remember when i remarked something like "hurts-so-good" about the sprints & 70+ squats? i totally take it back. beginning thursday, i got more and more progressivly sore, and by friday morning i was wondering how i was going to survive a prospect park run, which in last season's experience was more difficult than central (visual: me with a pouty face).
luckily for us, rand was driving, so cap, the rookie & i piled into the car per the usual, just a few minutes earlier than usual. we sure are spoiled. i was extra tired today...the boys chastizing me for continually yawning in the back. i whined back sleepily.
as we went through the nutrician clinic, it warmed up, and the sun came out, i was gradually happier to be out and about. i was still sore as hell, but happier. we found sk8, who sadly for her, due to unusally speedy trains had arrived a half-hour early. we waited for the bulk of the manhattanites, discussed mileage, grumbled at the rumor of hill repeats, and the rookie entertained his fan club. after a while it was time to start the run. beginners were to do two loops, intermediate & advanced three. i was going to see how it went but was mentally prepared to be okay with two loops if i was tired. sk8, who's been resting an injury was down for two, and the rookie was pressing for three.
about 1/4 mile out sk8 started limping a bit. the general rule i go by vis-a-vis aches and pains is: if it hurts so much that you literally can't run normally, it's time to stop. she toughed it out for a few, and then decided it wasn't happening and decided to go back. it's a good call - at this point the season was still salvagable if she rested and it didn't get worse, whereas pushing could exacerbate it to the point of a season down the drain.
oh, i forgot to tell you about the repeats. prospect park has one long-ass hill that is .4 miles long. i hate it. so in today's run, once we reached the top, we would turn around and go back and run it again, one repeat per loop. so each 3.4 mile loop was magically transformed to 3.8 miles. not to mention the rest of the park is also hilly, so it makes for a more challenging run in general.
i finished the first loop except for the last hill repeat with the rookie, and then we met back at the picnic tables for a water break (sadly the bubblers are not back on yet at the park). took off again for loop two and somewhere in the middle i was sore enough to decide on two straight loops. the rookie wanted more miles so he repeated the lower part of the loop for an extra mile-and-a-half or so, and i finished the run with a few fun gals i have hung out with a few other times.
at the end of the run i was definitely stiff but feeling good. i hung out stretching, waiting for the rookie and rand, and the bk coach lisa remarked that i was totally speeding up the hill. my response: me?? i guess i must be a bit faster than last season, which makes me happy.
we caught a ride back, and then the rookie and i had brunch at one of my favorite little-known outdoor dining spots - a little polish diner with a unexpectedly cute backyard. the garden was open and we found a sunny table and had a relaxing nosh al fresco. did i mention the spring makes me happy?
today's mileage:
felt like: 10.0
actual season mileage to date:
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