the rest of last week was a blur - i can't believe ive finished up week 3 of 18 already... only 15 more to go, and i am already feeling weary. then again, thats probably a normal bout of self-doubt that everyone feels. in actuality, i think i am doing just fine - although i do think a little more cross training/strength workouts would do me good. that, and finally following advice about nutrition pre- and post-run... maybe this week that will be my goal.
WEEK 3, RUN 2: 5 miles
this was my first group run with Team for Kids! i was a little nervous but everyone was super friendly and engaging, which was really nice. more than that, the run really pushed me - after a light jog to warm up, we did moving-stretches, then broke up into groups and did tempo runs for 4 miles. thankfully, we worked it so that we ran 2 miles, then stopped for water, and did 2 more. i forget how lovely it is to run in central park! nonetheless, summer is still killer: its been crazy hot and humid and hard to breathe. after, jaunt over to amsterdam to meet dad for sushi dinner. i think i continued to sweat for at least an hour after... hope no one in the restaurant noticed.
WEEK 3, RUN 3: 3 miles
treadmill, to avoid the sticky bath that is new york. 103 degrees. 103 degrees.
WEEK 3, RUN 4: 5 miles
i was all signed up do to the nyrr practice run in the park saturday morning, but it was conveniently going up to 98 degrees again; it was my birthday; and i had a surf lesson at 11am in rockaway. these factors all collided and made me skip it - no 9 miler. instead, we surfed in the morning (that counts as cross training right? at least... for the arms?), and i did the 5 miler on sunday, in the cool cool a/c of the gym. kind of tortuous, but afterwards i stretched real good, used a softball on my knees & hips to release joints, and felt pretty awesome.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
the air conditioner, it is quite nice.
the humidity has descended again on new york. so, for the first run of week 3, i hid in the gym.
WEEK 3, RUN 1: 3 miles
i almost forgot how brutally boring it is to run on a treadmill. at least when i am outside, there are lots of other things to distract me. in the gym, it is just me, my neck craning at a weird angle, and some t.v. show that ive never seen before - playing over head, on silent, while some strange club remix plays on the speakers. although, to be fair, the 3 miles were generally more comfortable than they usually are, thanks to the blasting a.c.
WEEK 3, RUN 1: 3 miles
i almost forgot how brutally boring it is to run on a treadmill. at least when i am outside, there are lots of other things to distract me. in the gym, it is just me, my neck craning at a weird angle, and some t.v. show that ive never seen before - playing over head, on silent, while some strange club remix plays on the speakers. although, to be fair, the 3 miles were generally more comfortable than they usually are, thanks to the blasting a.c.
Monday, July 18, 2011
zen
This past weekend I was again in Long Island – this time, with a group of my oldest friends from high school, to celebrate our collective 30th birthdays. After a much harrowing Friday afternoon working and worrying I wouldn’t be able to catch our ride (turns out everyone was delayed), we finally made it out to Mattituck by 9.30pm. Not bad, considering our last pick up was around 8… Saturday morning the light streamed in, woke me up at 5.30, but thankfully I was able to get a bit more sleep before being woken up by a friend who wanted to take a run.
WEEK 2, RUN 4: 7 miles
Three of us started out at about 7:45; it was perfect weather. Warm, sunny, but breezes and shade from nearby trees. The streets were mostly empty, a couple of cars going to tag sales in the neighborhood. It felt so wonderful to have escaped from the humidity and grit of the city, and to have people running with me (at least, for the first two miles). I had no way of tracking my mileage, so I started just running by time: I wear a lightweight watch band and assess my runs by time, i.e., - running 7 miles, I made myself run for 70 minutes. Sure, this was probably more than 7 miles, but its less stressful than trying to map out streets I don’t know on google before heading out. I may consider plugging in my Nike run into my ipod/shoe again, but still need to find it… Either way, it was a great run. I felt energized, happy, calm, peaceful, just pretty zen. Back to the house, and I was ready for breakfast and our day of wine tasting!
WEEK 2, RUN 4: 7 miles
Three of us started out at about 7:45; it was perfect weather. Warm, sunny, but breezes and shade from nearby trees. The streets were mostly empty, a couple of cars going to tag sales in the neighborhood. It felt so wonderful to have escaped from the humidity and grit of the city, and to have people running with me (at least, for the first two miles). I had no way of tracking my mileage, so I started just running by time: I wear a lightweight watch band and assess my runs by time, i.e., - running 7 miles, I made myself run for 70 minutes. Sure, this was probably more than 7 miles, but its less stressful than trying to map out streets I don’t know on google before heading out. I may consider plugging in my Nike run into my ipod/shoe again, but still need to find it… Either way, it was a great run. I felt energized, happy, calm, peaceful, just pretty zen. Back to the house, and I was ready for breakfast and our day of wine tasting!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
from running in the hamptons, to running on the east river
this past weekend i was away so had to utilize a little discipline to get my longer run in. it feels stange saying "longer run" since it was only 6 miles, but granted, i havent really been running that long for fun lately - especially as the humidity and heat have overtaken new york. ah, summer..... somehow i forget that it always feels like this... intentional amnesia of sorts.
WEEK 1, RUN 4: 6 miles
we were in the hamptons: me, my friend kim, and a bunch of her girlfriends - to celebrate her pending nuptuals in the fall. it was a really great 2.5 days, full of games, beach, sun, tasty food, and strong cocktails (and... unlimited champagne). i originally intended to do my long run on saturday morning - wake up strong and refreshed, kick it outside before it got too hot, and then turn around, come back, and head to our group surf lessons in montauk. but... the wave forecast (yes, there is such a thing!) did not bode well so we had to change our lesson to 10.30AM, instead of 1PM. no matter. running, postponed.
surfing was an awesome time - the feel of the ocean, the wave gently pushing you up on your board, pulsating like it is alive, listening to the feel of it, plank position, then crouching, then balancing and standing! one word: wow. i felt like a kid again... and i managed to convince myself that this counted as the "cross training" day i need each week. (totally legit, right?)
in lieu of saturday, the long run happened sunday morning: waking up in a hungover haze, after sleeping 6 hours, i laced it up, drank some ice water, pumped up "this american life," and trotted out. the day was already sunny, hot and gorgeous, and it was only 9am. i could feel myself getting cranky and thirsty, but was in good spirits the way out. i couldnt figure out my mileage, so i relied on timing: run out one way, loop by the beach, keep going for 30 minutes, then turn around. probably a little more than 6 miles, but alas, it was the only way i could assess. the way back was more brutal - hotter, sweatier, thirstier... but still, beautiful. there were a couple other people out doing the same thing, and lots of bike riders. i felt so zen and happy to be running and getting a little alone time and exercise. its funny because planning this trip, i kept worrying about getting this run in. but this proved to me it would be easy - or at least, manageable - to do while traveling.
WEEK 2, RUN 1: 3 miles
tuesday morning run. start with B, which makes it better, but still - why is it so hard to breathe in new york??? its like the heat from the sun is already pouring down over us. no breeze to be seen. today, like most days, we do it east river style - up a little to 14th street, then down to right before manhattan bridge, then loop back. today i actually ran with my phone for the first time, which was weird and oddly uncomfortable (are my wrists really that weak?) but it tracked me, GPS style. pretty handy. turns out, i ran 3.87 miles, not 3. which may or may not make me feel superior... or just annoyed.
WEEK 2, RUN 2: 3 miles
same dillio - this time, sans B. so, via deductive reasoning, it feels... harder. takes more effort to hit the strides. running slower these days. but, at least today i remember i dont need to go all the way to pre-manhattan bridge (as that is now a trusty 3.87 r/t), so i loop it back slightly before. yes! cheating the system, in a way...
WEEK 2, RUN 3: 3 miles
FINALLY! i have the excuse to (a) run in central park, and (b) run faster than a 9.30 mile. it is finally cool and breezey and the humidity has dissipated. i seize this moment: i take it to my home base of running, where i first started it all: central park. this time, though, i know i only need to do 3 miles, so i confer with my always knowledgeable mom who tells me that three loops around the rumsey playing field and then back down to our house is about 3 miles (she has been pedometering it up as of late). there are tons of crowds and tourists, mixed in with normal new yorkers waiting on line to see shakespeare in the park at the delacorte; there are groups of friends playing softball on the fields, picnicing, or just hanging about on the grass. ah, summer in the city. it feels so good to run so hard around, challenging myself with speed intervals. feeling invigorated, happy, loop it back home.
WEEK 1, RUN 4: 6 miles
we were in the hamptons: me, my friend kim, and a bunch of her girlfriends - to celebrate her pending nuptuals in the fall. it was a really great 2.5 days, full of games, beach, sun, tasty food, and strong cocktails (and... unlimited champagne). i originally intended to do my long run on saturday morning - wake up strong and refreshed, kick it outside before it got too hot, and then turn around, come back, and head to our group surf lessons in montauk. but... the wave forecast (yes, there is such a thing!) did not bode well so we had to change our lesson to 10.30AM, instead of 1PM. no matter. running, postponed.
surfing was an awesome time - the feel of the ocean, the wave gently pushing you up on your board, pulsating like it is alive, listening to the feel of it, plank position, then crouching, then balancing and standing! one word: wow. i felt like a kid again... and i managed to convince myself that this counted as the "cross training" day i need each week. (totally legit, right?)
in lieu of saturday, the long run happened sunday morning: waking up in a hungover haze, after sleeping 6 hours, i laced it up, drank some ice water, pumped up "this american life," and trotted out. the day was already sunny, hot and gorgeous, and it was only 9am. i could feel myself getting cranky and thirsty, but was in good spirits the way out. i couldnt figure out my mileage, so i relied on timing: run out one way, loop by the beach, keep going for 30 minutes, then turn around. probably a little more than 6 miles, but alas, it was the only way i could assess. the way back was more brutal - hotter, sweatier, thirstier... but still, beautiful. there were a couple other people out doing the same thing, and lots of bike riders. i felt so zen and happy to be running and getting a little alone time and exercise. its funny because planning this trip, i kept worrying about getting this run in. but this proved to me it would be easy - or at least, manageable - to do while traveling.
WEEK 2, RUN 1: 3 miles
tuesday morning run. start with B, which makes it better, but still - why is it so hard to breathe in new york??? its like the heat from the sun is already pouring down over us. no breeze to be seen. today, like most days, we do it east river style - up a little to 14th street, then down to right before manhattan bridge, then loop back. today i actually ran with my phone for the first time, which was weird and oddly uncomfortable (are my wrists really that weak?) but it tracked me, GPS style. pretty handy. turns out, i ran 3.87 miles, not 3. which may or may not make me feel superior... or just annoyed.
WEEK 2, RUN 2: 3 miles
same dillio - this time, sans B. so, via deductive reasoning, it feels... harder. takes more effort to hit the strides. running slower these days. but, at least today i remember i dont need to go all the way to pre-manhattan bridge (as that is now a trusty 3.87 r/t), so i loop it back slightly before. yes! cheating the system, in a way...
WEEK 2, RUN 3: 3 miles
FINALLY! i have the excuse to (a) run in central park, and (b) run faster than a 9.30 mile. it is finally cool and breezey and the humidity has dissipated. i seize this moment: i take it to my home base of running, where i first started it all: central park. this time, though, i know i only need to do 3 miles, so i confer with my always knowledgeable mom who tells me that three loops around the rumsey playing field and then back down to our house is about 3 miles (she has been pedometering it up as of late). there are tons of crowds and tourists, mixed in with normal new yorkers waiting on line to see shakespeare in the park at the delacorte; there are groups of friends playing softball on the fields, picnicing, or just hanging about on the grass. ah, summer in the city. it feels so good to run so hard around, challenging myself with speed intervals. feeling invigorated, happy, loop it back home.
Friday, July 8, 2011
mangoes in hot sauce...
Yesterday evening, I was on my way home after buying a new pair of running shoes, felt hungry and a little cranky that I still had a run in front of me, and then, magically, spotted a lady on the sidewalk with a cart, selling those beloved bags of cut up mango. I couldn't resist-- what could be better than a fruity summer treat?-- so I inhaled the bag of almost-ripe mango with lots of added hot sauce.
This oddly motivated me to get ready to run as soon as I got home... but once I started running, I could feel the hot sauce and mango combination sloshing in my stomach. Note to self: don't do that again!
WEEK 1, RUN 3: 3 miles
Mango/hot sauce debacle besides, it was a good run. And, to be honest, it was only bothersome for the first half of the run. By the time I looped back, I was feeling way more into the run. This time, I looped north, ran along the water up to Waterside, and then looped back down. The paths these summer days are crazy busy -- lots of runners, making it all look effortless. How do they do that? (Or I am also one of them without even knowing?). The subtext, here, is that this still feels too hard. Maybe my body simply got used to other exercises and now has to re-adapt to running, who knows... Hopefully the 6 mile run will break this type of thinking.
This oddly motivated me to get ready to run as soon as I got home... but once I started running, I could feel the hot sauce and mango combination sloshing in my stomach. Note to self: don't do that again!
WEEK 1, RUN 3: 3 miles
Mango/hot sauce debacle besides, it was a good run. And, to be honest, it was only bothersome for the first half of the run. By the time I looped back, I was feeling way more into the run. This time, I looped north, ran along the water up to Waterside, and then looped back down. The paths these summer days are crazy busy -- lots of runners, making it all look effortless. How do they do that? (Or I am also one of them without even knowing?). The subtext, here, is that this still feels too hard. Maybe my body simply got used to other exercises and now has to re-adapt to running, who knows... Hopefully the 6 mile run will break this type of thinking.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
start it up
In a way, I can't believe I am doing this again!
To be fair, “again” doesn’t mean a marathon (this is my first), but it does mean training runs, long Saturday mornings pounding pavement and trying to figure out mileage from Google Maps; circuitous routes around pedestrians, tourists, other runners, sidewalk bumps, construction scaffold; finding water fountains that work; and propping feet up for hours after. In the past several years, I’ve tackled my first, second, and third Half Marathon – the first was in Miami, and the next two were in New York. I have a distinct memory of thinking, “I never have to do this again” after my friend Kari and I finished the last 13.1 miles this past March, so I’m not really sure how I got to be here.
Ok, that’s not entirely true either. Running the (or, “a”) marathon has always been something that I’ve wanted to do. I know tons of friends have run it; its always inspiring to see it happen – and, nerd alert - I get goosebumps sometimes thinking about it.
This year, also, should be different from others: I’m turning 30, I just got engaged, and I will be starting a new phase of my career … and a friend said, “this is your year.” She didn’t at all mean it like, “THIS IS YOUR YEAR GIRL, GO RUN THE MARATHON!”, but it got me thinking. This SHOULD be my year. I'm going to make it my year.
So here we go. I’ve signed up to run the NYC Marathon with Team for Kids, the main not-for-profit that works with NYCRR. Here we embark on an 18 week journey to the finish line!
WEEK 1, RUN 1 – 3 miles
It was July 4th and B and I were on the Cape; we woke up with huge Dunkin Donuts iced coffees (who wouldn’t?), and laced up and were out on the path as soon as our slurps were over. Full belly of coffee sloshing, we ran around the local golf course a couple times; B recently got back into running so he went with me for 2 miles. A group of men were already pounding beers in the parking area of the golf course. You have to love that. I keep going for another loop around the cemetery and course, and then home. Face burning red, so hot so hot! And… it was only 9.30 am.
WEEK 1, RUN 2 – 5 miles
After a day off (spent driving back to New York in immense Cape/Connecticut traffic), I overindulged on a medley of popcorn and couscous, attempting to reassure myself all the while that this would only be to FUEL my run on Wednesday morning. This morning, of course, when the alarm went off at 7am, I wondered briefly whether there would be enough people running outside to make the East River Park less sketchy at this hour. Of course, when I got outside and down there, I realized that was silly of me- the place was bumping with early morning runners. I slogged off and started looping up north a few blocks, and then down by the waterside, eventually running under the FDR, passing the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. It was HOT – only about 78 degrees but humid, and every mouthful of air felt heavy with humidity. To keep myself entertained, I sang Katy Perry songs in my head. The run back was somehow less painful, and I imagined stopping for a cool drink of water but knew I wouldn’t start up again if I paused, so slogged it back home. Face: beet red. I think I kept sweating for a good 20 minutes once inside!
Yes, I thought: wow, I signed up for this? Like, to do this 4x over? Sheesh. And its only the second day!
To be fair, “again” doesn’t mean a marathon (this is my first), but it does mean training runs, long Saturday mornings pounding pavement and trying to figure out mileage from Google Maps; circuitous routes around pedestrians, tourists, other runners, sidewalk bumps, construction scaffold; finding water fountains that work; and propping feet up for hours after. In the past several years, I’ve tackled my first, second, and third Half Marathon – the first was in Miami, and the next two were in New York. I have a distinct memory of thinking, “I never have to do this again” after my friend Kari and I finished the last 13.1 miles this past March, so I’m not really sure how I got to be here.
Ok, that’s not entirely true either. Running the (or, “a”) marathon has always been something that I’ve wanted to do. I know tons of friends have run it; its always inspiring to see it happen – and, nerd alert - I get goosebumps sometimes thinking about it.
This year, also, should be different from others: I’m turning 30, I just got engaged, and I will be starting a new phase of my career … and a friend said, “this is your year.” She didn’t at all mean it like, “THIS IS YOUR YEAR GIRL, GO RUN THE MARATHON!”, but it got me thinking. This SHOULD be my year. I'm going to make it my year.
So here we go. I’ve signed up to run the NYC Marathon with Team for Kids, the main not-for-profit that works with NYCRR. Here we embark on an 18 week journey to the finish line!
WEEK 1, RUN 1 – 3 miles
It was July 4th and B and I were on the Cape; we woke up with huge Dunkin Donuts iced coffees (who wouldn’t?), and laced up and were out on the path as soon as our slurps were over. Full belly of coffee sloshing, we ran around the local golf course a couple times; B recently got back into running so he went with me for 2 miles. A group of men were already pounding beers in the parking area of the golf course. You have to love that. I keep going for another loop around the cemetery and course, and then home. Face burning red, so hot so hot! And… it was only 9.30 am.
WEEK 1, RUN 2 – 5 miles
After a day off (spent driving back to New York in immense Cape/Connecticut traffic), I overindulged on a medley of popcorn and couscous, attempting to reassure myself all the while that this would only be to FUEL my run on Wednesday morning. This morning, of course, when the alarm went off at 7am, I wondered briefly whether there would be enough people running outside to make the East River Park less sketchy at this hour. Of course, when I got outside and down there, I realized that was silly of me- the place was bumping with early morning runners. I slogged off and started looping up north a few blocks, and then down by the waterside, eventually running under the FDR, passing the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. It was HOT – only about 78 degrees but humid, and every mouthful of air felt heavy with humidity. To keep myself entertained, I sang Katy Perry songs in my head. The run back was somehow less painful, and I imagined stopping for a cool drink of water but knew I wouldn’t start up again if I paused, so slogged it back home. Face: beet red. I think I kept sweating for a good 20 minutes once inside!
Yes, I thought: wow, I signed up for this? Like, to do this 4x over? Sheesh. And its only the second day!
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