Winding down

Just a few more days in 2010. What a year it's been. I'm planning on recapping the year because, as I went through some blog entries from last January, it is amazing how far I've come. But for these last few days, I'm just going about my weekly routine as much as I can and getting in my runs in. I'm glad there's the NYC 1/2 to look forward to, now that I met my 1000 miles goal and it's that lazy week between Christmas and New Year's, I could see slacking off. It wouldn't be the worst thing to take some time off but why mess with something that's working. It will be easier to continue doing what I'm doing as the new year starts instead of feeling like I have to start over or start again.

It was a great day at work -- no one was there! It's a super slow week, we're all on flex time so my work days were yesterday and today, then I get Wed and Thurs off. I like that! Because I knew I'd be alone at work I thought I'd try to get in a lunch-time run. I got changed and it was cold in my building, I couldn't imagine what outside would feel like. As I walked out of the building to my car I thought "Maybe this isn't such a good idea." But since I was already out I thought I should give it a shot.

I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I know within 12 steps how it's going to go. Fortunately, I knew right away it would be an okay run. I felt strong and ready to roll. The wind was wicked, the cold was fierce, there were puddles of slush, patches of ice, and snowbanks to hop over and into when plowtrucks went by. As crazy as it was, it felt great being out there. I felt so alive. So connected with myself that I had carved out that time and, regardless of the conditions, I knew I had the strength to make it work.

I worked it. 6.31 miles. Overall pace was 10:09/mile which seems to be my number lately. I'm not upset with it at all, it was rough-going out there! I did it! That was the important thing! When doing nothing and sitting at my desk wrapped in a blanket (as I also do when no one's in the office) seemed much more likely than going outside and running for an hour -- I win! I put myself first because I knew how satisfied I'd be when I was done.

I think I'll probably get one more run in 2010. If I run tomorrow it will be 5 days in a row which I don't really like to do but I might do it anyway and take the next few days off. If I do run, I want it to be a good one. But aren't they all good? Any time you do something for yourself and your health, any run is good.

Oh, did it ever snow...

...and snow, and snow, and snow. It actually wasn't the snow that was the frightening part, it was the wind. Gusts of up to 60 mph. We didn't lose electricity, thankfully, so it wasn't that bad. Yesterday after I got home from my run and the errands I took a nice nap, did some reading, watched a movie, and knitted.

This morning we got the email "If you feel you cannot make it into work..." so the office wasn't closed but we were able to work at home. Big deal. I hate technology. I remember when a snow day was a snow day. Whatever. At least I didn't have to go anywhere today and I didn't have to take the day as an unpaid vacation day.

I normally take Mondays off from running but I'll be taking Thursday, Friday, and probably Saturday off this week so I did a few miles tonight: 3.14. I did it as fartlek training and I really do see an improvement. All my fast intervals were all in the 8-something-minute range which made my recovery intervals 10 minutes/mile or less. The easier those seem then there's the hope that my average speed will get better little by little.

I'm bringing my running stuff to work tomorrow. If the roads are plowed then I'm going out at lunch.

Outrunning the snow

I woke up this morning on high blizzard alert. It's all everyone talked about last night on FB so I expected to wake up to 6 inches of snow. Since I didn't and it was off-and-on flurrying I decided to go to the trail and get in a good run before the snow really hit. I also needed some groceries so I figured I'd hit that on the way home.

I was planning on doing 6 miles, hoping to do 7. I felt good when I started out, I think I just naturally thrive in this weather -- I felt happy and my lungs felt good (they can burn sometimes with the cold air). I had a rough idea where the 3.5 mile turnaround was but when I took out my phone to check Runkeeper I saw that I was already at 3.66 miles so I figured I'd just keep going at that point to the 4-mile turnaround.

It was a sweet run. Average pace was 10:09/mile, not bad for the trail and taking on a 411 foot climb. My splits are great, my pace dropped even as the climb went up and then took a nice drop on the way back. I love the rare runs when each mile is consistently faster.




One drawback today, though. Since I was only planning on doing 6 or 7 I didn't bring hydration or a gel with me. Eight miles is about my max of what I can handle without some fluids. The first 7 miles I was running off of Christmas cookie carbs (the very best carbs of all!) but my legs felt very heavy by the end because I had no glycogen left. If it were hot out I wouldn't have lasted more than 4 miles without fluids. So my lesson was that just because it's cold and it doesn't seem like I'm sweating, I still need to hydrate and supplement now that I'm back up to a good mid-length distance for my long runs.

It ended up being another solid week: 27.43 miles. I wasn't expecting anything close to that because of traveling and Christmas. I think this will be a lower mileage week and I'll go back up in the new year. Two up, 1 back, that's the pattern that worked well for marathon training.

After my run I picked up some groceries, some Chinese food (which was more packed than the store), and headed home. It was the first test of my 4-wheel drive and I had no problems getting up my monster hill.

Oh, and something nice happened the other day. I don't really know our neighbors, our houses are far enough apart that we really never even see them. On Christmas Eve day the neighbor on the end who has 2 little kids brought banana bread around and she asked me if I had done the half marathon. I said yes but I was confused how she knew so I asked her and she said it was in the local paper and that her husband saw it. Who knew? A local celeb. ;)

Merry Christmas to ME!!!

Did a nice 4.08 mile this morning. 9:36/mile pace. Hill course from hell:



That would be awesome on its own, except my Christmas run gave me this little present:



This is probably the first New Year's goal I set for myself and actually followed through on. And I still have 6 days before the end of the year! I'm so damned happy. As RunKeeper gave me my audio cues for each mile this morning I got faster and happier because I knew I was ticking my way down to my goal. What an awesome feeling.

Since this was a Christmas gift to myself, here's a stupid picture to go along with it! Merry Christmas! I gave myself the gift of good health, the very best gift of all!

Blown away

Unbelievably, I got in another run today. I know! Who'd a thought?! It was amazing, too. It was flurrying, my first snow run of the year. I loved it! I felt like a husky dog and I just wanted to go, go, go. I tried to take a picture of the flurries but they were too fine to capture with my phone. It was pretty though. And cold. I did 5.16 miles and I was thrilled. I saw on the news later that the wind gusts were 30 mph today. I definitely felt it! I thought March was supposed to be the windy month! Windy now, windy later -- it's good training and I'm almost to my running goal for the year.

We did more shopping, more visiting, and I have to do more wrapping tonight. It's all good though, I've actually enjoyed the holidays more than I usually do.

Doing what does not come naturally

I'm out in Long Island. We're doing the family visiting thing. I'm off until Monday. The holidays are officially here. There's lots of great food all around. Doing some last-minute shopping. It's the end of the year and I'm in that mode of kicking back and relaxing.

But I still have some miles to do. So after we went shopping this morning and did some errands I forced myself to put on my running clothes and I did a respectable 4.18 miles. Yeah! I know! It was so windy I didn't think I would get very far and, truthfully, I didn't care if I did. If I got in 2 miles today I would have been happy. The wind kept whistling in my ears and pushing my headphones right out! So I just put my head down and kept going. Despite being sore as hell from Crossfit the other day I felt fine from a cardio perspective so I kept shuffling along. Once I got to 3 miles I figured I'd get one more in and ended up with 4.18.

That totally flies in the face of what I wanted to do: lie around, eat cookies, and take a nap. I did end up taking a nap afterwards but I felt like it was deserved. After, we did some family visiting and now we're kicking back.

The plan is to run again tomorrow. But that's just a plan. It's Christmas week. I already did something unprecedented today by getting this run in. I'm not going to come down too hard on myself if I can't repeat it.

A day made of win

I graduated twice today!

My first graduation was at Crossfit. I finished my last training session. We worked on form for deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, and clean and press. I should back up because there was a good saying written on the dry erase board: Our warmup is your workout. It's no lie. The warmup was 2 sets of hip flexor stretches, 10 situps, 10 squats, 10 shoulder presses, 10 walking lunges, and 200 m rowing. Yeah. THEN the practice for the form. And then the workout. Today was insanely hard:

21 sumo deadlifts
21 pullups
21 squats

18 sumo deadlifts
18 pullups
18 squats

15 sumo deadlifts
15 pullups
15 squats

And the 12 of each, 9 of each, 6 of each, and finally 3 of each. I didn't think I was going to make it through the first round, how I got to the end I'll never know. You do it for time, the idea is to move quickly from each movement to keep the heart rate jacked. I think it took me around 18 minutes (I'm supposed to write it down). I walked out of there feeling like a warrior!

That would have been more than enough of a workout but I got that goal to finish so I hit the treadmill when I got home because tomorrow I'm traveling and my runs (if any) will be short ones on Wed and Thurs because we'll be visiting B's family. I played with speedwork again, it's becoming my favorite way to do the treadmill, and I got in 5.94 miles. OOH-RAH!

After I did the treadmill I opened the mail and got my "diploma" from the NYC Marathon, Class of 2010. I love it! 10:58 pace, baby! So proud of that.



Even cooler, this came!



The picture does not do it justice. I said I was going to order one of these if I ever did a full marathon! I ordered it at the expo and, to be honest, I forgot about it for awhile until it finally showed up on my credit card. It's gorgeous. Thats a real medal so I actually have 2 now. The picture is 5 x 7 so that gives you an idea of how big it is. I have no idea where to hang it though. I'd really like to put this stuff in my basement where my treadmill is but it's a cement foundation and I don't really want to drill holes into the concrete to hang stuff. I'll find a good place somewhere.

Well *that's* pretty cool

I had another good trail run today. I went in the opposite direction for some variety. That doesn't mean there wasn't some uphill involved but it didn't seem as bad because I was only doing 4. I ended up with 4.3 miles and my average pace was 9:53/mile. I'll take that, especially for a recovery run. My splits tell a good tale:



The trail sure is pretty. This just made me feel so happy and alive to be out there today.



It ended up being a really great week for running: 28.4 miles! I haven't pulled out mileage like that since the first week of the taper for the marathon. I won't have a great week like that next week because I'm going to LI Tuesday-Friday, then it's Christmas, but I should be able to get in enough to finish off my 2010 goal! A little over 18 miles to go! When I set this goal almost a year ago it seemed so unattainable. I'll have to look online and see all the places I could have run to in a thousand miles.

Happy Trails to You

Ahhh, how nice it was to not be training for anything. It's amazing how in one week my mind went from "Hey, running is fun!" to "Git r done."

I hit the trail this morning, 6.5 miles. Trail running is always tougher than street running (unless you're running into a wind tunnel like the other day) so I wanted to make today a good run. It was: 10:09/mile average pace. That's pretty good when you take into account this monster:



Oh, that hill. That hill! I turned around at 3.25 miles and I couldn't for the life of me imagine charging up another 2.75 miles of uphill like I had over the summer. But if you don't use it, you lose it. I haven't done that kind of run in awhile. Isn't that sad though? That it takes so little time to lose stamina and strength? Maybe it's the mental edge, too. I knew I didn't *have* to keep going up the hill so I didn't. If I knew that's what I needed to do I guess I would have done it. That tricky brain, it's always coming up with ways to get out of doing stuff.

Anyway, good run. I'm very satisfied with my pace and strength. I loved being outside on a sunny, chilly day. It actually warmed up during my run, I took off my arm warmers and if I had gone any longer I would have taken off my earwarmer-headband-thing.

Now I have more Christmas crap to do. Baking, wrapping, and that. Christmas cards never got done this year and I'm fine with that. I have a pretty small quotient for festivity this time of year.

Wind training

There's all kinds of training for running: speed work, hill work, long runs, tempo runs, repeats. Today I discovered a new one: WIND training.

I decided to do one of my favorite routes near my office at lunchtime today. First I had to stop at the running store (which I love that there's one right near where I park) to get some winter running pants. I only have capris and I knew those were not going to cut it in 27 degree weather. I got some really nice Nike ones that are fleecy on the inside and stretchy on the outside. They look cool, too. I also got a ear warmer headband with a little hole for my ponytail, some arm warmers which I've never used but really came to appreciate today, and some socks. It was an expensive 10 minutes but I really needed all that stuff.

I did a 6.17 mile loop and while it was gorgeous to run along the wintry shoreline, it was WINDY. Like, running into a wind tunnel the entire time. At times I felt like if I wasn't running as hard as I could I would have been pushed backwards. As tough as it was, it was excellent training for my quads because that's where I felt it the entire time. It ended up being a pretty solid run even with the wind, my pace was 9:59/mile. Imagine if it wasn't so windy! Good, tough training though. I was so happy to be outside on a beautiful sunny day running a route that served me very well during my marathon training.

My splits were pretty good. I haven't paid much attention to pace since the marathon but now that I'm officially in training for something I'm going to work on that again.



My 1/2 time at the NYC marathon was 2:16:34. I'd like to get under 2:10 for this one. We'll see, I said this one would be no pressure and here I am already looking to PR. I'll just be happy running through the streets again with a number and a smile. :)

Start spreading the news...

Looks like I'll be running the streets of NYC again! Don't worry, I won't be asking for money and it's a half marathon so I won't be whining about my training nearly as much. It's a very cool course, totally different from the Manhatten part of the full. It starts at Central Park (I bet those hills will feel a lot better in the beginning of the race than they did at the end of the full), through Times Square, and down to Battery Park. I'm going to be much more laid back and just enjoy the sights and the people.

This is an older map but I'm assuming it's the same course. Bring it!

Even cooler, Miss Sarah got accepted, too! It's her first half marathon and she is VERY lucky that it will be NYC! It might spoil her for all other half marathons! ;)

Running through Times Square -- how cool is that?

Two-a-days X 2!

Second Tuesday in a row: double workouts!

Crossfit was great. We worked on the form for 3 upper body moves: shoulder press, push press, and the push jerk. They are progressively harder, working the shoulder and probably everything else in the upper body (I'll know tomorrow by what's sore). We did that for awhile and then we did the workout:

5 pushups
10 push press/push jerk
5 medicine ball wall throws (you squat and as you come up you throw the medicine ball up and at the wall)

Did that for 10 rounds. We were originally going for 5 but when I was almost done with the 5th she said I was doing so well that I got to do an extra 5. Yay, me! :P It felt great though. Crossfit is such a solid workout and I'm really glad I'm getting into it. I have one more training session and then I'm all cleared to take part in the regular sessions. I could have banged them all out in the same week but I'm still working on that running goal.

Which leads me to my second workout today: the treadmill. I did an hour again, same pattern as yesterday but I started out faster so I was able to eek in almost an extra tenth of a mile in the same time. I'm going to make that 1000 miles in 2010 goal, damn it! I'm on a roll now!

I have a hot bath pouring (I need it) and I *think* I should sleep pretty well tonight.

Nap Power

It was a busy weekend: Christmas decorating, cooking and baking, hosting a little party, getting some runs in. I wasn't feeling really ready for Monday but, alas, it came anyway.

I had a pretty productive day at work but I was exhausted when I left. It's Monday, my usual rest day, so I didn't have plans on doing a workout when I got home. I didn't plan on taking a nap either but it was cold and rainy and my bed looked so very tempting. It wasn't a really long nap but it must have been a nice deep sleep because I woke up feeling totally energized and rested.

So I got on the treadmill!

I did fartlek training for an hour, it felt great. That's such a good treadmill workout for me because it's productive but it breaks it into mini sections. I used to think it was about working on my top end speed but, for me, it's better if I think of it as working on bringing the bottom end up. Running 5.5 mph is a fine speed and very sustainable for long races, but alternating that with 6.5 mph makes the 5.5 mph sections seems that much easier. So my goal is to keep goosing that up so my bottom end is faster. I'm also working really hard on form. It's not ideal to do that on the treadmill because it's hard to get a natural gait but I am trying. I want to be a faster, more efficient runner.

Tomorrow will hopefully be another Crossfit training session at lunch and then maybe a short run after work. I don't think I've ever been this good with workouts in December. Merry Christmas to me!

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

I was happy to get out of my basement and run outside today. It was cold. Sunny, but COLD. It felt great to be outside though. I went to the Airline Trail -- my first time since the marathon. It was kind of like going home. I spent so many hours on that trail this summer. I really became a runner on that trail.

As nice as it was to remember all my long runs it was also a nice break from them today. I didn't have to worry about hydration or gels. I just went. 6.14 miles.

It's been about 10 months since I started running, I think the first time I went to the trail was in April so I'm headed into my 4th season there. It's been beautiful in every season, I don't think winter will an exception.

In case you were worried...

My hair came out fab. A little touch-up on my highlights, a keratin treatment, a trim on the ends. Perfect. I can't get it sweaty, put it up, or wash it until Saturday so I have today and tomorrow off from workouts.

I'm so proud of myself though -- even though I did my 2 workouts on Tuesday, I got up early (early for me, anyway) on Wednesday to get in a run since I knew I had my hair appt that night. I really hate morning runs, especially on the treadmill. It's just so boring watching the time tick by. There's no way I'll last all winter if I stick to just the treadmill because, as much as I hate to admit it, the hillwork is really important. I've tried playing with the incline on the treadmill but it's just not the same. I like the mental training you get when you see a hill, run into it, adjust your stride to get up it, see the crest, and then (hopefully) get some downhill on the other side. Or if it's not a steep hill but a long gradual climb, I like seeing the road ahead of me and breaking it up into smaller visual chunks (a tree, a fence, etc). Wind resistance is really important, too. I always forget about it until I'm running straight into it. The drag you feel on your quads is incredible. It just makes you appreciate the times when the wind is at your back and you can imagine it pushing you along. That's why I like running outside -- the variety of getting to work against and with the elements.

Two days later and my shoulders are still sore from those kettleball swings. I think that's what Crossfit is going to be like once I'm in a regular class schedule: just rotating sore body parts.

Two-a-days

Today was pretty good as far as workouts go.

It's that time of year when there always seems to be some kind of crap to do on the weekends or after work. Schedule-wise, I've found it really challenging to get my workouts in. Motivation-wise, it's been tough, too. Again, it's that time of year. Things are winding down. There are so many obligations -- even good ones. I think it's pretty normal to put things on hold until the new year when it seems natural to want to get a fresh start.

I, however, cannot do that. First, because I know all too well that if I go too easy the rest of the year that renewal for fitness is not going to happen for me on Jan 1. Second, because I have one important goal to finish up: my 1000 miles in 2010. I've only been working on it in dribs and drabs and the ticker needs to keep moving. I still have plenty of time, I haven't backed myself into a corner. But if I don't make a concerted effort to keep going I'll be pissed off on New Year's Eve that I didn't make it.

But back to today...

I had my first training session at Crossfit. We worked on form for 3 different types of squats, which was hard enough on its own. Then we did a 12-minute workout: 5 front squats, 10 walking lunges, 10 kettle ball swings (18-lb kettle ball). Over, and over again. I got in 7 rounds in the 12 minutes and I'm pretty happy with that. I didn't make the mistake I did the first class, if I felt like my heart rate was spiking I just took my time getting to the next exercise. I didn't have to be a hero. I think because the class was going on while I was doing my thing with the trainer the first time I felt like I had to keep up.

That was at lunch and at 3 I wanted so badly to sneak home and take a nap. On the drive home I all but convinced myself that I really was going to go home and sleep. But...I remembered that ticker. So I got on the treadmill and got in 4.10 miles of fartlek training.

That's the first time in, like, ever that I've gotten in 2 workouts in one day. Don't be too impressed, there have been too many days in the last few weeks between getting sick or going away for the weekend where I got in no workout. I'm just happy I saw it through.

Tomorrow night is Brazilian Blowout night and if you've been keeping up with my blog it means my hair takes a few rest days. ;) I'll be good to go by Saturday though and get some more miles in. I think if I average just 15/week for the rest of the year I'm good. I should be able to manage that.

Wowza.

I am still sore from Wednesday. I'm kind of scared to go back now when I get back from LI. I guess it's like starting up a running program though, the first month is awful but once you get through it you can handle whatever comes your way.

I went for a run today. It's a suburban neighborhood, lots of loops and not a lot of traffic so I didn't have to worry about where I was going. I'll run tomorrow with B before I head back. The winds were crazy strong today, I felt like no matter which way I went I was always running straight into the wind.

The weeks are winding down for 2010. Gotta make each day count now!

I am humbled

I did my first Crossfit workout tonight. Even the warmup was tough. And then the real workout started:

5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats

Over. And over. And over again.

Sounds simple, right? In theory, yes. In reality, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I made it through 7 rounds. When I was done I was about *this* close to passing out. I went outside for some fresh air and it took me everything not to sit down because I knew if I did I really would pass out. My heart rate hasn't been that jacked in, well, ever I think.

After I felt better I went back in and joined them for a stretch. My hat is off to everyone who does Crossfit. It's not for the faint of heart. Literally.

I like its simplicity. Each workout is different and they are usually only 3 or 4 different exercises. A lot of the workouts have names, like the one I did tonight is "Cindy." I have no idea why they're named like that but so are women's shoes, purses, and nail polish. And you know I love me my shoes, purses, and nail polish. ;)

Tonight was my introduction -- I wasn't doing the same workout the rest of the group was. I had a personal trainer the whole time. Next week I have 3 more sessions where I work on form for all the basic exercises and then I'm cleared to officially join the class.

I'll run tomorrow (assuming I can walk). Crossfit is coming at a great time with this much-needed cutback in mileage. Variety is good.

A new chapter begins...

I went to visit Midcoast Crossfit yesterday. The woman was very nice and explained how it all worked. I would take a sample class first (not at the same level that everyone else is doing) for free and if I was interested then I had to sign up for 3 training sessions where we'd work on form for the essential moves, then I'd be cleared to take part in the regular sessions with everyone else. She asked if I could let her know when I'd come for my free session so she could make sure she had a trainer to work with me and I told her that I'd come on Wednesday. And tomorrow is Wednesday.

I'm nervous. I know I'm strong. Hell, I ran the NY-freaking-marathon in a decent time. But this is totally new for me. I like strength work a lot but I've never done it in such a competitive, intense atmosphere before. But the people who love it, LOVE IT. I think this will be an great improvement to my overall fitness and a strong foundation for the training I plan to do for the Spring and Fall races I'm planning.

But it's new, so I'm lapsing into self doubt.

I put up my pullup bar and I can get 2 solid, controlled ones in. I guess that's not bad for a starting point. I can still do at least 15 straight-leg pushups even without having done them regularly for months. I think I'm at a decent baseline to take this on. Still, I'm not used to working out with other people and especially at such a high intensity level.

I'm game though! Tomorrow is my first session after work. I'm going into this with the best intentions and attitude.

Back on track

Great run today. 6.08 miles, negative split. It's the best I've felt since the marathon and I felt like I could have done a few more miles without killing myself. It feels good not to be struggling and it feels even better to enjoy running just for what it is.

It was also good to get back on my regular running schedule this week of 4 days. It was nice to go easy for a few weeks but I do well when I have some kind of structure. I don't have any races coming up in the near future that I need to be on a formal training schedule for but it's good to be on my own schedule. When those training programs do come up I'll be ready to go.

Tomorrow I go check out something very, very exciting: Crossfit. My uncle is a huge Crossfit fan and in amazing shape and I've been wanting to go since he told me about it last Spring. We live too far for me to go to his Crossfit on any kind of regular basis but one has recently opened up near where I work. This is coming at just the right time for me. I haven't done strength training in months and I was planning on getting back on some kind of program with that. Today's great run aside, my enthusiasm and performance with running have definitely taken a hit since NYC. This is a new fitness endeavor for me, it's hard as hell, and it will work on both my cardio and my strength. Running is a big component of it -- mostly speed work, which is what I've been wanting to work on.

Tomorrow I'll go check out the facility and hopefully on Wednesday I'll be signed up and ready to go.

I hope the Lost and Found pictures are finally up on the NYC marathon site tomorrow. I've held off ordering the 1 -- the ONE -- picture that came out decent because I know my bib was covered on the Verrazano and I remember smiling and holding my arms up for the cameras and I'd like to see what those pictures came out like. If not, I'll order the 1 -- the ONE -- picture and be done with it. There's always more marathons to hope for that great shot...

Thankful

I had a GREAT Thanksgiving yesterday!

I watched part of the Manchester Road Race on tv in the morning and I'm so doing it next year. I had never heard of it and yet it's probably the biggest race in the state -- they had to CUT OFF registration at 15,000 people! It looked like so much fun with al the costumes I saw. I saw a Green Man and the Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot. That is my kind of race! I think I'd like to do it next year. It's about an hour from where I live but I think it would be a lot of fun.

That motivated me to get my pre-Thanksgiving feast run in so I went out and did the hill course from hell. I wasn't paying attention to pace I was just glad to be out there. I wore my new Lululemon vest that I got at the outlets on Wednesday. I did so well there! The vest was originally $98 and I got it for $24. It's very cool looking. I also got 2 running jackets that were originally $160 for $39 each. I picked up some head bands and I finally found a wide mouth stainless steel water bottle that I can fit my protein powder scoop in without spilling any. It's rubberized and it says "Sweat Once a Day." I dig it.

Anyway, the run went fine -- 3.43 miles or something like that. I felt like I could enjoy my dinner without guilt.

It was great to see my family. I am now the 4th person in my family to do NYC. I loved talking about it with my aunt and uncles about it. My dad hadn't seen my medal yet so I brought that and got to show that off too. I loved reliving the experience again.

The food was so good. My aunt is an amazing cook, she really is. I love that she hosts Thanksgiving because it's my favorite holiday of the year and she puts on a fine event.

I've had a really good year and I have so much to be thankful for. I'm very, very fortunate.

Finally

I have been waiting about 7 years to be able to earn this sticker. When I was thinking about marathon weekend, I figured I would have bought one at the expo and would pop it on my window when we left on Monday. Of all the things they sold at the expo I couldn't believe no one had them. So I ordered one off of ebay but I was away housesitting when it came so, alas, 7 years after the dream first came to me to run a marathon and over 2 weeks after actually having done so, I have earned my window decal.

I. Freaking. Love it.

Of course, the day I put it on I passed a guy with a 140.6 sticker (Iron Man Triathalon) on his car. Showoff. ;) Still, I love my 26.2 sticker and I get happy every time I walk up to the back of my car and I see it. It kind of offsets the fact that I busted the passenger side mirror backing out of the garage the other day. Whatevs. I'll get it fixed.

Next year I plan on earning the coveted 39.3 sticker for the other side of the window -- The Goofy Challenge at Disney. It's a half marathon on Saturday with the full marathon the next day. I talked it over with my husband and he's game. We haven't been to Disney in a few years and I have always wanted to earn that Goofy medal. But that's a long way away. Right now I'm just happy with my 26.2 sticker.

I had my first really good run today since the marathon. I did it on the treadmill because I just needed a break from hillwork, which I seem to encounter no matter where I go. It was a nice change because today I did some fartlek training (and yes,that word makes every runner giggle). It's Swedish for "speed play." I did intervals of 2 minutes much faster than I usually run followed by 2 minutes of a regular pace. I spent quite a few speed interval in the 8-something minute/mile range which made the recovery intervals of my normal pace seem easy by comparison. It passed the time, was a solid workout, and hopefully will improve my overall pace if I do this type of workout once a week. I got in 4.1 miles today which felt just right.

Today someone from work contacted me about writing up a piece about the marathon for our company newsletter. I was so flattered! A few people at work knew I was doing it but I'm in a satellite office so I don't have a lot of close friends at this job. My boss knew I was doing it and she passed on the information to the woman who writes the newsletter. So that's pretty cool. :)

Tomorrow is the big annual pre-Thanksgiving outlet trip to Woodbury Commons. It's our 5th year in a row and my friends and I look forward to it for months. It's become a whole thing -- I sleep over the night before, we order food, and then we get up at the crack of dawn to head to NY. Our shopping is an endurance event in and of itself. We are all totally wiped out by the end of the day and we never get to all the stores we want. I'm so looking forward to it!

Back to square one?

The marathon was 2 weeks ago today. Feels like an eternity. It's been such a weird 2 weeks coming down off that high and subsequently getting sick.

I've only been doing short runs this week, partially out of necessity from having a chest cold, partially to follow the recovery plan for post-marathon running. It is unbelievable to me how just 2 weeks ago I ran 26.2 miles and this week getting 3.5 in has been challenging. I just don't feel like I have any strength. I'm getting winded easily. It's so disheartening.

I think a lot of it is mental and I've always felt that way about running and endurance training. When I knew I had to get in 40 miles a week it wasn't up for debate. I went out and did it because I knew if I didn't there would be a domino effect for the rest of my training. The day of the marathon my longest run had been 20 miles (per the training program) -- how on earth did I add on another 6.2? Because that's just what you do when you tell yourself you have to. And now that I don't have to get in those runs my mind is not connecting with my body the way I'd like it to.

I don't think this is an unusual thing to happen. It's just something I need to work through. Even though I feel like I'm starting over again with running I know I'm not. I just have to get back to that place where everything is in synch again. This is Thanksgiving week so it will probably be another low mileage week but after that I don't have a lot going on before Christmas. I am just over 80 miles away from my goal of 1000 miles in 2010 with 6 weeks to go. That's a nice milestone to work on for the rest of the year to keep myself focused without it being too stressful. I've watched that little turtle counter plod along for a year now, it will be nice to see him get to his goal.

Pretty, shiny things

My necklace came from Tiffany this week. Who doesn't love something in a Tiffany blue box? I love it. Since I can't wear my medal every day (and you know I would), this will suffice nicely. It's small enough that you can't even tell what the words say unless you get close. It just looks like a pretty silver pendant. But if you did get close, you'd see this:



Or this:



I guess Tiffany does a collection every year for the marathon (they also create the winner's trophy). Of course they do, it's NYC after all! So you know I had to have a shiny trinket. :) I feel bad for the guys, unless you want a paperweight or a money clip, the male choices were pretty limited. We all need a little reminder of our super powers to wear under our everyday exteriors.

The husband also got me this:



I love that there were so many pretty, shiny things to remind me every day of that amazing, amazing event in my life. I like pretty, shiny things!

I think I'll pick my next marathon based on the jewelry and accessory offerings available. HAHA! It's probably going to have to be Disney, I'm sure they have a TON of cool marathon crap. Yeah...that's a plan!

The K12

I'm totally dating myself but I love the movie, Better Off Dead. To really date myself, I saw it in the movie theater in high school. That's old. It shows up on cable every now and then and it's just as funny now, to me anyway. There's a scene in it where Lane goes to get a ski repaired and the proshop guy is in a wheelchair with one arm in traction and his head all bandaged up. Lane asks him what happened and he says "The K12. After the Olympics, everything just seems so damned easy." (The K12 being some crazy hard trail that becomes Lane's goal to beat in the movie in order to win back his girl)

Today was my first run in a week, only my second since the marathon. I am still coughing and not feeling great but if you don't use it, you lose it. I thought I felt better than I actually did when I got started. But, cocky as I can be, I told myself "Pff. You just ran the NY-freaking-marathon. What's a 5-miler?!" After the Olympics, everything just seems so damned easy.



I wasn't expecting that! I went a new route and the hills...oh, the hills! I started out bravely enough but by end the exertion became ridiculously hard. Nothing else to do in those situations but laugh it off because it sure knocked me down a few pegs.

Truthfully, 5 miles was probably too much considering how sick I still am but I was scared to do less. Whatevs. It's over. I'll know what to expect on Thursday when I repeat the route. Hill work is forced speedwork, that's the mantra. And that's my goal for the rest of 2010 -- to work on speed.

It's all good though. How can it not be when you hit the streets wearing this:

More marathon memories

Thank God for the internet. Even though it was over a week ago I'm still getting to enjoy the experience through the pictures and blogs of the others who ran. Today someone posted some of their favorite signs from the marathon. These are pictures I wish I had taken but I'm so glad someone else did. I saw all 3 of these signs and the "wall" one was one of the ones I wrote about in my recap.

People are so clever and giving to do this for hoards of strangers. I've never volunteered at a race. I watched part of the Disney full marathon once and that was fun. You don't have a number on your bib, it's your name, so it was easy to cheer people on. I was at the 25 mile marker in Epcot and now that I know what 25 miles feels like, I wish I had cheered harder. So for the people who do and make these great signs, thank you. You keep us going!

Time flies

A week ago today, right at this very moment, I was crossing the start line of the NYC marathon. The weather is as gorgeous as it was last week, just a little warmer, so it's easy to remember how amazing the day was. It seems like it's been an exceptionally long week, probably because I got sick.

I've been more than casually looking at marathonguide.com this week to see if there is anything in the spring that I would want to do. I don't really want to travel far for it so that limits me to the New Jersey or LI one (I did the LI half last year). Both are in May and the LI half last year was insanely hot and humid, it was a horrible day for me. Plus their medal sucked. So I think I'll stick with my original plan of doing some halves in the spring and looking at next fall for my next full.

It's not just the glory of last Sunday I miss. Now that I've had a week off, I miss the structure of training. I know! Crazy! That's what I complained about most by the end -- the relentless brutality of the training. It was so challenging, mentally and physically. Now that I know I can do it and survive and that the training program I followed got me great results for race day I want to do it again!

This sounds terrible but I don't think I want to run for charity again. I think part of the stress of training was the stress of meeting my fundraising requirement. My friends and family were amazing and got me there. I raised the money for a charity that I know will do good work but the next time I run a marathon it will just be for the sake of running the marathon.

My husband doesn't really want to hear the word "marathon" any time soon. He was wonderful and supportive throughout training and so happy for me on race day. But it's been a lot on him too. We're going into the holidays and between training and all the other stuff we've had over the last 6 weeks and now throughout the year, we haven't had a "down" weekend and probably won't until 2011, so I can see why he wouldn't be jumping up and down at the prospect of doing this again.

I'm feeling better today. I'm still coughing and I think my fever comes and goes but I think I'm on the mend. I probably could get on the treadmill today but I'm not. One more day of recovery will do me a lot more good than a few miles will. I'm looking forward to this week though. My body will be ready and, hopefully, stronger for my efforts last week. Whatever training program or workouts I go into I feel like I'm going to go into them with a new confidence -- that I am a marathoner now and I can push myself harder than I ever thought I could go. How cool is that?!

Down time

I am about 2 coughs away from bronchitis. I can feel the heaviness right above my lungs and I know this feeling all too well. Like I said, I haven't even had a cold for over a year so I can't be too surprised or upset that I'm sick now. It's a way of forcing a recovery that I probably wouldn't have taken otherwise and apparently needed to.

I haven't run since Tuesday. My mind is a little antsy but my body is sore with that distinct "fever" ache so I'm not going to push it. If I feel even slightly better tomorrow I might try to do a few miles. We'll see. No promises. I'd rather recover fully and go back to it strong than be off and on for the rest of the year. My body did not let me down for the marathon, it's the least I can do to thank it.

So what do I do for the rest of the year? I know what I'd like to do in the spring but that's still months away. There are a few 5Ks between now and the new year that I'll probably do just to keep racing. I'd like to stick to about 20-25 miles a week with a long run of 8-10 miles on the weekend. Probably 8 for awhile, then a 10 thrown in there every now and then. I'm really looking forward to adding back some strength training which I completely dropped in the last 8 weeks of marathon training. I think there's a boot camp starting up in January in my town and I've been wanting to do it since I moved here 4 years ago but I was never in good enough shape. I'm not really a class person but this is outside and it looks punishing enough (wall squats, hill sprints, pushups, pullups) so I think I'll give it a shot.

I've consciously cut back on carbs this week. I enjoyed the freedom of marathon training regarding my calorie intake but I know I don't need to eat like that right now and I refuse to let all my hard work go to waste. I haven't talked too much about weight loss in my blog because that's not what it was really about but as long as the road to the NYC marathon was for me, as has been the road to being healthy. So I'm going back to a higher protein diet which has served me well and cutting back on simple sugars. The holidays are coming. I've already had 3 gingerbread lattes from $tarbuck$ -- those are calories I really don't need right now.

Since I'm sick anyway, I've done a little knitting while I'm lying around on the couch. It's the same scarf I started the weekend I had my gallbladder out and that seems like an eternity ago. It's almost done. I've also picked up A Race Like No Other again and I'm loving every word, just as I thought I would. I'm glad I stopped reading it and waited until after the race.

Post-Marathon Reality

I haven't gotten the post-marathon blues, thankfully. Yet. A lot of runners say they get depressed after and I can see why. You train for months, you push your body past where you thought it could go on race day, and then it's over. I definitely felt an acute sense of reality on Tuesday when I went back to work. Life goes on. The race is over. One day all of NYC is screaming your name, the next you're just a regular jerk again. But that's okay. If I had a lousy marathon experience maybe I'd feel differently but I did as well as I could and better than I had hoped.

I did my first post-marathon run on the treadmill last night. I did 3.1 miles (a 5K) and it was a nice little recovery run. It gave me the chance to remember what it felt like to be running in the greatest city in the world. I was smiling a lot during my workout. I didn't push hard on pace at all, it was more about just staying loose. I think it was a good thing to do because warming up my legs again seemed to get the last bit of stiffness out of them. I was talking to my uncle tonight (he's run NYC a few times) and he said that even though I feel recovered, I'm not. This is when injuries can happen because I feel better than I am. Literally within the last hour I've developed a raging head cold: fever, headache, the works, so that will be a forced recovery, I suppose. I haven't had a cold in over a year, I guess it's due.

Official pictures are supposed to be out tomorrow. Ugh. I hope I get one, just ONE decent one.

Someone posted this video on the marathon FB page. It's awesome!



I wonder why they didn't include the third wave but I was happy that mine was in there. Mine seemed to be way more crowded than the first. If you're watching the video with the runners coming toward you, I was on the right lane of the upper deck. It didn't seem like that many people when we took off, I felt like I had room to run and no one tried to knock me down to get around me.

Great memories. I still can't believe I did it!

An entry almost longer than the marathon itself

I'm going to preface this by saying that already my memory of the marathon is a blur. A beautiful, amazing blur, much like my wedding day. From reading other blogs and seeing the pictures that other runners took, I am piecing together bits and pieces but I was not the best documentarian of the day and that is my only regret.

I drove into the city on Friday. I DROVE into the CITY myself. Between that and running the marathon, I'd say I accomplished a lot this weekend!

Our hotel was beautiful. We were mid-town on the east side at The Benjamin. I stayed there for work once and loved it. When I was looking at hotels for the marathon they were all ridiculously expensive so I decided to do it up right and go with a hotel that I knew I'd like. It was a good choice.

After I checked in I went right to the expo to pick up my number. I posted this picture before but I like it so I'm posting it again.



My husband met me at the hotel (he was coming in from Penn Station) and we both got there about the same time. We had a nice early dinner but about 2 hours later I was STARVING so we ordered a pizza. Pre-race nerves? The insatiable appetite of a marathoner? Who knows. I just know that it was heaven to have a piece of meatball and onion pizza that night.

The next day I slept in which was good. They say that it doesn't matter much about the amount of sleep you get the night before the marathon (because, really, who sleeps well?) but the sleep you get 2 days before. I felt like I was well rested when I finally got up on Saturday. When we left the hotel to go to the NSAL rally, my arch rival, my marathon nemesis -- JARED THE SUBWAY GUY -- was in the lobby of the hotel! He probably wanted a nice, quiet hotel where people wouldn't bother him before the race. Little did he know his mortal enemy was sleeping under the same roof. HAHA!

We went to the rally which was kind of a dud. I'm thrilled that Team Animal League isn't the machine that organizations like Team in Training are, but it's kind of the opposite end of the spectrum. Honestly, if there was just a Facebook page for the team I would have felt so much more connected. I asked them when I went to the get-together over the summer to set up one but they didn't seem interested. So no one really talked to each other at the rally because we hadn't really been connected throughout the process. The good news was that the team raised over $150,000 for the charity! It sounded like they were going to put a big down payment on a new mobile medical unit which will save thousands of animals over the lifetime of its use. That's awesome! They had a mobile adoption unit outside and there was the sweetest beagle mix who was shaking and terrified when the bus opened up. I spent some time with her and tried to calm her down but the longer I spent with her I had a feeling that I was not going to be able to walk away and I didn't know what to do about it. A couple came in the bus and started talking to her and she responded with a tail wag so I knew she'd be okay. She was way too sweet not to be adopted soon.

After the rally I went back to the hotel and my friend Julie was there. We all went for a walk and got some lunch at a noodle house. I had pan-fried noodles with chicken and and it was so good. We hung out in the hotel together afterwards and my nerves started to kick in. I was buzzing around the suite getting my stuff organized for the next day. Around 9 I realized that I never got around to buying stick on letters for my NSAL tank for my name. My husband suggested surgical tape and was going to go to CVS to get some but I decided I wanted to go too to get some fresh air. Good thing I did, because look who I ran into in the lobby.



HAHAHAHAHA! I look evil and he looks like he's sensing it. More on him later...

We got the tape, I played arts and crafts for awhile and put my name on my shirt, and around 11 I decided to try to go to sleep. I knew I'd have an extra hour (YES!) so I wasn't too stressed about being tired the next day.

I got up before my alarm went off and I was surprisingly calm. No dry heaves. No stomach ache. I got dressed, said goodbye to Julie, and my husband walked me to the lobby. Here's me, I definitely have that "just woke up" look but I do look pretty calm.



The concierge had said it would be easy enough to take the subway to Whitehall station but I decided that morning to take a cab to the ferry. I'm sure I could have figured out the subway but I didn't really feel like that was the morning to get adventurous. I got a cab right away and it was a fast ride with no traffic to the ferry station so I feel like I made the right choice.

Here's about where my nerves kicked in.



I've never been on the Staten Island ferry, never even been to Staten Island. And suddenly I was part of the huge sea of runners being herded onto the loading dock. People were really friendly though, I talked with a few people, all of whom also were doing their first marathon. I've been in race starts where everyone takes themselves WAY too seriously. This was not that kind of crowd at all.

I think it was exciting for everyone -- NYC residents and those in the US for the first time -- to see the Statue of Liberty on the way to Staten Island. Most people were there by themselves and everyone was really nice about helping each other get pictures with Lady Liberty in the background. Some nice guy from Italy took mine for me.



When we got off the ferry there were at least 20 buses lined up. It was incredibly well organized. I sat next to a woman from Seattle, also a first-timer, and we chatted on the way to the start village calming each other down. The start villages were a shining example of fantastic planning. Seriously. Considering there were 45,000 people -- a small CITY -- waiting to start, you would never know it. I wanted a picture of myself in front of the banners lining the path to the villages. A nice guy from Norway took mine for me after I offered to take his.



They had tons of food available -- bagels, Dunkin Donuts coffee (stayed away from that), PowerBar, Poland Spring, Gatorade, and fruit but I didn't eat anything. I didn't want to risk upsetting my stomach. Unlike me, people were so calm -- reading magazines, SLEEPING (can you imagine?!), but we were all mostly just trying to keep warm. It was freezing but I was so happy it was cold and not sticky hot like I had trained in all summer. I wish I had taken more pictures of the village, it was pretty amazing. There were helicopters swarming overheard, Coast Guard, NYPD, and news crews. As if I didn't already feel like I was part of something huge that sealed the deal! I thought of that iconic aerial view of the runners going across the Verrazano and I realized I would soon be a part of that.

I admit, I jumped waves. I heard from a couple of sources that they weren't strict on that so I thought I'd try to get in the 10:10 start. I was already in the crowd being herded toward the exit when I saw they were checking bibs for wave start. But I was in the middle of a bunch of people and everyone's number was covered because we were all wearing throw-away layers so I just kind of snuck in. I got through the gate and with that I was in line to start the NYC marathon. I didn't even realize what was happening, I just know that one of the volunteers was holding a sign that said "STOP" ahead of me and after awhile she turned it around to say "WALK" and we did. Slowly. While we were walking we heard the canons for the 9:40 start and we all started cheering. It was really happening!

It took a long time to get to the approach of the bridge and even when we were close it still seemed like it wasn't real. But at 10:10 right on the dot the canons sounded again and about 2 minutes later I hit the mat for the start of the NYC marathon! I guess it's good luck to jump up and touch the Start banner but I wasn't tall enough and I didn't feel like jumping and spraining my ankle, so I didn't. They had Frank Sinatra's, "New York, New York" playing on the speakers and everyone was so happy. I should have taken a picture closer to the top of the bridge but I wanted to put my phone away and settle into running. Going across that bridge was as cool as I thought it would be. I thought I'd be very emotional starting out but I was just so damned happy. I was smiling the whole time.



It turns out my husband's friend who is NYPD was on the bridge but I didn't know that at the time. I saw cops and if I'd known to look for him I would have been able to find him. He tried to look for me but that was pretty much impossible.

The descent of the bridge was heavenly, a mile of downhill. I knew I wouldn't be seeing much downhill in the race so I enjoyed what I could get. And with that we were in Brooklyn.

The crowd support started in Brooklyn and never let up the entire time. It was AMAZING. Anyone I know who has done NYC says 2 things in this order: the crowds were amazing and the bridges were tough. Both are absolutely true but the crowds made every inch of incline worth it. I will probably never experience that kind of rush again in my lifetime and I wish I had taken pictures of the millions (2.5 they say) people lining the streets. But even pictures would never truly capture how it felt to have people calling out my name, slapping my hand, and cheering for me. Every time someone yelled out my name I beamed. I was so glad we put my name on my shirt. There were a few key times in the race when someone would yell my name and it really kept me going. I'll never forget a girl looking me in the eye around mile 24 and saying "Go, Kelly. You got this, girl." It makes me teary just thinking about that. If I run another marathon, I'm definitely putting my name on my shirt. The people who take the time to stand out there and encourage runners are awesome. I hope they know how many of us they kept going that day.

Brooklyn was a lot of fun with the different neighborhoods. It was long, it's almost half the race. I was looking forward to seeing the Bishop Laughlin band, they play the "Rocky" theme over and over and over as the runners pass by. They didn't disappoint!



We went over a bridge where the halfway mark was and then we were in Queens. I didn't know I had ANOTHER potential crowd support there, my husband's cousin, but of course I didn't see her because that was my luck and she didn't see me because there were a million people. She was cheering me and 3 of her friends on and had a sign with our names on it. I feel so bad I didn't see her but she said she saw one of her coworkers so I'm glad her efforts were rewarded. Again, the people who cheer us on are amazing. It's a long day for them but it is so appreciated.

We were only in Queens a short time and then it was over the Queensborough Bridge. And what I think was my wall. A lot of people struggled with that bridge. Al Roker said it was his worst mile, one of the elites not only dropped out after coming off the Queensborough, he RETIRED. As I was driving in on the FDR I saw the sign for the Queensborough and I thought "Wow, that' a lot bigger than I expected. I seriously have to run over that thing?" The Verrazano seemed like cake compared to that one. Probably because the Verrazano is the start and the Queensborough is miles 15-16 so I was at that mid-run slump already. The only time I was truly miserable during the race was on that bridge.

The payoff for the bridge is that it dumps onto 1st Avenue and that's probably the best part of the race. It was PACKED. I could never stand in a crowd that thick for the day so kudos to the people who did. I remember "Where the Streets Have No Name" played on my iPod and it was a magical, dream-like experience. Even though I was still suffering from the effects of the Queensborough as I was running down the middle of 1st Avenue with thousands of other runners and thousands more lining the streets I thought "Who gets to do this?! This is unreal!!" I hope I can hold onto that experience and remember that feeling for a long time. "Amazing" does not begin to describe it.

After that it was into Harlem and I was bummed because the gospel choir was taking a break when I went by. I really would have loved to hear them. And by mile 19, I could have used something uplifting.

Then it was into the Bronx for a hot second (okay, a mile). Right around the corner past mile 20 there was a woman holding up a great sign with 2 brick walls that folded together (like the back of a Mad magazine) with a sign in the middle that said "You're through the wall." That was very clever and I thanked her for the awesome sign. There was a group of people holding a giant sign that said "F*** (but they spelled it out) the pain" and I thought "Yeah, that's pretty much what it's going to be about from that point on." Then it was back into Manhattan and over the 5th bridge but by that point I swear I don't remember anything about the last one. I've looked at pictures of the bridges I went over but it's all a blank after the damned Queensborough. I guess I was traumatized! ;)

By that point I was having some pretty bad calf spasms. I had never experienced that before in training and it hit me hard. It didn't help that I kept having to shorten my stride or stop short because there were a lot of people getting loopy by that point and if they were on the right side of the road and saw someone holding a flag from their country on the left side they'd cut straight across everyone to go slap hands. It happened a lot at the end and every time I had to stop short my calf would scream. I started making deals with my body by that point because I knew if it kept happening it was not only going to totally ruin the last 6 miles, it could have jeopardized my finish. I had some margarita Shot Blocks with me that have sodium in them (get it, salted margarita?) and I chewed on 2 of those. I think that helped because it only happened a few times more after that.

I called my husband at mile 20 to tell him to start heading over to the park but they were already on their way. Miles 21-23 were tough because it was a lot of uphill but I was pretty determined to gut it out and finish the strongest I could. I called my husband again at mile 23 and he said they were right at the 25 mile mark and knowing I was 2 miles away from seeing him and Julie gave me such a boost. At that point the course was on Central Park and the crowds were amazing. I heard my name a lot and it kept me going.

I slowed down heading into mile 25 to make sure I could see my husband and he could see me but I couldn't find them. Right after the mile marker we went into our last water station so I couldn't even walk back if I wanted to. I called Julie to see where they were and got no answer and I was so disappointed. For me AND for them since they had been standing out there forever. But I knew I had to finish, whether I saw them or not. As I rounded a corner the sun mercifully was out of my eyes for the first time in a few miles and I saw Bill! I screamed his name and he saw me and I floated over to kiss him. I'm sure I cut some people off because I wasn't even thinking so I forgive all the calf killers who got caught up in the excitement of the crowd. I should have stopped for 2 freaking seconds so Julie could get a picture and I could get a picture of them but I didn't. I was so close to finishing that I wasn't thinking straight.

After that I was off with less than a mile to go and, yes, it was a long mile, but my legs seemed to understand the significance of it and I just kept going and going and going. There was a sharp turn and I could see the "300 yards to go" sign, then the 200, then the 100, then I saw the finish line.

For weeks I planned out my finish line pose (make fun if you will, everyone who is honest about it will admit they do too) but I have no idea what stupid thing my arms ended up doing as I crossed the finish line. I can't wait to see those pictures, I'm sure I look ridiculous but I don't even care. I crossed the finish line and as soon as I stopped running the tears welled up and I had my moment. It was really more like a few seconds because a volunteer patted me on the shoulder and congratulated me and I felt better. Then I got my medal. I saw someone almost walk by the medal volunteers and one of them yelled "Hey, don't you want your medal?" Can you imagine?! But that's how spaced out you are at the end.

After that, it wasn't entirely triumphant. All the runners are dumped onto a path shoulder to shoulder, even more packed than the start, and you just shuffle along for 10 blocks waiting to exit the park (not my picture but it's the exact same view I had).



It was brutal. I felt kind of sick and grabbed the first thing out of the food sack they handed us and fortunately it was pretzels. I sucked on the salt and that seemed to help me feel better. I saw a lot of people laying on the side of the path getting medical attention. It's just not a great feeling to go from running for almost 5 hours to a standstill. The medical personnel was great though, there were a ton of them (probably because they knew there'd be a lot of woozy, queasy people) working with the downed runners and mixed into the crowd asking us all if we were okay.

I picked up my bag from the UPS truck and FINALLY got out of the park. Getting through that crowd was miserable and I thought of the long walk ahead of me back to the hotel and it wasn't a great time in my head. I found a pedi-cab a few blocks later and snagged it. I had heard they are the worst price gougers and if I had thought ahead I would have yelled out to another miserable runner to see if they wanted to share. The ride back to my hotel -- 50 bucks. FIFTY! From around 75th to 50th But you know what? I don't care. I would have paid double if I had to.

Julie and Bill were back at the hotel and I walked in feeling like a superstar. Julie got this picture of me rocking out my mylar. Of course I want a serious picture of "Kelly as Runner" but this totally is more who I am. A nerd.



And here's a picture of my medal. Truthfully, the Hartford Half medal is snazzier but it's the prestige of having a New York City Marathon badge that makes up for the understated look.



Bill had picked me up a sandwich and it was the best sandwich I had ever eaten. I can't tell you what it was or what it tasted like, I just know I inhaled it. I was so happy to see them and be basking in the post-marathon glow with two people I love very much. Bill gave me a gorgeous bracelet and earrings, which was very sweet of him.

I took a shower and I never knew a hot shower could feel so good. After that, Bill had to leave thanks to the wisdom of LIRR testing out their tracks and limiting service on marathon weekend. I was bummed that we couldn't hang out more but I wanted him to make sure he got back to LI and the 6:52 was the last train out of the city.

Julie recapped the day for me -- I passed Al Roker (didn't know it), passed Robin Quivers (didn't know it), and we figured out that I passed Edison Pena, the Chilean miner. I had come up to a motorcycle with a camera guy mounted on the back and I wondered who they were there for. I looked over and I *thought* it could have been him but at the NYRR press conference, his bib said his name on it. This guy had a numbered bib so I didn't think it was him. Turns out it was. The man ran an amazing marathon. He was definitely the "story" of 2010 and it was cool that I got to see him.

We tried to get my official finish time but the site was overloaded for hours. I really wanted to see how I stacked up against my nemesis, Jared. At 6:45 we went for massages (ahhh) and then we went out for an awesome dinner at a Mexican place. Julie treated me (thanks, darling!) and it was heaven to sit there with a margarita (a real one, not a carb supplement) and some freshly made guacamole.

When we got back we were able to get the official results: 4:47:31! Because the course is actually longer than 26.2 my running app had me at a 10:45 mile but my official time was a 10:58 mile. That is pretty much what my marathon goal was so I was thrilled. THRILLED! Even better, I beat Jared's time by almost a half hour. I know it's so stupid but you have to have something to push you along, right? It was all in good fun.

The next day I saw Jared in the lobby and I congratulated him. He saw I was wearing my jacket and congratulated me too. I said something about "Hey, we're still walking!" and he laughed. When I was going back to my room I was in the elevator with his mom and wife and they were so nice, they complimented my purse, my jacket, and we talked about how glad we were that the SLEET coming down was not the day before. So I guess I've buried the hatchet with my foe.

I picked up the NY Times for the special marathon section. They publish your name if you complete the marathon in 4 hours and 30 minutes or less. That's the official word but they seem to be extending it little by little each year to include more runners. Imagine how psyched I was that they extended the cutoff to -- guess what -- 4:47 this year! I made the NY Times!!! By 29 seconds!

And that's the story. I wasn't very sore the next day. I would get stiff if I sat for too long and I'd walk like Fred Sanford for a little when I would get up but once I got going I was fine.

I feel like I could keep talking about this for weeks but I realize the clock has just about run out on people wanting to hear about it. I can't say that I blame them, haha!. I know I could never have made it to the start line, nevermind the finish, without the love and support of my family and friends. They deserve a lot of credit and I won't ever forget the encouragement and reassurance they gave me. Together, we raised $2636 for a charity that means so much to me and, with their strength, I transformed from a dreamer to a NYC Marathon Finisher.

I am a NYC Marathon FINISHER!!!!!!!!!!

I want to gather my thoughts about the day and what it meant to me (probably tomorrow, at work, haha) but I just need to say:

I AM A NYC MARATHON FINISHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Official time: 4:47:31. I could not be happier!!!

Let's get it on

I have gone from excitement, to dread, to wanting to go home, back to excitement all day today. And it's not over. I've put my d-tag on my sneakers, partially laid out my clothes (still making the big decision over short or long sleeves) and I have my clear plastic bag packed with stuff I can bring into the village. I also did my nails.



Corny? So what. I had to do my nails anyway, might as well get into the spirit of things.

I didn't do much today in NYC. We went to the NSAL rally, which was kind of a disappointment. They had a mobile adoption unit in front of the hotel and there was the sweetest beagle mix who got so scared when they opened the side windows that she was shaking. I tried to calm her down and I thought at one point that I would simply not be able to leave her but then she got into the idea of seeing other people. I hope she got a good home today, she was a cutie pie. If there was any way we could take on a new pup I would have. My husband had to walk away because seeing all the dogs who needed homes got him upset. He feels the same way, he'd take all of them home if it were possible.

Other than that, I've just relaxed with my husband and my friend who came down to support me. Oh, we saw Jared in our hotel lobby. Of all the gin joints in the world, why'd he have to walk into mine? Seriously! Everyone on FB knows how I feel about him! Too funny. Extra motivation, I guess.

Tomorrow's blog entry will be the big one!

I have arrived!!!

I'm here! In NYC! And I've got my number!



I'm official!

The expo was madness but pretty well organized. The line to register coiled all around the center but it moved really quickly. As I got closer and closer to registering I felt like I was getting to the front of a really great ride at Disney. This will be the ride of a lifetime, that's for sure!

I did the classic first-timers mistake at the expo and bought a bunch of crap at the first booth (Asics). I got a shirt that says NYC 10 on the front and "26.2 to hell and back" on the back with the Verrazano in the background. Love it. I also got a windbreaker in black with the logo stitched on the front and back. It's cool. Then I found a shirt I liked at the Nike booth so I got that. They had a windbreaker that was pretty cool too but, oh well, how much NYC stuff can you have? I couldn't believe how many things people were buying, basketfuls of stuff! It's a special thing to be here, everyone wants to take a piece of it home.

I also got my GUs for Sunday and a new running belt that looks less like a fanny pack and more like a belt. I can fit my phone in it and it has elastic loops for the gels. I dig it. I ordered my shadowbox that will have my name, bib, in it. I just hope I get a good picture for it!! I also stopped by the Tiffany booth and I saw the necklace that I had already ordered. I still planning on going to Marathon Monday so there will be different stuff to buy then. Yay!

We had sushi for dinner and now we're just hanging out in our room...excuse me...suite.. It's really nice!

Tonight is the most important night for rest. I won't have my dogs to wake me up at the crack of dawn so I plan on sleeping late. Gotta rest up, I have a lot of ground to cover on Sunday -- 5 boroughs worth!!

It's starting!!!!!!

The expo opened today. Right now, at the Jacob Javit's Convention Center, my bib is filed waiting for me to pick it up! Attached is the D-tag that will keep track of my time, which will be posted to the New York Road Runners site. In less than 72 hours I will be a New York City Marathon finisher. It's really happening!!!!

There were lots of pictures posted from the expo today. Everyone says not to spend too much time wandering around there but some of the booths look really freaking cool. All the big vendors have something to lure you there (of course). Nike is doing customized pace bracelets. I'm not that wrapped up in my pace for the marathon but that's a pretty nice idea. Asics will be selling the limited edition poster for this year's marathon (hope they still have them when I get there). So I'm sure I'll end up spending *some* time there. Since it will be Friday that shouldn't be too bad. My only plan on Saturday is to go to the NSAL rally and then maybe go check out the finish line.

Of all the things that happened at the expo today, I think this is, by far, the coolest.



I am so rooting for this guy. I've been ranting about how much I hate Subway Jared over on FB for weeks. I just can't find inspiration from a guy who had the entire Subway franchise ensuring that this race happens. But Pena, come on. Even if he only makes it halfway (something tells me he's going to do the whole thing though) -- THAT is inspirational.

Today I took Jakob for his glaucoma test (negative!) and picked up a few things for the weekend. The house is in reasonable order for the sitter. I just have to finish packing (seriously, the bane of my existence). Then I can allow myself to slip into full-on excitement mode!

My next post will be from NYC. YEAH!!!

Don't dream it. Be it.

I need a laugh

Today has been all about stress.

Poor Daisy has been having some issues with incontinence. At first I thought she was just mad about something but it's happening 3 or more times a day. So I brought her to the vet because a friend said that she might have a urinary tract infection. The vet thought it might actually be worse than that, it might be a kidney infection which is harder to treat. She's on antibiotics now (horse pills that she hates swallowing) but I have to try to get a urine sample so they can culture the bacteria to make sure they're treating her with the right medication. She'll be on meds for 6-10 weeks. I just hope she's not in pain and that she'll be okay.

While we were there I noticed that one of Jakob's eyes was bloodshot. The vet looked at him and asked me if his pupils had always been different sizes. He showed me that the bloodshot eye was bulging and he suspected glaucoma. So I have to bring Jakob to a specialist on Thursday to see if that is the case and then he'll need to go on meds to bring the pressure down because that can be very painful.

Stress! I love my babies and I don't want to leave them this weekend if they aren't doing well. I'm going to run this race to help animals and I feel terrible leaving my own behind. I know the sitter will take great care of them but, still, I'm going to worry now the whole weekend.

I have so much to do. I have to clean up the house so the sitter can stay here for the weekend. I have to pack which, for some reason, is the most incredibly daunting task. I don't know how I'm going to get everything done other than take Thursday off which I pretty much have to now because of Jakob's appt. Not that I mind taking the day off, believe me, but I just hope there isn't anything I can't finish off tomorrow with work that will be hanging over my head.

I got in my 4 mile run today. It seemed so easy (yes!). I didn't really feel like doing it with everything going on but I knew I had to. I haven't tinkered with the training program in 17 weeks, I'm not going to start messing around this final week. Two more runs before Sunday: 3 miles and 2 miles. Only FIVE miles between me and this race. And it's 5 days from today. CRAZY!

So, yeah, I need a laugh. This is from last year. I love Meb! Number 5 is my favorite.

Let the freak-out begin

When I said goodbye to my husband this morning (he works out in LI 4 days a week), I realized the next time I'll see him is in NYC. We're meeting there on Friday. When that dawned on me I got a little weepy. I think this week is going to be one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.

I don't feel ready. And yet I know I'll never be more ready than I am right now. I have doubts I can finish. Then I look at my training and I have to have every faith that I can.

I still have so much to do! Packing. Last-minute shopping. The dogs need to go to the vet tomorrow. I have a doctor's appt of my own tomorrow afternoon. I'm totally checked out of work but I have a big project due this week. What's a week without stress, right? Oh my god. The stress.

So I find my inspiration where I can. Here is today's:

A week from today...

One week from today!!!! Hopefully, one week from RIGHT NOW (3:37 pm) I will be finishing and getting my medal.

I can't believe it's just one week away. I feel like I have so much to do that I thought I would have done weeks in advance by now. I got a new iPod shuffle for my birthday specifically for the race. I have to synch it up and make a playlist for the race. I have to make a final decision on my raceday outfit. I guess it depends on weather but I'd like to have all options available: long sleeve with NSAL singlet over it, short sleeve with NSAL singlet, or (least favorable) just the singlet.

It's going to be a busy week, for sure. I still need to squeeze a few more runs in. Short ones -- 4, 3, and 2 miles -- but they still need to get done.

Today's run was pretty solid, a good way to end my long runs. I did 8 miles around the lake and it was hilly, hilly, hilly. I just kept thinking to stay strong because that's what the last 6.2 miles in Central Park will be. My pace was good, 9:54/mile. It wasn't my fastest 8-mile pace (9:35 last week) but that course was almost completely flat compared with this one. Look, I'm not kidding about the hills!



Here's my splits. I have no problems with this. All my miles were solid and my average pace was more than a minute faster than my goal marathon pace. I think I can pull it off!



After my run I went for my last pre-marathon massage. She's an artist, I tell ya! She did a new stretch with me today that got right into my hip flexor, exactly where I was feeling tight. I think I'm as physically ready as I'm going to get at this point.

The rest of the week will be obsessing about weather, getting around the city before and after the race, nerves, and excitement. It's going to be a crazy 7 days!