Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Here it is...Half Marathon Recap!


So, I'll try to make this as entertaining as possible! First, let me just say, that the heat advisory went out on Wednesday that the weather was going to be warm...like 87 degrees warm...so I started water-loading, drinking an INSANE amount of water on Wednesday, and peed like crazy. Then I started carb loading Friday, but not going crazy, just eating better protein and carbs to boost energy. Saturday I ate a lot, but in small(ish) portions in order to get my energy levels up. Many things happened throughout the weekend, including standing in line for 3 hrs for the NFL Draft, going to see Joel Osteen at Yankee Stadium, but that's another time, and another blog!

Saturday night after the Yankee Stadium service my parents decided "The city never sleeps" (In fact, my father kept repeating this mantra over and over in a giddy voice and embarrassing himself on the 4 train...going downtown...he'd want me to mention these important specifics!) We went out to dinner at Uno's and I didn't feel like pasta at 9:30pm, so I opted for the perfect combo: Crispy honey chicken salad, sans bacon. It is a DELICIOUS cobb-inspired salad which features spaghetti. Strange, you might say; try it, you'll be hooked! (Can I BE anymore of a watiress?!)

Anyway, we went home, I set out my running clothes, shoes, pinned my bib on (Number 9571 out of 10,000), set out socks, looped in my chip, and attempted to go to bed. Poor Bri was tired from being at the NFL Draft but I was a nervous wreck.

My alarm went off at 5am, I got up, went into the bathroom, and at my clif bar (I live in a studio, wanted to have a happy husband so I made my noises and turned on the light in the bathroom out of view of the bed!) I tried to go back to sleep, but it was fitful, so I finally awoke at 6:15, WAY earlier than my original 6:40 plan. I lotioned up, including sun block, because it was ALREADY hot out. Brian grudgingly but dutifully got out of bed at 7am and drove me into Manhattan and dropped me off on Park Ave, two (avenue) blocks away, so I could get some warm up walking. Brian was so sad that I was running alone, so his last words were, "Make a friend." Boy did I ever.

As I was walking to my alley, I overheard someone saying, "The marathon's been canceled." (There was a full marathon and a half marathon planned) I guess the heat was considered too much, what a shame for those hard working women! Then I overheard the same sarcastic guy say with a laugh, "Yea, this isn't even going to be timed. It's a fun run." I rolled my eyes. What a thing to say! How stupid would that be.

Oh wait, it was true.

Yes, I made my friend Dot when I got to my alley. "Hi I'm Dot." She said. Bam we were friends. The following is our oral account. D will represent Dot and K will represent me.

K "It's so hot."
D "I know. I can't believe they're not timing this sh*t."
K "WHAT are you talking about?"
D "Oh yea, I already gave in my chip. It's a fun run. Come one, I trained for this! You did too right? How old are you?"
K "24. But wait they're really not timing this?"
D "Wow I'm 43. Yea no they're not timing it. Look at these fatties with their hydro belts. Get out of my way!"
K I didn't know what to do...I giggled because she was a Jersey mom of 3 totally toned and speaking her mind WAY too freely!
Man comes by and gives us salt packets to help us retain water.
K "I don't want to eat a salt packet."
D "Me either. It's gross. Let's do it."
I felt like peer pressure like taking a shot. Dot was like that: An instant friend who would always be fun!

Needless to say, our encounter went on for about 45 minutes and was THOROUGHLY entertaining!

On to the race:
I was sweating the INSTANT I started and almost had a breakdown because the STUPID walkers actually thought they had just as much right to be there taking over the ENTIRE race area so you couldn't pass. I almost pushed some on purpose because I was so annoyed...thankfully I rose above and was patient. According to Ryan Hall, if you walk at the fluid stations and drink a meaningful amount of fluids and keep running right after, you won't lose as much time by trying to balance running and drinking, and you will retain more water. I knew I HAD to take this advice, because it was already 80 degrees. Thankfully, there were fluid stations every other mile, so I drank a cup full of gatorade, one sip of water, then poured the rest of the water on my head. Long hair is SO not cool when running in the heat!

By mile 3 I wanted to die. I couldn't believe how long it was feeling like, I felt like I should be on mile 5 or 6 by now, I hadn't even completed half of the first of two loops of Central Park! After mile 5, I broke through the mental wall and was cruising. Thankfully the walkers only did one loop, so as I was rounding the corner to complete the first loop, I heard "Kristin Kristin Kristin! WOOHOO!" My mom, dad, Hubby and friend Laurie were there to cheer me on! I got such a push mentally and physically! The second loop was awesome, totally cruising, stopping at the spray stations (Which I nicknamed wet tshirt contest station!), in which giant hoses were propped up and water sprayed everywhere! Mile 10 was the hardest, because mile 11 was the last hill, so leading up to it was super hard. That last hill I actually felt my thighs BURNING, which hadn't happened the entire race until then! When I hit mile 12 I knew I was homefree. I saw my cheer section again about halfway through mile 12, and this time they were also joined by my friends Drew and Sarah! That was all I needed. I had the biggest smile on my face and knew I would finish strong. I went for it, going as hard as my body would allow while keeping my breathing even; at least every mile someone was being carted off in an ambulance because of the heat, so I didn't want to push it too hard.

As I saw the finish line around the corner, I couldn't believe it was about to be over. 3 months of training, 2 years of working up to the 8 miles to begin training, support from my husband, family and friends, all coming down to stepping my foot across the finish line. I welled up and as I crossed the finish line, a few tears made their way out (conveniently masked by sweat!). It was a truly emotional moment, when all my work came through, thinking about how I unsure I was if I could complete it, overcoming the INTENSE HEAT, seeing my cheer section loud and proud; wow. What a great moment. They handed me my medal and I grabbed 3 gatorades and it was over. Chip was removed and I found my family. Brian gave me the biggest hug, I felt like I made him so proud, and he really showed it all over his face. My parents were so proud too, and it felt great. I recalled finishing my first race in Manchester, CT, when I was 18, 4.78 miles, in 62 minutes, and how proud I felt then.

Amazing how far, literally and figuratively, I've come. It's all because of God's strength. Seriously. I pray everyday, and during every run, for strength and endurance. I repeat scriptures and pray for people. God truly gave me the strength I needed to complete this.

Thanks to all the people who supported me, encouraged me, and kicked me in the butt when I needed to train (BRIAN MY LOVE, THAT WOULD BE YOU!!!).



Ps. The Italian dinner in Little Italy afterward, including ice cream and a canoli, was wonderful too. ;-)

Friday, April 24, 2009

TWO DAYS TILL 1/2 Marathon!

I'M SO EXCITED!

The weather? High 87. Ugh.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

So here's how the last full day of my vacation went...







WHOA WAIT A MINUTE WHO IS THAT FAMOUS POP STAR?!?!? Yes, unless you live under a rock, it's CHRIS BROWN! We went to dinner at PF Changs tonight with our lovely friends Katie and Peter Stern, and while we were 'lingering' because we had to go but were finishing up our conversations, CHRIS BROWN walks by! So Brian forces me to get a picture with him (Because I would have been KICKING myself if I hadn't gotten a picture!!!), and I finally asked. Ok guys, I know he's accused of beating his wife and stuff, but Jesus loves him too (And I LOVE the "Kiss Kiss" song! AH!) and he was really really nice. Not going to lie. I intro'd Brian and he was so nice and said "Hi how are you." And he shaked my hand, very kind. Protecting the image I'm sure ;-)

Wasn't that a fun way to end my vacation?! When we texted our friend in Rochester telling him we just met Chris Brown he responded, "Of course you did." Apparently he thinks we meet many famous people. Thus, I will be posting periodically about some of the famous people I've met in NYC...love that this one happened in VA Beach though!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Running running GONE!




Ha ha ha yes today was a-mazing! Let's just say, the run was tough, but I am sunburned! (I know I know, it's not a good thing, but that means it'll turn into a tan!)

I ran 9.5 today, hoping to rock 10 more tomorrow, even though it's not the smartest thing to do (Running such long distances consecutively) I have the time and the weather and the beautiful ocean to run next to! So I figure hey, might as well. The run today was difficult, I was just kinda tired and adjusting to the increase in heat. I remembered that I don't run well in heat (I don't like being warm EVER, except with an ocean, air conditioner or pool nearby) and my coffee wasn't settling right (I know I know, TMI.) PLUS I forgot my hydrobelt, and carrying my water bottle was annoying enough, but then I had to stop at my house to refill it 2/3 of the way through. Imagine stopping in your house 2/3 of the way through a 9.5 mile run! I thought to myself, "Come on, you did 6 miles, that's good enough." Thank God I'm stubborn and strong willed.

Tomorrow is our last full day here in VA Beach and I'm really excited about it. The rotary club here is throwing a pancake breakfast, which we will attend, the high tomorrow is 73 and completely sunny, and we're meeting our friends Katie and Peter at PF Changs for dinner! What a great day to be had. I can't wait. I want to throw some biking in there tomorrow.

MY HALF MARATHON IS A WEEK AND TWO DAYS AWAY! I'm VERY nervous because I struggled a bit with 9.5 miles today, but I kept reminding myself that race time is WAY more energized, water stations will be all around, people cheering for you everywhere.

Confession: I hate my tummy. I think to myself all the time, "I exercise more than most people do. EVER. I know people who have NEVER exercised, I do it nearly everyday." WHY DO I STRUGGLE WITH MY WEIGHT STILL!? Gah. Post wedding I've put on 3-5 lbs and I HATE it. Maybe I'll get myself all stressed out for no reason to shed some lbs??? ;-)But yea, I guess I have to be more rigorous with my eating habits again. No big deal. It's a bit harder without the "gown" looming over my head, but my arms a quite toneless lately, I just need to get back to sit ups. BUT WHY DOESN'T RUNNING TAKE CARE OF IT?! Gah. Ok, I think my rant is done (Don't tell my husband about these rants, he hates them and calls me crazy...Brian if you are reading this, sorry, but at least I didn't trouble you with it this time!)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Vacation running!!!




So I only broke out 5 miles today, but I'm still breaking in my shoes. I should have started breaking them in sooner if I plan on wearing them for my half marathon NEXT WEEK! AH a week from Saturday! This is crazy! Anyway, running at the beach was cool, but I think I got wind burn because it is RIDICULOUSLY windy! Tomorrow is going to be BEAUTIFUL in VA Beach, and even more beautiful on Saturday! My goal is 8 miles tomorrow and 10 on Saturday, we'll see how it goes!!! More pictures to come! (Thanks cute adorable handsome husband who wanted pics of me doing my thing!)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Running woes




So remember that wedding I informed you all about? Well, it took over my LIFE! Let me tell you. I was going NONSTOP for two days! Brian decided because we were SO tired that we would drive to CT and relax for the weekend with family. So we left the wedding, packed our bags, and BAM drove to CT! We surprised our family, it was pretty funny.

But, because of the hecticness, my running has taken a back seat, which NEVER happens. Plus it didn't help that Saturday was completely rainy and cold, and Sunday was sunny and cold, aka I didn't pack my usual running wear (I forgot in the quick packing bonanza), so I didn't feel prepared. Such excuses!

So, I need some kicks in the butt...let me know how it is! Tell me what you do to get motivated! It's hard because I'm one of the most motivated people I know, but that two weeks of being sick really threw me off my training! This week I'm aiming to log 35-40 miles, I really just want to kick my own self into gear!

My 1/2 marathon is ONE WEEK AND 6 DAYS AWAY!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Spring break is upon us!!!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'm currently 2 hours from SPRING BREAK! We get off Holy Thursday, Good Friday (Thank God for Jesus! An oxymoronic statement I heard a preacher make once...it stuck with me!), and then ALL of next week! The following is a sample itinerary, but will not be adhered to completely...who knows what may come up!?

Tonight:
- Running
- Small group
- Making "bride" sugar cookies with Sarah and her sister Sami! I got a bride cookie cutter (RANDOM, I know!) and we're frosting the dress on. So fun. So domestic.

Thursday:
- Running in Central Park, weather permitting!
- Sarah and Drew's bacherlor/bachelorette party! Bri is taking the boys, I'm taking the girls! We're going to a nail salon, doing appetizers/desserts and drinks while they all get pampered!

Friday:
- Sarah and Drew's WEDDING! I'm running the logistics of lots of things in order to allviate stress from the bride and groom; their families are traveling in and don't know their way around the city etc! So we'll be GO GO GO all day! PRAY FOR NO RAIN!

Saturday:
- Blah, working at the restaurant! It will be good though, some extra cash for the rest of the week.
- In NYC Saturday night? Wanna hang out? We're available!

Sunday:
- Easter service at our church is going to be AMAZING! Christian City Church in Manhattan at 11am, 42nd St between 7th and 8th Ave, in the New York Times Building.

Monday:
- Anyone available?

Tuesday:
- DAVE MATTHEWS CONCERT AT MSG! So excited for this, it's Brian's "big" birthday present (His birthday is April 21)

Wednesday:
- LEAVING FOR VA BEACH! I know it's short but sweet, we come back on Sunday. It's going to be nice to relax near the ocean and get some miles in!

That's all for now, I'm so glad you're all informed ;-) Update on the running later....

Monday, April 6, 2009

1/2 Marathon Week 7

Is it week 7? I think so! Since being sick, running has been interesting, so instead of sticking to my chart and running 12 miles Sunday I ran 10 miles (This is progress for me, since I'm so competitive with myself!!!). PLUS it was a BEAUTIFUL day outside, meaning I WANTED to be outside getting tan lines! Wahoo! But I made a big mistake by wearing my new shoes, thinking 10 miles would break them in, instead of realizing that shorter runs might be better to break in BRAND NEW SHOES! HA! So, needless to say, I had to stop three times and massage my NUMB toes! (The shoes just need to mold to my feet, same thing happened when I had this same pair before)

Dog of the Day - Spotted: 72nd Central Park East a HUGE Great Dane! I should bring my camera phone to take pictures of the dog of the day. Every Sunday there will be a dog of the day, just so you know. (When I go on long runs I go into Manhattan in Central Park, and those people have the coolest dogs! In Queens, it's a lot of small dogs like Yorkshire Terriers or Chiuaua's etc.)

Question: When will I ever feel like a real runner? I still don't. I look at other runners and I'm like, "Man, I wish I could run that fast," or "I wish I was toned like that," Sigh. Anyone feel me out there?

It's Monday. We have Faculty Conference, meaning I'll be here till 3:45 instead of 3:07 today. BLECH. Can't wait to eat my wine sauce I made last night!!!

Friday, April 3, 2009

I'm BACK

It's official, I'm back in the running game! Yesterday I did 7 miles! It was so great, the weather was wonderful and I went to a lot of different places, including the neighborhood I used to live in, so it was a nice little route. I'm a little sore today but I'm LOVING IT!

And now it's a rainy day, I think I'll get a cup of tea and sip it while I read a book this afternoon. We're supposed to go to the Met's game tonight but it may be rained out, they're in their new stadium you know. (I hate the Met's by the way, BIG Yankees fan here!)

Oh yes, and I LOVE Wii FIT!

Any big plans for the weekend???

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Back from the dead

Alright, after two weeks of sickness I finally went to the Doctor: bronchial and sinus infection. SO I haven't ran in a week and a half. Today I'm back in the game. It's 60 degrees and sunny. I'll let you all know how it goes...I can feel you all anxious with anticipation!