Having run over 330 miles on my old pair of running shoes, I decided that it was time to get another pair. Most people suggest that you switch to new shoes after anywhere from 300-500 miles on one pair. Since I'm sort of a heavy guy I decided that I'd stay on the lowish end of that range. But I'm not just going to stop using the old shoes all at once. I am going to slowly break in my new shoes so that I don't get blisters or anything from them. For instance, last night I had my speed class and since it's a harder workout, I decided I'd wear my old shoes. Today, however, I was only running an easy four miles, so I decided it would be a good first day to begin to wear in my new shoes. This Saturday I'm running 13 miles and I think my old shoes still have enough cushioning to last that long and my feet are really comfortable in them so I'll wear them instead of risking bad foot issues in new shoes. In the end I think I'll most likely end up putting close to 375 or 400 miles on the old shoes as I phase the new ones in.
I went with the same exact shoe, Asics Gel 2130s. I like them and they support my feet well. I haven't had any shin or knee pain in these shoes at all (knock on wood!).
Today's short four miler (actually closer to 4.5) was good. It was the same run that I did a week ago today and I felt like crap last week and this week I shaved four minutes off my time, running sub eights. I almost never run faster than 8 minute miles during the week. This is a good sign! I'm feeling good and looking forward to my long run this weekend.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Running Class is over
Today was my last running class. I haven't signed up for the next session and I have some mixed feelings about it. I love the push that the class gives and the speed work that it provides, but it is also a huge pain in the ass to get home so late on Tuesday nights (or Thursday nights) and not see Sara. I'm torn. I don't think I'll do it again before the marathon, but I do want to make sure to get some races/speed work in before the big day . . . otherwise I'll stagnate.
Today we did 6 times 1/4 mile hill repeats. After last week's totally crappy class I ran with the 7:30-8 min/mile group even though I could have run with the 7-7:30 group. I should have run with the faster group b/c I felt that I was too fast for the group I ran with. I was in the front of the group each time . . . oh well.
This week is pretty easy. No races and all four milers . . . oh wait . . . except for the 13 miles that I'm running on Saturday. Last week was relatively easy and this week will be a stretch for me over the weekend, but not too bad otherwise. I'm actually looking forward to the run on Saturday. I've joined with the NYRR for the long run which means that I'll get water at throughout the race, as well as GU and other support. Plus, it's just nicer to run long with groups. My long runs are just getting longer and longer . . . I suppose that's the point. Every other week I keep upping my long runs until I hit 22 miles! Then I begin to taper in preparation for the marathon! I'm getting psyched!
Today we did 6 times 1/4 mile hill repeats. After last week's totally crappy class I ran with the 7:30-8 min/mile group even though I could have run with the 7-7:30 group. I should have run with the faster group b/c I felt that I was too fast for the group I ran with. I was in the front of the group each time . . . oh well.
This week is pretty easy. No races and all four milers . . . oh wait . . . except for the 13 miles that I'm running on Saturday. Last week was relatively easy and this week will be a stretch for me over the weekend, but not too bad otherwise. I'm actually looking forward to the run on Saturday. I've joined with the NYRR for the long run which means that I'll get water at throughout the race, as well as GU and other support. Plus, it's just nicer to run long with groups. My long runs are just getting longer and longer . . . I suppose that's the point. Every other week I keep upping my long runs until I hit 22 miles! Then I begin to taper in preparation for the marathon! I'm getting psyched!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Chicago!
We just returned from having spent the weekend in Chicago with our friend Evan. Evan's maternal grandparents were celebrating the 85th and 80th birthdays as well as their 60th wedding anniversary. We had an absolute blast! I had never been to Chicago before and this was a really incredible opportunity.For starters our accommodations were top-notch. We got to stay in the John Hancock Building, Chicago's second tallest building after the Sears Tower. In the photos at left you can see the the building itself (the tallest in second photo) and the view from the apartment that we stayed in on the 84th floor (top photo)!!! The apartment belongs to a friend of the family's who let us stay there for the weekend, and it was truly incredible. We had amazing views east out over Lake Michigan and north to the north side of Chicago. We could even see Wrigley field from our perch up in the sky!
Sara and I took walks up and down Michigan Ave, saw Millennium Park, took a sailboat trip in the lake (with great views of the skyline), and overall had a really amazing time.
I got two nice short 4 milers in this weekend. I was able to run along Lake Michigan both times. There is a fabulous path along the lake that is paved and clearly very well used! It was beautiful. On Sunday Sara and I even took a little dip in the lake after our run, enjoying the beach pictured above.
It was a great trip and I got some great Chicago running in. I think I might want to run the Chicago marathon some time in the future . . . that'd be great!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right . . .
. . . and I'm pretty sure that two lefts don't make a right either . . . but it might be possible that two bad running days can lead to a good one . . .
Tuesday and Wednesday's runs this week were just terrible. Tuesday night I had my running class. I usually enjoy class. It's a challenge, but not an impossible one, and I usually find myself having a lot of fun pushing my legs to their limits . . . not this time. This week we ran 3x a short hill fartlek loop. We ran very quickly up two LONG hills and then recovered on the downhills and flats. The total loop (that we did three times) was 1.4 miles. Add to that the warm up and cool down runs, we did about 6 miles again . . . which is normal and fine and good. I think, however, that I was dehydrated, not feeling well, tired . . . I don't know what, but I didn't run well at all. I even had to drop back a pace group after the first two loops of hills . . . otherwise I'm not sure I'd have been able to finish the workout.
Wednesday morning I decided I'd get up with Sara to get my run in b/c I had a meeting downtown and lunch with friends (also downtown). I didn't want to do the same old out and back four miler that I always do so I figured I try something new and go by time and a few other distances I thought I knew. The run sucked. I felt sluggish and awful and I wasn't breathing well, my legs hurt (most likely a holdover from the previous night's class) and it was just bad all the way around. When I got home and actually mapped the run, it ended up being 4.5 miles and I was running faster than I had thought . . . so it wasn't a complete waste, but I still didn't feel that great about it.
Today I was nervous. I had to run 8 miles b/c I'm out of town this weekend (going to Chicago) and I wasn't sure I'd have time to get anything longer than four miles in. I didn't set an alarm b/c I wanted to get a good night's sleep, and just decided I'd go when I woke up. Last night ended up being much cooler and so I slept much better, and today was MUCH cooler than it had been and I was running earlier in the day. So being cooler and well rested meant that today's run didn't go as poorly as I thought it might have based on the two previous days. I did the same 8 mile path to the SE corner of Central Park and ran it faster than I ever have, shaving about 40 seconds off of my total time or 5 seconds off of my pace. Not too shabby. I think it's a good sign that each time I run 8 miles I get faster . . . let's hope that trend continues with the longer distances.
Tuesday and Wednesday's runs this week were just terrible. Tuesday night I had my running class. I usually enjoy class. It's a challenge, but not an impossible one, and I usually find myself having a lot of fun pushing my legs to their limits . . . not this time. This week we ran 3x a short hill fartlek loop. We ran very quickly up two LONG hills and then recovered on the downhills and flats. The total loop (that we did three times) was 1.4 miles. Add to that the warm up and cool down runs, we did about 6 miles again . . . which is normal and fine and good. I think, however, that I was dehydrated, not feeling well, tired . . . I don't know what, but I didn't run well at all. I even had to drop back a pace group after the first two loops of hills . . . otherwise I'm not sure I'd have been able to finish the workout.
Wednesday morning I decided I'd get up with Sara to get my run in b/c I had a meeting downtown and lunch with friends (also downtown). I didn't want to do the same old out and back four miler that I always do so I figured I try something new and go by time and a few other distances I thought I knew. The run sucked. I felt sluggish and awful and I wasn't breathing well, my legs hurt (most likely a holdover from the previous night's class) and it was just bad all the way around. When I got home and actually mapped the run, it ended up being 4.5 miles and I was running faster than I had thought . . . so it wasn't a complete waste, but I still didn't feel that great about it.
Today I was nervous. I had to run 8 miles b/c I'm out of town this weekend (going to Chicago) and I wasn't sure I'd have time to get anything longer than four miles in. I didn't set an alarm b/c I wanted to get a good night's sleep, and just decided I'd go when I woke up. Last night ended up being much cooler and so I slept much better, and today was MUCH cooler than it had been and I was running earlier in the day. So being cooler and well rested meant that today's run didn't go as poorly as I thought it might have based on the two previous days. I did the same 8 mile path to the SE corner of Central Park and ran it faster than I ever have, shaving about 40 seconds off of my total time or 5 seconds off of my pace. Not too shabby. I think it's a good sign that each time I run 8 miles I get faster . . . let's hope that trend continues with the longer distances.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
300 Miles & a PR!!!
Saturday was a BIG day in my running. I ran a race in central park . . . actually it was the Race for Central Park, a 4 mile race that was my sixth of the year. I also hit the 300 mile mark for the Year of the Marathon upon completion of the race.
In addition, in this race I set a personal record on time for the 4 mile distance. My previous record for the 4 mile race was a 7:40 pace . . . the first race I ever ran. On Saturday, I was able to destroy that record, running at a 7:23 average pace and completing the race in under 30 minutes! I was really excited! After the race I saw Bob Glover, who is the author of my running book and the head coach of my running class, and told him that his book and class helped me set a PR. He didn't really care at all . . . but I was practically skipping home after the race b/c I was so pumped to run so well. I feel great that my running and focus over the last few months is really paying off. It's also VERY gratifying to work hard towards a goal that you've set (breaking 30 minutes for a 4 miler) and reaching it. Now I can set new goals!
Saturday night I went out to Brooklyn to celebrate my friend Alec's departure from the city . . . not really to celebrate his departure . . . really to wish him well . . . and then today I ran a nice easy, four mile run up the west side. It was hot and humid, but I felt good today.
Next week is an easier week. My long run is back down to 8 miles and I have no race, so I'm looking forward to a little bit of recovery in preparation for the following week when I run 13 miles for my long run!!
As I mentioned earlier, Saturday's race was my sixth of 2008, meaning that I have to only run three more races this year in order to guarantee my entry into the NYC marathon for 2009! I'm almost there.
In addition, in this race I set a personal record on time for the 4 mile distance. My previous record for the 4 mile race was a 7:40 pace . . . the first race I ever ran. On Saturday, I was able to destroy that record, running at a 7:23 average pace and completing the race in under 30 minutes! I was really excited! After the race I saw Bob Glover, who is the author of my running book and the head coach of my running class, and told him that his book and class helped me set a PR. He didn't really care at all . . . but I was practically skipping home after the race b/c I was so pumped to run so well. I feel great that my running and focus over the last few months is really paying off. It's also VERY gratifying to work hard towards a goal that you've set (breaking 30 minutes for a 4 miler) and reaching it. Now I can set new goals!
Saturday night I went out to Brooklyn to celebrate my friend Alec's departure from the city . . . not really to celebrate his departure . . . really to wish him well . . . and then today I ran a nice easy, four mile run up the west side. It was hot and humid, but I felt good today.
Next week is an easier week. My long run is back down to 8 miles and I have no race, so I'm looking forward to a little bit of recovery in preparation for the following week when I run 13 miles for my long run!!
As I mentioned earlier, Saturday's race was my sixth of 2008, meaning that I have to only run three more races this year in order to guarantee my entry into the NYC marathon for 2009! I'm almost there.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
91 & Humid + Long Run = HARD
I'm exhausted. I just got home from running 10 miles. Oy! Actually as I sit here and write this, I realize that I literally just got home . . . I need to stretch . . . be back in a few minutes . . .
OK, I'm back.
So today was my long run this week, and it was the longest yet, 10 miles. I expected that today's 10 miles would be an effort roughly equal to the first time that I ran 8 miles, maybe a bit tougher. I was wrong. It was a LOT tougher. For one thing, today is HOT HOT HOT, 91 and humid as this post's title suggests. Also I ran right in the middle of the day, leaving home a few minutes after 1pm . . . this was not smart. I should have run earlier in the day to avoid the worst of the heat.
In any case, it wasn't terrible, but I cheated a bit (sort of). Sara had me really freaked out about heat stroke and over-heating, etc. so I was trying to be really fully aware of how I was feeling so I didn't push myself too too hard. It will be increasingly important for me to learn to decipher the difference between discomfort and danger. So somewhere between the 7.5 and 8 mile mark I stopped, thinking that I'd call it quits. I thought felt a little light headed, and between Sara's warnings and the scary situation I had when I volunteered at a very hot race and was caring for a woman who collapsed, I was a little concerned (although I'm sure I would've been fine). I saw a vendor and got some water (I'd already finished the bottle of water I was carrying). But after drinking a bit of cooler water, I was feeling much better, so I decided to continue on. In all I think I stopped for 5 minutes, but I didn't walk, I was in one place . . . did I cheat too much? Thoughts?
Then I continued down the west side highway to 15th street and turned to go across town on 15th street. BAD IDEA. I need to stop running across town. I ended up stopping at each traffic light along the way and dodging pedestrians, movers, construction workers the whole way. It is simply much easier to run down the path and not have to stop every few feet. So at each avenue I had a bit of a rest break over the course of the last mile or so . . . Cheating??
In all, it was a fine first 10 miles. Harder than I expected, but not too difficult. I'm a little frustrated that I ended up stopping first for water and then so often going across town . . . but in the end I ran (not walked) each of the 10 miles eventually (even with little breaks in between) and I had a decent pace going. My route took me from the front of my building on 181st street down to 14th and 5th in Gramercy, a total distance of about 10.1 miles. I ran that in 1:29:06. That is an 8:50 pace per mile. This is most likely not completely accurate as I stopped my watch at my water break and each time I waited for lights at avenues. So when I was running I had a good pace, but factor in my stopped time and my pace drops significantly . . . oh well. Still not too bad.
The only other problem today was the train on the way back. As I've mentioned before, I don't like running out and back. I enjoy a good loop, but in my neighborhood I've found that I really prefer running in one direction. So for my long runs, that's what I've been doing. Today the A train took forever to arrive at 14th street, and then when it did come it was packed. After running 10 miles I was sweating like crazy and really smelly!!! I can't even begin to express how self-conscious I was on the train. Then to make it worse, I had to stand most of the way and the train simply crawled all the way up. ARGH. I think I'm going to start making my long runs out and back along the path and just gauge them so that I don't half to go up the crazy hills in the last half mile of a 15 mile run . . . or I'll have someone meet me downtown with stuff and I can shower downtown at my in-law's house or something . . . I need to figure something else out.
I'm beginning to get into some meatier runs now and I'm getting excited and nervous. This is going to be very hard work . . . but that shouldn't surprise me! Saturday I'm racing 4 miles . . . I'm hoping to set a PR and assuming nothing catastrophic happens, I'll hit the 300 mile mark!
OK, I'm back.
So today was my long run this week, and it was the longest yet, 10 miles. I expected that today's 10 miles would be an effort roughly equal to the first time that I ran 8 miles, maybe a bit tougher. I was wrong. It was a LOT tougher. For one thing, today is HOT HOT HOT, 91 and humid as this post's title suggests. Also I ran right in the middle of the day, leaving home a few minutes after 1pm . . . this was not smart. I should have run earlier in the day to avoid the worst of the heat.
In any case, it wasn't terrible, but I cheated a bit (sort of). Sara had me really freaked out about heat stroke and over-heating, etc. so I was trying to be really fully aware of how I was feeling so I didn't push myself too too hard. It will be increasingly important for me to learn to decipher the difference between discomfort and danger. So somewhere between the 7.5 and 8 mile mark I stopped, thinking that I'd call it quits. I thought felt a little light headed, and between Sara's warnings and the scary situation I had when I volunteered at a very hot race and was caring for a woman who collapsed, I was a little concerned (although I'm sure I would've been fine). I saw a vendor and got some water (I'd already finished the bottle of water I was carrying). But after drinking a bit of cooler water, I was feeling much better, so I decided to continue on. In all I think I stopped for 5 minutes, but I didn't walk, I was in one place . . . did I cheat too much? Thoughts?
Then I continued down the west side highway to 15th street and turned to go across town on 15th street. BAD IDEA. I need to stop running across town. I ended up stopping at each traffic light along the way and dodging pedestrians, movers, construction workers the whole way. It is simply much easier to run down the path and not have to stop every few feet. So at each avenue I had a bit of a rest break over the course of the last mile or so . . . Cheating??
In all, it was a fine first 10 miles. Harder than I expected, but not too difficult. I'm a little frustrated that I ended up stopping first for water and then so often going across town . . . but in the end I ran (not walked) each of the 10 miles eventually (even with little breaks in between) and I had a decent pace going. My route took me from the front of my building on 181st street down to 14th and 5th in Gramercy, a total distance of about 10.1 miles. I ran that in 1:29:06. That is an 8:50 pace per mile. This is most likely not completely accurate as I stopped my watch at my water break and each time I waited for lights at avenues. So when I was running I had a good pace, but factor in my stopped time and my pace drops significantly . . . oh well. Still not too bad.
The only other problem today was the train on the way back. As I've mentioned before, I don't like running out and back. I enjoy a good loop, but in my neighborhood I've found that I really prefer running in one direction. So for my long runs, that's what I've been doing. Today the A train took forever to arrive at 14th street, and then when it did come it was packed. After running 10 miles I was sweating like crazy and really smelly!!! I can't even begin to express how self-conscious I was on the train. Then to make it worse, I had to stand most of the way and the train simply crawled all the way up. ARGH. I think I'm going to start making my long runs out and back along the path and just gauge them so that I don't half to go up the crazy hills in the last half mile of a 15 mile run . . . or I'll have someone meet me downtown with stuff and I can shower downtown at my in-law's house or something . . . I need to figure something else out.
I'm beginning to get into some meatier runs now and I'm getting excited and nervous. This is going to be very hard work . . . but that shouldn't surprise me! Saturday I'm racing 4 miles . . . I'm hoping to set a PR and assuming nothing catastrophic happens, I'll hit the 300 mile mark!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Good News/Bad News
Well today and yesterday were sort of a mixed bag. Not great running today, but I felt really good yesterday. So here's the breakdown.
Last night (Tuesday) I had my weekly running class. We did mile intervals, so we ran 1 mile three times (this is different than running three miles b/c we do short "recoveries" between each mile). I was fairly pleased with my pace for the miles, running each in about 6:49. Our total mileage for the class last night was about 6, which is nice. I'm always glad when I can get good miles in early in the week.
Today, however, I ran a short 4 miler and I didn't feel so hot. For starters, when I ran at about 4:30 this afternoon it was still a gross, sticky 91 degrees. This does not make for the most pleasant running. The afternoon's heat, coupled with the fact that I'm running 10 miles tomorrow (in what looks to be equally gross weather) made me decide not to time my run today. I wore my watch, but didn't measure my time at all. This way, I didn't have any pressure to run particularly fast or push myself too much in the heat. I feel as though I ran my normal pace, but am not at all concerned about how long it took me.
The other thing that bothered me today was the fact that I felt a bit "heavy." I put "heavy" in quotes b/c I just felt slow and sluggish. This is most likely due to the fact that the weather was so oppressive, but I also attribute it to the fact that I'm not losing weight at quite the rate that I had hoped for. I think I'm eating way to much these days and the stuff I'm eating is not good. For instance, today at lunch I had two Rice Krispie Treats, not to mention all the other crap I had for lunch. I would have been fine without those two sweets. If I'm still hungry, I should eat an apple. I have been warned that dieting is not wise while training for a marathon, but I feel that I could be making better food choices than I am now . . . I have this feeling that since I'm running so much more than I ever have, that I have license to eat whatever I want . . . which is not really the case.
I'm also realizing that I'm just not stretching enough before and after I run. I've been better about it than I used to be, but the fact is, I need to build time in around my runs to make sure that I'm stretching enough so that I don't hurt myself in any way. If I can't find the time to stretch now, during the summer, then I'm really in trouble once the school year starts up . . .
Looking ahead, tomorrow I'm running my longest run ever, 10 miles. I'm pretty nervous, mostly about the heat, but I'm going to go out and do my best. The nice thing about scheduling a long run on Thursday is that if I find that I can't finish, or something happens, I can still find time to get the long run in later in the week. I'm not sure when in the day I'll run tomorrow, but knowing me it will most likely be mid-day, which means I need to sleep a lot tonight and hydrate a lot tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday I'm running a race in the park, 4 miles. Assuming that my long run goes well tomorrow and that I'm feeling good after Friday's day off, I plan on going for a sub 30 min time . . . this would correspond to a sub 7:30 pace. We'll see!
Last night (Tuesday) I had my weekly running class. We did mile intervals, so we ran 1 mile three times (this is different than running three miles b/c we do short "recoveries" between each mile). I was fairly pleased with my pace for the miles, running each in about 6:49. Our total mileage for the class last night was about 6, which is nice. I'm always glad when I can get good miles in early in the week.
Today, however, I ran a short 4 miler and I didn't feel so hot. For starters, when I ran at about 4:30 this afternoon it was still a gross, sticky 91 degrees. This does not make for the most pleasant running. The afternoon's heat, coupled with the fact that I'm running 10 miles tomorrow (in what looks to be equally gross weather) made me decide not to time my run today. I wore my watch, but didn't measure my time at all. This way, I didn't have any pressure to run particularly fast or push myself too much in the heat. I feel as though I ran my normal pace, but am not at all concerned about how long it took me.
The other thing that bothered me today was the fact that I felt a bit "heavy." I put "heavy" in quotes b/c I just felt slow and sluggish. This is most likely due to the fact that the weather was so oppressive, but I also attribute it to the fact that I'm not losing weight at quite the rate that I had hoped for. I think I'm eating way to much these days and the stuff I'm eating is not good. For instance, today at lunch I had two Rice Krispie Treats, not to mention all the other crap I had for lunch. I would have been fine without those two sweets. If I'm still hungry, I should eat an apple. I have been warned that dieting is not wise while training for a marathon, but I feel that I could be making better food choices than I am now . . . I have this feeling that since I'm running so much more than I ever have, that I have license to eat whatever I want . . . which is not really the case.
I'm also realizing that I'm just not stretching enough before and after I run. I've been better about it than I used to be, but the fact is, I need to build time in around my runs to make sure that I'm stretching enough so that I don't hurt myself in any way. If I can't find the time to stretch now, during the summer, then I'm really in trouble once the school year starts up . . .
Looking ahead, tomorrow I'm running my longest run ever, 10 miles. I'm pretty nervous, mostly about the heat, but I'm going to go out and do my best. The nice thing about scheduling a long run on Thursday is that if I find that I can't finish, or something happens, I can still find time to get the long run in later in the week. I'm not sure when in the day I'll run tomorrow, but knowing me it will most likely be mid-day, which means I need to sleep a lot tonight and hydrate a lot tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday I'm running a race in the park, 4 miles. Assuming that my long run goes well tomorrow and that I'm feeling good after Friday's day off, I plan on going for a sub 30 min time . . . this would correspond to a sub 7:30 pace. We'll see!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Park to Park - 10K
Today was my second 10K race ever. A 10K is 6.2 miles, and today's race was the second half of the Naples/New York Park to Park race. The first half is run early June each year in Naples, Italy, and the second half is run in NYC in July. We took the full 6.2 mile loop of the park today and though it was a little hot and muggy, I felt really pretty good about my effort.
I ended up finishing in 47:56 which translates to about a 7:43 pace per mile. I was hoping to run at about this pace and I think I could have even run faster except for the fact that the first mile was VERY slow due to a crowded race and people who were not corralled properly.
In any case, I felt really good about my run today. My last 10k race I ran in over 50 minutes at about an 8:04 pace . . . so this is certainly an improvement over that. I finished strong and had a little juice leftover, so I wish I had pushed a bit more during the race itself.
Next weekend I have a 4 mile race. I have gotten quite familiar with the 4 mile distance at this point and my goal is to break a 7:30 pace for the race next week!
I'm now done with week 2, the marathon is 16 weeks from today!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Another 8 Miler . . . then rest!
Phew. I'm exhausted. Yesterday I got in another good 8 mile run, but that took my three day running total to 17 miles. I don't think I've EVER run 17 miles in three days in my life before. I actually felt pretty good about my run on Thursday. I was a little sore in the hips (this of course makes me nervous) and the middle miles got tough, but after 45 minutes I ate a GU (tm) and picked it up a bit. I started of a bit fast this time around than I did for the first 8 miler . . . this could certainly have contributed to the fatigue I was feeling mid run yesterday.
As it turns out, however, I ran the same 8 mile route 2 minutes faster than I did last week. This corresponds to a 15 sec/mile drop in my pace! Not too shabby. I'm not sure why, but I always prefer to run out and take the subway back on these longer runs . . . for some reason that's a bit easier for me psychologically. In the end, it was a good run though . . . I'm pleased.
Today is a day off and tomorrow is an easy run of 3-4 miles before I run a 10K race on Sunday. I'm going to really relax today and not push myself too much today or tomorrow.
As it turns out, however, I ran the same 8 mile route 2 minutes faster than I did last week. This corresponds to a 15 sec/mile drop in my pace! Not too shabby. I'm not sure why, but I always prefer to run out and take the subway back on these longer runs . . . for some reason that's a bit easier for me psychologically. In the end, it was a good run though . . . I'm pleased.
Today is a day off and tomorrow is an easy run of 3-4 miles before I run a 10K race on Sunday. I'm going to really relax today and not push myself too much today or tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Obsessed!
It has become increasingly clear that I have become obsessed with two new things in the last couple of weeks.The first is the newest smartphone from RIM the blackberry bold. My (seemingly endless) two year cell phone contract is up next month and I'm super pumped to switch to AT&T and get my hands on the sweet new blackberry pictured at left. I've been reading all sorts of techno-geek blogs about the bold and how it stacks up to the iphone, etc, and Sara is getting sick of it. I think I wasted 3 or 4 hours on the internet researching the bold (aka BlackBerry 9000).
My other current obsession is running. I have been eating, sleeping, dreaming running lately. It has to do with two major things. First of all I'm increasing my mileage a lot now. Last week I ran 22 miles, and I'm running 24 this week. Couple that with the speed class I'm taking, and the fact that I've been reading my training book every day, I can't get running out of my head. I'm loving it.
Yesterday evening I had my running class and we did a fairly tough 6 mi fartlek workout. Fartlek is where you include short to medium length speed bursts in a normal training run. It was fun but also tough. Then this morning I was up early to get a quick 3 miler in before work. Tomorrow I'm going to run 8 again. I'm really enjoying all th energy that this running is providing and I can't wait to get closer to the big day!!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
1 down; 17 to go!
I have finished my first official week of training! Today I ran my short run, thereby completing week #1 of my 18 week training program. I'm pumped. The ING New York City Marathon is 17 weeks from today! Wow.
I did a great little run across the GWB today. I don't know why, but until last night I hadn't really thought about running across the bridge, but when I was looking at various routes on MapMyRun.com I realized that it made perfect sense. I was aiming to run 3 miles today, a nice little short run at a faster pace after yesterday's long, slow run. I started out and immediately I knew that I was in for it. My legs were still pretty sore from the long run yesterday, so I decided not to push myself too much and just to enjoy a nice jog across the bridge.
I enjoyed running across the river and I got to the entrance of Palisades Park where I'm sure there are paths, etc, so I look forward to using this route more when I go for longer runs, and despite the fact that today was humid (not too hot though) it was a really enjoyable experience.
When I got home and mapped out my route, however, I realized that I ended up running 3.66 miles, more than I had thought, in a time of about 30 minutes. This translates to an 8:13 pace/mile . . . not too bad for the day after a long run. I felt like I was going much slower than that.
I'm feeling pretty good about my training right now. I'm reading my training book pretty religiously these days and I'm feeling pretty fast, and I'm getting pumped for the marathon in November. I feel like I've been working towards this for so long and I can't wait to finally be increasing my mileage significantly and having completed my first week is very exciting! It's funny how ready I felt for the 8 mile run yesterday and how ready I feel already for a 10 miler, and I still have almost two weeks until I run it! I'm really excited.
**Author's Note**
I use the phrase "long run" pretty liberally here . . . it is relative as far as I'm concerned. A true "long run" is about 18 miles, but I'm not there yet!
I did a great little run across the GWB today. I don't know why, but until last night I hadn't really thought about running across the bridge, but when I was looking at various routes on MapMyRun.com I realized that it made perfect sense. I was aiming to run 3 miles today, a nice little short run at a faster pace after yesterday's long, slow run. I started out and immediately I knew that I was in for it. My legs were still pretty sore from the long run yesterday, so I decided not to push myself too much and just to enjoy a nice jog across the bridge.
I enjoyed running across the river and I got to the entrance of Palisades Park where I'm sure there are paths, etc, so I look forward to using this route more when I go for longer runs, and despite the fact that today was humid (not too hot though) it was a really enjoyable experience.
When I got home and mapped out my route, however, I realized that I ended up running 3.66 miles, more than I had thought, in a time of about 30 minutes. This translates to an 8:13 pace/mile . . . not too bad for the day after a long run. I felt like I was going much slower than that.
I'm feeling pretty good about my training right now. I'm reading my training book pretty religiously these days and I'm feeling pretty fast, and I'm getting pumped for the marathon in November. I feel like I've been working towards this for so long and I can't wait to finally be increasing my mileage significantly and having completed my first week is very exciting! It's funny how ready I felt for the 8 mile run yesterday and how ready I feel already for a 10 miler, and I still have almost two weeks until I run it! I'm really excited.
**Author's Note**
I use the phrase "long run" pretty liberally here . . . it is relative as far as I'm concerned. A true "long run" is about 18 miles, but I'm not there yet!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The long runs begin!
Today I took my first long run of the marathon training! While 8 miles is not very long to any seasoned marathoner . . . this was the longest run I've ever taken . . . and I felt great! I took a nice route down the river path to 72nd street and then cut across 72nd to Central Park West and ran down along the park to Columbus Circle where I took a left to go across the bottom edge of the park to the SE corner. 8 miles.
I ended up running it in 1:12:22 which is about a nine minute/mile pace, but I'm not sure that this is a completely accurate reflection of what I really did. First of all, I'm almost positive that I negative split the run. This means that I ran the second four miles faster than I ran the first. I suppose that for my longest run ever, that's not a bad way to go, but ultimately, I think I could've run the whole route a little faster, getting in under 1:10. Also, I left my watch running for a few seconds while I waited at various intersections. I wasn't standing still at these times, but I wasn't moving forward either. Usually I'd just run in place and keep the watch going. This might have added a little to my time as well, though I'm not sure how much. By the end, I was worried that I'd finish too slow, so I practically sprinted across Central Park south in order to finish in 1:12 . . . but who knows. For my next long run, I think I'm going to try to go out a little faster to begin with. I was going very conservatively to begin b/c I wasn't sure how much I'd need in reserve, but I ended up being fine. I'd like to push myself a bit in my next few long runs.
All in all, though, I'm very happy with my first 8 miler of the training. I definitely had something left at the end, meaning that I could've gone a bit faster, but I don't think it's completely bad to average 9 min/mile (my goal marathon pace) for my first run over 7 miles EVER and to feel that I had something left in me at the end. I actually feel pretty pumped right now! I can't wait to go out and run some more tomorrow.
Next week, my long run is another 8 miler, but I might combine this with a 10K race . . . and the following week my long run is a 10 miler, but again, I might combine this with a four mile race. Although I'm sort of interested in running the four miler by itself to see if I can set a PR and then running my 10 at a different point in the week . . . perhaps Thursday . . . so we'll see.
Yay.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Good runs
I've had a few good runs in the last few days. I have already done 11 miles this week, which means I'm halfway done with the week's mileage. I am running 22 miles this week, in the first "official" week of my training calendar. Tomorrow (Friday) will be my day off, but Saturday I am going to run 8 miles! I can't wait. I'm actually really excited to get such a long run in . . . it will be my longest ever and I know that I can do it!
I'm having a little bit an adjustment period now that I'm back to NYC. The breathing is fine, but it's much hotter here and more humid . . . I guess I can't win. In any case I'm feeling good so far this week, and I'm hoping things go well on Saturday.
You might have noticed that I've removed my calendar from the bottom of the blog. This is due to some issues with Google calendar's functions when you have multiple calendars. But I'm going to add an "upcoming runs" section over to the right that I'll update regularly.
That's it for now.
I'm having a little bit an adjustment period now that I'm back to NYC. The breathing is fine, but it's much hotter here and more humid . . . I guess I can't win. In any case I'm feeling good so far this week, and I'm hoping things go well on Saturday.
You might have noticed that I've removed my calendar from the bottom of the blog. This is due to some issues with Google calendar's functions when you have multiple calendars. But I'm going to add an "upcoming runs" section over to the right that I'll update regularly.
That's it for now.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Altitude Running
Wow. It's been a long time. I've been super busy though and I was in Colorado Springs for a conference for the last 8 days. Today was my first day back home in a long time.
I knew that I really had to get some good runs in this past week, but I was a little worried b/c I also knew that I'd be super busy at the NAIS Summer Diversity Institute (SDI). SDI was amazing and really helpful. I'm looking forward to taking much of what I learned back to work to make Riverdale a more inviting, equitable, welcoming place.
As it turned out, I was able to get some good runs in, totaling about 17 miles. I was supposed to run 20 miles last week, the last week of my "base building" phase, but on Sunday I was exhausted and took the day off. BUT I am hoping that my 17 miles at 6000 ft will suffice when I try to run again in NYC.
I didn't enjoy running in Colorado Springs at all at first. The altitude made it hard to breathe, and the dry air made me really uncomfortable. I never thought I'd miss humidity, but I think this was taking it to the extreme! I ran 3 on Tues., and 4 each on Wed. & Thurs. Then I took Friday off, and ran 6 on Saturday. My long run Saturday was actually my best and I look forward to running here at sea level to see if I can tell a difference at all.
Again, I took Sunday off b/c I was really tired both physically and emotionally from SDI, but I think I'll be ok. I am slightly worried, however, b/c this week I have to run 22 miles . . . that's a jump of 5 miles. I'm concerned that I didn't get in enough weeks of 20 miles, but we'll see. My last four weeks (you can check for yourself on the calendar at the bottom) went 17, 20, 20, 17+. So maybe I'm ready for 22 this week. We'll see. On Saturday I have to get an 8 mile long run in. That'll be sort of hard, but I'm excited to give it a try. I just hope it's not too ridiculously hot and humid.
I am also skipping my running class tonight. I'm tired, and I miss Sara, so I didn't feel like being gone tonight. That means that I won't have a speed workout AND a long run in the same week when I'm up mileage a lot. Probably for the best.
So, I'm back and you can expect more posts in the coming weeks as I begin my formal training schedule. It starts today!
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