#RunnerNeedsAJob

After my high school running career was over, I decided I wanted to run a marathon, with the goal of finishing under 3 hours. In 35 degree temperatures, 25 mph winds and freezing rain, I completed the Rock N' Roll DC Marathon in 2:58:53. The race and hypothermia afterward were miserable, and I swore I would never do a marathon again.

Soon after I realized I had a time that qualified for the Boston Marathon. I figured if I did not run it in 2016 I would most likely never get the chance to run in it, so I put in my application. I was not going for a personal record or any specific time. I was really looking to have fun in this race, so I figured why not try to make the most of my miles?

At the time, I needed a summer job/internship, so I came up with the idea to put #RunnerNeedsAJob on the back of my singlet. My sister and I planned what we were going to write on social media the night before. As I was running, my sister tweeted out my progress, putting #RunnerNeedsAJob at the end of every tweet. News stations began to catch on. I had articles written about me on Boston.com, BostonGlobe.com, and NJ.com, as well as a Chasing News TV segment. Best of all, I was able to get my internship with the Reeve Foundation for the summer. My "15 minutes of fame" were all worth it.

Regarding the actual race, it was incredible. People were cheering me on rows deep for three-and-a-half hours. The weather was perfect (certainly better than my first marathon!). My pace was easy so I could actually enjoy the race, and a few kisses from the Wellesley Scream Tunnel didn't hurt. Anyone who has the opportunity to run in the Boston Marathon should absolutely do it; it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.