Marathon Experience- in Don's words...

A memorable weekend it was indeed and a new PR of 3:38:39. Next goal, train to qualify for Boston in my elderly 40-44 age group, requiring a 3:20:00. Yep, will likely have to shed more poundage and start to look more like my elite Kenyan runner brethren.

Survived:

- 2 hours total sleep the night prior – too geared up – who needs sleep anyway…
- 3.5 hours of standing around from 6:30am to 10am on gusty Staten Island till the start (39 to 41 degrees with gusting wind)…
- Running like a bat outta at hell at the start to get warm, zigging and zagging through the crowd over Verazano-Narrows bridge; the zig-zagging added another .4 miles to my distance (not smart) – finishing in 26.6 versus 26.2 according to my Garmin ForeRunner 305 GPS watch…
- A major fall (tripping on man-hole cover at mile 6) – from feet to hands, forward rolling to elbows, somersaulting and scraping right knee, rolling straight up to feet never losing a step in stride; the crowd wet themselves, and I prayed for the next mile that the knee would not be shattered – to the beat of “Dory” in “Finding Nemo” – just keep running, running, running…
- Trying to escape “Henry Winkler Fonzie look-alike obnoxious singing iPod man” from mile 11 to mile 19 – took me 8 miles to finally outpace and get rid of him; every bridge we crossed the guy would scream ‘yeah!!’ at the top of his lungs and scare the hell outta everyone around him…
- Leg cramps at mile 22 – ran through it until 25 yards from finish, stopping for 3 seconds to stretch; next time note to self to bring salt tabs (one at start and one at halfway mark)…
- Walking another mile after the finish to pick up my checked clothes – 46 degrees, wet, cramped up, and watching a half dozen others puke along the way – as Borat would say “NICE-UH!!!”…

Moments of inspiration:
- Running up to kiss my wife and daughters at mile 8 in Brooklyn!
- Looking down at a RoadID bracelet they gave me with their names and best wishes on it, when I needed to dig deep at mile 22!
- Running alongside a guy at mile 11 with a shirt on that said “heart transplant survivor”!
- Running alongside a guy at mile 14 with a metal prosthetic leg!
- Running within crowds of 38,356 people from of all parts of the world, through 5 boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan), 29 neighborhoods!

I Love NY

Someday, when the girls are grown and on their own, Don and I will live there. Definitely Manhattan - with a beautiful view, and all the excitement NY offers in walking distance. I'll be much older than I am now since The Governor (aka Hannah) is only 4... but I'm sure CrossFit NY will still take me on!

Don is still on the NY marathoner's high. Don't blame him - I'd wear that finisher's medal in the school car rider line, the shower, the grocery store.... I committed with some of my gal pals to do the half marathon Zooma in April... it's a crazy goal for me I think. But I'll try, because I am CrossFit.

NY Marathoner

Rogue running training - $275

Cool yellow New Balance Shoes - $110

Finishing in 3.38.39 - FREAKING PRICELESS

Up at 5am (not that he even slept)- bus into the city to sit in booty-freezing weather with 40,000 other runners, into the coral, release at about 10:00am, tear up the Verrazano bridge, dodge the slow-starters, manhole-cover-toe-stubbing double sommersault fall at mile 6 (crowd went "ohhhhh"), kisses to the family at mile 7.5, run, family got fast glimpse at Lexington and 1st amonst roaring crowd, run more, missed family at mile 22, run even more, leg craps with 50 yards to go, cross the finish line and celebrate.

Congrats Don/Daddy. You are truly amazing.

CrossFit Halloween

These are my Lake Pointe boot camp coaches. Really, no words necessary. Meet Richard Simmons and Work Out Barbie.

LiveStrong 45mile Bike

I definitely underestmated this one - but oh, crazy Kelly said, let's go for it and next thing I knew, I had some rather unflattering red bike pants, but a cool jersey and a date to see roads I have never been on in Dripping Springs, Wimberly, and at some point, surely we were in San Antonio.

Crazy Kelly has a new nickname - Bad Mamma Jama (henceforth known as BMJ). She flew past Jacquelyn and I about mile 20 maybe - skipping two rest stations that were like a magent to us and we never saw her again. BMJ is a freaking rock star - running 14 miles the day before for her half marathon training.

So, as I type this post, it's now about 7 hours after a ride that took me 3.5 hours -- and I love Advil. I will not be able to move w/out pain until Tuesday. Leonardo was a trooper over all the chip seal and cattleguards (I counted at least 100 of them - ok maybe 20), and bless Jacquelyn for being by my side, encouraging and lamenting with me.

It was a wonderful cause, wonderful day - and I do believe Lance passed us -- or someone really important with a 6 police motorcycle and 2 car caravan - I was a little too dazed and thinking of my aching neck and back, and legs, to consider it might have been him until he was long gone... he was probably just trying to catch BMJ.

LiveStrong 5k

Six bombshell Ladies of the Lake Pointe Boot Camp enjoyed a cool, crisp Austin morning and took on the LiveStrong Challenge 5K run. I finished what was by my watch 29.42 - but we all convinced ourselves we could take a minute off of that if we hadn't gotten behind the walkers which made for a really slow start. Anyway - I'm happy to finish under 30 minutes (LYtime 31.33). The run was easy the first mile and a push by the third - however, I'm always amazed at how fast I recover, and with a little rest, think I could do it again. I credit that to CrossFit. Happy one year anniversary to me - as the LiveStrong '07 was my first ever race. We missed you JT. Tomorrow, the 45 mile bike with Kelly and Jacquelyn. Yeah, padded shorts.

Leonardo

My mother in law has named all of her cars... (ok, yes, for which I made fun of her in the past)... So I decided I should name my new obsession - my Bianchi Italian hot rod. The Italian form of the German word Leonhard, meaning "lion-strong." I considered many name options, but decided upon this - as it is close to my maiden name of Leonard and Leonidas (my favorite Spartan). I also considered Francesco ("free"), Vitore ("victory") and Casmiro ("great destroyer"). So my Italian will carry me thru 50+ miles at the LiveStrong race this weekend. Ok, really I got him because I was tired of those road bikes passing me on my hybrid - AND looking at Crazy Kelly's back side on our Sunday rides. Yes, I'm kind of competitive, and yes, I'm wasting time thinking of silly things like naming a bike. Back to work.