Soooooo…I know I still haven’t posted my full race recap, and that’s in the works, I PROMISE (you know how I like to include every. last. detail, haha). But we just got back from Disney on Sunday and I’ve been battling some sort of cold/sheer exhaustion, so I’ve basically been a hot mess over the last couple of days.

I did, however, want to drop in and give you a quick update on our whereabouts over the last week or two. Our trip was pretty freakin’ epic.

We…

Stayed at the Art of Animation for the first time, in a Little Mermaid room (my fave princess and movie of allllll time)!

Ate and drank our way around the world at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Had all kinds of festive fun at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Verrrrrrry funny, Dopey!

Devoured a delicious Christmas dinner at Minnie’s Holiday Dine.

Enjoyed the Osbourne Lights one last time. (*sniff*)

Ate dinner at Be Our Guest, which was especially exciting since I haven’t been able to get a reservation since 2013!

Visited Sea World, where we took a “backstage” tour and met a penguin. (And died a little because I’m OBSESSED with penguins.)

Saw my most favoritest band in the whole wide world (laugh all you want) at Epcot for the “Eat to the Beat” concert series. And sat in the second row (that was one FastPass+ that was very, VERY worth it). I’m a 20-year Hanson fan and still going strong.

But, most importantly, I’m very excited to announce that Todd and I not only survived New York, but we DID finish the Wine & Dine “Half” Marathon (more on that later…haaa). And gee golly, it was a tough “half” marathon.

I’m sure you all know by now that the race course ended up being cut in half due to some storms that decided to roll in JUST as they were about to let us into our corrals. I’ll have more on that in my recap, but suffice it to say that even though I was EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED, we still managed to have some fun.

Obviously, this had to happen before the race.

We then proceeded to fly to Richmond, VA and — to my surprise — conquered the Richmond Marathon!

Obviously, our legs were pretty much shot from running NYCM and then spending a week in Disney walking around the parks (and it was NOT a leisurely vacation by any means), but the temperatures were perfect in the 40s-50s and the course was awesome and, physically, we both actually fared a whole lot better than we did in New York!

Gorgeous scenery!

We even beat our NYCM time by a minute or two (what are the odds of that?!), and the next day felt strong enough to go see some of the sights before hopping into a rental car and making the 6-hour drive back to New Jersey.

So, needless to say, I’ve got lots and lots of recaps and photos coming this week and next week, and I promise I’m working on catching up with all of you! I know I’m the worst at keeping up with blogging/social media when I’m in Disney. Mainly ‘cuz I’m having so much geeky fun that I can’t even stand it.

These are the moments when Memory Maker is worth it, lol

What’s your favorite thing to do/see/eat in Disney?

Have you ever had a race cut short due to weather?

]]> http://thefinalforty.com/a-magical-wine-and-dine-half-marathon-trip-and-a-successful-marathon-7/feed/ 17 http://thefinalforty.com/the-best-20-mile-run-ever/ http://thefinalforty.com/the-best-20-mile-run-ever/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:56:15 +0000 Jennifer http://thefinalforty.com/?p=6051 Hey, guys! So since I somehow managed to get weeks and weeks behind in my New York City Marathon training recaps, I thought I’d go ahead and catch up now. Especially since we successfully completed the big kahuna — our 20-mile run — yesterday, and you all know what that means.

IT’S TIME TO TAPER!!!

Here’s a quick look at my final weeks of marathon training:

Week 9, total weekly mileage: 31 miles

4 miles, 6 miles, 5 miles, 2 Taekwondo classes, and a long run of 16 miles. This was the first long run in this training cycle that actually went better than expected. It was still WAY too hot for me, but we got up super early and banged it out before the heat became unbearable.

Week 10, total weekly mileage: 25 miles

6 miles, 5 miles, 4 miles, 1 Taekwondo class, and a scale-back long run of 10 miles. This was the point where the 10-milers in this training plan were really starting to feel a somewhat “easy” to me, and it did WONDERS for my confidence.

Week 11, total weekly mileage: 33 miles

5 miles, 6 miles, 4 miles, 1 Taekwondo class, and our 18-mile long run, which we tackled as part of the Ocean City Half Marathon. A full recap can be found here!

Week 12, total weekly mileage: 28 miles

5 miles, 8 miles, 5 miles, 1 Taekwondo class, and another scale-back long run of 10 miles. The feeling of “only” having to run 10 miles in between these hard efforts? Priceless.

Yes, I am a HUGE dork who gives two thumbs up whenever a long run actually goes well, lol

Week 13, total weekly mileage: 34 miles

8 miles, 6 miles, 1 Taekwondo class, and our big 20-mile run!

You know I loves me a themed outfit, lol

So the best news of all is that yesterday’s 20-miler is probably the best long training run both of us have ever had.

(I know, right?!?!)

We got started around 7:30am in temperatures that were a downright chilly 45 degrees. I was actually COLD for the first mile or two. That’s right…COLD! After a loooong, endless summer of suffering in sweltering heat, the running gods smiled upon us and we spent the majority of our 20-mile run in temperatures that never exceeded 60-65 degrees. IT. FELT. HEAVENLY.

Honestly, the first half went by rather quickly. We ran a couple of loops around two parks we frequent, and spent some time running around a nearby community college campus. My legs didn’t feel like lead (FOR ONCE) and, mentally, I felt prepared for this final long run of our training plan. I’m completely obsessed with fall, so the chilly temperatures combined with the beginnings of some beautiful fall foliage were just the icing on top of the cake.

My only issue for this run was some unexpected tummy crampage/discomfort, which I’m attributing to the fact that we went apple picking the day before and I basically ate my weight in apples — too much fiber, maybe? Haha.

Something I should not eat before a long run…lesson learned, lol.

The second half was a little tougher, of course, but we were able to maintain a solid 10-11/minute mile pace. I didn’t feel the need to take walk breaks as frequently as I did during all of those hot summer long runs, and we stuck to our usual plan of refueling every 4-5 miles.

As I approached the final 5K still feeling strong, there was a part of me that KNEW that I had this. I realized that for the first time, I was going to go into a marathon feeling completely prepared. It’s not like that morning’s run was “easy,” but for some reason, my usual physical agony and self-doubt and obsessing about how I would EVER be able to cover 26 miles in a few short weeks just wasn’t there. I felt like all of my hard work this summer had paid off. I felt ready…and, dare I say, downright confident.

And that feeling elated me.

We blasted through those final miles as quickly as we could — and I may or may not have been listening to “New York, New York” on loop, haha — and finally, it was over. We made it! And my legs didn’t feel like they were going to fall off and I didn’t have that feeling where I just want to curl up in a ball and die. Even Todd kept saying stuff like, “why am I not in as much pain as I usually am?”

I don’t know if it was just the cooler temperatures — or maybe suffering through so many hot summer runs really DID make us stronger — but we finished this long run in probably the best physical and mental shape ever.

I felt freakin’ awesome…actually, I think we both did.

Our reward? A trip to Manhattan Bagel for a yummy turkey sausage bagel sandwich and lots of coffee. YES. (Am I the only one who is EXTREMELY motivated by food as a reward for a solid long run effort? Hahaha).

In our final weeks of training, we have some slightly shorter mid-week runs plus a “for fun” Halloween-themed half marathon next weekend (more on that soon), followed by a 7-miler the following weekend. And then I get to run what I think is THE MOST AMAZING RACE IN THE WORLD (other than Disney, of course!) with my running partner-in-crime for the first time. To say I’m excited doesn’t even begin to describe it.

So, SO excited to do this again…

After the New York City Marathon? Well, we may or may not have signed up for another *BIG RACE* for the week after the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I’ll tell you guys all about it in my next post…it’s a long story.

Have you ever had a long run where everything just went “right?”

What was your best long run ever?!

Photo credit: OOFOS.com

*Disclaimer: I received one pair of the magical OOFOS OOriginal flip flops in exchange for the following review, but all opinions are very much my own. And you can believe me, because I’ve since acquired three more pairs and have every intention to eventually collect all of the colors.

If you’ve read my blog before, you might recall that among the biggest issues I have with recovery after running revolves around my feet…from blisters to burning soles to missing toenails to plantar fasciitis, I’ve experienced it all.

After a race, I IMMEDIATELY change into flip flops because I must…I MUST…get out of my sneakers as quickly as possible. And, yes, this includes races that take place when it’s not exactly sandal season. I don’t even care if it’s 40 degrees outside. After a race, it’s flip flop/sandals time, period.

Totally pulling off the socks and sandals look in March…lol

I fell in love with OOFOS the SECOND I tried them on. They feel so different from my usual brand of flip flop. It is literally like walking on a freakin’ cloud, I kid you not. They’re super soft and squishy, and yet still supportive. It honestly feels like you’re wearing a sneaker, but without, you know, actually having to wear a sneaker.

According to the OOFOS website, here’s exactly why their OOFOS OORIGINAL sandal is pure magic for your sore, tired runner feet:

Our most popular shoe soothes and reinvigorates your feet after a workout, so you’ll be ready to do it again tomorrow. With OOfoam technology, the patented footbed design absorbs impact, cradles your arches and allows you to move naturally. Your feet will know the difference.

If you still don’t believe it, I will say that Todd — who normally HATES flip flops, and would never in a million years be willing to walk around in them — stole my second pair of black OOFOS (we basically have the same size foot, haha) and now slips them on immediately after every long run. And he even wears them for the rest of the day…on a trip to Target, out to dinner, etc.

We like to boost our recovery by walking the dog after a long run, so we both slip these bad boys on for a little trip to the park or a stroll around the neighborhood, and it feels like heaven on my swollen, achy (not to mention stanky) post-long run feet.

I wore a pair of OOFOS every day this summer, and plan to continue wearing them after every single long run/race…at least until there’s snow on the ground.

Since I started wearing them after runs, I haven’t experienced any of the plantar fasciitis-like pain that I was dealing with during my last bout of marathon training (*knock on wood*). It could be a coincidence, of course, but I prefer to just believe that the sandals are magical. Hey, whatever works, right?

According to the OOFOS website, here are the reasons these flip flops are so great for recovery after a tough run or workout — or for everyday wear:

• Absorbs more shock than traditional foams
• Reduces stress on sore feet, knees and lower back
• Cradles your arches
• Biomechanically designed footbed allows natural motion

Plus, OOFOS OOriginal come in a bunch of super cute colors, and since they’re unisex sizing, they actually fit my gargantuan, wide foot. Are they a little on the pricier side, for a flip flop ($45)? For sure. But just like my beloved Sparkle Skirts, IMHO, the price tag is SO worth it.

The company’s tagline is “Your feet earned this,” and it could not be more accurate!

Rockin’ our OOFOS at the pool after a brutal 14-miler

In conclusion, I will never wear another flip flop ever again. I can’t WAIT to see how these do while I’m walking for miles and miles around the Disney parks during our trip in November for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon!

Have you ever worn recovery sandals/flip flops after a run or race?

Now that the weather has officially warmed up (ugh) and summer is ahead, I’m making plans for what in the world I’m going to do with myself until I have to start training for the New York City Marathon. More than likely, I won’t start officially training until mid-July, which frightens me a bit because I really, reeeeeeally hate running in the heat of summer!

So what do I do until then? For starters, Todd and I have our last big race of the season this weekend: The Wildwood Half Marathon.

Photo credit: www.runwildwoods.com

It’s our first time running this race, and I’m not gonna lie…I’m mostly looking at it as an excuse to go to the beach.

And by “go to the beach,” I actually mean “sit around and eat frozen treats.”

I no longer feel properly trained to attempt a PR, especially since my running since the marathon hasn’t been the most consistent…or pleasant. I took one full week off, and since then have only tackled a couple of easy 3-4 milers. I also ran a “long” run of 8 miles last Sunday that did not go especially well due to the fact that my legs felt as though they weighed about 150 pounds each.

I’m also having a hard time sustaining the pace on my shorter runs that I was hitting when training for The Love Run a couple of months ago, which I’m chalking up to a.) lingering post-marathon fatigue combined with not enough recovery, b.) my usual post-marathon attitude of I HATE RUNNING, and c.) it’s getting TOO FRIGGIN’ HOT.

Whoooo loves running in 80+ degrees?!

Moral of the story? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for cool temps in the morning this Sunday, and I’ll do the best I can. I figure I already scored my sub-2:05 qualifying time for Wine and Dine corral placement, so I’m not going to try to kill myself for this one if my body isn’t feeling it. But, if it is, then I’ll totally go for it and see what I can do.

After Wildwood? My other big goal of the summer is to finally grow some you-know-whats and sign up for a triathlon. I’ve been putting it off for a long time because I’m scared of the swimming portion. I am in no way intimidated by the running (of course), and I absolutely love to cycle so it would be awesome to have an excuse to incorporate more consistent cycling into my weekly workout routine. But the swimming? Notsomuch. I CAN swim, but I don’t especially enjoy it. I also definitely don’t have anything that even closely resembles proper form, and for some reason all of the running in the world apparently hasn’t prepared me for the rigors of swimming because even just going a few laps in the pool at our condo can leave me winded, lol.

Still, I KNOW that I’m the type who needs to constantly keep setting goals in order to stay motivated, so I figure this is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of a little break from distance running for a couple of months and enjoy some other forms of cross-training. And, fortunately, my schedule has been permitting at least 2-3 Taekwondo classes per week as of late, so I’m hoping to be testing for my brown belt sooner rather than later!

In other news? It looks like I will be starting a new collection of warm-weather running gear to help get me through those sweltering summer training runs. I finally tried SparkleSkirts for the first time yesterday, and GOOD LORD I DO NOT KNOW HOW I EVER SURVIVED WITHOUT THEM!

As someone who has always had larger thighs — not to mention a fair amount of loose skin on my legs (…and belly…and arms…) from weight loss  — attempting to find a pair of shorts or a running skirt that would accommodate my legs and NOT ride up, cause chafing, etc. has been an ongoing struggle. I usually have to buy a running skirt and then invest in a separate pair of longer compression shorts to go under them just to prevent that oh-so-joyous rubbing sensation.

A VERY rare race-day occurrence: attempting to run in anything other than capris.

Also, my waist is a little smaller than my legs, so my RunningSkirts skirt was the first one I found that fit my legs properly and didn’t ride up too much, but the waist is floppy and annoying and I keep having to pull it up constantly throughout the run. So, needless to say, I was skeptical about all the positive reviews I’ve read about SparkeSkirts, but figured it was worth a shot since I am TIRED of being hot and miserable on warm-weather runs just because I’m uncomfortable with/self-conscious of my thighs. I finally treated myself to a SparkleSkirt in the lovely “Castle Blue” color (because it just seemed appropriate).

And let me tell you…this skirt DID. NOT. MOVE. Granted, I only wore it for a quick 3-miler, but I could NOT believe it. The attached shorts underneath DID NOT BUDGE, and the waist stayed EXACTLY where I wanted it for the entire run. Plus, there are ginormous pockets in the shorts, so I could fit my keys and phone and all the other large items that I am forced to carry around in my bra (not ideal, obviously) when I forget to pack one of my running belts…and I completely forgot they were there!

So consider me totally obsessed. I’ll probably be taking it for a spin during the Wildwood Half this weekend for the ultimate test — a half marathon on what could be a 70+ degree day — but if all goes well, then it looks like I’ll be asking for SparkleSkirts for my (gulp) 30th birthday this summer.

What are your running/fitness/racing goals for the summer months?

What’s your favorite running skirt (if you wear ‘em)?

I’ll start with a quick look at the expo. I say quick look because there wasn’t really anything there. The half and full marathons draw some 6,000 runners — about 4,000 for the half, and 2,000 for the full (along with a 5K and half relay) — so it’s definitely not the largest expo (although a few of my favorites, like Bondiband, were there)!

I didn’t love the race shirt or the sneak peek of the medal — and I also got the sense that this particular race weekend was going to primarily be geared towards the half marathoners, which I thought ended up being pretty accurate.

But it didn’t matter all that much then because I knew we had worked HARD for this race…and I couldn’t wait!

We left for the race around 6am on Sunday, since we live about 30 minutes from the starting line in Monmouth Park Racetrack. Fortunately, Todd figured out a “secret” way to get there via back roads, so we didn’t have to sit in the insane traffic that many other runners had to deal with in trying to get inside the complex.

It was nice and cool in the morning (mid-40′s), but I knew the temperatures were expected to rise to at least the mid-60′s (BOO). We headed right for the (INDOOR!) bathrooms so we didn’t have to use the port-a-potties. As always, the line for the ladies’ room was loooooooong, but we made it to the corrals with a few minutes to spare (an announcement was made that they were delaying the start of the race due to the fact that so many people were having trouble getting in…an issue I faced when I ran the half marathon in 2013.)

I was nervous because my legs had felt pretty tight and sore in the days leading into the race, but that morning, I felt READY.  We had both trained our butts off and our shared goal was to cross the finish line with a “4″ in front of our time. Given the way our training had gone, honestly, I felt we had this in the bag. In fact, there was a part of me that was sure we were going to crush that goal, and maybe even come in closer to 4:30.

We squeezed into a corral in front of the 5:00 pacer and started the race with a nice, easy pace of 10:30. The plan was to try to hover around 10:15/10:30 in the beginning of the race, and then evaluate how we felt in the middle to see if we should try picking it up (haha, yeah, right) or try to maintain a sub-11 as best we could for the second half. We saw our fellow Jersey runner friend Kim from Barking Mad About Running and chatted for a minute or so in that first mile. And then it was time to begin my 5th 26.2-mile journey.

The first couple of miles felt easy. A little too easy. I kept telling myself that we had a long way to go, but I still couldn’t help but feel optimistic that we were going to CRUSH this race. My only issue at that moment was that Todd and I were both complaining of side stitches, which I rarely get anymore, so I wasn’t sure what that was about. We walked through each water stop and I tried to massage my side, and that helped a bit.

The course is practically flat as a pancake, with just a handful of rolling hills (mainly on bridges), and although I was already heating up by the time we were finishing the first 10K, the chilly winds were helping to keep us cool. Better yet, we were running close to the 4:40 pacer, which thrilled me to no end because I was sure we could not only achieve a sub-five, but that we could definitely break 4:45! Ah, gotta love the optimism in the first half of a marathon.

It felt like there were tons of runners and a fair amount of spectators, but I knew that was probably all going to change once the marathoners split off around mile 12 and the half marathoners headed towards the finish line. Sure enough, after the split, Todd and I were practically running alone, with what felt like only a handful of fellow runners in our general vicinity at any given time.

Where have all the runners gone…?

We quickly discovered that our plan to delay any bathroom breaks until the second half of the course — with the assumption that the lines would be shorter — ended up being a very, very bad idea. Because guess what? There were NO FREAKIN’ PORT-A-POTTIES TO BE FOUND.

As usual, there were runners ducking behind bushes to do their business, but since this course is largely residential (you run through “shore towns” like Oceanport, Long Branch, Asbury Park, etc.), there were others that had no choice but to go on people’s lawns (as discreetly as possible, but, still). Since I have lady parts and it’s not so easy for me — nor would I want to do my private business on somebody’s private property — I got PISSED AS HELL. How are we expected to run for 4 or 5 or 6 hours without being supplied with any sort of bathroom facility? REALLY?!

Unfortunately, it was also somewhere right before the halfway point that I started to feel…not right. My legs were already feeling fatigued, but worse, it was my stomach that started acting up. My stomach was feeling a little crampy and I started to feel borderline nauseous, which never happens, so I wasn’t really sure what do about it. We were sticking to our usual tried-and-true routine of taking fuel every 4-5 miles (I had Clif Bloks and Honey Stingers gels and waffles with me), so I didn’t know what the issue was.

I tried to take a piece of the waffle somewhere in mile 14 and couldn’t get it down — which is NOT a problem I’ve ever had — and as much as I usually love in-race bananas, I held onto mine after the first banana stop because just the thought of eating solid food at that moment made me want to hurl.

That’s how I knew something was wrong. I can assure you that I never, ever have a problem eating. Before running, while running, after running, EVER. And I started to get very afraid that the nausea was going to get worse. It’s not like there were any port-a-potties to duck into, either!

So, of course, that’s when my head started with its usual shenanigans. Here I was, only halfway through the race, and I felt like crap. There were hardly any spectators — or runners, for that matter — and running through residential areas on training runs (I prefer parks) bores me to no end, so the fact that it felt like we were just running up and down side streets at this point made things even worse.

My stomach felt weird and a fatigue took over me that I usually don’t experience until much, much later in a marathon. Was this “the wall,” and was I hitting it when we still had 10+ miles to go? Meanwhile, by mile 15 or 16 that 4:40 pacer was long gone, and I knew we’d never catch her…and I let it get to me.

So then began the panic attacks. I am typically not a crier — at least not in public — but for some reason, every time I run a marathon I end up having a meltdown at least 2-3 times along the course. And I don’t mean like a single rolling tear down my cheek. I mean like I have to stop running because I’m panicking and I can’t catch my breath and I feel like the whole world is ending and my body is falling apart and there’s no way I’m going to make it.

This is the first time Todd got to experience this particular phenomenon (lucky him). I never have a problem during runDisney races (of course), and our only other marathon together thus far was his first (the Rock n’ Roll USA in DC last March), so I was way too worried about him to let myself freak out.

Well, this time, it happened by mile 15…and then again around 18…and then again around 22. I was just DONE. We were fighting just to keep an 11ish pace, and all I wanted to do was stop and walk because I allowed myself to think that I wasn’t going to be able to finish this race. I couldn’t catch my breath, and a constant stream of negativity was playing on loop through my mind…and I hated myself at that moment because I keep letting this happen. Todd kept assuring me that we “banked” plenty of time since we performed so well in the first half (we finished just under 2:20), and that I didn’t have to stress about meeting our time goal.

WHY do I continually let myself fall apart the moment I start to struggle, and WHY can I never just have enough faith in myself that I WILL make it to the finish line? I mean, really…how many times do I have to run a freakin’ marathon before those little voices go away?! This getting ridiculous now!

Meanwhile, we both needed to use a bathroom, and there were NONE to be found. We found one port-a-potty on what appeared to be a construction site, and were behind one other runner waiting in line, but then she told us there was no toilet paper and that it was exceptionally gross (goody), so we moved on. Fortunately, we finally stumbled across two port-a-potties near another banana stop around mile 18, so we stood in line and wasted about 5 minutes with a few other runners who were also disgruntled that there were no bathroom facilities on this course.

I hoped that a pit stop and a quick break (because even sitting in a disgusting port-a-potty feels heavenly during a marathon) would help alleviate some of my discomfort, but I continued to struggle every step of the way. My feet were starting to burn now, and some of my toenails were rubbing against my socks so it felt like I was about to lose them. My legs weren’t TOO tight, but they were definitely heavy, and I just felt…tired. Exhausted. OVER IT.

And then the 4:55 pacer appeared behind us as we were rounding the corner for the out-and-back section of the course (somewhere around mile 20), and I FREAKED. Here was the culmination of everything we worked for in human form, and it was literally chasing us down. I panicked. Again.

Todd kept trying to calm me down. Here I was acting like a complete baby, and he continued to be so calm and sweet and supportive. He kept saying stuff like “we’re in this together” and he “believes in me.”

As much as I appreciated that, and I SO needed him there, I kept telling him to leave me. It was something we had already discussed, and though I would have been disappointed, I also would have completely understood if he ran ahead. I didn’t want to be the reason that he didn’t meet his goal, because he worked so hard for this race and he was doing SO much better than I was. Ironically, we were joking in the weeks before the race that I would be the one leaving him, since that’s the scenario that usually plays out during long runs and races longer than 13.1 miles.

But he wouldn’t leave me. He said it’s “just a number” and he’s not missing the opportunity to finish this race with me, no matter what the clock says. (Interestingly enough, that’s usually MY viewpoint; he’s typically a little more competitive when it comes to finish times.) He was making me feel better, but I still felt guilty for ruining what was supposed to be our triumphant sub-five finish.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day, but the sun was beating down on us now and I felt hot and sweaty and just DRAINED, no matter how much Gatorade I drank (race organizers may have forgotten about the port-a-potties, but the course did NOT lack water stations, I’ll give them that). I took a few bites of banana when they were offered, and I forced down a couple of gels, but my usual mid-run hunger was not happening that day; clearly, my “unsettled” stomach was going to stick with me for the remainder of the race, and I’d just have to try to ignore it.

In those final miles, I remember running with my eyes closed a few times because it literally felt like I was falling asleep standing up…almost like my batteries were “on low.” Speaking of batteries, guess what decided to DIE in the last 10K? My fully-charged iPod. Todd saved the day yet again…he let me take his. Because he knows I will die without the distraction, whereas he runs without music all the time. Have I mentioned yet how glad I was that he was with me for this one?! Seriously.

Almost there…

As we made our way to the boardwalk, my spirits picked up just a little bit because I knew we were so close (and, yet, still so far!), and plus I like running by the ocean. There were also a couple of photographers hanging around so I was sure to put on my best pretend smile.

Photo credit: NJ Marathon

The 4:55 pacer caught us again and passed us for good, and I was mad because I knew there was no way in hell we’d ever catch him. I kept compulsively checking my Garmin to monitor our potential finish time, and knew that we were going to cut it so close…and I hoped that if we could just keep the 5:00 pacer at bay, then we’d be okay (meanwhile, of course, I had NO idea what time they actually crossed the starting line and whether or not they were even on their pace).

But it didn’t matter because they represented my goal slipping away and I felt guilty because I had ruined Todd’s race and now we were going to have to fight just to squeak by under five hours. (Note to self: I will never be able to run with a pacer. It clearly screws with my head just a little too much.) I KNEW we were capable of doing so much better, and I was frustrated to be struggling so much when I was so sure I did everything “right” during my training.

Whoooooo’s in pain…?!?!

Finally…FINALLY…I knew Long Branch’s Pier Village was up ahead, and there were a handful of spectators in those final miles so their cheering helped a little. With just about 2 miles to go, according to my calculations (which I couldn’t rely on since I had some SERIOUS marathon brain going on), we could still make our sub-five goal as long as we stuck to our current pace and didn’t take any more extended walk breaks.

When we passed the 25th mile, I dug deep and we both managed to drop back down to around a 10ish-minute mile, partially because I desperately wanted to be done and partially because if I suffered that much and came in with a time of something like 5:00:01 I would have proceeded to drown myself in the ocean.

As we approached the finish line, we scanned the crowds for our parents, and spotted his (I never did see mine) holding signs and cheering for us. I swear, Todd’s parents sometimes seem even more excited about our races than we are, and they’re always super supportive and totally our biggest fans. I was so excited (and relieved!) to see them!

With the finish line up ahead, as per my usual M.O., the nausea, the pain, the frustration, the agony…all of it…was gone. WE MADE IT.

The clock said 5:05. I KNEW we started 10 minutes after the official start of the race, so we both knew then for sure that we HAD it.

We crossed the finish line in 4:57:34, and I was too relieved that it was over to care that we had come thisclose to missing our goal.

We got our medals and proceeded to sit on the ground for several minutes because it was absolutely necessary. That’s when I realized that apparently my camera had turned on in my running belt, so the battery was dead, which just felt like the cherry on top of what was already a disastrous race. So we relied on our friends at MarathonFoto and our phones.

A fellow runner approached us as we were sitting on the ground and made a comment about how they were watching us and saw how much Todd helped me get to the finish line (which meant I REALLY must’ve looked like a hot mess out there, lol). But, yeah, that pretty much sums up this race. I did it for him in D.C., and he did it for me this weekend. It’s how we roll.

We got our goody bag (the idea of eating anything from it was completely out of the question, because I STILL felt a little nauseated) and made the long, slow march to find our parents on our sore, stiff legs.

There’s a finish line festival but I was a little too out of it to really enjoy it, and I was disappointed in that the swarms of spectators that I remember from running the half marathon in 2013 were completely non-existent when it came to the full marathon. Everyone had already gone home, so there wasn’t much of a “festival” at all. It sort of felt like the event should be called “THE NEW JERSEY HALF MARATHON (and also a marathon).”

We hung around a bit to cheer on some of the runners coming in after us, but I couldn’t help but notice that most of the vendors were already starting to pack it up — not cool for those coming in closer to 6 hours, especially with a course time limit of 6:30, might I add. Then we all packed it in and went out for dinner, and by that time, my appetite was starting to come back.

Would I run the marathon again? Honestly, probably not. I think Todd and I have been spoiled in that we’ve run marathons with a whole lot of hoopla (like, you know, the New York City Marathon and the Walt Disney World Marathon), so to arrive to a practically empty “finish line festival” was a little disappointing. The post-race goody bags were pre-packaged, which was nice, but the half marathoners apparently used up all of the heat sheets because none of the marathoners finishing with us got one.

The fact that there were twice as many half marathoners as full marathoners — and that we all got almost the exact same race shirt and medal — was also a little disappointing. I’m not at all saying that finishing a half marathon isn’t an enormous accomplishment, but to me, it just doesn’t seem right to have a half and a full marathon on the same day and not differentiate at all between the two events. Even the official “finisher” shirt says 26.2 AND 13.1.

As disappointed as I was in how my race went down, I was SO proud and excited for Todd’s performance. We have both come a LONG way from our first (non-Disney) marathon finish in 5:20, and I am beyond thrilled by how much we’ve improved in the little over a year that we’ve been running marathons!

Still, I’m glad that we were able to conquer another 26.2 miles in our home state. And, of course, no matter what…running a marathon will always, ALWAYS be a huge deal for me. A HUGE deal.

Clearly, no matter how much I have changed, the “old me” is always hanging around to tell me that I can’t do it. It frustrates me to no end that I can still so easily slip back into my old mindset. But I guess if running marathons is the only way to prove myself wrong, then so be it. My struggles with obesity will always be part of my story, but crossing the finish line of yet another marathon is just another step towards leaving that 265-pound version of myself in the past.

And, as always, I will definitely be taking some new lessons learned into our new round of training for the New York City Marathon. I don’t know exactly what caused me to feel sick during this race — I know it could have been much, MUCH hotter and I can’t complain about the beautiful day, but I suspect the sudden warmer temperatures and hot sun after months of training in frigid winter temperatures probably shocked my system a little bit. Especially since, in general, I do NOT do well in warmer weather.

I DO know that I clearly need a longer taper (we tried a shorter plan this time around), and I likely took on a bit too much in the final weeks before the marathon. The fact that I was busting my butt for weeks to earn a new half marathon time to submit for Wine and Dine probably didn’t help, either. It all probably caused “the wall” and my good old friends “dead legs” to find me a little sooner than I would have hoped.

I think the most important lesson I’m taking from this race is that it’s becoming increasingly clear that my mind fails me in a marathon LONG before my body does. Apparently, I need to spend as much time training my brain for a marathon as I do training my body! If I can work on not letting my self-doubt overcome me, then there’s no telling what I’ll be able to accomplish in marathon #6.

Have you ever met a race goal but still been disappointed in your performance?

Todd and I spent the day Saturday visiting some attractions in South Jersey that I’ve never been to — the Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey — before making our way into Philly in the mid-afternoon for CGI Racing’s The Love Run expo.

The expo was held at Citizens Bank Park, and I should probably tell you that it was a pretty freakin’ COLD day. The temperatures were in the 40s, and it was super windy.

It was even cold for these guys!

That being said, allow me to paint you this little picture: though there were a handful of vendors inside, and our mug and bib pick-up was indoors, the main expo area continued outside by the baseball field…where several vendors were attempting to sell their wares in the blustery cold.

As I’m sure you can imagine, people weren’t doing a whole lot of shopping. I knew the expo would be small — which it was — but the fact that it was also held outside on a chilly day meant that there weren’t many runners lingering around. We were there to get our race shirts and get the hell back inside.

Well, okay, fine…I also grabbed a “Love Run” Bondiband and FINALLY broke down and invested in a Running Skirt (50 percent off!). I’ve been dying to try them, and their booth is always mobbed…so I felt this was my chance to get some one-on-one time with the skirts, try it on, and take it home to see if it works for me (it is one of my great missions in life to find a running skirt with shorts that do NOT ride up).

We stayed outside of Philly this time around to save some moolah, so we had an early dinner at the Cherry Hill Mall (gotta love California Pizza Kitchen) and got to bed early, since the race would start at 8am the next morning and we’d have to drive into the city.

Well, despite the fact that I got plenty of sleep, my foot hadn’t been bothering me much for the last couple of days, and I was actually feeling quite confident about the race, I woke up feeling…well…not quite right.

Little did I know that my monthly visitor would decide to make its grand appearance a few days early. I was scheduled to run 13.1 miles in an hour and a half, and here I was suddenly and unexpectedly hit with a wave of cramps and bloating and, let’s be honest…RAGE.

UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I apologize in advance for the all of two male readers I probably have, but I have to tell you that I was PISSED AS HELL because I can never, ever run on the first day of my period. I trained so hard for this race, and here was something I couldn’t control being thrown in the mix to make it even harder for me. I knew I was in for a morning of agony, and that if it got bad enough, that I could might have to kiss my race goal good-bye. I popped a couple of pain killers because I was desperate — something I also never do before running — and hoped that maybe the cramping would subside.

I grumpily got dressed in my race outfit and soon it was time for us make the drive into Philly to get to the starting line, so we parked in our usual parking garage that charges about $9,000 per hour, wrapped ourselves up in some handy dandy throwaway blankets ($2.88 at Wal-mart…SCORE!), and walked to the starting line…but not without making a quick potty stop to use the “real” bathrooms at a Sheraton, of course!

As per our usual race-day M.O, we JUST. MADE. IT., and just a minute or two after squeezing into the starting area, it was time to go!

As you all know, this was my BIG HALF MARATHON for this season. After well over a year of struggling to finish a half in anything under 2:20, I really hoped that the last two months of pushing myself big time would pay off on the course that morning. I desperately wanted a good finish time to submit for corral placement for Wine & Dine, since my ridiculously old PR from TWO YEARS AGO of 2:03 finally expired…and beyond that, I really wanted to prove to myself that I was still capable of running the times I used to when I first started. You know, before I got all slow and tired from my incessant bouts of marathon training.

My ultimate goal? I wanted ANYTHING under a 2:05. That used to be my old “standard” half marathon time, and now that well over a year as passed since I’ve run anything even close to a 2:05 (or, hell, a 2:10 or 2:15), I really, really wanted it.

As you also probably know, my plan was also to *ATTEMPT* to negative split. I still had yet to successfully do it in a race, but with all of my recent practice on training runs, I thought I might just be able to pull it off. Todd and I had already agreed that we would both run our own race, so I immediately went out at a comfortable 9:30/mile pace, and made it my personal mission to stay there until the second half of the race, where I felt pretty confident that I could pick it up.

Photo credit: chessiephoto.com

Well, the first few miles went swimmingly. The Advil I popped that morning seemed to be working, and physically, I felt pretty strong. There was lots of spectator support and even though there were some 10,000 runners, I felt I had ample room to run. It was fun running through the city and passing so many historical landmarks, and even thought I knew running by the Schuylkill River might not be quite as exciting, it was still pretty scenic.

It was a sunny, gorgeous day, and with temperatures hovering in the 30s, it was my PERFECT running weather. I was mostly on my own, because Todd goes out more conservatively than I do…I knew he was behind me, but I just wasn’t sure how far back at any given time.

I felt I had a 2:05 in the bag. In fact, I thought I might even be able to break 2:03 and PR. For a moment, I remember feeling REALLY ambitious and wondering if I might even have a sub-2 in me that morning.

Photo credit: chessiephoto.com

I knew from reading fellow blogger recaps that there would be a hilly section of the course around mile 5, so I basically spent the first four miles being nervous about it. And I apparently had good reason to be…because the hill pretty much ate me alive. I had a feeling Todd would catch up with me on that hill — he did! — and unfortunately, it ended up costing me a little more time than I hoped it would. I had a tough time recovering afterwards, and since we still weren’t even halfway, that’s when I started to feel my usual negativity start to creep in. You know, of the “I can’t do this” variety.

I took a very brief walk break through one of the next water stops and my legs felt a little better. My pace picked back up to around a 9:20, and I willed myself to stop being a baby, get my head in the game, and to think positively. I passed the halfway mark and found myself feeling pretty good. That’s where Todd caught up to me again and told me he was going to “step on the gas now” which made me a little mad because I a little bit thought that I might actually beat him in this race. For the first time ever. Hahaha, silly me.

We’re fortunate in that I’m only slightly slower than him, and our paces are so close that we can successfully train together…but even though I typically finish our long runs a little faster (and in better physical shape than he is, lol) he somehow ALWAYS manages to crush me during the actual race. I don’t know how he does it!

He took off and I felt jealous that races seem to come so easy to him and I hated the fact that I was a woman and had to deal with periods and that he was having a fine and dandy time that morning and could just magically pick up the pace whenever he wanted. Needless to say, I was grumpy again. So I gave myself a lecture about how it was important to run my own race and, once again, to stop being a little baby.

In mile 8, I discovered a bit more hilliness that I was NOT expecting. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I heard they may have changed the course a little bit from last year’s inaugural race…and, much to my dismay, it wasn’t as flat as I thought it would be. By mile 9, I found myself getting discouraged because my legs were a little tired from the rolling hills, even thought I was still feeling pretty comfortable in my pacing. I tried to push it just a little bit more, and hovered closer to 9:15 for awhile. My hope was that I’d break 9-minute miles in the last 5K, which is something I can typically do on shorter runs.

Then mile 11 came, and my pre-race womanly issues came back and hit me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, my stomach really, really hurt, and that was on top of the fact that I was getting tired and my legs were heavy. I was THISCLOSE to packing it in. I wanted to walk until the cramping stopped. But I knew if I did, I’d NEVER recover, and I could kiss that 2:05 good-bye.

So I made a decision that maybe I wouldn’t be able to run as fast as I planned to for the rest of the race, but that I would still go as fast as I could. I fought through it and managed to drop to around a 9:05 by mile 12. With just one more mile to go, I wanted the agony to be over as quickly as possible, so I went as fast as my legs would carry me as we made our way back into the city. I knew there would be spectators and excitement and the glorious finish line to greet me, and I couldn’t wait.

As soon as I saw the finish line in the distance, I saw that the clock already read 2:05. I felt crushed and defeated, even though I couldn’t actually remember just how much time had passed before I crossed the starting line. Seeing my goal slip away, I pushed as hard as I could — just in case I still had a chance — and finally crossed the finish line.

…with a chip time of 2:04:15!!!!!!!

Photo credit: Chessiephoto.com

I felt like crap afterwards, so I couldn’t properly bask in my accomplishment. It still frustrates me that I KNOW I could have performed even better and probably even PRed if I wasn’t menstrual, even despite the slightly hillier second half of the course. Also, I didn’t exactly negative split — my results clearly indicate a pretty solid 9:28 pace — but I’ll bet if the course was a little flatter I would have!

Photo credit: chessiephoto.com

On the other hand, I am overjoyed to know that I can still perform at the level I once did, even despite all the time that has passed and the fact that I had pretty much convinced myself that if I wanted to run marathons, then I could never be “fast” again. It was clearly a load of malarkey and an excuse I was telling myself to ignore the fact that I wasn’t training properly.

So, now I KNOW I have a PR in my (VERY) near future, and I KNOW that a sub-2 is within my reach. I also know there is a lot I need to work on, but I figure I have to be doing something right to go from running 2:20ish half marathons last year to running closer to 2:00 again!

Todd found me a couple of seconds after I crossed the finish line. He did AWESOME, by the way — 2:01:53 — and even though I still hate him a little bit for it (kidding!), I’m also super proud of him. Actually, I’m proud of both of us! We made quite a comeback from our performances in races as of late. I know we stopped for a lot of pictures and all, but it took us seven hours to run the Walt Disney World Marathon just two months ago! It’s exciting to know that all of your hard work is paying off.

Anyway, after we munched on whatever was in the post-race goodie bags (a “soft” pretzel that was harder than a rock, and a particularly yummy PB&J uncrustable), we spent the rest of the afternoon perusing some Philly landmarks.

And, of course, there was no way I was leaving without a picture in front of the Love sign!

 Overall, I would put this race in the “win” column. I did have to deal with some unpleasant issues that morning, but despite all of that, I still somehow managed to reach my sub 2:05 goal. Apparently, runDisney corral placement is a big motivator for me, haha.

Have you ever run a race just to try to improve your corral placement for a future race?

Has sickness/womanly issues ever affected your race performance?

We’ll be heading back to Philadelphia for The Love Run this weekend, and this is going to be my goal half marathon for the spring. It’s supposed to be a nice, flat course…so I’m hoping to use it as my official Wine & Dine Half Marathon corral placement race.

Our most recent trip to Philly for Todd’s 2nd marathon!

Plus, since it’s STILL not feeling very spring-like around these parts, the weather is still producing optimal racing temperatures for me (the cooler, the better)! In fact, my 7-miler on the first day of spring was completed IN THE FRIGGIN’ SNOW! (But at least I got my free “first day of spring” iced coffee!)

I literally run on Dunkin’.

As I’ve mentioned many times here, my previous PR (and runDisney corral) was a 2:03…from a race about a thousand years ago (April 2013). The closest I’ve come since then was a 2:04 race in September of 2013.

Since then, my half times have been all over the map — anything from a 2:07 to a 2:14 to a 2:25. As marathon training consumed my entire life, all other race distances, my speedwork, etc. took a backseat…and I’ve allowed myself to use the “I have marathon legs!” excuse for far too long.

Honestly, I haven’t run anything under 2:10 in quite some time. So, needless to say, I’m EXTREMELY motivated this time around to correct the many (MANY) mistakes I’ve made in my training and see what I can really do.

I will be happier than a pig in you-know-what with anything under 2:05 this weekend. I know it’s a lofty goal, but I’ve been busting my butt these last two months to reclaim my “old” pace…and maybe even set a new PR. Hey, you never know, right?! My 1:34 in a recent 10-mile race gives me hope that I might just be able to pull it off.

And then, of course, there’s training for marathon #5. The New Jersey Marathon is really sneaking up on me now, and I gotta say, I think this has been my second best round of marathon training yet (after the Dopey Challenge, of course). I’ve been a lot more consistent in terms of logging ALL of my runs, and I’m pushing myself to run significantly faster on shorter distances (which, for me, is anything under a 9:30/pace). But it seems to be paying off on my long runs.

In fact…this Sunday’s 16-miler was among the most successful long runs I’ve ever had. That’s right…EVER!

Todd and I went to our local park, and I FORCED myself to keep my pace in check in the early miles. I’ve been doing lots of experimenting with that whole “negative split” concept lately; up until now, I had pretty much decided that it was something I was physically incapable of doing. Whether it’s a long run or a race, I am NOTORIOUS for going out too fast and then crashing and burning in the last few miles. And since that strategy hasn’t exactly been paying off for me as of late, I thought it was time to try something new.

So, this Sunday, I FORCED myself to simmer down and not go out like a bat out of hell. I maintained a comfy 10-10:30/pace in the early miles, and I just kept having to tell myself to SLOW. DOWN. when I’d get overzealous and feel that urge to run faster. I’m SO tired of dragging my lifeless body through the final agonizing miles of a long run, and I wanted to prove to myself that I CAN hold back a little bit and still have enough gas in the tank to push it at the end.

The first 10 miles flew by pretty quickly, and in that final 10K, I started to feel a little sore and hungry and, let’s face it, bored…but I also somehow felt just as strong as I did in the beginning of the run. SAYWHAT?!?!?!?!

In the last leg of the run, I allowed myself to go for it…and Todd and I both managed to pull out a 9:30-9:40 pace for the final 5K. Todd was having a little bit of a hard time that morning, but at our 10-mile fuel break, I fed him one of my Honey Stingers “Ginsting” gels with caffeine…and, for some reason, he claims it magically “gave him a boost.” Gee, I wonder why…?

As a coffee addict, I don’t think I really notice the caffeine in the gels all that much…but he doesn’t drink coffee AT ALL, and he said he really felt it. Ah, it will be so fun to get him hooked on legal stimulants.

Anyway, I somehow managed to end up with EXACTLY the 10-minute/mile pace I wanted for my 16-miler! I have NEVER been able to pull off such a consistent pace for a long run, and I honestly have never felt so strong in the last miles. I’m not saying I wasn’t sore and tired, but I didn’t feel like dropping dead like I usually do. It was a HUGE difference.

Why it says “8:06″ is beyond me…in my freakin’ dreams!

In other news, I’ve been having an ongoing issue with my right foot. It’s a pain on the bottom of the foot, but a little closer to the outer edge than the middle. I basically spent the entire day on Saturday trying to diagnose myself, because this has been going on for weeks now and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. It was particularly bad on Saturday (more of a stabbing pain than the usual soreness). And since I had high hopes for Sunday’s long run, I didn’t want a stupid bum foot to ruin my efforts.

So, based upon my self-diagnosis — it sounds an awful lot like plantar fasciitis, a.k.a. one of the most common running injuries of all time — I tried all of the numerous tips and tricks that Google had to offer.

How I spend a Saturday…party time!

My efforts included: rolling it on one of my dog’s tennis balls (which I have been doing for weeks), freezing a bottle of water to try ice massage (which felt surprisingly good), wrapping an ice pack around my foot (and securing it with a hair tie, haha), pulling my toes back and massaging the tendons on the bottom of my feet, and doing lots and lots of stretching for my calves…hence the belt and my arch nemesis, The Stick.

Of course, I paid a little visit to the KT Tape website for a handy demonstration on taping my foot for this particular issue prior to Sunday’s run. (I’d share a photo, but I have the nastiest, most calloused runner/martial artist feet in all the land…and I don’t want to make anyone lose their lunch).

And I spent the rest of the day on Sunday and Monday walking around in my Gone For a Run “recovery sandals.” I felt like a little bit of an idiot trying to pull off the socks and sandals look in public, but, HEY…you gotta go what you gotta do.

Fortunately, it DOES feel better. During the run, I felt just a little bit of a twinge/tenderness…but nothing like I’ve felt on previous runs. And today, I don’t feel anything when I walk on it.

It’s a pain that seems to come and go — and I’m 99 percent sure it all started when I failed to replace my running sneakers in a timely fashion. I’m hoping that it will at least hold on and not get any worse until the marathon is over next month…at which time I promise I will do the one thing I know I’m supposed to do: REST IT.

Do you tend to negative or positive split in long runs/races?

Have you ever dealt with a foot pain/injury?

Congrats, Ken! Please shoot me an e-mail at thefinalforty at gmail dot com with your mailing address and shoe size.

In other excellent news, I mentioned in my recap of last weekend’s St. Paddy’s Day 10-Miler that Todd and I will both be running the Wine & Dine Half Marathon this year!

I ran the Wine & Dine Half Marathon on my own in 2013, and I have been DYING to do it again. I ran that year’s race as part of a family trip to The World to celebrate my parents’ wedding anniversary…because it just so happens that their anniversary fell on the same weekend as the race. Oh, what a shame that was.

I also ran the Jingle Jungle 5K that morning with my sister (a.k.a. Eeyore) — it was her first 5K, and we had an awesome time!

This year’s half marathon sold out in an unprecedented 35 minutes, and I was honestly surprised by all of the posts on Facebook/Twitter in the days leading up to registration by runners who were worried about not getting in. I’ve never had trouble registering for a runDisney race before, so whenever that happens, I assume it’s passionate runDisney fans such as myself just getting themselves worked up over nothing.

Apparently, I was VERY wrong. Lots of runners were shut-out of the race because it seems there may be some sort of new(ish) system in place that throws registrants into a “queue” based upon when they begin the registration process…so by the time it’s your turn in line, all of the available slots could be sold out. There were apparently a bunch of people who could only register themselves but not their spouses, or only one of their children, etc., before all of the slots for the half marathon, 5K, and kids’ races were filled up. So, needless to say, there has been a bit of drama on social media about the registration process this time around.

I was already set because I deferred my Tower of Terror 2014 registration (which was cancelled for this year…BOO) to this year’s Wine and Dine, so luckily, I only had to worry about getting Todd signed up. We had both of our laptops ready to go, and I started refreshing the Active link about 8 minutes before 12pm. I got right in when registration opened up early (by 11:55) with no problem, and he had his confirmation e-mail by 12:02.

In any case, I don’t know if it’s just because I started refreshing early (I always do!), or we’re just lucky, because we didn’t have any problems at all. I can completely understand why these races are so popular, but I hate that registering becomes more and more difficult (and stressful!) every year. When I registered for my first half marathon and runDisney race — the Princess Half Marathon 2013 — I didn’t sign up until the end of July…and there were still plenty of spots open! Ah, those were the days.

Anyways, I am SOOO excited to run Wine & Dine with Todd this year! I know he will enjoy it very much; our two favorite things are running and eating, so what’s not to love?!

This Polish girl looooooves her some kielbasa/pierogies!

We’ll be spending lots of time at the Food & Wine Festival, of course, but best of all, I already have a Little Mermaid room booked at Art of Animation! I may or may not have gone ahead and booked a room “just in case” as soon as we came back from our trip in January for WDW Marathon Weekend, lol. I’ve never stayed there before, and The Little Mermaid is my FAVORITE.

We also plan to get tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for the next night! I ask you…is there ANYTHING more magical than Disney World at Christmas?!

What can I say…we’re one of those strange Disney families.

Granted, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon will be the weekend after the New York City Marathon…so it should make for an interesting race experience for both of us. I’m sure it will not be our finest performance, that’s for sure. But, either way, November is going to be pretty freakin’ awesome!

Who else will I be seeing this November?!

What’s your favorite part of the Wine & Dine Half Marathon? The course, the entertainment, THE FOOD?

If you haven’t already entered, today is the LAST DAY for my PRO Compression marathon socks giveaway! You can check out my review and enter the drawing HERE, and I’ll announce the winner tomorrow!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! In the spirit of the holiday, I thought it would be a perfect time to share my recap from this weekend’s 10-mile race: the St. Paddy’s Day 10-Miler.

The race is hosted by the Freehold Area Running Club, and I ran it two years ago as one of my first longer distance races. I remembered it being pretty hilly, so I honestly didn’t go in with huge expectations. Because I suck on hills. Like, REALLY suck.

However, I also knew that if I planned to sign up for this year’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon (spoiler alert…I am already in, and as of a few minutes before 12pm this afternoon, so is Todd!), that I was going to need a new time to submit for corral placement…since my old PR has officially expired in the eyes of runDisney. I’m hoping that this month’s Love Run will give me a shiny new PR to submit, but you never know what can happen…I know that there are all kinds of variables that can affect my performance that day.

So, I figured I’d use this race as a test run to gauge how well all of my recent “speedwork” has been working out for me, and to use as a “back-up” time to submit just in case my upcoming half marathons don’t go as planned. Plus, it was a cool and windy morning — it was in the 40′s, but when the wind would gust, it felt pretty frigid. Which made for FANTASTIC running temperatures, if you ask me!

It’s held at a park in Freehold, and packet pick-up was easy and well organized. This year’s shirt was cotton and long-sleeved, so my original idea to wear the race shirts over our tech shirts to match went out the window. So we used their handy dandy bag check for our race shirt and the few goodies they gave out so we didn’t have to make another trip to the car, which was a nice perk.

However, this particular club is known for being a little on the stricter side — i.e. all of their race materials threaten that you will basically be tarred and feathered in a public square if you so much as dare run with headphones or a stroller or a canine or, of course, a costume. So a volunteer gave me sort of a snarky comment as I was picking up my packet; it was something along the lines of, “you may have trouble running today, young lady, because our race director is very strict.” Uhhh…since when is a plastic necklace and a headband a “costume?” Everything else is legitimate running attire. So, I didn’t really care for that.

There was some debate on our “strategy” for this race. Todd and I have two completely different approaches — he always starts conservatively and has no problem negative splitting, whereas I have really NEVER done that. I always go out like a bat out of hell when the gun goes off, and then when my pace inevitably slows in the later miles, I rest assured knowing I have some time “in the bank,” if you will. But I told him I was really going to try it his way this time, especially since I haven’t been running so fast lately and I couldn’t necessarily count on holding my faster pace for any significant length of time before running out of steam.

When the race started, I went out way too fast for a few seconds before coming to my senses and letting Todd catch up. I then forced myself to find a “comfortable” pace and fall into a steady rhythm, which was somewhere around a 9:20-9:30 pace.

“Gee, maybe I should slow down a little…?” Photo credit: FARCNJ.org

The race takes you through lots of residential areas, parks, and, of course, over plenty of rolling hills…so I knew I’d have to conserve some energy in order to make it to the finish line. Plus, I felt really unsure of myself because I honestly have been running at paces at least a solid minute-per-mile slower in all of my recent races. In a matter of a year, I managed to go from averaging a sub 2:10 half marathon to being lucky to finish under 2:25. I’ve had the hardest time balancing my CONSTANT marathon training with the ability to train (and race!) at my “old” pace, which used to be somewhere in the realm of a 9:15/minute mile.

And, sure enough, it was within the first couple of miles that I felt just how dead my legs were. The previous week’s workouts consisted of my 14-mile long run, a 5-mile run, a 6-mile run, a 3-mile run, and two Taekwondo classes, and good lord, was I FEELING it. I was still maintaining my ideal pace, but I was struggling to do so…not because I was sucking wind or anything (which was a pleasant surprise!) but because my legs just felt so freakin’ heavy. And then we started approaching the first of several rolling hills, and I worried about coming anywhere close to what I would consider a “good” time.

But I figured I’d give it my absolute best shot. The course is pretty boring, and there really is no spectator support whatsoever, which really made me appreciate just how important they are! It kind of felt like running our usual long run with about 250 of our closest friends. I was feeling grumpy by the halfway mark because even though the clock time said 47:30 — which is exactly what I could have hoped for — I felt my legs were getting even heavier and I was nervous about this whole “negative split” concept. There were only a handful of water stops, so I took my Honey Stinger at mile 4 and tossed some water down my throat at the others, only stopping to stretch my legs once for a few seconds…and, as of late, I’ve been walking through water stops, so it was kind of new for me to not have any sort of break.

Moral of the story? I quickly fell victim to my usual pattern of self-doubt and frustration and the assumption that there was no WAY I’d be able to pick up the pace in the second half of the race. I’m a real hoot during a race, let me tell you (just ask Todd, lol).

But then by mile 7, something pretty awesome happened. I realized that despite slowing down a little bit on a few hills, I was still maintaining an average 9:20ish pace, and I thought that maybe — just MAYBE — I could actually pull this off. So I tried my very best to speed up just a little in that last 5K, and Todd did, too…so I did whatever I could to keep up with him. My Garmin showed that we were right around a 9:05-9:10 pace by miles 8 and 9, and I somehow managed to push it to an 8:55 in mile 10. Todd was a few strides ahead of me, so when I saw the finish line in the distance, I started sprinting to keep up with him so we could cross together.

For some strange reason, he took that to mean that I wanted to “race” him, so he sped up, too…and he ended up beating me by a freakin’ second. The handful of spectators and volunteers at the finish line really seemed to enjoy our action-packed finish, LOL.

Photo credit: FARCNJ.ORG

Plus, I saw that the clock was approaching 1:34…which was downright shocking to me because I knew that meant that I had, IN FACT, successfully negative split…and that I wasn’t too far off from my last results at this race, which was a clock time of 1:33.

Our official finish time was 1:33:53, which given the not-so-flat course and the fact that I was running on dead marathon training legs was about the best I could have imagined. And I was downright shocked that I came SO close to my previous finish time on this course.

So we celebrated by guzzling some Gatorade and going to check out the post-race goodies. And much to our delight, they had HOT DOGS. I’m not a huge fan of hot dogs in general, and I’ve never had them after a race before…but for some reason, it was the most DELICIOUS hot dog I’ve ever had in my life. Even now, days later, Todd is STILL talking about that damn hot dog. I think we’ve found our new favorite post-race food, haha.

Plus, they had hot soup, which tasted heavenly as my body temperature began to plummet, in addition to the usual fare like bagels and bananas. They also had beer (but neither of us drink it).

So we stuffed our faces for a little while, took some pictures, and watched part of the awards ceremony, where they handed out little shamrock plaques and gnome statues, haha.

Overall, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised and quite proud of my performance. It was an awesome feeling to know that all of my hard efforts on training runs these past two months have been paying off, and I now know that a sub-2:05 half marathon (and, someday, maybe even a sub-2!) is something that is well within my reach once again. I don’t have to be happy to just “finish” a race any more, and I NEED to learn how to develop even just an ounce of confidence in my abilities when it comes to setting and reaching time goals.

It has been a long time that I’ve felt truly proud and excited by that finish time on the clock, and this race helped give me a big chunk of my confidence back. I’m hoping that with a bit more rest (and maybe a skipped karate class or two) in the days leading up to my next half marathon later this month — which is supposed to be a nice, FLAT course! — that I might just surprise myself even more. It was definitely the hardest I’ve pushed myself in a while, and the fact that I didn’t die (or really struggle beyond my usual leg fatigue) means that I have to be doing something right!

 Have you ever run a race for St. Patrick’s Day?

Have you ever performed significantly better than your expectations in a race?

After last year’s 10K…totally worth the 3.5 hour wait.

I’m sure there will be others added to the list, but here’s what’s on the horizon for 2015 so far!

St. Paddy’s Day 10-Miler

I’m ALWAYS fan of holiday-themed races. And since I’m part Irish — and the starting line is, like, 20 minutes away — it looks like we’ll be giving this one a go this year. I ran it back in 2013, and remember it being a rather hilly course, so I don’t have high hopes for any sort of amazing performance…but it should be fun.

The Love Run

It looks like Todd and I will more than likely be doing The Love Run in Philadelphia this year. I wanted to do it last year, but am a little relieved we didn’t since I heard it poured the entire time. Fingers crossed for better weather this year!

The goal of this race? To get a time that’s even remotely close to the half marathons I was running in 2013. It’s been longer than I care to admit since I ran anything under a 2:20, and now I have the added incentive of needing a new time to submit for corral placement for my next runDisney race. Which is a MAJOR incentive for me, might I add!

My old PR from 2013 has officially expired in the eyes of runDisney, so now it’s time to get serious and focus on getting back to where I was…and maybe even setting a NEW PR. Anything can happen, right?

New Jersey Marathon

I talked about this a little bit in my last post, but, yes, I am officially in marathon training YET AGAIN. I’m pretty much starting from scratch — our “long” run this weekend was 6 miles — because I want to try something different this time around. I’m hoping this will be the marathon that I finally run under five hours, and I’m DETERMINED to see improvement this year — both in my half marathon times as well as the full 26.2!

I am absolutely going to focus more on consistent pacing this time (as opposed to just logging the miles and “getting it over with”), and I’m trying to push myself a little harder on shorter runs. So far, I’ve been surprising myself a little bit…running a 9ish-minute mile still isn’t “comfortable” the way it once was, but I was very pleased to discover that I could pull off a 6-miler in under an hour this weekend with only a little bit of discomfort. Plus, I didn’t pass out or anything, which is always good.

Wild Half

I love the beach, and we both appreciate any opportunity for a “race-cation,” so a half marathon in Wildwood seemed like a fine idea. We spent a couple of hours in Wildwood for my birthday last year and saw only part of the massive boardwalk, so I thought this could be a fun way to kick off the summer.

I don’t anticipate doing a lot of racing throughout the rest of the summer. (Ya’ll know how I feel about running the heat). But I hope to do some local smaller races, like my annual 4-mile jaunt at the Cranford Jaycees Firecracker race and/or the Downtown Westfield Pizza 5K.

Like I’m really going to pass up an opportunity to run for free pizza and/or ice cream…

Halloween Half

So Superhero Racing just announced that they’d be offering a Halloween-themed half marathon this October. I’ve done a couple of their races in the past, including the Superhero Half Marathon as well as shorter races like the Super Santa 5K. A perfectly legitimate excuse to run a half marathon in costume? PLUS there’s a costume contest?! This one’s a no-brainer.

Last year’s Superhero Half Marathon

Wine and Dine Half Marathon

This hasn’t officially been confirmed yet, but I’ve been begging asking Todd to head back to Disney for a long weekend this fall so we can do Wine and Dine. I ran it in 2013 and it was an absolute blast — I’m DYING to do it again! It is, by far, the best overall half marathon course at The World…and I say that even despite the fact that we don’t run through the castle in Magic Kingdom.

Plus, believe it or not, I had registered for last year’s Tower of Terror — which I had to defer — and then it ended up being cancelled. So I have some magical runDisney race money floating around that I get to apply to a race of my choice. I may or may not have booked a room at Art of Animation (this would be my first time staying there)! You know…just in case.

New York City Marathon…or some other fall marathon

Yep. I did it again. I entered the lottery for the New York City Marathon. I know I got RIDICULOUSLY lucky year by getting in on my first try, and I know it’s highly unlikely to happen again. But, hey, you never know. This year, Todd entered too, so I’m crossing all of my fingers and toes and anything else that could possibly be crossed that we both get in.

I’d kill for the chance to run it again. Not only because it was AMAZING, but I’d also like the opportunity to redeem myself after the disaster that was the second half of the marathon last year. As an extra special bonus, I would be beyond thrilled to run it together this time. So, we’ll see.

Of course, we’re both realistic and do have some back-up plans. We’re looking at alternate marathons now, like the Baltimore Marathon or Hartford Marathon. If neither of us gets into New York, we may also try our luck in the Marine Corps Marathon lottery.

(Have I mentioned how much I hate lotteries? It makes it SO hard to plan a race schedule, especially when there are two of us trying to get into the same race. Oh, the problems I have in life.)

What are some of the races you’re looking forward to in 2015?

Have you run any of these races?

Who has other race recommendations for me?!