ENIKO MIHALIK TAKES ON THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
THE MEGA MODEL DONS ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR HER RACE FOR A CAUSE
Squishy sneakers and highlighter neons ablaze, the sight can only mean one thing: the New York City Marathon! The annual athletic event is the largest race of its kind in the world, running through five boroughs of the Big Apple for a length that is just over 26 miles. In advance of the feat, CR caught up wth top model and Stella McCartney-favorite Eniko Mihalik, who laces up her shoes this year for her first race over.
Today is your first marathon! How did begin to prepare for something so intimidating?
I decided to sign up around June, which is when I actually started to switch up my work out routine too, from strength training, pilates, yoga classes to running. Instead of spinning, I had to learn to make myself go for a jog. To be honest, I couldn't run more than 5 kilometers at that time, so I'm quite impressed with what I was able to reach in the past few months!
Were you ever worried that you wouldn't be able to finish?
Absolutely, yes! I've never trained for such big race before. I was thinking, "Oh my God, in six months there is no way I could be able to get from 5 to 42.2 kilometers—it's impossible." But you would be amazed by how much the body can work through and increase. The body can do so much if you put in the work.
You are running under the colors of Adidas and Stella McCartney. What does that mean to you?
I'm so honored that Adidas asked me to be an ambassador during the competition. To know that they have been following my lifestyle and fitness processes is a huge compliment, especially for an athletic company of that calibre. And obviously I'm not only running with Stella, but I'm also running for Keep a Child Alive, a fantastic charity that I raise money for, so it's a three-way partnership! I've always thought the idea of running for a good cause was amazing.
Did you have to dramatically cut anything out of your diet in preparation for the race?
I'm pretty strict with my diet, so I actually had to do the opposite: I had to include a lot of food that I normally would never touch. I like to be able to control what I eat—what my body looks like—so normally it's lean proteins, veggies, and foods with high fibers. Unfortunately when I really started training and running, a lot my cravings increased to a point where I couldn't say no anymore. I knew if I would have, I would have ended up injuring myself, so I actually ended up eating a lot of pasta and desserts. Some days I would go running for three hours and burn so much calories—I just had to eat!
How are you going to celebrate the completion of the race?
I'm inviting a few friends over to my boyfriend's house. He is running the marathon too, and he decided to have a few people over because he knows that we are going to be in a lot of pain. I think the worst thing that we could possibly do is completely stop or sit down after though, because we wouldn't be able to stand up again again! So we'll keep moving. I'll definitely get a massage too. That's a must.