A Mile or More in My [Running] Shoes
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#flashbackfriday
My Father. Canberra Marathon 1992.
I think of him every time I go for a run.
When I was 13, I announced to my Dad that I...
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Life Update.
People always say that when you break up that it’s time to focus on you, that it’s time to be the person that you want to be: to get...
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I did yoga last night and I’m proud of myself. I always talk about how I need to cross train but don’t. I have done yoga a handful of times in my...
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Have decided
I am going try and be “glass has water in it” person, as opposed to declaring the glass “half full” or “half empty”.
It is a glass. It...
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GPOYW: Me with my two favorite guys in the world edition
My dad, me, Mr. B
Scenes From My Run: The Mall in Central Park
When I left work the skies looked threatening so I hurried home and threw on my running shoes. It ended up being perfect for a run and the sun stayed out. I really hope the weather is like tonight’s on race morning!
Scenes From My Run: Bethesda Fountain in Central Park
Tonight’s run was good. I feel like I’ve finally shifted back to my normal self and to normal runs. I did a shorter run earlier this week, about 3 miles, but because I don’t want to depend too heavily on my Garmin I did it watch-less.
Tonight I did 5 miles in 42:30 (with my Garmin this time) and it felt great. There really isn’t anything notable to report on the ankle/tibialis anterior pain front - no real change. Not better, not worse. This weekend I have a 12 miler and I start to taper for the River Bank Run. The race is 3 weeks from Saturday and unlike last week/earlier this week, I’m optimistic about where I am in my training. That’s good because there’s no time to second guess/wish I had done things differently - just have to trust the plan and the training I’ve done!
I feel surprisingly great today after this weekend’s 12 miler. I wasn’t sore at all yesterday and though my legs feel a little tired today, I can barely tell I ran so far just a few days ago. This weekend will mark a new milestone (heh) for me… I will run 14 miles, which is, to date, the furthest I’ve ever run.
I’m beginning to get excited and nervous about tackling this new distance, as it will really serve as a gauge for my preparedness for the 25k. (If I can run 14 miles, I can definitely run 15.5.) I mapped out my run just to give myself an idea of possible routes. I’ll probably end up doing the same 2 loops of Central Park as this past weekend with an additional lap around the lower loop to bring me to 14 miles.
While Central Park is beautiful I’m going to need to find new running routes to avoid Central Park fatigue and boredom when I train for the NYC Marathon. For now it’s a good place to get my miles in because it incorporates hills into my runs. There are a few hills in the River Bank Run, but I will be well-prepared for them after tackling Harlem Hill week in and week out (sometimes multiple times). (It might also be good to get out of Central Park to avoid injury from spending too much time running on cambered roads.) Do any New York runners have a favorite place to run outside of Central Park while getting long runs in?
…make sure to take your twice daily snort of Nasonex. As a severe seasonal allergy sufferer, you don’t have the luxury of just being able to forget things like that from the months of March-November.
Central Park was beautiful tonight. I didn’t even mind that I had to break out the long sleeves and cropped running tights again. So lovely.
Given how congested I was and how tight my chest felt, this run didn’t feel like a great run until I hit mile 4. And then I finished the run and looked at my watch. I did it again…
Tonight’s run was inexplicably fast. I really need to rein it in a bit. While I like seeing such low numbers when I plug my Garmin in, I know it’s not necessarily a good thing to run fast all the time. I think later this week I’ll run some hill repeats. (Can’t run too fast on hills.) The only thing I can point to that may have had something to do with my running like a mad woman was my afternoon spent perusing marathon training plans. I’ve got the NYC Marathon on my mind and I don’t care who knows it!
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Tonight’s Pre-Rivalry Game Run Through Central Park Brought To You By: Swedish House Mafia Pandora Station. (My dear purple iPod nano has gone to iPod heaven… *tear*)
This was the perfect soundtrack to a run through the wet Central Park Lower Loop. I felt good. In the interest of full disclosure: this was my first run since my run in Tampa with Rob. (Yes. Yes. I knowwww… SLACKER = ME) All things considered, it was a great run. My legs felt good, my time was good (averaged 9:03 min/mi for 3.4 miles) and it felt amazing to get outside after a frigid weekend and a long day indoors. Dailymile told me I have 116 days until the Fifth Third River Bank Run (25k). Better get my butt in gear.
In other running-related news, I finally purchased a Road ID. I would like to think that I won’t need it, but it’s a huge comfort to know that if (God forbid) I do need it, it’s there. I got the Shoe ID model. If it’s strapped to my laces, it’s impossible to forget. If you’re a runner or cyclist or outdoor adventurer and you don’t have one yet you should consider getting one! They also let you donate a portion of your purchase to one of a handful of charities. Mine went to Team In Training!
I’ve posted lots of pictures lately…
Anyway, it was a nice evening for a stroll crosstown through Central Park. I’ve never walked the path aroound the Reservoir so I figured it was a worthwhile adventure on my way to pick up my bib for the Coogan’s 5k.
Imagine 10 miles on a Saturday morning, it’s easy if you try… Walked through Strawberry Fields on my way to our team meeting spot. Good morning world.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Today’s Run Brought To You By: Jay-Z + Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind
This morning I met up with other Tumblr folk at Columbus Circle for the Do Life 5k. We ran an out and back along the east in Central Park up to Cat Hill. It was an awesome experience and a great way to put names and faces to blogs.
After finishing our 3.1 miles, I bid adieu to the Do Lifers and headed west. With 3 miles done and out of the way, I had 6 remaining and I settled in to what I thought was a good, relaxed pace along the West Side Highway/Hudson River. Little did I know, the comfortable/relaxed pace I thought I was running was much faster than I would ever consider running a long run and when I finished my 9 miles, showered, and plugged in my iPod to upload my run data, Paula Radcliffe congratulated me on my fastest 10k (AGAIN!)
My run was 9.05 miles in 1:29:22 (a 9:52 pace!!!) and wound from Central Park all the way down to Battery Park. It was so nice to see so much of my city. It’s safe to say that running in New York has endeared the city to me more than any other experience or quality the city has to offer.
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade,
Long live the king yo,
I’m from the Empire State that’s…
In New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There’s nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you,
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York
Sometimes, when I set my alarm for “way too early” on a Saturday morning, I get a little bit sad. And then I realize that I accomplish more before 11:00 on a Saturday morning than I do during the work week.
Tomorrow morning I’m supposed to be at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park by 8:30 for a Team In Training GTS, but I’m changing things up a bit. I have 9 miles on the schedule for tomorrow, but I hear that there’s a Do Life 5k tomorrow morning. Being a New York City resident and Tumblr user/follower of Ben, I feel that it is my duty to take full advantage of this awesome opportunity.
But what about the other 5.9 miles? I’m taking it to the West Side Highway and running south. If anyone (especially other downtown dwelling New Yorkers!) has any interest in getting a long run in along the Hudson, (after the 5k in Central Park) I would love the company.
My planned route:
It goes a little over my 9 miles, but the 72nd Transverse in Central Park to Battery Park by way of the West Side Highway to my usual haunt on the Hudson River Esplanade? Sounds like a solid/picturesque/quintessentially New York way to spend a cold Saturday morning!
Anybody interested in joining me?
8… That’s not just the number of miles I ran today with the lovely Theodora - weather.com says that it “feels like” it’s 8 degrees out right now in New York City.
It was a tough run. My legs felt like cement blocks for the first mile and a half and I could not breathe as deeply as one must while running. I had to stop to walk several times and Theodora was incredibly kind and patient with me. After running the large loop in Central Park, T and I parted ways and I headed home to finish up the remaining few miles on the treadmill. Right now I’m just proud to have gotten the miles in and to have been one of those* runners. That’s enough of an accomplishment for me today. Now, what to have for lunch?
*You know, the ones who do things like running 8 miles when it’s inhumanly cold out.
