Erin Miller poses with her finisher's medal after the 2013 NYC Half Marathon.
As the 2014 NYC Half Marathon quickly approaches on March 16, Team Fox checks in with members of our 60-runner team to see how training is coming, what moment they’re most looking forward to and what tunes are keeping them inspired to stay strong through their long runs.
Today, we’re chatting with Team Fox member and NYC Young Professional Erin Miller, who is preparing to run her second consecutive NYC Half Marathon for Team Fox:
Personal tie to PD: I have been involved with the Team Fox Young Professionals in NYC for a couple of years now, and have been donating to the cause for 10 years. While I don’t have any personal ties to PD, I really believe in the foundation and the community that they have created to fight Parkinson’s. I want to continue to do my part in that fight.
What was your inspiration to join the NYC Half Marathon team? Is this your first half? I ran my first NYC Half with Team Fox last year and this will be my fifth half marathon overall. Running the half as part of a team, especially a team where I knew other runners and had such a support system behind me, was such a wonderful experience that I knew immediately after crossing the finish line last March that I wanted to replicate the entire experience in 2014.
What are you most looking forward to on race day? The feeling I experienced last year of running out of Central Park and through Times Square is by far my favorite NYC experience to date, and I can’t wait to do it again on March 16th! This was the first half marathon I had run in NYC—my home of 8 years! – and I’m looking forward to experiencing that again as well.
What has been your method to survive training through this winter’s ‘Polar Vortex’? I’m not going to lie, it’s been a major struggle this time around, but having a good girlfriend who is also running the half has been a huge motivator. Running together regularly has already part of our routine and it always helps having someone hold you accountable to your runs.
Do you have any quirky training habits or race rituals you’d like to share? A glass of wine the night before a race is always calming, and of course, a great [musical] playlist for race day is a ritual for sure!
You’re in the final stretch of your weekly long run, what three songs are going to get you to the finish? Right now these three are always good motivators when I’m struggling through those last few miles:
Can You Feel It - The Jackson 5
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean
Keep on Running - The Spencer Davis Group
Thanks for the insight, Erin! Best of luck with your remaining few weeks of training- we can’t wait to cheer you on through Times Square!
