{"id":6477,"date":"2023-08-12T03:48:53","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T20:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6477"},"modified":"2023-08-12T03:48:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T20:48:53","slug":"what-its-like-for-a-slow-runner-to-do-a-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6477","title":{"rendered":"What It\u2019s Like for a \u2018Slow Runner\u2019 To Do a Marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span>s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/baybayquinn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/baybayquinn\/\">Bailey Quinn<\/a> approached the finish line of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyrr.org\/tcsnycmarathon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nyrr.org\/tcsnycmarathon\">New York City Marathon<\/a> at around 8:15 p.m., she expected the conclusion of her race to go the same way the last 10 or so miles had: Mostly private, and exhausted. She planned to celebrate with her boyfriend in person and her mom over FaceTime. Instead, for her final strides, she was greeted by a roaring crowd, people yelling her name, lights, cameras, and what felt like a party just for her.<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOh my gosh, there&#8217;s people, there&#8217;s a ton of people, there&#8217;s a finish line and cameras and videos,\u201d Quinn remembers realizing as she approached the finish line. \u201cIt was probably one of the coolest moments of feeling like, wow, like this event has been going all day. People started running at 7:30 in the morning. And there were people still out here for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CkpE1raDGTg\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\"><\/blockquote>\n<p>The moment went viral, helped along by the fact that Quinn was wearing a rainbow tutu and an exuberant, infectious smile. As seen in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CkpE1raDGTg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CkpE1raDGTg\/\">a video posted on the NYC Marathon\u2019s Instagram<\/a>, Katy Perry\u2019s \u201cFirework\u201d plays and Quinn pumps her fists and yells \u201cYes, yes!\u201d You can\u2019t help but cheer for her.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Quinn\u2019s obvious elation in the video, virality has its drawbacks. Comments on the video of Quinn\u2019s finish criticized her end time and questioned the validity of her getting a spot in the marathon. While there is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/02\/well\/move\/martinus-evans-slow-af-run-club.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/02\/well\/move\/martinus-evans-slow-af-run-club.html\">burgeoning movement supporting slow runners<\/a> and the need for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pace-inclusivity\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pace-inclusivity\/\">pace inclusivity<\/a> at races, the Instagram comments play on a fear fellow slow runners or marathon novices may have of finishing later in the day or of coming in last.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marathon-slow-runner\/\" current-title=\"This Is What It\u2019s Actually Like Being One of the Last Runners To Cross the Finish Line\" current-image=\"GettyImages-marathon-slow-runner-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-11\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marathon-slow-runner\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marathon-slow-runner\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marathon-slow-runner\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Quinn understands those fears, but doesn\u2019t think anyone should let that stop them from experiencing what she did. \u201cIt is a very, very valid fear, \u2018I don&#8217;t wanna be last, I don&#8217;t wanna be the person singled out,\u2019&#8221; she says. &#8220;But it comes down to, when you look back on your life and your accomplishments, is it really gonna sit with you and bother you that you finished last? Or are you just gonna be more excited to tell friends, family, your kids, I did this. I did it as me.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How Bailey Quinn ran her race with perseverance, support, and joy<\/h2>\n<p>The 2022 NYC Marathon was Quinn\u2019s first race ever. She hadn\u2019t done a 5K, 10K, or a half. She didn\u2019t even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/world-athletics-championships\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/world-athletics-championships\/\">consider herself a runner<\/a>. But she wanted to take on the personal challenge, to raise money for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.runwithtfk.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.runwithtfk.org\/\">Team for Kids<\/a>\u2014a charity that funds <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyrr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nyrr.org\/\">New York Road Runners\u2019<\/a> youth programming\u2014and to have fun.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, Quinn was a fourth-year medical student (she is now a resident in pediatrics). She did have some time goals initially, but an injury forced her to reassess her motivations and decide that her goal was to finish, and to do it for herself.<\/p>\n<p>It was a moment of reframing Quinn had been through before. She played several sports growing up, and describes finishing medical school as a quest to finish \u201c21st grade.\u201d She identifies as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CkzPvY2t8IE\/?img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CkzPvY2t8IE\/?img_index=1\">endurance athlete<\/a> since she bikes and swims (and now runs) long distances. But in 2014, she realized that to maintain a love of movement, competition could no longer define her relationship with exercise. That was when she decided to bike across the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a point in my journey with health and wellness and athletics that I sat down and asked myself, Who do I do this for?\u201d Quinn says. \u201cDo I care if I&#8217;m fast? No. Do I care if I&#8217;m beating other people? No. I care that I showed up for me and I did something I deemed worthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That spirit, the confetti canons of marathon spectators, and pure adrenaline carried Quinn through the first half of the marathon. She describes the beginning, running through Brooklyn, as a time of pure joy, and that she didn\u2019t even start to feel the struggle of running a marathon until mile 12.<\/p>\n<p>In the middle of the race, the realities of marathon running at the back of the pack\u2014the hours of physical exertion, and the fact that there were fewer and fewer people on the road\u2014intensified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were moments that I was like, \u2018Oh boy, I am so far behind everybody else. How am I getting through this?\u2019\u201d Quinn says. \u201cI knew I would be a slow-goer. I knew I was gonna just stick to my strategy around my race. But it certainly was daunting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The key to getting through it was attitude, support, and preparation. Quinn reminded herself that she didn\u2019t care that she was behind everyone else; she just wanted to finish. Her boyfriend met up with her at points throughout the route to give her hydration, snacks, and encouragement. Late in the race, strangers still watching shoved orange slices into her hands. (Quinn yelled &#8220;I love you&#8221; in response.) And at all times she kept electrolytes and fuel with her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn aspect of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/slow-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/slow-marathon\/\">being a last finisher<\/a> is that preparedness and that awareness of your situation,\u201d Quinn says. \u201cI knew in my head, I need this many electrolytes, this many powders, because realistically after mile 12 to 13, I might be alone with no first aid, no rest stops. And I need to be physically safe if I want to finish this race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Accomplishing that goal was not a given. A miscommunication with her boyfriend caused them to miss a meetup in the late teen miles, so she felt the isolation and struggle build up. At mile 23, when they did reunite, she said she didn\u2019t know if she could do it; she was too gassed. Her boyfriend plied her with fuel and encouraged her to just keep moving. One motivator was continuing to take selfies at every mile\u2014even when the mile markers had already been taken down\u2014to bask in each moment of achievement, and spur her on to make it to the next one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really love documenting the journey even when the journey is painful,\u201d Quinn says.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the finish came, and the insecurity, doubt, and fatigue of the previous few hours washed away. \u201cNo one was looking at times, no one was telling me what number I finished,\u201d Quinn says. \u201cPeople were just like, \u2018Oh my God, you finished.\u2019 And I was like, \u2018Oh my God, I did.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Her advice for back-of-the-pack runners<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re a \u201cslow runner\u201d or novice racer contemplating a race like a marathon, fears of finishing last, of running alone, of feeling left behind aren\u2019t unwarranted. Quinn advises that you should be aware of the realities, and plan to have adequate support in the face of them\u2014namely, in the form of a support person or people along the way. Know that amenities might not be there anymore, and you may have to complete the final miles on the sidewalk (while stopping for traffic), if you finish after the official cut-off time.<\/p>\n<p>Yet there are also some perks: Barriers get taken down, so you can actually celebrate with friends and family at the finish. At some races, support organizations like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Project-Finish-100070584655482\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Project-Finish-100070584655482\/\">Project Finish<\/a> at the NYC marathon will make an end-of-day finish line a party. And Quinn calls the joyous attitude of fellow late finishers and their support people &#8220;unparalleled.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But the most important determinant of whether a race is something you want to take on is your motivation. What are you there for? What are your goals? Outside of the paradigm of finishing first, or finishing within a certain time, what does a \u201cwin\u201d look like for you?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s never risk-free to put yourself out there,\u201d Quinn says. \u201cBut I really challenge those people with self-doubts to have them challenge [themselves with], How much fun can I make this? Because it really is just all about what you make it. Learning how to dance in the rain, and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Bailey Quinn approached the finish line of the New York City Marathon at around 8:15 p.m., she expected the conclusion of her race to go the same way the last 10 or so miles had: Mostly private, and exhausted. She planned to celebrate with her boyfriend in person and her mom over FaceTime. Instead, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}