The Year of the PRs

A new year has brought a new set of goals. 2024 is feeling particularly lucky to me. After a series of missteps (both literally and figuratively) and the general feeling of pending doom that I carry around like a weight on my shoulder, this year feels different. I'm not one to believe in miracles or luck. I think half of life is chance and the other half is determined by the choices we make. We determine our own destiny. 

As I sit here writing this from my hotel room, just a stone throw away from the Boston Marathon course, the night before the 128th most prestigious marathon in the world - I can't help but feel...well, lucky. 

Early in the year, I accepted my invitation to the run the NYC Marathon again this November 2024. This entry was earned from all the races and volunteering I did last year in 2023.

I've also been tackling my 9+1 status this year in a much more aggressive and expedient manner than years past. By mid-May after the Brooklyn Half, I will already have 6 races completed. My next race in NYC will not be until the Staten Island Half in October. A pretty long "break" in the summer months. In some ways, it feels good to be ahead of the game. But at the same time, some of the winter races (which were new for me) were not as enjoyable as I would have liked. They involved extremely early morning treks into the city - usually in the dark and very cold. 

I did enjoy the Manhattan 10k in February though because a friend kindly had my bib and hot coffee waiting for me near Central Park. Later in the month at the Al Gordon 4-Miler in Brooklyn, I unexpectedly ran into someone I know from my running club, the Milltown Runners, and we chatted the whole way into the city and back. 

In March, Rob joined me for his first time to run one of my favorites in upper Manhattan - the Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K. It's a beautiful course - uphill through the heights, with a beautiful view at the top through Fort Tryon, and then a sweeping downhill back to the Armory on 168th Street. This is not an easy 5K course. But somehow...I got lucky! I set a new PR for my 5K at 27:58, beating my previous record of 28:37 from the 2021 Abbott Dash. I can't believe after all I have been through, I can still shave time off a race. And quite honestly, and maybe even arrogantly, it feels like this is only the beginning for me. 

In early April, I ran the Run As One JP Morgan 4-Miler in Central Park with two other women from the Milltown Runners. Again, it was such a game-changer not to be alone in my crazy pursuits. Being around likeminded people who enjoyed talking about running as much as I did was refreshing. I haven't run this particular race since 2019 when I was pregnant with Gio (44:37) in the pouring rain with Fred and Kara (still one of my favorite photos ever taken with our grumpy faces!) This time - I ran an outstanding 8:50  pace with a finish of 36:25. Amazing. Lucky. 

Just last weekend, my daughter and I ran a 5K together sponsored by our local YMCA. It was cold and windy out by the water, but Pietra persevered! I had to do a lot of verbal encouraging along the way, especially explaining to her that we can do so much more than our minds allow us to believe. For those have seen the movie Luca, I borrowed "Silenzio Bruno!" as our race mantra. As much as that was for little legs, I think she liked the taste of accomplishment at the end. I have no doubt that I will be running a lot more side-by-side with my daughter in the near future. I'm so lucky to be her Mom.

But the luck continues - wait there's more! I have earned entry into the Brooklyn Half on May 18, the biggest Half Marathon in the United States. They let a small amount of runners into this race every year via lottery entry to help diversify the running course. We (I) threw Rob's name into the hat...and he got it! He was pretty mad at first, but I think he's excited to see what he can do. The thing is, Rob has natural talent. Given how hard I work, it's both exhilarating and infuriating at the same time. He's going to crush this course and set an amazing first Half finish time. My prediction is 01:50. 

This is ALSO my year to make Brooklyn my stand-out performance. It's not going to be the marathon, I'm being realistic. That goal is much more realistic (more to come on that later). My goal is get my Half time from the current PR of 2:12:18 - much closer to the 2 hour mark. I have enough Half experiences under my belt at this point where this totally feasible. It's going to come down to a few things.

I need to run between a 9:00-9:30 pace ✔️ 

I already proved that I can do this for 9 miles at Ted Corbitt in December, for 3 miles in Washington Heights in March, and for 4 miles Run as One in April. But can I hold it for 13 miles in Brooklyn this May?

Remaining injury free until May ✔️

My hip-leg IT band thingy started acting up again recently. But I took action quickly. Rested. Treatment. And seemed to be through the worst of it. I have to be really careful as it's always looming around the corner ready to show itself.

Pray for good weather ✔️

This will be my third go at Brooklyn and the weather has notoriously been extreme. During my infamous 2022 attempt when I got seriously hurt, it was 90 degrees (a runner died!) Last year in 2023, it was down-pouring buckets of rain.

And most obviously - ramping up my long runs these next few weeks ✔️

Since I've maintained a healthy base all winter, this has not been challenging physically. Finding time is a different story. But I confidently know what to do in order to ramp up to 13 miles.

My marathon ambitions this year are much more humble and simple. I'd like to hit the finish time I was supposed to hit last year. I should have run a sub 5 hour marathon. I trained to run a sub 5 hour marathon. Repeat after me - "I am not going to run the first 13 miles too fast this year! I'm going to watch my pace. I'm not going to slow down in the second half because I burned up all my energy too quickly." In other words, my goal for the 2024 NYC Marathon is to slow the fuck down...in order to finish faster.

But just in case this wasn't enough PRs, goals, and luck for 2024 yet...I did something crazy. Like really bad guys. The NYC Marathon also lets a small sliver of lottery entries onto the course. This year had a record breaking 165,000 applicants worldwide and they only accepted a fraction - 6,000 people. Somehow...Rob's name made it into the lottery. Somehow, the son of a bitch got this one too! 

Here's the best part: this year, the 2024 NYC Marathon happens to fall on our wedding anniversary - November 3rd. 

We should play the lotto or something right? 

So while I'm manifesting this year to be the year of PRs for me personally, I also managed to build meaningful new relationships through Milltown. My kids are taking an interest in running with me. And I gained a new running spouse - by brute force. I'm already beaming with pride of what I know he can accomplish (with my forceful push). 

I'm looking forward to cheering my friend Kristen tomorrow in the city that shaped me, the city the represents the first time I left home, the city that will always be a giant piece of my heart (and the reason I say "wicked"). I am so proud of her accomplishments as a runner, an athlete, as badass woman, and most importantly - as human being who worked really hard. I am so blessed to have her in my life and her spirit inspires me daily. 

As I sit here in bed, almost midnight - with the Boston Marathon course right outside my window, I have to admit there's small sparkle in my eye. A tiny flame igniting in my heart. And this feeling that I can't shake - perhaps one day, Boston might be calling me as well. 

Best Day of My Life

On November 5th, 2023, I came out the other side of the most difficult thing I have ever physically (maybe even mentally) accomplished. After many years of dreaming, training and failed attempts: I finally ran the NYC Marathon. It was worth the wait. I couldn't have been more ready than I was in that moment. As painful as some moments felt, every step leading up to 2023 was a learning opportunity for me. I learned about pain, injury, my body, and most of all - my potential. When I got into the corral the morning of November 5th, I had no doubts that I could run the marathon. I had completed my 20 mile long run 3 weeks prior, and I knew I had enough stamina and knowledge to finish successfully. How quickly or how slowly I completed was a different story! More to come on that. 

It was seriously the best day of my life. Full stop. It was also a giant party. I also really enjoyed taking everyone on my journey through my detailed social media updates. I was shocked about the outpouring of love and support I received. Often from the most unexpected people. I had a bunch of people reach out who I haven’t spoken to in 20+ years that were rooting for me. I'm talking acquaintances and old classmates who didn’t congratulate me on my wedding, the birth of my children, but were like... “woah NYC marathon”. That makes me chuckle. 

Rob and I were in the city the days prior for several events. Before I left the house on Thursday, I did my normal 6am run with the Milltown Runners, but treated it as a last “shakeout run”. A few of us were running the marathon on Sunday, so it was nice to have a group sendoff and chat some last minute logistics.

Then I headed into the city to volunteer as a translator at the Javits Center and pick up my bib and race materials. Once Rob joined me, we did the full expo experience including some photo ops, checking out new running products, and buying new orange socks for me – that was on my shopping list! I also participated in some more “community” based activities like signing a giant banner that was on display at the finish line. That was super cool to see a few days later.

On Friday, we went to Opening Ceremony for the first time – basically an Olympic style parade of countries and running clubs. We sat next to a large group of energetic supporters from Brazil in the grandstand, which was super fun. We should all approach life with their level of enthusiasm for sport. The ceremony concluded with fireworks over Central Park which felt both magical and ominous at the same time, thinking about the task ahead.

On Saturday, we continued our tradition of running the “marathon pre-race”, the Abbott Dash 5K, with Rob’s cousins Fred and Kara. I always use this race as a PR opportunity (in fact, Abbott 2021 was my fastest 5K to date). But had to force every bone in my body to hold back. I could not exert myself the day before the marathon, as much as I wanted to run hard and fast. I held back my adrenaline as much as possible and ran an average 5K pace for me of 00:30:49. 

After the race, I met with a friend I made online over the past year. Also a runner, also NYRR. We kept being at the same races and following each other on Strava. As a more seasoned marathoner, over the past few months, he had become a running mentor to me. So we made it happen! The German drank beer, and sadly I sipped water. 

Then things got crappy. I’m not going to lie. Saturday afternoon and evening were rough. My nerves were getting the best of me. Or maybe my strange high carb diet was making me feel sick. Maybe it was a combination of both, but I felt sick to my stomach. The only way to explain it was that I felt weak, fatigued, and sort of dizzy. The only thing I could think of was steak. I was hardcore craving a red meaty steak. I took this as signal that my body needed protein and iron. Even though that wasn’t on the approved list of items to consume. For note, I was trying to eat a low residue diet that was high on long-lasting carbs to build my reserve for Sunday. Basically, you need to carb load at specific rate for your body weight and expected pace, and avoid anything that could lead to extra body waste on Sunday (e.g., poop as one example). In other words, everything I enjoy eating like vegetables were off the table.

So, I decided to trust my instincts and ate a small serving of steak and greens back at our hotel, prior to our carb heavy pasta meal that was planned later that evening. With every bite, I literally felt energy and life returning to my body. It was crazy, and such a learning moment for future marathons.   

That evening I laid everything out and took the famous “gear photo”. I’ve taken this photo for all my past Halfs, but this was different. It was like triple the gear. It looked like I was going camping! But also, each item was so strategic. Each item represented years of preparation. Trial and error. Each piece was distinctly linked to moments of my training. Funny enough, the thing that stood out to me the most was not the camping gear. It was the fuel. 4 hours prior to the marathon, I was planning on consuming 30 grams of carbs. 2 hours before, another 30 grams. 1 hour before, 30 grams. And then 60 grams every hour I was running through a mix of liquids and solids (in my case, 5 hours of running). It was A LOT of carbohydrates. When I saw it all laid out on the bed the night before, it was daunting how much eating and how much running I needed to do. 

Of course, I didn’t sleep a wink that night. On and off, checking my watch every hour. Finally my alarm went off at 5am for a quick shower, get dressed, load gear, and off to the Staten Island ferry terminal in downtown Manhattan. It was surreal. 

The early morning trek to Staten Island in the morning was ridiculous. Subway, ferry, bus, walking. My wave time was 10:30am. After camping out, waiting, and being held back all morning, there's nothing like the adrenaline of running across the Verrazzano bridge. You try to slow down, but you just can't. When you come off the bridge, you get smacked in the face with a giant block party throughout all of Brooklyn - DJs, live bands, hand-held stereos. Hip-hop, gospel, reggaeton, and bagpipes. Everyone is involved and represents their neighborhood. 

Then there's the solitude and difficult incline of the Queensboro bridge which is a breaking point for many. Only to hear the craziest roar of people waiting in Manhattan on the other side. Like thunder between miles 15-16. The loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. And just when your legs are getting tired, you cross into the Boogie Down Bronx, and those tough people will not let you stop. Back down into Manhattan on 5th Ave through the Harlem jazz. These miles 23-24-25 were the hardest for me. 

Finally some greenery with a turn into Central Park with more flags, languages, and countries than you can possibly imagine. A right turn on West 59th Street for the final stretch. Everything hurts and there's nothing left in the tank, but somehow you cross the finish line. And immediately breakdown emotionally and physically. You're shaking so they cover you with a large orange blanket. You get your medal. It's all very surreal as you enter the post corrals to funnel runners out of the park. The funneling part was an additional 1-2 miles, but honestly very needed. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to anyone (yet). I just needed to BE for a little bit and my legs needed to adjust to walking.

I finished in 05:12:08. I didn’t hit my goal of sub 5 hour, but in that moment I didn’t care. I was just so tired and emotional. Hours later, I started to care. What the heck happened? Where did those extra 12 minutes come from? I had planned my pace mile by mile in an excel sheet! When I looked closer at the post-race analysis, it was pretty clear what went wrong. As everyone does, especially newbies, I went out way too hot on the Verrazzano bridge. And then I was flying about 2-3 minutes faster than my target pace for the first 13 miles. Therefore, as predicted and expected, my pace then plummeted to below my target pace. And continued to get slower and slower. For what it’s worth, from my exertion level, it didn’t feel like I was getting slower! I was pushing and pushing. When I looked closer at the data, my fastest mile was 9:43 and my slowest mile was 12:46. Clearly, I did NOT run negative splits as planned.

I cannot continue with a huge shout-out to my pit crew. I don't think folks truly understand what spectating and helping at this level is like. I've done it pretty much every year since 2015 - and it's A LOT of time, energy, and resources spent. These friends were out there all day for hours, followed my plan exactly to meet me in 5 spots, across 4 boroughs, and took 8 subways. They handed me critical supplies and their enthusiasm helped me get through each chunk of the race. 

This was the message I sent them the night before:

Just wanted to say thanks in advance to everyone making the trek tomorrow ❤️ I know not everyone is a runner and it may be crazy and hard to understand (trust me, I had no clue 10 years ago!) Which makes your commitment even more appreciated. 

We were reminiscing last night that we got married on NYC marathon Sunday 2013. Some friends who were making the trip from MA that morning had a lot of unexpected traffic and road closures, barely made it to the wedding. I had no conception of a marathon, let alone the date! And here I am, 10 years later, running it myself. Spending every waking moment of the past year thinking about it, talking about it, and putting in the hard work. Several years really. 

You guys know this doesn't come easy to me. I'm not naturally athletic. I have to work extra hard to overcome weight, asthma, allergies, pregnancy, postpartum issues, injuries. It wasn't an easy road to get here and there were many bumps and setbacks along the way. 

All of this to say...THANK YOU. Please try to have fun! Please take in all the excitement! I was always very emotional spectating (all these years!) Everyone has a story of why they're out there on the course doing this crazy thing. Try to remember that when you see 55,000 humans run past you. And over 2 million as spectators. 

Love you all ❤️

Can't wait to 🍹🌮🍹🌮... 🍺

My Dad also made a surprise last minute appearance (in the most crowded spot possible - face palm) at the bottom of the Queensboro bridge (see above - thunderous roar of people).

Post marathon: ate tacos (clearly) and drank way too much (obviously). I am proud of myself for immediately prioritizing protein intake as I was walking in the post-corral. I think being disciplined in that moment when more eating was the last thing on my mind had positive effects later in the evening and the next morning...especially given my poor celebration behavior that followed!

GODDAMN were the stairs difficult on Monday morning. Interestingly mostly going down the stairs instead of up the stairs. Especially the subway! I was even more sore on Tuesday, hobbling around the house. And my toes were majorly messed up - bruises, blisters, ongoing nail issues. By Wednesday I was feeling better. And on Thursday I went for my first run with the Milltown Runners - it felt great! Great training led to solid (and quick) recovery. 

Reflecting back now nearly 2 months later, I've been keeping busy! Busy enough not to think too hard! After many months of training, some of my time had to immediately shift back to prioritizing other areas I was neglecting, and in perfect time with the upcoming holidays. I've also been staying very active, but at a much lower intensity. Even lower than I would like, but somewhat needed for better budgeting of time...and honestly, healing. Especially those toes!

My current schedule looks something like this: 

• Short Run (3-4 miles)
• CrossFit
• Bike (30 minutes)
• Short Run (3-4 miles)
• HIIT (mix of bike + at home weights)
• Longer Run (6-8 miles)
• 1 Rest Day (usually after the longer run)

Last winter, I maintained a base of 6 mile long run every week, and it made a huge difference when I started training for the Brooklyn Half in the spring. This winter, I'm trying to push that a tiny bit more by keeping a base of 6-8 mile long run. This was easier throughout November and early December, but was more difficult to make time for near Christmas. I'm hoping to get back on track soon! And closer to the 8 mile threshold!

On December 2nd, I had my last NYRR race of the year - the Ted Corbitt 10K in Central Park. This was my third time running it and I had set a difficult PR goal of 1:30:00. This is an excellent race distance and course to set a PR. I did not hit my exact goal, but I did shave several minutes off previous years. I gave it my max effort and left nothing in the tank, so this definitely felt like a victory.

2021: 1:35:40

2022: 1:35:49

2023: 1:31:30

 

As the marathon excitement fades and more time passes by, I cannot help be left with an itching void inside. I thought the marathon would fill a certain existing void. But similar to depression, it's back, knocking on my door again. More to come on that another day in another post. 

For now, thinking about 2024. I already qualified with marathon entry because of all my work in 2023. If you asked me immediately after the marathon, I would have told you that I had planned to defer my entry to another year. THAT WAS A LIE. I am absolutely running it again this year in 2024.

Not all addictions are bad, right?