November was the culmination of four months of training. All of the miles and summer heat and energy gels and planning come down to single date on the calendar.
A view of the Atlantic Ocean in North Carolina’s Outer Banks
As I approached the Outer Banks Marathon, I expected to feel pressure and nerves and the weight of expectations and worry over logistics. But something unexpected washed over me in the final week. Gratitude.
Medal with a pin for the age group win!
The race went as well I could have possibly expected for my first attempt at the distance. The nervousness was present but it was diminished by the reality that, while marathon was a goal, training was the prize. Each day I have the health, time, support, and lifestyle to pursue my dreams. Running a race with a full heart is definitely the way to go!
I logged 85 miles in November, down from 160 in October. Between the taper for the marathon and my recovery plan afterwards, it was meant to be lower volume month.
As I increased my mileage after a 9 day rest, there was some unexpected pain and discomfort in both my right hip and right knee. Turns out, I needed a bit more time off after the marathon. More to come in a separate post.
I posted about my pre-race Thoughts, which included photos from our lovely vacation in North Carolina. I also posted a trail review for a stupendous natural surface trail in Fort Worth, Eagle Mountain Park. Truly one of the best in DFW.
2013 Goals Progress
Run 1000+ Miles: COMPLETE! 1,068 miles. Consistency is key!
Strength Train 75% of Weeks: 28 out of 48. The wheels have completely fallen off at this point. I need to recommit to this as the year ends.
Complete a Full Marathon: COMPLETE! It was everything I hoped it would be.
Get Faster: 5K, half marathon, and marathon goals complete. 10K was 18 seconds over my goal, but it will likely have to wait until 2014.
