The last long run.

Yesterday was my last long run before the New Jersey Marathon. Which means that, yes, the marathon is less than a week away.

Gulp.

Fortunately, my last long run went well. Even though I was up too late having fun with fab friends on Saturday:

Me, Bridget, Janis and Monique

. . . and then I forgot my Garmin when I went out for the run, it was still good!

I met Melissa, Suzy and Amanda at the bike path early Sunday morning. Melissa and I planned to run with Suzy and Amanda for a few miles and then take on the remaining miles on our own. It was nice to catch up with Suzy and Amanda and we all ran together for about 3 miles. Then Melissa and I turned around and ran the remaining 10 miles together.

I wore the shorts, socks and shoes that I plan to wear for the marathon and they all worked out well. I also made the final decision to carry my handheld water bottle for the marathon -- I know there will be plenty of water stops but I want to be able to take a sip of water whenever I need it.

We took our run nice and easy and it felt so good! We covered our 13 miles in just over 2:04, a 9:33 pace.

Last long run . . . done!

Now, I am resting, hydrating and trying my best to keep the sickies at bay. Yup, that means drinking a lot of this:

Oh, and, yeah. I'm feeling a little nervous already! That's normal . . . right? Please tell me it is!


Have a great week, everyone!

~ Felice

What's next?

A lot of people start out the year with resolutions that include starting to run, or running their first race. By this point in the year, many have met that goal and seem to be asking the question, "I did Couch to 5K . . . now what?"

It's a good question and, to me, it means that the person posing the question wants to keep up with the running. Music to my ears!

And, since you all know I love running, I'm happy to share my advice on what new runners can do after reaching their first goal like, for example, completing the Couch-to-5K program. My answer to, "now what?" is: Build your endurance, stretch your limits, and sign-up and train for a half-marathon this fall.


You finished a 5K. You caught the running bug. Yay! But without a plan and a goal it can be easy to shake that bug and lose your running motivation. If you focus on setting a new goal for the fall you can stay motivated throughout the summer. And a half-marathon is a perfect distance to train for.

The half-marathon has been steadily increasing in popularity in recent years, for good reason. To run a half-marathon, you need serious commitment. After all, 13.1 miles is no joke. But, half-marathon training takes far less time and effort than full marathon training, making it an ideal distance if you wish to push your limits without having running take over your life.

Completing your first half-marathon will give you a great sense of accomplishment and will kick your running up to a new level!

And, most half-marathons hand out shiny medals to finishers -- and who doesn't like a little bling?

That's me, sporting my medal, after finishing my first half-marathon in 2011!

Most half-marathon training plans are 12 to 16 weeks, making now the right time to start planning your fall half-marathon.

Here are some good training plans to get you started:

Runner's World Beginner Training Plan
Hal Higdon's Novice Training Plan
Jeff Galloway's Training Plan
HalfMarathons.Net Training Tips
Cool Running Beginner Training Program

So, if you've become a runner, tackled your first race and find yourself asking, "now what?" I say, go find a half-marathon. Commit to it. Train hard. Have fun. And keep on keeping on with your running!

Do you have any other advice for people who've completed 
Couch-to-5K and are looking for something new?

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Felice

ING Run for Something Better.

Does your local school have a running program? Do you think they should start one? Well, here's a cool opportunity from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the ING Run for Something Better program that you should know about.

These organizations are sponsoring the 2012 ING Run for Something Better Grant that will winning schools $2,500 to start a new running program, or expand an existing one. Last year, they gave grants to 50 schools to create or expand running programs. How cool is that?

Pretty cool, in my book. Running is, after all, a perfect form of exercise for kids of all ages and ING and NASPE want to help encourage all kids to run more.

Check it out! You can learn more and access the online application on the web site HERE. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2012.

I think this is a wonderful opportunity! Good luck to all who apply!

~ Felice

Disclaimer: I was sent information about this grant but was not compensated in any way for posting. I simply chose to share what I believe is a great opportunity.

Fearing the marathon.

The New Jersey marathon is a week and a half away.

That's it. 

There is one more weekend in between now and the race. One more long run. A few easy runs. And a lot of crazy.

Crazy? Yes, crazy. In the form of me. I fully admit that I have gone crazy. I've gone crazy fearing-the-marathon style. 

Almost 17 weeks into this whole marathon adventure, I'm afraid that my training hasn't been enough. I'm afraid that something will go wrong. I'm afraid that the goal I've set for myself is far too aggressive. I'm afraid I'll implode just feet from the finish line.

I have a case of the Taper Crazies. For sure.

Sane me knows that I followed my training plan, ran my paces, worked hard. Sane me knows that I set my time goal based on recent races times and my level of dedication to reaching my goal. Sane me knows that implosion is highly unlikely -- I could easily slow to a jog, shuffle or walk before I reach the point of implosion.

But crazy me? Crazy me is having a super hard time shaking the fear. 

And then I came across this:

(http://quote-book.tumblr.com/post/19118063839)

I'm choosing to believe it.

My marathon fears only mean that I believe those fears are worth overcoming. 

I've never set such a grand goal for myself as I have for this marathon. 3:45? That means I have to run 8:35 per mile. Easy enough for a few miles -- heck, I've run a good bit faster than that for 10, 11 and 13.1 mile races -- but 26.2 miles? Can I hold that pace? Without falling apart? 

I'll find out soon enough (just a week and a half!). 

I'm not going to let my marathon fears stop me from going for it. I mean, after all, what's the worst that can happen? I run slower? I don't reach my goal? I fail?

If I fail, so be it. At least I'll know I went for it.

I'll be telling myself this for the next, oh, 11 or so days!

What fears do you have before big races?

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Felice