Recovery

This post took a very long time to write – partly because I do not have anything to say. When I have more words I will write an entire recap, but it is still hard to formulate anything coherent.

One week has passed since the Boston Marathon bombings. The city is returning to normal and so am I for the most part. I am still incredibly sad about everything that happened, but I am happy, healthy, and so are my friends and family. I cannot ask for anything more.

There are hundreds of pictures and quotes circulating the internet about Boston. The only one that so eloquently sums up my feelings is from the first home Red Sox game after the Marathon.

“This is our fucking city.” - Big Papi [video]

(Sorry for the profanity, Mom).

I run the Boston Marathon in 3 days?

In about 72 hours, I will join 27,000 other runners in Hopkinton and run 26.2 miles into Boston. You may know this as the Boston Marathon.

I’m experiencing a lot of emotions right now. (More than usual, which is saying something.) I’ve been staring at this page for almost 10 minutes trying to summarize what I’m feeling but I keep coming up short. I’m excited. Nervous. Slightly nauseous. Happy. Scared.

Despite the waves of nausea, I have a very exciting weekend planned. I can’t wait to see my friends and parents, go to the Marathon Expo, play some skee ball, and carbo load up the wazoo.

If you would like to track me, my bib number is 24052.

I’m repeating this mantra on race day:

The next post I write will (hopefully) be a (successful) Boston Marathon recap. See you in Boston!

Charity 21 Miler

On Saturday I ran the farther distance I have ever run – 21 miles. I am still in disbelief, and as I type this on Sunday evening, very sore.

This was a special run organized by the Boston Marathon charity teams. We started in Hopkinton and ran on the course to BC. The course is usually populated by hundreds of runners every Saturday morning, but this time there were water stops and tons of police men and woman and volunteers cheering us on. I cannot say enough good things about all the wonderful people who kept us safe, motivated, and hydrated. During your next race, please make sure to thank every volunteer you pass!

My coach picked my teammate Alex and I in Boston, drove us to the start line, and… then we ran. No formal start line or anything. Oh, we’re here? We start running? Well… okay.

Here is a (very simple) breakdown of how the run went down:

Miles 1-2: This sucks. This. Effing. Sucks. I have to do this 20 more times?

Miles 3-13: This feels great! I can’t believe how good this feels. I am in complete and utter disbelief how good this feels. Oh look, a commuter rail stop. Can I take the train back to Boston?

Mile 13.1: My eyes could have deceived me, but I PRed the half marathon part by about three minutes!

Mile 13.7: Insert any curse word you feel like using because holy shit do I have the worst stomach cramp in the history of the world. I stopped for water for the past 13.1 miles, but this was the first time that I actually had to walk. I walked for a few minutes, tried running again, and the same terrible cramp came back. I texted my coach: “A little past half marathon. Bad cramp. Might die. Need to walk.” She assured me that walking is fine and to try to breathe from my stomach.

Miles 13.8-16: Ran for 10-15 minutes, walked for about 2 minutes. The worst part was I could feel the stomach cramps coming on, so I knew I had to walk.

Mile 16: Start of the Newton hills. Now, in all honesty, they weren’t terrible. By no means are they a piece of cake and there are about 650 things I would rather do than run them, but it wasn’t awful. I’m sure if a gremlin wasn’t trying to claw its way out of my stomach I would have probably run them better.

Miles 16-20: Hills. More hills. Nothin’ but hills. And internal crying.

Mile 20: Heartbreak Hill. It is everything you’ve heard of and more. My heart… it broke. Along with my arms, legs, stomach, and 4 eyelashes.

Mile 20.5: I see my coach. You know when you are still trying to register pain, but it’s not there yet, but you know it’s going to be super painful, so you start crying, but you’re not actually producing tears and just making weird whimpering sounds? That happened. “MY STOMACH HURTS!” I yelled. “I know!” My coach yelled back. “You’re almost there!”

Mile 21: Done. Done done done done done. I have never been so happy to finish a run.

My coach greeted me with a hug and a Gatorade. We talked about why my stomach was cramping and came to the conclusion that I start too fast. My first few miles were nearly 30 seconds to 1 minute faster than I usually run. Not good. I need to start slower so I can finish stronger.

I finished 21 miles in 4:44. Miles 1-3 were about 9:30/mile, miles 4-13 about 10-10:15/mile, and then it just turned it shit after that. My goal was to finish in 4 hours, so yes, I am a little disappointed. I am confident, however, that if I didn’t have stomach cramps and didn’t have to walk I would’ve finished closer to 4 hours. BUT! There is no use in beating myself up because in the end, regardless of how long it took me, I ran 21 miles on the Boston Marathon course. I’m pretty happy about that.

This is the countdown clock on Marathon Sports’ window display. I took this picture last Wednesday. Now there are only 20 days to go. I’m trying not to freak out… but that’s not really working. Here we go!

Ras na hEireann 5k, round 2

On Sunday, March 10, I ran the Ras na hEireann 5k in Somerville, MA. This race is special for two very big reasons. Two years ago, this was my very first race. This year, I set a huge 5k PR!

The night before a race I either sleep wonderfully or poorly. As fate would have it, the latter happened… partially because of alcohol and Daylight Saving Time. Luckily this race is in my neck of the woods so I’ve run the course plenty of times. Plus, the race started at 11 AM and I am only a 10 minute walk from the start line, so I was able to roll out of bed pretty late. Can’t complain too much!

My roommate and I walked down to start, stretched for few minutes, awkwardly walked-ran for the first few minutes (due to the 5,000 participants), and soon we were off! Once I started running, I felt great. Looks like marathon training paid off.

As I said before, I’ve run the area countless times – at least two or three times a week – so I knew what was coming. I was able to pace myself at all the right moments. There is a small but nasty hill towards the end (which just happens to be a block from my apartment – cruel!) but it was no problem for me.

I didn’t wear headphones during the race so I wasn’t sure what my actual pace or time was. I wasn’t concerned – I just wanted to finish the race and have a good time. When I looked at my RunKeeper after I crossed the finish line, I was shocked – it said 32-something minutes. I knew my official time had to be faster since I started a few minutes after the gun went off. A few days later I received my official results and… 31:11!! That is a 7:37 PR from my first 5k and a 3:12 PR from my previous record!

So am I winning any races? Obviously not. But am I improving? Yes! One day I hope to do a sub-30 5k, but for now I’m pretty happy with a shiny 31:11.

Lastly, I have to give a plug to the B. A. Events team. If you are in the Boston area I highly recommend doing one of their many races. The 5k course is great, you get a t-shirt and medal, everyone is super friendly, and there is always a huge after party!

So I guess this means that my next race is… Boston. *gulp*

Life Update via Instagram

Oh, hello friends. How is everyone? How about a (ridiculously) quick update?

Training for the Boston Marathon is going well. My highest mileage is 18 miles (!!) which was long, tiring, and difficult, but I ran it. Running for Girls on the Run is extremely rewarding and totally worth all these miles.

Incase you didn’t hear, it snowed in Boston.

And then it snowed some more.

I bought my official Boston Marathon jacket. I have been impatiently waiting for the official gear to go on sale. I’m going to buy 100 more items of clothing with the BAA logo on it. Due to extreme superstition, I am not allowed to wear any of it until after I complete the race. I think that’s a fair deal. Or torturous. Whatever.

I set a PR (oh yeah!) at the Rás na hÉireann 5k AKA the Somerville Saint Patrick’s Day 5k. This also happened to be my very first 5k two years ago! The Somerville 5ks are always so much fun and this race was no different. I’ll do a race recap shortly.

And last, but certainly not least, you need to make these mini chocolate chip cookie cups from Picky Palate. They are so painfully easy to make and take less than 15 minutes from start to finish.

I mean… look at those. They have nothing to do with marathon training but everything to do with being delicious.

 

Really, really, really big news.

I ran my first 5k on March 13, 2011.

In 80 degree heat I ran my first half marathon. About a year and a half later, in considerably cooler weather, I ran my second half marathon.

In between/during/after these milestones, I ran a bunch of other races.

I kept wondering what was next after my second half marathon in October. Like many runners, I felt a bit of sadness after the race was over. It was scary, challenging, exciting, and something to look forward to. It didn’t hit me right away, but after a few weeks I confessed I couldn’t just go out for a run – I needed a reason.

Well… I found a reason. On April 15, 2013, I am running the Boston Marathon.

I applied to a few charities, and after weeks of waiting/hoping/wishing, I received a call from Girls on the Run Boston. They wanted me on their team! I was so excited. I was nearly in tears when I hung up the phone.

When I finished my first half marathon, I knew I wanted to run a full marathon. I dreamed of Boston. The city transforms for the weeks leading up to the marathon. Marathon Monday is a holiday. Every Boston college student drunkenly watches the elites run the marathon in a disturbingly fast amount of time.

Anyone who has ever laced up a pair of sneakers knows what the Boston Marathon means.

I’ve trained for about a month and it’s actually going really well. (I’m not offended if you’re surprised. I am too.) I plan on posting more about my training and some cool events I get to attend.

Here comes the earth shattering news where I tell you I didn’t qualify. Shocking! I’m running for a charity which means I’m trying to raise $5,000. Which means here comes my shameless ask for donations RIGHT NOW! Click here to make a donation to Girls on the Run.

Want to learn more?

Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful,  healthy and confident using a fun,  experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

Girls on the Run Boston,  a chapter of Girls on the Run international,  is supported locally by Hill House Inc.,  a Beacon Hill-based community center that works to fund and execute service activities in order to meet the diverse social,  educational,  cultural and recreational needs of individuals and families residing in Boston’s downtown neighborhoods. Through quality programs,  collaborative partnerships and volunteer support,  Hill House seeks to build and foster a strong sense of urban community and improve the quality of life for residents of all ages.

Girls on the Run utilizes a 24-lesson curriculum to develop positive social,  emotional and physical habits in pre-teen girls (ages 8-12/grades 3-5). Girls are prepared for a lifetime of healthy living,  ready to take on any challenge.

Girls on the Run Boston currently hosts 4 teams in the Beacon Hill,  North End and South Boston neighborhoods. The spring season promises further growth – additional teams in Dorchester,  Brighton,  Downtown and Charlestown neighborhoods  The program is a wonderful addition to public after school programs. Fundraising initiatives like the Boston Marathon will allow the GOTR team to extend its reach to every Boston school.

Pretty awesome, right? If you have questions or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to ask! I would love to talk to you! Please consider donating!

This is going to be a crazy few months… stick along for the journey.

My “Eat, Pray, Love” moment… or something like that.

I went to a yoga class yesterday and potentially had my own Eat, Pray, Love moment.

In the book (don’t waste your time with the movie – trust me), when Elizabeth travels to India for her “pray” part of the year, she struggles with reciting the Guru Gita every day. Can you blame her? She just spend four months in Italy stuffing herself silly with carbs and now she has to wake up at three in the morning to meditate. One morning Elizabeth overslept and in a rush to get ready she realizes her roommate locked her inside of their bedroom. Elizabeth crawled out the window to escape, accidentally sliced her leg open, ran to the temple, and had the best damn Guru Gita of her life.

Sunday evening my friend Dan and I made plans to get our yoga on at O2 Yoga. I’ve lived barely more than one block away from O2 Yoga for the past two and a half years, so I figured it was high time I went. Yesterday I woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:15 AM, texted Dan “ugh”, fell back to sleep, and didn’t wake up again until 5:47 when Dan texted me back saying he was on his way.

I lept out of bed, threw some clothes on, smashed a banana into my mouth, and headed out the door. I ran out the door, turned the corner, and BAM – ice. Fell flat on my face. Spread eagle in the middle of the sidewalk. Reinvented the term “ate pavement”. Luckily I wasn’t seriously injured or bleeding, but everything stung pretty badly. I stayed strong and (carefully) walked to yoga.

Okay, so… the class wasn’t the best yoga class in my life. It was certainly humbling as I am not any amount of flexible or well balanced. But I really enjoyed it! Our instructor was welcoming, helpful, and non-judgmental. The class was challenging but nothing too difficult for so early in the morning. Afterwards I felt refreshed and didn’t hate myself for waking up so early.

I’ve always wanted to do yoga and I’m glad I tried it. I definitely want to go again – perhaps one day I may be able to touch my toes! (No joke.)

2013

Hi everyone. Long time no post, huh? I wish I could say I was away on some fantastic adventure but that is unfortunately not the case. Lazy Blogger Syndrome is a terrible disease – first you miss one day, then one week, then busy season at work hits, and then you have nothing to write, and then you go two months without writing anything.

It’s a new year. A new slate. There is no better way to start fresh. I’m no longer making ridiculously unattainable resolutions. I never follow through with them. They’re always broken by February. I just want to live better in 2013 – I want to live healthier, wiser, friendlier, more lovingly, and maybe have a little extra cash in my pocket. Don’t we all want this year to be better than before?

Now don’t get me wrong – 2012 was a fantastic year. I ran my second half marathon. I traveled to some cool places. I met some pretty great people. I got a super sweet promotion. I ended the year with my closest friends (some via technology) and a heaping amount of spinach artichoke dip. (Well worth it, by the way.)

I have so much to share with you (including some very exciting running news) and I truly want to live more, do more, see more, love more, and most importantly, blog more, in 2013. I hope you join me for the journey.

And now I leave you with lyrics from RENT, which graced my away messages/Facebook statues every January 1 in middle and high school.

Let’s make a resolution
Let’s always stay friends
Though we may have disputes
This family tree’s got deep routes
Friendship is thicker than blood
That depends
Depends on trust
Depends on true devotion
Depends on love
Depends on not denying emotion
It’s gonna be a happy new year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oof – its been a while, hasn’t it? I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for family, friends, clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a fantastic job, corgis, mocha lattes, cupcakes, sweaters with ridiculous patterns on them, and eating my weight in stuffing today.

I ran a 5k today (recap coming later) and now I’m impatiently waiting for turkey. Wherever you may be today, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

I survived Sandy?

Hurricane Sandy came and went in Boston. There wasn’t much to survive, to be honest. It was extremely windy and rainy on Sunday. On Monday it varied from sprinkles to heavy rain. Although my office was closed on Monday, my surroundings were thankfully left undamaged.

I tried to take some storm pictures on Monday but it looks like a normal, rainy day. Ha.

It was hurricane-ing out there. I promise.

Unfortunately my friends and family in New Jersey did not fare so well. Thank goodness they are all safe and sound but many have been without power for days and may not have power for another week or two. The Jersey Shore, my summer home, is more or less destroyed. I know it will be rebuilt (we’re Jersey strong, after all!) but it’s still frightening seeing pictures of boardwalks I ran up and down as a child now underwater.

I hope everyone out there, wherever you all may be, is staying safe. If you can donate your time, money, shower, or electrical outlets to those who are in need, please do!