NYC Marathon

The hay is in the barn

April 2, 2012 by Kristy 23 Comments

Or so they say…

21 miles, 8:46 average pace, done!

So this didn’t go exactly as planned. It went much slower! Physically, I felt great. Mentally, I’m a bit burned-out. I’m writing a “Boston Goals” post later this week and I’ll elaborate more then. I think Kristen Armstrong’s latest post sums it up best though…

Running can’t be full speed, full intensity training all the time or you start to crack – either with an injury or with splintering morale. I know some people who do this, go from one marathon to the next without a break, and eventually their bodies cry uncle (and make them take a break).

In other news (Boston-related, of course)…

I got crafty on Saturday. I normally don’t wear my name on my shirt for marathons (then again, my last 4 marathons weren’t exactly filled with spectators), but I want to for Boston.

Rather than ruin an expensive lulu tank, I stole the idea from Celia to make a name patch. I bought some felt and some sticky letters, and voila…a removable patch that I can use again.

The “S” is a little high and it drives me nuts…

Another great idea I read from Lora’s blog was to start eating lunch later, due to Boston’s late start. I’ve been trying to hold off until 1:30 for lunch (2:00 if possible). I can’t think of anything more unpleasant than a growling stomach during a marathon. OK, there are worse things but that is unpleasant.

I’m also eating breakfast between 8-8:30 which will be the time I’ll eat before the race. Five hours between breakfast and lunch does not make for a happy Kristy.

Better now than on race day…

Name on shirt – yay or nay?

For the readers that ran Boston before (or NYC), did you get hungry during the race? I don’t think this will be an issue – it wasn’t for NYC – but I’m taking all precautions!

Friday Ramblings

November 11, 2011 by Kristy 7 Comments

Today is 11/11/11. I bet there are a ton of weddings today. Speaking of which, I’m sure everyone read about the NYC marathoners that got married at Mile 22. And finished in 3:54. I wonder why they chose Mile 22. Is anyone still having fun at Mile 22? And is this becoming a trend? Oiselle makes a “runaway bride dress” specifically for the purpose of getting married on the run.

I have been a lazy sloth all week. My 12K is tomorrow so I have been “resting” my legs. I debated all week about where to fit in my long run – Friday or Sunday. I don’t want to tire my legs for tomorrow’s race but Sunday we have plans and I would have to get up super early in order to fit in a long run. I’ve decided to forego a long run this week, even though the Philly Half is next weekend. I’m going to run 8 miles today, nice and easy, and will put in a few miles on Sunday morning. Or rest. We’ll see.

I’m excited that tomorrow’s 12K is chip timed! Woo hoo! I don’t have to worry about standing in the front and getting caught up with all the speedy runners.

I’m also terribly nervous for tomorrow’s race. The shorter the distance, the more nervous I get. I hate pain.

Did you get married on a specific date because of meaning (i.e., day you met) or because of numbers (i.e., 11-11-11)? We got married on 7-25-09 which didn’t have any meaning but I secretly liked the “25” aspect of it. And I wanted to get married in the summer.

Which makes you more nervous – longer races or shorter races? I guess 5Ks and 10Ks wouldn’t scare me so much if I did them more often. I just hate the running-until-you-puke feeling. I still get nervous for marathons but it’s a different kind of nervous, if that makes sense.

NYCM and the strangest holiday gift for a runner

November 7, 2011 by Kristy 11 Comments

Like most of you I was glued to both Twitter and live coverage of the NYCM yesterday. My butt didn’t leave the couch until noon. My random musings:

If Mary Keitany bottled up some of that blazing speed she had early on in the race (sub-5:10 pace in the early miles?!?!) and unleashed it during the later miles, she could have won. I’m shocked that she held the lead as long as she did (even surging a bit when Dado and Deba were in her sight). Even elites go out too fast!

Apolo Ohno (Olympic medalist and Dancing With The Stars winner – did you forget that one?) ran his first marathon in 3:25. Damn, that’s impressive. Speed skating must be excellent cross-training.

Ethan Zohn ran his second NYCM despite recently finding out that his cancer had returned. Extremely impressive. I’m a huge fan of Ethan and his hair 🙂 and have been since he won Survivor years ago.

Lauren Fleshman tweeted this post-race: I’m a marathoner! BonktASTic last 3 miles. If it didn’t hurt so bad I’d have been laughing at the loss of body control! I love her attitude and that she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Congrats to everyone who ran the NYCM! I hope you refueled last night with lots of food and beer!

A few days ago I was looking through my latest Runners World (page 55 if you want to see for yourself) and saw this:

It’s called a SWIH (So What It’s Hot –> I kid you not). Apparently it’s a personal water bottle holder. I can’t imagine how that is even feasible (it doesn’t bounce around?) OR comfortable. Not to mention it looks ridiculous.

Did you watch the NYCM on TV or (even better) in-person?

Is a SWIH on your holiday wish list?

Running On Fumes

November 5, 2011 by Kristy 8 Comments

11/5/11
14 miles / 2:01 / 8:39 avg pace

I’m a creature of routine. Every night before my long run I do the following (don’t mock me):

check the hourly forecast on weather.com
lay out my running clothes near my bed
lay out my hair bands, headband, Body Glide, sunscreen, Aquaphor (winter only), and contacts in my bathroom
lay out towels, ShotBloks, water bottle, and chocolate milk in the kitchen
set my alarm for some ungodly early hour

This sounds involved but I’ve been doing it for so long now I can easily pull everything together in 5-10 minutes. Then I literally roll out of bed the next morning and go. I don’t have to think about anything nor do I forget anything.

Last night Matt and I watched a movie (Crazy, Stupid Love – it was good) and then a few episodes of House Hunters and I was feeling lazy and tired so I just went to bed – no long run prep. I also slept in since it was freezing out (the later I go running, the warmer it is!). After rolling out of bed at 7:30 (unheard of for me, I’m usually a few miles into my run by then), I slowly got ready and started running at 8:30.

I knew what was coming. And cursed myself for staying in bed so long. My stomach growled at mile 2. Crap. I don’t eat before any of my runs (read why here) and since I’m generally done running at 8:30 and about to eat breakfast, I never get hungry during a long run…even 22 miles. So not good. I ate 3 ShotBloks and felt a little bit better. Thankfully, I brought a few extra with me just in case.

Two and a half packs of ShotBloks later, I was done and booking it back to my car for some chocolate milk. I eat that many ShotBloks for a marathon! Too many for such a short distance. Ugh.

I also forgot to put on sunscreen and Body Glide. Damn chafing and sun damage!

Moral of the story: get your butt out of bed early and lay out everything ahead of time.

Do you have a long run routine? Do you find yourself sleeping in a bit more now that the weather is colder? I’m so guilty of this, especially since I’m not technically training for anything right now.

Best of luck to everyone running the NYC marathon tomorrow, especially Meggie, Kelly, Keri, Katie, and Susan!!!!!

Friday Favorites

April 29, 2011 by Kristy 10 Comments

4/29/11

3 miles easy

28:38

9:32 avg pace

All I have to do now is run the marathon!

We leave for the shore tomorrow morning, stopping at my parents to drop Hawk off. My parents live about an hour south of where the race is taking place and we initially were going to sleep there and drive up on Sunday morning. After reading reviews on marathonguide.com about the not-so-reliable shuttle buses, we decided to get a hotel to be closer to the start. Otherwise, we’d have to get up around 3am. Eeek, that is just too early!

Friday Favorites time! And you probably guessed this already but it has to do with marathons!

Best Crowd Support – NYC Marathon
I’m sure Boston has similar crowd support but NYC is amazing! I felt like a rock star! There was never a point when someone wasn’t cheering for you. I got a brief glimpse of what it must feel like to be celebrity 😉

Most Efficient Expo – Marine Corps Marathon
I’m not a big fan of expos. I like to get in and get out. The Marines pull off a great, efficient expo…especially for such a huge race.

Most Scenic – Marine Corps Marathon
I must say I’m somewhat biased. I lived in DC for 3 years and fell in love with running there. It’s like a perfect (running) tour of the city.

Best Race Shirt – Philly Marathon
Another great race (again, biased…it’s my hometown) but the best part is the race shirt. A long-sleeved, DRI-fit tee that actually fits! Meaning I don’t give it to Matt to wear. They even have XS. Score!

Best Pre-Race Amenities – Steamtown Marathon
I walked out of my hotel room and boarded a bus to the start. We started outside of a middle school so we got to wait inside and remain warm. Bottles of water were handed out and the school cafeteria was even selling food! It was the most relaxed and calm I have ever been before a race. I literally didn’t have to think about anything.

The NJ Marathon does not have runner tracking. I promise to tweet, FB, etc. when I’m done. THANK YOU for the wonderful comments this past week. They mean so much to me. I will be thinking about all of them on Sunday. Go big or go home!