A Big Catch-up and a Belated Race Recap

Hi friends! Did ya miss me?

It’s been awhile, but life has been crazy insane. Work had me as busy as a bee, so between running, working, and subsequently thinking about said work, I didn’t have time for much else. Except maybe eating take-out and watching Homeland. I always have time for Carrie Mathison.

I also told myself when I started writing this blog, that if it ever felt like a burden, I wouldn’t force myself to write just to fill the words on the page. This is supposed to be a “creative outlet” and it didn’t feel that way each time I attempted to write a blog post in the last month or so. So here I am, back in action, feeling groovy.

Last time we talked, I was about to run Grete’s Great Gallop Half Marathon. Going into it, I knew it would be hilly. Two laps of Central Park is not a cakewalk.

Frenemy.

During the first lap I was feeling good, and hovered around an 8:30/8:45 pace. I just tried to take in the sights and sounds and enjoy the race as much as I could.

Smiling! Feeling good!

I knew in the back of my mind that the second lap of those Harlem hills would not be pleasant. I don’t know whether it was the hills, my pace, or the fact that I had been training for a full and not a half-marathon, but the last few miles felt really bad. I felt like I ran one good race (first lap) and one terrible race (second lap).

Yes that's me in the green shirt.
Looking lively.

I ended up running it in 1:56:10, which is about an 8:52 pace. I knew I didn’t want to race this half, but it felt a lot harder than it should have. I’ll blame it on the hills.

Since then, I can honestly say, I didn’t have another bad long run. I did 17 miles and then 20 miles without a hitch. My injuries seemed to disappear, and my last few weeks of peak training didn’t feel as exhausting as I expected them to feel.

I celebrated the beginning of taper week by watching The Spirit of the Marathon. I watched it for the first time before the Cape Cod Marathon last year, and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I remembered feeling excited and anxious, and being unsure of whether I would even finish my first marathon. Re-watching it got me really, really excited about running Philly. New pre-race tradition? Perhaps.

Then the big and terrible Sandy came, and we were all saddened by the stories of those who lost their power, homes, and even loved ones.

Uprooted tree in McCarren Park :(

My thoughts go out to everyone who was affected in the storm, and I have to say I was blown away by the outpouring of generosity by my fellow New Yorkers who donated their time and money to help our city rebuild itself.

After the storm, I went on my very first work trip out to Newport Beach, CA and Dallas, TX. I was relieved to leave 40 degree weather for sunny Orange County.

And the very first thing I did was drop off my bags at my hotel room, and go for a run.

I'M WEARING A TANK TOP.

My work trip went really well, and after several busy weeks at the office, things seem to finally be calming down. I have much more important things to be worrying about this week anyway.

In just 5 short days, I will be running my second marathon. I am excited, and quite frankly wondering when the nerves will settle in. I’ll have my friends and family at the race to cheer me on, and I couldn't be more amped for a new adventure.

More on my pre-race thoughts and checklists later this week!