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.
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