Wow. It has been over a year since I've written. Over a year!!! So much has happened. I guess it all kept me from writing.
Let's recap. I ran my first marathon. How did I NOT write about that?! In October 2015 I ran in the Wineglass Marathon in the Finger Lakes Region in New York. If you know me, you know I love wine and I love to run so I thought let's mix the two of them. The Finger Lakes is one of New York's Wine Regions.
The Wineglass. I beat my goal of 4:30 by finishing 4:27:57. I used the Run Walk Run method, specially I ran 4 minutes and walked 1 minute. Actually I ran with a few friends and we stuck together the whole way. I felt great at the end. My legs were a little tired but I could walk to the wineries just fine!! Ha!
I felt so good in fact that I signed up for a second marathon for 15 days later. I ran the Empire State Marathon in Syracuse, New York. I drove through snow to get there and let me tell you I was determined to run it. If I finished I'd qualify for the Marathon Maniacs. I ran it with a friend who also ran the Wineglass with me. We are crazy.
We woke up to temperatures of about 30 degrees and black ice. I packed capris. It wasn't supposed to be that cold. I struggled with this one. The beginning was tough since I felt like I had ice blocks for feet. The end was tough since my legs felt like...lead blocks. But I finished with a time of 4:35:38. 12th in my division. Not bad considering I had to make a pit stop at a porta potty!!! I qualified and applied to the Marathon Maniacs. I am a maniac and I might never do a full again, lol!!!
I ran a few more races and a few more Ragnar Relays. My Ragnar in the Florida Keys was canceled since they couldn't get a permit. I was so bummed. I ran a Half Marathon in New Jersey in April with 50 mile per hour winds. I ran another Ultra Ragnar in Cape Cod and now I get blood blisters whenever I run in humid weather. I even went out to Utah to run the original Ragnar -- Wasatch Back. Awesome experience in a beautiful part of the country.
In September I drove to Rhode Island with the family to run another Half Marathon then the next month drove to Hartford, CT for yet another. That was seriously a great race. I was 30 seconds slower than my PR (personal record). Ugh. If I didn't stop to take my fleece off...hmmm....oh well. Finally I ended up driving to Delaware with a friend to run a Half Marathon in my 8th state. Probably one of my favorite races only because it flew by. Normally at mile 9 I am starting to think about the end. I didn't PR, I wasn't trying for one but I did come in under 2 hours.
A lot of traveling for races. So I might as well make it official. I signed up for the 50 States Half Marathon Club. I was talking with a friend saying that some people just don't have goals. I can't imagine my life without them. So my new goal is to run a Half Marathon in each state. I can't wait to continue on this adventure. I can't wait to see everywhere it takes me.
My next state is Pennsylvania. I've wanted to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon for some time now. I went to Pitt for my freshman year in college so I'm looking forward to going back there. My sister and her family also live there so it will be a good visit. Other than that, I don't have my next states planned yet. It will be either Washington, Maine, or Virginia. Or maybe all of them!
I will do a better job at writing about my fitness and running adventures. Part of the excitement of exercise and running is to be able to share it with others!!