What a week

It's been a heck of a week. I'm still in shock about the destruction Sandy has caused and how it has crippled the city, long island, and New Jersey. One of my best friends likes to remind me of the high correlation between my travel and natural disasters. Every time I announce new travel plans or shortly after I return from somewhere, the area seems to be impacted by a natural disaster. Why should the NYC marathon be any different?

I received word this morning that the marathon is officially on. I have very mixed emotions about the upcoming race. On one hand, it seems like the policemen and all the volunteers who would be working the marathon should be focusing their time on more important recovery efforts. Logistics are still very much up in the air. The subways (and other forms of transportation) are only partially running, which means not all the runners will even make it to the race. It also makes it harder for spectators to visit multiple points along the course (which is particularly upsetting to me since I need all the motivation and support I can get!). And it's still unclear how we will even make it to the start line. On a more personal note, I'm sad that my first, and likely only, marathon is one that won't have the same energy as previous NYC marathons, and is even facing backlash from many local residents (who believe individuals should not be diverted from recovery efforts for the race).

On the other hand, and selfishly, I have been training for this race since June. I am ready for this race and I am ready to be done. I have no desire to spend hours running on the weekends. I have no desire to sit home with a bag of frozen peas on my shins. I am uninterested in waking up at 6am so I can run 10 miles before class. My hope is that this race will be symbolic of the perseverance of NYC and will be a positive experience for everyone involved - runners, spectators, volunteers, workers, the city.

Despite the logistical challenges, I'm looking forward to this weekend and am excited to become an official "marathoner"! Stay tuned for what I hope will be an exciting post on Sunday or Monday!

Home stretch

With less than 2 weeks to go until the big day, I'm well into the taper of my training. This past weekend was my last double digit run. From here on out it's smooth sailing. I've got an 8 mile run this weekend, and a couple of shorter runs next week. I can't believe the marathon is so close. In fact, I'm just 1 day away from being able to see the anticipated marathon weather in the 10 day forecast! Keeping my fingers crossed for a nice day!

20 miles #@!%

Holy #@!%. I ran 20 miles this morning. And I crushed it. A special shout out to my friends Brent and Emily who joined me for the run. Brent was a champ and ran all 20 with me. Emily joined us at the halfway point and provided some much needed new energy and a new route. Thanks to both of you!!

Physically speaking, I'm feeling pretty good, though my legs are definitely tired. My mobility seems to be a bit limited this afternoon. Mentally, I am on top of the world. First of all, this run was light years ahead of my 14 miles last weekend and I maintained an even better pace than I did during my 18 mile run (thanks to my running partners). If I can run 20, I can run 26.2.

I would be remiss to not mention the weather today, since it's one of my favorite topics to post about. All summer long I forced myself to wake up early to beat the heat. Today I woke up early in an effort to not spend the entire day running. What was I greeted with you may ask? Temperatures in the low 30s, with a wind chill placing it in the 20s. My how the tables have turned.

From here on out should be smooth sailing. This was my peak week of training. I covered 40 miles this week. Now I start the taper, and am in the home stretch. Just 3 weeks until the marathon.

And I have officially reached my fundraising goal! A very hearty thank you to everyone for all of your generous support! This truly would not have been possible without you!

So far, so good

It seems (fingers crossed) that last week was just a blip in the training. Great news! So far this week I've done a 5 mile and a 10 mile run. Both went fantastically, so I'm cautiously optimistic about the next few weeks.

In order to get my 10 miles in today I had to get up at 6am. Nobody told me that it doesn't get light out until 7am! Seriously? In order to make it to class in time (and ensure adequate time for showering), I had no choice but to head out at 6:30am. It was not fun. (And Mom, don't worry I ran only on main roads where there were street lamps!). Luckily during the run I ran into (literally) one of my classmates and ran with him for a couple of miles. It was great to have some company, and he really forced me to pick up my pace.

I'm actively planning for this weekend's 20 mile run. That is the furthest distance I'll cover before the marathon. I've asked almost everyone I know in Boston if they are interested in running some part of that distance with me. It should be interesting to try and coordinate... We shall see!

Poor excuse for a run

Today's run was by far the worst run of my training to date. I was meant to run 14 miles. I slowly jogged/struggled through the first 7 and 3/4 at which point I decided I just could not go any further and so I walked. Once I hit 8 miles I found a bench and literally sat down and read some email. I was about half a mile from my apartment so I toyed with cutting my losses and just going home, but decided I really should finish the last 6 miles. So I got back up and was on my way. The last 6 were just as painful as the first 8, perhaps even more so. Through some combination of horrendously slow jogging, walking, and sitting on benches I managed to cover all 14 miles. It was not pretty. And I'm bummed, to say the least. The past few weeks have been awesome. This week has been a constant struggle. I need to figure out what's going on here, especially since I'm in the home stretch. Just 4 weeks to go until the marathon. Hopefully I can get this sorted out sometime soon...

Some days are slower than others

And some posts take longer to make it to my blog than others.


Tuesday morning's run this week was 5 miles. At this point 5 miles should be a breeze, yet for whatever reason I struggled through it. In fact, I ran at a slower pace than I did for my 18 mile run last weekend. That is crazy. If I had to guess, I suspect there were a few things going on here:

1. Mental preparation. Before my 18 mile run I got myself psyched up. I knew 18 miles was a long way so made sure that I was anticipating the run and was excited for it. For 5 miles I pretty much rolled out of bed and went for it. 
2. Recovery time. Yes, my 18 mile run was 3 days ago, but I suspect it took more out of me than I am willing to give it credit for. I am betting that my body is still trying to figure out what I did to it and why. 
3. Pace. The runs in which I am most successful I start off pretty slow and gradually pick up my pace over the first couple miles. Today I just went for it right off the bat. I definitely started at too fast a pace and paid for it later.
4. Route. I overestimated the distance of my planned route. This meant that I spent my last mile running in circles. Boredom is not helpful, especially when you're already struggling. 

I guess the important thing is that I finished my 5 miles. And since then I also managed to get in another 5 miles and a 9 miler. Looking forward to 14 miles tomorrow!

18 miles!

I ran 18 miles yesterday. That is crazy. Normally I don't think I even travel 18 miles over the course of a week. I actually felt great during the run. Admittedly I got really bored at mile 14, but I pushed through and completed all 18. Turns out that running that far is pretty darn exhausting not to mention sweat inducing. When I got home my roommate asked me if it was raining out. Nope. No rain. All sweat. Yup, it was pretty nasty. I was also in dire need of some fluid replacement. As you can see I had a wide selection of water, gatorade, and chocolate milk.

Post-run beverage selection

All in all, what is most crazy, or exciting I suppose, is that the marathon actually feels like it's within reach. Sure, I've still got another 8.2 miles to run the day of, but I actually think I can do it!

I completely forgot!

I can't believe I forgot to post this in my blog yesterday! It must have been the sheer exhaustion of running and my brain was protesting. While I was out on the river I passed Julia Stiles riding her bike. That is my first ever celebrity sighting while running! For those who may not know who I'm referring to...

Julia Stiles filming her movie in Boston!

Or if you're like me, she'll always be the girl from 10 Things I Hate About You

A slow start...

Got a late start this morning. Fortunately it was cool outside. Unfortunately about 1 block from my apartment I got a horrific cramp on my left side, which meant I was off to a slow start. I suspect this was because I was super dehydrated and did not drink nearly enough water yesterday. I had visions of this being an awful 12 miles. Luckily the cramp subsided, but it was quickly replaced with a general, full stomach cramp. As you can imagine, those first few miles were not particularly fun. A couple miles in that general discomfort also subsided and then it was pretty much smooth sailing. It actually ended up being a pretty decent run. Not as good as my 16 mile run last week, but I suppose they can't all be quite like that.

I also decided last minute to head home this week for Yom Kippur. I'm very excited to be home, but this definitely throws a wrench in my training for this week. I think I've got a solid plan in place and it doesn't even require me to bring my running gear home! Here goes...

A day of rest

When I woke up yesterday it was very gloomy out. It had POURED the night before. I made a very quick decision to give myself what I deemed to be a much needed day off. My knees and quads definitely thanked me. I also got to sleep for an extra hour and a half which was greatly appreciated. My impromptu break was much enjoyed.

This morning - 8 miles. No complaints.

Today my knees hate me

On Saturday I ran 16 miles and felt like a million bucks. This morning I ran 5 miles and my legs are having none of it. It amazes me what a difference 3 days can make (well that and 11 miles). Seriously, my legs are tired and achy. My quads feel like jello. And worst of all, my knees hate me. Ugh. Fortunately I bought Advil in bulk in anticipation of days like today.

You win some, you lose some

Lose: woke up bright and early today to head out for my 16 mile run. It looked a bit ominous outside, but I wasn't overly worried. I grabbed my raincoat and was ready to go. Then I took one last look out the window before leaving and realized it was actually pouring.

Win: I just ran 16 miles! And it was awesome! I ended up waiting about an hour for the rain to pass. By the time I left I didn't even bring my raincoat, and when I finished my run it was a gorgeous, sunny day. Last week 15 miles kicked my butt. This week I kicked 16 miles' butt. Make no mistake, I am exhausted, and I won't be setting any Olympic records any time soon, but it really was a fantastic run! Now off to eat. A lot.

A glorious 8 miles

Yesterday's run was a surprisingly pleasant 8 miles! The time just flew by. Almost as quickly as I started I had covered 8 miles (note: this is simply how it felt; rest assured I did not run fast so it did actually take quite a bit of time).  Maybe the fact that I actually got 8 hours of sleep the night before (versus the 6 I've been getting) helped?

It's amazing to me how far I've come. When I first started my training my long run was 6 miles. Now my mid-week runs are longer than that. And I can do it! And then go to school for a whole day. It really is awesome!

Let's hope this positive energy sticks around for my 16 miler tomorrow.

Holy LONG run

Wow, 15 miles is a LONG way! And it's the furthest I've run continuously. EVER. Today's run was really hard. It was hot out and I ran VERY slowly. In fact, 15 miles is so far that I'm pretty sure I ran to the end of the earth. My back hurts, my legs are tired, and I don't know which part of me to ice first. My lower extremities are not very happy with me right now. I also can't decide what is grossest - the sweat, the salt, or the dirt that I'm currently covered in. It's scares me to no end that the actual marathon is another 11.2 miles on top of the distance I ran today... But I'll worry about that later. For now I'm going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that I ran really damn far this morning.

Tired!

I was less than thrilled to get up for my 7 mile run this morning. Over the last several weeks there have been times where I wasn't feeling it, but nothing quite like this morning. Running 7 miles was pretty much the last thing I was interested in doing. I sucked it up and head out, and while it was a LONG and SLOW 7 miles, it got done. The last couple miles were actually better than the first. Not in terms of pace, but they didn't seem nearly as painful as when I started my run.

I forgot how absolutely exhausting and time consuming business school can be. Running the marathon continues to be a priority for me, and I will get in my training, but I am definitely concerned. I've got 15 miles coming up this weekend. Fingers crossed

Oh, the weather

The weather has been surprisingly cooperative this summer. Sure it was hot and all sorts of humid, but it really didn't rain all that much. With the exception of 1 long run where I hit a few patches of rain and 1 weekday run where I got caught in a torrential downpour, I've been pretty fortunate over the last several weeks. I was able to run outside pretty much whenever I wanted.

Sadly, yesterday the weather disappointed. I set my alarm so I could get in a 4 miler before my first class of the year. And what did I wake up to find...rain! And this was no light mist. It was some serious rain. I opted to go back to bed and am planning to get in my run on Friday. Of course when I did finally get up it was no longer raining so perhaps I could have braved the storm. Oh well, better luck next time.

A slow start...

Off to a slow start this morning. I left for my 10 mile run a bit later than I had hoped. Then my watch decided to take it's sweet time locating satellites. Then Songza decided to have connectivity issues so I couldn't listen to one of their playlists. Fortunately I loaded a bunch of music onto my iPhone yesterday so I was able to listen to that. But naturally I pressed the wrong button at first so I listened to the same one song on repeat a few times before I realized and fixed the issue. Because of all this my first mile was a bit slow. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing for the next 9 miles.

Sadly, I came home to a new blister on my toe.

My newest blister, though this picture does not do it justice

I guess I'll wear sandals today...

Progress, progress, progress

I decided to sleep in this morning. The weather report indicated that the high today was going to be around 75, and the morning was only going to be in the mid-60s. No need to beat the heat means no reason to wake up early! I ended up heading out for my run around 9:15 this morning (not quite the sleeping in I had envisioned). It was sunny, breezy, and cool. A perfect morning for my 7 mile run! The first 6 miles went off without a hitch. The last mile was pretty slow, and I was feeling pretty tired, but it all worked out. I finished the 7 miles at a decent pace and without any real issues.

I think that today's run really showed me the progress I've made over the last 6 weeks or so. Today was a mid-week 7 mile run, and today is just a regular, normal day. In the past, 7 mile runs were absolutely exhausting and took everything out of me. Now they don't even seem that long. As you can imagine, this makes me super excited, especially since this weekend is a step back week and I only need to run 10 miles! And no, I can't believe I just used the word "only" in the same sentence as 10 miles. I have truly come so far...

13.1!!!!!

Today's long run was as much a mental challenge as a physical one. This morning I had to cover 13.1 miles. Essentially I had to run a half marathon. I haven't run that far since my race this past May, which as you all know, did not go as I had hoped. Thus, I was a bit apprehensive about today's run. From here on out (with the exception of a few step back weeks) my runs get progressively longer. I've never run more than 13.1 miles so this was a big hurdle for me.

I don't know if it's a new attitude or the fantastic weather, but I ran all 13.1 miles!! And I felt great doing it! In fact, I maintained a pace that was 52 seconds faster per mile than when I ran 12 miles last week. I'm no speed demon, but 52 seconds is a HUGE difference. I could not be more ecstatic!!

Post-run I'm feeling good. I enjoyed some delicious organic low-fat chocolate milk, which comes in a super kid-friendly juice box (yes, I have the same beverage preferences as a five year old)

My post-run drink of choice

And to avoid injury I've spent some time icing my ankles...

Icing my ankles post-run (green beans on the left, peas on the right)

All in all a great morning!

Finally picking up the pace!

Today was my mid-week longish run and I finally picked up my pace! I know I have said repeatedly that I don't have a time goal for the marathon, and that continues to be the case, but after running my long runs these past weeks at a pretty slow clip it felt awesome to pick it up today. And for 6 miles no less! I attribute this faster speed partly to the new scenery. It was a beautiful morning along the Charles and there are lots of great running routes. I also think the new speedier pace is partly due to the new app I downloaded on my iPhone. Songza (strange name, great app) offers a wealth of playlists sans commercials. I was definitely getting sick of the songs on my iTunes so this was a welcome change. But mostly I think there is 1 key reason for the newfound pace: the lack of humidity! I'm not sure who to thank for this change in weather pattern, but it is downright amazing! Here's to hoping it sticks around for awhile!