Boston 1/2 Marathon

IS TODAY!!! this is it, folks. This morning, I'm a runner. But around 8:30am, I'll forever be a 1/2 marathoner.

13.1. Because I can!

13.1 Boston Playlist (probably more music than I need)

1. OMG - Usher
2. Alejandro - Lady Gaga
3. Shut It Down - Pitbull
4. Bulletproof - La Roux
5. Hotel Room Service - Pitbull
6. Dynamite - Taio Cruz
7. If I Knew Then - Backstreet Boys
8. Balla Baby - Chingy
9. Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz
10. Take It Off - Ke$ha
11. Don't Stop Believin' - Glee
12. 13:44 Moth Short Story
13. Straight Through My Heart - Backstreet Boys
14. Tik Tok - Ke$ha
15. Fire - Joe Budden & Busta Rhymes
16. Starstrukk - 3O5!3
17. Replay - Iyaz
18. Take You There - Sean Kingston
19. Empire State of Mind - Jay Z & Alicia Keys
20. Take Me Back - Taio Cruz
21. Beautiful - Akon
22. Keep You Much Longer - Akon
23. Memories - David Guetta
24. 21:11 Moth Short Story
25. Bigger - Backstreet Boys
26. Hit the Floor - Twista & Pitbull
27. Right Round - Flo Rida
28. Troublemaker - Akon
29. Top of the World - Pussycat Dolls
30. Bye Bye Love - Backstreet Boys
31. Solo - Iyaz
32. Fire Burning - Sean Kingston
33. Eenie Meenie - Sean & Justin Bieber
34. All of Your Life - Backstreet Boys

52cents

Cat and I went running last night for our last long run before Sunday, aka 1/2 Marathon day, aka death. We ended up doing a very strong 7 miles. After the run, I admittedly had a slight mental freak-out that she unfortunately had to witness. 13.1 miles is a lot. And because I've never run that before, and I already have issues with "worrying the run," I'm worried about Sunday. A lot.

Cat and I talked through our horrible anxieties about the upcoming race on our way to get our ice cream reward. While sitting on the trunk of her car, we decided we were going to do another 1/2 marathon this fall together. Even though minutes earlier we had both been hot messes of stress about this race on Sunday, we still wanted to run more of them. That made me smile so much, because I realized the anxiety and the stress and the freak-outs were normal and expected, but that the desire to keep going was not.

That moment sitting on her car I realized something: we're runners. And on Sunday, we're going to do 13.1 because we can and because we want to. We both have that in us, and no one can ever take that away. I'm so lucky to have her in my life, because while she'll always be there when I mentally fall apart before a race, more importantly she'll also be there when I cross the finish line. Friends like that are few and far between, and I know that if we cross that finish line together, or miles apart, we'll both be the other's cheerleader for the entire 13.1 miles. If that isn't the perfect friendship, I don't know what is.

Rewards Taste So Sweet

So this is it...in 4 days I will be on the starting line (and hopefully eventually on the finish line). My friend / training partner, Cat, and I are going on our last long run together before the race. Well, 6-7 miles. We don't want to overdo it, but we also don't want to feel too weak come race day. Cat and I have learned an amazing running lesson: The best thing about running is the reward you give yourself when you finish. So, after every long run we do, we go get ourselves a reward. Our reward is always ice cream, simply because there's nothing better after a long run in the summertime. Being able to sit on the hood of a car or a park bench or a beach and truly enjoy a cold, sweet, delicious ice cream is the greatest experience.

I cannot wait for our run tonight! I know we'll power through it and I know we'll feel even more prepared and excited for race day, and I know we'll be thinking about that scrumptious reward the entire run. Or, at least I will. I have no problem admitting that these days I run to eat ice cream. Hey, at least I'm running :)

Castle Island

I had a horrible run over the weekend, which sucked because I was so excited about my 8 mile run I had done just a day or two before. My body just felt like it was shutting down, and 3 miles in I was just destroyed. It was a big mental setback for me, and I've been in this negative mindset about my half marathon ever since.

And then my friend Cat and I decided to go running last night. We decided to go run around Castle Island right at sunset. Castle Island is this gorgeous 2 mile loop around a bay with boardwalks and excellent people watching, right on the beach. We agreed to do the loop twice for a quick 4 mile run. And by quick, I mean quick. Cat and I are both doing the half marathon together this coming Sunday, and we've been training for it now together for months. She is a much faster runner than I am, but it evens out because I am faster on the hills (our half marathon course is super hilly, so our strides even out).

Last night I was able to keep up with her for the first 2.5 miles, which is impressive. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that pace for another 1.5, but I did push myself to run much faster than I normally do. Running, full out running, around Castle Island is really fun. You feel free and like everyone is watching you as you sprint by. It was a big rush for me, personally, and when I got back to the car after my final loop, I felt fantastic; I felt like I could run another loop around the Island.

Cat's great like that. She pushes me and challenges me in many different ways. Running really is a love-hate relationship, but it's so much easier to stay with the love aspect of it when you find someone to run with. Cat truly is my running buddy, and I couldn't be happier to be going through this experience with her. I know Sunday might feel like a death march, but I know we're going to make it fun. We're going to do 13.1 because we can, and when it's over, there's no else I'd rather exchange a huge sweaty hug with.

Runners High

Yesterday, per usual, I was procrastinating my run. I told myself I would just do three miles, instead of the six I had decided on earlier. But, even those three seemed daunting. I started going through all the normal excuses, telling myself three miles was super impressive and I should be super excited if I could go out and do that. And then it hit me; my half marathon is a week and a half away. If I'm at the point where three miles is an achievement, how am I ever going to run 13.1 in about a week?? Not happening. So, I tuned my brain out, swallowed some Power Bar Gel Blasts (you have to try them! They're so good.) and headed out the door. The first three miles were beyond tough. I've discovered though that if I can get my body (and mostly my brain) through the first three miles, the rest is easy.

The first three miles hurt. I felt slow and cumbersome and every part of my body decided to cramp up all at the same time. But then something changed around mile four. My cramps disappeared and my pace became fluid and natural. I stopped thinking about the run and just ran. I was able to stop focusing on my breath (and breathing) and just melt into the the pavement and the experience. I ended up running eight miles! By the time I got home, I was actually kind of disappointed; I wanted to keep going!

I've heard about runners getting these fantastic runners' highs where they feel invincible and as if they could run forever. I've experienced smaller doses of this said high, but last night was unlike anything else. I truly just became a part of the run and my body stopped feeling tired, it basically stopped feeling anything at all. I was truly convinced I could have easily done another eight miles (but it's important to not overdo it all at once).

That was by far the best runner's high I've ever experienced and the most amazing feeling eight miles. I needed that run. Now I cannot wait till race day!

Morning Runs

I did not want to go running this morning. I didn't want to go so badly, that I was even procrastinating last night. I stayed up way too late watching horrible television that I was barely interested in. And then when I tired of that, I played about a dozen games of spider solitaire. I love to read and there's this book that I haven't been able to put down lately, and I didn't touch it last night because reading late at night makes me want to go to sleep. That's how badly I didn't want to go running this morning. But, I did. After a lot of grumbling.

It started out slow, as most of my runs do. I fiddled with my iPod, trying to find that perfect song that would try to get me out of my mental funk. I thought about ex boyfriends, trying to hash up some old anger that would fuel my steps into a faster pace. I stared in shop windows, willing myself to run longer so that I could look like all of the plastic mannequins. And then somewhere between all of the forcing, something just clicked. My pace came to me and my ex boyfriend thoughts disappeared (thank god) and I eased into a happy rhythm and let myself just enjoy the run. Four miles later, I came home happy. And that's really the best thing about running, you know? Discovering you don't run for a certain person or a certain reason; you run because you can.

Solemates

I recently got back from a week in Cancun and then a long weekend in NY. In total, I was off traveling for about two weeks, which didn't really bode well for my running schedule. I took too much time off, was jet lagged, exhausted, and hungover (what else do you expect from a week in Cancun?!), so it was no big surprise that my 12 mile run ended after only 4 miles. I was burnt out and felt incredibly out of shape. Also, my half marathon is in 23 days. I wasn't ready to quit, but I also wasn't ready to step it up. I didn't know what to do.

My friend that's running the half marathon with me knew exactly what to do. She told me she was going to run 7 miles on our race course last night. 7 intense, hilly miles. She asked me if I wanted to do it with her. Did I want to? No. Did I? Yes. Turns out, that was the best run I've ever had. Ever. It was fast and there's a good two-mile incline at the end of it, but I never felt better or stronger. We ended up sprinting the last few hundred yards, forcing the other to go faster and faster, racing to see who could tag the car first. At the end, we were breathless, giddy and so proud of ourselves and each other.

She believed in me. She wouldn't take no for an answer and she knew I was capable of doing those 7 miles, even when I didn't think I was. Not only was I able to do it, I kinda wanted to keep going. It was exhilarating, running in such a beautiful place. I wasn't expecting to enjoy that run, I wasn't even expecting to make it. But I loved it! Thank you, solemate. I cannot wait to have that much fun with you on race day!