Cue the Countdown!

T-minus 10 days until the NYC Half Marathon! 

AKA...my 1st half!!! My mind is thinking 'YAY!' 'WOOHOO!' 'HOLLA!!'...but the rest of me is just thinking 'EEKS!'  Have I trained enough? Am I mentally prepared? What cute outfit am I going to wear?? No heels this week?? Priorities, I know. 

This is the 1st half marathon that I'll actually be running in, even though it's not the 1st one that I've signed up for.  Last year, my bestie Kat and I signed up for the More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women's Half Marathon. This was going to be our first long distance race! We were excited, nervous, excited, in denial, excited, determined, and did I mention we were excited?! Well, we were. At the beginning of our training, I started to feel sick and not 100% great. Finally, after weeks of feeling fatigued and running with a nasty cough, I went to the doctor and was told I had chronic bronchitis and would need to stop my training. Not what I wanted to hear! NOOOOOOO!! Since this was my 1st half, I decided I would not be ready for it even if I did get better in time for it. I felt defeated and angry at myself for not going sooner to the doctor. I also felt guilty because this was a journey Kat & I were taking together and here I was ditching her at the last minute. But of course, I was there with her along the course cheering her on, knowing she would do great!! Go Kat!!

Fast forward to a month later when the Hubs and I were training for the Brooklyn Half. No more sicky Cari! I could breathe just fine and was no more nasty cough! The Hubs was super patient with me since his pace is alot speedier than mine...but then again, who isn't faster than I am? However...bring on the injuries. I had horrible knee pain, shin splints, and the double doozey was that I pulled a groin muscle. Ouch. At this point, I was feeling that I was cursed in some way and would never actually run in a long distance race. Once again, I was out for this one. I had a little less guilt this time because The Hubs also injured his knee and he couldn't run either. Not that I wanted him to be hurt, but not sure if I could take another guilt-fest. 

So, now we're 10 days away! I've been sick this training period, but luckily nothing major. No injuries (YAY!). And have ran further than I ever have before in training. Please keep your fingers crossed the next 10 days will be uneventful! See ya at the last corral!