I'm An Addict

They say recognizing your addiction is the first step to recovery. Well, I recognized mine a while ago—right after my first marathon, in fact.

Yes, marathons. What did you think I was talking about?

My acceptance into the 2018 New York City Marathon was exciting, terrifying, and filled with emotions I still don't fully know how to describe. I had signed up for the lottery to tempt fate, certain there was no way I'd get in. Nineteen thousand people tried for a spot. About 17,000 were accepted. That's roughly an 18 percent chance. And somehow, against the odds, I found myself among them.

Fifty-two thousand runners crossed the finish line that year. I was one of them. It was my first marathon—and it wouldn't be my last.

The experience was so powerful that the moment I returned to my hotel room, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon lottery. Spoiler alert: I got in.

Chicago 2019 was waiting for me.

But not every dream comes easily. Some marathon spots are tougher to earn.

The London Marathon has been a tough nut to crack. I've signed up for the lottery three times, the third time being today.

Maybe this will be my year. Maybe it won’t.

Either way, I’ll keep tempting fate. I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep chasing the roads that call to me.

Because that’s what addicts do.