My niece, who’s about to enter business school, ran the 2006 ING NYC Marathon. I asked her to write a note to a member of my Club, which I then put in the Club newsletter. It’s a different perspective.

“I have to say it was one of the greatest things I have ever done and I actually can’t wait to run another marathon.

“I was not a runner at all before this year. I played volleyball throughout high school and college (a sport where running long distances is looked down upon because it decreases your vertical). I also played soccer and lacrosse, but had never run more than 3 miles when I graduated college a year and a half ago. However, I had attended the Boston Marathon every year and I always said running a marathon was something I wanted to do, although I never actually believed I would be able to do it. I moved to New York and started working full time but missed having a schedule to follow and a goal to reach. I thought about doing triathlons, but it was too hard for me to find places to swim and bike. So, I went for the next best thing . . . training for a marathon. I found a schedule on the road runners website (which had lower mileage during the week making it easier with work) and long runs on Saturdays. I followed it for four months. Every week I was amazed that I could actually run that far. And by following it, my body was prepared for race day and I was able to recover very quickly.

“As for the day of the race, it was unbelievable. So many people of all shapes and sizes all running just to cross the finish line. And then the number of people who are cheering you during the 26.2 miles is incredible. They have no clue who you are, but when they call your name, you feel as if you have known them your whole life. While it was not the most pleasant 4 plus hours of my life, the feeling when crossing the finish line was completely worth it. Now all I think about are the good things . . . my family and friends that were so supportive (well, after they realized that I was actually serious about running), the feeling of achieving a goal I wasn’t positive I could do, crossing the finish line, and then being congratulated by strangers while walking back to my apartment. It was great. All in all, I would encourage everyone to run a marathon (and as I learned, I think most people would be able to if they set their mind to it).

“I started with a goal to cross the finish line but now I want to get a better time. I plan on running half marathons in the next few months and hope to get faster with each race. People have always told me running marathons is addictive and I finally see why.

“Sorry for all of the random information, but I am definitely very excited about the whole event.”