It's Taper Time!

you know your run is awesome when to capture it, you have to zoom out, and the screen contains multiple cities!

Today was the final long run of my sub-5 marathon plan. It looks like I am going to crush my goal, if all goes according to plan.

20 miles with a few little hills. This time around I have been coached by a member of the local running club I am apart of, the Vinerunners, and it has made a HUGE difference in my running. I am WAY faster and WAY more consistent. Today we had negative splits and jammed the last 2 miles in. It was a PERFECT run. It was the best run I have ever run.

(You can tell I still have runners high by my excessive use of caps!)

I can't quite express how stoked I am. I have to potential to finish under 4:30. I could cut up to an HOUR off my marathon PR. I am tickled by the possibilities.

The goal now is to not get sick in the next 12 days, stretch a ton, and let the good times roll. I wish it was next weekend, I am SO ready for this race!

Let's try this again...

2 years off. No marathons, only causal running. And now I'm back :)

The marathon has always been a lifeline for me. When times get tough, training gives me focus, determination, progress, and results. Long runs turn my mind outward in. There is something to be said about the meditative powers of two and three hour runs. Thoughts tumble around in your head, worries and anxieties slowly grind away until you get to the polished kernel of truth in the matter. 

A lot has changed in the past few years. I learned what real love feels like. I learned a lot about the meaning of unconditional, and what it means to love someone as they are and not who you want them to become. I know what it takes to raise a family. I know about losing people, and moving forward without moving on. I always worried I didn't have it in me to love with everything. Life is amazing, how you can always expand your body, heart and mind to places you never dreamed possible.

I'm excited to recreate this blog to represent more of the things I love. Cooking and running have always been passions of mine that I love to share with whoever will listen. As I mature as a teacher, I have more ideas an successes I want to share with others, and the wisdom to know the difference between ranting and reflecting. And Zen Meditation has become a big part of how I navigate each day, trying to become a better version of myself. Moving forward, I want to the blog to incorporate all these things. 

So what have I been up to? Marathon training, of course! Santa Barbara is in 14 days and I'll immediately start training for Napa Valley Marathon a week after. I'm much faster than I was 2 years ago and I've got my fingers crossed for a BIG PR :) Every time I lace up my shoes I'm getting one step closer to Boston. Now that my taper starts, I'll have a lot more time on my hands to blog ;)

I'm also teaching Geometry & the Math exit exam course, and I am trying out a lot of new ideas and materials that I am eager to share. Hopefully I can figure out some labeling system to help sort this all out on the blog. I'm very open to suggestions, please share ideas!

Tomorrow I will hopefully make some homemade tomato sauce... I will be sharing more of my culinary adventures as well!