In case you haven't seen this...you should.
Happy October! It seems like people either love or hate fall. I am definitely one of the lovers. It is absolutely my favorite season, and October is by far my favorite month.
This past weekend was a great confidence building weekend for me. I am now less than two weeks away from running 26.2 miles around Newport, RI. I feel like I'm at a great point in my training and am really starting to feel (almost) ready for this race. Don't get me wrong, I'm still scared as hell, but in a kind of a crazy excited way.
Here's how the weekend went...
Saturday: 5k in Brookline, NH. The race is called Jordan's Walk for Wishes Dash for Dreams. From the website: "Jordan's Walk is an annual FAST 5K run and walk in memory of Jordan Coffey, a 14-year-old former student at the Richard Maghakian Memorial School, who lost his battle with brain cancer in September 2005. All proceeds from Jordan's Walk benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH." I had been looking for another shorter race before the marathon, and this sounded like a great one to do. This was my 3rd 5k this year, as well as my 3rd ever. My goal was a new PR and to finish under 23min. I was ready to push hard, feel the 5k pain, and give it all I had.
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| Pre 5k Oiselle photo shoot...ready to race! |
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| gotta love the outtakes |
Honestly, the race itself is a bit of a blur. It was a small race, with people of all ages, including many small kids lined up at the front. I found a spot near the front of the pack and waited for the green light. Everyone took off pretty quickly. I found myself near the head of the pack and tried my hardest throughout the race to hold on. It didn't take long for the group to thin out. I found myself behind a man in a bright yellow shirt, who I followed (probably a little too closely) for the remainder of the race. I really don't remember much else. A couple hills, lots of heavy breathing, the finish line, and the clock.
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| Ready to run |
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| Where's waldo? |
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| my yellow-shirted friend and I looking for the finish |
Official time: 22:19. I was pretty damn happy with that. I was the 10th person to cross the line, 3rd female overall, and 1st in my age group. I realize placement doesn't mean a whole lot, especially in small races. But I was and AM very happy with my accomplishments. I worked hard for that one.
Sunday: 18 miles. I had no idea what to expect from this long run. I have to admit, my legs felt tired from the 5k when I woke up Sunday morning. I was also doing this run alone, so the motivation had to come from myself. I mapped out a new route, put on some compression socks, and was out the door by 8.
I was an absolutely beautiful day for a run. The temp was near 50 when I started, and got up in to the low 60's when I finished. The sky seemed extra blue. It was pretty much the definition of a perfect fall day in New England. I felt much better than I expected throughout most of the run. The only exception was around mile 10-12 when I wasn't sure if I was going to need to get a little too friendly with the woods. Thankfully, things settled and I was able to leave nature's bathroom for the animals.
Less than 2 weeks, 11 days, two 12hr work days, 3 weekend days, 1 week of vacation, 9 or 10 runs, and 2 or 3 rest days separate me from running my second marathon. But really, who's counting?!
