Today I officially decided I’m a runner.  Someone said if you run you are a runner.  And I think this may be true in part, but I think what really makes someone a runner is having equal part desire to get out there and motivation to follow through in order to be able to really call yourself a runner.  I am so excited because not only did I run 20 miles, but I ran it in the exact pace that I need to in order to run a sub five hour marathon in Philly.  Nothing feels better than proving yourself wrong in such a positive way.  

I had been dreading this run all week.  Throughout my entire history as a “runner” the most I had run before a marathon was ten miles (with the exception of a few half marathons scattered in there)… well last year I ran/walked eighteen before the Brooklyn Marathon, but there was a heavy emphasis on walking and not so much on running.  I have never really believed in training until now but it feels so amazing sticking to something and seeing results.  I guess I was just scared that I wouldn’t be able to do that long of a run without the race atmosphere surrounding me.  And maybe I’m [still] a little scared that I’ll get injured before the actual race that all this work is leading towards.

The biggest thing that made today bearable was when Emily offered to run the first half with me. I am forever grateful that she made the first ten miles fly by!  Emily and I met at 59th and Lex and ran over to Riverside Park.  It was gorgeous, but neither of us could really figure out where the park looped around, so for the most part we stayed along the water.  We both had set our Nike + GPS and turned around once we hit six miles. We worked our way back down the West Side Highway along the Hudson until we hit ten miles.  Emily is a pro and helped me to maintain a steady pace rather than being all over the chart and burning out after the first two miles.  With her help I got through ten miles and at that point my body was pretty much on autopilot so I continued at the same pace all the way through twenty.  I OWE YOU BIG TIME, EM! 

Things did get a little scary when we separated and I had to motivate myself through the rest.  I continued/struggled my way from ten to sixteen and then out of nowhere I realized I only had four miles to go.  I can’t decide why this was when I thought it was going to be easy- but I guess when you’ve run that many miles in a row, what’s another four?  So the miles started flying by again, I wrapped my way around the island up the East River and I was done just like that. 

Once I finished I was famished.  I felt like a Sim who’s hunger levels were on high alert.  I wasn’t craving anything in particular but I desperately needed calorie consumption.  Since the staple of my food cabinet is quinoa and I was in a rush to make my way to Hoboken to watch the Pats with Kate and Mol, I downed a quick bowl.  I essentially could have devoured a house though, so I was already imagining my next meal. 

After a crazy great day Eric and I inhaled Subway, in typical senior year fashion…and now he’s yelling BLOG, BLOG, BLOG…so on that note I’m going to wrap it up…

What I’m running to: Sweet Disposition- Temper Trap