Kensington Runner Talks Pain, Impermanence & Why She’s Tackling The NYC Marathon

In just five years, Kensington runner Emily Drabinski, 41, went from an “adult onset athlete” to a three-time marathon runner. This Sunday, she’ll be running the TCS New York City Marathon fueled not only by her training but the momentum from her late father, who was struck and killed by a car last December while walking across the street.

“If we had more protected bike lanes and speed limits I think my dad would still be alive,” said Emily, who is running for Transportation Alternatives, an organization that promotes safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists.

But when we spoke, what inspired me most about Emily was her calm willingness to run straight into the chasm of deep pain and discomfort, both physical and emotional — the kind of pain many people run from. “I did my first race, which was 4 miles, and threw up at the end of it. I was totally hooked,” she said in the same breath. “I’m an adult with a career, but revolving my life around something I’m not that good at has been humbling,” she said. (Emily is a respected academic librarian, author, and teacher.)

Emily continues to push through limitations and change her relationship to pain. “The marathon is about moments of ecstasy and real despair. It’s going to hurt, but it has a lot to teach us about how pain is temporary and so is pleasure. Things move through you,” she said.

Drabinski has lived in Brooklyn for 22 years and moved to Kensington with her partner about four years ago,  drawn to the neighborhood’s proximity to Prospect Park. Now, she runs there five days a week, motivated by her father’s ambitious, 50-miles-per-week schedule when he was 71 years old.

Supporters have told Drabinski that she’ll feel her dad in every step, but she says that’s not quite it. For her, running is an internal experience. But she still uses the sport to stay connected to him by passing on his legacy and encouragement to her eight-year-old son.

Drabinski runs with her son to his school, the Brooklyn New School, once a week. “I fill him with the wisdom my dad filled me with. He’s at a parrot age, so he’ll repeat things back to me that my dad used to say.”

The last conversation between Emily and her father, Gene Drabinski, was about her goal to complete the New York City Marathon in less than five hours. “It’s really sad,” she said, her voice shaky with emotion.  “I’m counting down to the marathon, I’m counting down to the last time I saw my dad, which makes it more complicated. He’ll be with me on that day and I know he’ll feel proud of me.”