Whoa... it's been sooo long since I've last posted that I don't even know where to begin? I heard once that as you get older time begins to go faster. Well, I am starting to think there is some truth to that. But, I am going to try to pick up the pieces to this blog and fill in the last couple months. Here it goes...
Let me start with my biggest accomplishment to date AND one of the best days of my life. The day I ran the Chicago Marathon and qualified for Boston. It was a warm October day, October 9th to be exact! And I had been in Chicago since Friday spending time with friends and family with barely anytime to be nervous. Paul attended the Health and Wellness Expo with me where I bought some fun race tees and thought I over aggressively signed up for the 3:40 pace team. I thought, I really need to push myself this race. I want to make my Coach Jason proud and I want all the hard heat training, all the early mornings, tempo runs, mile repeats, etc COUNT! So, even if 3:40 was a stretch I wanted to try. We planned my pre-race carb meal at at yummy Italian place near Leahey's condo and all my dearest friends and family came to support me. I felt on cloud nine.
The next morning Paul and Leahey dropped me off at the corrals -- Paul looked at me and jokingly said, "don't disappoint ... there are a lot of people here watching you!" That really spoke to me because that's exactly what went through my head throughout the race... I don't want to let everyone down who is here to see me race! I found my way to Corral C and we were off fast... actually I was off fast... TOO FAST. Rookie mistake and I knew it. I was running in the 7:50's - yikes! (It's a marathon, not a sprint! ha) But I eventually settled into the low 8mins. But that was still too fast according to my race pace from Jason. So, eventually, somewhere around the 10k mark I finally settled into the 8:10's. I felt really good and I told myself now you have to hold this...
I had some rough patches along the race.. around mile 13 my IT band started to pull... "oh no" I thought-- this is going to be bad! But God was looking after me that day and while it hurt the entire time, it didn't get any worse and it didn't take me out, phew! Also, around mile 18 I ran out of GU -- I always end up having way too much during races bc I barely take the stuff. But this time it was HOT out and I was sipping it almost the entire time (I water it down in a bottle and hold it) -- So I went mile 18-26 without much nutrition. Also, don't let me forget to share that I completely wiped out in a full out somersault -- yes, at one of the aide stations I collided with another guy and we went flying forward. I didn't even feel the pain -- it was weird, the adrenaline was pumping and I JUMPED up and started running forward again? Just a few scrapes ;-) And then I did hit the 20mile wall... I slowed down to 8:40 at one point and I looked down and thought... crap. Then I thought, "no, I'm not going to be one of those people who LOSES it at mile 20!" So, I grabbed a GU from an aide station, said a prayer and tucked in behind a guy in an orange shirt and paced off him till the finish, we ran 8:12's. I still can't believe I did that? Who runs 8:12's after running 20miles and can hardly walk?? I have never had kids, but I can image that's what labor feels like -- such an intense pain that you can't even feel it anymore. It was something amazing. It was something great. It was my moment.
Crossing that finish line I knew I was about 2mins behind clock time and saw it just cross over 3:36... I had a pretty good idea that I qualified for Boston. I was too exhausted to feel emotion -- but my heart was smiling inside!
Upon finishing I had to walk about a mile to the 27th mile party where I would be reunited with my friends and family. That. was. the. longest. mile. of . my. life. I physically couldn't walk. I begin to cramp and could barely put one foot in front of the other. I clasped upon seeing my family. I tried to get up and walk again and I was back down. The cramping was out of control. After a little Gatorade and banana I was able to stand again. My official time was released and it was confirmed I qualified for Boston. Off to lunch to celebrate. My sister got me a Chicago Marathon orange shirt to remember my last six mile surge pacing after my orange shirt friend! One of the great memories of the best day ever.
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| here are my splits...I averaged an 8:10 mile. |
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| My besties coming out to support me! Love you Mel & Ash! |
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| Family - I love you! |
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| Dad & Mom :-) |
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Paulie, My biggest support and loudest cheerleader. I love you.
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