Another Training Plan Completed

I just crossed run number 63 off of a 64 run training plan (the final 26.2 will happen Saturday)!!!

Crazy, amazing, and horrible things all happen simultaneously when you train to conquer 26.2 miles (or 26.7, as the Blue Ridge Marathon is officially .5 miles over the marathon distance - just one more little hurdle to throw into the mix).

1. Your weight will fluctuate. Some days I was up, some days I was way down. But I rarely weighed the same on any 2 consecutive days. That being said - I look pretty good naked ;) I have packed on muscle in my legs and my waist has thinned out....my pants are all loose. It's a win-win!

2. Hunger is going to happen. I thought I was avoiding it this time...but alas... I am starving 24/7. Which is OK-I mean I was running upwards of 40 miles a week.

3. Drinking isn't fun. I love beer, but whenever I over do it now I feel 100% awful. I've learned it's better to skip it all together the night before a long run. Hangovers and dehydration are NOT fun.

4. You become obsessed with tracking the weather. Right now it looks like I will be getting drenched at some point on Saturday. I'm updating my app every 15 minutes, hoping for good news.

5. Dedicated= stubborn. I was obsessed with figuring out how I would fit in every single run on the training schedule. This was much harder a few months ago when daylight was scarce. And getting in runs meant sacrificing. My evenings, weekends, and even my work schedule were affected by my 'dedication'.

6. Running will break and heal your heart. Some days it's impossible; some days it's therapy. But you never regret the run after you're done. I had a lot of emotional days where I would start crying while I was running. You don't realize how many things are building up, but running allows you to release it all when you need to.

Less Than 24 Hours Until I Leave!!!

I cannot put into words how excited I am for this race. I love Roanoke. I love that I was chosen to be an ambassador. I love the volunteers, the crowds, and the challenging course. I said I want to beat my time of 4:54:54, but honestly just finishing this marathon is a big enough accomplishment. Last time I did this race in 2015 it chewed me up and spit me out. The heat got to me, and I finished with a time of 5:32. I KNOW I will do better than that this time. My biggest fear is the rain...hopefully it's light and refreshing (not a torrential down pour). But regardless, in less than 48 hours I'll be climbing 3 mountains!!

One of the most beautiful views on Mill Mountain - MooMosas!!!

I'm ready to rock this course.  You can track my progress here 

- http://www.blueridgemarathon.com/get-race-app/

I'm bib number 213!! I will also Facebook Live the start and a few portions of the course (weather pending; I'm not ruining my phone)

Cheers!!! I will be celebrating my a$$ off Saturday afternoon/evening. But for now, it's time to rest :)

India

Boston

I've been following the damn marathon ALL DAY.

I have a few friends/running gurus I follow on social media who are running this race today. God am I jealous. I want to be there with the crowds and excitement; the one race that separates the 'recreational runners' from the elite. I wonder if I could ever earn my way in... and then I look at my marathon times and lose all hope.

But still... there is that shy, low voice....asking myself... 'could I do it?'. And an even lower voice whispers, 'Yes'.

3:35 is the qualifying time for women 30-34. If I wait long enough, it would be 3:40 for a 35 year old. The first logical step would be to break 4 hours... and I've been so close twice now. I know I can do that.

So... what if I really really want to go to Boston? Is it crazy... is it possible? I've never spoken those words out loud, because I never thought it was possible. But what if it was... what if I trained like an elite? Could I get a BQ time?

It's these crazy thoughts that keep me motivated and keep me coming back, run after run, after each heartbreak, after all of the torture...

Just a few weeks ago I was saying how I wanted to give up running and take up other activities. Nonsense. Just crazy taper-talk. I'm not going anywhere ;-)

5 days until Roanoke!!!

Mentally Defeated

Let me start by saying I DID NOT get a bad time at the Reston Half Marathon today. Not by a long shot.... But I repeatedly told myself I was going to PR this race. If I had kept up the same pace for the last 3 miles that I had for the first 10, I wouldn't be writing a blog post now. But I was...defeated? Hit a wall? No, that's not possible for a half marathon ;-/ You don't 'hit a wall'.

According to RunKeeper my time is 1:51:22. I think the official results will show a few seconds less - time to start, time to stop, etc. But it should be pretty close. My half marathon PR was 3 years ago, a time of 1:49:32. It was a much flatter course. I chose this race today because Reston's courses are notorious for hills, and I wanted something slightly comparable to the Blue Ridge Marathon course in 2 weeks.

It didn't feel good. From start to finish I never 'felt great', never got a runner's high, or anything remotely close.  I felt nauseous multiple times. And I know it was my poor pacing that set up my failure.

I took off like I was running a 5k or something. I don't know why. I'm sure people who saw me assumed 1 of 2 things:

1. I was a crazy talented runner who has qualified for Boston multiple times, or
2. I was a novice who had no idea what I was doing

Now, neither is correct, but the 2nd would be closer to accurate. At mile 10 I puttered out. My legs were in shock and I felt completely numb. I tried to run up the steep hills, but everyone was passing me; my 'run' was really an awkward looking walk with vigorous arm movements.

I'm just replaying everything I did wrong - and how I could've done so much better had I paced myself from the start. I know I could've ran faster the last 3 -4 miles and broken my 1:49 PR... which is all I wanted to do. Meh, I'm going to take a long bath with epsom salts and try to shake the negative feelings off.

2 weeks to Roanoke.... I've gotta get my mental game back on track.

India

Welcome to Taper Town

The Hardest Part is Through

Here I am, once again.

I've run over 387 miles during the last 13 weeks. Now it's time to cut back.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for it to be over. I'm sick of running for hours at a time. I love it, but I hate it. It's complicated. I love pushing my limits, and doing things I didn't think I could. But I also love sleep, and having a social life, and drinking beer. I mean, I still do all of these things, but I have to be conscious of upcoming runs and how I prepare.

19 days to go. It's going to be a long 2 1/2 weeks. And now I really have to watch my diet...I'm only putting in half the mileage these upcoming weeks as I have been.

 Maybe after this marathon I'll join a gym and work out like a regular human being again. I need to try something new... any suggestions (no cross-fit, please)?  I want to get back to lifting weights a bit more, and limiting cardio to 30-60 minutes at a time. Maybe shift my definition of 'weekend warrior' to encompass running in the local 5k. I want to reclaim my love for fitness - not only running.

Now what am I going to do with all of this free time.... Probably research all of the hot spots in Negril ;-)

Even while 'taking it easy' I am running a half marathon on Sunday!!!

Upcoming Races

• Runners Marathon of Reston (Half) - 4/9/17
• Blue Ridge Marathon  - 4/22/17
• AOL 5K - 5/7/17
• Twilight 4 Miler - 6/24/17
• Crystal City 5k - 7/22/17
• Rosary 10k - 7/23/17