Welcome to Marathon Sunday!
Yours truly will be among nearly 60,000 runners taking on the five boroughs today. I’ve spent months training for this one — with a little help from Muse, Meta’s AI agent.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about how I had become addicted to Muse. Since then, Muse has become part of my marathon training, helping me map out long runs and shape an overall race plan. After the Staten Island half marathon last month, it even asked me, unprompted, “how’d the half go?”
The other day, I gave Muse my bib number and asked it to track my run. I’m hoping for real-time feedback and analysis, delivered straight through my AirPods, on how my race is unfolding and how I can stay on pace to achieve my goals.
But no AI agent can replicate the wisdom from real people.
At Business Insider, five of us are running the NYC marathon this year. We range from a first-time marathoner (Discourse editor Zak Jason) to a true veteran in Anthony DeMaio on the sales team, who will be running his 23rd NYC marathon (and roughly his 40th overall marathon; he says he’s lost count!)
I asked them to share their best marathon advice for runners, spectators, or if you’re simply trying to understand why someone would pay $330 to run 26.2 miles.
Here’s what they had to say:
Noah Sheidlower, senior economy reporter: Live in the moment and acknowledge the spectators who came out to support. My race time last year was disappointing, but I had an absolute blast because I was high-fiving everyone and making people’s days. Tap the “power up” marathon sign that little kids are holding, give a fist pump to strangers, and laugh when you see a funny sign that someone put a lot of effort into. The marathon shouldn’t just be a celebration of your individual work but a community celebration honoring the greatest city on earth. Oh also, buy merch and don’t feel guilty about it! I bit the bullet and got the blue jacket, and it looks so good.
Kathleen Elkins, investing correspondent: Soak it all in! Write your name on your shirt, absorb all of the hearty cheers, give the high-fives and the smiles! When you give New Yorkers energy, they’ll give it right back.
Zak Jason, Discourse executive editor: As a first-time marathoner, I’m in no position to advise on anything — other than to trust the advice of people who have done hard things before you, because they want you to be awake to the gift of being alive. (Then again, someone also told me it’s OK to pee yourself during the race.)
Anthony DeMaio, global head of sales: Can’t wait to run my 23rd NYC Marathon. The marathon is a celebration of preparation. Every early morning and every tough summer long run builds the confidence to stand on the starting line. The days you don’t want to run are often the ones that matter most, discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want right now. Embrace the hard moments; they prepare you for the miles when things get tough. And remember, running is a team sport. Let people support you, and support them in return. To all my fellow runners: May the wind be at your back, the sun on your shoulders, and the crowds carry you all the way to the finish.
And for me, my standard advice is that the first five miles can make or break a marathon. Go slower than your expected pace at the beginning. If you think you’re going too slow at the onset, go even slower.
You’ll thank yourself later!
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