Expectations. They have changed nothing and everything in my running. It has been by my own doing so I have no one to blame. I have exposed a glass house and invited everyone to watch. Sometimes that means going above my own expectations and sometimes it means exposing all of my flaws.

I wouldn't be the runner I am today without others watching. And ( Read more... )

It's dark when the alarm goes off. It is cool, quiet, and calm in the bedroom. I swing my feet over the side of the bed and touch the floor.

I sip cold black coffee from a plastic cup as I drive the now-familiar route north. The sky is cloudy and it seems as though the world is taking a little longer to wake up this morning. On The Road Again ( Read more... )

I don't even remember when the suggestion of Loonies Midnight Marathon came onto my radar screen. Likely a week or two before Merrill's Mile and my head was so wrapped around getting through a 12 hour race that I couldn't see beyond June 3rd.

I came out of Merrill's unscathed and despite a little bit of residual soreness, I was running again that ( Read more... )

"How many more do you have?" blue shirt runner guy shouted from across the track.

"2!" I exclaimed.

"Are you going to keep going?"

"Of course!"

With an hour and a half left on the clock, I made my goal of 100K. 62 miles in 10:29:45. But the race wasn't to reach a mileage mark and finish. This was a 12 hour race. It was to see how far I could go in 720 ( Read more... )

It's 2:30 a.m. I'm finishing up my 34th mile. Everything is uncomfortable. I am drenched in sweat. My legs are cramping from lack of hydration and electrolytes. It is dark and has been for the past 5 hours. The shadows are beginning to play tricks and the small section of single track is getting tougher to navigate.

But I keep going. One foot in ( Read more... )

Two days ago, I looked in the mirror and didn't see noticeable ripples on my thighs. Where did my cellulite go?! I thought the mirror was playing tricks on me so I went in and out of the light. And then to a different mirror. Still not really there.

I felt elated at first. I hadn't tried to make it disappear and yet, it was gone!

But then like a ( Read more... )

3 years ago this month, I was contemplating running 2 marathons in the same year. It seemed a bit crazy. Training for one took 3 months! Could I dedicate 6 months out of the year to marathon training?!

Fast forward through 16 marathons and 3 ultras and I find myself texting Steve (aka rp9919) in early April about a possible marathon in May. Nothing ( Read more... )

You only get one chance at your first Boston. 2015 was overwhelmingly perfect in every way possible that I truly couldn't have asked for a better experience in 2016. I cannot deny my excitement to be toeing the line in Hopkinton (again? wow!), but I also had different goals and dreams this year.

Adam and I flew in on Saturday--I was superstitiously ( Read more... )

What a difference a year makes. Last year when I was prepping for Boston, I was taking every workout so seriously and everything was so planned. This year, well, I'm just a bit more focused on the long-term. There is no doubt that I want to do well in Boston. It's Boston. I still have incredible respect for the marathon distance and couple it with ( Read more... )

"Nice finishing kick," I breathlessly exclaim to the sweaty guy next to me. He looks up at me with his hands on his knees and smiles modestly. I can't tell if he's secretly thrilled by his final push or if he's just satisfied the pain of the marathon is over.

Two minutes and two seconds separate me from my personal best. A feat that might leave ( Read more... )