I did it!!!

Apologies for not posting in so long. Classes, work, training for the half marathon and being a Big Sister all caught up with me. Not to mention Joe and I are having a Halloween party so I've been planning for that as well. Regardless, here I am to share my most recent update. That is, I completed the BAA 11th Annual Half Marathon yesterday!

It was far from easy. Many of the aforementioned obligations kept me from training as much as I had wanted and the temperature skyrocketed to almost 80 degrees during the race. Keep in mind that means it was hotter during my October half marathon than it was during my August 8K. Mother Nature, why can't we just all get along?

The course was along Boston's Emerald Necklace an started in Franklin Park, just outside White Stadium. The beginning was mostly a gradual downhill, across the overpass near Forest Hills and then around Jamaica Pond and through Brookline (along Riverway). Once back across the overpass after the first loop, the course backed up on itself again and moved back up the first big hill and through Franklin Park Zoo after crossing back over the starting line. Once through the zoo, the course crossed the starting line one more time and then curved around and finally into White Stadium where the finish line was at the 30 yard line!

I certainly hit a few snags along the way. Starting around mile 2, I could feel the tape around my big toe rubbing up against my second toe and knew it spelled disaster. I decided to just run through the pain and deal with it later (note: later is now and there is no skin on the inside of that toe, oooowww). The course was a bit more hilly than I had anticipated and I started feeling it in my knees around mile 6 or 7. Then, at mile 7 my shoe came untied (grrr, why didn't I double knot them from the beginning?!). Finally, around mile 10 the heat started to take its toll along with my failing knee. I ended up walking for a few minutes every mile from then out, but finished with a good strong run so I'm still very proud of myself.

When the weather was first projected a few days ago, I altered my goal a bit from what I had originally hoped. That said, I beat my altered goal by 4 minutes and was only 10 minutes slower than my original goal. I think that's not all that bad given all the snags I hit! I finished the half marathon (13.1 miles) and that's the most important thing to me. Now, as I sit looking at the medal I got at the finish, I think I can definitely do another one in the future.

Then I look over at my left knee, which is currently in a brace and propped up on the coffee table. Granted, there's no way I'm going to let this keep me from doing another half, but I'm definitely going to need to take some extra precautions with my knees next time (and maybe run my next half on a less hilly course).

Despite the setbacks and the pain, it was totally worth it for that moment of crossing the finish line. Joe did a great job of capturing my relief in the photo below:

There's nothing like knowing you set out with a goal that you couldn't have even imagined for yourself a few years (or months) before and that you accomplished it with the support of the people you love and with friends both old and new!

My first 8K!

Well, I did it! After a lot of preparation (as well as some procrastination and slips in training), I finished my 8K this past Sunday, June 12! It took me a while to post because, frankly, I wanted to add pictures and didn't download them from my camera until last night.

Brief aside: The night before the race was the New Kids on the Block / Backstreet Boys (marketed as NKOTBSB) show at Fenway Park. I bought my ticket back in February, long before I decided to do an 8K. I had waffled back and forth with whether I should still go, but am very happy I made the decision to stick it out. Joe went out with Sean while I relived every age between 3-24. More on this later.

It poured during the concert, so I took a cab to Joe's. It was far too cold, and the line was far too long, for me to wait for the Green Line or walk to the Orange Line. I was also too tired to worry much about my race; that hit the next morning.

I woke up bright and early because I have a very difficult time running in the morning. I wanted to make sure that my body felt like it had been awake for an adequate number of hours before I started forcing it up hills and on a 5-mile race.

I ate a bagel I grabbed from work a few days before and drank some vitamin water that Joe had bought me because he knew I would have a few beers at the show the night before. I also did a LOT of stretching. At this point, I was overwhelmed by nerves. I told Joe several times that "maybe I shouldn't run" at all. He was incredibly supportive and assured me that it would be over before I knew it and that I'd be great. I'm so lucky.

We walked down early so I could pick up my race bib and free t-shirt for pre-registering. We also watched his sister-in-law, DeAnna, start the 2K race a few minutes before my 8K started. Her race started at this banner, which is where mine ended:

When it was time to line up for my race, Joe and I walked over to the starting line and he stayed with me until just before the start of the race. He also let me use his iPod for the race. Did I mention I'm lucky?

The first part wasn't all that bad. We went straight down Chelsea St. and over to Warren and Main St., hitting the 1 mile mark along the way. A right turn onto Bunker Hill St. led me up the first hill, which was killer. People around me started walking, and I thought about doing the same, but decided that if I started walking it would be harder to start back. As I approached the top of the hill, Joe was waiting for me with water (and with camera in hand). 

Even though there were water stations, I was so grateful for the water he was providing as well. What I didn't realize is that one of the girls in front of me was having the happiest moment of her life, to date.

While the couple in front of me celebrated their engagement, I ran by wondering what was happening, but focusing more on the fact that I was about to get to run down hill, rather than up. Joe took the time to get a photo before heading down to the finish line to meet me. At this point I ran down and back onto Main St., somewhere along the way passing the 2 and 3 mile marks. 

Unfortunately, getting back to Main St. required another hill. This one wasn't nearly as daunting, but still tough. After the second trip on Main St., I continued onto Medford St. The first "hydration" station on Medford St. was a guy handing out beer rather than water. I thought about grabbing some, but was afraid I would regret it later. 

On Medford St. some man started talking to me. "How are you feeling?" he asked after he tapped me to get my attention. I think I probably just stared at him and mumbled, "Umm, I'm feeling okay." He proceeded to tell me that he keeps pace by talking to people because you're supposed to be able to carry on a conversation comfortably to know you're at a good pace. That's all fine and well, but to be honest, he started slowing me down. The next station offered a choice between water and orange slices, so I took an orange slice. This kept me from talking and the guy started talking to a passerby about her dog and I was off the hook. Somewhere on Medford St. there was a 4 mile marker.

Finishing up Medford St. led me into the Navy Yard and I knew I was getting close. I managed to take the time to smile (or make some semblance of a smile) as Joe took my picture after crossing the finish line.

It was a fantastic feeling! Joe was waiting with Gatorade and I stretched out to try to limit my level of soreness the next day. We piled into DeAnna's car after that and went back up to Joe's so I could most of another bagel, shower, and get ready for the Bunker Hill Day Parade and cooking out with his family. I made pasta salad like the one I took to Joel's housewarming, but once again forgot to get a picture. Oh well, it was delicious; everything was.

All in all a fantastic race and day! I've decided now to start training for a half marathon. Whether I'll be ready for this year's Boston Half in October is unclear, but I'm definitely running one at some point. It's amazing how far that is from wondering if I should even run at all the morning of my race. Runner's high makes all the difference in the world.