Well guys, it's been a whirlwind since I last posted.
Firstly, I was taking a "digital detox" last week so I didn't blog my runs. I was trying to keep off the facebook and other digital things that suck the life out of life. I did miss blogging however.
So I took my two runs last week both on tuesday and thursday, the standard 3.5 miles in the park. It really is lovely getting out there, and on Tuesday for the first time I had that "runner's high" feeling.
On Thursday, a miraculous thing happened. I noticed I was feeling a little tired and winded during my run and couldn't figure out why. Well, I got back to the house, looked down at my new running watch and miracle of miracles! I had done the run in 35 minutes - which means 10 minute miles! Only in my best shape around San Diego time was I running 10 minute miles. I had notice I had been pushing myself more when I run lately, then I have in the past, but I didn't realize how much. It is probably a little too fast in actuality, but still good to know that I can do it.
Then Thursday night we got very very sad news, my boyfriend's father died suddenly, of what was probably a heart-attack. We were up for a good part of the night, calling family, switching flights around, and he flew early Friday morning, and I followed on Saturday. I'm not quite ready to write about it yet - it has been very sad, as you can imagine.
My man keeps telling me to go for a run, but the first few days have been a bit chaotic down here with visitors and everything going on. I'm not going to worry about the 1/2 marathon on this point. I'll go for a few runs in the next few days, maybe try for 7 miles on saturday and if I don't feel terrible, maybe keep trying for it. Now that I am back in the swing, it will be easier to get out there...and...the other motivating factor is that I am officially registered for the NYC marathon. So the suffering that is surely to come from training in the summer will definitely keep me from slacking off in the running department.
But for now, I'm going to focus on taking care of my man.
Miles per run:3.5
Mileage for the week::7.0
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The Yin-Yang of an Out-and-Back
This morning was my "big" 5 mile run in lovely New Jersey.
I had debated between just running in the boys neighborhood and fining a park/trail/etc but the latter was proving too difficult, so I plotted a 5-mile out-and-back course from the house. It was a simple route without too many turns since I don't know the neighborhood that well and didn't feel like getting lost in the wilds of New Jersey.
As everyone anywhere around here knows, the weather today was spectacular. I left the house around 11 and temp was on an upward climb from 65, but there was a gorgeous breeze that kept the heat from getting to me. (I am *not* a hot weather runner. Not a bit.)
What I didn't look at in my google plotting was the elevation, and while I knew this somewhere in the back of my head, I didn't really think about all the ups and downs I would potentially encounter. Thus...the roller coaster of emotions that comes with a hilly out and back course. For every uphill you encounter, there is a spark of joy that later, oh later!, you will get to run down that beast. And yet alas! Especially on the way out, each lovely downhill you float down, you know will come a reckoning, for you will have to run back up that monster to get back home again.
And so went my run. Lots of swearing under my breath as I encountered another hill. My turn around was a road that would basically loop around, and I laughed when I realized that I had chosen "Vista Drive", which as the name implied, was one long and windy road uphill.
I won't lie, I took three little catch-my-breath walk breaks over the course of the run, those being after I valiantly battled a hill. But I felt good about the run just the same. I increased my mileage by 40%, which is a big jump, and I think if it had been more flat I would have been a.o.k. So I'll take it!
Today's mileage:: 5.0
Mileage this week:: 15.5
I had debated between just running in the boys neighborhood and fining a park/trail/etc but the latter was proving too difficult, so I plotted a 5-mile out-and-back course from the house. It was a simple route without too many turns since I don't know the neighborhood that well and didn't feel like getting lost in the wilds of New Jersey.
As everyone anywhere around here knows, the weather today was spectacular. I left the house around 11 and temp was on an upward climb from 65, but there was a gorgeous breeze that kept the heat from getting to me. (I am *not* a hot weather runner. Not a bit.)
What I didn't look at in my google plotting was the elevation, and while I knew this somewhere in the back of my head, I didn't really think about all the ups and downs I would potentially encounter. Thus...the roller coaster of emotions that comes with a hilly out and back course. For every uphill you encounter, there is a spark of joy that later, oh later!, you will get to run down that beast. And yet alas! Especially on the way out, each lovely downhill you float down, you know will come a reckoning, for you will have to run back up that monster to get back home again.
And so went my run. Lots of swearing under my breath as I encountered another hill. My turn around was a road that would basically loop around, and I laughed when I realized that I had chosen "Vista Drive", which as the name implied, was one long and windy road uphill.
I won't lie, I took three little catch-my-breath walk breaks over the course of the run, those being after I valiantly battled a hill. But I felt good about the run just the same. I increased my mileage by 40%, which is a big jump, and I think if it had been more flat I would have been a.o.k. So I'll take it!
Today's mileage:: 5.0
Mileage this week:: 15.5
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Getting a little easier...
I got up this morning and ran again. The getting up gets easier, and even though this was only the third run under my belt, the running is getting easier too. Not easy. But not so red-faced and wheezy. Not to mention that on Wednesday I wasn't nearly as sore as Monday. So improvement is definitely happening.
Work is also super busy and stressful (even more so than usual) so I suspect its very good for me to have these quiet, reflectful moments to myself. Running outside, amongst all the twitterpated animals cooing at each other puts one in the mindset a bit of a Disney movie, and in my pre-coffee'd state at one point I half expected an animated blue bird to land on my shoulder and tweet at me.
I am, as ever, consistent and clocked in another 3.5 in 40 minutes.
Saturday I'll be in Jersey with the boy, but will attempt 5 miles (where exactly I have no clue - any Jerseyites in the Netcong vicinity suggestions welcome!) I'm only a little nervous...the day should be a lovely one.
Today's mileage:3.5
Miles this week:10.5
Work is also super busy and stressful (even more so than usual) so I suspect its very good for me to have these quiet, reflectful moments to myself. Running outside, amongst all the twitterpated animals cooing at each other puts one in the mindset a bit of a Disney movie, and in my pre-coffee'd state at one point I half expected an animated blue bird to land on my shoulder and tweet at me.
I am, as ever, consistent and clocked in another 3.5 in 40 minutes.
Saturday I'll be in Jersey with the boy, but will attempt 5 miles (where exactly I have no clue - any Jerseyites in the Netcong vicinity suggestions welcome!) I'm only a little nervous...the day should be a lovely one.
Today's mileage:3.5
Miles this week:10.5
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Hello again, scary exercise face
Ah man. I hate the scary exercise face. So red...almost plum.
But, you know if I'm complaining about scary exercise face, I went on another run. Yes I did. I got up before 7, ran another 3.5 in 40 minutes (yeah, I know, pokey slow, but faster then when I first started running from scratch). I came home with red exercise face.
The end.
(Sorry, I've nothing exciting from this morning aside from the fact that I actually got up!)
Until Thursday...
today's miles: 3.5
this weeks miles: 7.0
But, you know if I'm complaining about scary exercise face, I went on another run. Yes I did. I got up before 7, ran another 3.5 in 40 minutes (yeah, I know, pokey slow, but faster then when I first started running from scratch). I came home with red exercise face.
The end.
(Sorry, I've nothing exciting from this morning aside from the fact that I actually got up!)
Until Thursday...
today's miles: 3.5
this weeks miles: 7.0
Sunday, April 12, 2009
A post about an actual run!!
So I told myself I was not allowed to post here again until I actually went for a run. No more talking about when it was going to happen or what race I was going to sign up for or any of that.
This week I posted on the ole Facebook that I was considering training for a 1/2 marathon in 8 short weeks and was I crazy or what? The synthesis of the answer is that due to certain decisions made in, for example, San Diego, it had already been proven that I'm a nutter and I should go for it but be careful.
To that end I found a very mild 1/2 marathon schedule on line that goes something like this:
So I knew I had to try to get a least a 4ish miler in this week to see how I could fare.
The weather in NYC was not cooperating for me for most of the days I could run, and you know how I feel about treadmills so finally today I made it out to the park. For a real. Run.
It has been about a year since I set foot to pavement and I would be a liar if I said I wasn't petrified over how it was going to go. It was sunny but a chilly 40 degrees and the wind was harsh. I wasn't even completely sure I was properly layered...but I pushed the easy excuses out of my head for the moment and stepped outside.
Getting to the park from my house is uphill so I got to feel a little bit winded to kick off my run, which was not the most fun. But once I got to the park...and settled into what I thought was a prudent pace...the muscle memory kicked in (I was sure it would be gone by now) and I was running along pleasantly. I opted to cut through the middle of the park rather then do the full loop, attempting to be prudent for my first go. As I took center drive, I encountered a one-leggged-man walking with what I assumed to be his wife, enjoying the morning. I smiled at them and felt like I had gotten yet another reminder from the universe about how you shouldn't take your healthy body for granted.
After cutting through the middle the fun was over because there started the dreaded hill. I scrunched my face and debated walking up the first 1/2 but then decided I could walk at the top if (likely) I felt like I was going to pass out. A woman ran up and said, "shall we push each other up? It's always easier when you have someone else!" I agreed whole-heartedly because philosophically speaking, I agree with that sentiment. However, it was not so prudent because she was definitely running faster then me and I ended up charging up 3/4 of the hill only to run out of steam for the last bit. I didn't stop running but did wave her along and slow down, and took a "2-lamppost" breather when I got to the top.
After the hill, the rest was a cakewalk. I think I probably could have run a bit farther especially if I hadn't screwed up my pacing with the hill, but I think for the first go it was not that bad. In fact, maybe I'll try again tomorrow.
Happy Easter everyone!
Miles: 3.5
Time: blissfully oblivious
This week I posted on the ole Facebook that I was considering training for a 1/2 marathon in 8 short weeks and was I crazy or what? The synthesis of the answer is that due to certain decisions made in, for example, San Diego, it had already been proven that I'm a nutter and I should go for it but be careful.
To that end I found a very mild 1/2 marathon schedule on line that goes something like this:
So I knew I had to try to get a least a 4ish miler in this week to see how I could fare.The weather in NYC was not cooperating for me for most of the days I could run, and you know how I feel about treadmills so finally today I made it out to the park. For a real. Run.
It has been about a year since I set foot to pavement and I would be a liar if I said I wasn't petrified over how it was going to go. It was sunny but a chilly 40 degrees and the wind was harsh. I wasn't even completely sure I was properly layered...but I pushed the easy excuses out of my head for the moment and stepped outside.
Getting to the park from my house is uphill so I got to feel a little bit winded to kick off my run, which was not the most fun. But once I got to the park...and settled into what I thought was a prudent pace...the muscle memory kicked in (I was sure it would be gone by now) and I was running along pleasantly. I opted to cut through the middle of the park rather then do the full loop, attempting to be prudent for my first go. As I took center drive, I encountered a one-leggged-man walking with what I assumed to be his wife, enjoying the morning. I smiled at them and felt like I had gotten yet another reminder from the universe about how you shouldn't take your healthy body for granted.
After cutting through the middle the fun was over because there started the dreaded hill. I scrunched my face and debated walking up the first 1/2 but then decided I could walk at the top if (likely) I felt like I was going to pass out. A woman ran up and said, "shall we push each other up? It's always easier when you have someone else!" I agreed whole-heartedly because philosophically speaking, I agree with that sentiment. However, it was not so prudent because she was definitely running faster then me and I ended up charging up 3/4 of the hill only to run out of steam for the last bit. I didn't stop running but did wave her along and slow down, and took a "2-lamppost" breather when I got to the top.
After the hill, the rest was a cakewalk. I think I probably could have run a bit farther especially if I hadn't screwed up my pacing with the hill, but I think for the first go it was not that bad. In fact, maybe I'll try again tomorrow.
Happy Easter everyone!
Miles: 3.5
Time: blissfully oblivious
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