THANKSGIVING

After the fact

It was my drink of choice this summer during all of that intense training:

Double the electrolytes, less than half the sugar. Love it. I don't prefer one brand over the other, but ONE and Vita Coco are cheaper than Zico at my grocery store.

Luis can't stand the stuff and goes with Nuun instead.

(Blech.)

(And coconut water is pretty widely available in bodegas and deli's around here. Nuun...only in specialty running/tri/biking stores)

(But he loves it. And you might too. Whatever works.)

More Team Reeve Coverage!

Visit media.nycmarathon.org for more Videos

(You can skip to about 2:20 to hear Peter Wilderotter, CEO of the Reeve Foundation and Matthew Reeve.)

(Love the shout-out to Marine Corps Marathon runners at about 10:20.)

New York City Marathon's Cutest Moment

sent in by Anthony!

Did I say I have no future marathon plans?

Well, I just got back from the Team Reeve's NYC Marathon send-off lunch, and I just think I want to do it again :) It really is a race like no other, and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is a foundation like no other. It was a very inspiring afternoon, and I'm so glad to see the press coverage Matthew Reeve and Team Reeve are getting this year:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

5th Time's a Charm

Ok, now that the Series is tied, here's the Marine Corps Marathon scoop:

My chip didn't get read at the start! Luis and I started together and there was a 4:02 difference in his chip time. So I'm taking my clock time, 3:59:58 (still under 4 hours :-D), subtracting 4:02, and going with 3:55:56.... That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I have emailed the Marines to see if they'll go with it too.

So now that that's cleared up: HOLY CRAP! So much to report, so little ability to organize my thoughts. So in random order:

• 3:55:56!!!!! I broke 4 hours, took 10 minutes off my previous time, and negative splitted (ran 2nd half faster than 1st half). Coach Danny really knows what he's doing!


• Running faster is definitely harder. I am way much more sore than I was after NYC last year.


• I fell! All the way down, rolled, popped back up, and kept going. The course was very crowded all the way through the first half of the race, and I was caught up in the 4 hour pace group. Someone came up from behind, clipped my heel, and down I went. No pictures this time.


• My mom and my aunt were excellent cheerleaders. They made it to all their appointed places on time, had their sign ready, and jumped up and down and screamed like pro's. It was awesome.


• The Marines were so. freaking. cool. They cheered for us; they let us know what was up ahead; they told which tables had water, which had Powerade; they rocked.


• I squatted for the first time in a race situation. I was well shielded from any possible onlookers. It wasn't so bad. Paula Radcliffe did it, so why can't I?


• We broke $4,000 for our fundraising, and that makes a grand total of over $20,000 over the past 3 years! THANK YOU!!!!


• I passed Luis for the 3rd year in a row. But he keeps reminding me that he holds the family record at 3:54. Is he trying to stoke my competitive fire?!


• Blue Powerade = nasty


• I may never eat pasta again. Enough already.


• The pictures are really not flattering. I was so focused, I didn't see any of the cameras, and I just look like I'm in pain in all of the pictures.


• I also missed the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Capitol...That's the trade-off for PR-ing.


• I'm pretty sure I could actually run faster. The most challenging part for me was managing my anxiety. I had never run 8:50 - 9:00's so early in a marathon, and I was so worried about crashing. It never happened :)


• I truly have no future marathon plans at this point...I'm sure I'll do it again though!


• Right now, I'm looking forward to cheering on lots of friends who are running NYC on Sunday, including fellow Team Reeve-mates and TNT-ers, sleeping late, and continuing to eat everything in sight (except pasta).

Marathon report coming soon...

But first:

It's a fun night to be a Phillies fan living in New York City :)

P.S.

We're still awaiting some last minute donations, but our Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation fundraising total will most certainly top $4,000 this time around. THANK YOU, EVERYONE for your generous support! None of this - not the training, not the racing, not the fundraising- would be possible without you.

I'd also like to point out that this brings the grand total to more than $20,000 over the past 3 years. Impressive. Impressive that we have such a fabulous network of supporters who believe in us and who believe in the mission of the Reeve Foundation. As Christopher Reeve once said, “I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. They are the real heroes, and so are the families and friends who have stood by them."

P.P.S. There's still time to make your donation!

Bring. It. On.

Obsessed

Come on COLD...You can do it...Just for Sunday...

That, and...

I think it looks worse than it actually is. Better to get the hills over with in the beginning anyway. I have heard that little incline at the very end is "like climbing a flight of stairs." The last thing you want to do after running 26 miles.

My final pre-marathon obsession:

My customizable pace band from MyMarathonPace.com We're not sure if the elevation info is exactly right, but it's close enough. A pretty neat website. Offers a free 5-day trial, or $6 for 6 months of access to the marathon info, customizable spreadsheet, and wristbands for your race of choice. I thought it was worth it.

Ok, lets get this show on the road!

In 1 week...

Marine Corps Marathon 2009 will be history.

3 weeks to go!

YES! We did our last 20 miler this weekend, running 7 miles to Central Park then running Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon. I was so tired toward the end of the race and Coach Danny reminded me, "You're coming up on mile 19." Right...Disregard the sign that says "Mile 12." I was only a minute off my PR for the half, so I'm feeling pretty good.

The half honored Grete Waitz, who won the New York City Marathon 9 times and has been a pioneer and fierce advocate in the field of women's running. She was there high-fiving the crowd as we ran by, and just being all amazing and inspiring. It was a good day.

Training Update:

with pictures and everything:

• 3 weeks ago: 18 miles on the always impeccably maintained Delaware Canal Towpath


• 2 weeks ago: 22 miles from Prospect Park over the Brooklyn Bridge up the Westside Highway to 125th...and back.
• lots of pacing work with some hills thrown in for good measure.
• last week: successfully avoided running the Queens Half Marathon :), partly because:

• this week: I've been laid up for a couple days with a killer cold, and my body seems to think I'm tapering because I'm getting all these weird aches and pains in my legs.
  
• Next up:
• next week: NYRR 18 mile Marathon Tune-Up Run. As much as I want to shun NYRR, I will run this event and...
• in 2 weeks: Grete's Great Gallop. That makes a total of 31 miles in Central Park over the next 2 weeks. I'm really looking forward to aquainting myself with every crack, crevice, bump, ditch, and pile of horse poo.
• in 3 weeks: The Staten Island Half - a decent course that starts at a decent time, with lots of parking!
• in 4 weeks - a Cape Cod wedding! Margaret and I ran our first marathon together, and now she's tying the knot. She's one of my favorite people in the world, and we couldn't be happier for her and her lucky fiance.


• in 5 weeks: MARINE CORPS MARATHON 2009!

and finally, we will get our weekends back!

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Luis read it. Loved it. Talked about it incessantly. Now wants to run barefoot. The NY Times referred to it in an article this weekend. I don't have much to say about it since I've only read about 2 pages, but it does give me an excuse to post a Daily Show clip (which always makes me happy).

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Christopher McDougall
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

It's Sister's fault...

I haven't been around lately. She's been hogging the computer! That and life's just busy and a little crazy lately. So...I'm not really sure what the status of EMVORB is. To be continued...

Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday present to myself: a donation to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, of course! Perhaps you'll consider something similar? :)

TEAM MANZO

It's official.

The Bionic Woman

That's mom's new hip! Well, not actually mom's, but she now has one just like it. Mom pulled through surgery like a pro yesterday and was up and about today. It's a long road to recovery, but she'll be out there pounding the pavement with me soon enough! Go mom!

So I'm in Yardley with my parents for a week missing Luis and Sister a lot, but this morning I went for a great run. It was the best I've felt in a few weeks. Cool and drizzly, quiet and peaceful - hill repeats were actually enjoyable. It was a very, very much needed break from all the commotion.

How's this for a wedding cake?

Can't see it?

It's...The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation logo!

So it wasn't actually a wedding cake. You already know the weddings happened in February and March. However, my parents threw us a beautiful backyard bash yesterday to celebrate with our extended family. I had told them that any checks Luis and I might receive would go towards our fundraising, and they surprised us with this fabulous cake. It tasted amazing too:

Thanks to all our family for celebrating with us and for welcoming Luis so warmly! We love you!

Party's over, or has it just begun?

Back to work this week, and it's busier than ever. How is that a teacher works more in the summer than during the school year???

Anyway, I also officially kicked off training yesterday with an easy loop around the park. 16 weeks until Marine Corp Marathon 2009. The hotel is already booked! I hope to be posting fundraising information soon too. We're making it a family affair this year - with Luis joining in the Team Reeve fun! Here's last year's video (from the NYC marathon) in case you've forgotten what all the excitement is about:
(I'm at 1:23, 1:55, 3:44)