is it just wrong that it is November 30th and I am still able to go running outside wearing nothing but shorts and a sports bra?
and that i actually felt warm in said running getup?
(hey, as long as I don't have to wear tights just yet, the weather is fine with me...)
haven't said much lately, but still alive.
the holiday weekend-1 day on long island, the remainder in NJ, was low-key and relaxing...not long enough though. lot on my mind lately that's been bothering me. (give you all 3 guesses what that is...more possibly to come in a future post...)
running has been kind of crappy as well. 3 weeks after the marathon and still don't feel like i have my legs back. did 4 miles tonight and completely felt like i was dragging. Hope I don't put up a totally embarassing performance at the 10K next weekend...
happy turkey day
Originally uploaded by nyflygirl76.
With la familia right now...happy thanksgiving to everyone!
shamelessly stolen from Skylight (moreso because I couldn't think of anything else to blog about...)
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard. | |
| The Midland | |
| The Inland North | |
| The South | |
| The Northeast | |
| Boston | |
| The West | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes | |
these were probably the 2 most-used pick-up lines at last night's Raising Heartrates Calendar kickoff party. my post title-and "are you in the calendar?" (not to mention the follow-up when you inform guys that you're not in said calendar "oh, you definitely belong in there.") I should know because I heard all those lines several times last night. yeah-nice try, guys.
But still, was a great time. Took place at a swank bar in the Meatpacking District, PM Lounge. The kind of place where the prices of my glasses of wine were in double digits, and the drink special was a (pretty good) $8 passionfruit-type cocktail-kinda makes you wonder what the non-special price was! (Now I know why I have not gone there before, even though it's within walking distance from work.) The place was absolutely packed-but I still saw quite a few people I knew-from the Flyers, and from other tri clubs. (actually-I had also seen on the evite that an obnoxious trainer I had once used had RSVPed yes-I kinda wish I had seen him so I could have rubbed my marathon time in his face. haha.)
taking it easy tonight. 2 late nights in a row (Wednesday was an industry happy hour that was pretty much only attended by my company, and I think after that night we will have lost our privileges to expense our drinks at the next one), rough workweek and I'm just beat.
good luck to those running Philly on Sunday!! And to those of you running the Race to Deliver on Sunday, good luck-I'll probably be taking pics, providing I wake up in time :)
And I am going to run tomorrow, goddamit. I'm not really liking this inactivity anymore.
i love dance music, and i love to dance to it. i think those of you who have been at events like the Flyers awards party know that. yet I felt completely out of place and out of sorts at the Flyers' salsa night the other night. I just couldn't get the steps down, no matter how hard I tried, even when another teammate tried teaching me. Finally I was like "forget it" and was more content to just observe while sipping a glass of sangria. I'm probably better off sticking with things that I can do right on the first try...like running a marathon ;-) (Think I also just felt "off" that day...rainy day, Monday, bad work day.) But still...dancing is much more fun and enjoyable when there are no rules, no steps to memorize, and just go with it.
But it seemed like the scene that night seemed to resemble my dating life in general. First off, too many women, not enough men (representing how much I need to compete.) Those who can't do, stuck on the sidelines, those who can do, get the attention, get the guy. I even said to my teammates that night "I bet this would be so much easier if I had the right partner." So there you go. Where's my dance partner? I ain't getting any younger...
(Yes, I can probably come up with dating analogies for anything. Don't make me repeat the running shoe analogy.)
on the topic of running, I still have not run a step since November 5th. it's not due to laziness, and the legs feel fine...just been getting home way too late in the evenings, and am just tired all the time so AM runs are not happening. this cannot continue though...not if I want to still be able to fit into my clothes...i hope to get something in this weekend!
It was a nice, semi-lazy weekend. Yesterday, MF and I got much-needed (and very appreciated by my calves/hamstrings) post-marathon massages, and did some shopping in Chinatown.Today was yet another get-together of the NYC running bloggers, this one in honor of Liam's (and his son-who's celebrating his 21st b-day!) visit to NYC. We all knocked back some beer (well most of us) and some food at Westside Brewery, and also in attendance were Sister Smile, jbl, Skylight, Runner26, Sara, BrunetteChicagoGal and Uptown Girl-and as usual, a great time was had.
Anyway, for the first time in awhile, it was nice to have a weekend go by and not have major mileage on the schedule. But my legs feel rarin' to go, probably sometime this week, but ease into it.
So thanks to a certain couple of teammates, I am considering Chicago for next fall :) I've heard nothing but great things about this race, especially the crowd support. Only concern I do have is the start. Not to sound like an "elitist" here-but one of the big pluses to NYC was that I had such a great starting position. In Chicago-unless they loosen the standards this year, the preferred start standards are 1:45 half/3:55 full. (I'm sure my 1:43 from Vegas-Jan '05-would be outside the qualifying window.) So unless I get a 1:45 half next year, I'd be in the open start. Is that start a "free-for-all"-meaning there's a chance I'd get stuck behind people doing 5 or 6 hour marathons-or is there some order? I know I have until next spring to worry about that, but it's never too early to start thinking about these things :)
yeah. good question!!
well in the immediate future-recovery. taking an entire week of rest-my legs have earned it. today, the last bit of soreness went away from my quads (and subway stairs are no longer a problem) but still don't want to push it. might start running again next week, might not-play it by ear. I do miss my Monday night spin classes, so now that I don't have to worry about fitting miles in, would love to revisit those.
And for the rest of the year-just ease back into it. Might not go back to speedwork until '07. Most likely I'll be able to make an appearance at next month's club points race, the Joe Kleinerman 10K-I think 5 weeks is enough recovery time. Little iffy about a 5-mile race on Thanksgiving-too close, I think.
But I'm sure the burning question is-will I do another marathon? The answer is yes-but not until next fall. I want to stay away from the spring for now, as I am afraid that year-round marathon training may lead to burnout, plus I'd like to target some shorter races for late spring, like April/May. I've never run a 10-mile race before, plus I'd still like to get that half-mary time under 1:45. So that's the plan for spring to keep me motivated, but not burned out.
And for fall-well I have my 9 races done so I have a guaranteed spot in next year's NYCM, should I decide to go for it again. But I'm debating whether to make a repeat performace there, or run a different one in hopes of a faster time (only downside to that would be not having the home field advantage like I have in NYC.) And a couple of you on and off the blog have hinted to me at the possibility of trying for a BQ...I'll have to play it by ear. 18 minutes is a lot of time to shave off. Maybe, with a little more mileage (I peaked at 41 mpw this time around) I could get there, but it would also depend on other things in my life allowing me the time to get in higher mileage-and if my body will hold up as well. But I have plenty of time to try for a BQ (and hey, if it takes long enough I'll only have to shave off 13 minutes!!)
So that's the plan for now. We now return to our regularly scheduled recovery...
So after 3 hours, 58 minutes and 26 seconds, I could finally stop running. And my quads were not too happy about that!! Surprisingly, though I did feel some leg fatigue in the final 10K, nothing really hurt overly bad. But man, after I crossed the finish line and started walking, my quads rebelled-to the point where a volunteer asked if I needed help. I thanked him, but I was fine and could walk on my own.
The finish chute was mad crowded...got my medal, got my finisher photo, got my mylar blanket...saw Moz had just finish and we congratulated each other and walked and chatted for a few minutes, until we parted ways at the chip removal-I kept walking because I wanted to keep my chip (I said that I when I run my first marathon, I will keep that chip as my permanent running chip.) Then came the trek through Central Park to my baggage truck. Never before have I cursed having a last name in the middle of the alphabet :-p I finally found my truck, got my bag, and kept walking. After passing another couple trucks, I heard a voice shout out "Hey Flygirl!" It was Chelly-she was volunteering, helping with the post-race baggage. We chatted for a coupla minutes-she's hoping to run the marathon next year!! Good luck to you!!
I finally exited the park, and as I made my way up CPW, I saw a very familiar-looking guy in a Flyer singlet..."Skylight!!" I shouted. (well I actually shouted his name. But I ain't posting it here :-p) "I did it!! I broke 4!!" he congratulated me and walked with me the few blocks I had to go to meet up with my family. He also gave me the great news that Sister Smile had BQed! We parted ways when I saw my family (one advantage to living on the UWS-not having to deal with the family reunion area!)-and wouldn't you know it, Phil walks by and yells congrats. (I can't ever escape you bloggers!! LOL...) I posed for pictures with my medal and stylin' mylar blanket before we headed back to my place so I could shower and change. And oh boy...walking down the stairs to my apartment was not pretty. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I cleaned up because la familia needed to grab a bite to eat (and oh yeah, I guess I did too.) Headed to City Grill where I got what I was really craving-burger and fries. And the first of what would be quite a few glasses of wine that evening.
I did originally want my family to come with me to the Flyers' post-marathon party, but they were tired from the long day, so they went home and I headed east, wearing my medal and Running Divas shirt :) The party was definitely underway by the time I got there!! And I was flooded with congratulations all evening-definitely felt as much as a rockstar then as I did during the race :) And I don't know what they were more surprised at-the fact that this was my first or that I broke 4 on the first attempt!! (HC has always said to me that it is very hard to break 4 on a first marathon attempt.) The bloggers were represented by me, Skylight, Sara, and BrunetteChicagoGal. Downed 4 glasses of pinot grigio in the time I was there and chatted and mingled and just had a great time. Everyone I had spoken to seemed very happy with their races...the success stories include-but are not limited to-the following:
DL not only breaking 3-but beating Lance!! YEAH!!! (and making it on TV while passing Lance at the end!)
Plenty of other first time sub-4's, with major PR's on top of it.
MF battling a knee injury-but still ran a 3:29 and bettered her time from last year.
One of our female distance superstars running 3:17-the best Flyer female marathon performance this year...
Not only did Sister Smile BQ...but another one of our guys who had a breakthrough year BQ'ed with a 3:19.
Sara blew away her 4:30 goal...
Runner26 made it to mile 18 and then some-she was able to complete the marathon comfortably.
And a non-Flyer friend of mine who when running NYC the last 3 years, battled cramps and the Queensboro Bridge. Well I was happy to see that not only did he have a major course PR this year, but a marathon distance PR too!!
Monday...I had no problem sleeping in. The calls and congratulatory emails were still coming in. Both my mom and Coach J said that I "outperformed Lance." I picked up the special marathon edition of the Times yesterday, and got my medal engraved today!! With the first marathon, you want to remember it all...
It really sunk in after hearing all the kudos...I really kicked ass on this marathon. Somehow it just all came together. You hear that it comes together after 2 or 3...but the first time?? Led me to wonder-what exactly did I do right? I thought about it and came up with this...
So the big question-how can I repeat this again? And when? Well the latter question to be answered in another post... :)
And so it began...
Staten Island
Mile 1-9:40
Mile 2-8:14
What an experience, running that bridge-so much excitement, the planes and everything flying overhead...the start was surprisingly, and thankfully clean-I was actually able to start actually running right away, but conservatively, keeping the bridge in mind. TB and I stuck together at the beginning...but she pulled ahead partially through mile 1 and I let her go. I saw a mile 1 marker when my watch said 8:15 and freaked out for a second...but then realized it was for the blue start, and that I still had a little ways to go :) And I didn't freak out on my actual mile 1 split either...I totally expected that with the incline, and knew I'd make it up on the downhill. And by then, it was pretty much ideal temperature, so I tossed my arm warmers to the side. So I exited the bridge, pretty much right on pace!! One borough down, 4 to go!! And now the fun would really begin...
Brooklyn
Mile 3-8:53
Mile 4-8:37
Mile 5-8:42
Mile 6-8:52
Mile 7-8:54
Mile 8-9:16
Mile 9-9:08
Mile 10-8:58
Mile 11-9:27
Mile 12-9:09
Now, I know I have said in the past that Brooklyn will "never be my borough," but that was not the case today. Brooklyn was a huge, huge party. I loved miles 3-7, running up 4th Avenue through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Carroll Gardens...as I guess my splits showed :) Uptown Girl warned me about this-"Brooklyn will make you want to go out fast!" Oh well :) I spotted JGo from the Reservoir Dogs running near me around mile 4 and we chatted for a coupla minutes and wished each other luck for the rest of the race. Around mile 6, I saw NS from the Flyers cheering and holding a "Go Flyers" sign and offering me banana pieces (I declined, as I am probably the only runner who can't stand bananas.) And the best sign ever was near the 10K point-"SLOW DOWN, THIS ISN'T A 10K!!!" Miles 7 and 8 were even cooler, it seems like the crowds and cheering just intensified there. To my left, I heard the Spanish version of "The Cup of Life" by Ricky Martin (best version of that song, IMHO!) To my right I heard "Eye of the Tiger." Who the hell needed an iPod today? Not I!! And even though I know some NYC marathoners have said that the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower by mile 8 is visible for miles, teasing you...I briefly noticed, but did not dwell on it, or how much further I had to go to reach it...sorta living in the moment here :)
The course merged just before the mile 8 marker on Lafayette Avenue-the nicely open road I had been running on for 5 miles seemed to bottleneck for mile 9. Actually a blessing in disguise, as I knew I really needed to pull it back. Mile 10 was through the Hasidic part of Williamsburg, and though a little more low-key than the 4th Avenue fiesta, still some support there. Miles 11 and 12 in Greenpoint seemed to have some familiarity...because that was part of the route we ran in the Hunter Moonlight Run back in October! It looked much different in the light :) (XMas decorations were already up and it looked so festive...like I was running through a big block party.) I was hoping to see Jon amongst the cheering crowds in this area but missed him. Before I knew it...I was approaching the next big climb of the course, and I had conquered 2 boroughs!!
Queens
Mile 13-9:13
Mile 14-9:22
Mile 15-9:20
Mile 16-9:20
Over the Pulaski Bridge and into Queens. That bridge was another stop on the Hunter Moonlight Run, so I was completely prepared. Hit the half-marathon point on the bridge at 1:58:02-perfect, exactly 9 minute pace! If I could keep this up through the second half that would be great. Down off the bridge and running strong...and then it happened.
I was rounding a corner during mile 14-and some idiot who I guess thought I was moving too slowly knocked me down and didn't look back. With the help of a couple other runners, I was able to get up, but my knee didn't seem to like that fall too much. At this point, I thought my race was over...but I really took it easy for the remainder of that mile to kind of work out the kinks. I had regained my composure by....you guessed it...the Queensboro Bridge. (Though before we arrived at the bridge, I saw Silvercup Studios-where Sex and the City, in addition to other shows, is filmed. Cool.)
You hear so many horror stories about the bridge. So many people who run NYC dread it. For some strange reason, I was actually looking forward to it. I had run the bridge several times in training, so I knew what to expect. And that paid off-not only did I feel strong and steady while climbing the uphill portion of the bridge, but I was passing quite a few people (I do also think part of it was the excitement of knowing what was waiting for me on the other side!!) On the uphill part, a bunch of people were shouting "What goes up...must come down!!!" I cheered when the bridge crested and the downhill started "all downhill from here!!" Oh-and there was one part of the bridge where there was construction and was absolutely pitch-black-man, I was really, really watching my footing again, afraid of another wipeout!! Finally, we left the darkness of the bridge behind and were welcomed by screaming spectators on the exit ramp...just a taste of what was to come for the next 3 1/2 miles.
Manhattan-1st Avenue
Mile 17-8:58
Mile 18-8:56
Mile 19-9:01
This was the part of the race I was so looking forward to...not just because it was in my borough, not just because the fans were 4 to 5 deep here...but I had my own personal cheering sections to look forward to. (Best sign I saw in this stretch BTW-"Your feet hurt because you're kicking so much ass!!") First was a "Go Flyers" sign above Banshee Bar on 74th St (and I did hear some of that same cheer as well!!) But what I was looking forward to was just past mile 18...the PowerGel station, and in turn, my teammates!!! I was soooo happy to see them...their cheers gave me more energy than the Plain Energy PowerGel that I got from them did (yay, they had my flavor!)
But I had 2 more things to look forward to before I crossed into the next borough...approaching 
104th St, I saw a familiar faded Yankee cap that belonged to my brother. My parents, brother and cousin were there cheering and holding signs for me-my brother even ran a few yards to high-five me!! I was looking forward to seeing them again later on 5th Avenue. A half mile later was the Reservoir Dogs' cheering section!! Uptown Girl and her teammates cheered like crazy for me...what just the ticket I needed to finish out that mile!!! (especially since pretty much north of 100th St, the crowds really thin out compared to the insanity of the 60s, 70s and 80s.) And to the Bronx I go...
Bronx
Mile 20-9:23
Mile 21-9:23
Crossed over the Willis Avenue bridge (made a little more tolerable by a red carpet-cool, we were like royalty :-p) and into the Bronx. I saw PD with the rest of his bagpipe crew on the bridge-his back was turned so I had to yell and wave to get his attention. The Bronx was short but sweet-kinda like a big boom box party :) And crossing back over to Manhattan on the Madison Avenue Bridge, I was able to get a glimpse of Yankee Stadium...yay!!!!
Past mile 20 was uncharted territory for me, as I did nothing more than 20 miles in training. Though I had slowed down a little bit from the first half, was still feeling fine and showing no signs of bonking. I did not have to do any walking just yet (though at some of the water/Gatorade stops, I had to slow dramatically due to some major bottlenecking-but I was able to drink on the run.) I did some quick math and noted that I needed 58 and change for the last 10K in order to make it under 4. I told myself I'd be OK if the clock time was over 4. I wanted to finish strong first, and if I could do that with the chip time under 4...even better. With some fuzzy math, I estimated I'd need to average 9:20s for the remainder...so my plan was to try and do that, then once I hit Central Park, leave it all out on the course.
Manhattan-5th Avenue to the finish line
Mile 22-9:19
Mile 23-9:15
Mile 24-9:27
Mile 25-8:58
Mile 26-8:49
Last 0.2-1:52 (8:32 pace)
Back in my home borough, to finish what I had started. I had no doubt in my mind at that point 
I was going to finish. It was now just a matter if it would be under 4 hours, and it was going to be very close at this point!! I heard "Eye of the Tiger" again during mile 22...and you know, I honestly welcomed hearing it again :) Was looking for another teammate of mile who was cheering near Marcus Garvey Park at mile 22...dang it, missed him!! But saw our men's masters captain cheering near 110th and 5th...around the time where the last killer incline would start!! And my family cheering contingent made one more appearance at 104th St...my dad got a picture and my mom shouted that I'm almost done, I've got it...normally, you just want to tell people who say that to shut up, but I believed her :) The remaining half-mile or so uphill on 5th Ave...although my mile split shows the perceived effort, it didn't feel so hard-the crowds are fabulous here. Finally I got to 90th Street and entered the Park at Engineers Gate, and was welcomed to cheers from the Flyers' secretary, who was cheering with CPTC's "Wall of Orange." (and yes, they actually cheered for me. Well, I know one of them did.) Now I was really home. I knew once I got here, I was golden :)
At this point, I knew every single hill in this park, I knew what to expect when...the crowds were screaming my name (so glad I had my name on my shirt!!) and knowing I didn't have much further to go...I picked up the pace and as I mentioned before-left everything I had out on the course. Cat Hill downhill was sooo welcomed at that point...and I was so happy to see my mile 25 split, I knew I had sub-4 in the bag. But wait a minute...right around the mile 25 marker, I passed Morrissey...that wasn't supposed to happen!! I hoped he was OK.
We exited the park and headed out onto Central Park South...another uphill but I didn't notice it. I didn't notice the avenue signs so i didn't even know how many more I had to cross. I just noticed the crowds. The TimeWarner Center, the fountain at Columbus Circle, was getting closer and closer...and another kick-ass split for this mile...I was still able to move my legs this fast, at mile 26...this was unbelievable!!! Not only did I NOT hit the wall, I knocked it down!!
Columbus Circle had the big video screen, and the last thing I remembered there was a band beginning to play "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benetar...I thought that was a very appropriate song to hear at the time. Set me up for that last .2 miles to Tavern on the Green...and yes, another uphill that I didn't even notice. Either all my practice running that hill paid off...or once again, the crowds carried me...or I was just too focused on that finish chute up ahead. I got closer and closer and saw the clock still said 3:59:xx...OMG, I couldn't believe it. 400 yards to go...300...200...100....I put my arms up in the air just as I did when I finished my first half-marathon...but this one was so much bigger. In less than 4 hours after I started this journey on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge...I crossed that famous NYC Marathon finish line at Tavern on the Green.
Clock time-3:59:37
Net time-3:58:26 (half splits 1:58:02/2:00:24)
Placing:
11576/37840 overall
2082/12312 females
781/4362 females 30-39
After the finish line and beyond to follow in the next installment!!
Sunday, November 5th, 2006. 3:30 am.
Normally, I would complain about being awake at this ungodly hour on a Sunday, but this wasn't just "any given Sunday." This was Marathon Sunday. Between the sounds of Shakira coming from my clock radio and my excitement about what lied ahead for me that day, I was wide awake, and happily so. Yeah, that was kind of early considering I wouldn't have to leave my apartment til 5:15, but I had things to do...have a cup of coffee, have a pre-race bagel (salt bagel with White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter-best thing before a long run/race!) and make another one to have a coupla hours later, pack my UPS bag, get dressed, apply BodyGlide, listen to some music, etc...and not feel rushed. Finally, 5:15 came-MF picked me up in a cab and we headed over to the east side to catch the Flyers' bus to Staten Island. And MF told me that she apparently hailed the last possible cab before the cab drivers' shift change. We both took this as a good sign for the day!!
Took us no time to get over to 86th and Lex where the buses were loading. MF and I got onto the first bus, as did Runner26. We all chatted on the way to Staten Island, and the ride was thankfully smooth and traffic-free (apparently the past few years, buses have been caught in traffic and did make it to SI-but with not enough time to spare.) We arrived at Fort Wadsworth mad early-I think like 6:30-6:45? But honestly, I'd rather have time to kill instead of being on the bus and stressing. So it was all good. First order of business-use a porto-potty while the lines were short!! Then me, MF and Runner26 found a spot in the orange "village" to hang out. We chatted, ate, hydrated, MF pondered putting her name on her singlet, just observed the goings on...was a nice bonding experience. After another bathroom break, another friend/teammate, TB, found us and hung out. But it was chilly-the rest of me was OK, but my feet had gone numb. I was saying "I have cold feet-literally!" (They did warm up once we were off the grass and lined up in the corrals.)
Honestly, the time seemed to pass by so fast...before we knew it, was getting close to 9 am, and time to check our UPS bags, put the final touches on our running outfits and line up. I made one last minute decision-I had terrain-specific pace bands for 3:55 and 4, courtesy of the Nike booth at the expo...at first I was thisclose to putting the 3:55 one on...but decided I really want to go with my own pacing and not be a slave to what a bracelet says-so I threw those back in my bag before checking it. We left MF, who had a spot in the local competitive women's start and headed towards our corrals-where we wished each other luck and went our separate ways-Runner26 to her corral, TB and I to ours in the F3000s. And lucky for us we got there early-Sister Smile already mentioned this, but there were way too many people who should have not have been there-meaning men-and no one was really policing it. There was actually a group of people sitting down in a circle right smack dab in the middle of the corral-like they were friggin protesters or something. Whatever. I decided to finally shed my throwaway shirt and pants and take my pre-race gel (I try to take one 30-45 minutes before a long race) and soon enough, we were moving towards the bridge. Since while lined up in the corral, we were standing near the 3:50 pace group, TB and I tried to stay as close to that as possible so we didn't "lose our position." We made it to the bridge still in a great starting position-TB predicted we'd be across in 30 seconds.
Was still a little chilly at the start but not too bad-by then, I was just in my singlet, shorts, makeshift arm warmers and just ditched my throwaway gloves. I saw Derek trying to line up in our section and called out to him but he did not hear me. As always, wants to get with the ladies :-p 10:10 was getting closer and closer...we heard the elite male introductions, the national anthem...then Mary Wittenberg's voice announcing...
"New York City awaits you!! The world awaits you!!"
This was it. Before we knew it, the cannon sounded, and "New York, New York" started playing. The start I have seen many times on TV, now finally living it. After a minute and 11 seconds, I had crossed the starting line, and was on my way to take on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, to take on 26.2 miles, to take on the 5 boroughs.
The actual race portion to follow in the next installment of "this town is my town"...
quickie post since I need to head out to the Flyers' post-marathon party...but I leave you with this...
5K-27:40 (8:55 pace)
10K-54:52 (8:50 pace)
15K-1:23:08 (8:56 pace)
20K-1:51:51 (9:00 pace)
Half marathon-1:58:02 (9:00 pace)
25K-2:20:54 (9:04 pace)
30K-2:48:50 (9:03 pace)
35K-3:17:38 (9:05 pace)
40K-3:46:28 (9:07 pace)
Finish-3:58:26 (9:06 pace)
ok, not the smartest run race in the world :) , but a 2 minute positive split really isn't so bad considering the second half is tougher and i took a fall in mile 14...but had a very strong last couple of miles.
full report to hopefully come before I have to go back to work on Wednesday!! And congrats to everyone else who ran today!! And many thanks to the spectators and volunteers :)
this is it...
oh, this time I know it's the real thing...
It's so close, and so surreal. In less than 24 hours, I will be toeing the start line on Staten Island.
And can I just say, this was quite the memorable training cycle?
Let's see...torrential downpours during not one, but two half-marathons.
Record heat waves not once, but twice!! (and yet, between speedwork and recoveries, toughed it out and did not hit the dreadmill)
Led 2 Long Training Runs around Central Park...one with a very cool group, another with the most.disobedient.group.ever. (with the exception of one person ;-) )
Tackled killer hills in Lake Placid and the Palisades...
Fun runs with the Flyers...be it a nighttime jaunt through the boroughs or just a Saturday morning run with impromptu brunches, or exploring the last 10 miles of the marathon course...
An awesome 5-mile race where the entire time-but especially the last half-mile, I felt like a rockstar.
Hit the next age group with a bang...
A kick-ass 18 miler when I needed it the most...
The "naked shorts" making their debut in Staten Island...
Crowded nights in the park (and a certain teammate teasing me about said rants...)
I'm sure I can think of many more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head :)
So that's it. The hard work is done. Now the fun really begins. And it is gonna be fun. How grateful am I that I will have the home field advantage for my first marathon? I can't wait to see the sights, and see my friends, family and teammates along the way.
And I've got a plan-just need to stick to it like glue. Keep those magic nines as long as possible...
And to all my fellow bloggers, readers, commenters-thanks so much for your support in this journey that in blog-land, was a year or so in the making...but in reality, 3 years in the making. The day before the '03 marathon was when I decided I was going to run it someday. I just can't believe that day is actually almost here.
For all of you who will be on the course cheering-look for the gal in the red Flyer singlet who looks like my picture :-) For those further away and interested in my progress-you know the bib number (and it's OK to post updates in the comments, but I have one favor to ask-if you're doing any copying/pasting, please no posting my name-thanks!)
Gonna be an early night for me, so that's all she wrote until I cross that finish line at Tavern on the Green. Once again-thanks for your support (and best of luck to all the other bloggers who will be running tomorrow!)
pasta party
Originally uploaded by derek7272.
that's Derek and I, with our mutual friend/teammate MF on the left.
Flyers pasta party last nite was a lot of fun-great food at one of my fave restaurants, inspirational words from Coach Toby, and great company and chatter to get everyone psyched up for the big day...
(i took the pic with my new camera, but Derek beat me to posting it so I'm nabbing it from his Flickr :) )
a couple more amusing pieces of attire I spotted at the expo...
I think Asics had the right idea with this one...
And from the same people who made the running diva shirt...I'd never wear this but it was just too funny to not get a picture of. Especially since I know this is a very common slip of the tongue :)
So exciting to get all this stuff (the bib, chip, etc...) and actually be able to use it this year!!
Tonite is the Flyers pasta party...yay!!
And how great does Sunday's weather forecast still look?? High of 52, sunny, low wind!! Looks like singlet weather to me, considering I felt warm in long sleeves during my 4 miles this morning and it was in the 40s!! (I will have makeshift arm warmers for the start though...)
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