This recap is brought to you by…
A Very Merry Lucky 13 Christmas!
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| Merry Christmas from The Lucky 13’s! |
We had our Christmas party this weekend – thank you to Amy for being such a spectacular hostess – and you can bet it was full of Lucky 13 fun! As a matter of fact, this was the only Christmas party I was looking forward to – I. Love. These. Ladies (and Duane)!
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| Suzi, Me, Kim, Duane, Nita and Kerri. |
Yeah, another I’m-not-too-happy week of training (feel free to skip the rest because this would be the “or What” part of “Am I Goofy?”):
Am I Goofy or what?! My Weekly Training Recap:
- SAT 12/17 – MIT KICK-OFF RUN! 2.12 miles in 28 minutes!
The one and only run I did get in was a-w-e-s-o-m-e! It was the start of the MIT Winter Session and it was SO MUCH FUN to see all the new runners who joined the 13’s this season. I AM SO EXCITED TO RUN WITH THESE GUYS AND GALS! My pace for those two miles on Saturday? 13 minutes on the nose! Yes! I am SO HAPPY about that! It’s been a struggle for me getting back to that lately. I am confident I can help these folks reach their dreams of finishing a half marathon this spring!
But, other than that – so much for a 20 miler? What do you guys think about 18 miles being my longest run about 3.5 weeks before the marathon? Thoughts? Opinions? Your advice is more than welcome! After 18 miles, my knee bothered me for about a week and a half as well as some foot pain, both of which have subsided now, but my knee was tender on Saturday.
So, you can guess what’s coming next. Maybe I should just give up on weight loss until after The Goofy and start fresh then? You might as well give me your thoughts on that too!
My Weekly Weight Loss:
Here are my responses to Miss Zippy’s end of the year recap questions. What about you? Post about it or tell Miss Zippy yourself! As you probably know, I have had a really horrible year (running and otherwise) so thank you, Miss Zippy, for helping me to remember the good things.
Best race experience? Let’s be honest, I ran a lot of races this year, but wasn’t really in the racing mood. My best race experience was the Air Force Half Marathon. I really enjoyed myself during this race and remembered why I love running!
Best run? My 16-miler with Deb. I could not have done it without her. This run gave me back the confidence I need to run in January!
Best new piece of gear? I LOVE my “Courage to Start” arm sleeves I got at the Air Force Marathon expo.
Best piece of running advice you received? You’ve. Freaking. Got. This. and No Mile Left Behind. Need I say more?
Most inspirational runner? Does way-too-many to name count? My real-life Lucky 13 friends – including Judi, Mandy and Sarah who have pulled me through some rough times. And there’s the Head Coach of MIT, Jeff, who did a lot for me this summer and helped me realize people can be inspirational and helpful even if they aren’t running like they think they should be (and reminded me that I have been through a lot and it’s okay to be down and discouraged and sad). And not to mention, my blogland friends who inspire me everyday to get out there and make the most of it. You can read about them here.
If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Give yourself permission and time to heal – mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. I am still working on this.
Until the next mile marker,
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THank you for the link love! And you HAVE had some great running moments this year!
So about that long run–you can go either way. Plenty of people have made it through a marathon w/ that mileage or less. The flip side is that you could always try a 20 next weekend and see where you end up. I’ll leave you with this thought–no one ever feels like they’ve done enough to get ready for a marathon. But feels and reality are often two different things. (Ok, I suppose I’ve been no help at all!)
People with less miles have ran a marathon. With that being said. For me running the 20 miles before the marathon,just gave me that extra added confidence I needed to know I could do that marathon. I know you got Disney. Remember just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You will get to that finish line girl.
You can do it… Take it slow and enjoy it – you’re not trying to BQ so there’s no need to “race” it – you are more than ready to go the distance. 🙂
And thanks for the link back 😉 xo
I think that while getting in a 20-miler would definitely add a bit of mental confidence, I think we’re probably inside the window where the benefits of making up a long run are questionable. On 18 miles, you definitely *can* do it, and it’s more important to make it to race day(s) healthy and rested. So just know that you *can* and *will* do it!
Thank you for your thoughts! And, I think you are right about a 20-miler boosting my mental confidence. After thinking about things, I am going to try my hardest to do that this Saturday. THANK YOU!!
Thanks, my friend. I am just worried about being so slow! I don’t want a BQ – I want to finish. Thank you for always believing in me. 🙂
Thanks, Penny! I appreciate your kind words and support. I am going to get a 20-miler in this Saturday because I think that would be really helpful.
Oh, THANK YOU! 🙂 This comment MADE MY DAY!!!!! I am going to try a 20-miler this weekend (Saturday)! I think I need to do it to know that I can. You are a great help because I know that I am not alone in how I feel – it is hard for everyone, right?! Thanks for your support!! I will be thinking about what you said when I am out there running!
It is much better to arrive at the starting line under trained than over trained. If you ran 18, you can run 26.2. Let your knees & feet recoup some and hit that starting line in tip-top shape!
I bough arms sleeves this year too and they are my most favorite piece of running gear by far!!!!