Look who I met and Boston Bound!

far right -Khalid Khannouchi  - one of the greatest marathoners of all time

far left - Me :) :)

(Ginny, Mustafa Khannouchi, Terry, John, Khalid)

You can read more about Khalid's amazing career here

  I couldn't speak intelligently, just in awe and excited to meet him.   Khalid and Mustafa own Soccer Locker and City Runners - a local running store.  I found out back in Sept., 2012,  that SL&CR selected Terry and I to go to Boston, expenses paid.   The shock still hasn't worn off,  or faded.  After months, I'm still honored and excited.   

 

We fly to Boston on Friday - EXCITEMENT !    Once again, Chad has a Redfish tournament on marathon weekend, so we are both in different states, participating in our passions.  While it's kind of sad that he will not be with me,  in Boston this time, I'm happy that he is passionate about his tournaments.  Terri and I will make the trip,  and have a girls weekend.  Fun times in Beantown ahead !

The weather is looking great for Monday.  Thanks to Soccer Locker & City Runners, I have to opportunity for a  Boston re-do, and I'm ready.  When I ran Boston in 2010, I was not prepared for the hills on the course.  Three years later, and I feel much better prepared.  Since B-2010, I've worked on running some hilly marathons -  Mt. Desert Island, ME (Oct. 2011) and  Blue Ridge, VA marathon (April 2012).  This spring, I included the Blues half marathon in Jackson, MS and the Mercedes half in Birmingham, AL as part of my hill training.  For the past year, hills have been the focus of the training that Terri and I have been doing.    I hope to go back this year and have a totally different experience.  

The training:  

*I've been doing a McMillan training plan

*during the last 10 wks of my training, I've logged 545 miles

*I max'ed out with an 80 mile week (a personal record for weekly mileage)

*my weekly mileage looked like this - starting Jan. 28th - 57 miles, 60 miles, 44 miles, 44.5 miles, 65 miles, 72 miles, 43.5 miles, 80 miles (at the peak of pine pollen - cough, cough, hack, hack), 60.5 miles, 43 miles, and finally, on Sunday, I will finish this wk with 32 miles.  Monday - RACE ON ! 

*this spring I ran a PR in the half marathon in Birmingham and a 5k PR

*the end of Dec., Chad and I joined One80 gym.  I've been consistent with 2-4 days at the gym each week, and have continued my one time per wk yoga class - most weeks.

I went to yoga yesterday.  While holding a pose, Tammy, our yoga teacher, said 

"we can do more than we think we can do" - 

trying to get us to stay in the moment and the pose.  I will use that as my mantra this go around,  when "the going gets tough." 

I will also use:

 "MIND OVER BODY"

On Dec. 28th, 2012, I wrote that (mind over body) in my day timer for April 15th, 2013, Patriot's Day, Boston, MASS.

Boston 2013 goals:

* A goal -  keeping my A goal to myself this go around

* B goal - qualify for Boston, on the Boston course (need 3:55)

* C goal - run a course PR - sub 4:08 (my 2010 Boston time)

Terry, Mustafa, me

Thanks again,  to Soccer Locker & City Runners !

see you in Boston !  :)  :)