Just because something is the right thing doesn’t mean that we can’t be sad about it.

I knew they would be cancelling the New York City Marathon.  They had to.  It only made sense to cancel it.  

You can’t run the world’s largest (and greatest) marathon during a pandemic.

I get it.

Still, I am sad.

The surgery on my Achilles tendon took place exactly 24 weeks ago today.  On this pages, I have chronicled my attempt to comeback from the surgery and get ready for the marathon.  I have had a few small set-backs, but I was progressing in the right direction.

This morning I ran four easy miles on the treadmill.  I was trying to ramp up to get ready for the 16-week training period before the marathon which was coming soon.  I had feared that it was too much too soon.  I didn’t think I’d be able to push my body through the intensive training period coming off the surgery.

Now I don’t have to.  

Rather than 16-weeks, I will now have 16-months to get ready.  It’s a much better approach.  

I have been given the gist of time.  Now I can focus on slowly healing and taking the long path to get ready for the long run.

Still, I am sad.

I love that race.  I have said before that the New York City Marathon is part of who I am.  I am that race and that race is me.  Due to the injury, I missed it last year.  Now we will all miss it this year.

They made the right call.  Safety first.  I’m glad they did.

You can’t run a marathon in a pandemic.  You just can’t.  

But that doesn’t mean I can’t be sad about it.