Tag Archive | race recap

If I could just Shut the Little Man Up!

This morning started off just right. Actually woke up right before my alarm. Had a good night sleep, although maybe not enough. Got up and was ready for the Queens 10K Crew to pick me up. Moving right as scheduled, then the brakes get put on.

Literally.

We could arrived to Citifield right before 7:30 giving us plenty of time to get to the start line at 8:30. At least it should have been more than enough time! We literally did not park the car till 8:30.

The frustrating part is that there was more than enough parking, but they just didn’t have the lots open. It was annoying. It was frustrating. It was not the volunteers fault who were directing traffic. Someone made a mistake or underestimated or something, because it was ridiculous!

Queens10k_16 Why oh why when there is this much space did we have to wait an hour to get into the lot. Crazy!

Then we had to do a 3/4 mile jog to the start line and literally jump into a corral and start the race.

Not the best way to start.

The corrals were crazy croweded probably due to people such as ourselves getting to the start line late. Elbow to Elbow. Bob and weave. Stop and go. Crazy start.

Then I settled into it or as much as I could settle in. I was on pace. I was on the money. Then The little man in my head would not shut up as much as I told him to. Physically, I think I may have had it in me today even with the heat. Mentally, my mind just was not there.

Queens10k-16_2 Look at these beautiful negative splits……. Backwards!

Mentally, my head wasn’t in the game. As much as I wanted to pretend it was, it was not there. It did not help that I did not plan my music accordingly causing thoughts to pop into my head that I had no business thinking about while trying to run a race.

Physically, there is no reason that I needed to walk during this race. Mentally, I admit that I took a few walk breaks. There was a point that I almost gave up and walked. At the end, I did push it but it was too little too late. It was just not my day. You need these bad running days to appreciate the good ones.

In the whole scheme of things, it is just a race. It is not a make or break thing that I didn’t PR today. It would have been nice, but at the end of the day (to me) I know it really doesn’t matter. There will be other days, other races, and other PR’s.

And you know what? As much as I’m going on that the race wasn’t my race, I ran it faster than last year. I still ran it pretty decently even if I walked a time or two. I still finished with a good place and overall my pace was good. Was it the race I wanted? No, but those are the breaks.

try

I finished in 59:14.

So I was under an hour this year and still not a bad race.

Overall 5093 out of 9,982

Women 1594 out of 4,814

Age Place 110 out of 432

So I really think I need to shut up that it wasn’t a good race. I know that I could have pushed myself and run better but I mentally didn’t care.

Every have one of those days and realize in the end it wasn’t so bad?

me too:)

Denial is a Wonderful Thing

Apr12

Runner’s are a funny breed when it comes to getting injured. I know many runners who the first thing they do when they wipe out on a run is to stop their Garmin. I, personally, don’t see anything wrong with that either. Seriously! If you don’t stop your watch, you are going to mess up your paces. Admit it, you do the same thing. Don’t you?

Then there are the times that maybe the injury is a little more than just falling during a run. Denial is a powerful thing and most runners I know embrace it 100% Even if we aren’t in denial about getting injured, maybe we are denial about how injured we are. Maybe something like rolling your ankle. Yes, you can admit that it is hurt. No, you can’t admit how hurt because that’s just crazy talk.

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That being said, I’ve been a very good girl and rested for two weeks. Is the ankle all better. Nope. Does that mean I am going to keep resting it? Nope.

This past weekend I took it out on a test run. A local Parish in town has an annual 5K. It’s for a good cause. It’s a great fast course and it’s local. I knew I was going to be running on Monday, so I thought this was a perfect place to test out my foot. Seems reasonable to me, don’t you think?

I went to the 5K with no expectations except to test ankle. That might be a slight lie, but that is what I told myself. I did know that I wasn’t going to push it too hard. The race started and it felt so good to be running that I just went with it. I felt my foot/ankle the whole time, but just under the surface. I ended up with a really nice run, but was sad that I was 3 seconds off of a personal record. Official time 27:20:40. Now I had wished that I pushed a little harder, but it is what it is. Besides I was running again, so Yeah!

After the race, I did feel sore and my foot was still tender. But it is what it is. It just needs some more time and I’m being smart about it. Really, I think that I am.

Monday I went for 8 miles and a nice and easy pace. My foot was more of a dull ache and manageable. I actually felt better after the 8 than I did after the 5K since I wasn’t pushing the pace. I am rolling into the end of my 50K training and really need to be smart but also prepared for the race. Scary thought is that it is literally only a month away!! One thing that I have going for me besides having a great coach is that I am not putting any pressure on for my pace. My goal is to finish. That is all. Seems like both a reasonable and doable goal to me.

What type of injured runner are you?

Not that I am saying I’m injured. I’m just need some TLC:)

The Good, The Bad, and the Awesome!

Mar22

I’ve run in NY many times. Maybe not compared to some people, but a lot for me. I’ve run enough last year to qualify for the NYC Marathon. That being said nothing prepared me for the feeling of running the NYC Half Marathon. It was amazing on so many levels. I loved it so much that I’ve already signed up for two more Boro races to qualify to run it next year. I don’t want to chance the lottery and I would love to do this run again.

Why?

It was AWESOME!

Yes, it really was.

Now there are some thing logistically that weren’t so awesome, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad. For example:

Early wake up call

NyCHalf8

Yup. Early. I needed to leave my house by 5:00. I require time to wake up, have some coffee, eat a small breakfast, and not feel rushed.

NYCHalf4

Then there is the fact that the start and finish line are at totally opposite locations which makes for a great race, but not so exciting when the race is over. We decided to park at the start line and had to take the subway and then walk a bit to our car after the race. Not really bad except it was cold and we were not really dressed for it. On a positive note, it did give us a chance to cool down with the walk. Plus we parked literally around the corner from Magnolia’s Bakery. Finally though, if you’ve got a fun group to take the walk and subway with it really doesn’t matter anyway.

Magnolia Bakery

Need I say more. Oh my. So good!

Security. I get it. I really do. There was only one entrance to the park for runners. We had to go through metal detectors and have our stuff screened. I get it. I really do. I applaud all NYRR and Police Department does to keep the runners safe. That being said, I really think if there was someone out to do something bad, they would not pose as a runner. I really don’t. I was having panic attack as once we finally made it through security we had to make our way through the park to our corrals. I honestly for the first time at any race thought I would miss the start of my corral.

That’s it for my complaints. Got nothing.

And these things I wouldn’t even say too bad in the whole scheme of things.

Now the good parts that makes it so awesome.

When you do a big race like this there is a level of excitement that you really can’t get anywhere else. You’ve got the news coverage. You’ve got the huge crowds with over 20,000 runners. Then you have the spectators and volunteers.

But what made it so special?

The course.

Really.

Honestly.

Can’t wait to do it again.

Seriously

The race starts in Central Park where you run the first few miles. Then the magic happens because you leave the park shortly after mile 6. You running down 7th Avenue towards Times Square. As if that isn’t enough, you then run down 42nd Street until the West Side Highway coming out near the Intrepid. Then you run through Lower Manhattan and cross the finish line.

You don’t have to be familiar with the city to know how awesome it would be to run through the streets. That being said, as someone who has been to the city, driven in the traffic, and knows the congestion of all the vehicles; it’s nothing short of awesome. I was having so much fun running these streets that I literally had to slow myself down. The crowds in Time Square are incredible. When I was running by, they were starting the kids 1 mile race in Time Square which just adds to the excitement of it.

I even took my phone out and took several pictures while staying on pace if I do say so myself.

Then if that isn’t enough, there is the finish!

The medal and the sense of accomplishment that finishing brings.

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And I would like to add one more thing. The post race snack bag. Some races you finish and you get an apple and a water. Not here. Every finisher gets their own personal bag with a big water, a Gatorade, and apple, some pretzels in a reusable clear drawstring bag. No picture because I was too busy consuming.

What is your favorite race?

Trust In The Training!

Mar21

Trust is a funny thing. Trust is something that needs to be earned and is sometimes hard to do. I had to go out on the ledge and trust my coach, my training, and myself. These are not necessarily easy things to do. I trust my coach but trusting in ones self can be harder. Sometimes the doubt creeps in, but I shut the door on it in New York City.

I had a great race. I had phenomenal race. The stars were aligned. The sun was shining and it all came together. I pushed the doubt and the fears to the side. I took a leap of faith and went with it. I started the race with the knowledge that I could do this. I had a plan. A plan that my coach helped me develop. All I needed was to stick to the program and trust in my training. I went out as planned, but almost got sidetracked early on by the 2:00 hour pace group. They blew past me around mile 2. At first I think that I tried to stay with them, but I stopped myself. They were not following my plan. They were running a different race. I knew what I needed to do and they were not doing it. They were going out too fast for me. I let them go. It was hard at first, but I had my mantra that I kept repeating to myself. It was not a planned mantra, but it was fitting.

TRUST IN YOUR TRAINING!

keep-calm-and-trust-your-training-1

It was that simple. I needed to trust in the hours that I’ve logged. The miles that I’ve ran at pace. The fact that I had done the work to set me up to do what I needed to do. What I needed to do was not what everyone else needed to do. So I let them go. I trusted in my training and my ability to get it done.

I was in the zone.

A friend that I went to the half with came up to me a few miles in. I actually said to her, “Karyn, just so you know I’m not being a Bitch. I’m just in the zone.” I needed to run this race by myself. Some things are like that. You need to do them by yourself. This was that race for me. I needed to focus on my pace, my calculations, and moving forward. She understood. (Love you, lady).

As I ran, I knew where I needed to be. I had a pace band in my pocket that I didn’t use during the race; but had done some calculations ahead of time. I kind of knew where I needed to be when. I added up the time I needed to hit as the miles rose. I was hitting my targets. There were times that I had to reign myself in as he race was so exciting. I was trusting in the training and not trying to bank time.

My plan was to run consistently till around mile 10 where I would pick it up a little more. At that point my mantra became NO REGRETS. By this I meant that no matter what, I would not have regrets because I was doing all I could. I also meant that I would not give myself an out. That I would continue to push it and fight for the sub 2 because the only way I would have regrets is if I backed down. So NO REGRETS. By mile 12, I was pushing it pretty hard but trying to make sure as to not burn up. I knew I would be close. I knew that I was going to need to give it all I had at the end. So I saved a little fuel in the tank and when I hit the 20K mat, I pushed it even harder.

NO REGRETS.

You can’t have regrets if you’ve done everything that you’ve needed to do. If you’ve given all you have. I dug as deep as I could go and I did it!

1:58:59

A minute to spare:)

I honestly can say that if somehow I didn’t make my goal, I would have been happy with this race. Honestly, I am not saying that because I reached my sub 2 goal. I was telling myself that that last 3 miles.

That being said, I am over the moon with reaching it.

This was an amazing adventure. There is more to tell, but this is enough for now.

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Fake It Till You Feel It

Jan11

As the weekend comes to a close, I’m working on recovering from it. I went it to it not really thinking that I would need to recover from it. I was signed up to run my first trail marathon. I hadn’t trained like I was running for a marathon. I hadn’t blogged about it at all. Outside a few of my running friends, I’m not sure anyone knew I was supposed to do it. I was very ambivalent about it. To the point that my coach sent me an email the day before asking how I was feeling and also addressing the fact that I had been VERY quiet which she let go because of the holidays.

My reply to her really held no clues as to what I was going to do or how I was planning to do it either.

“Yeah, I know I’ve been under the radar lately with this trail race. Things seem to be settling into the normal crazy routine. I’ve probably been quiet because I’m really a bit ambivalent about this weekends event and really even today just planning to see how it plays out. I’m thinking because this is not one of my goal events for the year and it is also a place I frequently run at that is causing the lack of excitement. I also am going into this knowing that even though I could probably run the marathon distance, I won’t if tomorrow I feel like it’s going to cause me problems for NYC Half training. This is not to say that I’m not going into it not wanting/planning to run the full. It just means that I plan to listen to my body. In saying that I am do not mean that I am expect it to be a piece of cake. Again, very ambivalent. “

I’m sure after she read my email, she scratched her head and was wondering why the Hell she is coaching me.

I really was planning not to plan and just do a wait and see approach. That being said though, I did decide to pretend that I was really going to run a real race. I carb loaded the night before with some yummy Mac & Cheese and chicken served with a side of bread. I packed my bucket for the event. Yes, a bucket. It was a great suggestion from a running friend, Mary, whose hubby is a pro at these things.

I got to the event and met up with my fellow MRTT Mama’s and friends. We took the required pre-race pictures!

NJTrail

We were all running different distances, so we only got to cross the start line together. I’ve run all my big events by myself. I’ve also done many of my training runs by myself. Even so, I still didn’t know what I was going to do. Part of my mind was thinking that I would just do the 30k and be happy with it. Part of my mind thought that I might even settle for the half and recognize that was ok especially since I hadn’t been running tons in December. Then something changed along the way.

Now what changed me from being ambivalent to actually running a marathon? I’m not really sure. I think what helped was that in the very beginning I met a fellow runner who I was able to fall into not just a good running pattern with but I was able to chat away the miles with. She has her own amazing story which isn’t mine to share, but I will say that she has run over 40 marathons, 50K’s, 100 milers. She is a true Ultra runner. More importantly she was someone who made the miles go by easily. So we ran almost 3 laps of the 4 needed for the marathon distance. She was stopping, but I felt strong. I felt like I had more in the tank. Also my mindset somehow changed from ambivalence to “I want this.” I was so close how could I stop?

I recently had a conversation with a friend who had lost her Mojo about how to get it back. With the New Year, she was starting back with her running. She was doing it, but her heart wasn’t in it yet. I told her that she just needed to keep going until one day she realized that she once again had found her Mojo. I told her to fake it until she felt it and I guess that is what I did at this trail race. Sometimes, you just need to show up for the magic to happen.

Since I went into this event with no thought, no plan, no idea; I had no pace or time in mind. So when I ran it, I just ran it. I wore my watch but I really didn’t pay any mind to it other than when it would beep the miles away. That being said, my laps were consistent.

Lap times – 1:29:53, 1:29:48, 1:42:57, 1:47:13

I even stopped at the end of lap 3 to take a picture or my running buddy and then some more pictures on the trail.

In the end, I am glad that I went as I really had thought of bailing. The trails as always are beautiful, peaceful, and bring me happiness. In the end, I am happy with my official time of 6:30:08. My actual running time according to Nike+ was around 6:18 which I can’t believe. It boggles my mind to think that I ran that long, but numbers don’t lie. It also gave me a big confidence boost for the Dirty German 50K as even though I was VERY happy to have finished, I felt like I could have gone more. Maybe not happily, but I could have if needed.

It was a good day all the way around. I am so glad I went and I’m even happier that I finished especially when my running buddy Dawn puts it like this about me, she “is always pushing me to take more chances and to go for it. She put her money where her mouth is with a great marathon at Watchung!”

And truth be told, I couldn’t do it without the encouragement that I get from my running and non running friends.

The funny thing is when it was all over both Dawn and my Coach were not surprised that I did the full as that was what I originally wanted to do. Dawn said I’m too stubborn to back down and my Coach just said that she knew it.

Have you ever gone into a race not caring about the outcome?

Road Trip!

Oct28

We all makes mistakes. We all look back and think well I should have done it this way instead of that way. These same things apply to a marathon. Some of them although not the correct choice for the marathon were the correct choice for a weekend away with my Mom and sister that I’m not sure I would change. If I was racing for the win, yes but I’m only running for me. The journey is just as important.

The Hotel

Not knowing the city or the lay of the land which would be true for any destination race does make it difficult. I did what I could. I got the hotel, Sheraton Pentagon City, from the Marine Corps Marathon list of hotels. I went on Google Maps to try and get an idea of where it was in relationship to everything. It was a little apart, but it was also a little more reasonable priced than those right in DC. Don’t get me wrong it was a beautiful hotel with very comfy beds, and an easy shuttle service to Metro. The downside is that once the race was over we then had to navigate a way back to the hotel to get my car. My sister checked us out and packed the car before they went out to cheer along the race. When it’s all said and done though I think the comfy beds were a good choice.

My second mistake with the hotel though is that it would have been nice to stay over the actual night of the Marathon. BUT I am a mother of three boys and a husband who works long hours, so I needed to be home Monday morning. The real downside to not having a hotel to go to after the race is that I had nowhere to shower. Now I don’t know about you but I don’t normally smell that sweet after a 5K let alone a marathon that I got rained on some. I did manage to change and wipe away some of the grime, but I really did not feel human again till I got in a shower at almost 9:00 PM. Best shower ever!

One thing that I did do right with the hotel though was to go in on Friday instead of Saturday. This way, we were able to get up at leisure Saturday morning and feel rested for the day. I think if I had to choose going in a day early is better than staying a day later.

The Tourist

I’ve never been to DC. My mother hasn’t been since she was in High School. This made us want to tour the city especially because I honestly don’t know when I would be going back. Would love to, but don’t know when or if that will happen. There is so much to see in such a short time. I think I only saw 1% of it before the marathon and honestly during the marathon I probably missed a lot too. But even with only seeing a small portion of it, I probably walked 6 miles on Saturday. Probably not the best thing to do the day before a marathon.

My sister’s boyfriends pre race plan includes spending the day watching movies and lounging. I made fun of him for this, but I think there is something to this. Although I do think that is to the extreme. Maybe we should have found a happy medium where we toured in the morning, but made in back to the hotel before 9:00 PM. We could have sat by the pool in the afternoon. Although again, I’m back to I wanted to see DC. So it’s a choice you have to make. I’m happy with mine and I can live with it. Besides, I got to see some amazing sites.

The Food

This is the part that I would and will change in the future. Since we were being tourists, we really didn’t know where we would eat. We just played it by ear. This was a BIG mistake. Although we found a great Irish Pub for lunch that was super yummy, we did not have such luck for dinner. The appropriate places were few and far between as I did not want to eat anything out of the ordinary and spicy. We walked and walked and walked searching for the elusive perfect non fancy, non spicy place to eat. Finally we just gave up and went into one. I ordered what I thought would be the best choice. On the menu it really was the best choice, but when the dish came I really did not enjoy it. I ate what I could as I knew that I needed to eat. It wasn’t enough.

The funny thing was that at this point my sister was meeting a friend who lived in DC and my Mom and I were going to take Metro and the shuttle back to the hotel. We get off the Metro line and sit down to wait for the shuttle. Look up and literally across the street is a California Pizza restaurant. Seriously. We run over grab something to go and race back to catch the shuttle. By this time though, I really don’t want to eat but do manage to eat some more of the yummy pasta.

When I told my coach this, she said this is why she always takes food when she is traveling to an event because you never know. She said some people think that it is strange that she travels with food, but I think she might be onto something here. Either that or next time, I will make reservations!

The Company

As some of you know, I got into Marine Corp through the lottery. I personally did not know anyone going, so I would have been flying solo without my family. I do remember though that the first thing my Mother told me when I got into the marathon was that she was going with me. Then my sister decided to join in on the fun too. They made the trip so worth it. Jen, my sister, even commented on how sad it would be to be there alone. She is so right. I could not imagine crossing the finish line and having no one to share it with. Besides it made for an awesome girls weekend!

How do you plan for your destination races?

Random Thoughts During a Marathon

Oct27

There isn’t just a lot of truth to this.

This is a fact!

But before we get to mile 26, lets go back to the beginning!

I started the race with the thought that I was going to go for my B plan of 4:30. My A plan is just a dream, but you’ve got to have one of those anyway. It was a cool morning with a very light drizzle as we were waiting for the start of the race. The race started and I was near the 4:30 pace group. We hovered around each other all day, but alas they finished where they were supposed to. I felt strong during the first half of the race. I remember thinking around the half way point how good I was feeling, how much my training had helped me get to this point, and was just having an amazing race.

My pace was good.

My legs felt strong.

I was on fire.

Then as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. My legs still felt strong. It really was never my legs that gave out on the run. As the saying goes, running is a mental sport. By mile 22, I was having a full on conversation with myself about how absolutely stupid running a marathon was. It went something like this:

Who ever started the first marathon was an idiot.

How stupid is it to run these things. I mean really, does it really matter if I run 26.2 miles.

What is the point of this?

Why am I doing this?

I dragged my Mom and sister to come watch me do this! What is wrong with me?

Then I hit another mile and realized that if I would just shut the hell up, that I might actually finish this race. The conversation changed to:

You are this close, you might as well finish this.

You didn’t drag you Mom and sister here for you not to finish.

You can throw up later.

You want that cool medal don’t you?

It’s up to you.

Then my sister met me for the last two miles and ran along side me. Even though that was my slowest mile, it was my best mile as she encouraged me to finish. I didn’t throw up although I thought I might. I didn’t give up, although a big part of me wanted to. Then I hit mile 25 and knew that I could finish it. Then I hit mile 26 and hit my fastest pace of the day 8:23. So there really is more left in the cup when you think it is empty.

My advice to anyone running a marathon in the near future is to make sure that when you hit mile 20, you tell yourself to shut the Hell up. They are right when they say that the Marathon really doesn’t start till mile 20 because that’s when the fun really begins.

So enjoy the ride.

Stay true to yourself.

Never give up and remember

You Got This!

Mission Accomplished

Oct26

Well it’s over with now. Can’t believe it. Happy, Relived, Sore, and now wondering what is next. But there will be time to sort that out. So there is SOOOOOO much to tell that this will probably take a few days to get through it all. I also want some time to reflect. Today will be about the numbers…

This was a personal record from Philly by 8 minutes and 6 seconds and as Dawn pointed out on a harder course. So yes, I was happy. Between you and me though I was shooting for an even 4:30, but you know it just wasn’t the day for that.

I felt strong in the beginning. Really strong. Literally by mile 10 I was thinking how much my training was working for me. It really was. As you can see by my splits, I was on the money right up until the 40K. I lost it a little but even in loosing it, I still had overall good splits. In retrospect, could I have pushed it a little more. Probably, but even with walking a bit towards the end due to stomach issues I still am pleased.

These are the numbers

Age Place for Females 45-49

344 out of 1318

Gender Placement

3291 out of 10,428

Overall Finish

9,445 out of 23,197

And a steady pace for most of the race.

I would say

Mission Accomplished.

I think this may be my favorite medal ever. Love it!

Stay tuned for more on this epic weekend as there is so much more to this race than the numbers, but being as I have been away for a few days there is much to be done at home.

Do you have a favorite piece of bling?

Puttin on the Brakes When All You Want to Do is Press the Gas!

Oct12

Yesterday, I ran the NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon. So there will be lots to talk about:) With my goal race only two weeks away, I was asked (instructed) by my coach NOT to race this one and to once again keep my eye on the prize. Now I know that the last time she asked me to do this, I really didn’t listen as carefully as I should have. That being said, I knew that this time it was more important. Again with the Marine Corps Marathon just around the corner. I was given a goal pace of 10:30 to 10:50. I will honestly admit that ahead of time, I was tempted to race it as I was told that it was a great race to PR on with only two sizable hills at mile 9 and 12. Then I thought about it some more and realized that it wouldn’t be worth ruining the marathon for this race especially with my Plantar Fasciitis starting to rear it’s ugly head again. Just not worth it.

So I tow the line with my fellow MRTT Mama’s telling them my plan of being slow and steady. I will be honest, it is much harder to go slow and steady mentally than you realize especially with what seems like everyone people passing you by. Luckily for me, Teri, had plans to run and additional 7 that day for her long run of 20. She knew that she should keep the pace slower and I was more than willing to help her help me. I will say that the start of the race was a little odd as they were starting corrals every 2 minutes to spread out the participants as there were more than 8000 of us. So in the beginning it was like being stuck in traffic. Stop and Go. Stop and go until finally we got to go. As with every race the adrenaline at the beginning makes you want to just take off especially when you have been standing around for a waiting. It is hard pulling back when you know you can go faster and the feeling of everyone passing you left and right just sucks.

Teri and I moved along at what felt like a nice conversational pace which was good because we chatted away. Again there is nothing that makes the miles go faster than chatting with a friend. She was even surprised that she didn’t miss her music as she normal listens while running. I go back and forth on the music during a race. There really is something about listening to the race – the sounds of the footsteps, the people around you, and all the other sounds you hear during a race. It was good for me that she was there because of her I payed attention to the pace as I know she is fast. There were a few times I had to say, “sweetie, were going to fast. I’m going to slow down, but you can go if you want.” We decided that around mile 9, she would push herself at the end a little harder. This worked out good because this was the same point of the first big hill. Since I wasn’t racing, I stopped for a picture which another runner offered to take for me. She took the first one and then asked for a power pose!

There is something to be not chasing time at an event, because you do get to see things that you might otherwise miss.

I know if I was chasing a PR, I would have missed these. Not saying that in future races, I won’t be chasing the time but it is nice every now and then just to enjoy the moment.

Once Teri and I split, I continued on my journey of putting on the breaks and keeping a steady pace. I was very happy that I was able to be consistent. That being said, once I hit mile 13, I raced to the finish line. I think every race requires a dash to the finish line which was over home plate.

I will also add that my coach was pleased with me not pushing it this race and holding back for when I will need it in two weeks. I will also add that even with my steady pace, at the end I was the one passing people and not the other way around.

Then the after race picture!

Not sure if we would have been smiling as much before we embarked on our more than 2 hour stuck in traffic on the way home trip. Although, I think we still might have been as we had some great conversation in the car.

I Do Have My Eye on the Prize!

Sep28

Well I am getting close to the finish line of both my marathon training and my quest to complete the 9+1 to get into the 2016 NYCM. Both have become equally important to me and I want them both. Yeah, I’m like that.

Yesterday, I had the Bronx 10 Miler which I actually thought would fit very nicely in my training plan, but do to a hiccup in my schedule did not. I still needed to do it though because it was race number 8 out of 9. In talking with my coach, it was decided that I would push back my l6 miles long run a day till Tuesday. This is an important run as 12 miles with any luck will be at my goal marathon pace of 9:50 to 10:05. So it was determined that I would do Bronx slow and steady. My mantra was to be, “This is not my goal race.” I was told to keep my eye on the prize.

Was I disjointed that I wouldn’t be racing Bronx. You bet. Did I want to race? Maybe a little:) But I knew what was important. I was going to keep my eye on the prize. I lined up with my friends, but told them all I would see them at the finish line. Dawn was planning to push it and I was so excited for her, but I knew that we wouldn’t be able to run it together and besides she didn’t need me. Initially I thought about starting in a slower coral, but I wanted to start with my friends. When the race started, I started slow and steady. I ran the first 3 miles around 10:15, but I really wasn’t paying attention to my watch. I even stopped to take a picture around mile 5. I was not pushing it or at least I didn’t think so. Then I ran into a woman and her husband that I’ve met at several races through a mutual friends. I decided to run with them. Slow and Steady. We literally were chatting the whole time. I wasn’t paying attention to the time. I just was running. Slow and Steady. Conversational pace.

We cross the finish line together.

We pause for pictures.

I even meet an online running friend from the group Runners United NYC. I recognized her from her beautiful hair and went up to her and asked if she was ConfidentCurls and introduced myself as Accidentally Running Mama. Yes, just like that! Then we take a picture together and until meeting her in person I did not realize how tall she was as I already knew how short I am. It amazing how inspiring people can be that you’ve never met in person and there are actually a few that I only know online that I can’t wait to meet in person at the Marine Corps Marathon!

Then I meet up with my Mom’s Run This Town Mama’s. Excited to hear how they all did and that Dawn ran the race that we all knew she could run. Yeah, Dawn!! That is until she tells me that I’m going to be in trouble. She points out that I did exactly what she knew I would do which was not do a slow jog. Then I look at my time and realize that she may be right. I get home and look at my splits and although VERY pretty were not on the agenda for the day.

They are pretty. Aren’t they? Dawn laughed because she pointed out that my coach has me so well trained I do negative splits without even trying. There may be some truth to that, but I also know that every run is not this pretty. The truth though is that my coach has trained me so well that I was running this race at a faster pace, but I felt good doing so. I, really, was chit chatting away. I did not feel out of breath. I did not feel like I needed to stop. I was just plugging away. Now, maybe I should have paid more attention to how fast I was plugging away, but I really didn’t feel like I was pushing myself. Although I will admit that when I was getting close to the end, I did take it up a notch. Yes, I am one of those people that no matter the race or the pace; I will give it all I’ve got at the end.

Can’t help myself.

Makes for nice picture though. Don’t you think?

So now today is a Rest Day.

I will respect the rest day. I will honor it and keep it holey. Ok, maybe not that far but pretty close. Seems like I’m starting out on the right foot anyway. Because I do know that the only way I will not be in trouble with my coach is if I nail tomorrows Long Run. Yes, I do know that I am a grown woman who can do what I want when I want. That being said, the reason that I have a coach is to listen to her guidance and the things she tells me. She really is much smarter and wiser than me in the ways of running. She didn’t accidentally start running.

So rest, relax, and carb load today.

Has this ever happened to you?

Do you have Running Friends that you’ve never met in person?

The Accidentally Running Mama

Run, Bike, Swim and Have a Life!