yesterday i ran the first race of the season - a 4-miler in prospect park
when i left the house, trusty ole ny1 said it was 34 degrees so i thought for sure that the ice would be gone. not so! i almost fell on my butt 5 or 6 times between my apartment and the number pick up joint, which was a mere 4 blocks away (long blocks but still). i hit up the school and got my number, tee shirt and new chip. these new chips are disposable, which is easier but definitely crappier for the planet. given that it takes all of 5 seconds to get your chip clipped off, i'll take the earth-friendly non-disposable sort we used to have.
there were lots of people at the race - a few thousand at least. us team in trainers met up near bag watch and headed over to the start together. it was warming but by the time we started i was freezing my toes off. i also started in a fast corral - i was in the 5000s, where usually i'm in the back, and i felt slightly out of place. finally it was time to go and we were off.
i got passed by many folks, which i kept telling myself was fine. since i was in a corral with faster runners i had to put ego aside and let them pass - i knew right around the corner was the massive hill in prospect park and i knew better than to take off too fast up that thing.
on the hill i found myself passing a person here and there and once i cleared the hill, i fell into a nice steady pace. the first mile appeared to be very slow - about 12 minutes but i wasn't really bothered as the start is very slow and so is the hill. i felt like i was cruising as i headed into mile 2 and sure enough when i was done...it was around a 10 minute mile...ooops. too fast! i tried to put on the breaks and lightly run down the hill. i am super mindful of not thumping down hills with heavy legs lest it hurt my stress fractures.
once i hit mile 3 (still around 10:30's or so) i definitely started loosing a bit of steam but still cruised along, getting a little winded but pressing on. finally, i was at the last little uphill, finish line in sight and knew i finished somewhere in the 10:45/11 minute mile pace.
uuuuuug. i crossed the finish line and for the first time in a long time felt like i was going to puke. i had gotten food poisoning friday night and saturday was still touch and go, so i think i was still feeling a little weak and at the end of the race i grabbed some water and fled the crowds for a little non-claustrophobic air. after a few puffs and some space i felt much better grabbed and apple and headed home. there was a team in training gathering afterwards but i had a cooking class all day that i had gotten as a present to the boyfriend so had to take a rain check.
i got home and check my time and as it turned out my time was 42:53 - which left an average pace of 10:43min/mile.
today i managed to hop out of bed early...6:45 in fact...and go for a morning run. it was so temping to get back into the bed...but i rationalized back at my sleepy self, knowing i wouldn't get running if i didn't run then. i had set out my clothes the night before and so threw on clothing, brushed my teeth (which somehow wakes me up) and headed out.
i only had to run 3 miles - getting to and from the park was a little dicey because of all the ice and snow, but once i was in the park i was fine. i did a little down and back action and made it back home in no time flat. the legs felt fine, no aches and pains and when i was done i was happy to have gotten the run in. always feels better to be done with the running/exercising before the day even really begins.
sunday's mileage: 4.0
today's mileage: 3.2
season mileage to date: 31.1
up next: group run or equivalent wednesday
Showing posts with label road races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road races. Show all posts
Monday, March 01, 2010
Sunday, January 27, 2008
the manhattan 1/2 marathon
i just got back from the first 1/2 marathon of the season. as you will remember, i was debating if i was going to do this whole race given the injury and 10.5 to 13.1 miles is a decent jump in miles. so i opted to treat the race as just-another-run-with-free-water-and-more-bathrooms.
swede made me pasta and we had a chill night. why is it that when you need to go to bed early you are never tired? i finally hit the bed around midnight, planning to get up at 6 to scarf down some pre-made oatmeal in a thermos, back to sleep for another hour or so, and out the door by 7:30 to get to road runners to get my number by 8.
all of that went as it should (although the pre-made oatmeal is going to take some finessing) and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't quite as cold as i thought it was going to be. there also was no line at road runners, and i'm not sure if that was a function of the cold, the distance or the arrival time, but it was a pleasant surprise. i grabbed my number, skipped the tee shirt and headed to race start. i knew there was a bunch or tnters racing, but i couldn't remember where they were going to be so i was on my own for the morning.
i intended to get in the porta potty line, just in case, but like most of the other 1/2 marathons, the line was out of control. i'm talking at *least* 30 people per line, probably more, because there was only about 20 portapotties for over 6000 people. since i had peed twice before i left, i decided it was just nerves and that i could wait until a more reasonable time.
i lined up pretty much directly behind the met, where there is a little crop of rocks and trees and shrubberies - perfect coverage for peeing al fresco. i was not so desperate, but many were. there are risks, besides the usual prickers and poison ivy - if you are caught by road runners, you can lose your membership which means no nyc marathon for you. to deter folks from peeing on/near/behind the met, a volunteer with a bullhord heckled the rouge pe-ers, much to our amusement:
"don't do it sir! don't even think about it!"
"if you pee up there you're going to find your picture on the internet!"
"ma'am - stop, stop right now, there's a good girl."
"sir, you, in the blue, yes, yes you stop there...oh, don't...oh man...oh now. someone get that gentleman's number and nobody shake his hand!"
i decided to go with a little arcade fire to begin, and sooner than i thought, we were off.
so i knew i would do at least 12 miles, 2 full loops. then if i was feeling alright i would push it for the last. i would take the first 4 or so real slow, breaking the miles up into 3 parts - gradually getting a little faster if i was feeling good. our coaches say that 75% of people in races go out too fast, and are always reminding us to hold back. i did, and you could tell i was. people were passing me left and right, but i did my best to think "just a long run, not a race" and do my own thing.
we had started at 84th on the east side which meant harlem hill would be the first challenge. the uphills don't really bother me so much, and although it is harder, i was extra careful to stay very steady and in control on the downhills to take care of my quad and all my joints.
so the first 4 miles were good and slow and steady. around the 2nd mile i passed larry the lighthouse - the guy that runs with a big wooden lighthouse over his head and 1/2 his body. i was, despite myself pleased that i was passing him. my ego can take many many blows in this sport - i don't think coming in after someone sporting a lighthouse is one of them.
around the 4th mile was when i got lapped by the first elite runner. sigh. even though i consciously know i am no where close to the level of those athletes, and with all likelihood, never will be, there is still a small wince when that happens. but man, were they flying, and it wasn't a bad distraction to have.
i continued with my pace down around the lower loop, up stinky slope (my new nickname for the lower east part of the park where all the horse carraiges ambling along) and soon i was back at 84th street. 6 miles down. i mentally checked in - no pains, only a little tired, water intake good. i decided that once i got up to 102nd, which would mark mile 7, i would try to push it a little bit.
i also had it in my head, that once i was done with the rolling hills of the west side, the run would practically be in the bag. the west side is far more demanding than the east, and by my calculations, that would be mile 10 or so - i'd have a good indication if i could make the full race or not.
from there on in, i ran 11 minute (or so miles). i'm getting pretty good at recognizing what pace i'm going at, which is kind of cool. i had my 2nd goo somewhere around mile 8 and it was officially the worst one i ever had. i don't know if it was because of the cold or what, but it had kind of thickened at the bottom so part of it was the consistency of very very very thick gel, or a soft gummy bear. it was really really gross, but i choked it down. i hoped it would not attack my stomack and plugged on.
i kept remembering i kinda had to pee, and then would push it to the back of my consciousness again. lines were too long...i could make it. mile 9 on the west side, check. mile 10 - drink water. don't spill. too cold for spilling. up stinky slope, here's mile 11.
i knew then i had 2 more miles in me and decided to pick it up as much as i could. after cat hill, it would be cake from there, so i just had to be smart and know how hard to push. mile 11 was not so bad at all - i kinda kicked a little too much ass on cat hill, and felt a little tired at the top, but when i got to mile 12 i grabbed some water and instantly felt better. also knowing there is just about a mile left mentally is so attainable, i couldn't help but get the dumb grin.
i decided to dedicate this mile to anthony. i thought about channeling the runner thats stuck in his body, and how happy he would be to be out running right now. and i smiled because sometime soon, we're going to run a 4 mile race together and it is just going to be so freaking great.
i kid you not, right around then the clouds parted a little and i got some sunbeams which made me all the more smily, and i was able to use that last little bit of energy to finish strong and happy with my 1/2 marathon that almost wasn't.
today's mileage: 13.1
mileage to date: 93.8
swede made me pasta and we had a chill night. why is it that when you need to go to bed early you are never tired? i finally hit the bed around midnight, planning to get up at 6 to scarf down some pre-made oatmeal in a thermos, back to sleep for another hour or so, and out the door by 7:30 to get to road runners to get my number by 8.
all of that went as it should (although the pre-made oatmeal is going to take some finessing) and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't quite as cold as i thought it was going to be. there also was no line at road runners, and i'm not sure if that was a function of the cold, the distance or the arrival time, but it was a pleasant surprise. i grabbed my number, skipped the tee shirt and headed to race start. i knew there was a bunch or tnters racing, but i couldn't remember where they were going to be so i was on my own for the morning.
i intended to get in the porta potty line, just in case, but like most of the other 1/2 marathons, the line was out of control. i'm talking at *least* 30 people per line, probably more, because there was only about 20 portapotties for over 6000 people. since i had peed twice before i left, i decided it was just nerves and that i could wait until a more reasonable time.
i lined up pretty much directly behind the met, where there is a little crop of rocks and trees and shrubberies - perfect coverage for peeing al fresco. i was not so desperate, but many were. there are risks, besides the usual prickers and poison ivy - if you are caught by road runners, you can lose your membership which means no nyc marathon for you. to deter folks from peeing on/near/behind the met, a volunteer with a bullhord heckled the rouge pe-ers, much to our amusement:
"don't do it sir! don't even think about it!"
"if you pee up there you're going to find your picture on the internet!"
"ma'am - stop, stop right now, there's a good girl."
"sir, you, in the blue, yes, yes you stop there...oh, don't...oh man...oh now. someone get that gentleman's number and nobody shake his hand!"
i decided to go with a little arcade fire to begin, and sooner than i thought, we were off.
so i knew i would do at least 12 miles, 2 full loops. then if i was feeling alright i would push it for the last. i would take the first 4 or so real slow, breaking the miles up into 3 parts - gradually getting a little faster if i was feeling good. our coaches say that 75% of people in races go out too fast, and are always reminding us to hold back. i did, and you could tell i was. people were passing me left and right, but i did my best to think "just a long run, not a race" and do my own thing.
we had started at 84th on the east side which meant harlem hill would be the first challenge. the uphills don't really bother me so much, and although it is harder, i was extra careful to stay very steady and in control on the downhills to take care of my quad and all my joints.
so the first 4 miles were good and slow and steady. around the 2nd mile i passed larry the lighthouse - the guy that runs with a big wooden lighthouse over his head and 1/2 his body. i was, despite myself pleased that i was passing him. my ego can take many many blows in this sport - i don't think coming in after someone sporting a lighthouse is one of them.
around the 4th mile was when i got lapped by the first elite runner. sigh. even though i consciously know i am no where close to the level of those athletes, and with all likelihood, never will be, there is still a small wince when that happens. but man, were they flying, and it wasn't a bad distraction to have.
i continued with my pace down around the lower loop, up stinky slope (my new nickname for the lower east part of the park where all the horse carraiges ambling along) and soon i was back at 84th street. 6 miles down. i mentally checked in - no pains, only a little tired, water intake good. i decided that once i got up to 102nd, which would mark mile 7, i would try to push it a little bit.
i also had it in my head, that once i was done with the rolling hills of the west side, the run would practically be in the bag. the west side is far more demanding than the east, and by my calculations, that would be mile 10 or so - i'd have a good indication if i could make the full race or not.
from there on in, i ran 11 minute (or so miles). i'm getting pretty good at recognizing what pace i'm going at, which is kind of cool. i had my 2nd goo somewhere around mile 8 and it was officially the worst one i ever had. i don't know if it was because of the cold or what, but it had kind of thickened at the bottom so part of it was the consistency of very very very thick gel, or a soft gummy bear. it was really really gross, but i choked it down. i hoped it would not attack my stomack and plugged on.
i kept remembering i kinda had to pee, and then would push it to the back of my consciousness again. lines were too long...i could make it. mile 9 on the west side, check. mile 10 - drink water. don't spill. too cold for spilling. up stinky slope, here's mile 11.
i knew then i had 2 more miles in me and decided to pick it up as much as i could. after cat hill, it would be cake from there, so i just had to be smart and know how hard to push. mile 11 was not so bad at all - i kinda kicked a little too much ass on cat hill, and felt a little tired at the top, but when i got to mile 12 i grabbed some water and instantly felt better. also knowing there is just about a mile left mentally is so attainable, i couldn't help but get the dumb grin.
i decided to dedicate this mile to anthony. i thought about channeling the runner thats stuck in his body, and how happy he would be to be out running right now. and i smiled because sometime soon, we're going to run a 4 mile race together and it is just going to be so freaking great.
i kid you not, right around then the clouds parted a little and i got some sunbeams which made me all the more smily, and i was able to use that last little bit of energy to finish strong and happy with my 1/2 marathon that almost wasn't.
today's mileage: 13.1
mileage to date: 93.8
Monday, January 14, 2008
smart vs. stubborn
and so, saturday morning i got up and headed to central park for the 5 miler, injury and all.
i met sk8 and demps and we squeezed our way into the corrals around the 9 mile mark. i was feeling pretty good about my leg - encouraged and optimistic that michael said i could run on it, and only a little nervous. it was a beautiful running morning. just chilly enough, and enough sun to warm you up.
it was fun to be out there with the both of them - i hadn't run with my pals in quite a while. sk8 and demps had never met, but i had neglected to introduce them because i thought surely they knew each other. but silly me - it was only that they had read about each other in the blogosphere.
we started out at a good pace, running along with everyone else. i gave them both the freedom to leave me whenever they wished due to my gimpy leg, but we ran, chatting and enjoying the morning. some where in the 1st mile, beck decided to move on ahead and i wished her luck. demps and i continued on, hitting the rolling hills of the west side...
my left quad, the bad one, suddenly started to tighten. i tried to ignore it, and focus on the chit chat, but as we crested a hill, i could feel the tightness constrict my thigh, and move down in to my calf. my right calf cramped up, and as we reached the top, my left followed suite. my left leg was aching...and i decided not to push it.
"demps, i'm sorry...but i think this is just not good for me right now...i have to stop."
he wished me well and i pulled over at the southern part of the resouvoir.
normally i would have felt disgruntled and discouraged for giving up. but today, my legs were hurting so that i knew it was the right thing to do. i stretched and made my way across the park to the tnt cheering session. luis, our bk coach, agreed it wasn't worth it to push at this point.
so i called it a day and lent my voice to the crew, cheering in the tnt runners. it was fun to see how all the newbies lit up when they saw us all cheering for them. sk8 had thought she was going to get to cheer me in - she did really well and finished strong! - and we laughed that i was standing there when she came up.
my leg has continuously felt better from then on...and i'll try a run on the treadmill tomorrow. michael emailed me to see how it went, and i told him that i stopped and he said he was glad i was smarter than most in that situation, so i felt even better. i had made the right decision and smart had won over stubborn.
more tomorrow my friends...
i met sk8 and demps and we squeezed our way into the corrals around the 9 mile mark. i was feeling pretty good about my leg - encouraged and optimistic that michael said i could run on it, and only a little nervous. it was a beautiful running morning. just chilly enough, and enough sun to warm you up.
it was fun to be out there with the both of them - i hadn't run with my pals in quite a while. sk8 and demps had never met, but i had neglected to introduce them because i thought surely they knew each other. but silly me - it was only that they had read about each other in the blogosphere.
we started out at a good pace, running along with everyone else. i gave them both the freedom to leave me whenever they wished due to my gimpy leg, but we ran, chatting and enjoying the morning. some where in the 1st mile, beck decided to move on ahead and i wished her luck. demps and i continued on, hitting the rolling hills of the west side...
my left quad, the bad one, suddenly started to tighten. i tried to ignore it, and focus on the chit chat, but as we crested a hill, i could feel the tightness constrict my thigh, and move down in to my calf. my right calf cramped up, and as we reached the top, my left followed suite. my left leg was aching...and i decided not to push it.
"demps, i'm sorry...but i think this is just not good for me right now...i have to stop."
he wished me well and i pulled over at the southern part of the resouvoir.
normally i would have felt disgruntled and discouraged for giving up. but today, my legs were hurting so that i knew it was the right thing to do. i stretched and made my way across the park to the tnt cheering session. luis, our bk coach, agreed it wasn't worth it to push at this point.
so i called it a day and lent my voice to the crew, cheering in the tnt runners. it was fun to see how all the newbies lit up when they saw us all cheering for them. sk8 had thought she was going to get to cheer me in - she did really well and finished strong! - and we laughed that i was standing there when she came up.
my leg has continuously felt better from then on...and i'll try a run on the treadmill tomorrow. michael emailed me to see how it went, and i told him that i stopped and he said he was glad i was smarter than most in that situation, so i felt even better. i had made the right decision and smart had won over stubborn.
more tomorrow my friends...
Monday, December 17, 2007
a catch-up post
i know i know, i've been slacking.
but i haven't really i swear. december is purely and simply hellish as far as time is concerned and that means...not as much running as needs to be done, and also not as much blogging. i am not slacking on the running because of the holiday festivities so much as the work. as much as i love my job, december has been killing me softly. dear god, only 3 more days...
since last time though i did run two more races and i am officially DONE with the qualifiers for the 2008 NYC marathon. the first one, last sunday was a 10k, or 6.2 miles. it went okay. i was up kinda late the night before, and something i ate gave me a lovely belly ache, but i met up with charlotte, so we gabbed most of the time. oh, had a great chafe mark where there was a little hole in my pants. a perfect circle on my inner theigh. owwwwwwwe for the next 5 days. (i will spare you the bandaid issues i had trying to get the damn thing to heal) and now that i'm done with the grousing, i will say that the nice thing about these races at the tail end of your marathon qualifiers is that they are not about time really, just about finishing. kinda more enjoyable.
then this saturday was the last one - a 4 miler. char and i met up again, and there was a whole tnt crew, and i (heart) the middle loop. its a great little run, hills are okay, and you end before you're really tired. wheeeee. easy as pie. well not really. i was midstory coming up cat hill and totally had to stop because i was a bit winded - that is just sad.
but the only way to keep that from happening is to get my butt back out there on the road, cold or no.
the two races combined miles: 13.2
season mileage to date:22.5
but i haven't really i swear. december is purely and simply hellish as far as time is concerned and that means...not as much running as needs to be done, and also not as much blogging. i am not slacking on the running because of the holiday festivities so much as the work. as much as i love my job, december has been killing me softly. dear god, only 3 more days...
since last time though i did run two more races and i am officially DONE with the qualifiers for the 2008 NYC marathon. the first one, last sunday was a 10k, or 6.2 miles. it went okay. i was up kinda late the night before, and something i ate gave me a lovely belly ache, but i met up with charlotte, so we gabbed most of the time. oh, had a great chafe mark where there was a little hole in my pants. a perfect circle on my inner theigh. owwwwwwwe for the next 5 days. (i will spare you the bandaid issues i had trying to get the damn thing to heal) and now that i'm done with the grousing, i will say that the nice thing about these races at the tail end of your marathon qualifiers is that they are not about time really, just about finishing. kinda more enjoyable.
then this saturday was the last one - a 4 miler. char and i met up again, and there was a whole tnt crew, and i (heart) the middle loop. its a great little run, hills are okay, and you end before you're really tired. wheeeee. easy as pie. well not really. i was midstory coming up cat hill and totally had to stop because i was a bit winded - that is just sad.
but the only way to keep that from happening is to get my butt back out there on the road, cold or no.
the two races combined miles: 13.2
season mileage to date:22.5
Sunday, December 02, 2007
the first run! (but not at practice)
so yesterday morning, practice began...but i had a different run to tackle.
in order to automatically qualify for the nyc marathon next year, as a member of ny road runners, i have to complete 9 nyrr races this year. being somewhat of...well, frankly, a last minute sally when it comes to things in my own life, i waited until the end of october to check to see if my nyrr membership was still valid. it was...and i had 5 more races to run. oh, and look, there were only 5 races of doable distance that would work. grrr. they were:
Poland Spring™ Marathon Kickoff - Sunday, October 28 / 5 miles • 8:00 a.m
Race to Deliver / Kids Races - Sunday, November 18 / 4M • 10:00 a.m.
NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K - Saturday, December 1 / 15K • 9:30 a.m.
NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K - Sunday, December 9 / 10K (6.2M) • 9:30 a.m.
NYRR Holiday 4-Mile / Kids Play Party - Saturday, December 15 / 4M • 9:30 a.m.
i ran the first two with little issue, but i was really very nervous about yesterday. 15k is 9.3 miles. the longest i've run of late was 5, and that was a while ago. i had promised myself i'd get up to at least 7 before this race and suffer out the other two, but i've had a number of distractions lately, some more enjoyable than others, that managed to cut into my running time, so i was going to have to suffer through.
it doesn't matter what time you get in these races, just so long as you finish in the official time. so i bribed my sister to run with me. yes, she took that bribe for a measly brunch, the silly one. in hindsight, what i should have done was have her meet me after i ran the first 5...but yeah. as it worked out she was with me for the whole thing.
friday night was a friend's birthday and it went later than i like to be out when i have to run significant mileage, so i wasn't really feeling all that great about it. in fact i was downright nervous and the nerves were making me cranky. my boy...hmm, he's gonna need a nick name, isn't he?...i guess we'll go with one of his, sweder, well, he was a doll and got me cliff bars and water and let me be a cranky brat for a bit before getting me to bed.
i got up at 7:45, threw on the clothes and shuddered at the sound of the wind rattling everything around outside. it was cold, and i was not as equipped as i should be for running in that weather. when i was gathering my things, i couldn't find my hat...or my running gloves...sigh.
i headed over to roadrunners where there was a line of people at least 40 deep waiting to pick up their numbers. after being cattled in and out, i headed to the park to meet my sis, who looked much warmer and grouchier than myself.
i opted for wearing my sweatshirt over my two running layers because it was so cold, so i got all situated with my numbers and bags and we lined up with the other 4000 + people.
to make a long time short...my sister and i ended up running the first 5 miles, then we walked for two, then i run walked the last two. it was not so painful while it was going on...of course, my sister's grousing definitely distracted from my own aches and pains. while it took an awful long time, and i walked a good amount of it, i had a definite sense of accomplishment at the end of it all, despite the freezing cold.
and the my sister and i stuffed our faces on mac 'n' cheese and omelettes afterwards...as promised.
today's miles:: 9.3
miles to date:: 9.3
in order to automatically qualify for the nyc marathon next year, as a member of ny road runners, i have to complete 9 nyrr races this year. being somewhat of...well, frankly, a last minute sally when it comes to things in my own life, i waited until the end of october to check to see if my nyrr membership was still valid. it was...and i had 5 more races to run. oh, and look, there were only 5 races of doable distance that would work. grrr. they were:
Poland Spring™ Marathon Kickoff - Sunday, October 28 / 5 miles • 8:00 a.m
Race to Deliver / Kids Races - Sunday, November 18 / 4M • 10:00 a.m.
NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K - Saturday, December 1 / 15K • 9:30 a.m.
NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K - Sunday, December 9 / 10K (6.2M) • 9:30 a.m.
NYRR Holiday 4-Mile / Kids Play Party - Saturday, December 15 / 4M • 9:30 a.m.
i ran the first two with little issue, but i was really very nervous about yesterday. 15k is 9.3 miles. the longest i've run of late was 5, and that was a while ago. i had promised myself i'd get up to at least 7 before this race and suffer out the other two, but i've had a number of distractions lately, some more enjoyable than others, that managed to cut into my running time, so i was going to have to suffer through.
it doesn't matter what time you get in these races, just so long as you finish in the official time. so i bribed my sister to run with me. yes, she took that bribe for a measly brunch, the silly one. in hindsight, what i should have done was have her meet me after i ran the first 5...but yeah. as it worked out she was with me for the whole thing.
friday night was a friend's birthday and it went later than i like to be out when i have to run significant mileage, so i wasn't really feeling all that great about it. in fact i was downright nervous and the nerves were making me cranky. my boy...hmm, he's gonna need a nick name, isn't he?...i guess we'll go with one of his, sweder, well, he was a doll and got me cliff bars and water and let me be a cranky brat for a bit before getting me to bed.
i got up at 7:45, threw on the clothes and shuddered at the sound of the wind rattling everything around outside. it was cold, and i was not as equipped as i should be for running in that weather. when i was gathering my things, i couldn't find my hat...or my running gloves...sigh.
i headed over to roadrunners where there was a line of people at least 40 deep waiting to pick up their numbers. after being cattled in and out, i headed to the park to meet my sis, who looked much warmer and grouchier than myself.
i opted for wearing my sweatshirt over my two running layers because it was so cold, so i got all situated with my numbers and bags and we lined up with the other 4000 + people.
to make a long time short...my sister and i ended up running the first 5 miles, then we walked for two, then i run walked the last two. it was not so painful while it was going on...of course, my sister's grousing definitely distracted from my own aches and pains. while it took an awful long time, and i walked a good amount of it, i had a definite sense of accomplishment at the end of it all, despite the freezing cold.
and the my sister and i stuffed our faces on mac 'n' cheese and omelettes afterwards...as promised.
today's miles:: 9.3
miles to date:: 9.3
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
no sleep 'til... (part 1)
after the brooklyn 1/2 marathon of course.
so friday night i was a very good girl. i came directly home from work...no "just one" with this friend or that, just a quick stop at paragon for a variety of goos and some more body glide. then straight home for pasta and early to bed. we were meeting at 6:30am to grab a cab down to coney island, where the half marathon was starting. the race would start at 8, which meant i wanted to be done eating by 6, which meant...up at 5:45am. happy saturday!
i ordered pasta in, watched-i-don't-remember-what on tv, and put myself to bed at 10pm. i did not fall asleep right away between the nerves and and that 10 is a good 2 hours or so before i usually go to sleep. luckily for me, the natives (aka my neighbors) were not too restless that night so once i got to sleep, i stayed asleep.
the alarm shouted me awake, and i grouchily rolled out of bed. i toasted a waffle, spilled some peanut butter on it and chugged two pint glasses of water. i met rand, cap and one of his friends on the corner and we easily hailed a cab out to coney.
we got there around 7, a little after, and what i should have done was head right to the ever-growing-porta-potty line. but i didn't. we met up with the rest of the crew and i pinned my number, decided on goos, and found the rookie, who had taken the bus. around 7:25, i headed to the bathroom but the line was ridiculous. it always amazines me - there were thousands of people here, and they had maybe 15 bathrooms. grrr. the lines were imporssible and i made another unwise decision not to wait. i headed back to the bags, stood around trying to keep warm, packed my bag and dropped it off on the school bus.
i decided if i got in line to pee, i would miss the start. so screw it. the course went down and back the boardwalk and i could always pee on the way back. i saw a fellow mentor, and we eventually found two of her friends, who i knew from last season. the music started and soon we took off down the boardwalk - probably the last 1/2 marathon along the dirty, weird coney island we all know and love.
so friday night i was a very good girl. i came directly home from work...no "just one" with this friend or that, just a quick stop at paragon for a variety of goos and some more body glide. then straight home for pasta and early to bed. we were meeting at 6:30am to grab a cab down to coney island, where the half marathon was starting. the race would start at 8, which meant i wanted to be done eating by 6, which meant...up at 5:45am. happy saturday!
i ordered pasta in, watched-i-don't-remember-what on tv, and put myself to bed at 10pm. i did not fall asleep right away between the nerves and and that 10 is a good 2 hours or so before i usually go to sleep. luckily for me, the natives (aka my neighbors) were not too restless that night so once i got to sleep, i stayed asleep.
the alarm shouted me awake, and i grouchily rolled out of bed. i toasted a waffle, spilled some peanut butter on it and chugged two pint glasses of water. i met rand, cap and one of his friends on the corner and we easily hailed a cab out to coney.
we got there around 7, a little after, and what i should have done was head right to the ever-growing-porta-potty line. but i didn't. we met up with the rest of the crew and i pinned my number, decided on goos, and found the rookie, who had taken the bus. around 7:25, i headed to the bathroom but the line was ridiculous. it always amazines me - there were thousands of people here, and they had maybe 15 bathrooms. grrr. the lines were imporssible and i made another unwise decision not to wait. i headed back to the bags, stood around trying to keep warm, packed my bag and dropped it off on the school bus.
i decided if i got in line to pee, i would miss the start. so screw it. the course went down and back the boardwalk and i could always pee on the way back. i saw a fellow mentor, and we eventually found two of her friends, who i knew from last season. the music started and soon we took off down the boardwalk - probably the last 1/2 marathon along the dirty, weird coney island we all know and love.
Monday, April 09, 2007
the bk half
not burger king, silly, brooklyn.
i finally got around to registering for the brooklyn 1/2 marathon today. it's saturday at 8 am (uuuuurg early!). which means getting there at least 45 minutes early, which means leaving probably close to 5:15/5:30 am. GROSS.
it makes me laugh that i am not really nervous about this at all and mention quite matter-of-factly in conversations about what i am doing this weekend that i'm going to run a 1/2 marathon. its kind of fun.
oh and all you brooklynites better come out and cheer!
check out the course
here.
i finally got around to registering for the brooklyn 1/2 marathon today. it's saturday at 8 am (uuuuurg early!). which means getting there at least 45 minutes early, which means leaving probably close to 5:15/5:30 am. GROSS.
it makes me laugh that i am not really nervous about this at all and mention quite matter-of-factly in conversations about what i am doing this weekend that i'm going to run a 1/2 marathon. its kind of fun.
oh and all you brooklynites better come out and cheer!
check out the course
here.
Friday, April 06, 2007
what's under yer kilt?
sorry for the hiatus guys. this week has been a little crazy between some visiting scottish friends and some other general life things.
where were we? i think i left you on saturday after our 10 mile run. saturday night there was an art exibition/party that i went to with some work friends and a pal i hadn't seen in forever! it was fun, and then we went to meet some other gals for a few more drinks. i was trying to behave, because the next morning i was running the scottish run, which is a 10k. at the bar though, i fell victim to an unusually strong margarita, and before i knew it i thought a bacon-wrapped hot dog sounded like a great idea.
not exactly what you'd call good running fuel.
i woke up around 5:30 am and did an emergency water guzzle and went back to bed for a bit. at 8 i got up, ate cereal and basically sat around trying to banish my hangover until the last possible second. the scottish run is one loop around central park and one of the tartan week festivities. a lot of scottish ex-pats come and run in their kilts, and since i was hungover anyway i figured why not don mine (yes, i have a real kilt). i wasn't going to be breaking any records that morning.
i met up with my friend and co-worker and we got a ride with rand up to the park. it was busy. we quickly checked bags and met up with one of tri's friends and squeezed our way into the starting line. despite being tired and less than 100%, the bag pipes and crowd perked me up, and before we knew it, it was time to run.
right after we started, the rookie flew by looking generally unhappy and mumbling something about 4:30 am and too many guiness. ha. i had my ipod on low so i could hear the spectators, and many of the scots that ran by commented on my kilt. around 102, i ran into a girl that ran phoenix with me - yay, running buddy! and about 5 minutes after that, ran into my friend annie from a few jobs ago. our little trio chatted and puffed and complained our way through the last 3/4 miles.
we crossed the finish line and the clock said 1:02 which meant that i had somehow completed the race in less than an hour because by time we had crossed the start line, the clock read over 4 minutes. i literally thought i was going to throw up right there, but after a few deep breaths and a glass of water it passed. i was definitely tired though - running 6 miles after 10 miles is hard work! especially when you've got a 2 pound wool handicap around your waist.
rand found me, we watched the awards, i found my scottish pal col who was pleased to see that i had run in my kilt and invited me to a whisky drinking event later in the week (yes!). back downtown, i checked my time, and found i had been averaging 9:38 minute miles - not freaking bad all things considered!
the rookie and i had brunch at one of my favorite spots, then had a chill sunday watching a movie and generally doing nothing but recovering. the post-running guilt-free laziness is quite divine i must say.
today's mileage: 6.2
season mileage to date: 91.9
where were we? i think i left you on saturday after our 10 mile run. saturday night there was an art exibition/party that i went to with some work friends and a pal i hadn't seen in forever! it was fun, and then we went to meet some other gals for a few more drinks. i was trying to behave, because the next morning i was running the scottish run, which is a 10k. at the bar though, i fell victim to an unusually strong margarita, and before i knew it i thought a bacon-wrapped hot dog sounded like a great idea.
not exactly what you'd call good running fuel.
i woke up around 5:30 am and did an emergency water guzzle and went back to bed for a bit. at 8 i got up, ate cereal and basically sat around trying to banish my hangover until the last possible second. the scottish run is one loop around central park and one of the tartan week festivities. a lot of scottish ex-pats come and run in their kilts, and since i was hungover anyway i figured why not don mine (yes, i have a real kilt). i wasn't going to be breaking any records that morning.
i met up with my friend and co-worker and we got a ride with rand up to the park. it was busy. we quickly checked bags and met up with one of tri's friends and squeezed our way into the starting line. despite being tired and less than 100%, the bag pipes and crowd perked me up, and before we knew it, it was time to run.
right after we started, the rookie flew by looking generally unhappy and mumbling something about 4:30 am and too many guiness. ha. i had my ipod on low so i could hear the spectators, and many of the scots that ran by commented on my kilt. around 102, i ran into a girl that ran phoenix with me - yay, running buddy! and about 5 minutes after that, ran into my friend annie from a few jobs ago. our little trio chatted and puffed and complained our way through the last 3/4 miles.
we crossed the finish line and the clock said 1:02 which meant that i had somehow completed the race in less than an hour because by time we had crossed the start line, the clock read over 4 minutes. i literally thought i was going to throw up right there, but after a few deep breaths and a glass of water it passed. i was definitely tired though - running 6 miles after 10 miles is hard work! especially when you've got a 2 pound wool handicap around your waist.
rand found me, we watched the awards, i found my scottish pal col who was pleased to see that i had run in my kilt and invited me to a whisky drinking event later in the week (yes!). back downtown, i checked my time, and found i had been averaging 9:38 minute miles - not freaking bad all things considered!
the rookie and i had brunch at one of my favorite spots, then had a chill sunday watching a movie and generally doing nothing but recovering. the post-running guilt-free laziness is quite divine i must say.
today's mileage: 6.2
season mileage to date: 91.9
Sunday, February 25, 2007
not just running, but racing
yesterday's practice was to go out and run the al gordon 4-mile in central park. the night before, i didn't exactly behave (as ramon would say). i intended to behave, but as sometimes happens, one whisky to kick the cold turned into a few whisky's and a burger. i'm going to blame the bartender who liked us and wanted to buy a round or two. how can you say no?
but i was still in bed by 10:30 pm which was good because we were leaving at 7:15. the sleep and a few middle of the night chugs of water saved me from a bad hangover, but between that and the cold, i wasn't exactly 100%. the boys' race was at 8, the girls' at 9 so i didn't really have to be there until 8:15 but, one of the mentors has a car and has been spoiling us with rides. i opted to go early and get the ride, which, in retrospect, was dumb because it was soooooo cold, but ah well.
when i got up at 6:45 it sounded cold. the wind was rattling the windows, and i was horrified to find that it was 21 degrees out. ug. i got all bundled like a little kid who gets all puffed up to go play in the snow. and headed out to meet the boys. we had quite a crew. (i'm still working on the nicknames so if you're reading this and you don't like yours, don't panic, they have a way of evolving) taurus (referensing the car, not horoscope) was driving, cap was riding shot gun, and in the back was me, the rookie and his roommate T.
for 7:15 we were all pretty awake. taurus dropped us off at 96th and 5th and we headed into the part to meet the rest of the tnt crew near the bag check. there were probably 10 or 12 guys, which apparently is a bit of a record for the marathon crew. ladies, you can thank me for continuing to try to recruit boys. we found ramon who gave me a hug and asked if i had decided to run with the mens. har har. he and the rookie started chatting in the ole espanol (the rookie is not yet convinced) and from what i could pick out from my rudementary spanish, ramon was combating the rookie's thinking that he wouldn't be ready for june.
the boys headed over to the start about 5 to 8. the object of the game when it's cold is to stay as warm as possible for as long as possible. this is why it is not a good idea to stand outside for oh, about and hour and a half before one's own race, but i'll stop complaining about that now. anyway, we saw the boys off, and i hung out with the coaches until the gals started showing up. poor sk8 went to our usual meeting space by accident and so had to hoof the extra 20+ blocks up to the meeting spot. the boys started trickling back in from their races and finally it was time to line up.
i was so cold. so freaking cold. when we started, i literally could not feel my toes. they were all numb. and the wind was kickin'...i wondered how long i had to be out there to get frostbite on my nose. wah wah wah.
i had gotten in line between the 8 and 9 minute miles. all i was hoping for is to finish around a 10 minute mile, which would be much faster than any other race i had run. i had previously had some good shorter runs last season at about that pace but i didn't know how the month off had treated me. to the relief of my toes we finally started.
mile 1 - moo
the first mile always sucks. it's so crowded. everyone's anxious to get out of the gate. there are people (like me) who start around a faster pace than they really will be running. there are walkers that start at the front that you need to manuver around. people just cut you off without looking. one particularly agressive walking woman actually elbowed me in the ribs. ow. my goal for the first mile is to not get swept up by the crowd, run my own pace, and to not step on nor be stepped on. got to the 1 mile and i was running around a 9:36. holy crap. i decided to try to keep it up.
mile 2 - feeling strong
as far as race strategy this mile and the 4th should have been my fastest. by that point you're warmed up (i started feeling my toes) and the crowd thins out. this is the hilly-ish west side though and so i focused on not expending extra energy up the hills but keeping my effort steady. i was definitely breathing hard, but not uncomfortably so. for the first time, i realized i was not just running or jogging a race, but rather racing it. how about that. we saw a group of tnt coaches and boys, and this of course put the dorkly "i'm-a-runner" smile on my face.
mile 3 - i hate cat hill
as we crossed the 72nd street transverse, my breathing got bad. for the first time ever, i felt like i couldn't catch a deep breath, like someone was sitting on my chest (as sk8 said after - maybe it was jack daniels?) i slowed down a bit, but stubbornnes took over because i really wanted to keep on pace. and then there it was. cat hill. i don't know what it is about this hill, but i really really despise it. it's not very steep, and it's not too long but it pains me. pains me!! i approached it like a good girl, smaller, quicker strides & arm movements and it was over in due course, but then when i got over it...
mile 4 - side stitch?
i had a side stich. now, i've had those cramps before, but usually lower. this one was in my ribs, and it hurt. ~grimmace~ i told myself i only had a mile just and to suck it up. that was probably my slowest and most painful. but at 90th st, i caught a glimps of newbie and t waiting to cheer me on. i waved because i didn't have the breath to shout, and t saw me and elbowed the rookie who hollered "yeaaaah g-rocks!" or something to that effect. only 9 blocks to go. tnt folks on the right...big dorky grin back on my face...wave, smile, cheer, cap yell "finish strong!" there's the finish line! can't help but pick up the pace and holy...the clock says 38! yeaaaaah.
so my official time was 37:47 which is a 9:26 average mile. CRAZY. i was telling coach steve and he's like is that a pr? (pr=personal record) and yes it is. now, i know that's 4 miles and not 26.2 but that gives me a little bit of confidence going in to the season - i really want to break 4:30 for san diego, and if i can keep improving...that looks to be possible!
yesterday's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 19.0
but i was still in bed by 10:30 pm which was good because we were leaving at 7:15. the sleep and a few middle of the night chugs of water saved me from a bad hangover, but between that and the cold, i wasn't exactly 100%. the boys' race was at 8, the girls' at 9 so i didn't really have to be there until 8:15 but, one of the mentors has a car and has been spoiling us with rides. i opted to go early and get the ride, which, in retrospect, was dumb because it was soooooo cold, but ah well.
when i got up at 6:45 it sounded cold. the wind was rattling the windows, and i was horrified to find that it was 21 degrees out. ug. i got all bundled like a little kid who gets all puffed up to go play in the snow. and headed out to meet the boys. we had quite a crew. (i'm still working on the nicknames so if you're reading this and you don't like yours, don't panic, they have a way of evolving) taurus (referensing the car, not horoscope) was driving, cap was riding shot gun, and in the back was me, the rookie and his roommate T.
for 7:15 we were all pretty awake. taurus dropped us off at 96th and 5th and we headed into the part to meet the rest of the tnt crew near the bag check. there were probably 10 or 12 guys, which apparently is a bit of a record for the marathon crew. ladies, you can thank me for continuing to try to recruit boys. we found ramon who gave me a hug and asked if i had decided to run with the mens. har har. he and the rookie started chatting in the ole espanol (the rookie is not yet convinced) and from what i could pick out from my rudementary spanish, ramon was combating the rookie's thinking that he wouldn't be ready for june.
the boys headed over to the start about 5 to 8. the object of the game when it's cold is to stay as warm as possible for as long as possible. this is why it is not a good idea to stand outside for oh, about and hour and a half before one's own race, but i'll stop complaining about that now. anyway, we saw the boys off, and i hung out with the coaches until the gals started showing up. poor sk8 went to our usual meeting space by accident and so had to hoof the extra 20+ blocks up to the meeting spot. the boys started trickling back in from their races and finally it was time to line up.
i was so cold. so freaking cold. when we started, i literally could not feel my toes. they were all numb. and the wind was kickin'...i wondered how long i had to be out there to get frostbite on my nose. wah wah wah.
i had gotten in line between the 8 and 9 minute miles. all i was hoping for is to finish around a 10 minute mile, which would be much faster than any other race i had run. i had previously had some good shorter runs last season at about that pace but i didn't know how the month off had treated me. to the relief of my toes we finally started.
mile 1 - moo
the first mile always sucks. it's so crowded. everyone's anxious to get out of the gate. there are people (like me) who start around a faster pace than they really will be running. there are walkers that start at the front that you need to manuver around. people just cut you off without looking. one particularly agressive walking woman actually elbowed me in the ribs. ow. my goal for the first mile is to not get swept up by the crowd, run my own pace, and to not step on nor be stepped on. got to the 1 mile and i was running around a 9:36. holy crap. i decided to try to keep it up.
mile 2 - feeling strong
as far as race strategy this mile and the 4th should have been my fastest. by that point you're warmed up (i started feeling my toes) and the crowd thins out. this is the hilly-ish west side though and so i focused on not expending extra energy up the hills but keeping my effort steady. i was definitely breathing hard, but not uncomfortably so. for the first time, i realized i was not just running or jogging a race, but rather racing it. how about that. we saw a group of tnt coaches and boys, and this of course put the dorkly "i'm-a-runner" smile on my face.
mile 3 - i hate cat hill
as we crossed the 72nd street transverse, my breathing got bad. for the first time ever, i felt like i couldn't catch a deep breath, like someone was sitting on my chest (as sk8 said after - maybe it was jack daniels?) i slowed down a bit, but stubbornnes took over because i really wanted to keep on pace. and then there it was. cat hill. i don't know what it is about this hill, but i really really despise it. it's not very steep, and it's not too long but it pains me. pains me!! i approached it like a good girl, smaller, quicker strides & arm movements and it was over in due course, but then when i got over it...
mile 4 - side stitch?
i had a side stich. now, i've had those cramps before, but usually lower. this one was in my ribs, and it hurt. ~grimmace~ i told myself i only had a mile just and to suck it up. that was probably my slowest and most painful. but at 90th st, i caught a glimps of newbie and t waiting to cheer me on. i waved because i didn't have the breath to shout, and t saw me and elbowed the rookie who hollered "yeaaaah g-rocks!" or something to that effect. only 9 blocks to go. tnt folks on the right...big dorky grin back on my face...wave, smile, cheer, cap yell "finish strong!" there's the finish line! can't help but pick up the pace and holy...the clock says 38! yeaaaaah.
so my official time was 37:47 which is a 9:26 average mile. CRAZY. i was telling coach steve and he's like is that a pr? (pr=personal record) and yes it is. now, i know that's 4 miles and not 26.2 but that gives me a little bit of confidence going in to the season - i really want to break 4:30 for san diego, and if i can keep improving...that looks to be possible!
yesterday's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 19.0
Sunday, October 15, 2006
oof - a long one!
perhaps an understatement, but that's kind of how i feel about those 13.1 miles i just ran. but i also feel like *&%^%#$^%(*^*I*(^*&^%&$^&%$^&%$!!!!!
it took me (by my time, which accounts for the 1 pee-break) 2 hours and 36 minutes, which is just shy of a 12-minute mile, which is pretty much where i expected to be, and i'm pretty happy!
i opted out of a party last night that i just couldn't bring myself to go to because i was so damn stressed and wanted to get to bed early. of course, life never cooperates, and i couldn't really sleep for various reasons (parties, yelling outside of my window, general nerves). got up at 6. made oatmeal, got dressed, packed a bag, called handsome. he was at his gf's around the corner so i picked him up and suggested we get a cab to the 7:30 ferry.
it was *freezing* and i was glad that i opted for the long sleeved shirt. we sleepily made it out to the island and headed over to the stadium, where everything was taking place. i had already picked up my registration stuff, so we basically tried to keep warm and kept drinking gatorade and peeing. the idea is to stop drinking an hour or so before you run, then pee 10 minutes before you start - that's when you start hydrating again. if you master hydration strategy, you can make it through a marathon without standing in the portapotty line. (as gross as all portapotties are, runners' portapotties are grosser than others. trust me.)
we met up with the other tnters and tried to keep warm. i packed up the camera & goo's into my pack, got my ipod all situated and ready to go and before you know it we were being asked to line up. we were in the corral for about 15 mintues before we finally started, and we were off.
handsome's faster than i am so i wished him well and pressed *play* on the ole ipod. i spent an hour or so last night picking tunes and configuring them to coinside with how i thought i'd be feeling at various points in the run. the kick off was "body movin'", by the beasties. appropriate, no?
mile 1 was nice and easy, everyone just kind of getting out there, and it's my favorite people watching mile. a speed-walker blew by me, his bum shaking left and right within 5 minutes. "larry the lighthouse" was there - some guy who ran the whole race with a 5-6' lighthouse over his body. girls like me, looking nervous, hanging back. older (like early 60's older) runners who's bodies you could tell had seen lots of miles.
by mile 2, i could no longer ignore the fact that i had to pee again, and unfortunately there was a line of women at the 2 portapotties. my left calf pain was back, so i figured what the hell, got in line and stretched while some of the girls in line grumbled about how long it was taking. after that i felt 10 times better and i was off again.
i always hate between mile 1 and mile 3. they are the roughest for me, getting all the kinks out and it is when all the self-doubt is at it's worst. between mile 2 and 3, the voice in my head goes something like: oh god, 10 more? 10 like last weekend 10 more! who am i KIDDING there's no way! ug. get moving girl, or you're gonna be running forever. nice work going on *vacation* when you should have been running! now look what you've gotten yourself into!
then somehow, my legs loosen up, a good song comes on, and the voices quiet down for a bit. miles 4-5 were a tiny bit hilly, but manageable, and around mile 5 i had been running for about an hour (right on track) and it was time for my first goo. i decided to wait until the next water station. by the way, grabbing and drinking cups of water as you run. not as easy as it looks. i think the first cup at mile 2 ended up more on my shirt than on me. anyway. vanilla bean goo and water. tasty. the goo kind of caught in my throat, and it caused the bit of water that i was trying to drink not spill to go down the wrong tube. i must have been a sight - running, coughing and spilling with a post-goo-i-don't-like-this-stuff-face on.
but man! do those things work! within a few minutes i was like a new person! my legs were on auto, there were great tunes on, it was kind of flat and it was a fantastic fall day! i love running! this is amazing! what was i complaining about! hey, there's handsome! (there was a turn around and he was coming the other way, so we yelped and pointed at each other like - YEAH, you da man!) wheeeeeeeeeeeee! did i mention those goos have caffeine.
so mile 5 - 9 were my best. a few were even in the 10-minute mile range. there was a longer hill around mile 8, which i attacked with short, swift arm movements (which, you'll remember results in short, swift strides, closer to the ground), as training taught us. that stuff works too - the hill was totally manageable even though it was a little long. mile nine was relatively easy as well. i was surprised though that there was so few spectators out and about. i guess it could have been because we were in the back, but there were few people out and those that were seemed disinterested in what was going on. it was okay cause i had my tunes. around mile 9 i mug for some photographers - de la soul on the mic "jenifa oh jenny".
the last 3 miles...wow. hard! i kept thinking just 3 more, that's nothing, but it was still 36 minutes (if i was keeping pace) and that felt like a really long time to my legs. the water station at mile 10 was closed, which is just silly because those of us that were slower probably need the water even more! around mile 11, i contemplated walking. and then i felt lame. and my legs hurt. and i was so close. but i did not want to keep going. i sighed in frustration and from somewhere a moment of clarity came through and i remembered why i was doing this in the first place. it's not because i have aspirations of becoming a great runner, have any chance of "winning" or something to prove to myself. i was doing this for steve, our bouv, for all that he went through. for how i missed him, and how i wished i had spent more time with him. for his mom and dad, and for his wife and for all of us that knew him and loved him. i got teary for a few minutes as i got another wind and pressed on.
2 miles, a little bit up hill. run run run, u2 on the ipod, where the streets have no name, i am so close. water station at mile 2 closed. argh. go go go. approaching one mile...a water station that's open - "you're almost there! you're doing great! you're beautiful!" ha. a girl peers at me as i go up the hill...my sis! "roxie! how *are* you! are you okay!" yes...only 1 mile left. she jogs along beside me for a few moments. "you're doing great!" thanks! "see you at the finish!" 1 mile 1 mile 1 mile. mostly downhill. go go go. people leaving the stadium in their cars...beeping...a few cheers and thumbs up - *Thank you* - the cops tell us to move left and utilize the sidewalk. no way dudes. i pretend i can't hear with the head phones and finally...13 miles! i kick it, and can see handsome grinning and waving, another burst of speed, can't say where it came from and there's the whole team on the left, cheering like crazy. the tears threaten again, but there's no time for crying so i grin and go faster and i've made it before they stop time and!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm done.
like i said. oof.
i'm terribly proud. course...when i think of running twice that...well. look how far i've come in 2 months...and i still have 3 to go! thanks everyone for being so supportive, and especially for my sister for cheering me on and handsome for coming out today! even though we don't run together, it's always great to know you're there.
today's mileage: 13.1
total mileage: 124.1
it took me (by my time, which accounts for the 1 pee-break) 2 hours and 36 minutes, which is just shy of a 12-minute mile, which is pretty much where i expected to be, and i'm pretty happy!
i opted out of a party last night that i just couldn't bring myself to go to because i was so damn stressed and wanted to get to bed early. of course, life never cooperates, and i couldn't really sleep for various reasons (parties, yelling outside of my window, general nerves). got up at 6. made oatmeal, got dressed, packed a bag, called handsome. he was at his gf's around the corner so i picked him up and suggested we get a cab to the 7:30 ferry.
it was *freezing* and i was glad that i opted for the long sleeved shirt. we sleepily made it out to the island and headed over to the stadium, where everything was taking place. i had already picked up my registration stuff, so we basically tried to keep warm and kept drinking gatorade and peeing. the idea is to stop drinking an hour or so before you run, then pee 10 minutes before you start - that's when you start hydrating again. if you master hydration strategy, you can make it through a marathon without standing in the portapotty line. (as gross as all portapotties are, runners' portapotties are grosser than others. trust me.)
we met up with the other tnters and tried to keep warm. i packed up the camera & goo's into my pack, got my ipod all situated and ready to go and before you know it we were being asked to line up. we were in the corral for about 15 mintues before we finally started, and we were off.
handsome's faster than i am so i wished him well and pressed *play* on the ole ipod. i spent an hour or so last night picking tunes and configuring them to coinside with how i thought i'd be feeling at various points in the run. the kick off was "body movin'", by the beasties. appropriate, no?
mile 1 was nice and easy, everyone just kind of getting out there, and it's my favorite people watching mile. a speed-walker blew by me, his bum shaking left and right within 5 minutes. "larry the lighthouse" was there - some guy who ran the whole race with a 5-6' lighthouse over his body. girls like me, looking nervous, hanging back. older (like early 60's older) runners who's bodies you could tell had seen lots of miles.
by mile 2, i could no longer ignore the fact that i had to pee again, and unfortunately there was a line of women at the 2 portapotties. my left calf pain was back, so i figured what the hell, got in line and stretched while some of the girls in line grumbled about how long it was taking. after that i felt 10 times better and i was off again.
i always hate between mile 1 and mile 3. they are the roughest for me, getting all the kinks out and it is when all the self-doubt is at it's worst. between mile 2 and 3, the voice in my head goes something like: oh god, 10 more? 10 like last weekend 10 more! who am i KIDDING there's no
then somehow, my legs loosen up, a good song comes on, and the voices quiet down for a bit. miles 4-5 were a tiny bit hilly, but manageable, and around mile 5 i had been running for about an hour (right on track) and it was time for my first goo. i decided to wait until the next water station. by the way, grabbing and drinking cups of water as you run. not as easy as it looks. i think the first cup at mile 2 ended up more on my shirt than on me. anyway. vanilla bean goo and water. tasty. the goo kind of caught in my throat, and it caused the bit of water that i was trying to drink not spill to go down the wrong tube. i must have been a sight - running, coughing and spilling with a post-goo-i-don't-like-this-stuff-face on.
but man! do those things work! within a few minutes i was like a new person! my legs were on auto, there were great tunes on, it was kind of flat and it was a fantastic fall day! i love running! this is amazing! what was i complaining about! hey, there's handsome! (there was a turn around and he was coming the other way, so we yelped and pointed at each other like - YEAH, you da man!) wheeeeeeeeeeeee! did i mention those goos have caffeine.
so mile 5 - 9 were my best. a few were even in the 10-minute mile range. there was a longer hill around mile 8, which i attacked with short, swift arm movements (which, you'll remember results in short, swift strides, closer to the ground), as training taught us. that stuff works too - the hill was totally manageable even though it was a little long. mile nine was relatively easy as well. i was surprised though that there was so few spectators out and about. i guess it could have been because we were in the back, but there were few people out and those that were seemed disinterested in what was going on. it was okay cause i had my tunes. around mile 9 i mug for some photographers - de la soul on the mic "jenifa oh jenny".
the last 3 miles...wow. hard! i kept thinking just 3 more, that's nothing, but it was still 36 minutes (if i was keeping pace) and that felt like a really long time to my legs. the water station at mile 10 was closed, which is just silly because those of us that were slower probably need the water even more! around mile 11, i contemplated walking. and then i felt lame. and my legs hurt. and i was so close. but i did not want to keep going. i sighed in frustration and from somewhere a moment of clarity came through and i remembered why i was doing this in the first place. it's not because i have aspirations of becoming a great runner, have any chance of "winning" or something to prove to myself. i was doing this for steve, our bouv, for all that he went through. for how i missed him, and how i wished i had spent more time with him. for his mom and dad, and for his wife and for all of us that knew him and loved him. i got teary for a few minutes as i got another wind and pressed on.
2 miles, a little bit up hill. run run run, u2 on the ipod, where the streets have no name, i am so close. water station at mile 2 closed. argh. go go go. approaching one mile...a water station that's open - "you're almost there! you're doing great! you're beautiful!" ha. a girl peers at me as i go up the hill...my sis! "roxie! how *are* you! are you okay!" yes...only 1 mile left. she jogs along beside me for a few moments. "you're doing great!" thanks! "see you at the finish!" 1 mile 1 mile 1 mile. mostly downhill. go go go. people leaving the stadium in their cars...beeping...a few cheers and thumbs up - *Thank you* - the cops tell us to move left and utilize the sidewalk. no way dudes. i pretend i can't hear with the head phones and finally...13 miles! i kick it, and can see handsome grinning and waving, another burst of speed, can't say where it came from and there's the whole team on the left, cheering like crazy. the tears threaten again, but there's no time for crying so i grin and go faster and i've made it before they stop time and!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm done.
like i said. oof.
i'm terribly proud. course...when i think of running twice that...well. look how far i've come in 2 months...and i still have 3 to go! thanks everyone for being so supportive, and especially for my sister for cheering me on and handsome for coming out today! even though we don't run together, it's always great to know you're there.
today's mileage: 13.1
total mileage: 124.1
Saturday, October 14, 2006
purchasing confidence
what better way to make yourself feel better about something like this than to buy new equipment! check it out.
the photographer in me won out over the fanny-pack-hater. more as practice for the real marathon than needing to take pictures tomorrow. i suspect tomorrow i'm just going to want to get it over and done with and staten island isn't so picturesque anyway. but! our coaches keep telling us "NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY" so i needed to practice with the damn thing now. hopefully the goos i bought won't explode on my camera.
i've decided on oatmeal for breakfast, with a banana. we'll see how that treats me, it seems like it will be least likely to induce heartburn, but i'm going to go buy some tums just in case. my sis is coming out for pasta with me in a little bit, and then i'm going to soberly attend a good friend's b-day, then i need to get in bed early. i can't decide if i should get on the 7:30 or the 8:30 ferry, but regardless i have to be finished with breakfast by 7:30. then there's the hydration strategy, do i ride my bike down there, what flavor goo should i eat first? so much to think about.
i don't often get freaked out, it's a very rare occurrence for my normally calm and collected self. so be patient, i'll stop being a spaz eventually.
oh, ferry's run every hour on the 1/2 hour if anyone is entertaining the notion of coming over. i think i probably won't get started until 9:45 or so (being at the back) and hopefully will be about 2.5 hours...so i should arrive at the finish around 12:15. wish me luck!
the photographer in me won out over the fanny-pack-hater. more as practice for the real marathon than needing to take pictures tomorrow. i suspect tomorrow i'm just going to want to get it over and done with and staten island isn't so picturesque anyway. but! our coaches keep telling us "NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY" so i needed to practice with the damn thing now. hopefully the goos i bought won't explode on my camera.
i've decided on oatmeal for breakfast, with a banana. we'll see how that treats me, it seems like it will be least likely to induce heartburn, but i'm going to go buy some tums just in case. my sis is coming out for pasta with me in a little bit, and then i'm going to soberly attend a good friend's b-day, then i need to get in bed early. i can't decide if i should get on the 7:30 or the 8:30 ferry, but regardless i have to be finished with breakfast by 7:30. then there's the hydration strategy, do i ride my bike down there, what flavor goo should i eat first? so much to think about.
i don't often get freaked out, it's a very rare occurrence for my normally calm and collected self. so be patient, i'll stop being a spaz eventually.
oh, ferry's run every hour on the 1/2 hour if anyone is entertaining the notion of coming over. i think i probably won't get started until 9:45 or so (being at the back) and hopefully will be about 2.5 hours...so i should arrive at the finish around 12:15. wish me luck!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
talking back
unlike when we were little (or i should say younger. some of us are still little talk-backers), talking back is no longer a bad things.
and i've been meaning to encourage you guys to let me know what you think of all this via blogger's lovely commenting system.
you don't have to, i'm just sayin' that your thoughts are totally welcome. if there are questions you have about my training, things you want to know more about, your reactions, etc., i'm interested in what you think. talking is important, you know?
that's all on that front. no pressure but i did want to let you know my door is open.
okay SO we just got ramon's e-mail about the 1/2 marathon, and i confess i am SCARED. NERVOUS. and a little nauseous. 13.1 miles! am i ready? i don't feel ready. damn it, i'm going to do my best but...eeeeek. here's a not-so-little exerpt.
HOW TO PREPARE/TAPER FOR THIS EVENT ?
-Today don't run at all, stretch,
-Friday go for a 2-3 miles easy run.
-Saturday either take off, or run 1-2 miles easy
-Starting today concentrate in nutrition and hydration. Drink plenty of liquid, you can add a sports drink per day, or add a little extra salt to your meals. Starting today 60-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. You don't need to eat more, just make sure most calories come from carbs.
-Sunday morning you should be done with breakfast by 7:30-45 am (at most you can havesomething light at 7:30 am). Continue to hydrate up to 8:00 am. After that make sure you get raid of the excess of fluids (aka go to the bathroom). 5-10 mins before the start have your last 6-8 oz of liquids.
HOW TO APPROACH THIS EVENT ??
Well, well, well !
This is a pretty important event specially for those that are shooting for a time in their marathon.The course is mostly flat, a bit of incline eary on, and a decent hill about mile 10, but nothing you should be afraid of, you are all uphill running machines by now, right ??.
First thing I want you to keep in mind is that we are not using this race to run our fastest half marathon ever at any cost, not at all! While most of you will run your fastest marathon (for most of you, it'll be your first half marathon, YEPPIII !!!) The goal of this event should be to race it SMARTLY !! It's better to finish the event knowing that you could have run faster, than Bonking at mile 8 or 9.
The event is going to be crowded, and the start is a little narrow, if you are racing and are planning on running under 7 minute mile place yourself in the front 10 rows, if you are planning on running around 8:00 per mile or slower start close to the Pace per mile marker (those blue signs on the side at the starting line) 1 minutes faster (eg..if you are planning running 10 mpm, start closer to the 9)
Keep in mind that over 85% of the people will start a little too fast, use the first 2-3 miles to get a feeling on how your body is feeling on that day and to get your pace as close as you can to what you are supposed to run. During the first 6 miles you should feel like you are holding back, if you don't I can guarantee you that you will probably slow down a bit in the later miles. Since the early miles are flat, it should be pretty easy to pace yourself properly, once you hit your pace just concentrate in keeping the same effort by focusing on your breathing. At mile 6-7 take a look at yourself, and if you are feeling good pick it up a bit, (about 10 seconds per mile), hold that pace up to mile 10, once you get there you can star racing by how you feel, if you are feeling good, go for it, If you are feeling like you are getting in trouble, you may want to hold back a bit or continue with the same effort. Once you get to `the hill' hold back, don't push the hill even if you are feeling good, wait until you get to the top, there is a good time/spot to make a move. From there you can go by how you feel. You feel good, go for it,You feel ok, maintain the effort, you feel awful, hold back !! simple !!!
simple. right. of course.~sigh~
and i've been meaning to encourage you guys to let me know what you think of all this via blogger's lovely commenting system.
you don't have to, i'm just sayin' that your thoughts are totally welcome. if there are questions you have about my training, things you want to know more about, your reactions, etc., i'm interested in what you think. talking is important, you know?
that's all on that front. no pressure but i did want to let you know my door is open.
okay SO we just got ramon's e-mail about the 1/2 marathon, and i confess i am SCARED. NERVOUS. and a little nauseous. 13.1 miles! am i ready? i don't feel ready. damn it, i'm going to do my best but...eeeeek. here's a not-so-little exerpt.
HOW TO PREPARE/TAPER FOR THIS EVENT ?
-Today don't run at all, stretch,
-Friday go for a 2-3 miles easy run.
-Saturday either take off, or run 1-2 miles easy
-Starting today concentrate in nutrition and hydration. Drink plenty of liquid, you can add a sports drink per day, or add a little extra salt to your meals. Starting today 60-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. You don't need to eat more, just make sure most calories come from carbs.
-Sunday morning you should be done with breakfast by 7:30-45 am (at most you can havesomething light at 7:30 am). Continue to hydrate up to 8:00 am. After that make sure you get raid of the excess of fluids (aka go to the bathroom). 5-10 mins before the start have your last 6-8 oz of liquids.
HOW TO APPROACH THIS EVENT ??
Well, well, well !
This is a pretty important event specially for those that are shooting for a time in their marathon.The course is mostly flat, a bit of incline eary on, and a decent hill about mile 10, but nothing you should be afraid of, you are all uphill running machines by now, right ??.
First thing I want you to keep in mind is that we are not using this race to run our fastest half marathon ever at any cost, not at all! While most of you will run your fastest marathon (for most of you, it'll be your first half marathon, YEPPIII !!!) The goal of this event should be to race it SMARTLY !! It's better to finish the event knowing that you could have run faster, than Bonking at mile 8 or 9.
The event is going to be crowded, and the start is a little narrow, if you are racing and are planning on running under 7 minute mile place yourself in the front 10 rows, if you are planning on running around 8:00 per mile or slower start close to the Pace per mile marker (those blue signs on the side at the starting line) 1 minutes faster (eg..if you are planning running 10 mpm, start closer to the 9)
Keep in mind that over 85% of the people will start a little too fast, use the first 2-3 miles to get a feeling on how your body is feeling on that day and to get your pace as close as you can to what you are supposed to run. During the first 6 miles you should feel like you are holding back, if you don't I can guarantee you that you will probably slow down a bit in the later miles. Since the early miles are flat, it should be pretty easy to pace yourself properly, once you hit your pace just concentrate in keeping the same effort by focusing on your breathing. At mile 6-7 take a look at yourself, and if you are feeling good pick it up a bit, (about 10 seconds per mile), hold that pace up to mile 10, once you get there you can star racing by how you feel, if you are feeling good, go for it, If you are feeling like you are getting in trouble, you may want to hold back a bit or continue with the same effort. Once you get to `the hill' hold back, don't push the hill even if you are feeling good, wait until you get to the top, there is a good time/spot to make a move. From there you can go by how you feel. You feel good, go for it,You feel ok, maintain the effort, you feel awful, hold back !! simple !!!
simple. right. of course.~sigh~
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