I trained for the NYC Marathon in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria—here’s what it was like
Post-Hurricane Maria, pro runner Beverly Ramos stayed in her native Puerto Rico to prepare for the 2017 NYC marathon in 2017. Here's her first-person account.
I trained for the NYC Marathon in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria—here’s what it was like
Post-Hurricane Maria, pro runner Beverly Ramos stayed in her native Puerto Rico to prepare for the 2017 NYC marathon in 2017. Here's her first-person account.
More than 50,000 runners will push themselves to the limit when the 47th annual New York City Marathon kicks off on Sunday—and all of them will have put in a hell of a lot of hard work to get there.
But some runners stories’ are particularly cheer-worthy, the kinds of things you hear and think: If they can do that, I can definitely drag myself out of bed for 7 a.m. barre class. Take the utter badassery of Beverly Ramos, a 30-year-old Puerto Rican racer and New Balance athlete who spent the last month prepping for the marathon—and her ambitious goal of cracking the top 10 elite runners—all while dodging downed trees and searching for drinkable water after Hurricane Maria devastated her beloved island.
Here, Ramos explains what it’s been like to get ready for race day in the midst of a natural disaster, and what she wants everyone to know about Puerto Rico now that most of the news crews have packed up.
I live in Trujillo, which is south of San Juan. Things are much better now, but we had about 15 days that were really, really tough. There was no water. The first day after the hurricane, I took a shower in the rain. We couldn’t drive, all the streets were blocked, and it was so dangerous outside that the government suggested people not leave their houses. I was lucky that we had enough food stored that we didn’t have to go out and find things to eat until five days after.
At first, I was just running around trees and searching for places that were safe for me to run.
Of course, I was in the middle of training—I try to do a 16-week build-up to the race—so the first thing I did was bike in my house. Then I started running on the streets. At first, I was just running around trees and searching for places that were safe for me to run. I found stretches that were maybe 500 meters (about .3 miles) long.
I had a million doubts in my mind, especially in those first days when everything was chaos. At one point, I had to wait in an eight-hour line to get gas, and every day we had to wait in line to get water. It took all day. You start to wonder, “Do I have the strength to do this?” You get terrified because at this level, you know you really have to take care of yourself—to get your rest, to eat as well as you can, and to hydrate.
But it’s going to be so special for me if I can get to that finish line the way I want to. And I hope people will see me and understand that you can do so many great things, no matter what. I have this headband that’s basically our flag that I’m hoping to wear in New York, which has such a huge population of Puerto Ricans. I hope it can show people what it means to be strong and to keep fighting.
I hope people will see me and understand that you can do so many great things, no matter what.
I want people to know is that this isn’t over. We’re not recovered, and we still need all the help and support we can get. Right now only 19 percent of the island has power (I don’t). They’re saying we may not even have full power by Christmas, and it makes people scared and sad. But…we are strong. This conversation has been edited and condensed. To find out how you can help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria, consider these ideas.
A new Mother stand in her daughters nursery as she takes a moment to enjoy Motherhood and soak it all in. She is dressed comfortably and holding her baby close to her chest as the two bond.
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As a two-mom household, some could say it’s a bit cliché that my wife and I opted for a gender-neutral nursery. Sure, we’re fierce advocates for society accepting and embracing all kinds of identities across the spectrum—gender identity included. But the reality is, we were excited for one of life’s greatest surprises: Not finding out the sex of our baby until birth.
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Truth be told, couples from all walks of life are embracing the gender-neutral baby movement. Beyond surprise gender reveals, gender-neutral baby names are on the rise—and have been trending upward since the 90s. In 2024, 17% of new babies were given gender-neutral names.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen search volume on Pinterest shift toward nursery designs that break away from traditional themes,” says Sydney Stanback, Global Trends and Insights Lead at Pinterest. “Searches for “unisex nursery” have grown 340%. This rise in gender-neutral and thoughtfully designed nurseries reflects how parents are using Pinterest to design spaces that feel unique, and aligned with their style.”
The Pinterest trends team also says that, in recent years, people have become more daring and expressive in their home design, and instead of designing nurseries with traditional colors or themes, parents can create spaces that can evolve with their kids while allowing for more creativity and self-expression. The 2025 Pinterest Predicts trend, Primary Play, is a great example of this.
“[With Primary Play] we're seeing people embrace a more maximalist aesthetic, incorporating murals, patterned furniture, and playful details to make their spaces feel more personal,” adds Stanback. And that trend includes nurseries too.
No matter if you’re keeping gender a mystery for the surprise or simply want to break the status quo of pink and blue decor, designing with gender-neutral nursery decor can be a whole lot of fun. Here are nine nursery items that defy “traditional” gender norms.
Color is often the first decision parents make when designing their child’s nursery. And if you’re eager to build out a nursery that goes beyond gender binaries, then the world is your oyster. In stereotypical gender-neutral nurseries, parents tend to opt for neutral colors, like off-whites, tans, and beige tones. But genderless nurseries don’t have to be boring, you know.
“Gender-neutral nurseries continue to trend, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be beige,” says Latifah Miles, Senior Commerce Editor at Babylist. “There are many different ways we see gender-neutral come to life, whether through a monochromatic neutral, a bold color expression, or a sweet theme, like woodland animals.” For our nursery, my wife and I chose bright pops of color, like burnt orange, earthy greens, or even muted shades of burgundy. And for our primary wall color, we went with Benjamin Moore’s 2025 Color of the Year: Cinnamon Slate. This heathered plum meets velvety brown and brings an instant sense of calm and serenity to any room—regardless of gender.
Of course, cribs know no gender. A sleeping baby is a sleeping baby (and we love that). Baby brand Nestig tops our list of some of the most beautifully designed and high-quality nursery furniture. Whether you’re building out a registry for twins or welcoming your second or third little one, you won’t regret investing in Nestig (trust us). The Willow Crib has a timeless design and grows with your kid, converting into a toddler-size bed over time. The neutral-toned Natural Wood frame—constructed from sustainably harvested, solid Brazilian pine—makes a great choice for gender-neutral nurseries.
Match your crib with Nestig’s Willow Dresser, which comes in the same color palette. Oversized drawers—that roll out butter-smooth—offer ample space for onesies and adorable outfits for kiddos of all genders. Its top is wide and deep enough to serve as a changing table (the Evolur Eva Changing Pad fits perfectly). We plan to use the top dresser drawer to house our diaper-changing gear and the bottom two for clothing.
Moms love muslin because it’s exceptionally soft, highly breathable, super absorbent, and gentle on the skin. Swaddles, blankets, and burp cloths are common to find in muslin fabric—as are crib sheets. This type of fabric also helps regulate body temperature thanks to its open-weave structure. Just make sure the muslin sheet you choose—like you’ll find with the Blissful Dairy brand—is well-fitted. Crib sheets that are too loose pose a potential safety concern. Blissful Dairy makes a variety of colors, but we chose retro yellow and beige to complement our non-gendered nursery’s earth tones.
While some parents may pick a rug that blends in with the nursery, a bold rug can also serve as a statement piece in the room. A vibrant, patterned rug can also do wonders for a baby’s visual and cognitive development. Ruggable recently teamed up with ceramic potter, designer, and author, Jonathan Adler, to create a bright, modern, and playful printed rug that works great in any room. I love this rug for its vibrant pattern and for the fact that you can wash it in your washing machine (great for those unexpected spit-ups and spills).
If you’re working with a smaller nursery like we are, you may need to get creative on storage. The three-tiered Ikea RÅSKOG Utility Cart is cute and functional, and comes in a mix of retro and neutral colors that will match any nursery. Since it’s on wheels, you can pack it full of toys, diaper-changing items, or other baby gear, and transport it around the house. Another hack for this cart is adding the bamboo NORRÅVA Lid to your purchase to turn the cart into a makeshift side table as needed.
No matter your baby’s gender, sleep is beyond important for their well-being. That’s why it’s important to consider all of the tips and tricks for getting your baby to fall and stay asleep. Happiest Baby brand’s SNOO, an innovative (and pretty magical) bassinet that mimics the motion and sounds of the womb to help your baby fall (and stay) asleep, has become a go-to for many parents.
While we didn’t splurge on the SNOO for our normal bassinet, we did snag a SNOObie. This all-in-one smart soother for babies doubles as a sound machine and night light. It plays four doctor-designed audio tracks, including SNOO’s beloved white noise and calming lullabies. You can also filter through a rainbow of colors and brightness levels to find the perfect fit for your little one’s nighttime routine.
Because our gender-neutral nursery has an earthy, natural vibe to it, we’ve looked out for products and accessories to complement the room’s aesthetic. The Jool Baby Nova Nature swing was a perfect fit for this reason. We love the natural beechwood toy bar and hanging mobile toys that match the gender-neutral tones of our nursery.
For quiet nights in the nursery listening to soft music and a daytime hang-out spot for family time in the living room, there are many things to love about this sleek and soothing swing. It features five levels of side-to-side swaying motions to help calm your baby. It also only weighs 7.25 pounds, making it easy to move around the house. You can stream music through the built-in speaker via Bluetooth or select 10 pre-set melodies built into the Baby Nova. It’s important to note: If baby does fall asleep in the Baby Nova, transfer them to a firm surface for sleeping.
Even though it’s not a core nursery item, we had to invest in the Stokke Tripp Trapp 2. This simple, burly, and sleek high chair was recommended to us by many parents in our network. It comes in a mix of colors but we went with the natural wood to match the rest of our nursery items.
Its lightweight design makes it easy to pick up and move into rooms adjacent to our nursery, like our kitchen and dining room. We love that this high chair’s seat and foot plates adjust to fit kids as they grow. The seat insert can also be removed, transforming the chair into a seat for toddlers, teens, and adults up to 242.5 pounds.
