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 solo run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solo run. Show all posts
Monday, March 01, 2010
Saturday, August 08, 2009
hills in jersey make you fast in brooklyn
today the team was kicking off summer streets in the city, but after a bunch of debate i just couldn't bring myself to get up to run with them.
partially, i was just feeling lazy about meeting up with the team...at 7am...in the city. but then friday during the day i felt progressively more sickish. i say sickish because i wasn't all out sniffly or feverish - more so just felt something coming on. i also didn't really want to deal with all the other people/bikes/tourists that would be out for city streets so i made the decision to run in brooklyn, maybe just in the park or some combination of park + run to coney island.
the prerun morning didn't go great. first i had trouble sleeping the night before. then when i got up to choke down my oatmeal at 6:30, i couldn't find the honey, which made the oatmeal experience even more difficult than it usually is. then, i intended to get up at 8 and be out by 8:30. instead i didn't drag myself out of bed until almost 8:30, and for whatever reason the process of getting ready took. me. for. ever. i needed to clean my water bottles. where did i put those new gels. where's my body glide? maybe i should use the ipod...where is it? i don't have any sporty sunscreen, i guess i'll use the neutrogena. etc. etc. etc.
i didn't get out of the house until close to 9:30. luckily for me it was a gorgeous morning so i wasn't going to fry on account of my slowness.
since i really wasn't feeling well i decided for miles in the park - that way if i needed to bail, it would be way easier than trying to do so 1/2 way to coney island. i was extra thankful i had the music to accompany me given the boring nature of the route - not as boring as coney island where the road stretches endlessly in front of you - but still boring for its familiarity. i haven't run with music all season mostly because at practice you're not allowed, and i can't find my little one, and...on some level i do look at it as a bit of a crutch. i guess i think that if you can do those insane miles with no music - then you can use music as a crazy secret weapon when you really really need it.
well, i was feeling needy yesterday so i ran with music the whole time and it was goooood. i was like an addict coming back for a fix and since i hadn't gotten my shit together to make a nice long playlist, was left fussing with the ipod anytime an album would stop because then i HAD to have the music.
i ran a variety of loop combos, ending with a reverse of the shorter run i sometimes run in the morning, which meant i went down the big hill and that was actually killer. when i looked at my watch, i was surprised to find that in just a bit more than the time i usually run in jersey...i ran an extra 2 miles. i would like to think that this says something about how i'm getting faster, but really - it just shows you how damn hilly jersey is. but i was pretty fast - 10.75 minute miles.
if i can maintain that speed for the marathon (not sure that this is possible quite yet), that would be a 281m marathon which is...4 hours and 41 minutes. actually, that's only a 9 minute gain on paris...where i feel like i started waaaaay too fast and was not nearly as well trained. so that should be doable.
i ended my run more sore than i've been in a while, but happy with the run. maybe i'll summer-street it next weekend.
today's mileage: 13.3
time run: 2h23m
season mileage to date: 180.1
partially, i was just feeling lazy about meeting up with the team...at 7am...in the city. but then friday during the day i felt progressively more sickish. i say sickish because i wasn't all out sniffly or feverish - more so just felt something coming on. i also didn't really want to deal with all the other people/bikes/tourists that would be out for city streets so i made the decision to run in brooklyn, maybe just in the park or some combination of park + run to coney island.
the prerun morning didn't go great. first i had trouble sleeping the night before. then when i got up to choke down my oatmeal at 6:30, i couldn't find the honey, which made the oatmeal experience even more difficult than it usually is. then, i intended to get up at 8 and be out by 8:30. instead i didn't drag myself out of bed until almost 8:30, and for whatever reason the process of getting ready took. me. for. ever. i needed to clean my water bottles. where did i put those new gels. where's my body glide? maybe i should use the ipod...where is it? i don't have any sporty sunscreen, i guess i'll use the neutrogena. etc. etc. etc.
i didn't get out of the house until close to 9:30. luckily for me it was a gorgeous morning so i wasn't going to fry on account of my slowness.
since i really wasn't feeling well i decided for miles in the park - that way if i needed to bail, it would be way easier than trying to do so 1/2 way to coney island. i was extra thankful i had the music to accompany me given the boring nature of the route - not as boring as coney island where the road stretches endlessly in front of you - but still boring for its familiarity. i haven't run with music all season mostly because at practice you're not allowed, and i can't find my little one, and...on some level i do look at it as a bit of a crutch. i guess i think that if you can do those insane miles with no music - then you can use music as a crazy secret weapon when you really really need it.
well, i was feeling needy yesterday so i ran with music the whole time and it was goooood. i was like an addict coming back for a fix and since i hadn't gotten my shit together to make a nice long playlist, was left fussing with the ipod anytime an album would stop because then i HAD to have the music.
i ran a variety of loop combos, ending with a reverse of the shorter run i sometimes run in the morning, which meant i went down the big hill and that was actually killer. when i looked at my watch, i was surprised to find that in just a bit more than the time i usually run in jersey...i ran an extra 2 miles. i would like to think that this says something about how i'm getting faster, but really - it just shows you how damn hilly jersey is. but i was pretty fast - 10.75 minute miles.
if i can maintain that speed for the marathon (not sure that this is possible quite yet), that would be a 281m marathon which is...4 hours and 41 minutes. actually, that's only a 9 minute gain on paris...where i feel like i started waaaaay too fast and was not nearly as well trained. so that should be doable.
i ended my run more sore than i've been in a while, but happy with the run. maybe i'll summer-street it next weekend.
today's mileage: 13.3
time run: 2h23m
season mileage to date: 180.1
Thursday, August 06, 2009
just more miles
it was an uneventful morning run. so uneventful that i'm not really going to talk about it but rather just use this post to keep track of the mileage.
=)
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: 39m
season mileage to date: 166.8
=)
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: 39m
season mileage to date: 166.8
Saturday, August 01, 2009
up the downhills, down the uphills
i am tired of talking about the weather, damn it. seriously. too hot. too rainy. too humid. blah blah. from here on out, unless i'm running in SUPER unusual or dangerous weather, or unless it affects my run in a *specific* way, i am hereby not allowed to talk about it.
today's route took me out the usual way, but this time i went backwards along the what is the end of my typical route, and then looped around the lake for a whole new section which is awesome since i'm definitely getting bored with my route.
so hills that i usually run up, i ran down. hills i usually run down, i ran up. i also had almost 2 miles that were flat (happy days!), and some new hills - one of which, was quite frankly - a bitch (see leading up to mile 9 on the elevation chart part of the course map). however looking at the route overall, i liked it. most of the early part was in the sun which was find because it was cool, and then the last 6 miles or so were mostly shady and a little cooler which is nicer later in the day.
the run was a solid one - a bit slower, but i can live with that considering the elevation. i seriously feel like rocky sometimes when i'm fighting my way up a hill. then i imagine in my head how slow i'm probably going and it makes me crack up how UNlike rocky i must look in actuality. i really must do a flat run next weekend when i'm back in the city to see how swift i can be - these hills must be making me way stronger.
i am definitely feeling them in both my hips and knees but i've stretched once, and i'll stretch again later. i MUST run tomorrow because when we're out here on the weekend no matter how i try i never mange to run on Monday night. so a quick one tomorrow, then that'll be it until tuesday's practice when we should be doing - yeah, you guessed it...more hills.
today's mileage: 11.2
time run: 2hr 13m
season mileage to date: 158.0
today's route took me out the usual way, but this time i went backwards along the what is the end of my typical route, and then looped around the lake for a whole new section which is awesome since i'm definitely getting bored with my route.
so hills that i usually run up, i ran down. hills i usually run down, i ran up. i also had almost 2 miles that were flat (happy days!), and some new hills - one of which, was quite frankly - a bitch (see leading up to mile 9 on the elevation chart part of the course map). however looking at the route overall, i liked it. most of the early part was in the sun which was find because it was cool, and then the last 6 miles or so were mostly shady and a little cooler which is nicer later in the day.
the run was a solid one - a bit slower, but i can live with that considering the elevation. i seriously feel like rocky sometimes when i'm fighting my way up a hill. then i imagine in my head how slow i'm probably going and it makes me crack up how UNlike rocky i must look in actuality. i really must do a flat run next weekend when i'm back in the city to see how swift i can be - these hills must be making me way stronger.
i am definitely feeling them in both my hips and knees but i've stretched once, and i'll stretch again later. i MUST run tomorrow because when we're out here on the weekend no matter how i try i never mange to run on Monday night. so a quick one tomorrow, then that'll be it until tuesday's practice when we should be doing - yeah, you guessed it...more hills.
today's mileage: 11.2
time run: 2hr 13m
season mileage to date: 158.0
Saturday, July 25, 2009
cinderella lost a bottle
i left the house around 8:30 this morning with high hopes for my long run. this was not a great week for my training schedule, so i was hoping to have a great run to mentally make up for it. i needed to add at least 2 miles to my last run of 9 miles - the schedule called for 12, but with the crazy hills, i always take that with a little leeway given the hip factor. i plotted out a 11.5 mile course that was part new, part old, essentially again widening the circle i would run, with the trusty gas station in the middle.
i left the house with my legs feeling pretty springy - unlike last weekend - and headed left instead of right out of the park, and looked at the ginormous hill that was my first challenge of this run. i had driven, but not run up this one before, but i predicted it would be hard but not back-breaking. i was right and feeling pretty okay most of the way up. as i neared the top, i reached back to grab my left water bottle which, to my surprise, was not there. shit.
i wondered to myself where i could have dropped it without noticing and the most likely place was unfortunately the grassy front lawn. shit. shit. shit. i thought for a minute if i could possible do the run with only 1 8-oz water bottle with 1 possible place to refuel and the logical answer was a definite no. shit. there was no solution but to trace the path i had come to get the lost bottle. grrr.
the run more or less went downhill from there. indeed when i got back to the house - there was the bottle sitting tauntingly on the front lawn. since i was here i ran inside to refill the first bottle and to see how far i had run so i could figure out how best to adjust my run. a bit over 2 miles...so i could then headout and do the same 9.5 mile route as last week. okay fine.
running back to one's house is no way to start a run, and it put a damper on my previously chipper mood. it was such a tease to have to go back out there again!
the run was going fine but a little slow, which i chalked up to the hills. miles 3, 4 and 5 passed without incident. i mentally mapped out the hard parts of the run that remained...that hill, and then the big downhill must be taken easy...then its rolling until that monster...okay cool this is nothing. and it was all fine until i took my 2nd gel somewhere between miles 8 and 9, for that is where my tummy betrayed me.
tummy aches and running tend to go hand in hand. ate something dumb the night before or the morning of your run? belly ache. goo didn't set well? belly ache. new flavor of gatorade? belly ache. running too fast? punishment: belly ache. the belly ache can also happen "just because". see, when you're running, all your organs are getting all jostled about in there, and that can cause some..."discomfort". well into my training for a 4th marathon, the sort of belly aches you can get from running are not new to me. luckily for me, usually i might get waves of the aches, but usually they pass after a moment or two.
not today.
as soon as i took my 2nd double latte power gel and washed it down with some gatorade i had a sense it was not going to go well. while i felt the instant rush of energy that usually comes with taking a gel, i also felt it instantly in my stomach. ugg. and this time it was not easing up. i managed to run along for another mile and a half or so, and then it was just NOT happening. every time i ran i could practically picture my insides sloshing around and so i ended up settling for a segment of run/walking for the last mile-ish.
usually something like this would cause me to be super grouchy but my legs were feeling fine so...i've been able to shrug it off. there is no way i could have run the last bit outright so i'm considering myself lucky to have made it all 11.7 miles with my legs feeling just fine - even if other parts of me weren't.
today's mileage: 11.7
time run: 2+ hours
season mileage to date: 140.8
i left the house with my legs feeling pretty springy - unlike last weekend - and headed left instead of right out of the park, and looked at the ginormous hill that was my first challenge of this run. i had driven, but not run up this one before, but i predicted it would be hard but not back-breaking. i was right and feeling pretty okay most of the way up. as i neared the top, i reached back to grab my left water bottle which, to my surprise, was not there. shit.
i wondered to myself where i could have dropped it without noticing and the most likely place was unfortunately the grassy front lawn. shit. shit. shit. i thought for a minute if i could possible do the run with only 1 8-oz water bottle with 1 possible place to refuel and the logical answer was a definite no. shit. there was no solution but to trace the path i had come to get the lost bottle. grrr.
the run more or less went downhill from there. indeed when i got back to the house - there was the bottle sitting tauntingly on the front lawn. since i was here i ran inside to refill the first bottle and to see how far i had run so i could figure out how best to adjust my run. a bit over 2 miles...so i could then headout and do the same 9.5 mile route as last week. okay fine.
running back to one's house is no way to start a run, and it put a damper on my previously chipper mood. it was such a tease to have to go back out there again!
the run was going fine but a little slow, which i chalked up to the hills. miles 3, 4 and 5 passed without incident. i mentally mapped out the hard parts of the run that remained...that hill, and then the big downhill must be taken easy...then its rolling until that monster...okay cool this is nothing. and it was all fine until i took my 2nd gel somewhere between miles 8 and 9, for that is where my tummy betrayed me.
tummy aches and running tend to go hand in hand. ate something dumb the night before or the morning of your run? belly ache. goo didn't set well? belly ache. new flavor of gatorade? belly ache. running too fast? punishment: belly ache. the belly ache can also happen "just because". see, when you're running, all your organs are getting all jostled about in there, and that can cause some..."discomfort". well into my training for a 4th marathon, the sort of belly aches you can get from running are not new to me. luckily for me, usually i might get waves of the aches, but usually they pass after a moment or two.
not today.
as soon as i took my 2nd double latte power gel and washed it down with some gatorade i had a sense it was not going to go well. while i felt the instant rush of energy that usually comes with taking a gel, i also felt it instantly in my stomach. ugg. and this time it was not easing up. i managed to run along for another mile and a half or so, and then it was just NOT happening. every time i ran i could practically picture my insides sloshing around and so i ended up settling for a segment of run/walking for the last mile-ish.
usually something like this would cause me to be super grouchy but my legs were feeling fine so...i've been able to shrug it off. there is no way i could have run the last bit outright so i'm considering myself lucky to have made it all 11.7 miles with my legs feeling just fine - even if other parts of me weren't.
today's mileage: 11.7
time run: 2+ hours
season mileage to date: 140.8
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
a quickie
i missed practice due to a stopped train, and then was so grumpy that i was not able to rally to go out and run in the rain on my own. i did get up bright and early this morning and hit the park for a loop.
my legs were quite tired, but i wanted to push a bit since i missed my hill training work out and went for a speed run. i turned out to only be semi-speedy, as you can tell by my time, but all in all it was a good run. the morning was lovely and cool, everything recently refreshed by the previous night's rain and there were more than a few people in the park.
i'll run again tomorrow morning, not sure yet about friday morning as i may want to make sure i save my legs for saturday, which will probably be 11-12 miles.
hasta manana...
today's mileage: 4.2
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 129.1
my legs were quite tired, but i wanted to push a bit since i missed my hill training work out and went for a speed run. i turned out to only be semi-speedy, as you can tell by my time, but all in all it was a good run. the morning was lovely and cool, everything recently refreshed by the previous night's rain and there were more than a few people in the park.
i'll run again tomorrow morning, not sure yet about friday morning as i may want to make sure i save my legs for saturday, which will probably be 11-12 miles.
hasta manana...
today's mileage: 4.2
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 129.1
Saturday, July 18, 2009
more ups and downs in jersey
ah...another weekend in the country. it's nice out here.
like in the city, the air was a bit thick when we arrived friday night, but luckily for me we had a good thunder/rainstorm that night so by the time i got up saturday morning to go pick up the car (we rent a car on the weekends when we're out here) and get ready to run it was way cooler and less humid.
i got a bit of a late start, so by the time i got back from getting the car it was already past 10. i wasn't that worried because it wasn't supposed to get too warm today but...sun beating down is sun beating down, so i got ready and on the road as quickly as could.
my plan was to modify the route i took last week - i would run to the gas station as i did before, "re-fuel" then instead of turning back the way i came, continue up the hill and around in a bit of a circle to link up with the way home. new scenery in the middle would also be a good distraction since i still haven't managed to find my little ipod.
starting out, my legs felt so heavy. its so frustrating/annoying that one day you run and you feel pretty light and speedy, and another day you feel like you're legs have weights attached and you're running through soup. i decided not to let it get to me - these runs are not about speed, they're about covering distance at an easy pace so, given my tendencies lately to go a bit too fast, it probably wasn't a bad thing to have a little handicap, if you will.
aside from another poor dead dear on the road (this one was so vile that i had to switch sides of the street) my run to the gas station was uneventful. weather - good. legs - okay. hydration - good. i felt like i was drinking more water than in weeks past but i think in this weather it would be very hard to over-hydrate. i hit up the gas station and headed up the hill, wistfully looking at the flat turn off while i continued to go up.
once i was at the top, the next bit was relatively flat. i like little ups and downs, other wise its painfully boring - ala ocean parkway to coney island. once i was past the suburban homes, it was nice little stretch through some pretty woods, which looked like good stomping ground. in here i had a huge downhill, and you might think that might be a good break. it was (now that i can look at the topography map - see lovely map at the end of the post) at least 1/2 mile long, and started to get to me. hills down are not a challenge cardio-wise, but they are very hard on the joints and muscles so it actually takes a lot of work to make sure you're not just pounding down the hill, but running a bit lightly...well as lightly as you can.
i had my snack of a double latte power gel...turned back on to some more "suburban" sorts of roads and wound my way up and down some more hills, and pretty quickly i was back on the route that i knew and there was the biiiiiiiig hill, become bigger because of where i started on it. i made it up the hill but rather slowly, and admittedly - swearing at it the whole way up.
when i got to the top though, i still had a lot of energy, so i picked up the pace a little bit through the last two miles or so, and it was fun. when i finished is definitely a bit sore...but all in all a successful run. at first when i got back i felt like it was a little slow - but when I considered all the hills, i'll take it.
today's mileage: 9.5
time run: 1hr and 45-49 minutes
season mileage to date: 124.9
like in the city, the air was a bit thick when we arrived friday night, but luckily for me we had a good thunder/rainstorm that night so by the time i got up saturday morning to go pick up the car (we rent a car on the weekends when we're out here) and get ready to run it was way cooler and less humid.
i got a bit of a late start, so by the time i got back from getting the car it was already past 10. i wasn't that worried because it wasn't supposed to get too warm today but...sun beating down is sun beating down, so i got ready and on the road as quickly as could.
my plan was to modify the route i took last week - i would run to the gas station as i did before, "re-fuel" then instead of turning back the way i came, continue up the hill and around in a bit of a circle to link up with the way home. new scenery in the middle would also be a good distraction since i still haven't managed to find my little ipod.
starting out, my legs felt so heavy. its so frustrating/annoying that one day you run and you feel pretty light and speedy, and another day you feel like you're legs have weights attached and you're running through soup. i decided not to let it get to me - these runs are not about speed, they're about covering distance at an easy pace so, given my tendencies lately to go a bit too fast, it probably wasn't a bad thing to have a little handicap, if you will.
aside from another poor dead dear on the road (this one was so vile that i had to switch sides of the street) my run to the gas station was uneventful. weather - good. legs - okay. hydration - good. i felt like i was drinking more water than in weeks past but i think in this weather it would be very hard to over-hydrate. i hit up the gas station and headed up the hill, wistfully looking at the flat turn off while i continued to go up.
once i was at the top, the next bit was relatively flat. i like little ups and downs, other wise its painfully boring - ala ocean parkway to coney island. once i was past the suburban homes, it was nice little stretch through some pretty woods, which looked like good stomping ground. in here i had a huge downhill, and you might think that might be a good break. it was (now that i can look at the topography map - see lovely map at the end of the post) at least 1/2 mile long, and started to get to me. hills down are not a challenge cardio-wise, but they are very hard on the joints and muscles so it actually takes a lot of work to make sure you're not just pounding down the hill, but running a bit lightly...well as lightly as you can.
i had my snack of a double latte power gel...turned back on to some more "suburban" sorts of roads and wound my way up and down some more hills, and pretty quickly i was back on the route that i knew and there was the biiiiiiiig hill, become bigger because of where i started on it. i made it up the hill but rather slowly, and admittedly - swearing at it the whole way up.
when i got to the top though, i still had a lot of energy, so i picked up the pace a little bit through the last two miles or so, and it was fun. when i finished is definitely a bit sore...but all in all a successful run. at first when i got back i felt like it was a little slow - but when I considered all the hills, i'll take it.
today's mileage: 9.5
time run: 1hr and 45-49 minutes
season mileage to date: 124.9
Thursday, July 16, 2009
well that was gross...
that. run. was. disgusting.
the *true* new york city summer has returned this week, bringing with it the thick, moist (yeah, i said it, moist) air we know and detest.
this morning was one of those mornings where i just simply could not drag my butt out of bed. when i did eventually get up my eyes were puffy with sleep and i wasn't feeling so hot. that left me with skipping the day or running in the evening. we just installed our AC and changing into my running clothing in the refrigerated air was a terrible tease, for when i stepped outside it was like getting hit with a wall of heat, causing me to whimper a bit.
i opted for the 3.8 mile route and i felt it all. there were occasional breezes that helped relieve the heat a bit but damn - i've been so spoiled so far! the run felt so much more laborious and heavy. and the worst is actually when you stop running and suddenly the sweating kicks in. i was on my deck stretching and drinking water and was completely dripping. uuuugh.
i'll be back out in jersey this weekend - i wasn't sure if i would run long because everyone else is running a race this weekend but yes. coach jim says i can add another 1-1.5 miles, so we're talking in the 9-9.5 mile range. ideally i would be running somewhere more flat to give the hip a break from the hills, but i haven't found that place yet. i could also, coach said, run in the pool- something i had never thought of. you use a floaty belt thing to keep you up and then you're doing your training in the water (not hot!) without impact, still eating and drinking as you would on a normal long run. i'm not sure i'll try it this weekend...but perhaps in the near future...especially if this stickiness is with us for a while.
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: forgot to time...
season mileage to date: 115.4
the *true* new york city summer has returned this week, bringing with it the thick, moist (yeah, i said it, moist) air we know and detest.
this morning was one of those mornings where i just simply could not drag my butt out of bed. when i did eventually get up my eyes were puffy with sleep and i wasn't feeling so hot. that left me with skipping the day or running in the evening. we just installed our AC and changing into my running clothing in the refrigerated air was a terrible tease, for when i stepped outside it was like getting hit with a wall of heat, causing me to whimper a bit.
i opted for the 3.8 mile route and i felt it all. there were occasional breezes that helped relieve the heat a bit but damn - i've been so spoiled so far! the run felt so much more laborious and heavy. and the worst is actually when you stop running and suddenly the sweating kicks in. i was on my deck stretching and drinking water and was completely dripping. uuuugh.
i'll be back out in jersey this weekend - i wasn't sure if i would run long because everyone else is running a race this weekend but yes. coach jim says i can add another 1-1.5 miles, so we're talking in the 9-9.5 mile range. ideally i would be running somewhere more flat to give the hip a break from the hills, but i haven't found that place yet. i could also, coach said, run in the pool- something i had never thought of. you use a floaty belt thing to keep you up and then you're doing your training in the water (not hot!) without impact, still eating and drinking as you would on a normal long run. i'm not sure i'll try it this weekend...but perhaps in the near future...especially if this stickiness is with us for a while.
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: forgot to time...
season mileage to date: 115.4
Saturday, July 11, 2009
on the road again
i was very well behaved and followed my coach's suggestion of laying off the running until today's long run. it wasn't easy - the weather was lovely for running, i took a few days off work to spend time with my boyfriend and his family so i had some time, and you know how it is when you want to do something simply because you're not supposed to.
we also came out to new jersey yesterday, and the roads around here are hilly hilly hilly. the schedule called for a 7-9 mile run, and because of my testy hip and the hills, i decided i'd plot a course for the lower end of that range, trying to be wise. i used the trusty gmap-pedometer.com to figure out a down and back course that would provide a little convenience store in the middle to refill my fuel belt, and figured i'd go just 7 miles.
i stayed up a little late, and so was a little late getting out of the house - i probably didn't leave until about 10 or so. it was almost 70 degrees, but really wonderfully breezy. part of the route i was running, i had run before and it had been *hard*, but that was early early on, and i was feeling optimistic.
my run took me up and down many hills. i started to count, but then was focused on actually running said hills and lost track. i made sure not to run too fast, and i took it easy on both the uphills and the downhills - the downhills tend to be harder on my joints than the ups. while it was really hilly, it was certainly not monotonous...like running to coney island is.
i made it to the 1/2 point without any incident other than having to avoid a dead bambi on the side of the road (ick), got some gatorade and headed back up and down the way i came. i had a great run overall - as i crested a hill, and the ground leveled, i noticed i was positively cruising along - probably a little too fast - but it felt great. i've realized it takes a few miles for me to really warm up, and i start feeling my best after 4 miles or so.
i was feeling good enough that i tacked on a little extra run to the end of the road and back for a total of 7.7 miles, which was probably the effort of even more miles because of the hills. Not to mention, this run brings me to over 100 miles trained so far, which is pretty good if you ask me.
here you can see the route and the elevation which is quite the rollercoaster.
i'll try to do another 4 or so tomorrow because its likely i won't be running much on monday because we'll bus it back to the city early in the morning.
oh! and if you haven't seen we've also crossed the $1,000 mark in fundraising - yeeeeah!
today's mileage: 7.7
time run: not sure...i will buy new watch this weekend, i swear!
season mileage to date: 106.1
we also came out to new jersey yesterday, and the roads around here are hilly hilly hilly. the schedule called for a 7-9 mile run, and because of my testy hip and the hills, i decided i'd plot a course for the lower end of that range, trying to be wise. i used the trusty gmap-pedometer.com to figure out a down and back course that would provide a little convenience store in the middle to refill my fuel belt, and figured i'd go just 7 miles.
i stayed up a little late, and so was a little late getting out of the house - i probably didn't leave until about 10 or so. it was almost 70 degrees, but really wonderfully breezy. part of the route i was running, i had run before and it had been *hard*, but that was early early on, and i was feeling optimistic.
my run took me up and down many hills. i started to count, but then was focused on actually running said hills and lost track. i made sure not to run too fast, and i took it easy on both the uphills and the downhills - the downhills tend to be harder on my joints than the ups. while it was really hilly, it was certainly not monotonous...like running to coney island is.
i made it to the 1/2 point without any incident other than having to avoid a dead bambi on the side of the road (ick), got some gatorade and headed back up and down the way i came. i had a great run overall - as i crested a hill, and the ground leveled, i noticed i was positively cruising along - probably a little too fast - but it felt great. i've realized it takes a few miles for me to really warm up, and i start feeling my best after 4 miles or so.
i was feeling good enough that i tacked on a little extra run to the end of the road and back for a total of 7.7 miles, which was probably the effort of even more miles because of the hills. Not to mention, this run brings me to over 100 miles trained so far, which is pretty good if you ask me.
here you can see the route and the elevation which is quite the rollercoaster.
i'll try to do another 4 or so tomorrow because its likely i won't be running much on monday because we'll bus it back to the city early in the morning.
oh! and if you haven't seen we've also crossed the $1,000 mark in fundraising - yeeeeah!
today's mileage: 7.7
time run: not sure...i will buy new watch this weekend, i swear!
season mileage to date: 106.1
Friday, July 03, 2009
four on friday
not having to work today, it would have been easy to sleep in and chilax.
but not having run since tuesday i did the good thing and was out the door for a loop around the park a little after nine. it is nice out for the running these mornings. not too sticky, a little tinge of coolness to the air.
my legs seemed a little cranky at first, but i took it nice and easy since i am running long tomorrow. i felt like i was going a steady not too fast, not quite an "easy" pace as i made my way round the loop. i'm finally at a point where even though i might not mentally feel like running, physically its not feeling too laborious on these short runs, unless i want it too. its a welcome improvement!
i've started to play around with my arm swing, seeing how it affects my stride and speed. i think i'm going to suck it up and buy one of the fancy heart-rate-monitor-watch-gps things, maybe used though. i think it would be interesting to see where my heart rate is - i know some runners who monitor pace simply by getting their heart rate in the optimal range. i don't know if i'll ever be that crazy but...i think knowing would be cool.
tomorrow - another 9-er. probably in the park this time. i'm going to play around online with some loop variations. i could also run over a bridge, but then i'll have to deal with where to refill the water, and i'm not sure i feel like doing that much investigation today.
until tomorrow...
today's mileage: 4.3
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 78.9
but not having run since tuesday i did the good thing and was out the door for a loop around the park a little after nine. it is nice out for the running these mornings. not too sticky, a little tinge of coolness to the air.
my legs seemed a little cranky at first, but i took it nice and easy since i am running long tomorrow. i felt like i was going a steady not too fast, not quite an "easy" pace as i made my way round the loop. i'm finally at a point where even though i might not mentally feel like running, physically its not feeling too laborious on these short runs, unless i want it too. its a welcome improvement!
i've started to play around with my arm swing, seeing how it affects my stride and speed. i think i'm going to suck it up and buy one of the fancy heart-rate-monitor-watch-gps things, maybe used though. i think it would be interesting to see where my heart rate is - i know some runners who monitor pace simply by getting their heart rate in the optimal range. i don't know if i'll ever be that crazy but...i think knowing would be cool.
tomorrow - another 9-er. probably in the park this time. i'm going to play around online with some loop variations. i could also run over a bridge, but then i'll have to deal with where to refill the water, and i'm not sure i feel like doing that much investigation today.
until tomorrow...
today's mileage: 4.3
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 78.9
Saturday, June 27, 2009
a coney island morning
i was very nervous about running today. i was planning on jumping my mileage to 9 miles from 7, which is a decent jump considering i haven't run long in 3 weeks. i would be running on my own. and this week was not the best week ever as far as training was concerned. all factors leading me to pretty much dread this morning's run despite my determination to muddle through it.
i made sure to leave work on time to assure i could eat at a decent hour. we have a bazillion veggies from the local csa that we have to use so we had salad and pasta with pesto that included scapes instead of garlic. it was de-lish.
so delish that i passed out on the couch sometime before 11pm. i stumbled to bed and set my alarm for 6 to gulp down my breakfast. my man had gotten my oatmeal for my 6am breakfast but i hadn't been all that specific about what kind so i ended up with those instant packs of apple cinnamon. i sleepily mixed some up some, took a bite and was instantly shocked awake from the sheer amount of sugar. wowy. it's been a while since i had pre-packaged oatmeal i guess. i had intended on getting up again at 7:45...but the damn snooze button kept getting pressed somehow. i'm such a sleepy head. so by the time i got up, dressed, filled the oh-so-fluorescent-water bottles i was pushing 9am by the time i left the house.
it was warm but not too warm. i made a very conscious effort as i took off up the hill and through the park to go more slowly than my week-day runs. i would certainly need energy for the end. i turned onto ocean parkway and was delighted to see that most of the path was still in the shade, and with all the trees would probably remain mostly so.
as easy as that route is - flat and straight - it is also kinda boring. i was without ipod and without company, which made for a lonely boring run. i was also watchless, and kept track of mileage to make sure i was hydrating enough by the street signs. i knew avenue r was 5 miles and avenue z would be 6 miles - and that would be where i would get my treat - a double latte power gel. mmmm.
the run was pretty uneventful all the way down to coney island. i probably could have used a little bit more water, but i knew that as soon as i got there, water fountains would be all over the place. miles 4.5 - 6 were roughish for some reason, but as soon as i had that powergel my legs had new life. finally, i crossed under the highway and could see the boardwalk. i grinned widely, and a random lady grinned back as if to say "yes, you have arrived!"
while the sun was out in full effect, so was a lovely ocean breeze. i spied a water fountain, refilled the bottles, took a nice long drink and soaked my hat in water before placing it on my head. it was sooooo nice. i figured i had another 2.5 miles on the boardwalk and the scenery more than made up for the boring run down ocean parkway.
coney island remains a sea of faces, accents and characters so varied and wonderful. despite the forces at work to modernize and clean it up, it remains an authentic mish-mash of culture that new york is known for. as i tromped up and down the boardwalk i smiled at the families with blankets and umbrellas in tow; the older, bronzed leather-backed couples, strolling the boardwalk and saying hello to their compatriots; the crazy looking eccentrics wearing too much clothing or just a speedo; the other runners and bikers looking hot but pleased with making their way through this little patch of nyc-goodness.
i finally hit stillwell avenue - my place to stop. i stretched and people-watched, pleased with myself for ending my run on the boardwalk...pleased with myself for making the 9 miles with less pain and suffering than i thought...and thankful that i had made my way and started a life here, in new york, so many years ago.
today's mileage: 9.1
time run: 1h 40m (approximate)
season mileage to date: 70.7
i made sure to leave work on time to assure i could eat at a decent hour. we have a bazillion veggies from the local csa that we have to use so we had salad and pasta with pesto that included scapes instead of garlic. it was de-lish.
so delish that i passed out on the couch sometime before 11pm. i stumbled to bed and set my alarm for 6 to gulp down my breakfast. my man had gotten my oatmeal for my 6am breakfast but i hadn't been all that specific about what kind so i ended up with those instant packs of apple cinnamon. i sleepily mixed some up some, took a bite and was instantly shocked awake from the sheer amount of sugar. wowy. it's been a while since i had pre-packaged oatmeal i guess. i had intended on getting up again at 7:45...but the damn snooze button kept getting pressed somehow. i'm such a sleepy head. so by the time i got up, dressed, filled the oh-so-fluorescent-water bottles i was pushing 9am by the time i left the house.
it was warm but not too warm. i made a very conscious effort as i took off up the hill and through the park to go more slowly than my week-day runs. i would certainly need energy for the end. i turned onto ocean parkway and was delighted to see that most of the path was still in the shade, and with all the trees would probably remain mostly so.
as easy as that route is - flat and straight - it is also kinda boring. i was without ipod and without company, which made for a lonely boring run. i was also watchless, and kept track of mileage to make sure i was hydrating enough by the street signs. i knew avenue r was 5 miles and avenue z would be 6 miles - and that would be where i would get my treat - a double latte power gel. mmmm.
the run was pretty uneventful all the way down to coney island. i probably could have used a little bit more water, but i knew that as soon as i got there, water fountains would be all over the place. miles 4.5 - 6 were roughish for some reason, but as soon as i had that powergel my legs had new life. finally, i crossed under the highway and could see the boardwalk. i grinned widely, and a random lady grinned back as if to say "yes, you have arrived!"
while the sun was out in full effect, so was a lovely ocean breeze. i spied a water fountain, refilled the bottles, took a nice long drink and soaked my hat in water before placing it on my head. it was sooooo nice. i figured i had another 2.5 miles on the boardwalk and the scenery more than made up for the boring run down ocean parkway.
coney island remains a sea of faces, accents and characters so varied and wonderful. despite the forces at work to modernize and clean it up, it remains an authentic mish-mash of culture that new york is known for. as i tromped up and down the boardwalk i smiled at the families with blankets and umbrellas in tow; the older, bronzed leather-backed couples, strolling the boardwalk and saying hello to their compatriots; the crazy looking eccentrics wearing too much clothing or just a speedo; the other runners and bikers looking hot but pleased with making their way through this little patch of nyc-goodness.
i finally hit stillwell avenue - my place to stop. i stretched and people-watched, pleased with myself for ending my run on the boardwalk...pleased with myself for making the 9 miles with less pain and suffering than i thought...and thankful that i had made my way and started a life here, in new york, so many years ago.
today's mileage: 9.1
time run: 1h 40m (approximate)
season mileage to date: 70.7
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
i've been hearing lots of complainin' about the weather lately.
all you whiners can shove it because i think its amazing, and hope it stays refreshingly cool all summer! these last two mornings have been perfect for the running. it makes it that much easier to get out of bed.
my new attack is: get up at 6:45, out the door by 7:02 or so and off i go. i was expecting a stiff hip when i got out of bed today but was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't stiff at all. i opted for a slightly longer run by taking a different loop by the lake. it was rather lovely (i need to start bringing my camera to show you what 7am in the park looks like). My legs felt a little heavy/sleepy, but other than that the run was refreshing and uneventful.
i am off the north carolina tonight where the temperature promises to crawl into the high 90's by the end of the week...wish me luck!
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: 38m
season mileage to date: 54.8
all you whiners can shove it because i think its amazing, and hope it stays refreshingly cool all summer! these last two mornings have been perfect for the running. it makes it that much easier to get out of bed.
my new attack is: get up at 6:45, out the door by 7:02 or so and off i go. i was expecting a stiff hip when i got out of bed today but was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't stiff at all. i opted for a slightly longer run by taking a different loop by the lake. it was rather lovely (i need to start bringing my camera to show you what 7am in the park looks like). My legs felt a little heavy/sleepy, but other than that the run was refreshing and uneventful.
i am off the north carolina tonight where the temperature promises to crawl into the high 90's by the end of the week...wish me luck!
today's mileage: 3.8
time run: 38m
season mileage to date: 54.8
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
and we're back
i took 5 days off to rest the old it band but this morning i decided it was time to get back out there and see how i was feeling.
when i first got up it looked pretty gray, but once i got out there the weather was lovely. i definitely was in need of a run, wanted to get rid of the cranky pants i'd been wearing for a while, and i was anxious about missing "so many days". now i know the work doesn't just go away, but even though it is a long season ahead it still stresses me out to not be running.
the run overall went okay. my it-band started waving "hi! i'm here! remember me!" about ten minutes into the run but it didn't hurt, which is good i guess? i realized at the top of the hill i am no longer any more winded than i am overall, which is also good i guess? it probably means i am still running too fast. but it kinda feels good to run fast(er) than my usual plodding pace.
i'll run again tomorrow, and then i'm headed down to north carolina where its even hotter and stickier. it will be a busy weekend - my boyfriend's father's memorial - so realistically i'm not sure about how much running i'm going to get in, but i'm going to try to get at least a few short ones in, even if i don't make a long one.
today's mileage: 4.3
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 51.0
when i first got up it looked pretty gray, but once i got out there the weather was lovely. i definitely was in need of a run, wanted to get rid of the cranky pants i'd been wearing for a while, and i was anxious about missing "so many days". now i know the work doesn't just go away, but even though it is a long season ahead it still stresses me out to not be running.
the run overall went okay. my it-band started waving "hi! i'm here! remember me!" about ten minutes into the run but it didn't hurt, which is good i guess? i realized at the top of the hill i am no longer any more winded than i am overall, which is also good i guess? it probably means i am still running too fast. but it kinda feels good to run fast(er) than my usual plodding pace.
i'll run again tomorrow, and then i'm headed down to north carolina where its even hotter and stickier. it will be a busy weekend - my boyfriend's father's memorial - so realistically i'm not sure about how much running i'm going to get in, but i'm going to try to get at least a few short ones in, even if i don't make a long one.
today's mileage: 4.3
time run: 45m
season mileage to date: 51.0
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
misty morning
i left work late for practice again (i wonder if tnt would consider a tuesday *morning!* work out), and was going to run on my own but i took one look at our bedroom (with my clothes scattered everywhere) and decided last night was for cleaning - and this morning would be for the running.
it's a little chilly this morning, but it definitely felt good. the run was more or less uneventful, except for a mini-lake that had formed across one of my paths which necessitated running through the mud. i was trying to run off my recent bout of crankiness and i think it worked to a degree. i feel a little less...encumbered than yesterday.
that's it for now. i am just getting coffee right and feel too sleepy to be interesting this morning!
today's mileage: 3.4
time run: 35m
season mileage to date: 46.7
it's a little chilly this morning, but it definitely felt good. the run was more or less uneventful, except for a mini-lake that had formed across one of my paths which necessitated running through the mud. i was trying to run off my recent bout of crankiness and i think it worked to a degree. i feel a little less...encumbered than yesterday.
that's it for now. i am just getting coffee right and feel too sleepy to be interesting this morning!
today's mileage: 3.4
time run: 35m
season mileage to date: 46.7
Sunday, June 07, 2009
all the way up there?
this weekend i intended to do a short run saturday early evening (because of a little soiree a friend of mine was throwing the night before, and then the long run sunday.
after a lovely brunch with charlotte (remember her, my running buddy from season 1?), something i ate derailed my plan. as i sat on the deck trying to get a few rays, a wave of nausea crept up and attached itself to my person, rendering me listless and blah. no, it was not a hangover. it was that i-ate-something-funky feeling.
the boy came home, took one look at me and said "aweee, you're not feeling well huh?"
no.
"does this mean we can't go to the OTB?"
yes, he meant the off track betting place down the street. it was the belmont yesterday and we had thought to get a little fancy and go play the ponies down the block. okay, i was going to get fancy, perhaps with a little hat action, but in my current state it was all i could do just to go.
we headed down a few avenues and planned out our bets. as we walked in we were hit with "old man smell", a mix of booze, cigarettes and age which i personally equate with my grandfather. perhaps it should be called "tipsy old man smell"...anyway. i digress. we played the ponies and got the hell out of there so i could limp back to the couch and mope, giving myself all sorts of grief that i wasn't running. we did not win any money although we came damn close.
so i certainly couldn't skip today, despite it being not nearly as nice for a run as yesterday and still feeling a little worse for the wear.
i kissed the boy goodbye, so which he sleepily replied "have fun, runny-pants", which i grumblily repeated under my breath. i wanted to sleep in. i did not want to go run, and i certainly was not going to have fun. runny pants indeed.
i opted for the backwards loop first, so that 1) i could take on the long terrible hill while i still had some energy and 2) i could watch out for traffic while i still had the mental capacity to do so. it was an excellent idea until i saw the race coming towards me - there was a 5k in the park that morning, and the runners were headed straight towards me. i swore under my breath and spent the next 10 minutes avoiding a few hundred people racing in addition to the usual park traffic of speedy bikers, roller bladers, and "normal" run walkers. definite video game moment.
i did the first loop rather uneventfully and then turned around and headed in the other direction. i was thirsty. too thirsty. must. get. fuel belt roxie. this is just dumb. i could not wait to get to the water fountain on the far side of the park and when i did i could feel my muscles perk up and i continued on my way.
at this point, approaching the big hill, my legs started feeling a bit like lead, and i got a wee bit dizzy. clearly i am not hydrating enough in this hotness so as i came to a water spot i took a 3-lightpost walk until i got to the water, gulped down a bunch, sprinkled some on my neck and tackled the hill.
i was, at this point, in a foul mood, whining to myself about it not getting any easier, the weather, the fact that i could be in my bed getting some much needed rest, that my hip hurt. pretty much i whined about anything i could think of. a very "runny" looking girl passed me and i glared at her prancing ponytail (my ponytail did *not* feel very prancy). a boy was scootering up the hill while his mom ran beside him. about 2/3rds up the hill he abandoned the scooter with a stomp and a wail. as i very slowly "ran" past them i heard this exchange:
boy: where are we gooooing
mom: look up there
boy: where up there?
mom: look as far as you can see, then look a little farther where those people are
boy (with a whimperish wail): all the way up theeeeeeeere??
i know, little one, i thought, i know just what you mean.
as i kept trucking up the hill, i smiled smuggedly as i passed the perky ponytail girl who had run out of steam. cruel? maybe. but i felt a tortoise-and-the-hare-esque sense of satisfaction.
i made it home, hot and pink faced as ever. i wouldn't say i felt great - my hip was aching and i would certainly have to ice - but i did it, and the time wasn't terrible either. and that was enough for me.
today's mileage: 7.0
time run: 78m
season mileage to date: 43.3
after a lovely brunch with charlotte (remember her, my running buddy from season 1?), something i ate derailed my plan. as i sat on the deck trying to get a few rays, a wave of nausea crept up and attached itself to my person, rendering me listless and blah. no, it was not a hangover. it was that i-ate-something-funky feeling.
the boy came home, took one look at me and said "aweee, you're not feeling well huh?"
no.
"does this mean we can't go to the OTB?"
yes, he meant the off track betting place down the street. it was the belmont yesterday and we had thought to get a little fancy and go play the ponies down the block. okay, i was going to get fancy, perhaps with a little hat action, but in my current state it was all i could do just to go.
we headed down a few avenues and planned out our bets. as we walked in we were hit with "old man smell", a mix of booze, cigarettes and age which i personally equate with my grandfather. perhaps it should be called "tipsy old man smell"...anyway. i digress. we played the ponies and got the hell out of there so i could limp back to the couch and mope, giving myself all sorts of grief that i wasn't running. we did not win any money although we came damn close.
so i certainly couldn't skip today, despite it being not nearly as nice for a run as yesterday and still feeling a little worse for the wear.
i kissed the boy goodbye, so which he sleepily replied "have fun, runny-pants", which i grumblily repeated under my breath. i wanted to sleep in. i did not want to go run, and i certainly was not going to have fun. runny pants indeed.
i opted for the backwards loop first, so that 1) i could take on the long terrible hill while i still had some energy and 2) i could watch out for traffic while i still had the mental capacity to do so. it was an excellent idea until i saw the race coming towards me - there was a 5k in the park that morning, and the runners were headed straight towards me. i swore under my breath and spent the next 10 minutes avoiding a few hundred people racing in addition to the usual park traffic of speedy bikers, roller bladers, and "normal" run walkers. definite video game moment.
i did the first loop rather uneventfully and then turned around and headed in the other direction. i was thirsty. too thirsty. must. get. fuel belt roxie. this is just dumb. i could not wait to get to the water fountain on the far side of the park and when i did i could feel my muscles perk up and i continued on my way.
at this point, approaching the big hill, my legs started feeling a bit like lead, and i got a wee bit dizzy. clearly i am not hydrating enough in this hotness so as i came to a water spot i took a 3-lightpost walk until i got to the water, gulped down a bunch, sprinkled some on my neck and tackled the hill.
i was, at this point, in a foul mood, whining to myself about it not getting any easier, the weather, the fact that i could be in my bed getting some much needed rest, that my hip hurt. pretty much i whined about anything i could think of. a very "runny" looking girl passed me and i glared at her prancing ponytail (my ponytail did *not* feel very prancy). a boy was scootering up the hill while his mom ran beside him. about 2/3rds up the hill he abandoned the scooter with a stomp and a wail. as i very slowly "ran" past them i heard this exchange:
boy: where are we gooooing
mom: look up there
boy: where up there?
mom: look as far as you can see, then look a little farther where those people are
boy (with a whimperish wail): all the way up theeeeeeeere??
i know, little one, i thought, i know just what you mean.
as i kept trucking up the hill, i smiled smuggedly as i passed the perky ponytail girl who had run out of steam. cruel? maybe. but i felt a tortoise-and-the-hare-esque sense of satisfaction.
i made it home, hot and pink faced as ever. i wouldn't say i felt great - my hip was aching and i would certainly have to ice - but i did it, and the time wasn't terrible either. and that was enough for me.
today's mileage: 7.0
time run: 78m
season mileage to date: 43.3
Monday, June 01, 2009
an excellent start to the week
i got a late start this morning - a case of the snoozes - and for a minute i tried to justify "running later", but i kicked my butt out of bed and headed to the park.
it is gorgeous out and so i'm definitely glad i did. i'm at the point in the running where i can finally feel myself getting a bit stronger, the runs are a little less trying, the hill is not so...lung collapsing - i felt like i practically few up it this morning, compared to runs past.
now that the running is well underway, its time for me to get a move on in the fundraising department - hopefully i will be able to get the first letters out this week.
today's mileage: 3.5
time run: 35m
season mileage to date: 32.0
it is gorgeous out and so i'm definitely glad i did. i'm at the point in the running where i can finally feel myself getting a bit stronger, the runs are a little less trying, the hill is not so...lung collapsing - i felt like i practically few up it this morning, compared to runs past.
now that the running is well underway, its time for me to get a move on in the fundraising department - hopefully i will be able to get the first letters out this week.
today's mileage: 3.5
time run: 35m
season mileage to date: 32.0
Saturday, May 30, 2009
a two-loop solo
today practice was happening at noon because the brooklyn half marathon (that i was originally going to try to run) was starting in the park. noon? all i could think was HOT. so i decided to go earlier and run by myself.
i'm easing up to the intermediate schedule since spain threw me off course a bit. we were supposed to run 7-8 miles, but since i just did 5 last week, i decided to do a tiny bit less and go for two loops of the park - 3.4 x 2 = 6.8 which is *almost* 7 (i rationalized). this season is so long i'm more worried about hurting myself by going to fast than taking a bit more time to get into the higher miles.
i did not manage to get to jack rabbit to get a fuel belt, so i was going to have to make due with the water fountains (or bubblers, as we say up in massachusetts). i knew where there were two that would be easy to access without having to run off course too far, and would keep an eye out for a few in between.
the park was crowded and again - the pollen was floating about like crazy. i think i have mild allergies, or at least when i run i feel very...thick? ick yeah i know that sounds gross but running, my friends, is kinda gross if you haven't noticed by now. the first loop i ran with traffic and it was relatively uneventful. i couldn't find my watch that morning so i had no idea what my pace was but since it was a longer run was simply trying to be prudent and not go too fast.
at the 1/2 way point, i turned around and went the other way...against traffic for a clockwise loop. because the path along the park is slightly sloped inwards its recommended that when doing multiple loops, you switch off direction so you're not always putting a strange strain on your inside leg. this was also good at first because 1) you get to run down the big steep hill which is like a vacation in the middle of the running and 2) avoiding everyone running and biking at you is like some sort of video game that distracts from the the leg pain.
but...the last bit of that opposite loop is a long windy hill that is, just simply a bitch of a hill. i'll take the steep one any day of this one. more than once i told myself it would be okay to walk...but then the stubborn side would give me a good kick in the ass and i managed to make it all the way up without stopping...and at the top of that long-ass hill, the finish was in sight so it was a victorious moment indeed. so in the end, i ran almost 7 and i'm feeling good and more than on track.
up for tomorrow: a EZ 30-40 minutes (i believe). enjoy the weekend people - its hot but lovely out there.
today's mileage: 6.8
time run: 75m *guestimated*
season mileage to date: 28.5
i'm easing up to the intermediate schedule since spain threw me off course a bit. we were supposed to run 7-8 miles, but since i just did 5 last week, i decided to do a tiny bit less and go for two loops of the park - 3.4 x 2 = 6.8 which is *almost* 7 (i rationalized). this season is so long i'm more worried about hurting myself by going to fast than taking a bit more time to get into the higher miles.
i did not manage to get to jack rabbit to get a fuel belt, so i was going to have to make due with the water fountains (or bubblers, as we say up in massachusetts). i knew where there were two that would be easy to access without having to run off course too far, and would keep an eye out for a few in between.
the park was crowded and again - the pollen was floating about like crazy. i think i have mild allergies, or at least when i run i feel very...thick? ick yeah i know that sounds gross but running, my friends, is kinda gross if you haven't noticed by now. the first loop i ran with traffic and it was relatively uneventful. i couldn't find my watch that morning so i had no idea what my pace was but since it was a longer run was simply trying to be prudent and not go too fast.
at the 1/2 way point, i turned around and went the other way...against traffic for a clockwise loop. because the path along the park is slightly sloped inwards its recommended that when doing multiple loops, you switch off direction so you're not always putting a strange strain on your inside leg. this was also good at first because 1) you get to run down the big steep hill which is like a vacation in the middle of the running and 2) avoiding everyone running and biking at you is like some sort of video game that distracts from the the leg pain.
but...the last bit of that opposite loop is a long windy hill that is, just simply a bitch of a hill. i'll take the steep one any day of this one. more than once i told myself it would be okay to walk...but then the stubborn side would give me a good kick in the ass and i managed to make it all the way up without stopping...and at the top of that long-ass hill, the finish was in sight so it was a victorious moment indeed. so in the end, i ran almost 7 and i'm feeling good and more than on track.
up for tomorrow: a EZ 30-40 minutes (i believe). enjoy the weekend people - its hot but lovely out there.
today's mileage: 6.8
time run: 75m *guestimated*
season mileage to date: 28.5
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
short and sweet
my "run" on the elliptical last night was, like this post, short and sweet so that i could get to the grocery store.
3 miles. nothing eventful. a little sore this morning, but nothing too bad. practice is still hills, so i'll be back for more tonight.
yesterday's mileage: 3.0
season mileage to date: 168.0
3 miles. nothing eventful. a little sore this morning, but nothing too bad. practice is still hills, so i'll be back for more tonight.
yesterday's mileage: 3.0
season mileage to date: 168.0
Friday, February 22, 2008
round and round
on the elliptical. sigh.
when i got to the gym last night i was pleased to find that the barack-clinton debate was on. i knew this would get me fired up enough to dull the boredom that the elliptical usually induces.
however, the connection to cnn kept cutting out, which was *immensely* frustrating - it cut out enough to be annoying but not enough to merit a channel change. you could manage to get about 90% of what they were saying, and when you were lucky the pauses in speeches overlapped with the audio cuts.
i haven't watched a debate in a while, so i forgot that no one actually answers the questions being asked. so freaking annoying. (i won't complain about that here - i've got another blog for that). however, very distracting and i made it through my 4 & change miles in no time.
today, my quad is hurting, which is making me nervous for tomorrow's run. we're doing our longest run on march 15t...which means that is only 3 running saturdays to get up to 20 miles. i see it like this...
tomorrow: 16
3/1: 18
3/9: 18
3/15: 20
i do know from last time, if i don't make it to 20 i will not die. (last marathon my longest run was 17 miles probably 5 or 6 weeks before the marathon...i have to go look). however, i do not want to give myself a mental "way out" so to speak and nurse my injury more than necessary.
also with the weather being dicey, i don't know if we'll do our full run...so, if we don't, i'll try to do a bunch of ellipticalling saturday and sunday, and my back up plan will be:
3/1 15-16
3/9 17-18
3/15 18-20
okay. i'm officially nervous, but not yet freaking out.
yesterday's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 149.0
when i got to the gym last night i was pleased to find that the barack-clinton debate was on. i knew this would get me fired up enough to dull the boredom that the elliptical usually induces.
however, the connection to cnn kept cutting out, which was *immensely* frustrating - it cut out enough to be annoying but not enough to merit a channel change. you could manage to get about 90% of what they were saying, and when you were lucky the pauses in speeches overlapped with the audio cuts.
i haven't watched a debate in a while, so i forgot that no one actually answers the questions being asked. so freaking annoying. (i won't complain about that here - i've got another blog for that). however, very distracting and i made it through my 4 & change miles in no time.
today, my quad is hurting, which is making me nervous for tomorrow's run. we're doing our longest run on march 15t...which means that is only 3 running saturdays to get up to 20 miles. i see it like this...
tomorrow: 16
3/1: 18
3/9: 18
3/15: 20
i do know from last time, if i don't make it to 20 i will not die. (last marathon my longest run was 17 miles probably 5 or 6 weeks before the marathon...i have to go look). however, i do not want to give myself a mental "way out" so to speak and nurse my injury more than necessary.
also with the weather being dicey, i don't know if we'll do our full run...so, if we don't, i'll try to do a bunch of ellipticalling saturday and sunday, and my back up plan will be:
3/1 15-16
3/9 17-18
3/15 18-20
okay. i'm officially nervous, but not yet freaking out.
yesterday's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 149.0
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
yes, i'm alive
sorry for radio silence since the snowy run. my excuses are in this order:
sore quad
working late
away for the weekend
stomach bug/food poisoning
sore quad
i'm going to skip to yesterday where i found my quad still in pain. booo. i emailed my pt who recommended "running as tolerable" and when doing that, easy flat runs, so i opted for the lovely elliptical machine.
it wasn't as torturous as usual. probably because i was in a foul mood and needed a work out. i put on the cross trainer and "ran" 4.5 miles while watching "the biggest loser". that's what i call qt people.
tonight, my cross-training will take the form of belly dancing, and probably later some yoga moves. i will continue to stretch and roll, and fingers crossed, be okay to run 15-16 miles this weekend. (please don't let it snow!)
also on the agenda:
new sneakers
a new fuel belt
continuing with project "eat more vegetables"
yesterday's run: 4.5 miles
mileage to date: 145.0 miles
sore quad
working late
away for the weekend
stomach bug/food poisoning
sore quad
i'm going to skip to yesterday where i found my quad still in pain. booo. i emailed my pt who recommended "running as tolerable" and when doing that, easy flat runs, so i opted for the lovely elliptical machine.
it wasn't as torturous as usual. probably because i was in a foul mood and needed a work out. i put on the cross trainer and "ran" 4.5 miles while watching "the biggest loser". that's what i call qt people.
tonight, my cross-training will take the form of belly dancing, and probably later some yoga moves. i will continue to stretch and roll, and fingers crossed, be okay to run 15-16 miles this weekend. (please don't let it snow!)
also on the agenda:
new sneakers
a new fuel belt
continuing with project "eat more vegetables"
yesterday's run: 4.5 miles
mileage to date: 145.0 miles
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