Boilermaker 2012....and the start of Marathon #3 training!!

It has been a while!!  So much to update from Marine Corps Marathon this past October, but I'll get to that another time.  As for right now...I have some Boilermaker 2012 updating to do!! 

Smiling the night before Boilermaker!

This years Boilermaker was an absolute blast because I got to share it with someone very special to me.  Life has thrown a few curve balls over the past few years and now I have a new man in my life who is loving the running world I've introduced to him!  Boilermaker marked his first official road race!!  Whoo Hoo!! 

We got there Saturday, just in time to catch the tail end of the expo and pick up our packets and race bibs.  Once we left the expo, we headed to the hotel, and took in some pool time to just chill out a bit before dinner.  We enjoyed some fabulous carbo loading at the always wonderful Micheal T's in New Hartford, NY.  Kevin enjoyed his first experience with Vodka Chicken Riggies while I feasted on rigatoni and meatballs.  Once we were done with dinner, we headed back to the hotel to prep for the morning and relax watching the Red Sox game!!)

Boilermaker Startline!

Race morning was perfect!  We were up and out of the hotel by 6:15, stopped for coffee at the gas station and zipped over to Whitesboro St. to park and catch the morning shuttle to the start line.  We were both starting to feel our nerves kick in and took some time before the start to take in a bit more water and stretch our legs.

14,000 people waiting for the start!!

We stood patiently with 14,000 of our closest friends as the national anthem was performed and the announcer prepped us for the starting cannon.  8:00am and we are off....well....actually 8 min after the cannon we finally crossed the start line!!  Kevin and I started together and then he went ahead so we could both run our own races (he's a tad bit faster than me...which isn't hard!).  I had one of the best experiences running this race!!  I felt good the entire time, ran the majority of the course (only took a few short walk breaks) and just focused on enjoying myself and taking in the experience. 

Post Race Party!

I saw all the things, people, and animals (we go by the zoo!) that I have seen every year!  The mother daughter team who runs every year in matching sequined running outfits, the Blues Brothers, the donkey, the volunteer on stilts between mile 7 & 8, the band that greets us at the top of the golf course, and the list goes on and on!  I just LOVE this race.  And when all was said and done and I met up with Kevin at the finish, he also had fallen in love with it! 

Once we met up, we headed to the finish party, got some lunch (PB&J...thank you Price Chopper) and met up with some friends of mine who had come in from Rochester.  We celebrated, danced to Nik & the Nice Guys (so much fun to have them back this year!!), watched the military flyover, and just enjoyed our first post race party together! 

Celebrating with the Eagan's

We left the party around 11:30, headed back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool and chill our bodies before we got on the road to head home to Massachusetts.  All in all, it was a fabulous weekend of running!  Now on to MARATHON #3 TRAINING.  Bring it on MCM 2012!

Blog Revamp!!

Please stay tuned as I rework & reorg the blog! 

New stuff & lots of training coming soon!!

MCM 2012!!!!!!

Get Moving!!

It's been a long time since I last checked into this blog and actually wrote something!!

I'm getting back into running and hoping to get back into blogging!  I think I needed a break because life had taken over, but I'm back now and ready to pound the pavement over the upcoming months!!

Back in the saddle!

Had a nice 5 mile jog/walk yesterday!  It pretty much rocked because it was on one of my favorite trails in Rochester.  It was a gorgeous day, not quite as hot and steamy as it's been lately!

Turning Point Park, Trail, & Rain Garden

I felt pretty good for a few miles and took it easy for a mile or so.  Don't want to kill my recovery process....finally taking deep breaths without pain!  :) 

I'm still fairly far behind in my marathon training, but I feel that this is a step in the right direction!

Happy Summer Running!

Injury rundown

# 1 Injury:

Who knew tubing would take a month off of my running/workout schedule??  Ugh!

I spent 4th of July weekend at my friend's lakehouse in Canandaigua, which was an absolute blast!  We went tubing and I flew from the tube once....so, clearly I had to redeem myself and got on again.  The second time I held on for dear life, but after a few hard hitting waves and some quick turns by Terry, I once again flew from the tube.  Unfortunately, this time hitting the water felt like hitting a rock!  I felt my entire rib cage crush and then my body went into shock.  My lifejacket was my savior that day!  I floated for a minute b/c I couldn't move right away, and then they pulled me back into the boat.  I was sore for the rest of the day, and was just hoping I didn't do any serious damage!

Over the next few days, I was REALLY sore and was having a hard time moving around, breathing, laughing, coughing, and pretty much anything that required my rib's.  In fact, one sneeze brought me to tears!  With Boilermaker only a few days away, I decided to visit my doctor (who is also a runner) and have her take a look.  Initially she thought I cracked a few ribs...SERIOUSLY?!?!  After x-rays she called me and said no cracks massive bruising.  Cool, I can still run Boilermaker and go from there.  Little did I know, this injury takes forever to heal!!!!  I'm still feeling some soreness and it's been a month since it happened.  At least now I can take deep breaths and run and get back into the gym.  In fact, this is my first week back at the gym in a month.  Hopefully this is the end of it!

# 2 Injury

Foot/Calf Cramps!!!  I've talked about this a few times and have learned that I never really recovered from when I first had Plantar Fasciitis.  While the pain decreased, it never really went away.  I've just been running through it, but recently, I can't get up over 9 miles without the massive foot/arch cramps that ultimately make it difficult to continue running.  I'm also waking up with the heel pain and end up hobbling around for a while until it loosens up.  So, in order to continue running and get through this the right way, I'm increasing my stretching exercises, adding Yoga to my training, and working to strengthen my feet, ankles, and calves.  In a little over a month I'll run the Rochester half and will hopefully see a difference in the cramping and pain! 

I have 3 months to Marine Corps and with a lot of focus and hard work, I should be able to get myself into acceptable marathon condition!

Updates to come

I've been struggling with my running as well as injuries, so as I'm easing back into the swing of training, I'm hoping to get back on top of blogging!

13 weeks to Marine Corps Marathon! Let's see if I can pull it together and get back on track!