Boston Marathon Recap and NYC Marathon Training

When I first started running marathons, I never would have dreamed of being able to recap my Boston Marathon experience while also prepping for the NYC marathon in the same year. How lucky am I?! My Boston 2022 review is long overdue, in part because shortly after the race my family packed up and headed out west to Denver for the month of May, followed by a busy summer here in New England. I am also belatedly recapping Boston because while it was a special and memorable day in many ways, it wasn’t the race I had been hoping for. It was nothing like the 2021 fall Boston where my training came alive on the course.

I started training for Boston a few weeks after I ran the Philadelphia marathon last fall. My body felt fine going from one training cycle to another, but I think I was a little burned out mentally. But I was grateful to be training for the iconic Boston. Training included several races, two of which were getaways with Mark sans kiddos- the Fort Lauderdale half in February and the NYC half in March.

I also ran the Hyannis half at the end of February with Beth and Angela and ran a 1:39 in cold and windy conditions. In early April, I ran a local 10k (Cohasset Road Race), but my legs felt heavy.

In retrospect, doubts about running a PR in Boston started to creep in around then. I made some mistakes on marathon Monday, which I ultimately ran in 3:45.

1. Overhydrating with water & not enough electrolytes/salt. In the week leading up race day, I drank a LOT of water without balancing the intake with sodium and other electrolytes. This was such a rookie mistake, and one I hope to never make again, but I paid for this electrolyte imbalance on race day with cramps that developed early in the race and never went away. Since that day I have been much more in tune to sodium/electrolyte intake and haven’t had any cramps in any run since, even during the hottest days. My go-to’s are scratch hydration, nuun prime, and salt tablets.
2. Another rookie mistake, but I realized early in the race that my new shoes were causing problems. I had purchased some new Nike shoes leading up to race day and tested them out in 3 runs before, but for some reason they bothered me on race day. They felt very tight and I wasn’t able to loosen them appropriately during the race (I stopped a few times to untie/re-tie, it did nothing). It was hard to steer my thoughts away from this issue for some reason. I know I will be much more cognizant about wearing appropriate, well-tested shoes at races!

I think those were the biggest issues I had. But I also think that I should have dialed back more during taper for fresher legs, added in more strength training and hill work, and figured out a better pre-race eating plan for a late race start at 10:50am. Plus working on my mental game for the next race wouldn’t hurt either.

It is hard to complain about running a race like Boston but I definitely needed a break afterwards. Even though- seeing my friends all along the course from the beginning to the end (shoutouts to Amber, Lori, Ann, Luke, my parents, Beth, Ted, Mark and kids, and others…plus the amazing training partners/loved ones who followed me from afar!), made this race one of the highlights of my year!!!

That brings me to my next adventure, training for the NYC marathon. This race has been a BIG bucket list item for me. I’ve wanted to run for 10 years and finally got in!! I am running with my sister Beth which has made training and race day planning SO fun! I also started a local run club — shoutout to @harborrunclub! — in June and have met a lot of awesome new running friends. We meet every Sunday and that is often one of the highlights of my week!  Stay tuned for a separate post on that! This training cycle has been filled with so much joy and I am feeling strong these days. Since Boston, I have run several FUN races including the Denver half, the Covered Bridges half in Vermont, and the Hingham Road race.

I have several more races coming up during training too. I’m excited to tackle the next 11 weeks and I hope to have an amazing first NYC marathon experience. Thanks for following along – however sporadic my updates are!

Are you training for a fall race?! Hope it’s going well :)

Anyone run NYC before?! Please share you favorite memory or a running tip!

Philly Marathon and Winter Training

Today was the first time in a week where I felt a flicker of spring. We were blanketed by a blizzard last weekend but perhaps it’s the sun setting after 5:00 PM or the slightly above-freezing temperatures that is starting to make a difference. But because of that snowstorm, I’ve been relegated to running inside on the treadmill. But I am dreaming of getting outside soon. Binging The OC (yes the TV show from 15 years ago) has almost made me believe I am running along Newport Beach.

Looking backwards though, Boston 2021 is an experience I won’t soon forget. Six weeks after that special weekend, I ran my 3rd Philly marathon on November 21^st after claiming a late entry.

Here’s a little race recap:

I didn’t do much training in between Boston and Philly and used my base to get me to the finish line. Initially the plan was to take the race very easy, and I followed the plan until about Mile 16 when I realized I had already passed the “big hill” of the new course and still felt good. This came after an earlier boost when I stopped at the 10k point to hug Mark and the kids. After this hillier section, I turned on my music and focused for the last 10 miles. The Manayunk section around mile 20 also gave me a great push. I’m not sure if it was the initial low expectations or the perfect weather (42, sunny, no wind), but I felt great until about mile 25 where the course turns to an uphill finish. I worked through that last mile and crossed the finish line in 3:31. I was so happy, a feeling that can be fleeting these days. For the first time, I felt fitness come together.

After soaking in the spirit at the finish line, I walked back to our rental in Rittenhouse Square and hugged Mark and the kids.

I had missed these “runcations” since having kids and with the pandemic. I didn’t realize that the world was about to shut down again so I’m thankful to have had that special weekend away.

Looking forwards again, I’m in full Boston Marathon training mode these days as the race is about 2.5 months away! Something recently clicked in terms of motivation. I think it just took a bit of time to recover from my back-to-back marathons last fall. I have signed up for some other races to get me through the next wave of Boston training, including the Martha’s Vineyard relay race and Hyannis Half marathon. The big race I’m signed up for is NYC half in March. Depending how the next few weeks of training go, I’d love to aim for a half marathon PR there.

The biggest addition and positive change to my training recently are the amazing running friends I have found in my small town! They’ve really helped me get out there during the cold wintery days.

**11ish more** weeks to go ’till the big marathon and I hope to keep you more up to date on training! Thanks for following along :)

What are you currently training for?!

How are you handling winter running?

Boston Marathon Recap Part 2

If you missed it- check out my recap Part 1! After my bus arrived in Hopkinton, I realized an earlier start meant that I could ditch any additional food and just get going. Crossing the open starting line was much different than waiting for your wave in a corral.  I felt all the emotions and couldn’t believe that this was actually happening! I quickly zoned in and reviewed my plan of attack:

• First 5k, “laughably slow”. The goal was to make the difference between the first mile and last significant.
• Miles 4-13, make it to 13 feeling fresh, thinking, “controlled aggression”.
• Miles 14-16, either bumping things up a bit or sitting pretty.
• Miles 16-21 the 4 Newton Hills, time to get the party started!! Effort level 7/8 out of 10. I was thankful my coach had outlined expectations for each of the 4 hills.
• Miles 21-26.2: run with heart.

I was thankful that there was a nice chill in the air at the start. The day ultimately turned into a warm one but proved to be nicer than training in the summer heat!

I managed to comply with the first 5k plan and I think it set me up for later success. Before long we approached the roaring crowds in Natick center. The amount of energy from the crowds there was unreal and it was fun to see my cousin! I generally followed the race plan for the next bucket of miles but turned up the speed a bit when I approached the Wellesley College scream tunnel. Some runner next to me shouted “Some things never change” and I reflected on that happily for a bit.

My pockets were lined with 4 Honeystinger gels and I held a plastic baggie of two bags of Honeystinger chews combined. I went through the chews first, without any real rhyme or reason but knew I needed to get through the entire baggie (320 calories) within the first 1.5 hours. I am working towards 200 calories/hour!

After seeing my parents, Mark, and my friend Luke at mile 14, and Amber at mile 15, the course takes a sharp downhill before the first set of 4 Newton hills at mile 16. I was feeling GOOD at this point! I was carrying my Jaybird headphones until then. During a downhill, I found an opportunity to put my headphones in, and turned on the music lightly. From mile 16 through 21 (the hills), I blasted my favorite tunes to help distract me.

My mantra for the Newton hills was “forward is a pace”. I walked part of the second hill which was as coach Mary describes, “just annoying”.  Even so, after cresting the 3^rd hill I was mentally thinking/hoping it was heartbreak but it most certainly wasn’t. My effort was 8/10 but I kept chugging.

The last five or six miles of the race were a complete blur with some surprising small hills. I fed off the crowds but really it was all mental and just thinking, “one step in front of the other”, “I belong”, “every second counts in a BQ cutoff”, and “how many times have you run 4 miles…you got this”. One thing my coach wrote to me just before race day REALLY cycled through my thoughts throughout the race: “Might as well go for it, you know?!? You’ve worked WAY too hard not to.” The final miles were still a blur until I turned left from Hereford to Boylston with the finish line then visible. I will never forget running by my family at mile 26 and crossing the finish line feeling PROUD. Proud for my body and proud to have contributed to the MGH team.

I was grateful for being in Boston, thankful that the race was happening after a long pandemic, SO appreciative of the incredible support of donors to my fundraiser contributing to nearly $10,000 raised, grateful for my family, friends, and legs that could carry me this far. I’m still in shock at my finish time, one that I positive split by 32 seconds (this dream outcome has never happened!!). When I first ran a marathon in January 2011, I never knew what was possible. It took me 24 marathons to PR and I’m finally starting to believe that the world is my oyster.

Thank you for reading this far! I HOPE my time gets me in to Boston 2022 (BQ-6:44), but we won’t find out until after registration in mid-November. The good thing is my time qualifies me for 2023 and hopefully by then the cutoff times won’t be as severe as these pandemic years. If I don’t get into Boston next spring, I’ll find another marathon before I start training for NYC 2022. I just can’t get enough and am so thankful for the adventure that running has brought. Stay tuned for more training updates and race recaps to come!

Boston Marathon Recap Part 1

On Monday, October 11^th I ran the 125^th Boston Marathon. It was the race of my life so far, and I am still processing the day. I usually have the “what race is next?” mentality but 11 days later I’m still overwhelmed with positive emotions. I’m so thankful for everyone who contributed to my fundraising effort and all the other physical and emotional support.  

The race outcome was everything I dreamed of…I finished in 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 16 seconds. That’s a personal record overall, and I did it on the hardest marathon course I’ve ever run! Here’s the backstory (Part 1) before I get into the race (my next post – Part 2).

Marathon Training

This was my second marathon after taking a several year break from running races while having two kids. When the pandemic hit and I was able to start jogging again after having my second, running quickly became my treasured escape each day. I slowly built back my mileage over time and hired a coach to help add structure to my running. The daily routine enabled me to build a base that I had lost after those years. When new years struck, I added running a marathon in 2021 to my list of goals and I started to ramp up my training. You can read more about my marathon at the end of April, but the race and experience with friends was so memorable!

After the Wasatch Marathon, I took off a couple of weeks from any serious running before easing back into the routine with 5 months to go until race day. I had been accepted on the Mass General Pediatric Cancer marathon team and was elated to support this cause!

Boston training consisted of the following long runs: four 15ish milers, one 16 miler, 17 miler, 19 miler, and two 20 milers. Three of these long runs were incorporated into a race: Falmouth Road Race (7 miles), 3 Beach Half, and Black Cat 20. Otherwise, I kept my long runs easy. I averaged 40-45 mile weeks with one week peaking at 61 miles because that week I did two long runs.

Consistent, longer daily runs (about an hour a day) were the center of my training. I also incorporated some speedwork (mile repeats at marathon pace or below, 800m repeats), but nothing too crazy. I also made sure to include hills in every run. Compared to Boston where I would run around the river, it’s been easier to find hills here in the suburbs and I think that has helped!

Apart from the training, I focused heavily on the “extra things” that help me such as getting as much sleep as possible (ie- lights out just after the kids went to bed), stretching, foam rolling throughout the days, eating and hydrating plenty, cutting back on alcohol, etc. My husband bought a massage gun that I stole. It was easier to do a lot of these things with a mostly remote work schedule and with little kids!

Marathon Weekend

After months of the training grind, marathon weekend was finally here!! Mark and I went into Boston on Friday to get my bib. The expo was very dialed down compared to other years, but it was fun to be back. Getting my bib felt a bit surreal, like this celebration was actually happening after a very long and difficult pandemic. But the spirit of Boston was alive again! It was also fun to run into a running friend who was in Boston for one day only to get her bib. She flew back to Chicago Friday night, ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday and then returned to Boston Sunday evening for a back-to-back race weekend. Amazing!!

Marathon Monday

Honestly, I have never been truly nervous at the start of a race before. Up until now, I have run most races without a LOT of training or mental prep, and just had fun. Marathon Monday’s race day nerves caught me a little off guard! Mark dropped me off at the shuttle in Hopkinton and I was able to start earlier than expected. I was so thankful to go this route- especially given some of the hiccups with some buses getting lost to the start! Before leaving the house, I had a big bowl of oatmeal and banana, coffee, and an entire Nalgene of water (thanks to Lisa & Julie for race morning tips!). Race start wouldn’t be for a few hours, but I always abide by the “stop drinking with one hour to go except for sips of water” rule. Given Boston’s later start, I brought a peanut butter & banana sandwich and a couple of honeystinger waffles.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Boston Marathon Recap in the next post :)

Boston Marathon Training Begins

Summer weather has arrived in New England! It caught me off guard and I had to quickly dig out the sealed summer gear and restock on sunscreen and glide.

8 miles in 80 degrees on Friday, 6 miles in 90 degrees yesterday. These views yesterday made the miles fly by.

It was so fun to run along the Charles with a friend this weekend. Back to where my running journey started many years ago!

During these first few training runs, I reflected on the tremendous generosity of my community with regards to my Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Cancer fundraiser for the marathon. I mentioned this in the previous post, but my goal is to raise $8,000 to help support innovative pediatric cancer treatment and research at Mass General. This is the first time I am raising money for a charity and it’s been an inspiring experience so far. I am now working on some events over the summer (some virtual, some in person) to carry me through to the finish line of my fundraising goal.

Crossing the yellow-painted finish line at the Boston Marathon will certainly carry a little more weight this year as I think about Mass General and patients in need.

Before that, there are months of training ahead! My training will kick off with a couple months of base building before I move on to more specific marathon training as we approach October 11^th. I am following this general plan, made by my coach!

I am looking for some local races to build up to this summer. It looks like our town’s local 4th of July road race will be on so I am looking forward to that. With Massachusetts opening more fully later this month, I am optimistic to find a few more races. More on that in a future post! In the meantime, I will be here running solo miles, stroller miles, or hopefully some miles with new running friends around here.

Thanks for following along!

What are you currently training for?

Anyone running Boston this year?

Where is your favorite place to run? Mine is still the Esplanade- so many fun memories with lots of different people!

Wasatch Marathon Recap + Some Exciting News!

My lungs and legs are feeling back to normal after running the Revel Wasatch marathon in Utah last Friday. It was my first marathon since before I was pregnant with my first baby and a memorable adventure after the past year of COVID!

One of my best friends lives in Utah now and I wanted to visit her this spring with another friend (girls’ trip?! Another world ago!!) depending on how things were going with the pandemic/vaccinations. I noticed that this race was being held at the end of April in the Park City area, so I signed up. As the race date approached, I felt comfortable with the decision to go and was thankful that I had several months of training under my belt. I got my Johnson & Johnson vaccine three weeks before the race.

I started the Wasatch training block in January and built up to an average of about 40-45 miles per week, running about 5 days a week consistently. I didn’t include much speedwork but focused on consistent, hour+ long runs each day with several 16 milers and one 20 miler. This was my first time training consistently since having two babies and I was proud of the progress I made from couch to full. At the beginning of the cycle, it was hard to wrap my head around training for an unknown goal as spring 2021 races had been questionable. But 2021 had been off to a positive start with the Inauguration and encouraging vaccine rollout which had an impact on my personal goals.

PC: @marywatermanphotography

I generally felt prepared for the race but ultimately found the Wasatch course to be tough. It had striking downhills followed by flats/small hills at elevation. The first flatlander-running-in-Utah mistake was staying in Park City the night before the race. While the location is beautiful and fun, I felt the high altitude of 7,000+ feet as soon as we arrived. I probably drank 6-7 Nalgene bottles of water/some with Nuun electrolytes throughout the day which helped. The race started at 6:40am on Friday, and we were shuttled from Heber City at the foot of Park City to the top of the Wasatch mountains early that morning. It was a beautiful starting location!

There was a staggered start with a mask requirement and just like that we were off! It felt GOOD to be back at race, simply surreal! I couldn’t stop smiling. The first 2.7 miles were uphill at about 8,000 feet and I went out easy, and after that I started to check off mile by mile all while taking in the gorgeous surrounding landscape. The ticking off miles came to a halt around mile 18 when the course leveled off and there were some long stretches of “false flats” as I call them (my husband always laughs but they are so real!). I was thankful for my sunglasses and the extensive amount of glide I had applied that morning. No issues there!

I was proud of my fueling throughout my race (thanks for the reminders, coach!!) and don’t think my sluggish last 6 miles were due to issues with that. I ended up carrying water due to the infrequent water stops and chowed down 2 Honeystinger gels and 3 packets of Honeystinger chews (sorted them in individual plastic bags- thanks Lisa and Julie!!) over the course of the 26.2. In my handheld I had put my favorite nuun mix to start and when that ran out I mixed Powerade and water from aid stations. I ended up taking in a LOT of liquid but it all felt fine.

It was amazing to see Kimiko and Annie at the finish line and I won’t ever forget this first post-pandemic race. It was a dream come true!!

So what’s next?! Something really really exciting!!! On October 11^th this year, I will be running the in-person 2021 Boston Marathon!!! I am running as part of the Massachusetts General Hospital Pediatric Cancer Team. My goal is to raise $8,000 which will provide critical funding to help MGH fight childhood cancer. After the difficult year we have had with COVID, I have decided to run for a purpose and organization that is close to my heart. I will be blogging about this experience throughout my fundraising and training. Thank you so much for following along, friends!! Thank you for any support you are able to offer, and for being part of my team!

https://www.givengain.com/ap/jane-mellors-lebel-raising-funds-for-massachusetts-general-hospital/

xo Jane

Heat Wave’s Coming & Some Updates!

Hello from the South Shore, MA! We’ve had a busy spring and summer so far with a big move to the ‘burbs from Boston. I am still mourning the move from my favorite city, but we aren’t too far and I am happy to have more space. We are finally all settled into the new house after two months of updates and are getting into a routine. Mark had his first lawn mowing experience yesterday after a nearly two decade hiatus. The suburban life is definitely growing on us!

Meanwhile I am scouting out running routes and new running partners (already missing the C-town crew of course, but I will be back in!) in my new town. As the temps have risen a bit and we prepare for a heat wave (talking 96+ degrees which is SO HOT for MASS!), I joined the local planet fitness gym and have also supplemented with OrangeTheory. I am a little late to the game with OT, but it’s such a good workout. Just so much data- almost overwhelming, but I know that it’s addicting and fun. I can still feel my arms from last week’s workout as I haven’t lifted anything more than my 25 lbs one year old in months. I love the rowing machine aspect of OT as well- something totally different in which I am developing my skills.

New Bedford Half Recap

This past weekend on St. Patrick’s day, I ran a half marathon in New Bedford, MA. It was a great race overall and I was happy with my execution and time, even despite the grueling hills at the beginning and end and a pesky headwind throughout!

My training up to the race was pretty solid. I have been working with coaches Julie and Lisa who had me on a high mileage half marathon program as I train towards my goal race, a full marathon in June. I built up to 17 miles and was feeling strong on race morning. A few weeks ago, I ran my first postpartum half in Hyannis with friends. The windy, icy, monsoon rain conditions were not ideal, but it was a perfect race experience because I learned so much (again!) about pacing, fueling, incorporating music. Basically, I did everything wrong at Hyannis half, so I was excited to turn this around at Sunday’s race.

Baby and Races Update

Happy New Year, over a month in! If blogging is a resolution, then I have already fallen off the bandwagon. But I’m hoping to pick it up more regularly since I love this outlet.

So much has happened in the past 12 months- too many details to divulge, but the most important update is that I had a baby in July! Baby Grant is now almost 7 months old, so we are beyond the fourth (even fifth?) trimester and on to enjoying life with a hastily developing little boy.

Namaste in 2018

Hi everyone, it’s been awhile! I hope we can reconnect like old friends, where it seems like no time ever has passed when you reunite. 2018 has been a busy year so far and has taken us through several snow storms and balmy days (west coasters and southerners, 50 degrees is warm for Boston!), exciting and strange movies (calling out “Shape of Water” here), a soul-gripping Patriots football game (sorry Jaguars fans), and a quick Florida getaway to see my parents.

Staying Fit While Traveling

Happy Friday! Hope you’ve had a great week full of Halloween treats. I haven’t checked in since Marine Corps Marathon on October 22^nd, but just wanted to say that it was one of my most memorable races to date for several reasons. Stay tuned for a recap and some takeaways from the day!

In other news, Mark and I are in the middle of planning our next getaway- thinking of heading to South America! I have always been intrigued by that part of the world, as I grew up hearing my mom’s travel adventures from when she explored the region when she was about my age. While away, I’d like to keep up my fitness as much as possible but know how tough it can be while on vacation.

With the desire to just lay back and relax for the duration of your stay combined with the temptation of on-the-go treats, it’s sometimes a challenge to keep up with fitness.  Here are some quick tips I have learned over time to keep motivated and focused during your travels.

Slice of Life

Fall in Boston: boots, sweaters, pumpkin spiced lattes, colorful leaves…not quite fall 2017! Despite some adventurous Columbus Day weekend hikes like this:

Tips for Staying Hydrated

Thanks to Melissa McDonough, RD, CSSD and Coaches Julie & Lisa @ Run Farther and Faster for providing much of this content.

Summer running means sweat, slower paces, and serious tans (please apply sunblock before heading out the door!). Just because it’s hot outside, doesn’t mean you need to scrap your run. Appropriate hydration techniques will help get you through those sizzling days.

Dehydration can lead to serious complications, so staying hydrated should be a main focus for runners and non-runners alike. Depending on the climate, you should aim to get about 2 to 4 L of water throughout each day – approximately 8 to 16 cups.  You may need to modify your total fluid intake each day depending on how active you are, or for factors such as gender, weight, age, heat, humidity and altitude.

Colorado Adventures & Happy 4th

Happy Independence Day! We are having a great time here in Colorado- thank you for all of the recs! Hard to fit it all in, but we are doing our best :)

I wanted to stop by and wish you a great holiday wherever you are! Also congrats to the Jaybird sport winner! Hope you enjoy the headphones as much as I do! Stay tuned for additional Giveaways.

Here are some Colorado highlights so far:

We spent our first full day going all around Denver. We hit up the Denver Botanic garden: so beautiful, even in a sweltering hot day. Hello dry heat!

New Favorite Gear: Jaybird Headphones GIVEAWAY!

Happy Friday! This week was a busy one, but I managed to get in some exercise at the end of the work day several times. I’m still trying to figure out my next goal (potentially thinking a bit too much about it these days). While I figure out my next steps in running, I’m still enjoying the summery Boston scenes on my runs.

Canyon City Marathon Review

Happy weekend! Hope yours is off to a great start. I’m heading out on my favorite running path in a few minutes but wanted to stop by to write about one of my previous races since some of you are working towards a BQ!

Last November, I ran the Canyon City marathon just northeast of Los Angeles (Azusa, CA to be exact). Mark had a work trip in Palm Springs and asked if I wanted to join. Without hesitation I said yes and naturally proceeded to research the local races being held that weekend.  This REVEL series marathon and half marathon were on the list, and situated between LA and Palm Springs, so we signed up!

Real Talk on Running Goals

Goals: the destination of a journey. They should be measurable, observable, the desired result. I always have work goals and several personal and fitness-related goals in my mind at a given time. But these days, following Boston and my first trail ultra, I am feeling a bit unsettled in my fitness plans.  Adding to the lack of running ambitions and motivation has been the post-marriage mentality of ambition fatigue. Mark and I have really enjoyed the last couple of months (and hopefully many more years of happiness to come), but I think that it’s time for some goal setting.

Boston Marathon 2017 Recap: I’m Overdue!

Hope you had a great weekend! Boston is looking good these days.

It’s been about two months since Boston marathon, so I thought it was time for a recap! Sorry for the delay, but it was only for good reasons. Boston was actually sandwiched between my wedding and honeymoon in Nepal! After another busy month, I’ve finally had time to put the pen to the paper and reflect on the incredible race.

The Best Podcasts to Get You Through a Run (or life) 2.0

Hope you’re having a great week! I’m happy to be a little more active on the blog. Last year, I published a list of podcasts as an alternative to music on the run. Since there have been so many good podcasts in my queue lately, I have been meaning to generate a new list. No matter what mood you’re in, there is a podcast for you!

Here are some podcasts – going beyond running & fitness this time — that I am currently obsessed with:

Lessons Learned From My First 50K

Summer is off to a bang up here in Boston. The 95 degree heat we felt earlier this week followed a few days in the 40s and 50s last week. Leave it to New England to have crazy weather!

Last Saturday, June 10^th, I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge in Central Massachusetts. It was my first 50k and ultramarathon, a distance I never thought I would be able to run.  After signing up for the race months ago in the midst of Boston marathon training, the reality of the ultra distance didn’t hit me until the eve of the race. At that point, I was decidedly too stubborn to back out (that, combined with a little pressure from others :)). Plus, I had signed up with an encouraging friend (thanks Amber!), so it was the best opportunity to check this one off.