Browsed by
Month: October 2009

And we wait.

And we wait.

That’s right- it’s that time!  The MCM is on Sunday, officially less than a week away.  I’m super excited to run the race and to jaunt around DC with my parents and C from Friday through Tuesday.  It will be most excellent.

I had my last long run, around 10 miles, on Saturday morning along Chicago’s lakefront with Jack, the recent Chicago marathon rock-star  who posted an impressive 3:29.  Our training run was nice, though the intense out-of-the-north winds I had to negotiate on my return home were less than wonderful.

Goals for the MCM?  Depends on how I feel.  Right now, the main goal is to break 4.  I plan to line up with the 3:40s and hang on.  If I have an awful day and run a 5 hour marathon, it’ll be the best 5 hour marathon I’ve ever run (and the only).  It’s going to be THAT fantastic; I just know it!

Keep an eye out for the post-race recap early next week.  Happy trails!

Laid up; thank you, Providence

Laid up; thank you, Providence

I honestly think it’s providence that I didn’t run my hometown #2 race, the Chicago marathon, over the weekend.  Divine providential intervention.

For most of last week, I was laid up with a pretty nasty virus.  I don’t think it was H1N1 or the flu–maybe just a nasty cold or allergy issues–but damn, it blew.  Quite literally and figuratively, in fact.  I made it to work only on Monday and part of Thursday of last week because I felt miserable.  The symptoms ranged from an achy neck (because of my swollen glands), to a scratchy throat that hurt when I swallowed, to lots of coughing and sneezing, and the symptoms seemed to change each day.  Consequently, I haven’t run since 10/3, a delightful “last long run” with Jack and Guerline, who both rocked Chicago’s marathon yesterday.  Anyway, I haven’t been sick since late October 2008, so I suppose I was “due,” but man… absolutely awful.

About 10 gallons of OJ and many, many hours of sleeping later… I’m glad to report I feel like a whole new girl.  Good thing, too, since MCM is around the corner.

I have to give some love to the many hometown heroes in yesterday’s marathon.  It was great to see so many of them on the course near my home.  I handed out fluids until my appendages damn near froze, and then I went back home to re-clothe and headed back outside to cheer.  It was cool to be on the other side of the marathon for the first time in a while 🙂

Great job to all my runner buddies- Mimi, Michael, Maria, Andy, Rob, Tom, Jack, Traci, Lourdes, Casey, Art, Steve, Ed, Guerline, JulieAnn, and Kelly, among many, many others.  I’m so proud of all of you!!