Friday evening.

Not sure how it is Friday evening already, but somehow, it is.

Friends, this week has been a blur, been a lot, and I get the sense my body is right at the end of what it can handle.

I find myself wrestling with wanting to maximize my training at what should be the absolute peak of my Cape Town 100k build up, and getting the sense in my gut that I am already walking a line of too far.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon weekend is always my most intense of the year. Each year, I come back from it over-stimulated and exhausted. Content, joyful, full of memories and moments I got to celebrate with people I love and care about, but still, exhausted all the same.

Adding in running it myself, and having five runners competing for Racing For Sustainability, our first major marathon as an official charity, it was too much, I knew that going in, and I especially know it now.

The rest of this week was not the resting period my body needed (especially with a seven hour drive to Destin, Florida), but it is my reality.

And because of that, something has to give. So that urge to push through these most critical weeks of training, has to be pushed aside. I have spent so many years telling runners that it is better to get to the start line reasonably fit (from our own relative, subjective viewpoints), than super fit, but so injured you have to pull out.

As much as I hate to admit it, for me, this is that moment. And I want to make it there, so I am actively choosing not to add in as much vert as I want, or hitting peak mileage, adding extra runs, treadmill hikes, and more.

Maybe I can get away with it, maybe I won't know unless I try.

But one thing I do know from my 37 years of experience, is that more often than not, my gut knows the answer, and my gut says I am on thin ice.

I share this to say that sometimes we have to make a choice that goes against the one we want to make, the one we know could get us to a new level or boundary we have never imagined we could reach. Maybe we hold back, and say, next time.

Even if the world tells us to appreciate every run, to go for it, carpe diem.

I am a big believer in signs, the world pointing you in the right direction. Being in pancake- flat Florida could be a sign to take it easy and recover, heal, rest.

So I am gonna do my best at that.

I mentioned we had five runners representing Racing For Sustainability at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last weekend (it was wonderful!)

A lot of people have been asking me about how they can fundraise for us.

Well, your wish is my command, we have Abbott World Marathon Major bibs (announcing soon), and we would love to have you run with us. In the meantime, we are collecting up a list of who is interested and for what races (more interest means we can reach out for more bibs!). So fill this quick form in, and I will let you know as opportunities come up

And in other exciting news!

Racing For Sustainability is officially a 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner, which means if you (or the company you work with/for) is a member of 1% for the Planet (if not, they should be!), your 1% can go to Racing For Sustainability to hit your donation amount. This is very exciting, and we are thrilled!

Come plogging in NYC on October 31. Olympian, Fiona O'Keeffe will be coming by to say a few words at the start, and it is usually the biggest plogging event of the year, come join us at the NYRR RUN CENTER

Intuition doesn’t tell you what you want to hear; it tells you what you need to hear.

—Sonia Choquette

Thanks to our partner, Precision Fuel & Hydration

I was eager to test out my Precision gel and electrolytes in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last week. As I have been preparing to run for 15 ish hours (how crazy does that sound?!), I have been running slow on my runs to practice. Last weekend, I ran about 7:45 pace for the first 19 (with CEO of NYRR, Rob Simmelkjaer actually), and then kicked it down to 6:30-7 minute pace for the final miles. My precision gels and electrolytes worked beautifully, and I felt good on energy the whole way.

(I use PF gels and flow gel and PH 1000. If you aren't sure what is best for you, they have a free fuel and hydration planner to figure it out).

Now I just have to practice running on meals, not my fave ;)

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Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

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