Janet Gooch spent November 6 in pain. She participated in the 2022 New York City Marathon. The UIS Chancellor, who began that job this summer, ran the 26.2 miles in 4:05:09.
“If you ever get the opportunity, give it a try. You would be surprised what you can do if you put your mind to it," Gooch said. "Most people will say, ‘Oh, I could never do that.’ But you could. All you have to do is take small steps, and you could get there. Most people can.”
The NYC Marathon is the world’s largest, with around 2 million spectators lining the streets of all five of New York’s boroughs to watch almost 50,000 compete.
Gooch said she enjoys running because it’s a stress relieving activity, but also because it gives her a chance to set goals and to accomplish them.
“You know, I don’t do it to compete with other people, but I do compete with myself,” she said. “I have personal goals for running that I like to set and I like to achieve. It makes me feel a little more focused.”
She started running track in high school , and then recreationally in college. She ran her first marathon in 2002. After having her two sons, she began running half marathons until she became comfortable with the idea of running a full one.
In 2016, she ran her second marathon. It was her fastest one so far. The time she ran qualified her for New York.
Gooch laughed as she described how she felt after the NYC Marathon. She mentioned the difficulty that occurs with almost everyone around mile 20, when runners’ bodies really start to hurt.
“That’s really when things start to get difficult and you have to try to keep your head in the game. A lot of it is physical, of course, but a lot of it is mental. You just have to tell yourself that you can do it, stay focused, and listen to your body.”
