Bronx Half Marathon!

On Sunday February 8th, I finished a half marathon. I ran the NYRR Half Marathon Grand Prix in the Bronx. It was a FABULOUS day for running, complete with weather in the mid fifties and mostly sunny skies.

I always wonder why they start those things so early in the morning, but then I realized that if they started them any later, we would all melt into puddles in the sun. It was very warm, even warmer with my NikeFit fleece lined running tights on. I must invest in something between spankies and fleece for the next race.

Running the half is unreal because you relaly test how mental running is. New York Road Runners doesn't really dig iPods or headphones, so I 've kind of learned to run without music. Other people's conversations and the thoughts rolling around in your mind are the soundtrack to your race, and I prefer it that way. (And, let's be honest, my playlists kind of suck!)

I realize that I'm a sucker for motivational phrases when it comes to sports. Before rugby games, Doobie would always give these amazing speeches, channeling James Van Der Beek, 50Cent, and the girls from Bring it On. I'm fairly certain I continued playing rugby so I could continue to wear the somewhat lude yet also motivational t-shirts. I cry when I watch high school sports, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE high school sports movies. (I live for Varsity Blues. Seriously. "I.DON'T.WANT.YOUR.LIFE")

Some of the choice t-shirts I saw were:
- Just Do It. (A classic Nike Favorite)
-Today I Kicked Assphalt (Philadelphia Marathon 2008 shirt)
-I Run This City (promotional NYC marathon shirt)
-26.2 Miles to Hell and Back (featuring the Brooklyn Bridge, another motivational shirt)
-No One Ever Drowned in Sweat
-You Run Like a Girl? Good for You!
-Our Sport is Your Sports' Punishment

Running the half was amazing, and it made me even more excited to run the full. I'm not the fastest. I'm not the best. I'm not even close. But I'm excited to be doing it at all.

Slow and Steady doesn't win the race, but it does finish it.

The Tale of the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Running Day and the Could Have Been a Whole Lot Worse Running Day

Due to a bronchitis scare, stomach issues, and family drama, I hadn't gone running in a very long time. When I went out for my group run on Saturday morning, I was hoping to accomplish 12 miles, or maybe at the very least 10. My running buddy was absent on Saturday, so I ran with my marathon mentor. The first few miles were fine, and it felt good to be quickening up my otherwise very slow pace. But then it happened. We did top of the park.

The top of Central Park is located in an area known in various locals as "the heights." Heights indicate -- you guessed it-- hills. We ran up what is known to Central Park peeps as The Great Hill. It is this incredibly long windy hill that ascends like crazy and winds. I made it up the hill, but it broke me. I could run no longer. I had to keep stopping, and walking, and eventually I just gave up. It was the first time I had real trouble with the idea of completing a marathon, and wondered if I could do it. It was the terrible no good very bad running day.

The next morning I was signed up to run the NYRR Gridiron Four Miler. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for running -- it was the first race I had ever run when the temperature was above 15 degrees. What a difference! Though it was a little bit more difficult than a four miler should have been, and my pace slowed down a little bit, it renewed my faith in my ability.

This Sunday I am going to be running the Bronx Half Marathon! I'm a little terrified, because family stuff and work stuff has kept me from running, but I'm hoping to knock it out.

MHC Geology Rocks! (part 2)!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

MHC Geology rocks! Despite the fact that I graduated almost three years ago (ew...I can't handle that!), a large percentage of my donations have come from members of that department, whether in the form of faculty or alumnae! I spent many a late night Clapp laboratory, and some of my favorite times were in the dirt or the lab with these people!

Additionally, my pal LK, who is another MHC geology alum from the class of 2004, is biking for Multiple Sclerosis! She's doing a HUGE bike ride that deals with an overnight stay! Crazy!

Check out her page at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=5892828&fr_id=10222&pg=personal

Thanks MHC geo!

Donations and Sore Throats

Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you for the recent outpouring of donations! I appreciate it more than you know! Don't you all feel special for helping? You do? Tell your friends! Give more! Put my picture up in your office and encourage people to give you spare change! (Ha Ha! Just kidding....mostly.)

And for those of you who are new to this blog, WELCOME and donate here! ANY amount is helpful!

I haven't updated in a long time because I haven't run in a long time! I ran last about a week ago, and then I have come down with various illnesses (this week's potential illness: Bronchitis!) that have prevented me from running! It has allowed me to focus more on figuring out ways to raise money, but I do legitimately miss it! I like pounding the pavement, and the feeling of conquering the day!

Grande and I will be running the Grid Iron Four Miler Race on Sunday, and I'm hoping to break 10 miles on Saturday morning's long run! The Half Marathon is less than two weeks away!

For now, hope that my illness of the week goes away!!

Also, if you like to peruse people's blogs like I do, check out my friend Liz who is running a marathon for Cystic Fibrosis -- www.raceagainstcf.blogspot.com

Fred Lebow 5 Miler and THE BEST WORKOUT EVER!

Saturday morning Grande and I ran the Fred Lebow 5 Miler. Let me rephrase: I started running the race, and somehow in the crowd of 5,000 people, Grande found me. Maybe it's because I wear the same thing at EVERY SINGLE RACE.

The race was good, and even though it was bitterly cold, the snow held off, and it was lovely all around. Five miles was easy enough, and it was good to finish another ace. My average time for the race was 10:22, which means that I dropped my time per mile by almost 30 seconds. That's kind of impressive!

Onto the BEST WORKOUT EVER, after the race on Saturday I went snowboarding with some of the students from school, as well as two other teachers. Although snowboarding points out only how massively uncoordinated I am, I was able to work muscles that I completely forgot that I had, and have fun doing it. Snowboarding was EXCELLENT! I cannot wait to do it again, even though I bit it a number of times in front of sixteen year olds.

A Pink Number Makes Me Happy

Grande and I spent another Friday afternoon heading to midtown east to retrieve our race numbers, chips, and t-shirts for the big race tomorrow. After telling the gentleman my name, I got a welcome surprise: my race number is a different color! Aside from the fact that it is the perfect shade of pink, it means that I am no longer as slow as I once was! My last two race numbers were a beautiful shade of Team in Training purple, but they indicated that I ran over an 11 minute mile! Although my time (according to NYRR) is only 10:50, it pushes me to a new bracket!

Hooorah!!

Running in the Rain = Feeling Like a Total Badass

It's been a long time since I posted, mostly because it has been a long time since I had run. With the holidays, it became easy to ignore the fact that I should have been running, espescially since my BFF Grande wasn't around to keep me motivated!

Last night we had our first Team in Training "Test." This was essentially our first time "haul ass" mile, where we had to put in a lot of effort. I'm not so good at this. I'm really good at pacing myself, at making sure that I don't spring and then have to walk and recover. I'm not so good at giving it my all. On the upside, I can apparently run a mile in 9:14 seconds, which is way better than I thought it was. Although we were supposed to be putting forward a lot of effort, I was putting forward "alot-but-maybe-I-could-give-a-little-more."

Regardless, last night's practice was held in the rain, which quickly turned to ice on my vest. There are few things so rewarding as feeling like a total badass when you walk away from a practice in the rain. It is second only to running away from a game in the rain and covered in nothing but mud.

This weekend we are running the Fred Lebow 5 Mile Race in Central Park, which is exciting. Keep checking in to see how it is going!