still hobby jogging in Humbleville...

Hey Guys!

I swear that I will never bitch about weather, conditions, inaccurate timing companies, Garmin malfunctions, fucking wild life or rude cyclists again. Promise!

I've had my fair share of stress fractures and little things here and there that require a comeback. However, none are anywhere near as difficult as trying to comeback after a jacked up spine. It is mind numbing in every imaginable way. So let me name some:

1. Initially, not understanding why I was hobbling.
2. Time off not making any difference. Runner nightmare.
3. Massive cross training doing nothing but killing my hair.
4. The inability to say "I'm going for a run" because after 2 steps I'm back in the car.
5. Not being able to run 1 mile with my running partner who I used to drop in a heartbeat (ok, slight exaggeration)
6. Running a pace that feels horrible in the hopes it gets better but never does.
7. Driving around with a bike rack on my car.
8. Running 8 miles on a Sunday.

That was last month and some of this. Now I have a bazillion spine, pelvic and core strengthening exercises to do daily. They are working though. I don't hobble. I'm slowing getting my comfy pace back down under 7:30. But seriously, it's like I'm out of shape.

I've gone from the boot to running 7 flat in a few weeks. It's not happening as easily this time. I see why though...this injury needs a little more attention. Here is one of my hypotheses as to why my back became crooked seemingly overnight.

Swimming obsessively and breathing on one side. That's gotta be it. I would rotate my torso hundreds of times a swim to get air on one side. Now suddenly I'm lopsided?? Well, I cut that out and learned to bilateral breathe. That is in addition to the Chiro and the rest of my dream team I'm making advances.

Now, I'll get one killer day and then 2 meh days. It's an improvement! I'm being patient as best I can.

Because I like statistics here is my mileage of late:

August weekly totals: 45, 70, 60, 12
September totals: 16, 24, 47 and 56 this week.
I'm still just about at 3000 for the year.

My pace started out around 8 and now is closer to 7:30. Both of which are not my usual and feel weird.

Of course there is bike, swim and endless hours in the gym in there but who cares.

So, I don't like talking about it but clearly Chicago is out of the cards. I have comped entry for Philly late November but even if that were possible it would force me to train back to back marathons with BOSTON 2014! So my common sense says chill now and then ramp it up for a killer Boston and a few half's in-between.

My short term goal is to pace my daughter in the Monster Dash next month. It's 1 mile. It's not Chicago but hey, all in due time. And please don't ask for my Chicago bib. A few people have and I don't feel it's appropriate to give away that seed. And it would bar me from future Chicago's if I was busted.

As Diana Nyad would say Onward!!! I will continue to lace up every morning and get out there. One of these days it will get better. And when it does all hell is going to break loose!!

 Thanks for listening to my rant. See you out there!

Laura

Nothing like spine x-rays to make you feel like a bent up piece of shit!

Hello My Dears!!

I wanted to update my blog once I had some GOOD news instead of whining and crying on your screen.  Well, it took a freakin' while to get back on the road and make some good news!

Basically, I swam and cycled my ass off and took off another 5 days of running. I couldn't figure out why I hurt EVERYWHERE. People kept saying suck it up, get out there. I needed answers. What was wrong??!

So I went to my trusted Chiropractor that I usually see just for Graston Technique. I asked her to check my back. She sent me to Raleigh Radiology for lumber and thoracic x-rays. I went there on a walk-in basis and didn't leave until I had my reports and films. I went back to the Chiro.

WOAH....

lower back and top of hips

Thoracic...creepy

Just a cool x-ray. Not bad

So, my problem clearly was that my hips were uneven causing my gait to clop around. Basically, the good 'ol one leg shorter diagnosis. I googled my fingers off and found some controversy on the topic. Some think it's a crap dx. Or that we all are uneven and it's not a big deal. Well, I can tell you this explained WHY I was clopping. I was UNEVEN! But don't cry for me (Argentina!)

So, I had my first ever adjustment with the wussy gun because I can't handle the thought of manual manipulation. I walked out fine. I rested the next day and ran the following. I ran EVENLY! No clopping! I ran the next, the next, the next and the next day. No clopping. I had a second adjustment. I'm about a week into daily running 7-10 milers. About 7:30 pace.

I keep waiting to fall apart. It's kind of stressful but it will pass. When I'm not running, I'm stretching every which way I can.

I'm still swimming almost daily after my run. I force taught myself bilateral breathing, instead of one side only. I don't know if that will help but half my back is really tight muscularly. So I'm trying to keep things symmetrical.

So it's not the end of the world. I feel 200% better but I'll be running through Humbleville for a little while longer. I still can't believe that's my back. I don't feel like that person. But I have BIG plans for that cranky back!!! It's getting closer to roll time!

See you guys out there!!

Laura

Welcome to my Worst Nightmare!

Seriously, what is a marathoners worst dream? Answer, INCONSISTENT training!! OMG I want to rip my own toenails out. This is the worst marathon build up I've done in my history of marathon training. Yes, all TWO marathons that I've done. haha.

So, I thought I was out of the woods on the last post. But my improvement is, uhhhh...SHIT. I like to be objective so let's talk data:

*I can run
*I don't have a diagnosable injury
*My lower legs are constantly sore. Similar to post marathon sore.
 
So being the good little grasshopper that I am I have:

*run less mileage 60-70/week
*more doubles to break up the day
*Most easy runs. Only because my legs won't GO. Think tin man.
* I swim almost everyday. Not splish splash pool play, but 1,2,3...GO freestyle. lol

Last week out of no where I was able to do a 5 mile tempo descending to 6:35 on the treadmill and a 16 mile long run at 7:48 pace. The week before 15 miles at nearly 7:52 pace (gasp). And no tempo that week. So, as you can imagine this is runner purgatory to me. I could see if it lasted a week or 2 but it's been a good 3 weeks since my injury resolved (tendinitis).

My chief complaint is sore calves with on and off shin split pain. I've increased slowly, ran slowly, never run in pain, and switched to heavy mizuno's....nothing gives! So clearly, this must be a time thing. I will just wait it out and run what I can until then. The only ball buster is uhhh...the freaking marathon I'm training for! CHICAGO!

So my thoughts on that are:

*I can only do what I can do training wise.
*I believe in miracles!
*I will not give up this soon
*I will be realistic
*I will add humor along the way because hello...I'm not Shalane. It's ok.

I looked for a back up marathon for November/December but I didn't love anything in particular. I really still want Chicago! And that doesn't mean a 3:15 Chicago. Y'all know by now I'm not training for a personal worst. I wouldn't attend a marathon that will set me back a good $800 in travel to "have fun." Crap, not if it were $50. That's not how I roll. Balls to the walls or nothing.

So, in a third person kind of way I'm curious to see how this plays out. There are a few things I have on my side:

*My fitness level is always the same. Once I get back there it doesn't really change. So once my legs have fluidity I have no doubt I will cruise.
*My endurance is probably the best it's ever been. 26.2 doesn't seem far per se.
*I believe in miracles

So the giddy up is hiding right now but I will plug away with my hobby jogger pace until that one fantastic morning I can roll hard again. Hopefully by Wednesday!

Thanks for reading and putting up with my over the top asterisk abuse. You know me, all or nothing!

Party on guys!
Laura

Herrrrre, muscle memory, come over here...there ya go. good boy!

Hey Guys!

What a difference a week makes. I am feeling much better. I really underestimated the effects of not running for 13 days. Cardio wise I felt fine. But as I always say, nothing compares to the run. I can cross train my ass off 3 hours a day. But that first week back is tough. It really makes me appreciate my fitness.

So after a few devastating runs in the heat and humidity that left me on the side of the greenway doing air pukes I decided to "fuck that" and go on the treadmill. I completely lost my ability to push through in the heat and humidity. And because cooler weather is coming I don't really care to get it back. So I'm treadmilling it until this cold front come through.

I've done a few 8 milers and an 11 today. The pace is dropping nicely. Today I ran what normally would be a fail, yet given the "situation" I'm very pleased. 11 miles. The first hour at 7:30 pace and then the last 3 miles at 6:53 pace. I've never gone that fast on a treadmill. So it was a milestone for sure!

I'm still being very cautious but feel strong and really happy with my progress.

Here are some pictures of the pool.

My running partner and my mom. 

all day every day!

The most challenging part of a swim workout! Getting out!

Mum was not pleased with her slouch so we had to redo this one.

There we go, no slouch!

So cross training can be fun! I'll keep plugging away and keep you posted! Happy Running!

Laura

My 13 day injury: GONE!

YES! I made it! I survived my first case of ankle tendonitis. I figured it's worth a post about what I did and didn't do.

I could feel tightness in my lower leg for at least a good week, but when it really got me I could not run. I went from okay one day to limping while I walk the next. Clearly, total devastation mid marathon training.

What it takes to sit on your ass and heal I DON'T have. I can't do it. It's my personality. So, first I went to my ortho to make sure it wasn't a fx or anything serious. He said to chill a few days. So with that I skipped away and for 13 days I...

*took my road bike out 1-3 hours a day
*swam 45 mins to 1 hour a day, sometimes twice a day
*went to the gym a few times
*increased my protein intake and paid extra attn to inflammatory foods and cut them out.

a selfie @ 16mph!

mid solo 50 miler

*saw my PT several times a week
*received Graston Technique to break up my calf scar tissue. LOVE it. It needs it's own post.
*stretched a lot, iced 4-5x a day, NSAIDS, rice.

That sounds PSYCHO. But at the time I was doing what I felt would get me back on the run asap. I limped for a week while walking. Then I could walk normally with minimal pain. I made a rule that I needed 2 days of zero pain and zero limping before I would try to run. I thought I had it a few times but as soon as I'd feel a twinge I'd start the 2 days over.

Finally, I got my 2 days and went out for a 5 miler. It was rough. I didn't have injury pain but my legs were torn up from a 50 mile bike and a lot of strong swimming. I was sore and my legs did not feel fluid.

The next day I ran 8 and then 9 miles today. All of it is slow. 7:40-8:00 pace. Each day I have felt better. I think by Monday I'll be back to my normal self. I'm just being super careful.

Sooooo, this all begs the question: CAN I STILL RUN A 2:55 IN CHICAGO? I've got 9 weeks left. I've done several 18-20 milers. Well, we will find out! I'm not a quitter. I am realistic though. So, we will see how I do the next few weeks. I'm not going to go run 20 this Sunday. I'm going to be smart about this and see where it takes me. I think it's kind of exciting. : )

My back and arms have been SOOO sore so clearly, this calls for a photo check. Holy shit balls! I'm skeered of me. haha That's from freestyle swimming all day errry day.

So, that's about it. Hopefully this post finds some pissed off runner with a sore ankle going WTF is this?? I'll keep you updated as I see where my fitness is.

Thanks for reading!

Laura

No news is bad news!

Hey Guys!!

I am sorry for the lack of updates. I *was* stoked to ramp up my mileage and get this Chicago training going. But then my legs started to feel a little tight. I couldn't stride out like I'm used to. I felt weird. Then my ankle started to ache. And ache and then SCREAM!

Laura meet tendonitis. Tendonitis meet Laura. Bitch!

So for 2 weeks I've been off the run. I ran once last Saturday and felt great only to feel beat down on Sunday. Initially, I thought it was a stress fx and waited a good 3 weeks for an X-ray. That was negative and it was acting more like a tendon issue. Perhaps heading into the soleus.

So you know what I've been up to. 25+ miler daily bike rides and a good hour of freestyle swim. Every day. I want to keep my fitness, but more so because I really enjoy the other 2 sports. I never do them unless I'm injured so I'm taking advantage.

Here it is in pictures:

Me happily running a double a week prior to disaster fest. I was on a beach vacation....

I circled the area that hurt and started texting friends for advice

Surely, ice is the answer...

....uh, help

I could tape and run...for a day

I give up!

This is my first soft tissue running injury. I usually just break the freakin bone and get it done. I feel much, much better and planned on getting a trial run in this weekend. But I'm so afraid of putting on my running gear and taking 2 steps and getting that stabbing pain again. So, I'm erring on the side of caution and I'll probably wait until Monday. Sunday is made for long runs. Not gimpy striders in the driveway. I can't handle that! So Monday it is!

Oddly, I'm not super stressed. I haven't ruled out Chicago. I need to see where this takes me. Right now I'm babysitting my fitness and nerves the best I can. Who knows, I could be fine by Monday or hell I could get hit by a truck. I am going to take the days as they come and enjoy my fitness and hope for the best!

I'm going to update more often to hopefully help another injured runnah...or for comic relief....

Enjoy your long run tomorrow! 

Laura

exactly!

the inevitable LOSER EFFECT!

Hey there Summa Runnahs'

 I'm now into my second week of marathon training for Chicago and I have noticed my tempo paces are SLOWER than I would like yet feel like I'm working. Hmmmmm. As a mile split junkie this is rather disturbing! And because I've never marathon trained in the summer or really ever put effort in the summer it leaves me feeling like a LOSER.

Instead of my peppy 6:10 tempo pace in 35 degrees and no humidity I am rolling out 6:20-6:30's GASP! But it's 100% humidity everyday here in NC. The temps when I run start in the mid 70's and are low 80's when I finish.

So does the same effort produce results? I hate to think I'm wasting my time with lack luster speed. I read that our body does not know pace but that it knows effort. I'm not sure on that.

What do you guys think???

This photo was after my 18 miler today. 2 easy miles, 3 tempo (6:20's) one hour easy, 3 tempo (6:30's) and 2 cool down. Avg pace 7:18.

I'm actually considering the treadmill for faster stuff...ugh. No, I take that back!

I hope your running is going well!

Laura

LaBella digs deep

Deep thoughts from LaBella..

This is how I feel during my daily run. A nubbin.

This is how I feel 1 second after I hit stop on my Garmin. lol

Week 1 of Chicago training: bitch slapped!

Or whimsically pushed aside with a limp wrist. haha

Hey guys!!

This is my first time training for a fall marathon. Initially, a "fall marathon" sounded so cute and brisk and a great idea. Well, shit. I needed to back those thoughts up 16 weeks. There is nothing brisk about summers in NC.

It's no longer me vs pace. It's me vs pace + humidity/heat. Double the work. Oddly, it's very rewarding. It's one thing to run tempo in 42 degrees and it's another to do it in the summer. So, in a way it's another level to defeat. I'm all for that! Or at least it sounds good as I type this on the couch in my 73 degree living room. haha

So my weekly is still at 75 miles. Plus 5 gym workouts and also, I've added a few days of freestyle swim.

Monday: 8 recovery on treadmill due to having to run at like 4:30am

Tuesday: 10 @ 7:24 pace

Wednesday: 12 miles. middle 8 tempo-ish. started at 6:50 pace and descended to 6:38 pace. It was my first tempo since Boston. I was shooting for 7 flat and shocked I could move faster. But then pissed it wasn't 6:10 pace. lol

Thursday: 10 @ 7:30 pace

Friday: 10 @ 7:30 pace

Saturday: 7 @ 7:33 pace

Sunday 18 @ 7:04 pace. Goal was: 2 warm up, 6 miles at 7:06 pace, 1 mile at tempo, 5 more at 7:06 and 1 @ tempo then 2 cool down. Some to the 7's were 6's and some of the tempo's sucked but it was sickening out.

I am obsessed with my sweat. sorry. lol

So, party is on...it's time to ROLL!! Chicago is in 15 weeks.

oh ps. I've started using these and Nuun. I feel a huge difference from water alone.

I hope your training is going well. Stay strong!!

Laura

The humidity expert

Hey all!!

I'm having severe guilt from not updating my blog a lot lately. I know most of my east coast followers know the current drill. It's pretty much survival of the fittest to even move in this weather. Here is NC we have humidity no less than 98% every morning. The temperature is okay in the mornings. Low 70's to low 80's. It's all about the dew point but that's almost as high as the temp...so forget it!

But WTH??! Seriously, my running zaps me. I get all geriatric around 3pm and need a nap. Then I wake up cranky because I'm starving and thirsty. Ugh, this is called DEDICATION TO THE FALL MARATHON!

Hang tight with me! I refuse to cave to mother nature! I've been doing 75 miles a week for a little over a month now. Also, I immediately go to the gym for stretching and strength training 5 days a week. This mileage is pretty much the same everyday. 8-14 miles during the week and Sunday is 15. Paces average out to 7:00-7:20. I'm not going to Chicago train until I have to. Probably in 10 days or so.

So, in dealing with this stifling weather I have some handy tips:

1. Do not wear a hat. I know, you have $200 color and want to protect your locks from the sun. Get sunscreen hairspray. I use redkin. The hat retains your heat. A visor is okay but I prefer spray.

2. Carry a water bottle on every run. Ration it out so you have some left for the end of your run. Duh....but also squirt behind your neck and on your head. It helps so much.

3. Wear really thin socks. We don't always think of socks but it makes a huge difference for me.

4. I pack a post run nutrition bag for every run. It has an ice pack with a protein bar, more water, and glutamine chews. Every run. I am taking extra precautions to keep my body healthy and happy as I abuse the $hit out of it daily.


UPDATES:

I know I start new gimmicky types of things often.

Squats: I did this squat challenge last month. AWESOME results. My thighs and gluts are much stronger. It hurt for the first week but after that it was like building a power house to run with. I did them while brushing my teeth or during some other mundane domestic activity. I'm doing them about every other day now.

Abs: I still crunch myself to death. I've added many leg lifts and roman chairs to my routine to hopefully get that inch below my belly button. I won't let go of my carbs so we may never see this washboard that I'm sure is under there!

Balance ball: Still love abs on it. I do some arm weights too.

Diet: No refined sugar. Tons of protein, no junk food, lots of carbs.

I think that's about it.

Keep running guys!! It's gotta get better, it can't get any worse! I'll check in with more Chicago training details when I get them. If anyone else is doing 2:55 in Chi-town holler! I like to know what you guys are doing too!!

Laura

It dumps the water on its head or the pacer gets mad

Sorry, I sometimes speak in Silence of the Lamb-isms..haha

Morning Peeps!

I don't have too much real training to share. I'm using the time post Boston till about mid June (start of Chicago training) to do whatever I want to do! No schedule. No goals. Screw it, I want to enjoy my fitness and be my own boss.

So that means in practical terms:

70-75 miles a week
5 days at the gym post run for strength training
A 30 day squat challenge

Meh, hey it's not 95 miles so it's not too hard. My pace is faster than I'd like. I'd say the 70 miles are at about 7:10 pace. I will slow my roll when I start real training so that I can add in fast stuff and not die.
For now, that's my shit around pace. haha

IN OTHER NEWS:

I paced the NCRC Invitational Half Marathon last weekend. 1:45 pace group. I loooove pacing the half. Especially on courses I know well. It was pretty miserable as far as conditions. 100% humidity and nearly 1300ft of elevation and low 70's.

Being the bossy pacer that I can be I was having my group dump water on their heads. One guy was like, "but I have a hat on." Arg, "hat off, dump water, hat on" was my reply. This is so effective I force it on people. But in the end I crossed the mats alone with most of my group ahead of me. Awwwe, love that.

THINGS WORTH NOTING:

Squat!! I swear this 30 day program has changed my body. I feel like my legs are stronger and that my gluts are climbing up my back. I'm doing this:

GRACIE'S GEAR:

I was asked to join Gracie's team of ambassadors in getting the word out of her company's relaunch. I loved this product years ago and love it now. Most notable is the pocket on the top of her tanks and sports bra. Great for everything from keys, iPods to nutrition. Hands free running! And both bras and tanks are in the $30 range. You really can't beat it. Save your hands for your water bottle this summer and support a local runner building her business!

a zip pocket 

form fitting yet breathable and stretchy

Click here for Gracie's story

Click here for more styles


That's about it for now. Thanks for checking in. I'll keep my blog updated much more frequently when I start Chicago sub 2:55 training!! Yay!!

Laura

I have a marathon!

Hidy Ho Peeps! (I hope Mr. Hanky isn't the only one who says this. Hey, I don't get out much. lol)

So, I have it! My next marathon!!! Are you ready?!! Sub 2:55 is going down in:

CHICAGO!!!!!!
CHICAGO!!!!!!
CHICAGO!!!!!!

Ya baby!! I was accepted into the American Development Program. This is so sweet! I am so stoked. The hardest thing for me in Boston was the pack running out of corral 5. So the American Development corral is PERFECT! It's seeded behind the elites but in front of the 40,000 others. YES please!

So basically I have a month to play around. I did 65 miles last week. It felt like 2. I went the gym 6 days post run. I'm going to hopefully pack on some muscle to help push me through summer training.

Having extra energy is freaking me out. I kinda like the mental fog marathon training provides. Otherwise shit like this happens:

lol on the strategic placement of the boston shirt.

But not enough energy for this:

these are my shorts

Another good thing about Chicago is that I have tons of friends doing it and several in my corral. So training should be fun. Team sub 2:55! I can't wait. I'll just jog not so patiently until June and then start training.

Hopefully I can buck up and do a 5k or 2 so I can stop "embarrassing" my coach with my 5k pr listed above. haha.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for reading!

Laura

After Boston...

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I wanted to do a post-Boston post to let you know how I felt. I think it is just dawning on me that I did a SUB 3!!! 2:58:34!!

I am/was a little annoyed that the downhills killed my quads. I trained to charge the uphills as those are usually my nemesis, but I didn't think running downhill was a big deal (ha). Oh well, still a good race. I'm not complaining, yet I don't think I'll ever be 100% happy with any performance. Hence the life of a runner.

I haven't run at all yet. I wanted to do a good reset while I figure out what is next. That is still pending. I have a knack for falling in love with sold out races and then begging for a bib. Arg! I think I will do an easy 30 min run today. I've been at the gym everyday this week walking on the treadmill for an hour to 1h45m. I think it has helped a lot.

Oh, also, my Garmin shit the bed. My data won't upload. I have no splits!! It worked during the race but it's toast now. Someone emailed me this split sheet though. It's hard to see but depicts the usual. A slow death at the end:

Because we all love race pics here are some. I had to fold and buy them. I figure it is Boston and my first sub 3! Holla!!!

due to popular complaint I waited to hit stop but they still got a pic of it!

Never a glamorous pose but something happens on those finish mats that makes me do that!

I tell you Boyleston st. is the longest street ever. I have no idea how this picture isn't worse. I was done!

Alright peeps, I'm out. Hopefully I'll have my next race nailed down soon! Keep you posted!!

Laura

My Boston Marathon Race Report

Hi Guys!!

Thank  you all so much for you care and concern. Everyone who put comments on past random blog posts just to ask if I was ok, thank you! That meant a lot. I thought about every single one of you!

I couldn't wait to write this report as I tapered last week. I was so excited. I was healthy and trained for a sub 3 marathon IN BOSTON! However, I had an hour of utter elation post race before the senseless, horrific bombing ripped my heart and soul and forced me to bury my race. I felt guilty even looking at my garmin. But now, as the days pass I see how strong we are as runners, as a nation. It inspires me. I agree with the masses in that I won't let these assholes steal my spirit. My heart will always remain heavy for the victims and proud of the heros. 

So here is goes!

I arrived Saturday night. Sunday I did a shake out run in the morning with my coach and training partner. Then I went to the expo via the T. Green/Orange Orange/Green...let's just call it the screeching headache. That took about 5 hours. I was exhausted. A tad freaked because this was not the day of relaxation that it was supposed to be. My friends and I all split up and I went to the hotel to rest. Rest means facebook, email and text everything Boston. I had many friends running and I think we all were stoked!

I went to dinner on Boyleston with my BFF's and had a huge steak and baked potato. As I got up from the table I knew my race pictures would suffer. lol. I went back to the hotel and slept great.

I woke up around 4am. I felt great, calm, excited. More in a tourist sort of way. Like I was going to view this national treasure. I just had to run 26.2 miles to see it. My race thoughts are not your average. I'm not going to tell you the crowd carried me to the finish line with a smile. I hope I don't offend anyone.

The Bus Ride and Athlete's Village

I arrived at about 6:10am for the bus. I waited in line about 30 mins and left for Hopkinton. Super smooth and easy. Athlete's Village was also smooth. Nothing major. I met a few more friends here and we hung out until 9am. Then walked to the corrals. It was massive, yet home town. The corrals seemed very small. There were maybe 3 or 4 girls I could see around me. We did the mandatory look over assessment and the awkward hello. 

Miles 1-5

The gun went off. Nothing happened. Slooooowly, we started shuffling forward. We walked across the start line and then started to slightly jog. By now I was vomiting in my mouth because my split was just wrecked with this shuffling crap! Calm down...Mile one was 7:06. I was torn between running on the edge in the grass and just going with the flow. I picked it up to 6:30 for mile 2. This was probably because I had a boost of adrenaline from THE FIGHT! Sorry, I need dramatic font for this. 

So I'm running down a freaking hill in a massive pack of runners also going 6:30 pace. It was scary enough but then a man and a 5 year old child decided to cross through the runners to get to the other side of the street. For real?! Yes! So the guy is dragging his kid and knocking runners over. I was on the other side so I saw it coming. I locked my arms out and pushed the man back and yelled WTF! He goes, "fuck you lady!" I yelled fuck you back. The runners talked about it for a while and then shrugged it off. I figure we are in MASS. Clearly, they walk as bad as they drive. BOOM! (Don't hate mail me for that!)

Miles 6-10

Total control. I had a Boston pace band and was following the splits to a 1:27 half. I focused on keeping loose and waiting for the real game to begin. Still, I was running in a tight pack. My splits were almost at the mercy of the pack. Occasionally, I'd cut around people but it was almost too risky. 

Miles 11-16

I felt fine through the half. I was actually very calm and felt under-jacked. I sucked down my second cherry chocolate for some pep. Wellesley was everything it was hyped up to be. Exciting but a little distracting. I just wanted to get to the Newton Hills in one piece!

Miles 17-21

Finally, an uphill!! I was so sick of running downhill. I felt like I was finally starting the race. Now I needed to focus and do my job. The first few hills I charged up and passed most everyone on the hill. But then I'd crest and slow down. This was fun for a while but it wore on me. I still don't know which hill was heart break hill. Nothing really stood out. I remember one significant downhill that hurt. I think Boston College was within these miles. Or some college that was screaming so loudly on the right side of the course. At that point I was like STFU already. I get it, you scream and we're supposed to be happy. It didn't work for me. I was irritated and clung to the left side of the road and the woods. Sorry kiddos.

Side Bar: Water Stops

Or more appropriately, TIME SUCKS. Seriously, wether you get water or not the PACK slows and people jostle. This happens every 6.5 minutes. You trip on cups, get cups thrown at you, rip a volunteers arm off. Every mile. That's why this race felt like 800m repeats with 800 recoveries. Rarely could I pass in the center and keep pace. I ran with a handheld bottle and if I felt it was too dangerous to reach for a cup I'd drink from my bottle. After a while I got water at every stop. I poured water on my head for about 10 miles due to the hot sun. I think I learned a lot and next year I'll be more efficient and less disgruntled. 

Miles 22 to 26.2

Okay, I was sick of running. The "fun" hills in Newton had left their mark. I swore I wouldn't do this calculation but I did. You know this one: How slow can I go to the finish and still get my time? Fail! But my calculations told me I could slow significantly and still be okay. But I wasn't about to look like shit at mile 25. So I put on my happy face to cover my "I f'ing hate running" face and marched on.

I saw the Citgo sign. I was happy again. I tried to run faster but I was probably running 7 pace. I turned the corner to the finish. If you've ever walked on the beach towards a pier and noticed that it never gets closer, that is how the finish line was. I don't think I did any turbo moves or anything. I finished though!! 2:58:34!!!

As soon as I crossed the finish line I saw my sister and bff's in prime seating. We hugged and I continued to get my medal and water. 

We met at the family meeting area for a little visit and pictures and then I had to leave for a night flight home. Apparently as soon as I stepped on the subway the first bomb went off. I had no connectivity on the subway. I got off and walked to my hotel. 

My phone lite up with messages asking if I was ok. I thought people meant my quads. I was like ya, I'm good. Someone said, "turn on the tv and do a FB status to let people know you're ok." It was sickening to see the devastation and to know I was just there. Those people cheered me in.....it was too much.

All of that aside, it was a great race. I will be back next year to use my new mad skills at the water stops and maybe work on quad strength a little more.

I'm already on marathonguide.com. But I'm sure you knew that! Next stop sub 2:55!

It goes without saying that all of this training and certainly the race wouldn't have been possible without my awesome training partner, coach and family and the Chips!!

 You guys rock!!

Thanks for reading! I'll do a post Boston post soon. Woah is all I can say! Here are some pics!

Laura