Boston 2021 was the fastest marathon in her career so far
Photo by the race photographers. Jenny Hitching crossing the Boston Marathon finish line, 2021
Whether you are a runner or not, there is a magic marathon revered and appreciated by many: Boston.
With the Boston marathon taking place on April 18th, 2022, let’s hear some wise advice from Jenny Hitchings, who lives in Sacramento, CA with her husband, Andy, and their dog, Mia. Hitchings is the world marathon record holder in the 55 to 59 age group.
“And now at 58, I am still getting faster and still running PRs. My time at the Boston Marathon on October 11th, 2021 of 2:45:32 was a lifetime PR. This is where people ask, how? I wish I had an easy answer that I could deliver in a box with a bow. But I don’t.” — Jenny Hitchings in an interview for Run in Rabbit blog
A five-time Age Group (55–59) American Record holder in various race distances and an Age Group World Record holder in the marathon, Hitchings is also a running coach for individuals, youth, and middle school cross-country. Besides her exciting running and coaching career, Hitching has two grown girls, Molly and Maggie, and is a newly crowned grandma to Olivia (Molly’s baby).
Hitchings’ advice on training and running a strong Boston marathon
Doing harder workouts within her long runs with her fast runner friends and teammates from SRA Elite team has helped her be well-prepared for Boston. Some of Hitching’s favorite workouts were: long runs with fast finishes to practice picking up the pace even though legs are feeling tired, progression runs where the pace starts slower and gets faster with every mile, as well as running GMP (goal marathon pace) tempos and longer GMP mile intervals, such as 3x 2, 2 x 3, 2 x 4.
2. Running many 20-mile runs, or longer. Occasionally, Hitchings tried to run on courses that mimicked the Boston course hills by starting on a slight 3-mile downhill and returning on the same hill around mile 16 to simulate the challenging Boston course. She also advises running on rolling hills to strengthen the quadricep muscles that need to help you transition in downhill and uphill running, which can also be done on trails.
3. Do NOT go out too fast, as Boston starts with downhill running. “If starting too fast or beyond what you know is reasonable, your legs will fatigue and cramp by Newton hills and beyond. Try and run effort based on the inclines, and let it flow on the declines,” advised Hitching.
4. And last, but not least, enjoy the crowds! Smile, pump your fists, and hands in the air, as spectators will scream and cheer louder, which can carry you a long way.
Photo by the race photographers. Jenny Hitchings running with joy at Boston marathon, 2021.
Improving running and athletic longevity
“I have been running since college (for fitness) and more competitively since I was 40, so I don’t have all the wear and tear on my legs like if I had been running at a high level in high school and college,” said Hitchings. “I have a flexible schedule that allows me to run when I want. I have a coach. I train hard, and I have good genes,” she added.
Hitchings’ advice to women runners of all ages, but particularly women over 50 regarding running the best races of their lives:
The first and most important thing is to love running because it makes it easier to be consistent and do what it takes to get out the door, instead of making excuses about why you can’t run or train.
Success has nothing to do about comparing yourself to others, and everything to do with being the best you can be at any given point in your life.
As far as reducing injuries and increasing your running longevity, Hitchings can’t say that she has stayed injury-free over the years. She had an Achilles/heel surgery and a PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma injections) procedure on her glute/upper hamstring. Hitchings added that running with no pain felt enlightening! Although she admits to not being great at doing strength or cross-training — Hitchings does enjoy riding outside or on her Peloton — she regularly sees her sports chiropractor doctor and gets deep tissue massage. She also thinks that walking her dog 1.5–2 miles after runs helps her stretch and feel loose.
Hitchings pointed out that getting good or better at running (or anything) takes time: practice pacing, fueling, hydrating, running on different courses and terrain, and adding mileage. “In the end, your training doesn’t lie,” she said.
Sometimes, Hitchings watches dogs run and thinks, “they have it right. They just do it organically. Warm up with a trot, run fast and chase things to get the energy out, slow down because they’re tired, find a stick and chew on it in the shade, because, why not? Then get up and repeat. Interval training at its best without getting injured.”
Photo by the race photographers. Sacramento, CA
Although Hitchings is not running the Boston Marathon this year, she hopes to see her granddaughter Olivia at her next Boston, wearing a T-shirt that says:
“My nana is FAST as AF.”
Meanwhile, happy tapering for Boston, and don’t forget to wave at the crowds!
For more inspiration on how to let “AIR,” which stands for adaptation, inspiration, and resilience guide, please consider buying my print edition or e-book The PR- The Poetics of Running, A Book of Poetry in Motion and Morsels of Love, A Book of Poetry and Short Forms on Amazon, or buy it straight from my blog by clicking on my books link, which will take you to Amazon.
For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Also mention this blog and receive a great offer whether buying (credit for closing costs) or selling (commission discount). Running for real estate with joy!
Photo taken by the race photographers – Running with joy next to the guy in red over the Tower Bridge
After the London marathon got canceled twice last year due to the pandemic, I finally had the opportunity to run my fourth world marathon in person on Oct. 3rd. Not only did I take part in the largest marathon in the world with about 60,000 in-person and virtual participants, but I also rejoiced being cheered on by the best, most supportive, and loudest spectators in the world.
As a competitive runner who strives to earn my six-star coveted medal by running all the six world marathons, getting accepted into the London marathon was a dream come true! To my surprise, the times I ran during the Chicago and New York City marathons that I completed in 2018, had earned me an invitation to participate in the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships. Knowing how hard it was to get into London marathon, I jumped at the unbelievable occasion. I felt honored and extremely fortunate to get invited.
Anticipation was high. Elations and emotions. Trials and tribulations. A solo international travel to Europe during a pandemic fully vaccinated but still masked and cautious.
The start of the marathon
After a well-organized packet pick-up on Friday two days before the marathon, I rested all day on Saturday to have fresh legs on Sunday. Luckily, it was a rainy day, which made it easy to stay warm under the covers, reading The Daily Telegraph newspaper that I picked up that morning at The Waitrose neighborhood market.
The morning of the marathon, we were blessed with no rain, clouds covering the sun in gray wisps of wonder, and a staggered start of our marathon due to Covid restrictions. Like most of the runners, I took the tube following crowds of excited and masked runners. I immediately became friends with a couple from Florida. We stuck together, as we had the same corral and start time.
The first thing I saw, as we got off at Blackheath, an area of South East London, England, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham was a church built out of solid rock greeting all of us runners. I felt piety and serenity envelop me warmer than my jacket that I was planning to dispose of on the course.
Photo taken by Carmen Micsa. All Saints’ Church in Blackheath Common, London Borough of Lewisham
To me, this was a great sign, as I always say prayers before each race and ask God to guide my steps during each mile all the way to the finish line. I also feel at peace, knowing that my dear father will watch over me from heaven, helping me when I need him most.
My new friends and I checked in, showing proof of our negative Covid tests (I had to test negative four times during my 10-day London trip), after which we lined up to the portaloos, The British word for porta-potties. The wide-screen TV showed images of regular runners like us, as well as the elite runners warming up.
Photo taken by Carmen Micsa. The wheelchair runners getting ready to start the London marathon.
We hung around for about an hour before our wave started, which gave me plenty of time to use the bathrooms, but it also made me stand instead of resting my legs.
Selfie taken by Carmen Micsa. My new runner friends and I found Robert Wang. He is gracious to keep us all informed on the World Marathon Majors Challenge.
Running the streets of London
Around 9:40 a.m. we did a short walk to our designated start line — there were multiple starting lines, but only one finish line, and off we went.
My goal was to run the first three miles at an 8-minute pace, or so, which due to the many runners on the course worked. We ran through Charlton and Woolwich for those miles and the crowds were already cheering on us. After mile three, I tried to pick up the pace, but by the time we merged with the other runners, there was barely any room to run around people. I decided not to weave in and to wait a little more till the 10K point.
Photo taken by the race photographers. Running through Cutty Sark by this ship
I remember thinking during the marathon how strange it was that we were running by a ship and that I wanted to find out more about this since I love to research and learn, or what my kids call me “being curious Mom who strikes again.” From what I read, Cutty Sark was a British clipper ship, one of the last and fastest tea clippers to be built that now sits on the dry dock in Greenwich for public display. What a treat to run through history and be surrounded by indelible sights and architecture!
At this point, I started to run at a 9-minute pace and relaxed into it, realizing how blessed I was to be there — running through historical neighborhoods and relishing the sights and sounds of London that had already stolen my heart from the first day I lay sight on it.
The second half of the marathon
Before I knew it, I was crossing over the River Thames and running across Tower Bridge. This was already about the half marathon point. I was mesmerized by the energy of the runners around me, and especially the spectators who were treating us like superstars. The only world marathon that comes close to London in terms of spectators’ density and support is New York City marathon.
Photo taken by the race photographers. At this point, I felt like crying with joy and gratitude for running, for being alive, and moving.
Photo taken by the race photographers. I am smiling and running sandwiched between runners. The spectators were three rows deep.
I could not help smiling and taking in the sights and the spectators. The volume was perfect. I felt exhilaration at every step and turn. My body did not want to move at the planned 7:50 pace, but I felt amazing and did not want to break this running spell.
Everything was magical and magnificent. My heart glowed with gratitude.
Miles 20 to the finish line
For some reason, I felt that I was covering London so quickly. I wasn’t even looking for mile markers, or for the dreaded 20-mile wall. As I ran along Tower Hill and Victoria Embarkment Parliament Square, I continued to be amazed by the crowds who had huge balloons arrangements representing various charities, such as ovarian cancer, Parkinsons’ disease, and so on.
I also started to take more Buxton natural mineral water bottles offered to us on the course. As London is such an environmentally friendly city even the water bottles are made from 100 percent recycled material and are 100 percent recyclable.
Photo taken by Carmen Micsa
I also started to thank the Londoners for their incredible support by shouting: “I love you, London.”
The crowds went wild for me, which made me float through the streets of London elated and energized.
I kept running relaxed, keeping a steady 9-minute pace, for I realized that I would finish my fourth world marathon in under 4 hours.
As I came around the final corner in front of Buckingham palace, I picked up my pace and ran in the 8s. I kept raising my index finger to declare my love to the spectators that kept screaming: “way to go!”
They were jazzed up for me, and I kept on running strong all the way past the finish line.
Photo taken by the race photographers. Electrifying finish and backdrop. I was all pumped up, as you can tell!
Photo taken by the race photographers. Crying with joy past the finish line
The gentleman in blue next to me was so nice. He asked me:
“Why are you crying? You finished so strong!”
I’m crying with joy,” I replied. “I cry at the end of each marathon,” I continued.
Crying is so cathartic at the end of a marathon, and running all the 26.2 miles cleanses my soul and heart. The tears just trickled down my cheeks and I let them roll, as I crossed the finish line of the London marathon and started to stroll to the bag check area.
My awesome friend and Arete teammate Katie Koning ran into each other on the course and at the finish line.
We both have competed in the Wanda World Age Championships, so we got two shiny medals to display. We also finished super close to each other and shared impressions of our races while taking in the vibrant atmosphere of the finish line — being surrounded by London’s old, beautiful, and well-kept buildings.
One of the big highlights of the London marathon: having the honor to see Shalane Flanagan blaze off on the other side of the road.
And were there any moments of doubts and physical challenge?
Yes! The last 10 miles of the marathon got pretty warm (I ended up drinking close to two liters of water) and blood came through my right shoe, as my toes bled towards the end squished by the Nike Vaporfly shoes, which I will not wear again in marathons, but these small challenges never stopped my eternal smiles through all the London miles.
Wishing you all to run the London marathon with joy, gratitude, and no bloody toes unless you’re a savage ninja like me, my nickname in the Sacramento running community and my Arete women only running club!
For more inspiration on how to let “AIR,” which stands for adaptation, inspiration, and resilience guide and uplift you during these uncertain and crazy times, please consider buying my print edition or e-book The PR- The Poetics of Running, A Book of Poetry in Motion on Amazon, or buy it straight from my blog by clicking on my books link, which will take you to Amazon. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book is going to Girls on the Run Sacramento chapter organization.
For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Also mention this blog and receive a great offer whether buying (credit for closing costs) or selling (commission discount). Running for real estate with joy!
“Hollywood is hype, New York is talk, Chicago is work.”
Actor Michael Douglas
Chicago marathon is a big deal for the windy city and the spectators were cheering for us despite the rain. The approximate number of spectators: more than 1.5 million.
Although Chicago marathon was my sixth marathon that I ran in the last three years since I became a runner, this was my first world marathon and I could only guess what to expect from it before I toed the start line on October 7th, 2018. Some things about Chicago marathon were pretty clear to me just by reading the official program and information on the website. For instance, I learned that the Chicago marathon uses 1.1 million Gatorade cups on race day and 1.3 million water cups. I also learned that the warmest race day was 89 degrees, coldest race was 21 degrees F, and the last time it snowed during the marathon was in 1993.
My goal was to try to break 3:30:59, which I had accomplished at Mountains 2 Beach Marathon held in Ventura, Southern California on May 27th this year. I put in the work, but I also had to ask my coach to redo my schedule in September, as my left calf muscle was constantly aggravated by all the mileage and long runs. Everybody told me how much they loved the flat and fast course at Chicago, but I had my doubts , since running on flat terrain is not my cup of tea. My neighborhood is surrounded by hills and I love the energy and bounce that I experience when running up and down the hills, but I tried to believe in the flat course.
BEFORE THE MARATHON – WALKING AND EXPLORING CHICAGO
Besides running my first world marathon, I was excited to travel with my awesome friend and best training partner Andrea Brizendine. We were going to stay with my good Romanian friends Magdalena and her wonderful family, which was another highlight of my trip. The Friday before our marathon was a little rainy and our plan was to go to the Expo to pick up our racing numbers and soak in the atmosphere of a world marathon, as well as explore Chicago. At the Expo, there were lines everywhere, but especially at the Nike store, where everyone wanted to buy the official merchandise, since Nike was the sponsor. Even trying to take pictures with iconic signs meant standing in long lines, but we were excited to be surrounded by runners from all over the world who had to travel so much farther that us. The energy flowed in waves through the large room filled with merchandise, vendors’ booths, and big Chicago marathon signs, which added to our excitement, emotions, and gratitude of having qualified and running a world marathon.
Our picture at the Expo right before entering the huge room, where we needed to pick up all our marathon goodies.
Wearing the Chicago marathon T-shirt at the Expo.
Around noon time, we made it to the Art Institute of Chicago located in Grant Park, which was also the start of our marathon. We loved exploring the museum and enjoyed the exquisite art exhibit.
Fiberglass dog statues like this one in Grant Park close to the start line are part of the campaign to pay tribute to the canine unit, honor fallen Chicago Police officers.
Andrea and I loved walking around Chicago and relished the unique and diverse architecture, as well as the Chicago River. By the end of the day on Friday, we had walked 10 miles, so we knew we had to stay off our feet on Saturday, the day before our marathon.
On Saturday, we had to say good bye to my wonderful friend Magdalena and her family, but not before they took us to Benedict’s, a neighborhood restaurant where everyone is familiar, as the advertising says. The warm family atmosphere, the fresh food, and the attention to details made our breakfast together special. I also had the best vegan Quinoa pancakes and gobbled up all three of them, since I needed my carbs for the next day’s marathon.
With my wonderful friend Magdalena the day before our marathon. Staying at her house was quite special and we felt at home.
We spent the rest of our Saturday taking the architectural river cruise, walking by the river, and learning about the unique and eclectic Chicago architecture. In the evening, we got our marathon clothes ready and we both created flat Carmen and flat Andrea, which is something we runners do, as we prepare our marathon clothes, shoes, gels, race number, etc. We also did our carb loading at the hotel’s restaurant and admired Chicago at night with its twinkling lights spreading shear magic across the Chicago River. The many bridges arched their backs across the water and filled my soul with infinite dreams. They also made me think of the transcendence nature of each bridge and how they connect us to the other side of what’s truly possible when we believe and put in the work. I felt peaceful and not nervous about the next day’s marathon, but I did not feel any strong vibes about my race, which meant surrendering to race day with the ever-changing weather prognosis that constantly turned rain to sun and sun to rain. We also got to talk to our wonderful coach Robert Ressl-Moyer who called my cell phone to wish both of us good luck and go over some strategy with us, such as tucking in behind other runners to shield ourselves from the rain and wind. We both found out that this was not easy to do on the course, but that’s what racing a world marathon means: adjusting and learning.
Chicago at night as viewed from our Holiday Inn newer hotel right by the water.
RACE DAY – SIXTH MARATHON AND FIRST WORLD MARATHON
Although Andrea and I had a large room with two spacious queen beds, we did not sleep very long or well, but we woke up ready to greet the cloudy, overcast marathon day that had a new weather forecast for us: rainy and temperatures in the low 60s. We both decided to call a Lyft due to the rain and not wanting to walk in the dark, even though our hotel was only 1.2 miles away from the start line. The Lyft took about 10 minutes to get to our hotel. Runners filled the hallways and the elevators. Most of them had their luggage ready and some had their children with them. We had decided to hold the hotel hostage, so to speak – ha!ha! and planned to return to our rooms right after the marathon to take our showers. Our Lyft driver was very nice and dropped us off right in front of Grant Park, where Police cars roamed around to direct traffic and oversee the security of the marathon and its participants.
Andrea and I before the race while waiting in long lines for the bathroom. It was raining lightly and it was overcast, but the temperature was in the low 60s, so not too bad.
At the start of the Chicago marathon before checking out my bag.
Andrea and I were both in the same coral, but had to walk/run all the way to the Buckingham Fountains to check in our marathon bags with our jackets and other things that we needed at the finish line. While Andrea was in line for the bathroom, I went to check in our marathon bags, after which I texted her to go to our coral, as it was getting close to 7:20 a.m., when we had to be in our coral before the marathon started. I ran for about half a mile to make it on time and to position myself to start with the 3:35 pacer group. Andrea and I were separated, but we knew we would find each other either on the course or at the finish line, since we both had different racing goals.
THE MARATHON, THE RAIN, THE CROWDS, AND THE ANGRY CALF MUSCLE
Before I had time to fully prepare, I started to run. The marathon had begun and I already had the sensation that I had to go the bathroom, but luckily, it was just a false alarm. I kept the pacers in front of me, as I tried to stick to my plan of running slower at about 7:55 pace for the first three miles. I held myself back as much as possible and in less than two miles I lost the 3:25 pacing group from sight. The crowds were cheering and braving the rain with colorful and large umbrellas. As I ran and came close to the white lines on the road, I had immediately realized that they were slippery and that I had to stay away from them by all means.
As soon as I hit my 5K time, I felt a little bit behind with my gross marathon time, but also knew that the clock was not accurate based on our start time. However, I also realized that my GPS watch was quite inaccurate, as many runner friends had warned me. At one point before I even hit six miles, my watch was showing that I was running a 5:40 pace mile, which happened to my friend Andrea as well. I panicked a little bit, after which I had decided to relax and feel the pace, while watching my feet and paying attention to the aid stations to get my water cup and avoid slipping and falling.
With over 45,000 runners and approximately 1,700,000 million spectators, the course at Chicago marathon was flat and varied, as we ran through 29 neighborhoods. I looked around me, trying to recognize various parks, such as Lincoln Park, where I visited their free zoo exactly 11 years ago, when I first visited Chicago with a friend of mine. The crowds were ecstatic and cheering loudly for us. I tried to smile as much as possible, while trying to run under 8 minute pace per mile, but I had a few miles that were 8:10 minute miles and was not quite feeling this race. Yet, I kept on smiling and telling myself that I always get a second wind and that during my second half of the race, I should be able to pick up my pace. Well, it didn’t quite happen that way, but let’s keep moving on through the half marathon point, where the rain started to come down a little harder and I encountered some wind – nothing too drastic.
Amidst the spectators cheering for various runners from Mexico, Italy, Japan, Germany, and so on, I could not find the pace I needed, but I stayed optimistic and kept running and splashing through the puddles, or trying not to. Around mile 14, my left calf started to tense up and hurt me. I had run on a tight calf muscle for the whole summer during my Chicago marathon training cycle, and although I took my homeopathic cramping pills and I had put a special muscle cream the morning of the marathon, the pain and struggle were real. I slowed down my pace and hoped that the pain would leave my body, but it continued to bother me, after which both my gluteal muscles started to hurt and be painful.
By the time I reached Chinatown, my pace was in the mid 9s, which was definitely not what I wanted, but I had to honor my body and the fact that I did not want to get injured, since I had to run my second world marathon, New York City, which is so hard to qualify for. As soon as I hit miles 20-21, I felt relieved knowing that it would be over soon. The energy of the crowds in China Town was inspiring and invigorating. I started to cry with joy and relief that my father was there with me in spirit. The sign “Welcome to China Town” gave me the reassurance that I would finish this marathon with a little bit of a struggle, no PR (personal record), but with a heart full of gratitude for being able to run with joy and love for my father who was always proud of me and had taught me to never quit and keep on going. The Biofreeze area was on the side and I was sure tempted to make a quick stop like other runners and get a little bit of pain relief from their quick spraying, but I wanted to keep on running, as I was still hoping to qualify for 2020 Boston marathon based on the new faster time, which needed to be 3:50.
The last six miles of the race were not memorable in terms of the surroundings, but for some reason, I managed to stay steady and run at around 9:15 pace, or a little faster. The rain had stopped, but the roads were still slick and I could feel the hat and clothes sticking on me and keeping me cool. As soon as I saw the tall skyscrapers and the crowds cheering even louder, I knew that I was getting close to the finish line, so I focused on my form and ran over the last hill that had 400 meter sign next to it at a decent pace. By now, I could hear the crowds and knew that the finish was in sight. In most of my past races, I had been able to finish with a strong sprint, but that day, my body gave me just a little faster pace and no sprint. I crossed the finish line in 3:49:35 just enough to qualify for Boston. I could tell that my body was exhausted from all the pushing and coaxing I did, so I walked slowly towards the volunteers with the marathon finisher ponchos they were handing out and got mine.
At the finish line before getting my finisher’s medal.
Trying to smile through the pain and rain. I was grateful for another finish and the fact that unlike other runners who had issues, I did not have to stop or walk. I still ran a decent race.
Within just a few minutes, my friend Andrea had appeared next to me after finishing a strong race with a 3:45:06 time, which made me very happy, knowing that her body stayed strong, after she had come back from injury. We hugged and celebrated. She saw that I could barely walk and that I looked a little lost, She told me to wait for her while she would get our bags from the check-in area. I needed to go to use the bathroom right away, after which I grabbed the special Goose Island beer they had for us and chugged it all down. I was drained, drenched from the rain and I was thirsty and hungry. Andrea also told me that as I took off my wet hat, my hair was a mess sticking out in all directions, as if I had little antennae, but I did not care about my hair at that moment. I hoped my calf muscle would recover and we both wanted to get to our hotel, to take our shower, and check out.
The roads were blocked, as many runners were still out on the course, so we started to walk to our hotel. Andrea felt much better after the race, so she was walking fast, whereas I could barely drag my feet. We made it to the hotel and I sure felt better after taking a hot shower and changing into dry and warm clothes. The hotel receptionist was nice to us, even though we checked out at 2:45 p.m.
What an adventure my first world marathon was and here are the 10 lessons I learned:
World marathons are unique, large, and unpredictable, because the logistics are more complex than smaller marathons.
Don’t despair if you don’t hit a personal best time at a world marathon and have a back-up plan for a smaller marathon, as running with thousands of people is fun and scary at the same time.
My friend Andrea loves to strength train and due to an injury, she had to run less miles, did no GMP training runs, and she did only a few longer runs, but not your typical five-six 20 and 22 milers. Thus, running more is not always better, but making sure you do specific strength training, which for me it is for my gluteal muscles, at least twice a week, is paramount to having a strong marathon and a happier body at the finish. Less is more sometimes, even though running more miles gets us better prepared for marathons, but not if it means having no time to devote to strength training the body to last the entire 26.2 miles.
Prepare for the goal you want to hit in the race during training, but also let the day of the race tell you how to run and whether plan A for the race is feasible, or whether you need to go to plan B, or even plan C.
Soak in the crowds and the surroundings to enjoy your special world marathon.
Smile big and run with JOY and GRATITUDE, as runners from all over the world had to work hard to qualify for a world marathon race and know that you already are making your country, your town, your family/friends, and your coach proud.
Be prepared to wait in long lines, so arrive early to navigate the crowds and check in your bags if you have any, or you will be like a runner I saw on the course running with his marathon bag on his shoulders.
Follow the blue line, which is the line drawn on the ground used to measure the course to avoid running extra. My friend Andrea did this, as she heard some runners talk about it, whereas I kept my eyes ahead to see if the runners were making a left or a right. I did not add too much to my marathon distance, but I had to stay focused and run the tangents.
Announce yourself when picking up the water cup, as it tends to be crowded and runners can trip over each other. Also watch your steps, as there are cups on the ground and it is slippery, especially on a rainy day.
And last, but not least don’t forget to cherish your finish no matter of the time and to celebrate with beer to replenish those muscles with good carbs and some B vitamins.
My pictures during the race and the plaque of my first World marathon. My goal is to run all six world marathon and to get a plaque and the big six star medal for all. Happy feet!
For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!
