Not sure when I'm going to get to posting about the race, but I think I've become a runner for life.
I'm going to do a half marathon in the spring (probably the Martion Marathon in Dearborn - http://www.martianmarathon.com/), and I'm gearing myself up to be serious about some things in the months until then: losing weight and doing more cross-training.
There is something amazing about having the strength to finish a marathon, and I want to continue feeling that way. At the same time, I think the other demands in my life led me to make some choices about how I proceeded that were less than ideal. Not that I had a whole lot of leeway, but I prioritized what I thought would get me through the run. Now I want to shift a little bit and focus more on maintaining whole-body health. I feel like this is combining the marathon training with some of what I did to lose weight initially back in 2005. I don't think I'll run a full marathon again, but I want to improve everything.
The Sunday a week after the race, I ran 2.21 miles, and did the same route again on Thursday. My Thursday run was in 22:40 - a 10:15 pace. I was definitely pushing it, but it felt good. Today I did 5 miles in 55:38 and didn't feel like I was working hard. I'm going to continue to take shorter runs when I can get to them, and try to get to the gym occasionally. I'll ramp up soon, but right now it's just nice to know that I can still put one foot in front of the other.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I Did It!
I'll write more about the race when I get more caught up with the rest of my life, but for now:
It was a dark and cold day, a little too cold for me. Despite some other sub-optimal conditions, I finished in 5:41 (pace of about 13 min) and aside from some residual soreness in my hamstrings, I'm feeling pretty good.
Race results broken down here: http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/race/nwm08.html#/graph?user=4695
Photos from the official photographers here (though one is of the wrong person...): http://brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=41309&PWD=&BIB=4695
It was a dark and cold day, a little too cold for me. Despite some other sub-optimal conditions, I finished in 5:41 (pace of about 13 min) and aside from some residual soreness in my hamstrings, I'm feeling pretty good.
Race results broken down here: http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/race/nwm08.html#/graph?user=4695
Photos from the official photographers here (though one is of the wrong person...): http://brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=41309&PWD=&BIB=4695
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Purple Hair!
Anya dyed her hair purple and it looks AWE-some! I forced her to go outside and let me take some pics to post here.
She flies out to San Fran tomorrow morning super early. Be sure to send your good vibes her way this Sunday!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Less Than One Week!
One of the more illuminating aspects of doing something totally out of your normal lifestyle (like, say, training for a marathon) is you start finding out all kinds of things about your body's weak points.
For a couple of weeks I've been getting headaches after running for a while. I assumed it was something to do with the cold, but they've been getting worse. My worst one was on Saturday. I was supposed to do an easy 6-mile run and quit before I'd finished 5 because my head was hurting so much it was making my teeth ache. It was 75 degrees. I was a little suspicious of the headaches because they're always concentrated in one part of my head, more or less where there are sinus cavities on the right side. I was also getting worried that after all this work, I wouldn't be able to finish the race because of some random headache that appeared out of nowhere.
I finally did a little research and discovered that sinus headaches sometimes manifest as dental pain because there is a sinus cavity underneath your eye that reaches almost to your teeth. To make matters more fun, that particular sinus has to drain upward, meaning that it's very difficult to drain while standing up. I hadn't been feeling congested, so I didn't think sinus problems could be wreaking that much havoc on my head, but when I saw the location and the possibilities for pain it made sense. I have a long history of sinus problems, so I immediately attacked it with a combination of claritin, sudafed, and use of a neti pot. Yesterday I ran 4 miles and not only did I not get a headache, but I could tell that my breathing was much more effective so I wasn't nearly as tired as I'd been during my recent runs. Fingers crossed. I'll pack a lot of medication and hope it continues to work.
I have three more runs before race day: Tuesday, Thursday, and a 20-min run with the team Saturday morning. Homestretch!
For a couple of weeks I've been getting headaches after running for a while. I assumed it was something to do with the cold, but they've been getting worse. My worst one was on Saturday. I was supposed to do an easy 6-mile run and quit before I'd finished 5 because my head was hurting so much it was making my teeth ache. It was 75 degrees. I was a little suspicious of the headaches because they're always concentrated in one part of my head, more or less where there are sinus cavities on the right side. I was also getting worried that after all this work, I wouldn't be able to finish the race because of some random headache that appeared out of nowhere.
I finally did a little research and discovered that sinus headaches sometimes manifest as dental pain because there is a sinus cavity underneath your eye that reaches almost to your teeth. To make matters more fun, that particular sinus has to drain upward, meaning that it's very difficult to drain while standing up. I hadn't been feeling congested, so I didn't think sinus problems could be wreaking that much havoc on my head, but when I saw the location and the possibilities for pain it made sense. I have a long history of sinus problems, so I immediately attacked it with a combination of claritin, sudafed, and use of a neti pot. Yesterday I ran 4 miles and not only did I not get a headache, but I could tell that my breathing was much more effective so I wasn't nearly as tired as I'd been during my recent runs. Fingers crossed. I'll pack a lot of medication and hope it continues to work.
I have three more runs before race day: Tuesday, Thursday, and a 20-min run with the team Saturday morning. Homestretch!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Brrrrr!
Anya yelled at me for not posting. So here's a post.
It has gotten chilly here in AA very suddenly. I run in the mornings and always check the temperature before I go out (I think the lowest temp so far has been 26 degrees), but it's super hard after you have just been throwing on a t-shirt and shorts all summer to start to think about weather-appropriate clothing again. Anya went for a run the other day and walked back into the house after about two minutes to get a jacket. Undoubtedly, I think this is one of the most annoying things about running in the fall: relearning what clothes go with what outside temperature. I am just starting to pin down what my classification system is again. For example: if it is above 35 degrees, shorts are still ok. At 54 degrees, I need to switch to long sleeves. 45 degrees deserves a headband and socks for mittens.
I definitely still need to work out the kinks though and every once in a while I find that I have too much clothing and/or accessories after about a mile. This is why I have an excess clothing tree at about that distance in my run. What is an excess clothing tree you ask? Well, it is this young tree on my run that has a bunch of low branches that I can tuck my extra shirt, mittens, headband, etc. into as I go by. Then, on my way back, I pick all that stuff up again. That way, I don't have to carry it all for most of my run. Of course, occassionally, I forget to pick the stuff up on my way back and it kinda just hangs out there on the tree for a day or so. I was telling Anya about my excess clothing tree the other day and she thought it was pretty funny. I'm not sure why. Personally, I am very appreciative of him. He takes good care of my stuff. (And yes, the tree is a boy.)
It has gotten chilly here in AA very suddenly. I run in the mornings and always check the temperature before I go out (I think the lowest temp so far has been 26 degrees), but it's super hard after you have just been throwing on a t-shirt and shorts all summer to start to think about weather-appropriate clothing again. Anya went for a run the other day and walked back into the house after about two minutes to get a jacket. Undoubtedly, I think this is one of the most annoying things about running in the fall: relearning what clothes go with what outside temperature. I am just starting to pin down what my classification system is again. For example: if it is above 35 degrees, shorts are still ok. At 54 degrees, I need to switch to long sleeves. 45 degrees deserves a headband and socks for mittens.
I definitely still need to work out the kinks though and every once in a while I find that I have too much clothing and/or accessories after about a mile. This is why I have an excess clothing tree at about that distance in my run. What is an excess clothing tree you ask? Well, it is this young tree on my run that has a bunch of low branches that I can tuck my extra shirt, mittens, headband, etc. into as I go by. Then, on my way back, I pick all that stuff up again. That way, I don't have to carry it all for most of my run. Of course, occassionally, I forget to pick the stuff up on my way back and it kinda just hangs out there on the tree for a day or so. I was telling Anya about my excess clothing tree the other day and she thought it was pretty funny. I'm not sure why. Personally, I am very appreciative of him. He takes good care of my stuff. (And yes, the tree is a boy.)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Closer and Closer
I ran 13.6 miles today, and my pace was about 12.8 min/mile. Unlike last weekend's run, this one was alone and involved some hills. I'm feeling like I'm in good shape for finishing the marathon.
Two weeks....!
Two weeks....!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Quick Update
I didn't run at all after Saturday, so I made myself go out today. The cold was making me want to stay in and be domestic. But actually, it was really nice. I ran 3.21 miles in 35 mins, which puts me at 10:48. I stopped while I felt good, and I don't feel any more tired now than I did earlier. So maybe I just needed an exercise break. I'll do 12-14 this Saturday, and then serious scaling back (6 the following Saturday).
Seriously, guys, it's getting close!!
On another note, I had to pay the remainder of my $3900 today. By the time the charge goes through I'll be around $1400 short, but I can keep fundraising for another month and then be reimbursed. Although of course I would have liked to keep my contribution lower, I've been really touched by people's generosity, and I feel like the experience I've gotten is invaluable. I have some fundraising stuff in the works, and I'm hoping that at the end I'll pay for the equivalent of my plane ticket and hotel and nothing else.
Seriously, guys, it's getting close!!
On another note, I had to pay the remainder of my $3900 today. By the time the charge goes through I'll be around $1400 short, but I can keep fundraising for another month and then be reimbursed. Although of course I would have liked to keep my contribution lower, I've been really touched by people's generosity, and I feel like the experience I've gotten is invaluable. I have some fundraising stuff in the works, and I'm hoping that at the end I'll pay for the equivalent of my plane ticket and hotel and nothing else.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Winner Is Me
As Kate so charmingly noted in her last post, today was the 20-mile run.
The day started off overcast and a little foggy, but it wasn't terribly cold when I left the house around 7:25, and the high for the day was supposed to be 73 - a perfect day.
I threw a bunch of gatorade and gus in my car and headed out to Hines Park. This is about 23 miles from my house. When I got there, it was chaos. I was a little later than I wanted to be, and there were runners milling around all over the place. As soon as I parked and started walking over to the other runners, I saw first one and then later the other of my UM compatriots. This turned out to be the first element that made the day pretty awesome.
We got signed in and started running. The course was along the park road, first out and back 5 miles one way, then 11 the other, then an extra 4 again to make the 20. We started with a slightly faster pace than I would have chosen, but I discovered two things:
1) Having people to talk to really does make the time fly. I knew this, but had forgotten how effective it is. Not only do you not notice how long you've been running, but the distraction makes you relax enough to warm up well and get through the initial part where you think you can't possibly run for more than 15 minutes.
2) I'm actually a lot stronger than I thought. It turns out that the hills here have really been taking it out of me. With a flatter course and the blessed regular hydration stations, I had much more stamina than I've felt in the last few weeks.
The result?
I finished in about 4:16, which includes all water stops and one full mile of walking. This puts my pace at 12:48, which is a lot faster than I've done any of my long runs for the last two months. I walked mile 18, and then picked it up again for miles 19 and 20, and my pace was still under 13 for the last two miles. I'm really tired now and I know tomorrow will be rough and achey, but I don't feel completely devastated.
And now I officially start scaling back my distances to prep for race day. Hooray!!
The day started off overcast and a little foggy, but it wasn't terribly cold when I left the house around 7:25, and the high for the day was supposed to be 73 - a perfect day.
I threw a bunch of gatorade and gus in my car and headed out to Hines Park. This is about 23 miles from my house. When I got there, it was chaos. I was a little later than I wanted to be, and there were runners milling around all over the place. As soon as I parked and started walking over to the other runners, I saw first one and then later the other of my UM compatriots. This turned out to be the first element that made the day pretty awesome.
We got signed in and started running. The course was along the park road, first out and back 5 miles one way, then 11 the other, then an extra 4 again to make the 20. We started with a slightly faster pace than I would have chosen, but I discovered two things:
1) Having people to talk to really does make the time fly. I knew this, but had forgotten how effective it is. Not only do you not notice how long you've been running, but the distraction makes you relax enough to warm up well and get through the initial part where you think you can't possibly run for more than 15 minutes.
2) I'm actually a lot stronger than I thought. It turns out that the hills here have really been taking it out of me. With a flatter course and the blessed regular hydration stations, I had much more stamina than I've felt in the last few weeks.
The result?
I finished in about 4:16, which includes all water stops and one full mile of walking. This puts my pace at 12:48, which is a lot faster than I've done any of my long runs for the last two months. I walked mile 18, and then picked it up again for miles 19 and 20, and my pace was still under 13 for the last two miles. I'm really tired now and I know tomorrow will be rough and achey, but I don't feel completely devastated.
And now I officially start scaling back my distances to prep for race day. Hooray!!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I can't wait!
Anya is going to run her 20-miler on Saturday and no doubt will have an awesome blog posting recapping the event soon afterwards. I can't wait and I know you can't either.
It's been great running weather here in Ann Arbor. Anya has been running in the Arb a lot lately. She says she runs there because it has monster hills (if you've never been, just imagine hills that look like the stock market over the past week) and San Francisco will be hilly as well. I think she just likes to watch the college boys who run there without their shirts on.
It's been great running weather here in Ann Arbor. Anya has been running in the Arb a lot lately. She says she runs there because it has monster hills (if you've never been, just imagine hills that look like the stock market over the past week) and San Francisco will be hilly as well. I think she just likes to watch the college boys who run there without their shirts on.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Start Spreading the News...
Ok, so I have to admit: I kind of miss running in New York City.
Ann Arbor is pretty and there are country roads and river trails to run on. But it feels kinda lonely.
There's a point when you've been running for an hour and a half when it gets a little boring, and you're a little tired, and muscles are telling you that soon they will start actively protesting, and it seems completely sensible to stop at mile 10 of your 15-mile run. Anyplace I ran in NY, there were so many other people around me running and biking, and there was a sense of camaraderie that helped sustain me the longer I went. Also I think that the city is so large that you lose a sense of the distance you've run, which is psychologically useful for continuing on.
Anyway, a recap of the past week:
I was planning on a long run last Saturday, but I woke up to a torrential downpour that continued for a great deal of the day. After it let up a little, I went out for 8 miles, but it was very difficult to breathe as the humidity was still over 90%. Sunday it was still pouring, so I went to the gym with the goal of wearing myself out. It took half an hour on the bike, an hour on the elliptical, and half an hour on the treadmill.
Tuesday we were supposed to simulate a 4-mile race by warming up for a full mile and then trying to maintain an even pace at fairly high effort for 4 miles. This is straightforward in Central Park: the paths have been measured and so you know more or less where to go for what distance. Also, there are hills but most of them aren't particularly significant. Here, there are bigger hills and anywhere I went that would be safe in the evening involves crossing a lot of streets, which isn't conducive to a steady pace. So I went to the gym to use the treadmill. When I did the Run for Central Park in July, which was a 4-mile race, my pace was 10:47. So I figured ok, it's two months later and I'm stronger, so 10:40 should be completely reasonable. Right. After 2 miles I thought I was going to pass out. I'm sure a lot of it is the treadmill, which to me feels extremely unnatural in terms of constantly keeping up an exact pace, and again is psychologically difficult to stick with, but I was kind of frustrated. Again, this weekend, I went to do a 15-mile run and came home after 13. I think the fact that I'm not sleeping enough or drinking enough water is really catching up to me. I really need to make an effort to take care of myself.
One thing that was reassuring was all along I've been thinking I have to finish in five and a half hours in order to get the finishers' goodies (running shirt, Tiffany necklace). This is an average pace of 12:35. For shorter runs, this would be no problem at all. But once I get up over 10 miles, this was getting worrisome. Although I'd like first and foremost to just through the race, it would be painfully disappointing if I didn't get the bling, in part because of what it represents. I was looking at the website the other day though, and I think it's more like 6.5 hours. This is a 14:53 pace, which even if I end up walking a chunk of it, is still reasonable.
Ann Arbor is pretty and there are country roads and river trails to run on. But it feels kinda lonely.
There's a point when you've been running for an hour and a half when it gets a little boring, and you're a little tired, and muscles are telling you that soon they will start actively protesting, and it seems completely sensible to stop at mile 10 of your 15-mile run. Anyplace I ran in NY, there were so many other people around me running and biking, and there was a sense of camaraderie that helped sustain me the longer I went. Also I think that the city is so large that you lose a sense of the distance you've run, which is psychologically useful for continuing on.
Anyway, a recap of the past week:
I was planning on a long run last Saturday, but I woke up to a torrential downpour that continued for a great deal of the day. After it let up a little, I went out for 8 miles, but it was very difficult to breathe as the humidity was still over 90%. Sunday it was still pouring, so I went to the gym with the goal of wearing myself out. It took half an hour on the bike, an hour on the elliptical, and half an hour on the treadmill.
Tuesday we were supposed to simulate a 4-mile race by warming up for a full mile and then trying to maintain an even pace at fairly high effort for 4 miles. This is straightforward in Central Park: the paths have been measured and so you know more or less where to go for what distance. Also, there are hills but most of them aren't particularly significant. Here, there are bigger hills and anywhere I went that would be safe in the evening involves crossing a lot of streets, which isn't conducive to a steady pace. So I went to the gym to use the treadmill. When I did the Run for Central Park in July, which was a 4-mile race, my pace was 10:47. So I figured ok, it's two months later and I'm stronger, so 10:40 should be completely reasonable. Right. After 2 miles I thought I was going to pass out. I'm sure a lot of it is the treadmill, which to me feels extremely unnatural in terms of constantly keeping up an exact pace, and again is psychologically difficult to stick with, but I was kind of frustrated. Again, this weekend, I went to do a 15-mile run and came home after 13. I think the fact that I'm not sleeping enough or drinking enough water is really catching up to me. I really need to make an effort to take care of myself.
One thing that was reassuring was all along I've been thinking I have to finish in five and a half hours in order to get the finishers' goodies (running shirt, Tiffany necklace). This is an average pace of 12:35. For shorter runs, this would be no problem at all. But once I get up over 10 miles, this was getting worrisome. Although I'd like first and foremost to just through the race, it would be painfully disappointing if I didn't get the bling, in part because of what it represents. I was looking at the website the other day though, and I think it's more like 6.5 hours. This is a 14:53 pace, which even if I end up walking a chunk of it, is still reasonable.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Yay Timely Posts!
Hi all, guest blogger Kate here! As Anya noted in her post, I got sick of waiting and waiting and waiting to hear about Anya's running adventures on her blog. I'm sure you all feel the same way. However, one of the many benefits of being Anya's roomie is that I often get to see Anya's running adventures as they unfold in real life. For my first ever post, I will share a very recent example: this evening, Anya ran into my room while I was dutifully studying (ok, ok, watching buffy) because she just had to show me how her running jacket matched her running shoes (both were a weird teal color) and her running shirt matched her running watch (both maroonish or something - the light is not that great in my room) and how, generally, everything she was wearing jived extremely well together. I think this is all very funny because I have been running for going on eight years now and am fairly confident that I have never walked out of the door to go for a run wearing anything that even remotely matched.
Ok, over and out for now, but I promise to try my very best to uphold my sacred oath as guest blogger and keep you all informed of Anya's running adventures!
Ok, over and out for now, but I promise to try my very best to uphold my sacred oath as guest blogger and keep you all informed of Anya's running adventures!
Introducing My New Guest Blogger!
So my roomie gets really ornery about my failure to update. Therefore, she is now a guest blogger.
Also she's a better runner than I am AND she's running the Detroit half marathon the same day that I'm running a WHOLE marathon in SF.
Hooray!
Also she's a better runner than I am AND she's running the Detroit half marathon the same day that I'm running a WHOLE marathon in SF.
Hooray!
Monday, September 8, 2008
I know, I have been slow about posting. But I didn't really run last week due to the confluence of a paper that had to written and the first week of classes.
I tried to run Saturday morning, but again forgot the Claritin. However, yesterday I had a gorgeous 8.4 mile run. Aside from about 4 raindrops the weather was perfect and I felt pretty good when I was done. I also averaged just over 12 min/mile, which is really reassuring. The arch on my right foot was giving me some pretty serious pain afterward, but today I went out and got some Superfeet insoles. They come highly recommended, so we'll see if that helps.
Tomorrow is the Arb hill. Whee!
I tried to run Saturday morning, but again forgot the Claritin. However, yesterday I had a gorgeous 8.4 mile run. Aside from about 4 raindrops the weather was perfect and I felt pretty good when I was done. I also averaged just over 12 min/mile, which is really reassuring. The arch on my right foot was giving me some pretty serious pain afterward, but today I went out and got some Superfeet insoles. They come highly recommended, so we'll see if that helps.
Tomorrow is the Arb hill. Whee!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Achey Breakey...
Oh man.
On Saturday morning, I set out to follow this route. With some minor variations of course, as I live further south. And by "minor variations" I mean "tag on the extra distance without measuring it to see how far it actually is." Right. Essentially I ran 13.75 miles and walked another 2.25, for a grand total of about 16 miles on foot.
It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny with blue skies. The roads quickly turn into country. Joy Road was actually a dirt road. With crickets. And a tiny little garter snake.
There were cyclists out in droves. I think that I amused them, shuffling along.
So all in all, it should have been a fantastic run. But as it turns out, although I carry fluids, I apparently don't carry enough for a 14-mile run in the summer heat. I'm used to refilling and supplementing them, but there are no water fountains on dirt roads in Michigan. I was also already a bit dehydrated going into this. And I sweat like nobody's business.
Also I'm just not in as good shape as I'd like to be. Consistency has been tough. And now, a couple of days later, everything still hurts. At least I can start using the gym now, so I can give my joints a break. And a friend who is also training for SF just told me about good shoe inserts for arch and joint problems, so I'll have to get on that.
Great news of the week though: "Actually, word on the street is, if you can handle Central Park's Harlem Hill, San Fran will be no sweat! For serious." That's from our team coordinator. Harlem Hill, while a pain in the ass, is a manageable pain in the ass that can be trained for. It is much better than, say, some of the hills I've been running on here, which are just torturous to the joints. I think a good plan would be for me to spend one day a week doing circuits on the hill in the Arb, one day a week on a good long run, and two days on the elliptical, plus two days of cross-training.
On Saturday morning, I set out to follow this route. With some minor variations of course, as I live further south. And by "minor variations" I mean "tag on the extra distance without measuring it to see how far it actually is." Right. Essentially I ran 13.75 miles and walked another 2.25, for a grand total of about 16 miles on foot.
It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny with blue skies. The roads quickly turn into country. Joy Road was actually a dirt road. With crickets. And a tiny little garter snake.
There were cyclists out in droves. I think that I amused them, shuffling along.
So all in all, it should have been a fantastic run. But as it turns out, although I carry fluids, I apparently don't carry enough for a 14-mile run in the summer heat. I'm used to refilling and supplementing them, but there are no water fountains on dirt roads in Michigan. I was also already a bit dehydrated going into this. And I sweat like nobody's business.
Also I'm just not in as good shape as I'd like to be. Consistency has been tough. And now, a couple of days later, everything still hurts. At least I can start using the gym now, so I can give my joints a break. And a friend who is also training for SF just told me about good shoe inserts for arch and joint problems, so I'll have to get on that.
Great news of the week though: "Actually, word on the street is, if you can handle Central Park's Harlem Hill, San Fran will be no sweat! For serious." That's from our team coordinator. Harlem Hill, while a pain in the ass, is a manageable pain in the ass that can be trained for. It is much better than, say, some of the hills I've been running on here, which are just torturous to the joints. I think a good plan would be for me to spend one day a week doing circuits on the hill in the Arb, one day a week on a good long run, and two days on the elliptical, plus two days of cross-training.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sneezy
Ever since I got back to Michigan, my sinuses have been all wonky and my breathing has felt slightly labored when I run. I've always had sinus problems, but I've rarely experienced definite allergies (and all the tests were negative). But apparently the ragweed is so bad here that it's affecting even me. It sucks, but at least I know why I'm so miserable.
Yesterday I ran 5.25 miles with minimal hills. I averaged about 12 min/hr, which is disturbingly slow to me at this point, but I'm willing to cut myself a little slack for the ragweed and the completely inconsistent schedule. I need to get out and do a long run tomorrow, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen. Why did I decide this was a good idea while I'm in law school?
Yesterday I ran 5.25 miles with minimal hills. I averaged about 12 min/hr, which is disturbingly slow to me at this point, but I'm willing to cut myself a little slack for the ragweed and the completely inconsistent schedule. I need to get out and do a long run tomorrow, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen. Why did I decide this was a good idea while I'm in law school?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Better Late Than Never
So it's been awhile. And the roomie keeps bugging me to update. So here I am.
Things have been a bit hectic, so my running has been more erratic than I would like. I moved out of the NYC apartment on August 10, the day after my 14-mile run. 8 hours in an air-conditioned car after that run and after spending most of the summer in constant motion wreaked not a small amount of havoc on my muscles and joints.
A couple of days later I ventured out into my parents' rabbit-warren of twisting suburban streets to try to replicate the speed "test" we did earlier in the summer. The kids in NY would be doing it later that day, so I thought I should too. I mapped out a mile. I did a little warm-up. I started running fast. And it kinda sucked a lot. Also, I forgot the Claritin again. So I settled for a very short run and headed back to the house before I got too annoyed with myself.
At the end of the week I was again in the car and on my way to Ann Arbor. The day after I moved, I did a 9.5-mile run. It was a challenge to map out a coherent route of that length in this small town, and I ended up writing it out on a piece of paper that I carried wrapped in a baggie in my wrist wallet. I always knew there were some hills in Ann Arbor, but I didn't fully appreciate the extent of them until that run. I felt like I was on level ground maybe 20% of the time. Most places that I ran that seemed flat were at a slight incline, and a couple of the hills were pretty intense. Given the hills, the moving, and the irregularity of my schedule, I know I should be glad I did as much as I did, but it was a bit discouraging after the 14-mile run.
Last Wednesday I started a cross-training routine using a book I got last spring and a couple of 5-lb hand weights. Right now the whole thing takes me about 45+ mins, but once I get into the rhythm it should get faster. I'm planning to do this twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. That gives me 6 workouts a week and one day off. I might switch it up by using the machines at the gym sometimes, and also by replacing one or two of my running days with an elliptical machine to take some of the stress off my joints. But that will have to wait until I can start using the school gym (next week. sigh.).
I should have run 15 miles on Saturday, but I was in Atlanta at a conference, and there was no way I was going to be able to put aside 3 hours. So I settled for an hour on the treadmill in the cardio room at the hotel. While the fresh towels and the a/c were nice, the treadmill was so unbelievably boring, and I didn't like the unnatural feeling of maintaining an exact pace. It was way better than trying to run outside though.
I'm feeling a little stressed about losing my schedule, but I also know that it's a temporary thing and it hasn't really been that long. We just got a "catch-up" schedule from the coaches, and the email said we should follow it if we've run less than 11 miles. So I'm not quite "behind" yet. Also I need to start hydrating again.
One more thing: I will be having some fundraisers soon. I'll be posting details, and if you're around you should come by.
Things have been a bit hectic, so my running has been more erratic than I would like. I moved out of the NYC apartment on August 10, the day after my 14-mile run. 8 hours in an air-conditioned car after that run and after spending most of the summer in constant motion wreaked not a small amount of havoc on my muscles and joints.
A couple of days later I ventured out into my parents' rabbit-warren of twisting suburban streets to try to replicate the speed "test" we did earlier in the summer. The kids in NY would be doing it later that day, so I thought I should too. I mapped out a mile. I did a little warm-up. I started running fast. And it kinda sucked a lot. Also, I forgot the Claritin again. So I settled for a very short run and headed back to the house before I got too annoyed with myself.
At the end of the week I was again in the car and on my way to Ann Arbor. The day after I moved, I did a 9.5-mile run. It was a challenge to map out a coherent route of that length in this small town, and I ended up writing it out on a piece of paper that I carried wrapped in a baggie in my wrist wallet. I always knew there were some hills in Ann Arbor, but I didn't fully appreciate the extent of them until that run. I felt like I was on level ground maybe 20% of the time. Most places that I ran that seemed flat were at a slight incline, and a couple of the hills were pretty intense. Given the hills, the moving, and the irregularity of my schedule, I know I should be glad I did as much as I did, but it was a bit discouraging after the 14-mile run.
Last Wednesday I started a cross-training routine using a book I got last spring and a couple of 5-lb hand weights. Right now the whole thing takes me about 45+ mins, but once I get into the rhythm it should get faster. I'm planning to do this twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. That gives me 6 workouts a week and one day off. I might switch it up by using the machines at the gym sometimes, and also by replacing one or two of my running days with an elliptical machine to take some of the stress off my joints. But that will have to wait until I can start using the school gym (next week. sigh.).
I should have run 15 miles on Saturday, but I was in Atlanta at a conference, and there was no way I was going to be able to put aside 3 hours. So I settled for an hour on the treadmill in the cardio room at the hotel. While the fresh towels and the a/c were nice, the treadmill was so unbelievably boring, and I didn't like the unnatural feeling of maintaining an exact pace. It was way better than trying to run outside though.
I'm feeling a little stressed about losing my schedule, but I also know that it's a temporary thing and it hasn't really been that long. We just got a "catch-up" schedule from the coaches, and the email said we should follow it if we've run less than 11 miles. So I'm not quite "behind" yet. Also I need to start hydrating again.
One more thing: I will be having some fundraisers soon. I'll be posting details, and if you're around you should come by.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
So...Tired...
Despite my near inability to move right now, today was pretty great.
We were supposed to meet at Riverside Park up at W 72nd St this morning. I was out a little late last night and by the time I got up and got myself together, I was running quite late. By the time I got there, everyone had already left and Ramon was teasing me. I was already frustrated b/c I assumed the run would involve the WS HWY route, which I live near and could have done on my own. I was really not sure why I bothered getting up that morning, aside from it being my last run with the NYC team until the marathon. But it's a good thing I did. This morning the city closed Park Ave to vehicle traffic and turned it over to the pedestrians and bikers, and I had no idea. So essentially the plan was to run along the river, then cut over to Park around 14th St or Houston, depending on how long we wanted to run. I had decided to try for about 12 miles, thinking I would walk if it got to be too much. I was loaded up with gu and water and Gatorade. It was a glorious day with a fresh breeze and dazzling sunshine, and not nearly as hot as it has been.
At 14th St I talked to one of the coaches who suggested going up Park and then doing a loop in Central Park to add some mileage, since 72nd to 14th is just under 3 miles. I was kinda cruising, though, and I ended up at 2nd Ave before I realized that I had way over-shot. I think I was looking for a Park Ave sign and forgot about the name change. So I jumped back over and ran up Park and holy crap. It was so beautiful, and there weren't that many people out yet (it was around 9-9:30), and there was something truly amazing about being able to run up the middle of that huge street. Then we got to take the ramp up to Grand Central and around the back. Not for the first time, I desperately wished for a tiny camera I could clip to my fuel belt.
At 72nd, I entered the Park and headed north. I took a loop around the reservoir (about 1.6 miles), then came back out at E 90th and kept on going north until I hit the 102nd St transverse. By this time I was beginning to hurt, and if I'd been sure one of the smaller paths was more direct I would have cut across earlier. I walked across the transverse, then steeled myself for the push back to W 72nd. It started to get a little scary at that point. I knew I was going to far exceed the 2.5 hours I planned to be out, and because I was late to begin with I was afraid people would be getting worried (we have a bag watch and my crap was there). I was also not sure whether I should just grab a cab and have them wait for me to get my wallet from the park or what, because I wasn't sure that I would even be able to walk all the way back. Somehow, though I kept going. Near the end I actually sped up. This happens to me a lot: I think I can't possibly go another step, and then I realize how close I am to the end and suddenly get faster. More proof that distance running is a great deal about psychological preparation.
When I got home I actually rushed back out with a camera to take advantage of the views of Grand Central just before they opened the avenue back up. Then I hightailed it back home, where I'm now sitting in a daze. I checked the distance. Before this, 10.5 miles was my longest run. Today, when I'd aimed for something like 12, I ended up with almost 14. I was running for just over 3 hours and my pace was about 13:11. 14 freakin miles. No wonder my arches are screaming, especially following 3 days of long walks.
We were supposed to meet at Riverside Park up at W 72nd St this morning. I was out a little late last night and by the time I got up and got myself together, I was running quite late. By the time I got there, everyone had already left and Ramon was teasing me. I was already frustrated b/c I assumed the run would involve the WS HWY route, which I live near and could have done on my own. I was really not sure why I bothered getting up that morning, aside from it being my last run with the NYC team until the marathon. But it's a good thing I did. This morning the city closed Park Ave to vehicle traffic and turned it over to the pedestrians and bikers, and I had no idea. So essentially the plan was to run along the river, then cut over to Park around 14th St or Houston, depending on how long we wanted to run. I had decided to try for about 12 miles, thinking I would walk if it got to be too much. I was loaded up with gu and water and Gatorade. It was a glorious day with a fresh breeze and dazzling sunshine, and not nearly as hot as it has been.
At 14th St I talked to one of the coaches who suggested going up Park and then doing a loop in Central Park to add some mileage, since 72nd to 14th is just under 3 miles. I was kinda cruising, though, and I ended up at 2nd Ave before I realized that I had way over-shot. I think I was looking for a Park Ave sign and forgot about the name change. So I jumped back over and ran up Park and holy crap. It was so beautiful, and there weren't that many people out yet (it was around 9-9:30), and there was something truly amazing about being able to run up the middle of that huge street. Then we got to take the ramp up to Grand Central and around the back. Not for the first time, I desperately wished for a tiny camera I could clip to my fuel belt.
At 72nd, I entered the Park and headed north. I took a loop around the reservoir (about 1.6 miles), then came back out at E 90th and kept on going north until I hit the 102nd St transverse. By this time I was beginning to hurt, and if I'd been sure one of the smaller paths was more direct I would have cut across earlier. I walked across the transverse, then steeled myself for the push back to W 72nd. It started to get a little scary at that point. I knew I was going to far exceed the 2.5 hours I planned to be out, and because I was late to begin with I was afraid people would be getting worried (we have a bag watch and my crap was there). I was also not sure whether I should just grab a cab and have them wait for me to get my wallet from the park or what, because I wasn't sure that I would even be able to walk all the way back. Somehow, though I kept going. Near the end I actually sped up. This happens to me a lot: I think I can't possibly go another step, and then I realize how close I am to the end and suddenly get faster. More proof that distance running is a great deal about psychological preparation.
When I got home I actually rushed back out with a camera to take advantage of the views of Grand Central just before they opened the avenue back up. Then I hightailed it back home, where I'm now sitting in a daze. I checked the distance. Before this, 10.5 miles was my longest run. Today, when I'd aimed for something like 12, I ended up with almost 14. I was running for just over 3 hours and my pace was about 13:11. 14 freakin miles. No wonder my arches are screaming, especially following 3 days of long walks.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Entertainment
Coach Ramon sends some of the most entertaining emails.
For example:
Give all those questions some good thought, and try to work on what you think you can improve, that's what the workouts and saturday runs are for, to learn and to fix things.
Specially the last question. You don't want to have second thoughts during your marathon or half marathon about who you should have voted for, do you? can you imagine yourself at mile 18 of the marathon thinking, "I should have voted to Joshua, I should have vote for Joshua" instead of thinking about your pacing, breathing, hydrating....
He then goes on to tell us about tonight's workout: the Harlem Hill. It's gonna be fun...
For example:
hola;
Questions of the week:
Questions of the week:
-did you behave on saturday's run?
-Did you pace yourself?
-did you hydrate properly?
-are you practicing nutrition?
-who do you want to win on so you think you can dance? I vote for Katee :) she is the bomb !! did you see on her last Paso doble? admirable !!!
Specially the last question. You don't want to have second thoughts during your marathon or half marathon about who you should have voted for, do you? can you imagine yourself at mile 18 of the marathon thinking, "I should have voted to Joshua, I should have vote for Joshua" instead of thinking about your pacing, breathing, hydrating....
He then goes on to tell us about tonight's workout: the Harlem Hill. It's gonna be fun...
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Weather is Better in SF, Right?
Tuesday night we ran up and down a long hill at the north end of Central Park, which is one of the less fun parts of the park to run when you're doing a full loop. It's beautiful, but a giant pain in the ass. The last time I ran it, I wasn't in such good shape though, so it was ok. Because of the knee issues, I took it easy and hung out with someone I met at practice recently. Her pace is a little slower than my normal pace, which is good because hills are really rough on your joints and then I also had someone to talk to, which took my mind off the endless circle of up and down.
I talked to one of the coaches about the knee thing and (to my immense relief) she said it was totally normal and I should do icing, as well as cross-training. I've been avoiding working on my legs because squats, etc., tend to make the pain worse. So as soon as I get back to AA, I'm going to take advantage of the free gym use and start using the machines to strengthen everything. I find it so much easier when I can control the amount of weight and stress I'm putting on my joints.
Today was the first time in a while that I got a little nervous about the marathon. My goal was to run as close to 12 miles as I could bear. I ran about 10.4 miles this morning, and although I started off feeling pretty good, I felt like I wanted to crawl by the time I was done. I ate a huge post-run breakfast, drank a ton, took a long nap in the early afternoon, ate more, and I'm still feeling tired and ravenous. It's the kind of hunger that feel like it could be partially thirst. This all sounds normal I guess, but I wasn't feeling nearly this beat after last weekend's run, which was close to the same distance and involved some really awful hills.
My immediate instinct is to get upset, but the following factors are probably the issue:
- I ran almost 5 miles on Thursday night, which is about a mile more than I've been doing on Thursdays (and I haven't been that consistent about running on Thursdays at all).
- I went to bed at 1:30am and got up at 7:00am.
- I had 4 alcoholic drinks last night, which were spread out but still a lot for me considering how little drinking I've been doing and also the dehydration factor.
- I stupidly ate a giant slice of pumpkin cheese pie at about 12:30am while waiting for the F train post-drinks. It seemed like an awesome idea at the time, but cheese is not great on the stomach, especially given the digestive issues that tend to accompany long runs and dehydration.
- There was no way I was getting up early enough this morning to eat and digest something, so my only pre-run caloric consumption was an energy gel and some gatorade.
- It was RIDICULOUSLY humid this morning, and also hot.
- I was wearing cropped pants that have probably a bit too much cotton in them since I hadn't made the time to do laundry in a while and all my more weather-appropriate bottoms were way too disgusting to put on.
- I'm PMSing, which aside from all the hormonal fun also dehydrates me like crazy.
- I was probably a bit too confident at the beginning and should have keep a slower pace to start with - not only would it probably not have affected my overall super slow pace (I was really dragging by the end), but I might have been able to keep it up for longer.
In short, I was a walking/running/crawling demonstration of all the things one should NOT do before trying to run long distance.
I guess I should be thankful that I could still put in some respectable mileage and still do laundry and go play at 5th Ave stores in the same day. I mean really. 2 months ago I couldn't fathom 10.4 miles. I still have 2.5 months until race day. In that time, who knows what I'll accomplish?
I talked to one of the coaches about the knee thing and (to my immense relief) she said it was totally normal and I should do icing, as well as cross-training. I've been avoiding working on my legs because squats, etc., tend to make the pain worse. So as soon as I get back to AA, I'm going to take advantage of the free gym use and start using the machines to strengthen everything. I find it so much easier when I can control the amount of weight and stress I'm putting on my joints.
Today was the first time in a while that I got a little nervous about the marathon. My goal was to run as close to 12 miles as I could bear. I ran about 10.4 miles this morning, and although I started off feeling pretty good, I felt like I wanted to crawl by the time I was done. I ate a huge post-run breakfast, drank a ton, took a long nap in the early afternoon, ate more, and I'm still feeling tired and ravenous. It's the kind of hunger that feel like it could be partially thirst. This all sounds normal I guess, but I wasn't feeling nearly this beat after last weekend's run, which was close to the same distance and involved some really awful hills.
My immediate instinct is to get upset, but the following factors are probably the issue:
- I ran almost 5 miles on Thursday night, which is about a mile more than I've been doing on Thursdays (and I haven't been that consistent about running on Thursdays at all).
- I went to bed at 1:30am and got up at 7:00am.
- I had 4 alcoholic drinks last night, which were spread out but still a lot for me considering how little drinking I've been doing and also the dehydration factor.
- I stupidly ate a giant slice of pumpkin cheese pie at about 12:30am while waiting for the F train post-drinks. It seemed like an awesome idea at the time, but cheese is not great on the stomach, especially given the digestive issues that tend to accompany long runs and dehydration.
- There was no way I was getting up early enough this morning to eat and digest something, so my only pre-run caloric consumption was an energy gel and some gatorade.
- It was RIDICULOUSLY humid this morning, and also hot.
- I was wearing cropped pants that have probably a bit too much cotton in them since I hadn't made the time to do laundry in a while and all my more weather-appropriate bottoms were way too disgusting to put on.
- I'm PMSing, which aside from all the hormonal fun also dehydrates me like crazy.
- I was probably a bit too confident at the beginning and should have keep a slower pace to start with - not only would it probably not have affected my overall super slow pace (I was really dragging by the end), but I might have been able to keep it up for longer.
In short, I was a walking/running/crawling demonstration of all the things one should NOT do before trying to run long distance.
I guess I should be thankful that I could still put in some respectable mileage and still do laundry and go play at 5th Ave stores in the same day. I mean really. 2 months ago I couldn't fathom 10.4 miles. I still have 2.5 months until race day. In that time, who knows what I'll accomplish?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Hooray!
Just reached my fundraising recommitment requirement. I now have just over 1/4 of my goal donated. Thanks everyone!!
As an added bonus, if I get to $4,000 ($100 more than my goal) I will dye my hair bright purple for the marathon. Purple is the TNT color. It will be glorious.
As an added bonus, if I get to $4,000 ($100 more than my goal) I will dye my hair bright purple for the marathon. Purple is the TNT color. It will be glorious.
Monday, July 28, 2008
10 Mile Mark
I've now passed into double-digit running. On Saturday's GW Bridge/Palisades Park run, I ran 10 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. It was a beautiful morning, great breeze and sunshine. The roomie and I made a bathroom stop early in the run, which led us to a lower trail that ran right along the water. As one of the other runners put it later, it was like one of those Nike commercials with some woman running in the wilderness. Gorgeous greenery.
There were some freakin killer hills though, and those are definitely what slowed me down. A few times I simply started walking when I couldn't see the top. This will be San Francisco - and I will be ready.
As it was, I was doing 13min/mile. This is slightly too slow to finish the marathon in the allotted time, but I think I'll make it to under 12 min eventually. Last night I went for a quick 3.25 miler and I was faster than my last couple of short runs.
There were some freakin killer hills though, and those are definitely what slowed me down. A few times I simply started walking when I couldn't see the top. This will be San Francisco - and I will be ready.
As it was, I was doing 13min/mile. This is slightly too slow to finish the marathon in the allotted time, but I think I'll make it to under 12 min eventually. Last night I went for a quick 3.25 miler and I was faster than my last couple of short runs.
Friday, July 25, 2008
100 What Now
Three days later, he was in Central Park yelling at us as usual.
This guy is unreal: http://insidenikerunning.nike.com/2008/07/22/why-run-a-100-miles-just-ask-ramon/
This guy is unreal: http://insidenikerunning.nike.com/2008/07/22/why-run-a-100-miles-just-ask-ramon/
They Keep Flying By
So it's almost the end of July. How did that happen? I feel like everything is going by at top speed and I am eternally grateful to the TNT team and coaches for having a schedule and such. Otherwise I'd be sitting here thinking, so much for that marathon idea.
This morning I randomly facebook-messaged a friend of a friend whose photos popped up in my feed when the friend commented on them. She just did a triathlon with TNT. My immediate impulse was to write to her in solidarity and congratulate her. I keep being intrigued by the idea of doing a triathlon. As the roomie says, it's just got so much other stuff associated with it. I've spent a small fortune decking myself out this summer (though I plan to use everything for years to come), and that's just for running. Maybe one day when I have something resembling an income and a stable life. It's something else to shoot for anyway. In any case, as someone who never did much in the way of sports, it's really fun to have a team and feeling like I'm working with people toward a goal.
On Tuesday we did more repeats on Cat Hill. Up and down and up and down... I met someone new and we started talking while running, which is a fantastic way to pass the time when you're doing something vaguely unpleasant like running up and down hills in 85% humidity. She joined a little late so she was keeping a slower pace, so I guess I could (should) have worked harder, but it was nice to just chat and feel companionable.
Last night I did a short run (just under 3 miles). My pace was reasonable, slightly faster than the last race. Before I ran, I took a long window-shopping walk through SoHo, then went to Trader Joe's and lugged a heavy grocery bag full of stuff a mile home, so I figured a short run was ok.
My knees are starting to bother me more; I need to talk to the coaches tomorrow. I'm fairly certain icing is the way to go, but I'm not sure what besides strengthening exercises I can or should do (or avoid). I'm thinking it's probably due to my historical lack of muscle tone, my arthritis, my flat feet, and so on. One of the other interns at my office was debating whether to run the NYC half marathon this Sunday (she hasn't been training) and when she offered me her place I was really tempted. It's a tough one to get into because so many people want to do it, and I thought it would be amazing to say I'd done it. But while intellectually I know I could finish it (albeit slowly) I'm just not sure that I'm psychologically ready for 13.1 miles, and I was afraid of hurting myself besides. Also, tomorrow is going to be a fantastic long run: 9-11 miles across the GW bridge and through Palisades Park.
This morning I randomly facebook-messaged a friend of a friend whose photos popped up in my feed when the friend commented on them. She just did a triathlon with TNT. My immediate impulse was to write to her in solidarity and congratulate her. I keep being intrigued by the idea of doing a triathlon. As the roomie says, it's just got so much other stuff associated with it. I've spent a small fortune decking myself out this summer (though I plan to use everything for years to come), and that's just for running. Maybe one day when I have something resembling an income and a stable life. It's something else to shoot for anyway. In any case, as someone who never did much in the way of sports, it's really fun to have a team and feeling like I'm working with people toward a goal.
On Tuesday we did more repeats on Cat Hill. Up and down and up and down... I met someone new and we started talking while running, which is a fantastic way to pass the time when you're doing something vaguely unpleasant like running up and down hills in 85% humidity. She joined a little late so she was keeping a slower pace, so I guess I could (should) have worked harder, but it was nice to just chat and feel companionable.
Last night I did a short run (just under 3 miles). My pace was reasonable, slightly faster than the last race. Before I ran, I took a long window-shopping walk through SoHo, then went to Trader Joe's and lugged a heavy grocery bag full of stuff a mile home, so I figured a short run was ok.
My knees are starting to bother me more; I need to talk to the coaches tomorrow. I'm fairly certain icing is the way to go, but I'm not sure what besides strengthening exercises I can or should do (or avoid). I'm thinking it's probably due to my historical lack of muscle tone, my arthritis, my flat feet, and so on. One of the other interns at my office was debating whether to run the NYC half marathon this Sunday (she hasn't been training) and when she offered me her place I was really tempted. It's a tough one to get into because so many people want to do it, and I thought it would be amazing to say I'd done it. But while intellectually I know I could finish it (albeit slowly) I'm just not sure that I'm psychologically ready for 13.1 miles, and I was afraid of hurting myself besides. Also, tomorrow is going to be a fantastic long run: 9-11 miles across the GW bridge and through Palisades Park.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Run for Central Park
Yesterday's race went well. It was hot and humid very early on in the morning, and I was a sweaty mess before the race even started. I managed to (just barely) get there on time this time, so I wasn't rushing around and tired by the time the race started. My knees were a bit achey and stiff, but not terrible.
I took it somewhat easy, probably somewhere around effort level 2. I was worried about the heat, and I skipped the first two water stations. The first one was way too early into the race, and they were way behind on the second. I didn't feel like standing in line for water after a mile and a half. I think I got slightly dehydrated, but nothing too serious. As for the running, it was an interesting experience. I felt in control of what I was doing, and I was conscious of decisions I was actively making to slow down, speed up, adjust my stride, pass certain people. Because I started with the tail end of the race pack instead of trying to catch up from way behind, it was easier to focus on working my way through the group instead of purely on the distance. I only started to really get tired in the last mile, when I knew I could push myself because it was almost over.
I finished strong and controlled when I finished, and could have run more.
My overall time (for 4 miles) was 43:09, which gave me a pace of 10:47/mile. This is 1:01/mile faster than the Hope & Possibility, which was just under a month ago. Granted, that race was a mile longer, but I know I could have worked harder yesterday, and I'm sure I could have run 5 miles at this same pace. While I'm not super concerned about speed, to me my ability to improve my speed at this rate says a lot about my increase in strength over the past month.
I took it somewhat easy, probably somewhere around effort level 2. I was worried about the heat, and I skipped the first two water stations. The first one was way too early into the race, and they were way behind on the second. I didn't feel like standing in line for water after a mile and a half. I think I got slightly dehydrated, but nothing too serious. As for the running, it was an interesting experience. I felt in control of what I was doing, and I was conscious of decisions I was actively making to slow down, speed up, adjust my stride, pass certain people. Because I started with the tail end of the race pack instead of trying to catch up from way behind, it was easier to focus on working my way through the group instead of purely on the distance. I only started to really get tired in the last mile, when I knew I could push myself because it was almost over.
I finished strong and controlled when I finished, and could have run more.
My overall time (for 4 miles) was 43:09, which gave me a pace of 10:47/mile. This is 1:01/mile faster than the Hope & Possibility, which was just under a month ago. Granted, that race was a mile longer, but I know I could have worked harder yesterday, and I'm sure I could have run 5 miles at this same pace. While I'm not super concerned about speed, to me my ability to improve my speed at this rate says a lot about my increase in strength over the past month.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Last night was humid and disgusting, although there was a breeze and the sun was no longer baking the pavement.
I went out on the WSH and did 4.3 miles in 49 minutes. This comes out to ~ 11:24/mile, or about 24 seconds/mile faster than I ran the Hope and Possibility 5m race a while back. I wasn't totally chilled out, but I definitely wasn't pushing particularly hard either. We're doing the Run for Central Park 4m tomorrow. My goal is to finish in 45 minutes, but it will be hot and there will be hills, so we'll see.
I went out on the WSH and did 4.3 miles in 49 minutes. This comes out to ~ 11:24/mile, or about 24 seconds/mile faster than I ran the Hope and Possibility 5m race a while back. I wasn't totally chilled out, but I definitely wasn't pushing particularly hard either. We're doing the Run for Central Park 4m tomorrow. My goal is to finish in 45 minutes, but it will be hot and there will be hills, so we'll see.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
As mentioned earlier, we did more hills tonight.
Warmup run, then the following on loop: start at the top of a hill and run down it at an effort level slightly higher than an easy jog. When the hill changes direction to start going back up, run "like you're chasing someone who stole your wallet and they're a professional runner" said our coach. Then at the top of the hill, loop on slightly more level ground at recovery effort and start over again. The whole thing is about 3 blocks in each direction.
I think I did this a total of 8 times. I'm finding that although running shorts (as opposed to something longer) are growing on me, I'm less comfortable with them at higher speeds. I'll have to remember this. Anyway, I got kinda freaked out about how winded I was after the first uphill run, but then I realized that the rest of the loop allowed for ample recovery time and although the workout was rough, it was doable. I decided to run along the reservoir back to our meet/stretching point and I was almost tempted to run all the way around it once (about 1.6 miles). It was such a beautiful evening and sometimes it feels nice to stretch out and settle into an easy stride after focusing on a particular task. I didn't want to find myself stranded in exhaustion on the far side though, and I forgot to stick some energy gel in my pocket on my way to the park, so I decided against the full loop. I still think I could have done it though, and after an hour of working so hard I was pleased that I still had something left in me.
Energy gel is essentially carbohydrates in a form that is easily absorbed when consumed. You burn hundreds of calories every hour when you run/bike/whatever, and your muscles need refueling. But eating while being physically active is sort of gross and for most people extremely unpleasant. So they make this stuff in pouch form that you just sort of squeeze into your mouth like toothpaste and it has an extremely quick effect. You're supposed to start with one after an hour of working out, and continue every 45 minutes until you're done. I just bought a case of chocolate Gu and I have to say it's reasonably tasty. But still really weird.
This weekend our head coach is running a 100 mile race. I can't even comprehend this. But he is this compact person made, as far as I can tell, entirely of muscle. For him a marathon is like a long walk in the park. Seriously though. 100 miles.
Warmup run, then the following on loop: start at the top of a hill and run down it at an effort level slightly higher than an easy jog. When the hill changes direction to start going back up, run "like you're chasing someone who stole your wallet and they're a professional runner" said our coach. Then at the top of the hill, loop on slightly more level ground at recovery effort and start over again. The whole thing is about 3 blocks in each direction.
I think I did this a total of 8 times. I'm finding that although running shorts (as opposed to something longer) are growing on me, I'm less comfortable with them at higher speeds. I'll have to remember this. Anyway, I got kinda freaked out about how winded I was after the first uphill run, but then I realized that the rest of the loop allowed for ample recovery time and although the workout was rough, it was doable. I decided to run along the reservoir back to our meet/stretching point and I was almost tempted to run all the way around it once (about 1.6 miles). It was such a beautiful evening and sometimes it feels nice to stretch out and settle into an easy stride after focusing on a particular task. I didn't want to find myself stranded in exhaustion on the far side though, and I forgot to stick some energy gel in my pocket on my way to the park, so I decided against the full loop. I still think I could have done it though, and after an hour of working so hard I was pleased that I still had something left in me.
Energy gel is essentially carbohydrates in a form that is easily absorbed when consumed. You burn hundreds of calories every hour when you run/bike/whatever, and your muscles need refueling. But eating while being physically active is sort of gross and for most people extremely unpleasant. So they make this stuff in pouch form that you just sort of squeeze into your mouth like toothpaste and it has an extremely quick effect. You're supposed to start with one after an hour of working out, and continue every 45 minutes until you're done. I just bought a case of chocolate Gu and I have to say it's reasonably tasty. But still really weird.
This weekend our head coach is running a 100 mile race. I can't even comprehend this. But he is this compact person made, as far as I can tell, entirely of muscle. For him a marathon is like a long walk in the park. Seriously though. 100 miles.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Running Running Running
Last Thursday night I got home from a work outing and decided to go running around 9:30. It was a gorgeous night - cool but not cold, with a breeze. I wove my way through some of the streets around my apartment, but I soon cut over to the West Side Hwy. I didn't do this at first because I thought the streets would be safer at night, but there were too many people out. On the less crowded streets it was kind of fun to weave around the pedestrians though. Mostly what struck me was the feeling of strength and speed I had. I don't know how far I really went, but I had that nighttime flying sort of feeling. Because it wasn't hot and I wasn't geared up for an intense workout or long run, I was really enjoying just getting my body moving, and I could tell that I've really made progress in the past couple of months. It was lovely.
Then Saturday we had our weekly long run. We started at the riverside park on W 72nd st and headed south. My plan was to run 10 miles, but I didn't map it out beforehand and so I wasn't really sure when to turn around. I knew I was running slowly. The sun was really intense and it was getting pretty damn hot, tough conditions to push yourself in when you don't quite know where your destination is. I ended up doing about 8.7 miles. Certainly the longest run I've ever done, but I was slightly disappointed. I was still pretty wiped out though. I'd been on the fence about whether to run a 10k on Sunday, and it turned out to be a good thing I didn't pre-register or I might not be able to walk now.
More hills tomorrow night, then another race on Saturday. This one is a 4-miler. Weird how that seems short to me.
Then Saturday we had our weekly long run. We started at the riverside park on W 72nd st and headed south. My plan was to run 10 miles, but I didn't map it out beforehand and so I wasn't really sure when to turn around. I knew I was running slowly. The sun was really intense and it was getting pretty damn hot, tough conditions to push yourself in when you don't quite know where your destination is. I ended up doing about 8.7 miles. Certainly the longest run I've ever done, but I was slightly disappointed. I was still pretty wiped out though. I'd been on the fence about whether to run a 10k on Sunday, and it turned out to be a good thing I didn't pre-register or I might not be able to walk now.
More hills tomorrow night, then another race on Saturday. This one is a 4-miler. Weird how that seems short to me.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Hills Are...
Started hill training tonight. The goal of this week's workout was to focus on form. Just like everything else, there is a technique to running up and down hills. They might slow you down, but when run correctly, they shouldn't tire you out.
Weeks ago, one of the coaches explained the significance of the alternating sequences of short and long strides (tiki tiki) we'd been doing. Short, low strides are good for going uphill without expending too much energy. So I've been thinking rather consciously about that during every workout since, and it makes a lot of sense. Today we did a 1.6 mile warmup run followed by running up and down Cat Hill. There was no set number of laps, we simply had to run up to the top, turn around, and run back down, and so on until they told us to stop. I did 4 of these, and I was surprised when they told us to stop. It was ridiculously humid and I'm still recovering from Sunday's run, but I could easily have done at least two more runs up that hill. I guess I was doing something right: I took it slowly and focused on my posture. I've noticed that even when I walk now there is a new strength and uprightness to my spine that's rather empowering.
For the first time in a few weeks I left a workout feeling energetic rather than completely flattened. It was nice.
Weeks ago, one of the coaches explained the significance of the alternating sequences of short and long strides (tiki tiki) we'd been doing. Short, low strides are good for going uphill without expending too much energy. So I've been thinking rather consciously about that during every workout since, and it makes a lot of sense. Today we did a 1.6 mile warmup run followed by running up and down Cat Hill. There was no set number of laps, we simply had to run up to the top, turn around, and run back down, and so on until they told us to stop. I did 4 of these, and I was surprised when they told us to stop. It was ridiculously humid and I'm still recovering from Sunday's run, but I could easily have done at least two more runs up that hill. I guess I was doing something right: I took it slowly and focused on my posture. I've noticed that even when I walk now there is a new strength and uprightness to my spine that's rather empowering.
For the first time in a few weeks I left a workout feeling energetic rather than completely flattened. It was nice.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
7.8 miles today. The temp is lovely but the humidity is not.
Yesterday I forgot to take my Claritin, and the weather was different enough than it has been that after about 15 minutes of running the skin-crawling awfulness started. I decided to cut my losses and walk. We had embarked on an 8-mile run and I figured I'd see just how bad it was if I walked. Normally I try to run on Sundays too, so I decided to just switch the long and short runs. As it turned out, even walking was unbearable unless I slowed it down to a geezer-like amble that confused every TNT runner who passed me. Of course yesterday was the day I decided to wear a TNT shirt to practice...
The roomie was also not feeling well, so we went home early. I ended up taking a long errand-filled walk last night, so I felt less lazy. Then this morning's run. Everything is leaden and tired. I hope I recover in time for Tuesday - our first hill workout.
I discovered something useful: I've been trying to drink a packet of Emergen-C every day in my bottle of water because they mentioned something a while back about keeping the C intake high, and I know as a general matter I don't get enough vitamins. Well I just looked more closely at the package, and it's got electrolytes and other good things calculated to help deal with hot weather. This may in part explain why I didn't get heat exhaustion like the roomie did last weekend. Go me?
Yesterday I forgot to take my Claritin, and the weather was different enough than it has been that after about 15 minutes of running the skin-crawling awfulness started. I decided to cut my losses and walk. We had embarked on an 8-mile run and I figured I'd see just how bad it was if I walked. Normally I try to run on Sundays too, so I decided to just switch the long and short runs. As it turned out, even walking was unbearable unless I slowed it down to a geezer-like amble that confused every TNT runner who passed me. Of course yesterday was the day I decided to wear a TNT shirt to practice...
The roomie was also not feeling well, so we went home early. I ended up taking a long errand-filled walk last night, so I felt less lazy. Then this morning's run. Everything is leaden and tired. I hope I recover in time for Tuesday - our first hill workout.
I discovered something useful: I've been trying to drink a packet of Emergen-C every day in my bottle of water because they mentioned something a while back about keeping the C intake high, and I know as a general matter I don't get enough vitamins. Well I just looked more closely at the package, and it's got electrolytes and other good things calculated to help deal with hot weather. This may in part explain why I didn't get heat exhaustion like the roomie did last weekend. Go me?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
How Fast Can You Run?
I have some intensely pressing Important Life Things to attend to, but I just wanted to record tonight's workout.
We did a warmup run, then did the following three times: run a mile as fast as you can, recover for ~.6 miles. The purpose of doing it three times is to gain an understanding of what it means to run an entire mile at top speed (as opposed to sprinting, which can't really be maintained for that long). My first two times were 9:50 and 10:13. I'm not sure what the last time was - clearly I need a stopwatch rather than trying to time myself on a regular watch while running, puffing, and sweating like hell.
For anyone who might read this and who isn't a runner, these times are slow. Fast for me, but slow. Anyway, we'll spend the next 6 or so weeks of workouts running up and down hills (yep, that's right), then do the speed test again. Ideally it will improve.
We did a warmup run, then did the following three times: run a mile as fast as you can, recover for ~.6 miles. The purpose of doing it three times is to gain an understanding of what it means to run an entire mile at top speed (as opposed to sprinting, which can't really be maintained for that long). My first two times were 9:50 and 10:13. I'm not sure what the last time was - clearly I need a stopwatch rather than trying to time myself on a regular watch while running, puffing, and sweating like hell.
For anyone who might read this and who isn't a runner, these times are slow. Fast for me, but slow. Anyway, we'll spend the next 6 or so weeks of workouts running up and down hills (yep, that's right), then do the speed test again. Ideally it will improve.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Racy
On Sunday I ran the Hope and Possibility 5mi in Central Park. It was humid and disgusting (the NYRR website claims it was 70 degrees, but they're full of it), and the roomie and I continued what was a weekend trend of subway navigation failure, so we were kinda late. By the time we started the race, the walkers had already gotten on their way and we'd already expended some of our race energy.
Generally I haven't run this far without stopping to walk at some point, but I decided to run the whole thing even if it meant going dead slow. I only stopped a couple of times to grab a cup of water at a station and swallow half of it. I finished in about 59 minutes, at 11:48min/mile. Certainly not the fastest I can run, but considering the humidity and my inability to breathe, coupled with the residual soreness from cross-training, it was ok. Plus I got a shiny medal :)
Last night's workout was 5.1mi of alternating effort levels. Basically, work as hard as you can for a certain distance, then recover at a low effort level for a certain distance. By mile 3 I was ready to pass out. By mile 5 I was walking. But aside from some knee stiffness I feel fine today, so all is well. I think tonight I will do some strength exercises. Also I ordered a few new pairs of sneakers. I'm pretty sure the ones I got at the beginning of the month are contributing to a variety of aches, and while the amount of money I spent on them makes me cringe, I really need something that can carry me through. Thank goodness for Zappos free shipping so I can try a few out. And thank goodness for the internet for making weird sizes that I need available.
Generally I haven't run this far without stopping to walk at some point, but I decided to run the whole thing even if it meant going dead slow. I only stopped a couple of times to grab a cup of water at a station and swallow half of it. I finished in about 59 minutes, at 11:48min/mile. Certainly not the fastest I can run, but considering the humidity and my inability to breathe, coupled with the residual soreness from cross-training, it was ok. Plus I got a shiny medal :)
Last night's workout was 5.1mi of alternating effort levels. Basically, work as hard as you can for a certain distance, then recover at a low effort level for a certain distance. By mile 3 I was ready to pass out. By mile 5 I was walking. But aside from some knee stiffness I feel fine today, so all is well. I think tonight I will do some strength exercises. Also I ordered a few new pairs of sneakers. I'm pretty sure the ones I got at the beginning of the month are contributing to a variety of aches, and while the amount of money I spent on them makes me cringe, I really need something that can carry me through. Thank goodness for Zappos free shipping so I can try a few out. And thank goodness for the internet for making weird sizes that I need available.
Friday, June 20, 2008
So apparently moving to New York, starting a new job, and training for the most physically demanding thing I've ever done in my life is what you might call a lot to have on my plate.
Anyhow, I will try to catch up here.
The heat wave has passed, thank goodness. While I was extremely impressed with my ability to run in it, it was kind of scary and not conducive to progress. And I have no idea how I would have dealt with this week's workout if it had been 90 degrees.
Essentially, running is only partially about lifting your legs up and letting them hit the pavement again. Distance running requires a strong body to carry you through when your legs start getting tired. So we're supposed to spend part of each week doing some kind of cross-training exercise, basically something physical that doesn't involve running. This week's team workout was all about learning exercises that strengthen the muscles we need to keep going.
Picture this: it's Tuesday, you've been at work all day, and you've hustled uptown to the team meeting place. And then your coach informs you that after a warm-up run, you'll alternate 12 minutes of running with 12 minutes of cross-training. Simple, right? Certainly sounds preferable to running 6 miles. Except picture trying to run for 12 minutes after you've spent the previous 12 minutes reducing your leg muscles to Jell-o. I'm talking squats, planks, lunges, hopping, hopping another way, push-ups.... While I understand that this is useful, and that I'm far from being in the shape that I will need to be in, ow. I'm finally getting to a point where I can walk with minimal pain.
I guess it's time to pull out the strength training book again and get cracking.
On another note, we have our first race this weekend. It will be the second one I've ever run, and the first I've run in several years. It's a 5-miler. I'm actually kind of excited; I think it will be fun to be outside with all those runners and hang out in Central Park. Wish me luck!
Anyhow, I will try to catch up here.
The heat wave has passed, thank goodness. While I was extremely impressed with my ability to run in it, it was kind of scary and not conducive to progress. And I have no idea how I would have dealt with this week's workout if it had been 90 degrees.
Essentially, running is only partially about lifting your legs up and letting them hit the pavement again. Distance running requires a strong body to carry you through when your legs start getting tired. So we're supposed to spend part of each week doing some kind of cross-training exercise, basically something physical that doesn't involve running. This week's team workout was all about learning exercises that strengthen the muscles we need to keep going.
Picture this: it's Tuesday, you've been at work all day, and you've hustled uptown to the team meeting place. And then your coach informs you that after a warm-up run, you'll alternate 12 minutes of running with 12 minutes of cross-training. Simple, right? Certainly sounds preferable to running 6 miles. Except picture trying to run for 12 minutes after you've spent the previous 12 minutes reducing your leg muscles to Jell-o. I'm talking squats, planks, lunges, hopping, hopping another way, push-ups.... While I understand that this is useful, and that I'm far from being in the shape that I will need to be in, ow. I'm finally getting to a point where I can walk with minimal pain.
I guess it's time to pull out the strength training book again and get cracking.
On another note, we have our first race this weekend. It will be the second one I've ever run, and the first I've run in several years. It's a 5-miler. I'm actually kind of excited; I think it will be fun to be outside with all those runners and hang out in Central Park. Wish me luck!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Oh, And
Awesome website discovery: http://www.usatf.org/routes/search/
If you're looking for a new route.
And that last post was just for KMF. ;)
If you're looking for a new route.
And that last post was just for KMF. ;)
Hot Hot Hot
Tuesday was pretty tough because we were running up and down hills. Not steep or large hills, but hills nonetheless. Thankfully it wasn't as hot as it was supposed to be, and there was a great breeze. Also, my feet have been swelling like crazy, and the sneakers I bought in January are too small. For most people, this wouldn't be a big deal: just size up and keep going. But when you have size 11 feet (and that's narrow size 11), things get a little tricky. Whenever I've tried to get away with 12, if a store even has them, they're huge. My feet are just too narrow. By the end of Tuesday night, however, I was beginning to be afraid that I would lose a toenail, and my arthritic toe was aching like nobody's business, so I set out to the Running Store in Columbus Circle on Wednesday night. I ended up with a pair of men's sneakers that are back-laced to keep my foot from slipping. That in itself doesn't bother me; any woman with large feet knows her size in men's shoes and takes advantage of that knowledge occasionally. However, I'm still slightly unsure about it because I think they may be built a touch too wide and bulky for my dainty (albeit long) feet. Also they're the most expensive shoes I've ever bought, athletic or otherwise.
I'm in Buffalo for a wedding, so I missed my Thursday run.
I intended to get up early this morning to beat the heat, but of course I went to bed way too late. I mapped out a 5.5 mile run but I walked maybe a mile of it. The heat and lack of food intake were making my body feel funny in new ways (though I'm deeply thankful not to have been in the city for this morning's run, where it's going to reach 95 today). I have to say it's kinda lonely and demotivating to run through suburban side streets after training with 100 people and running along crowded paths on my off days. I'm becoming less and less self conscious and appreciating the community aspect of running more and more. It's something you can do by yourself but still feel like you're part of something much larger.
I'm a little concerned about the fact that I moved to a place where I walk 100x more, I'm running 3+ miles 4x per week, and yet I seem to have gained 2 lbs since I left Michigan. I need to get a handle on my daily life and figure out how to eat better. Part of the problem is the proportion of carbs in my diet should be higher for training than what I'm used to eating. I'd cut a lot of that out when I first started losing weight, and I still instinctively avoid them. Now the issue is that occasionally I'm like oooh carb binge! For the running! Balance balance. Have to remember balance. Thankfully my award money just landed in my account, so I have no excuses not to do some decent grocery shopping when I get back to the city. Honestly, it's bewildering. The other night I paid $7.39 for a container of ice cream. I don't know how people do it on a long-term basis.
I'm in Buffalo for a wedding, so I missed my Thursday run.
I intended to get up early this morning to beat the heat, but of course I went to bed way too late. I mapped out a 5.5 mile run but I walked maybe a mile of it. The heat and lack of food intake were making my body feel funny in new ways (though I'm deeply thankful not to have been in the city for this morning's run, where it's going to reach 95 today). I have to say it's kinda lonely and demotivating to run through suburban side streets after training with 100 people and running along crowded paths on my off days. I'm becoming less and less self conscious and appreciating the community aspect of running more and more. It's something you can do by yourself but still feel like you're part of something much larger.
I'm a little concerned about the fact that I moved to a place where I walk 100x more, I'm running 3+ miles 4x per week, and yet I seem to have gained 2 lbs since I left Michigan. I need to get a handle on my daily life and figure out how to eat better. Part of the problem is the proportion of carbs in my diet should be higher for training than what I'm used to eating. I'd cut a lot of that out when I first started losing weight, and I still instinctively avoid them. Now the issue is that occasionally I'm like oooh carb binge! For the running! Balance balance. Have to remember balance. Thankfully my award money just landed in my account, so I have no excuses not to do some decent grocery shopping when I get back to the city. Honestly, it's bewildering. The other night I paid $7.39 for a container of ice cream. I don't know how people do it on a long-term basis.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
So This is What She Meant...
Today was my second practice with the team. So of course once again, it was humid. And warm. Just like my mom always describes New York City summers. There was a delicious breeze while we were running, but this time the dehydration stayed with me all day. I need to learn the balance between good hydration and sloshing stomach. I tend to err on the side of too little when it comes to eating and drinking before a run. I'm the kid that the half hour rule was invented for; in fact for me it's more like an hour. But obviously I do need to fuel my body properly if I'm going to ask it to do crazy things.
On the plus side, we ran into a nice gentleman who has also never run a marathon before, and he ran with us for most of our 4-mile loop. I felt a particular rush when near the end of the loop I pulled ahead briefly to stretch my legs a bit (my quads were hurting and the roomie has shorter legs than I do). I stretched my stride and picked up the pace and it felt amazing, though soon my heart rate slowed me back down. I slowly jogged back to them, and the guy says "and now we hate you." I kind of loved that coming from a guy who I would have assumed was much more fit than I am, and who is taller than both of us (and therefore I figured he was going way slow just to hang out with us).
We had the choice of doing 4 or 5 miles this morning and I have to say I think I could have done at least 4.5, although I elected 4. In a way it was probably a good idea given my reaction to the heat. On the other hand, because the trains were weekend-wonky going to the park and we took some detours on the way home, we were on foot for over 7 miles. Not a bad start to the day.
Oh and thanks to MK for this evening's donation :)
On the plus side, we ran into a nice gentleman who has also never run a marathon before, and he ran with us for most of our 4-mile loop. I felt a particular rush when near the end of the loop I pulled ahead briefly to stretch my legs a bit (my quads were hurting and the roomie has shorter legs than I do). I stretched my stride and picked up the pace and it felt amazing, though soon my heart rate slowed me back down. I slowly jogged back to them, and the guy says "and now we hate you." I kind of loved that coming from a guy who I would have assumed was much more fit than I am, and who is taller than both of us (and therefore I figured he was going way slow just to hang out with us).
We had the choice of doing 4 or 5 miles this morning and I have to say I think I could have done at least 4.5, although I elected 4. In a way it was probably a good idea given my reaction to the heat. On the other hand, because the trains were weekend-wonky going to the park and we took some detours on the way home, we were on foot for over 7 miles. Not a bad start to the day.
Oh and thanks to MK for this evening's donation :)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Faster!
I'm at my fabulous internship, so this will be a quick update. In more ways than one.
Last night I went out on the West Side Highway. I'd found this Google pedometer thing (www.walkjogrun.net) that allows you to draw routes and calculate distances, times, etc. So I decided to keep track of time, starting, and stopping points, and then I'd see how far and how fast I'd gone.
When I was using the treadmill, my jog setting was somewhere between 4.1 and 4.5 mph. I have no idea how accurate the thing is, but I also know that I'm just slow because I'm not really a runner and I'm not in great shape. So imagine my surprise when I entered the info into the pedometer and found that I was averaging just under 11 mins per mile, and I'd run more than a 5k. Apparently I have no concept of my speed. When I told the roomie about this, she confirmed that we were doing around 10 min/mile at the park on Tuesday. I realize this isn't super speedy, but still. This is significantly faster than I'd need to go to finish the marathon in the time allotted, which is my only real goal.
Huzzah!
Last night I went out on the West Side Highway. I'd found this Google pedometer thing (www.walkjogrun.net) that allows you to draw routes and calculate distances, times, etc. So I decided to keep track of time, starting, and stopping points, and then I'd see how far and how fast I'd gone.
When I was using the treadmill, my jog setting was somewhere between 4.1 and 4.5 mph. I have no idea how accurate the thing is, but I also know that I'm just slow because I'm not really a runner and I'm not in great shape. So imagine my surprise when I entered the info into the pedometer and found that I was averaging just under 11 mins per mile, and I'd run more than a 5k. Apparently I have no concept of my speed. When I told the roomie about this, she confirmed that we were doing around 10 min/mile at the park on Tuesday. I realize this isn't super speedy, but still. This is significantly faster than I'd need to go to finish the marathon in the time allotted, which is my only real goal.
Huzzah!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Post the First
Introductory stuff first:
This is partially for you and partially for me. I think some people may find this interesting or encouraging or at least mildly entertaining. And I would like to have a record of this experience. I may also use this for notes about diet, warm-ups, etc.
In January of 2005, at age almost 24, I weighed about 215 lbs. I'm 5'7". Clearly, this was not good for me. I'd been overweight my entire life, and I finally made a commitment to dealing with it. I followed the weight watchers points plan (though I didn't bother going to meetings), and I started walking and then later jogging almost every day. In less than a year, I dropped 60 lbs and felt amazing. In September 2006 I started law school. This proved to be a challenge to my "never again" vow. I gained about 20 lbs (including a not very cute beer belly), and started feeling like crap again. When my summer roomie first told me about Team in Training, I thought it sounded interesting but I couldn't picture myself running a marathon. Then one morning I woke up and thought, well why the hell not? So now I'm registered. Let the work begin!
Yesterday was my first practice with the team. I've been running on and off (sometimes a lot of off) since January when I put a treadmill in my bedroom. Before I moved to NYC last week, I had gotten to the point where sometimes I could run (a very slow) 5k without feeling it. Other times the pollen made me so wheezy I could barely run for 10 minutes.
I tried to run with the team last weekend, but I was late to the park and I couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go and then I had some funny skin/circulation problems. It's a long stupid story, so I'll spare you. Anyhow, this time I went with the fabulous summer roomie who got me into this mess and therefore I got to the right place. It was about 80 degrees and so humid I'm surprised it didn't rain while we were there. We did a couple of loops (roomie says about 3.4 miles), alternating normal form with what head coach Ramon calls "tikki tikki tikki." This was basically about focusing on the work the upper body does and noticing how altering arm position changes your stride. They tell me this will help on the hills. I believe it.
By the time we were done, we were all dripping wet. I didn't quite run the whole thing, but a lot of other people stopped to walk at least once. I'm certainly not the best in the group (of beginners), but not quite the worst either. As someone who used to have to stop after 20 seconds of jogging, I'm pretty proud of this.
And now, today, I feel absolutely no effects aside from fatigue, and some of that is from starting my new job this week. I took today off (it was an "off" day in our schedule), but tomorrow I'll head out to the West Side Highway after work. Our Saturday workout is supposed to be an "easy" 4-5 miles. I've never run that far in my life. Hmmm.
This is partially for you and partially for me. I think some people may find this interesting or encouraging or at least mildly entertaining. And I would like to have a record of this experience. I may also use this for notes about diet, warm-ups, etc.
In January of 2005, at age almost 24, I weighed about 215 lbs. I'm 5'7". Clearly, this was not good for me. I'd been overweight my entire life, and I finally made a commitment to dealing with it. I followed the weight watchers points plan (though I didn't bother going to meetings), and I started walking and then later jogging almost every day. In less than a year, I dropped 60 lbs and felt amazing. In September 2006 I started law school. This proved to be a challenge to my "never again" vow. I gained about 20 lbs (including a not very cute beer belly), and started feeling like crap again. When my summer roomie first told me about Team in Training, I thought it sounded interesting but I couldn't picture myself running a marathon. Then one morning I woke up and thought, well why the hell not? So now I'm registered. Let the work begin!
Yesterday was my first practice with the team. I've been running on and off (sometimes a lot of off) since January when I put a treadmill in my bedroom. Before I moved to NYC last week, I had gotten to the point where sometimes I could run (a very slow) 5k without feeling it. Other times the pollen made me so wheezy I could barely run for 10 minutes.
I tried to run with the team last weekend, but I was late to the park and I couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go and then I had some funny skin/circulation problems. It's a long stupid story, so I'll spare you. Anyhow, this time I went with the fabulous summer roomie who got me into this mess and therefore I got to the right place. It was about 80 degrees and so humid I'm surprised it didn't rain while we were there. We did a couple of loops (roomie says about 3.4 miles), alternating normal form with what head coach Ramon calls "tikki tikki tikki." This was basically about focusing on the work the upper body does and noticing how altering arm position changes your stride. They tell me this will help on the hills. I believe it.
By the time we were done, we were all dripping wet. I didn't quite run the whole thing, but a lot of other people stopped to walk at least once. I'm certainly not the best in the group (of beginners), but not quite the worst either. As someone who used to have to stop after 20 seconds of jogging, I'm pretty proud of this.
And now, today, I feel absolutely no effects aside from fatigue, and some of that is from starting my new job this week. I took today off (it was an "off" day in our schedule), but tomorrow I'll head out to the West Side Highway after work. Our Saturday workout is supposed to be an "easy" 4-5 miles. I've never run that far in my life. Hmmm.
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