Lots of details, please read - because this is the last time you'll be hearing from me until after I FINISH!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the support that has cradled me through the injuries, incidents and the triumphs of this extraordinary experience.

Your words, thoughts, deeds, calls, emails, facebook comments, smiles, high fives and general well wishes were taken in, reflected upon and stored in up in my heart & soul - to get me to the point I'm at right now....READY to run the ING NYC MARATHON!

MY DETAILS

MY BIB NUMBER IS 51242

YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALERTS AND CAN TRACK ME HERE (WITH MY BIB NUMBER 51242)
http://fanalert.ingnycmarathon.org/Alerts.aspx


If you are looking for me - I will be wearing these clothes (below)

Most likely I'll have my hair up in curly pony tails....... :)
NICE AND CURLY AND HIGH!
(above)

I'm projecting to finish the race between 3:15pm - 3:45pm... give or take time for unforeseen circumstances!

The finishers area

If you want to see/meet me in the park --- after the finish we are directed to go to our bib specific finisher area... Bib #'s 33000-54999 (again, mine is 51242) will be let out between 73rd & 77th Streets. I'll head there, and in case I can't find anyone - wind on the NORTH WEST corner of 76th Street & Central Park West.... I figure I'll wind up there by 4:15-4:30pm... (all times are of course approximate)

I'll be going to ice bath AND make myself presentable afterwards, and heading out to CELEBRATE!!!! Feel free to join!!!!
From what I'm told - NYC is going to be a big party scene!
MARATHON AFTER PARTY!

26.2 miles - enough said!
Host: Maya Sudhakaran (team member from TEAM RUN MS)
Date: Sunday, Nov 2nd, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Half Pint - 76 W. 3rd Street @ Thompson
(trains A/C/E to W 4th)

Important links for you all!!!
http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/closings.php
http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/barpromotion.php
http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/spectator.php

All other information regarding the marathon can be found here: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/home/index.php
Watch the world's greatest road race live at 9:00 a.m. on WNBC 4 in New York.

20 miles (check!) and the taper down has begun!!!

So you ask - how was running for just shy of 4 hours straight yesterday?

I still don't feel in my heart that I LOVE running, BUT I have definitely learned to respect it immensely... I have trained and almost conquered the beast, and I look forward to looking that 26.2 mile beast straight in the eye and smiling.... along side thousands of marathon supporters and all my friends and family that have literally taken me through every inch of every mile of this journey.

Yes indeed, I finished my longest run to date ... 20 miles ... 7 miles + the Staten Island half marathon. It was pretty interesting doing my longest/hardest run in the place I grew up... along streets I used to drive my red Chevy Cavalier and later my white Ford Tempo... along side parking lots (Midland/South Beach) where I used to hang out in HS and kiss boys :) hahaha whatever motivation it takes to get you through right?

Another major point I have to share with you all ... the universe has sent me a wonderful "push" for the last, and what I believe to be the hardest, part of this training... my teammate Amanda Monaco. She and I discovered a few training runs back that we run about the same pace. Quite honestly - having her to run with has been one of the main points that is keeping me focused... Even waking up yesterday to go to the run, for a minute I was like "eh, I could say I slept through my alarm and do the run myself"... but then I thought about Amanda running solo, in addition to my own catholic/Jewish guilt and I got right up and got out the door! We push each other, make each other laugh, take care of each other through these long runs ... and in the nearly 4 hours we ran together yesterday, it made it seem like much less than that, and made the journey so much sweeter.

I really needed to complete that mileage yesterday to feel like I can actually finish the marathon. Up until yesterday I had a few lingering doubts.... I was looking for any way to get outta running this race - that's as honest as I can get with you all ... call it fear/nerves/laziness/whatever. I have discovered I'm not exactly a runner, but I have come to admire and respect the long-distance runners ethics tremendously, and I'm lucky to have seen a glimpse of what their lives are like all the time during these months...

Really it's all about the lessons... all this running has taught me so much.... SO much about how I tick inside .... and also that I really can complete something I've started... no matter how uncomfortable it is... if I just show up ... and do the work.

Now you ask - will I do another marathon? Hmmmm jury is still out, and right now if I had to answer I'd say probably not. But everyone says not to make that judgment until after I experience the race...I think this year with the vertigo and work insanity that I've had a few additional obstacles to taint my experience, but that's life right? Nothing is ever THAT easy...

I spoke with another friend from work Patrick that runs marathons every year... I told him how I was hurting a bit today, had doubts... and how hard it's been for me... and he said "if it was easy Karen, everyone would do it... "

It's not easy... not at all... but I'm finding out through all the self-reflection that it's more than worth it... and maybe - just maybe on November 3rd, I'll be able to truly call myself a marathon runner :)

xoxoxox
Curly