Reach the Beach: Thank You

I am currently coming off the best runner’s high I’ve felt since November of 2010 when I finished my first marathon! Send me to the back roads of Massachusetts with 11 other health and wellness bloggers who also love running and there is no way I can’t leave the weekend feeling inspired.

Team Off Balance

Before

After

Van 1

• Sarah of Sarah Fit
• Patricia of Run Foodie Run
• Bridget of Yogurt and Berries
• Gretchen of Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!
• Jess of Fit Chick in the City
• Melissa of Fitness NYC

Van 2

• Elizabeth of On Tap for Today
• Anne of fANNEtastic food
• Tina of Carrots ‘N Cake
• Ashley of A Healthy, Happier Bear
• Theodora of Losing Weight in the City
• Monica of Run Eat Repeat

Going into the weekend I had a lot on my mind.

• I had to miss the New Balance tour on Thursday due to work. Would I miss all the team bonding?
• Will my lack of speed annoy or upset my other teammates?
• How will my legs handle the 17 miles within a 32 hour time period?
• Will we get on each others nerves due to the tight space and lack of sleep?

Luckily, my nerves didn’t get the best of me and tonight I’m lying on the couch with my compression sleeves on, water and champagne both within arm’s reach, texting my van mates, and still smiling at the fact that I feel that my running brain and muscles are stronger than ever.

Thanks to some awesome mental and hill coaching in Van 2 and the enthusiasm of my support network, I rocked 3 hilly legs this weekend and kept an average pace of 9:47 which is a wonderful way to enter marathon training.

So, let’s work backwards and start this recap with officially thanking the people who made this weekend possible. Come back tomorrow and Tuesday for my recap of Day 1 and Day 2!

Lovely ladies of Van 1 & 2: Thank you for cheering me through each of the legs, motivating me to stay strong, introducing me to the Harvard baseball team, and for cheering for me in the heat and sun last night at 5pm when the beach and beer beckoned you!

Monica & Nicole: Thank you for serving not only as our New Balance resources over the past few weeks but also as our inspirations and coaches this weekend. You kept us strong during the wee hours of the night, donned banana costumes to scare away the monsters in the dark, kept us on track and at the right place at the right time, and allowed us to enjoy the weekend virtually stress free!

Kristen: None of us can believe that you not only organized this partnership between Reach the Beach, New Balance and the bloggers but also rocked out the relay yourself! Thank your for being such a huge cheerleader and organizing everything from A to Z. You really thought of everything!

Martin: We were each elated to partner with you and your passion, Reach the Beach. It is hands down the most well organized race I’ve ever run. Your awesome race left me dreaming of next year and the New Hampshire one as well!