Week 13 - Double Pilates and a PR

I went to the gym for a treadmill workout Monday.  I thought I was sufficiently recovered from my 17.5 miler, but it seriously felt like I was moving my legs through glue.  And not nice modern scrap-booking glue.  No.  Old-school Elmer's white glue.  The kind that was only good for making 3rd grade science posters about cash crops.


On Wednesday I did some pilates with good old Time Warner "Exercise on Demand".  Why is there something so satisfying about accomplishing a workout the comfort of my pajamas?


Then I had an awesome run in Central Park on Thursday with my new friend Gordon!  Gordon lives in Alabama.  And I "ran" with him in the form of his podcast, "Run to Disney".  I came across his website/podcast while googling Disney Marathon info.  He's a newbie runner like myself, who trained to run the Disney Marathon last year.  He chronicled his training on the web and in podcast episodes.  He's hilarious, and also offers some good running tips (many specific to Disney endurance events).  I totally enjoyed listening to an old episode of his while on my run, and somehow the minutes flew by.  He suggests that his listeners "facebook friend" him, so now we're official "friends"!  Gordon isn't running Disney this year, but who knows... I may run into him at an event one of these days.  It is so nice to read and listen to other new runners.  We have a special kind of neuroses all our own!


I did another round of pilates on Friday, and then Saturday walked around the city (a lot) with my dear friend Heather and her 6-year old daughter!  My feet were aching, but I think it was due to crappy shoes and socks.  The turtle is due for new footwear!


This morning, Jim and I (finally!) completed our 9th qualifying race for the NY Marathon, 2010.  We ran a NYRR 4-MIler (preceded by a 2-mile warm-up run), the "Race to Deliver" (benefitting a great cause, "God's Love We Deliver").  I am proud to say I unexpectedly ran a PR today, at an average of 10:13/mile!  I know this is SLOW for most runners, but for a turtle like me who never ran even two feet prior to 13 months ago, this is a thrill.  In my first race ever (a 5k last February), I ran an 11:45 pace.  So my turtle training is paying off after all!  Besides having my husband by my side the entire race, Eminem kicked in on the old Nano, and it really pumped me up.  I think it's time to consider less showtunes and more rock in my playlists if I want to pick up the pace.  Somehow "Funny Girl" does not inspire speed.  Sorry, Barbra...you're still like buttah.


Sarathon or bust!