Where to start??  Let's see -- my last post was from Ironman AC 70.3 on 9/10/22. I had a TOUGH time recovering from that all out effort. The heat, dehydration and race effort led me to feel super sore and fatigued for about a week. I still had SO many races and events on my calendar that I really wanted to rebound quickly, but I really tried to listen to my body.

I had a super fun Crossfit competition on 10/8/2022.

I joined RunEatRalph's GAP relay team (10/15/22) at the last minute and ran 24.5 miles. I used it to train for the New York City Marathon.

I had the AC Half Marathon on 10/23/2022. I had originally signed up for that race thinking I would go for a PR. Decided to just use it as a training run. 1:53:52.

On 11/6/2022 I got to finally experience the New York City Marathon on a super warm November Day. I was supposed to run this in 2020 but... ya know...COVID. It was a great race, but I was super under trained and got super dehydrated from the heat....again.
 

Once again I had trouble bouncing back. I knew I only had one event left in the year - Rehoboth. I thought about deferring the race, but this registration was from 2020! How many times can I push off this registration?!

So when I showed up to Rehoboth I was just going to fun run or see how I felt. By now anyone who knows me knows that that means that I might go for it. I really had zero intentions because my running mileage after NY was pitiful!

11/7-11/13 1 mile

11/14-11/20 7 miles

11/21-11/27 6 miles

My CrossFit training is the one thing that had been super consistent through the year.

The week of Rehoboth I decided that since I wasn't going to race Rehoboth then I didn't need to taper. I actually decided to kick up Tri training. Lol 

REHOBOTH WEEKEND:

I rode the ferry across with Laurie. We picked up our bibs and then went to Dogfish Head for some beer and dinner. We ran into all of my RW friends. A couple of the guys asked if I was running with them.

"Negative. Uh no. Nope. Just fun running."

After dinner I went back to my hotel and went to bed early. Time away from my puppy meant a solid night's sleep!

Laurie, Tom and I met in the hotel lobby to walk to the race start at 6:45 am. We met up with some of the South Jersey Runners to get a quick picture.

I wished everyone good luck and headed over to the 2 hour pacer. Brad found me in the huge crowd. I told him to run his own race and to not wait for me. I had zero expectations.

The race started and Brad literally jack rabbited away from me. It was so fast that it was almost comical. I always start with a slow first mile and build from there.

It was hot and humid! In December! I took my windbreaker off and tied it around my waist in the 1st mile. So hot!! Mile 1 8:47

The first few miles loop through the streets of Rehoboth and then go up onto the boardwalk. I was running comfortably hard....so much for a nice easy day. As one of my friends says about me -- I have no intentions of racing... until the gun goes off. Mile 2 & 3 8:10, 8:01

As I passed my hotel I realized that I needed to ditch my jacket. It was WAY too hot having it tied around my waist. As quickly as I could I untied it and jettisoned it onto the hotel patio. I was unsure if it would be there later, but no way could it stay tied around my waist. Thankfully Harlen from SJR saw me do it and grabbed it and handed it off to Marianna. I got it back right after the race! #winning

After the boardwalk section the race course heads into Cape Henlopen Park. My friend Don from the Tri club came running past me at this point. he told me to run with him at 7:45s. I declined and let him go, but somehow I must've clicked it up because I caught him. I was literally running right behind him....but didn't tell him I was there. Lol. My friend Brad was about 15' ahead. I really wanted to introduce Don to Brad because they run similar paces, but didn't want to expend the effort. Mile 4 7:48.

At this point it became apparent that I would need to stop and use the port-a-potty. Damn GI tract. Thankfully there were 3 POP in Cape Henlopen at the 1/2 marathoners turn around. I had to wait in line. The stop cost me roughly 2 minutes according to Strava. Mile 5 10:10

At the turn around I realized the wind had been at our back and was now in our faces. Ugh! Somehow I managed to get right back into race pace. Mile 6 & 7 8:01, 8:10.

After mile 7 the wind was at our backs again. I stopped at an aid station and grabbed a small cup of water. I slowed to a walk and took a sip and swallowed it. Decided to take one more sip and start running again before I swallowed. I choked as I tried to swallow and ended up having to spit it all back out. I REALLY wish someone had caught that on camera. LOL! Mile 8 8:03

Now we were headed for the trails! I love, love, LOVE the trails! A lot of people slow in this section, but I can usually hold on and it feels WAY better on my funky achilles. You run under a section of flags and out to a turn around. In this section I had SO many people calling my name! Super fun. Eric, Jenster, Jess, Ashtin, Laurie! I realized I wasn't that far behind the guys who were going for a 1:50 finish, but man, I was WORKING! Mile 9 & 10 8:02, 8:19

At this point someone yelled out my name and then they yelled out Joelene's name. I had no idea until then that she right there. Now I was running scared! LOL! I was thinking that I had to hold on for 3 more miles! I also knew that I was super close to a new PR. Mile 11 & 12 8:04, 8:19

When we popped back out onto the road I was happy to know that I was close to the finish. We ran down the main street, onto the bike path for a bit and then along some residential streets. My GI tract was threatening again, but thankfully behaved. I was giving it everything I had. Mile 13 7:59 and I managed to kick it up for the last .17 to a 7:39 pace!

At the finish I ran into Brad and Don and I finally got to introduce them. 

New PR of 1:49:10. 2nd in my AG -- Actual moving time -- 1:46:58 => I'm going for a sub 1:45:00 in 2023! You heard it here! I am not getting any younger!

The after party was epic as usual.

Brad

Joelene & Don

DJ Pesch

Ashtin, Jess & Laurie

Tom, Laurie, Jess & Ashtin

I got hired and fired as a chaperone that evening. #winning

Jess & John

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2022 Season Recap

2/25-3/12 CrossFit Open - finished in top 84% of my AG

3/20 Shamrock 13.1 -- 1:53:27

4/18 Boston Marathon -- 3:58:58 BQ (also a PR of POP stops ... smh)

5/1 Broad Street Run 10 miler -- 1:18:47, 10th in my AG -- 7:52/pace -- Probably the race that I am most proud of this year

5/28 Murph WOD

6/18 Cape May Pointe 2 miler - 15:00 -- Probably the race that I am most disappointed with.

7/9 1.2 Point to Point Bay Swim

9/10 Ironman AC 70.3 - 5:41:06 -- 1st in AG & World Championship qualifier. Probably my most shocking (to me) race result. We're going to Finland!

10/8 AC Fittest Comp

10/23 AC Half Marathon - 1:53:52

11/6 New York City Marathon - 4:22:14

12/3 Rehoboth Half Marathon - 1:49:10 PR!!!!