Recap: Week 8 2012

This week I got back into my normal routine with 3 great runs, more walking than I think I've ever walked in a single week before, biking and even a bit of core & upper body strength. This coming week I'll take a little easier as I taper for the half on Sunday. Not much else to say, so I'll let the numbers speak for themselves.

Week 8: Feb 20-26

• ran 15 miles
• walked 23 miles
• biked 14 miles
• 10m of planks/push ups
• 3h yoga

Goals for Week 9

• run 20+ miles
• Orange Blossom Half
• walk 10+ miles
• bike at least once
• 2h yoga

Running, Biking, Postcards & Carrot Cake

Today was a great day, starting with a great run and ending with homemade carrot cake :) Let's take it from the top.

Since I can't ever sleep in anymore, I was awake before 5:30 am even though our run wasn't starting until 7 am. But that's ok because it gave me plenty of time to get ready without feeling rushed. I spent a good part of that looking for a pair of knee high socks I wanted to wear that I never did find, but I still had plenty of time to bike to the run start at a leisurely pace. Not that I really had much of a choice because the brutal wind was relentless.

The temp was in the low 60s, perfect for running in a skirt with a long sleeve tech tee. The wind made it feel much colder while on the bike, so I wore the windbreaker jacket I got when I volunteered at the Disney Marathon. I swapped it for the long sleeve tech tee when I got to the school and it was perfect during the run. Towards the end of the 6 miler I was able to run comfortably in just my tank top.

I was originally planning to run 8 miles, since I only ran 6 last week, but then I came to my senses. Last week's 6 miler was for recovery and this week's for taper. I would rather have the extra recovery and fresh legs for Sunday's race than over do it just to get in more miles. We ran today's 6 miles using 2:30/1 intervals, which is what I plan to use for the race, and almost a minute per mile faster than last week. I was feeling it in my legs and hips by the end of the 6 miles and thought it best to not push further. We had several runners join us that had not been out in a while. It was so nice to see them all again and catch up.

By the time I got home at 9:30 am, I had also biked over 9 miles mostly against a headwind. I had errands to run, but I knew I had to change into dry warmer clothes or I'd freeze, so I went home first. I did 25 minutes of yoga as soon as I got home. As usual, I just wing it with the poses I know work best for after a run, but this was a really great yoga session. I was in the zone and was able to flow from one pose to the other stretching out my whole body. I was tempted to do a core/strength workout, but I was getting hungry so I called it quits. After showering and eating breakfast, I got back on my bike to run a few more errands. I was getting tired and the wind wouldn't quit, so I kept it to a minimum.

When I got back home and had lunch, I tackled my daily challenge which was to send out a postcard. This turned into quite the adventure. I've been meaning to participate in http://www.postcrossing.com/ for a while now, and this challenge finally  gave me the push to get it done. I had a postcard I bought at the LEGO store in Downtown Disney a long time ago for this that I never sent. I could not find it anywhere, so I went for a walk in search of one -- post office (closed), CVS, Publix, 7-11, random store -- and none sold them. I finally gave up and came home determined to just make my own. I checked one last time where I thought the post card ought to be and there it was all along. I had actually seen it this morning but thought it was something else. So I addressed it to the woman in Taiwan that postcrossing assigned me and is ready to be mailed when I get a stamp on Monday. I'm going to order some post cards with photos of Orlando that I or Jason have taken and send out a few more as soon as they come in.

But my adventure was not for nothing because I picked up some cream cheese frosting to make home made carrot cake. I bought Beth some carrot cake from Publix for her birthday on Friday, and really wanted to try my hand at a healthier version where I knew exactly what went into it. I know that as far as cakes go, carrot cake is far better than most, except for the frosting and all the sugar, but this version is not bad at all. It is made with whole wheat flour, mostly natural ingredients, and the only sweetener is honey. I used finely chopped raw apple instead of the canned pineapple and it turned out great.  Someday I'll try my hand at making the frosting too.

Marathon 1 vs 4 (30 Minute PR)

Two years ago, I ran my first marathon in 5:22. Two weeks ago, I ran it 30 minutes faster than that. What did I do differently? Below is a comparison chart between the two training cycles (June to February). 

Criteria	First	Last
date	February 28, 2010	February 12, 2012
training goal	finish; have fun	5 hours
base	less than 2 years; 24 races (3 half marathons)	almost 4 years; 70 races (3 marathons & 12 half marathons)
20+ miles training runs	3	6
longest training run	24 miles	31 miles
speed work	no track; 14 random races, mostly multi-sport	weekly track workouts; 9 races strategically substituting for comparable speed workouts
mid-week runs	2 x 3 miles; comfortable pace; ran alone	2 x 4-6 miles; tempo/race pace/track; ran with group
race w/group?	raced alone	raced with pace group
race intervals	1/1, 2/1, 3/1	2/1
goal pace	comfortable; held back at start	push it! leave it all out there
chip time	5:22	4:52

I attribute my improvement mainly to consistency and added endurance. I had a much bigger base going into it this time. I only missed a total of 4 runs on my training schedule, added more volume, but paid very close attention to recovery to ensure I didn't get injured. I also made it a priority to warm up before all mid-week runs and races to allow me to hit those hard paces without risking injury. Part of my additional mid-week milage came from these warm up runs, but it was still time on my feet at low risk. 

Becoming an Athlete

This year, I felt like a true athlete. I've felt like a runner pretty much from the moment I ran my first 5K, but it's been kicked up a notch this year. Sure, my increase in speed has helped, but that's not really what defines an athlete. For me, it was been the consistency and determination to train for a goal that seemed so utterly out of reach just 2 years ago. When I ran my first marathon, I just wanted to do it once and finish with a smile on my face. I wanted to enjoy it, and I enjoyed every bit of that race and the training leading up to it. Before I finished training for it, I knew I'd do it again. 

This time, I didn't take the easy route. I wasn't in it just to finish, but I wanted to go big! I've given every part of myself this time, running in imaginable conditions from scolding heat to pouring rain to freezing temps, and it's paid off in a big way. I only ran 10 races this season, but this season was about quality, not quantity. I finished with a personal best at 7 of those races, but I never jeopardized marathon training to do it; most were actually run not much faster than marathon race pace. I dug deep this season, and I know it's still only the tip of the iceberg of my potential. I can't wait to see what next season will bring! :)

Three Things Thursday: Speed, Planks, Push Ups

#1 Speed Work: I dabbled in a bit of speed this week. I ran 3 miles at half marathon race pace on Tuesday with an average pace of 10:20. It had been a while since I've averaged below an 11-min/mi pace, so it was a little tough but totally doable. I was sure to stretch well after. I felt fine this morning, so I tried 400s at the track. Since it's been a while and I just ran a marathon less than 2 weeks ago, I kept the goal a bit conservative but nailed it. I again stretched well and my legs feel really good. I'm going to take it a little easier next week as I taper for the half marathon next Sunday. If the weather cooperates, I'm going to attempt an aggressive goal. If not, I have another the following week :)

#2 Planks: On Monady, I tried this plank workout (or rather fitness test) that Steve in a Speedo posted where you alternate between standard and side planks every 3 breaths for as long as you can. If you can last 9-10 minutes, your core is strong. I gave up after 5 minutes. I probably could have pushed myself to do the whole 10 minutes, but it had been weeks since I did any core work and I didn't want to press my luck, plus I was getting bored and had to get ready for work. It was a great workout for sure. My abs were sore for days and are finally back to normal today. I'm going to give it another try soon, but probably after my next 2 races. I sure don't want to race with sore abs. I also found this other combo plank workout recently that I may try too.

#3 Push Ups: Now that marathon training is over, and my wrist pain went away, I want to start a strength routine that's more than just yoga. So yesterday after yoga I did a bunch of push ups of different types (standard, wide, narrow, spades, negatives, staggered) and a few planks. After adding up the fit deck cards from the various push ups I did, I saw that I did a total of 40 push ups (all on my knees to not put undue stress on my wrist). I struggled a little during, but was able to finish them. I'm certainly paying for it today. My arms and shoulders are really sore. I'm going to start the 100 push up challenge again soon, but on my knees because I don't want to aggregate my wrist for fear of not being able to do downward dog during my yoga routines :)

Looking Up

Today was a much better day. I started with 30 minutes of yoga at home, planks and push ups, a 3/4 mile walk to the bus while sipping my homemade breakfast smoothie, then 10 minutes of yoga on the bus. I love starting my day with yoga, even if it's just 10 minutes of upper body stretches while sitting on the bus and having everyone thing I'm crazy :) I sometimes just close my eyes and focus on my breathing and it sets the tone for the day.

Things just kept looking up from there, literally, because this was my daily challenge today:

Take a break today and look up at the sky. Spend two minutes watching the clouds drift by, and try to find shapes and images in them like you did when you were small. Take note of any birds or other objects in your field of vision. If the sun has already set, spend some time looking at the stars. Try to find your favorite constellations, or make up new ones based on what you see.

That's just so perfect! I walk another 3/4 mile from the bus stop to my office every morning, and today I had leadership training so that's an extra 1/2 mile to HR. I got off the bus one stop earlier, chose my mellow station on pandora, and made it a point to look up at the sky and enjoy my surroundings during the almost 30 minute, 1.5 mile walk to HR instead of playing with my phone. I didn't spot any shapes in the clouds, but I enjoyed looking at all the different patterns, the blue sky peeking through the white clouds, as well as some grey because it was partially overcast. I noticed the sun peeking through some clouds and trees, playing peek-a-boo throughout the walk. I saw a few birds flying and followed one until it left my field of vision, and I even saw a plane. I felt the cool air and noticed the colors of all the flowers in bloom. I was almost sad to see my walk come to an end.

I need to remember to be present more often during my daily walks and just enjoy the peace instead of fiddling with my phone. This is why I really want to tackle the Wonderful Walks track next, because even though I walk every single day, I often take them for granted.

Inner Strength

Today started off well with a speedy run, 3 miles @ 10:20 pace, but then I got dealt a curve ball. I'm not going to go into details, but suffice it to say that all I wanted to do all day was go home and crawl into bed. Being already at work, I figured it best to just finish the day and stay distracted, so my next impulse was to finally rip open the 2 boxes of girl scout cookies I've been saving and devour them. Nothing like some good ol' emotional eating to make everything better, right? But I recognized it for what it was, and I resisted the urge. I never thought I was an emotional eater, but I guess I can be if I don't pay attention. I also never considered myself overly emotional, but the older I get the more things seem to affect me. I think I cry a lot easier now than when I was younger because I can feel the gravity of things much more as an adult than as a child. But I am also a lot stronger; I have to be. I just tried to hang on to that good feeling from this morning's run to try to get through this tough day and it helped … a little.

Recap: Week 7 2012

This was a nice recovery week. I made up for not biking last week by biking 3 times this week, and I really think it helped speed up my recovery. My legs felt great for Saturday's run, but I took it easy anyway to ensure they keep feeling good. I didn't do much yoga, but plan to change that this week as well as adding back some core/upper body strength. I need to be in tip top shape for my next race, the Orange Blossom Half Marathon on March 4. Hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready to tackle another week. 

Week 7: Feb 13 - 19

• ran 8 miles (lowest milage in a long time, but needed the recovery) 
• walked 15 miles 
• biked 26 miles (x3 roundtrips) 
• yoga x2; 20m total (chose extra sleep most days and only did 10 minutes on the bus twice) 

Goals for Week 8

• run 10-15 miles 
• walk 15+ miles 
• 2 hours of yoga 
• start a core/strength routine (planks/fitdeck) 
• bike at least once

Pleasant Pauses Daily Challenge

I'm on day 41 of my Daily Challenge streak, and I'm amazed at the positive change it's making in my life. What I love about this site is that although most of the tasks are very simple and may not seem very challenging at first, they often lead to much more. Let me show you how through a little recap of the past 2 challenges, which turned an ordinary Sunday that I may have otherwise spent wasting time online into a wonderful day filled with productivity and joy.

I started a new track 3 days ago called Pleasant Pauses. Here's the description:

Tell your many tasks and responsibilities to sit tight, and embrace your silly side with these challenges. From acting like a cat to learning to write a limerick, this track is full of fun ways to bring simple joy to your day.

Yesterday's challenge was to Give 1 room in your house a mini-makeover by moving a few small items to new places. 

At first this seemed like a chore better suited for the "Conquering Clutter" track. Having very little time, I just spent a few minutes when I got home at 10 pm cleaning out my nightstand. This simple act started a domino effect because I really liked the uncluttered looked of that space and it motivated me to follow suit with the rest of the room. When we woke up this morning, we got to work and before we knew it we had complete organized, dusted, and cleaned every surface of our bedroom, including putting clean sheets on the bed, vacuuming the floors and even going through our drawers and closet to donate a ton of clothes we never wear. It felt great and now our bedroom is some welcoming.

Today's challenge was even better: Plan to take a culinary trip down memory lane and eat a favorite food from your childhood. 

Yum! :) My first reaction was to suggest to Jason that we go get some Mofongo. He insisted I make it instead. It's kind of a pain to make, but then I remembered that I didn't really eat that as a child, and started thinking of the things my grandma would cook me. I settled on Verdura. I have fond memories of eating this often as a child, although at the time I was such a picky eater that all I ate was potatoes with hard boiled eggs drizzled in olive oil lol We biked over to the co-op and then walked to Publix to gather the ingredients, and then I was counting down the minutes until I could start cooking :)

It smelled amazing and tasted even better. It brought back wonderful memories of my grandma and all the things she used to cook me, and I just had to call her and share it with her. She lives in Puerto Rico and is always urging me to call her -- we usually talk when my parents call her while we are at their place for a holiday. She was so thrilled to hear my voice and that I thought of her. We spent a few minutes reminiscing about all the things she used to cook me, then she asked me to give my dad a message. When I called my dad, I could hear my niece in the background. I've been meaning to go visit my sister to see the kids, so I took the chance for an impromptu visit with the whole family. It was the perfect way to end the day.

If you have never tried out the Daily Challenge, I urge you to check it out to improve your life one small task at a time. Big changes start with one small step.

Busy Bee

Today was a super busy day. Despite my best efforts to sleep in, I was up by 5:30 a.m. before my alarm went off. I did not have to meet my group until 7 am, so I took my time getting ready and was able to bike to the start at a leisurely pace enjoying the cool morning air.

Although the air was cool, it was really humid because of heavy fog. After last weekend's deep freeze, you'd think I'd welcome the change but it was a bit of a struggle. Thankfully everyone was either in recovery or taper so we ran 5.5 miles real easy with 1:1 intervals at 13ish pace. After the run, we hung out over breakfast at Drunken Monkey.

By the time I got home at 10 am, I had already biked 9.5 miles and run 5.5 miles, and was feeling great. I didn't have much time to decompress as I quickly had to shower, have lunch and get ready to head out to Jason's Grandma's 80th birthday celebration in Melbourne. We just got back 30 minutes ago and are utterly exhausted, so it's now way past my bedtime. At least tomorrow I get to sleep in, and I sure hope that does not mean 7 am =) Good night!

Race Report: 26.2 with Donna

It's always hard to write a race report when I have such a good race because it's often a blur of excitement, but I'll give it my best shot. I must warn you now that this is a bit long and possibly rambles. I tried to write things in some kind of logical order, but sometimes is hard to remember what happened when. Before we get into the thick of it, let's look at the data:

• clock: 4:54:07 
• chip: 4:52:17 
• pace: 11:09 
• overall: 1188/1793 
• gender: 941/1100 
• ag: 85/155 
• official splits: 
• mile 5 - 0:56:20 @ 11:16 
• mile 10 - 1:52:53 @ 11:17 
• 1st Half - 2:27:14 @ 11:14 
• mile 15 - 2:46:39 @ 11:06 
• mile 20 - 3:42:03 @ 11:06 
• 2nd Half - 2:25:03 @ 11:04 (2:11 faster than 1st) 
• Runmeter: 26.31 miles in 4:52:20 @ 11:07, Splits: http://j.mp/xiK7El. 

I have to admit, I was a little concerned when our pace was below the expected 11:25 so early in the race. I even asked myself if I should fall back so I wouldn't destroy myself, but I was feeling ok and trusted that my pacers knew what they were doing. The weather was in our favor and I was ready to leave it all out there, so I was going to give it my best shot. If it didn't work, I would at least know it wasn't for lack of trying. As you can see, even though I thought we started fast, we still negative split the race. The paces listed are my cumulative average pace at each of those mile markers, and it just kept dropping but I hung in there. This was a PR of 29:12 from Ocala, and 30:16 from my first marathon 2 years ago. I'll write a separate post exploring what contributed to this huge improvement.

Ok, let's get on with the recap … 

Pre-Race: Cold Weather & Race Outfit

Saturday was a very busy day, so by the time I laid my head on the pillow at 8:30 pm I was asleep in seconds. I slept soundly until midnight, then tossed and turned for the next 3 hours. I made myself stay in bed until at least 3 am, then I got up and started getting ready. I was oddly calm as I got my things together. Is as if I already knew I would meet my goal and there was no sense worrying anymore about it. Or maybe I was too distracted by the cold weather :) 

It was in the low 20s with the windchill factor at the start, but I knew I would warm up over the course of the 5 hours I planned to be out there, so I didn't want to overdress. I settled on my Skirt Sports super hero print tank top and skirt. I wore leggings under the skirt, with compression knee high socks under those; honestly, I probably could have done without the leggings but they weren't really hot either. I paired the top with arm warmers and a light windbreaker jacket, which I really didn't want to wear but I'm glad I did as it gave me a place to carry my camera because when I had it in the pocket of my skirt it kept dragging my skirt down and having to pull up my skirt every few minutes for 5 hours would have sucked. I also wore gloves, buff (neck gator), skull cap, and 2 headbands. 

This wasn't enough to keep me warm while standing around, so I wore a mylar blanket as a poncho and wrapped another one around my waist as a skirt. We were still freezing when we got the race site, but I could tell the mylar blanket was helping because whenever the wind would flap it open I could feel just how much worse it could be. We found the Galloway tent, which was tiny and tried to find warmth between the bodies jammed into the tiny space. All over the runner's village there were people huddled around space heaters. We eventually found a few other runners from our program, took a few pictures, and headed to the start 15 minutes before the race.

Start to Mile 7

I actually started the race still wearing both mylar blankets while I warmed up, which made it difficult to get to anything in my pockets. I originally had my brand new hydra pouch in my pocket but clipped it to my belt where it promptly got knocked off and I lost it within the first 3 miles so I never got to try it :( I kept tucking my arms under it to keep from freezing. My feet were numb for the first 4-5 miles. That was such a weird sensation, like running with an inserts that's too thick inside my shoe, and I'm sure my gait was suffering because of it. Then they hurt/tingled as they thawed. I shed the mylar skirt after mile 1 and took off the poncho around mile 3, but I folded it and tucked it in the back of my race belt in case I needed it later. I promptly forgot about it. I had been sweating under my jacket because of the mylar blanket, so I was glad I wore the tank top underneath it because it did a great job wicking away the sweat. The cleavage alley pocket was perfect to carry my emergency pack (packets of body glide and biofreeze, tissue, cash, and chapstick). I took off the sleeves of my jacket pretty early on too, but kept the gloves on for most of the run since I could regulate my temperature by pulling back the mitten part to air out my fingers. The arm warmers kept going up and down too. That's why I love them. 

The course was pretty crowded through mile 7 when the half marathoners turned around. We were keeping pace with the 2:30 pace group but our intervals seemed to be a few seconds off so we kept leap frogging each other. The crowd support was amazing even from the start. Before we knew it, we were running on the beach (mile 5-7), which was both a curse and a blessing. It was absolutely gorgeous and the hard-packed sand was a nice relief from the pounding on the asphalt, but running at the edge of the ocean we had to deal with the cold wind directly. It seemed to go on forever and we were all super relieved when we turned off.

Miles 7 - 17

I had run miles 10-15 as part of a relay two years prior, so I kept looking forward to that part because I think it's the best part of the race through gorgeous neighborhoods and great crew stops. It was nice to be in familiar territory. As I mentioned in my highlights, I was also participating in the Virtual 12athon and one of the bonus challenges I was trying to complete was to run all 12 miles with at least 11 other runners. Since I was running with a pace group I thought this would be easy, but I needed to document it. This actually served as a nice little distraction as I plodded how I would do it and Chris even reminded me in one of his comments. That made me smile and I knew I had to find a way to do it. My initial thought was to run ahead of the group and take a photo as they ran past mile 12 because there was no way I'd get a whole pace group to stop for a photo. That would require me to run even faster than I already was to get ahead, stop to take a photo for which I'd probably only have seconds to do, then sprint ahead to catch up with the group -- yeah that wasn't happening. I settled on taking video. As we approached mile 12, I positioned myself near the pacers so I could get them and the sign in the video, then panned to the group to show at least 12 people were still there. I did a bit of commentary that you can barely hear and took the opportunity to document my outfit and galloway challenge too. This was actually a lot of fun and I wish I had taken more video throughout the race. It's way easier than trying to take photos because you just press the button, pan and can always use a screen capture of it later. I thought about recreating the scene from "Marathon Thoughts" were his eyeglasses are askew, but I just didn't have the energy. I really wish I had. Anyway, here's the video:

Mid-Race Challenges

I can't recall when all this happened, so I'm sticking it in here. I had to pee for most of the run, or at least it felt that way, but I couldn't afford to stop and lose my pace group. They were the only reason I was maintaining this pace because I sure couldn't gauge for myself how fast to run. Left to my own devices, I know I would have given into my brain and slowed down. I eventually ignored the need to pee, and I think it turned into a cramp in my abs, which happens when I push myself really hard. People along the course were giving out all sorts of awesome stuff -- chocolate chip cookies, oreos, pretzels, fruit, candy, and even bloody marys. I wish I could have indulged, but I really had no time to stop let alone chew lol. The pace was relentless, only slowing slightly at water stops, and I needed every single minute of that walk break to recover before the next assault began. I did take some of that time to read through the comments people left on Facebook, but I never had enough time to post anything. Those comments helped more than you will ever know. When you are in that much pain/fatigue/mental battle, you hang your hat on anything you can and words take on new meaning.

Even though the pace was relentless, I felt really strong through the whole race and never even came remotely close to hitting the wall. The 31 mile training long run I did at the end of October worked, and essentially the two marathons I ran were 2 other long training runs so I had endurance to spare. The struggle was mostly mental because I was tired and not used to pushing this hard for this long, but whenever I was running, I was cruising. My ankles were a bit achy at times, but nothing more than soreness from the pounding. My IT band never protested, but I am sure the industrial strength KT Tape had something to do with that. (side note: KT Tape Pro works a little too well. It stayed on without budging since Friday until I had to pry it off before my massage on Monday. I had to use olive oil to avoid ripping off my skin. If you are a triathlete that needs this stuff to stay on for days, through multiple showers and swim workouts, this is for you. I usually only wear it for a day during long runs or races, so I think I'll stick with the regular stuff.)

The main pain I had to deal with was a knot on my back, between my shoulder blades, that was persistent pretty much all 5 hours. I think it started because I was tensing my shoulders to stay warm and it just kept getting worse so I had to keep good posture and try to relax my shoulders/arms. The only other thing that hurt were my feet. Oh dear god, how they hurt. I wore compression socks, and I really don't think I'll do that for marathons anymore. They do wonders for my calves, but I find they compress my toes too much when they are already in pain and swollen. It felt like my toes were on a vice. The other problem I had was that my lungs and throat were burning from sucking in the cold air for 5 hours. I never got a side stitch, but I had to really focus on breathing in through my mouth to avoid making it worse. When I finished the race, my voice was horse and I really thought I had caught bronchitis or pneumonia. On the ride home, I wore my buff over my nose to warm the air I was breathing and that helped a ton. 

Miles 17-20

It never fails that things start to get tough between miles 17-20. My brain turns to mush and basic math and logic goes out the window. I kept losing track of what mile we were on, but at least they were still flying by. I kept telling myself that once we made it past mile 20, it was a done deal because it was only a 10K. I was shocked that those miles kept ticking away and we were in the middle of that last bridge approaching mile 25 before I knew it. This last 10K is when our pacers really started to shine. I had not interacted with them much before because I wasn't at the front of the pack; I was simply trying not to lose them. But by this time the group had dwindled and I was making it a point to stay close so I wouldn't have to surge ahead to catch them. They kept asking if we were ok, offering us gels and words of encouragement. As we climbed that bridge, one of them told us that if we had not already figured it out we would be breaking 5 hours. I nearly cried. I had indeed figured it out already, but I appreciated the confirmation because I kept questioning if my math was correct. It was all the motivation I needed to keep pushing, that and the fact that a guy running behind me sounded like he was trying to hold back throwing up so I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

Finishing It

I stuck with the pace group, using 2:1 intervals all the way through the top of that last bridge just past mile 25. They encouraged us to leave them if we had it in us, and I pulled ahead running downhill on the other side of the bridge for the next 5 minutes. I took a 1 min walk break, then began running again. I wasn't sure I could run for another 5 minutes straight and still look strong crossing the finish line, so I took one last walk break when my gym boss beeped after 2 minutes before running the last 10th in as fast as I could … which wash't very fast. I started to tear up as I approached the finish and saw that the clock was under 4:55, and I began sobbing as soon as I crossed. It was an incredible feeling. I didn't think I had it in me and it was so rewarding to have all my hard work this season finally pay off.

Post Race

Jason had seen me cross, but in my delirious state I had not spotted him. He texted me that he'd meet me at the Galloway tent, so I made my way there slowly where I saw Laura sitting outside the tent. Her big smile greeted me and asked me how it went, and I collapsed in her arms with tears of joy. She is an amazing leader and I am so glad she was there to share this with me. Jason eventually found me and I hugged him and shared in his success; he had finished over an hour earlier in 3:48! Even though he had changed, he was shivering and was finally ready to eat but his legs were cramping. Laura sprung to action and took care of us. She couldn't find salt packets to help with his cramping, so she brought him doritos and a burger and fries. Have I mentioned that she is AMAZING?

I was starting to get cold myself, so I retrieved my gear bag and finally found a port-a-potty. They were of course out of toilet paper, so I was grateful I had packed a tissue in my emergency baggie. I changed into clean and dry clothes, then went in search of food. I later realized in my haste to get into dry warm clothes I didn't even take a photo with my finisher's medal before I changed, but whatever.

As I sat in the Galloway tent basking in the warmth of the space heater, I spotted Brenda from my running group. She too had a great race and a huge PR. We hugged, took a photo, and exchanged stories about our experience, praising the virtues of the pacers. Then it dawn on me … hey, we're Marathon Maniacs! I was so focused on staying with the pace group and meeting my sub-5 hour goal that I forgot I was also trying to qualify for Marathon Maniacs until I saw her. It made the moment even sweeter to have her there to share it with and celebrate all over again.

Thanks

Writing this section is dangerous because I know I will forget someone, but here it goes. 

• Thanks to my running group for indulging me when I insisted we run our long runs super slow at 1/1 intervals so we could recover properly and be able to run 29 miles. Also thanks for your encouragement when I doubted myself, and showing me through your own successes that it could be done because we had all done the same training. 
• A special thanks to Kirsty, my co-leader and partner in crime for the 29-mile long run experiment; 
• the usual suspects (you know who you are) who showed up no matter what to run in the cold, rain, heat, 4:45 am on weekdays, you name it. 
• A HUGE thanks to Laura, our Program Director for always going the extra mile to make sure our groups are taken care of. She often returned to the school after her own run to greet us when we finished a grueling run with a smile and treats. 
• To all my friends who followed my progress on Dailymile and Facebook throughout my training and who woke up early on race day to follow along and leave me words of encouragements throughout. It meant SO MUCH! 
• And finally, the BIGGEST thanks of all to Jason for always supporting me and putting up with my craziness :) 

Final Thoughts

This was a huge success, not only because of the huge PR and the sub-5 hour marathon, but because I recaptured the joy. I had an absolute blast while still running strong. I am not sure I want to do it again anytime soon, but I will be back. I want to run this race again as a pacer, at a much slower pace, so I can take in even more of the course and enjoy some of the perks from the neighbors. This year I plan to focus on improving my half marathon, 10K, and 5K times, and just enjoying the marathon. I'll run New York (if I get in) and Goofy, but at whatever pace feels comfortable and just enjoy the experience. Then maybe in 2013 I'll start think about a new marathon PR … maybe … :)