A Shiny New PR: Staten Island Half Marathon

Apologies for the late post. Yes, I did run the Staten Island Half Marathon about a week ago (10/13/13). I just haven't had it in me to post a blog. Traveling took a lot out of me and I guess I needed to lay low for a while.

Nevertheless, the half marathon was really great. I ran much faster than my first half! The hills were long and tedious and I thought that the turnaround would be a lot sooner once I started seeing folks from the front of the pack lining the road on the other side... But, alas, I was a back pack gal this race. No shame, though. I still got a shiny new personal record (PR).

Original time: 2:58:22
NEW PR: 2:45:08

I'm delighted to report that I crushed my old PR by a whole 13 minutes!

Being there with my friends was awesome and I also got to meet another Oiselle Volée teammate!

Here's a pic of me and Gabrielle. We're sporting the really sweet hardware from a half marathon well done. :) She's a fast birdie. :)

Sadly I didn't get any other photos. This is what happens when your smartphone is become less intelligent as it ages. Meh. (At least it makes phone calls... most of the time. Le sigh. I'm tired of being broke!)

My stay in New York was truly wonderful thanks to some friends and their sofa! I ate well, ran well, and soaked up every minute of the weekend.

Here is my best photo during the race. I'm told (by my BFF, as a matter of fact) that I shouldn't look that good after 13.1 miles. Hehe. Guess I was a happy finisher! This was the 0.1 part of the race!

Running maintains my sanity

It does. Running helps me maintain my sanity. Even though I don't do it as much as I should (according to my training program).

And what am I training for?

I'm glad you asked. :)

Sunday, October 13th I am running my second half marathon! It's exciting for me because one of my closest friends recently caught the running bug and this will be the first time we run together because she's not local.

I feel MUCH more prepared for this race than I did for my first half marathon. I think that feeling is accurate because of two main differences: 1) My asthma is under control. 2) I have a stronger base.

Am I worried? A little. Sometimes that left achilles pipes up and I wish it wouldn't. Also, there's potential that the humidity will be higher than here at home. The race is on Staten Island, so I'm not sure what to expect.

So because I'm actually crazy, Saturday the following week (October 19) I'm running a brand new 5k. Then the first weekend the following month (November 3) I'm running Pittsburgh's first 10 miler. And the following week? My first marathon (November 10).

I'm nervous about the marathon because I haven't run that far yet, but I know from the half marathon I have a decent base. Besides, if I want to stop running after just the half I can. That's nice to know, but right now I'm planning like I'm going to run the full.

And this craziness maintains my sanity amid loneliness, joblessness, moneylessness, insurancelessness, and (sometimes) hopelessness.

Today's Run Oozes Awesomeness (for real)

I'm fairly certain that I just had the best run ever.

Ever.

And it's a taper for next Sunday's half marathon. And it was partially in the rain and almost in the dark.

Simple awesomeness just oozes from this experience. Here's why...

Blurry with excitement about the new trail

My running buddy Eleanor is back from a stress fracture in her foot and a busted hand (different injuries on different days from doing different things) and I couldn't be happier that she is healed and ready to run.

Plus...

Today marked the grand opening of a new trail in my county. I didn't know about this, but E did. She's got a pulse on stuff like that (for which I am grateful!).

AND... Part of the reason it was such a great run is that I fueled right for today. I need to remember today as a case study for how WELL I can do. (Obviously I have plenty of examples of what not to do. Finally a good one to recall!)

So here's the math:

   excellent running partner return
+ wicked awesome new trail
+ eating right today
-  technology of any kind
= --------------------------------------
truly magnificent eight mile taper run

We also saw pigs. Real little (and big) oinkers!

Someone's little piggies enjoying the freshly made mud

I haven't had a run that felt THIS good in months. Specifically, I haven't had a run this good since before I lost my job. I got the Warner Bros. Roadrunner legs feeling. I was breathing well despite the humidity. I felt solid for all eight miles.

The Great Race 10k version 2.0

I ran The Great Race again this year. Now last year when I ran it, it was the first time I had ever run more than five miles. This year, I had another 10k, several other 5ks, and a half marathon under my belt. I felt good.

I didn't do as well as I felt, though. I know I'm not eating right at the moment. It's tough to make food choices based on what I need in my diet and what I can afford. I hate making those choices.

Anyway, it took me three extra minutes to finish this year, 1:11:43 is what I ran. (Last year I was around 1:08, so you see my disappointment.)

I'm glad I ran it though. I need a wake-up call like that every once in awhile, I suppose. I'm trying to keep going as a runner while trying to keep going as a human being and neither is an easy course of action.

Here's my least favorite stretch of The Great Race...
Almost all the people I talked to about the race said it was their least favorite part too. It's like you've already run five miles and you have a little left to go, but it seems much longer on this stretch of road. The view isn't that great (unless you look to the left... and risk running into people) and it's really sunny.

So I'm glad I ran the race. My music helped me keep up a decent pace. Too bad I didn't beat the time from last year. Guess I have to wait for 2014 now.