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Elizabeth Zessman, a Greenwich divorce attorney, said that although she's a bit nervous to run her first ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 7, she is running for a cause she is passionate about the Arthritis Foundation's New York chapter.
"Arthritis is something I really care deeply about," said Zessman. "My boyfriend's grandmother had debilitating arthritis for the last 30 years of her life, and she just passed away this year, so I'm really trying to run with her in mind."
So far, she's raised $2,500 for her run. Zessman said she's happy to be part of the team, especially because the foundation is the reason she began running.
"I started with a 5k for the foundation last winter. I'm not a fast runner," she said. "This is purely for fun on my part. Running is something no one in my family does. My parents both will tell me our family is not built to run. That's one of the reasons why it never occurred to me to run."
Originally from Minnesota, Zessman moved to Greenwich from New York City nearly 18 months ago after her boyfriend got a job with a hedge fund in town and she got a job as a Greenwich divorce attorney. "I'm a midwestern girl, transplanted to the East Coast, and I really love Greenwich," said Zessman.
The biggest challenge is finding the time to run, said Zessman, adding that she tries to add miles every weekend. "I'm a little behind so I'm a little nervous." She also does meringue and salsa dancing, weightlifting, tennis, hiking and canoeing. Typically, she runs down Route 1 to Tod's Point, though she's looking for a new route. "I run between 50 and 40 miles per week for the last two months, so I'm just hoping for the best," she said as she prepares for her 26.2-mile race.
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