I Did It!

After years of running, 13 weeks of training and a broken toe, I did it! It was a great day for a marathon. About 65 degrees and sunny. The crowds were amazing. Having friends come out was especially amazing, some even running with me through certain parts of the course.

Even better, I finished in 4:17:47, faster than the goal I had set for myself.

Overall, it was a great experience and yes, I would do it again!

Hurts So Good

Today was my last long run until race day. I ran a nice 20 miles along the W&OD...I'd never gone all the way to the beginning of the trail, I found it to be a nice run. The weather made it even more perfect. But even better was the surprise of seeing my husband at mile 8 and then again at mile 15 and then finally to greet me at mile 20! What motivation and happiness it brought to me. But his final "surprise" was running me an ice bath once I got home. I had read about how good these are for your muscles and how it reduces any inflammation, and my friend doing the NY Marathon had done a couple and found them to be beneficial. Well, the first few minutes was complete torture and a shock to my system, oddly it were my feet that were in most shock, the legs were okay. But once I settled in and relaxed, the 15 minutes wasn't too bad. Even better was not being sore for the rest of the day or the next day. It was definitely worth it.

Army Ten Miler

Today was the Army 10-Miler, my first time running this race which apparently is the biggest 10-miler in the country with 26,000 participants. I must say, it was definitely the most organized race I've run (not that I've run that many), but they were just so on point from the bag check to the festival at the end. The run itself was also great. It was a nice course with not many hills and the weather was absolutely ideal -- I think it was about 70 that day. I broke my 10 mile race personal record -- okay, only by about a minute -- which was exciting, but of course at the end when I saw the clock I knew I could've pushed myself more...the finish line kind of just crept up on you after a turn...I wasn't prepared for it to come that quickly so I didn't really sprint for as long as I could. But I'm still happy and I really didn't want to overdo it with the marathon just a few weeks away (eek!).

I rewarded myself by buying a new pair of sneakers, my beloved NB 768s, at Pacers where I got a 10% discount when showing my Army 10-Miler finisher's coin :)

Sunday in the Park

Since I was in NY this weekend I decided to participate in a NY Marathon "Tune Up" run, which took place yesterday. It was 18 miles through Central Park and a great way for me to run in a race environment (other runners, fuel stations, etc.). I wish these types of run were set up in DC/VA for the Marines Corps Marathon. It is such a difference running in a race atmosphere then by yourself on a trail.

I had never realized the amount of hills in that Park! They were rough, but I'm glad to have experienced them since the majority of my long runs are along the W&OD, which doesn't have many hills. I finished in 2:49:56, running at a 9:26 minute pace...not bad. I'll admit though, doing another 8.2 miles for a full marathon would be challenging, but I think I can handle it.

Not Enough Hours!

There are just not enough hours in the day. Work has been absolutely crazy -- between that and trying to log in some miles I am just so tired. I'm starting to cut back the runs during the week and focusing on some good weekend runs. I just don't want to overdo it and then by the time the race comes just be exhausted and over it all.

This weekend I'm heading to NY and will be running in a NY Marathon "Tune Up" run through Central Park ( 3 loops), it's an 18-miler. Should be a nice change of scenery, I'll admit the W&OD is getting a little tiring.

Yawn

I'm not sure if sleeping 5 hours a night is finally catching up with me or if it's work, but all I know is that I am exhausted these days. I feel the fatigue during my runs, too, and am wondering if I need to bump up my caloric intake and also my protein and carbs. Guess I should hit the sack now instead of write...especially since I have to get up at 4:40 am.

Sock it to me!

I need new socks...any suggestions? After my 12 mile run last weekend and my 14 miler today, my feet are not doing too well. I'm thinking it's the socks. I've run in Under Armours for the last 4 years or so, and they've been comfortable, but not so much anymore. Maybe I just need a new pair or a new style/brand altogether, all I know is that the feet are not happy.

Despite that, the run was nice this morning. The temperature was a cool 62 degrees. Days when I can work from home and get a good run in are the best. Too bad they do not come often.