Redefining Running (Part 1)

30 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Competitive Running, Marathons, Running Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Trail-Running

       “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” -T.S. Eliot

As early as I could walk, I ran; bet that’s most of our stories, that running came as natural as breathing. I often wonder though, when I hear claims today of -running’s not for me- or -we just can’t-  it’s too difficult, too tiring, too time-consuming, too hazardous, so-not-my-thing, the list goes on… as our excuses melt into, well.. excuses. What happened? Where did our natural ability to give flight to our worries, cares, fancies and even dreams go? When did we become such a sedentary-type people with lips that move more than we do? I’d wager that the advance in information technology (IT) gave birth to not just knowledge and information, but with its advance came the decline of human autonomy and our desire to engage ourselves and our senses in the act of living.

Yet, this is not all our story. There are many of us who have moved past the seduction and post-coital stages of the IT era to embrace its ability to enhance our lives and bring fulfillment to our running experiences. In fact, running is now enjoyed by more people the world over than ever before in history. The 1970’s saw the explosion of running across the United States with thousands of road races and marathons being run each year. Running now enjoys the prominent place of being the sixth most popular form of exercise according to Dr. Richard Well, CDE of Medicine Net.com. We owe our thanks largely to Pheidippides (490 BC), an ancient “day-runner,” who put running on the map. He is supposed to have run 149 miles to carry the news of the Persian landing at Marathon to Sparta to enlist help for the battle. Some believe the story of Pheidippides to be a myth, whether myth or legend, it is the genesis of the modern marathon. It was the first running of the marathon (26 miles, 385 yard) in the modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens that commemorated Pheidippides’ historic run.

Today running has taken on more depth and definition. While many of us run for health reasons and see it mainly as a form of exercise, there are those who have taken it to the next level of fun and competition. Another, slightly newer though fast developing  area of running is the extreme sporting aspect of ultra running events for the ultra-competitive and thrill seekers. Here we move from marathons, track, road races and various fun runs to ultra-marathons, trail running, decathlons, triathlons and Iron-man triathlons.

  • Considered any race over 26.2 miles, Ultra-marathons generally come in two forms: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during a specified time (with the winner covering the most distance in that time). The most common distances are 50 kilometres, 100 kilometres, 50 miles, and 100 miles, although many races have other distances.
  • Trail Running can include endurance and cross-country running and hiking over trails and is typical to most ultra-marathon events.
  • Decathlons are composed of ten track and field events run over a two-day period.
  • Triathlons are multiple-stage competitions that include three successive sporting events of varying distances. The most common form is swimming, biking and running.
  • An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break.

With all this new additions to the sport of running, it is no wonder that many of us are no longer satisfied with a fun run or just running for exercise. There is an innate drive and desire in us for more; it creates a discontent with the status quo and allows us to push beyond boundaries and exceed limitations in our pursuance of that sense of overwhelming fulfillment that can only come from the ultimate challenge. In the words of Michael Finkel, 100-mile Western States Endurance Run Ultra-marathoner,

“I was suffused with this warm sense of overwhelming fulfillment. In one day, I’d totally rejiggered how I calculated my abilities and weaknesses. I was deeply happy.”

 

Sick With Marathon Fever

23 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons, Running Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

imageHow many know it’s marathon season and that no where in the world do you feel it like here in New York City. The way I see it, it begins with Fall and lasts right through November though there is no official advent into what is in fact the most hyped running time of the year. This is due largely in part to the feature running event of the year being held here every November – the newly named, TCS NYC Marathon, a premier running event here in New York and perhaps the world as it is one of the World Marathon Major Series. In fact, it follows the Chicago marathon, which was two weeks ago and the Berlin marathon a couple weeks before that, all part of the Marathon Majors as well.

As a regular New Yorker, one can’t help but get caught up in the hype. The city lives and breathes running, its signs are everywhere: at the subway stations, in the shopping centers, the streets, on the air, everywhere. As a New York runner, it’s a bigger deal, with most runners rounding of their year of training with the run of a lifetime here in New York. Of course there are other marathons around this time as well, like the Philadelphia marathon, rock and roll Las Vegas, Marine Corp in DC and the Nike women’s marathon in San Francisco to name a few, and there’re even runners doing more than one of those. In fact, it’s not unheard of to run from Chicago to New York to Philly, not literally of course, but to take on those three marathons in succession. Whatever the reason, there is a whole bunch of running crazy going on; so much so, that you run the risk ..no pun intended..of company each time you go out for a run. Runners are everywhere: the parks, the busy city streets, the relatively quiet neighborhoods, the gyms, the outer boroughs – everywhere. The air is palpable and the feeling is infectious, everyone knows and a great deal care about the marathon. On Sunday November 2, it is expected 50,000 runners will take to the streets of New York City, accompanied and cheered on by thousands of spectators: members of the running community, family, friends, visitors and everyone else. If that is not in essence a celebration then I don’t know what is.  How to live here and not be a part of that? You either run, get run over, run out of town..kidding..mostly anyhow, or preserve sanity and health and, in the words of New York Road Runners (NYRR), get your run on.

Last year I had the privilege to run amid that 50,000 and what an experience it was. So good in fact, I’m back for more, though not running this time as I had other goals this year. This year I’m part of the spectator/volunteer crowd and think being on the other side should be quite something itself. It’s so cool that last year I ran in wave 2 of the orange coral and this year I get to be an Orange Coral Marshall; in case you couldn’t tell, I’m all about experiences and can I tell you, life is full of them and that is enough reason for living, loving and running.

In addition, I’m thick in the midst of all things running because I’m gearing up for Philly marathon on November 23. Training has offered me the opportunity to run all over the city sure, but it has also given me an insider’s view on how enthused New Yorkers are to this whole idea, rage, sport, fad -call it what you will- it’s real and like I stated above, likened to being caught with a bug, fever and all. Whether it’s 6am or 9pm makes little difference to runners out here, only the rain can cause a decline in their presence and even so temperatures must be low. As the marathon draws near, a week and a half away to be exact, a lot of runners are tapering down as training is pretty much done for this event, though I imagine the ones that are out there are just maintaining form now while others like myself are looking to the next run. In any event, that’s my rationale for the many I see daily on my runs in and around this fevered-marathon city. You can tell I love it here right..I’m the very biased, not-so-subtle aspiring New Yorker.

Beyond Disappointment Runs Hope

16 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons Tags: , , , , , , ,

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” – J. Rohn

How many times in life have you had to deal with things either not going the way you planned or not turning out the way you had hoped it would. If you ask me, too often. In the typical everyday scheme of things, life seems to be full of disappointments; from unemployment to sickness to death, it can be overwhelming and downright depressing at times. Add the running dynamic and things get a bit more dicey. Not only do you have to deal with life’s everyday disappointments, but now you have those that come along with the sport as well. How do we do it?

At the beginning of the year, I made a list. Remember those new year resolutions/ goals..yep those, well mine were particular to running and on there were a few pertaining to achieving new times and running new races. Mainly , I wanted to qualify for Boston next year, by which I mean run Boston next year, and frankly though I knew they weren’t interchangeable, I really didn’t consider not getting in if I qualified. You guys know what happened with that – major disappointment. But I survived, had to live to run another day right? In any event, I’m thinking… Ok, I still have Denver, my fun, exploratory run, which I’ve been looking forward to for sometime now, only now it’s also not happening. After much thought and strategizing, it seems more prudent to run a marathon that will allow me to re qualify, which is what I must do to run Boston 2016. Dreams of high-altitude (not really), rolling hills, fresh air, scenic route, adventure, and meeting new runners aside, I must now channel and redirect that energy and enthusiasm to achieve a bigger dream.

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Disappointment, I accept as a part of life. As a part of my running life, I find it a bit harder to manage – but manage I must. There is no where one can hide really. No runner plans on injury before a race after training so hard for so long, or on not finishing or qualifying or making the cut. Or what about falling sick, having a bad race or race cancellation (as was the case with the ING NYC Marathon 2012). These are not plans a runner makes, on the contrary, we do everything within out power to ensure we have the opportunity for a successful race: we train long and hard, sacrifice time, money, energy and give up so many things to make our dream happen, and to be honest, it happens as often as it doesn’t. So really 50/50 is not so bad but the over-achiever in me wants a higher percentage in my favor.

The key to overcoming and managing your disappointments, come as they must, lies in your perspective and in your hands. You see, our ability to choose what we do with what happens to us or even around us will ultimately determine our attitude and shape our actions. Choosing to put a positive spin on things, to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to take the good and leave the bad is a choice we have. This choice can either absorb us or absolve us, it can either makes us or break us, destroy us or build us. We get to choose. Each time I am faced with disappointment, I choose hope; I choose to motivate myself to try harder, to run faster, to be more diligent and more determined. It works for me.

The Philadelphia Marathon comes up on November 23, it’s my next hope for Boston 2016, where I hope to qualify with a faster time than before. I hear it’s a fast and pretty flat course, there should be some advantage to that. The weather will also be much colder, hopefully more cool than cold, but this is my reply when disappointment comes, I plan another race, I train a little harder, and mentally prepare myself to achieve what is inevitably a tougher goal the second time around. I never give up. Quitting is never an option.

African Greatness: Berlin, Records, Runners

02 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dennis Kimetto, 2014 Marathon World Record Holder, Berlin, Germany

Dennis Kimetto, 2014 Marathon World Record Holder, Berlin, Germany

The Berlin Marathon, one of six in the World Marathon Major series, wrapped up on Sunday with a spectacular win by Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto on the fastest course in the world. Turns out being a champion requires a little more than your best, it requires your all. I think that’s what Kimetto delivered on Sunday as he ran his way to breaking a world record and now owing the title of the only one to ever run a marathon under 2:03. I’m still all WOW..I mean 2:02:57 is a super big deal! Hats and cloaks and everything off to Kimetto; a well deserved and superbly executed run. I couldn’t do it better myself..lol..not even close. Emmanuel Mutai’s second place of 2:03:13 hardly seemed to matter in the wake of Kimetto’s victory but was a valiant effort nonetheless, though he will hardly get the props for it. Ethiopia’s Abera Kuma came in third with 2:05:56. On the women’s end, we had Ethiopians: Tirfi Tsegaye running first place with 2:20:18 and Fayse Tadese taking second with 2:20:27. USA’s own Shalange Flanagan followed with 2:21:14. Good for her. In a field dominated by African greatness, she held her own and was able to come in the top three women..way to go..an amazing feat in and of itself.

There’s something here for us, if we take the time to sift through the stats, when we get past the buzz of records and rightful pride and glory of the runners; there’s something there. For those of us who care to look past the fame and fortune of the élite runner, we will find passion, diligence, humility, sacrifice and belief. How many of us dedicate ourselves to running, or any field of choice for that matter, with those qualities? Yet how many of us want the pride and the glory and the medal. If we learn anything at all, it is that when we see runners like Kimetto up there on the world stage, it wasn’t just running that got him there. It took all the qualities we described before and a lot of heart and then some to live his dream. Compare Kimetto before 2010 with Kimetto today, that of a subsistence farmer in Kapngetuny, Kenya; a relative unknown, fast forward today; marathon world record holder. There is a story there, one that inspires not just us but I’m sure the country of Kenya and the nation of Africa. A seed of hope has been planted in the heart of every Kenyan boy and girl..they can dream, have a right to dream. Because if Dennis Kimetto can do it, so can they.

The difference, as I see it, is not so much in the opportunity as in character. Growing up, I would often hear ” you have to want it badly enough.” I think so, in fact I believe so. Some children have it made and live the life of the idealistic – dream it and it will happen, that’s the life of the privileged. Then there are those who are faced with reality from early on – you want it, you have to work hard for it. Yet there are others still, who will hardly have even that as a choice – so depraved are their circumstances. Life is most often not an equal opportunity employer, we are often called to play the hand we’re dealt and a lot of the times it is far from easy but I still say – you have to want it enough. For me, I do not think of myself too much of a dedicated runner. I think I like to run most times and if I have a goal..say, a marathon..I’ll train for it; run 5 times a week, try to eat well, do cross training, long runs, some group training for speed and pace etc. But at the end of it, I am no where close to the training and dedication put out by the likes of Kimetto or Flanagan or Kara or any of those élite runners who run daily, hundreds of miles per week. Me, I’m doing awesome if I have a 60/70 mile week. Sure I understand it’s their job and so that has a lot to do with it but still.. If you didn’t like or care about your job, chances are you wouldn’t have it right.

Make no mistake, I’m a runner. I’m no Flanagan but I appreciate the sport, I advocate its benefits and I enjoy it most times. I am not a committed, 365-days-a-year runner, but I run over two-thirds of that so I think I qualify for runner status. I may never know the sacrifice of Kimetto but I know the sacrifices I live with to achieve my running dreams; the hard work, the aches and pains, the financial cost, the level of belief  in myself and my dream, the passion to achieve.. I know what those things mean to me and I believe it is a story that each runner can tell. For my part, I hope to be telling it, one day soon, from Berlin.

Fall In Love with Running this Fall

25 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Competitive Running, Marathons, Running Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

imageI am the eternal optimist. Let me tell you right off that I haven’t always been this way; times past, I have been quite the critique and complainer, what some people call.. high-maintenance, but a couple of years ago I made an important discovery.. my Aha moment if you will. I figured life is full of disappointments and dread but juxtaposed to this is its wonderful surprises and beautiful things.. depends on who’s looking and from where; remember my “perspective is everything” mantra? You see, battling disappointments can be a consuming past-time, who has time for that, so I decided to lean on the side of beautiful things as I really don’t have time for much else. Fast forward today and finding out yesterday that I missed the cut off 1:02 under qualifying mark for Boston 2015 by 22 seconds.

After the initial dread and tears which lasted a few minutes, I cannot allow for days as others who’ve described their past experiences, I smiled. Because I’m proud of me. Proud that I qualified within my first year of trying and that I came so close. While I’m in solidarity with the 1,946 other qualifiers who didn’t get in, I have so much hope for next year. Now to be honest, it is no easy feat to qualify: the sacrifice, commitment and hard work, that went into doing so is a testament to running excellence and is reason enough to be proud of your achievement. For some though, it might be impossible to do so again.. It is for those that my heart goes out; that you will never know the reward of your effort. May it be enough that you qualified. For others like myself, we know that runners never quit. It is the indelible spirit that unifies us, that we will train harder, run faster, do better and we will RUN BOSTON.

So tears aside, the race goes on and there are some great races all over the country to choose from if you’re going ahead with trying for Boston 2016 right away. Just so you know, the qualifying window opened last week, so all qualifying races that you run from here on until next year can count. I’m playing around with ideas such as Philly, New Jersey, Marine Corps DC or Anthem Richmond Marathon; all in beautiful Fall and with good courses to do a fast time. Whichever you choose, don’t forget to make sure it’s a qualifier.

The best things about running in the Fall season is nature and its transforming beauty. I heart its colorful changes, musicality and cool sunshine. And I get to do it from beautiful New York, oftentimes, in lovely Central Park. Therefore, it was only fitting that I ushered in the season with a 12 mile exhilarating run there two days ago. I felt so buoyant, so hopeful, so filled with wonder then and even now. I hold on to that, not allowing the disappointment of yesterday to steal my joy in today and in the promise of some beautiful Fall runs.

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Running Denver

17 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Competitive Running, Marathons, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

Denver, CO

Denver, CO

I’ve been nagging you about choosing a Fall run and so I decided to lead by example and chose Denver for my next big race. The Denver Rock n’ Roll marathon is on October 15 and is only my second rock n’ roll event, the first being the Washington DC marathon I ran in March of this year. Not too shabby, I thought, and so here I am again with big plans to rock Denver. Why Denver? Well, it’s a new course, I was invited by a friend to stay and run with her; nothing can trump that, I’ve never been there, plus it’s gorgeous I’m told – that of course was the deciding factor.

Washington Park

Washington Park

According to our friends at Runners World, Denver is a running paradise. “It’s a year-round runner’s city – a mile-high mountain metropolis stuffed with pristine parks, surrounded by a couple of hundred miles of paved paths and natural surface trails to tread.” Because of its 5,280-foot altitude, Denver is known as America’s “thinnest” city. And its most educated, as it has the highest percentage of college graduates of any major US metro area. But what’s really attractive to me is the “feast of nature” experience that it promises. It’s said that its 5,280-foot altitude produces hefty hemoglobin counts, which really means that it’s running on a whole new level out there. Cupped by the mountains, and not mountainous, Denver boasts some of the most scenic trails, parks and bike-friendly paths in a green environment. I promise to test the truth of this along with those single-track trails that serve up sweeping views of downtown Denver and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Manitou Incline

Manitou Incline

It whispers adventure and a tough but scenic running experience. For a runner like me, that’s enough to send me packing and running with sneakers in hand. Because of the altitude level, I’ve been warned to get there a few days beforehand to get acclimated; at least that’s my official reason for taking a couple of days off from work to head over yonder, and make sure I’m all situated before race day. Training is on. This time around, I’ve decided to sign up with a track club to work on speed, strength and endurance. Within recent times, I’ve found breathing to be quite challenging over long distances and would like to throw some focus in this area as I’m sure this will come into play in the race. As I dig down into my training, I remind myself to give up the late nights and crazy eating and to take an all-round approach to ensure I’m fit and fabulous come October.

The Rockies

The Rockies

Running a Fall Marathon (Part 2)

19 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Competitive Running, Marathons Tags: , ,

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If there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that running long distances in the heat is not for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I love summer and I’ll take 100 degrees over -10 any day, but the heat and I do not make good running buddies. So during summer, I run 10 miles and under races and train either at the gym, late evenings or early mornings.  By the time Fall comes around, I’m filled with anticipation and bursting with energy..all revved up and ready to go.

Establishing your base & building mileage

These days I’m running 5x a week and truly that’s the best way to build up you running base and mileage. Each day I try to increase by as little as a mile but the important thing is running consistently. Six days a week isn’t too much to aim for and increasing your mileage by the week is much more realistic. Say you’re running between 20 miles this week, you want to slowly increase that to 25 by next week and then 30 and so on. That’s ideally of course, but there are those with a slower pace, here you want to focus on consistency over pace.  Let’s say you’ve never raced before and this is going to be your first marathon, then you would benefit from starting slowly and gradually increasing pace and mileage but ensuring that you stay consistent with your running.

Building Core Strength & Upping Your Fitness Level

It’s said that good running form is essential to completing 26.2 miles.  There’s really no contesting that. Good running posture ensures economy of movement, which in turn maximizes your speed, strength and endurance.  However, this all begins in your core area, which needs to be strong to help you perfect your running plans.  Core exercises such as planks, crunches and push-ups are very helpful as are Pilates as it deals with contracting your abdominal. Also, swimming, biking and weight-training are great cross-training methods. It is also important to get proper sleep and maintain a nutritious diet high in protein and to ensure post-workout recovery; proper stretching, eat, drink and rest.

Long/Tune-Up Run

This is super-important. About 3-4 weeks before race day do a couple long runs. So 4 weeks before, then 3 weeks before; whether it’s a half marathon, 18 or 20 miler, this allows you to know where you’re at in terms of your race day goal as well as it gives you the opportunity to run at your goal pace, determine your fitness level and practice your nutrition and hydration strategies..which work best for you..that you’ll use on race day.

Race Day

All your perpetration culminates on this day. By now you know your level of fitness, you’re comfortable in your skin and you’re ready to run the race of your life. There is no room for doubt or dissension, you’ve done the work and your body will thank you. Follow your race-day plan which would have included a good night’s rest, getting up early to have a good breakfast, which would entail only the stuff you’ve eaten before, don’t try anything new but stick with the tried and true, says Coach Lindley from Boulder, Colo.,. This is your day, paint yourself a mental picture of your race, see how you plan to run and see yourself overcoming whatever minor obstacles that may turn up. Let the finish line and the celebration you would have earned propel you towards it. As most coaches like to say, finish strong.

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Running a Fall Marathon (Part 1)

12 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons, Running, Training Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bank Of America Chicago Marathon

Bank Of America Chicago Marathon

Sometimes there’s no help for it, you just have to take the proverbial bull by the horns and have faith in your handling. Deciding to run your first marathon or going for a fall goal after some absence away from running or maybe you’re like me, just looking for a good race in cool weather; whatever your reason, let’s pave the way to make it happen with as little pain and pomp as possible. Choosing your run should be among the first set of things you do so here’s a list of some great, local ones. Choose your fancy.

  • The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, Minneapolis, St. Paul/Minn.
  • The Bank of America Chicago Marathon
  • Under Armour Baltimore Marathon
  • Detroit Free Press/ Talmer Bank Marathon
  • Nike’s Women Marathon, San Diego, Cal.
  • New York City Marathon
  • Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC
  • Anthem Richmond Marathon, Virginia
  • Philadelphia Marathon

For some of these races there are pre-conditions to racing or some pre-qualifying standard to be met, so that should be taken into consideration when choosing. For my part, I’ve decided on one not on the list there but part of the Rock n’  Roll series which are always loads of fun,  this one in Denver, Co.

So you’ve signed up..Congratulations! Now what? It’s time to start training. Various training plans exist ranging from 12 to 18 weeks but before taking up one it’s wise to get your body used to running four or five times a week and build some base mileage. This can offset injuries and help you prepare for the longer training runs due in a few months.  There are five parts to a successful marathon training plan says Jason Devaney, writer for Competitor Magazine, 1. Establishing a base. 2.Building core strength 3. Increasing mileage and developing fitness 4. Running a tune-up race and 5. Executing on race day. Next week we’ll cover similar aspects to these according to my experience in tandem with what the experts say. For now, let’s focus on building our base mileage by continuing to put in a few steady runs per week, slowly increasing as we go along.

Happy and focused running!

Spring Must F-runs

03 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons, Running Tags: , , , , , ,

imageIt’s quite likely you’ve already got it all worked out – where you’re heading and what you’re doing – this Spring, but on the off-chance that you don’t and need some direction, you’re welcome to come FRUN with me as I get all adventurous with my running and attempt to go places – no man has gone before – by no man, I of course mean me.

A bit of research and I’ve come up with a few exciting and challenging F-running experiences:

.5th Trail Nut experience 10k and Half Marathon; Bedford, Virginia – May 5
.The North Face Endurance Challenge; Bear Mountain State Park, New York – May 4
.Open trail hiking and running; Mount Beacon, Beacon, New York
.Savage (Obstacle) Race, Pennsylvania – June 28
.Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon; Loudon County, Virginia – May 31
.Pittsburgh Marathon; Pennsylvania – May 4
.The Color Run; Brooklyn, New York – July 5
.BMO Vancouver Marathon; Vancouver, Canada – May 5
.Concern Spring Run; Central Park, New York – April 12
.Open trail running; Appalachian Trail, Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Kathadin, Maine (access route: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania )

This list is by no means exhaustive as there are so many options out there. However, these are my pick of what I believe to be meaningful – in terms of – scenically rewarding, cause-worthy, challenging and just plain ole’ fun. If I’m able to do just a few, that’ll be pretty awesome.

Spring runs rock!

We rocked n’ rolled n’ qualified!

20 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by Lori in Marathons, Running Tags: , , ,

imageAs reviews go, I’ll give this race experience a “very good” if not excellent, only because of the flaring up of my IT Band. The course was doable and scenic, the weather was excellent, the runners phenomenal and there were enough liquids & gels to go around. The music rocked..somewhat..and the cheers while no New York, were great. The truth is out of the three marathons I’ve run so far and based on others opinions, there may not be another marathon cheer-must-have experience such as New York. But, I liked DC, of course it could very well be because I PR’d and did my qualifying time for Boston there, but it’s also a lot more than that. You can probably tell that I’m a people-gal; I love meeting new people and experiencing different cultures and appreciate diversity and art and all those good things The Capitol is known for, It has so much to offer. Each time I visit, I promise myself I’ll be back because there’s no way I can ever get to see or do it all. But I digress, back to my race experience.

The day prior to the race, I got in from New York and went directly to the race expo and spent most of that half of the day hopping around from booth to booth with its various information, activities, running wear and other paraphernalia to be had. As if the hours there weren’t enough, I just had to do some additional external shopping mostly in the context of items missing at the expo. I eventually got to the hotel at 8pm; exhausted, starving and cranky as heck, immediately vowing never to do that again? Which I’ll probably promptly forget the next time, though really, applying some time constraints are mandatory to preserve my sanity. I promptly stuffed my face, paying no mind to by golden rule of no stuffing after 6pm after which, I’m forced to stay up an extra two hours so I don’t kill myself with digestion problems and then spent the most irritating night anyway, getting up every two hours. WTH!!!

The next day was just as tiring, add painful and longer, and you get the picture. It started off cold which was expected, at least on my end, as you wouldn’t think so by the way every one was dressed and shivering but I was wrapped in my blanket and was doing pretty good. Since I had signed up with a pace group at the expo, I was pretty much ready to stick with them for the race, as much as I could anyway, given the uncertainties surrounding an event such as this – who knows what could happen. However, I was pleasantly surprised to meet a beautiful and like-minded runner who shared similar goals as myself and we teamed up and decided to run together and soon left the pace group behind. At that point, I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, as I was a bit wary about taking off too quickly given I had recently decided to employ the negative-split concept (running the latter half of the marathon at a faster pace than the first half). Anyway, to close without writing my biography, we ran all the way to mile 20 together, encouraging and pace-checking and pointing out how pretty this and that was though I’ll admit I was much quieter after 13 miles, by which time, I was beginning to feel some pain and was not one for complaining when nothing could be done. All of that to say, my new friend made my 20 miles happen the way it did and I believe that helped me across the finish line. A runner needs a runner buddy like that. I really enjoyed the time running with her.

To conclude, the last 5 miles were the toughest 5 miles ever! Pain, comparable to my two previous marathon experiences; though I could have quickly say more if you’d asked me then, in a few weeks I probably wouldn’t think so but it was excruciating. I didn’t stop only because I knew I wouldn’t be able to even walk to the finish. Thank God for a strong mind. I finished, got my medal and spent the better part of 90 minutes in the medical tent. Ninety worthy minutes I’ll say because, call me crazy, but it was worth it. Sucker for punishment, that I am, I spent the rest of the day hobbling around at the Smithsonian museum. Again it was worth it.
DC Rock n’ Roll you get 4.5 stars!

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