Quick and Dirty

This title is a description of the updates to follow***, not the blogger. Then again, anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm not quick, either in wits or running. And awayyyyyyy we go -

Training -- Done and done! "Hay is in the barn" as Jack would say. The last weekend of September coincided with the last weekend of real training before taper and also with Noah's last triathlon of the season. So I did the supportive girlfriend thing and got up at 4:30am, headed down to Duxbury and cheered my little lungs out. My reward for such an act of kindness was a SWEET post-race party at a swanky abode on the water. Before I could indulge in food/beverage, however, I had to get in 12 miles of my own, so I threw on the Garmin and ran willy-nilly around Duxbury. The temperature was perfect, there were plenty of shady long stretches of pavement, just the right amount of inclines and when I finished, there was a hot tub and a cold beer waiting for me. Does life get any better?

This weekend was an uneventful 8 on the marathon course with Noah (for the first 4, anyway). I did whatever the opposite of "negative splits" would be. Positive splits? I went out at Noah's pace, then came back at my own leisure. After all, Heartbreak Hill is nothing anyone should rush running up. I prefer to mosey my way to the top -- the longer it takes to climb it, the more expletives you can mutter under your breath before you're done :)

Pacing -- I'm starting to feel better about the possibility of setting a new PR in the BAA Half, even if it's only a few seconds. I was running pretty comfortably between 8:30 and 8:40 this weekend in training, meaning if the stars align, I can hopefully sustain that sub-8:34 I'm after.

Happy Anniversary, Running! -- This Sunday will be the 2-year anniversary of my first race ever; a day that changed my life. Running and racing have brought me more confidence, happiness, strength, focus and passion than I ever imagined one thing could. It's also led me to an amazing group of friends and a wonderful man, all of whom take that happiness, etc. and make it even greater. Regardless of pace and finish time, October 11 will be a 13.1-mile-long celebration of these things.

2010 Boston Marathon -- Officially on the DFMC roster again! Looking forward to once again using my passion and energy to make a difference in the lives of others. Cancer sucks. Let's help find a cure. 2010 donation link forthcoming...



***Ok, so these updates were neither quick, nor dirty. But hopefully they were meaty enough to sustain you, dear reader, until Sunday's race report.