I'm 40 and I've run my first marathon.

4/1/18: Happy Easter, Happy April Fool’s day...so I’m dreading getting out to do my 14 miles today...because I am afraid.  I had a DNF last weekend at around mile 7, due to chest pains which were caused by my thyroid med being too high...multiple EKGs showed everything was normal once I stopped running.  I had run 10 miles just the weekend before (I”m training of a full in May so that is why I wasn’t tapering), with no issues.  I know I can do this, but for some reason I am afraid.  Maybe my head is a mess as it is the first Easter w/o my mom, the anniversary of my father’s death 42 years ago...plus I’m so tired of lousy weather: I miss sunshine!  However, once I get it done, no matter how long it takes me; I’m sure my confidence will come back!

Greetings!  I’ve been neglecting this blog for quite some time this year...been a tough year of running.  I completed Cleveland Marathon on May 21 and my official time was still about 17 minutes faster than the first time I ran it but I also sprained my Rt ankle at some point during the race (I”m guessing around miles 14-16) so that injury knocked me out of running Buffalo this year.

Tomorrow starts my fall half marathon training as I”m hoping my ankle is finally healed, I’ve been walking/elliptical without pain so I’ll know more tomorrow when I go for my first training run, fingers crossed it goes well!  I’ve got a slew of races this fall and I’ve already registered for Buffalo Marathon 2018...however I”m done with the Cleveland race...that’s a story for another post.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to run six miles! I’ve been dealing with an undetermined GI issue for almost two months now, and my running has been greatly affected due to pain levels. Today I decided I was getting a long run in, as I have two marathons in May and I’m getting behind on miles! So I ran, super slowly…and was fine till mile 4, where chills set in, around mile 5.5 the pain set in…however I made it to 6 miles regardless!! Here’s the best part: I could have kept going had the pain not set in!! That tells me I’m not losing my endurance as much as I feared…so yay 6 miles!!

Happy New Year’s Eve!  I have finally registered for Buffalo Marathon (and 5k) today!

Wow it has been a while since I’ve posted in this blog!  Maybe because things have been so difficult the past few months...an impossible work schedule, finding out my mom has AML, my own health struggles...yeah I guess that’s what happened to me!  However, it is Thanksgiving weekend, and I am now getting back on track and reclaiming what I can of myself!

I have been run-walking the last two days, 2 miles on Friday, a 5K today, and it feels great to be at it again, albeit very slow and very beginner!  I have registered for the Challenge Series for the 2017 Cleveland Marathon in May: running an 8K with my niece on Sat, then a full marathon on Sunday!  My plan, if finances allow, is to then run the Buffalo Marathon the following weekend!  I really need to see if I can push and be that successful!  Here’s to getting started!

I hadn’t realized it has been so long since I last posted in my running blog!  Perhaps this is partly because my training for Rock n Roll Philly over the past couple of months has been terrible, at best. My health has not been the best due to my never ending thyroid issue and thus everything has suffered. 

However I had a great visit with my endo and since my levels have plummeted we made some adjustments in my thyroid meds and I should be back on track very soon!  I certainly hope so, as RNR Philly is less than a month away!

April 30- May 1

Pittsburgh Marathon weekend!!!

Usually I don’t post pics of myself (and never of me running), but I’m so proud of myself this weekend I will suspend my body-image-self-hatred for once and post!  I ran the 5K with my niece, in which she was finally able to run her first 5K the whole way, and ran it well she did!  I then ran the full marathon the next day.  This was my second ever marathon, and I’m beyond excited that not only did I run the whole thing without walk breaks, I PRd by almost an hour over last year, finishing in 5 hours, 46 min!!!!

This course was so beautiful!  The crowd support was fantastic...even a local greyhound rescue group had the dogs out and they were running little portions of the race with us!  The weather was overcast and cool until about the last mile, so I couldn’t ask for better race day weather!  A local running store had staff on the course as well to run with you (if you wanted the company, which I always do!) up the monster hill at mile 12...such a great idea! (Although I’ve run bigger hills in the Lehigh Valley, so it wasn’t as bad as I expected)   One house had mimosas going at 8am for anyone wanted to step off course to partake (tempting as it was, I kept going and passed on it)!

Once again, my family was there at the finish cheering for me, and my bf came onto the course briefly to run with me a bit...such an emotional day for me I’m tearing up now thinking about it! 

St. Luke’s was a huge success!!  I know I’m way late on posting about it,,,but better late than never, eh?

You know you’re a runner when you burn a vacation day in order to get your 22 mile run in!!  My apologies for not [posting recently, however work keeps getting in the way of my life! lol

I’ve been worried about my upcoming race weekends as because of my crazy schedule I have not been putting in the miles I think I should be to be prepared for St Luke’s Half this Sunday, and the Steel Challenge next weekend in Pittsburgh (5K on Sat, full marathon on Sunday)!  Thus my taking a vacation day yesterday to get my miles in!