Tuesday, July 28, 2015

I want to be a part of it...

I can't believe I haven't blogged in over two weeks! This summer is flying by. There hadn't been too many exciting things to write about until very recently. Since school is out for the summer, my days really just consist of running, working at the cafe, and applying for teaching jobs for the fall.

About two weeks ago, I burned my finger pretty badly at work. It looked okay for the first few days so I didn't treat it (rookie mistake), and then suddenly it BLEW UP. My managers insisted that I see a doctor, so I did. What I thought was "nothing" turned out to be a second degree burn and an infection. I'm just glad it isn't something that will affect my running!



About two weeks ago, I shared a photo of my race medals hanging in my apartment on the Facebook page of a NYC running group I'm in. After sitting in a box in my closet for three months, I finally got around to hanging them! Some of the group members were curious about my medal racks, which I actually make myself. I had a few requests to make personalized racks. Here are two that are ready to be shipped!



Finally, the most incredible thing has happened. I have been in touch with my mom's cousin, who works for Foot Locker, and she recently asked if I was interested in running the New York City Marathon this year. The company receives a few guaranteed entries each year since they are a sponsor, and she said that she could recommend me for an invitation. Of course I said yes! Last Friday, I received an e-mail from New York Road Runners, stating that I was invited to run on behalf of Foot Locker. I can't even describe the emotions that overwhelmed me upon receiving this e-mail.

The NYC Marathon was the first 26.2 race that I ever attended when I volunteered at the mile 25 fluid station back in 2013. I swear it was the best spot to volunteer, because I got to see runners just over a mile from the finish line, and it was so inspiring. Early on in the day, I witnessed the elite runners moving on tired legs, hoping to reach the finish line first. After that, I saw runners of mixed abilities and emotions passing through Central Park. Some were feeling strong and passing right by the water tables, while others in tears BEGGING for fluids. There were runners carrying their nation's flag, and even runners recording the entire race using videocameras strapped to their hats. Last year, I attended the marathon as a NYRR employee. Most of my time was spent distributing radios to other employees and volunteers, but I did get to spend a good half hour in the finish area. I never imagined that I would be a part of the race itself.

This race could not have come at a better time. For the past two months, I've been experiencing a really bad running funk. We all have those days where we don't want to run, or where running feels hard both physically and mentally. This has been more severe than that. The most frustrating part was that I wasn't even sure why it was occurring. After filling out the application on Friday (and paying the registration fee $$$), I put together a training plan. I decided to go with the Nike plan created for the Chicago Marathon (Advanced Plan). Since I got in to the race 14 weeks out, I started on Week 3 which is fine because I have a pretty good foundation (despite the funk). I would post an image of the plan, but it was about 4 pages long online so for those interested, click here to see what my running schedule looks like for the next 90+ days.

Fit Approach's #1MillionMinutes campaign is still going on via Instagram and Twitter, so be sure to check out their website for the latest prompts and other news! The campaign is going through August 21st.

That's all for now. Hopefully I won't go another two weeks without updating!

No comments:

Post a Comment