“The minute I crossed the finish line, I was irrationally devastated. I should’ve understood what the day was…I didn’t get to show myself that it was worth it…The whole placing 13th thing I was really upset about. A lot of people said to me, as soon as you get the [Olympic Trials qualifier] then you’ll appreciate what happened. It took until CIM for me to be really happy that Boston happened. For those eight months, I was mad. I felt that it was unfair…When I started training, I had pictured myself running down Boylston Street with my hands in the air and crying – every day. That was in my mind. When it didn’t happen, I just cried for a different reason.”

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Veronica Jackson just moved to Boston after nearly a decade in New York City but she’ll always be a Runner of NYC in our book. Veronica ran for the Central Park Track Club and balanced a career as a lawyer while competing at a very high level. We met up with Veronica while in Boston for marathon weekend.

In 2018, Veronica ran 2:49:41 and finished as the 13th overall woman in a race with driving rain and cold temperatures. On Monday, she ran 2:43:48 to finish 43rd among the elite women.

On this episode, we discuss:
– How her uncles convinced her to start running marathons
– Why she was disappointed with a 13th place finish and how she got over it by hitting the Olympic Trials Qualifying Mark at the California International Marathon
– Why she loves the Boston Marathon
– How she balances her full-time job and a running career
– What it’s like racing among the elite women like Des Linden and Shalane Flanagan
– The brilliance of the women’s running community in New York
+ Much more…

You can follow Veronica on Instagram here.

This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture.

Runners of NYC is brought to you by CUSTOM PERFORMANCE – They are the best running and sports physical therapy center in New York City with physical therapists that specialize in orthopedic injury treatments and running injury treatments. They also feature performance and recovery services for all runners of all abilities. Follow them at @nycustompt or check out nycustompt.com. We highly recommend them and encourage you to visit them at 295 Madison Ave #1026, New York, NY 10017.

Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter: @RunnersOfNYC.

Email any comments, feedback or possible sponsorship ideas to runnersofnyc@gmail.com

Music for the show is by Future Generations. Podcast artwork by Kyle Klosinski. Photo by John Tran.

Tickets to the Future Generations show in NYC on June 20 can be found here