After living in New York for over 10 years, I find myself feeling a bit at sea out here in suburban Georgia. For the most part, this city girl moves under the power of her two feet whether that means running or walking, and there’s biking when I’m plumb out of pocket of options. Because my feet are the primary mode of getting around, I place a high value on my ability to move: speed, agility, and strength, being the building blocks of my mobility. That said, I’m super grateful that I have these options out here even when passersby feel the need to stop and offer me a ride. It’s that southern hospitality they’re famous for or so I tell myself. I suppose it’s a bit of a rarity to see someone walking or biking from the grocery store. On a side note, I went to the local Walmart on a scouting mission to look for some decorative stickers and found myself on the receiving end of a few curious stares and comments as I meandered through the aisles with my bike. Next time I’ll probably park it, though I didn’t notice any designated parking. I am unfazed by the novelty I present to these driving surburbanites. I run to the gym, the pharmacy, to family and friends, to the library, and anywhere within a five-mile radius whether for purpose or fun and sometimes fun is the purpose. Interestingly, I don’t run to church, well for two reasons really: it’s a bit farther than five miles, which just happens to be as there’s a church on almost every corner. They don’t call it the Bible Belt for nothing. Also, running to church is impractical even for me. I mean, the shoes, the dress etc., the good Lord knows it just wouldn’t work. Jokes aside, running is one of the ways I get to explore my neighborhood and find little hideaways – the less-traveled path if you will. Plus, taking care of an elderly person warrents some running away for mental and emotional health – it’s a bit of a destressor and I make no excuses for that. I’m just grateful for the opportunity and the ability to get going when the need arises. When I’m out walking it’s usually with a goal in mind and may include the grocery store, the thrift store, from the gym somtimes – after a grueling workout. I also take mom out almost-daily on short walks in our neighborhood as well. Walking – the slowest of my options is not my favorite as you may have guessed. I much rather a faster pace, which running and biking allows me. It turns out that getting the bike was one of the best decisions I made in 2020, even though it was for a triathlon that’s yet to happen. Since then, its taken me places and afforded me a greater bandwidth in terms of exercise and movement than I had before. I’m glad I didn’t get rid of it when I moved down and had the presence of mind to plan ahead in this regard. Biking around is growing on me as most of it happens on the roads and I’m still growing confidence to ride with traffic. I think the cars are getting accustomed to me too. Bike lanes are not so much a rarity but just appears at random and doesn’t go a whole lot of anywhere really. Like the running community, biking isn’t so common either – at least not in the neighborhoods. I did join a local Tri club, so there’s proof the community exists. But as with everything in these parts, they’re a bit of a distance away and I have yet to make it to the meetups. On the other hand, I have been swimming in a local pool and working up my nerve to get in the open water next year. Step by step, bit by bit, I’m confident I’ll get there. I’m getting better at accepting that things won’t always happen when I want them to or just because I want them to. Sometimes, it’ll take a while or turn out a bit different than I want and that’s ok. I just have to do my part and that is enough. I guess the next question is, what is my part? I’ll just say for now that in each season of life “my” part may look different and so could yours.
After much ado about everything, I’m back to running in peachy Georgia! I moved down in early February of this year to help care for my 92-year-old mom. And just like that it’s been 9 months of life in the suburbs already! Time sure flies whether you’re having fun or not. To be fair, it hasn’t all been “unfun” but some time over the past ten years, I’ve discovered that I’m a city girl who likes to visit the country and not the other way around. Anyway, all water under the bridge as I’m here and determined to make the most of it. But it’s wild how seasons change and while you’re in one, more often than not, you can’t anticipate what’s to come. I always feel like if I know ahead of time, like have a little snippit into tomorrow, I can better prepare. Do you get what I mean? Hmm… if you think no, you’re right. I know that’s not true. There’s a reason God is God and I am not. I have to trust Him with the future and settle for today. Yet, taking things one day at a time is so contrary to my do-it-all or do-as-much-as-possible mindset. And so, I’m learning the pace of grace – grace for myself and for others. Yours truly is attending the school of life.
That being said, there are some perks to the peachy state. One of the two things I like (majorly) about being back is the warmer weather and the proximity to my family. I’m grateful to support them and in turn receive their support. Life transitions can be unsettling and induce all sorts of anxious thoughts if you can’t manage your expectations and adopt the right perspective. I’m grateful each day I get to choose to see the blessings all around me and embrace this season and all it brings, albeit sometimes a bit reluctantly – some days are tough y’all! In other good news on the proximity-to-family front, we’re having our first baby in the family in a few days! Obviously, yours truly is very excited, and pleased to be adopting the grand name of Loli to the babe. Huge smile and winks all around, it couldn’t have happened at a better time! Who knew but God. Serendipity or not, a baby certainly is the cream on top.
Peaches, check. Cream check. Now running, I’ve been thinking and running and running while thinking and it’s awesome the epiphanies that can be ushered in by a cooling breeze. It also helps that Autumn is the perfect season for seeing beauty form from the mundane. I cannot overlook the falling leaves, the vibrant colors, the sunshine caresses instead of burns, and the sudden descent of dusk amidst shorter days. This always highlights the seasonal nature of life to me, which makes me grateful all over again that I get to run. Seasons come and go and changes and transitions happen no matter if we want them to or not, but running remains among my most treasured long-lasting gifts. Over the years, I’ve only been derailed by two injuries, thank God, and the setbacks then actually served to have me work on other things that needed developing. How’s that for perspective! Lol, hindsight perspective anyway.
There are few things I’m certain of in this life, one is that God is in the details and another is that no matter where life takes me, just as long as I’m running, I’ll be ok. Until next week, I hope you’re running and I hope you’re ok too!
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”— Attributed to Greg S. Reid
I got up today, threw on some tights and a shirt, laced up my sneakers, and ran out the door. It didn’t matter that it was wet. It didn’t matter that it was suddenly cooler. It didn’t matter that my heel still hurt and my back was still sore. It didn’t matter for a hundred reasons. It mattered only that today is D-day. On any given day, I could give a reason as to why I wouldn’t run, shouldn’t write, couldn’t make the time. But today is not that day. Today, I’ve determined to take one step in the direction of my dreams, forgetting the days behind me and looking ahead to the possibilities wrapped up in all that’s before me. I will not waste another day in the I -will-get-to-it-soon camp.
You see, there are a dozen reasons and hundreds of excuses for procrastinating. I’ve been there, done that, and it doesn’t make getting the thing that needs to be done any easier. Akin to that dig-deep feeling you get when you’re running and tired and you’d love to call it quits and just stop but somehow and from somewhere you feel resilience bubbling up – and like a phoneix rising from the ashes -you’re able to shake it off, fan those wings into a flame and burn a path to the finish line. It must be the runner in me but I have this desire to get back on the trail of my passion for writing about my health and fitness journey. Gratefully, technology makes it hella easy to just dive in. For unlike the “ole” days when I would quite literally take pen to paper, I only grab my phone, find a corner and some silence, thumb out a few words, and voila, today is d-day! The thing about falling off a routine is that it’s actually way easier that most of us anticipate. All it takes is no accountability and some procrastinating and pretty soon it’s a thing I used to do that I’ll get back to soon and almost two years later you’re like me wondering how the heck did I fall off the blog. Truth is I know what happened, life did. Life happens to us all. In fact, it’s happening right now. You and I, we’ve got choices and decisions to make daily that will either take us in the direction we want to go or not. I won’t bore you with past choices, but I will tell you that today I choose to write and I have every intention on going for a run tomorrow. It won’t pay to get too ambitious, so I’ll leave it there for now.
Back to the run today though, it was the best kind – easy and pretty or pretty easy. I ran 2.5 miles to the gym, worked out, and then ran back home. Running in Georgia in the Fall season can’t compare with New York at all. The weather is so much warmer in these parts thankfully, mostly, I think, so I can run at midday and feel pretty good. It was a gorgeous sunny day, mild really, so I was able to stop on the way home to grab a couple of pics and appreciate the Fall foliage. I ran past farms and lots of greenery with some construction and traffic tossed in for good measure – and for a few minutes I could have almost imagined I was back in the big apple, zigzagging crazily to avoid ending up as road carnage. I ended up taking to the brush to keep pace and the lack of sidewalks reminded me that running in suburban Georgia is at my own risk. No matter, I won’t be thwarted. This city runner knows how to get around anywhere and everywhere is fair game when you’re low on options. And, well, let’s just say there are no commuter trains out here. No worries tho, I have feet that’ll take me where I want to run and then there’s biking around. The rest we’ll figure out I expect.
And that goes for writing too. I have a few ideas bubbling around that I’d like to mix and match with running.
Hiyah friends! I’m just gonna go ahead and jump right on in the deep end and let y’all know that it’s been a pretty overextended 6 to 8 months. Overextended me i.e, doing way too much with way too little capacity, and that led to – you guessed it – me figuring out that juggling is not my superpower and that I’m a much better runner. Period. I ended up cutting back so I wouldn’t have to go off the deep end after life offered some unforeseen setbacks, and unfortunately, my writing got the short end of the stick. Well, this runner girl believes that often setbacks are setups for something greater, so I’ll keep that in mind going forward and not bother with that pity party after all. I bet you believe it when I tell you that despite all the happenings, my fitness did not suffer. It sure didn’t, and here’s why, exercise acts as both a destressor and a reward of sorts for me. I might even say that for every feeling I have, there’s a run or workout for that. That’s a lot of exercise with all the emotions I’ve been working through these past few months.
Hear me out. It’s no secret that I love any excuse for a good run. In fact, no excuse will also do as I’ve come to appreciate. Over the past year, I’ve encountered many changes in my world and witnessed many in the wider world. Some of which I’ve embraced while others not so much. One of the most consistent things I’ve valued in my life over this time has been the desire, ability, and opportunity to run. Through the good and the bad, the happy and sad, and at my highest and lowest points and every time in-between, I have welcomed running as an opportunity to bring peace, reflection, focus, refreshment, relief, escape, perspective, gratitude, and joy – sometimes singularly but often as a combination. All runs, in all seasons, and all expressions welcome. I can almost feel your question: have all your runs been positive experiences then? Let me be clear, no, not at all. In no way am I trying to say that running is always a feel-good sport – not in the moment anyway, not at all on the very run sometimes – but the end result of all my runs have always produced a satisfaction of one or more of the above expressions. It’s the reason I’ve always looked upon running as my happy place. 🤩
In my last two seasons, the last quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year, I found myself dealing with family issues, the loss of loved ones and the grief that follows, the seasonal highs and lows, illness, and life upheavals of various kinds in tandem with the economic and political instability of the global climate but also here in the United States. Two things kept me going, praying and exercising, including running and crossfit. I don’t pretend to know or even try to indicate that this is the answer to every issue, but I do want to suggest that it is an answer, possibly one in part, but certainly one that deserves a chance. Of course, the spring season is lots of perfect for running and perfect for me, minus the rains, so I’ve been getting around the neighborhood and the parks, checking out the blooms and runs around town and even gotten myself signed up for a 5K event! The 5 Ws’: Wait, what, why? A 5K? Where? And when? 😀
I’ve been working with a client to get her on the run and I gotta tell you, one of my recommendations everytime someone tells me they think they want to run, but they’re not sure about all the things involved like schedule, commitment, sacrifice, and ability, is that they should sign up for a race, a small one, to give them a goal to work towards. I mean, there’s nothing like having a goal that will motivate the heck outta you to get it done, especially if it’s a smart one. This tends to get one out the start gate, into the running community, and onto a healthier path, and I dare say give rise to a fitter individual. So, go figure, I did my thing a tad too excitedly, I’ll admit, and volià, here we are! Just in case you’re wondering how I am about putting my money where my mouth is. We’re heading over to an island on the island of Manhattan on May 12 for her first race and my first 5k since Oct ’22. Fun times, my friends, fun times! 🙃
Be encouraged to start, restart, or just step out. Get running and drop me a shout-out when you do! 🥰
Summer Vacations started early this year with a mini version of the family deciding on a week at the beach during the last week of June. Way to ring in July and fourth of July, vacations, beach runs, and the incessant complaining of how hot it is. I dare say that I’m only just warming up, and there’s more to follow because one week is just enough to tingle my tastebuds. These days, I live in vacation mode. In fact, I’m back and packed. Just say the word. We make our memories, and I dont mind making fun ones . Life is life and all sorts of messy and wild, and so it’s worth all the fun and beach runs with sunrises and sunsets we can get. And why not? You just never know what tomorrow will bring. Two years ago, post covid, we decided to spend a week together each summer, and so West Palm Beach was my daughter’s pick this year with a bonus trip down to Miami just for the heck of it.
Wherever I travel, I’m always on the hunt for a cool running course. This year, I was on the hunt for a box to workout as well and was very pleased to come across a fun one not too far from where we stayed. Two out of two are some good odds. In truth, I was only able to make it to the box one time, but I got a run on the beach, and that was good enough considering the 100° temps. That, and the mangoes! Friends, everything is better with mangoes. When I realized that there were mango trees right in the yard where we were staying, I was pretty chuffed and delighted to awaken to fresh mangoes for breakfast every morning. My personal manna- from-heaven type story. God is awesome, and I’m convinced there are mangoes in heaven. And then there was a day trip to Peanut Island and our little to no attempt at snorkeling and another to South Beach. Turned into a bit of a drag when our truck got towed, but the debt was settled when we finally got to the beach. It was wonderful. The water was nothing short of amazing: cool and crystal clear, and there was a nice family vibe on the beach itself. Lots of coolers and music, and surprisingly, not quite so littered with people. We had watersports, skysports, cruise ships, and stunning sunset skyline views. Quite an eye party and didn’t leave until after sunset.
A week later, I headed to Charleston for my birthday. My best friend lives in the Mt Pleasant area, and I had in mind a quiet 4 days with less sun exposure than the previous trip. It didn’t quite turn out that way as I ended up mired in sun-drenched activities: a sunrise bridge run, a beach walk & sun bathing, a sunset cruise and dolphins, a plantation tour, swimming, and then a gym workout which included a short run in the crazy mid-morning heat. LOL, while it wasn’t my idea of a relaxing time, it sure was fun and goes to show that the best times are really those that are unplanned. The following weekend, I took the train out to Long Island to the beach for a group outing and ended up in the sun again but in some cold water this time. Beaches in the north/northeast boast cold water all year round and are certainly not my idea of a fun time and go against every bit of my island girl blood but somehow I managed to have a good time in the water with the crew and a beach ball. Somethings you should never do alone. Snacks and junk food I never do, but even that happened – sort of – and since then, I’ve gone low-carb and committed to a summer of salads.
More on food and fuel and what’s up with the swimming in my next post. Stay tuned. So long, July, it’s been fun and way too much humidity and thunderstorms, but I love the travel adventures and water action.
Hiyah friends! Ahh.. the elephant in the space – I’ve been MIA! And if you hadn’t noticed, then it’s just as well, and huge shrug. I had to take a healthy break to catch up with my to-do list and bring it down to a managable size while maintaining my activities. In essence, I had to sacrifice something, and my writing went to the chopping block. Am I ready to resume? Yes! Sorta! Maybe. The list grows ridiculously, but I gotta get back to writing, and there’s no time like the simmering/summer-to-be present to get me thinking and doing. If you’re wondering what about, then here’s a glimpse into my current and possible future shenanigans this year.
So I’m happy to say that yours truly is back at the box, aka crossfit, at least 3 times per week, and it feels great! I’m also running 2-3 times, albeit shorter runs, but man, it’s satisfying. And no, my lower back and sciatic nerve issues have not been totally resolved. Hence, the more restricted schedule, but I’m not about to complain given the progress I’ve made after a year of PT and at least 6 months of very little running. In fact, I’m ecstatic with my fitness, and while the journey has proved tougher in the last few years, it remains rewarding. It goes without saying that there’s always room for improvement and a toner stomach to be had if I’m to keep it real. All in all, I’m pretty chuffed that the long breaks didn’t put me back to square one and that I’m in a decent place with my lifts, my workouts, and my running. Slow and steady does it, and that’s my intentions these days, both at the gym and on my runs. They keep me safe and sane, and that’s also very important these days.
What’s more, or what’s next? Well, I’m glad you asked (wink)! I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I have intentions to participate in a triathlon this year. Well I’m still focused on doing just that, but it’s been a witch of a time finding the right training for the swimming portion of the event. Unfortunately, New York City is indeed the concrete jungle Alicia Keyes sang about, so swimming is quite the exclusive event. No matter, I’ll have to make do and figure something out pretty soon given how quickly time’s a’flying. And what of the race! Where and when? Believe it or not, I’m not sure yet, but that too will be finalized soon. It has to happen by the end of fall, so there’s only so much time left. Stay tuned for further updates.
Meanwhile, I’ll have a quick run for Global Running Day, and I hope you’ll do, if not the same, something that includes moving outside at a pace that’s somewhat uncomfortable. Growth rarely happens in the comfort zone, and that is and deserves a whole other blog post by itself. Lol. God knows what we’re in for this summer. We can only pray and prepare. At the very least, we can set ourselves up for a great one by keeping it moving. Like I always say, perspective is everything. And you can’t have too much of that. In fact, it might just change everything if you try. Go ahead then, and get you that summer perspective that speaks to your best one yet. I’m standing with and believing for us.
“We run when we’re scared, we run when we’re ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time.” ― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run
Happy everything my running peeps! Here we are standing on the cusp of another year! If you can’t decide how to feel about that, know it’s ok, you’re in good company with at least half of us out here. If you’re on the side that can’t imagine how we got here so fast then welcome to all of us! I’ve heard so many agree that this year just went. For some it has been a three-year stint disguised as one because 2020 was the year without end, until now. For those, the end didn’t come fast enough. Either way, phew! We’re still here. There’s purpose and power in that and don’t let anyone tell you different. I only have to think of those who didn’t make it to December 31 to appreciate the gift that has been given to me. Let this be your perspective my friends. Being grateful for what you have in front of you is one sure way to open up your eyes to the possibilities that exist and will help you to walk into the new year with a fresh perspective.
The final day of the year always finds me out for a run. Today was no exception. Though I’ve been resting, somewhat, per my PT instructions, I opted for a 7.5 mile run on this overcast, slightly wet, and warmer- than-usual winter day. I’ve always admired how the running community remains unphased in the face of anything/everything. In fact, it seems our answer in almost all situations is to go for a run. It’s as if you can take away everything just leave us the opportunity to run. Therefore, almost every time I head out for a run, I am almost never alone. Rain, sun, snow, storm, come what may, I’m sure to find like-minded souls out and about running. We’re certifiable is what we are when we brave the elements just to get that run in. But more than that I suspect it’s our free, happy, and confident place – the one place we get to be fully in control (more than less anyway). The world might be tied up in knots and going crazy about us but throwing on a pair of sneakers will put some perspective on it all. As such, I had ample company today with a comradeiere that didn’t need words. It was awesome!
I cannot say what the new year will hold, the uncertainty of this world and the fast pace of things are apt to leave you grappling with the last shoe drop while waiting for the next one. I refuse to get caught up in the web of dread and what will happen next. So guess what I’ll be doing instead? It involves those dear sneakers and dear old running but also some cross training, more on that next time, which will go a long way in helping me maintain perspective. Join me, will yah!
“The First Step to being Great is being Grateful.”
-attributed to Ralph Smart
This year it’s a November for the books! We kicked it off with the New York City marathon two weeks ago with record temps and record finishers in those conditions, some 47,839, as I stood at the 14th mile fluid station with sweat rolling down my back handing out drink after drink to thousands of runners. Let’s just say, that we should never underestimate the role of those who perform this painstaking task time and again. All props to those volunteers who hand out both fluid and encouragement for hours each year. They’re the real Gs! On the other hand, our runners this year are simply rockstars. Unless you’re a runner, you can’t appreciate the grit and determination it takes to finish a marathon in mid 70° temps with 79% humidity. For sure there were some casualties with 48,000 runners starting out. But if you were or know anyone who was still able to run a PR, wow, double kudos to you and to them.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t feel any desire to join the running crowd back on November 9. I felt I had chosen the wiser path. LoL. And since then I’ve been walking, for the most part, in wisdom and resting and taking care of a knee issue that arose out of my Chicago run. The past two weeks have seen me run a few times, most notably, this past Saturday when I went on a 5-mile morning run to the park and back. It was an easy run meant to act as a sort of feel-out run and I did just that. Happily, I felt no pain and was able to enjoy a sunny but chilly fall run and come away with the impression that I needed some new running shoes and to take advantage of the sunshine, even though it’s cold, before the real winter weather gets here.
This week we’re celebrating Thanksgiving in these United States and amidst all the turkey talk, I’m being super intentional about demonstrating gratitude for this year and all that I’ve been able to have, receive, accomplish, and share. Most Americans are thankful for the season and for their family and provisions, as we should all be, but I encourage us all to expand our thankfulness to everything we are and are blessed with. After all that we, as a global community, have been through in the past two years, we are blessed to be here and blessed to be a blessing. A heart overflowing with gratitude will ensure that we pass it on and hopefully create a contagious pattern of behavior – an attitude of gratitude – that is not restricted to a day but extends throughout the remainder of the year and all into next year too.
And if that isn’t enough November action for you, well, we runners love our turkey trots around these parts. So, in New York City, the Thanksgiving tradion also includes a festive 5K run/trot held on Thanksgiving morning. It’s a family-friendly race where you can run, walk, trot, and gather socially to get some exercise; because we like to associate running with everything we do, but also so we can feel less guilt about the turkey and its embellishments we intend to gobble up later that day. LoL. Happy trotting and happy thanksgiving! 🦃
Drum roll my friends! We ran Chi marathon, under some duress, but crossed the finish line with all parts intact! Praise God. So we’re rolling because I’m pleased, and since I’m usually hard on myself when running, that’s big. It wasn’t a PR but it was pretty good all things considered. I went in with great expectations and came out satisfied if not exhuberant. What a weekend! What a run! What a blur! A big shout out to the Chicago marathon events management team. They always put on a stellar event and this year was no exception. With forty-five years of practice, they’d better right! Since I took part in all three events: the expo, the 5k, and the marathon, I can safely claim the full marathon experience, and it was great; not necessarily my running on marathon day, but certainly everything else.
@ McCormick Place – Marathon Expo 😍
Volunteering at the expo on the Friday before the race was a great experience. And although I wasn’t in New York, I was at home with the running community because runners are pretty awesome beings no matter where you go. I’d often wondered what being on the other side of the marathon expo was like, and I was happy to find out it was fun and rewarding to be on the serving end of all the love and well wishes I’d received over the years. I was super grateful for the opportunity to welcome and direct runners to collect their packets containing their bib numbers and to pick up their t-shirts. Meeting new people on the volunteer teams was also a treat and getting to appreciate that some of them weren’t even runners but were just excited for the city of Chicago and wanted to be a part of this event that celebrated and showcased the best of their city. There were a few nationals from outside of Chicago as well as international volunteers, who, like me, wanted the full experience and we dived right in together. By the end of my shift, I was pretty sure I had welcomed the world, amidst a few running friends from New York, and more were still coming. With the expo in full swing and all the vendors with their gear and attractions on display, it didn’t take me long to realize I had to get out of there fast or my run the next day would be in serious jeapordy.
Abbot 5K 🥹The New York Posse 😛
Saturday dawned way too soon and I had to be up by 5 a.m. and at the start by 6:30/6:45 a.m. as the 5K run started at 7:30 a.m. It’s Chicago, so of course it was chilly. I was prepared and wrapped up in heat sheets I had purchased for just the occasion – experience is a great teacher! After cooling our heels a bit and witnessing many shivers, we did away with the formalities and a surprising male rendition of the national anthem and were off. It was a fast and short one. It’d been a while since I’d raced a 5K so I was surprised, I don’t know why, that it was over so soon. I remember thinking, wow, folks are out here on this chilly morning to cheer on a 5K! I felt proud and grateful to be feeling great! The cheers and running through the center of the city, sans traffic, was a treat and then I recall hearing an announcement of some sort that we were coming up to Jackson Ave. and the finish line around the bend, and I thought, wait, I didn’t even see the mile 2 marker! Clearly, I missed it and crossed the finish line in 21:53 according to Strava. I really hadn’t intended to run that fast, it really kinda just happened and oh well it felt amazing! LoL. I celebrated with a photo, grabbed my medal and hat and got outta there. The rest of the day was a swirl of brunch with the New York posse in town for the race and then to a boat tour on the Chicago River. By the time I got home, I stayed with my neice just outside the city center, it was time to get the pasta going for a dinner of pasta, meatballs, and veggies. And there was cake too! Sadly, I passed out around 11 p.m. after my third helping, without the cake.
Chipping at the start..ready, set…😁
As is the pattern these days, I was barely asleep before it was time to get up. I’m really not a fan of eating at 5 a.m. but we do what we must and so oatmeal, bananas, and granola and nuts it was with a bagel with eggs on the side. I nursed the bagel all the way to the city but was careful to just nibble away at it until I’d had enough. Getting to Grant Park, where the race start was and seeing all the runners defiantly geared up in the chilly morning air in all sorts of coverings to stay warm but with expectant and intent faces gave me a sense of dejavu. It had only been two years, going on ten, since I was at my last marathon start line. The sense of jubilation and excitement could not be suppressed; it permeated the atmosphere and I was oh-so-at-home at its center. No mad rush this time, all was oderly with consistent and efficient movement of the crowds through the various gates, security checkpoints, and to their respective corrals. I had ensured that I was there with just enough time to get to the corral, join the bathroom line, and get in position to start. The efficiency of it all was mesmerizing given the 40,000 crowd size. I’ve always marveled that Chicago is the one marathon where I’ve always been able to manage the various steps so efficiently so as to get to start line with time to spare and feel ready to start. I even got to meet up a friend running in my corral, who ended up keeping pace with me for most of the race. My intention had been to run with the Nike pace group that was running with a 3:35 finish goal but I soon chucked that idea after seeing they would be keeping an 8 minute mile. I had decided from the night before that I was going to run a 7:45 pace. Ideally, you don’t decide that the night before a race but because I’ve been dealing with sciatic nerve issues the entire year, and my capacity/pace have fluctuated as a result, I had to be really intentional about my pace and staying attuned to how I was feeling on any given day. Hence the night before decision, which was really based off of how well I ran the 5K the day before and how strong I felt post run. I was ready to start conservative but strong and hang on for the ride.
Snaps from clips on the course 🤩
I’ll be honest, it’s rare that I ever do what I expect or even set out to do. For some reason or another, I’d say nine out of ten times, things change. And I’m ok with that as long as the change is good, but it isn’t always. I mean come on, life is just not that awesome; some awesome, just not all that awesome. LoL. So guess what, yours truly ran at the pace I sorta expected but because life just does it’s thing, I ended up with a progressive limp to my step after the half marathon point. In all honesty, that wasn’t so surprising as I was running at a much faster pace than my long training runs. I expected that my lower back would come into play at some point and was prepared to deal with the discomfort, well sort of anyway. One can never be fully prepared to accommodate pain and so I had already planned on pushing through. My hope was that I would get through most of the run before having to deal with it. So when I started feeling some back soreness around mile 13, I ignored it. I tried to lose myself in the cheers and was very disappointed to note that there were very little in the way of signs to read. In the past, I’ve always occupied myself with reading and admiring the funny, bold, encouraging, and creative way spectators expressed themselves over the course of 26.2 miles. It has always been a high point entertainment-wise. Another Covid casualty? I don’t know but I missed it and as a result I couldn’t quite shift focus, except momentarily when I saw my niece, who, bless her, showed up three times along the course. I cherish the support. I kept the look out for my cousins who were out there somewhere in the crowds, I was sure, but never managed to connect with them until the finish. However, actively searching them out distracted me for some time until it didn’t anymore and by then overcompensating for my lower back issues was expressing itself in my right knee, which felt like it was on fire then. And that’s where, in my view, experience kicked in. In all my time running, in all the races, and in particular, the marathons I’ve done, they have created in me a tremendous capacity to see things through and finish well. All I’ve learned about pushing limits, digging deep, and finishing the course may have been for moments like what I experienced on October 9 and I am thankful for it all. By God’s grace and with a tenacity I can only attribute to experience, I sucked up the pain and managed, on the final incline and homestretch, to increase my pace and smile as I crossed the finish line in 3:27:24, only 13 seconds slower than my best time on this course some 7 years before.
Post Race – we did it 🥳
Whoo hoo! Even though I can’t remember much of the areas we ran through and what it looked like. Had I not run the course three times before, it would be really hard to describe anything. Sometimes pain can blur things and I can honestly say that the last couple of miles was all a blur. The faces, the course, the runners, it all blended into one. Weirdly enough, the only thing I could see crystal clear was the finish line in the final 800m. A friend later told me that she looked over to her left around mile 20 or so and was greatly surprised to see me. She called out and while I made eye contact with her and mumbled that I was in pain, I never broke stride or looked back as I ran past her. I remember it as part of the blur. After crossing the finish line, I knew well enough to keep on moving – albeit slowly – stopping is never a good idea as it can facilitate cramps among other things. So it is with good reason race officials shepherd runners through. They really don’t mean to be mean even though they’re also bent on keeping the area accessible to other runners coming through. Sometime soon after, I was able to locate said friend and another who shadowed me of sorts and as we hugged and congratulated each other and grimaced together for a photo, it occured to me that though the pain is real, what is even more real is that I/we can do hard things and we’re really only limited by what we tell ourselves we cannot do. One day I may not be able to run a marathon far less with an injury. But that, my friends, was not the day.
It’s been another wild month of running in these parts. Every September seems to usher in a marathon season that takes off with such ferocity that I’m always like woah..wait a minute! But then no one’s listening; all too busy running I expect. While I’ve been tacking on the miles with respect to Chicago, the running world’s been preparing for four of the marathon majors happening this Fall. Last weekend we had the Berlin marathon and a marathon world record from everyone’s favorite marathoner, we have a thing for champions, Eliud Kipchoge with a blistering time of 2:01:09. Phew! This coming weekend on October 2 the London marathon will be happening, and next weekend yours truly will be participating in the Chicago marathon. The season will culminate with the New York City marathon on November 9 where I’ll be volunteering and cheering rather loudly at the mile 14 water stop in the borough of Queens. If you happen to be in the environs, please stop and say hi. How’s that for some Fall marathon action! 🍂🏃🏽♀️
But let me not get ahead of myself, first this last 10 mile run I have this weekend after which I’m suppose to be super confident about next weekend. We’ll see about that. For now, I’m basking in the best of Fall weather before it gets crazy. October is the month of everything and anything after all, but prayers lifted that we at least get away with a great run day on October 9. 🌥️
I gotta say that aside from my sciatic nerve issues; turns out I have a small herniated disc, which I’m not dwelling on right now, one thing at a time please, I have really enjoyed following a training plan. I’m not sure if I said it before but it’s the first time in some 10+ years of running that I’ve followed a marathon training to the letter and now almost all the way through to race day. It remains to be seen what/if the final results will prove whether it was worth it, but I feel really good about my competency at least. LoL. That alone, I think, is a big deal going into a marathon because there’s always the nagging questions you battle with as to how and if your body will hold up under race day pressures. I think one of the benefits of a plan is that it majorly decreases any misgivings or hesitancy on that account and is a great confidence builder. For sure you can’t anticipate every eventuality, but knowing what you’re capable of removes the burden of doubt. And yay for that because in leading up to D-Day you don’t need to be stressing that sort of stuff. Ideally, no stress at all but we all know life “be life-ing” sometimes 😉.
That said, I’m all about getting the most out of life, minus the stress, whenever I can. For this reason, and also because I figure this will be my last Chicago marathon, I’ve decided to go out with a bit of a bang and have myself the full marathon experience. To this end, I’m volunteering at the runner’s expo on Friday and running the Abbot 5k on Saturday. My hope is to leave the windy city – a city that I’ve really enjoyed running in over the years – with the best memories. So here’s to good weather, a grand time, and the best pacing ever! 🍻
runningwithfaith 