another eh week in the running. not in the feeling but in the amount.
after last week's run i had a bachelorette party. it was good times, but the item of note was that we started off with a pole dancing class, complete with spinning around and hanging off the pole. i noticed when i got home i had a variety of bruises and aches, but there was one spot that was troublesome, very achy, tender and bruised feeling right around the spot i had had the stress fracture. fall out from a pole dancing or broken leg. awesome. i opted to make a doc's appointment just in case, and got some time with her on wednesday.
sunday i was too hungover to run - i am getting "old" and cannot deal with the hangovers like i used to be able to - and monday and tuesday were pretty much torrential rains in nyc, so it was wednesday before i got out again.
wednesday was amazingly pretty though. it wasn't really sunny, but with all the rain having just passed by, the flowers and trees had started to bloom overnight. the birds were going crazy, all twitterpated. it was a lovely run.
wednesday night i felt ill and that lasted into thursday morning, so there was that day out, and friday morning is not a good day for the running since we're supposed to rest before the long run so there was another week gone. boo.
i ran with the team this morning, meeting them at the park at 8:15. it was a little chilly but i opted for no jacket, which turned out to be a smart choice. we were running for two hours - to red hook, back through carroll gardens, up to the park again, and finishing off whatever time we needed to.
i loved running through red hook. there is a really cool park down behind the ikea that is really cool, especially in the morning with no one out there! i caught up with coach lisa, told her i was going to hit the docs next week and she agreed that it was a smart thing, and better safe than sorry.
anyway, our delicious city run took us out by the water and the water always makes me feel reflective and peaceful and lucky. then back up to smith street, and up third which is both industrial near the lovely gowanus and also one of the most picturesque streets in park slope - wide, leafy, and lined with classic brooklyn stoops. up the hill, and up and up into the park. i had about another 40ish minutes so i figured i'd do a loop and change until my time was up.
the park was a breeze. so many people out, but not so many that it was annoying. and the grass was so GREEN, the vibrant lovely green only new spring grass can be. my only complaint was that the damn water fountains were not yet on! come on parks department! its waaaarm.
anyway, i finshed up by running a bit past our meeting point and back and thus landed just shy of 11 miles. i'm consistently running about 11 minute miles, which i think is a bit too fast, so i need to take a measured effort to slow it down next week. i have to go to boston again tomorrow afternoon so i'm going to try to run in the morning before i leave...lest it get to wednesday and i find i haven't run again.
wednesday's run: 4.4 miles
today's run: 10.8 miles
season mileage to date:89.1
up next:3 miles EZ
Showing posts with label group run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label group run. Show all posts
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
1st practice of the season
because of the travel and some other things, tonight was the first official practice i've made it to.
from what i hear, tonight was actually not terrible weather for the practice. it didn't feel too cold, and i made it out of work with plenty of time to make it to our bag drop before practice without working up a pre-run sweat.
today's workout was alternating effort levels between e2 (typically slow saturday run) and e3 (picking up the pace from there, slightly upping the pace) for 1/4 turns. i ended up running with a guy who happened to be in my mentor group and we chatted for some of the run (the parts when we weren't huffing and puffing) and before you know it we had run 5 and 1/2 miles.
i came home a little sore but i happily ate some steak and now am sleepy enough for bed.
today's mileage: 5.5
season mileage to date: 23.9
up next: XT Thursday
from what i hear, tonight was actually not terrible weather for the practice. it didn't feel too cold, and i made it out of work with plenty of time to make it to our bag drop before practice without working up a pre-run sweat.
today's workout was alternating effort levels between e2 (typically slow saturday run) and e3 (picking up the pace from there, slightly upping the pace) for 1/4 turns. i ended up running with a guy who happened to be in my mentor group and we chatted for some of the run (the parts when we weren't huffing and puffing) and before you know it we had run 5 and 1/2 miles.
i came home a little sore but i happily ate some steak and now am sleepy enough for bed.
today's mileage: 5.5
season mileage to date: 23.9
up next: XT Thursday
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
sweaty hill repeats
tuesday night's run was drenching and sticky. we were scheduled to run speed/effort work on the north hill and we all knew it was going to be a night that would kick our collective butts.
before we ran off, our coach asked those of us that were nursing knee or IT injuries to raise our hands and then see him before we headed out for the warm up. there were only three of us, and coach jim told us that because that particular work out is rather hard on IT and knee injuries, we would run the same course, but simply run it steady and easy, not pushing too hard on the uphill or the downhill.
it's hard to complain when you don't have to sprint uphills, although whenever i get a "special" workout i always feel like i am somehow slacking even though i know i'm not. i ran with one of the other injured people for most of the run and we were chatting about our events and how many marathons and fundraising and all that. i told him about how i started running marathons and about steve. he told me that his fiancee died six months ago and that's why he was running, and he was bummed that he was having IT issues because obviously he really wanted to do this well.
i didn't know what to say except for "i'm so sorry" and some fumbling offerings of how having this as an outlet can help. we quietly ran for a few minutes and i thought about jeanne and gave her a hug in my mind. losing loved ones so young is just so damn cruel and i was quietly sad.
my running buddy broke off to grab some water, and i used my sad to motor up and down the hills. it was not an easy work out. i understood why our coach wasn't going to let us push it during the workout because just running up and down the hill was definitely getting to my hip. i was glad when we were done - i stretched out well and rolled my leg when i got home, and hoped for the humidity to break later in the week.
today's mileage: 5.0
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 163.0
before we ran off, our coach asked those of us that were nursing knee or IT injuries to raise our hands and then see him before we headed out for the warm up. there were only three of us, and coach jim told us that because that particular work out is rather hard on IT and knee injuries, we would run the same course, but simply run it steady and easy, not pushing too hard on the uphill or the downhill.
it's hard to complain when you don't have to sprint uphills, although whenever i get a "special" workout i always feel like i am somehow slacking even though i know i'm not. i ran with one of the other injured people for most of the run and we were chatting about our events and how many marathons and fundraising and all that. i told him about how i started running marathons and about steve. he told me that his fiancee died six months ago and that's why he was running, and he was bummed that he was having IT issues because obviously he really wanted to do this well.
i didn't know what to say except for "i'm so sorry" and some fumbling offerings of how having this as an outlet can help. we quietly ran for a few minutes and i thought about jeanne and gave her a hug in my mind. losing loved ones so young is just so damn cruel and i was quietly sad.
my running buddy broke off to grab some water, and i used my sad to motor up and down the hills. it was not an easy work out. i understood why our coach wasn't going to let us push it during the workout because just running up and down the hill was definitely getting to my hip. i was glad when we were done - i stretched out well and rolled my leg when i got home, and hoped for the humidity to break later in the week.
today's mileage: 5.0
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 163.0
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
hot & fast
that pretty much describes today's workout. the summer sweatiness has finally arrived and that makes tuesday evening workouts NO FUN.
we're in the midst of hill training so i quite logically thought our repeats were going to be on a hill. i did wonder why we would be running hard for a 1/2 mile up hill, which seemed unreasonably difficult, especially in this weather, but who am i to second guess my awesome coaches?
i left work early enough to deal with any train issues which seem to be happening more often lately. it seemed like we might get a little rain, which would have been a nice release. when we got to the park our coach outlined the workout for us - warm up for about a mile then begin our repeats: run hard for a 1/2 mile, and recover a 1/2 mile back. repeat until the coach says stop.
warm up was uneventful, mostly i spent my time dreading the speed work out. as we all know...i'm not fast. these workouts will make me faster, but typically anything that involves sprint-like-activity makes me feel slightly demoralized. yeah, i know its silly but i can't help it.
despite my lack of enthusiasm and the oppressive weather, the run went pretty well. i even felt...well, if not fast, then faster during my third 1/2 mile, during which i had enough energy at the end to nearly sprint. of course, i think this caused my it band to start nagging my hip during my 4th and 5th (the final) repeat.
we cooled down back to the picnic benches where some of the assistant coaches surprised coach tif with a baby shower for him and his wife. not only did we get the treat of watching a grown, buff man coo over tiny baby things, but we got treats like oatmeal raisin cookies and rice crispy treats. mmm.
tomorrow, i'm going to do some morning squats and push ups and things, and then thursday morning a run. not sure if we're going to head to jersey this weekend - my legs might need a little break from the hills.
today's mileage: 6.0
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 146.8
we're in the midst of hill training so i quite logically thought our repeats were going to be on a hill. i did wonder why we would be running hard for a 1/2 mile up hill, which seemed unreasonably difficult, especially in this weather, but who am i to second guess my awesome coaches?
i left work early enough to deal with any train issues which seem to be happening more often lately. it seemed like we might get a little rain, which would have been a nice release. when we got to the park our coach outlined the workout for us - warm up for about a mile then begin our repeats: run hard for a 1/2 mile, and recover a 1/2 mile back. repeat until the coach says stop.
warm up was uneventful, mostly i spent my time dreading the speed work out. as we all know...i'm not fast. these workouts will make me faster, but typically anything that involves sprint-like-activity makes me feel slightly demoralized. yeah, i know its silly but i can't help it.
despite my lack of enthusiasm and the oppressive weather, the run went pretty well. i even felt...well, if not fast, then faster during my third 1/2 mile, during which i had enough energy at the end to nearly sprint. of course, i think this caused my it band to start nagging my hip during my 4th and 5th (the final) repeat.
we cooled down back to the picnic benches where some of the assistant coaches surprised coach tif with a baby shower for him and his wife. not only did we get the treat of watching a grown, buff man coo over tiny baby things, but we got treats like oatmeal raisin cookies and rice crispy treats. mmm.
tomorrow, i'm going to do some morning squats and push ups and things, and then thursday morning a run. not sure if we're going to head to jersey this weekend - my legs might need a little break from the hills.
today's mileage: 6.0
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 146.8
Thursday, July 16, 2009
la vita è dolce
so i have some catching up to do. i believe we left off on tuesday, which was my (you can guess) birthday =) i think a lot of people thought i was being silly by going to practice on my birthday - after all it's a day for booze and cake and presents right?
but a birthday is also a celebration of life...which for me is also directly tied into why i run in the first place. this running and fundraising allows me to celebrate/give tribute to bouv in a way that also forces me to not take for granted to greatness in my own life. there isn't a run where i don't think of him in some way, often using the memory of that grin to get me through a hill or a last mile. running has pushed me farther than probably anything else in my life. running one marathon is something i never thought i could do - nevermind three-going-on-four! and unfortunately, i can't really describe the sense of "aliveness" that comes with having pushed one's body to travel 26.2 miles on foot. and then, at the risk of sounding like more of a sap than i already do today, there's also the wonderful feeling of having people like you get involved, donate, cheer and encourage me to the finish line...la vita è dolce, no?
so really...to not run on my birthday just wouldn't have seemed right.
so i left work early but a little later than i would have liked, came tearing through the house, changing and grabbing water like a maniac, got a(nother) birthday kiss from the boy, and ran up to the park where practice was just getting started.
we had a mission moment from a woman who had run the san diego marathon last year. she was running for her dad - he was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma 8 years ago, and basically has been in chemo ever since. she said that his life has pretty much been "on hold" ever since then. he was really excited about her running because they are from san diego and he would get to see her cross the finish line.
leading up to even weekend, they found out that her dad would have to go into the hospital for a course of chemo. because he is technically allergic to the treatment, where usually a course of that sort of treatment would take a day, he has to take it very very slowly - over three days. which meant that he was going to miss his girl running over that finish line.
but as luck would have it, the hospital is just off the highway that the san diego marathon is run on, and the enterprising dad convinced his nurses to take him up to the roof so that he could see his daughter run by (coordinated by the wonderful world of cell phones of course).
so somewhere around the 8th mile, the daughter stopped on the course with her running buddy, turned looked up at the roof of the hospital waving her arms to her dad, who was standing on the roof with his nurses, looking down at his daughter, one of a sea of purple - all running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
and the daughter's voice got all choked up as she told us how moving it was for her dad, who had been fighting this disease for so long, to see so many people running, in part for him - she said that it lifted his spirits in a way that nothing had for a long time and gave him hope.
i got teary as we headed to the hills and knew i'd be able to take them on today.
our mission was to run the upper part of the north hill "efficiently", then recover on the way down, and then the next time we would run up the hill "comfortably hard", and recover on the way back down. repeat.
i did so, and managed to get 10 hill climbs (+ the recovery downs), and with the warm ups, i'm guessing we ran about 5.5 miles. it was a good solid run and i was glad i had done it. i stretched with the team and headed back home, where my man greeted me with a glass of vino and a cheese plate. probably, not the ideal post-run meal but that's when i traded the running shoes for the party hat and celebrated "properly".
today's mileage: 5.5
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 111.6
but a birthday is also a celebration of life...which for me is also directly tied into why i run in the first place. this running and fundraising allows me to celebrate/give tribute to bouv in a way that also forces me to not take for granted to greatness in my own life. there isn't a run where i don't think of him in some way, often using the memory of that grin to get me through a hill or a last mile. running has pushed me farther than probably anything else in my life. running one marathon is something i never thought i could do - nevermind three-going-on-four! and unfortunately, i can't really describe the sense of "aliveness" that comes with having pushed one's body to travel 26.2 miles on foot. and then, at the risk of sounding like more of a sap than i already do today, there's also the wonderful feeling of having people like you get involved, donate, cheer and encourage me to the finish line...la vita è dolce, no?
so really...to not run on my birthday just wouldn't have seemed right.
so i left work early but a little later than i would have liked, came tearing through the house, changing and grabbing water like a maniac, got a(nother) birthday kiss from the boy, and ran up to the park where practice was just getting started.
we had a mission moment from a woman who had run the san diego marathon last year. she was running for her dad - he was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma 8 years ago, and basically has been in chemo ever since. she said that his life has pretty much been "on hold" ever since then. he was really excited about her running because they are from san diego and he would get to see her cross the finish line.
leading up to even weekend, they found out that her dad would have to go into the hospital for a course of chemo. because he is technically allergic to the treatment, where usually a course of that sort of treatment would take a day, he has to take it very very slowly - over three days. which meant that he was going to miss his girl running over that finish line.
but as luck would have it, the hospital is just off the highway that the san diego marathon is run on, and the enterprising dad convinced his nurses to take him up to the roof so that he could see his daughter run by (coordinated by the wonderful world of cell phones of course).
so somewhere around the 8th mile, the daughter stopped on the course with her running buddy, turned looked up at the roof of the hospital waving her arms to her dad, who was standing on the roof with his nurses, looking down at his daughter, one of a sea of purple - all running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
and the daughter's voice got all choked up as she told us how moving it was for her dad, who had been fighting this disease for so long, to see so many people running, in part for him - she said that it lifted his spirits in a way that nothing had for a long time and gave him hope.
i got teary as we headed to the hills and knew i'd be able to take them on today.
our mission was to run the upper part of the north hill "efficiently", then recover on the way down, and then the next time we would run up the hill "comfortably hard", and recover on the way back down. repeat.
i did so, and managed to get 10 hill climbs (+ the recovery downs), and with the warm ups, i'm guessing we ran about 5.5 miles. it was a good solid run and i was glad i had done it. i stretched with the team and headed back home, where my man greeted me with a glass of vino and a cheese plate. probably, not the ideal post-run meal but that's when i traded the running shoes for the party hat and celebrated "properly".
today's mileage: 5.5
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 111.6
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
what's in store for the birthday you ask? hill repeats.
you know that long hill i always talk about? well...check out what's in store for today's (birthday!) practice:
"Today begins our first day of hill training. We'll become very familiar with the North Hill and the South Hill and maybe a few hills in the center of the park too...
Hill training builds strength! Yep, believe it or not we're going to need a little strength to get us from start to finish.
We'll warm up to the light pole near the bottom of the North Hill and then use the 1/2 mile mark as the end point.
Intermediate:
Technique Focus: Running Hills with proper form, efficiency, and strength!!!
Workout: Hill Repeats- 30-35 minutes. The effort UPHILL will alternate between the following;
1) Efficient, with good form and technique.
2) "Hard"- the SAME as you ran two weeks ago for the 200 and 400 meter repeats, remember? Your primary focus is on maintaining short strides and a LOW arm swing in order to minimize the impact forces.
The RECOVERY is downhill and is VERY SLOW.
Cool Down: Easy run back to picnic Area."
i'm definitely going to need lots of cake to recover from this workout.
"Today begins our first day of hill training. We'll become very familiar with the North Hill and the South Hill and maybe a few hills in the center of the park too...
Hill training builds strength! Yep, believe it or not we're going to need a little strength to get us from start to finish.
We'll warm up to the light pole near the bottom of the North Hill and then use the 1/2 mile mark as the end point.
Intermediate:
Technique Focus: Running Hills with proper form, efficiency, and strength!!!
Workout: Hill Repeats- 30-35 minutes. The effort UPHILL will alternate between the following;
1) Efficient, with good form and technique.
2) "Hard"- the SAME as you ran two weeks ago for the 200 and 400 meter repeats, remember? Your primary focus is on maintaining short strides and a LOW arm swing in order to minimize the impact forces.
The RECOVERY is downhill and is VERY SLOW.
Cool Down: Easy run back to picnic Area."
i'm definitely going to need lots of cake to recover from this workout.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
the running gods giveth...
and they taketh away.
if saturday was my most fun, enjoyable run, tonight's was definitely the polar opposite of that.
today's assignment was to run 3 miles "comfortably hard". not a sprint, because obviously that is not going to happen. this is a test of sorts. we all recorded our time, and in the next few weeks we'll have lovely hill training, then we'll do the test again. the point is to show how much we've improved over those 6ish weeks of hill-torture, uh i mean training.
the first stupid thing i did was have salad for lunch. no fuel in there! the second stupid thing i did was not have a carby-snack. duh! and finally, i had my achy hip to deal with, which tended to get cranky when encountering lots of pounding.
we warmed up by heading to the bottom of the big hill in the park where we would start the race...by running back up that damn hill. i usually end my runs on that thing, and given that we were running hard, i predicted starting by going up that hill would most certainly be difficult.
and it was. i thought i was going moderately fast, but no...it was too fast. when i finished the hill, i could feel my hip pain settling in for a good visit, i was winded as hell and i developed a side stitch under the right set of my ribs towards my back. uuuug. i'll swallow my pride and say that i pretty much felt terrible and still had 2 miles to go.
because my hip was hurting, i didn't push to much, but i didn't want to completely throw the test and have my suffering be in vain so i just tried to be smart. i didn't pound down the hills too fast. i tried to use my arms to keep going. generally, i just looked at the ground a little ahead of where i was going so i wouldn't run into anything but also so that i wasn't totally conscious over how far i had to go.
we completed our run and my time was 30:28. i know i could be faster if my hip hadn't been acting up...and i shouldn't have gone so fast up the hill. i was very grumbly as we waited for the rest of the team to finish up and then took a nice easy cool-down run back to our meeting spot at the entrance of the park. even getting up there my hip was wincy, and i decided it was time to ask coach jim what he thought.
i told him my theory that my suffering was my IT band, he said it could be a number of things, suggesting a few stretches, icing, and some PT. we decided i would take a little running break until saturday and see how it was then. if it wasn't any better, he suggested seeing a sports doctor just to make sure there's nothing really wrong.
so...yeah. i've got plenty of time to train so i'm not freaking out yet, but this week will be mostly cross-training until we see if things are indeed, a.o.k.
on a brighter note - fundraising began last night and in one day i've already raised over $700 bucks. still a bit to go to $10k, but its a very solid start. and of course, with those donations, comes the priceless kinda support from my friends in the form of encouragement and kind words. so i'm going to focus on that tonight, and think positive about my little hip. i think it's all going to turn out okay.
today's mileage: 5.9
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 98.4
if saturday was my most fun, enjoyable run, tonight's was definitely the polar opposite of that.
today's assignment was to run 3 miles "comfortably hard". not a sprint, because obviously that is not going to happen. this is a test of sorts. we all recorded our time, and in the next few weeks we'll have lovely hill training, then we'll do the test again. the point is to show how much we've improved over those 6ish weeks of hill-torture, uh i mean training.
the first stupid thing i did was have salad for lunch. no fuel in there! the second stupid thing i did was not have a carby-snack. duh! and finally, i had my achy hip to deal with, which tended to get cranky when encountering lots of pounding.
we warmed up by heading to the bottom of the big hill in the park where we would start the race...by running back up that damn hill. i usually end my runs on that thing, and given that we were running hard, i predicted starting by going up that hill would most certainly be difficult.
and it was. i thought i was going moderately fast, but no...it was too fast. when i finished the hill, i could feel my hip pain settling in for a good visit, i was winded as hell and i developed a side stitch under the right set of my ribs towards my back. uuuug. i'll swallow my pride and say that i pretty much felt terrible and still had 2 miles to go.
because my hip was hurting, i didn't push to much, but i didn't want to completely throw the test and have my suffering be in vain so i just tried to be smart. i didn't pound down the hills too fast. i tried to use my arms to keep going. generally, i just looked at the ground a little ahead of where i was going so i wouldn't run into anything but also so that i wasn't totally conscious over how far i had to go.
we completed our run and my time was 30:28. i know i could be faster if my hip hadn't been acting up...and i shouldn't have gone so fast up the hill. i was very grumbly as we waited for the rest of the team to finish up and then took a nice easy cool-down run back to our meeting spot at the entrance of the park. even getting up there my hip was wincy, and i decided it was time to ask coach jim what he thought.
i told him my theory that my suffering was my IT band, he said it could be a number of things, suggesting a few stretches, icing, and some PT. we decided i would take a little running break until saturday and see how it was then. if it wasn't any better, he suggested seeing a sports doctor just to make sure there's nothing really wrong.
so...yeah. i've got plenty of time to train so i'm not freaking out yet, but this week will be mostly cross-training until we see if things are indeed, a.o.k.
on a brighter note - fundraising began last night and in one day i've already raised over $700 bucks. still a bit to go to $10k, but its a very solid start. and of course, with those donations, comes the priceless kinda support from my friends in the form of encouragement and kind words. so i'm going to focus on that tonight, and think positive about my little hip. i think it's all going to turn out okay.
today's mileage: 5.9
time run: n/a
season mileage to date: 98.4
Saturday, July 04, 2009
i am a runner
today's run was amazing.
it was another great morning. sunny with a cooling breeze. i left the house by 8:40 and headed to the park where my teammates would have already started running.
i found my rhythm early, and pleasantly glided through the busy park. it was a buzz with 4th of july activity, families with picnic gear and children in tow, claiming their patch of green to lay about for the day.
i wished i had a tape recorder to catch the cacophony of people and music.
i ran an extended loop (adding on a central drive + wellhouse mini loop), and then a full. at some point between 6 & 7 miles, which is where i lost a bit of steam last week, i was still going strong and feeling really good...and i thought to myself...
i am a runner.
i don't always feel this way, especially when so many runs early in the season are a struggle for me. but yesterday's run was a pleasant reminder that yes. slow as i go, laborious as it can be,
i am a runner.
i finished my 9+ strong, knowing a could have run at least another mile. and that felt fantastic.
happy 4th of july everyone.
today's mileage: 9.3
time run: 1h 40m (approximate)
season mileage to date: 88.2
it was another great morning. sunny with a cooling breeze. i left the house by 8:40 and headed to the park where my teammates would have already started running.
i found my rhythm early, and pleasantly glided through the busy park. it was a buzz with 4th of july activity, families with picnic gear and children in tow, claiming their patch of green to lay about for the day.
i wished i had a tape recorder to catch the cacophony of people and music.
i ran an extended loop (adding on a central drive + wellhouse mini loop), and then a full. at some point between 6 & 7 miles, which is where i lost a bit of steam last week, i was still going strong and feeling really good...and i thought to myself...
i am a runner.
i don't always feel this way, especially when so many runs early in the season are a struggle for me. but yesterday's run was a pleasant reminder that yes. slow as i go, laborious as it can be,
i am a runner.
i finished my 9+ strong, knowing a could have run at least another mile. and that felt fantastic.
happy 4th of july everyone.
today's mileage: 9.3
time run: 1h 40m (approximate)
season mileage to date: 88.2
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May 26th Workout
Warm Up: All Levels easy pace from 9th street to the 1/2 mile mark, turn around at 1/2 mile and easy pace to 3/4 mile mark.
Technique Focus: Posture- Arm swing
Workout: 20-30 minutes of running alternating between HIGH arm swing and easy "normal" running. We will do this by running a 1/4 mile "ON" focusing on HIGH arm swing and a 1/4 mile "OFF"- "normal" easy running (see posture review below).
Post run strength training & stretching (if weather is appropriate).
Posture Review:
a) Feet should be "straight" and pointed forward.
b) Keep your posture tall and upright.
c) Tighten lower abdominal muscles by performing an abdominal "crunch"- slight posterior pelvic tilt.
d) Swing your elbows to the rear…keeping them bent at a right angle. HIGH arm swing: for this exercise, allow your hands to come up towards your chest. A higher arm swing = a longer stride.
e) Head is up and looking in the same direction you are running (NOT looking down towards the ground or at your feet). Look forward in front of you approximately 10-20 meters.
Technique Focus: Posture- Arm swing
Workout: 20-30 minutes of running alternating between HIGH arm swing and easy "normal" running. We will do this by running a 1/4 mile "ON" focusing on HIGH arm swing and a 1/4 mile "OFF"- "normal" easy running (see posture review below).
Post run strength training & stretching (if weather is appropriate).
Posture Review:
a) Feet should be "straight" and pointed forward.
b) Keep your posture tall and upright.
c) Tighten lower abdominal muscles by performing an abdominal "crunch"- slight posterior pelvic tilt.
d) Swing your elbows to the rear…keeping them bent at a right angle. HIGH arm swing: for this exercise, allow your hands to come up towards your chest. A higher arm swing = a longer stride.
e) Head is up and looking in the same direction you are running (NOT looking down towards the ground or at your feet). Look forward in front of you approximately 10-20 meters.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
hot hot heat
i went to bed grumpily and got a good amount of sleep but still woke not feeling very...springy. it seemed to have cooled off as i walked up to the park, but i noticed that the head was definitely there when you were in the sun.
as i thought, we were supposed to run 6 miles. i decided i would do the 5 mile loop, and then depending on how i was feeling when i got back to the start, i'd perhaps tack on that last mile. it was a quiet weekend, with a lot of people being outside of town, and i decided to run solo since i feeling anti-social.
it wasn't as hot as it could be but it was still warm enough for me to have a semi-uncomfortable run (i can't even fathom running long in this heat!). the other thing is that the pollen was out in full force - so between the heat and the pollen, the breathing was a bit labored for sure.
i totally took off a bit too fast, which did not help me at the end. i was definitely done at mile 5, thankful for the bottle of water and the break. when i got back to the apartment, i had the scariest scary exercise face i have seen in while...i mean RED. wah wah wah. i think i am going to have to suck it up and get the ole water belt this season. i have not been awesome about hydrating in past seasons but i think running in the heat i'm going to have to be much much better, lest i get heat stroke and pass out or something embarrassing...
today's mileage:: 5.0
time run: 55 minutes
season mileage to date: 15.0
as i thought, we were supposed to run 6 miles. i decided i would do the 5 mile loop, and then depending on how i was feeling when i got back to the start, i'd perhaps tack on that last mile. it was a quiet weekend, with a lot of people being outside of town, and i decided to run solo since i feeling anti-social.
it wasn't as hot as it could be but it was still warm enough for me to have a semi-uncomfortable run (i can't even fathom running long in this heat!). the other thing is that the pollen was out in full force - so between the heat and the pollen, the breathing was a bit labored for sure.
i totally took off a bit too fast, which did not help me at the end. i was definitely done at mile 5, thankful for the bottle of water and the break. when i got back to the apartment, i had the scariest scary exercise face i have seen in while...i mean RED. wah wah wah. i think i am going to have to suck it up and get the ole water belt this season. i have not been awesome about hydrating in past seasons but i think running in the heat i'm going to have to be much much better, lest i get heat stroke and pass out or something embarrassing...
today's mileage:: 5.0
time run: 55 minutes
season mileage to date: 15.0
Saturday, May 09, 2009
it's sticky!
our first practice of the season was at 10 today an it was grossssss. not gross because it was long or hard but gross because of the humidity.
as i ambled through the park entrance that is conveniently located a few mere blocks from my house, i spotted coach lisa who declared "well would you look at that. hello rox."
yes, people, i am back.
lisa's not coaching this season (sad face) but she is running new york city so she will be around, which i am glad of. i headed over to practice, and it being the first day, there were a number of announcements from the coaches, staff and their mothers. (kidding.) i looked around to see if i would have any partners in crime...but no. it looks like i am going to have to a) recruit or b) find new ones.
today's run was to be an easy 15 minutes out, and 15 minutes back. i figured i'd make it around 3 miles, maybe a little less given that we'd be running in a pack. i met a new girl and we chatted a bit. the run was not hard, but man was it thick. the humidity is palpable today, and you can feel it in your breathing and certainly when we stopped running and the sweating kicked it. blech.
i guess sticky hot runs are what this season has in store...
today's mileage:: 3.0
time run: 30 minutes
season mileage to date: 3.0
as i ambled through the park entrance that is conveniently located a few mere blocks from my house, i spotted coach lisa who declared "well would you look at that. hello rox."
yes, people, i am back.
lisa's not coaching this season (sad face) but she is running new york city so she will be around, which i am glad of. i headed over to practice, and it being the first day, there were a number of announcements from the coaches, staff and their mothers. (kidding.) i looked around to see if i would have any partners in crime...but no. it looks like i am going to have to a) recruit or b) find new ones.
today's run was to be an easy 15 minutes out, and 15 minutes back. i figured i'd make it around 3 miles, maybe a little less given that we'd be running in a pack. i met a new girl and we chatted a bit. the run was not hard, but man was it thick. the humidity is palpable today, and you can feel it in your breathing and certainly when we stopped running and the sweating kicked it. blech.
i guess sticky hot runs are what this season has in store...
today's mileage:: 3.0
time run: 30 minutes
season mileage to date: 3.0
Thursday, March 20, 2008
girl you better write
sorry kids. i've been busy and lazy and un-writey lately.
the short version is...
i ran my 20 mile run saturday pretty much with tummy cramps the whole run.
i was less than pleased but at least it wasn't raining.
sunday i felt very beat up and behaved accordingly.
tuesday i went to the gym and hit up the elliptical for 4+ miles. wooh.
longer versions of these soon, i promise.
the marathon is two weeks from sunday...crazy!
the short version is...
i ran my 20 mile run saturday pretty much with tummy cramps the whole run.
i was less than pleased but at least it wasn't raining.
sunday i felt very beat up and behaved accordingly.
tuesday i went to the gym and hit up the elliptical for 4+ miles. wooh.
longer versions of these soon, i promise.
the marathon is two weeks from sunday...crazy!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
a soggy 18 miles
sorry it took so long to get this post up. after my run i had to work for the rest of the day...and a bunch of sunday too and so the last place i felt like being was in front of the computer.
i'll take you back to friday night, when i nearly had a temper tantrum. that's all i really wanted to do, actually...i wanted to throw a massive crying fit until i was too tired to do anything but sleep. work was rough last week - high-pressure, quick-turn-around-deadlines, and by 6pm on friday i was done. exhausted. whiny. cranky.
the swede called to discuss the plan for the evening and a simple question about what i wanted to do for dinner elicited this sort of response...
"i don't know cause i'm not even hungry and all i wanna do is sit my butt down on the couch and drink a bottle of red wine but i can't cause i have to run tomorrow and i'm mad cause its gonna rain tomorrow and i don't *wanna* run 18 miles tomorrow in the rain cause i'm exhausted and i just want to sleep all day but i can't cause of this damn running." (pouty face) i eventually calmed down and relaxed a bit. the swede is a smart man and he bought me my favorite cupcakes which definitely helped with the cranky pants.
as expected, Saturday at 8:30 was dreary if not (yet) raining, but at least it was warm - in the high 40's. since we had such a hilly run the previous week, this week would be pretty much flat (well, except for the last bit which is a hill. sigh.) we were heading to coney island., which is a 13-mile round trip. we needed to run a round trip of the boardwalk (2 x 2.5 in case you were wondering how long the boardwalk is, there you have it) to add another 5 for a total distance of 18. we tried to head out quickly, as the downpours were really starting around 1pm. if it started lightening, then we could stop.
while the coney island run is easier from a hill perspective, i've decided that i really don't like long, flat straightaways. libby and i took off with one of our coaches, who was keeping us a more challenging pace than we might have started with - around an 11m mile. i pretty much threw pacing out the window once i got hurt twice this season and decided i would be happy with a race where i felt good at the end.
about 3 miles or so into the run, the rain started - not too heavy but there. we got to the boardwalk and took off to the left - in retrospect we should have gone the other way first since it was longer. oh well. we were now running through misty rain, trying to avoid the many nails and rotten planks sticking up out of the boardwalk. i tripped easily 8 times and snarled under my breath at the though of twisting my ankle on one of the many hazards we ran around.
the boardwalk stretched on forever and ever...or so it seemed. we finally saw the end and when we got there, goo'd it up and had a quick stretch. more mist. we headed back, stopping for a bathroom break, and a few blocks back up ocean parkway at a bodega so i could get some gatorade. and a few more blocks after that...the sky's opened up.
it was raining from every. single. direction. and within a few short minutes we were soaked through to the skin. we shrieked and laughed, and people were staring, giving us looks as if to say "are you guys mad?" we saw a flash and loud rumble of thunder soon followed but how to get back? that was the only flash, and really from where we were on ocean parkway it was quite a walk to the f train, and no busses in sight. we decided we would press on - unless we got too cold and the wind started to blow. rain - fine. wind- n'uh.
for the last 6 or so miles it rained - scratch that - poured on and off. the off parts were worse then the on parts because then you could feel the soggy wetness right down to your bones. it was gross. we got to the park in time for one last soaking (awesome) and found our coaches and the poor bag-watcher had taken refuge in the women's bathroom.
when all was said and done, that was definitely the longest i've run in the rain. i felt a bit like a bad ass. a creeky, stiff, sore, cold bad ass - but a bad ass none-the-less.
saturday's mileage:: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
i'll take you back to friday night, when i nearly had a temper tantrum. that's all i really wanted to do, actually...i wanted to throw a massive crying fit until i was too tired to do anything but sleep. work was rough last week - high-pressure, quick-turn-around-deadlines, and by 6pm on friday i was done. exhausted. whiny. cranky.
the swede called to discuss the plan for the evening and a simple question about what i wanted to do for dinner elicited this sort of response...
"i don't know cause i'm not even hungry and all i wanna do is sit my butt down on the couch and drink a bottle of red wine but i can't cause i have to run tomorrow and i'm mad cause its gonna rain tomorrow and i don't *wanna* run 18 miles tomorrow in the rain cause i'm exhausted and i just want to sleep all day but i can't cause of this damn running." (pouty face) i eventually calmed down and relaxed a bit. the swede is a smart man and he bought me my favorite cupcakes which definitely helped with the cranky pants.
as expected, Saturday at 8:30 was dreary if not (yet) raining, but at least it was warm - in the high 40's. since we had such a hilly run the previous week, this week would be pretty much flat (well, except for the last bit which is a hill. sigh.) we were heading to coney island., which is a 13-mile round trip. we needed to run a round trip of the boardwalk (2 x 2.5 in case you were wondering how long the boardwalk is, there you have it) to add another 5 for a total distance of 18. we tried to head out quickly, as the downpours were really starting around 1pm. if it started lightening, then we could stop.
while the coney island run is easier from a hill perspective, i've decided that i really don't like long, flat straightaways. libby and i took off with one of our coaches, who was keeping us a more challenging pace than we might have started with - around an 11m mile. i pretty much threw pacing out the window once i got hurt twice this season and decided i would be happy with a race where i felt good at the end.
about 3 miles or so into the run, the rain started - not too heavy but there. we got to the boardwalk and took off to the left - in retrospect we should have gone the other way first since it was longer. oh well. we were now running through misty rain, trying to avoid the many nails and rotten planks sticking up out of the boardwalk. i tripped easily 8 times and snarled under my breath at the though of twisting my ankle on one of the many hazards we ran around.
the boardwalk stretched on forever and ever...or so it seemed. we finally saw the end and when we got there, goo'd it up and had a quick stretch. more mist. we headed back, stopping for a bathroom break, and a few blocks back up ocean parkway at a bodega so i could get some gatorade. and a few more blocks after that...the sky's opened up.
it was raining from every. single. direction. and within a few short minutes we were soaked through to the skin. we shrieked and laughed, and people were staring, giving us looks as if to say "are you guys mad?" we saw a flash and loud rumble of thunder soon followed but how to get back? that was the only flash, and really from where we were on ocean parkway it was quite a walk to the f train, and no busses in sight. we decided we would press on - unless we got too cold and the wind started to blow. rain - fine. wind- n'uh.
for the last 6 or so miles it rained - scratch that - poured on and off. the off parts were worse then the on parts because then you could feel the soggy wetness right down to your bones. it was gross. we got to the park in time for one last soaking (awesome) and found our coaches and the poor bag-watcher had taken refuge in the women's bathroom.
when all was said and done, that was definitely the longest i've run in the rain. i felt a bit like a bad ass. a creeky, stiff, sore, cold bad ass - but a bad ass none-the-less.
saturday's mileage:: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
Saturday, March 08, 2008
yeah i did.
yes i did so run 18 miles this morning, a good portion of them in rain of various forms.
all i gotta say is:
rain + running = chafing.
the long version tomorrow.
today's mileage: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
all i gotta say is:
rain + running = chafing.
the long version tomorrow.
today's mileage: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
Sunday, March 02, 2008
a tri-bridge run
despite rumors of snow storms, saturday morning was actually quite warm. as i left the house, ny1 kindly informed me it was 40 degrees and it seemed any chance of rain had passed and that it would be a nice day for a run.
lisa told us we would be leaving the park but we didn't know what was in store for us. we waited a few minutes for people to make there way to the park because the f train construction plan for the weekend was pretty much dreadful. then it was time to get our assignment - depending on what our miles were we had a choice of a *two-bridge run* or a *three-bridge run*. there was a slight grumble from the crowd.
i was aiming for 18ish, so the best option was to run a loop of the park (3.4 miles) then add the three-bridge run (14ish) miles for a total of 17.4 miles. i was happy to see libby there - we run at about the same pace and i had left my ipod at work - the thought of running those miles solo would have stressed me out.
our three bridge route (you can see the map at the end of the post) would take us:
-out the park down ninth street, n/e on third avenue to downtown brooklyn
-over the manhattan bridge into chinatown
-up through chinatown, to delancey street on the lower east side, and over the williamsburg bridge
-back across the williamsburg bridge, back through chinatown, to downtown manhattan
-over the brooklyn bridge, back through downtown, back towards park slope on 3rd avenue
-up 9th street, 6 long blocks to the park
it was not going to be an easy run, with all the uphills on the bridges, but i have to say - i was glad to be getting out of the park. had i been practicing in manhattan, likely our assignment would be "3 loops", which has in the path felt like death by boredom.
we took our loop of the park nice and easy - stopping to stretch down on the flat part. libby is having some plantar fasciitis issues. plantar fasciitius is "painful inflammatory condition caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia of the foot" - basically the tissue on the underside of the foot starts pulling away from it. a lot of runners get it, and it seems to be, frankly, quite the pain in the ass. between her injury and my quad, we decided we weren't going to break any records and would stop for some good stretches a long the way.
it really was lovely out - and the first part of a run that early is always nice in the city because there's not as many people out. we gabbed our way along and before long we were at the manhattan bridge (mile 6) - we took the south side, which i had never been on. i've biked that bridge a bunch, but always on the other side, and i must say, the view from the south of the brooklyn bridge is amazing. we had a few moments of runners high - the view was great, the sun was shining, we were feeling good.
we got off the bridge into the hustle and bustle that is chinatown. running through there is like playing a video game - the neighborhood is always a mass of people going about their business, running errands, selling wares on the sidewalks. we laughed as we darted around children and shopping carts and the slow walkers, agreeing that chinatown is indeed one of the best neighborhoods in the city.
i was less than excited about the williamsburg bridge. while short, it is a killer on your calves, especially when headed from manhattan to the 'burg side. about 1/2 way up the first side of the bridge, (mile 10) i saw two women walking towards us strolling along holding, sipping coffee and chatting. i sighed heavily to myself wishing i was one of them, and then laughed as one jumped in our path - it was my friend elin who promptly started chanting "go roxie, go roxie!". that got me up the rest of the hill and then we settled in for a nice downhill.
on the other side we stretched out, had water and our 2nd goo-snack. mmm. you know you are running long when you get ravenously hungry in the middle of your runs. the run back over the bridge was tame compared to on the way over, and we headed back across delancy, stopping at starbucks for a pee-break.
then we wound our way back through chinatown, this time a little trickier than the first with all the people, down the the brooklyn bridge. at the bridge there was a cart that i was very happy to find was stocked with gatorade. i chugged some and refilled the bottles on my ever-so-sexy fuel belt, and then we had to tackle our last bridge (mile 13).
this leg was, by far the most annoying. from the foot of the bridge, the right side - the pedestrian's side - was simply packed with people strolling over the bridge. ~grumble~ we headed out, thinking that at least it would keep us from running too fast up the bridge, which would leave us dead for our last few miles. once we made our way through tourist-hell, we knew we had only a few miles left, but that is when tired set in.
as we turned back onto 3rd avenue (mile 15), the wind turned against us. i growled at the sky "are you kidding!" and lamented at the wind resistance. we also knew that the last 6 long blocks were going to be rough since it was all uphill, but there was also that sense of we-are-so-damn-close-we-just-have-to-get-up-this-damn-hill-and-then-we-get-to-eat-brunch!
we caught most of the lights on the way up, which was good because the stopping and starting towards the end of the long run always makes me sad - kind of like starting a motor that simply does not want to be started. as i passed the y, i saw another friend, iling, either coming or going from yoga. i called out and waved, only a little surprised that i had the energy to do so. as we climbed the last block, arriving to the park, there was lisa cheering for us at the top of the hill (mile 17.5)and we were done. yessssssssss.
we stretched out and then libby and i had an well-deserved brunch. banana-strawberry buttermilk flapjacks and bacon. i feel like i haven't been having great "recovery meals" - what you eat right after you run so long really affects your recovery so i think i need to be having more than a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. the rest of my day consisted of a shower, a nap, a long chat on the phone and then i went to meet charlotte (you know, from season 1 ;) for dinner. i got a crazy craving for *meat* and so we dined on filet mignon, mashed, and red wine, then i went home for snuggle with my man.
and you know what? i am feeling quite great this morning, barely sore at all! i guess brunch it is, from now on :).
only two more runs left to go before taper, people. the marathon is fast approaching.
yesterday's mileage:17.5
season mileage to date:185.5
ps - sorry for bad layout on map - i'm editing with "paint" - remember that program?
lisa told us we would be leaving the park but we didn't know what was in store for us. we waited a few minutes for people to make there way to the park because the f train construction plan for the weekend was pretty much dreadful. then it was time to get our assignment - depending on what our miles were we had a choice of a *two-bridge run* or a *three-bridge run*. there was a slight grumble from the crowd.
i was aiming for 18ish, so the best option was to run a loop of the park (3.4 miles) then add the three-bridge run (14ish) miles for a total of 17.4 miles. i was happy to see libby there - we run at about the same pace and i had left my ipod at work - the thought of running those miles solo would have stressed me out.
our three bridge route (you can see the map at the end of the post) would take us:
-out the park down ninth street, n/e on third avenue to downtown brooklyn
-over the manhattan bridge into chinatown
-up through chinatown, to delancey street on the lower east side, and over the williamsburg bridge
-back across the williamsburg bridge, back through chinatown, to downtown manhattan
-over the brooklyn bridge, back through downtown, back towards park slope on 3rd avenue
-up 9th street, 6 long blocks to the park
it was not going to be an easy run, with all the uphills on the bridges, but i have to say - i was glad to be getting out of the park. had i been practicing in manhattan, likely our assignment would be "3 loops", which has in the path felt like death by boredom.
we took our loop of the park nice and easy - stopping to stretch down on the flat part. libby is having some plantar fasciitis issues. plantar fasciitius is "painful inflammatory condition caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia of the foot" - basically the tissue on the underside of the foot starts pulling away from it. a lot of runners get it, and it seems to be, frankly, quite the pain in the ass. between her injury and my quad, we decided we weren't going to break any records and would stop for some good stretches a long the way.
it really was lovely out - and the first part of a run that early is always nice in the city because there's not as many people out. we gabbed our way along and before long we were at the manhattan bridge (mile 6) - we took the south side, which i had never been on. i've biked that bridge a bunch, but always on the other side, and i must say, the view from the south of the brooklyn bridge is amazing. we had a few moments of runners high - the view was great, the sun was shining, we were feeling good.
we got off the bridge into the hustle and bustle that is chinatown. running through there is like playing a video game - the neighborhood is always a mass of people going about their business, running errands, selling wares on the sidewalks. we laughed as we darted around children and shopping carts and the slow walkers, agreeing that chinatown is indeed one of the best neighborhoods in the city.
i was less than excited about the williamsburg bridge. while short, it is a killer on your calves, especially when headed from manhattan to the 'burg side. about 1/2 way up the first side of the bridge, (mile 10) i saw two women walking towards us strolling along holding, sipping coffee and chatting. i sighed heavily to myself wishing i was one of them, and then laughed as one jumped in our path - it was my friend elin who promptly started chanting "go roxie, go roxie!". that got me up the rest of the hill and then we settled in for a nice downhill.
on the other side we stretched out, had water and our 2nd goo-snack. mmm. you know you are running long when you get ravenously hungry in the middle of your runs. the run back over the bridge was tame compared to on the way over, and we headed back across delancy, stopping at starbucks for a pee-break.
then we wound our way back through chinatown, this time a little trickier than the first with all the people, down the the brooklyn bridge. at the bridge there was a cart that i was very happy to find was stocked with gatorade. i chugged some and refilled the bottles on my ever-so-sexy fuel belt, and then we had to tackle our last bridge (mile 13).
this leg was, by far the most annoying. from the foot of the bridge, the right side - the pedestrian's side - was simply packed with people strolling over the bridge. ~grumble~ we headed out, thinking that at least it would keep us from running too fast up the bridge, which would leave us dead for our last few miles. once we made our way through tourist-hell, we knew we had only a few miles left, but that is when tired set in.
as we turned back onto 3rd avenue (mile 15), the wind turned against us. i growled at the sky "are you kidding!" and lamented at the wind resistance. we also knew that the last 6 long blocks were going to be rough since it was all uphill, but there was also that sense of we-are-so-damn-close-we-just-have-to-get-up-this-damn-hill-and-then-we-get-to-eat-brunch!
we caught most of the lights on the way up, which was good because the stopping and starting towards the end of the long run always makes me sad - kind of like starting a motor that simply does not want to be started. as i passed the y, i saw another friend, iling, either coming or going from yoga. i called out and waved, only a little surprised that i had the energy to do so. as we climbed the last block, arriving to the park, there was lisa cheering for us at the top of the hill (mile 17.5)and we were done. yessssssssss.
we stretched out and then libby and i had an well-deserved brunch. banana-strawberry buttermilk flapjacks and bacon. i feel like i haven't been having great "recovery meals" - what you eat right after you run so long really affects your recovery so i think i need to be having more than a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. the rest of my day consisted of a shower, a nap, a long chat on the phone and then i went to meet charlotte (you know, from season 1 ;) for dinner. i got a crazy craving for *meat* and so we dined on filet mignon, mashed, and red wine, then i went home for snuggle with my man.
and you know what? i am feeling quite great this morning, barely sore at all! i guess brunch it is, from now on :).
only two more runs left to go before taper, people. the marathon is fast approaching.
yesterday's mileage:17.5
season mileage to date:185.5
ps - sorry for bad layout on map - i'm editing with "paint" - remember that program?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
last for the first time.
so while most of you were snuggled under your covers saturday morning, the hearty brooklyn team in training crew took the slushy streets to run many a mile.
by friday afternoon, practice had been canceled for the manhattanites - i think ramon is going soft. he *never* used to cancel practice! lisa sent an email letting us know it was on, that we would meet up at 8:30, but if it was to slick she reserved the right to cancel on the spot. fair enough.
i left work a little early and headed to jack rabbit on 14th street to get some new running shoes. i probaly have had the others for 350 miles, which is about 50 miles too many and i had a hunch that they were contributing to my injuries. i wasn't really excited about breaking my shoes in on a long run - the last time i did that i ended up with a monster blister - but i was more scared of getting more hurt than i already am.
i didn't go through the whole "get your stride checked" thing. i simply brought my old ones, asked for the latest model, tried them on and wow. they felt like slippers compared to my old sneakers. it was niiiiiiice. it was also no longer snowing but raining and i had a feeling that we would be running in the morning.
and i was right. as i headed to our meeting spot, the streets were relatively clear, aside from a few slick spots here and there. i was pretty relieved that we were going to be running - as i said, i was freaking out a little over my miles + my injury so it was really important for me to see how i was going to do (and of course, get those miles in.)
lisa explained our route for the morning - we woud be headed to the city. our route would take us:
-from park slope, through brooklyn and over the brooklyn bridge.
-across chambers to the westside highway and back.
there are three marathons training together this season - paris, nashville and new jersey. the people that were not running paris (all but 4 of us) got to turn around at houston for a nice 10 mile recovery run. i would be running up to 54th street on the west side and back to the way we came, over the bridge and back to brooklyn.
i had one of the new jersey-people to run with for the first 7 or so miles, up to 30th or so, and it was good to have someone to chat with. also i had forgotten my watch so i was able to pace a little bit. and then...i was on my own. the weather at that point was eh. it was misty raining and you could start to feel the chill creep in. i was good and was wearing my fuel belt and because i knew of a good little bathroom/water fountain spot, i wasn't "rationing" as i might have been otherwise.
i was quite quite tempted to turn around at 34th, then 44th (that would have been 15 miles) but i knew i would just be mad at myself if i stopped short, so on i went, past where the intrepid should be, through the tourists departing the cruise ship docks with their many suitcases blocking the path, and up to my turn around spot.
once i turned around i was excited for my stop at the "secret" water taxi dock. there were a few other runners (not with tnt) follwed me in. a british woman in the group saw me eating a goo and said "ah, looks like someone else is in training, else you wouldn't be eating those dreadful things" (note - i think the word "dreadful" is highly underused, and i plan on incorporating it more frequently). we talked running talk for a few minutes, who was training for what, how many miles was i running, etc.
the last stretch on the west side was the toughest. long. straight. you know exactly where you are. i longed for music and thought about the things that tend to keep me going:
-a comment from a reader a few days ago (thanks angie!)
-a video of the hoyts (father/son triathalete/marathon team from massachusetts)
-a note from jeanne's sister that made me smile
-finding out that morning that lisa's (the coach) dad, who had been having a rough time of it lately, is now cancer free
-running the full san diego marathon when i was only going to do the 1/2 (until i got inspired by the 80-year old who was participating in her 9th marathon for TNT)
-and of course bouv...i had told my running buddy about him earlier, its good to talk about these things...even when you've talked about it a million times.
i realized at some point that i had not a piece of id on me, so i'd better be carful not to hurt myself. i had visions of hitting my head, getting amnesia, and the hospital not knowing who to call. once i was back on chambers i knew that the rest would go by quickly between dodging people and traffic, running the brooklyn bridge (a first by the way) and getting myself back to our meeting spot to "check out" aka let the coaches know we didn't get lost or crack our heads open.
i found that i was the last - a first for me. everyone congratulated me and i smiled big but wearily. 16 down. minimal pain. i am rather proud of myself.
yesterday's mileage: 16.0
season mileage to date:165.0
by friday afternoon, practice had been canceled for the manhattanites - i think ramon is going soft. he *never* used to cancel practice! lisa sent an email letting us know it was on, that we would meet up at 8:30, but if it was to slick she reserved the right to cancel on the spot. fair enough.
i left work a little early and headed to jack rabbit on 14th street to get some new running shoes. i probaly have had the others for 350 miles, which is about 50 miles too many and i had a hunch that they were contributing to my injuries. i wasn't really excited about breaking my shoes in on a long run - the last time i did that i ended up with a monster blister - but i was more scared of getting more hurt than i already am.
i didn't go through the whole "get your stride checked" thing. i simply brought my old ones, asked for the latest model, tried them on and wow. they felt like slippers compared to my old sneakers. it was niiiiiiice. it was also no longer snowing but raining and i had a feeling that we would be running in the morning.
and i was right. as i headed to our meeting spot, the streets were relatively clear, aside from a few slick spots here and there. i was pretty relieved that we were going to be running - as i said, i was freaking out a little over my miles + my injury so it was really important for me to see how i was going to do (and of course, get those miles in.)
lisa explained our route for the morning - we woud be headed to the city. our route would take us:
-from park slope, through brooklyn and over the brooklyn bridge.
-across chambers to the westside highway and back.
there are three marathons training together this season - paris, nashville and new jersey. the people that were not running paris (all but 4 of us) got to turn around at houston for a nice 10 mile recovery run. i would be running up to 54th street on the west side and back to the way we came, over the bridge and back to brooklyn.
i had one of the new jersey-people to run with for the first 7 or so miles, up to 30th or so, and it was good to have someone to chat with. also i had forgotten my watch so i was able to pace a little bit. and then...i was on my own. the weather at that point was eh. it was misty raining and you could start to feel the chill creep in. i was good and was wearing my fuel belt and because i knew of a good little bathroom/water fountain spot, i wasn't "rationing" as i might have been otherwise.
i was quite quite tempted to turn around at 34th, then 44th (that would have been 15 miles) but i knew i would just be mad at myself if i stopped short, so on i went, past where the intrepid should be, through the tourists departing the cruise ship docks with their many suitcases blocking the path, and up to my turn around spot.
once i turned around i was excited for my stop at the "secret" water taxi dock. there were a few other runners (not with tnt) follwed me in. a british woman in the group saw me eating a goo and said "ah, looks like someone else is in training, else you wouldn't be eating those dreadful things" (note - i think the word "dreadful" is highly underused, and i plan on incorporating it more frequently). we talked running talk for a few minutes, who was training for what, how many miles was i running, etc.
the last stretch on the west side was the toughest. long. straight. you know exactly where you are. i longed for music and thought about the things that tend to keep me going:
-a comment from a reader a few days ago (thanks angie!)
-a video of the hoyts (father/son triathalete/marathon team from massachusetts)
-a note from jeanne's sister that made me smile
-finding out that morning that lisa's (the coach) dad, who had been having a rough time of it lately, is now cancer free
-running the full san diego marathon when i was only going to do the 1/2 (until i got inspired by the 80-year old who was participating in her 9th marathon for TNT)
-and of course bouv...i had told my running buddy about him earlier, its good to talk about these things...even when you've talked about it a million times.
i realized at some point that i had not a piece of id on me, so i'd better be carful not to hurt myself. i had visions of hitting my head, getting amnesia, and the hospital not knowing who to call. once i was back on chambers i knew that the rest would go by quickly between dodging people and traffic, running the brooklyn bridge (a first by the way) and getting myself back to our meeting spot to "check out" aka let the coaches know we didn't get lost or crack our heads open.
i found that i was the last - a first for me. everyone congratulated me and i smiled big but wearily. 16 down. minimal pain. i am rather proud of myself.
yesterday's mileage: 16.0
season mileage to date:165.0
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
snow bunnies
yes, last night we ran in the snow.
most people were agahst to learn we still had practice - i definitely was feeling a bit whiny about it until i manged to change and head out into the whiteness that blanketed brooklyn.
it was my first snow in the b.k. and i must admit, it was real pretty. i cut up and walked along the park, and the apartments up there are so pretty anyway, but the frosted windowsills and sidewalks made them all the more cozy looking. it wasn't a bad walk, and i think that's how i'm going to get to practice on tuesdays from now on.
there were quite a few of us troopers out there - all girls by the way. because it was so slick, we couldn't run repeats on the big hill as planned. instead we did some running and some crosstraining. the workout was something like...
40 squats
80 lunges (40 on each leg)
some tip-toe walking (calf-strengthening)
2.5 mile run
made 1 snow angel
they didn't keep us out there for much longer than an hour but running in the snow is akin to running in sand, and between that and the cross training, not only was my shin hurting, but i felt a quad pain developing in my right leg (aka the *other* leg). grr. no time for quad strains now. i was good and rolled everything out before settling in for the night and the snow turned to slush.
total mileage to date: 140.5
most people were agahst to learn we still had practice - i definitely was feeling a bit whiny about it until i manged to change and head out into the whiteness that blanketed brooklyn.
it was my first snow in the b.k. and i must admit, it was real pretty. i cut up and walked along the park, and the apartments up there are so pretty anyway, but the frosted windowsills and sidewalks made them all the more cozy looking. it wasn't a bad walk, and i think that's how i'm going to get to practice on tuesdays from now on.
there were quite a few of us troopers out there - all girls by the way. because it was so slick, we couldn't run repeats on the big hill as planned. instead we did some running and some crosstraining. the workout was something like...
40 squats
80 lunges (40 on each leg)
some tip-toe walking (calf-strengthening)
2.5 mile run
made 1 snow angel
they didn't keep us out there for much longer than an hour but running in the snow is akin to running in sand, and between that and the cross training, not only was my shin hurting, but i felt a quad pain developing in my right leg (aka the *other* leg). grr. no time for quad strains now. i was good and rolled everything out before settling in for the night and the snow turned to slush.
total mileage to date: 140.5
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
back to the hills
last night was my first tuesday night practice since i had been diagnosed with my little quad strain. the team is in week 3 of hills. i wasn't worried about missing something technique-wise, because i am pretty much a hill master but i was nervous to see how my quad was going to feel during and after.
ironically, after we ran up the hill to the park, it wasn't my quad that was bothering me but my right shin. the lower inside spot felt like a big bruise coming on. damn the shin splints - there was no way i was getting those again. during warm up i spend some extra time on my calves to try to loosen them up and just hoped i wouldn't be feeling it the whole work out.
we ran a little less than a mile over to where we would be hill-repeating. the purpose of the practice was to get used to cresting a hill using the same effort level. basically when you reach that last little incline, as it turns flat, your stride can open up a bit more without you spending any more energy.
libby and i ran together and we passed the time chatting (when we weren't out of breath). we repeated the little hill 12 times (yeah 12) and were pretty good and tired when we finally got done. i could definitely feel my shin at first, but it loosened up a good deal during the run and i made sure that i stretched it well (and kept stretching it throughout the night). the good news was my quad seemed to be doing fine. yay.
then it was time to go home and watch the super tuesday results trickle in while i did yoga moves and rolled out my quads and calves. fun times ;)
my goal moving forward is to plan out my work outs better as well as try eating better too...i finally got a nutrition for marathoners guide, which i don't expect to be any huge revelations, but you never know. so i'm thinking for the week...
wed - off, or yoga
thursday - 4 to 5 miles (in the evening)
friday - cross-train (in the morning)
saturday - rest and stretch
sunday - bronx 1/2 marathon
lets see how that goes.
ironically, after we ran up the hill to the park, it wasn't my quad that was bothering me but my right shin. the lower inside spot felt like a big bruise coming on. damn the shin splints - there was no way i was getting those again. during warm up i spend some extra time on my calves to try to loosen them up and just hoped i wouldn't be feeling it the whole work out.
we ran a little less than a mile over to where we would be hill-repeating. the purpose of the practice was to get used to cresting a hill using the same effort level. basically when you reach that last little incline, as it turns flat, your stride can open up a bit more without you spending any more energy.
libby and i ran together and we passed the time chatting (when we weren't out of breath). we repeated the little hill 12 times (yeah 12) and were pretty good and tired when we finally got done. i could definitely feel my shin at first, but it loosened up a good deal during the run and i made sure that i stretched it well (and kept stretching it throughout the night). the good news was my quad seemed to be doing fine. yay.
then it was time to go home and watch the super tuesday results trickle in while i did yoga moves and rolled out my quads and calves. fun times ;)
my goal moving forward is to plan out my work outs better as well as try eating better too...i finally got a nutrition for marathoners guide, which i don't expect to be any huge revelations, but you never know. so i'm thinking for the week...
wed - off, or yoga
thursday - 4 to 5 miles (in the evening)
friday - cross-train (in the morning)
saturday - rest and stretch
sunday - bronx 1/2 marathon
lets see how that goes.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
reach the beach - the local edition
(note: this was meant to post yesterday, however due to a crappy internet connection at my apartment, the post was lost and i had to re-write today.)
sorry for the lack of posting this week. it was a less than stellar week for the running, and in general. i'll explain later but i'm not quite ready to address it at the moment.
things looked up with yesterday's run though. we were told we were leaving the park, but we didn't know where we would be off too. we met at prospect at our usual time, and learned we would be running to coney island and back (depending on your mileage). since i had done the 1/2 last weekend, i figured i would do 13 - 14, depending on how i was feeling. 13 would mean turning around at the boardwalk, 14 would be a little longer of a jaunt down the boardwalk to coney island ave.
being highly irresponsible i have still negelcted to get one of those lovely water belts, and instead planned on carrying a poland springs bottle with me. luckily, i ended up running with my friend libby - someone i had met during my first tnt season - and she graciously offered to share the bottles on her fuel belt with me so i was able to ditch the water bottle.
it was a pretty nice day out, despite the breeze. it was one a hot-cold kind of a run, we'd be chilly in the shade and a little warm in the sun. the coaches were having us run to coney to give us a break from the hills of the park - a little recovery run for our joints. the only hills we would encounter would be leaving and entering the park, and the inclines on the overpass to get to ocean parkway, which is completely straight and flat.
it was a good change of scenery, even though the road seems to stretch in front of you forever. i had ridden the route a bunch of times on bike, and had run from coney to the park as part of the brooklyn 1/2 last year, but hadn't done a down and back. chatting with libby made the first half of the run go by pretty quickly, there was good people watching - the theme of the morning seemed to be "adorable children".
when we got to the boardwalk i was instantly wistful for my camera. the stillness of the beach in the winter is really lovely, i think. the coney island boardwalk is never at a loss for characters, even off-season - there were plenty of locals strolling in their winter finery. after we turned around, we made a pitstop in the bathroom which was surprisingly clean, and headed on back.
mentally, the run back is more annoying in a way because the street signs are now facing you and you know you have a long way to go, for example, when you are still on avenue v. (the ave's run alphabetically from coney back up to prospect park.) at avenue p we stopped for a drink, some goo, and checked the turn sheet to see how far we had to go, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it was only 4 miles - we had already gone 10. that perked us up a great deal, and despite being in the lower 1/2 of the alphabet the remaining distance didn't seem quite as daunting.
the last mile or so was a little less than fun. i was definitely tired, but not horribly so. however, the last mile included a long winding hill - my least favorite in all of the park. blech. i think libby put it quite well when she muttered under her breath "good lord". we laughed because we felt a little like old people strugging up the hill. lisa was on bike, and chatted us up the last bit, which was quite a good distraction, and once we hit the top, we were practically there and finished pretty strong.
14 miles done. and i'm feeling pretty good.
yesterday's mileage: 14.0
season mileage to date: 110.8
sorry for the lack of posting this week. it was a less than stellar week for the running, and in general. i'll explain later but i'm not quite ready to address it at the moment.
things looked up with yesterday's run though. we were told we were leaving the park, but we didn't know where we would be off too. we met at prospect at our usual time, and learned we would be running to coney island and back (depending on your mileage). since i had done the 1/2 last weekend, i figured i would do 13 - 14, depending on how i was feeling. 13 would mean turning around at the boardwalk, 14 would be a little longer of a jaunt down the boardwalk to coney island ave.
being highly irresponsible i have still negelcted to get one of those lovely water belts, and instead planned on carrying a poland springs bottle with me. luckily, i ended up running with my friend libby - someone i had met during my first tnt season - and she graciously offered to share the bottles on her fuel belt with me so i was able to ditch the water bottle.
it was a pretty nice day out, despite the breeze. it was one a hot-cold kind of a run, we'd be chilly in the shade and a little warm in the sun. the coaches were having us run to coney to give us a break from the hills of the park - a little recovery run for our joints. the only hills we would encounter would be leaving and entering the park, and the inclines on the overpass to get to ocean parkway, which is completely straight and flat.
it was a good change of scenery, even though the road seems to stretch in front of you forever. i had ridden the route a bunch of times on bike, and had run from coney to the park as part of the brooklyn 1/2 last year, but hadn't done a down and back. chatting with libby made the first half of the run go by pretty quickly, there was good people watching - the theme of the morning seemed to be "adorable children".
when we got to the boardwalk i was instantly wistful for my camera. the stillness of the beach in the winter is really lovely, i think. the coney island boardwalk is never at a loss for characters, even off-season - there were plenty of locals strolling in their winter finery. after we turned around, we made a pitstop in the bathroom which was surprisingly clean, and headed on back.
mentally, the run back is more annoying in a way because the street signs are now facing you and you know you have a long way to go, for example, when you are still on avenue v. (the ave's run alphabetically from coney back up to prospect park.) at avenue p we stopped for a drink, some goo, and checked the turn sheet to see how far we had to go, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it was only 4 miles - we had already gone 10. that perked us up a great deal, and despite being in the lower 1/2 of the alphabet the remaining distance didn't seem quite as daunting.
the last mile or so was a little less than fun. i was definitely tired, but not horribly so. however, the last mile included a long winding hill - my least favorite in all of the park. blech. i think libby put it quite well when she muttered under her breath "good lord". we laughed because we felt a little like old people strugging up the hill. lisa was on bike, and chatted us up the last bit, which was quite a good distraction, and once we hit the top, we were practically there and finished pretty strong.
14 miles done. and i'm feeling pretty good.
yesterday's mileage: 14.0
season mileage to date: 110.8
Saturday, January 19, 2008
back in business
sorry for not posting for a while. i've been, well, resting. shocker, i know. but after saturday's painful start, i thought it best to do a whole lotta stretching this week. and so i did.
this morning, i wanted to run 10 - 11 miles. the logic here was that i ran 9-something two weeks ago, and next week there is a 1/2 marathon i wanted to run, and you should run at least a ten mile under your belt before you go for a 1/2. of course this all depended on the ol' quad.
generally my leg felt better and better over the course of the week. until last night, when it felt a little twinge-y (successfully psyching me out for a little bit). my boy made me a proper carbo-loaded dinner served nice and early (yeah, tasted good too) and i went to bed at a reasonable hour only a little nervous.
i got up at 6:30 to eat the peanut butter sandwich sweder made me and chugged some water and then it was back to bed to sleep for another hour. yes, its now crazy breakfast time, where the runs are too long for a quick snack before. so its get out of bed, scarf down some breakfast, and snooze for another little bit.
i was running late. couldn't find my hat. my gloves. erg - where are my socks! i hate starting a morning off that way so i tried to decompress a little as i hauled myself up the hill to the park. luckily, everyone was still making announcements so i had time to get settled. because we're in hill training, the rest of the intermediates would be running a 5-mile-loop with a 1.5 mile hill repeat, and a 3-mile-loop with a 1-mile repeat, for a total of about 10.5 miles. i had orders from michael not to mess around with the hills too much so i did not have to do the repeats. instead, i decided to aim for two 5-mile loops...10 miles total.
we were also supposed to be running in groups today but i didn't want to, figuring i'd need to make adjustments for my leg. so i started with a few people, but soon they were long gone and i was out on my own.
my over-all impression of that run was "good grief that took a long time." ug. i was slow. super slow. in fact the first time up the big hill i was convinced i could walk faster. but i was feeling okay. my injured quad was just fine - if anything i felt an over all creakiness that was probably a product of not having run since the previous week and some compensation going on for the weak quad. i finally ran into lisa somewhere in the 4th mile.
"roxie! how you doing?"
"i'm slow but doing okay."
"how's the quad?"
"it seems okay so far. no hill repeats for me i'm thinking though."
"yes i would say that's a good idea."
"so, i did 9 or so two weeks ago, and i was going to go for 10 today..."
"...good"
"so that i can run the 1/2 marathon next sunday."
at this point lisa made a face that meant well-i-don't-know-if-that's-a-good-idea.
i quickly chimed in with "well, depending on this goes, you know?"
"well, rox, i'm going to send the email soon, but i'm going to very strongly recommend that folks like you not push it too hard for the 1/2 marathon."
"people like me injured?"
"no, people like you right on the cusp mileage wise. there is the bronx 1/2 on february 10th that we'll all be doing, so there really isn't necessary for you to push it. especially for you where there's an injury you're trying to get over."
i must of have had a grumpy look on my face, or at least some sort of look because she did say "but of course, its your decision." i told her i really really would think about it. soon after i stoped for a goo and some water, and a stretch and was feeling pretty good when i headed back out.
so all the way to where the turn off is for the 5 mile loop, the devil on my shoulder was a-whispering...
"if you're not going to do the 1/2, and it seems like lisa really thinks you shouldn't, you don't really have to run 10 today. you could do like 8, and that wowuld be totally acceptible! especially since you've been hurt, i mean you don't want to push TOO much!"
it is hard to resist that little devil. but, one of the bonuses of running with team in training, and running for a reason beyond just you is that it kicks you in the ass a bit. when the little voice starts, you remember why you're running in the first place. who you're running for. and you also consider all the people that are supporting you. i started thinking about the first marathon, and how many people donated (180 by the way), and how supportive they all were. then the 8 versus 10 decision wasn't really a decision at all.
so i took the turn and tacked on an extra 2+. how was the rest of it? long. very long. i really thought i might be the last one on the course to come in today i was taking so long, but i wasn't. and while i was less than impressed with myself time-wise, i was rather pleased that i wasn't hurting, and i took the extra miles.
now the 1/2 *is* an option. if i want it to be. i've got some thinking to do.
today's mileage:: 10.5
mileage to date: 76.7
this morning, i wanted to run 10 - 11 miles. the logic here was that i ran 9-something two weeks ago, and next week there is a 1/2 marathon i wanted to run, and you should run at least a ten mile under your belt before you go for a 1/2. of course this all depended on the ol' quad.
generally my leg felt better and better over the course of the week. until last night, when it felt a little twinge-y (successfully psyching me out for a little bit). my boy made me a proper carbo-loaded dinner served nice and early (yeah, tasted good too) and i went to bed at a reasonable hour only a little nervous.
i got up at 6:30 to eat the peanut butter sandwich sweder made me and chugged some water and then it was back to bed to sleep for another hour. yes, its now crazy breakfast time, where the runs are too long for a quick snack before. so its get out of bed, scarf down some breakfast, and snooze for another little bit.
i was running late. couldn't find my hat. my gloves. erg - where are my socks! i hate starting a morning off that way so i tried to decompress a little as i hauled myself up the hill to the park. luckily, everyone was still making announcements so i had time to get settled. because we're in hill training, the rest of the intermediates would be running a 5-mile-loop with a 1.5 mile hill repeat, and a 3-mile-loop with a 1-mile repeat, for a total of about 10.5 miles. i had orders from michael not to mess around with the hills too much so i did not have to do the repeats. instead, i decided to aim for two 5-mile loops...10 miles total.
we were also supposed to be running in groups today but i didn't want to, figuring i'd need to make adjustments for my leg. so i started with a few people, but soon they were long gone and i was out on my own.
my over-all impression of that run was "good grief that took a long time." ug. i was slow. super slow. in fact the first time up the big hill i was convinced i could walk faster. but i was feeling okay. my injured quad was just fine - if anything i felt an over all creakiness that was probably a product of not having run since the previous week and some compensation going on for the weak quad. i finally ran into lisa somewhere in the 4th mile.
"roxie! how you doing?"
"i'm slow but doing okay."
"how's the quad?"
"it seems okay so far. no hill repeats for me i'm thinking though."
"yes i would say that's a good idea."
"so, i did 9 or so two weeks ago, and i was going to go for 10 today..."
"...good"
"so that i can run the 1/2 marathon next sunday."
at this point lisa made a face that meant well-i-don't-know-if-that's-a-good-idea.
i quickly chimed in with "well, depending on this goes, you know?"
"well, rox, i'm going to send the email soon, but i'm going to very strongly recommend that folks like you not push it too hard for the 1/2 marathon."
"people like me injured?"
"no, people like you right on the cusp mileage wise. there is the bronx 1/2 on february 10th that we'll all be doing, so there really isn't necessary for you to push it. especially for you where there's an injury you're trying to get over."
i must of have had a grumpy look on my face, or at least some sort of look because she did say "but of course, its your decision." i told her i really really would think about it. soon after i stoped for a goo and some water, and a stretch and was feeling pretty good when i headed back out.
so all the way to where the turn off is for the 5 mile loop, the devil on my shoulder was a-whispering...
"if you're not going to do the 1/2, and it seems like lisa really thinks you shouldn't, you don't really have to run 10 today. you could do like 8, and that wowuld be totally acceptible! especially since you've been hurt, i mean you don't want to push TOO much!"
it is hard to resist that little devil. but, one of the bonuses of running with team in training, and running for a reason beyond just you is that it kicks you in the ass a bit. when the little voice starts, you remember why you're running in the first place. who you're running for. and you also consider all the people that are supporting you. i started thinking about the first marathon, and how many people donated (180 by the way), and how supportive they all were. then the 8 versus 10 decision wasn't really a decision at all.
so i took the turn and tacked on an extra 2+. how was the rest of it? long. very long. i really thought i might be the last one on the course to come in today i was taking so long, but i wasn't. and while i was less than impressed with myself time-wise, i was rather pleased that i wasn't hurting, and i took the extra miles.
now the 1/2 *is* an option. if i want it to be. i've got some thinking to do.
today's mileage:: 10.5
mileage to date: 76.7
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
