A Party for #runnerds & A Run With a Pro

In a meeting earlier this week there was a round-table discussion where everyone told the group what fitness goal they had met this year. Hmm… well let’s see… I was injured when this year started and it looks like I’ll be injured when this year ends.

I did not set a one mile p.r. as expected.

I did not set a 1/2 marathon p.r.

I will not be running the NYCM tomorrow.

But, I did learn that I love running more than ever, that people were right when they say that everything changes in your 30’s, and I learned that running is no longer easy for me. However, the biggest lesson learned is that no matter whether I’m running the main event or not, I’m convinced that the running community is one of the best communities to belong to.

Thanks to Nissan, an official sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon, I’ve been smiling ear to ear for the past 24 hours. First off was the Runner’s World NYCM party.

Could we be bigger dorks?

Theodora and I spent the night playing “eye spy” and geeking out over all the running celebrities. We spotted David Wiley (EIC of Runner’s World), Dean Karnazes, Lauren Fleshman, Mary Whittenberg (President of the New York Road Runners), Amby Burfoot, and Bart Yasso.

The most exciting part was listening to Bart’s tips for Theodora. He even estimated what time she would finished based off of her 1/2 marathon p.r. time and long run pace. I immediately turned a bright shade of green and wished that I too was running.

When I grow up I want to be like Bart Yasso. I mean is there a better title than “Chief Running Officer”?

This morning I walked over to Central Park to meet up with Ryan Hall, Theodora, and the Fit Bottomed Girls for a short run through Central Park.

Ryan is a part of Nissan’s Innovation for Endurance Team. This morning we did a runmute of sorts. We ran part of the lower loop and ended up at our brunch spot. I love destination runs.

The runnerd in me really comes out at stuff like this. He politely answered all my geeky questions. I learned that he prefers out of the box Asics instead of his custom made ones. He does little to no strength training unless he’s recovering from an injury. He also weighs out his pasta the night before a race and loves sardines.

The Nissan Leaf is the official pace car of the marathon. This year Biggest Loser’s Olivia and Hannah from Season 11 of the Biggest Loser will be live tweeting from inside the car as they ride in the car in front of the lead runners.

{FTC: I was not compensated for this post. I was provided with a gift bag, a complimentary brunch and invitation to the Runner’s World party. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.}