6 weeks to go!

I was looking at my training schedule this morning, and after our 22 miler yesterday, I have one long run left before the NYC marathon on 11/7. (That long run happens to be the Hartford marathon on 10/9, but that's another story, I guess). Yesterday's 22 miler went quite well, all things considered. The course was a little complicated, but we made it through. We started at 72nd and 5th, headed east to the river (beautiful views from the path there), up to 96th street and back over to the park. We did a loop of the park and headed back to 72nd and 5th, where our first aid stop was (mile 8). The fabulous volunteers had potato chips again, and I made sure to eat some. I think they might be my wonder food. Seriously. I don't eat chips in my real life, but during a long run, all bets are off.

After a brief respite at the aid stop, we headed east again, down first avenue to 34th street and over to the path along the FDR. Passing the UN was pretty cool. Preparations for the General Assembly week ahead were in full swing. I always find the UN inspiring. Some of my other teammates feel differently, but as long as we talk about running and stay away from politics, we should be ok.

Anyway, we continued on our way down the east side, to our second aid stop at Catherine Street, by the South Street Seaport (mile 14). I had some chips and a couple peanut butter-filled pretzels. Very tasty. (By the way, I wonder how much water and Gatorade I consume during one of these epic runs. I really should keep track).

After aid stop #2, we circled lower Manhattan and headed north up the Westside Highway. I have to say, I hate finishing a run on the WSH because I know exactly how much further I have left to go. That is a big drag when you've already done 18 miles and are anxious to get done. We finally made it to 72nd street (those stairs out of Riverside Park are brutal) and completed our 22 miles, according to Mary's GPS. By that point, the bottoms of my feet were really hurting, but otherwise, I felt good. We decided to walk the last part of our course, across the park to 5th avenue. The route said the total mileage was 22.5 miles, but I think it was closer to 23 once all was said and done. Can I really imagine doing another 5k? I'm not sure.

We started with 14 runners at 6:30am, and by the second aid stop, quite a few had left us. By the end of the run, there were 6 of us left, the proud and the strong. Nice job, ladies! In total, we were out for about 6 hours and 15 minutes, but we stopped quite a bit. I'm not sure I'll match my time from 2006, but that's not really that important to me. I care more about feeling better at the finish than I did 4 years ago, and better the day after. Today I felt really good, and even better after a yoga class in Prospect Park. Last one for the season, which means fall is almost here. Fall=marathon season!