New Friends XXXII

It felt like I was lunging up the bridge, slow with long strides. I remember thinking, "How fucking long is this damn bridge?" but I didn't just think it I was also saying it out loud because I hear a little voice to the right agree with me, "I know I feel like I have been on it for hours." I looked over to a woman who looked to be a few years younger than me also struggling with the bridges. We laughed at our misery and introduced ourselves. She's a lawyer from Texas trying to fulfill a bucket list item by completing the NYC marathon. Her friends ran ahead when she couldn't keep pace any longer and she was feeling a little defeated. She had a time in mind during her training that she wanted to make or break and with every step she knew that she would most likely double that time. She found out last week that she is eight weeks pregnant and considered not doing the race but it would raise too many flags among all of her friends and family that came to cheer her on...I'm the only one other than her husband who knows she's pregnant. She made a few comments about just walking away because of her time but I did everything to keep her on the road, after all we already passed the halfway marker and were well on our way up 1st avenue in Manhattan. This stretch is brutal and last year I found myself getting emotional hoping for the end and knowing I still have ten miles ahead. My only goal this year was to beat my last years time but now, walking with my new friend who didn't even know if she could finish I threw out all of my expectations...I wasn't leaving her and we are crossing the finish line together. I couldn't leave her because if she fell or fainted no one would know she is pregnant, not that I took her on as my responsibility, we became friends and I wanted to support her in finishing her own race. My only real goal is to cross the finish line but if I can help her do it too then even better. "Listen, we're going to talk about quitting and finishing a lot in the next few miles but no matter what we are getting our medals." I started grabbing food from the crowd for her and we laughed at how on any other day we wouldn't be eating opened food out of strangers hands but once you get through the Bronx, arrive back into Manhattan and hit 5th Avenue...I'd eat just about anything.