Your mind, body, and soul may go into shock when your alarm starts blaring a relentless cacophony of not-so-gentle “encouragement” to get your a$$ out of bed at o’dark-thirty, but no matter how hard it feels, you will never regret starting your day with an early morning run.
Seeing the sun rise, feeling your heart pumping and endorphins flowing, and knowing you’ve already logged a completely life-affirming run before most people have made toast, makes it impossible not to feel optimistic about the day ahead.
Believe me, I understand the struggle can be real, and I relate to all of you who share your foot-long list of reasons why it may not be something you want to do, especially during the winter, but once you get into the routine, you will find joy in the quiet beauty and badass-ness of it all, and thank yourself for rising to the challenge.
Also, keep in mind this is why coffee was invented. 🙂
Here’s what else will help you get out the door for a sunrise run…
It’s hard to know where to begin with my 2023 NYC Marathon race report because the level of EPICness was off the charts. I’ll just start by telling you that my facial muscles are still recovering from smiling and laughing so much. This race was an absolute hoot from start to finish, even when my legs were screaming.
Let’s start at the beginning though. I flew in to New York with my husband and daughter Thursday afternoon after starting our days at 3:30 am in Santa Barbara (Jeffrey and me) and San Francisco (Olivia). My awesome decades-long friend/college BFF/running partner, Janet Cook, arrived later that evening from Hood River, OR.
Friday morning Janet and I hopped on a subway to the Jacob Javits Center, where we picked up our race bibs and immersed ourselves in all things marathon. The flurry of positive vibes hit us the moment we walked into the convention center. You could feel the joy, excitement, and nerves, as well as a large dose of mutual admiration, swirling together as each of us knew how much we had put into getting to this weekend, and how lucky we were to finally be here.
In addition to the many photo ops, vendors, and speakers, there was an overwhelming amount of merch for sale, which sucked us in for far too long. We left walloped, but giddy, ready to finally get this party started!
Saturday Janet and I went on a shake-out run through Central Park on a classic, crisp autumn morning. We couldn’t get over our luck with the perfect weather, especially since it had rained every single weekend for over two months straight. A USATF 5k Championship race was taking place while we were there, with multitudes of runners and walkers blazing through the park, which only added to the charged atmosphere. As Janet and I stopped to take one of our many selfies along the way, a runner wearing a chicken costume photo bombed us, which sent us totally over the edge. So classic.
Saturday evening, after cruising around the city with my family far more than anyone would recommend the day before a big race, Janet and I met up to go over our race gear, fuel, and logistics. We got it all dialed in, and in the process, my laugh muscles got a massive workout as Janet tried to figure out how she was going to carry all her fuel during this race, momentarily opting for the “vending machine” look. OMG this chica has a future in stand-up.
RACE DAY: Sunday morning arrived in a blink, with our Lyft driver arriving at 5:15 to take us to our private Team for Kids ferry, which would then take us to Staten Island. When we arrived at the dock, we were greeted by our fabulous teammates as well a beautiful sunrise, reinforcing that indeed, it really was our day. Everything felt perfect. Our ferry even cruised right past the Statue of Liberty on the way.
Once on Staten Island our team was guided to buses, which took us to Fort Wadsworth military installation a few miles away. This is where we would station ourselves until we lined up for the start of the race on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Our bus driver, Vinny, had driven runners to the start of this marathon for the past 20 years, which earned him a rousing round of applause from our bus full of appreciative athletes.
When we arrived at Fort Wadsworth we were led to the private Team for Kids tent area, complete with food, drinks, heat, fantastic volunteers, and porta-potties exclusively for our team—a huge amenity with 51,000+ runners. Inside our designated area we ate, stretched, hung out, took pictures, got our gear just right, peeled off our warm clothes and placed them in donation boxes. Then we warmed up and mentally prepared ourselves to run 26.2 miles.
I wrote DAD on my hand, just like I did 25 years ago when I ran this race in honor of him. Once again, I would honor him, and focus on some of his last words to me: “You are a tough bird.” He would be tickled that I was still loving life and chasing after it all at 57, when his life was cut short by cancer at 51. I also wrote the names of my #1 Support Crew (aka my husband, Jeffrey, and daughter, Olivia), who have always been there for me on every crazy adventure, and who sacrifice a lot so I can train and do special events like this. I knew I would be leaning on their love and support to help carry me through. Thank you, dear peeps.
In no time, it was our turn to queue up for the start of the race. Helicopters hovered overhead and a Jumbotron live streamed the elite runners who were sprinting the entire marathon–an awe-inspiring sight, which got us even more fired up. We were placed in a special Team for Kids corral inside the Pink Wave 2 group. When Janet and I saw that our corral was with the 3:45 finishers we simultaneously howled and got nauseous.
As we all began moving toward the starting line on the bridge, heart-pumping music pulsed through the air. Adrenaline surged. Butterflies got busy. Then came a beautiful rendition of the national anthem sung by a fellow runner, followed by the announcer’s “radio party voice:”
“All right Wave #2 I want them to hear you in Brooklyn this morning! LET’S WAKE UP THE NEIGHBORS!!!” to which we hooted and hollered.
“A sea of humanity from New York City awaits you, runners! Enjoy every step of your marathon journey!
“Wave #2, on your mark”……BOOM…the cannon exploded, signaling the start of our journey through the five boroughs of New York. Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York began wafting through the air, which instantly produced a lump in my throat.
“Oh shit!” the young woman squealed behind us, like she was momentarily terrified and still in denial that this was actually happening.
Janet and I hugged, screamed, laughed, high-five, then began shuffling with the crowd until we could eventually ease into a nice warm-up run pace heading over the bridge toward Brooklyn. “Oh my god, we’re doing this!!!!! We are moving, we are moving,” we joked in our best Eddie Murphy Coming to America voices. (IYKYK).
As it turned out, there was no need for our prior pseudo-freakout about being placed in the 3:45 pace group because there was quickly plenty of room for everyone to spread so there was little chance of being trampled or slowing anyone down. Team for Kids knows what it’s doing.
My only disappointment in this entire race was that our corral ran on the bottom span of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge instead of over the iconic top span, which I was hoping Janet could experience, like I had when I ran my first three races here. With 51,000+ runners though, you win some and you lose some. It was a minuscule detail in the grand scheme of our awesome day, and we were appreciative of how flawless this event was run, and especially blown away by Team for Kids, who took care of us with their extraordinary hospitality, organization, and attention to every detail. The silver lining of running on the lower span was that our legs saved a tiny bit of energy because it has a smaller incline than the top. Either way, the start of the race gets your heart pumping right away. Fortunately, it’s only for about a mile, and then you quickly start descending.
As we were coming down across the bridge and heading into Brooklyn we both knew we were running too fast so we slowed down, reminding ourselves we had a long day ahead of us.
It wasn’t long before Brooklyn’s massive “street party” wrapped its raucous arms around us. It was block after block, mile after mile of nonstop support. All of our senses were bombarded with people clapping, cheering, hooting and hollering, clanking cowbells, tooting horns, and banging pans and buckets. Large party poppers exploded, launching confetti into the air. People held clever, and often hysterically off-color signs, and handed out everything from oranges, pretzels, and drinks to napkins and an assortment of candy options. Bands played rocking music, dancers shook their groove thing, spectators called out our names as if we were their best friends. “Go Becky! Go JC! You’re looking strong!” “Yeah ladies, power on!”
The energy bouncing back and forth between runners and spectators was intoxicating. Every kind of person showed up. Families. Young people. Old people. Stylish people. Sporty people. College kids drinking and celebrating their dizzying Brooklyn race day tradition. Costumed people (a giant pickle being one of my favs). People peacefully making political statements. Languages from near and far and beautiful skin tones to match. The love, energy, and untold smiles we received from Brooklyn launched us right up into Queens. Pure magic.
I was having so much fun mixing it up with the crowd, high-fiving rows of kids, hitting nearly every sign that said, “Tap here to Power Up,” encouraging the crowd to chant Janet’s nickname: “JC, JC, JC”, and telling them it was her first marathon, and witnessing her reaction to the magic of this day, I have to admit I took my eye off the my fuel and hydration. It was also rapidly heating up from 54 degrees to 61 degrees, and I was already sweating buckets. I should have been downing a ton of electrolytes and salt chews in between deeply reveling in the joy of it all. But…Alas.
My quads felt it first. Oh oh. Then my calves got twingy and thought about getting grumpy. Just before we hit the half-way point on the Pulaski Bridge, I pounded my Nuun electrolytes again, another SIS gel, and a salted watermelon chew, then threw a prayer up to the heavens that it wouldn’t get any worse.
Then we reached the Queensboro Bridge, which is long and devoid of spectators. Janet said a mantra out loud, “Run the mile you’re in.” So perfect. “Just keep moving forward,” I repeated to myself as we worked our way up the incline. Then I chirped, “We like hills, we eat them up. We like hills, we never give up.”
We were right on pace to reach a sub-5 hour finish, which is what Janet was quietly hoping for after both of us having to adjust our training many times due to injuries and bumps along the way. I had zero expectations for a finish time. My only goal was to soak up the joy and madness of this crazy marathon again after 25 years, and celebrate Janet’s first marathon, but I 1000% wanted Janet to reach her goal, no matter what.
Coming off the quiet and challenging Queensboro Bridge just past Mile 16, and turning onto the cacophony of 1st Avenue lifted our spirits ten feet off the ground. Throngs of spectators instantly took our minds off our bodies with their chanting, cowbell’ing, and hooting and hollering, and boy was I happy about that because my legs were getting loud and sassy.
One of the most remarkable moments came when Janet somehow, in the midst of thousands of spectators, spotted her friend Chrissie, who had flown to NY to cheer her on. I still don’t know how she saw her, but what a fun moment for all! I was thrilled I happened to have my camera out right then.
My support crew had initially planned to go near the same area, but got stuck in the maze of barriers in Central Park. They could see us on the live stream in the park though, and snapped this fun photo of us as we continued our way up 1st Avenue in Queens, heading toward The Bronx.
When we reached our fourth bridge of the day, the Willis, at Mile 20, I could see in Janet’s gait and body language that she was feeling strong, and could definitely do more, so I insisted she take off so she could reach her goal. She was hesitant, not wanting to abandon me, but I was adamant. “This may be the only marathon you ever do in your entire life. You go and see what you can do. GO CRUSH IT!!!” With that, she picked up her pace, and I happily continued on solo, knowing she would reach her goal. She is the epitome of grit. Remember, this is the woman who broke ribs on both sides of her body while windfoiling just a few short months ago, then got right back at training as soon as she could breathe semi-deeply again.
The last 6 miles were what you might expect, especially when my longest training run was only 18 miles for this race. It simply came down to mind over matter.
What’s an extra 6.2 miles?You’ve done this many times before, I reminded myself. You know how to finish.
I counted steps…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…focused on what felt strong at the moment (that was difficult to ascertain – haha), thought about my dad, and also thought about all my Team for Kids supporters who generously donated to this awesome organization. Our team raised 7 million dollars during this event! Then I thought about all the little kids who would likely grow up to run this remarkable race themselves.
I continued to soak up the energy of the crowd who constantly called out my name and propelled me to the next aid station. I thanked volunteers profusely, just like I had throughout the entire race, because this event would be half of what it is without them. Such heroes.
At mile 23, a volunteer shrieked, “Hey, my name is Becky too!! Do you want a banana?” That received a big high-five and a, “Hell yes!” from me. Cheers to you, Becky! That banana and your joyful energy were just what I needed.
Between mile 24 and 25 it felt like people were dropping like flies. One guy on my right suddenly tripped, and in a shocked, adrenaline-induced moment somehow popped right back up, only to realize he may have broken his ankle. Poor guy. Argh. Not much farther up the road, I came across another warrior, a guy from Texas, whom Janet and I had been running with in Brooklyn, laying on his back with one leg in the air as another runner tried to press his foot back to release the cramp in his calf. Some were staggering. Others were limping and grunting.
“Just keep moving forward,” I told myself.
Then suddenly out of nowhere, I heard my people cheering for me!! OMG, where did they come from? I was expecting to see them in the grandstands at the finish line, but this was even better! What a wonderful moment seeing their smiling faces on Central Park South! Olivia was jumping up and down and screaming, “Go Mom!!!!” and Jeffrey was doing his crazy soccer announcer voice, “Go Beeckyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! You got this Beeeeeeeeee!!!!” I didn’t know they were going to be at that location, so as luck would have it, I was on the other side of the street, which prevented me from stopping and hugging them, but I felt their love deeply. Jeffrey captured a little video as I pushed on down the road. “Only 1 more mile to go. You can do anything for 1 mile.” I reminded myself.
Oh man, that one mile was a loooonnng one, but the park was glorious in its blaze of color, and the spectators made us feel like we were all 1st Place finishers. There was no way they were going to allow us to slow down or stop, no matter how much our bodies were complaining.
And then, just like that, with one final uphill push, the finish line appeared. Halle-freaking-lujah!! Another unforgettable New York City Marathon in the books. What a day!! 5:08:09. I’ll take it, especially since it nearly matched my finish time from 25 years ago. 658 out of 1,322 in our age group. Stats were not the point of this race though, AT ALL. I got everything I came for and more. Especially when I saw that Janet crossed the finish line 19 SECONDS ahead of her 5 hour goal!!!!!! She killed it!!!!! So incredibly happy for her, and proud of her. Welcome to the wonderful world of marathon running, my friend!
What made this moment especially fabulous was when
As we head into the last few days of training before hopping on a plane to NYC, I’m feeling charged, organized, and ready to take on 26.2 once again. I’d be lying though, if I told you that butterflies weren’t getting busy in my tummy.
Even after all these years of running and all these races, they still visit like clockwork, and that’s a good thing because it means I’m still excited (understatement), and a wee bit nervous, fully acknowledging that the challenge ahead is big enough to push me beyond my everyday limits. No matter how many marathons you run, covering 26.2 miles is still a test of mind, body, spirit.
While a marathon is obviously meant to be a race, it means a whole lot more to me than just that. In fact, if I’m honest, I’m not really “race” racing this one in the classic sense, but rather focusing on fully absorbing the experience again, and looking at it as a celebration of my longevity in running and my everlasting love of the sport.
Being able to circle back to New York 25 years after I ran my first marathon there is truly a gift; and to run it with my dear friend Janet as she crushes her first marathon while also being part of a team raising funds so kids across the nation can fall in love with the sport we love so much, it doesn’t get any better.
And those electric butterflies circling? They are ones of deep, deep gratitude for my health and fitness, which I never take for granted, especially on this journey back which has been filled with some bumps along the way. And they are butterflies of tremendous joy that I GET to do this again. How lucky am I (and the 50,000 other runners who are taking on this challenge)? For a 57-year old runner, this feels like a fantastic gift. #pinchme
After this last post, I will catch you all on the flip side of the race and let you know how it went. Your good thoughts for #24080 and her badass sidekick #24198 are appreciated!! Woot! Woot!
In the meantime, here’s a look back at Week 19 & 20 training schedule (Oct 23-Nov 5):
Mon 10/23: Run 4.22 miles with the second half at a “controlled discomfort pace”
Tues 10/24: Spin class 60 min medium/EZ, core & mobility 30 min
Wed 10/25: Run 4.45 miles on undulating hills, walk 1.5 miles w/ my hubby
Thur 10/26: Rest, core & mobility 20 min
Fri 10/27: 5K self-timed TT, core & mobility
Sat 10/28: Run 7.75 run with Becca
Sun 10/29: Rest & recovery day (walk with my hubby)
Mon 10/30: Run 4.17 miles with 2 x 5 min @ 10K pace
Tues 10/31: Cross-train 30 min ez, core & mobility
Wed 11/1: Run 3 miles easy
Thurs 11/2: Travel day
Fri 11/3: Expo
Sat 11/4: Shake-out run
Sun 11/5: RACE DAY!!
Monday: It was a blue bird day to kick off the week, and no better way to find my happy place. The schedule called for a 40 min run, with the second half run at a “controlled discomfort.” I ran it thinking about the last 4 miles of the marathon, visualizing powering through the last 2.2 miles and finishing strong with a smile on my face. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Tuesday: Knocked out another of my favorite spin classes with Kristine, one of the most positive, funny, motivating instructors you’ll find. It’s always a joy to take her class and get my butt kicked. I followed it up with a short and sweet core & mobility sesh at home.
Wednesday: It was a cool autumn morning, perfect for 45 minute scamper with some undulating hills, starting and ending at East Beach. Once again, I focused on visualizing race day, getting up the last hills in Central Park at the end of the race. I tested out a new pair of Zensah calf sleeves too, to make sure they would feel good for race day. Yep.
Thursday: It was a rest day with some core & mobility work, but mostly it was a “stop and smell the roses” kind of day. My sweet sister-in-law, Jess, and brother Scott, sent me a surprise package in the mail with this cute run shirt, along with pampering foot mask socks and CHOCOLATE to celebrate the journey. Totally made my day, and reminded me once again that it’s the little things that are the big things.
Friday: 5K time trial. It was fun to see my progress since the beginning of this training cycle, even though I intentionally didn’t run full throttle (just 3/4 throttle). At this point in the game, it’s more about keeping sharp and healthy and avoiding injury. I found a happy balance that left me feeling confident and energized.
Saturday: What a treat to knock out my last long run with my friend Becca on another spectacular Santa Barbara morning. Becca is one of those unassuming “beast” runners, someone who is super sweet, but unknowingly pushes you to be a better runner. Thank you Becca! My legs were a little heavy, perhaps from Friday’s time trial, but my heart was light, appreciating what a beautiful journey this has all been, and knowing that next weekend I’ll be in running through the streets of NY.
Sunday: It was a rest & recovery day, and a perfect morning to catch up with a dear friend Kimberly for coffee. Thank you friend! And thank you taper days for giving me so much more time and flexibility to be able to do this again without rushing to squeeze it in.
Monday: Yesterday was a classic autumn afternoon in which I celebrated the end of this training cycle with a big high five and a chuckle as I cruised through a neighborhood ablaze with Halloween humor and cheer. Janet and I have officially made it! Phew! Now it’s on to the starting line on Staten Island to enjoy our victory celebration through New York’s unforgettable 26.2 mile street party!
As I sign off, I want to thank you all again for your incredible support, uplifting messages, good humor, and especially your overwhelming generosity in supporting Team for Kids. Together we raised $3,050 to help support free youth running programs across the nation. I will circle back around after the race to let you know how much our team raised in total during this event. I think you may be surprised.
Onward we head to the Big Apple!!!!!
xo Becky
PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon training posts, you can click here to check them out:
After 17 weeks of slowly, steadily building up endurance, strength, and mental toughness, it’s now suddenly time to taper back down on mileage and intensity as we head into the last two weeks before finally reaching race day. It’s not uncommon to struggle with this stage of marathon training. It may bring on panicky feelings, wondering if you’ve trained hard enough, thinking it might be a good idea to squeeze in one more 20-miler, even though it would likely cause more damage than add more fitness. Or you may suddenly feel weird pains you’ve never felt before, or worry that your gear isn’t quite right even though you’ve been training with it just fine all along.
This is the time to block out the tapering crazies and lean into your plan.
Repeat after me: TRUST YOUR TRAINING.
Instead of doing more, focus on sharpening and fine-tuning everything, from your final training workouts to your nutrition, your mental strategies to your organization and logistics preparation. Most of all, focus on resting and pampering your body so it’s as primed as it can be when you finally toe the line on race day.
Here’s a look back at Week #18 training schedule (Oct 16-22):
Mon 10/16: Run 1.5 mile (test run for my grumpy foot)
Tues 10/17: Spin class 42 min medium EZ, core 30 min
Wed 10/18: Run 3.5 miles on the treadmill (testing foot again)
Thur 10/19: Run 7.5 miles
Fri 10/20: Core and mobility 30 min, walk
Sat 10/21: Run 11 miles
Sun 10/22: Rest & recovery day (walk with my hubby)
Monday: My foot/ankle/anterior tibialis tendon was strained and grumpy after last Saturday’s 18-mile run, so after resting on Sunday, I simply went on a micro scamper (1.5 miles) to see how it felt being taped up and wearing compression sleeves. Not too bad! I didn’t want to push it so I called it good for the day. See, I’m heeding my own advice and using restraint!
Tuesday: Back doing my favorite cross-training…zoom, zooming on the spin bike.
Wednesday: Testing out my ankle/foot tendon again by running 3.5 miles on the treadmill. Fortunately, it felt okay! Phew.
Thursday: As we count down the days and hours to race day, I’m trying to do more runs around the time I know I’ll be running through the streets of NY. I started at noon for this run when the temperature was 69 degrees with 68% humidity. Sounds like pretty great conditions, but it quickly felt much hotter than that, offering me ample opportunity to work on cooling techniques and staying laser focused on hydration and salt intake. With my tender anterior tibialis taped up again, I wanted to test out how it would feel to wear full compression tights and compression socks pushed down during the race on a warm day. Although it felt a little “sausauge-like,” the extra support was also nice as I knocked out 4 miles on the soft surface of SBCC’s track, then 3.7 miles on the waterfront bike path.
Friday: This was another day of listening to my body, knowing that sometimes the best workouts at this stage in training involve a “Less is More” approach. I simply did a short core/mobility/foot strengthening routine, then went for a nice walk with my hubby in preparation for Saturday’s last long run.
Saturday: It felt really good to knock out the last double-digit long run of this training cycle with my friend Becca. We started at 8:30, did a 1-mile warm-up run on the track before running 10 more out and back along the waterfront. It was a glorious Santa Barbara morning and we did not take it for granted. The best part is the big mental boost you get when 11 miles now feels easy (compared to when we started training all those weeks ago). Becca is training for a half marathon and conquered her longest run yet, adding an additional mile at the end to round it out with 12 miles. So proud of this gritty warrior!
As we head into the last two weeks of training, as you can imagine, I’m feeling all the feels: excited, grateful, relieved to have gotten through the longest and hardest training days, a bit nervous (even after all these years and races), and most of all thrilled that I get to take on this challenge again, and honored that I get to do it with my dear friend Janet, and also share it all with my family.
Onward we go…sharpening, trusting, and slightly losing our minds with excitement. It’s getting real!!!
xo Becky
PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon training posts, you can click here to check them out:
Oh, hey. Hi! Coming at you from Hood River, Oregon, where I live, run, work, play. Of late, I’m also training for the upcoming New York City Marathon on Nov. 5, which has me exchanging lots of daily text messages with Becky. In one of them, she asked me to make a guest appearance on her blog, so here I am.
I’ve been a lifelong runner, having started on a youth team at age 10 in my running-crazed hometown of Boulder, Colorado. I ran competitively through high school, continued running for sanity through college (where I met Becky!), and then just kept on running for the pure joy of it all the way until, well, now. Which means I’ve been enjoying the perks and enduring the inevitable pains of running for 47 years.
Where it all began in Boulder, CO
Through all that time, I’ve run a lot of races and completed lots of distances — but never a marathon. In Becky’s early years as a marathon runner, she tried to get me to join her, but I always had an excuse. Too busy this, too caught up in that. Well, now that I could have a legitimate excuse (my aging body! My aching knees/hips/ankles!), I decided this is one of the things I really want to do. Better late than never, I guess.
So, in the spirit of imparting my take on this marathon journey, I offer a kernel of wisdom that lies at the heart of this whole thing and actually has nothing to do with running: Get yourself a friend who’s always up for an adventure. Last fall, after stalking all the NYC Marathon social media sites I could find post-race as I do every year, and watching video after video of all the hoopla, I had an epiphany. This is the one marathon I’ve always wanted to run, and I would run it next year. With Becky. She didn’t know that my epiphany involved her, but a quick text took care of that. She is, after all, the one friend I have who I can message saying, essentially, Hey, wanna do this crazy thing with me? and she responds, verbatim, Let’s do this!!! and then we actually do it. So here we are, with only a month to go before toeing the line at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island.
Even though we live in different states, training for NYC “together” has been so much more fun than if I had been doing this alone. Plus, as a first-time marathoner, I’ve gotten invaluable advice and recommendations from Becky on everything from foot-strengthening exercises to fueling on long runs to the pros and cons of various hydration belts. We don’t get to run together very often (we have managed it on a couple of occasions when I happened to be in the Santa Barbara area) but we connect daily, checking in on each other’s runs and comparing notes on cross-training activities, strength-building regimens, fueling strategies, running attire, challenges, triumphs, aches and pains, and life in general. I treasure all of it. A training pal who you can run with in real life is ideal, but this is the next best thing.
One of our rare training runs we enjoyed together while I was in the Santa Barbara area.View on a morning run along the Columbia River Gorge.A blistering hot mid-August run to the Mosier Twin Tunnels.
Probably the biggest takeaway for me on this, my first marathon journey, can be summed up by one of my favorite quotes from the poet Robert Burns: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Since Becky and I signed up with Team for Kids early on, pledging to raise money for a great charity that brings free running programs to kids all over the country in exchange for guaranteed entry to the marathon, we had plenty of time to discuss our goals, come up with a target finish time and formulate our training plans. I landed on a 20-week plan that seemed to balance this being my first marathon with the fact that I’m a fairly seasoned runner starting with a relatively solid base. Last spring, as April turned to May, I was doing my usual “maintenance” running, getting out four or five days a week for a few easy miles. But I couldn’t wait to get started on my real marathon training.
Finally mid-June arrived and I launched my 20-week plan right on schedule. I followed it to a T for the first week, running exactly the prescribed miles on running days and cross-training when indicated, doing core and strength exercises, and dutifully taking a rest day. Basically crushing this marathon training thing! Then, on Day 7, I broke my ribs. (Long story short, I crashed on my wingfoil board.) In case you were wondering, running with broken ribs is impossible. I could barely move for a few days; a trip from the couch to the bathroom felt like climbing Everest. Then it was a couple of weeks of walking gingerly, looking like I was carrying a vessel filled with water on my head (and moving about as fast).
I regrouped, and four weeks after my crash started a 16-week marathon training plan. Needless to say, it has not gone entirely as planned. Setbacks have included a flare-up of plantar fasciitis from jump-starting my running after weeks of doing practically nothing on my feet; some unwanted but necessary days off for travel; a wonky knee following an unruly downhill leg on Oregon’s annual 200-mile Hood to Coast Relay, which I do every August with my team of 12; a few days laid flat by a bug my son brought home from school; and grumpy quads from ramping up my mileage too quickly, forcing me to reduce said mileage until they became more cooperative.
One of my favorite trail runs in the Hood River areaThis views never disappoints
Whenever I hit a bump in the road that makes me veer from my training plan, I freak out a little about whether I’ll be able to get the starting line — or, really, the finish line. Fortunately, Becky is always there with some words of wisdom to calm me down. After I fire off a text lamenting my latest issue along with a bunch of stress emojis, she sends back gems like, “Success simply means getting to the start, having fun, and crossing the finish line, no matter what pace.” And “…throw out all expectations of what you think you ‘should’ be doing and just enjoy the fact that you GET to run the NY-freaking-marathon …” When I was laid up with the virus my kid brought home, she walked me through a visualization of the course, which I’ve now incorporated into my routine. It came with this sage advice: “Our minds are what’s going to make this happen. Our bodies are just along for the glorious ride.”
And, training setbacks aside, a glorious ride it’s been. My weekly long runs have prompted me to expand my horizons beyond the few 3- to 5-mile routes close to my house that I dearly love, but have run so many times I could practically do with a blindfold on. I’ve made friends with some sheep in a pasture I run by on one of my new routes, and chat with a friendly Bernese mountain dog who always greets me on another. Running alongside pear and apple orchards that I normally whiz by in a car allows me to see — and smell! — the fruit up close.
Scenes from some of my exploratory road runs.
My training has spanned two seasons now, and I’ve had a front row seat to the change from summer to fall. Early in my training, the long Pacific Northwest days allowed me to indulge my love for sunset runs. I could set out at 8 p.m. and cruise along under red-orange skies that faded to purple as I finished my miles. Now, with the shorter days, I run earlier and have even developed a newfound affection for morning runs in the cool, crisp fall air. Running every day (or nearly) has a strange way of slowing down time. From one day to the next, I see leaves turn from green to yellow and red, then fall to the ground. I witness practically in real time the subtle change in light and shadows as the sun drifts south.
The Historic Columbia River Highway, a paved trail between Hood River and Mosier, one of my go-to running routes.After a beautiful but hot summer, signs of fall on a country road.
Ever since I started running as a 10-year-old, fall has always reminded me of cross country season. So it feels right that I’m here, in yet another autumn running season, striding toward New York and the longest run I’ve ever done. I feel immense gratitude that I’m still able to do this thing that brings me so much joy. I have to listen to my body more, compromise, forego a few miles here and there in favor of staying healthy and running again tomorrow. The best-laid plans, I’ve come to know, must sometimes be replaced with alternate plans. But that’s ok. Onward I go to that starting line on Staten Island — and, with a little luck and Becky by my side, to the finish line in Central Park.
I wonder what our next crazy adventure together will be?
Running a marathon is simple at its core: lace up your shoes, train for 16 to 20 weeks, then conquer 26.2 miles, hopefully while creating unforgettable memories all along the way. Obviously there’s a whole lot more that goes into it though: the details–and the details are what can make or break your level of enjoyment during the race, and training in general. This week has been about noodling out some of the details of the race, from fuel and hydration to shoes and clothing choices to timing and logistics, while at the same time consistently plugging away at training, one day, one work-out at a time.
Even though this will be my 10th marathon (including two I ran during IM races), I still get nervous/excited like it’s my first marathon all over again. The one thing that wraps me a warm blanket of calm on race day is hammering out all the logistics well in advance. Having an awesome training partner like Janet helps in that department, even though we live 900 miles apart (she’s in OR and I’m in CA). Texts and DMs have been flying back and forth during the week with thoughts and questions, all of which are coming together in my mind and then landing squarely on my hand-written “Race List,” something I always lean on for races and big events. Without my list, my mind spins in overdrive.
As John Wooden once said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” Taking the time to think them through and test them usually pays off tenfold.
Here’s a peek at my Week #14 training schedule (Sept 18-24):
Mon 9/18: Run 5 miles, strength 45 min. (Kim Miller Fitness legs/glutes)
Tues 9/19: Spin class 60 min (23 miles), strength 20 min arms
Wed 9/20: Run 7 miles (track) 1.5 mile warm-up, 5x800s w/ 400 RI, 2 mile cool down, core 15 min.
Thur 9/21: Yoga 30 min, rest day
Fri 9/22: Run 5 miles, core and mobility work 25 min.
Sat 9/23: Run 12 miles, walk 1 mile with my hubby afterward
Sun 9/24: Rest & recovery day, yoga, walks
Monday: Nothing feels quite as good as starting the week strong, and being able to enjoy another fab fall-like run. I chose a new route to keep it fresh, which included a few little hills, knowing NYC includes five bridges with sneaky inclines and descents, along with several deceptive hills in the last few miles near Central Park. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Kim Miller Fitness app is helping me keep my strength workouts short, sweet, and focused
Tuesday was another heart-pumping outdoor spin class with my favorite instructor, Kristine. Good tunes, great vibes, and a killer workout with hills and sprint intervals, always leaving my spirits high and my body drenched in sweat. Afterward I did a short dumb bell arm workout session at the gym.
Wednesday was a “hurt so good” kind of training day with a 7-mile track workout, starting with a 1.5 mile warm-up followed by 5 x 800m intervals with 400m recovery intervals, finishing with a 2-mile cool down. Good stuff. Felt great to finally move my feet a little faster.
What started out as a cool morning quickly heated up so I had to lose the hat, peel off my arm sleeves, and consume two bottles by the end of my workout.It has been a while since I’ve done speedwork so I was especially diligent with stretching, foam rolling, Theragun’ing, and rolling my calves with “the stick.”
Thursday I opted for yoga and foot exercises, and then went on a 1.5 mile walk at Lake Los Carneros with my hubby. All in all, a nice recovery and reset day.
Rest is good for the soul. Since I’m not planning to win New York :-), I’m trying to settle into my training plan and tweak it to fit where my body is at so I get to the starting line in one piece.
Friday was a 5-mile maintenance run, which I chose to knock out on Mountain Drive, a scenic, windy road in the foothills of Santa Barbara. It never disappoints with its views and gently rolling hills.
Later in the afternoon it was time for some core and mobility work.
Saturday’s long run was shorter this week (12 miles) to get the body rested up for next week’s 18-miler. I had the pleasure of running the first 8 miles with my friend Becca (the other B in Team B & B), who is currently training for a half marathon. Yay Becca! We ran from Leadbetter Beach to Montecito and back on another spectacular SB morning. The miles flew by so quickly, we almost blew past our turnaround point. That’s the power running partners. Afterward, I finished up with 4 more miles–up Shoreline Drive on the Nite Moves course and back. It was noticeable how much longer those 4 miles felt solo.
Time zips by when you’re laughing and telling stories. On the last part of my run, when I was solo, I finished my audiobook, A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York, which not only got me even more excited about the race, but got me circling back to honing the details.
Here are a few of the details that are getting sculpted into shape…
Much of marathon training, and life in general, is about showing up. It’s the simple act of getting out the door, embracing the challenge, and putting in the work, even if your motivation is waning. It’s about getting through aches and pains, life’s scheduling challenges and the onslaught of mental fatigue that often comes with week after week of training. It’s about keeping your eye on the prize, even if that prize still feels like it’s miles away.
That is what this week was about for me: showing up.
Some days training was a struggle, other days it was like butta, but each day of dragging my hiney out the door added a drop of grit into the mental toughness bucket because I didn’t allow excuses to creep into the day.
No matter how much you love running, you will absolutely have days when you’d like to do anything but run. It’s usually those days that are the most important because figuring out ways to overcome your mental block becomes gold on race day, especially when you hit rough patches (and there will definitely be rough patches during a marathon).
Here are a few mental strategies that have helped me over the years:
Create personal mantras. One I lean on often when my motivation is waning is: “Don’t think, just go.” I simply shut down my brain, block out all the things that are pulling me in a different direction, lace up my shoes, and go through the motions of getting out the door. Once out the door, everything usually falls into place. On the run I repeat, “Just keep moving forward.”
Know your “why.” Lean into why you decided to commit to running a marathon. Every person has a different reason. Maybe it’s a Bucket List item. Maybe it’s a milestone celebration like turning 40 or 60. Maybe it’s a cause like Team for Kids, or in honor of somebody. Whatever it is, write it down and put in somewhere prominent so you look at it every day.
Visualize. Imagine yourself running through different parts of your race and visualize yourself successfully crossing the finish line. Internalize how incredible it will feel to reach your goal.
Focus on what feels strong. This is especially helpful during a run. If your calves are grumpy, focus on your core. If your quads are screaming, focus on engaging your glutes. No matter what, you will be able to find strength somewhere in your body, especially your heart and mind.
Week #12 training schedule (Sept. 4-10)
Mon 9/4: Run 5 miles EZ recovery run (Goleta Beach bike path), strength 35 min
Tues 9/5: Spin class 55 min, strength 30 min, walk 2 miles
Wed 9/6: Run 6 miles tempo run (SBCC track and waterfront)
Thurs 9/7: Run 3 miles EZ (Lake Los Carneros), walk 1.2 miles
Fri 9/8: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
Sat 9/9: Race She.Is.Beautiful 10K plus 1.25 mile WU and 1 mile CD (8.25 miles total)
Sun 9/10: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
Monday, Monday, so good to me [cue the Mamas & the Papas]…easing back into the week with a nice little recovery run from Goleta Beach.Tuesday’s workout was fueled entirely by caffeine, heart-pumping music, and an awesome spin instructor. Thank you Kristine for always bringing your positive energy to keep us going!Wednesday, I was feeling a little creaky, but there’s nothing like a good warm-up and an inspiring audiobook, (A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York), to get you in the right frame of mind to knock out a solid 6-mile tempo run along the waterfront on a gray morning. I always look forward to my veggie sammies afterward with a protein smoothie. Thursday early morning 3 mile cruise around Lake Los Carneros, sporting my “Dream Big” hat for a little motivation, with a big shout out to my friend Jenni Miller and the Smith-Magenis Syndrome research foundation, who created these hats to support this important cause. It always gives me perspective and inspiration when I wear it. After my run, I had the joy of finally catching up with my friend Emma, whom I hadn’t seen all summer. Making time and creating balance while training is the secret sauce to a happy journey to the starting line.Friday was a rest day, so I took a nap, went for a nice walk in nature with my hubby, then tried to figure out what kind of “get-up” I was going to throw together for Saturday’s She.Is.Beautiful 10k. I love this race, which I’ve run 4 or 5 times, and always like to bring a little flare to the morning. These were my options. And this is what I ended up choosing…Continue reading →
Like the sign says at Women’s Athletic Club of Santa Barbara, “It doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger.”
Getting back into marathon training shape has felt harder than I imagined it would (and should) be, but as I give myself grace, relax about my current pace, and just focus on the purpose of each run, enjoying the journey along the way, I’m starting to feel like I’m heading in the right direction again.
Small differences. Sweet moments of joy. Tiny increases in my speed and cadence. A little less huffing and puffing. A little more gliding. Each contributing to a renewed sense of positivity.
The hardest part is being patient with myself, even though I know full well this is not a sprint, but rather a long, winding marathon adventure, filled with zigs and zags, hills and valleys, and a whole lot of time to think and appreciate the process.
What made the difference this week, besides patience and consistency, was adding in a little speed work, reminding my body that it could get out of first gear and hold up to the additional load. Nothing crazy, just some up tempo running and a 1-mile time trial. Even more than the physical gain, the mental gain was just what I needed to reassure myself that my body could hold up to the strain. Having a history of injuries during marathon training over the years, I’ve likely been overly cautious as I’ve been building back up, but now I know as I ease into it, I can trust my body, which is unbelievably freeing.
My friend Janet and I are running the NYC Marathon together on November 5th.The two of us have been friends for nearly four decades after being thrown together as college roommates our freshman year at Lewis & Clark College. We took this selfie back in April during a run we did when she was visiting from Oregon. We were laughing so hard, it’s lucky we didn’t fall off the cliff!
When I signed up to run the New York City Marathon with my friend Janet last November, I was incredibly excited, but because it was so far off, it felt more like a gauzy notion than a substantive goal. If you want to know how it all started, you can read my blog post about it HERE. Now, with 20 weeks to go, this shit just got real. I couldn’t be more fired up, focused, and ready to take on four months of disciplined training.
My number one goal is to get to the starting line in one piece. That means staying healthy, happy, and injury-free, ready to charge through the five boroughs of New York with Janet who is running her first full marathon. Let’s go! There is nothing like your first marathon, and I can’t wait to share that experience with her.
My second goal is to savor this special journey back to the Big Apple. This will be the 25th anniversary of the first time I ran the New York City Marathon. My first adventure through the city back in 1998 got me hooked on marathons for life. It became the first of nine marathons I’ve run so far, including two which were part of Ironman triathlons. I’m especially excited to return to the Big Apple to run my 10th marathon and soak up that “Only in New York” energy.
My third goal is to raise funds for Team for Kids, a fantastic nonprofit that brings free health and fitness programs to schools in NYC and across the country. Team for Kids focuses on developing healthy attitudes toward running and physical activity, building confidence, and boosting motivation, which of course, is totally my jam. By being part of this team and raising funds, I’m thrilled to be able to pay it forward to the next generation of runners so they can experience all the joy and life-changing benefits this sport has to offer.
Here’s a snapshot of what my first official week of training looked like:
Week #1 (June 18-25)
Sunday: Run 55 min easy pace [5 miles] plus 10 min dynamic warm-ups and 10 min cool down and stretching
Monday: REST (walk, core and foot exercises, and stretching)
Tuesday: Cross-train (45 min spin bike [12 miles approx], 30 min strength training)
Wednesday: Run (45 min easy pace [4.2 miles] plus 10 min dynamic warm-ups and 10 min cool down) as well as 30 min core exercises, and 10 min foot exercises
Thursday: Cross-train (45 min spin bike class with Kristine [13 miles approx], 30 min strength training)
Friday: Cross-train (45 min elliptical [4.5 miles], 15 min rowing, 30 min core exercises)
Saturday: Run (76 min easy pace [6.5 miles] plus 10 minute dynamic warm-ups and 15 minute cool down walk/jog), as well as foot exercises and stretching
Sunday: REST (walk, foot exercises and stretching)
Snapshots:
Sunday long run 5 miles easy paceTuesday x-t spin bike plus weightsWednesday 4.2 miles easy paceFriday x-t elliptical running 4.5 miles, plus rowing and coreSaturday long run 6.5 miles easy pace. Road, bike path, trail, sand and a nice ice bath for the legs in the ocean afterward
Highlights:
• Spectacular weather after three months of Graypril, May Gray and June Gloom.
• The simple fact of being consistent and knowing one week is officially in the books. And looking forward to rocking next week!
• Raising $860 for Team for Kids in the first week of fundraising. Thank you to James & Hensley, Jenni, Emma, Sarah & Richard, Susan, Jen, Deborah, Kirsten, and Christina! With your generosity, we are now 1/3 of the way to my goal of $2,620 (for the 26.2 miles I’ll be running). My gratitude runs deep.
If you’d like to support my marathon effort and help create running programs for schools across the US, and get kids fired up about a lifetime of health and fitness, click on the link to my Team for Kids fundraising page HERE. No donation is too small, and for every $10 you donate, you will automatically be entered into my giveaway for a pair of Hoka running/walking shoes. All the details are in the link.
Cheers to our awesome fitness community, setting new goals and to kicking off another adventure!
Back in December 2021 I challenged myself to cycle every single day of the month to get my legs back under me and begin building my mental and physical base to kick off Ironman Training. I chose the difficult month of December because I knew how hard it was to be consistent during the holidays, special events, and less-than-spectacular weather.
Riding 31 days in a row seemed epic at first, and there were definitely days I did not want to get on my bike, especially in the pouring rain. But because I committed to this personal challenge, and shared my goal with my friends and family, and Instagram connections, I dragged myself out the door and onto the road every single day (or on a spin bike at the gym, or my bike trainer in the garage). I didn’t miss one ride, and by the end of the month I had logged 809 miles and over 14,000 ft. of elevation. More importantly though, I reminded myself that I could do hard things and indeed loved doing hard things. Mission accomplished.
• • •
Fast forward to the beginning of 2023. After successfully completing Ironman California in late fall 2022, and letting my body recover for a couple of months, I launched a push-up challenge to work on my much-needed upper body strength. Push-ups have always been my nemesis, even though I strength train and swim. If you want to read the full details of this challenge, you can pop back to my previous blog post HERE. In a nutshell, it was a simple concept: starting with one full push-up on the 1st of January and working up to thirty-one full push-ups on the 31st. To build strength along the way I also added knee push-ups and inchworms and Pilates push-ups in addition to other usual fitness exercises.
I won’t lie. It was hard. Really hard.
What made it less difficult though, was inviting my friend Emma to do it along with me. We cheered each other on and held each other accountable, and when we completed our challenge, we hooted, hollered, high-five’d and celebrated over a tasty meal at a wonderful restaurant.
When our January push-up challenge wrapped up, Emma and I both knew we still had a lot of work to do to improve our strength and form–especially getting ourselves all the way down to the ground, so we decided to repeat the same thing in February. This time I invited my friends Janet and Robert, my brothers Tim and Scott, and my sister-in-law Jess, who were quick to join the fun. Our little group plugged away each day, doing our daily push-ups on top of our other personal fitness training, sending each other photos or videos, cheering each other on, and checking in when someone got quiet. Once again, we got it done. Having a larger group made it all the more fun, especially celebrating each person with a virtual mini trophy and Rocky music.
Run Be Run 