Race Recap: 2019 Philadelphia Marathon

I am so excited to be typing up this recap for the Philadelphia Marathon this past Sunday because to be quite honest, I'm shocked I made it to the finish line. For those of you who didn't know, I ran the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend with minimal training considering I won the entry just a few short weeks ago. You can read all about that here if you'd like!

So like I said, I went into this marathon with very little training. For the other 3 marathons I've done, I put in 18 weeks of training with long runs going up to 20 miles. Because this was a last minute decision, I followed a half marathon training schedule up until the Hershey Half at the end of October. After that I ran a 17-miler, 12-miler, and 8-miler as far as long runs. I actually felt good going into marathon weekend. I'm sure I would've been fine if the weather hadn't been less than ideal. My best running friend, Rachel, and John braved the cold and came with me to cheer me on! Anywho, onto the recap which just a bit of a warning, probably will just be a jumbled mess of my thoughts so bear with me! It was quite a day...

The expo was fun, as always!

The forecast called for rain most of Sunday morning so I tried my best to dress accordingly. I wore capris and a tank with a long sleeve tech shirt over top. I started the race with a light jacket over top but more about that later. When I woke up that morning, it was lightly drizzling out. Once we got over to Philly and parked, it has started to let up. At that point I made the decision to wear the light jacket over my long sleeve shirt and a pair of throw away gloves. The coat is sort of water resistant so I figured it would work well. Unfortunately, it had rained all night so there were a lot of puddles everywhere and my feet were already getting wet on the walk over. We got through security fairly quickly. I made the decision to use one of the first port-a-potties I found and honestly, it was the BEST decision because the ones closer to the corrals had ridiculously long lines. I went a bit earlier than usual but I probably wouldn't have even gotten the opportunity to go if I didn't stop earlier.

John and Rachel stood with me for a bit near my corral until the first corrals were starting to leave. They moved towards the start at that point so they could cheer me on as I crossed the start line. As usual, I was in the last corral (#teamturtle) so I didn't end up starting until about 25 minutes after the first corral. Like almost every big race, the start is crowded so I spent the first mile or so darting around people so I could fall into a comfortable pace.

Within the first 3 miles I started to get an odd feeling on the inside of my right foot. It felt like the sock was bunched up so when I stopped to use a port-a-potty at the first group of them where the line wasn't ridiculously long (I think around mile 3?), I tried fixing it. Once I started back up running, it still felt funny so this time I stopped and actually took my shoe off. At that moment, I found the last thing I wanted to see this early in a race: a huge blister forming.... I quickly got out my phone and called John to see if there was any possible way he could get to me before mile 14 (it was planned for them to see me at the start, around halfway, and the finish) with moleskin, bandaids, or any other stuff that could help me. He looked at the map and sadly could not figure out a way to get to a drug store and make it to where I was in a timely manner but he'd get something for me to put on at mile 14. I was bummed until a lightbulb went off and I remembered I had a spare piece of KT tape in my hydration backpack that I kept there for emergencies. I ended up wrapping it around where the blister was forming in hopes it would protect it and stop the pain. While it was a great idea, unfortunately it helped very little. I also ended up having a second blister form on the inside of my left foot.

This looked prettier in person...

I focused most of my attention on the pain the blisters were causing as I cruised through the earlier miles. Normally the hills between miles 7 and 10 would absolutely kill me but I couldn't even think about them. I honestly don't even remember if it rained again at all. I was so excited to see John and Rachel around mile 14. I made the decision not to put any of the bandaids on that John had gotten in fear that if I took my shoes off, I'd never want to put them back on. Instead I handed off my light jacket and gloves as I was getting pretty warm. 

BIG. MISTAKE.

Once I left John and Rachel, it started to rain again. Like, freezing cold rain that was permeating everything I was wearing, making me feel frozen to the core. The rain was angled so it was going right in my face. At this point in the race, we were running along the Schuylkill River so the winds were much stronger and frequent. I tried my best to focus on the sights (I absolutely LOVE Boathouse Row) and all the spectators. I was honestly surprised at how many people still came out the spectate even with the weather. 

So glad John captures this wonderful picture of me as I ran up to him haha I must’ve looked miserable the whole time. 

As I headed towards Manayunk, around mile 18ish, I was starting to lose my motivation. I began thinking about how I'd feel if I just gave up at this point. I knew that quitting this late in the race would just be silly since I had less than 8 miles left to go. I would be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind a couple more times before I finished...

Manayunk pumped me up like always! It's like one big party as you cruise down the main street towards the turn around. And then the party keeps going until you leave the town. Once I left Manayunk, the spectators started to die down and so did my drive. The frustrating part is that for the back of the packers, like me, you see a lot of spectators cheering on those between miles 23-25 while you're still around mile 16 because of the way the course is. Those people also cheer for those on the other side of the course which I mentioned above that I saw. But once you get to that area like an hour later, there aren't many people left. This usually is my least part of the race and it was again this year. Spectators are what keep me going at this point and without them, I was left to my own thoughts.

The new mural going into Manayunk is so nice! I just had to stop on my way out to snap a picture. 

The last few miles or so were brutal. I was absolutely soaked. Even the one dry spot on my back that was covered by my hydration pack was wet at this point. I kept getting chills, my teeth were chattering, and the only thought going through my head was "I have no clue if I'll ever warm up after this!" Since my hands were frozen, I hadn't eaten a Gu since at least mile 16 and I struggled to even hold the mouthpiece on my hydration pack so I could drink some water. Millions of thoughts were running through my head. One that kept returning was that thought that I'm not sure I've ever ran a race that was this brutal before. I've ran the marathon distance 3 other times, ran a half marathon in the snow, ran a 10-miler and a half marathon in the rain, and yet this was truly the toughest of them all! I was getting pretty out of it at this point. I've heard of people starting to get a bit crazed at this point in the race and for the first time, I was. I honestly couldn't even keep track of my mile markers and my body just kept shaking with cold.

Once I hit mile 26 on my watch, I knew I only had less than a half mile to go. My watch was off by about .20 throughout most of the race. At this point I just wanted to be done so I put the pedal to the medal and pushed myself to that finish. I knew John and Rachel were somewhere towards the finish line so I scoured the sidelines for them. I heard them yelling my name before I even saw them. At that same time I heard them announce my name over the intercom along with all the other runners who were finishing at this point. That was all I needed to fly right through the finish line. I literally stopped running as soon as I crossed the line because I was DONE. Usually I'll go a bit longer to stop anybody from running right into me but I didn't even care. I was close to tears as I got my medal and heat sheet. I couldn't believe I actually did it! For a race I was considering giving up on as early as 3 miles in, I couldn't believe that I was able to push myself to that finish line!

I’m just smiling because I could see the finish line... oh, and I love running!

I probably looked like a hot mess as I tried to collect my snacks in the tent after the finish line. A pretzel and a banana dangled from my frozen fingers as I tried to also hold a cup of warm chicken broth. Not going to lie, I thought about that warm chicken broth for at least the last 10 miles. I stood there shivering and drink the broth when I finally saw John and Rachel walking up. They had thought to bring me my jacket from the car and oh my goodness I could've cried! They hugged me and all that fun stuff before we made our way to a less crowded spot to take pictures. I looked like a drowned rat and I couldn't hold my medal too well so those pictures turned out just wonderful... From there we went to the car so I could start to defrost. It probably wasn't until we got home and I removed every piece of wet clothing and put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt that I finally started to feel some sort of warmth.

There is probably so much more I could've added to this recap or even took out, but this jumbled mess represents how I felt during the whole race. Never have I felt so defeated during a race. I thought to myself many times that I should've just used that free entry for the half marathon but in a way I am glad I did the marathon. It was a chance to prove to myself that I can do hard things if I set my mind to it. I am strong!

Marathon recovery = chai tea and fuzzy socks!

Friday Favorites

There are so many reasons for a TGIF right now! John had a car accident on Monday and while he is okay {most important part!}, it just made for a really long and stressful week. On a more positive note, I have the Philly Marathon on Sunday and my best friend is coming down to visit and come spectate with John! We are going to go to the expo tomorrow and then come back to my house to make dinner and relax. I'm really looking forward to the whole weekend! Before I sign off and begin my busy weekend, I'm sharing a few things I've been loving this week.

Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher

This was one of my favorite books as a kid and I've been wanting to reread it lately! I have been searching for it at my parents house for the past few months but have had no luck at finding it. Finally I caved and used a Barnes and Noble gift card to buy a used version from their marketplace. It came in last week and naturally I stayed up one night to read the whole dang thing. Fig Pudding is a short chapter book that focuses on events that happen throughout one year for a boy named Cliff who has a big family. The events range from small to big but all have made an impact on his life in some way. I don't want to give too much away! Something about this book just draws me in every time. If you are looking for a quick and easy read, check out Fig Pudding.

I made John take a picture of me in it to show my mom and that’s the only picture I have with it, so here it is!

Columbia Ridgeway Jacket

While out in Lancaster with my parents a couple weeks ago, I found the absolute cutest Columbia jacket {the Chatfield Hill Jacket}. I made the decision not to buy it but of course have been thinking about it ever since. I found it on the Columbia website but of course my size and color is out of stock :( I decided to do some searching on Poshmark for either the same one or a similar one and I was able to find one! It's not the exact same coat but it's just as good, especially for only $20! It is made of 100% cotton, making the jacket super soft. There is a flannel interior and drawcord adjustable waist. I love how warm it is without being super bulky. After buying it, I did some research and found out it is called the Ridgeway Jacket if you're interested!

Beef Barley Soup

I was in a total soup mood this weekend so I looked up some soup recipes on my WW app and found a super simple beef barley one! All I had to do was mix cooked barley, cut up carrots and celery, and diced tomatoes in beef broth. The longest part was cooking the barley, but other than that, in the pot it all went to heat up for awhile. It was so easy to make! I think I might be making some more soups soon, especially to freeze for later!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

Bonus Question: What is your favorite meal the night before a race?

Marathon #4, Here I Come!

In case you haven't heard the news yet {I haven't been too vocal about it}, I am running the Philadelphia Marathon this Sunday! Yes, the marathon that is FOUR days away! I know, I know. You're probably thinking I am nuts since there has been no talk of marathon training and that is because there really hasn't been any real marathon training going on... Okay, I really need to explain myself!

WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!

Back in the spring, I acknowledged the fact that running a fall marathon was pretty much off the table with everything going on this summer. Between wedding planning, the actual wedding, and my honeymoon, I knew getting in my runs would be impossible. After some thinking, though, I came up with the idea that maybe, just maybe, I could attempt to train for Philly and if I felt like it was possible come October, I'd sign up. I pushed myself to run a lot leading up to the wedding and continued on that streak after my 2 week hiatus while I was busy getting hitched and honeymoonin'. 

Fun fact: my sister had to really convince me to run my first marathon. I told her that I’d get “26.2 tattooed across my but when I crossed the finished” which never happened. She still talks about that and even included it in her maid of honor speech at my wedding haha. 

The idea of marathon got put on the backburner when my sister convinced me to train with her for the Hershey Half at the end of October. I was okay with that because I really focused on the training, hit all my long runs, and even incorporated strength in more than ever before. Sometime throughout the month of October I entered a contest through Michelob Ultra to win a Philadelphia Marathon Weekend entry. Something in me felt like I'd win, so after Hershey, I kept up with my running schedule.

I trained for and ran my second marathon solo and it was actually really awesome!

On November 1st, I got the email that I had won an entry into any of the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend races {8k, 13.1, or 26.2}. All day at work I went back and forth between two thoughts. 1. I run the half marathon in hopes of possibly getting a PR and 2. I go all the way for the full! In order to make this decision, I decided I'd run a long run that weekend and if I could do more than 15 miles, then I'd choose the full. Up until this moment, the longest run I had done in the past few months was 13.1 miles but I knew my body and what it was capable of.

That weekend I laced up, filled up my hydration pack, and hit the road. Surprisingly enough, I was able to crank out 17 pain-free miles! I probably could've went even farther but John had gotten home from work and I wanted to spend some time with him. I gave myself one more day to see how my body felt and sure enough, I felt great the next day so the decision was made. I'd be running the full marathon just like I had wanted! And the best part? It was all free of charge thanks to Michelob Ultra!

I ran marathon #3 with my best friend when she was running her first marathon! It was such a great experience!

Since that 17 mile run, I have jumped head first into maintaining a marathon training schedule complete with another long run last weekend and an 8 mile run this past Sunday. For such little training, I actually feel prepared! Most people are probably reading this think "man, you are CRAZY!" and to be honest, I know! For some reason I just feel like I've got this and am excited to see what I can do! I am fully expecting to run this very slowly with a little bit of walking. There is a small part of me that feels like I might actually pull off a good pace but that will be a huge surprise if it happens! Now yes, I am aware that running a marathon on a minimal training schedule is risky but I am aware of those risks and am fully prepared to drop out if I feel it is necessary. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that ;) I mean, I ran my first marathon with tendonitis in my ankle and I survived!

Friday Favorites

After a 9 day break, this week really seemed to drag on! It wasn't too bad, so no complaints here, but I am excited it's Friday! I have a pretty calm weekend planned. John has something for work on Sunday so I already jam-packed my day starting with a long run in the morning with a friend, making crucible candles for my brother's upcoming crucible in the afternoon, and then meeting up with John for dinner :) I hope you all have a fun weekend planned!

Candles

I don't know about you, but this time of year makes me want to light ALLLLL the candles. Most of my candles are fall or winter scents so maybe that is why I think about them this time of year. Cold weather just makes me want to feel cozy and candles do exactly that! My favorite kind are the three-wick candles from Bath & Body Works. They usually go for about $25 but on the first Saturday in December, B&BW does a candle sale and they cost only $8.95 for that day! I'm already planning which ones to get ;)

Cotton Candy Captain Crunch

This was a total impulse buy at the grocery store last week because I had a coupon to get them for .99. I am a big fan of both Captain Crunch cereal {more specifically the berry kind} and cotton candy so this was a win-win for me! While it's not the healthiest choice, it sure is delicious! I've enjoyed it as an afternoon or late night snack a few times since buying it and I love it!

Playtex Dish Gloves

This is a totally lame, adult-like favorite but I don't care haha. Washing dishes kills my hands this time of year because they are already dry to begin with so emerging them in water makes them worse. I remembered my mom had given me these when I first moved in so I was happy to find that I did end up keeping them in the cleaning supply cabinet under my kitchen sink. They have been a lifesaver for me the past few weeks. I've been able to do dishes without drying out my hands! I like this specific pair because they are long enough to reach my elbows, keeping me completely dry. I am sure there are other good brands out there, though!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

Wedding Photos Part 2

Happy Hump Day! If you were around my neck of the woods last week, then you know I shared a small chunk of my wedding photos. If you want to check those out, you can find Part 1 here. For Part 2, I am sharing a lot of the detail shots and the meanings behind some things! For those who don’t know, John and I are high school sweethearts and we attended our senior prom together at the same venue we had our wedding at. Needless to say, it made the day a lot more special! It also encouraged to include a lot of little nostalgic details :) I hope you enjoy!

Believe it or not, this little dragonfly gem was from my original prom bouquet that I saved for 8+ years! AND my wedding bouquet was a recreation of the bouquet John gave me for prom. 

Being high school sweethearts, our class rings served as one of my “something old” items.

These are the same bracelets I bought back in 2011 from Charming Charlie’s and wore to prom!

My wedding band has the prettiest details!

Of course I wore Brooks as my wedding shoes ;)

My “something blue” was my pair of Bombas socks. 

The original picture we took senior year until the same arch we got married under. This is also in the frame we received at prom as a favor. 

Our recreation :)

We had photos of ourselves from each age for all the table numbers!

John designed our centerpieces. 

Friday Favorites

For once I am not thrilled that it's Friday! I've had off all week so this just means I am a bit closer to going back to work... Anywho, we have a fun weekend ahead of us so maybe I am happy it's Friday. We are going to a Friendsgiving tomorrow night and I'll have a long run at some point during the weekend :) Keep reading to see what I've been loving this week!

Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
I've been seeing recipes for chicken tikka masala for months now and was so excited to get my hands on a jar of the simmer sauce while I was at Aldi's recently. This specific sauce is super easy to use. You brown up some chicken (we cut ours up into small pieces before cooking), add the simmer sauce, let simmer for abut 15 minutes, and then you're done! We served ours over rice and it was delicious! It was the perfect amount of spice without being overwhelming.

Bones by Maren Morris
If you haven't heard this song, go listen to it! I'll wait... haha okay but seriously this song is great! I didn't actually realize it was new until it played on the radio the other day and they introduced it as new. I'm saying this because back before our wedding, we were scrambling to find a first dance song when our original song got a bit ruined for us {we did end up dancing to it- You're Still the One by Shania Twain- but it was probably the only part of wedding planning that really stressed me out}. John and I spent days just sending songs back and forth to each other. This ended up being one of the songs John sent me but I dismissed it because I thought it was a bit too fast for a first day. Not gonna lie, I'm slightly regretting it now because I'm loving it so much but oh well. Nobody says your relationship can only have one song that makes you think of each other, right?

Gallo Wine
This was actually something my mom bought on a whim but turned into something my whole family loves. My mom only bought this brand because at the liquor store near her, the bottles were less than $5, and it actually is the most amazing wine I've ever had! I love sweet wine and this is the perfect amount of sweetness with just a small bit of carbonation. I am not 100% sure if they have any wines that aren't sweet but I'll check next time I go buy a bottle ;) My favorite flavors are strawberry, peach, and grape. We have discovered that not all stores sell this brand as cheap as others so I'd recommend checking out a few different ones, if possible, to make sure you're not getting ripped off.

Question of the Day: What are you loving this week?

Wedding Photos Part 1

Hi everyone! I figured since it has been close to 3 months since my wedding, it was about time I shared some wedding photos! Today I am just sharing some shots of John & I and also a few bridal party shots. I don't want to overwhelm you with photos, so I'll make a few other post with more photos from the morning of, the reception, and of course some of the cute little details. I hope everyone is have a great week so far :)

Our officiant was a long time friend of ours and she did an amazing job! She got officiated just for us and it was her first wedding!

One of my favorites!

Our venue was absolutely GORGEOUS! We live right near it and pass by almost daily. This is the view we see so we knew it needed to be in a photo!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday & Happy November! Today is going to be a long day since it's the day after Halloween {helllllo, sugar-filled first graders!} and also because it stands between me and my NINE day break! My school is closed all next week for the NJEA teachers convention and I am pumped! Not gonna lie, I have been looking forward to this break for months, even before the wedding! I've been putting off many of my to-do list items from months ago until this week off because I'll finally have the time to do them!

My Friday Favorites have an unplanned theme of baking this week! I didn't realize until I started typing this up that they all went together somehow. Maybe this blog post will put you in the mood to bake something yummy this weekend :)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

One of my favorite bloggers, Maureen, shared this recipe on her blog last week. As usual, I clicked on the recipe to see what it called for and the directions. Usually I don't make many recipes I find because they call for so many ingredients I'd have to go buy. Well lucky me, because this time the only ingredient I needed to buy was cinnamon chips. I ended up not being able to find cinnamon chips so I subbed in pumpkin truffle chips and those worked perfectly! These cookies are soft and chewy, even days after you've baked them! I highly suggest trying them out :)

I was going to share the link for this from Bed, Bath & Beyond but it says it’s unavailable :(

Cookie Dough Scooper

I received this as a gift at my bridal shower and honestly thought I would never use it. It got thrown in a drawer and I forgot all about it until last week when I was making cookies. The scooper helps you get the perfect size scoop of cookie dough and then has a silicone bottom that lets you push the dough out without getting stuck in the scoop. It made baking cookies so much quicker!

Pumpkin Truffle Chips

After going to multiple stores in search of cinnamon chips and having no luck, I finally came across these pumpkin truffle chips and figured they'd probably work fine for my cookies. My oh my are they amazing! They're a little bit bigger than a regular chocolate chip but that's probably because it's a white chocolate chip FILLED with pumpkin spice filling! Sooo yummy! They tasted delicious in my cookies but were a little too big for the pancakes I made with them.

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?