Cyndi's training update

Hello, there!

Ah, winter. As I type this, we are on the verge of another snowstorm…anywhere from 3-12” depending on where you live. It certainly makes training for the upcoming 113^th Annual Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20^th, 2009 challenging!

If it’s not the snow getting us down, it’s the cold. When I did my long run this weekend, I think it was single digits at the start. Thankfully, the sun was strong and there wasn’t much wind. I found a new use for those handwarmers that come in those foil packets too…put one in each pocket of my jacket so my 8 oz. water bottles didn’t freeze. Brilliant!!!

The run I did on Sunday was, technically, a “race”…it was the Boston Prep 16 miler in Derry, NH. This is the 3^rd year I’ve done it. Last year I ran unofficially; this year, I opted to register and wear the race # (plus they gave us a WICKED nice dri-fit long sleeve shirt too!)

The course is labeled as “moderately challenging” and they’re not kidding. The hills between miles 10 and 12 are brutal (if anyone knows where Warner Hill Road in Derry is, try driving it sometime and you’ll see what I’m talking about). I ran most of this with 2 friends of mine; one who I’m training for Boston with and another who I’ve done other races with in the past. We went into this with the mentality of an “organized training run” as opposed to an all out push. After all, it’s just a stepping stone to the “big one” on Patriots Day.

My competitive nature got the best of me after the hills and I decided to push the last 4 miles. After it was over, I didn’t feel like it was a successful run. My time was about 5-6 minutes slower than my 2007 official time. I felt a bit defeated and discouraged.

A dear friend of mine helped me realize something very important. It isn’t always about getting a PR. Sometimes, it’s about helping someone else get a PR…or even to just FINISH. I was able to be a part of that on Sunday and, in retrospect, that was so special. I’m thankful to have run the first 10-12 miles with my two friends and have no regrets. I no longer feel like a failure, but instead, learned an important lesson in helping someone else reach their goal. I was inspired. Every race I’ve run in has taught me something. This one was no different.

Speaking of helping someone else reach their goal (come on, you KNEW this was coming), won’t you help me reach my fundraising goal of $3,000 for the Lazarus House? Here is a link to my personal fundraising page:

http://www.lazarushouse.org/BostonMarathon/default.asp

In closing, I’d like to share a quote with you:

"Before you begin a thing remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. You can only see one thing clearly, and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin."

Kathleen Norris
1880-1966, Novelist

Thank you all for your interest and support. Be safe in the snow tomorrow for those that live in glorious New England!!!

Hugs,

Cyndi