No one that lives in LA really has the right to complain about the rain.
First and most obviously - drought. We need rain! We need it for the peaches! And the avocados! And for many other things obviously but stone fruit has a special place in my heart. Secondly, I think its rained maybe 4 times since I moved here last year (hence, point 1). Finally, when it does rain its warm! Not that horrible Feb / March rain that we get in the Northeast that chills you to the bone. This is balmy, windy, tropical rain and it is nice. Go out there and play Southern Cali!
I headed down to Manhattan beach for our 8am start - even with the risk of rain, we had a big turnout for our run yesterday morning. We were running on a trail down to Manhattan Beach avenue, down to the pier, back up that damn hill, then out a little ways farther before heading back.
All the groups seem to be doing intervals, and the main difference is how many minutes on (running) or off (walking "with purpose"). Based on my general speed, I had the choice between group 3 and group 4 based on my time and I decided to start with the slower group to see how it was going. I stuck with group 4 until I got down to the pier, then as we headed up the hill, I found myself feeling more on pace with the group ahead so I motored on up to group 3. As we got to the top of the hill the rain began and it was pretty refreshing for the 2nd 1/2 or so of the run - I've always liked running in the rain, and running in the rain out here where its balmy is pretty fantastic.
East coast or west coast, the team spirit of Team in Training is consistent. The coaches are floating, keeping an eye on you, answering questions, watching your form. Your teammates are there toughing it out themselves but always cheering each other on. Everyone is friendly and supportive and positive - well, maybe that's because our runs are still on the shorter side ;).
The run on the trails felt really nice on my shins and with the intervals of walking, the 5 miles felt like a breeze.
Day 50: 5.0 miles
season mileage to date: 96.2 miles
Showing posts with label inclement weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inclement weather. Show all posts
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
not rain nor snow nor wintery mix...
kept me from running this morning.
the cold and dark really makes me want to crawl back into bed and when i looked out side and saw the rain sprinkling down i walked back towards the bed, poised to climb back in...but i knew there would be no running that night (work event) or thursday (trip up north) i turned my butt around and reluctantly bundled up in my running clothes.
when i left it was spitting out, but not too cold until the wind picked up. i headed to the park and as i got there the rain changed over to snow which was slightly more pleasant even thought it melted as soon as it hit my face/head/arms/etc. i planned on running 4-4.5 miles so had to decide if i was going to cut through the park or go all the way around it. i ended up cutting through wellhouse drive and once i was in the middle realized the course of the race that past sunday had changed - there was a bunch of construction. also because of said construction not everywhere was plowed so i had to navigate patches of ice and snow because there was no way i was turning around.
when i hit the hill i was hit by a gust of wind which made me feel like i was running in place. it seemed like it was raining and snowing...blah! the grotesque wintery mix. i trecked on, feeling generally okay, not particularly fast or slow (except for when the wind pushed at me). when all was said and done i felt good (my cardio has already improved a great deal) and glad i was had my inclement weather run complete for the day.
today's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 35.1
up next: practice saturday
the cold and dark really makes me want to crawl back into bed and when i looked out side and saw the rain sprinkling down i walked back towards the bed, poised to climb back in...but i knew there would be no running that night (work event) or thursday (trip up north) i turned my butt around and reluctantly bundled up in my running clothes.
when i left it was spitting out, but not too cold until the wind picked up. i headed to the park and as i got there the rain changed over to snow which was slightly more pleasant even thought it melted as soon as it hit my face/head/arms/etc. i planned on running 4-4.5 miles so had to decide if i was going to cut through the park or go all the way around it. i ended up cutting through wellhouse drive and once i was in the middle realized the course of the race that past sunday had changed - there was a bunch of construction. also because of said construction not everywhere was plowed so i had to navigate patches of ice and snow because there was no way i was turning around.
when i hit the hill i was hit by a gust of wind which made me feel like i was running in place. it seemed like it was raining and snowing...blah! the grotesque wintery mix. i trecked on, feeling generally okay, not particularly fast or slow (except for when the wind pushed at me). when all was said and done i felt good (my cardio has already improved a great deal) and glad i was had my inclement weather run complete for the day.
today's mileage: 4.0
season mileage to date: 35.1
up next: practice saturday
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
a soggy 18 miles
sorry it took so long to get this post up. after my run i had to work for the rest of the day...and a bunch of sunday too and so the last place i felt like being was in front of the computer.
i'll take you back to friday night, when i nearly had a temper tantrum. that's all i really wanted to do, actually...i wanted to throw a massive crying fit until i was too tired to do anything but sleep. work was rough last week - high-pressure, quick-turn-around-deadlines, and by 6pm on friday i was done. exhausted. whiny. cranky.
the swede called to discuss the plan for the evening and a simple question about what i wanted to do for dinner elicited this sort of response...
"i don't know cause i'm not even hungry and all i wanna do is sit my butt down on the couch and drink a bottle of red wine but i can't cause i have to run tomorrow and i'm mad cause its gonna rain tomorrow and i don't *wanna* run 18 miles tomorrow in the rain cause i'm exhausted and i just want to sleep all day but i can't cause of this damn running." (pouty face) i eventually calmed down and relaxed a bit. the swede is a smart man and he bought me my favorite cupcakes which definitely helped with the cranky pants.
as expected, Saturday at 8:30 was dreary if not (yet) raining, but at least it was warm - in the high 40's. since we had such a hilly run the previous week, this week would be pretty much flat (well, except for the last bit which is a hill. sigh.) we were heading to coney island., which is a 13-mile round trip. we needed to run a round trip of the boardwalk (2 x 2.5 in case you were wondering how long the boardwalk is, there you have it) to add another 5 for a total distance of 18. we tried to head out quickly, as the downpours were really starting around 1pm. if it started lightening, then we could stop.
while the coney island run is easier from a hill perspective, i've decided that i really don't like long, flat straightaways. libby and i took off with one of our coaches, who was keeping us a more challenging pace than we might have started with - around an 11m mile. i pretty much threw pacing out the window once i got hurt twice this season and decided i would be happy with a race where i felt good at the end.
about 3 miles or so into the run, the rain started - not too heavy but there. we got to the boardwalk and took off to the left - in retrospect we should have gone the other way first since it was longer. oh well. we were now running through misty rain, trying to avoid the many nails and rotten planks sticking up out of the boardwalk. i tripped easily 8 times and snarled under my breath at the though of twisting my ankle on one of the many hazards we ran around.
the boardwalk stretched on forever and ever...or so it seemed. we finally saw the end and when we got there, goo'd it up and had a quick stretch. more mist. we headed back, stopping for a bathroom break, and a few blocks back up ocean parkway at a bodega so i could get some gatorade. and a few more blocks after that...the sky's opened up.
it was raining from every. single. direction. and within a few short minutes we were soaked through to the skin. we shrieked and laughed, and people were staring, giving us looks as if to say "are you guys mad?" we saw a flash and loud rumble of thunder soon followed but how to get back? that was the only flash, and really from where we were on ocean parkway it was quite a walk to the f train, and no busses in sight. we decided we would press on - unless we got too cold and the wind started to blow. rain - fine. wind- n'uh.
for the last 6 or so miles it rained - scratch that - poured on and off. the off parts were worse then the on parts because then you could feel the soggy wetness right down to your bones. it was gross. we got to the park in time for one last soaking (awesome) and found our coaches and the poor bag-watcher had taken refuge in the women's bathroom.
when all was said and done, that was definitely the longest i've run in the rain. i felt a bit like a bad ass. a creeky, stiff, sore, cold bad ass - but a bad ass none-the-less.
saturday's mileage:: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
i'll take you back to friday night, when i nearly had a temper tantrum. that's all i really wanted to do, actually...i wanted to throw a massive crying fit until i was too tired to do anything but sleep. work was rough last week - high-pressure, quick-turn-around-deadlines, and by 6pm on friday i was done. exhausted. whiny. cranky.
the swede called to discuss the plan for the evening and a simple question about what i wanted to do for dinner elicited this sort of response...
"i don't know cause i'm not even hungry and all i wanna do is sit my butt down on the couch and drink a bottle of red wine but i can't cause i have to run tomorrow and i'm mad cause its gonna rain tomorrow and i don't *wanna* run 18 miles tomorrow in the rain cause i'm exhausted and i just want to sleep all day but i can't cause of this damn running." (pouty face) i eventually calmed down and relaxed a bit. the swede is a smart man and he bought me my favorite cupcakes which definitely helped with the cranky pants.
as expected, Saturday at 8:30 was dreary if not (yet) raining, but at least it was warm - in the high 40's. since we had such a hilly run the previous week, this week would be pretty much flat (well, except for the last bit which is a hill. sigh.) we were heading to coney island., which is a 13-mile round trip. we needed to run a round trip of the boardwalk (2 x 2.5 in case you were wondering how long the boardwalk is, there you have it) to add another 5 for a total distance of 18. we tried to head out quickly, as the downpours were really starting around 1pm. if it started lightening, then we could stop.
while the coney island run is easier from a hill perspective, i've decided that i really don't like long, flat straightaways. libby and i took off with one of our coaches, who was keeping us a more challenging pace than we might have started with - around an 11m mile. i pretty much threw pacing out the window once i got hurt twice this season and decided i would be happy with a race where i felt good at the end.
about 3 miles or so into the run, the rain started - not too heavy but there. we got to the boardwalk and took off to the left - in retrospect we should have gone the other way first since it was longer. oh well. we were now running through misty rain, trying to avoid the many nails and rotten planks sticking up out of the boardwalk. i tripped easily 8 times and snarled under my breath at the though of twisting my ankle on one of the many hazards we ran around.
the boardwalk stretched on forever and ever...or so it seemed. we finally saw the end and when we got there, goo'd it up and had a quick stretch. more mist. we headed back, stopping for a bathroom break, and a few blocks back up ocean parkway at a bodega so i could get some gatorade. and a few more blocks after that...the sky's opened up.
it was raining from every. single. direction. and within a few short minutes we were soaked through to the skin. we shrieked and laughed, and people were staring, giving us looks as if to say "are you guys mad?" we saw a flash and loud rumble of thunder soon followed but how to get back? that was the only flash, and really from where we were on ocean parkway it was quite a walk to the f train, and no busses in sight. we decided we would press on - unless we got too cold and the wind started to blow. rain - fine. wind- n'uh.
for the last 6 or so miles it rained - scratch that - poured on and off. the off parts were worse then the on parts because then you could feel the soggy wetness right down to your bones. it was gross. we got to the park in time for one last soaking (awesome) and found our coaches and the poor bag-watcher had taken refuge in the women's bathroom.
when all was said and done, that was definitely the longest i've run in the rain. i felt a bit like a bad ass. a creeky, stiff, sore, cold bad ass - but a bad ass none-the-less.
saturday's mileage:: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
Saturday, March 08, 2008
yeah i did.
yes i did so run 18 miles this morning, a good portion of them in rain of various forms.
all i gotta say is:
rain + running = chafing.
the long version tomorrow.
today's mileage: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
all i gotta say is:
rain + running = chafing.
the long version tomorrow.
today's mileage: 18.0
season mileage to date: 206.5
Sunday, February 24, 2008
last for the first time.
so while most of you were snuggled under your covers saturday morning, the hearty brooklyn team in training crew took the slushy streets to run many a mile.
by friday afternoon, practice had been canceled for the manhattanites - i think ramon is going soft. he *never* used to cancel practice! lisa sent an email letting us know it was on, that we would meet up at 8:30, but if it was to slick she reserved the right to cancel on the spot. fair enough.
i left work a little early and headed to jack rabbit on 14th street to get some new running shoes. i probaly have had the others for 350 miles, which is about 50 miles too many and i had a hunch that they were contributing to my injuries. i wasn't really excited about breaking my shoes in on a long run - the last time i did that i ended up with a monster blister - but i was more scared of getting more hurt than i already am.
i didn't go through the whole "get your stride checked" thing. i simply brought my old ones, asked for the latest model, tried them on and wow. they felt like slippers compared to my old sneakers. it was niiiiiiice. it was also no longer snowing but raining and i had a feeling that we would be running in the morning.
and i was right. as i headed to our meeting spot, the streets were relatively clear, aside from a few slick spots here and there. i was pretty relieved that we were going to be running - as i said, i was freaking out a little over my miles + my injury so it was really important for me to see how i was going to do (and of course, get those miles in.)
lisa explained our route for the morning - we woud be headed to the city. our route would take us:
-from park slope, through brooklyn and over the brooklyn bridge.
-across chambers to the westside highway and back.
there are three marathons training together this season - paris, nashville and new jersey. the people that were not running paris (all but 4 of us) got to turn around at houston for a nice 10 mile recovery run. i would be running up to 54th street on the west side and back to the way we came, over the bridge and back to brooklyn.
i had one of the new jersey-people to run with for the first 7 or so miles, up to 30th or so, and it was good to have someone to chat with. also i had forgotten my watch so i was able to pace a little bit. and then...i was on my own. the weather at that point was eh. it was misty raining and you could start to feel the chill creep in. i was good and was wearing my fuel belt and because i knew of a good little bathroom/water fountain spot, i wasn't "rationing" as i might have been otherwise.
i was quite quite tempted to turn around at 34th, then 44th (that would have been 15 miles) but i knew i would just be mad at myself if i stopped short, so on i went, past where the intrepid should be, through the tourists departing the cruise ship docks with their many suitcases blocking the path, and up to my turn around spot.
once i turned around i was excited for my stop at the "secret" water taxi dock. there were a few other runners (not with tnt) follwed me in. a british woman in the group saw me eating a goo and said "ah, looks like someone else is in training, else you wouldn't be eating those dreadful things" (note - i think the word "dreadful" is highly underused, and i plan on incorporating it more frequently). we talked running talk for a few minutes, who was training for what, how many miles was i running, etc.
the last stretch on the west side was the toughest. long. straight. you know exactly where you are. i longed for music and thought about the things that tend to keep me going:
-a comment from a reader a few days ago (thanks angie!)
-a video of the hoyts (father/son triathalete/marathon team from massachusetts)
-a note from jeanne's sister that made me smile
-finding out that morning that lisa's (the coach) dad, who had been having a rough time of it lately, is now cancer free
-running the full san diego marathon when i was only going to do the 1/2 (until i got inspired by the 80-year old who was participating in her 9th marathon for TNT)
-and of course bouv...i had told my running buddy about him earlier, its good to talk about these things...even when you've talked about it a million times.
i realized at some point that i had not a piece of id on me, so i'd better be carful not to hurt myself. i had visions of hitting my head, getting amnesia, and the hospital not knowing who to call. once i was back on chambers i knew that the rest would go by quickly between dodging people and traffic, running the brooklyn bridge (a first by the way) and getting myself back to our meeting spot to "check out" aka let the coaches know we didn't get lost or crack our heads open.
i found that i was the last - a first for me. everyone congratulated me and i smiled big but wearily. 16 down. minimal pain. i am rather proud of myself.
yesterday's mileage: 16.0
season mileage to date:165.0
by friday afternoon, practice had been canceled for the manhattanites - i think ramon is going soft. he *never* used to cancel practice! lisa sent an email letting us know it was on, that we would meet up at 8:30, but if it was to slick she reserved the right to cancel on the spot. fair enough.
i left work a little early and headed to jack rabbit on 14th street to get some new running shoes. i probaly have had the others for 350 miles, which is about 50 miles too many and i had a hunch that they were contributing to my injuries. i wasn't really excited about breaking my shoes in on a long run - the last time i did that i ended up with a monster blister - but i was more scared of getting more hurt than i already am.
i didn't go through the whole "get your stride checked" thing. i simply brought my old ones, asked for the latest model, tried them on and wow. they felt like slippers compared to my old sneakers. it was niiiiiiice. it was also no longer snowing but raining and i had a feeling that we would be running in the morning.
and i was right. as i headed to our meeting spot, the streets were relatively clear, aside from a few slick spots here and there. i was pretty relieved that we were going to be running - as i said, i was freaking out a little over my miles + my injury so it was really important for me to see how i was going to do (and of course, get those miles in.)
lisa explained our route for the morning - we woud be headed to the city. our route would take us:
-from park slope, through brooklyn and over the brooklyn bridge.
-across chambers to the westside highway and back.
there are three marathons training together this season - paris, nashville and new jersey. the people that were not running paris (all but 4 of us) got to turn around at houston for a nice 10 mile recovery run. i would be running up to 54th street on the west side and back to the way we came, over the bridge and back to brooklyn.
i had one of the new jersey-people to run with for the first 7 or so miles, up to 30th or so, and it was good to have someone to chat with. also i had forgotten my watch so i was able to pace a little bit. and then...i was on my own. the weather at that point was eh. it was misty raining and you could start to feel the chill creep in. i was good and was wearing my fuel belt and because i knew of a good little bathroom/water fountain spot, i wasn't "rationing" as i might have been otherwise.
i was quite quite tempted to turn around at 34th, then 44th (that would have been 15 miles) but i knew i would just be mad at myself if i stopped short, so on i went, past where the intrepid should be, through the tourists departing the cruise ship docks with their many suitcases blocking the path, and up to my turn around spot.
once i turned around i was excited for my stop at the "secret" water taxi dock. there were a few other runners (not with tnt) follwed me in. a british woman in the group saw me eating a goo and said "ah, looks like someone else is in training, else you wouldn't be eating those dreadful things" (note - i think the word "dreadful" is highly underused, and i plan on incorporating it more frequently). we talked running talk for a few minutes, who was training for what, how many miles was i running, etc.
the last stretch on the west side was the toughest. long. straight. you know exactly where you are. i longed for music and thought about the things that tend to keep me going:
-a comment from a reader a few days ago (thanks angie!)
-a video of the hoyts (father/son triathalete/marathon team from massachusetts)
-a note from jeanne's sister that made me smile
-finding out that morning that lisa's (the coach) dad, who had been having a rough time of it lately, is now cancer free
-running the full san diego marathon when i was only going to do the 1/2 (until i got inspired by the 80-year old who was participating in her 9th marathon for TNT)
-and of course bouv...i had told my running buddy about him earlier, its good to talk about these things...even when you've talked about it a million times.
i realized at some point that i had not a piece of id on me, so i'd better be carful not to hurt myself. i had visions of hitting my head, getting amnesia, and the hospital not knowing who to call. once i was back on chambers i knew that the rest would go by quickly between dodging people and traffic, running the brooklyn bridge (a first by the way) and getting myself back to our meeting spot to "check out" aka let the coaches know we didn't get lost or crack our heads open.
i found that i was the last - a first for me. everyone congratulated me and i smiled big but wearily. 16 down. minimal pain. i am rather proud of myself.
yesterday's mileage: 16.0
season mileage to date:165.0
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
snow bunnies
yes, last night we ran in the snow.
most people were agahst to learn we still had practice - i definitely was feeling a bit whiny about it until i manged to change and head out into the whiteness that blanketed brooklyn.
it was my first snow in the b.k. and i must admit, it was real pretty. i cut up and walked along the park, and the apartments up there are so pretty anyway, but the frosted windowsills and sidewalks made them all the more cozy looking. it wasn't a bad walk, and i think that's how i'm going to get to practice on tuesdays from now on.
there were quite a few of us troopers out there - all girls by the way. because it was so slick, we couldn't run repeats on the big hill as planned. instead we did some running and some crosstraining. the workout was something like...
40 squats
80 lunges (40 on each leg)
some tip-toe walking (calf-strengthening)
2.5 mile run
made 1 snow angel
they didn't keep us out there for much longer than an hour but running in the snow is akin to running in sand, and between that and the cross training, not only was my shin hurting, but i felt a quad pain developing in my right leg (aka the *other* leg). grr. no time for quad strains now. i was good and rolled everything out before settling in for the night and the snow turned to slush.
total mileage to date: 140.5
most people were agahst to learn we still had practice - i definitely was feeling a bit whiny about it until i manged to change and head out into the whiteness that blanketed brooklyn.
it was my first snow in the b.k. and i must admit, it was real pretty. i cut up and walked along the park, and the apartments up there are so pretty anyway, but the frosted windowsills and sidewalks made them all the more cozy looking. it wasn't a bad walk, and i think that's how i'm going to get to practice on tuesdays from now on.
there were quite a few of us troopers out there - all girls by the way. because it was so slick, we couldn't run repeats on the big hill as planned. instead we did some running and some crosstraining. the workout was something like...
40 squats
80 lunges (40 on each leg)
some tip-toe walking (calf-strengthening)
2.5 mile run
made 1 snow angel
they didn't keep us out there for much longer than an hour but running in the snow is akin to running in sand, and between that and the cross training, not only was my shin hurting, but i felt a quad pain developing in my right leg (aka the *other* leg). grr. no time for quad strains now. i was good and rolled everything out before settling in for the night and the snow turned to slush.
total mileage to date: 140.5
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
here i go again on my own
a belated post. sorry its taken so long - i *did* run this weekend, i've just been hard at work on a site that we're trying to get launched for work so i've been a little mentally exhausted to focus.
the original plan for the weekend was to run the bronx 1/2.
then i decided because i am going away this morning AND the bronx is really far AND the race started at 8, that i would run on my own on saturday afternoon.
THEN saturday i had to work and it was supposed to rain, and so, on sunday my plan changed again and in the early afternoon i set out to run 15 miles in prospect park.
while getting up early to run is a pain, there is absolutely something to be said for getting it done early, especially when it is a long run. it is at least 3 times harder to get out there later in the day. especially when that day is going to turn cold and windy. but get out there i did.
around 1 i finally set out with the goal of running 3 5-mile loops. i looked like some sort of geeky-super-hero, sporting my friend's fuel belt equipped with two water bottles and the front pocket stuffed with two chocolate powergels. yuuuum. i modeled for my roommate who, despite giggles said that there was no doubt that i looked like a serious runner.
i opted for some spoon on the ipod, and nearly had a heart attack when three songs in, my ipod froze. i managed to revive it and continued on, trying to loosen up my calves which were feeling rather tight, especially on the flat parts. i made it around the base of the park, and turned left on wellhouse to run the repeat that would turn the 3.4 mile loop into a 5. as i turned back to the main loop, the music stopped again.
i thought it was another crash, but i was dismayed to find i was the power. i was music-less 3 miles into a 15 mile run. i simultaneously wanted to throw a temper-tantrum and cry, but instead i gritted my teeth, clenched my jaw and ran on.
it took me that whole first loop to really find my groove, and i really didn't have enough water for that distance run, but i made due. i really really really don't like the flat part of the park in the back, it bores me to tears. the thought of having to run that strip made me a little depressed but i tried to just break the whole thing down into 3 chunks and not think of the big miles.
loop number 2 was better - the chocolate power gel definitely helped big time, giving me a nice sugar rush that probably lasted a good 3-4 miles. my muscles were much looser, and i didn't feel so heavy on my feet as the first loop. as i was finishing my 2nd loop, it looked like the fog was rolling in...strange...but no. it was a snow squall.
right then the wind whipped up nice and strong, pushing me every-which-way at any given moment. ug. i had the last of my water, another gel (managing not to get it all over my face) and headed back out for a final loop. by the time i reached where i should turn to make it a 5 mile loop, i had decided simply - no. way. i would run 4 not 5 by running back to my house but there was no way in hell i was turning into the wind for that last lower loop. it was a good decision - as it was, running up the big hill (i need to find out the name of it) was absolutely ridiculous. i felt like a cartoon character running hard and gettin' no where fast.
i was exhausted but proud when it was all said and done. 14 miles is not easy under the best of circumstances, but especially without company, an ipod, enough water and gel. yeah. i'm tough. or stubborn. whatever.
today's mileage: 14.0
season mileage to date: 138.5
the original plan for the weekend was to run the bronx 1/2.
then i decided because i am going away this morning AND the bronx is really far AND the race started at 8, that i would run on my own on saturday afternoon.
THEN saturday i had to work and it was supposed to rain, and so, on sunday my plan changed again and in the early afternoon i set out to run 15 miles in prospect park.
while getting up early to run is a pain, there is absolutely something to be said for getting it done early, especially when it is a long run. it is at least 3 times harder to get out there later in the day. especially when that day is going to turn cold and windy. but get out there i did.
around 1 i finally set out with the goal of running 3 5-mile loops. i looked like some sort of geeky-super-hero, sporting my friend's fuel belt equipped with two water bottles and the front pocket stuffed with two chocolate powergels. yuuuum. i modeled for my roommate who, despite giggles said that there was no doubt that i looked like a serious runner.
i opted for some spoon on the ipod, and nearly had a heart attack when three songs in, my ipod froze. i managed to revive it and continued on, trying to loosen up my calves which were feeling rather tight, especially on the flat parts. i made it around the base of the park, and turned left on wellhouse to run the repeat that would turn the 3.4 mile loop into a 5. as i turned back to the main loop, the music stopped again.
i thought it was another crash, but i was dismayed to find i was the power. i was music-less 3 miles into a 15 mile run. i simultaneously wanted to throw a temper-tantrum and cry, but instead i gritted my teeth, clenched my jaw and ran on.
it took me that whole first loop to really find my groove, and i really didn't have enough water for that distance run, but i made due. i really really really don't like the flat part of the park in the back, it bores me to tears. the thought of having to run that strip made me a little depressed but i tried to just break the whole thing down into 3 chunks and not think of the big miles.
loop number 2 was better - the chocolate power gel definitely helped big time, giving me a nice sugar rush that probably lasted a good 3-4 miles. my muscles were much looser, and i didn't feel so heavy on my feet as the first loop. as i was finishing my 2nd loop, it looked like the fog was rolling in...strange...but no. it was a snow squall.
right then the wind whipped up nice and strong, pushing me every-which-way at any given moment. ug. i had the last of my water, another gel (managing not to get it all over my face) and headed back out for a final loop. by the time i reached where i should turn to make it a 5 mile loop, i had decided simply - no. way. i would run 4 not 5 by running back to my house but there was no way in hell i was turning into the wind for that last lower loop. it was a good decision - as it was, running up the big hill (i need to find out the name of it) was absolutely ridiculous. i felt like a cartoon character running hard and gettin' no where fast.
i was exhausted but proud when it was all said and done. 14 miles is not easy under the best of circumstances, but especially without company, an ipod, enough water and gel. yeah. i'm tough. or stubborn. whatever.
today's mileage: 14.0
season mileage to date: 138.5
Thursday, March 22, 2007
and the worst mentor of the year award goes to...
i know, its been a while and i have no good excuse.
so lets go back to friday. when we had a disgusting blizzard. all day we were chattering...would practice be cancelled? snow day? it was so gross out. cold.
sleaty. icy. the tri-team had their practice cancelled....but their coach isn't crazy.
the rookie, sk8 and i were all debating. then i got a call from cap with what amounted to be the deciding factor: there was to be no ride in the morning. urg. mentor-guilt kicked in. what to do? what to do? if anyone of the three of us had insisted on us going to practice (and yes, i realize, that would be *my* job as resident captain), we would have gone. but the thought of having a crappy run on the icy, windy westside just seemed silly. plus the rookie doesn't have insurance and with his luck he'd probably break something. so we decided to skip. and it did hurt. last season i never skipped practice outright. i missed a few because of vacations and work events, but never ever skipped, even when it was pouring. so the guilt was at a record-high because of the "mentor factor" but we promised we'd make up for it on sunday...
...except the thing is that saturday was st. patrick's day.
no i'm not irish. not even close (i mean, i might have a speck on my dad's side, but i don't think so - and i'm kissable enough without it anyway). but i ended up playing ringleader to, when all was said and done, a random crew of about ten of us hitting the few non-cheesy irish bars in the 'hood. sk8 and the rookie were a part of the guinness-infused madness, which ended up being a...um...10 hour marathon of it's own when all was said and done.
i woke up a tired and cranky girl sunday morn - er, afternoon, and there was no way in hell i was running 10 miles. at first i thought, i'll do 4-5 at least. sk8 was a good runner and headed off to the park early. i nursed my hangover for most of the day, then watched a movie. uuurg. i felt like a useless slug.
the good news is that the debauchery has kicked me in the ass enough to do a few things:
- cut out some of the alcohol (good so far)
- cook more (good so far)
- stick to the schedule (less than good, but after i recover from last night's beating, i will be back on track)
so lets go back to friday. when we had a disgusting blizzard. all day we were chattering...would practice be cancelled? snow day? it was so gross out. cold.
sleaty. icy. the tri-team had their practice cancelled....but their coach isn't crazy.
the rookie, sk8 and i were all debating. then i got a call from cap with what amounted to be the deciding factor: there was to be no ride in the morning. urg. mentor-guilt kicked in. what to do? what to do? if anyone of the three of us had insisted on us going to practice (and yes, i realize, that would be *my* job as resident captain), we would have gone. but the thought of having a crappy run on the icy, windy westside just seemed silly. plus the rookie doesn't have insurance and with his luck he'd probably break something. so we decided to skip. and it did hurt. last season i never skipped practice outright. i missed a few because of vacations and work events, but never ever skipped, even when it was pouring. so the guilt was at a record-high because of the "mentor factor" but we promised we'd make up for it on sunday...
...except the thing is that saturday was st. patrick's day.
no i'm not irish. not even close (i mean, i might have a speck on my dad's side, but i don't think so - and i'm kissable enough without it anyway). but i ended up playing ringleader to, when all was said and done, a random crew of about ten of us hitting the few non-cheesy irish bars in the 'hood. sk8 and the rookie were a part of the guinness-infused madness, which ended up being a...um...10 hour marathon of it's own when all was said and done.
i woke up a tired and cranky girl sunday morn - er, afternoon, and there was no way in hell i was running 10 miles. at first i thought, i'll do 4-5 at least. sk8 was a good runner and headed off to the park early. i nursed my hangover for most of the day, then watched a movie. uuurg. i felt like a useless slug.
the good news is that the debauchery has kicked me in the ass enough to do a few things:
- cut out some of the alcohol (good so far)
- cook more (good so far)
- stick to the schedule (less than good, but after i recover from last night's beating, i will be back on track)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
gross weather + clients = a good day to miss practice
so today our clients came in and ended up staying a bit late...until 7:30. which obviously meant that i missed practice. normally i would be all sorts of stressed about this, but given the snow/sleet mix, i can't say i was too upset about it.
i've got some running to do for sure. it's been a rough week as far as being busy and i've been fighting off some sort of icky-scratchy-throat thing. but if i get better shortly, no more no-running excuses. just cause i've got one marathon-that-didn't-kill-me under my belt doesn't mean i can afford to slack off!
as far as fundraising captain goes, i sent my first e-mail the other day. hopefully it wasn't too, um, perky? (by the way, hi to any tnt'ers out there!) tomorrow there is a social (anyone that is interested in signing up to run san diego, it's not too late! e-mail me and i'll let you know the details), then practice saturday.
it's all tnt all the time!
i've got some running to do for sure. it's been a rough week as far as being busy and i've been fighting off some sort of icky-scratchy-throat thing. but if i get better shortly, no more no-running excuses. just cause i've got one marathon-that-didn't-kill-me under my belt doesn't mean i can afford to slack off!
as far as fundraising captain goes, i sent my first e-mail the other day. hopefully it wasn't too, um, perky? (by the way, hi to any tnt'ers out there!) tomorrow there is a social (anyone that is interested in signing up to run san diego, it's not too late! e-mail me and i'll let you know the details), then practice saturday.
it's all tnt all the time!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
i earned my turkey.
indeed i did.
i got up this morning at 9 with the plan to leave the house by 10:30. challenge number one...no food in the house i like to have for breakfast. dad offered to make me bacon and egg sandwiches, which i love, but its not exactly pre-running food so i settled for an english muffin and a banana.
it looked very very cold from inside the house where i sat planning my route with the google pedometer. we live so far out, i was not exactly sure that our road was going to be ON the google pedometer but it was. since i haven't run since the 18 miles, i figured i'd do 5-6. plus we don't have to run much this weekend...between 8 & 12 i think so i figured i owed it to myself to play a little catch up with the mileage.
i checked the mileage from my house to my nonna's (grandmother's for you non-italians) which was a little over 6 miles. not bad. i checked the weather. bad. 40 degress, "feels like 34". yuck. and it was raining. steadily. did i mention i also do not have proper running pants yet? oh yes, i was prepared. since technically we can run in shorts in the 40's, i decided to brave it. i had some cheap gloves, a long sleeved shirt and, although i tried to protect my ears, everything i could find kept driving my headphones uncomfortably into my little eardrums. warm ears or music? music, no doubt. i was ready.
i ghetto-wrapped my ipod again and stepped outside. it was COLD. instead of complaining i just started going. the rain was steady, and not exactly light, but once i got going, it was manageable. it was really funny to run 1)on the road, 2)a route that i've driving a thousand times and takes maybe 10 minutes in the car, 3)without other people running around me. even when i've run in the rain before in the park, there were always other looney's out there with me. this time, it was just me, the wilderness & the road.
i'm still bothered by the shin-splint but i was so cold it didn't bother me as much. i wasn't having a hard time running, but the weather was just plain old unpleasant. about 1/2 way to nonna's, the wind kicked in, just in time for me to run down a wide, wind-tunnel of a road. that was the hardest part. cars were flying past me, spraying & splashing me with the run-off on the roads, and god only knows what they had to say about seeing some girl not only running in the freezing rain, but in shorts!
somewhere around 4 & 1/2 miles, everything loosened up, and i completely picked up the pace. i felt like for the first time in a while (sprints don't count, they hurt too much), i was running versus jogging. it was great. i didn't care about the rain, the wind...nada. i was *trucking!* down route 148 feeling completely crazy for running in weather like that and loving it. my dad drove by (he was meeting me with warm clothing) and i waved, happy i was looking good at that moment in time.
i realized right around then, that it would be much better for me to run 6/7 miles than 4 for shorter runs. i can really push the run at the end because that's when i start to really get into it, and leaving a run with that high is the best. so i can't be afraid of the longer short runs - they'll be easier than the shorter ones! duh!
when i got to nonna's dad was waiting and they both looked a little horrified at how be-draggled i looked, but i assured them i felt okay. the heat against my freezing cold & wet skin literally made me tingle with a strange kind of numbness, and my skin was totally red everywhere from the cold, but i felt great. especially after i changed into my sweats. but i have to say for myself that i am one tough cookie.
happy thanksgiving everyone.
today's mileage: 6.1
total mileage: 234.3
i got up this morning at 9 with the plan to leave the house by 10:30. challenge number one...no food in the house i like to have for breakfast. dad offered to make me bacon and egg sandwiches, which i love, but its not exactly pre-running food so i settled for an english muffin and a banana.
it looked very very cold from inside the house where i sat planning my route with the google pedometer. we live so far out, i was not exactly sure that our road was going to be ON the google pedometer but it was. since i haven't run since the 18 miles, i figured i'd do 5-6. plus we don't have to run much this weekend...between 8 & 12 i think so i figured i owed it to myself to play a little catch up with the mileage.
i checked the mileage from my house to my nonna's (grandmother's for you non-italians) which was a little over 6 miles. not bad. i checked the weather. bad. 40 degress, "feels like 34". yuck. and it was raining. steadily. did i mention i also do not have proper running pants yet? oh yes, i was prepared. since technically we can run in shorts in the 40's, i decided to brave it. i had some cheap gloves, a long sleeved shirt and, although i tried to protect my ears, everything i could find kept driving my headphones uncomfortably into my little eardrums. warm ears or music? music, no doubt. i was ready.
i ghetto-wrapped my ipod again and stepped outside. it was COLD. instead of complaining i just started going. the rain was steady, and not exactly light, but once i got going, it was manageable. it was really funny to run 1)on the road, 2)a route that i've driving a thousand times and takes maybe 10 minutes in the car, 3)without other people running around me. even when i've run in the rain before in the park, there were always other looney's out there with me. this time, it was just me, the wilderness & the road.
i'm still bothered by the shin-splint but i was so cold it didn't bother me as much. i wasn't having a hard time running, but the weather was just plain old unpleasant. about 1/2 way to nonna's, the wind kicked in, just in time for me to run down a wide, wind-tunnel of a road. that was the hardest part. cars were flying past me, spraying & splashing me with the run-off on the roads, and god only knows what they had to say about seeing some girl not only running in the freezing rain, but in shorts!
somewhere around 4 & 1/2 miles, everything loosened up, and i completely picked up the pace. i felt like for the first time in a while (sprints don't count, they hurt too much), i was running versus jogging. it was great. i didn't care about the rain, the wind...nada. i was *trucking!* down route 148 feeling completely crazy for running in weather like that and loving it. my dad drove by (he was meeting me with warm clothing) and i waved, happy i was looking good at that moment in time.
i realized right around then, that it would be much better for me to run 6/7 miles than 4 for shorter runs. i can really push the run at the end because that's when i start to really get into it, and leaving a run with that high is the best. so i can't be afraid of the longer short runs - they'll be easier than the shorter ones! duh!
when i got to nonna's dad was waiting and they both looked a little horrified at how be-draggled i looked, but i assured them i felt okay. the heat against my freezing cold & wet skin literally made me tingle with a strange kind of numbness, and my skin was totally red everywhere from the cold, but i felt great. especially after i changed into my sweats. but i have to say for myself that i am one tough cookie.
happy thanksgiving everyone.
today's mileage: 6.1
total mileage: 234.3
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
it's rainy, i'm sick and our second "test" is tonight
its pouring outside, and my cough came back last night with a vengence. i suppose it might have been the whisky (just one!) that i had last night in celebration of the dems taking the house.
last time we had a test, i had my itb injury so i couldn't run so fast. now this time, i won't be able to breathe. ~grumble~ i've got my cranky pants on today. here's what we're going to do at practice, courtesy ramon of course. i'm hoping the rain's gonna stop before then.
We will start with a really slowly warm-up by running west and south to lamppost W6401 (just south of Tavern on the Green, same spot where we started the TEST#1). There you'll see an `S' (stands for Start) written on the ground, and that's our Starting point. We'll regroup there and start the groups in 30-60 seconds intervals. The Mile goes from Lamppost W6401 , the `S' around the sound end of the park, north on the east side up to East 72nd street. (there's `1 mile' mark written on the ground) Don't worry, one of the coaches will be there to mark the Start end End. You'll run from the S to the 1 Mile mark at a `good speed' (we'll cover that ) and then recover, really slow running across 72nd street and south to the Start. (basically you'll run lower loop) YOU all will run 3 loops.
last time we had a test, i had my itb injury so i couldn't run so fast. now this time, i won't be able to breathe. ~grumble~ i've got my cranky pants on today. here's what we're going to do at practice, courtesy ramon of course. i'm hoping the rain's gonna stop before then.
We will start with a really slowly warm-up by running west and south to lamppost W6401 (just south of Tavern on the Green, same spot where we started the TEST#1). There you'll see an `S' (stands for Start) written on the ground, and that's our Starting point. We'll regroup there and start the groups in 30-60 seconds intervals. The Mile goes from Lamppost W6401 , the `S' around the sound end of the park, north on the east side up to East 72nd street. (there's `1 mile' mark written on the ground) Don't worry, one of the coaches will be there to mark the Start end End. You'll run from the S to the 1 Mile mark at a `good speed' (we'll cover that ) and then recover, really slow running across 72nd street and south to the Start. (basically you'll run lower loop) YOU all will run 3 loops.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
bloody heel
no, that's not a typo. it's literal.
today we had to run 13 - 15 miles in central park. our first challenge was the weather. it was damn miserable. windy. raining. the only thing that made up for it was that it was about 60 degrees, which was much warmer than i thought it was going to be.
since i have to be done eating by 7, i decided to get up, make oatmeal, and then go back to bed for another 1/2 hour. then it was cab to the west side to take a train, and up to riverside and 72nd.it was seriously nasty out, and there were probably only 20 of us brave souls out for the run. handsome was already there, and charlotte made it just as we were ready to go.
it was a hard day. the rain and and wind was making everyone stiff and i don't know if anyone really had a great run. we were going to try for 14.7 - two loops plus the mile to and from the park. however, around mile 8, that's when my bloody heel broke out.
i first thought something was in my sock, but no...some rubbing gone bad. what started as a little sore and redness, ended as a the back of my shoe all blood-stained. gross and ouch. so we ended up ditching the extra 1.7...and ended up running a little over 13 miles. the last few were hard, and i was definitely hurting. but, i was not hurting as much as the last time.
when we went to sign out, i gave my name and the mentor exclaimed - oh! i know you! you're our superstar! and that put a smile on my salty, tired face.
off to finish up the halloween costume.
today's mileage: 13
total mileage: 161.1
today we had to run 13 - 15 miles in central park. our first challenge was the weather. it was damn miserable. windy. raining. the only thing that made up for it was that it was about 60 degrees, which was much warmer than i thought it was going to be.
since i have to be done eating by 7, i decided to get up, make oatmeal, and then go back to bed for another 1/2 hour. then it was cab to the west side to take a train, and up to riverside and 72nd.it was seriously nasty out, and there were probably only 20 of us brave souls out for the run. handsome was already there, and charlotte made it just as we were ready to go.
it was a hard day. the rain and and wind was making everyone stiff and i don't know if anyone really had a great run. we were going to try for 14.7 - two loops plus the mile to and from the park. however, around mile 8, that's when my bloody heel broke out.
i first thought something was in my sock, but no...some rubbing gone bad. what started as a little sore and redness, ended as a the back of my shoe all blood-stained. gross and ouch. so we ended up ditching the extra 1.7...and ended up running a little over 13 miles. the last few were hard, and i was definitely hurting. but, i was not hurting as much as the last time.
when we went to sign out, i gave my name and the mentor exclaimed - oh! i know you! you're our superstar! and that put a smile on my salty, tired face.
off to finish up the halloween costume.
today's mileage: 13
total mileage: 161.1
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
i am one of the crazy ones
and proud of it. here's what our coach had to say about us...
Those are the names of the hardcore runners of the Team !! Everybody above mentioned gets an A++++ for comittment and dedication to training ! I can tell you right now that you WILL cross the finish line of your event, It is the kind of comittment you showed during today's workout that will get you there !!You have impressed the coaches ! My hat off to you !!
The names above also represent the Crazy ones of the Team ! And also those are the names of the people I'm hating right now as I in the train going home all freaking wet !!! he,he,he.
honestly, it wasn't as hard running in the rain as getting to the practice.
as per the usual the commute made me super cranky. what i thought was a good idea of wearing my knee-boots with my shorts so my sneakers didn't get all wet, actually was not since the men of canal street seemed to think the pairing was hot. oh and it was raining. i tried to put on my "do i look like i want to be cat called?"-face but you can imagine how well that worked. oh and i didn't have an umbrella or appropriate rain gear (as usual). and when the commute starts poorly...it continues that way...the "express" wasn't going as fast as the local, some gross man decided he wanted to stand right in front of me with his hands on the top bar, with his belly practically in my face, and it smelled. i refrained from yelling/gesturing at anyone until i was on the upper east side when a d-bag rode by on his bike and made kissing sounds at me. i'm sorry, but he got (and deserved) the finger. when will i turn into a proper lady?
practice was in the raaaaaain and we ran up and down a long hill. it was not terrible, but not grand either. oh and i had heartburn. not a big deal but i seem to get it a lot lately. am i 30 or 60, sheesh. when i wanted to complain, i thought of linda, and my mom, and family. i think that i can push myself a little more, but i've been a little hesitant because of injuries and such. i'm happy that ramon says we will cross the finish line, but i want to feel even stronger than i do today...
today's mileage: 2.0*
total mileage: 111.0*
*=guestimated - hilly/rainy run. unknown milage and lost track of how many hills.
Those are the names of the hardcore runners of the Team !! Everybody above mentioned gets an A++++ for comittment and dedication to training ! I can tell you right now that you WILL cross the finish line of your event, It is the kind of comittment you showed during today's workout that will get you there !!You have impressed the coaches ! My hat off to you !!
The names above also represent the Crazy ones of the Team ! And also those are the names of the people I'm hating right now as I in the train going home all freaking wet !!! he,he,he.
honestly, it wasn't as hard running in the rain as getting to the practice.
as per the usual the commute made me super cranky. what i thought was a good idea of wearing my knee-boots with my shorts so my sneakers didn't get all wet, actually was not since the men of canal street seemed to think the pairing was hot. oh and it was raining. i tried to put on my "do i look like i want to be cat called?"-face but you can imagine how well that worked. oh and i didn't have an umbrella or appropriate rain gear (as usual). and when the commute starts poorly...it continues that way...the "express" wasn't going as fast as the local, some gross man decided he wanted to stand right in front of me with his hands on the top bar, with his belly practically in my face, and it smelled. i refrained from yelling/gesturing at anyone until i was on the upper east side when a d-bag rode by on his bike and made kissing sounds at me. i'm sorry, but he got (and deserved) the finger. when will i turn into a proper lady?
practice was in the raaaaaain and we ran up and down a long hill. it was not terrible, but not grand either. oh and i had heartburn. not a big deal but i seem to get it a lot lately. am i 30 or 60, sheesh. when i wanted to complain, i thought of linda, and my mom, and family. i think that i can push myself a little more, but i've been a little hesitant because of injuries and such. i'm happy that ramon says we will cross the finish line, but i want to feel even stronger than i do today...
today's mileage: 2.0*
total mileage: 111.0*
*=guestimated - hilly/rainy run. unknown milage and lost track of how many hills.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
hurricanes do not a terrible running environment make
last night we got a "weather advisory" from our coach saying that if it was thundering or "as bad as they said it was going to be" practice would be canceled and to use common sense. i was really hoping it wouldn't be, because i felt bad missing a day this week already, and i needed the mileage.
the wind started pounding on my rickety windows around 2 am, which didn't make for a great night's sleep, but i stumbled out of bed at 7:15 to check for an e-mail cancellation - there was none. it was lightly raining, if at all, *very* windy, but no thunder. what to do? my body was calling for me to go back to bed, but i held out and sent a text to charlotte to see what she thought. she called and we decided we were up, we might as well go for it and we could always run anyway if they had cancelled.
a wise decision - practice was not canceled. our assignment for the day was 5 miles, either the upper loop (72nd all the way to the top of the park and back down the other side to 72nd) or the lower loop (72nd up to 102nd street transfer to the west side, then all the way down to the southern end and back up the eastside to 72). the major difference is the massive hill on the upper loop - if you go east to west, the hill is shorter but really steep; if you go west to east the hill is not as steep but is quite a bit longer. we were going to do the upper loop, but by the time we got to 102, we thought it would be better to just do the relatively flat 5 and keep track of our time.
the crazy blustery wind gusts (when they were not blowing against us) were actually really refreshing after i warmed up, and the rain stopped about a 1/2 mile into the run. the weather made me feel *tough*. it was fun. i can't tell you how thankful i am that i'm actually enjoying running.
as it turned out we got back in about 62 minutes, and when i mapped out our route, we actually ran 5.37 miles not just 5...so today we were *under* a 12 minute mile. for all my talk in my last post about not caring about time, this made me happy, and quite proud.
today's mileage:5.37
total mileage: 47.02
the wind started pounding on my rickety windows around 2 am, which didn't make for a great night's sleep, but i stumbled out of bed at 7:15 to check for an e-mail cancellation - there was none. it was lightly raining, if at all, *very* windy, but no thunder. what to do? my body was calling for me to go back to bed, but i held out and sent a text to charlotte to see what she thought. she called and we decided we were up, we might as well go for it and we could always run anyway if they had cancelled.
a wise decision - practice was not canceled. our assignment for the day was 5 miles, either the upper loop (72nd all the way to the top of the park and back down the other side to 72nd) or the lower loop (72nd up to 102nd street transfer to the west side, then all the way down to the southern end and back up the eastside to 72). the major difference is the massive hill on the upper loop - if you go east to west, the hill is shorter but really steep; if you go west to east the hill is not as steep but is quite a bit longer. we were going to do the upper loop, but by the time we got to 102, we thought it would be better to just do the relatively flat 5 and keep track of our time.
the crazy blustery wind gusts (when they were not blowing against us) were actually really refreshing after i warmed up, and the rain stopped about a 1/2 mile into the run. the weather made me feel *tough*. it was fun. i can't tell you how thankful i am that i'm actually enjoying running.
as it turned out we got back in about 62 minutes, and when i mapped out our route, we actually ran 5.37 miles not just 5...so today we were *under* a 12 minute mile. for all my talk in my last post about not caring about time, this made me happy, and quite proud.
today's mileage:5.37
total mileage: 47.02
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