Race Day Count Down!!!

The time has come everyone...all of my training will be put to the test
this weekend as I make my way to San Francisco for the race. I looked
back and realized that I haven't posted in about a month (since I
announced my injury), this is mainly due to the fact that my company no
longer allows us to access gmail from our work computers. My boss won't be happy to read that, but sorry JP you know how I like to multi-task :-) Also any
working adult knows that between labor day and the end of the year
things get a little hectic. I don't know what it is about this time of
year, but people act like the world is going to end on December 31st and everything has to be done before then. Anyway, I digress back to training.

The Good News: My foot is all better!!! I've been back to training for the
last three weeks. The first run that I took after my hiatus was
September 25th. I was so excited to be back and to take a run in the crisp
fall weather, sadly it was like 80 degrees that day (yuck!). We did 10
miles and it as struggle the whole way, not because of my foot but
because of the heat. The up side was that we got to run with the Manhattan team and so after four months of training, my friend Nicaila
(who I signed up with) and I got to train together! We all met in Union
Square and did a loop around the lower tip of Manhattan. The following weekend I did 12 miles, which had me a little concerned because my foot started to hurt towards the end of the run...

The Bad News: While I was off my foot I missed our peaked runs. I only reached 16 miles in my training (the longest runs were 18 and 20 miles). After you reach the peak distance during your training you start to taper, meaning you decrease our mileage leading up to the race. I'm a little nervous because I peaked at 16 miles and my body doesn't know what it feels like to run more than that distance. However, my coaches keep telling me that your body doesn't know mileage it only knows time. Apparently as long as I have run for more that three hours (which I have) I will have the endurance for the race. I'm just gonna throw up a prayer on that note and hope my little feet carry me across the finish line!

Pre Race Prep: Overall I feel really good about the race, I'm trying to do my best to stay calm. I still have not come up with my race day mantra, the thing I'm going to repeat in head to keep my going when it gets hard out there (and it will get hard). I need to update my iPod before I leave for San Fran, so if anyone has any good running music that they would like to suggest let me know!In addition, as I've reiterated several times throughout my training, distance running is mire mental than it is physical. I've trained as hard as I could and now I just need to get my mind right to get through this.

Last thoughts: Two and a half years ago one of my colleagues who had recently joined Amex was talking about how she was going to Phoenix to run an Iron Man race. She said she'd been doing marathons and triathlons for years around the world. She's Australian, and in my mind of stereotyping I like to think they're an adventurous people. So I began to affectionately think of her as my crazy Aussie colleague who runs around the world. Every time she would tell me about a new event I would think, who would does that? Just run for miles and miles?

Well two days ago this same colleague gave me a pre race pep talk and she said "after Sunday you'll be a marathoner." I thought, did she just induct me into the crazy club? Have I really become a marathoner? Clearly a chip needs to be loose to put you body through this, I must be some kinda crazy...I've spent more money than I care to add up on running gear and countless hours on my couch icing my body. Those of you that know me, know that I'm not a morning person. I counted and I woke up at 6am for 14 Saturdays to make it to Prospect Park for my long runs (FYI the bulk of which were over the summer)! That means tha I stayed in for 14 Friday nights to be able to get up the next morning. I ran over 100 miles during the past 4 and a half months, in many cases in 90+ degree weather. I've been banned from wearing heels over the past month and a half (which was probably the greatest sacrifice during the process) all to preserve my feet. I've been off alcohol (for the most part - free drinks are hard to pass up) for months. Finally, I've been more exhausted than I've ever been in my life!....But guess what I would do it all over again in a heart beat!

This process has been the most extraordinary experience. I have challenged myself in ways that I never thought possible. I have hit highs and lows both physically and emotionally. I have met the most amazing people who in inspire me in the most surprising ways. I discovered the strength and depth of my support system. Each and everyone of you has encouraged me throughout my journey and I could not have gotten through this without you. Many of you believed in me when I stopped believing in myself and was ready to just give up. When I hurt my foot, I was ready to drop to the half marathon and so many people said don't do that, give it time and you'll be ok. Here I am three days before the race feeling better than ever! The road to San Francisco began four and half months ago. My flight leave at 650 am tomorrow and come Sunday I will have officially gone from zero to 26!