Baltimore Marathon - completed!

     Last weekend, on 10/13/12, I completed the Baltimore Marathon. Though the temperature was a bit chilly at the start line (in the 40s), it was a great day to run! A record-breaking 26,000+ people participated in the Baltimore Running Festival that day which includes the full marathon, half marathon, and the 5K, and the organizers did an excellent job with the entire event.
     My goal for the race was to run the race at a 10-minute mile pace. I felt that this was aggressive, but achievable because I was able to perform at that speed during my 20-mile training run. However, I have always struggled with leg cramps during races, and I was worried that this would be no exception. In past marathons, the distance at which my leg cramps occur has been getting better. The first race was at 16 miles, then 18, then 20. For this marathon, I did not get leg cramps until around mile 21, and they were manageable! My overall time turned out to be 4:22:33. Only 33 seconds short of my goal. 10.01 minute miles.
     I am thrilled with my time, and I hope to improve this even further before my Boston marathon in April of 2013. I don't want to keep Kyle and his family waiting too long at the finish line especially since Bizzo my need to be let out. :)

Stay tuned as I prepare for my next marathon on 1/13/13 at Disney in Orlando.

Less than 3 weeks until the Baltimore Marathon

     This past Sunday was an awesome day for a long run! It was in the lower 60s, sunny and a slight breeze. I started my 20-mile run around 6:45 AM, and got back home 3 hours and 26 minutes later. I'm really happy about my time for that distance, and I am feeling more confident about the Baltimore marathon on 10/13. Sunday was my longest training run for this race, so I get to reduce my distance over the next couple of weeks.
     On another note, the Kids at Heart team posted an update to the team last week. They had a great picture of Kyle and Bizzo (his dog). It will be great to see Tim, Kelly and Kyle later this year. I am planning on wrapping up my travel plans for the Boston marathon this week.

I'm running the 2013 Boston Marathon!

     I am so excited to tell you all that I have been given the opportunity to run for my patient partner Kyle again in 2013! I did a little "happy dance" in my office when I found out, so I think people in my department think I'm crazy (they probably thought that anyway). The date of the Marathon is April 15th, and I have 2 more marathons scheduled between now and then. Baltimore in October of 2012 and Orlando (Disney) in January of 2013.
     Training is already underway, and I ran a 16-mile run yesterday at about 10:20/mile. It was a rainy day, and I was soaked, but I really enjoyed the run! I'm not too sore today either, so that's a good thing.
     In other news, Kyle's birthday was 7/19, and it sounds like he had a great 13th birthday week including three seperate parties! He celebrates his birthday like I do. I sent him an iDog which he has named Bizzo 2 (Bizzo 1 is the real dog). :)

Stay tuned for updates!

Boston Marathon - Complete!

My time wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I finished! On Sunday (day before race day), I got to meet my patient partner, Kyle and his parents Kelly and Tim. We met for lunch close to the hotel. Kyle is a really cool kid, and he and Kelly got to cross the finish line with me on Monday.

It was a great weekend and such a cool event! My friend Dawn went with me, and took a bunch of pictures that she is going to post on her website http://www.dawndove.com/. We had a terrific time hanging out all weekend.

Race day was really hot! The BAA was encouraging runners to defer to 2013 because of the heat, but Chris and I decided we would go ahead and run. We decided to stay together for safety, and we took it slower than usual. The spectators in Boston were so great! One runner was quoted saying that it felt like a standing ovation for 26.2 miles.

I was so fortunate to be part of team Kyle and Tim, Miles for Miracles, and the Credit Union Kids at heart teams. It was a great weekend. For those of you that have been keeping up with my Blog - thank you for following along!

Training this past weekend

This past weekend was another great weather weekend. I took advantage of the perfect temperatures and ran 22 miles on Saturday. Except for a little battle with my allergies, it was a terrific run. This will likely be my longest training run before the trip to Boston. It's hard to believe it is only a month away.

I also got an email from my patient partner at the end of last week, and it was great to hear that Kyle has been having some fun, too. He received many Valentines day cards, and he has been to see some plays that he really enjoyed.

20-mile training run completed

Saturday was a great day for a long run. It was overcast most of the day and in the upper 50s. I ran 20.27 miles at a pace of about 10:40 per mile. The last two miles were a little rough primarily because my back was hurting. You'd think it would be the legs...LOL. In addition to the 20 miles Saturday, I had another 7 during the week, so the weekly total was 27 miles. My body feels pretty good today, so recovery from the long run is progressing well. 

This coming Sunday 3/11, there is a St. Patrick's day 5K run in Baltimore which is always a lot of fun. I have several friends that will be running, so I am definitely looking forward to it.

Only a little more than a month until the Boston marathon. Can't wait!

Good week of training last week

After returning from Miami, I had a great week of training last week with a total of more than 26 miles. I had 16 1/2 miles on the President's day holiday, and added several short-mid length runs during the week. Although I planned to get a long run in today, my legs weren't having it. I ended up running 5 1/2, and I was happy with that. I'll make it up next Saturday when my legs are a little more fresh. The weather here in Baltimore has been great, so I've been lucky enough to train outside!

On another note, Lauren and Jane from Eascorp recently met my patient partner, Kyle and his family. I am looking forward to spending some time with them myself in April at the Boston marathon!

I am going to try to update the blog at least weekly from now until after the marathon, so stay tuned!