Stephanie's NY Marathon Challenge

I am excited to share with you that I have been training hard for past two months in effort to kick some butt at New York City's marathon in November! I am raising money for the children of New York to give them the tools they need for a healthy and active lifestyle. I have seen and experienced a lot of the benefits and also the consequences by the ways we treat our bodies. I believe it is very important for our children to learn good eating habits, nutrition and how to stay active. 
As a teenager I wanted to get into sports and although I was never a runner, I thought a lot about doing track. Someone once told me, "track!? you can't run track, you'll never make it."
I graduated High school and went on to college and set my own goals. "I will be a runner." I started with 1 mile, then went to 3, then to 5. The miles got faster and easier, and the feeling I felt after I was done running and sweating was incredible. Then I thought, "If I can run 5 miles, I can run 7." So I did. Then I thought "If I can run 7 miles, then I can run 10." So  I did. Then I thought, "If I can run 10 miles, I can run a half marathon." So I did. Then I thought "If I can run a half marathon, then I can do a full one." And so I did. And when I crossed that finish line 3 hours and 42 minutes later, nauseous and weak, I thought, "THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY! I'm never doing that again." And here I am, 2 years later training harder than I ever have before.  Earning every bead of sweat, tight muscle and burning sensation, ready to challenge myself once again. "If I can finish my first marathon in 3 hours and 42 minutes, then I can finish my second one faster." I've learned to always challenge myself and that I get what I put into things. So I plan to work my hardest and to make myself proud. Everyone is their own person and only that person can tell themselves what and who they are. That is why I am running for this charity to show children that can be anything they want to be as long as they put their heart into it.
I am a runner.