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! 

The Casual Tuesday's

My friend Christina (@pretty_creative on IG) hosts a group run every Tuesday at the NJ Running Company store located in Hoboken, called The Casual Tuesday's where anyone is welcome no matter how fast or far you plan on running. I've only gone once before last night but it's a pretty great run along the water with a killer view of NYC. Also Christina's amazing, welcoming upbeat personality, is worth the trek! She started hosting the runs last summer, and weekly she produces an awesome playlist to give the run a theme, and a mandatory dance break two miles in! Yes, a dance break! Christina runs with a Bluetooth speaker, which is pretty genius, and runs along the group singing and dancing which is great motivation during a run!

This weeks run was actually hosted by Mizuno, and they had a contest to go along with the run, with the prize being a swag pack from Mizuno. The contest asked entrants to post a photo to Instagram, with the hashtags #TheCasualTuesdays and #MilesChangeYou, and for you to describe how the miles have changed you. I thought that was a pretty good topic considering runners come from so many backgrounds.

The Freedom Tower! The view is just breathtaking! 

For myself the miles changed me because I learned to be proud of myself, and learned how I really am capable of challenging myself, setting a goal, and hitting it! I described how when I first ran in high school, how defeated I felt because I couldn't run a mile as fast as everyone else, so I didn't really run it, and ended up finishing in just over 20 minutes. But as I grew up I held on to that mile, and when my fitness and health improved it was my mile to beat. When I tried running again in 2009, it was terrible, I finished in 23 minutes. I was completely out of breath, out of shape, and felt like I actually ran more. I could've told myself that was it, that I just really wasn't a runner, but I didn't want to, I wanted to better myself! So I kept going at it, and slowly but surely I got faster! Then I was motivated to sign up for my first 5k, which was a huge deal for me! But when race day came, and I had less than a mile to go, I was ready to call it quits. Everyone was passing me, I was exhausted, my legs felt so tight, and sore, I was ready to quit. My younger brother ran that race with me, and he finished in like 17 minutes, but came back for me and ran with me to the finish.  I was on the verge of tears when he came to get me, but he coached me and pushed me, and when I crossed the finish, that sense of pride never left me! Yea I finished almost last, but it was the fact that I finally did something and didn't quit, and that I wasn't the best at it but it was ok! And from that day on, each mile I've run has made me a better person, I'm more confident, I've learned to be proud of myself, and I know that when I do the things I set my mind to, I really can accomplish anything! And I know that every mile that lies ahead of me will make me stronger and better than the last! 

#MilesChangeYou entry!

While I didn't win the contest, I did win a t-shirt! And we had an awesome group run to some Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, and other old school jams. When we got back to the running store we were treated with beer, gluten free cookies, and raffle prizes!! It was such an awesome run, I wish I could've stuck around for some food after, but I found some pretty amazing pizza for the train ride home! I'm a sucker for a thin, crunchy, cheesy slice, and Hoboken now may have one of my faves! Hope I can make it to next weeks Cinco De Mayo themed run hosted by Hoka! 

The Casual Tuesdays Runners

Who doesn't love a post run beer?

Mizuno tee I won! :)

Pizza so good, I took a bite, then a pic! 

Anyways til next time, stay classy, not trashy! Xoxo ;) 

The Long Run

About 2 weeks ago I ran my longest distance yet, 20 miles! Now this was no ordinary 20 mile long run, it was a journey of sorts, a very wet one! During the week before, the forecast called for some heavy rain that Saturday morning, but I had planned on getting my 20 miles in that day no matter what! So when I woke up that morning and  seen the gray skies I was facing, I knew it was going to be a long day! I could have waited til the following morning to do my run, where the weather called for blue skies, and beautiful fall weather, but on the day of the marathon will I really have a choice? 

I headed to the Niketown store in Manhattan to meet up with the Nike NYC group for their long run, I  decided I would at least start my run with them to get my momentum going, then leave and finish the run on my own. When we departed and headed to the West Side Highway, the weather wasn’t too bad, it was warm, and seemed like the weather might hold off for awhile. I was running with the slowest pace group which was 10:00+, but the pacer we had was pretty fast, I ran one of the miles in 8:39, which is ridiculously fast for a 20 mile long run, when my goal pace is around 12:00 min/mile. I knew I was going to have to leave them sooner than I wanted to, otherwise I’d be burned out toward the end of the run. We took a water break 5 miles in, and after some water, and a few bites of a Cliff bar, I left the group and headed for Central Park. 

Upon my departure, the rain started coming down! First a drizzle, but then just heavy rain, with wind, and no signs of it clearing up! I felt defeated at first, like these 20 miles I had set forth to do really weren’t going to happen! By the time I made it to the park, I was drenched, nothing on me was dry, and it was really messing with my concentration. I kept thinking, “ there’s no way I’m really doing this!”, “ these conditions are too crazy!”, and “maybe I’ll cut the run short and save the 20 for next weekend!” But I kept going, squeezing the water out of my sleeves to my jacket, and looking for cover under a tree every so often to find some relief from the rain pelting at my face! 9 miles in and it was really coming down, worse than before, just sheets of water pounding at me from every angle, my fingers becoming prune like, and my feet, soaked, and heavy! 

Originally I was going to run the park, and head to the 59th street bridge, and run my way home, but I never expected this kind of downpour it was incredible! And the runners I did see in the park looked just as miserable, but just as determined as me to get their runs in. I took cover under a tree, and called my boyfriend, I needed to hear him tell me I was crazy, and to go home! Minus the crazy part, he did tell me I should consider ending the run and head home, and save the miles for next week, and I agreed and said I was going to run at least 14 miles, and head home. But once I started running again, I knew that if left the park, I’d slow down with the traffic and really go home. Deep inside I really needed the satisfaction of completing those 20 miles. I needed to not give up on myself, even in those conditions. When I reached the west end by Columbus Circle, I needed to go to the bathroom and wring the water from my clothes, my jacket in particular was weighing heavily on me, and causing me to slow down. In the bathroom I must’ve wrung at least a gallon of water from my jacket and socks, I even left a puddle behind in the stall! Oops! And girl problems reared its ugly head at the same time! As if this run wasn’t hard enough already! 

But then something cool happened, I headed back to the park, and saw a banner for the marathon on a street lamp, and it was the motivation I needed to get through the rest of the run! I headed back to the park to finish 10 more miles, and as hard as it felt, I was doing it, and I felt pretty bad ass! I’ve run Central Park so many times, that it can be a bit boring for me, but that day there was something about the rain that made it go by without feeling like torture. And there’s also something beautiful about the rain, and the calm, quiet, peaceful atmosphere it creates. 

18 miles, in I was very ready for the run to be over with, it was still raining but it was a lighter rain, but at that point I was so soaked, I couldn’t tell. My legs were looking for relief but my pace was still very consistent and I was pleased with that! When my watch finally beeped and showed 20 miles on the screen, I stopped, and I cried. I wasn’t expecting to cry, but it happened, and I was filled with pride, and such a great satisfaction for finishing in that weather! I felt like I was really going to be able to finish 26.2 miles, and nothing could stop me, not even the horrible rain! 

Of course, shortly after I finished the rain stopped, and the sun started to come out!! But I was proud, and I felt like it was radiating off of me, even though I felt like a wet dog! I went into the nearest Dunkin Donuts, and got a bagel, and a cup of hot chocolate, it was heaven! I knew being wet I’d freeze on the subway on the way home, but that hot chocolate actually saved me from that cold feeling! 

Running 20 miles in the rain, was special, even though the conditions were very less than ideal, but I feel so strong because I did it! I never could imagine that I’d be so close to finish line, but I really am that close, and on November 2nd, I’ll make it there!