Reflection

I can not believe it is done: 26.2 miles. I am officially marathoner. Granted I was the one running, but it would not have been without the support of my family and friends. I was so inspired by this first experience that I have made it a goal to run at least one marathon a year. Washington D.C. was awesome but I am itching to run Disney. Once I sign up for my next big race I will begin blogging again. Right now the only thing on the calendar is the duathlon in Syracuse that I did last year: 3.1 mile run, 20 mile bike ride; 3.1 mile run. Thanks again to all my supporters <3

Packed and Prepared

Leaving in an hour. Definitely over-packed, but at least I will hopefully be prepared. I am excited to go to the expo tonight. Early start in the morning :) SO EXCITED!!!!

26 People

Ran my last 3 miles in Syracuse before class and coming home tonight. Thank you to my family and friends who have provided their support through my training :) I could not do it without you.

Catherine, one of my marathon partners, passed this along to the rest of us to do(The picture is an example of what my right arm will look like). For one reason or another, I will be running each of the miles of my race on Saturday for the following special people:

"A prayer intention for each mile of the race to keep my focus on others and put my own physical discomfort into a different perspective."

1. Joan Marturana

2. Paul Pavlishin

3. Carol Kyriakodis

4. George Kyriakodis

5. Papou Gus Konugres

6. Yiayia Margo Konugres

7. Aunt Beverly

8. Aunt Helen

9. Heather Shockley

10. Mary Damico

11. Jenna McKeown

12. Oliver Hertzel

13. Mrs. Nowicke

14. Michele Bissias

15. Theo Dimitri Ververelli

16. Peter Ververelli

17. Jim Mitchell

18. Mr. Condonis

19. Christina Zervoudis

20. Uncle Ken

21. Mrs. Donaghy

22. Stephanie Anderson

23. Uncle Nick

24. Pres. Rousssos

25. Fr. Venetos

26. Fr. Limberakis

Peace. Love. Running :)

MLK

I think it's time...

to a. run this thing and b. stop snowing in Syracuse.

I made up different loops as I tapered yesterday and this morning. I am curious how it will be tomorrow for my last run in Syracuse before the race :)

Rainy or should I say sleety Monday

Went for a run today where the drizzle turned to rain and then to sleet which pelted me for a good ten minutes. I came home sopping wet, provided Amy some humor and am now off to "sell" Syracuse to a group of perspective students. I know why Syracuse is awesome, but it is hard to sell it to people after we lost last night and the weather does not comply. 4 days here and two at home to go!!!

Sunday Spring Cleaning

Before driving back up to school for four days of classes before going back home for the marathon, I ran the same loop as yesterday. Tapering this week. Getting excited to be able to say, "I ran a marathon" :)Go Cuse! Happy March Madness Upsets lol...my bracket is in shambles...but it is a great excuse to procrastinate organizing my life.

8 miles, 7 days to go!

One week until I will have ran a marathon. This week I am tapering from here on out. As next Saturday approaches, I am happy I stepped up to the plate to do this.

Going to the doctor's this afternoon to hopefully get this cough/sore throat thing that has been going on way too long under control and spend the rest of the afternoon on the lacrosse field watching Const and then tonight watching Syracuse beat Johns Hopkins :)

Super Saturday of Spring Break :)

Florida Flyer!

Saturday, I was able to get in a long run (10-12miles). Between daylight savings, flying and eating a large brunch at one of my favorite eateries here: Too Jay's lead me to not run until late, and eat late. However, I figured out the 3.5 miles out and back I will be doing Monday through Friday.

Happy Selection Sunday! Syracuse got the #3 seed of the East! Go Cuse, from the Sunshine State :)

Short Weekend at Home!

It is so easy to get into a routine. Because yesterday I ran the three neighborhood loop, but since I can not run tomorrow morning before my flight to Florida, I am going to try and get in a long run.

Midterms Running

Today and Tuesday I did the usual hour loop. Yesterday, I got up to study for a few hours and then ran before my midterm. I was skeptical of how that would work, eating and running so close together and then having a midterm, but it wasn't too bad. Going home today after classes! Can't believe Spring Break is already here! Time is flying! :)

Monday....the real snow day!

Syracuse University prides itself on the fact that it hardly ever cancels school. Once every few years there might be an early cancellation or a delayed opening, but rarely. Yesterday, the university cancelled all classes, day and night. By late afternoon I was able to get in 45 minutes, in which I was entertained by the Frat boys' snowmen, the off campus house forts, and the people who like myself spent an hour and a half shoveling out their cars. Surprisingly, I must have had good technique because I was not sore this morning for my typical hour run before econ. The sun is out and the temperatures should be mild going into the next two days which is good because I will be driving home for Spring Break on Thursday afternoon. I'm ready for the sun AND warmth in Florida :)

Sunday, Snow day?!

What?! Yes, it was 50 degrees out yesterday and yes, I woke up to a snowstorm that hasn't stopped since. You know what that means? I hit the gym. Lame I know, but I didn't have any other option. The roads have been horrible all day and I hear it's suppose to be the same way in the morning. I really hope not.

I thought we were on the brink of spring...I guess not, I live in Central New York, where it can be winter any day it feels like it.

Happy Midterms Week! Can't wait for Florida next week :)

Last Weekend before Midterms

Thursday and Friday- Brief runs that were about an hour long.
Saturday-I did it! 18 miles :) The biggest lesson learned: Run with chap stick! My lips got so chapped! The funny thing is, it was about 50 degrees today.

Lacrosse beat UVA last night and we are about to beat DePaul in basketball. MSG here we come for the Big East Tournament!

Happy March!

I will take the mild temperatures for as long as they want to stay. Typical hour yesterday and about the 50 minutes today. I had an early team breakfast at Syracuse's iconic Stella's Diner...love my team!

Two days in a row

I have been able to run one and half hours two days in a row...wahoo!!! My knees began to ache at the end of today's run, so I really need to start my IT band exercises, otherwise, I wont make it through 26.2 miles. The weather has also been mild which is always a nice change of pace from the harsh frigid temperatures.

Snow-shoeing!

Had a lazy Sunday morning. Layed in bed until about ten. This afternoon, I went snow-shoeing at a local nature center with Amy and Kelly. It was so much fun :) It was nice to change things up. Now I want to buy snow shoes and try cross-country skiing. We will definitely be going back. I then came home for 12 miles. It is so wild to think that those miles went by so fast and that if there were more hours in a day, I would have ran more. Happy Oscar-watching!

Routine

Thursday, I got in my typical hour.
Friday was a cross training day in the gym. It snowed all day long.
Saturday, same as Thursday.

I need to get out of this rut. I was busy this weekend giving campus tours on both Friday and Saturday, but that is no excuse. My plan is to get in a long, slow Sunday morning run.

Slept in and got in a good run...

And by sleeping in I mean 8am. I was able to run an hour and a half, however I need to get out of the house in less time. It took me 35 mins to be ready to run. Most of the time it is because it takes me so long to get out of the house because I put on so many layers and gloves etc. Another goal for my week: get out of the house faster :)

Pocket Run

Typically, it doesn't matter how cold it is. My hands always get cold. So this morning I ran with my hands in my pockets for most of my run. Even with two layers of gloves, when the temperatures are that cold it is hard for my fingers to stay warm. Today was also the first day I ran with tissues. Thank goodness because I have been a boogery mess.

Oh boy....it's been a while...

It's a good thing I have a good memory. Ok, Thursday was my typical 60 minute loop. Friday and Sunday were the same 5 mile loops. I skipped Saturday on purpose. Due to crazy amounts of wind, I ran on the treadmill on Saturday for 45 mins. I feel like I'm running on a trampoline. This morning it was snowing but I was still able to get in an hour. I have plateaued, but at the same time, I have not had the time to dedicate to improvement. That is my goal for the week. Go SU!

Beginning of the Week

Got my hour in yesterday and this morning forty minutes because I had an appointment at Health Services. I have been feeling under the weather. Minimal water intake for me the last few days has been an absolute recipe for disaster. I'm on the Mucinex-D hoping that helps. Another beautiful sun-shining day in Syracuse. I hope this continues!

Long Weekend

With all the happenings of my weekend, I didn't know how much running I was actually going to be able to do. Even if it was only thirty minutes...I was able to fit it in :) Yes, success!

Even with the traveling that I did and awesome company that I had come and visit me I was able to sneak in 30 minutes fast on Friday before a leadership conference, 45 minutes on Saturday morning right as it began to snow, and 75 minutes Sunday.

This morning, I overslept but was still able to get in 30 minutes before a group outing at 8:30am to Stella's Diner.

It has been super mild, to the point that I put down the sunroof and windows in the car this morning. I can live with temperatures in the mid 40s.

Training on my own is sometimes tough, but coming home to a text that says "Run Margo Run" or "Saw you running on Comstock" is enough inspiration to power me through the next week's training. It is a small token of recognition of the hard work that I am putting into getting from start to finish of 26.2 miles. So to Gerald, Kelly, Winnie...thank you :)Please keep the inspiration coming!

"Success is steady progress toward one's personal goals." - Jim Rohn

Happy Valentine's Day!

60 Minutes

I could have been on the show. My run this morning was exactly that before going to class this morning. I have noticed that the days are getting longer. It is especially nice when the sun is shinning too :)

Crazy Week

Meetings, presentations etc. have left me strapped for time to get in m daily runs. Yesterday I was able to make to the gym for a half hour before class. It was white out conditions. When I got to the gym I learned that it doesn't open until 8am which cut my workout time short as well. This morning I got in a solid forty-five minutes in the brisk cold air before a team meeting at 9am. I won't be back to my place until at 9pm tonight. 6 classes and training is a lot but without the training, I don't think I would be able to handle the other craziness of my life.

Good Transition

I had a good transition into my Monday with a long run. I will need to calculate the mileage exactly but it was roughly 80 mins. It was also awesome that the high for today was 34 degrees...above freezing... I will take it :)

Weekend Update

I like the title of this post, I just wish I were as funny as Tina Fey and Seth Meyers and Amy Pohler.

Friday, I didn't go for as long of a run as I thought I would have. It was 70 minutes charged by the emotion of the week that just passed and the weekend I was about to enter into.
Saturday, was slightly shorter than my run on Thursday because I had to squeeze my run in at the crack of dawn before the leadership conference I had all day.
Today, Sunday, was a success. I didn't think I would wait as long as I did, but I'm glad I did. I was productive in the morning and then got in 16 miles this afternoon. Mentally, it is harder to wait until later in the day to run. Sometimes, it pays off and I run longer and better than I would have running in the morning. But other times waiting until later in the day shortens my run. Today, it was a success! It was a good way to end my weekend and start my week.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I'm a cheesehead tonight! Go Packers!

Out and Back

Only had time for an out and back this afternoon....a really short out and back. It's ashame because this morning it was snowing really hard so there was little visibility and this afternoon it was sunny and mild, I just didn't have the time. Tomorrow I will go out for a long run because I don't know if I will have time for one on Saturday because I have a leadership conference all day ...maybe that will be my first day of rest during my training.

Attacked by a Dog

Today it was fore-casted to be blizzard-like. Syracuse, laughs at snow. We got a mere 5 inches and the sun melted much of it to slush before my 10am run. As I was on my way back, I ran up into a neighborhood with a cul-de-sac. A lot of times cul-de-sacs are not cleared as well as the rest of the road and you have to take extra precaution when running around them. What I first thought was my right leg slipping on the slush turned out to be a dog attacking me. I was so scared at first, but the owner came out and apologized. But it was just so scary for a good ten seconds, because when you are shaken out of your running mode, it is alarming. Since it was so slushy, I still haven't switched shoes yet. I have to do that tonight for tomorrow. Happy Groundhog's Day :)

Postponed Twice

I postponed my run twice today: Once this morning, when the snow was coming down too hard to snow and then again when I came home this afternoon and wanted to eat lunch first. I was still able to get in the run I wanted to do, but not without my fingers feeling like they could break off at any moment. Hopefully I am able to get in a run tomorrow before classes despite the snowfall we are suppose to receive before morning.

Snooze Times Two

Hit the snooze twice this morning. Once at 7:50 and again at 8:50....while I was running I was surprised that I slept more than I anticipated because I have so much to do this week, but then I realized, it was much needed sleep. I probably only slept 12 hours total over the weekend, between parties, events and of course homework. But my run was so enjoyable because I woke up to the sun-shining! What a great way to start my week :) It's the small things in life!

I also realized that I can sleep a little later on Monday and Wednesday mornings and still get in longer runs because my first class is not until 12:45pm on those days. I bought a stop watch at Target this weekend which also has become extremely handy in keeping track of time. In all the years I have been a runner, I am not consistent about wearing a watch, but hopefully this will help :) Tomorrow I start with a fresh pair of kicks. Not only is the mileage up on mine but the salt has already torn through the mesh on the sides of my shoes. Goodbye January, hello February!

Weekend Warrior

Both Saturday and Sunday I did not run first thing in the morning. Saturday's run ended up turning into a longer adventure than I originally anticipated. It was probably about 8 miles. Sunday, I went to the gym with Jill for 45 mins and then ran for a 30mins before I had a group meeting and chapter.

Again...

Thursday was not much better than Wednesday in that I hit the snooze for a little too long. I still got in a decent 5-6 mile day and got to Econ on time :) Yay!

Jill had DSP people over last night, so I was up late and woke up early and didn't run until after eating breakfast...circa 11.15am but it was good because I got in a solid 12.5 mile day before a group meeting and a fun afternoon/evening with Jill which included a trip to Target(where I got a new watch:)) and the market, dinner and finally seeing "The Social Network" ...it was soo good! I recommend it. Most likely going to be an early night for me... exhausted!

Unexpectedly Slept In

Since I snoozed my alarm until 7:35am, my run was abbreviated, but super nice because the temperatures have returned to normal, which in Syracuse at this time of the year is around 20 degrees. Today marks to two month mark! This race will be here faster than I know it.

The girls I am running with and I are in an email thread together. It is so nice! We talk about our workouts, and what gets us through the monotonous times. There are four of us total. Jacquie, Maria, Catherine and I. Jacquie and I were friends before this; Maria, I met once, at Jacquie's house and so far, I know Catherine virtually lol.

Goodnight for now, so I don't snooze my alarm tomorrow :)

The forecaster was right..

Today, the temperatures returned to bearable...thank goodness...got in about an hour run this morning before class at 9:30. It snowed through the night so the roads were kind of slushy. I will have to clock how far I went. It was an out-and-back day :)

Consistent Sub-zero Temps

Today the high is a negative digit. With windchill-27 degrees. Therefore, harmful to my health to even think about running....which absolutely kills me. So the real test was whether or not to go to the gym this morning. I went, but I felt like it was unproductive. I can only be on any one machine for 10 minutes. Then proceeded to lift until I ran out of water....if you know me, you know that didn't take long. The NBC local Central New York meteorlogist assured its viewing capacity that tomorrow temperatures will be "bareable" and by bareable I mean zero or higher. Can't wait to run again!

First Weekend Back

Friday- It was snowy in the morning, so I decided it would be a good opportunity to start my gym routine. Went for about an hour when I realized it had stopped snowing, so I went home and went for a half hour run. Pretty lame, but I had to go to a meeting with our landlord for next year.

Saturday- I got up at 6:45am to run. Daylight savings hasn’t kicked in enough for it to be light enough to run at that hour. I got up so early because I had plans to meet to go to the basketball game at 9am. I decided I wasn’t going to have enough time for a decent run before the game. So I sucked it up and went to the game without running first. Anyone who knows my work/running ethic knows that until I run, the fact that I didn't run will eat at me…maybe that is why we lost to Villanova. If I were more mentally committed to the game it would have ended differently lol jk. After the game I came home for a quick lunch, digested a little and went out for 10 miles. It felt great, especially because it didn’t feel like 10 miles.

Sunday- After a fun abroad reunion/birthday party Saturday night. I snuck in a brief run before getting together with alumni that came to Syracuse for the game on Saturday.

I would consider week one of school-training a success, when you consider the frigid temperatures, moving in Monday as opposed to Sunday and the issues surrounding getting electricity switched over into our names.

Cold Air Ams

Started to get into my Euclid Avenue Routine...It is interesting the difference that running at 7.30 vs. 8am makes.

Flurries Falling

Went out for my run this morning with the flurries falling. Still trying to figure out why it is that the temperatures here do not feel as cold as they do at home, despite it actually being colder here. I think I ran about six miles today. I will have to try and track my course later. Getting ready for day two of classes!

Back to School

Monday, I ran my last five miles at home before returning to school.

Tuesday, I got up for my first run in Syracuse. Even though it was sleeting slightly, there is something about the crisp, cold air here that I love, despite being so close to the city. Did I mention my room looks over campus and the city! The best of both worlds....I love it :)

Looking at my Schedule

Did my regular five miles today. I looked at my schedule and started to plan out a good exercise routine once I get to school :)

Met Another Marathoner

After I posted yesterday, I met a sales associate while I was out that got me very pumped about running the marathon. She has ran the New Jersey and New York one and highly recommended both of them.
Since then I ran my normal five miles today...which was much needed to clear my head from all the back-to-school packing/to-do lists...and met another girl I am going to the marathon with, Maria. She is awesome and one of Jacquie's friends from Villanova who is running her 1st marathon with us as well :) Getting pumped already!

Trying not to give you the 2 for 1 Deal

I meant to blog yesterday night but then got sidetracked by FourSquare when I logged onto the computer. Yesterday was another short day. After the snow over night I was only able to do 4 miles. The Ely Farm development was not plowed :(

This morning I got up with the sun and ran 5 miles in Tyler Park before meeting for coffee to say goodbye to one of my best friends who leaves for Boston this afternoon. I love Tyler Park! It's so pretty all year round :)

Running (no pun intended) errands all day so it always feels good to get my day started right with a run :)

Lame Potato

Long story short I woke up at the crack of dawn to make awesome oatmeal, chocolate chip, and banana pancakes to start the morning off right for Constantine and I. Yum! Then I had to go get the car serviced before my doctor's appointment and errands. My car service appointment took longer than expected and I only got in a 3 mile run around my neighborhood.

Sometimes when I run that short of distance, I don't feel or even remember that I ran at all. That is how immune I am. Snowfall in the forecast overnight, so tomorrow's workout is up in the air.

The Good News is.....

Five miles seems easy?! Since there has been consistent snow it has been harder for me to do more than five miles: my neighborhood and the two on either sides of my neighborhood. However, this is the loop I have been consistently doing since I have been home from London, so I'm glad with a week left before I go back to school that it has become easy.

I think the trick is going to be changing up my routes on a regular basis, as not to get bored with my workouts. Tomorrow, I plan on gathering articles and workout plans from high school and magazines that will help me create some new workout plans.

Stay warm, it's blustery outside!

Day 1 of Mental Toughness....the treadmill

Woke up this morning and decided if I tried running around the neighborhood I might bust my butt on the black ice, so I decided to start testing my mental toughness...on the treadmill. Some might say running a marathon is mentally challenging enough. Not to me. Running on a treadmill is a difficult task for me. Today, I barely made it 40 minutes. It was better than doing nothing though. Then I did a quick ab set and was off to church to see my little diva Markella :)...I also prayed for more mental toughness ;)

One Week Since the New Year and I Decide a Marathon is a Good Idea :)

Since I became an avid runner, I have always aspired to run a marathon. I ran a half marathon in the fall of 2009 and have run other road races since my four year running career in high school. I originally thought the first marathon I would run would be in Disney World, but when the opportunity to run the Sun Trust Marathon in Washington D.C. was presented to me, I jumped on the opportunity; a week into the New Year, and have now decided to blog about my training adventure :)

This is the course map for the marathon:
http://www.nationalmarathon.com/SunTrust_National_Marathon/SunTrust_National_Marathon_Course.htm