It’s been 6 years, 2 months, and 5 days since I wrote a blog post. Otherwise known as a wedding, a global pandemic and two babies later… When I started running again after Cooper was born I contemplated blogging again, but like most things I couldn’t find the time, nor did I want pressure (from myself) to write. I think that’s one thing I’ve loved the most about this training cycle. I was super focused and dedicated, but never hard on myself if a run or a workout couldn’t get done. Even when I got injured once this spring and once this fall, I did my best to not let it destroy me, but instead focus on fixing it. Short term (yay for shots!) and long term (lift weights!)

Last fall, I decided to run the Staten Island Half in early October. I started working with Coach Amanda (yay Lift Run Perform!) in mid-August, so I wasn’t sure what all I’d be able to accomplish in that short training block. I was shocked when I ran a 1:57 half just a few months after run/walking the Peachtree. Staten Island Half gave me confidence that I was a runner again. I had some decent running between Walker being born and getting pregnant with Coop, but a part of me wasn’t sure if ever get back to where I was pre-kids, assuming it would at least take a few years. After SIH, I enjoyed some winter running and decided I would race a spring half. With the New Jersey Marathon/Half no longer existing (so sad) I decided to go for the Jersey City Half. Training went really well but then hip injury number 1 hit. I got a cortisone shot (life saver!) in time to run JC but I knew in the back of my mind I wanted to run a fall marathon, and it didn’t make sense to risk further injury. What a good decision I made! We shifted the spring/summer focus to Queens 10K and the Peachtree. I ran my heart out at Queens and ran my second fastest 10K time. I was thrilled!

A couple weeks later I followed with a killer run with my brother at the Peachtree. I nearly died the last two miles but still pulled off a Peachtree PR! Pretty great for my 15th PRR!

Before I knew it, it was almost August again. I don’t think I’ve done enough acknowledgment of my coach here. Amanda is amazing! She always stayed so positive. She programmed excellent workouts that challenged me but were doable. It’s like I was marathon training the whole time and never knew. In fact, one thing I loved about this training cycle is that it wasn’t “Ok, 18 weeks out. Marathon training starts now.” We literally never had that conversation. We just kept going. The workouts got longer. The long runs got longer. I did the bulk of training during the week with a short/stroller run on the weekends. The speed work remained same speeds, my long runs remained slow and steady but slowly got a little faster. I did the majority of my runs solo with the exception of some runs with Matt in Atlanta and some at home with my new running friend Allison! Oh, I almost left that out. Of course this is the first training I’ve done in our new town, outside of New York City. What a fun way to see more and learn about all the fun running paths in New Jersey! Despite the 4:55am wake-up, I looked most forward to my Tuesday morning workouts in NYC along the west side highway. I was super excited to get back to Summer Streets one Saturday in August! It was a blast seeing so many friends. A perfect day and great run (with like 8 miles at marathon pace!)

I anticipated running into other towns for my long runs, but once I learned the paths around us I fell in love and made long run routes on them. Walker, Cooper and I drove these routes every Thursday afternoon dropping Gatorade and water for me to have on my Friday long runs.

Some time in August my other hip started acting up. I stopped, went right to PT, and right to get that cortisone. (I know I need a longer term fix here!) At that time training took a short break but I realized I really needed it. I’m not going to lie, this training cycle was exhausting. I was literally creating time, which isn’t a real thing. But I was taking calls on runs, not showering between runs and calls, running early, running late. Sleep took a hit for sure but also I knew I needed it and did my best to get it when I could. Anyways, the injury was well timed and I let my body REST.

After this I was ready to go. I had a 20 miler scheduled but felt so good I ran 22. Suddenly we were a month out from the race. I was feeling GOOD. Like really good. Strong. Confident. More so than I ever have. Workouts felt great. Long runs were totally lovely. I was ready to go! This feeling remained through my final 10 mile run. It was lovely! And then…

I was so nervous the week before the race. After feeling confident and prepared, I was questioning everything. I also caught a sore throat from the boys and that was the death of me. I was terrified I had Covid, or was going to get it before the race and not be able to run. I’ve somehow never had it/tested positive for it, so I was making up all these feelings and symptoms in my head. BLESS my family and especially coworkers who dealt with me during this time. I was a nutcase, no better way to describe it. I had never experienced taper tantrums like this. It was very real and very insane. My sweet brothers reminded me it had been 6 years since I ran a marathon so I was bound to be nervous!

Finally Friday of race week rolled around. Mom flew in Thursday, and Friday we drove up to Corning. I felt so much better once we got there. Like a whole new (sane) person. The expo was delightfully small and easy. We found a yummy pasta restaurant http://sorges.com and had simple and delicious spaghetti for dinner. I was in bed my 8:30 and asleep by 9. I slept until 8:30 the next morning. I think my body was exhausted from the taper tantrums. Saturday we did awesome glass sandblasting classes at the Corning Museum of Glass and did some shopping.

I had lunch in our hotel room- bagel, pasta, baked potato, and chilled watching college football. Pause here to talk about Featherstone Nutrition (https://www.featherstonenutrition.com) and the three day carb load plan. WOAH! I will never run a half or full again without this. Bagels, cereal, pasta, toast, potatoes galore! Food=energy!

We had early dinner reservations and were home by 8pm. I set up my race outfit and packed my start village bag. Haha it’s not really a start village, but that’s how I think of it. At some point Saturday the excited feelings finally returned! I was nervous for sure but excited. The weather was looking good. Maybe a little warm, but we trained all summer in it. I was used to it! I decided I wasn’t quite ready for cold anyways. So fine I’ll take 50° over 40°.

Before getting into the details of my race, I have to acknowledge how amazing the Wineglass Marathon and Race Series is. I’m so used to our crazy, wild, big city races. This was the opposite and just perfection. Everything was so well communicated and so well organized. All runners must take buses to the start of both the full and the half. When mom dropped me at the buses race morning, the volunteers were amazing! They had posters and glow sticks and disco ball at the entrance to bus loading. It was so fun! This was the vibe of the staff and volunteers all day!

The bus ride is about 30 minutes and once we arrived at the start they immediately told us where to go to stay warm and enjoy water (they provided) and any fuel we brought. As usual, the morning went by quickly. Again, no announcements of corrals closing, bag check closing, just you and 2,500 other runners casually getting ready to run a marathon. Clock struck 8:15 & off we went!

Ah the morning was beautiful. The leaves were changing. Not a cloud in the sky. Not one! The sun was at our backs as we started and about 0.5 a mile later, there it was. It shined bright in our face all the way through the finish line hah! I had sunglasses and the temps were slightly low, so I loved this weather.

Miles 1-10 just went. Lots of smooth downhill where it was hard to go as slow as I was attempting to thanks to gravity. My coach programmed the race like a workout, so I would float back and forth between a few pace windows based on elevation, distance, etc. I am probably most proud that I ran the first 6 miles nearly just as instructed by Coach Amanda at 8:37 pace. At my last marathon in Chicago in 2017 I started way too fast. I was determined not to do this again! I knew I would see mom just after the halfway point. Miles 6-12 were supposed to be a bit faster and I came in around 8:21 pace for those miles. I was so happy to see mom when I did. Halfway and I was feeling pretty great. I told myself, “Just get to that mile 20!”

The one hill in this race is just after 13.1. I welcomed it! I actually enjoy hills and my body needed the variety of muscle movement after so much downhill and flat. My race was programmed to pull back a tiny bit, pick it up again, pull back even more, then run hard that final 10K.

It’s funny because miles 16-18 were probably the hardest mentally. I never hit “the wall” (again shout out to carb loading and of course good training) but during those miles it certainly wasn’t easy. And honestly to see I was running an 8:21 pace, WOW! The pull back in the next two miles were welcomed.

Along with it just being the last 10K, this is also where the course changes. The entire first 20 miles are a straight shot. Maybe 3 turns. Once you hit 20 though you start weaving through town including a neighborhood running path. Oh and you run down a tiny bit steep hill to get to the path. Ouch! However, like with the hill, I was happy for this change and the distraction of turns. I saw mom just after mile 20 and said “see you soon, hopefully!” Mentally I was good. My energy was good. But of course around 22/23 my legs were like, “when is this over?” At this point I reminded myself I did not train my butt off to walk in this race. I also thought of my boys and Georgia football (you knew that was coming) and the importance of never giving up. I just kept running! Finally the mile 25 marker!

You make a right onto this bridge then a left onto the final stretch. Of course there was a teeny, tiny part of me thinking “I don’t want this to be over!” But also I was ready to cross that finish line. Not once in the race did I see my total time as I kept my watch in workout mode. I knew I did well with prescribed paces with the exception of not quite hitting them in the final miles. As with all marathons, one goal of course was to finish, with the next being to PR. Honestly though, there was never a doubt in my mind I wasn’t going to PR. Unless I got hurt mid race, I was confident in this, probably from an earlier point of training. I just didn’t know by how much I would PR. My goal time as programmed by Coach was 3:42. It felt a little fast but maybe. And that meant really my A goal was to break 3:45. I wasn’t totally sure of that. Maybe on a perfect day. So here I am rounding the corner. I even had energy to pick up the pace. I run through the finish strong (watch said 7:51!) although dying, and SO happy. 3:44:00 even. WOAH!

A friend (Erin!) recently said to me, “What is going on with you and all these moms PRing post kids?” I told her this- I love running. It makes me feel and be my best self. It’s hard though as a mom, especially of younger kids, to not feel guilty when you’re out running instead of being at home with the family. So when you decide to take that time, you make the most of it. You work hard. In that 30, 60, 120 minutes you are fully dedicated to running and nothing else. You are present with yourself so when you’re done, you can be fully present with your kids. I think being a mom makes me stronger both mentally and physically. And maybe I just want to impress my kids? 🙂

So my 2023 Wineglass Marathon was close to perfection. I am so happy and so proud.

Shout out to mom for accompanying me. She is the best cheerleader!

A brewery in the Finger Lakes. Such a beautiful weekend!