Two months out!

It’s the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end to summer.  I love autumn with the cooler temperatures, beautiful foliage and obviously the fun fashion, but I still have a hard time saying goodbye to summer.  As of today, fall is truly almost here and we are exactly two months away from the NYC Marathon!

The past few months have been incredibly busy with something on the calendar every weekend but it was all fun events and I somehow managed to stay on track with my training.  Back in June I posted a training check in that set some goals for July and August including increasing mileage to 16 and 18, incorporating more hills and getting rid of the cold I thought I had.  Well, the cold turned out to be allergies so that was easily taken care of.  I have been somewhat successful with the hills by trading the comfort of the Charles River for a few Saturdays on the Boston Marathon course.  It’s not only strategic to prepare for the NYC course but it’s also a nice change of pace.  The 15 miler I did with Jared on Nantucket earlier this month also had some inclines so I’m feeling confident there.  In regards to distance, I am right where I should be.  Last weekend I managed to run my first 18 miler of the season.  I took it slow and stayed on the Charles River so it was relatively flat but it’s a nice feeling to get that major milestone of an 18 out of the way without any drama. 

This past weekend I was looking forward to bring the mileage back down to a manageable 12.  A group from Somerville Road Runners was planning a 10.5 mile run starting in Davis Square so I did a 2 mile warm up on my own and then met them for the rest of the course.  It was a good size group and very refreshing to replace the sound of my ipod with voices chatting.  Several of them just returned from Iceland where they ran the Reykjavik Marathon.  They were still so excited and had great stories to tell which made the run go by quickly.  By the time I hit 12 my legs were ready to stop.  I was hoping this run would be a little more comfortable since it was shorter than what I’ve been running but clearly my body was telling me something.  I think it might be time for a sports massage and possibly some ART therapy. 

The mileage will go back up this coming weekend to stay on track and then a few days later I leave for Reach the Beach Relay – NH with Chasing Tail.  I love this relay and incorporating it into fall marathon training.  It’s a great confidence booster which I definitely need after the Falmouth Road Race disaster last month.  Its so important to feel good about your training and confident that you are capable of reaching your goals.  There are only 61 days until the big race and a lot to accomplish in that time.  I feel like I might be in danger of over thinking it and stressing out about the mileage, aches and pains, goals and of course running 26.2 miles.  Instead, I try to stay relaxed, stick to my schedule and stay healthy – I should be in great shape for November 4.  Here is a great song from the musical Pippen about keeping cool confident that you’re On The Right Track.  I love this version with Ben Vereen and William Katt (aka The Greatest American Hero).  

Thanks to some very generous donations I received over the weekend I have raised over $2000 for the American Liver Foundation.  I am quickly closing in on my $2500 commitment and getting closer to my $3500 goal.  Thank you everyone who has contributed and for those of you who would like to make a donation, please visit my ALF Fundraising Page. 

I’m sad that I don’t have any photos that are relevant to this week’s post but instead I will share this great photo of Brittany playing with a tree branch.  I call it ‘Go Big Or Go Home’!

Britt says - sticks are for babies, I want the whole branch!