Forever Celebrating the Boston Marathon

Official Boston Marathon finisher certificates are being sent to runners - as if I needed another reason to just fall in love with the entire experience.

The Boston Marathon is so iconic and maintains its old school way of doing things unlike any other marathon. The six months following registration (September) until the race (April) we received so many letters, directions, packets that it felt like Boston Marathon Christmas every week.

The entire experience was incredible {and hard, freezing, encouraging, blessed, did I say freezing and soaking wet?} BUT SO FREAKING WORTH IT.

I can't wait to run it again next April {and just like last year, fresh off a December marathon}. Only this time it's Hawaii, not Kiawah. I admit, I dig this annual tradition of a marathon on 12-13.

While I anxiously await the delivery of my certificate, race pics will have to suffice. 

uffice for now. One of the greatest weekends of my life.

Early Birthday Wishes to the Best Dad Around

I am not entirely sure how it's already the end of July, but that means it's time for my dad's birthday. Or as I like to call it, one of the hardest days of the year.

Birthdays, by definition, celebrate ones birth, which is excruciatingly hard when that person has passed away.

Spending the weekend at home this past weekend {and nabbing a first place AG race win in the local 10k} really brought me back from the ledge. The ledge, as it pertains to my dad is just a place of confusion and sadness and is a place I find myself when an anniversary, birthday or holiday is near. Spending a long weekend around my mom {and getting a lot of sleep} really help me.

It's been 7 years - thats 7 freaking birthdays - we have had to forego buying my dad amazingly awesome boxers. Wait, are boxers even still made - I mean, we haven't helped that market in 7 years. Haha!!

It's been challenging without my dad and yet, since we had no choice in the matter, been very prideful knowing the three of us are unbreakable.

My mom and I have been having dreams that include my dad where he is there but just out of reach. She dreamt she couldn't reach him while he was in front of her, whereas I saw him in the crowd of a race cheering for me but I just couldn't get to him. THATS HIM SAYING HI!

We both believe he's around - my brother too - but we'd love more visits!

Happy early birthday dad! I've eaten my fair share of M&Ms this week just for you! We LOOOVE you!

monday funday

Well summer hit this weekend. like HARD.

I was starting to worry we were experiencing all the summer we were set to experience. Buuuut then a heat wave hit. Like, heat advisory's, stay inside warnings and dehydration scares. I went running, natch.

I learned during my time in Arizona that running in the heat is fun. I know, its sadistic and crazy - but its fun. There is no better feeling (to me) than just going out and getting so sweaty and hot. You get a bit of sun, you sweat out all the bullshit and you finish feeling great. Well, you sweat for hours and endure flushed cheeks, but believe me, you feel great.

As I heal up my shins - a combo of overuse and getting hit in the gym by a crazy biker -  I have been mixing running and walking. Its hard to walk, especially alone, but its been nice. Still aiming to get in a lot of miles, but balancing it with the impact of running and the lower impact of walking.

Soaked - yet SO HAPPY - about Saturdays PR. Love you #26!

this big city girl is heading home to the burbs

Its been a fun - but seriously chaotic - few months.

Let's start with the highlights - I started working at WIRED mag. I'll be honest, seeing your name in a masthead NEVER gets old! I also ran the Boston Marathon, which happened to be one of the most amazing and emotional experiences of my life. I ran a 3:30, so I'll be heading back to beantown to do it all again next April!! Drew and I, with out bud Reinaker, ran the red rose run a few weeks back - now THAT WAS FUN!! I rarely do races as short as 5 miles, running at a faster pace - basically running with that feeling like you're either going to throw up or shit your pants - is so hard!

I'm heading home this weekend. I think wherever my mom is is where I will always call home. She moved in with Bill and they live in York, so not really home to me at all, but she's there so it feels like home.

It'll be fun to run a local 10k tomorrow and spend the rest of the weekend entertaining people at bills family reunion - mainly the kids :)


--- edited and updated ---
I meant to write and publish this on the train but Amtrak wi-fi is embarrassingly terrible.

Home was amazing. I PR'd the 10k by about 40 seconds (still waiting on official time), and if I placed in my AG. I wanted to stay post race and collect an AG award but it took too long!

It was about 10000000 degrees yesterday - heat advisory and all. I have to admit, I arrived back in the city at 3pm, got home around 330 and went out for the sweatiest, hottest, most need 5 mile run!!!

Heres to a great week, a new motivation to blog again and getting all healthy/healed up for the summer and marathon season!!