It’s our second annual Marathon Month, a time we get to spotlight our patients who are running this year’s TCS New York City Marathon! In this entry we check in with 16th Street SPEARunner Ilana Epstein, who will be running her second NYC Marathon in November!

Why do you run? I run because of how amazing it makes me feel. It is one of the few things that can make me forget about everything else and just live in the moment. I love being outside and seeing how far I can push myself. Running marathons is something that I never imagined I could do and I love the feeling of accomplishment that it provides.

How long have you been running marathons? I ran my first marathon in 2011. As soon as I finished I couldn’t wait to do another one. I trained to run in 2012, but because of Sandy that didn’t happen so this one will be my second.

Which physical therapist do you see at SPEAR and what treatments have you been doing for training? Kellen is my therapist at SPEAR. I initially came to see him due to a stress fracture. Since then he has been helping me stay strong for this year’s marathon. We have been doing a lot of stretching, balance and strength training. Improving my core strength has played a key part in my treatment as well as some drills to improve my running form.

Do you have any words of wisdom or training tips for anyone thinking about doing their first marathon? If you have that itch to run a marathon you should absolutely go for it. The sense of pride and accomplishment that you feel when you cross the finish line is difficult to even put into words. The longest run I had ever done before I started training in 2011 was maybe 7 miles. If you put your mind to it, you can absolutely do it. Take it slow; don’t build up your miles too quickly. The early morning wake-ups, the aches and pains, are all worth it in the end.