Racing to the Finish

All this waddling around town has got me thinking more and more about running.  I've really enjoyed the break from running, but I'll be ready to pick it up again as soon as I'm physically able.  Additionally, the fact that my New Balances and a pair of flip-flips are the only footwear that fit make me love them even more than I did before.  I'm equally impressed with my my Cannondale racer back tank that also still fits, which is surpising because my belly is peaking out of maternity shirts these days. 

Half-Marathon in Seattle, Summer 2006

Yesterday, I cancelled my registration for the NYC ING Marathon, which will take place on November 6^th.  Jeff and I qualified for the 2011 marathon by running nine qualifying races and volunteering for New York Road Runners Club, organizers of the event.  Luckily, once you qualify, which definitely takes a significant amount of effort; you can cancel/postpone for as many years as you wish.  We plan on running the marathon in 2012 and I think it’s a great post-partum goal.  After, I finished the Hartford Marathon in 2005, I said I would never run another marathon, but I think it's like child labor, you forget how hard and painful it is, and only remember the good parts.  Five years later, I remember most clearly, my Mom on the sidelines handing me a dry bandana, and my Dad hugging me at the end.  I remember it being a challenge, but nothing I couldn't do again.

Last week, I received an e-mail notification reminding me to register for the Manchester Road Race, Connecticut’s largest, which takes place Thanksgiving morning.  This year will be the 75^th Anniversary and my 21^st consecutive running of the race. For the past two years, I have qualified to start at the Under 40 Minutes gate, which is a huge advantage, because navigating around 15,000 runners and maintaining pace is by far the hardest challenge.

Hartford Marathon Relay Team, Fall 2010

Everyone (i.e. Jeff, Shawna, Mom) thinks that I won’t be able to run this year because, I will have just given birth about 2 months prior, but I have to run it. It’s in my blood.  I don’t care if I run slow, leaking pee, or need to walk at times, but there’s no way I’m not starting at the Under 40 gate and giving it my all. I told Jeff, he better enjoy the ride, because this is the only year he has a shot at beating me.