David Johnson

All the miles (618 miles) ran, the 5 a.m. early mornings, and the sacrifices throughout my journey; lead to this unforgettable experience running on behalf of @ijm in the @nycmarathon

I started off great for the first 15 miles, averaging 7:05-7:15 minute /mile pace…….until the dreaded mile 16 BRIDGE, that’s DEADLY silent! I started seeing a ton of people stopping, having to stretch their legs from cramping. Then, BOTH of my quads and calves started cramping. I tried shaking them out and fighting through it, but no luck. Next, my hamstrings ALSO started cramping 😅. Now, I’m on survival mode for the REST of the race (10 MILES haha). Thankfully, the crowd was so energetic and was handing out everything I needed like pickle juice, orange slices, and even muscle relaxing spray! I ended up running a 3:43 marathon. Not what I hoped for, but the experience and spreading awareness for @ijm was far more important than the time. 🙏🏾🙌🏾

I’m beyond blessed and honored for this opportunity, and have a greater appreciation for marathon runners. I’m thinking I might consider moving down to half marathons from now on 😅

#tcsnycmarathon #marathon #tcsnewyorkcitymarathon #firstmarathon #untilallarefree