ING New York City Marathon!

Just over a week until the ING NYC Marathon! Crazy.

Normally
I would not try back-to-back marathons, but my original plan was to
snag the standard at Chicago and then RACE NYC to just see what I had. I was lucky enough to get an invitation to compete in NYC’s professional
women’s division again this year. So, I thought NYC could be an “icing on the cake” type of race.

Well, that didn’t go as planned…

My
legs have felt like crap since Chicago. They’re slow and clumsy. My hip
is sore. The first week I ran 3 times: a 3 miler, a 4.5 miler, and a 6
miler. The 6 miler would have been much shorter, but I was out on
country roads and couldn’t get home  any faster.  The legs were not
appreciating those last couple of miles.

It has been
more of the same this week. After another 6 mile run early in the week
that ended just as poorly, I convinced myself to contact the recruiter
to tell him that it just wasn’t smart to race.

Because I know it isn’t.

But, then Craig came over for dinner that evening. He talked me into gutting it out. What?!? I know what you’re thinking. 🙂

I’m
not sure what it was. Was it picturing staying in the elite host hotel
and being able to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner next to Olympians.
Was it the fact that this is freaking New York City and the largest
marathon in the world? The fact that I likely won’t be invited back
again as the standards for elites for the bigger races is just getting
harder and harder? Was it picturing myself in my neon Brooks bra and
CW-X shorts trying to stay warm at the start line with the small group
of awesomely fast other invited women? (Goosebumps!)

A very well done course preview: