Nike Women's Marathon 2013
So, guess what I did this weekend? If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you probably already know...
I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon on Sunday! The NWM benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and, while I may be biased since it's the only half marathon I've ever done, it is usually really well-organized and is a super fun experience - even when you're exhausted and your knees are screaming at you.
This is the fourth time I've run it with Camille - we started in law school our second year together, and each year we perfect our strategy. Most of the time, it involves trying not to pass out. In lieu of an outfit post today, here's a peek inside this year's race:
1. Got nails done in celebratory Tiffany's colors to prep for receiving that little blue box at the end! Yeah, it's kind of an obnoxious move, but when you're running 13.1 miles you get to do obnoxious things to keep your spirits up.
2. Went to the Nike Store at Union Square to see my name on the wall - each year they post all the registered runners' names on their storefront so people can go find their name amongst the 30k listed! It's just a little bit of extra spirit-y fun.
3. I went to the Expotique to pick up my race packet! I got new green laces as a bonus because I used Nike+ on my phone to train. Seriously though, say what you want about Nike as a corporation, but if you're training for something, they know how to get it done. There's a reason people keep buying their stuff and following their products.
4. They kicked the Expo up a notch this year - neon everything, an illuminated course on the wall (shown above), and lots and lots of helpers to make sure that picking up your packet didn't result in a two hour wait time like in years past. Overall, I was really happy with the Expo!
5. Day of! Camille and I are ready to go. It's dark outside when we start.
6. I've survived! I made Rachel take this picture of me, with my bib, my necklace box, and one of the five adorable signs my roomies made for me the morning-of. I opened my door and BAM there was a sign. "Aw, how sweet!" I thought. Then, I open the bathroom door - BAM another sign! "What! Those crazies." Well, you can see how this goes. They were everywhere, and it totally psyched me up. Thanks you guys!
7. The NWM 10th Anniversary necklace (front and back) and my finisher's tee! They included a card about why the necklace is triangle shaped and what the year ten means in ancient times and what the Greek god Nike stands for, etc. I forgot to take a picture of it and I can't remember it all now. Just go with it.
8. Now, the recovery starts - because I hadn't trained quite as much this year as I had in years past, I am really, really feeling it today. I expect this to continue on all week. This means lots of aspirin and lots of fancy juices! Alright, maybe just a few fancy juices - I'm not made of money here.
(This is the hill we run down right before we take a left turn into Golden Gate Park for our last couple of miles - at this point, you can start seeing the finish line and see other racers walking past with their big silver blankets to keep warm. It really pumps you up that you're so close, and it's a gorgeous sight to boot.)
I can't wait for next year!