Before I start, a couple event worth mentioning, I have wanted to share so many things and I feel awful when events and deals pass unmentioned!
Jack Rabbit Sports/Runner’s World 8 Week Faster Five Miler Speed Workshop. $125 for twice a week training on how to improve your speed for distance running. Comes with a shirt and a one-year subscription to the mag.
New York Road Runner’s Eat, Drink, Energize Workshop: FREE!
May 6, 200, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Robert Wagner Middle School–220 East 76th Street
This lecture event has an amazing panel of nutrition, running and health experts! I wish I could go but I have a work event that night and a HUGE presentation the next day
New Downtown Exhale membership options: exhales monthly membership at $170.00 per month, or our annual membership for $150 a month! First time guests can also take advantage of our DT $30 for 7 days of unlimited classes + 10% off retail. Includes all Core Fusion, Core Fusion Energy Flow and Core Fusion Sport Classes.
Be warned: this post is LONG!
Not much has gone as planned this week. Although, as you know, I am type z, so I don’t really plan anyway. Overall it was a good, very productive, and relatively social week. I planned to do a bit more posting, but group project meetings, dinner plans, South Africa orientation (can’t wait to share more soon), lots of time at the internship office, work and school got in the way. But 10 day countdown until I am back in blog action. Woo-to the Hoo!
As you know I had the More/Fitness half marathon this weekend, and while I hadn’t planned to taper—since I was just treating it as a long run, all the plans I didn’t realize I had made, kind of got in the way, so my normal workout schedule ended up being halved. I did either core fusion or 40 minutes cardio every day. That was fine, usually when I am busy I use my lunch hour for workouts, but this week I opted for gossip therapy and scheduled several lunch dates with fabulous people, such as Gena.
Friday morning I had a truly amazing core fusion class—I find morning strength workouts make me feel blissful all day long, whereas when I do cardio in the morning I often fear I will fly off the treadmill. However, I pushed myself so hard in class, that I woke up Saturday sore from head to toe. Pretty much every inch. I had planned to do an easy 4 miler and hit another core fusion class, so I strapped on my sneakers. Oh wait, I forgot my sneakers at the office!!!! Not as planned. So I put on a really old pair of shoes that I bought way before I realized that you need to have your running shoes tailored to your foot, gait and stride. I made it about 2/3 of a mile and gave up, they were dead as doornails.
So I decided to head into the city, pick up my sneakers and head to core fusion before heading to my internship. On the way in, I realized my body felt like lead. I was struggling to get up the subway stairs. So I decided to stop at my favorite store, Jack Rabbit Sports. I treadmill tested and had my gait analyzed for 5 different pairs of shoes before I decided on an updated version of my current Asics gt 2130’s. Meet my fourth pair of GTs, the GT 2140! 
While I tried on some nice saucony progrid glides and mizunos wave inspires. I decided to go with the Asics mainly because I am still using my pair from Christmas and it didn’t seem like a good idea to run in two different styles of shoes. Plus, as soon as, I put them on they felt familiar, like home. Maybe after the marathon I will try something new.
After that I picked up my 2130’s and went to the rooftop track (the 7 flights of stairs to the top is always the hardest part of the workout) for some light running and stretching. I decided against core fusion since my body was definitely not having it.
After that I walked downtown to my internship.
You would think my treats to myself for the day would have stopped there, but this was waiting for me when I got home.
Yes, I bought the Garmin! See companies? blog advertising really does work! Please feel free to send my any health/fitness related product you need tested or reviewed! Okay seriously, I am actually afraid to try it because while all of you love your ‘Mins, a few of my friends say the GPS isn’t NYC friendly. But it was $50 less than the polar, which had so few reviews that I decided to go for the G! I also want to note that my friends also warned me it was HUGE, and clearly I didn’t take them seriously enough. It is a monster. That guy on the box must have a hulk hogan arm!
Anyways, I won’t be buying myself anything for a long long time, but if I could I must say I am loving these super cute running items:
Brooks Viva Jacket
New Balance Tempo Tanks—OMG these are so cute!!!!!!
Livestrong Graphic Tee I don’t know why, but people always look HOT in these!
So enough shopping.
Back to RACE PREP.
Last night I went to bed around 11:30, very reasonable for me. At 12:30AM, my phone rang. It was a good friend, so I picked it up, and was happy to learn he was sober. But sad to learn he was sad and needed to talk. So while pre-race sleep was less than planned, around 5 hours when I got up around 6:15 this morning, I was happy I could be there for someone.
Race Day
Anyways I got up decided on race ready shorts—because I really like to be packed in the back—and headed out the door. I felt NAKED without a jacket or wallet or phone. Just a couple mini clif bars, metrocard, some cash, my bib, chip and safety pins, my key and my spandex covered ass. Yes, I find 80 degree NYC mornings quite freeing!
I got off the subway at 68th and Lex and was completely a buzz from my prerace iced coffee and Girl Talk on the ipod. I was in a great mood, which was only made better by finding Park Ave in immaculate and picturesque glory. The tulips were standing gorgeously at attention, the cherry blossoms lined the center of the street all the way down to the Met Life Building which was shimmering in the sun. Even the Central Park East brownstones seemed statelier than usual. I wanted to remember the scene forever! While I couldn’t take a picture, it was something like this:
So as planned I met Ashley and her friend Sarah at 7:20 on 72nd and 5th. We took care of last minute race business and go into the corrals. Just minutes before the race, they announced that the marathon was canceled due to the heat! I felt so bad for all the women who must have trained for months! Then they said the half would be an untimed “fun run.” Umm, yeah, not so fun! Especially since I didn’t have a watch or anything. I was annoyed, but like I said it was just another long run to me. All pressure GONE! But definitely not as planned!
I totally respect that they want to protect our safety, but don’t people in the south run in much hotter weather?
Ashley and I did the first 6 miles together. It was great chatting and getting to know each other better. It was a rough first loop. I was extra glad that I had trained running clockwise, which is actually noticeably harder hill-wise than counter-clockwise, which is how all races are run. We didn’t feel the need to be competitive since very few people were taking it seriously and everyone was going pretty slow.
After six miles, Ashley and I decided to strap on our ipods and run solo. I definitely felt like the last 7 miles were faster and easier. Girl Talk was my Gatorade! I actually burst into song a few times, but quickly realized that was NOT appreciated by my fellow ‘thoners. I never really pushed myself, I just kept my insanely steady and consistent pace and the miles slid by. It was a very crowded race and the walkers definitely slowed me down as they really didn’t care about staying to the right. Also, in races, I really don’t walk unless I need to stretch, so I was constantly finding it hard to run through the water stations with everyone at a dead stop.
The park couldn’t have been lovelier with the blossom in full and radiant bloom all around us. I tried to concentrate on that and forget that I was tripping over people left and right and zigzagging all over to avoid nipping ankles. Usually races start like this, but I have never had the congestion last for the entire race before.
I love that I know the park like the back of my hand. It helps know exactly what is coming and get excited to see the reservoir, Cat hill, the boat house, the 72nd street transverse. However, the last mile of the race is always hard in the park. The turns just keep coming and you think you are at Columbus Circle making the final turn for the Tavern on the Green finish, when actually you are just hitting the Plaza. By the time I was at this point it was quite hot. I was also really hungry since I had only consumed a mini clif, the milk in my coffee and a cup of Gatorade. I realized about 30 minutes from the finish I needed some calories, but it didn’t seem worth it since they would digest that fast anyways. Eating on the run is all about planning to fuel ahead of time. Normally I like gus because they digest so quickly that they are like an instant jolt. However, I checked the date on the one I had in my running bin this morning and it expired in May 2008, so I chucked it. I also recommend gus for adding needed calories without getting used to eating more, you will never crave or miss gus!
Since I was seriously expecting it to be the longest mile ever, I was shocked when I saw the finish and had a lot of fuel in my tank. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sprint the last few tenth because I couldn’t get around the runners ahead of me no matter how I tried to maneuver and it didn’t seem worth it to trample anyone for an untimed race.
So I just crossed the line. It was weird to cross without the timing mats. I just got the race pictures from bright room, it shows me crossing the at 2:19, which means that my time was 2:12 adjusted for the lag.
I realized I could have pushed harder because I never even broke a sweat despite the heat. ooops. I wanted to play it safe and it was probably the right decision, but I think I will sign up for a short race, so I can try actually pushing myself in a distance I know I can cover without dying.
Anyways the best part of the morning was getting handed a medal! 
I have never gotten one before, in fact, I forgot they give them out at marathons at all. So that was kind of exciting. After that eating a third of a chocolate chip bagel on my way home way exciting! I think I may have been a bit dehydrated because my stomach was seriously angry for a few hours after the race. When it semi-calmed down, I made a delicious banana oatmeal pancake for lunch, served with almond butter!
Super yum.
