Michael & Liz are Bloggable

Let me first say that I feel like I am in the best shape of my life. I didn't feel that way the week before this marathon, but I feel that way now. My "easy" run today ended up being 8 miles at under an 8 minute pace. I'm so excited about the possibilities this year holds in regards to everything, including running.

On May 5th I ran the New River Marathon out in the mountains near Boone and West Jefferson, NC. It was as intimidating as a race gets. It advertised 1700ft. of elevation gain/loss, which is insane for a marathon. I will admit, it was difficult but it didn't rock my world like I thought it would. Here are the stats for the race from my garmin. You can click it for more info:



I ran the first half in 1:44, with a few big hills in the middle. That is another reason why I say I'm in the best shape of my life. I wanted to go out with a comfortable pace and ended up hitting 8 minute miles until the mountain on the second half. I passed the halfway mark feeling great, albeit still tired and not looking forward to another half.

The second half is when the beast hit. I walked some of the steep parts, but for the most part I made it to mile 22 without walking. At that point I was drained and struggled to get into any kind of rhythm. I ran/walked to the finish with my second best marathon time of 3:52. For a while I thought I could come close to my best time of 3:46, but I just couldn't muster the energy to run continuously near the end. To say I am pleased though is an understatement. Not only am I excited about it, I have signed up for another race... in July!

I signed up for the Grandfather Mountain Marathon. So far from what I've read, it is quite a race. It's advertised as "One of America's Toughest Marathons". It has 2000 ft. of elevation gain and 1000 ft. of loss. It finishes in the middle of the world's second largest Scottish Highland Games. In my Google search of best marathons to run, Grandfather Mountain has made every "Top 25" list I found. It may be hard but it's apparently very scenic including 5 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The other tough part is that it's in the middle of July, and hopefully the mountains contain the heat. From what I've read it's not too bad, with lows near mid 50's and highs in the 70's.

So for the foreseeable future here are the big races we are considering:

• July 14: Grandfather Mountain Marathon
• September 29: Hinson Lake 24 Hour Ultra
• October 7: Oktoberfest 10K
• November 4: City of Oaks Half Marathon (Liz)
• November 11: Outer Banks Marathon
• March 17: Georgia Marathon

Our motivation is very high right now to run, so hopefully injuries stay away!