April 2018

After recapping our worst race ever last month, we all thought it would be a good idea to swing the pendulum back over to the positive side and talk about our favorite/best race ever. I have a few that want the top spot including pretty much every time I ran a race in Disney World. This race however took place right in Central Park, it was unexpected, amazing and the best race I’d ever have.

The weather was perfect

It really was. Spring had sprung in NYC. The morning was cool but not so cool that I needed to wear layers.

I wore a particularly fancy race outfit

My favorite color combination is green and pink. My wedding was in these colors. Something about these hues just scream me. I went on Etsy in search of a tutu in this color and I found a vendor that did custom tutus is whatever colors I wanted. Score!

I had never run The Central Park Loop twice

I was nervous. Who signs up to run this beast…twice?! This girl.

I felt good from the start

The weather was perfect, did I mention this? When the weather is just to my liking I tend to feel invincible. I struggled a bit on the very steep hills but I managed to keep a steady pace while keeping an eye on my PR that was within reach the entire time.

I got tons of compliments on the course

Everyone loved my tutu!! All that hard work planning my outfit paid off tremendously!

I PR’d

I didn’t even set out to get a personal record. I ran for run, I ran for feel and I PR’d. My husband and kids were at the finish line and we went to lunch afterwards. It was the perfect weather day, the perfect family day and the kids even got to play in central Park afterwards while I basked in this amazing personal victory. It is a race I will NEVER forget!

Check out some more amazing race stories from my favorite running bloggers below!

Carly @ Fine Fit Day

Laura @ This Runner’s Recipes

Sarah @ Run Far Girl

Angela @ Happy Fit Mama

Did you ever jump into a situation with no real big goals, and have it turn out to be one of the best things you ever did?

5 Inspiring Moments From Des Linden Winning The Boston 2018 Marathon

“At mile 2, 3, 4, 5 I wasn’t even sure I was going to make it to the finish line. So I asked Shalene ‘what can I do to help you?’ and helping her helped me find my legs again.”

Desiree Linden is the 1st American woman to win Boston since 1985, let that sink in for a minute. No American woman has won the Boston Marathon since she was *a one year old*. She did, and she did it in a BIG way. She did it unselfishly, smart, and with a ton of grace. Here are my 5 favorite inspiring moments From Des Linden Winning The Boston Marathon.

1. She put in the work: Des had been placing in marathons for the past few years, 7th in the Olympics, and top ten in most major races, 10th in 2014 and 4th in 2016 for the Boston Marathon.
2. She ran a super smart race: She wasn’t pushing early. She stayed with the pack and even fell behind early. Somehow she found it within herself to push, push and get back with the lead pack. It was a super decisive move that led to victory! She stayed mentally IN the race at the right time, when things started to look a little dim.
3. She pushed at the exact right time: She saw Gesir and Daska take the lead and she didn’t panic at ALL. She made the decision to go for it at the right time, she knew that heartbreak hill was approaching, she knew the toughest part of the race was in front of her, and she laid back and waited for the perfect time to pull ahead and never look back.
4. She ran strong until the end: She never looked tired, her stride was beautiful, her face was full of determination once she took the lead.
5. She did it all through some of the worse running conditions: The rain NEVER let up! It was raining extremely hard, the wind was blowing SO crazy, by the last few steps you could barely see the runners in the cameras through the bands of rain. It wasn’t close to a PR or a WR but it didn’t matter. The finish was hers!

Actions and behaviors show people who you are. Much respect for @des_linden in waiting and helping Shalane get back up to the pack. To me, this shows that they are in it to get an American to win, regardless of which on it is.

— Steve Magness (@stevemagness) April 16, 2018

She opened the door for a new generation. Her win and the Shalene’s win have brought American women runners back to the forefront and it’s SO exciting to watch. Des Linden was born the same year as me–she put in the WORK, she is a fantastic and incredible inspiration. A fantastic teammate and a smart runner. Thank you Desiree Linden for your incredible race. This mediocre runner will never forget it.

6th time’s a charm. Keep showing up! pic.twitter.com/TCJrG4Ee7A

— des_linden (@des_linden) April 16, 2018

Did you watch the race? Did you have all the feels?