Monday, May 24, 2010

Hello Brooklyn. Goodbye Fear

Finally, Finally, Finally. I finally had an AMAZING run!!! I have said it before and I will say it again THANK YOU VANE!!!

I would have never been able to do this without her. She was there with me even though she was in pain from her hip, but she kept me on track and just when I thought I could not push it anymore she yelled to me "COME ON GIRL, YOU GOT THIS" and just like that, I did. Then I saw Ren, Kelsey and Blondie cheering for us, that I had to push it and you know what it felt great and I also received my very first PR!!! What is a PR you ask? Well, simple//// Personal Record with a time of 2:14:29 for a half marathon, which is great because my last half I completed in 2:24:45.

Vane, Blondie and I all headed up to Brooklyn together in a cab and I have to say. no one was feeling this half marathon. We were all very quiet which is always an odd thing for all of us. My goal was to leave all my fears in Prospect Park because these last couple of run have not been the best since Paris. My stomach was in knots and I was really nervous once we showed up. I told myself it was ok to feel it now as long as I left it in the park and I did.

The Highlights of the Brooklyn Half were:
1. I GOT A FLIPPING PR!!
2. Vane and I crossed the finish line together for the first time ever.
3. Seeing Ren, Kelsey and Blondie at the finish line.
4. Seeing Michelle and Alex at mile 11.5 I think..lol

The one and only low light of the race....was watching a squirrel commit suicide as we did the first lap in Prospect Park. The poor squirrel fell out of a tree to its death, was actually a very very sad moment.

Other than that, the run was great! We all celebrated together and enjoyed a wonderful Saturday morning Run.

Thank you to everyone for all of their support and well wishes...I have broken the mental wall. :)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Need to leave it all behind



Oh Paris, Oh Paris, how you have scorned me. You all have read how Paris has been the hardest race for me to date and I guess I still haven't gotten over it. Its been a little over a month and when I enter the corrals to start a race, my stomach turns into knots and I literally want to curl up into a ball and just lay there still and motionless. I didn't realize how bad Paris hurt my running ego, but it really did quite the number on it. When people ask me how Paris was, the first thing out of my mouth is "Terrible, I hated it with a passion". The truth is that for the first 20 miles it was a great race, but dammit those last six point two. I cant get those out of my mind. Since I have been back, I have done two races. One was the shameful 4 miles, and the Healthy Kidney 10k. With both, I didn't feel as comfortable as I should have.

I know that I have hit a mental wall, maybe even a physical wall. How do I get over it? At the Healthy Kidney run, Vane and I spoke to two elite runners and Vane told them about her experience in Paris which was also bad. Then the runner asked "Well why was the race so hard"? Vane responded "Because I was injured". The runner looked at her and said "Why did you run"? It was like the messiah himself came down and shed light onto our little running feet. Then I asked the other elite runner how to get over a bad run, and he said "You just do". You leave it behind. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days. You just need to leave them behind. When Vane and I walked away we couldn't get over the simple sentences that these elites had shared with us.

But as much as they are simple, they are still very hard to overcome. I need to get over my mental hump I have the Brooklyn half tomorrow and I want to do well. NO, not well…. I want to do AMAZING! I know I can do this I just need to get over the fear that I have. The fear that keeps growing when I put my chip on my shoe, when I enter the corrals. I need to leave them behind and Brooklyn will be the place where that happens.

My goal for this half is to not let my mind beat me up, not let the walking word enter my thoughts and most importantly, to enjoy this run. Brooklyn was by far my favorite borough during the NYC Marathon and I know tomorrow will be just as amazing.

Vane sent me a blog entry she found about hitting the wall. My favorite line from that is the following: "I wonder if it's possible to imagine drawing a new starting line just when we think we can't muster another step. Some experienced runners say the race doesn't even begin until mile 20...until the wall. Thats when you really find out what you are up against, and in that same sweet moment, what you are really made of.



Hopefully come Monday I will have a different outlook on running.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Brooklyn Half This Saturday.

Hello All!!

The Brooklyn Half will be held this Saturday 7 a.m. start time. You know that this lovely TFK'er will be running it along with Vane and Blondie. If you in the hood come look and cheer for us.

I cannot wait...well I kind of can because I have been having an issue with running but I am playing it smart. Hopefully on Monday I can write an entry about it since I am leaving for Mexico on Tuesday.

We start the race in Prospect Park (very excited I have never been there) and end at Coney Island (WHOT WHOT I get a hot dog).

XOXO
MM

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

43:29...My running card should be revoked!!

Happy Mother's Day!!! This past Sunday, Vane and I participated in a 4 mile race in Central Park. Easy right? I mean what is 4 miles?? Should have been so easy since we had just done a 26.2 marathon in Paris less than a month ago....

Let me preface this with saying that Vane and I decided to hang out with BriCar (two girls from TFK, Vane came up with the name for them). We decided it would be fun to have a sloppy brunch which was the plan since Vane and I had already ran our 8 miles earlier that morning. I mean we were on a roll I even remembered Evan's fish Nemo (the fat fish) and Fuego (skinny mini) so I was all good. Brunch was awesome! We tried a new place on the Upper West Side. I stuck to Bloody Mary's because the last time I went to brunch with these ladies I didn't make it passed 4 p.m.


Before we left we also each had a nice cold Fosters Beer (YUMS IN THE TUMS)
we arrived at our brunch location promptly at noon and didn't leave until 4pm. Already a problem. Then, of course, our lovely Vane has a brilliant idea to drink Prosecco in the park, I admit that I don't help the situation because I ended up buying another bottle. Before heading to the park we stopped off at Levain Bakery. I had a dark chocolate with peanut butter cookie (probably best I have ever had in my LIFE).

Why peanut butter, you might ask? Simple, I needed the protein for my run....inside running joke.

We also stopped off at Starbucks to get these cool cups. They are so slick no one will ever know that we are drinking in public....hee hee hee.
While boozing it up in the park the day is filled with laughs, the crow pose, cartwheels and handstands, buying two mojitos in the park and of course throwing around a Frisbee. Could you ask for a better day?!

As we all left, BriCar were on their way to dinner with another friend and they invited Vane and I but somehow we both knew that if we went it would not be a good night. So we parted ways and Vane and I went to our favorite Mexican restaurant in the hood. Clearly we drank more beers because that's what you do when you start at noon---did I mention that at this point it is 8 p.m. Needless to say we never ended up meeting BriCar that night. We both were sleeping by 9:30 I remember it clearly because I told Vane I was going to head home at 10:00 I woke up from her cocoon at midnight. (To be clear I fell asleep before 9:30 and woke up at midnight)

The next morning my alarm went off just in time for the four mile race. At first I could not move (thinking to myself...I AM WAY TOO OLD FOR THIS). Vane bbm'd and told me we had to do the race. We ended up meeting at the park and ohhh this four mile run was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

The highlights of the run (and by highlights I clearly I mean the low points):
-We ran an 11 minute mile! 43:29 was our finish time
-We walked twice!! Do you remember I did not allow myself to walk in Paris...WTF?
-We stopped for water at all three of the water stops
-I almost tossed my cookies at mile three...so disappointing.
-A man the age of 76 beat us with a time of 38:22

I most certainly need to call Mary Wittenberg and have her revoke not only my marathon bib but also my running card. This run was not my best run...but Vane and I learned a couple of things:
1. We are too old for this.
2. If we are going to play hard we need work harder. Although we did 11 minute miles we still did the run which at the end of the day was the important thing.

The rest of the day consisted of me laying in my bed then moving over to Vane's as she made lunch then we assumed position in her cocoon.