countdown to nyc #2

Weather freak-out shot, right on schedule. Sunday looks perfect, don't you think?! It'll be in the low 40's when I start, and nearing 50 when I finish. Sunshine and no rain! Things are looking good.

countdown to nyc #1

The countdown begins! Lots of photos for you - actually, all of the finisher photos from all my previous marathons. I can't wait to add NYC to this group! Left to right: Chicago '09, Kalamazoo '11, Boston '12, Memphis '12, Louisville '13, Maine Coast '14.

ten days. ten. days.

Yeah, so I'm freaking out a little bit here... With only 10 days left before the big day, I'm starting to get nervous that I'm completely and utterly not ready for this race. I know what you're going to say, "Of course you are!" "You've trained so hard!" "You're in great shape!" But this is when the taper goonies get in my head and make me question everything I've done up until this point.

It doesn't help that I've not had a lot of time to train this week. Things have been pretty busy and I've not had much time for as many good workouts as I'd have liked. The ones I have made time for have been great, but...there's that nagging feeling that I'm not doing enough! And it doesn't help that I follow the TCS NYC Marathon on Facebook and they are posting countdown photos everyday:

Each day the butterflies in my stomach get bigger and bigger. I think I'm so freaked out by this marathon because it's SO BIG and there are SO MANY logistics. I was not this freaked out by Maine, or Louisville...

Well, for whatever reason, the anxious excitement is getting to me. But thankfully (unfortunately?), the ten days will go by in a snap. And the big day will be here, whether I'm ready or not.

random musings

12 Days - You guys, there's only 12 days until the NYC Marathon. 12. Days. I know what you're thinking, only 5 days until our photo countdown.

Sidewalks - Do you ever wonder why runners are on the roads when there are "perfectly good sidewalks" for them to use? Here's why - on a recent run I encountered a motorcycle parked completely on the sidewalk, a man raking leaves ONTO the sidewalk, multiple cars half parked in driveways covering the sidewalk. Not to mention breaks and cracks and holes under those beautiful fall leaves!

Eggs - I love, love, love eggs! Buuut, I ate eggs before my long run on Saturday. Not cool. By mile 4 I had an upset stomach. I should know by now not to eat eggs... Ended up with 9 miles and tacked on another 5 miles on Sunday.

Baystate Half Marathon - Well, my friend, Lauren, TOTALLY rocked this race. She not only hit her goal but beat it by at least a minute. I, on the other hand, TOTALLY forgot to register and ended up not running with her. Which I'm quite sure helped her out - I wouldn't have been able to keep up with her!!

Packing list - What am I going to wear?! What do I need to bring? How will I pack everything I'll need during my hours long wait in the start village into the clear bag they give us? Long sleeves? Sleeveless? Tights or capris? Colored shirt or black shirt? Where will my fuel go? I'm definitely going to be overpacked, but I think that's okay.

Retreating - This weekend, I'll be helping out at my church's middle school retreat. Me, 10 8th grade girls, and a cabin in the woods - along with another 120 people. Should be a really good time - it's been a reeeeally long time since I've been on a middle school retreat. I'm looking forward to getting little sleep and eating lots of candy.

Chi-Town

Today, 45,000 runners take to the streets of Chicago to run the marathon. I can't help but reflect on my experience in Chicago - my very first marathon. Good luck to all those running this year, it is an awesome race!

10+3.1+6.8

Remember a couple of posts ago when I mentioned I'm due for a rainy race? Yep, happened today! But that's cool, because I got to run with more friends, fun even in the rain!! The Freedom 5K took place this morning at the lake, and despite the cool temps and steady precipitation, there was a good crowd that came out to support what Route One Ministry is doing in the Greater Boston area.

Here are (most) of the Grace Chapel runners: Ryan, Jared - recognize him from Smuttynose?, me, Sarah and Josh. Not pictured: Robert and Beatriz.

This 5K was not the only running I did today - I don't typically run only 3mi with a Camelbak. I started the morning by leaving the house at 8am, getting in a full 10mi before getting to the race. Sarah and I ran the whole thing together, that was super fun. :) After the race, I hung out long enough to tell these guys, "Good job, that was fun!" before heading out for another 7mi.

Today marks 22days until NYC and it was now or never for these 20mi. I wasn't excited about doing it in the rain (and 45deg temps) but I figured if Nov 2nd is rainy, it's good practice. Despite the rain, I was stoked to get the mileage in - and to feel good nearly the whole time! I started feeling rough around mile 19, nearly at the finish. And it wasn't even like a wall, it was just that I'm-getting-hungry-and-am-starting-to-not-feel-my-legs type of rough. 

After such a good looooong run, I'm feeling more ready than ever for New York. I seriously cannot wait - and you might not read about much else these next three weeks. My apologies in advance. :)

oct 11th

So, um, hey...whaddarya doin' tomorrow morning? If you're local and are looking for a way to get outside, get some fresh air, and get active - I've got just the thing for you!!

The 4th annual Freedom 5K will take place in Wakefield, MA around beautiful Lake Quannapowitt. It's a flat, fast, fun course with the majority of the race taking place right on the lake. You can walk, jog, run, heck - you can skip if you want to! No matter how you get around the lake, it's sure to be a good time.

Oh, and there's prizes!! There are prizes for the top male and female finishers; and there are a bunch of raffle prizes. So when you come, bring some cash with you to get raffle tickets - each one is $1, or get 6 for $5. Lots of cool stuff to win.

So, I know you're thinking, "She never runs 5Ks..." and you would be right. I very rarely do, but this is one I have done every year since it began. It's an organization that is doing work I very much believe it, and they are the only ones doing it in this area. The organization is called Route One Ministry. They work with women and children in the sex/trafficking industry to help them see their value and worth. This is their vision:

The vision of Route One is to minister to women exploited by the sex industry on the North Shore and around Boston. Through building relationships with the women, we hope to be the light of Christ and provide for physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Providing for their physical and emotional needs might include helping them leave the sex industry and securing employment. Further, our goal is that they have the tools to establish a healthy lifestyle, redeem broken relationships and have a fuller view of who they are as women created in the image of God. Ultimately our desire is that the women would experience the breaking of chains and healing of wounds through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pretty cool, right? Well hey, if you're not doing anything around 9am tomorrow morning, come on down to Lake Quannapowitt. Registration will be set up near the bandstand on the green by Church Street. I'll be there, hope to see you!