Back to Running

I'm finally back to running again, and planning my next marathon. This is addictive! But, you know, in a good way. Not like heroin.

I took 10 solid days off from running after the marathon, and then decided to give it a try again. Our coaches told us that it wouldn't feel good right away, and they were right! I felt stiff and tired. The fact that I had just rolled out of bed might have contributed to that. Also, I only ran about 2 miles, and that isn't long enough to get really warmed up. I usually start feeling good after 3 miles.

In order to get a guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon, you have to :
1. Be a member of NY Road Runners
2. Run in 9 NY Road Runners marathon qualifier races
3. Volunteer at one race

So, I'm a member of NYRR, and I've did 3 races while training for my NJ Marathon. 6 more races + 1 volunteer, and I'm all set.

Elizabeth and I decided to get to volunteering out of the way while we weren't ready to be racing yet. We picked the Healthy Kidney 10K as our volunteering race for 2 reasons. It was on May 17th (beautiful weather), and it was only a 10K - so it wouldn't take up all day. If you volunteer for a really long distance race, you'll be out there forever.

We got to Central Park at 7:00am on a Saturday, and that is a bit earlier than I would have liked! They gave me a megaphone (fun!) and an orange vest to wear. We were in charge of keeping the start line clear before the race, and directing the runners to registration, bag check, start line, etc.

This race was unique, because pro athletes run it it also. These are guys who make a living doing this. They don't wear a number on their shirt. Their race bib has their name on it. You can spot them a mile away. They are lean and solid muscle. The guy on the far right won the NYC Marathon in 2006. He's from Brazil, and he is the first South American to win it.


I actually had a really good time volunteering. It was fun to cheer on the runners doing the race. I really wanted to be doing it myself.

3 days later on May 20th, we did the American Heart Association Wall Street Run & Heart Walk. It was a 3 mile race through the streets of downtown. I admit it, we're looking for a bunch of short races to fulfill the requirement. I am totally doing the 5th Avenue Mile in September!

The race was great, and my time was my best ever. I'm kind of questioning if it was actually a full 3 miles. Maybe the mile markers weren't in the right places? My time was 24:59, which is a pace of 8:19. I did push myself, so maybe it's accurate.

This a race that 17,000 people signed up for, but I don't think that many participated. It's a corporate event also, and a lot of non-runners sign up. Since it was raining earlier that day, that was a good excuse to bail.

Next up:

May 31st - Pawling Triathlon on Saturday - signed up for this before I knew I was going to do a marathon. I'm didn't train too hard, so I just want to finish it.

June 4th - NYRR 50th Anniversary Run - This free race is part of Running Week, NYRR's celebration of its 50th anniversary. Come on out for an early morning run and join the party! This race starts at 5:30 a.m.

This is kind of insane, but I love a bargain! This one is free!

June 7th - NYRR NY Mini 10K - 37 Years of Celebrating Women
The original women-only road race, the "Mini" continues the tradition of celebrating all that is good about women's running. A professional field of the world's fleetest female distance start will lead thousands of women on a 10K course through Central Park. The race started in 1972 with just 78 participants and has been on the NYRR annual calendar ever since!

June 28th - Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run

There better be some drag queens running in that one! If not, I'm going to be disappointed.

So by June 28th, I'll have done 7 races. I just have to pick 2 more to do, and I'm home free!

The Marathon - A post that is practically 26.2 miles long

Saturday morning, I got up really early and went out for a 20 minute run. We were supposed to just do a quick run to keep loose. I just did a quick dash up 2nd Ave for 10 minutes and then turned around and ran back. Most of my things were packed already, but I had a little bit of last minute packing to do before meeting up with the team.

We all met at the Team in Training offices and got on a bus to New Jersey. The Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island chapters all went down together, so it was a pretty big group. I think we were about 130 people.

The bus ride was about 2 hours, and I was really happy when we got there. I'm not the biggest fan of riding on a bus. It always seems like the drivers have lead feet. Our driver had to slam on the brakes a few times, and I think we had a seriously near miss accident. I decided to not look out the window too much, because I didn't really want to know.

We got to the hotel, and everyone was checking into our rooms. I told the guy at the front desk my name, and he told me that my room had been canceled! Katherine from the Team in Training office told me that I did have a room, but it just wasn't ready yet. Ok...

Elizabeth and I headed over to the race expo where we had to pick up the chip timer for our shoes, our race bib (number), and race shirt. It was crazy windy! We were all pretty concerned about the weather. It was supposed to be thunderstorms in the morning, which would be pretty miserable. And it was COLD. A lot colder that I expected. Luckily I brought clothes for anything from 35 - 85 degrees.


Here is the finish line flapping in the wind.

The water was really rough and uninviting.



This is the race expo tent. They had all kinds of things for sale there. Shoes, energy gels, race shorts, socks, witty running shirts, etc.


Since the pasta party wasn't for a few hours, we went to the first restaurant we saw and grabbed a bite to eat. That's Eddie in the red Pac Man shirt, Virginia, Elizabeth, and me.


When we got back to the hotel, I tried to check in again. Still no room! A few of the coaches were hanging around trying to sort out what to do about the few of us who didn't have rooms. I told them that I wasn't picky, I could probably sleep anywhere. The assured me it would all be worked out by tonight. Ok...

The pasta party was fun. The NYC chapters of Team in Training all wore I love NY shirts, as we were instructed to by the head coach Ramon. There were NJ chapters and Pennsylvania chapters there also, so we stood out. The food was, eh. Honestly it felt like we were at a wedding. I'm sure this venue hosts weddings, and this was like a mega-dressed down wedding with no bride, groom, or booze.


One of the women who was walking the marathon stood up and gave a heartbreaking speech about her boyfriend who recently died from Lymphoma. She mentioned how the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (who we were all raising money for), had been incredibly helpful during his illness. She said that his immune system was too weak for him to take public transportation, so they had to drive into Sloan-Kettering Hospital twice a week. The Society helped them with tons of little things, like parking fees. Her boyfriend fought the good fight, but eventually lost the battle about a year ago. She said that the patient services were really wonderful, and she appreciated all of our fundraising. I really can't do her speech justice. You had to be there.

Our crazy coach Ramon got up and spoke also. That man has so much energy! He is training for a 100 mile race, so he's nuts. He's run over 40 marathons, and just did a 50 mile trail race in Mississippi. His speech was hilarious, but I can't possibly recreate it in writing. You have to hear the super-thick Spanish accent in the flesh. He gave us a quick rundown the course, and talked a bit about race strategy. Conserve in the beginning, use the energy you have left in the end.

Walking back to the hotel, the weather still didn't look good. Now, it is raining. I decided not to worry too much about the weather. I can't control it, so why worry?

Finally the hotel has a room for me. I met my roommate Cynthia who was going to be walking the half marathon. We both set out our clothes, pinned the numbers on our shirts, and went to bed. I can't believe it, but I actually slept! I thought I would be too anxious.

In the morning, we all met in the lobby at 6:30am. I found out that 8 coaches slept in 1 room! That is why the hotel magically had a room for me! A bunch of the coaches gave up their rooms so that we could have them. Sounds like somebody messed up with the reservations...

Here we are getting ready in the lobby before the race. I'm wearing my long sleeve "throw away" shirt on the right. Luis, one of the 8 coaches that had to share a room, is in the baseball cap on the left. Sorry Luis...

We got so lucky with the weather! It rained overnight, and had stopped by the morning. The weather was in the 50's and overcast. Perfect running weather.

It was pretty crowded at the start line, and we weren't even waiting on the course. We were stuck on the right side of this picture on the sidelines. Once the race started, we were able to get on the course and cross the start line. Since it wasn't a huge marathon, we crossed only about 4 minutes after the gun went off.

I had 2 race plans written on my arm. I had a 4:15 finish time, and a 4:30 finish time plan. I decided to start using the 4:15 plan, and just see what happened. My friend John (not from Team in Training), and Elizabeth started with me. We all planned to start together, but the deal was that we were all running our own race. Everybody has the choice to stay with the group, or go out on their own at any time.


The first loop (13.1 miles), we all stayed together. I couldn't believe how good I felt. No pain from injuries, no tiredness, nothing. The coaches were all along the course, and it really helps to see them. They'll jump in and run with you for a little bit, give some advice, etc.

Also, these guys were fantastic! They seemed like they were drunk with their sombreros on at 8:00am. They were so enthusiastic and yelling "run strong" in Spanish. They were my favorite spectators. There was also a bunch of guys who set up a "bloody mary fluid station." I decided to pass and stick with the traditional water and gatorade.


I saw my friend Gina, who ran the Nashville marathon a week earlier, on the course. She jumped in a ran with me for a little bit. I can't say enough about how great the Team in Training people are. They are so supportive, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Sometime around here, I lost John and Elizabeth. I was sticking to my pace, and they were both going a tad slower. So from mile 14-ish to Mile 24, I was alone. There was a woman who was chatting with me for a while, but she wanted to run at a faster pace than me. I told her that she should go on ahead, because I didn't want to change my pace. She was very nice, and I ended up seeing her at the finish too.

Superman passed me early on in the race, but I caught up to him by the end. He looked like he was hurting. I think he went out too hard.



Up until Mile 24, I was rocking it. I felt great until mile 20. It got harder after 20, but at 24 it was really hard. I think I have some idea as to why (other than the obvious I had run 24 miles already, and who wouldn't be tired?).

I messed up the timing of my Gu eating at the end. I got to the fluid station, and I didn't have the Gu open yet. I grabbed a cup of water, but now I didn't have an extra hand to open the Gu without spilling all the water. So I put all the water in my mouth, threw away the cup, and opened the Gu. I could only get about half of it down, because I didn't have any more water. I really think I felt this for the rest of the race. I should have eaten another Gu when I hit the next water station, even if it wasn't time to eat yet.

At Mile 24, Elizabeth passed me! She tried to get me to keep up with her, but I didn't have the energy. She finished 2 minutes before me! I was very impressed.

I think I'm looking like I'm struggling here. I walked through the water station at Mile 24, and I gave myself a minute long walk break just before Mile 25, so that I could finish running strong.


All the coaches were at the end, and Ramon asked how I was feeling. I told him that I was tired. He said, "Why? Because you just ran 26 miles?" Yeah. I think that was it.

The finish line was quite a rush. My goal time was something between 4:15 and 4:30. I ended up with 4:22, so I'm really happy with that.


Rick was there waiting for me, and it was fun to have him there. He was also on the course and I saw him at mile 13, mile 17, and the finish. He hung out for a while and met a lot of my Team In Training friends.

Me and Elizabeth with our medals. (Somebody in the hotel asked me if I won the marathon, because I had the medal. I should have said yes.)

Me and John with our medals.


They had a tent with food for the finishers. I was happy to eat something that wasn't artificially fruit flavored. A bagel was great. John's sister (and my friend) Christina was there with her mom. She had little goodie bags for us, and that was so sweet. I chowed down on those snacks too.

I was happy to finish at the Team in Training tent...


And not the medical tent!


Then the crazy Brooklyn team got in the ocean. It's the fun version of the ice bath. The water temperature was in the mid 50's. I am a wimp, and I only got in to my mid thigh. Some of those guys went under!




Then we went out for the best lunch ever. Burgers (veggie for me), fries, and milk shakes! Yum! Nothing could have tasted better to us.


Some spontaneous stretching.


Then the Victory Party! The food was crap, and I'm glad we ate before.

Dancing was a blast, even after running a marathon. The more I moved, the better I could move. If I stayed still, I got stiff. So dancing was perfect for that night. Again, it felt like a wedding. Same music they play at all weddings, just no happy couple.

This is Tara and Alon wearing their medals.


Crazy Coach Ramon dancing.

Christina and Eddie dancing.



We were all walking funny the next morning. My legs were really tight for about 2 days, but I felt pretty normal by Wednesday. I have a toenail that may not make it, but other than that I made out great. You should have seen us all stumbling to get off the bus when we got back to NYC. People must have wondered why all these normal looking people couldn't walk right.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I can't speak highly enough of Team in Training. I've already signed up for the NYC Marathon lottery for this year. Only about 1 in 4 get in, so I'm not sure if I will. I'll let you know in June!

Finish Time - 4:22:43

I did it! I ran a marathon! 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 22 minutes, and 43 seconds.

It was an amazing experience, and I'll put up lots of pictures and write about it later this week. The injuries disappeared, I had energy, it was a great race. Ok, the last 2 miles were really hard, but I guess that's not so unusual.

For now, here's a picture of a few members of the Brooklyn team with our medals.

Less Than 24 Hours Away

I'm packing and getting ready to go to New Jersey in a few hours. The marathon is tomorrow morning at 7:30am. I'm excited and nervous. I know that I can finish it, but the distance of 26.2 miles is still daunting!

This is the website for the marathon:
http://www.njmarathon.org/

Here's the map of the course. It's 2 loops, so we'll see everything twice.


I'm guessing I will be at these miles around these times. These are just guesses. I really have no idea since this is my first marathon.

Start - 7:30am - 7:40am
Mile 5 - 8:22am - 8:28am
Mile 10 - 9:12am - 9:20am
Mile 15 - 10:00am - 10:12am
Mile 20 - 10:47am - 11:03am
Mile 25 - 11:37am - 11:53am
Mile 26.2! - 11:48am - 12:07am

The weather forecast is looking pretty rotten for tomorrow. The temperature is perfect for running, but the thunderstorms aren't! I'm crossing my fingers that the rain will hold off until the afternoon.




When you wake up tomorrow morning, cheer me on from wherever you are!

A Couple of Short Runs

Saturday's run was only 6 miles. It went by so fast! Today I did 3 miles (in the rain).

This week is supposed to be all about short, easy runs and lots of rest. The marathon is a week away! As our coaches have told us, no single workout is going to make us any more prepared for the race. Less is more. It's the last 5 months of running in the cold, wind, rain, snow and sun that made us prepared.

I saw my friend John this afternoon, and he is going to run New Jersey also. We're planning on starting the race together. Something tells me that he will be finishing before I do... He's acting like I will finish first (fat chance), but I know he's just being modest.

Tomorrow we have a mandatory team meeting to go over the logistics of the weekend.

7 more days...

The Last Workout

Tonight was our last official workout. It was another week of pacing. We ran a 1.5 mile course 3 times in a row (no stopping).

1st loop I did in 13:57
2nd loop was 12:43
3rd loop 12:05

We were supposed to run each loop 30 seconds faster than the last one. Over a mile and a half, you don't have to pick up the pace that much to make up 30 seconds. As you can see by my times, I did not really follow those rules.

I stopped for a quick potty break between loop 1 & 2. I was running with my friend Elizabeth, and I tried to make up the time and catch up to her during the 2nd & 3rd loops. I was about 20 seconds behind her at the finish, so I didn't quite catch up. So close!

This run left me very hungry afterwards. It's a good thing we meet at a coffee shop that has little snacks. That scone I ate on the subway is what kept me alive.

Next Tuesday is our final training session before the marathon. We will just be doing an easy 40 minute run.

Saturday is our final long run, and it is only 6 miles. I'll be done so early that I won't know what to do with myself the rest of the day!

Tapering! And Gummi Bears!

The marathon is 2 weeks away, and we have moved into our tapering phase.

In the final 2 weeks, we will be cutting back on our mileage so that we will be fully recovered from the long runs and well rested. At this point less is more.

Saturday's long run was only 10 miles. Hooray! It was actually pretty easy. We stayed in Prospect Park and did 2 of the 5 mile loops. You have to repeat a section to make the 5 mile loop, so we saw the same things over and over again.

For me, it was a great running day. The weather was beautiful and sunny, and the temperature was in the low 60's. I felt great, and I didn't have any pain at all, which is fantastic! I could feel that I was on my feet for 10 miles, but it wasn't pain. If I can make it 10 miles into the marathon pain free, that will be great. If I can make it 26.2 miles without pain, that will be a miracle. Wait a second! The Pope was in town on Saturday. Maybe it was a miracle!

A friend of mine in my triathlon training class who has done about 15 marathons gave me a fun tip that I think I am going to try. He said he carries 26 gummi bears with him during the race. After each mile he eats one. As he sees the gummi bears dwindling, he knows he is getting closer and closer to the finish line.

An army of 26 gummi bears:



Of course, you don't want to try anything new on race day, so I brought 10 gummi bears with me on the run and ate one around every mile or so. It was actually kind of fun. And 26 gummi bears is around 120 calories, so I should be able to eat one less Gu during the race. I don't mind the Gu that much, but gummi bears taste better. Of course the Gu is better fuel, so guess I shouldn't replace all of the Gu with gummi bears.

Another 20 Miles

Ok, I have to be honest. The 20 miles I did yesterday was hard. Really hard.

We got on the 7:55am train from Grand Central to Hartsdale, NY. This was the first time this season that the Manhattan and Brooklyn teams did a run together. Their group is so much bigger than ours!

The train took about 40 minutes, and then we walked over to this area to discuss the run. It was a really pretty setting. We're all getting tired of our usual run routes, so it was nice to have a change.


The weather was a LOT warmer than it has been for any of our other runs. It was in the low 60's and mixed sun and clouds, and pretty humid. I decided to wear shorts as a "dress rehearsal" for the big race. I've always had to wear pants for all the past runs, but I think it will be too warm for that in a few weeks.

The coaches all recommend doing NOTHING NEW on race day. Don't wear new clothes, don't eat different food, don't try anything you haven't tried before. Hence the shorts wearing.

We did a 10 mile out-and-back loop twice. The route was really pretty, but it was hard. There were a lot of steep inclines and declines. The downhills are rough on my legs, and I was really dreading them on the 2nd out-and-back. I thought it was going to be a trail run, but it was actually a paved path. I think a trail run would have felt better on my joints.

Some days are great running days, and some days aren't. I think this just wasn't one of my good days. It felt like everything hurt. Nothing was a severe pain that would stop me from running. It was just a general everything pain. It was kind of comforting to hear afterwards that everyone found this run really tough. I'm not glad they were struggling, but I'm happy that I wasn't the only one!

I had to stop and stretch a few times, and I even took a 2 minute walk break around mile 17. We haven't really been taking walk breaks during our runs, but those few minutes gave me the gas to keep going.

It was really great running with Elizabeth. She really pulled me along this time. If I was running alone, I would have made that walk break a lot longer!

I have never been so happy to finish. I really, really wanted some more water. I finished all of mine in my fuel belt. Last week I felt like I could keep going after 20 miles. Yesterday I didn't.

The great part is: now we will taper. Each weekend we will do a shorter run to recover before the big day. I think next weekend is only 10-12 miles. Hooray! That sounds short now.

Here I am post 20 mile run. I think I win the super-white legs contest! I remembered to put on sunblock this time, so my face isn't as red as it was after last weeks run.

We were all cheering for everyone as they finished their 20 miles. For a lot of people this was the longest run they have ever done.


Here's Eddie (from our Brooklyn team) and my friend Elizabeth, post 20 mile run. Even Eddie looked like he was struggling a little during this run. When Eddie is struggling, you know it is hard!

20 Miles - We're at the Top!

I ran 20 miles yesterday.

20 Miles! I'm pretty proud of myself.

Next Saturday, April 12th, our team is going to Hartsdale, NY to run on trails. The coaches want our last (and longest) training run to be on a softer surface. It's a little nicer on the joints.

However, they also suggested that if we were feeling good on this Saturday, to not be shy and go ahead and run the 20 miles. You never know how you will be feeling next weekend, or how the weather will be like, so go ahead and go for it if you can.

A chunk of our team ran the Paris Marathon this weekend, so we had a smaller team and only one coach (Luis). Our coach Lisa had to go to Paris with the team. (Poor Lisa! She had to go to Paris, drink wine, eat cheese...). They have finished the race by now, so CONGRATULATIONS PAIRS RUNNERS!!! I hope you had a great race.

Elizabeth was really determined to go ahead and run the 20. She said she would feel better if we could get two 20 mile runs in before the marathon. So we set off on a 20 mile out-and-back run. Luis ran with Elizabeth and I for the first 4 miles or so. He's super friendly and energetic, so he was great to run with. It helps to keep your pace up!

Once we got to the Brooklyn Bridge, we ran into some other TNT people and we all joined them for a mile or so. Once we hit the west side path, Elizabeth and I split off from the group because we like to run along the water. Anytime there is an outermost path, I choose that one.

We ran all the way up to 72nd Street on the west side green way in Manhattan. Once we got there, we turned back.

About 2 hours into the run, Elizabeth started to get the IT Band pain that I've had in the past. Once it starts, it usually gets more intense unless you stop running. She knows that Advil has been my wonder drug for this pain, and she mentioned that she might be joining me in the pre-run Advil club.

I asked her if she wanted to stop and she said NO! She really, really wanted to complete this run. When we got to the end of the west side highway, we ducked into a pharmacy and bought some Advil for her to take. She downed 4 of them, and we kept running...

I seriously don't know how she did it. That pain can stop you in your tracks when it is intense. There was a fair about of grunting in pain, but she made it through! I think it was a comfort to her that I had experienced it before. At least I could tell her about it, and what can help make it better.

We both felt pretty good at the end of the run. The marathon seems possible now. I could have run another 6 miles. I was really happy I didn't have to, but I COULD have!

This weekend's experiment:
I've been getting blisters on my feet since I got my new shoes. As soon as I finally got the shoes broken in, I switched the insoles and I started getting blisters again. They aren't terrible blisters, but a little annoying. They usually are gone by the day after the long run. I've been using band aids to try to prevent them, but it never works 100%. So, I bought this stuff at the drug store to see what it would do.


It looks like a teeny, tiny deodorant stick. You put a layer of it on, and it is supposed to keep down the friction on your feet when you run. On one foot, it seemed to do pretty good. It just had a small blister after the run. On my right foot - wow. It really did not work at all! I had 2 huge blisters on it when I got home from the run. A needle and some neosporin later... and they're gone. No pictures of those. You'll have to use your imagination.

At the end of these long runs, I end up pretty salty. I think I need to eat more salt in the days before these runs. I usually bring 2 bottles of gatorade, and 2 water on my fuel belt. Next week I'll do 3 gatorade and 1 water. I actually drank it all this week. The coaches said they will be giving us salt packets to eat during the race. That doesn't sound too appealing. I like salt, but on food. Not so much by itself.

I wiped most of the salt off before this picture was taken, but you can see some of the salt on the side of my nose.

The weather was beautiful on Saturday. It was sunny and in the 50's. That is pretty much perfect running weather. I actually got a sunburn! I was wearing SPF 15, but I put it on at 7am. I guess it wears off by the time we finish our really long run.

This picture doesn't really do it justice. I'm pinker that that.


We're 4 weeks away from the marathon!

17 Miles

Hey, what did you do this morning?

I ran 17 miles! I still can't believe it.


I left home at 8:00am this morning, and I have to admit it was hard to get out of bed. I went to visit my friend in New Jersey and her new baby last night, and I didn't get home until after 11pm. We had a bellini or two (sparkling wine and peach puree - total girl drink). I had to make sure to not drink too much and drink it early. There was a bottle of wine opened too, but I declined to have any of that.

I had my favorite running breakfast (banana, spoonful of peanut butter, and dry cheerios) before leaving the apartment. Luckily the subway was running pretty normal this morning, and I got to the park right at 8:30.

Last week was a recovery week (10 mile long run), and now we are back up to building mileage for the next 3 weeks. We'll peak on April 12th with a 20 mile run on trails in New Jersey.

Today the beginners, intermediates, and advanced runners were all doing 16-18 miles. The run was the same 14 mile "3 Bridge Run" that we did a month ago (see the March 2nd post for a description of it), but we had to add a loop of the park onto it a the beginning to make it 17 miles. A loop of the park is 3.3 miles, so we actually did 17.3 miles.

I was a little anxious about the run, because the last long run had gone so poorly. I tried to just not think about it and go. I took some advil with breakfast, and I took 2 more a few hours later after the loop of the park.

Some of this run was super windy. When we were running across the Manhattan Bridge, the wind was so strong that we felt like we were in Scooby Doo. Our legs were moving, but we didn't seem to getting anywhere.

I felt a little twinge of discomfort at certain points of the run, but overall it was OK. I saw our coach when we were running down the Williamsburg bridge, and she said I looked like I was favoring one leg. I'm sure I was, because running downhill is the least comfortable for me.

My friend Sarah was injured earlier in the season and had to miss a month of training because of tendonitis in her foot. She has just gotten back into the long runs for the last 2 weeks, and today she had another issue pop up. Now her other foot is hurting in the same way. She had to stop around 11 miles in. I felt bad for her, because I know how frustrating that can be. She has to be doubly frustrated, because this the the 2nd injury for her. This marathon training can be hard on the body.

For my injury, I wore this strap on my knee. I'm not sure if it really does anything or not. My physical therapist said it has to be really tight to work. I made sure to tighten it about 5 miles in to the run, because I don't think I had it on tight enough.


Whenever the pain popped up, I tried to think about keeping my right foot straight. I've found that it tends to roll in a little bit. Towards the end of the run, I actually felt great. Maybe it was the thinking about the straight foot, maybe it was endorphins, I don't know. I actually had a lot of energy running the last few blocks, and it is all uphill.

We did a lot of stretching post-run, and that helped me to get back to feeling human.

Somebody had bought bagels for the team, and I could not have been happier. After running for 3 hours, I was dreaming about them for the last mile. I scarfed down half a sesame bagel with butter - yum!

I didn't do the ice bath when I got home, but I did ice my legs tonight. I still might do an ice bath tonight. They do seem to have magical powers.