Out and About D.C. Style

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One of my favorite things about living in the Washington, D.C. area is that it never gets old to play tourist. Whenever someone comes to visit, it’s a great excuse to get out and explore. My parents were coming down for a visit recently and since they’ve been here many times, we wanted to come up with something we hadn’t done yet.

Amazingly in all the years they’ve been coming down, we’d never gone to the National Archives. I haven’t been in years either, so we decided to make an afternoon of it. The highlight of the Archives of course is that it houses the Declaration, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Seeing these documents in person as opposed to them just being some abstract thing you learn about in history class is unbelievably cool. Yes, I’m a total nerd!

Our main reason for visiting the Archives on this trip, however, was to see a new temporary exhibit called To The Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The exhibit looks back at the crisis and features real-time White House recordings from Kennedy’s meetings in October of 1962. Also at the exhibit are chairs used by President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev during the June 1961 Vienna Summit. It has personality studies of Khrushchev and Fidel Castro, satellite photos of missile sites under construction in Cuba,  a map of Cuba used and annotated by President Kennedy,  secret correspondence between Kennedy and Khrushchev and a synopsis of a speech that never had to be delivered that President Kennedy drafted if he had to announce an attack to “destroy the nuclear build-up in Cuba.”

The exhibit was great – full of information and cool pieces of history. I could’ve spent hours more there listening to all of the recordings from Kennedy’s meetings and hope to get back before the exhibit closes. If you’re planning on being in D.C. between now and February, this is a can’t miss museum.

Time to Get Healthy

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After an injury consult from Fast Track physical therapy at the Run for the Parks 10k, I set an appointment with their office so I could figure out what was going on. I’d been ignoring pain for much too long (I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me), and it turns out I’d done quite a number on my legs, especially my hip flexors.

My mobility is limited and my hamstrings, IT band, quads and calves are all extremely tight. I also had an appointment with Dr. Ochiai, an orthopedist, for X-Rays that showed a small build-up of excess bone on my left hip, which could cause torn cartilage in the hip joint. We agreed that surgery would be a last resort so we decided to hold off on an MRI at this point and see how I’m feeling after a few weeks of physical therapy.

I’ve gotten several physical therapy sessions under my belt now and it seems like things are going in the right direction. Liz, my physical therapist at Fast Track, is excellent. She’s given me a series of exercises and lots of stretches to do everyday to help get my flexibility back to where it should be. It apparently takes about 10 weeks to really have an effect, so I’m going to have to have some patience, which isn’t exactly one of my stronger qualities. I’m also foam rolling and icing everyday to help with the pain and hopefully loosen things up. After using my rolling pin as a roller for the past year, I finally broke down and got a real one from Amazon!

Watching the Marine Corps Marathon instead of running it was a bit of a bummer last week, but it’s also hard not to get excited seeing so many people out there running such an awesome race. I was able to defer my entry, so I’ll have an automatic entry into next year’s race. I’m going to really work these next couple months to get myself healthy again and then be smart enough to stay that way this time – mostly because I want to get back to my goal of qualifying for Boston, but also because I’m going a bit insane not being able to run!

Book Review: Hansons Marathon Method

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Since I currently can’t get my usual running fix (more to come on that in tomorrow’s post), I’ve started reading about running. Yes, I’m addicted. I’ve been familiar with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project and the great professional athletes they’ve produced including Desiree Davila, so I was excited to hear that they had a new book out detailing how everyday runners can use their method for marathon success.

Thanks to my impulse buying and Amazon Prime membership, I had a copy of Hansons Marathon Method: A Renegade Path To Your Fastest Marathon in my hands just two days after learning about it. Written by Luke Humphrey, an elite Hansons runner who also has a master’s degree in exercise science, with Kevin and Keith Hanson, the book outlines their philosophy and program for a successful marathon covering every aspect from training to strategy to recovery. In just a couple of days I’d read the book from cover to cover and I was sold. I’m going to give their program a shot for my next marathon.

Most marathon training programs are fairly similar. For beginners you usually run three shorter runs during the week and a long run on the weekend peaking around 20 or 22 miles. As you get more advanced, speed workouts and higher mileage are added to the training schedule, but the long run – still peaking at 20 or 22 miles – remains a staple of most programs. The Hansons method takes a different approach. It “teaches a strategic and scientifically grounded approach to everything from the long run to speed workouts to pacing,” writes Kevin Hanson in the book’s foreword. The Hansons method has evolved over the years helping runners of all levels to marathon success since the 1990s.

The biggest difference in the Hansons program is the long run. Rather that the typical 20-miler, the longest training run in the standard Hansons program is 16 miles. The reason this works, Humphrey writes, is that the long run should simulate the last 16 miles of the marathon, not the first 16. It’s all based on experiencing the cumulative fatigue you experience in a marathon without completely zapping your energy for the next week of training. The book cites a guideline that your long run should not exceed 25-30 percent of your weekly mileage. For beginners who have completed just three short runs during the week,  a 20-miler on Sunday can sometimes be 50 percent or more of their weekly mileage. This can be demoralizing and lead to injury – both of which can turn people off from running.

The book covers the philosophy behind the program and delves into the physiology of running covering issues like glycogen depletion and VO2 max. From there Humphrey’s discusses the training program components including easy mileage, which is made up of warm-ups and cool downs, easy days and recovery days, and something of substance (SOS) workouts, which include speed, strength, tempo runs and long runs. The book goes over proper pacing for each of type of run before outlining it’s training programs including both a beginner program and an advanced program. It also talks about program  modifications for when life and injuries get in the way.

After covering the program, the book moves into the strategy side of things. It talks about setting race goals; how to incorporate supplemental training such as cross-training, strength-training and flexibility; and marathon nutrition and hydration during workouts, on race day and for recovery. It moves on to marathon gear, race tactics and post-race recovery – leaving no stone unturned. Finally, the book includes an appendix showcasing the elite Hansons program and describing how its principles are very similar to the ones in their beginner and advanced programs for everyday runners. It even shows Humphrey’s training program for the 2011 San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon (this course was my first marathon back in 2005!) where he placed fifth in a personal best time of 2:14:27.

If you’re a runner, you’ll want to give this book a read. Even if you decide to stick with your current training program, you’ll most certainly learn something from it. I’d love to hear about the programs you’ve used in the past, and if you’ve had experience with the Hansons method in the comments section.

Let Down: Lance Armstrong, Cheating and Lies

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By now everyone has heard the news that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has stripped Lance Armstrong of his 7 Tour de France titles for doping and the use of performance enhancing drugs, and witnessed the fallout as he has been banned from races and dropped by sponsors. For years as athlete after athlete is found to have cheated to enhance their performance, I’ve always said the only one I would be truly surprised and hurt by would be Lance Armstrong.

When the news first came out that the USADA was stripping him of his titles and Lance was giving up the fight by refusing to contest the ruling in what he deemed an unfair fight, I believed Lance’s PR machine that this was just a witch hunt. He’s never failed a drug test they said, and I echoed. Someone was clearly out to get him and upset that this brash Texan had won France’s and cycling’s greatest race seven straight years after recovering from cancer that nearly killed him.

Then the USADA released their Reasoned Decision. I’m just about done reading the 202-page case against Armstrong and I’m devastated. He cheated. He lied. There is no doubt. It was witnessed – and not just by people with an axe to grind or a deal to cut. There were positive tests. There were not nearly as many tests as he claimed. It was calculated and sophisticated. There was bullying and encouraging of others to participate in and to keep the scandal a secret. If you have time to read even just a few pages of the report you will be stunned by the overwhelming evidence against him.

While some shout “I told you so,” I am just sad. Heartbroken in fact. Did he cheat in some part in the name of a good cause? Yes. Were the vast majority of other cyclists also cheating? Yes. It doesn’t matter and it doesn’t make it better. Lance always claimed to be above the cheating and boasted about conquering cancer and winning cycling’s most grueling race clean while others were cheating. I have looked up to Lance for years as an incredible inspiration. So have many people fighting cancer looking to defy the odds. Turns out it was all based on cheating and lies.

He deserves to have the titles stripped. He deserves to be banned from competition. He deserves to be dropped by sponsors – those companies will certainly find other ways to donate to the fight against cancer. He deserves to lose the Olympic medal.

Lance, I looked up to, respected you and was inspired by you – and you let me down. You let down your fans and more importantly you let down so many people fighting cancer and other diseases who needed to believe in the impossible. What a disappointment!

Truly, too good to be true.

Olympic Cities

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I’ve been on a bit of a travel binge for the last year or so, and while I’m looking forward to a November mostly free of travel, I have had a lot of fun and gotten to see some very cool cities along the way. Recently I visited two cities that have hosted past winter Olympics.

In late September my boyfriend and I rented a car and got on the road bright and early to head up to Lake Placid, New York for my friend Lindsay’s wedding. (Side note: The Prius is an awesome car – better than I’d expected and the gas mileage is incredible.) It was a bit of a rainy drive, but the views and colors of the changing leaves as we got closer were fantastic.

After finally arriving we settled in at the Crowne Plaza and met up with friends at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. This was a great little pub with just about anything on the menu. After a long day of driving, we were all ready for a couple beers, and well, we pretty much attacked the appetizer menu. Check out Ian’s review over at Croutons Stuck in Futons for more on the brewpub.

Lake Placid hosted the Olympics in 1980 and 1932. Logistically I have no idea how this small city was able to do so, but we took full advantage of getting some time to check out the Olympic sites. Ian and I stepped out onto the currently cement outdoor speed skating track and visited the Olympic Museum. Most exciting was checking out the ice rinks and stepping onto the ice where the 1980 Miracle on Ice took place…even if I did get yelled at shortly after doing so to get off the ice!

A few weeks later I was off to Vancouver, British Columbia for a conference. Vancouver hosted the Olympics more recently in 2010. Before the work part of the trip started I was able to spend some time checking out the city. I saw the Olympic Cauldron and rode by BC Place Stadium on a bus tour of the city.

I rented bikes with a few coworkers and took advantage of unseasonably warm weather to ride along the seawall and take in some amazing views around Vancouver. I also got in several runs along the seawall, which were some of the most breathtakingly beautiful runs I’ve been on.

I always look forward to watching the Olympics every two years. I was lucky enough to win a drawing to be able to carry the Olympic torch on its way to the ‘96 Olympics in Atlanta. While in Greece to run the original marathon course, I got to stand right next to the Olympic flame in Marathon. It was great adding Lake Placid and Vancouver to my list of marathon experiences.

Enjoy pics below including a couple flashbacks to elementary school – rocking the giant glasses and scrunchie!

Running in the Rain

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The October 7 Run for the Parks 10k got here before I knew it. Where is this year going? Everytime I blink another month goes by. Naturally, I still hadn’t seen a doctor about the tightness and pain that started in my hip flexors this summer, so this was going to be another race that I treated more like a training run than an actual race. I wasn’t thrilled about that and I really wasn’t thrilled that temperatures were supposed to drop 25-30 degrees overnight the morning of the race.

This face pretty much sums up my race day attitude!

Put on by the Potomac River Runners, the Run for the Parks 10k was held in West Potomac Park. This has always been my least favorite stretch of races like Marine Corps and Cherry Blossom, but since it’s right around the corner from my office I force myself to frequently run it on my lunch time and post-work runs. I still share a love-hate relationship with this flat, quiet and windy stretch of road, but it’s actually starting to lean more towards love.

I woke up early on race morning already angry about not getting to sleep in after only catching a couple hours of sleep. Seeing it was 40s and rainy didn’t make me much happier. West Potomac Park doesn’t have any real close public transportation so I took my negative attitude over to the closest bike share rack and rode my way into D.C. for the race. I was at least pleased with myself for not bagging the race and crawling back into bed.

I lined up at the starting line pretty chilly, but warmed up quickly. We headed down Ohio Drive and around the bend at Hains Point before turning around and tracing our steps back toward the finish. I started slightly faster than I planned, slowed in the middle and sped up again for the last two miles. My hips were annoyingly tight once again so I averaged a 7:50 per mile pace, which for a 10k is slow for me. (For anyone that’s annoyed by that, years ago that would have been a quick 10k pace for me – it’s all relative and fast and slow is different for every runner.) My finish time was 48:40 good for 16th in my age group and 56 out 643 female finishers, so I can’t complain too much.

The rain wasn’t bad, but it held steady throughout the race, and the temps weren’t showing any signs of rising. All I wanted to do after crossing the finish line was go home and take a hot shower, but I noticed that Fast Track Physical Therapy was on-hand giving massages and free injury consults. I figured it was finally time and signed up for the waiting list for an injury consult. It didn’t take them long to tell me I was in fact injured and needed to stop denying it. I set up an appointment to visit their office, and will hopefully get to the bottom of this soon so I can get back to a training schedule and working toward Boston again!

On a side note, I’m pretty sure my finish line pic (courtesy of Potomac River Running’s Flickr page) could rival some of Mark Remy’s best “race face” pics.

Revenge of the Penguins 20 Miler Recap

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I’ve been neglecting my blog for far too long and have some catching up to do now. When I initially signed up for this race, I was going to use it as one of my 20-miler training runs along the way to MCM. However, with the continuing hip issues I hadn’t run further than seven miles for my long runs, so I wanted to use this as a test to see if it still made sense to run the Marine Corps Marathon this October. The results weren’t all bad, but they certainly weren’t good either.

The Revenge of the Penguins 20 Miler ran along the C&O Canal path starting near the Key Bridge in Georgetown on a beautiful, sunny and cool mid-September morning. The race start was only about a mile from my apartment so I walked over that morning with just what I needed to race and my keys and cell phone stuffed in my water pack. I was worried there wouldn’t be a bag drop being such a small race, but it turned out there was, so I really wish I’d brought a hoodie along to keep warm before the race started.

A few hundred people gathered near the start ready to run either the 20-mile or 10-mile options. Race organizers and volunteers were energetic and enthusiastic from start to finish making this a great low-key race. For those that know the C&O, it’s a pretty narrow path, so the 20-milers took off a few minutes before the 10-milers to cut-down on early crowding.

For the first-time ever in a race I wore headphones. It was a last minute decision so I didn’t even have my iPod, I just used my phone. I’m normally very against this because I think that you miss out on the race experience and it can also be dangerous. Seeing as this was along a canal path, there wasn’t going to be crowds of spectators cheering along the way and there wouldn’t be any traffic to worry about. Still, I kept the volume low so I could hear other runners approaching and hear any directions from volunteers at water stops. As I ran almost the entire race on my own at a much slower pace than I’m used to, I’m pretty glad I had the music taking my mind off things.

My plan was a slow, steady race pace so as not to aggravate my hip flexors. One of the positives I took away from the race is that I actually maintained a steady pace with a small negative split (negative split is runner-speak for running the second half of a race quicker than the first half). I have a tendency to start off too strong and slow up, so I was pleased that I kept it steady for all 20 miles. I enjoyed the out-and-back along the canal. I frequently run on the Capital Crescent trail very close to the C&O path, so this was a nice change of scenery, and we could not have had better weather.

I crossed the finish line in 2:59:11, sixth in my age group and 46th out of 184 overall. Everyone’s GPS watches had the course at about 20.3-20.4, so I averaged just over an 8:45 pace. I was pleased with how it turned out, especially given the lack of training, and I certainly didn’t mind the post-race pizza and snacks before my walk home! My only issue was receiving Powerade Zero at the finish. Now I appreciate anything that’s free, but come on, I just ran 20 miles – give me some calories!

After the race I made the tough decision to defer my entry in Marine Corps to next year’s race. I only had a few days left to defer, and I knew that there was no way between then and race day that I could get the mileage in at the paces I needed to to reach my Boston Qualifying goal time. I could go out there and run the race at a slow pace just to finish as I have done with marathons before, but I know I wouldn’t enjoy that this time. I’m bummed about missing the race as it’s one of my favorites, but I’m excited about getting healthy and competing in it next year. I’m already starting to plan out my race schedule for the rest of next year as well. I can’t wait to get more details on the newly announced Nike Women’s half in D.C.

 

 

Race Recap: Running to Remember

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Last weekend I ran the Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5k. Like most Americans I vividly remember where I was that day 11 years ago when the planes first hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. It was surreal at first. I remember thinking it must have just been an accidently plane crash when I heard about the first plane. After the second plane hit, the terrifying realization that this was not an accident set in.

During last year’s tenth anniversary of the attacks, I watched hours of footage from that day – much of it sad and horrifying, but also uplifting to remember how everyone came together for each other after the attacks. I was amazed at how many of the stories I had forgotten about. I think it’s so important to remember that day, the victims and their loved ones left behind, and one of the ways I can do that is participating in this race.

This is my second year running the local 9-11 5k that takes off from Army Navy Drive and loops through Crystal City before running by the Pentagon where another one of the terrorist planes struck that day. It’s incredibly moving to pass by the Pentagon and to see all of the law enforcement and fire fighters running together. I love the bag pipers along the course as well. Last year we finished under an American flag held up by the ladders of two fire trucks, which was amazing and I’m assuming had to be scrapped this year because of the weather.

As my last post mentioned, I haven’t been able to run as much lately due to some hip issues so this would be my first time out on the road and off of a treadmill in awhile. My plan was to take it easy and see how I felt back on the road. I put in a slow, one-hour treadmill run on Friday night and cranked out a couple miles Saturday morning also on the treadmill before spinning class. My main reason for getting some miles in that morning was that I wasn’t sure if the race would go on.

We had some pretty severe storm warnings for Saturday night, but fortunately the storm hit early enough and moved quickly enough that the race went on as scheduled with a minor delay. The start of the race was pretty chaotic and disorganized as people piled into the starting corral after the rain delay with little regard for what pace they were running. I got the biggest laugh out of a girl I passed in the first quarter mile who was telling her friend that she was going to go slow so that she wouldn’t sweat – apparently she missed the fact that one, it was raining, and two, she was running a race! Knowing what this race was about certainly puts things in perspective and kept me from getting angry.

Despite the crowded start, I still went out a little faster than I planned, finishing the first mile in about 7:15. I pulled in the reins and slowed it down a bit for the remaining 2.1, finishing in 22:49. While much slower than my PR, it was a lot better than I had expected given the circumstances and my hips only tightened up slightly after the run, but didn’t bother me during it, which seems promising.

The time was good enough for 246th overall out of 3,070 and 10th out of 504 in my age group. I also ran as part of the Pacers Ambassadors team which finished in an impressive 16th place out of 68 teams in the open division!

I encourage anyone who lives in this area to run this race next year if you haven’t yet. It’s an experience you won’t forget, and a way to always remember what happened on that tragic day.

9.11.01 Never Forget.

MCM Training Check-In

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With Labor Day weekend over and the fall fast approaching that means the Marine Corps Marathon will be here in less than two months. Less humidity will be nice, but less daylight hours usually means more runs on the treadmill for me.

The first five weeks of training went according to plan. I was getting in six runs a week even while traveling all over the place. It was fun to run some of my old routes in my hometown and to get to take in some nice views on runs up in Alex Bay.

I have a tendency to always go my hardest even on days that are supposed to be even days, and it seems that that has finally come back to bite me. My training once August hit has not been going the way I planned at all. I started noticing tightness in my hips that was really slowing me down as I tried to run, especially when I got up over five or six miles. It’s very frustrating when conditioning-wise you feel like you can keep going, but your legs don’t agree.

For the rest of August I cut down on my number of runs drastically and also haven’t done a long run of more than 10 miles. I’ve done lots of cross training in hopes of keeping up my fitness including aqua jogging, the elliptical and the stepper. This week I’m adding in spinning and body pump classes.

Unfortunately the pain seems to be increasing instead of getting better, so I might have to (gasp) have a doctor check things out. For those that know me, you know that going to a doctor is not something I readily do – but I suppose it is likely the smart thing to do so I can get back to running! In the meantime I plan to keep cross training, so as I’ll be in best shape I can when I’m able to start adding miles again.

I’m still shooting for a sub-3:35 at Marine Corps this October so I can qualify for Boston in 2014, and will do what I can to make that happen! I have 5k, 10k and 20 miler races between then and now as well that I’ve worked into my training plan. Next up is the September 11 Memorial 5k that loops by the Pentagon and is one of my favorite races – incredibly moving! Check out some pics below from last year’s race.

Race Recap: So Close, But So Far!

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I ran the Niagara Marathon on June 23 after a mini-marathon of travel where I went straight from a wedding weekend trip to St. Louis for a week-long work conference in Boston to Canada for the race. I fell just more than two minutes short of reaching my goal of qualifying for Boston – so close, but so far – but still had an amazing race experience! I bettered my PR of 3:40:36 set at last year’s Marine Corps Marathon with a 3:37:21 finish.

This was my ninth marathon, but my first small race experience. Participants in my past marathons numbered in the tens of thousands, but this one featured just more than a hundred runners. We were the third of four races on the day as others ran the 100k, 50k and half marathon distances.

My training was rushed, but pretty solid. I decided late in the game to sign up for the race, but had a solid foundation as I’d been seeing speed gains in many shorter distance races and thought I should give qualifying for Boston in 2013 a shot. I jumped into week 8 of one of the 16-week Runner’s World Challenge training plans, which had me running 6 days a week with some speedwork, hills and weekly long runs built in. I noticed the jump in mileage – I went straight from a long run of 13 miles to three consecutive weekend 20-milers – slowed me down a bit, but I was encouraged by how well my body held up to all the miles and how strong I felt.

Race day came quickly and I found myself gathered near the start line with other runners waiting for our 7:30 start. Temps were in the low 60s to start. This is my first marathon I’ve worn my Newton’s for and I will absolutely keep training and running in them. I also sported my Nathan hydration pack since there would only be aid stations every 5k. The other runners were really friendly and it had the comfortable feeling of going out for a usual Saturday group long run.

The race director called us all in and went over the ground rules without even having to use a microphone or megaphone. He reminded us to be on our best pedestrian behavior at several road crossings throughout the race since no roads were closed. I got to start right up at the front of the pack. All of this made me smile a little and relax. This was definitely not like any race I’d been in before. I went out fast. I know most wisdom says you should try to negative split a marathon (run the second half faster than the first), but based on my shortened training period, my strategy was to bank some time at the beginning and try to hang on at the end for a sub-3:35 finish.

I didn’t realize quite how quickly I was going though and needed to pull in the reins after I hit the one-mile mark in seven minutes. The out-and-back course started off running through a field before connecting with a paved trail that would follow along the Niagara River. It was billed as a relatively flat course, but I would like to know what they were comparing that to. For those that run around the D.C. area, I was expecting something like the Capital Crescent Trail and got something more like the Custis Trail.

At the 5k mark I was actually the lead woman. I couldn’t believe I was actually leading a marathon! I managed to hold on to that for the first 5 miles. The 5k mark was also the first spot I saw my support crew – my parents and boyfriend – who were amazing all morning driving from spot to spot along the course to cheer me on. They had some fun with it, writing different motivational messages on a big whiteboard and waving at me while yelling that they were enjoying breakfast from a diner around the half-way point. Being able to see them at so many points along the course was absolutely the coolest thing about a small race.

Thankfully most of the course was shaded, so I ditched my sunglasses when I passed by the “support crew” at the 10k. A slight up and down throughout the first 6 miles turned into a steep and steady, winding hill starting at 6.75 miles and not ending until just past the 8 mile point. The course was only marked in kilometers, so I was relying on my GPS for mileage. The hill took a lot out of me, especially as we went off the road into the woods for a short, but very steep section of it near the plateau. Mile 7 was by far my slowest mile, taking me 9:36  to finish.

By mile 9 or so I’d recovered from the hill – my heart rate felt like it had gone back down, my breathing was more relaxed and I settled back in. After spending most of the time under shade along the river, I ran out into the sun but got an awesome view down at the hydro-electric power plants near Niagara Falls. I cruised down a nice downhill to the halfway point and was ahead of pace by about a minute. I had to turn around and come right back up that hill unfortunately, but was able to stay right on pace.

I felt like I was starting to lose it around mile 17, but picked it up and was able to gain some time when I got to go back down that long hill I’d fought my way up in the first half. I tossed my bag aside the next time I saw Ian and the ‘rents and they refilled it and Ian handed it back about 4 miles later at the 5k point. I took advantage of water at some of the aid stops, but being such a small race you really had to stop and pick up a cup off of a table rather than just grab it on the run, so a few times I just passed them by with a wave and a thank you to the volunteers cheering me on.

I made a decision at the 20-mile point not to eat my last round of Power Bar Blasts – my gummy candies that I use to fuel along the way. I didn’t feel sick at all like I did at the 18-mile point in MCM, but I just didn’t feel like I was capable of eating anything. I’m not sure if that would have made any difference, but I’m going to try and come up with something else that’s easier to take and different from what I’ve been eating at earlier points for my next marathon.

At mile 23 I had fallen off pace, 10 seconds behind what I needed for the sub-3:35 finish. I kept telling and trying to will my legs to go faster, but they didn’t seem willing to listen. Mile 23 was rough and much slower. I picked it up a little for the last two miles, but was still too slow to get back on pace, let alone make up for the lost time. I crossed the finish line exhausted, but really happy with my new PR! I also finished 15th overall out of 109 and was the 3rd female finisher!

There was a post-race party, but unfortunately it looked like the half marathoners had done a number on the food already when I walked in. All I really wanted was a Coke, but they were out of soda and I wasn’t thrilled with the ginger ale they offered me in place of it! I looked to the pizzas and all that was left were veggie slices or ham and olive (maybe that’s a canadian thing?) – neither of which I would eat on a normal day, let alone a post-marathon day. Instead I walked hobbled over to the nearby pool for a quick post-race shower, hopped in the car and we found a great spot in Niagara on the Lakes. I quickly devoured my Coke, grilled cheese and fries, and it tasted awesome!

I’ve enjoyed the last week and half of taking it easy on running and cross-training, but I’m ready to get back into things. My official training plan for the 2012 MCM starts on Sunday – so, here I go again!