Priorities + Week 7 Marathon Training

One thing I've learned from going through the marathon training cycle a few times is you have to have conviction in your priorities.

I suppose this is true in life as well, but when you have fewer hours of free time during the week because of training, it becomes even more obvious. I try not to become a complete hermit when I train, because I enjoy being social and doing fun things outside of running. But when I commit to something, I am super committed. I am taking marathon training seriously, especially because as the weeks go on, I am finding it to be one the more successful training cycles I’ve had. So what does this mean? I have to let some things go. But there are things I've learned along the way that are both good and bad. Do you want to hear about them? Okay then.

The Positives

I’ve trained my body to wake up before work and run, specifically for the purpose of being able to meet up with friends in the evening, or just lay on my couch and catch up on Project Runway. This has proved helpful so far, and I find on the days when I train in the morning I have a TON of energy the rest of the day. I make both my runs and my evening plans a priority, and everybody wins.

A photo of a happy, well-balanced runner.

Last year when I was training for the Philly marathon, I had a hard time balancing everything. I was burnt out from running all year, and my original training plan was pretty aggressive. Between running and work, I was stress city. Even when I was training for the tri in the spring, fitting in workouts 6 days a week was no easy task. I pushed a lot to the side, and focused on my training. Too much of one thing made me super stressed. But this time around? I feel great. It is the first time since last November that I’ve been able to devote all of my active time to my love for running, and I couldn’t be happier. I really try to use my time when I run to sort out my worries and let go of negative emotions, instead of letting it bring any added stress into my life (MOM ARE YOU READING THIS).

The Negatives (wah-wahh)

The reality of marathon training is that you will not be able to do everything. You can’t get drunk Friday night AND nail that 18 miler on Saturday morning. At least I can’t. It’s either a Harry Potter DVD and the 18 miler, OR getting drunk Friday and laying in bed Saturday morning while chugging Gatorade. During marathon season, I choose the former because that’s what I’m committed to. I’m very lucky to have a boyfriend and a family who support my training, because I know that my long training runs can be selfish.

While I know that my long runs can cut into weekend time, I try to adjust my schedule so training doesn't take over my life. For example: I’m going away to Keith’s house this weekend, where his mom, Keith and I are going to the Brimfield Antiques Market to scavenge for cool old knick knacks. I know we usually leave EARLY on Saturday morning to get good parking, so I chose to do my long training run last night so I didn’t have to worry about it over the weekend. Running 2 ½ hours on a Thursday night is not exactly my idea of fun, but now I don’t have to stress about when I’m going to fit it in over the weekend. Sacrifices, people.

Anywho! Let’s get down to how last week’s training went.

Monday : 6M, 3M @ Marathon Pace (kind of)

Tuesday: 5M easy

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest (and drive up to Portland for Labor Day!)

Friday: 13 Miles in Portland

AWESOME run. Well, awesome first half, when Keith joined me. Keith and I got to the apartment we were staying at around lunch, and strapped on our sneakers to enjoy the fresh air. Keith’s plan was to join me for the first half, and I would do the last 6 ½ on my own. We had a bit of fun.

Show-off.

Kind of showing-off.

 

VERY PLEASED.

The first half I felt really strong, despite the heat and humidity. I also didn’t fuel properly before the run. I had an egg sandwich at about 10, and half of a banana right before the run. So by the time I turned around for the second half of my run, I was HUNGRY. My clif shots and blocks weren’t doing the trick. The last few miles I could feel how drained and dehydrated I was. Plus, being by myself was not fun. I was ready for a weekend of drinking and playing.

I turned on my iPod, and kicked it into high gear for the last two miles. A little Miley Cyrus got me to do my last mile at 9:19, which I was really happy with. Then it was beer time.

Fall beer is LITERALLY my favorite thing.

And beach time.

And casual biking time.

Sunday: 4.25 Miles

Keith and I did another run on Sunday, and I was not really up for it. After a weekend of beer and fried food, I just wanted to nap. But we plotted our route so that we would end at a bar on the water. As I said before, it’s all about priorities.

Total Miles: 28.25

Here's to another week of being balanced and stress-free. And drinking all the fall beer I can get my hands on.

Week 6 Marathon Training – and Where the Heck I Have Been

I'm here!

I’ve spent the last few weeks enjoying the beautiful August weather we’ve been having. The sun has been out and I haven't been to work on a Friday in weeks. Work has also been crazy busy, so play time + work time = no blog time. I’m back! I hope.

The last few weeks have been REALLY great. I feel like I spent part of the spring and the hot days in July focusing on the negative. But with beautiful 70/80 degree weather and lots of little trips planned, I think I'm back to focusing on the positive.

Do you want a recap in photos? Those are my favorite.

Summer Streets! One of my favorite running weekends of the year. I had a great 9 Mile run down Park Avenue.

Another long run spent over the Williamsburg Bridge. It was hot and sweaty, but I was finally able to run up the Williamsburg Bridge without feeling like I was going to collapse. Gettin’ that hill stamina.

After Keith took the bar (!!!) we spent plenty of time celebrating him being able to bar hop again.

With busy weekends, busy work days, and training, I've been been seriously neglecting my kitchen. But Keith did manage to teach me how to make an awesome kale dish. Just oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a pan. So good.

I went to Cape Cod to visit my good friend from college, Jaime. I managed to get plenty of time in at the beach, plus drink PLENTY with my amazing gal pal.

I also had my 25^th birthday (EEEEP) at a german beer hall in Williamsburg. General debauchery ensued.

There was sister time (!!!)  plus a creeper.

(Keith's bro)

Arm wrestling time.

Bossy time.

All in all, a pretty good August. I also got a fair amount of running in. Which brings me to…

Week 6 Marathon Training!

Monday: 5 Miles (Easy)

Nothing to write home about – 5 easy miles after work.

Tuesday: 5 Miles – w/ 3 @ Marathon Pace

This is typically my “speedwork” day. It's definitely not true speedwork, but I try to pick up the pace after a warm-up mile. Sometimes I go faster than marathon pace, sometimes slower. It depends. I’m not really worried about it.

Wednesday: Rest (I got my hair did)

Thursday: 4 Miles (Easy)

I was SO TIRED this day. It took literally everything in my being to get out of bed. But I knew I had to because it was my birthday weekend, and I knew I wouldn’t want to exercise at all. So I cut it a mile short.

Friday: 12 Miles – Long Run

This was an interesting run. I was at home, which thankfully always makes for better runs since I’m looking at something other than concrete and trash. Keith did the first 4 miles with me, my dad biked a few miles with me, and then I was on my own. When Keith and I started out, we realized how freaking humid it was. By the time my dad was biking with me, my legs felt like lead and I was really hot. Then by the time I was on my own, I actually felt great. My pace REALLY slowed when I was with my dad, but I was able to pick it up and finish strong.

I ran by my elementary school I went to in Kindergarten/1^st grade. It is so TINY. It smelled the same too – like PB&Js and band-aids. I remembered when my kindergarten teacher completely disheveled our classroom on St. Patty's Day and blamed it on leprechauns. I remember sitting under a tree during recess drinking capri sun and eating doritos. Running past it put me in a really good mood.

I did lots of little loops around my neighborhood, passing no fewer than 4 cornfields. By the end of the run, my body was tired, but I felt like I could have kept on going.

This is in Jersey, I swear.

Overall, I feel really good about marathon training. My long runs have been going well, which is key. I haven’t been pushing the pace at all, but I do try to pick up speed in the last few miles to get my legs used to going fast when they’re tired. My runs during the week have been okay, but I’m finding it more and more challenging to fit them in the morning before work. I thought I could hold off becoming hermit Kate for awhile, but once weekday runs become 7-8 miles long, I may have to crawl into my shell during the week.

Short n sweet recap, but I felt like I needed to check-in. I’m heading up to Portland, ME this weekend with Keith for a beer fest, seafood, and the beach. More updates soon…

Until then, happy running!

Birchwood Lakes Sprint Triathlon - Race Recap

This past weekend, I completed my first triathlon.

My lucky number is 8! This was a good omen.

I had so much fun, and it made me feel like all of the early mornings, long bike rides, and tough swims over the last several months were worth it.

I signed up for this triathlon as a test run for the NYC Tri in 2 weeks. I read it was a small, low-key race, which I figured would be a perfect way for me to practice transitioning and open water swimming.

I headed home Friday morning, and decided at the last minute to leave my road bike in Brooklyn. Trying to get my bike on the subway, through Penn Station, and home to NJ seemed like a lot of work. I chanced that I would be able to rent a road bike at home, like I did in Vermont. But unfortunately, I had no such luck.

I drove to a bike shop that rented road bikes, only to find out that they had none available. And neither did another place. They were all already rented, and I remembered that there were several triathlons happening in the area this weekend. Uh oh.

I quickly came to the conclusion that I would have to use one of my family's mountain bikes for the race. I was really bummed and nervous about it. I've been training on a road bike, and they're LOADS faster than mountain bikes. But I had no other choice, and pouted much of Friday evening about it.

My amazing parents agreed to come to the race with me, and we drove down bright and early on Saturday morning. I munched on my english muffin with PB and banana, chatted with my parents, and became super nervous as we got closer to the race.

My race-day nerves were somewhat diminished when we got to there, only to find that it was RIDICULOUSLY low-key. 

The "start" line

I checked in to the race, and putzed around on the beach where the swim started. The atmosphere was so relaxed that there were babies and dogs playing on the beach. It was so cute.

Next, I set up my transition area.

I became a little intimidated at this point, because I was about 1 of 5 people with a mountain bike. I was really wishing I had gone through the hassle of bringing my Raleigh home.

A huge upside to a small race is having access to warm-up in the water before the start. I threw my wetsuit on and went for a little swim out to the first buoy.

The water was a great temperature, and I was happy to get the chance to swim off my nerves a bit. I chatted with my parents for a few more minutes, and then the race began.

The swim was a half mile out and back, with about 8 buoys lining the water. I started out in the middle-back of the pack. Because there were so few racers, I didn't encounter any kicking or punching from other swimmers. I got into my stroke, and started to race.

After a few minutes, I started to feel pretty tired. The lake water felt really thick. It took a lot of effort for me to go a short distance, and I became a little nervous. But I put the thought out of my mind, and told myself to get to the end of the buoys.

At the turnaround, I just kept swimming and told myself I was halfway there. I also started counting down buoys - 5 left, 4 left, 3 left... and then it was finally over.

Me coming out of the water!
I'm second from the left... I think.

I felt REALLY tired at the end of the swim, more tired than I though I would feel. But I made my way to transition, got on my bike, and went.

The bike was a 13-mile out and back. The course was pretty flat, but it felt like everyone was passing me on their fancy road bikes. I pushed myself really hard to try to go as fast as I could, but it wasn't easy.

I just kept telling myself what my parents had said before the race - this is a test run. Don't worry about how long it takes you, just enjoy it. So at about the halfway mark, I got into a groove and stopped worrying about other racers passing me.

Starting the bike race... with a mountain bike.

I made it back to the transition, and saw the majority of the bikes already back in the racks... which meant I was probably in the back of the pack. But I knew my body was ready for my strongest leg, the run.

My legs felt tired after getting off the bike, but after a minute or so I was ready to race.  I didn't know how fast my body would be able to go, so I took the first half mile at an easy pace, but picked it up a bit for the last half... and clocked in my first mile at 8:22.

I started to feel really good, and was finally passing other people for once. I could feel the temperature rising, but just tried to enjoy the last two miles of my FIRST triathlon.

That's me! I swear!

I finished the second mile in 8:15, and was surprised at how fast my legs were going. I had a huge smile on my face, and focused my attention in the last mile on passing one more person. I turned around the final bend and let my legs go, clocking in the last mile at 7:35.

And just like that, I finished my first triathlon!!!

I was so happy that I did it, and that my parents were there to share this experience with me. They were the best cheer squad a gal could ask for.

Shortly after the end of the race, the beer-b-que started, and we enjoyed some well-deserved beers and burgers.

Papa! And keg beer.

I attempted to stretch, because I could feel that my hips were thrown off by the bike-to-run transition. Aside from feeling hot and a little dehydrated, I felt pretty good.

I saw on the website that they would give out overall awards and age group awards after the race. I had a dream last week that I won an award, so I secretly wanted to see if I had some small chance of winning in my age group. 

They announced overall female and male winners, and then worked their way up to the winners in the Female 20-29 bracket. I crossed my fingers when they announced 3rd place... and my name wasn't called. I knew it was silly to hope for, but thought I might have a chance. 

Then I heard the announcer say, "and in 2nd place, from Brooklyn, New York..." My parents and I started yelling, realizing that I had won 2nd place in my age group!!!

The cutest parents anywhere.

I was over the moon, so surprised that I had done well enough to get 2nd place. My parents told me not to sell myself short, that I worked hard for this day, and that I deserved it. That's why they are the absolute best.

And the splits for my second place finish were...

Swim: 15:31
Transition 1: 2:28
Bike: 48:40
Transition 2: 0:55
Run: 24:14
Overall: 1:31:48

Once we got home, I was ready for an afternoon of rest. I took a shower, got into comfy clothes, and turned on a movie. I had the best snuggle buddy to enjoy the afternoon with...

Morgan, the most adorable cat.

Two days later, I am still overjoyed by how fantastic this experience was. I feel really good about the NYC Tri in just TWO WEEKS. But this race, as my first tri ever, will always have a really special place in my heart.

Running and Drinking in Brooklyn

I had my very first training session with Team in Training (TNT) this past Saturday!!!

(No accompanying pictures for this section since I completely forgot. You will have to do your best to imagine this crazy Saturday morning).

My good friend Melyssa came up for the weekend from DC. She was a doll and couldn’t care less that I wanted to go to the first practice while she was here. So we had a couple of Modelos when she got in on Friday night, and went to bed at midnight.

In my exhaustion, I set my alarm for 6:40AM on the weekdays setting. But my internal alarm clock is so awesome that I woke up at 6:51AM on my own. *Pats back.

I picked up Meggie, and we headed to Prospect Park chatting like little girls despite the early hour. We met our fellow Brooklyn TNT-ers, and they all seem incredibly nice and funny.

We did two short Out-and-Backs, and some strength-training that reminded me of gym class (think grapevine and skipping). My knee was feeling O.K., so I was hopeful that I finally kicked my stupid injury.

Most of the group gathered at Park Café after the training session for a hot, greasy breakfast. Meggie and I sat at a table with three “mentors” who are AMAZING!!! Team Brooklyn has about 8 mentors that have been through TNT before, and help answer questions and offer general awesomeness. I sat next to my mentor, Andy, as well as mentors named Brooke and Rose. The three of them did it together last year for the first time, and they had fun pearls of wisdom for us (“Don’t get a wetsuit with sleeves”; “We always gorge on pancakes and other yummy brunch things after Saturday morning practices”).

They also mentioned a sprint triathlon that is in Staten Island about 5 weeks before the NYC Tri. It’s called “Flat as a Pancake” because the course is flat and they serve pancakes at the end of the race. I’m eyeing it as a possible practice race.

High-tech website.

I was on a high after a fun practice, and an even better breakfast. But once I parked Keith’s car, and was walking back to my apartment, MY STUPID IT BAND BEGAN TO ACHE. I’m honestly so fed up. I took a full four weeks off from running, we did a measly 20 minute jog at practice, and yet my IT band continues to hurt.

I emailed TNT’s Brooklyn Coach, to see if he had any advice. He said that IT band injuries can be persistent, and recommended getting a second opinion. While I LOVE my PT Dr. Ngo, I booked an appointment for tomorrow with another PT, Dr. Levine. I’m hoping he will have some nuggets of wisdom that will cure me so I can start training.

I was SUPER annoyed after hobbling home, but changed my mood because my friend Melyssa was awaiting a fun weekend in Brooklyn.

Doing what we do best.

We made our way to Brooklyn Brewery, but like the dodo I am, I forgot my ID in my running pants back at the apartment (#firstworldproblems). Brooklyn Brewery is perhaps the ONLY bar in Brooklyn that cards, so we were turned away. We hopped in a cab back to my apartment so I could get my ID, and came back 10 minutes later, only to find a newly form line of 50 people. It was just not meant to be.

So we ditched the Brewery, and headed to Spritzenhaus, where we had us some delicious German beer and bratwurst.

Keith and some of our friends came to meet us for some good, old-fashioned day drinking. Let’s just say that Melyssa and I do not have the stamina that we did in college. We were in bed at about 11:30.

After a delightful Sunday of resting and watching You’ve Got Mail, I am ready to take on Week 1 of TNT Training!!

Already loving our witty coaching staff.

FAQ: Where do you swim in the NYC Tri?

Me: The Hudson River...

Every person’s response: uuuhhh ewwww (judging judging)

Yes it will be gross, but that’s part of the experience. I promise to share my river germs with you.

In preparation for our date with the Hudson River in 19 weeks, tonight is the first swim group practice. I am so excited! I will finally re-learn how to swim, after years of neglecting what I learned in summer camp and the swim lessons my parents sent me to. Learning how to swim “efficiently” (I know how to swim, people) is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s been on my bucket list, along with jumping out of a plane and meeting Sarah Jessica Parker.

It's likely I was a better swimmer at age 3 than I am now.
Now I want an ice pop.

I’m going to try something new that most official “bloggers” do and see how it goes. I’ll leave each post with a question, because I am usually at a loss at how to finish these things up.

What’s the one bucket list-skill you wish you could learn? Would it involve swimming in the Hudson River?

Excite & Fright

There has been some crazy weather up in the NYC.

Biggest snowflakes EVER.

Not that I’m complaining – I love snow. I love early dismissals from work, and I love having an excuse to wear my Bean Boots. And it has been keeping me from running outside, which is probably a good thing.

Me and my beer at 4PM on Friday.

The last time I ran was last Sunday before the Superbowl, and I did just about 3 miles. I did some walk/running that my physical therapist recommends when I’m coming back from an injury, but I knew that I was going to be hurting when I got back to my apartment. I did some icing, but I could feel my knee pain coming through again. SO ANNOYING.

I think I’ve been a good patient, and very good to my knee. I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and cross-training, and not going very fast when I occasionally run. But my IT band is being as stubborn as a mule. So I am taking yet another hiatus from running. I’m not happy about it.

Plus, it doesn’t help that I got a semi-scary email from one of my future coaches in Team in Training (EEP!!!). He had some general beginner’s tips about what we should be doing before actual training starts in March. One of them being “DO NOT SHOW UP INJURED TO THE FIRST PRACTICE OR ELSE WE WILL MOCK YOU.” Not quite that scary, but that’s how I read it. It makes sense – now is the time that we should just be preparing our bodies for the next five months of training, which includes both work and rest.

The header to one of my training emails! EXCITING!

So I’m taking a full two weeks off from running, and trying to get in as much cross-training as I can. I also went to see my favorite Physical Therapist today (Dr. Ngo is back from maternity leave! Please don’t have any more babies, I missed you too much).

The other semi-scary part of the training e-mail told us to get in some biking and swimming before the kick-off. I’m not all that concerned about the biking part. I usually get to one spin class per week, and do some biking on another day as well. The swimming part, however, has been interesting.

I checked out the Greenpoint YMCA Pool last weekend, ready to doggy paddle with my swimcap, goggles, and newly purchased one-piece swimsuit from Jack Rabbit Sports. I don’t know what I was expecting. The building of the YMCA isn’t exactly huge, but in my mind I thought they had an Olympic-sized clean, beautiful pool hidden inside. Reality: It was about 40 feet long, with three lanes.

I’m also accustomed to relatively-nice locker rooms at NYSC. Sure, I can barely wrap the towels they provide around one leg, but at least they have towels. Plus, the single bottle in YMCA showers labeled “Hair and Body Wash” scares me a little. Call me a snob, but I wash my hair and body with different suds. 

So I don’t think I’m going to join that pool. I’ve been doing some extensive research on other pools in the city, and I’m thinking of switching gyms and joining NY Health & Racquet. Several of their locations have pools, and maybe I’ll even dabble in some racquetball one day. I’m going to try a one-week membership, and if I like it, it will be a sad goodbye to NYSC.

Sads.

On the bike front, I brought my “mountain bike” from home back to Brooklyn yesterday. It definitely needs a tune-up, but I think it will do O.K. for a little while. I’m preparing myself now for the looks I am sure to get at the hipster bike shop when I bring it in.

On a more fun note, I had an awesome weekend. Keith and I went out with our friends on Friday night and did the only thing you can do when there's a snowstorm: Play drinking games. We played Kings for two rounds, and I was supremely impressed with my ability to remember all of the rules. Highlight of the night was during the "Categories" round - Subject: Movies that the Rock wishes he were in. Endless possibilities!

Keith and I also went home to my parents’ house for an amazing showing of Casablanca at the New Jersey State Theater in New Brunswick. Casablanca is my 2^nd favorite movie, so when my dad told me he bought tickets to a viewing of the movie, where an orchestra would be playing along to the music, I was stoked. I’m pretty sure I was the youngest person there, and Keith the 2^nd youngest. But even though I didn’t have a wheelchair or a walker, I enjoyed my favorite scenes and lines more than I ever have.

I’m looking forward to doing some more biking, swimming, and watching of old movies this week. Here’s looking at you kid.

Lots of Good Food & A (Very) Hilly Run

Today’s Workout  – 5 Miles, Hills

I spent this past weekend tapping into some childhood happiness at New England’s State Fair called the Big E.

An omen of great things to come.

Keith’s family and I headed up Saturday morning bright and early to the fair that took place in West Springfield, MA.

We grabbed some yummy breakfast sandwiches, and then started through the fair. The Big E is sort of a mini-town – beyond the typical fair staples of food stands and carnival rides, they have replicas of the state houses for each New England state that you can walk through and explore. Each state house was full of food and trinkets that locals make (Vermont – Maple Syrup, Massachusetts – Lobster Rolls… you get the picture). I grabbed every sample of cheese and fudge I could get my hands on.

Mmm mini pies.
Perhaps the only item I didn't consume that day.

Cool old car!

We filled up on Harpoon Oktoberfest (there are few things in life I love more than fall beer), saw the New England rednecks out in droves, and made our way over to the “Farm-a-Rama.” There were baby chicks hatching, a mama and baby alpaca, Clydesdale horses, and baby pigs!!!

Cute lil spotted pig. I want to take you home.

I retract my previous statement. There are few things in life I love more
than watching baby pigs climbing over each other to get to their mama.

There were also lots of fun trinkets you could buy – everything from puppets to jewelry to cute little Halloween decorations. I had to refrain on a few things, but I did walk away with a block of Vermont cheddar cheese and a pez dispenser.

Keith found me a beautiful hat.

Excitement after ordering a "large" kettle popcorn 

I took a little catnap on the ride home – probably my body’s way of preparing for the nine miles I had to run after a day of walking, drinking, and eating. So after a little hydration and procrastinating, I hit the road for my long run around Keith’s hilly neighborhood.

Hilly. F-ing. Run.

I know the roads around Keith’s house pretty well, since I almost always fit in a run when we visit his parents. I wanted to try a different route, and one that wouldn’t force me to make two loops (it’s mentally easier for me to finish a run when I don’t pass home halfway through). I was trucking along, feeling pretty good, and suddenly realized I had no idea where I was. Luckily, a somewhat-friendly man walking his dog was around the bend from me, and I asked him for directions. Normally I hate being lost, but it was oddly exhilarating. And there’s comfort in knowing that if you simply turn around, you can follow the route you just took home…

This was my longest run in awhile. Not going to lie, I was completely wiped by the end. I tried to keep in mind that I was running an incredibly hilly route, and my pre-run fuel of cider donuts and beer probably didn’t help any. But once it was over, I decided to see it as a confidence boost that I could successfully run all those crazy inclines.

I had an amazing meal with Keith’s family, watched some of the Notre Dame Football game… and was in bed at 9:30. Successful day in my book.

I did a 5 mile “hilly” run at the gym this morning. Everything was telling me to stay in bed since the sky was dark with rain clouds, but I dragged myself out of bed and I’m glad I did it. I think the hills over the weekend helped build my endurance, because I didn’t feel like dying when I boosted the incline level past 1.0 on the treadmill.

Aside from being excited to go home and finally put up the curtains my mom made me while likely watching my new copy of the Hunger Games (thanks Kel!), today marks an amazing day. My anniversary with Keith!

Surprise flowers waiting for me!!!

(Cue icky love stuff)

So happy to be with such a wonderful person, who makes me laugh and smile every day!

Back with a New Plan

Today’s Workout: 4 Miles, Easy

Hi friends! Did you miss me?

I realize it’s been almost a month since I posted. This is partly due to the fact that the last few weeks of the summer were crazy, and partly because I didn’t want to write on my running blog when I was injured. I’m laying it all out there for ya.

Let’s start with said crazy weeks of summer shall we? My recent life, in photos.

It was my birthday! I rang in the big 2-4 with lots of good friends and family.

And beer.

Keith and I went to Portland over Labor Day! The weather was perfect, and all the fall beer was back on the shelves.

We went to a brew fest and imbibed with the locals.

Last beach day of the summer at Crescent Beach in Portland.

Absolutely perfect day.

Keith and I ran in Portland around one of their beautiful bays,
decked out in our new Nike gear straight
from the glorious Maine outlets.

While we were in Portland, we were asked to volunteer at the
Sea Dogs game for the "lobster toss"
We lost. But be jealous.

Great summery dinner – homemade Mussels picked from Maine’s waters two days before, salad, and Rose wine. Please and thank you.

I went home this past weekend for a bridal shower, and my family’s scrumptious cat Morgan curled up with me as soon as the lights went out. We did some catching up on Project Runway together.

Do you feel like you’re all caught up? Great!

I don’t want to go into detail about my knee injury – I’d rather not put you to sleep, and it won’t help me heal any faster if I talk about it. But basically, I had to readjust my aggressive training plan I set out to do. I had lofty goals of lots of long runs and intense speedwork sessions, but with my minor setback, I had to readjust.

Confession:  I am not at all bummed about this.

I started off the marathon training program feeling pretty tired, and I often dreaded my runs. I don’t think I took enough time off between the half marathon and marathon, and I felt burned out.

Once I was injured, however, and I couldn’t use running to meditate/de-stress/listen to Harry Potter audio books, I was dying to get back on the road. There’s a lesson in all setbacks I suppose.

Once I was back to healthy, I took a page out of last year’s marathon plan, and ran with it. I’m going to gradually build up my mileage and long run distances, but it is by no means close to what I had methodically planned out.

Eight weeks ago, I was all “Sub 4:00 Marathon!” “Two 20 Milers, at the least!” “5-day weeks! I need ‘em!”

Now I’m more, “I love running!” “I just want to finish Philly!” “This feels like last year’s gleeful training!”

So that’s where we’re at.

I’m not trying to break any records at Philly, I just want to finish with a smile on my face. Do I hope that I will beat my time from last year? Sure.  Will I cry if I don’t? Nope. In the time I took off to rehabilitate, running and I became BFFs again instead of frenemies. And it feels like training should feel – fun and rewarding.