The Road to Chicago

For the last three years I have been applying to the lottery for the New York Marathon. Each year, no luck. 

This is how I ended up running Paris in 2017- you only register, no lottery. NY was still a dream though, so I continued to enter the lottery and applied to run as a charity runner in 2018. I eventually decided to try and start apply to other World Marathon major races and applied to London for 2018, (no luck), and Chicago, 

In the Fall of 2018, I found out I was accepted to Chicago 2019!

Given my injuries and six months of not walking last year, I started training in January. Also given my total lack of accountability when I tried for Paris (I literally went on six runs before the race.) I decided to set a fun goal: 

26 races leading to the 26.2!

So far I have run 17 races! Chicago will be the 26th. 

I am following the Hal Hidgon Novice 1 plan, and all is going fairly well, although if anything my pace average is worsening. Given how hot Sacramento is, it's getting pretty difficult to train. How do you run 10 miles after work when it's 105 degrees outside? I am still in PT, a full 18 months after my injury. My calves are "extraordinarily" tight and it's part of my plan to stretch them by standing on a book six times a day, including while I am at work. So far, nothing works. I think the one thing that has come out of training is that I have gained confidence that I can do anything. It's not scary to run a Half marathon. I know I can do it- I'll just walk. I can interval. It's okay! A 5k isn't that far, and it'll be over pretty fast. All races end and there's beer at the end and you get street cred. I like it. 

The running list so far!

1.) 2/23 Almond Blossom 8k, Ripon, CA 1:16:17 Average pace: 15:07

2.) 3/2 Donut Dash 4M, Sacramento CA 58:14 Average Pace: 14:15

3.) 3/9 Bok Kai 5K, Marysville CA 42:51 Average Pace: 13:16

4.) 3/16 Run to Get Lucky 5k Corvallis, OR 41:51 Average Pace: 13:11

5.) 3/17 Shamrock PDX 8k Portland, OR 1:14:38 Average Pace 14:45 

6.) 3/31 A Run & Walk Through History Cemetery 5k New Orleans, LA, 46:34 Average Pace 14:30

7.) 4/9 Hippity Hop, Plumas Lake CA, 44:00, Average Pace 14:09

8.) Salmon Run 10k, Grass Valley CA, 2:18:58 Average Pace 19:35 (Trail)

9.) Eugene Marathon 5k, Eugene OR, 42:29 Average Pace 13:06

10.) 5/4 Coloma River Run 10k, Pilot Hill, CA 1:54:31 Average Pace 17:49 (Trail)

11.) 5/4 Beer Week May the 4th be With you 5k, Sacramento CA 50:03 Average Pace 15:57 

12.) 5/13 Yosemite Half Marathon, Bass Lake, CA 3:32:06 Average Pace 15:29

13.) 6/9 Run to Squaw 8M 2:09:06 Average Pace 16:11

14.) 6/30 Mare Island 10k, Mare Island, CA 1:32:24 Average Pace 14:03

15.) 7/12 Scoot Scoop 5k 46:45 Average Pace 14:55

16.) 7/20 Peach Festival 5k, Marysville, CA 42:25 Average Pace: 13:04

17.) 7/28 Biofreeze San Francisco Half Marathon, San Francisco, CA 3:32:07 Average Pace 15:24

Scheduled:

23.) 9/15 Clo Cow Half Marathon

24.) 9/29 Napa Half Marathon

25.) 10/12 Chicago Marathon 5k- Maybe!

26.) 10/13 Chicago Marathon

Sorting out races 18-22!

I'm still working on my weight. I ate well for a full year, with intention, avoiding plastic and processed foods, but enjoying treats here and there (mostly neopolitan pizza fridays!) but a year of that and no binge eating just made me maintain my weight. I gave up and tried Slim Fast for a month and lost 8 pounds. I'm back to mostly healthy eating and just maintaining again. So I'll probably go back to something else. It's frustrating. Not looking for guidance, just venting.