Day 136 - Cross

"I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." - Mike Fanelli (hmm... something to think about!)

Miles Ran: 441.9 Dollars Raised: $2,738.20 (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!!!!!)

Ooooooooooooo.... today's been a long one. I woke up at 5 AM this morning so I could go over to the BSC, cancel my membership so April is my last month, and put in some time on the Arc Trainer. It was so early that this morning it feels like it was yesterday. Maybe that's part of the reason why it felt like the day was dragging--because I was up so early.

I just got back a little while ago from Katharine's fundraiser, which seemed like it was going pretty well! I met her parents, who are adorable, and it just made me even more appreciative of the fact that I met her through this training. I feel like I've gotten so much out it--friendships, values, priorities, nutrition, will power, determination...and I know there is so much more to come just in these last few weeks.

I'm going to keep this short since I'm thinking about getting up early again to go running. Gotta love these busy weeknights!

Day 135 - 4.30 miles (39:00)

"I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way." - Johnny Nash

Miles Ran: 441.9 Dollars Raised: $2,585.20 (Thank you Emily Chapin!!...and for inspiring me to run in the rain today!)

Today's run was kind of unique. This ridiculous rain has been kind of depressing, and I was planning on going for a run at the gym, until my coworker Emily gave me the idea that it would be pretty "badass" to run in the rain. I kept it in the back of my mind as I drove home from work, and decided to clear my head of any "ugh, this rain stinks" thoughts. I put on my old pair of Brooks (the same version as what I wear now), my long tights, and my windbreaker I brought back from home that has a hood I could pull over my hat.

When I first stepped out it didn't seem that bad, and it went through waves of coming down really hard to barely coming down at all. I barely looked at my watch at all and just went with whatever pace felt right. It was actually kind of nice with the rain, to not have as many people out on the sidewalks. In fact, I thought it was funny that I only passed seven other runners on my run--6 of which were women!

It was also a different kind of run for me because I was listening to a lot slower music than usual. Lately I've been listening to some Kate Nash, The Weepies, and even some classical. And I noticed that I was actually more engaged and ran faster when I was listening to the classical music--especially Philip Glass' The Orphee Suite for Piano: Trilogy Sonata II, Act 3. It's just a piece that I get really emotionally connected to and is very repetitive so it's easier to dig deep and run fast when you have pianos and violins going through your head. I think tomorrow I'll try Requiem for a Dream...that always gets my blood pumping. I noticed a few people during the Olympics actually used it for their figure skating routines.

I also found out the results of my Uno's fundraiser today, which I can't lie, I was a little bummed about. For all of the work I put into it, how many people did come out to show their support, and how long of a day it was for me, I only raised about $100. Which, I mean, I am still very grateful for because that's $100 that I didn't have, but it just doesn't seem to be as much as I had hoped. I figure I probably would have needed at least 50 people to come close, and I think I had about 35. I'll add that $100 into my running total once I actually have the check in hand, which shouldn't be for another two weeks... I'm thinking that the Lir fundraiser should be a lot more profitable though. I figure, if I even get 10 people to come, that's $200 right there. We'll see... It's crazy to think the Marathon is only 20 days away!

Day 134 - Rest

"As long as we keep sweating, we can keep going." - David Carrier, scientist in Born to Run who discovered part of the reason humans can run such long distances is because we sweat out the heat we build up and can regulate our breathing ratio

Miles Ran: 437.60 Dollars Raised: $2,559.00 (Thank you to my favorite brother, The Clarkster!)

I was having a debate with myself today on whether or not to go for a small run. My quads, thighs, and foot were, again, hurting all day long, and it was raining, and gross, and depressing. But! I had planned to have dinner with my brother tonight and urged myself to get motivated and go to the gym. Then, I opened my drawer and found I had no proper gym attire left AT ALL. So instead, I did my workout-only-laundry, and went and had some dinner with Clark, who I am proud to say has become a member of the executive board of the BU athletic training club! GO CLARK!

I'm exhausted for some reason, so I'm going to keep this very short tonight and fall asleep to some Born to Run.

Day 133 - Rest

"Most people are far more prone to let the bad experiences shape their views than the good ones." - Rick Joyner

Miles Ran: 437.60 Dollars Raised: $2,539.00 (Thank you Kate Groetzinger!!!)

You always know it's almost Marathon time when...

...all of the signs go up along the route! Only 3 weeks from tomorrow!

This morning I woke up at a reasonable hour, 9:30 or so, for one of the first times I didn't have something to wake up for. My quads, my thighs, and my left foot were all aaaaching... After icing, taping, and babying my foot it's feeling a lot better, but my upper legs are both still really sore. I'm going to see how I feel tomorrow as far as whether or not to go for a short run, or wait another day. I was really happy to have a lot of time to just relax this morning, as I should have yesterday.

It was funny, something I forgot to mention in my last post, was as soon as I got home from the run my nose just started going crazy--sneezing, sniffling, running... I had no idea where it was coming from because otherwise I felt fine, but it lasted the entire night. All day today it was fine, until about ohhh... 5 minutes ago.

I went over to my old sorority's fashion show today, Ribbons on the Runway, which is always one of my favorite events. I think that was one of my first experiences with fundraising for a non-profit, and really made me see how much goes into putting on a good event. The sisters did SUCH an impressive job with the silent auction and fashion aspects of it. It's such a great, emotional, fun, event that raises money for breast cancer, and I think will always be a tradition at Emerson.

Day 132 - 20 miles (about 3:10:00)

"Only 6 left!...5!...4 1/2!...4!...3 1/2!...3!...2 1/2!...2!...1 1/2!...ONE LEFT!...1/2...WE DID IT!!!!!!!" - Katharine Spencer and Samantha Shirley

Miles Ran: 437.60 Dollars Raised: $2,524 (Thank you to everyone who participated in the 50/50 raffle last night! We'll find out how much Uno's raised overall in the next 2 days or so!)

When I got home from Uno's last night I was just wayyy too exhausted to type out a blog post, so now I'm laying in bed, letting my body recover, and trying to put all of my inner thoughts into words.

I woke up at 6 AM yesterday morning, and even though I had everything laid out and basically just had to put on clothes and eat breakfast, I was still scrambling until I had to leave at 6:45 to pick up Katharine. As soon as I put my hands on the steering wheel I was kicking myself for not bringing my gloves. It was freeeezing out compared to what I had been running in lately! Luckily Katharine was having all of the same jitters that I was, so it was great to be able to talk with her about it on the bus ride out on the MASS PIKE to get there. We kept looking at each other saying, "shouldn't we be getting off the Pike now??? Is it just me or is this realllyyyy far..."

When we were dropped off in Hopkinton, to my delight Saucony was handing out free, heavy-duty running gloves that I appreciated SO much! Throughout the run there were definitely times where I was thankful to have them. When we were in the shade, or when there was a breeze, it was just frigid.

Just seeing the actual starting line painted on the road was motivating. Katharine and I ended up walking the first mile, because we were only supposed to be running 20 and the course was 21. We did that in about 14 minutes or so, but I forgot to restart my watch once we hit mile 1, so that's why the above timing is approximate.

I was so happy to have her with me, especially through that first half of the course. Running through Framingham and Ashland is just NOT pretty or interesting in the least. Something that keeps me entertained on long runs is just visual stimulation, and running by warehouses and plants just..wasn't. My foot was feeling pretty good for the most part. It's funny how now the part that's most sore is on the outer edge, rather than where I strained the muscle.

Katharine and I were keeping up a conservative 9:30 or so pace for most of the run. We were just really trying not to push ourselves too hard. At this point in training we're so close to our goal that we're afraid of anything that could mess us up or injure us.

I would say one of the points I felt the most pain was when we were doing a very long downhill in--I think--Wellesley. All of a sudden my feet were really sore and my hamstring felt very tight. But after we completed it, I felt pretty good. We both got to points where we knew that if we stopped at a water stop or stopped to walk, our legs would just go into shock mode and wouldn't be able to start again. So we really did run for 99% of it.

There were still lots of people cheering us on along the way, which was amazing. It makes me so excited for the race and how many people come out to support you. Heartbreak Hill was definitely a challenge... the first few hills weren't that bad, but that last, steep hill was a killer. I hope to train on it a couple more times before the race. I said to Katharine, "I think I might need to slow my pace down a little bit" and she said, "I can't, my hips won't be able to do it, I've got to keep going." Well, that was enough motivation for me, so I put my head down and just looked at the pavement ahead of me. Neither of us spoke to each other and all you could hear was the patter of our feet and our rhythmic deep breaths. It was incredible.

When we reached the top we only had about a quarter mile to go, which we breezed through, were awarded with some leis, and given a plethora of food, Gatorade, etc. We were so ecstatic because this means the marathon itself is SO attainable! We're so close! It's only a few weeks away! And we know we can do it!

(I look like a dead person, but that's ok!)

After the run we stretched and wobbled our way back to my car, and went home to shower, relax, and head over to Uno's for my fundraiser. I got there around 2:30 and stayed until midnight with all of the fabulous friends that came in waves throughout the day. I hope we made a good chunk of money, but we shall see. Uno's was like a marathon in itself because I had to pace my eating and drinking throughout the course of the day. But overall, it was very fun, and there were a few surprise guests I wasn't expecting!

I feel very ready for Marathon Monday :)

Day 131 - Rest

Miles Ran: 417.60 Dollars Raised: $2,491.00

So...tomorrow's the big day. 20 freakin miles. I remember looking at that number in the beginning of training and thinking how ridiculous that sounded. Tonight, I'm a combination of nervous, confident, and excited. Why is this run so different than any of the other long runs I've faced in front of me?

When I was at acupuncture last night I was telling Jessica about my nerves, and she put more needles on the top of my head than usual, and one in each ear--so weird haha Then she proceeded to do some stim on my knee that I banged up last weekend and then again on my foot. As I left she made me feel a little more at ease by saying, "you're doing all the right things. You have all the tools in your belt to accomplish this." Having someone who has such a great sense of what my body is going through tell me that really gave me a boost. And even today when I was at Marathon Sports--I picked up a dry-fit hat since mine always get drenched with salty sweat, and told the guy who I've worked with many times, and recognized me as a charity runner, that I didn't want to jinx myself by buying all of the gear. And he said, "are you kidding me?! I bought all that stuff and was wearing it around 2 months before last year's marathon! It makes you feel even more accountable and committed to it." I still think I'm going to hold off on the jacket though...

Today I just wanted to be completely at ease and prepare myself for tomorrow. I laid out everything, as you can see here...

...made myself a big chicken/pepper/tomato whole wheat penne pasta dinner. Picked, up some bagels, gatorade, bananas, chocolate syrup (for my post-run chocolate milk), and am determined to get to bed within the next few minutes to get a full 8 hours of sleep. I'm picking up Katharine tomorrow at 6:45 to head over to BC, where the buses will take us to Hopkinton. Ahhh!! It's real!!

Jessica mentioned visualization last night, so I think I'm going to try to fall asleep by imagining myself running up Heartbreak Hill instead of counting backwards...

Day 130 - 4.19 miles (35:52)

"Impossible is nothing." - Adidas

Miles Ran: 417.60 Dollars Raised: $2,491.00 (Thank you Steve Lubinkski!!!!!!)

I'm going to try and type this quickly before I head out the door to acupuncture (ahhh...I need it).

As I was driving home from work today the clouds began to roll in and there was even sprinkles on my windshield, and I just thought "greeeeeat....". But then when I got home I was happily surprised to see my OFFICIAL Boston Marathon packet in my mailbox! So, disregarding how quickly I needed to get out the door and do my run, I sat down and started perusing through it. It made me so excited!

Then I finally went outside and the clouds had cleared and it was absolutely beautiful again. I was wearing my tights, a tank, and a long sleeve, and about half a mile in I had to lose the long sleeve. I started off not feeling so great, even though my pace was pretty fast, with cramps which I think were from inhaling a mini bagel with almond butter and a large glass of water beforehand and not letting it settle. The side stitches remained throughout most of the run until about the last mile. My favorite part had to be the last stretch down my street where I was just power sprinting to some Super Mash Brothers and felt great...until I stopped and realized how winded I was.

Anyway, off to acupuncture! I need some time to relax and decompress so it comes at the perfect point today. Tomorrow I have off from work, so I'm hoping to be doing almost nothing all day in preparation for...THE...20...MILE...RUN...

Day 129 - Cross

"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable." - Wendy Wasserstein

Miles Ran: 413.41 Dollars Raised: $2,441.00 (Thank you SO much Kathy Cole, Sarah Mabel-Skillin and my parents - in honor of Roy Martin)

Wow.. only 26 days and $809 to go. I can totally do this!

Something I read yesterday, which I think I'm starting to fall into now, is panic-mode. I'm starting to freak out with this 20 mile run coming up, with what I put in my body, with every single step I take--just putting all of these thoughts in my my head. What if something happens?! What if I miss that stair and twist an ankle?! What if I don't hydrate enough or too much? What if I don't get enough rest?

What if what if what if?????

Maybe if I already had a marathon under my belt and the confidence that I'll be ok and I'll finish I wouldn't be playing these mental games with myself. Deep down, I know I have it in me to do 26.2 miles, I mean, it's been in my head that I will since November. But you never know... you never know... That's why Katharine and I have decided not to jinx ourselves by buying the marathon jackets, but you know that will be the first $90 I spend as soon as I cross that finish line!

Today was just a cross-training day, so I put in 45 minutes/500 calories on the Arc Trainer while I caught up on my entertainment gossip, then came home and made myself a nice little chicken/asparagus/whole wheat pasta dish. It was quite nice!

I have to say, as much as I try to show my appreciation for everyone's donations as much as possible, I can't express enough the gratitude I feel for everyone who has been supporting and believing in me, this cause, and this race. It means the world to me that I have so many people behind me that want me to succeed :)

Day 128 - 4 miles (36:08)

"In the end the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself." - The Weepies

Miles Ran: 413.41 Dollars Raised: $2,214.80

I don't know why, lately I've been inspired to use quotations from music, while before I was spending lots of time on thinkexist.com. Just thinking about it, music has played such a HUGE role in my training. Some people say, "how can you run for 2 hours without getting bored?!?!" Well, sometimes, among many other distractions, I just get lost in the music. I guess as the Marathon gets closer I should try to ween myself off of it, since it's discouraged by the B.A.A.--which I agree with. I want to be able to experience all of the Marathon, every noise, every cheer...but I'm assuming there will be stretches were there will be minimal people, in which case, I may bring my ipod along just to be safe.

I read this article today on boston.com that kind of inspired part of my run today, but also probably gives you a good idea on what I'm going through nutritionally and mentally right now: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2010/03/22/what_marathoners_can_use_as_fuel_for_the_road/

Today I got home from work and felt a headache coming on, so I took a nap until about 7:30, then got my act together and headed out in the rain to the gym. When I got there all of the treadmills were taken, but I was able to get on one after a few minutes. When I got on and started off at a 9:30 pace the miles seemed to be going by so slowly. After the first mile I just looked at my reflection and kept telling myself "you're a marathoner" "you can do this" "this is easy" "keep those arms down" "four more weeks" just trying to keep the positive thinking going! I was eventually able to increase the speed up to 8.5 mph by the end of the run! It makes me so happy to be at a place again where I can do that.

Also, nutritionally, I have a new obsession and his name is Almond Butter. It's an alternative to peanut butter, which I already love, but I love this even more, and it's a great way to get more almonds into my diet. I think I actually consumed it at every meal today... haha

Day 127 - 3.25 miles (29:00)

"And time, goes by, so slowly...(FALSE!!!)" - The Righteous Brothers

Miles Ran: 409.41 Dollars Raised: $2,214.80

I thought I'd start off with some cute pictures from NYC!

Kelly and I on the Hoboken waterfront with NYC in the background.

Spring!

Chelsea, COOPERRRR, and I in Central Park!

Though I haven't felt like a madwoman yet, today's been quite productive! I woke up a tiny bit later than usual, made some breakfast, and got to work on all of my thank you cards from over the weekend while catching up on my Bravo shows! haha I was able to finish those, do the dishes, and get in a good run before all of my other tasks...

The run felt pretty good! It's so exciting to be back to a pretty normal pace, though I know when I do longer distances I shouldn't be starting off at 8:30 miles. Of course it was just cloudy until I walked out...then it turned from mist to light rain pretty quickly. It was kind of refreshing, but it made it feel a lot colder than the spring days I've been getting used to.

I feel like I'm taking training a lot more seriously as I look and see how quickly the marathon is approaching. Going to the grocery store today I was picking up so many healthy things and am determined to not be lazy and cook good foods for myself for the next few weeks.

The marathon is even creeping into my dreams! haha I was telling the girls the other day how I had a dream that I came in 4th PLACE right behind all of the Kenyans, and we all stopped and took friendly pictures together afterwards haha Ohhh...maybe one day, if I quit my job, get sponsored by Brooks, and just eat breathe sleep running so much more intensely than I do now.

After the run I went over to drop off all of my newly acquired donations, and gave my brother at least 50 tickets to pass out to his friends for the fund raiser this weekend. Ahh Marathon Madness two weekends in a row! I can't contain myself! It's all happening so fast!

Day 125 and 126 - Rest

"The next time I see you, you'll be a marathoner." - Kelly Gloor

Miles Ran: 406.16 Dollars Raised: $2,214.80 (THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS WEEKEND A SUCCESS! Thank you Kelly, Joe, Chelsea, Laura, Sam, Johnny, Jean, Meg, Steve Hanlon and The Connors!)

These past couple of days just kind of flew by in fast forward...except for today. I was determined after such a crazy time to let myself not stress, take my time, and enjoy the day :)

On Friday night, the fund raiser at the East End was great--even if all the Syracuse fans DID end up taking over, wall to wall. Most of the people I knew from NYC came with some others I had yet to meet, and we had a great time chatting. Everyone was so generous it was hard to believe that I made such a dent in my fund raising in just one night. Even though we could eventually barely move at all, it ended up working out nicely once I through my shy-side to the wind and started approaching all of these drunk, gamblin boys who wanted to buy some tickets. The variety of different reactions people had when I approached them amazed me. Some were extremely willing to partake, others just fed into the $2/3 ticket option, and some were so ridiculously rude I was taken aback. It's not like I'm raising money to buy a new pair of shoes people! It definitely boosted my confidence though for the next couple fund raisers, and I'll definitely plan on doing the raffle again.

Yesterday I spent most of the day in Hoboken and revisiting my past with a club volleyball tournament. It's so weird looking at how big volleyball has become on the east coast, to points where there are huge complexes dedicated JUST to volleyball and club teams. And Hoboken was absolutely adorable!! I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't that. We did a lot of walking around into different boutiques and had some awesome sushi.

This morning after I got my iced latte light, we went to Central Park where there was actually a half marathon going on (note to self: look into races in NYC) and we found this little area called the Ramble. It was a beautiful little spot near the castle with lots of trees. At times you don't even remember you're in a major city. I wish Boston had more spots to run/walk in... maybe now that it's nice I'll do a run over into the Arboretum or something. It's just so hard to get to a lot of the more residential parks that are so pretty. After our nice, long, sunny walk we met up with more friends for an awesome brunch, went back to the apartment, and I gathered my things, picked up a red velvet Crumbs cupcake and bought The Time Traveler's Wife DVD, and was on my way for another journey back to Boston.

I definitely did way too much for my body to handle on Friday, just by being on my feet and not having time to recuperate before being active again. The bus ride wasn't really a relaxing one, and then it was go-go-go as soon as I arrived. My foot was killing me from standing so long by the end of the night. My knee is also pretty banged up and bruised from the fall, but my hands seem to be healing.

Now here I lay, exhausted, and so happy to have another day off to try and get my life back in order before three whole days of work!

Day 124 - 17.04 miles (2:43:16)

"Hey soul sister...the way you move it ain't fair ya know." - Train

Miles Ran: 406.16 Dollars Raised: $1,860.60 (THANK YOU JEN DAPONTE!!!!)

I'm on a bus listening to the female old- aged Long Island accent behind me just chaaaaat chat chatting away on her cell phone without a care in the world. (It makes me think of the John Roberts mother Youtube videos "go turn on my tree!") I'm a little squished in my seat, but I can't complain. I paid $15 for a 12:30 bus and got my favorite seat right up in front with my GORGEOUS view of the Mass Pike and no one cramming my legs with their reclined seats. I'm also really happy to be on way down to see all my pretty friends and not have to drive myself.

Well, about the run, as you'll see below it was quite eventful. I mapped out a route that would take farrrr down Beacon Street into Newton, cross over to Comm Ave, up Heartbreak Hill, back down Beacon to Mass Ave and then up Comm Ave to home.

The weather was just perfect! Started in the mid-40's I would say and ended close to 60. I didn't have a good start though... I'll say this: SCREW YOU BEACON STREET and your uneven sidewalks!!! Can't a girl take her eyes off the ground for one second to enjoy the scenery without catching herself on a jutted out piece of concrete?! I totally flew in the air and kind of did a volleyball slide as if I were trying to pancake. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, swore a lot, and examined the damages. I wonder what it looked like to all of those people waiting for the T. One really nice girl walking behind me stopped and asked if I needed help, to use her cell, etc. I went into Shaw's and picked up some Band-Aids for my bloody hands and knee and cleaned myself in the bathroom. So, everything was taken care of, and I got back on the road.

It was very nice to see a new part of the city (Newton) even though I was being EXTREMELY cautious of where I was going. When I crossed over to Comm Ave I thought I was in the middle of Heartbreak Hill, but as I made my way and remembered some landmarks from when I pretty much walked up it the last time I realized, oh no! I had definitely started at the bottom. The picture below is at the top when I conquered it :)

It was such a relief after that climb because I knew exactly where I was and could gauge the miles, knew what to expect, and so on.. I stopped along the way at Dunkin and 7Eleven to fill up my water. After 7/11 I apparently forgot to zip back up my new iFitness belt because as I got to Mass Ave I heard this taxi beeping at me, and when I looked back my debit card, I'd and T pass had flown out!

At that point I only had 2.5 miles to go, which were uphill, and very long. At least I had great weather for this run compared to last week. Just gives you a little more motivation... Now I'm going to try to fall asleep, once annoying lady has finished going through her entire address book to call everyone she knows...

Day 123 - 3.26 miles (26:49 baby!)

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore

Miles Ran: 389.12 Dollars Raised: $1,785.60

I don't know what on Earth came over me today that inspired me to haul ass and run an average 8:14 pace!

Maybe it was because mentally I only had to do 3 miles and had to do it fast because I have to get downtown by 6:30...

Maybe it was because I took 2 energy jelly beans before I left (that I do believe have a little hint of caffeine...)

Maybe because it's so gorgeous outside that I just want to BE out and about in the sun all day, every day...

Maybe because I was wearing shorts for the first time and my legs could be free and limber and long...

Maybe because... could it be? My foot is getting outrageously better?!

I'm still babying it a little--icing, acupuncture, wearing my running shoes everywhere, Traumeel, ibuprofen, taping... but I'm definitely leaps and bounds from where I'm was. Even though I was stuck in a rut for awhile, I can't help but attribute some of that healing to positive thinking. I forgot to mention when I was at acupuncture yesterday and Jessica was massaging my foot she said she could feel where some of the scar tissue has built up. So interesting!

Now, I'm off to an event. Going to leave early so I can come home, lay out everything for a very early, long run tomorrow, try to pack a little for NYC and get some needed rest. Here is the route I planned out if you're interested: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3555568

Day 122 - Acupuncture, Massage, 7+ miles walk

"Oh he's my dear, my darling one, his eyes so sparklin full of fun. No other, no other, can match the likes of him!" - Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Miles Ran: 385.86 Dollars Raised: $1,785.60

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

It's either the acupuncture/massage combination or the Guinness and Magners combination I just had that makes my foot feel completely fine. I kept my celebrating to a minimum today because 1) it's not part of a healthy running diet 2) i forgot my ID at lunch and 3) I purposely drove to meet Katharine at the bar so not to be tempted to indulge.

Acupuncture today was great--though, for the first time, I was really awake during it. Maybe because it was in the middle of the day, as opposed to my usual post-work, exhausted, usual appointments. The needle she put into my RIGHT foot for some reason stung the most, and throughout the treatment I felt burning in my arm, left hand, and a spasm in my right quad. It was weird, I was all over the place. She did the stim treatment, and also massaged my ankle and lower calf afterward--which felt great.

My massage...ehh...could have been better. But I'm not going to complain when someone gives my back some attention (even though I asked for my legs...) I decided instead of going to the gym this morning that I would walk around the city to all of my engagements, and when I got to the massage place they had double booked me with someone else! So I arranged to come back at 4:30 instead of the 10:00 spot I was there for, and was handed a $45 gift certificate in return, so all is well. I'd go back for maybe a pedicure or facial sometime. What I really need to look into is a massage for the day AFTER the marathon. It just occurred to me that all of the salons are probably filling/filled up by now!

Day 121 - 4.76 miles (42:42)

"Friends are the sunshine of life." - John Hay

Miles Ran: 385.86 Dollars Raised: $1,785.60

I feel sooooooo rejuvenated and happy to be out running outside in the sunnnn!!! With my friend!!!! In the nice weatherrrrrrrr!!!!

Katharine and I got together around 5:00 today and when I stepped outside it was absolutely gorgeous. Such a surprise after the 10 inches of rain Boston got over the weekend! And it's only supposed to get better! I think at some point I'll end up in a location where it's sunny all the time, so I won't go through the depressing, drawn out winters that we have to deal with up here.

We were able to catch up a lot about our training, fund raising, etc. and neither of us can believe how fast the Marathon has crept up on us. It's only 5 weeks away! I remember thinking that 5 months seemed like a short period to train for 26.2 miles.

My foot and ankle felt great afterward, and I'm really feeling a difference in the way I'm carrying myself (as in, not limping, at all.) Talk about small victories--I had to run and tell my coworker today that I noticed I could actually WALK UP STAIRS on the balls of my feet instead of flat-footed as I have been for the past month!

Overall, a great day :) And tomorrow I have cross-training, massage, acupuncture and a Guinness or two to look forward to!

Day 120 - Rest

"Pressure isn't a bad word. It's a great word. It gives you tunnel vision and makes you focus on the task at hand." - Robert Esche

Miles Ran: 381.10 Dollars Raised: $1,785.60

Ever have one of those days where you feel like you've ran 100 miles without even setting foot on a treadmill, or plotting out a route? I do, often, and today felt like one. I have a tendency of taking advantage of being an early bird, and choosing to accomplish things very early in the morning on my days off. I think I need to stop that. Or at least cut myself a break. 6 AM on my day off?! What's wrong with me?!

I did get to see a few lovely people though, and had nice meals and conversation :) I do get a very good feeling when I'm productive (making donation boxes! errands! writing! reading! driving! cleaning!) but when I got back to my apartment, I just wanted to have some "me" time. I think, if anything, on a day off, I deserve that.

Soooo... I didn't go to the gym. Like I should have. I think my legs needed an extra day of rest anyway. Tomorrow night I'm supposed to be going on a run with Katharine, and I'm excited because it's been such a long time! Now I feel like my body's saying it's time to crash. I MUST focus on getting better night's sleep from here on out. I told my Grandma today that from now until April 19th, I have tunnel vision. I'll be thinking about the marathon and fund raising ALL the time, and that's probably the only thing I'll be thinking about besides work.. and maybe family and friends too :)

My dentist this morning said he's ran the Boston Marathon three times. He never ran more than 6 miles to prepare for it. He just woke up each Patriot's Day morning, had a HUGE Dunkin Donuts coffee, and ran it--finishing every race in the same time. I told him he's insane and that's impossible. Can you imagine?! All of these months and trainings and hours and mental ups and downs I've been going through and this guy can just wake up and decide to do it?! I almost feel bad for him because he didn't have the inner-growing experience that I had. He's probably an Urban Legend. Or a superhero.

Day 119 - Rest

"There is a magic in that little word, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond it's hallowed limits." - Robert Southey

Miles Ran: 381.10 Dollars Raised: $1,785.60 (THANK YOU AMY GARANIN!!)

I have to make this short and sweet because I have a veryyy early dentist appointment in the morning and a day full of people to see and West Springfield errands to run.

As always, I feel more rested just being at home, around people I love, in a very comfortable, safe place. I woke up this morning, got my act together, threw everything into a laundry bag, and made my way back home. Mom and I spent most of the afternoon sitting across the kitchen table chatting and working on our own paperwork, then Dad and I did some errands, picked up some Chinese, and had dinner and cannolis with Grandma :)

My legs are definitely still recovering from yesterday's run, and I'm looking forward to icing my foot and getting some deep rest :)

Day 118 - 15.47 miles (2:37:45)

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." - Nietzsche

Miles Ran: 381.10 Dollars Raised: $1,760.60

Man, oh man.. I am BEAT.

I realized as I was running today that this was the first time I had run over 14 miles straight. I had those two weeks where I had to split up my long runs (as I look back, I wish I hadn't) and then I only made it 13 miles on the 17 mile Children's Run when I got hurt. After last week's half I was feeling very confident that I could accomplish this, but it was still a little hard to stop myself when everyone else was going for 19 miles today.

The conditions were AWFUL. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. I have to keep telling myself that you never know what kind of weather you will encounter on race day and have to be prepared for everything. But come on... especially after having the nice weather in Florida last week, this felt like hell. It wasn't the rain that was so bad (though I was SOAKED by the time I finished), but the wind was absolutely wicked! I could hear it screaming by my ears even as I was listening to my ipod. At points it felt like I wasn't even going anywhere it was blowing so hard. Being on the water didn't help much, but boy, it was tough.

I told this girl, Alexis, today that she was my savior on this run. First, she was running ahead of me and I noticed as I passed her that she was looking around like, "where is the rest of the group?" After a few seconds I looked back and saw her backtracking and decided to follow. So I did, and FINALLY found the little path to go under the bridge we had gone OVER and continue around the Charles that I've missed the past couple times Rick has made this route. I finally caught up to her around mile 8 and thanked her for putting us back on the course, and she offered me some water and chocolate covered pretzels since we hadn't hit a water stop yet. At one point she shoved a silver package into my hand and was like, "TAKE THESE! You'll need them!" I looked down, thinking it was a gel goo or something, but it was the fruit Shark Bitess I used to eat (and love!) when I was little. I think I'll invest in some the next time I'm at the grocery store...

A group of us continued on the Cambridge side of the Charles until we got to the Longfellow bridge and crossed over. I decided at mile 13.5 I would turn back and make my way back to the gym. At about 12.5 I was at 2:05 (my last half marathon time) so I was pretty psyched about the pace I had kept up. I overestimated how long it would take me to get back, so I ended up putting in the extra half mile at the end. I felt pretty good afterward, pain-wise, but was absolutely soaked and freezing. Luckily I had at least thought to bring two long sleeve shirts to wear after. I did a little bit of stretching, ate a peanut butter/pretzel Mojo bar, picked up a chocolate milk on the way to my car, and now here I lay: showered, foot elevated, exhausted, but ok. We'll see how I do for 17 next week!

Day 117 - Acupuncture

"Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate." - Chuang Tzu

Miles Ran: 365.63 Dollars Raised: $1,760.60

It's really hard to describe the feeling that comes over me after the acupuncturist (Jessica) sticks all of the pins in me and leaves the room.

As she is making me look like a voodoo doll, we usually chat about something, maybe to keep my mind off of the very tiny little pricks I feel. I was telling her about the half marathon, and she mentioned some crazy 10K she used to do in San Francisco called Bay to Breakers where you either HAD to dress in costume, run NAKED, or be heckled by the spectators. Apparently through every neighborhood different things are thrown at you! For example, through the Latin neighborhood they throw tortillas! I told her how I always feel like the needle she puts in the very top of my head is the funniest, and the one between my eyebrows stings the least out of all of them. She asked which ones sting the most, and I told her the one between my thumb and pointer finger only on my right hand, and the ones she was putting into me that moment on my ankles and tops of my feet. She said those are the two places in your body that are most sensitive to pain.

So today, I actually waited for her to go through the list of tunes on her ipod and found out that instead of the classical music I usually go with (because it's first on the list (listened to Yo Yo Ma last week)) there was Etta James! So I picked that and "At Last" was the first song to come on.

As I said, the feeling that comes over me as soon as she dims the lights and leaves the room is hard to explain. I lay there, perfectly still, utterly relaxed, with my hands on my tummy, and can barely focus on anything but the rhythmic rise and fall of my stomach as I breathe in and out. No other time do I feel so centered. It doesn't even feel like my hands carry any weight at all. The massage bed is heated, there's a pillow under my knees, and occasionally I lift my head up a little bit to remember that yes, indeed, I look like a pin cushion. It's almost as if I fall into a trance. Sometimes, like tonight, I'm completely aware of everything around me. Even the crying baby next door seemed to be in tune with Etta and didn't bother me at all. Other times I go into half-dreams. After 20 minutes that seem to go by extremely fast, she comes in to adjust the needles and make sure they're in place, and then leaves me for another 20 minutes. I wish it was closer to work so I could go in the middle of the day and come back completely rejuvenated.

She gave me some exercises to try for my foot and ankle now that they're starting to get a little stronger. She also recommended picking up a foam roller and having my brother look into a certain kind of tape to wrap my ankle.

I'm very excited after a detective-esque search to have found my McDavid ankle brace that I can wear tomorrow during the run. I want to stay up so badly and read some more of Time Traveler's Wife but I know I need my sleep. This book is really reeling me in. I love how it jumps from time to time, different ages, scenarios, etc. It's rare that I can read 50 pages in one sitting without getting restless or my eyes start drooping into a sleepy haze.

Long weekend #2 of 4 has begun! YES!

Day 116 - 4 miles (38:45)

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." - Ghandi

Miles Ran: 365.63 Dollars Raised: $1,760.60

It feels weird to already be showered, in bed, watching Bravo and blog-writing all before 9:00! Just having that extra time after work, and extra sleep in the morning, really makes a difference, and I think it came at the perfect time.

Today was kind of ehh outside, so I decided to put in my miles at the gym. Part of me thinks my body hurts a lot less when I'm out on the road, but after my run on Tuesday, I notice every uneven part of the pavement because my ankle gives out a yelp! I don't know if today was any better or worse on the treadmill... Eventually I got into a groove where I was finding the right strike that didn't hurt, but any time I leaned forward or let the treadmill take my foot a little bit, I was in pain. I'm really hoping the acupuncturist can work on that tomorrow!

I ended up actually splitting my run. When I got to the gym almost all of the treadmills were either taken or out of order, so when I got on mine, as soon as I started running the whole thing started shaking! It was really distracting, where I was the air was really stale and hot, and I had this tight feeling in my throat. So after two miles (20:06) I went to the locker room, went to the bathroom, used my inhaler, and got back on a treadmill that I LIKED with a FAN and did my second set of miles.

Ahhh it feels so nice to relax! Can't wait for my vacation time over the next two weeks too!

Day 115 - Cross

"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it." - Tori Amos

Miles Ran: 361.63 Dollars Raised: $1,760.60

My foot itself is really starting to make improvements--now it's just my ankle that I'm working on/worrying about. Since the injury, I've been having to compensate in my stride, and my ankle has just gotten really weak. Now throughout the day, or like after my run yesterday, it's been feeling really sore. So now I'm alternating between icing my foot to my ankle, and back and forth.

It felt like it had been forever since I went to the gym today. I wanted to do something fairly light since I'm working out three days in a row, and considering the soreness of my ankle. I did the bike for awhile (sat next to a REALLY stinky man--I almost had to get up and leave the bike all together) which I (somewhat) enjoyed because I was able to start on my new book The Time Traveler's Wife, which I've heard such great reviews about and wanted to read before I saw the movie. When I'm reading on the bike I have no idea how much time has passed, so it's nice to look up and realize how much I've done. I felt barely any pain at all, especially compared to how I felt when I first started biking after the injury, and then moved on to the Arc Trainer. I basically did the same thing, read while I worked out for another 25 minutes, and was really happy at the progression of pain I had made on that.

When I came home I did some free weight arm workouts while watching Top Model, and now I'm climbing into bed to enjoy more of my book :)

I also wanted to mention how my acupuncturist recommended some things to make sure I'm including in my diet. When I went to Trader Joe's today I picked up some salmon patties and a stuffed piece of salmon to get some more of those healthy fats. I made a delicious toasted bagel sandwich with a salmon patty, avocado and whipped cream cheese. It was delish!

Day 114 - 3.04 miles (28:19)

"Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you gonna get up?" - The Hours

Miles Ran: 361.63 Dollars Raised: $1,760.60

I really like when I can find themes throughout my day that can relate back to my running.

Today I left work a little bit early to go home and run three miles, then come back to school for a book discussion on the Great Gatsby. It felt incredible to continue running in the sunshine and good weather after being back from Florida. It just makes such a difference to the attitude I have when I'm running. I'm sure it will make even more of a difference when I don't have a time constraint to worry about.

I wanted to do a short run because I still feel a little bit of soreness throughout my legs from Sunday's run. It's always hard getting back into a training routine when your body just wants to relax forever. I just went down my street to Harvard Ave., and ran towards Brookline until I was a mile and a half away. Again, I was going faster than I thought, and am really happy to see I'm slowly shaving time off of my pace.

When I got back to work I was taking notes during the discussion. It was funny how we kept circling back to the "American Dream", about setting goals and then trying to achieve them at all costs. How sometimes you get addicted to this focus you have, and forget the enjoyment of the ride in achieving it. I feel like I kind of went through a phase like that right before I hurt my foot, and maybe, though I wish it wasn't as painful, this injury is like a blessing in disguise. It made me rethink why I set out to run a marathon in the first place, and how I got so caught up in wanting to achieve a certain time, or qualify for next year's, that I forgot about my main purpose--finishing! Especially after this past weekend with Disney, I realized, what's the point of reaching a certain time you have set in your mind, if you don't enjoy it? If I'm too busy being concerned with my time during the marathon, will I not notice the faces of everyone around me, or relish in the thrill of it all as much? Don't get me wrong, I still want to give my best performance, but I also want to focus more on why I run--because I love it, and it makes me happy :)