Because I had no idea how my body would hold up, and wanted to have the energy to walk around Disney after the races both days, I decided to go into the weekend taking it easy on both races and to simply enjoy the experience. Both races had Disney characters set up for photos along the course, and so I brought my camera with me and stopped at almost every character for photos.

Both races began at 5:30am, resulting in waking up at 3am both days. Chris and I ran the Half together, and had so much fun running and posing with characters. With the race starting so early, we ran most of the race in the dark. The sun rose around mile 9, and the Half Marathon course took us through Epcot and Magic Kingdom.

Before even getting to the 5K mark, I experienced my first race accident ever! As we entered the main entrance to Magic Kingdom, I took my eyes off the dark course in front of me and looked up toward the castle, and the path ahead. This decision caused me to completely miss the small speed-bump in front of me, and I entirely wiped-out! I went flying so fast, I didn’t realize I was falling until I was already on the ground. My right knee instantly hurt, as did my right elbow and both hands. Luckily Chris was holding the camera, so it was saved from the fall. A volunteer jumped to my rescue, and helped me up and out of the way. I took a few minutes to get myself together, and to hobble on my busted knee. I shook it off, and Chris and I started back on our Half Marathon adventure.

When we crossed the finish line for the Half Marathon (with my accident and stopping for characters, we finished in 2:12), I felt completely fine – except for my injuries from the wipe-out. The medics pulled me over to their tent and cleaned up my bloody knee and elbow. The knee had swelled, and was quite uncomfortable. However, the overall race was fantastic, and Chris and I went back to the hotel, got cleaned up and went to Magic Kingdom for the day.

Our day in Magic Kingdom didn’t last too long, as we were both exhausted from being up so early and running a race. We had some amazing pasta for lunch, and decided around 3pm that we were both read to head back to the hotel. I was in bed and asleep by 4:30pm!

Going to bed early ended up being a fantastic decision. When the alarm went off at 3am again, this time for the full Marathon, my body felt fresh and ready to run. The knee was still swollen, and so I took an ibuprofen before we left for the starting line. Chris, though not running the Marathon, woke up with me and had a plan to hop around the parks and cheer me on. (Did I mention that he’s a great guy?!?)

I started the Marathon very close to the starting line, and unlike the Half Marathon, I was in a field of males – which is what I am used to. I wore my signature race outfit: racing glasses, sports bra, arm sleeves, knee high compressions and short racing shorts – only I also wore my Mickey Ears! I had worn them for the Half the day before, and with a few bobby pins had stayed on my head with no problems. Sometimes, you can’t take running (even Marathons) too seriously. I was here for fun.

I started out my 5^th Marathon with my camera in hand, and kept reminding myself to take it easy, go against my instincts to push the pace, and to relax and enjoy the ride. After all, I still had 5 days of Disney vacation ahead of me, which equals lots of time walking and standing.

Having fun, I did. I took photos with TONS of characters, made friends with fellow runners along the course, and felt incredibly loved as I’d pass Chris at his multiple viewing spots. I’d slow to exchange high-fives and kisses with him, and really enjoyed every moment of the journey. The Marathon course took the runners through all four Disney Parks, and characters were stationed all throughout the course.

To my surprise, with taking it easy and stopping for almost every character, I crossed the finish line for the Marathon in 3:34:01. Another Boston Qualifier, even with the new time requirements. What surprised me was how great my body felt after 39.3 miles, and how in the days to come I still felt entirely fine. In contrast, I had felt like I had been hit by a bus after some previous Marathons. The human body is truly amazing, and can adapt to anything. Four years ago, 6 miles seemed like a LONG way to me, and here I had completed 39.3 miles within a weekend and felt fit as a fiddle. Dumbfounding.

If you are a Disney fan, and are looking to enter your first Half or Full Marathon, I highly recommend entering the Disney races. As far as organized races go, the Disney races were the most relaxed, non-competitive, easy-going, non-pressured races I’ve ever completed. There were many people who walked the races, so if the best you can do is jog, you won’t finish last. I promise you that.

As I take a major leap from the Goofy Challenge and look ahead to the Lone Ranger Ultra, a 100 Mile Race within 24 Hours, I plan on using what I’ve learned during the Goofy and applying any wisdom I can to the biggest challenge of my life: The Lone Ranger.

There were many reasons why this shoot was so amazing an experience for me. First, it was my first booking (and a direct booking, none the less!) with Silver Model Management. Second, I was finally given a chance to really, truly model as an athlete. Let me tell you, holding the poses with perfect form and strength, while often having my hair touched up while in the pose, and then shooting while looking not in the lease bit strained and often with a smile on my face – yeah, its not easy! Plus I had to go through and shoot each move a number of times. I realized that this kind of shoot is not just for models who look thin or in shape – its for models who are truly athletes. Third, the entire team was extremely fun and professional.

The day after the Cosmo shoot, I began to really focus on my trip out to LA. I am testing out the waters in the City of Angels for a month or so, and still had a bunch of puzzle pieces to connect. Thankfully, I was able to find a sublet and book my flight, which takes much of the stress and pressure off the planning.

Love LA or hate LA, it will be an adventure. Worst case scenario, I get to spend a cold winter month in sunny California, and I get to train for the Boston Marathon in the warm sun! My kitty is coming with me (I could NEVER leave him!), and I am hoping Chris will be able to visit me. When in doubt, I can bribe him with the lure of In ‘N Out Burger!

While this time I had experience on my side, I also had quite the challenge before me: I was attempting to run a sub-3:15 marathon. Last year, I ran a 3:32:33, which up until yesterday was my marathon PR. I have trained the last 18 weeks with the focus of stepping up my game, but the day of the marathon, there are many factors that affect the execution of the race.

Yesterday morning started off rough. The porta-potty line was LONG, and there was no way I could pee one last time AND make it to the starting line in time to take off with my corral. I decided to duck behind a tree, squat down as though I were fixing my shoe, and peed right there! Yes, I peed my shorts. I guess that action proves just how dedicated I am to the sport.

Chris and I started the race together, though he was running the half marathon and aiming for a different pace. As I crossed the starting line, I tried to calm my nerves. The porta-potty situation had become a negative distraction in the minutes before the race, and I knew I had to let that experience go and focus on the task at hand.

The first ten miles were easy and fun. My pace was ahead of my 7:25 mile pace, the crowds were awesome (some memorable signs made me laugh!), the course felt easy, and I ran with a big smile on my face. The hills between mile 7-11 didn’t break me down, but gave me the opportunity to check in with my body and use the hills to my advantage.

Miles 11-13 were the boring, quiet stretch on Martin Luther King Blvd., that I know all too well from last year’s marathon and the half marathons the last two Septembers. As the half marathoners split off to finish their quest, I marched on with the warriors for the second portion of my quest. Around this time, I had my first conversations with a few male runners, who had been pacing off of me and were also aiming for a 3:15 pace!

Miles 14-16 were a bit taxing mentally, though physically I was exactly where I wanted to be. I had slowly created a 3 minute lead on my goal pace, which was a comfort. However, I had a feeling I was going to need that extra time as I got closer to hitting the wall and pushing through it.

Miles 17-18 began to wear on me, and I was getting antsy to approach the 19.5 mile mark and the turn-around mark in Manayunk. What happened next caused much alarm: my stomach began acting up. Something wasn’t settling right (maybe the Gu and water combo?) and I started to worry that I would need to find a porta-potty along the course.

Miles 19-22 were tough! The positive was that I saw Ben on the turn-around and we slapped hands! I was filled with happiness that he was on a fantastic pace, and connecting with him gave me a mental shot of energy. After the turn-around, I realized my body was in crisis. My stomach began cramping, and I began feeling sick from my head to my toes. I needed a porta-potty, and I needed one NOW! The only problem – there wasn’t one in sight, I continued to forge ahead, but I began debating pulling over on the side of the course behind a car or tree. It was that bad! Finally, at mile 22 I came across a porta-potty, and realized I had no choice but to take the time for a pit-stop.

Miles 23-25 presented me with the wall. Plus, I was pissed that the porta-potty detour took 2 of my 3 buffer minutes. However, I felt way better after my detour (though still not great!), and knew the pit-stop might have cost me my goal. I began to feel my energy and mental state fade, and my pace dipped to a 7:40 mile at its slowest. I kept trying to get myself to move my legs faster, but the quiet part of the course didn’t help motivate or distract me from the aches and pains that began to take over.

Miles 26-26.2 gave me a burst to the finish. Part of kick in the ass came when a familiar face from Central Park came up besides me and said hi. Seeing Rachel looking strong and focused, and a few words of encouragement exchanged both ways helped me dig deep. I let go of being pissed about the pit-stop, and told myself to dig and do my best. Some things are simply out of our control as marathoners. As I neared the finish line, the pack of runners was thin and the crowd kept shouting my name and cheering me on as I picked up speed. My last half mile was a 6:49 pace, which was quite the surprising kick at the end of a marathon. I sprinted to the finish line, knowing at my goal of a sub-3:15 wasn’t going to happen but determined to run my best final steps I could. The announcers commented on my strong kick at the end, and I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my salty, tired face.

Interesting experiences this race:

This was my first marathon running with no music! I left the Ipod at home (I’ve been training 99% of the time without music this year), which for the most part was a majorly positive experience. Without music, I was extremely aware of my breathing, the crowd’s energy, and all of my senses. The only time I craved music was when I hit the wall around mile 23-25 where the course is very quiet.

My bib chip malfunctioned, so my official race info has yet to be posted! I am hoping that between my garmin stats and official race photos, this hiccup will be ironed out. I qualified for Boston 2013 with this marathon, 47 seconds too slow to register with the Elites and runners who ran 20 minutes FASTER than their required time – mine being a 3:35 requirement.

Also, as I rounded towards the finish line, a marathoner was on the edge of the course receiving medical attention. I found out later yesterday that this marathoner was the 40-year-old male who died on the course.

As for me, I am resting these next few days. My next marathon experience (Disney in early January 2012!) is just around the corner, but I am planning to run the half and full marathons slowly and to simply enjoy the experience. The next marathon “race” for me will happen on April 16, 2012 in Boston. Goals for Boston? Check back later and I’ll tell you!

Photos from Philly marathon to come soon!

As I prepare to step up to the Philadelphia Marathon 2011 this weekend, I am filled with the same mix of emotions and mental instability as I did last year. This time, this will be my fourth marathon and 14th race of 2011, but those nerves before a big race never seem to go away. I can best describe the feeling as being almost the same before opening night of a theatrical performance. The hard work is done, and all you can do is focus, stay calm and run a smart race.

In full pre-race mode, my running dreams have returned. The dreams are my way of mentally preparing while my body rests. Nerves have set in, and tapering doesn’t help the nerves. Cutting back majorly on mileage while starting to second-guess the last 17 weeks worth of training is a bit unsettling, but part of the process.

My goal for Sunday morning is to run a sub-3:15 marathon, which requires a 7:25 mile pace. I have no idea how realistic that goal is. Plugging in numbers from recent races, long runs, and speed training present a positive result, but so much can happen on race day that can change the game entirely. While I now have experience on my side, I am also aiming to run the Philly Marathon over 17 minutes faster than last year’s 3:32:33. That’s a big difference.

I have promised myself that regardless to whether I succeed or fail at achieving my goals for Philly 2011, I will have fun and enjoy the journey. After all, I run and race because I love it, and at the end of the day that’s the greatest reward of all.

While I decided my goal was to aim for a sub-20 minute 5K, I was more excited to be part of a race where Chris was hoping to set a PR, and his Uncle Al was attempting his first race in over 20 years!!!! Loving to race as much as I do, I was super pumped to witness another person enter the ranks of runner and racer.

Waiting for the start of the race, I nervously set my Garmin to a 6:25 pace – which I changed the last minute to 6:30, as I honestly had no reason to believe something so fast was possible. My training hadn’t been geared toward a short race or speed-work, and in the previous 5K I ran 6:37s, so 6:25s sounded not only overly ambitious, but downright foolish!

At the sound of the gun, I lunged forward and told myself that no matter how much this race hurts – its ONLY a 5K. It would be over soon. To my shock and horror (I immediately figured I’d gone out too strong!), I was the front-runner. For the entire 19:15 it took me to complete and win the 5K, I never had another female by my side or in front of me. It was quite an odd sensation. To keep me focused and maintaining pace, I worked to slowly pick off the male runners in front of me. I knew I had to run as though I had a target on my back – especially for the final mile. Strategically, it’s always easier to be in a close second place, and to come from behind. Being the leader, I knew that there was a very good chance that a competitor was planning on closing in on me towards the end. Refusing to use any energy to turn my neck and look behind me, I dug deep, kept complete control of my breath, and focused on my stride. Though my body was close to tapped out, my mind and focus was oddly calm.

As I neared the finish line, I let the cat out of the bag and picked up speed. I knew that at that point, first place was mine to lose, and I didn’t fight so hard for 3 miles to lose in the last .1 mile. Though I knew I won, it really didn’t hit me. In fact, I was more proud of smashing my pervious 5K and surpassing what I truly thought I was capable of: running a 6:17 pace for a 5K! It turns out the second place female was a whole 47 seconds behind me, and I was in no danger of losing at the end.

Chris set a new PR too, as did his Uncle! Cheering for them and watching them both achieve their goals left me grinning from ear to ear. I felt silly when I was awarded a trophy and prize, as I don’t like being the center of attention unless I’m a character on stage or on a photo shoot. With no character or mask to hide behind, I would prefer to quietly leave and celebrate my achievements on my own.

As Chris and I celebrated our successful race over two mountains of challah french toast, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would take for me to run a 6:10 pace 5K. At the end of the day, win or lose, I just want to be the best I can be. And you can bet I’ll be doing it with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen on a runner.

Somehow, on a weekend with the weather prediction of rain all weekend, I ended up running both races with entirely clear skies – though it was muggy thanks to the lingering humidity.

The 5th Avenue 1 Miler was on Saturday morning, and was the shortest race of my life! I didn’t know what to expect, so I came up with the strategy of starting off at my 5K pace, pushing on the up-hill portion, and then using the down-hill on the second half of the race to pick up speed. This strategy worked pretty well, as my biggest fear was going out too fast and completely burning out. While my legs felt like lead for the first quarter-mile (they are NOT used to sprinting out of the gate!), I ran a 5:46 mile, placing me in 22nd out of my age group and 68th out of the 2072 females who raced!

I was really happy with the ability I had to sprint at the end, as I honestly didn’t know how to predict when to push without burning out. I finished strong, and was super happy to see some familiar faces near the finish line – including Chris and Ben.

The following day, I rolled out of bed at 5am to run the ING Marathon Tune-Up 18 Mile Race, a gruesome course of three laps in Central Park. Gruesome, because that meant THREE times up the Harlem Hills and Cat Hill, and the humidity had not dropped one bit. My goal for this race was different from most – to focus on pacing, to not burn out, and to use this last of my required NYRR races as my long run. I promised myself that staying healthy and listening to my body would take priority over the race instinct I usually listen to.

I ran entirely even splits, which was fantastic as fatigue usually means most runners never run even splits! I finished strong, feeling no injury, still in control of my form, and happy! I finished in 24th place out of the 1,819 ladies, and 7th in my age group, running 7:41 miles, and a final time of 2:18:10. Oh, and I actually jogged 2 miles BEFORE the race even began, thanks to the MTA service on early weekends.

As my NYRR races for 2011 come to a close, I am left with memories from 9 amazing races! However I am still not done for 2011 – I am running a 5K in Philly on October 9th, and the Philadelphia Marathon on November 20th. Therefore, the next few weeks will be focused on training, not racing. Truth be told, the 3 races within 7 days has been a lot, and I need to focus on rest and staying healthy.

On this particular morning, I felt uneasy about what the race that lay before me would bring. I set out with the goal of running a 7:00 minute pace, which would beat my Queens Half Marathon back in July by 20 seconds per minute! It was a bold goal, especially since I hadn’t been focusing on speed as much as mileage lately.

The pre-race minutes went by the way they normally do. Baggage was dropped off, porta-potties were visited, and Chris and I wished each other luck and headed to our respected corrals.

I was in the first corral, as out of the 20,000 runners (16,000 finished) I was apparently one of the faster ones! Within the first mile of the race, a guy pulled up next to me and asked me what pace I was aiming to run. I answered that I was aiming for a 7:00 minute mile pace. Apparently he was aiming for the same pace, so we agreed to run together and pace each other.

The miles clicked by, and I was thankful to have someone by my side as my focus began to shift around the 10K mark. My legs began feeling heavy and tired between miles 6-9, and a pep-talk from my running buddy helped me refocus. I began to get a second wind, and around mile 11 I was ready to pick up the pace and go “fishing.” “Fishing” is a term runners use as they slowly close in on runners in front of them a pass them in the final miles when most runners don’t have enough juice left to fight off the attack.

To my surprise, right as we hit mile 11, my running buddy told me to go on without him. He had to pull back. I yelled behind me for him to “finish strong and push through,” and then I was off on a solo mission. I picked up the pace slowly, but held back until mile 12 to really plow forward. I have learned from experience to save the gas that’s left until the end, and not to jump the gun. Slowly but surely, after mile 12 I began passing runners. Male and female alike. There were a few male runners who fished me, while I was fishing others.

In true signature form, I waited until the right moment (for a 13.1 race with an uphill end I waited until I was close to the 13 mile mark), I released the horses and flew past at least a dozen runners to the finish line. This strategy has become a racing habit for me, and a test of focus at the end. Sprinting to the finish and leaving everything I have left on the course, still running in good form and in complete control of my body and breath – it is perhaps the best feeling in the world. For a few seconds, I feel like a super hero.

I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face, as I knew that not only had I achieved my goal pace, I had beaten it!!!! YES! I clicked my Garmin off, and walked with a smile to get my medal. I was surprised (and always am!) when fellow racers come over to chat with me after. A few men approached me individually, one had recognized me from behind from running in Central Park and NYRR Races. Apparently I’m often faster than him! Another man thanked me, as he was pacing himself on my pace and stride the entire race – without me knowing it! One runner said he admired my form. I often forget that in my corral and pace group, I’m in a man’s world. However, I was in the company of two NYC ladies who were part of Hellgate Runners and Van Cortland Bronx, respectfully. I made sure to beat them both while fishing at the end.

I made it through the finish area, arms full of refreshments, then picked up my bag and made my way to wait for Chris at the family meeting area. A rock band played on the stage, and I stood in the sun, soaking up the warm rays as I was shivering in my sweat-drenched shorts and sports bra.

It was a truly perfect race day in almost every way. The weather was perfect for racing, the course, was flat, and somehow my body once again rose to the challenge and met the task at hand. Now I am eager to run another Half this fall with  new goal: 6:45 minute miles.

Anyway, here are the race stats for the Philly Half:

Total Chip Time: 1:31:10 (6:58 minute mile)

Overall: 731st place out of 16,476

Division: 30 out of 2131

Gender: 132 out of 9496

All in all, there’s always room for improvement but it was a great race. I’m very happy with the end result.

However, in the last few years there has been a tremendous shift in both the theatre and film/TV worlds. Perhaps we can thank technology, tax breaks, a bad economy, and other factors for this shift. The long and short of it is that neither city is defined by their original stereotype anymore. I can audition via Skype or video submission for work on the west coast, and theatres that once employed tens of dozens of show biz people are currently dark in NYC thanks to an economy down the tank. Thanks to tax breaks, a record number of films and TV shows are filming in NYC, though majorities of casting for these east coast projects still happen out west.

The entertainment world has become smaller, thanks to these shifts. So as an actor, where should one go? Two years ago, I chose NYC. There are many reasons why – I am a born and raised Northeastern gal. My family is only 90 miles away, my friends are mostly in the NYC area, and my training, drive and heart for the first 21 years of my life was pointing towards the musical theatre world: Broadway. New York City was a simple and easy choice.

Though moving to NYC was a little overwhelming and a bit of an adjustment, I fell in love with this town for many reasons. I love how the entertainment industry here seems supportive, positive, and surprisingly small. I love that everyone I know here in this business seem to be cheering their friends and fellow actors on, and hoping they succeed. I love that I don’t need a car, and can more or less predict exactly how long it will take me to get everywhere. I love Central Park, and training for marathons and racing there has become a favorite part of each day. I love the diversity, history, and beat of the city.  I love the change of seasons.

In the last year, I have had producers, directors, and fellow actors ask me why I am not in LA. Some have even gone so far as to tell me that I should be in LA, not NYC. While I listened and processed what was said to me, I also felt like I couldn’t just pack up and move 3000 miles away. For one thing, I didn’t feel like I had given NYC a full chance yet.  However, in recent months I have started to revisit the notion of moving west.

Pros for LA:

A new market, and it’s the center of the film and TV world.

There are theatres in LA, that are smaller and less saturated by movie stars than Broadway, meaning I might have a better chance to get cast in interesting and good quality work out west.

More living space for the dollar.  I could have SPACE!

I LOVE being outside, and the weather year round and the location means I could spend down time at the beach, hiking, marathon training, or out with a puppy – all year long.

There’s more commercial and swimwear modeling out west, which is my nitch.

Cons for LA:

Starting over.  A move across country would be mentally, emotionally, and financially stressful. (And exciting!)

I have very few friends in the LA area, and have zero connection to any Casting Director, Manager or Agent out west.

Traffic and a car.  A big headache.

I’d be far from my family, though I honestly don’t see them all that often now, and for the most part only do when I travel to them as it is.

Pros for NYC:

I already live here.

I have friends who are actors, models, Casting Directors, and have relationships with 10 agencies/managers whom I freelance.

NYC is still the center of the theatre world, and that won’t change.

The record number of TV/film projects in NYC means that if I do get cast, I’m already here.

My commute is always predictable, even on the bad MTA days.

The NYRR and Central Park.

Cons for NYC:

Everything here is expensive.

I hate winter – HATE it. And it hates me.

If most projects that film in NYC are cast out west, there’s no point in being here right now.

Agents tend to “collect” actors and models, which in the end is useless to me. I’d rather have one agent who will seriously work to send me out and market me, and sign with them.

A decent number of my friends here seem to be stuck in the BG track, and that freaks me out. I do not want that for myself. I also realize that my life is more than a career. Is there a coast where I prefer to set roots long-term?

While I do have two films that are slated to film sometime in the near future (I hope!), I often feel like I am spinning my wheels these days. It is mentally hard to be cast in two Indy films, and to not know when those projects will start up. Part of me is scared that one or both will crash and burn before filming even begins, as funding an Indy is risky and difficult to manage.

I am tired of, when I do get an audition, it being for a “sexy brunette”, with all of 5 lines, and nudity. I am BEYOND over it. As a trained actor, with years of experience and study, it starts to feel like a personal insult that the only auditions I get are for such sleazy, unintelligent work. I’m sure my agents don’t mean anything by it, but I want to be auditioning for roles with personalities, inner demons, conflicts, and a sense of humor! Where are those auditions?!?!?

Also, something I try to not dwell on, but am coming to terms with – a time clock is set for every female actor out there. We don’t have the same amount of years to “make it” as our male counterparts, and that’s just a fact.  Which is why I feel like its time to grab my career by the balls and run with it. But how and where?!?

The last three weeks have brought with it a combination of modeling work, commercial sets, road trips, running and emotional hardships. So today I did what I do to distress and clear my head – I went for a run.

While I am always thankful for work (even the work I dislike), today was my second day off in three weeks. Yes, it has been a profitable three weeks, but one of little sleep, minimal socialization, and rest from running – for the most part. I felt myself slowly growing insane.

On top of that, my grandfather went into the hospital today and his health has been on something of a roller coaster these last few weeks. There were also two personal issues weighing heavy on me, and I had found myself to be an emotional basket-case, always 10 seconds away from welling up into tears.

So today I put on my shoes and headed to Central Park to attempt a 15 mile run. Between my nagging leg and my broken emotions, I didn’t know what to expect. As I stretched, I felt edgy, nauseous, and spastic. I immediately told myself to try to channel and control my body, and to resist the urge of charging out the gate like a mad-woman running wild by emotion.

My leg wasn’t without pain as I ran, but it also wasn’t unmanageable. In fact, it wasn’t even an issue. Yes, I felt it, but it was minimal and seemed miniscule compared to the emotional and mental pain I was slowly starting to process and clarify as I ran.

The sky was gray, and a light drizzle of rain fell on my face at times. It was as though Mother Nature and I were experiences the same pain. I did my best to hold back tears, as sobbing while running is not only embarrassing, but also very difficult to manage.

As I walked away from Central Park, having completed 15.5 miles at a 7:52 pace, I felt oddly calm. I was happy with my run, considering my state, but I also walked away feeling like a lonely soldier. When I am running, I am home. And no stress, lack of sleep, or sense of loss in my life can ever take that away from me. I find that comforting.

Here are the running details, in case you are interested.

However, as I walked to the subway in the dark, I told myself that I had to change my attitude. I told myself that I could sleep after the race. I told myself that I needed to come to terms with the reality that I might not finish the race, but to just focus on a step at a time. I told myself that worse case scenario, this was another qualifying race for the 2012 NYC Marathon regardless of pace. Lastly, I told myself that I wasn’t going to disappoint anyone if I was slow, and that I would seriously disappoint myself if I ran stupid and re-injured myself.

I was relieved to see Ben on the subway, and spending time with him before the race eased my nerves and lightened my bad mood. We started the race side-by-side, wishing each other a fantastic race. The weather was gorgeous, Corona Park was beautiful, and it was the perfect weather for a summer race.

Running without my Garmin was interesting. I could guess my pace based on the time clocks at every mile marker, but I was instead forced to focus on my body and breath to set the pace. I held back my pace, trying to stay on my legs but to not push. I was trying to run a smart race on an injured leg. To my amazement, my leg felt fine! However, I am experienced enough to know that pain and injury can quickly raise its ugly head, and so I kept my pace slow.

Since the race was contained entirely in the park, there were very few spectators along the race cheering on runners. I was a patient with myself as handfuls of female runners passed me. The competitor in me had to be suppressed, as I focused my myself and holding back for the sake of my leg. While quite races often affect my ability to focus, I was strangely calm and the miles clicked by smoothly.

I was extremely surprised – and perhaps even dumbfounded, to cross the finish line setting a new Personal Record for the Half Marathon – 1:35:44. How could that be, with the odds being stacked up against me?!? What shocked me even more was that I still had no leg pain.

Here are the stats, as recorded by NYRR.

Time: 1:35:44

Pace: 7:18 per mile

Female Place: 17th out of 2101 women!

Age Place: 7th – I was SHOCKED!!!

When I got home, I iced my leg and crawled into bed for a few hours. Unfortunately, my leg was very painful for the few days after the race. Part of the pain might have been contributed to a job I had modeling for three days, and time on my feet in heels is hard on the leg.