NYC Marathon (also, Lo is my hero)

This weekend I was up in the Big Apple for my second stint as an enthusiastic spectator of the New York City Marathon, this time cheering for my near and dear friend, Laura ("Lo"), who impressed and amazed us all with her excellent show of physical/emotional/human resolve. It was a great day for a race, clear and sunny conditions and an overall beautiful day in the City.

Not to take away from the incredible feat of running 26.2 miles, but being a spectator is not an easy task! Hopping the boroughs via the packed-like-sardines subway while trying to keep up with your runner (who, you must remind yourself, is running the entire time you're planning your viewing spots), is pretty stressful in itself. But in the end, it was a great adventure and we were able to catch Lo three times on the course before finally catching up with her at the finish, at which time she looked like she could have done it again (ok, maybe not, but she looked fantastic and her spirits were high!!) Here's a post-race snapshot of Lo and her cheering posse (that's right, those are custom-made shirts, don't be jealous) .

Lo, I couldn't be more proud of you for not only your strong finish (you beat Oprah!!), but for the determination and commitment you showed over the past several months. What can I say, I'm now inspired and am contemplating tackling a marathon of my own in the future! Ok, I don't want to get ahead of myself just yet. But I'm definitely in for the annual Turkey Trot tradition on Thanksgiving morning!

A special shoutout also goes to Alli, who basically decided the day of the race that she'd jump in with Lo and run for a "couple miles" and ended up doing an 8-mile stretch from mile 8 to 16! Major props.

See more weekend pics on my Flickr.