Celeb Sightings and Small Regrets

Awhile back, Sara mentioned up-ing her donation if I can beat Lance Armstrong--and, of course, my only hope (and it's a slim one) is to see him from afar near the start. But, that's ok, because I have my sights set on another celeb--Anthony "Goose" Edwards, of ER and Top Gun fame. I'll be stoked if I can catch a glimpse of him...and NY State gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer, who will also be running :) I'll let you guys know if I get any autographs...
I jogged 4 miles today, and was reminded of the weakness in my training--not enough squats. I did lift early on, but have been pretty lax recently, and it shows. My knees are not in good shape. But, I'm sure that they'll last me through the marathon :)

Marathon Viewing Info and the Final Countdown

I thought I'd include here some info on catching the marathon if you're in NYC and following along with me if you're not.

For those not in the city, you should be able to track my progress at the marathon website at http://www.nycmarathon.org/home/index.php
I think you'll need either my last name, or my race #, which is 45212

For those in NYC, see the following pages for viewing recommendations:

NYC Marathon Spectator Guide (family and friends--there's another section on seeing the leader, on the page before this): http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/spectator3

and the marathon arrival times guide (I'll be running around 10-12 minute mile pace, I hope!): http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/arrivaltimes.php

NYC Subway marathon guide: http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/Marathon06.pdf

and the course map: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/coursemap.pdf

Also, Adam and I ran 8 miles today at about 69+ minutes. I feel about as ready as I'll ever be to tackle this!

Sliding in to Home

After several months of preparation, I've finally got my sights on home plate.
My runs are getting shorter now in preparation for the big day--I ran about 3 miles yesterday and 6 today, and felt very good both times. I was thinking back to my first long run in July...6 miles and that was the longest I'd ever gone! Today, that distance was a breeze, and I came home to find my marathon registration card in the mail!

Yay :)

It was mighty chilly out this evening, but that didn't stop Adam and me from having a fantastic run: 4 miles in 29:43!!

Peace Talks in Uganda

I realize this blog has mainly served to chronicle my running, but I thought it appropriate to post this article on the ongoing peace talks in Uganda between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/21/AR2006102100462.html

Falling

I realize the term "falling" usually refers to apple picking, hayrides, and visits to pumpkin patches, but I'll extend it here to include general appreciation of the sights and smells of fall. So, it was a weekend of falling. On Saturday, for my cross training, Adam and I went out for a 5 mile hike at Catoctin Mountain in central Maryland. Adam hurt his back recently, and the doctor recommended brisk uphill walking, while I was looking for a way to stretch my stiff knee (and Will, good luck with your recovery. Have you done any biking while you stay off your hip?). We saw some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the lovely if somewhat crowded Cunningham Falls. On the way home, we stopped off at an orchard for cider, which I intend to mull properly at some point, but I've only managed to warm it up in the microwave so far. And, I made apple crisp with the remaining batch of apples that Adam and I picked several weeks ago. It was the perfect fall morning.
Today, I went for my long run, 12 miles this time. The run was smooth and the weather just got better and better through my two hours out. It really hit me today that in two weeks, I'll actually be running the MARATHON! And for the first time, I feel ready to conquer it. I'm excited!!

Lucky

So, I've been thinking that I'm awfully lucky not to have gotten any injuries along my training--no shin splints, stress fractures, or muscle pulls. Just stiff old knees that will surely improve soon, and a few blisters. Maybe it means I'm not working hard enough, considering that I hardly stretch enough, but I'll just take it as a good sign.
My last two runs, 5 miles yesterday and 4 today, went not as well as Wednesday's run, but they sufficed. I tend to lag as the week goes on...on Friday nights I just want nothing more than to be the world's greatest couch potato.
By the way, thanks, Megan, for all of your comments to the blog. You're the sweetest :)

Running Therapy

My 8 mile run today went really well--it was about the only thing today that did. So, I was glad for a little running therapy.

Three Weeks and Counting

Only three weeks to the marathon, and at least today, I'm feeling pretty good about it. I ran a solid 15 miles in Rock Creek Park, on a course that started with a tough 2 mile uphill and I felt strong from the start through the end. It was a beautiful fall day here, which made the run that much more fun. I only hope the weather is as pleasant for the race.
Yesterday was equally beautiful, so I took advantage of the sun and Melissa's bike, and rode to Silver Spring to meet Megan for coffee as my weekend cross training. But, all this running has me overestimating myself! It took me twice as long to get there as I had anticipated, and I certainly wouldn't have made it all the way home on the bike before sunset--I'm really not much of a biker! Thankfully, Adam and his huge empty van came to my rescue; he picked me and my bike up and brought me home :)

Good News

I did my ten mile run yesterday, although it was cut into two. I did half in the wilderness that is Greenbelt Park (to work on hills), but since sunset is at 6:30, I had to head out about then and did the rest of the run in loops around my house. It was a fine run. But, I got to thinking that perhaps this loop that I run, which I had always thought was about 1 mile, was actually a little more. So, I drove the distance, and found that it is actually 1.25, which means that over this past week and beyond, when I thought I was running 5 miles by running 5 loops, I was actually running 6.25! According to Adam, we did 5 loops in about 53 minutes on Tuesday, meaning we were going much faster than our 10 minute mile estimate. Not too shabby!

Life is a Highway

I had a joyful run today, just five miles, but the last one was fun. Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" came on at the end, and I just flew. I think it's my new favorite running song. It was a good lift after yesterday's run, which was a tough one for me, and a bit of a boost for the rest of this week's training.

The Big One

It's a beautiful, warm and sunny day here in the metro DC area, and I have the day off from work, so I figured I'd take advantage of the conditions to do my 20 mile run, the longest run of my training. Sadly, it ended up being something closer to 18 or 19 miles, and included more walking than any "run" should. I can't say what it was exactly that made this run so hard, aside from the distance. My knees hurt (but I finally bought some new running shoes, so I hope that helps soon!) and I was super thirsty--I lost another water bottle from my belt today, but thank goodness for Will, who sent me some extra bottles not too long ago, to replace the one we lost on our run way back in August. So, I'll have one to add for next time. Thanks, Will :)
More than anything, though, I think I was missing some necessary mental fortitude today, as always. I bought the most recent edition of Runner's World, which focuses on the upcoming fall marathons; included among its many tips were several references to mental training. I really need to work on that. And hills.

Becca's Run

I ran Becca's Run today, a fun neighborhood 5K that Melanie and I ran for the first time last year. Although it was cold and rainy, Melanie, her boyfriend Eric, Adam, and I all toughed it out, and I suprised myself with the result--according to the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line, I was at 23:47, although my official results say 23:58.
[Check out http://www.mcrrc.org/racing/race06/06becca5k.htm for the results!]
Either way, that's a good 2 minutes or so faster than the times I was running this spring, and I didn't even feel that exhausted when I was done. But, more important than encouraging me in my training, my time on this run also aided my fundraising efforts. Thanks to Adam and his marathon training challenge, my time earned an extra $75 for my charities [see my post on August 16 titled "New Challenges"].
Finally, I was really thankful to my three co-runners for sticking around through the wind and rain for the awards ceremony--I got second place among the women in my age group (19-34) and won a free massage, which I plan to save for after the marathon :)

5-4 Redux

Adam, Melanie, and I did the 5-4 workout again, with Adam running 5 laps, Melanie running 3 laps and me running 4 all in 7:30 or less. It was fun to do the workout together, and I can tell that my stamina has improved--my times this time were 7:04, 7:04, 7:08 and 6:47 (the last one was done with the assistance of Adam, personal trainer extraordinaire, who ran with me :)

A few more things

I meant to say thanks to my mom for helping me with the cost of the hotel room while I'm in NYC--after today's run, I know that I'll need it. And, my runs have been good for both my body and my mind--Adam and I have been playing "Name That Constitutional Amendment" and we've been naming the presidents in order, just for the sake of doing it. For someone with an MA in U.S. history, I should be better at these games than I am! But, I'm learning :)

Back on Track

Well, Coach Braskich and I did a solid 18 miles today! I felt pretty good considering the distance, and was quite pleased overall. Adam also had the good sense to buy a banana and some Gatorade along the way, which really made a difference. I had been concerned about this run, too, as he and I ran a solid 9 miles yesterday (on the very lovely Northeast Branch Trail), which I thought would make today's run difficult. But, we were fine. Also, I did some cross training on Friday--a 5,000 meter row and 4 mile bike ride, which energized me after a long week.
Finally, I thought I'd take a minute to log the fundraising totals:
Save the Children: $949
Invisible Children: $250
Yay! 5 weeks and counting!