11/19/2021
Marathon #2 in the books! Running NYC was really an amazing experience - the emotion of being back to in-person races after 2020 was cancelled, running through all five boroughs and the fantastic crowds (I wrote my name on my shirt so not only did they cheer me by name, but I even got serenaded with “Sweet Caroline” a few times!).
A few things that I was particularly happy about:
That training grind that I posted about a few weeks ago? It paid off, big-time. I PR’d my Chicago time by 30 minutes, on a tougher course. So all those early mornings and dark or rainy runs really came through when it counted. Not to say that there weren’t tough times throughout the race, but I was able to push through them. Moral of the story: trust the program, and trust that the effort that you put in will give you the results that you want.
I did Chicago in 2019, and I was SO happy about it because honestly, when I was healing from my DR, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to run long distances again. So Chicago was proof that my body had healed enough to push it hard. But…that race came with its own wakeup call. After the race, my pelvic floor didn’t feel right, almost like a slight prolapse, which I had never experienced before. I had to take a few months off from running and work with a pelvic floor physical therapist to both relax and strengthen the pelvic floor. (That experience is what inspired me to get certified in functional pelvic floor work.) I wasn’t sure if I’d have the same issue after NYC, but I’m happy to report that the PF exercises paid off as well and other than some sore legs and toes, my body felt great after the race.
Also, those cute lil Dunkin’ Donuts beanie hats the girls are wearing? DD was giving them out at the start village and I knew my girls would love them. So I grabbed three, stuffed them in the waistband of my pants, and ran like that for the first 8 miles until I saw my crew and could hand them off. Once a mom, always a mom…
