« October 2004 | Main | December 2004 »
November 30, 2004
It just keeps getting better!
I had another great run this morning, my regular 10-miler with C. We met before it was light out, and were treated to one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen.
In other good news...he called! We're going out again on Thursday.
I wonder if they're putting Prozac in the water, because things have just been going too well lately. Now all I need is a promotion and a raise! Speaking of which, back to work...
Posted by jessie at 2:12 PM | Comments (6)
November 29, 2004
Weather Gods
So the weather here has been crazy the last few days. Sunny and warm, cold and grey, sunny and freezing, blue sky but raining, freakishly strong wind gusts...and all within the same day. It makes it kind of hard to dress for a run when the weather changes halfway through. Sunday I actually wore short sleeves and was too warm, until my way home when I was literally almost blown off a bridge by the wind. I won't complain too much, though--I used to live in upstate New York, and no weather can be worse than that. If it wasn't bleak and grey, it was bleak and a blizzard.
I decided to take Sunday as my easy day, so I ran to my gym, about a 5 mile round trip, and did an hour on the elliptical. I felt kind of sluggish on the way there, but I felt good on the way home (except for the scary bridge incident). I was feeling even better than I thought, because I made it up the enormous hill behind my apartment faster than I usually do. This hill is about 1/4 mile, and it's steep. It's a great test, both mental and physical--I feel really strong on days that I'm tired but can still push myself up it. When I'm feeling good I time myself. On an average day it takes me 2:23, and my "hill PR" is 2:10. I've never run it flat out just to see what I can do, but I'm planning to in the next few weeks. I want to incorporate more hill repeats into my training this winter-Boston prep! Anyway, yesterday I ran the hill in 2:16 and didn't feel like I was working that hard.
This morning I ran it in 2:13, which I totally wasn't expecting. I went out for just an easy 6 mile run, but felt awesome and ran pretty hard. I've felt great the last few days--maybe it's just that I finally don't feel exhausted from the marathon. Whatever the cause, I'll take it! Tonight I'm heading to the gym for a date with the elliptical trainer.
Speaking of dates...Saturday night went well. I had a really good time, and I think he did too--at least, he asked me if I wanted to get together again, which is a good sign. But I don't want to jink it by saying anymore...should there be further developments, I will keep you posted.
Posted by jessie at 3:32 PM | Comments (2)
November 27, 2004
Jitters!
Just when I was getting worried that he wouldn't call, he did...but now I'm so nervous I almost wish he hadn't! We're going to go get a drink later tonight. I was starting to think of excuses I can use to come home early if it isn't going well, but I decided to stop borrowing trouble, and instead go into it thinking I'm going to have a great time. Which I'm sure (or at least I hope) I will--but I'm just not sure if I remember how to do this!
Enough of my (pre) dating woes--this is supposed to be about running, right? I had a really good 11-miler this morning. It was perfect running weather--another very sunny, cold day. We had a solid turnout of about 30 people at SLR, which is good for a holiday weekend. Most of the people had made the transition to tights, but a few brave souls, myself included, were still in shorts. I wore both gloves and mittens and my hands were still numb, but the rest of my body was very comfortable once I got warmed up. I'm just not ready to make the clothing change yet. First, running in tights makes me feel slow for some reason, and second, I hate to admit that it's winter. I wish that autumn led directly to spring, and then back to autumn--I could definitely live without winter and summer.
Back to the run--it wasn't one of my favorite routes. In fact it's one I studiously avoid when running on my own. We went out about 4 miles on a bike trail along the Potomac, then ran into a neighborhood and looped around back to the trail. The trail is very scenic, but I have a complete mental hang-up about it because it was the site of my absolute all-time worst run ever, a death march in 95 degree heat that I didn't think would ever, ever end. So it always feels like such a long way back, even though it's only a few miles, and I started dreading the return 30 minutes into the run. I think I may have conquered the trail today, though, because I felt great the entire time. I started out with some guys who are usually a little faster than me, and I was sure that they'd drop me, but I hung with them the whole way. The route features a gigantic hill of local renown--in fact the route is called the "Fort Scott Hill Climb"--and I felt very strong going up it. The return trip felt much shorter than expected, and I had enough left to run pretty hard at the end. So while the trail will never be my first choice, at least now I know that it isn't the longest four miles in the universe.
Posted by jessie at 4:43 PM | Comments (3)
November 26, 2004
A quick post before bed
It's so sad...twenty five years old, on a Friday night at 10:30 pm, and I'm falling asleep. At least I have the excuse of getting up early tomorrow for Saturday Long Run. I haven't been in almost a month, since I was out of town the two weekends after the marathon, and I'm looking forward to going back. I'm not sure how to articulate it, but SLR and track are my touchstones; they shape my week, and I feel a little off-kilter when I'm missing that part of my schedule. And not just in terms of running, although that's a big part of it; they're also the times when I know I'll see most of my friends. People notice when you're not there, and it's a good feeling to be a "regular" somewhere. So it will be nice to be back.
I had a fantastic 10 mile run this morning, although I did have trouble getting myself out the door. Most mornings my alarm goes off and I gulp a cup of coffee (thank you, whoever invented the coffee pot timer!), put on my shoes, and am out the door before my body knows what hit it. But this morning I slept in, and then sat around reading the paper and leisurely drinking my coffee, and I was very tempted to curl up on the couch with a book for the rest of the morning. But I had plans later in the day, so it was now or never, and I knew I'd feel better once I got going. And boy was I right--within a mile from the house I was so glad to be outdoors. It was a gorgeous, cold, sunny day, one of those days where you can smell winter but the sun is so bright it keeps you warm. I was still at my parents' house, so I had a fun change of scenery, and I just felt really good and energetic the whole time. I was surprised by how few other people were out, though--I spent a few miles on one of the busiest bike paths in the area, and was sure I'd see a ton of runners and walkers, considering it was a holiday and such a nice day. But I guess everyone was out shopping. The paper this morning said that there were people lined up at Best Buy at 11 pm last night!! for a sale that started at 6 am this morning. Ugh. I don't do very well in malls or in crowds, and the combination of the two is a special kind of hell. How did we live before internet shopping?
Posted by jessie at 10:43 PM | Comments (1)
November 25, 2004
The Turkeys Won
Happy Thanksgiving! I am writing from the kitchen table at my parents' house, which is only 20 minutes from my apartment. This year I give thanks for not having to travel!
Actually I give thanks for a lot. I live a wonderful, full life, surrounded by people I love who love me in return, and I can't think of anything else I could need. I hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving, and that every day of the year your blessings are too many to count.
I do wish I had run a little faster at the Turkey Chase this morning. I really wanted to run under 40 minutes, and I ran 40:55. But I feel like I put in a good effort, and I ran a pretty smart race, so I'm not terribly unhappy with my time. I was able to pass several women who had passed me at the beginning--watching them go by, I knew I wanted to get them at the end, and I did. Even with a not-super-fast time, I was still the fourth woman overall, which is pretty cool. My dad loves to tell people about my running (strangers know my marathon PR)so he's excited to tell people I came in fourth. He also tells people that I'm going to be in the Olympics; I think they're disappointed when they actually meet me.
The course was really hilly, which I'm using as my excuse for not running the time I wanted, but to be honest I don't know that I would have gone below 40 minutes on a flat course. Training for New York, I didn't focus on speedwork at all; with no base, I was just concerned about getting enough mileage in without getting hurt again. I ran some workouts, but without thinking about consistency and progression. So my endurance is back, but I'm not sharp. Now that I do have a base, I'm looking forward to really putting in the time and effort. I am ready to work hard.
Posted by jessie at 4:46 PM | Comments (1)
November 24, 2004
Milestones
The fun thing about recovery, whether from an injury or a race, is that every day is a new milestone. It's such a boost to say, this is my first workout since... or this is my longest run since...
The reason I'm thinking about it is that yesterday was my longest run since the marathon, and I felt great. C. and I met for our regular 10 miler, and it didn't feel long at all. I actually felt better at the end than I did when I started; my legs felt really springy and I was just having a great time. I was already starting to feel excited about running again, and Tuesday confirmed it.
BUT-since I don't want to get ahead of myself, I took today off. I may be feeling good, but I did just run a marathon a few weeks ago. Last year I didn't give myself enough rest after Chicago, which I think was a major factor in getting hurt. The older and wiser me went to the gym and ellipticaled for 1:20, and then lifted a little bit. I left work early and was at the gym around 2, so I thought it wouldn't be crowded-boy was I wrong. I guess everyone is feeling guilty in advance about turkey and pie.
Posted by jessie at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2004
Back to Normal
I'm not completely there yet, but I'm starting to feel recovered. The fatigue, both mental and physical, is nearly gone, and I'm getting excited about running. I think the race yesterday was good for me--even though I wasn't "racing" the environment put me in the mood to race, and gave me a little jump start. I'm still taking it pretty easy, but I'm getting back into a routine. I think I'm going to stay around 35 miles/week through the beginning of December, build up to 50 by the first of the year, and then be ready to take it up to at about 70 for Boston training. I'm going to hold off on higher mileage until next fall; I want to make sure I take enough building up to it.
This morning I ran my bread and butter six mile loop. I had a good run; I felt much more energetic than last week, and I kept up a pretty good pace the whole time. It was warmer than I thought it would be, though--I had to tie my shirt around my waist halfway through. After work I did 40 minutes on the elliptical and lifted. I'm meeting C. in the morning and we'll probably do about 10 miles, most of it on dirt. I hope it's no-shirt weather again. I'm already looking forward to spring, and winter hasn't even really started yet. Sigh.
Posted by jessie at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2004
Philadelphia
I just got home from a really nice weekend in Philadelphia. I hadn't been there since a history class trip my freshman year of high school, and I didn't realize what a nice city it is. Of course there are very not-nice parts, but the area around the Art Museum, where the marathon starts and finishes, and the area with all the Founding Fathers historical stuff, are great. I can see why people like the city's races so much, and I'm looking forward to going back for the Broad Street Run and the Philly Distance Run.
We got to Philadelphia around 12:30 on Saturday and went straight to the Expo, where we met up with Blondie and some other people from DC. We got our packets and wandered around for a while, but there wasn't much to see. The highlight was the stuffed toy giraffes they were giving out at the Verizon table. I'm not sure what giraffes have to do with cell phones, but they were free and strangely cute. After the Expo we did a little sightseeing, and then went to my friend's parents house just outside the city for an early dinner and bed.
I slept really terribly, and at about 3 in the morning started really worrying about how I would run in the morning. Then I reminded myself that I didn't care how I ran in the morning, and I did eventually get a few hours of sleep. Combined with the lingering post-marathon exhaustion, I had less-than-zero expectations for the race. I figured I'd just run 7's with my friend and be happy to just get a run in. Of course, even though I wasn't running to be competitive, I felt better than I expected to and felt my competitive urge kick in. I ran the second half a little faster and had fun picking people off and wound up running a not terrible time, 33:07. Given my expectations, I'm very happy with the race. The pace felt pretty easy, which is encouraging for the Turkey Trot; a few more days of marathon recovery combined with sleep should make for an okay race.
After the race, I ran into Blondie again, and we cooled down together. We ran out and back on a beautiful tree-lined stretch of the marathon course, along the water. I could imagine it getting lonely if you were running the marathon, but I loved it.
When we were finished cooling down I rejoined the DC folks to watch the marathon. It's a good course to spectate, because it doubles back on itself, so we could see people at 14 and then again at the finish without moving. Most of the people I knew had good races, and it was a lot of fun to cheer for them. We also got to see all the leaders approach the finish, which while not as exciting as it could have been (the first three men were separated by several minutes each) was still exciting. By about the 3 1/2 hour mark, we were freezing and starving, and decided to call it a day. The only bad thing about the day was being a Redskins fan in Eagles territory...the Eagles kicked our butts today.
Posted by jessie at 9:40 PM | Comments (3)
A world gone mad
This is not an original complaint, but I feel like I need to add my voice to the growing chorus against the ubiquity of technology, against the fact that we can't ever really get away because the GPS device in our car is connected to our cell phone which is connected to our Blackberry which is never turned off, ad infinitum. Don't get my wrong, I'm not a total Luddite. I asked for an ipod for Christmas, and I can't remember life before cell phones, but there's a time and a place.
I went for a run early on Saturday, on a really pretty, quiet trail through the woods. I was running along, thinking about how peaceful it was, when I spotted a woman heading towards me with her dog, immensely focused on something in her hands. What was she focusing on? A Blackberry! At 6:30 am on a Saturday! While taking a walk through the woods! I just can't imagine an email so important that I can't take my dog for a walk without checking it. I see people checking their email in restaurants while dining with their (presumably) loved ones; I've been in public restrooms and heard women answering their phones while still in the stall. Yikes.
Anyway, enough ranting. I feel like Andy Rooney. Other than the Blackberry woman, I had a great run. I felt kind of sluggish the first few miles, but once I got going I felt the best I had since NYC. I ran 8 miles and change, just over an hour, which was my longest run since the marathon.
Posted by jessie at 9:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2004
A little male attention
Yippee! An invitation to get a drink--I might even go out on a limb and say I have a date--with a cute track guy. Not with THE cute track guy, but a cute one nonetheless. More accurately, he's the cute pool-running guy--I first met him this spring when I was spending a lot of time at the pool. We were there at the same time a few nights a week, and immediately identified each other as injured runners--not hard to do when the only other people there are in Senior Aerobics or Pregnant Water Yoga Lamaze. Since then we've run into each other a few times, and I've always enjoyed talking to him. Anyway, he got my email address from a mutual friend and sent me a note this week to see I wanted to get together. We’re going to hang out next weekend, and I’m trying not to be intimidated by the fact that he just ran his last marathon more than an hour faster than I ran mine.
I'm pretty excited--not so much because of him, because I don't really know him well enough to know if I should be excited--but because I'd started to wonder if I ever would meet anyone new, or do anything fun, again. I tend to get in ruts, especially when I'm training, where I get nervous about changing my routine or doing anything that takes away from a workout, which means I always spend time with the same people, doing the same things. They're great people, and I don't want to be some huge party animal, but is nice to be on the lookout for new friends and experiences. At least until January; then it's time to train again :-)
Speaking of training, I haven't done much of it. I'm having some weird twinge-y foot pain in the same place I had one of my stress fractures, and while I think (hope!) it's unlikely that I've got another one, I'm watching it very carefully to see if it gets any worse. So on Thursday I did 1:30 on the elliptical plus some weights, and today I ran 35 minutes with my coworker at lunch, and then did 45 minutes on the elliptical and weights after work. Today my foot is just kind of tingly and weird, rather than twinge-y, so I'm not really going to worry until I can apply some more definitive adjectives. But I have decided to stop wearing my orthotics as a preventative measure. I developed the first stress fracture within a few weeks of getting the orthotics, which is a pretty big coincidence, and my PT thought that they lifted my arch in a way that stressed my foot strangely. The podiatrist of course thought it was ridiculous to suggest that they contributed, but this is the same guy who totally missed the fracture in the first place. I don't think the orthotics ever really corrected what they were supposed to correct, anyway, at least not more than store-bought inserts would. And since my insurance paid for them, no big loss.
Off to Philly tomorrow. I think the 8k is going to be pretty ugly; other than the marathon itself, I've hardly run at all in the last month because of my hip, so I think I'll be lucky to run 35 minutes. Not that it matters; the point is to go up and cheer on the marathoners and have a nice weekend with my friends. I’m also looking forward to meeting our fellow blogger Blondie, who is also running the 8k.
Posted by jessie at 9:18 PM | Comments (1)
November 17, 2004
I could get used to this...
Maybe being unmotivated isn't so bad. It was pretty nice to not spend the whole day worried about the workout tonight, and I have to admit that I enjoyed going to the track with absolutely no plan. I had some vague idea of running 6 or 8 by 400, but figured I'd start with 1 and see how it felt. When I got there a couple of people who are running Philly this weekend asked me if I just wanted to jog with them, and I decided that yes, in fact, just jogging sounded quite nice. Normally, even with a race in the recent past, if I have a plan (whether it's for a workout or just for a regular run) then gosh darn it, I stick to the plan. But it felt good to just say, why not? Who cares if I run a couple of 400s? Not me! After a while we did get bored just jogging in circles, and ran an easy quickie workout, 400-600-400-200. I didn't run very fast, but it did feel good to stretch my legs out a bit. I probably got about 5 miles in total; I lost count of the laps at the beginning. But who cares about exact mileage? Not me!
I can tell that my motivation is going to come back, though. Tonight people are starting to talk about their winter race plans, and I started to get excited thinking about mine. Not that I have much on the calendar, but I'm looking forward to not being hurt, and being able to run the club's Snowball Series. We do two series of scored races of various distances each year, with awards given out in each age group. The winter series is the Snowball Series, and the summer is the Bunion Derby. I won my age group in the Bunion Derby 2 summers ago, but then had to sit out the end of last winter's series and all of this summer’s. It's time to reclaim my plaque!
My immediate race plans include the 8k that accompanies the Philadelphia marathon this weekend, and then a 10k Turkey Chase on Thanksgiving. I'm not really racing either one, though. Several of my friends are running the Philly marathon, so a few of us decided to go up and cheer. Then we figured, why not run the 8k and get a t-shirt out of the experience too? And I'm definitely not in fast 10k shape, so that race is just an excuse to eat a second helping of pie.
In addition to the track tonight, I did 40 minutes on the elliptical at lunch. Tomorrow I’m going to run 5 or 6 easy in the morning, and then go to the gym after work. I am determined to start lifting more regularly again; it’s definitely easier to fit in when I’m not running much. Here’s to being sore!
Posted by jessie at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)
November 16, 2004
Back in DC
...physically, if not mentally. I really love the Pacific Northwest, and it was hard to come home. Especially because the last week crystallized some of the very serious issues I have with some people in my company--there's a lot of manipulating and backstabbing going on--and I have finally decided that it is time to move on. I can't stand to be a part of the way things are going anyymore. And not only do I really dislike the changes in management that are the cause of the backstabbing, I'm also pretty bored and don't see much opportunity for advancement. I'm stressed out but not challenged, which is a crummy combination. Of course deciding to move on is only part of it. Now I actually have to update my resume, and start calling contacts, and write cover letters...ugh. If you hear of any jobs in Portland or DC, let me know! Maybe I'll just quit, and have time to blog again!
I'm not back mentally to running, either, which I suppose is normal and understandable. It's very weird for me to not feel motivated, but I just...don't. I ran for 40 minutes each on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and it was really an effort to get myself out the door. I suppose the fact that I did get myself out the door means that I'm not totally lazy, but the fact that after 40 minutes I was quite happy to be done, and was quite happy with that being my only workout, is quite a change. I think partly I was in vacation-mode (once the conference was over I spent the weekend visiting family) and partly it was post-marathon relaxation. Which I have to keep reminding is normal! I'm going to let myself have the downtime, and not try to force motivation, so that when it's time to start training again I'm really ready.
Just as a quick rundown, last week I took Monday and Tuesday completely off; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I did 45 minutes on the ellipical and lifted; and Saturday, Sunday and Monday I ran (very slowly!) for 40 minutes. Tonight I did 40 on the elliptical and 40 on the bike, and some abs stuff. I indulged my lack of desire to run, but it did feel good to do a longer workout again--I ate a little too much of my aunt's apple pie this weekend!
Posted by jessie at 9:03 PM | Comments (20)
November 10, 2004
Not much to report
...but I'll report anyway. First, though, thanks to everyone for your kind words both before and after the marathon.
I worked out this morning for the first time since the race. Nothing too intense-45 minutes on the elliptical and some lifting in the tiny gym at my hotel. It's kind of weird to excercise like a "normal" person--ie, not for 2 hours, and not every day. I expected to feel really guilty about not working out for two days, and not working out for very long today, but I have to admit that it feels kind of nice to not be stressing out about when and how much I'm going to exercise. Which is a good thing, because I don't have much time for it this week. We report for duty at the convention center at 6:30 am, and we go-go-go until 10 at night. Actually, I'm probably walking a couple of miles a day racing from one end of the convention center to the other.
I don't think I'm going to run at all this week, because there really isn't anywhere for me to run. Portland is beautiful--I actually ran my first marathon here--but my hotel is not in a running-friendly area, and getting lost at 4:30 in the morning is not my idea of a good time. I have family in the area, who I'll be visiting for the weekend when the conference is over, so I'll run then. Some quickie sessions on the elliptical will suffice for now. I think the downtime will be good for me, mentally and physically. My plan is to keep taking it relatively easy through the end of the month, get a base again in December, and then pick it up in January for Boston. As an aside, it sounds like a lot of us bloggers will be in Boston next spring, and I'd love to meet you if you're there.
Posted by jessie at 6:10 PM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2004
Worst blogger ever
I feel so bad for not posting in so long, but things have been so crazy. All last week before the marathon I was working 16 hour days getting ready for our big conference, and now I'm in Portland, OR working 18 hour days at our big conference (I flew straight here from New York-I do NOT recommend a time change on top of a marathon).
I don't think I'll have much chance to post this week, but I will try. I owe everyone a full race report, and I have some entries I started in my hotel in New York(sans internet connection) that I need to edit and then get online.
I'm about to head to a dinner with our board of directors, so just a few quick comments on the marathon-I have never wanted anything to be over as much as I wanted that race to be over. Miles 18 to 26 were the worst I have ever felt running. I had to strike a new bargain with myself every five minutes--make it to that tree, then you can quit; okay, you made it this far, now just make it to that water stop and THEN you can quit. I cried a little bit at mile 20, and again at 23, but somehow I talked myself to the finish line. I'm not sure exactly what happened--probably a combination of not running much the last three weeks, overestimating my fitness, a misalignment of the stars...My hip also started to hurt about halfway through, but the real problem was that I just couldn't make my legs move. I went from 7:20 miles, to 7:40, to 8, to 8:50...I managed to "pick it up" to 8:15 for the last mile. Considering how bad I felt, 3:25 is pretty damn good.
It's funny-I think marathon running is like childbirth (not that I have any personal experience with the latter)--you forget about the pain so quickly. At mile 20 I thought I was never doing this again; today I'm excited about Boston. And what I'm remembering about New York are the crowds on First Ave and in Central Park; the excitement of the other women at the start; waving to my parents at mile 16. I think I may have to run it again next year, and show that course who's boss.
Posted by jessie at 10:02 PM | Comments (9)
November 2, 2004
T minus 5 days
In a way, I think it's a good thing that I'm really stressed out at work right now, because it's keeping me from obsessing about Sunday. I didn't check the weather once today! Well, okay, so I checked it just now--but I made it through most of the day! (it's looking good, by the way, a high of 57 and partly cloudy.) And I haven't had a marathon dream yet. Usually, about 2 weeks out, I start having dreams where I oversleep and miss the start, or there's a freak blizzard. The worst one I ever had, the course was a maze, and I just kept running around and around, watching the minutes tick by, totally lost and hopeless. It was one of those dreams that's so real you wake up disoriented, and then the relief is so intense it's physical.
I went to the gym again today instead of running, because my hip was bugging me when I woke up. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical and 40 minutes on the bike. I think less time on the elliptical the last few days has been a good move--it's letting me heal more. And actually I'm glad I didn't run to my polling place--I had to stand in line outside for an hour and a half, and I would have been very unhappy if I'd been in shorts and a t-shirt. I was cold even in my bike clothes, tights and a fleece. People were complaining about standing in line, but compared to voting in Africa, or Afghanistan, or the American South fifty years ago, we have it pretty easy.
Posted by jessie at 8:24 PM | Comments (6)
Pictures
Here are some pictures of our water stop, photos courtesy of Mark Kline and Joe Racine.
(click to enlarge)
Posted by jessie at 7:13 PM | Comments (1)
November 1, 2004
Bring it on!
I am ready to race! I am so excited for Sunday; watching Marine Corps yesterday, I was just itching to be out there. Well, not out there literally, because yesterday was an awful day for a marathon. The average high this time of year is about 60, and it was 78 yesterday, and sunny. It was a total fluke--it's been pretty cool for weeks, and it was pretty cool again today. I was really hot running at 6:30 in the morning, and I was sweaty and sunburned just standing around later; I can't imagine running a marathon in that. Makes me less sorry about having to sit out Boston this year!
Watching races is always fun, but we really went all out yesterday. Five of us met in the morning to set up a water stop on the 14th Street Bridge, right before mile 21 at one of the most grim points of the course. Let me tell you, riding bikes with huge hiking backpacks filled with gallons of water and gatorade, a megaphone, a boombox, and a DC RoadRunners banner is a big pain in the butt. It was totally worth it, though--by 11:00, when more people started to come through, we had about 15 people assembled, handing out pretzels and water, cheering and dancing in Halloween costumes. The bridge is sorely lacking in spectators, and mile 21 is tough in any marathon, so I'm so glad we were able to be out there for people. I'll tell you though, the 5 hour mark in the marathon is a whole different world, and one that I had never seen. By the time I left, it was starting to get really ugly. You always see pictures of first time marathoners and training group participants hugging and laughing at the finish line, but these people did NOT look happy. Maybe they started smiling once they got to 26-I sure hope so! Two of my training group people didn't have very good days, because of the heat, but one of them qualified for Boston. I talked to her last night, and she had checked the Boston website three times because she didn't believe she had done it. She had started training just hoping to finish, and instead she ran faster than she ever thought she could. I'm so happy for her.
My own running-I ran about 8 yesterday morning, and felt pretty good. My hip was not too bad, and my legs feel really fresh because I've been running so little the last few weeks. I went to the gym today, and did 45 minutes on the ellipitcal and 45 minutes on the bike. I also did abs and upper body-I'm trying to get back in the habit of lifting. I think I'm going to run a little in the morning, probably just 35 or 40 minutes. I'm going to end my run at my polling place-don't forget to vote!
Posted by jessie at 8:43 PM | Comments (24)