November 8, 2025, Post-Marathon

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While I have pages of writing about this past weekend (my birthday, one-year sobriety milestone, and the NYC Marathon) that’s begging for edits, I couldn’t let another day pass without sharing a huge wave of gratitude.

I’m usually a lone wolf when it comes to my long runs and races, but this year was beautifully different. I truly felt a whole tribe of elephants thundering with me through all five boroughs—powerful footfalls rumbling the ground, trumpet calls echoing through the streets. I’ve never had so much fun before, during, and after a race, and this was my eighth time running the NYC course!

I had to laugh when the first professional marathon photos dropped. (It takes over a week to upload them all—with 59,000+ runners, that’s incredible!) Here’s the thing: my Enneagram 7 self doesn’t plan outfits carefully. My default is all black—very New York, very concert production world, which is my daily life. With the warmer temps on race day, I ditched my black long-sleeve and ran in a tank top I’d grabbed because I knew it would keep me comfortable. What I didn’t realize until I saw the photos was that I’d run 26.2 miles with a grinning demon on my shirt!

That old tank had been buried in my drawer for years. I’d bought it after visiting New Zealand, fascinated by the warrior demon folklore I’d encountered there. But I’d completely forgotten about the design when I threw it on that morning.

Then it hit me: what perfect timing. This past year has been my “Battle of the Demons”—starting with the ever-humorous but destructive Wine Witch (thank you Clare Pooley, Sober Diaries) during my 21-day “alcohol reset” a year ago, and then personally meeting some real assholes along the way. Some of you may have met them too, either on your own journey or in my past writings. And here I was, finishing my eighth NYC Marathon on the anniversary of that decision, literally wearing a demon on my chest while grinning ear to ear in the finish photos.

Those last few miles through Central Park, I ran faster and stronger than I expected, digging deeper than I knew I could. That smile in the photo? It represents triumph over the current demons in my world. I’m a big fan of “One Day at a Time,” and that day, I won.

I might just have to print that photo.

May we all continue to battle and win our battles over our demons—with humor, strength, balance, and perseverance.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, my work demons are tapping their feet beside me, demanding attention.