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The Importance of Taking A Break

May 15th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (23 Comments)

I love running, but sometimes, I love not running even more. It’s hard to believe it’s been just about a month since the Boston “Speed Can Kill” Marathon, and about 2 weeks since I trudged through the Big Sur Marathon to complete the Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge. In effect, besides those two days of running 26.2 miles, I’ve run exactly 6 times, only 15-30 minutes each, in the last month. Yay!

Less running, more drinking with friends!

I am a strong believer in periodization of training cycles. Part of this has to do with competing through high school and college. The seasons were clearly defined: Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track. We always took about two weeks of rest in between, give or take depending on practices. Breaks were natural, built-in, and welcome after a hard season or race.

After my LAST college race. I took a whole 3 months of NO exercise after that, and it was glorious.

It’s a little more difficult in the ‘real’ world of running, where there are fun races just about every weekend to sign up for, and no coach setting your competition schedule or telling you when to work out and when to rest. Unfortunately, I think too many runners get caught up in racing and training year-round without a break in between cycles and no real concept of periodization, and ultimately end up burnt out or injured. I get it, there are so many awesome races and marathons to sign up for…it’s easy to want to do them all and do them all right now.

But that’s also the awesome thing about the ‘real’ world. YOU control your training! YOU control your rest! YOU control your goal races. I know everyone is different, so I’m not saying you’re doing it wrong if you don’t split your training into cycles. Everyone’s bodies handle training differently, and everyone has different motivations for running and racing.

However, I really don’t think most people benefit from racing week after week, almost entirely year round, never allowing themselves to peak for a smaller handful of goal races. Instead, it’s just a steady stream of mediocre races at less-than-your-full-potential. I don’t think it’s physiologically or psychologically possible to be in your prime racing shape year-round. Of course, the type of races you do will influence this: training cycles differ in duration if you’re running 5Ks versus running marathons. I do firmly believe that periodization allows me to perform at a high level, while keeping enjoyable and injury-free. I love to race, but I love to race fast more. That means being patient and having 1 or 2 kickass races a year, over dozens of mediocre races.

I’m not a coach, so I’m not going to tell you how to structure your training. Again, it depends on the timing and length of what you’re racing. Google “training periodization” for a better guide than I’d give you. But from my personal experience over the past 3 years of post-collegiate racing, I select a goal race and build my schedule leading up to that. For a marathon, I start to focus on building my base about 4+ months out from the race. As the weeks pass, I steadily increase my mileage. I might schedule in a few races during training, but I use these races as workouts or fitness indicators, not goal races. About ~3 weeks from the marathon, I begin to taper. After the goal race, I take as much time off as I feel I need to recover: physically and mentally. Entirely ‘off’ is key: no physical exercise of any type (besides walking, that’s kinda inevitable..) Sometimes I need a little less than two weeks, sometimes it’s a month.

If you’re not longing for a break after a really hard few months of training or an awesome PR in a race, you’re probably not training and racing hard enough. If you’re back rocking workouts and long runs a week or two after a goal race, I don’t understand you. I’ll be chilling on the couch, not lacing up my running shoes until I’m fully longing to run.

I wouldn’t still be head over heels in love with running after 11 years of competing, chasing PR after PR, if I didn’t rest. It’s one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, and an often neglected one. If I trained hard, all year round, I’d never be able to peak accordingly to run a 3:03 (and soon, sub-3:00) marathon.

Another great part about not running? You get to focus on other areas of your life that got a little less love during your hard training. Like friends, family, and work! Lucky for me, my busy work season just started to kick in after Big Sur. Between personal and work trips, I am traveling every. single. weekend. in May and June. Bring it on, and see ya never, friends!

Sun Valley, Idaho for the Idaho Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Association Conference

Boulder, Colorado as a sponsor of the Blend Retreat. Gorgeous view from our hike!

After Boulder, I was lucky enough to hang out in Denver for about 2 hours with my college roomie Emily before jetting back home!

And then I went to Dallas for the Team USA Olympic Media Summit

...Where I got to meet Bernard Lagat and was a HUGE runnerd.

And get to hear the First Lady Michelle Obama speak!

Yeah, it’s been busy, and I’ve come to appreciate my bed at home more than ever, but I wouldn’t have it any other way right now. I’m in a very exciting place in my career, and though traveling to events primarily on the weekends isn’t the most awesome way to maintain a normal social life, I absolutely love my job. I’m working more than ever, traveling more than ever, and sometimes I can barely keep my head on straight, but it’s so rewarding to feel so challenged and get the opportunity to do some very cool things.

I’m traveling to San Francisco the next two weekend, but for FUN! This weekend is my sister’s college graduation (wahhhh how do they grow up so quickly?!), so I’m looking forward to a weekend of celebrating with the family. Then I’ll return to CA for Memorial Day Weekend with three friends for a little Napa Valley getaway. At least there’s a bit of fun squeezed into my schedule. And maybe some running, too….maybe.

What’s your viewpoint on periodization in your training? Do you like taking breaks after races, or are you more of a year-round racer? Favorite place you’ve been lately?

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Pre-Boston Reality Check: “Speed Can Kill”

April 15th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (15 Comments)
In less than 20 hours (fingers crossed), I’ll be making a right on Hereford and left on Boylston. I’ll see the finish line in the distance and hopefully cross it in one piece.
For the last year+, I’ve had my sights set on breaking 3:00. It’s only been over the last 2 months that I’ve really started to believe — truly, confidently, believe —  I could do it tomorrow at Boston. I’ve spent the final miles of recent runs visualizing those last few miles, knowing I’m running 2:5X:XX, and actually felt the butterflies, excitement, and adrenaline. I worked hard for this. I earned this. I proved to myself, most importantly, that I could do it.
But no matter how hard and how long you train, some things are simply out of your control. Like tomorrow’ weather forecast.

 

90 DEGREES. 

 

In April, 70 would be HOT. 90 is just cruel. I didn’t really start worrying about the forecast until Friday morning, as I woke up to an email from the BAA warning about heat stroke. Yesterday, we received the official announcement that they were adding a deferment option, extending the course time, and signed off with a warning that “speed can kill.” Yes, really.

 

Reality check.

 

I’m not sure how to adjust my race strategy, but I’ll need to. My plan was to start out a tad slower than goal pace, around 6:55-7:00, feeling relaxed & comfortable on the downhills. I’d cruise until we hit the uphills, working a consistent pace, and then use the energy I banked by starting out conservatively to kick it the last 5-6 miles and bring it home under 3:00. The one thing I’ve heard, over and over, is to start conservatively or you’ll pay for it later.

 

I hate the thought of entirely discounting my goal before I even toe the starting line, but I can’t pretend I’m invincible either. The heat is going to affect me and everyone out there tomorrow. Yeah, I’m hydrating, packing in electrolytes, and will be sure to focus on taking water & gatorade at every stop I can, but it’s a fact that heat imposes real physical limitations on performance. BAA’s email today said: “You should adopt the attitude that THIS IS NOT A RACE. It is an experience.”

 

Just like thousands of others here in Boston, I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed. I’m in the best marathoning shape I’ve ever been in and success could be totally out of my reach tomorrow. I’ve had people tell me to just throw all goals out the window, run easy, and just finish. But I don’t train for months on end to simply finish, and it’s really, really hard for me to accept anything less than the finish I’ve been dreaming of.

 

But you know what? It’s BOSTON. My first! And more than likely, not my last. Every training cycle and race has it’s purpose. If I don’t break 3:00 tomorrow, I will be disappointed, but it’s just more experience under my belt that’ll lead me to a 2:5X:XX when the time is right. Maybe it’ll be Chicago in October, and maybe it won’t. But I’ll keep believing I can and working towards it.

 

So I’ll hit the streets in Hopkinton with my game face on and play it by ear. I’ll still start out conservatively and see where the race goes. For all of those who would like to track me, by bib # is 3752! I hope to wear my orange Central Park Track Club singlet, but I might strip down to a sports bra if it’s already warm in the morning.

 

 

And if anything, I’ve had a fabulous weekend so far in Boston– driving up and checking out the expo with teammates, dinner and exploring with my Mom, and just taking in the energy in this city pre-Marathon Monday. Hopefully it’s sunny and warm (but not THIS warm!) next year– I’d love to come watch!

 

Of course, I bought the requisite Boston jacket (& pint glass– because I’ll need a cold brew after this one):

 

Well, I don’t know if tomorrow will be ‘wicked fast’, but I’ll do my best to make it wicked fun.

 

THANK YOU for all of your support over the last few months especially, and for continuing to follow me along on this journey. I know you’ll all be rooting for me out there, and I’m happy to have made it this far healthy, happy, and fit. Boston, here we go! Good luck to everyone racing, let’s do this!

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Boston 2012 Training Plan

January 18th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (14 Comments)

As much as I’d like to continue living in blissful denial of the reality I’ll be running a marathon in 12.5 weeks (gulp), it’s time to figure out my game plan and get myself together. Fact is, January is almost over and I can’t put it off any longer if I actually want to give myself a fair chance at Boston.

Last night, I sat down and finally mapped out my plan. While I’m certainly not far behind my weekly mileage and long-run goals, I have substantially less base-building time than I usually like to build in, meaning I have to start ramping up ASAP. But I’m okay with this, because I needed every single day I took off after NYC to refresh myself: mentally more than physically.

If I haven’t said it enough, the NYC Marathon kicked my ass this year. Like, 50x harder than in did in 2010 when it was my first marathon. And I only ran <1 minute faster last year. I think most of this has to do with falling short of my sub-3:00 goal. I know I put in the hard work to make it happen, and race day wasn’t the day. Honestly, I can tell by my motivation towards training that I’m still recovering mentally. Time to get over myself, right?

If I hadn’t registered for Boston back in Sept. (& Big Sur, but let’s forget that one exists right now), I would have zero plans to race a spring marathon. After the blow of NYC, I would have given myself winter to chill out, maybe race a spring half, but really focus on regaining my drive to want to get back out there day in and day out and work hard towards my goal. Because I’m just not feelin’ it as naturally as I tend to.

But alas, I’m racing Boston. And I’m not the type to half-ass my training towards a marathon. If I’m putting in the work, I’m going to make it count the best I can given the circumstances. I don’t want to put myself into a position where I am undertrained. I am not going up there looking to run an easy/slow (for me) time. If I am putting in any time to train for a marathon, especially for BOSTON- the mother of marathons, I am at least going to give myself a fighting chance. Here’s to hoping I find my drive and motivation somewhere along my 6 mi. tempo planned for tomorrow night– or anytime before April 16th, really.

I’m not aiming to break 3:00 in Boston, though I wouldn’t mind if I did ;) I want to be competitive yet realistic with myself. I am aiming to run around 3:05. This seems reasonable to me given my base, motivation, work schedule, travel schedule, and downright suckiness of winter training. It might not be a PR, but it won’t be far off. I also don’t know how I’ll fare on Boston’s course: I’ve only ever run NYC.

So finally, my training plan. As you may know, I’ve got all my training plans/logs up on my training tab so you can follow along in a handy dandy Google Doc. Though, I’ve also returned to keeping a paper log thanks to the Secret Santa gift from Meggie: A Believe I Am journal!

Boston Marathon 2012 Training Plan/Log

A few notes:

  • As always, the only ‘structure’ I give my weeks is to hit a certain goal mileage and do a certain long-run. These are indicated in the gray columns. The rest is wiggle room to adjust depending on my schedule- flexibility relieves a lot of anxiety about planning. Though it does require a few mid-week calculations ;)
  • I know my body functions best on one day of rest/week. Like, total 110% rest, no cross-training.
  • I’ll always aim to get in one workout a week, most likely on Thursday nights with the CPTC team. With schedules, I might find myself doing these solo on other days of the week.
  • I’ll look to hit a high of 65 this cycle. For NYC, I found myself comfortable at 60, good at 65, pushing it at 70, and just impossible to hit 75. 65 in the winter should be a nice peak.
  • I’ve incorporated a cut-back week in mileage since that helped a ton when training for NYC. I might move it depending how my body feels.
  • No races planned due to weekend travel in March, though it’d be nice to do a half as a fitness indicator.
  • I want more of my long runs to finish at marathon pace.

And there you have it! Thoughts? Feedback? Overly ambitious? Underly ambitious? Have at me.

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Festivity & Secret Santas

December 18th, 2011 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (9 Comments)

Sometimes, the best runs are the ones you least expect. I’ve had a pretty busy week & weekend and running hasn’t been high on my list of priorities. This morning, I woke up early after too many drinks last night and too little sleep. I felt a bit lot like death. Instead of going back to bed like a normal person, I decided the only cure for this hangover was some fresh air. I bundled up (when did it become winter?) and hit the roads for a run to get the blood flowing. 6 miles later, I felt semi-normal again. Surprisingly I averaged around 7:20 pace, something that shouldn’t be possible after getting a total of 10 or 11 hours of sleep all weekend.

Excellent. I’m honestly pretty surprised by how well I’ve been functioning on so little sleep. A very small part of me is regretting signing up for Boston. Marathon training takes a lot out of me, and I’ve kinda been liking non-training Lindsay. She’s fun and goes out and stays up late and takes too many shots and doesn’t have to worry about a 20 mile run or workout the next day.

Fun Lindsay

Don’t worry, I’m definitely still going to be racing Boston and Big Sur, no questions there. It’s just hard to strike a balance between putting in the hard work to get sub-3:00, and being a single 24 year old living in NYC and all that entails. At the end of the day, I need to remind myself not to take running too seriously: it’s only a part of my life, and something I do because I love it. It’s not do or die, and I can still be fun Lindsay…. most of the time. :)

Despite Christmas being less than a week away (!!), I still hadn’t hit up the NYC must-sees. So I finally made my way to midtown to be a Christmasy tourist this weekend. We explored Bryant Park and the Rockefeller Christmas tree. Christmasy things make me happy :)

And my friends Noelle and Kristen came into the city to go out and stay at my apartment last night. We met up with Terence, and we always, always have random nights out together. Last night included a lesbian bar, an apartment party, and a hole-in-the-wall Irish bar. Fun!

Terence, Kristen, Me and Noelle

After the surprisingly great 6 mile run this morning, I headed over to Ali’s apartment for a fun Sweat Squad Secret Santa party with Megan, Susan, Kelly and Meggie!

Meggie, Me, Kelly, Ali, Susan, Megan

Meggie was my Secret Santa and got me an awesome Believe I Am Training journal. I am so excited to use it for training, I think it’ll help get me in the game mentally and be neat to record my training. Thanks, Meggie!

Over the course of our 7 hour “brunch”, we opened presents, drank mimosas, and ate baked treats. That’s my idea of a festive Sunday.

All in all, a very, very festive and fun weekend. Cheers to many, many more! And now, I will proceed to pass out. I’m road tripping to upstate NY tomorrow to finally see the Chobani plant on Tuesday and can’t wait!

Highlight of your weekend?

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Post-Marathon Recovery

November 13th, 2011 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (14 Comments)

I LOVED reading each and every comment to my marathon recap. New readers, welcome and hope you stick around! First time commenters, thanks for saying hi, please do more often! Regular readers, loved each and every word you said, and thanks for keeping with me on this journey. It made me feel better that I was not alone in my feelings, and really made me think about why I’m writing and sharing my stories and training.

Marathons are tricky. You pour months of your life and soul into this one day, this one dream, and cross your fingers that it’ll pay off. “Putting all your eggs in one basket” (to be cliche) is a risk, but delivers a magnificent reward when all goes well. This reward, this feeling of pride, achievement, success, accomplishment, and so much more is the reason I run and will continue to race (hopefully) for the rest of my life.

Putting so much at stake and testing yourself for a few hours of your life is tough, and it’s easy to feel let down and disappointed when it doesn’t go as you’d hoped. But we all know the opposite feeling, that sheer elation when things do go well. Beating our goals, running faster and farther than we thought, pushing ourselves, overcoming doubt, feeling that runner’s high, achieving a PR…this is why we run and despite bad races, will continue to return to the starting line to test ourselves yet again. Okay, maybe we’re a little crazy too…but that’s okay.

Nevertheless, I got a bit overwhelmed when I came home to receive this shirt in the mail. The last thing I want to think about right now are the 2 marathons I’m already signed up for. Gulp.

This week, I haven’t run a single step. I’ve found it pretty hard to stop waddling and walk like a normal human, and needed serious assistance going up and down my friend’s 5th floor walkup on Friday night. I have no plans to run at all next week. I am completely perplexed (and somehow amazed) how anyone who raced on Sunday is doing any type of cardio activity, physically or mentally. I have no desire to run right now, and won’t lace up my running shoes until I do.

For me, I need a solid break in between big races and goals. I like to segment my training cycles so they culminate with a goal race, then back off for a few weeks and then start building back up again slowly for the next goal. Having a concrete “divider” period in between gives my body a much needed break, but more importantly, allows me to mentally recharge and get excited for the next goal. This helps me avoid feeling burnt out and lets me start from a fresh slate when it’s time to gear up for Boston. Since I won’t be increasing my mileage and adding in workouts until late December or early January, I’ve got some time to keep it low-key and run by feel.

This weekend has been pretty nice so far, and I’m not missing running one bit! On Friday, I went out with a group of girlfriends and had a blast catching up over sangria and then hitting up the bar and dancing until 3:30 in the morning. A few too many drinks, shots and sore quads later, I found myself in bed all day yesterday, watching Season 1 of Parenthood (I recently got addicted and had to start from the beginning!). It felt nice to stay out as late as I wanted, without feeling exhausted from running or worried about how much sleep I’d get. It felt equally as nice to allow myself to lay in bed all day (and night) and not feel guilty about not getting in my miles or jam packing my day with activities. Balance is key.

How do you recover from a marathon, or any tough race? Do you take time off? Favorite post-race treat? I finally got a mani/pedi on Friday to reward my feet for carrying me 26.2 miles…I’m sure my bruised toenails were a treat for the pedicurist lady, too.


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2011 NYC Marathon Recap; 3:03:37

November 9th, 2011 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts | Race Recaps - (41 Comments)

I really didn’t want to write this post, and I know I’m a few days late to the recap game. I put it off partially because it wasn’t the sub-3:00 marathon I had hoped for, but mostly because writing this would mean it was over. I can’t go back and change the way I felt on Sunday. I’ve taken a few days to digest the race, which included a healthy mix of basking in pride and sulking in disappointment.

I’ll be honest, yes, I am disappointed. A time like mine should not reflect disappointment, but it does for me. I trained for, wished for, and pushed really hard to complete my second marathon in under 3:00. I know my time is still great, and it’s a 55 second PR from last year’s NYC. Who can’t be happy with a PR?! And NYC is a tough course! At the end of the race, the feeling of sheer depletion meant I gave it everything physically and that’s what mattered. I am proud of myself for finishing, setting myself up for success with a really great first half, and staying mentally strong and fighting despite the way I felt.

Finished!!

2011 NYC Marathon: 3:03:37 official finishing time. 83rd female, 1425th place overall, 7th in age group (20-24). My 2nd marathon. Now let’s get to the fun stuff :)

Sub-Elite Start

I woke up at 5 a.m., feeling pretty well-rested and excited! I made some coffee and a hugeeee oatmeal with bananas to heat and take on the bus with me. Around 5:45, I left my apartment and headed to 54th street and 6th avenue to board the sub-elite bus. Around 6:30 a.m. we headed east down the FDR, our caravan of buses escorted by police. Seeing the highway completely shut down to traffic for our buses was the first of many unreal experiences. We arrived in Staten Island pretty quickly and were escorted away from the starting villages into a private heated tent, next to the elite athletes.

Sub-elite tent

While we were separated from the elites, we still shared portapotties and a little warmup area. Luckily, I had my CPTC teammates to keep me company! I didn’t even need half the layers I packed since we weren’t out in the cold, but I sure was thankful I had brought them anyway. I drank Gatorade and ate another banana and Gu Chomps while we waited. Around 8:45, we checked our bags in a private truck and were escorted to the top of the Verrazano bridge.

The next 45 minutes until the start were the most incredible moments of my life. We were able to start right on the line, and were free to do striders and roam the starting area. I strode out about 100 meters over the bridge and took it all in… just me and the closed bridge, nobody else in sight.I turned around and the crowds were so far away. It was surreal to be standing by myself with the bridge wide open. It was at that point I realized I was going to go for it. I’ve worked so hard the past four months to be standing in this exact spot…and suddenly I was here, standing on top of the Verrazano, taking in these gorgeous views from a truly special spot. I started to get choked up, I was so thankful.

New York, New York!

Miles 1, 2, 3: 6:45, 6:19, 6:32

The gun went off, and suddenly we were running! I tried to stay steady up the Verrazano, and found myself trailing back a bit from my CPTC teammates. I had anticipated hitting the first mile in over 7:00, so 6:45 was a bit of a shock but I felt fine. I tried not to pay attention to the second mile marker since that’s down the Verrazano’s steep decline. I thought mile 3 was a tad more steady as we wound the streets and found our way to Brooklyn, but I see it was quick!

Miles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 6:42, 6:42, 6:46, 6:41, 6:53

Around the 5K mark, I found myself back with my CPTC teammates Erin, Erin, and Maria. We strode across the road in a line of 4, trying to reign each other back and get closer to 6:50s. But it just wasn’t happening. I know you know that feeling. So, everytime I felt like speeding up, I tried to picture myself absorbing that energy I wanted to use and saving it for later. During this portion, I felt like I was working a bit more than I wanted to, but I definitely felt smooth. Erin pulled away around mile 6. At 7.5, I swung out to the left side of the road as my Dad was supposed to be standing near 7.8. I scanned and scanned the crowds but missed him! I was a bit thrown off, but quickly hopped back with my teammates as we approached mile 8 and joined in with the green & blue corrals! I took my first gel at mile 8 and felt good.

Miles 9, 10, 11, 12, 13: 6:45, 6:38, 6:49, 6:47, 6:48. Half-marathon mark 1:28:06.

A bit after mile 10 (why did I run a 6:38??) I realized I felt like I was working a bit harder than I should be. The crowds, the energy, the noise, and my thoughts propelled me to continue pushing. It’s a marathon, it was going to hurt no matter what. I pushed any doubt and panic aside. We passed the halfway mark in 1:28:06 and I felt a boost. I knew we had to hit the halfway point in 1:28 low or under to run under 3:00. Being a bit OCD, I checked the past year’s results and saw that anyone who ran sub-3:00 ran between 1:24 and 1:28 for the half. Nothing slower. Yes, this was fast, and YES this was aggressive, but I wanted to know I did everything I could to set myself up for success. I was on track, and just had to run under a 1:32 second half– heck, that sounded reasonable!

Miles 14, 15, 16, 17, 18: 6:56, 7:09, 7:09, 6:48, 6:53

I continued through Queens and started to feel like legs going a bit. My breathing was a bit heavier than I wanted, but I was chugging along where I wanted to be. I fell way behind my teammates going up the Queensboro bridge, but tried to keep steady. Hills are not my strength, and I didn’t mind the quietness of the bridge. I used it to collect my thoughts and my strength while taking my second gel and working to draft a bit as it was pretty windy. As we wound down the bridge, and I heard the wall of noise of 1st ave. Manhattan! I made it! I knew I had friends in the 70s and 80s, and scanned the crowds while trying to stay focused. I felt my quads really going and started to get nervous. Last year, I felt pretty good on this stretch of 1st Ave and my current state concerned me a bit. I used the crowd’s energy to propel myself forward, still happy with my splits around goal pace. My mom was on 97th street, and I was so happy to see her…though I had very little to say but wave.

Miles 19, 20, 21, 22, 23: 7:07, 7:26, 7:21, 7:26, 7:32

After mile 18, the crowds thinned and I took a 3rd gel in hopes they’d revive my legs. My quads. Oh, my quads. I rarely have issues or soreness in my quads during long runs or workouts, but they felt paralyzed as we hit the Willis Avenue Bridge. My breathing was okay, aerobically I felt I could continue to push, but my legs were not having it. I lost major time on these miles. I looked at my pace bracelet and saw the 2 minute cushion I had to break 3:00 start to shrink. It was frustrating knowing I was mentally and aerobically feeling ready to push but physically unable to increase the turnover in my legs. I was stuck in the same gear. Around mile 23, I actually didn’t know if my legs would hold up to carry me to the finish line. But I fought.

Over the Willis Avenue Bridge... (19.5)

Miles 24, 25, 26, .2: 8:00, 7:28, 7:20, 1:38

The 5th Avenue hill was the worst, as expected. I counted down the blocks one by one, feeling like I traveled 10 blocks but only having made it one. 90th street felt like it would never come. I saw my parents and barely mustered a wave. As a whole, I really tried to enjoy and savor the course but this stretch was one I just about closed my eyes and wished away. Once we entered the park, I was hit by “The Wall of Orange”– my CPTC teammates cheering their heads off. I got a boost and knew I would finish. Unlike last year where I think I blacked out for part of Central Park to the finish line, I was extremely aware during this time. Again, I wanted to just go but my legs wouldn’t let me. I remained positive and focused, knowing I’d have to continue to push if I was going to PR at all.

Seriously, are we there yet?!

Cresting up the small hill to the finish line the last .2 miles, I tried to kick and push, and was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. All the blood rushed from my head and body, I wanted to pass out or throw up. It was then I knew I was physically spent, a sign of a good race. I somehow raised my arms upon crossing.

Finish!

Victory!

Upon finishing, a volunteer quickly spotted my bib and escorted me to a special finisher’s area. On my way, I spotted my CPTC teammates I had run with and all finished around the same time. And, Alex who had started in local competitive found us too!

Alex, Me, Erin, Maria

The volunteer escorted us from the sub-elite to a special tent right after the finish line. I was so thankful I didn’t have to walk all the way to the end of the baggage trucks like I did last year. I barely made it to the tent, fighting the urge to pass out or at least sit down. The volunteer let us sit while she found my bag. For that, she was my hero! I sat and breathed and stared around for a while before changing into dry clothes and calling my parents.

That was it. I didn’t break 3:00, and the world wasn’t over (shocker!) I didn’t feel upset at that moment because of how physically spent I was. I wanted under 3:00 and my mind said yes, but my legs said NO. I felt proud of myself for finishing, and fighting, and still setting a new PR. So often, the mental piece of the puzzle is what goes awry and makes for a bad race. I can say despite some frustrating moments, my mind was really in the game. My legs just went a lot earlier than I anticipated which made for a really rough second half.

The Aftermath

After the race, I met up with my Mom and Dad and went to brunch at Fred’s on the UWS. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait and I had a pretty good grilled chicken sandwich. I hobbled back to my apartment and immediately got into bed and started crying to my mom. I’ve had a pretty rough few weeks, and part of me felt like I needed a sub-3:00 race to boost my self confidence and affirm I’ll be okay. After working so hard and sacrificing so much, I fell short. I failed. Running kicked me when I was down.

After drying my tears and saying bye to my mom, I brushed myself off and hopped in the shower. I knew sulking in my apartment wouldn’t help, so even though I was physically drained, I headed down to Opal for the CPTC afterparty celebrations. A few beers, a bottle of champagne, and shots later, I left with a happy heart and head. Sure, my time wasn’t the best, but I PR’ed. And the experience was worth every painful second.

Free bottle of champagne? Okay!

So now what? I’m trying hard to let this race just be and not analyze my splits, training, diet, lifestyle, etc. I feel like I did the right stuff, and it just wasn’t my day. Maybe NYC isn’t my course, and I’d fare better on a flatter one where I can keep a steady pace and not get crushed by awful hills and bridges. Part of me really doesn’t get why this year felt so much harder than last year, when I know I am a stronger runner right now. Maybe my pacing strategy was off, but I stand firm on the way I went out because it put me in the right position.

I’ve got Boston 2012 next, and I’m holding off on making any goals for that race quite yet. I’m a bit hesitant to say I want to break 3:00 there. However, I know I’m competitive with myself and probably won’t want to go into that race without the goal of setting a new PR. Let’s be honest.

For now, I will take the next week or two entirely off running and exercise of any type. For me, I need a solid rest period to break up training and racing cycles. Taking it easy until after Thanksgiving will ensure I am fresh and eager to train for Boston, and not get burnt out or injured. I’ll be sleeping in, enjoying my free time, and living a little more until then!

Finally, THANK YOU again for all the kind congratulatory messages. Even though it wasn’t my day, I felt extremely loved and supported before, during and especially after the race. As I said before the race, I’ll be back here working hard and writing about it until I get that sub-3:00!

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