Month: November 2019

🎶 “Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?”🎶

I fly out tomorrow for the:

I should be packing right now but anyone that knows me knows how much I hate packing so… I’m writing this blog instead.

The pre-race jitters have given way to the skin tingling feel of endless possibilities.

I get it now.

The body will only go as far as the mind says that it can.

🎶 “You better lose yourself in the music. The moment, you own it! You better never let it go! You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow; this opportunity comes once in a lifetime!”🎶

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way through years worth of time spend running, racing, and training; friendships forged through the coaching of miles, paces, and races… and parting ways or losing touch due to busy lives and feet moving in different directions. But it all comes back to one thing, one connecting force, that always brings us back – the run, itself.

In 2017, I PR’d the Pittsburgh Marathon with a time of 4:27:56. You may even remember this, if you’ve followed my blog that long? I had spent that training cycle listening to and incorporating the wisdom of my friend Joe, aka: “The RocketMan”.

He and I had planned to run that entire race together but, as the time grew closer, I began to panic. Joe kept pushing for more and better race goals and my mind was filled with doubt.

Those doubts gave way to fear and, shortly thereafter, my fear became panic.

As raceday approached, Joe rightly and politely removed himself from me to go out and run his own race.

I employed the help of a friend in getting through the first half of the race and then continued on into the second half alone.

I PR’d the race that day by over 10 minutes but, looking back now, was it truly the best I could have done?

I don’t know.

But, reflecting back on my past 6 months of running and racing, what I do know is this:

THE BODY WILL ONLY GO AS FAR AS THE MIND SAYS THAT IT CAN.

So isn’t it funny how, at 7 am on Sunday morning, Joe and I will be together again, lined up, side by side, at the START line of the 2019 Philadelphia Marathon…but, this time, I truly believe that ANYTHING is possible.

🎶 “So here I go, it’s my shot! Feet, fail me not! This may be the only opportunity that I got! You better lose yourself in the music. The moment, you own it! You better never let it go! You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow! This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!

You can do anything you set your mind to, man.”🎶

#ChasingBoston #ForTheLoveOfTheRun

* Full music and lyrical credit to the artist, Eminem, for his hit song “Lose Yourself”. I thank you for the inspiration and motivation.

What no one tells you about marathon training :

It all comes down to trust.

You spend 16 weeks preparing for your goal race. Hundreds of miles spent running. Countless hours spent strength training, meal prepping, and preventing injuries.

For 14 weeks you Go, Go, GO! Increasing distance, increasing pace, increasing mileage.

When you reach the 15th week you begin to taper… physically, you are nearly spent. Mentally, ready to quit. You wonder if it’s really even worth it? WHY do we do this to ourselves???

But then you feel the healing affects of the taper as it begins to work it’s magic, repairing your body from the past few months of grinding.

By the 16th week there’s nothing left to do but wait. A few more easy runs just to stay loose but other than that, just…wait.

I have not RACED a Marathon since Peak To Creek, October 2018 (the one year anniversary of my parents deaths). After experiencing the exquisite pain from that particular course (20 of the 26.2 miles run on a wet, winding, washed out or flooded, heavily graded, unpaved gravel road) I, honestly, wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to walk normally, let alone race another marathon again. And I just didn’t want to.

So as 2019 began, I simply ran “for the love of the run”. No pace, time, or distance expectations. No specific training plan on my calendar. I ran for fun…and to help whoever I could along the way, be it at an organized race or simply a long training run with a friend who was fighting her own personal battles, as well.

But then I started to notice improvement. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Slight, at first, but most certainly there. I began to toy with the idea of getting back out there again. Running for myself. Just to see if I could possibly give just a little bit more?

I was making advancements with my personal and professional life…why not keep striving for more athletically as well?

I gave myself a goal, a deadline with which to restore myself as a runner.

I signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon set to take place on Sunday, November 24th 2019.

No pressure. Just run.

And so began my summer of training.

Since then, I have run and/or raced many smaller events, leading up to Philly, as a part of my training. Looking back now, I realize that I have medaled and/or PR’d at EVERY SINGLE EVENT AND DISTANCE THIS YEAR.

1 mile – 7:02

5K – 23:56

5 mile – 41:16

10K – 54:32

10 mile – 1:28:20

Half Marathon – 1:49:32

These are the race times I have been chasing for years! These are the paces that, with a little more training and alot of determination, have the potential to make me a legitimate contender for a Boston Qualifier!

The only thing left now is the full marathon.

My final race for 2019.

THE PHILADELPHIA MARATHON ;

…just one week from today.

My mind begins to race. To doubt. I know I can do this. I’ve done it before. But can I do it BETTER this time? I don’t know. I hope so, but…

🤫 Sssshhhhh….

The work is done. I’ve done my best. Now is the time to rest.

Rest my body, but train my mind.

The body can withstand most anything you put it through…the challenge is to silence the mind. It is your mind you must convince to never, ever quit.

Trust the training.

Trust the taper.

TRUST YOURSELF ; the rest is yet unwritten…

(Click on the video above to see my 2019 race recap.😊)

#ChasingBoston #ForTheLoveOfTheRun