no, you didn't miss anything in sporadic blogging. don't bother going back to check old posts.... i haven't run my first marathon yet. yea, i know...it's all a little backwards.
when i couldn't run mdi marathon this fall i decided i would run a spring marathon as my first. i didnt think i could wait a full year to run my first marathon. i didnt want to wait that long. i had already been eager to run mdi for soooo long that waiting an entire year sounded awful (fun fact: im not patient. at all). literally the day after i finished the mdi relay i decided that i didnt think i wanted to run a spring marathon. i had put a lot of effort in getting back on my feet after surgery and if i wanted to run a full in the spring it would mean i would have 2 months "off" before i jumped into a training cycle. i just felt like i was going to burn myself out. i decided that i would skip the spring marathon season and register for marine corps marathon in october. i wanted to focus on my speed and improving my half marathon time. and then there was that fateful day in december...
i was browsing twitter one morning to see that eissa had registered for the great cranberry island 50k lottery, which is held near to where i grew up. i immediately wrote to her and she asked if i was entering the lottery as well. oh hellllll no! i haven't even run a marathon. i decided that if she got in, i would go and volunteer. then i started thinking about it it's only 5 more miles then a marathon and i can walk/run it and there is a big after party and ive been told its an amazing time. so a few days later and after many texts to several marathoners/ultra runners as well as my friend/ co-race director i was registered for the lottery. now i needed to wait a month and a half for the lottery drawing.
because this race is held on a small island off the coast of maine, there has to be a cap at the number of runners it can accommodate. there's only so much road to run on and only so many volunteers so the race is by lottery only. as i was filling out the lottery application all signs pointed toward me getting in. how many ultramarathons have you run? n/a. what's your current 50k PR? n/a. how many marathons have you run? n/a. what's your marathon PR? n/a. soooo yea, i was off to a good start.
and then, i got the email.
i originally wanted to keep this under wraps. it's not a goal race and it's not my focus. i mean, yea, im going to train for it and all but my eye is on marine corps marathon in october. i will have an incredible base going into mcm training and im pumped about having a killer first marathon. when i was asking some friends whether they thought running a 50k before my first marathon was a bad idea or not i got the same response several times.they are two different races. it depends what your goal is for mcm. if you want it to be the first time you run 26.2 miles and the distance is important then dont run the 50k. if your priority is having a strong race and the best time possible then run the 50k. sold!
i still wasn't sure i wanted to tell anyone. this is what i wanted and i didn't want everyone elses opinion about it. i didn't want to make a big deal about it. but who knows what next summer will bring. my son will be older and able to enjoy more things and i want to have the time to spend with my family. running is something i enjoy and it's part of my life but its not my entire life. my priority will always be my family and ill run when i can. seriously though, who wouldn't want to run this race....
when the few people i have told ask me why i want to run GCI i tell them "it's pretty much going to be one big party". the race is put on by crow athletics (of which i am a lifetime member) the same crew that puts on the mdi marathon. gary and mary hands down know how to put on a great event. for 95 bucks you get: 50k, course support (food, drinks), medal, shirt, lobster dinner, beer, bonfire, camping, shower access and breakfast!! best bang for your buck i tell ya! also, the 4 time winner of the little rock marathon and olympic trials runner leah thorvilson will be running again....and seriously who doesn't wanna run with her? major BA right there!
the best/worst part is that the island is only 2 miles long. so after an initial 3 mile loop we run 2 miles down and 2 miles back repeat x7! i like that though. i'll get to see everyone running the race the entire time. none of this being out in the woods all by myself wishing i was dead business. oh no...ill be high fiving everyone as i run by them.
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| in case you thought i was kidding |
so there you have it. if you want to see me on the weekends between now and the end of october, i suggest you put on your running shoes. im very excited to be part of this amazing race. ive certainly come a long way from that soccer goalkeeper in college who cried the last mile and a half of her 3 mile run during preseason.
im currently accepting applications for long run buddies...
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