Rainy run and super sore muscles

In preparation for my big run of 12 miles yesterday, I updated my workout playlist. A few songs that I could no longer tolerate got removed and replaced with some new ones. I added Empire State of Mind, and Mercy, which coincidentally is what I'm begging for now because of all of my extremely sore muscles.

It was raining yesterday and initially I was really dreading it. About a mile into it I thought there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to accomplish it. But then I decided to go off my normal loop and run all new paths in the park. It helped to distract me because I never knew what I was going to see next or where I would end up. With each declaration from my iPhone that another mile had been completed, I got a little more motivated, and little more confident.

Since it was a rainy day, there weren't hardly any food vendors out in the park. Usually there's one every few feet, but they were very scarce. I came upon one at mile 3, but wasn't thirsty yet, so I didn't stop. Once I reached mile 6 though, I was ready for my Poland Spring, but worried because there were no vendors in site. My run was now all about navigating my self back to the vendor I had seen earlier. Finally, after an extra mile of running, I found him. Water has never tasted so good.

This run was a great time for me to reflect on things because I was spending so much time with just myself. I ran past a group of high school students that looked like they were on a school trip. It made me think back to the first time I got to come to New York, my senior year of high school. Made me think about how I fell in love with the place, posing in front of limos pretending they were mine and buy NYPD sweatshirts. It really made me feel proud, because I had loved this place so much and it was my goal to get here and I did. I found a great job, a great apartment, and I have a great soon to be husband, so life worked out pretty well for me so far. That reminder to myself, that I'm a strong person that accomplishes what I set out for, may just give me the extra confidence I need to finish my training strong and finish this marathon.

I'm proud of myself and I don't feel intimidated as much by the goal I have in front of me.