Saturday was the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. Before I start my recap, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all of the kind, encouraging comments I received from Friday’s post. I put it all out there and the response was overwhelmingly positive. So thank you – all of you – for making this little blog a safe space for honesty and taking risks. And now…off to the races!

Let’s start with the expo. I waited until the last 15 minutes of the last day to head over to the Stadium Armory to pick up my race packet…and paid for it.

The place was a bit of a mad house with lines out the door and people frantically trying to make their way through as vendors were closing down. Not crazy enough, however, to keep me from taking a shameless selfie amidst the chaos. That’s right, I totally pulled this one off for the sake of the blog. Don’t judge me. I wanted to show you the cool mirror with “here is your inner Kenyan” painted on it. Wonder how I could get one of these in my apartment?

I really have no right to complain about the stress level at the expo because I waited till the last minute. Lesson learned. One real complaint though: why were we emailed digital confirmation sheets but then required to transpose the information onto pointless paper forms before picking up our numbers? Made me wonder if they were going with the DC bureaucracy red tape theme or if it was really supposed to be that inefficient. Mystery.

I drove home and got right down to the business of making my traditional pre-race chow. I have a very finicky stomach, and when it comes to fueling up before a big event, blander is better. In college my go-to dinner before a triathlon was white rice with salt and butter. As you can see, I’ve upgraded to plain pasta, white chicken breast, and sautéed veggies with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It did the trick and sent me to bed with a full (and happy) stomach.

I laid out every single thing I would need to get ready in the morning, right down to the plastic zip loc bag for my iPhone. Having everything prepared the night before cuts down on time in the morning and calms my nerves about forgetting something. I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., did a little bit of foam rolling, and called it a night.

When I woke up, I immediately opened my window and checked for the forecasted rain. Nothing! What luck! I got dressed, made a bland breakfast of almond butter toast and banana, and spent a few last blissful minutes on the foam roller to get my muscles ready for the journey ahead. After hopping on the metro to Metro Center, it was just a short walk to the blaring music and huddled masses of the starting line.

Despite the gloomy clouds, the temperatures were perfect for running and there wasn’t a drop of rain falling from the sky. Hooray! I moseyed over to corral three to wait out the final 30 minutes before the start with a few stretches. And then we were off! Well, at least the first corral was off. The Rock ‘n Roll race starts each corral in their own separate wave, so we had to wait for the first two corrals to go before it was our turn. Talk about building up the excitement and suspense!

As I crossed the starting line, I took a deep breath and decided to take the entire race one mile at a time. And as the first mile beeped in at around 7:30, I knew this was going to be an adventure. A few details:

Crazy apparel seen on the course:

• Full suit and tie with “Jesus Saves” taped to the back
• A denim jacket
• Mini Mouse costume
• Green body sock
• Star-spangled full body spandex
• Spectator in a ketchup costume, spectator in a gingerbread man costume, spectator in a Mr. Incredible costume dancing to disco music
• Tiny gold lame shorts
• Tuxedo t-shirt and black shorts

Things I didn’t like about the race:

• My watch clocked the entire course at around 13.5 miles. I can’t tell you how devastating it is to think you are just around the corner from mile 11 and then realize it’s another few tenths away. My watch consistently beeped way before the mile markers. Anyone else have this problem?
• Calvert Hill at mile six

Things I loved about the race:

• Great spacing out of the bands along the route
• The spectator support was incredible (except for the guys offering beer – the smell was atrocious)
• The route was really fun despite Calvert Hill
• I never wondered when the next water/gatorade spot would be because there were plenty
• Runners genuinely seemed to be having a good time
• Lots (and lots) of free food at the finish area. Potato chips, chocolate milk, smoothies, bananas, Gatorade. I was in heaven!

My official finish time was 1:42:20 – about three minutes under my goal. I was so shocked and thrilled and shocked some more! According to my watch, my time at 13.1 was somewhere around 1:39, but since that’s not an official time anywhere other than my head, I’ll have to let it go. But breaking 1:40 is now in the crosshairs for next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time.

An enormous thank you to my parents for coming from Ohio to support me on the course. The original fit crasher is an accomplished marathoner and she has been my chief coach and motivator since I took up running in college. My parents have been my race-day support team from the very beginning and I couldn’t have done it without them. And check out the sign they made – so official! Thanks guys! Another big thank you goes to Bonnie, Jeff, and Heather for spotting me on the course and cheering me on along the way.

This is one of my favorite photos from the day. These are two of my friends from the Georgetown Triathlon Team, Jenny and Michelle. I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve all done a race together, but part of me wants to put it way back to 2008. It was such a fun throwback to have a mini-reunion at the finish line. You ladies are the best!

And what do you do after running 13.1 miles? You eat, of course! Well, you change out of the wet and sweaty clothes from the race and then you eat. I took my parents to Ted’s Bulletin on Capitol Hill for an enormous celebratory breakfast. Mom tried a home-made pop tart and some breakfast classics, dad went with the biscuits and gravy, and I inhaled the ten-grain hot cereal with toasted coconut and dried fruit. Oh, and a bottomless cup of hot coffee.

We walked off breakfast with a trip to Eastern Market, and then it was time to call it a day. Whew! So many months of training and worrying and agonizing over 13.1 miles…and it is finally successfully behind me. What a wonderful sense of relief. This medal will be proudly hanging in my apartment as a reminder that anything is possible with a little chutzpah, faith, and a whole lot of good old fashioned hard work.

Did you run the Rock ‘n Roll? Share your story!

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The time is here! The DC Rock ‘N Roll half marathon is only 10 short weeks away, and it’s time to get my running shoes in gear with a training plan. I’ve been trying to incorporate short runs into my workout schedule lately, but going for a jaunt whenever I feel the urge won’t get me across that finish line. So I sat down and put together a day-by-day training plan to reach my goal on race day: finish under 1:45.

After a two year hiatus due to a torn-meniscus injury, I returned to running last October at the Baltimore Half Marathon. It was an incredible moment to be back on my feet after thinking I may never be able to run competitively again. The entire day was a torrential mix of emotions – nervous, excited, scared, overwhelming joy – and I ran it with only one goal in mind: to cross the finish line. I did it in 1:48, but more importantly…I did it.

Now I’m ready to push my body, train smart, and see if I can better my time from Baltimore. I’m setting a goal of running 13.1 under 1:45. My training plan is an adaptation of this one from JillFit and this one from Anne at fANNEtastic food. They both stick to running three days a week, which is just the right amount for me and my cranky knee. It also gives me the flexibility to throw in a few cross-training fit crashes each week, plus that all-important yoga class on Sunday to stretch everything out and keep my joints happy. So, without further ado, here is the plan:

Other things on my training to-do list:

• Weight training: I have done a lot of physical therapy for my knee injury, and most of the exercises I am assigned focus on strengthening my glutes. I can’t forget to do those proactive exercises while I work through this training plan. So I’ve placed my weighted sandbag, a stretchy resistance band, and the TRX next to my bed. Bum muscles, beware. Mess with my knee again, and I will mess with you.
  
• Massage: Luckily I scored a couple of massage coupons recently, and I plan to put them to very good use. I can’t understate the importance of taking care of your body while training, and that means honoring rest days and treating it to a massage now and then. Your muscles and joints will thank you.
• Nutrition: All the training in the world won’t get me across that finish line if I don’t fuel my body with healthy, clean foods and plenty of water. I’m working on creating weekly food plans so I have a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepared during the week. There’ll be lots of smoothies, fish, grilled veggies, and creative salads. And water. Lots and lots of high quality H2o. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see more of what I’m chowing on.
• Sleep: Oh sleep, you are always on my “to-do” list and never seem to get the attention you deserve. I need sleep to keep up with this training plan, and my body desperately needs the time to recharge. My plan for making it happen over the next 10 weeks? Setting a bedtime alarm at 10 p.m. When it goes off, the computer shuts down and (ideally) so do I. Let’s try to make this work

What do you think – anything I’m missing? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Today was my last training run for the Baltimore half marathon. Fall swooped in with a vengeance for an added bonus: the high was in the 50s and it rained all day. All. Day.

But I knew I wouldn’t feel confident on the starting line without one last long run. Taper doesn’t really count unless you…well…actually taper.

So I dusted off my running tights, put on a hat to keep out the rain, reluctantly left my warm apartment. I chose an 8-mile route along Rock Creek Parkway to the Potomac, with a turn around point somewhere in the middle of Memorial Bridge.

Despite the cold weather and my lackluster enthusiasm, the run went better to expected.

Here is the breakdown:

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