.  This will be my 3rd ING NYC Marathon.  The events of the past week with Hurricane Sandy have given this year's race a new tone and a new direction.  The freedom's we enjoy - transportation, power, beach front views have been ripped from us.  Even going to and from work and school and church have been put in jeopardy.  But resilence is about finding a way.  Running is a symbol of the solutions that must be found ahead.

Raised to Run: Chris Meadows

Last year, my marathon training partner was Curt Nuncio. You can read what I wrote about him last year before our race. READ about CURT HERE

There are those that will be missed on the course during this year's race for many reasons.  Curt is one of them. Curt passed away suddenly in March.  These are some thoughts from his sister. 

Curt Nuncio and Chris Meadows

Raised to Run: Swag Hartel

By Amy Freeze

I first started running with my dad - who was a “middle of the packer” but that didn’t keep him for admiring the guys that won the races. My Dad made sure that I learned how to run from the very best.  While "learning to run" might seem like a funny statement.  There are tricks of the trade - and learning them from other runners is an ongoing eneavor for me.  The summer after my first Mini Marathon I attended a running camp put on by the legendary Swag Hartel. I joined other preteens learning form, how to run sprints, drinking just enough water before races and how to chose the right shoes. I still think about the simple, basic tips Swag taught me during that camp that I use today:

MARATHON MOVES FORWARD

THE RACE IS ON.... CLICK HERE

Achilles NYC Marathoners

Link to how to become a Guide or Join Achilles 

 

By AMY FREEZE

Achilles

Achilles

Training Talk: Catching up with American Record-Holder Deena Kastor

By Jay Holder

Deena Kastor's come back to racing didn't go exactly as she had hoped.  Sunday's Los Angeles Rock and Roll Half Marathon was her first race since a back injury forced her out of the Olympic Trials in January. She wanted to run 1:12.  But, after taking an early lead, she ended up finishing second in 1:14:51. Before the race, we had a chance to catch up with the American record holder in the marathon and the 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist and talk about her long, successful career and what lies ahead.

 

Training Talk: Catching up with Olympian Ryan Hall

By Jay Holder

Ryan Hall ran the fastest marathon ever run by an American clocking in at 2:04:58 in the 2011 Boston Marathon.  He followed it up with a second place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston this past January.  However, at the Olympics, Hall had to pull out of the race at mile 9 with an injury.  Injury is also causing him to miss the ING New York City Marathon on November 4^th.  But Hall still plans to be in New York on marathon weekend.  Thanks to his sponsor, Asics, The Team 7 Blog caught up with him to chat about his recovery, his plans for the future, training and whether he has really read Moby Dick and The Odyssey.

I know you were feeling pretty beat up after the Olympics. How are you feeling now?

I am feeling really good.  When I had another injury come up in training for the ING NYC marathon it was obvious that my body needed a big break to recuperate and regenerate for the next 4 years of intense training and racing ahead.  I push myself really hard to train effectively for my marathons and sometimes in my enthusiasm to race marathons every spring and fall it can be tough to pass on an opportunity to race but my body obviously needed a big break.  So I just finished a nice month break and am now feeling healthy and as hungry as ever to get ready for a spring marathon.  

Raised to Run: Bart Yasso

I love Bart Yasso.  He's a great human being.  I "met" him as a reader of Runners World.  I first saw him in person at a Running Expo in Philadelphia where he was so popular - you had to wait in line to say "Hi!"   Then I was lucky enough to interview him for TV segments. When I invited him to be on our MEDIA RELAY TEAM - he agreed, showed up, and was the life of the party.  If you don't know Bart, your running experience is not complete. Consider this your introduction.  Meet Bart Yasso...

"Running isn’t about how far you go but how far you’ve come"

“The reward is living the lifestyle and embracing the journey.  It’s not only about finishing, it’s about moving forward."

Tips from Bart Yasso on Race Preparations

• Try to get to bed early Friday. If you’re unable to sleep well Saturday night, don’t worry about it. You might even be less groggy if you’ve been awake for hours before start of a marathon.
•  Eat several smaller meals throughout the day on Saturday. Leave a banana or energy bar out the night before the race. If you do wake up at 3 a.m., take a bite and go back to sleep.
• When you get to the starting line, take a minute to think how fortunate you are to be able to run a marathon, both physically and culturally.

AMY FREEZE:  Bart!  You are the undisputed King of Road Racing?  Everyone loves you and knows you on the racing circuit. How did u start running?

BART YASSO:  When I started running I started dreaming about what I wanted most out of life. I knew I wanted to travel around the world, experience exotic locations and different cultures. Did you run in High School? I didn’t run in high school. I played lots other sports in my younger years but I made a critical error and chose the path of alcohol and drugs. I was very lucky to gravitate towards in 1977 which could have saved my life.

AMY FREEZE:  You travel so muh and are always on the go! What are your current current running habits

BART YASSO:  I have running goals but none of them are related to racing. My goals are to motivate and engage people that never thought they would be a runner.

AMY FREEZE:  I'm convinced you have run every race on the planet... what's your most favorite of all your favorites?!?

BART YASSO: Comrades ultra marathon in South Africa. The oldest and largest ultra marathon in the world.

AMY FREEZE:  You'v faced your own adversity in life... how have the health challenges affected your training and running?  And what advice do you have for those who must overcome challenges?

BART YASSO: I contracted Lyme disease twice, in 1990 and again in 1997. Running never helped my Lyme disease. Living with chronic Lyme is very painful. Doctors compare the symptoms to rheumatoid arthritis. My legs swell I limp around the office most days. I am still trying to figure out how to be a runner dealing with Lyme disease.

AMY FREEZE:  It might seem like a silly question but when you meet non runners they might sk you 'Why do you run?'

BART YASSO:  I know I feel more like myself when I run, even if it’s only a few miles, or at least I feel like the self I like best.

BART's Website HERE

BART on TWITTER 

BART on FACEBOOK 

 

TEAMABC7 Finishers: JACK SHEAHAN

I'm happy to welcome a 19-time Marathoner and Co-workerJack Sheahan to the #TEAMABC7 Blog.  His running resume is impressive!  Enjoy his entry which includes some incredible tips! - Amy Freeze

My thoughts on the NYC Marathon, wow… I have a lot of them.  By Jack Sheahan

I’ve done 12 NYC Marathons, 19 Marathons total, since November 1998. And no doubt, magnitude-wise, there is the NYC Marathon, and then there are all the others (that I’ve done, at least). Chicago and London are big time too, Marine Corp. is great (and my Marathon PR 3:35:43 in 2000, got that Paul Ryan?) but NYC is just a massive, massive event. In the past, I have called it “an attack on every sense, visually, sonically, etc. It feels different than every other race, it sounds different, it even smells different.