hey, new york!

Memorial Day weekend I ran my fifth marathon, the Buffalo Marathon in New York. I've had a couple of months to process this race, to reset my confidence, and think about why I love to run and why I want to keep doing marathons. This was a very emotional race for me, but looking back now I can feel proud of my accomplishment and the way I handled the race. Going in to this marathon, I was incredibly excited about two things - running with my friend Kaylan, and finally meeting my goal of breaking 4 hours. I didn't end up meeting that goal, but I DID have another great weekend with friends, exploring a new city, and visiting Houghton.

I spent quite a few hours crying in the days following the race, kicking myself for not being able to meet my goal by thiiiiiiiiiiis much. I was sad, mad at myself, and felt like a loser. Then I began thinking about the events at Boston, about the incredible things my body is able to do that others aren't able to. I am happy I am able to run, I have two legs and strong lungs. A goal not met does not mean I lost - it simply means it's still a goal, and this time the plan was not successful. But a plan can change. I can honestly say I ran the best race I've run, had minimal hip pain (a major success for me), fueled better (and more) than I have in the past, and took 7 minutes off my time in 3 weeks to get a new personal record. I finished in 4:01:02 - 63 seconds past my goal. It's amazing how much those seconds impacted me, but they are just another part in my story, and a reason to keep working hard to get what I want.

It's hard even now to remember exactly how I was feeling most of the race, but I can say one thing: it was FABULOUS to have someone to run with most of the way! This was Kaylan's first marathon, and she rocked it! We are about the same pace, so I was able to stick with her until mile 19 when I was really feeling some hip pain and needed to slow down. I am SO proud of her though..she was incredibly consistent and finished well below her goal time of under 4 hours! We were able to chat and catch up on each others lives which proved to be a great distraction. The miles simply flew by...I didn't even listen to music until well into mile 20, and knowing me I can barely run a mile without tunes.

We started out the weekend with the 11 hour drive up to Buffalo on Saturday, staying at a hotel only a few blocks from the starting line.  Kaylan and her husband John would be arriving late late Saturday night, and we thought it would be best to be close to the start to get as much sleep as possible. It was the first time I didn't have at least a 30 minute drive to a start, and it was sooo nice! It was also great to have a place to shower after we were done! Since we were in Buffalo, we took advantage of the local food for a pre-race meal and visited The Anchor Bar, home of the original buffalo wings. I had eaten there once or twice in college, but AB had never been, so it needed to be done.

The morning of the race was quite chilly - around 45 degrees or so, but with a high of 70 for the day, it was perfect for a race! Nice and sunny with a slight breeze, and the sun helped us warm up quickly. Austin did a great job as usual photographing the day.

 There's no greater joy than seeing our families around mile 17!

 

 The sprint to the finish...

The day of the marathon was also Kaylan's son Finley's first birthday. A year ago this woman gave birth, then trained hard and ran a marathon to celebrate. Incredible!

After the race, Austin and I headed to Niagara Falls to spend the rest of the day. No matter how many times I see it, the beauty and sheer size of it always takes my breath away.

 Monday was Memorial Day, and we started the day with breakfast at a delicious cafe recommended by my friend Margaret. They make their own homemade English muffins that were DA BOMB. Seriously, so so good.

 We then made our way to Houghton, driving along the prettiest country roads that stirred up lots of nostalgia for college days. This little place in WNY will always hold a special place in my heart!

We spent an hour or so walking around campus, checking out all the changes and renovations that had happened since we attended there. I loved going to college at Houghton, but it just didn't feel the same without all our wonderful friends around!

Kaylan and John were very gracious and let us spend the night at their beautiful old homestead in nearby Fillmore. We also got to be there for Finley's birthday party! It was a joy to spend time with them, relaxing and enjoying a beautiful summer evening.

  

We also enjoyed hanging out with their three cats!

It was a great weekend, full of learning experiences, a lot of hard work, good food and great company!