New places to run

I'm excited to have a place to train...OUTSIDE...all year long. Sunday I took Tucker to the beach and we ran along the path there. It was gorgeous and soothing to be able to run near the beach with the waves crashing on the shore. There wasn't a ton of people since it was early on a Sunday, which makes running with the brown dog a little easier. The path down and back is only 6 miles, so after last weekend I'll need to move along to the Huntington path which is 12.8 miles one way. This will probably be the scene to the next 8 months of Sunday runs.

Each step in this process is grueling. Running is never easy (why would we do it if it was easy??), but having an end goal to this year is going to make it so much more rewarding. Getting to run for my baby nephew is going to give me energy in itself. To be able to cross that finish line in Central Park for Deaks, knowing he'll be right there with me gives me the motivation I need to put one foot in front of the other each day. Getting that medal will be something I'll forever treasure, more than any other race medal I've received, or will receive in the future. This is for him. The next 8 months are for him. Training to my highest potential...is for him.

NYC Marathon and 8 months of training

Last week, I got an amazing email. It said that I have been accepted into the 2015 NYC Marathon as a team member for Team CJ, a charity that raises money for SIDS. My nephew, my best friend's little boy, passed away last month from SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I get to run for Deacon and help fundraise to find out why this happens and to help support the families.
I can't believe I get to run NYC. I've thought about running the 6 world majors, but I figure NY and Boston would be the last ones since they're hard to get into. What makes it even better is my good friend Elyce is running it too, so we will get to support each other throughout this training process.
I've picked up some half marathons along the way, to keep racing and get ready for New York. These next 8 months will be full of trials and challenges, and many, many rewards. Last weekend I ran a 10k, and finished in under an hour. UNDER AN HOUR! I'm not an elite, so that is WONDERFUL for me. That I know I can at least run over 6 miles at almost a 9:30 pace, maybe I can hit one of my halfs at close to that pace this summer. If I could break 2 hours in a half, that would be amazing.
None of these goals are going to be easy. PR-ing in the half by such a margin, completing a full training cycle, and running and finishing the New York City Marathon. I am so excited to be able to train all year long, and not have to worry about cold weather, snow and ice, or events getting in the way of my training. No more 13 hour Saturdays where I am too tired to do my long runs on Sunday.
So this week marks it. Eight months of training for races, all compiling to November 1st, where I will run through the 5 boroughs and finish in Central Park, the very place I started this whole crazy journey so many years ago. So let's get out and run!