Some dreams keep on gettin' better, gotta keep believin' if you wanna know for sure

I ran Newport on Sunday and it didn't go the way I wanted it to at all.  My final time was 5:01.  I know, I talked a big game and I think I built myself up to believe that I was unstoppable.  Hubris man, it gets you every time.  But, after a good day of wallowing and a nice round of punching it out, I'm moving on.  As Ryan so kindly put it, did Tom Brady quit when he lost the Superbowl in 2008? No, he went back out there next year and worked harder.  Once again, Ryan comes through with the support and logic that I need.  Really, my life would be a lot worse if there was no Ryan.  (Ya, I know, barf, whatever, he deserves recognition.)

So, Newport's over and now it's on to Boston.  Of course my fundraiser is still waiting for a lovely person like yourself to drop a few dollars in, so you can head on over to that at any point if you're feeling generous.  Just CLICK HERE TO DONATE! Don't worry, all your money goes to that fantastic charity and I promise to work hard on every mile, in recognition of everyone that donates and supports the cause.

Now, since I'm using this blog as a way to bring in donations, I'm going to have to update a bit more often.  I"m sure anyone who donates will definitely want to follow my training plans and track my run when the big day finally comes.  Of course, the training is still a few months away, so in the meantime, I'll try to keep you entertained with ways I'm fundraising and events/activities I'm doing in between.  For example, yesterday I bought a new Garmin, one with a heart rate monitor, and I'm super pumped to try it out.  Sure, it's just a running watch but I think it will help me understand my pacing a bit better.  I've never tracked my heart rate before, so I might actually learn a thing or two about it now.  Another piece of equipment I'm still debating is an elevation mask. If anyone out there is wondering what to get me for my birthday *ahem, family members* I'd be happy to have one of those bad boys.  Pretty sure you can get it on amazon.  Probably a small.
Moving right along though, I don't know if those actually help, but I do feel like my lungs have a harder time keeping up than my legs.   So, if I can increase my lung capacity, I might be able to run further faster.

Now, before I end this post, I would be remiss if I didn't throw out a thank you to the other people who pushed me through my rough patch of being mad at myself for not running a better marathon.  It's surprising how many people have come to recognize me at Title as the girl who runs, even if we don't know each other's names.  Of course the trainers are always willing to give an encouraging word, but it's nice to know that the other members offer that same support.  This is the reason I still go to Title, and it's the main reason you should join one near you.  I doubt you'd find another gym where the trainers and members get to know you and can offer you advice but not placate you and try to tell you what you want to hear, instead of what you need to hear.  Title is the Batman of working out. That's the easiest way to put that statement.  So, that's it, and please enjoy these pictures of Newport.

Pre-race sunrise

A whole glorious row of empty porta-potties

Start

This is the guy I ran with for the first half(ish).  I was doing great until mile 11, then I jumped out to talk to Holly and never got back into my groove

I'm still not sure how I feel about this medal.