Race Week!

It's race week! I'm actually nervous too, it's a double header weekend for me! The Brooklyn Half will be first up on Saturday morning, and then on Sunday morning the Tunnels 2 Towers Stair Climb!! My legs will be dead by Sunday afternoon!

It will be my 13th half marathon Saturday! And yes I still get nervous before each one! I always know I can finish, but I always get nervous of what could go wrong along the way. My main fear is usually my plantar fasciitis  pain, in the past I could run through it, but after marathon training, the pain has gotten more intense. I do my best to stretch, ice, and roll it, but some runs are totally fine, and then there are others where it rears its ugly  head, and leaves me feeling weak and challenged. As of late its been ok, I did run 11 miles two weeks ago, and managed to survive so I'm hopeful it will be ok in Brooklyn! I'm also pacing with my friends for this half, with the goal of finishing in under 3 hours, so that Amy (@theawesomemom on IG) will get her PR. Finishing in under 3 is easy for me, but I'm nervous because I hope and pray I can help Amy get that PR, I don't want to let her down, so I hope everything is on our side race morning, and that we can push to the finish she deserves!

Now the stair climb Sunday isn't my first, but it will be the most steps I've taken on, and the first time I'll be doing an event like this the day after a half marathon! I honestly did not realize that both events were in the same weekend til after I was registered! So I know usually how sore my body is the day after a half, and that stairs are the most difficult to maneuver the days after! 1,970 steps and 90 floors is definitely going to be a challenge come Sunday morning! But all I'm telling myself is that the finish time doesn't matter its the finish line that's the main goal and priority! Plus I raised money for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which will use the funds towards improved homes for disabled vets and first responder families, so when my legs feel like giving up, I have to tell myself that I can do it!

I always try to prep right before race week, with tapering, and carb loading, but as usual that never happens! This week is so jammed packed for me I'll be lucky if I get enough sleep by Saturday night! So with 3 days away, my goals are to carb up at dinner today and tomorrow, get as much water in as I can, and sleep when I can!!

Tomorrow I will be heading to the Brooklyn Half pre party, by New Balance, so I will try to post before Saturday about it! I hope I get to see my running family, and take some fun pictures by the Brooklyn Bridge! I was supposed to volunteer too tomorrow at the pre party, but unexpectedly some work stuff came up so I can't do it, maybe next year! And on Friday I'll be getting my bib for the stair climb too! Lots of exciting stuff this weekend, so look out for some posts early next week about them!! Til then..xoxo!!

5 Reasons I Run

This was an Instagram post originally but I think it's a topic worth sharing here. :)

                     

1) Bc I never want to be who I was before 2009, it took a lot for me to get to where I am today, and I had to accept the ugly truth about lot of things about myself & the environment I was creating for myself at the time. But I found a strength in me that I never want to let go of, and with running I'm always one step ahead of the person I used to be!

2) Running has taken me places I've never imagined, I've run the entire tip of Manhattan, the 5 boroughs of NY, the Verrazano Bridge  (major!), Yankee Stadium, Bethlehem, PA, Hoboken, NJ, Las Vegas, and I can only imagine where else my feet will take me! It's pretty amazing to take in all the sites and sounds in different places, I love it!

3) Pizza!! I can eat a ton of pizza if it's realllllyyy good! So for almost every half marathon I've run, pizza is my carb loading choice of food! And my post run choice too....and my choice for any meal of the day!

4) My running family. My whole life I've always felt like I just never completely fit in socially, but this group of amazing individuals has made me feel like I have a second family! We all come from different places, but running unites us, and brings us together, for support, motivation, and life long friendships!

5) I run for me. Running has given me a second chance to live my life better. It has only done good things for me, and I never want to let go of it. Running makes me feel everything, sad, happy, angry, proud, excited, doubtful, etc...it's made me feel raw emotion, and it's given me a relationship with myself that I love. And there's nothing better than loving yourself and knowing you are worth it! 

Thank you for the awesome pic @jaydenson! The parade was a ton of fun tonight! #tcsnycmarathon #parade #pride #celebration #memories #nyir #nyinstarunners #runhappynyc #nycmarathon #nosleeptilnov2

I’m having so much fun these last few days I can’t wait for Sunday!!! Viva Ecuador! #tcsnycmarathon #parade #Ecuador #memories #nyir #nyinstarunners #celebration #nosleeptilnov2