Losing weight

What a weekend! So many people competing in the Chicago Marathon, the Staten Island Half, various Iron Men and the Long Beach Marathon, I truly have an inspirational group of friends. Congratulations to every who raced this weekend! I'm sure most of you heard by now, I did indeed claim a 4:15 PR this weekend in Staten Island. (New PR is currently 2:03:41, woo!)

It's been about 24 hours and it's finally sunk in. Sunday was such a giant blur (waking up at 4:50am and a ferry crisis that had me literally running to the start of the race) that I wasn't really happy about the race yesterday. I mean, I wasn't upset about it, but I guess it just didn't really hit me until this morning. I raced aggressively yesterday, and didn't hold back. My well taped 2:05 pace bracelet fell off at mile 4. The only thing I knew was I had to be at mile 6 by 57 minutes. I remember hitting it in 55, and smiled. I felt great the first half, but by the last 5k I was suffering. I told myself to hold on, you can't let this one slip away from you yet again. You can do it, just keep running. I remember repeating over and over again that I couldn't let myself down. I was on track through the first 10 miles, I couldn't just give up. I couldn't allow myself to.

I feel like I did a lot more then run a faster race yesterday. I feel like I was able to lose the weight the "2:07" and all the weight of the self doubt that I've been carrying around. I finally realize now, that a 2:00 half marathon is well within my reach. Not only that, but before I know it I'll be able to run in the 1:50's too. All the fear (of bonking, of getting hurt, of succeeding) is finally starting to chip away, and for once in a long time I am starting to understand my full potential. With the New York City Marathon 26 days away (sorry!) I couldn't welcome this change at a better time. Two more weeks of hill repeats and long runs, two weeks of tapering, and then it's time to smash my marathon time and show my home town what I've got.