Waking up for races is never easy, especially after going out the night before. Luckily, I cut myself off early last night and was tucked in bed by 11pm so that I’d wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Well, I woke up, but the weather didn’t excite me very much.

I changed three times this morning, trying to prepare for rain, wind, and 40 degree running conditions. I ended up with a very smart choice which kept me very comfortable the entire race. I ended up wearing my crop pants, tank, marathon long sleeve technical shirt, my North Face rain coat, and a Saucony running hat.

I enjoyed a Nuun water and toast before grabbing a cab uptown. This morning’s toast was especially delicious because it was Whole Foods raisin nut bread! YUM!

Once I arrived at Central Park I realized just how utterly disgusting the weather was. It was windy, colder than expected, and raining very hard. Everyone around me looked like wet rats and I was very thankful for my cheap umbrella.

Luckily, I found both Theodora and Melissa before the race and we were able to start together. We laughed about the weather, our crazy mornings, and how much we wanted to be done. I was having Garmin issues last minute and therefore didn’t have a watch for the race. This is a big change from my normal tendency as I love seeing my pace each mile. Instead of focusing on time I decided to focus on how I was feeling and start out as quickly as possible. This technique has worked for me in the past two races (National Half Marathon and the last NYRR 4 miler).

I stayed with Theodora for the first mile before she sped ahead. My body felt like I was keeping somewhere around an 8:40 at this point which I knew wasn’t sustainable for the entire race. At this same point, the rain really started to come down and I decided that trying for a PR was the best idea because it would also get my ass out of the rain sooner versus later. With Seasons of Love blasting through my headphones, I stopped taking in the scenery and focused on finishing the race as quickly as possible while avoiding any slips, falls, and deep puddles.

Success! 36:59 minutes later I PR’d in my 3rd straight race! I was wet, sweaty, and happy to be done!

A year ago, I was approximately 7 minutes slower, finishing races around a 10:23 pace! It’s amazing what speed work, lifting weights, and cross training can do! I still have a long way to go if I want to run anymore races with Theodora but I couldn’t be happier with today’s PR!

Luckily, I ran into my fellow racers within minutes of finishing so we could all head over to Jack Rabbit’s NYC Running Show together.

We were wet, covered in mud splashes, and giddy! (Nice hood Theodora!)

We felt especially lucky to be attending the running show with our newest VIP, Ali, who has been chosen as one of the Bunnies, Rabbits, etc who will be running the Hamptons Marathon with Jack Rabbit!

The NYC Running Show is basically an expo without an attached race. Unlike most expos which only focus on running gear, it did include triathlon gear since their store features running and triathlon programs.

The booths ranged from Body Glide to Feetures socks and everything in between. Luckily, due to the early hour and the weather, the customer service was wonderful. Everyone was very friendly and excited to help.

There were even guest speakers, such as Theodora’s awesome boot camp instructor from Pace for Success. I was lucky enough to find a new pair of shoes since I’ve had mine since December! I went with the Saucony Pro Grid 4 since they discontinued my current shoe, the Pro Grid 3.

My hood may or may not have poured water all over this kind guy and the wood floors when I bent over.

Meanwhile, Theodora got pumped for her upcoming triathlon with a new pair of goggles! She brings sexy back in a way I never thought possible with those goggles.

Our cold bodies clearly made us a bit crazy as we burst into random jazz poses in the middle of the building.

Finally, just as we were leaving, we saw the item which took us over the edge, Glide for Women.  Since Theodora and I are both in a form or marketing, we were pretty harsh with the Glide representative. Really? Must they downsize the package, give it new claims, and put it in a pink container just to make more money? Yes, in fact, that is what we call commercial innovation. Within 45 minutes of arriving, we were ready for warm showers and post race bagels. Overall, I wish there had been more people and energy at the Running Show and more swag. We’d both heard about the swag but left with only the items we bought, albeit with a discount coupon thanks to Jack Rabbit, and a reusable shopping bag. Oh well, we still had a great time.

In addition, how can I think of anything negative when this toasted goodness was waiting at home for me when I walked through the door?Half a banana and half an everything whole wheat bagel with a schmear of vegetable cream cheese makes everything looking brighter!

Have a wonderful weekend!