Musings of a Marathon Mother

Richard Nicotra

So they cancelled the New York City Marathon. I'm sure there are some pretty unhappy folks out there, and it must have been a tough call for a city known for landing on its' feet. I don't pretend to know why it was cancelled, but I have a new hero this morning. Richard Nicotra, owner of the Hilton Garden Inn on Staten Island, refused to oust the hurricane refugees to honor the reservations placed long before for the marathoners and their supporters. I think he came down on the right side of an ethical decision in which there were no winners or losers.
I don't collect heroes. I think we are all heroes within our own capacity and as we recognize the need to step up. However there are some out there whose capacity for heroism would fit in a thimble, and whose radar for genuine need is turned so low they don't hear the beeping.
I have another hero in my life. My son Charles is a working man, a dad, and a runner. He excels at all three, and has earned my respect for him and other marathon runners. He doesn't know it, but many days when I'm feeling like quitting, I think of him running 100 miles at a time, and it gives me the strength to sit down,

Charles Wickersham

I seldom complete my daily assignment of a 45-minute walk, unless you count taking the dog outside 35 times or my trips to the coffee pot. I'm full of admiration for those who take care of their bodies and maximize their appreciation for the natural thrills in life, like running or having a baby, climbing a mountain or breast-feeding their young wherever they want.
My heroes are moms and salesmen and pharmacists and electricians. There's one guy in my life who keeps my computer going. I revere him.
My husband never yells. He's a hero. My daughters keep me sane, or so they think. My sons are too good to me, and I know they'll agree.
My very best to the people who wanted to run the Marathon in New York today. Run anyway. You don't need police tapes or timekeepers to do what only you can do. You don't need reporters and photographers to make you a hero.
Carpe Diem!

For those who'd like to know what makes a ultra-runner tick, there's an 8-minute documentary on Youtube about Charles Wickersham. It was produced in 2010 and is called Run, Pharm Boy, Run. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjWajyh7C6c