1 Week 1 Day until NY Marathon

This morning I ran 9 miles at around 10am with my new running buddy Tara. I ran this late because I will not be crossing the starting line of the NY marathon until at least 10:15 next weekend.  Tara is also running the NY marathon and we are going to start together.  She is also running through an injury (Runner's knee) and we both go to Kennedy Brothers for Physical Therapy.  I'm super excited about having a running buddy for NY!  I hope we can stay together until at least Mile 13!!! (That's where I will see my friends and family for the first time- in Queens!)

I ran from my brothers to Tara's which is about a mile.  Together we ran 7 miles.  Total for me, I ran 9 miles.  And for the most part, I felt good.  It still felt hard, but I felt better than my treadmill run on Thursday.  (Maybe I should stop running on the treadmill!!!)  Tara and I have only met a few times, but we have been email buddies for awhile so it was really great getting to know each other on the run.  I'm excited for next weekend when we can chit chat while running through New York!!!  Here are our mile spilts.  I didn't shut off my watch for the most part, even when we were waiting for lights so the times reflect that. 

1:23:38, 9 miles, 9:18 pace

Mile 1:8:33 (me running from mike's to tara... I always want to start slow and never can...oops)

Mile 2: 9:10 (meting up with Tara, running to the river)

Mile 3: 9:24

Mile 4: 9:50 (had to wait for a light)

Mile 5: 9:36

Mile 6: 9:17

Mile 7: 9:25 (Holy wind)

Mile 8: 9:01 (Last mile with Tara, really pushing it)

Mile 9: 9:23 (cooldown mile solo back to my brothers)

For the most part, I felt good on this run.  It was windy out and I was overdressed but it was good.  I'm feeling more positive about Sunday. Now it's time to get my game face on.  This week I am going to work on positive visualization.  I cannot let my negative mind creep in.  I need to positive like I was in this post. 

Here we go... one week, 1 day.  Bring it New York City!!!

The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.
Jacqueline Gareau

Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’
Peter Maher

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired. You’ve always got to make the mind take over and keep going.
George S. Patton