NYC Half 2013

On Sunday, March 17th, Cheer New York layered up to cheer at an event we participate in every year, the NYC Half Marathon. The thousands of racers weren't going to let the unseasonable cold keep them from putting a "spring" in their step! Upon arriving at the designated Cheer NY Cheer Zone, teammates were shaking and chattering due to the weather, early hour and excitement for the NYC Half. 

Once the race started, a sea of faces streamed down the West Side Highway, and Cheer New York was there near mile 11 to pump the runners up for the final stretch.

photo courtesy of NYRR

For many members of the team, this race is possibly one of the most emotional. It's always fun to dance, stunt and cheer but at this race we are able to connect more with several runners who not only waved and smiled but, high fived, hugged and a few racers even got a little jiggy with us. This race is longer and more physically demanding than a 5k, but more intimate than the NYC ING Marathon.

 We rallied on the athletes for three hours and in that time we saw the spirit of those racing; beginning with wheelchair racers, followed by the top men and women, LGBT friends from the Front Runners NY team, the thousands of NYRR racers and all the way to the very last local runner.

Some runners who were out of steam seemed to come alive and picked up the pace once they saw us. It is incredibly inspiring to see runners light up and get a second (or perhaps third or fourth) wind.

When the racers laughed, smiled and even thanked us for cheering them on, all thoughts of chilly weather were gone. And it was a special treat for us to cheer on three of our own teammates, Abbey C., Katie M., and Rachael G., as they traded in their pom poms for some sneakers and took to the pavement.

It was an intoxicating feeling knowing that you helped at least one person achieve a personal goal. We did not stunt or jump this year (due to the bitter cold), which for some members is a personal favorite part of events, but it was always easy to keep a smile on our faces at the NYC Half.

Great job and a huge congrats to the thousands of finishers from this past weekend’s NYC Half Marathon. We are proud of YOU!

NYC 1/2 Marathon

If you live in NYC, you've probably already heard.... The NYC 1/2 Marathon is this weekend!

It's pretty hard to miss the mass quantity of posters everywhere along the city.
Cheer New York is so excited to have been invited to be in the cheering zone at mile 11 to encourage all the runners.

We are especially excited to cheer at this race because our very own Rachael G. is running the race this year! This is Rachael's very first 1/2 marathon and we could not be more proud to be there to support her in this endeavor.

I sat down with Rachael last week and picked her brain a little bit about what she thinks this race is going to be like for her, enjoy our interview!
Abbey C.: How long have you been a runner?
Rachael G.: I just started running last spring! I took a beginners class with the NYRR that was super basic. The goal was just to run for 20 minutes.
AC: Wow, so you just caught the running bug then hu?
RG: Yeah, then I started doing a bunch of 5K's
AC: So what made you want to do a 1/2 marathon?
RG: Well I heard about the lottery and I figured, I'd just enter. If I made it in, it would be a sign it was meant to be. Then my name was picked....
AC: What is the farthest distance you have ever run?
RG: 8 miles; I need to tackle 10 miles later this week though.
AC: What is your pace like and what is your goal for finishing on March 18th?
RG: I'm currently running about 10 minutes per mile. Really I just want to finish the race, but I'm hoping to run it in 2 hours 30 minutes. Just finishing is such a mental challenge. There's a lot of pain involved. My goal is to not stop running. If I feel like I need to, then I'll allow myself little 30 second rests, and that's OK.
AC: Have you had any injuries since you started training?
RG: Nothing major. I have bad knees, so that's always an issue; but I also think my toe nails might be bruised.
AC: Bruised toe nails?! I didn't even know there was such a thing. That sounds painful!
RG: Yeah, I have polish on them right now, so I can't see if that's actually what's happening but that's what it feels like.
AC: Do you have anyone coming to watch you from the sidelines?
RG: Not a lot, just a few friends at the finish line.
AC: How do you feel about Cheer NY being there at the 11th mile?
RG: It's going to be so cool that I'll know people along the way. I'm totally running this alone, so that will be comforting. I've cheered the race in years past and it was always so much fun to watch.
AC: What do you think finishing is going to feel like?
RG: Ohmigosh! I don't even know, I just hope I make it there. No, I know I will. But I know I'm going to be crying at the end; like full on snot ball. I cry at the end of every long run I do like "I can't believe I just did that!". I'm going to be a mess.

I know I speak for the rest of Cheer New York when I say a huuuuge GOOD LUCK to Rachael this weekend! Run like the wind girl!