Sponsor A Mile ... And Fight Multiple Myeloma

I'm running the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6 and you can now sponsor ANY of my 26.2 miles. 🙏 Please join me and let’s make it fun for a great cause! Pick one and your donation goes to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. We're at nearly $2700 raised toward the $3000 target! Just donate right here, say what mile in the comments here, and I will add you to my tracker here and run that mile for you. I’m in the run/walk mode with this 19th marathon, so you literally can help push me to run more in that mile. READY...GO!

How it works: your "mile" starts with the previous mile's marker and finishes with the mile number you chose. So if you sponsor Mile 1, obviously that's from the start line to the Mile 1 marker halfway across the...

Staten Island/Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Mile 1:
Mile 2:

Brooklyn

Mile 3: Roger Bickel
Mile 4:
Mile 5:
Mile 6:
Mile 7: Camille Campins-Adams
Mile 8:
Mile 9:
Mile 10: Lisa Orfino-Newman
Mile 11: Penny Orfino
Mile 12: Jeff Plain
Mile 13: Gerri Plain

(That's the Pulaski Bridge by the East River looking at the NYC skyline and we're halfway done!)

Queens

Mile 14: Ashley Stevenson Jenkins
Mile 15:

Manhattan

Mile 16: Mary Van Dusen Mitchell
Mile 17:
Mile 18:
Mile 19: Cindy Lampe

The Bronx

Mile 20:

Manhattan

Mile 21:
Mile 22: The Hymans
Mile 23: Karen Harper
Mile 24: Bruce Harper
Mile 25: Mary & Reece Newman
Mile 26 + .2 (This is extra-special...how badly do you want it?)

Here is the course map so you can see exactly where your mile is happening.

I am running this marathon in honor of my father Kurt Newman and his mother Marguerite Newman, both of whom were taken in their 60s by multiple myeloma. I have tested with The Promise Study of the Dana Farber Institute and so far no precursor conditions of MM, and I will take that early detection test the rest of my life. In the meantime, I’d rather do something to fight this disease and I’d be honored if you would literally join me in this marathon.

Thanks so much to those friends and family who have already donated to my MMRF fundraiser. You’ve pushed us so close to the New York Road Runners' required goal of $3,000 raised! If you’d like to also sponsor a mile, this is separate and more noisy so feel free to jump in!

After it’s all over, I’ll update here on how your mile went! Let’s do big things…

You can also find me at:
Twitter | Instagram

26.2 things to know about the New York City Marathon

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will be my fifth, going back to the first one in 2007. For those preparing now to live out the dream journey through the five boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan, here are some things you need to know:

A triumph of the will over all limits

"A triumph of the will over all limits." That is what it says on the back of my 2007 New York City Marathon medal, a quote from the great Alberto Salazar.

That was my first marathon, and today I re-examined that medal and looked at it closely. Once proudly displayed, it now hangs and clangs against nearly 100 other medals in a temporary setting on a hook on the bak of an upstairs closet door, away from view.

I will fix that one day soon. It will be back where it belongs. One step at a time. We moved in 2018 from the NYC area down to St. Petersburg, Florida, and running suddenly became an afterthought when I dealt with debilitating lower-body pain and a successful back surgery that first winter here.

After a year of building up strength physically and mentally, I began light running a few months ago. I set out to lose 40 pounds, and as of now I am down from 230 to 215. A new LA Fitness membership was a big deal, and then it was closed just like that. So now I'm with all of you, working out any way that makes sense amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Here's my plan:

- I have been running 5Ks on my own along Tampa Bay, mixing in Cannondale bike laps around the Tampa Bay Rays' parking lot and swimming in our pool.

- I do curb pushups on an island in that MLB parking lot, and at home my weightlifting consists of a PVC pipe that has bookbags filled with water jugs hanging off each end. (Thanks to my friend Ashley, owner of the Pushin' Weight Crossfit studio in Richmond, VA, for the idea.)

- I start each day with a protein powder shake and I eat sardines for lunch. The first interview I ever did as a young Miami Herald reporter in 1982 was with Bill Rodgers, who was visiting our One Herald Plaza office that day while on a tour to promote Norwegian Sardines. He left me a black T-shirt with those two words on it in white, and said they helped him win the Boston and NYC marathons. I never forgot, and to this day I thrive on sardines, ideally from Trader Joe's. For dinner, Rachel is usually cooking something healthy, as she is spending these quarantine months with us down from NYC, where she goes to grad school.

No matter what, I know that running is always there when you need it. It always leads to positive developments in life, even if it hurts along the way. I am reminded of this now that I have restarted this @Marathoner blog. One step at a time. It's like running a marathon.

- I talked to Marathon Maniacs and my membership as Maniac #6697 is extended. So I'm that same guy who was ASICS Ambassador for an LA Marathon finish:

 

- I find that I am fitting in my old running clothes, a nice upshot of losing 40 pounds.

- I am due for a new pair of running shoes. I am rotating a couple of pairs of Brooks Glycerines and Hoka Ones, and the cushioning has been enough for 5K distance. I'll need more for the road ahead.

- It's time for a better way of listening to audio while running. I go through many wired earbuds because sweat means you eventually just hear on one side, and I gave away a wireless set. I don't want Apple pods because I know it will be a waste of money when I soak them. AfterShokz sponsored out last #RunChat on Sunday, and I am really intrigued by their bone conduction technology so that might be a possibility for future runs.

Speaking of sardines, I have no idea how soon people will want to be crammed back into corrals or road races. But I will be there as soon as the light is green. I can't wait to sign up for another race.

Display medals. Lose weight. Run more. Get shoes and an audio solution. Keep my lower back muscles strong. Oh, and find the right literary agent for the 540-page manuscript I finished after a year and a half of writing it here. One step at a time. Let's start with finally updating this blog right here. Thanks for your patience! Please follow me @Marathoner on Twitter, and say hi.

Because I am back to following lots of runners and tweeting about our love of running.

My 10 Favorite Running Medals

10 Years of Running

My 10 Favorite: Miles | Medals | Shoes | Bibs

Thursday marks my 10th runnerversary, and thanks to anyone who has been along for the ride. I never imagined I would still be doing this on that Friday of December 1, 2006. That morning, I moved into a new apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City, and it was freshly painted. While waiting for the movers to arrive with my stuff, I walked over to the bodega at 73rd Street & Columbus, to buy a few items. I stepped out, and was standing there at the intersection, with a full box of KOOLS in my hand, ready to light one. I had visited the apartment earlier that week, huffing and puffing up the steps to the third floor, overweight and a smoker for the past six or seven years, to meet the tenants who were moving out. They changed my world, without knowing it, because they told me they belonged to the New York Road Runners club and that they regularly ran and biked Central Park a block away. With that healthy thought in my head, I looked at that full box of KOOLS and I broke it in half, drawing curious looks from women who stood beside me. I went into my new apartment, met the movers, unpacked, and then immediately took the A train down to Times Square and bought a pair of ASICS at a Foot Locker. I went to NYRR.org and paid for a one-year membership. That week I started running hilly Central Park, and on that December 10th I ran my first race, the Joe Kleinerman 10K, finishing with a net time of 1:18:40 (12:41 pace).



I have thought about this moment for a long time, and in counting down the days to this special runnerversary I have been posting several top-10 lists of my favorite things over this past decade of running. Today, I am going to celebrate by running Central Park at 5 a.m., then running around the Washington Monument later in the day, then by popping a bottle of champagne and spraying it all over myself. I am also going to celebrate by posting my final top-10 list, so here it is: 10 unbelievable things that happened after I quit smoking and started running.

10. It taught me to be a finisher in life. Set a goal, work hard, persevere and finish. My first goal was to run the New York City Marathon within my first year as a runner, and I did that in November 2007. In the past month I finished my fourth NYC Marathon, and 17th full or ultra.

9. There are 137 bibs on my bedroom wall. They signify all the races I have registered for and then got up for early starts and put one foot in front of another until I crossed a timing mat. That has equated to thousands and thousands and thousands of miles I have run either in those races or in training. It means my heart has pumped blood in wonderful fashion amid all that activity. I owe a special thanks to the New York Road Runners, for conducting all those races I have run, and to the people who take care of Central Park and keep it so pristine and the best place in the world to run -- my track!

Garmin Fitness chat with Alexi Pappas

Garmin pro athletes Alexi Pappas and standup paddler Jenny Kalmbach were at the Garmin HQ for a Facebook chat, and since I am a longtime Garmin (Forerunner 220) runner and am sort of obsessed with how cool and inspiring Alexi is to mere mortal runners like me, I thought I would transcribe her replies here. You can watch the full video below, including all of Jenny's replies, and also be sure to follow @GarminFitness and join the facebook.com/garminfit page.

Q: How do you structure your day and fit in everything you want and have to do?

A: The first thing is, I lay out my clothes and everything the night before -- which sounds like the person I didn't think I would grow up to become. But it makes the day a lot easier. That way, when I wake up and head to practice, everything is ready to go. I do normal things like eat and practice but I also eat every day.

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Miles

December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.

My 10 Favorite Medals | My 10 Favorite Bibs | My 10 Favorite Shoes

Officially, my favorite mile is "the one you're running." It is vital to think that way as a runner, and in life. Unofficially, I definitely have some of my own favorites just like everyone else. This is the hardest of my lists to narrow down, but here are 10 that have special meaning in my life.

10. Mile 11 of Maratona di Roma. Between the 17K and 18K markers, you follow the cobblestones right up to Piazza St. Pietro and the Vatican. As I passed the Pope's window where he gives his short speech and blessing some Sundays, crowds were forming behind barricades in anticipation. It is really hard to decide on just one mile in this race. This race is a feast of the senses.

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Medals

December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.

My 10 Favorite Medals | My 10 Favorite Bibs | My 10 Favorite Shoes

10. Miami Marathon, 2012. It's a humongous No. 10, so naturally I have to include it here at No. 10. This formalized a new era of "spinner" medals, as the palm trees whoosh through the medal like a warm Biscayne Bay breeze. It was a hard-fought medal, because around mile 17 I tipped over in someone's front yard due to ITB that suddenly stole my stride. Because of that, I got the back engraved: OVERCOME ANYTHING.

15 reasons why the Falmouth Road Race is such a big deal

CAPE COD, Mass. -- Sunday's 44th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race was my 134th race, and definitely the first one with a 7-mile distance. I finished in 1:27:00, well off the average 1:10:55 finish time for the 10,535 who finished, but great for me right now.

I was initially confused about how a 7-mile race could possibly be a lottery event with such a prestigious reputation, but now I completely understand. Here are 15 reasons why #FalmouthRR is such a big deal and a must-add to any runner's bucket list:

The 0BPPG Plan: Why and How I Changed My World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

Please let me start by describing that dish above: One large grouper filet split in half, seasoned with turmeric and olive oil and steamed in aluminum foil on my grill; quinoa; and grilled squash. This was my first dinner after I changed my world last Thursday and I am not stopping. (Updated Aug. 10: 6 pounds lost in first 3 weeks, 2 pounds per week. Goal is 22 pounds total.)

Every runner knows that you don't look too far ahead when starting a major challenge. You focus on right now, the mile you're in, the present rather than the future. With that in mind, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself on my current challenge, but I wanted to share it as some have inquired.

On July 21, I decided to change my thoughts and change my world. I decided to quit consuming bread, pasta, pizza and gluten. I call it the 0BPPG Plan. My family was very helpful in advising how to go about it, and I evolved my thought process in walking down supermarket aisles. This is what I want to share: why I changed and how I changed, both equally important steps.

WHY I CHANGED

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Shoes

December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.

My 10 Favorite Running Shoes | My 10 Favorite Running Bibs | Follow @Marathoner

10. Li Nings (2008). I worked the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, representing Major League Baseball. At Opening Ceremonies, I marveled as Li Ning, a local legend who was China's first-ever gold medal winner, "ran" around the roof ring of the Bird's Nest tethered to ropes. Then on the morning of Closing Ceremonies, I went to a local mall and bought a pair of his shoes. Li Nings were the top running brand there, and I communicated (as best I could) with salespeople that I wanted a pair of them. Unfortunately they put me in a pair that ran a size too big, so it wasn't long before I donated these. I wish I had kept them, in hindsight, but they went to a good cause.

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Bibs

December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.

My 10 Favorite Bibs

10. 2012 New York City Marathon. I keep this one wrapped in a drawer for posterity. Superstorm Sandy forced the only cancellation of a NYCM -- controversially decided within 48 hours of the race. A thousand of us ran instead on Staten Island with orange race shirts and our backpacks filled with relief supplies to help victims there. I ran the Harrisburg Marathon as a replacement two weeks later.

Rome Marathon Recap - 10 Things I Learned About Italy

Bonjourno, that's me zooming by Mussolini's Window at Palazzo Venezia in the photo above. I finished the Maratona di Roma on April 10, a major highlight of our dream trip to Italy. Lisa's father is from the Puglia region and she had not been to Italy since she was a little girl, so this was her trip and my only wish was to run the marathon and then go along for a second honeymoon.

I'm a NuttZo Ambassador!

Ludivine's Elkmont Half Marathon Recap

I normally post my own race recaps here, but because Ludivine is a bloodhound I am going to devote this post to analysis of her 2016 Elkmont (Ala.) Half Marathon form. Ludivine finished seventh overall and first in her working-dog group with a PR of 1:32:56. She was let out to pee and wound up in the middle of this race, and through the race organizer's pics (thanks to WeRunHuntsville/G Gelmis & J Armstrong) we can now break down her impressive performance here.

How Mark Zuckerberg just changed running forever

Mark Zuckerberg started his A Year Of Running group on Facebook less than a week ago, and in my experience as one of the first of about 100,000 to join it already is the biggest running social network in the world and is already changing lives and making a difference everywhere.

The Facebook founder started it as his annual commitment to try something new, and his objective is to run 365 miles in 2016 and get others to run as well. The results are already profound, and I predict that it will live on into 2017.

Here is why I am obsessed with it:

#NoResolutionsNeeded: Early 2016 @Marathoner Schedule

There's only one way to ring in a New Year: With a new race schedule.

2015-16 ASICS Ambassador - But Really For A Decade Now

ASICS is a way of life for me, ever since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS and became a Central Park runner on Dec. 1, 2006. Now that I am about to start a year-long celebration leading up to my 10th runnerversary (!!!), I am PSYCHED to announce that my friends at ASICS have chosen me as one of 16 #TeamASICS Ambassadors for 2015-16.

What it will mean for you and friends who follow me here and @Marathoner on Twitter is...

"You Better Run" to the Runners World Half Marathon

That's me in the Pat Benatar concert shirt with runner friends Larisa, Karla and Kristin, and crossing the finish line. Below, that's my #FlatBenatar from midnight the night before. Here is what happened at the legendary 2015 Runners World Half Marathon & Festival..

One Year With No Diet Sodas

By Mark | One year ago today I stopped drinking diet sodas for the rest of my life.

Extreme Heat or Extreme Cold?

By Mark | After doing this @Marathoner stuff for nearly a decade, I decided to list as many pros as I could for running in the most extreme heat and the most extreme cold.