Could not be more excited...and a tiny bit sad

2011 finished off as a bit of a disappointment for me as I walked away from a marathon I really wanted and had trained hard to run.  My last long run left me with an awful bout of patellar tendonitis which did not go away prior to the scheduled marathon date.  I was crushed, I cried, but then I got over the marathon that never was and set my sights on a new goal.  I really was not sure what to do...focus on triathon? Plan another marathon?  Take some time off?  So I sought the advice of some wise and experienced endurance athletes.
      All signs pointed to a marathon, but with reduced mileage and increased cross training.  Everything was riding on one successful track workout 5x1000.  I made it through all 5 with no pain so…I grabbed my credit card and signed up for the Napa Valley Marathon, I searched for a lower mileage plan, and I got my calculator and created “THE PLAN," 12 weeks to NVM.

I worked hard to get all my miles in while rolling, stretching, and icing.  I incorporated weights, tae bo, yoga, pilates, swimming, and cycling.  I was a little concerned not putting too many miles on my feet might make it hard to reach the finish, but I followed through with my plan as best I could.

I even created my own track workout on Thursday evenings because I couldn’t make it to anyone else’s track session and I don’t like being lonely on the track (even though I still did my workout even if no one showed)

On Sunday I ran the Napa Valley Marathon.  Knowing my last marathon was 4:14:41 with piriformis syndrome (I still have this plus patellar tendonitis), I had 3 goals

1) finish, work hard, don’t walk, and don’t feel like crap (realistic)

2) Run a 3:40 (8:23 avg.) (somewhat realistic)

3) Boston 3:35:00 (8:13 avg.) (Not likely, but why not?)

I didn’t really plan on Boston I just knew my half marathon and interval times were there, and maybe just maybe I could use every ounce of energy I had to push to get there if I could. 

AND…

I ran faster than I thought possible, I pushed myself as hard as I could, I took it easy the first two miles like I told myself I should, I carbo-loaded for days and didn’t try anything new.   I put salt in my water and drank my pedialyte days before.

In the end I PR’ed!  I ran 39 minutes faster than my previous marathon finishing at a 3:35:32 (8:14avg.)  At the end of it all I felt GREAT!  The course was gorgeous, the hills were hard, but I pushed through the whole course, chasing after my friend Amy (you definitely kept me going).  Plus, I did all 26.2 WITHOUT MUSIC!  This was the biggest mental battle I had, I was in my head the whole way, well except the last 1.5 miles where Nick rode along side me coaching me toward the finish.

I signed up like Simon told me I should

I believed in myself and thought I could do it like Scott kept saying I would

I rolled in the morning like Carrie said I should

I went to track week after week knowing Jason, Diane and Joe would whip my butt into shape

I kept my miles low, but my cardio high like Laney says she does

I busted my butt through the pain like Nicki told me to

I had the support of great friends and family to get me to the finish, especially Nick (who went to 2 different places for pasta to make sure my stomach didn’t get upset)

Although I was a bit sad to walk away 32 seconds shy of a Boston qualifying time, even if I didn’t realistically have my sights set on it at this marathon.  I know I’ll never have a PR like this again and that is something to be proud of.

Next Event: Oakland Half

(Napa race report soon to come)