The Nike Women's Marathon... 12 days later

Twelve days ago I ran the Nike Women’s [Half] Marathon. Remember that race? Have I mentioned it?

Anyways. It was 12 days ago. What have I done since? Well, for starters, I got a massage and sat on my butt for five days. Then, after that, I ran a 10k with my cousin. (Sean of Seanzanne.)

Yeah, not smart. Apparently you need to keep your legs moving if you want them to race for you. Its somewhere in the fine print of the sport… I just overlooked it.

The first three miles were hellish and I felt like my legs were full of cement. But at mile 4ish I loosened up and picked up the pace. Yay for negative splits!

I finished at…

Not great.... but not baaaad!

There was honestly one point in the race that I was completely 100% OK with stopping, walking off the course and Google mapping my way back to the finish line to wait for my cousin.

I didn’t. Obviously. But I wouldn’t feel bad if I had.

So, lesson learned. Don’t stop running. It makes it that much harder.

I also hit up the beach for a run. I havent run the Jones Beach boardwalk in a long time and it was SO REFRESHING. It was the absolute PERFECT combination of sun, breeze and warmth that makes me happy. Like warm fuzzies deep in your soul happy. Everything is perfect when running by the beach on a clear sunny day. EVERYTHING. I’m such a Pisces.

Ok, back to the race. When I ended my recap I declared one more order of business — a THANK YOU.

I don’t know where to start and I know I am going to tear up at some point in trying to say this.

When I asked you all to support my race, I was looking for some financial donations and maybe some running tips. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that I needed so much more.

The physical part of training was turned out to be slightly more difficult than I expected but the fundraising was much easier than I expected. That, B&Gs is allll thanks to you.

I asked you to support a good cause that had some personal meaning to me and would make a difference and you all did. You gave me a reason to run and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When I say I needed so much more, I am referring to understanding, patience and compromise.  Annnnd here come the tears. 

Thank you for putting up with my “alcohol-free, early-to-bed Friday nights.”

Thank you for tolerating my crankiness while my body adapted to being tortured four days a week and had sleep removed from its daily regimen.

Thank you for adapting the menu when I showed up to dinner with sweet potatoes because “I have a long run in the morning and I need running fuel.”

Thank you for feeding me when I randomly showed up at the house (mom and dad) all sweaty and gross and then proceed to eat everything in sight.

Thank you for understanding why I needed to postpone Friday night pub night for, like, 5 months.

Thank you for listening to me talk about running… alllll the time. I mean, like all the time. I know, I was annoying.

Thank you for asking me about how training is going even though you know its going to start a really long rambling about running.

Thank you for all your FB “likes” and comments on Nike+ to cheer me on during my runs. I honestly get so excited when my iPod cheers for me.

Thank you for the stories about your loved ones that battled Leukemia or Lymphoma. You brought tears to my eyes — and emotion is running fuel.

Thank you for all the articles, links and magazines you passed on with advice.

Thank you for taking care of me when I thought I could still drink two martinis.

Thank you for the tums when my stomach decided to backlash after I decided to jump full into a 300-crunches a day ab workout. (Yeah, I’ve since toned that down…)

Thank you for not commenting on the smells coming from my day-two running shorts.

Thank you for discussing running shoe brands (Brooks rule!!), hydration belts and fuel packets for periods of time much longer than necessary and I ever thought possible.

Thank you for almost always getting my “egg and ham on a scooped out whole wheat bagel” order correct.

Thank you for letting me stay at your apt in the city Friday night so I didn’t have to take a 5:30am train to get to practice on time.

Thank you for always making sure there were lots of carbo-packed sweet treats sitting around the house — and ice cream for the hot days.

Thank you to my coaches for all your help and support. Esp Coach Christine and Coach Wanda. You are both awesome and kinda my idols.

Thank you for dealing with my taper crankiness.

Thank you for going on spontaneous Saturday morning runs with me when I mis-COOCOO the train schedule and miss practice.

Thank you for all the music recommendations. I LOVED my playlist!

Thank you for all your texts and messages DURING the race… they were so much fun to read afterwards.

Thank you for the congratulatory flowers.

Thank you for your generous gifts and cards before the big day. They meant the world to me.

Thank you for letting me, mom and Andrew stay at your house in San Fran and stepping up as lead Marathon Groupie.

Thank you mom and Andrew for coming to San Francisco. I know you didnt really want to have to go there, but you did for me. It made me so happy to see you guys there.

See? Sooo excited! Hugs anyone? I'm not THAT sweaty yet!

Thank you for keeping me going. Whenever I felt frustrated and down, someone was there to perk me up, remind me that I was capable of doing whatever it was I wasn’t sure I could do and encourage me to troop on no matter what.

Most of all, thank you for donating to such an amazing cause. LLS provides almost all the funds to help patients get treatment, and they work their butts off to raise money. Like REALLY work their butts off… and some of them run their butts off. lol. Their enthusiasm made me want to work all that much harder.

It took me a while to get to this entry because I didn’t feel confident that I could express the emotion that goes along with what I wanted to say. Now, reading this, I realize I am still not capable of expressing my gratitude. This sucks.

But I honestly don’t know if its possible, so I am going to give you these words for now… and maybe I’ll try again soon. (Saaaaay, with baked goods?)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I wish I could hug you all at once.

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