This weekend I had my longest run of the season (so far). It was an 18-miler and besides the fact that it rained, it was pretty uneventful.
I was actually really glad for the rain. It was a nice break from the crazy heat/humidity I've been dealing with on my long runs, and it made the park a lot less crowded. I was really aiming to keep my pace around 10 minutes for the first few miles and then drop down to around a 9:30. Instead, I pretty much kept a 9:30 the entire time. I felt really good and like I could actually do a few more miles afterwards, so I think it's pretty key for me to feel like I'm "holding back" in those first few miles.
The one thing that was horrible is that when I got home and got in the shower I had to scream. I didn't even realized that I had chafed so badly. It HURT. I just assumed that I hadn't chafed because I had used Body Glide EVERYWHERE. So now I have matching scars on both clavicles, a really really horrible one under my chest on the left side, a circular one around my navel and one on my inner thigh on the right side. I am using Neosporin like crazy so that the scars don't become permanent fixtures (like some of my other chafing marks.
Oh yeah. And I am also hungry ALL THE TIME now. I just can't get enough to eat. It must be all those calories I'm burning :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mixed Bag of Complaints :(
I think this is the part of the season where I get all tired of running and start looking forward to getting back to my normal life, where I can go home after work and not work out. (If you haven't noticed...my blog entries have been kind of complainy lately.) I guess this is sort of ironic though, because my "normal life" pretty much is training for or running a marathon, since I have been doing that from January to the end of October for the past 3 years.
So I was actually pretty disappointed when I had to miss another gruelling workout on Tuesday because I was working late. This one was supposed to be a test, doing mile repeats. I would have loved to see how fast I could go on the miles, (improvement always makes me feel happy about running again) but it just wasn't in the cards.
So yesterday, I talked Bill into running with me. We didn't go out until 7:30, so it was nice and cool(er then it has been), and we ran right along the Hudson, which was nice.
But I have noticed lately, that my calves have been super tight. And not just when I'm running, but all the time. My shins are a little achey too, which is not good. My calves were so tight last night that when we turned around to head back (it was dark! I hate how it gets dark out so early now!) I had to stop and stretch them out.
I don't like feeling so sore all the time, especially since I haven't been feeling like I've been getting a lot out of running lately. To be fair, I don't feel like I've been putting a lot into it either.
I am also kind of freaking out because I have no idea when I am going to get all of my mileage in, since I am going on vacation and am going to be missing an entire week of practice (which includes 2 long runs.) I know, I know, run on the beach. But seriously, I think I need a vacation from working out too. It has been a long time since I've had a "real" vacation that doesn't include working or travelling to a marathon, so I kind of want to put running on hiatus while I am at the beach.
So, this weekend I will be trying to get in my 18 miler, while most of my group is doing an 8-10 miler. And then I think I am going to do another long run on the Friday before I leave for vacation, although that sounds pretty stressful.
I've worked too hard this season to not PR San Francisco, but with my training going as it's going I just don't know. :(
So I was actually pretty disappointed when I had to miss another gruelling workout on Tuesday because I was working late. This one was supposed to be a test, doing mile repeats. I would have loved to see how fast I could go on the miles, (improvement always makes me feel happy about running again) but it just wasn't in the cards.
So yesterday, I talked Bill into running with me. We didn't go out until 7:30, so it was nice and cool(er then it has been), and we ran right along the Hudson, which was nice.
But I have noticed lately, that my calves have been super tight. And not just when I'm running, but all the time. My shins are a little achey too, which is not good. My calves were so tight last night that when we turned around to head back (it was dark! I hate how it gets dark out so early now!) I had to stop and stretch them out.
I don't like feeling so sore all the time, especially since I haven't been feeling like I've been getting a lot out of running lately. To be fair, I don't feel like I've been putting a lot into it either.
I am also kind of freaking out because I have no idea when I am going to get all of my mileage in, since I am going on vacation and am going to be missing an entire week of practice (which includes 2 long runs.) I know, I know, run on the beach. But seriously, I think I need a vacation from working out too. It has been a long time since I've had a "real" vacation that doesn't include working or travelling to a marathon, so I kind of want to put running on hiatus while I am at the beach.
So, this weekend I will be trying to get in my 18 miler, while most of my group is doing an 8-10 miler. And then I think I am going to do another long run on the Friday before I leave for vacation, although that sounds pretty stressful.
I've worked too hard this season to not PR San Francisco, but with my training going as it's going I just don't know. :(
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday Sixteen
This weekend I had my big 16-miler, which has actually been my longest run all season. When I started walking to practice it was pouring and I was happy! It has been nothing but hot, humid and altogether unpleasant for the past week or so, and I was happy we were running in the rain instead of the unbearable heat and humidity that was predicted.
It was also the last weekend for Summer Streets :( so we were once again doing the Park Avenue run (and then across Manhattan to the West Side Highway (yuck) and finishing with a five mile loop in the park.
Since it was a lot cooler out because of the rain I took out my run a lot faster than I meant to. I can't believe I did this, because I was running exactly between the 9 minute pace group and the 10 minute pace group and was going for a 9:30 pace. But I felt great! (When will I learn? :)
(The pace for my first few miles were 8:41, 8:29, 8:07).
As we reached the bottom of Manhattan to cut across Chambers, the rain stopped. I didn't mind though because it wasn't exactly sunny out. But then the sun did come out and you know how people say "you could cut the air with a knife?" Now I know what they were talking about!
Luckily, I had succeeded in cutting my pace back to around a nine minute mile. (For a little while.) The girl I was running with kept saying we could slow down if I wanted, and I kept saying I was totally for that, but neither of us seemed able to do it. (Next few miles 9:09, 8:57, 9:00, 8:44, 8:48).
We stopped for water and I felt dizzy (uh oh). I was also very very tired. My arms were feeling very heavy. The humidity was definitely getting to me. I was glad I had lots of electrolytes with me. In fact, I went through my entire belt full of Gatorade before we got back to Central Park. I figured that was okay though, since there were so many water fountains there.
Rebecca and I DEFINITELY felt like we had done more than 11 miles at this point, and were both dreading the next 5 miles. We said it felt like the last five miles of a marathon, so we knew we had to just run with our guts at this point.
Unfortunately, my guts did NOT like Harlem Hill, which was at the end of my run (since I decided to end my run on my street, unlike everyone else who went back to the start). I ended up walking a fair amount until I felt better and ended up with a 2:29 (which averages out to a 9:20 pace).
I felt so tired and drained, but I was happy with my time. Now only if I can reverse the order and do a negative split next time, I'll be great!
It was also the last weekend for Summer Streets :( so we were once again doing the Park Avenue run (and then across Manhattan to the West Side Highway (yuck) and finishing with a five mile loop in the park.
Since it was a lot cooler out because of the rain I took out my run a lot faster than I meant to. I can't believe I did this, because I was running exactly between the 9 minute pace group and the 10 minute pace group and was going for a 9:30 pace. But I felt great! (When will I learn? :)
(The pace for my first few miles were 8:41, 8:29, 8:07).
As we reached the bottom of Manhattan to cut across Chambers, the rain stopped. I didn't mind though because it wasn't exactly sunny out. But then the sun did come out and you know how people say "you could cut the air with a knife?" Now I know what they were talking about!
Luckily, I had succeeded in cutting my pace back to around a nine minute mile. (For a little while.) The girl I was running with kept saying we could slow down if I wanted, and I kept saying I was totally for that, but neither of us seemed able to do it. (Next few miles 9:09, 8:57, 9:00, 8:44, 8:48).
We stopped for water and I felt dizzy (uh oh). I was also very very tired. My arms were feeling very heavy. The humidity was definitely getting to me. I was glad I had lots of electrolytes with me. In fact, I went through my entire belt full of Gatorade before we got back to Central Park. I figured that was okay though, since there were so many water fountains there.
Rebecca and I DEFINITELY felt like we had done more than 11 miles at this point, and were both dreading the next 5 miles. We said it felt like the last five miles of a marathon, so we knew we had to just run with our guts at this point.
Unfortunately, my guts did NOT like Harlem Hill, which was at the end of my run (since I decided to end my run on my street, unlike everyone else who went back to the start). I ended up walking a fair amount until I felt better and ended up with a 2:29 (which averages out to a 9:20 pace).
I felt so tired and drained, but I was happy with my time. Now only if I can reverse the order and do a negative split next time, I'll be great!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hot Stuff
So the past three days have been in the 90s here in NYC. Not very fun for running. So I was very very relieved when, Monday night Ramon sent out this email:
WE will have 2 Workout options, you make you own decision which one you want to attend:
TOMORROW'S WORKOUT:
NOTE: DUE TO THE EXPECTED WEATHER, I AM MAKING A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO THIS WEEK'S WORKOUT
(you see, I do have a soft side and do have a heart )
OPTION 1: 5-6 Miles EASY Hot/sweaty/sucky run !!
OPTION 2: Cross Training Killing Workout + Running !!
You decide which of the workouts/options you want to do, just go to the proper location.
NOTE: KEEP in mind that if the weather gets better, the coaches could/may change the workout at the last minute.
Hurrah! It has been too hot to MOVE so I had not been looking forward to the original workout, which on the calendar just said "Hills."
But when we got to our meeting place Ramon had a bit of a change-up. One group could still do option 1, but the second option was going to be hills.
I really felt like an easy run would be a waste of valuable coaching time/practice, so I opted for the hills. I never get to train with Ramon (we usually just have Steve and Pete) and I forgot that his practices were really really HARD.
Everyone was bitching and moaning about the change-up in the plans, but Ramon said "Didn't you read my email? I said that we could change the workout if we wanted to!" So Ramon's workout was basically the worst of both worlds...hills AND cross-training.
We ran easy up to Harlem Hill and stopped off in the grassy area by Lasker Pool. We were already all drenched. I am not exaggerating. (I actually turned to my one friend and said "Uh, I have sweat running down my back into my butt crack." It tickled.) There we formed two lines to do Ramon's favorites. Squats. Ramon makes you do 90 degree squats...and hold them for a minute. And then he goes around and yells at you if you aren't low enough. (I got called out by name for this. Whoops.) After about a bazillion squats he yelled "GO!" and we had to sprint up either the left or right side of the hill, recover back and do more squats.
Harlem Hill (counterclockwise) was shorter, but definitely steeper. Lasker Hill was longer but more gradual. Both suck. My legs were already getting tired before I even started up the hill! But I sprinted to the best of my capability (I picked Harlem Hill...glutton for punishment.)
For the next round we had to switch hills. I must say, Lasker did seem a ton easier. It also seemed about 20 degrees cooler on that side of the park. I thought I was crazy, but Coach Pete said the same thing to me on our recovery.
We ended up doing 4 rounds of hills and 4 rounds of squats. (I kept hearing from different people "I thought cross-training involved more than squats.")
It was a HARD practice, made even hard by the high 80s temps. At the end I was exhausted and my stomach was growling so much that it hurt.
But I wouldn't have had it any other way. I do love a hard practice.
Hurrah! It has been too hot to MOVE so I had not been looking forward to the original workout, which on the calendar just said "Hills."
But when we got to our meeting place Ramon had a bit of a change-up. One group could still do option 1, but the second option was going to be hills.
I really felt like an easy run would be a waste of valuable coaching time/practice, so I opted for the hills. I never get to train with Ramon (we usually just have Steve and Pete) and I forgot that his practices were really really HARD.
Everyone was bitching and moaning about the change-up in the plans, but Ramon said "Didn't you read my email? I said that we could change the workout if we wanted to!" So Ramon's workout was basically the worst of both worlds...hills AND cross-training.
We ran easy up to Harlem Hill and stopped off in the grassy area by Lasker Pool. We were already all drenched. I am not exaggerating. (I actually turned to my one friend and said "Uh, I have sweat running down my back into my butt crack." It tickled.) There we formed two lines to do Ramon's favorites. Squats. Ramon makes you do 90 degree squats...and hold them for a minute. And then he goes around and yells at you if you aren't low enough. (I got called out by name for this. Whoops.) After about a bazillion squats he yelled "GO!" and we had to sprint up either the left or right side of the hill, recover back and do more squats.
Harlem Hill (counterclockwise) was shorter, but definitely steeper. Lasker Hill was longer but more gradual. Both suck. My legs were already getting tired before I even started up the hill! But I sprinted to the best of my capability (I picked Harlem Hill...glutton for punishment.)
For the next round we had to switch hills. I must say, Lasker did seem a ton easier. It also seemed about 20 degrees cooler on that side of the park. I thought I was crazy, but Coach Pete said the same thing to me on our recovery.
We ended up doing 4 rounds of hills and 4 rounds of squats. (I kept hearing from different people "I thought cross-training involved more than squats.")
It was a HARD practice, made even hard by the high 80s temps. At the end I was exhausted and my stomach was growling so much that it hurt.
But I wouldn't have had it any other way. I do love a hard practice.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Human Race Kickoff!
Last night I got to participate in the kickoff party for the Nike+ Human Race, which will be taking place on October 24th. Mostly I think this was done as a publicity thing, but it was still a lot of fun!
It took place right on the East River at the Water Taxi Beach, and when you checked in (you had to be invited...I got in through TNT because TNT is one of the charities that this run supports) you got a wrist band (for free drinks and food) a red Human Race technical shirt, a glow stick, and a ticket for a raffle. Cool.
The whole point was to get together for a little fun run, flooding the streets of downtown NYC and running over the Brooklyn Bridge en masse.
There were about 500 of us, including Lauren Fleshman the fastest woman in the 5K (15:23....WHOA!) and Alan Webb, who holds the record for the fastest mile (3:46...double WHOA!). They were super nice though, and hung back with all of us normal people for the run.
You could also try out the new Nike+ running shoes, which I did. (I don't think Nikes are for me though...they seem a little too narrow for my feet.)
It was so cool to see all of us in our red shirts and glow sticks running around in a group. It was especially cool to cross the Brooklyn Bridge at dusk all together. I always forget what a magnificent view of the skyline you get going across that bridge.
I think we confused all of the tourists walking across the bridge. I mean seriously, it looked like the line of red shirts did not stop. (All of this was done for publicity photos for the Human Race.) They all cheered us on though and a bunch of them took pictures or video. I felt like an elite runner in a marathon :)
It was a pretty enjoyable run, despite the 86 degree temps (I read on the clock as we were going over the bridge :). And we all got to come back afterwards for Sangria and burgers. Mmmmm.
It took place right on the East River at the Water Taxi Beach, and when you checked in (you had to be invited...I got in through TNT because TNT is one of the charities that this run supports) you got a wrist band (for free drinks and food) a red Human Race technical shirt, a glow stick, and a ticket for a raffle. Cool.
The whole point was to get together for a little fun run, flooding the streets of downtown NYC and running over the Brooklyn Bridge en masse.
There were about 500 of us, including Lauren Fleshman the fastest woman in the 5K (15:23....WHOA!) and Alan Webb, who holds the record for the fastest mile (3:46...double WHOA!). They were super nice though, and hung back with all of us normal people for the run.
You could also try out the new Nike+ running shoes, which I did. (I don't think Nikes are for me though...they seem a little too narrow for my feet.)
It was so cool to see all of us in our red shirts and glow sticks running around in a group. It was especially cool to cross the Brooklyn Bridge at dusk all together. I always forget what a magnificent view of the skyline you get going across that bridge.
I think we confused all of the tourists walking across the bridge. I mean seriously, it looked like the line of red shirts did not stop. (All of this was done for publicity photos for the Human Race.) They all cheered us on though and a bunch of them took pictures or video. I felt like an elite runner in a marathon :)
It was a pretty enjoyable run, despite the 86 degree temps (I read on the clock as we were going over the bridge :). And we all got to come back afterwards for Sangria and burgers. Mmmmm.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Quelle Chaleur!
Sometimes it's pretty funny how my French calendar is right on with it's phrase of the day. Sunday's was "Quelle chaleur!" which loosely translates to "Man, it's hot!" And it was hot yesterday. (Of course, the first weekend we start to see 90 degree temps happens to be the same weekend as the NYC Half Marathon.)
It was actually HOTTER than the Chicago Marathon, but at least NYRR had the foresight to set up many water tables. (According to the National Weather Service, at 7am, which is when the race started, it was 76 degrees out with 80% humidity...by 9am it was 82 degrees!)
The heat and humidity, combined with my stupid corral assignment, combined with the fact that I only got 2 hours of sleep the night before made me think that I just might have to shelve my hopes for another 1:53. I was all agitated in my corral before the race too. People kept stepping on the back of my feet and their hair kept sticking to my shoulder (a huge pet peeve of mine).
Despite all of this, I did try to dodge and weave as much as possible. I was actually quite pleased with my first split: a 9:35. I was thinking for sure that I would be stuck doing 10 min miles from the way it was so crowded. But after I passed a bunch of people in the first mile I got very backlogged. It was kind of like when you turn the treadmill on too slow and you end up stepping all over the front of it. It was pretty frustrating. I decided that I might as well stop for water, because it WAS so hot, and it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to race this one.
Hmmm. Seems there weren't enough volunteers. The tables were littered with EMPTY cups. So it seemed that we had to stand on line while we waited for a volunteer to fill up a cup for each of us, one at a time. We were stopped for so long that my Garmin actually STOPPED because it detected no movement. Not ideal, but I guess at least they had water. That mile was a 10:05.
I tried the whole dodging and weaving thing again, and though it was frustrating, I got back up to a 9:35 on the third mile.
Harlem Hill seemed to weed some people out, and the crowd thinned momentarily. Maybe it was because as we were running up the back side of the hill some guy on the sidelines yelled "That's it! The last big hill!" I was horrified. The worst hill was coming up. Runners around me seemed happy with this so I said "That's not true at all, there's a HUGE hill coming up!" (Gina later was like "Good for you. I hate it when people lie like that." :) That mile? 8:53. Whoo-hoo! Getting my game back!
Same story at the next waterstop. Seriously?
My fifth mile I looked down and noticed something strange...my watch was calculating the miles before I would get to the mile markers. In fact, by the time I got to mile 5, my Garmin said 5.19. Now, I know, I know, there is a bit of an accuracy problem sometimes with these things, BUT every other race I've run in the park is dead on. I was wondering if maybe all of the weaving I was doing was adding on miles. Mile 5: 9:22.
I was getting thirsty and very tired of being in the park. Thank goodness some man shouted "Water just around the corner!" Where? Where? LIAR! (The next water stop was actually OUT of the park, around mile 7. I thought this was a nasty thing for that man to do. :)
Mile 6: 9:08. I was actually feeling a lot better. Besides the whole water thing.
By the time I hit the bottom of the park I felt very very tired. The heat was getting to me and I just couldn't bear to think about the rest of the race which I knew would not be shady at all (running through Times Square and on the West Side Highway. Yuck.) I saw Bill and said "It's HOT." (This was my way of saying to him "I am just going to finish this race now. I am not worrying about time anymore." Luckily, Bill has come to so many of my races that I think he totally understood.) Bill pointed to the exit from the park and told me water was just around the corner. He was NOT lying ;)
Mile 7? 9:04.
This was really when I sort of gave up on the whole thing. I was just too exhausted. It was the heat, not the run. So I sort of started to enjoy myself, smiling and waving at the TNT cheerers. I looked forward to WALKING the water stops. Mile 8: 9:11.
I must admit, it was totally surreal running through Times Square. If it hadn't been so hot I would have been having an awesome time. There were what seemed like millions of fans cheering as you ran through this whole canyon of neon, lights and moving pictures. And there were a ton of bands! It was very cool.
I felt like a sucker, because this is when I decided that I needed a walking break. I also decided I needed a GU (even though my stomach was like "No! Please! No GU!") and it was the worst tasting GU ever, even though it was my favorite, vanilla. Mile 9? 9:43.
When I headed onto the West Side Highway, I was walking and some lady on the course yelled at me. "NO WALKING! PLEASE START RUNNING!" (There were other people walking by me too.) Seriously? Some lady jogging next to me was like "Easy for her to say!"
I started running again, but had to stop when my stomach was starting to turn again. Oh yes, the line of garbage trucks on the WSH, baking in the sun. Gross. As I was walking I ran into a teammate, Charles.
He didn't look so good and he asked if we could stick together until the end. He said he REALLY needed to run with someone. I figured there was no way I was going to finish this fast anyways, and I KNOW I have felt that way before and it STINKS when you feel that way, so I said okay.
We basically walked about 80% of the rest of the way. He kept saying that I could go ahead, but I think he really wanted me to run with him, so I did. I was actually feeling pretty good after about a half mile of walking, and felt like I could pretty much run the rest of the way in, but I thought it would be pretty crappy to leave him to finish the race himself when I said I would stay with him.
So my last mile times were kind of a joke, when I compared them to my first few miles. 11:13, 11:50, 11:39, 12:10. But it was okay. I think Charles appreciated it (he gave me a big sweaty hug at the end) and I just kept thinking how I would have LOVED to have someone with me in the last few miles of my first marathon (or even Marine Corps).
So I finished with a 2:26. CORRECTION: I just checked that out again. 2:26 was my gun time, 2:16 was my official time. Whew! I thought so! Otherwise my Garmin was way off! Definitely my worst half marathon ever, but I gladly accepted my medal. This was a race that I felt was an accomplishment just to finish. :)
It was actually HOTTER than the Chicago Marathon, but at least NYRR had the foresight to set up many water tables. (According to the National Weather Service, at 7am, which is when the race started, it was 76 degrees out with 80% humidity...by 9am it was 82 degrees!)
The heat and humidity, combined with my stupid corral assignment, combined with the fact that I only got 2 hours of sleep the night before made me think that I just might have to shelve my hopes for another 1:53. I was all agitated in my corral before the race too. People kept stepping on the back of my feet and their hair kept sticking to my shoulder (a huge pet peeve of mine).
Despite all of this, I did try to dodge and weave as much as possible. I was actually quite pleased with my first split: a 9:35. I was thinking for sure that I would be stuck doing 10 min miles from the way it was so crowded. But after I passed a bunch of people in the first mile I got very backlogged. It was kind of like when you turn the treadmill on too slow and you end up stepping all over the front of it. It was pretty frustrating. I decided that I might as well stop for water, because it WAS so hot, and it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to race this one.
Hmmm. Seems there weren't enough volunteers. The tables were littered with EMPTY cups. So it seemed that we had to stand on line while we waited for a volunteer to fill up a cup for each of us, one at a time. We were stopped for so long that my Garmin actually STOPPED because it detected no movement. Not ideal, but I guess at least they had water. That mile was a 10:05.
I tried the whole dodging and weaving thing again, and though it was frustrating, I got back up to a 9:35 on the third mile.
Harlem Hill seemed to weed some people out, and the crowd thinned momentarily. Maybe it was because as we were running up the back side of the hill some guy on the sidelines yelled "That's it! The last big hill!" I was horrified. The worst hill was coming up. Runners around me seemed happy with this so I said "That's not true at all, there's a HUGE hill coming up!" (Gina later was like "Good for you. I hate it when people lie like that." :) That mile? 8:53. Whoo-hoo! Getting my game back!
Same story at the next waterstop. Seriously?
My fifth mile I looked down and noticed something strange...my watch was calculating the miles before I would get to the mile markers. In fact, by the time I got to mile 5, my Garmin said 5.19. Now, I know, I know, there is a bit of an accuracy problem sometimes with these things, BUT every other race I've run in the park is dead on. I was wondering if maybe all of the weaving I was doing was adding on miles. Mile 5: 9:22.
I was getting thirsty and very tired of being in the park. Thank goodness some man shouted "Water just around the corner!" Where? Where? LIAR! (The next water stop was actually OUT of the park, around mile 7. I thought this was a nasty thing for that man to do. :)
Mile 6: 9:08. I was actually feeling a lot better. Besides the whole water thing.
By the time I hit the bottom of the park I felt very very tired. The heat was getting to me and I just couldn't bear to think about the rest of the race which I knew would not be shady at all (running through Times Square and on the West Side Highway. Yuck.) I saw Bill and said "It's HOT." (This was my way of saying to him "I am just going to finish this race now. I am not worrying about time anymore." Luckily, Bill has come to so many of my races that I think he totally understood.) Bill pointed to the exit from the park and told me water was just around the corner. He was NOT lying ;)
Mile 7? 9:04.
This was really when I sort of gave up on the whole thing. I was just too exhausted. It was the heat, not the run. So I sort of started to enjoy myself, smiling and waving at the TNT cheerers. I looked forward to WALKING the water stops. Mile 8: 9:11.
I must admit, it was totally surreal running through Times Square. If it hadn't been so hot I would have been having an awesome time. There were what seemed like millions of fans cheering as you ran through this whole canyon of neon, lights and moving pictures. And there were a ton of bands! It was very cool.
I felt like a sucker, because this is when I decided that I needed a walking break. I also decided I needed a GU (even though my stomach was like "No! Please! No GU!") and it was the worst tasting GU ever, even though it was my favorite, vanilla. Mile 9? 9:43.
When I headed onto the West Side Highway, I was walking and some lady on the course yelled at me. "NO WALKING! PLEASE START RUNNING!" (There were other people walking by me too.) Seriously? Some lady jogging next to me was like "Easy for her to say!"
I started running again, but had to stop when my stomach was starting to turn again. Oh yes, the line of garbage trucks on the WSH, baking in the sun. Gross. As I was walking I ran into a teammate, Charles.
He didn't look so good and he asked if we could stick together until the end. He said he REALLY needed to run with someone. I figured there was no way I was going to finish this fast anyways, and I KNOW I have felt that way before and it STINKS when you feel that way, so I said okay.
We basically walked about 80% of the rest of the way. He kept saying that I could go ahead, but I think he really wanted me to run with him, so I did. I was actually feeling pretty good after about a half mile of walking, and felt like I could pretty much run the rest of the way in, but I thought it would be pretty crappy to leave him to finish the race himself when I said I would stay with him.
So my last mile times were kind of a joke, when I compared them to my first few miles. 11:13, 11:50, 11:39, 12:10. But it was okay. I think Charles appreciated it (he gave me a big sweaty hug at the end) and I just kept thinking how I would have LOVED to have someone with me in the last few miles of my first marathon (or even Marine Corps).
So I finished with a 2:26. CORRECTION: I just checked that out again. 2:26 was my gun time, 2:16 was my official time. Whew! I thought so! Otherwise my Garmin was way off! Definitely my worst half marathon ever, but I gladly accepted my medal. This was a race that I felt was an accomplishment just to finish. :)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Rant Rant Rant Rant
I've officially rescinded all of the nice things I've said about NYRR.
I know I am probably being petty, but here is the deal:
Last Saturday I decided to check my "status" on the NYRR website for the NYC Half Marathon (which is tomorrow). Turns out I was in the 11th corral...out of 14. Now, I knew this wasn't right because all of my friends I train with are in the 7th corral. To show you how insane this is, I will be starting on 97th Street. The start is on 85th Street.
So all of my friends suggested that I contact NYRR to see if I could change my number, because it was so off.
So I wrote a nice, long letter.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to ask a question about my corral assignment for the NYC Half Marathon.
I recently checked my registration and saw that I was assigned the the 11th Corral with the number XXXXX. I was talking to my teammates that I normally run/pace with (I belong to Team in Training) and they said they were assigned to the 7th corral.
I am expecting to finish between 1:51-1:53 and am worried that I may be in the wrong corral. My most recent time for a half marathon was the Bronx Half with a 1:54.38.
I know that the half marathon is going to be quite crowded and that the corrals are in place to avoid unnecessary weaving and to ease congestion, so I want to make sure I am in the right corral.
Is it possible that I am in the wrong corral? And if so, would it be possible to change my corral?
Here is my entry information:
Emily Mason
Entry #XXXXXXX
Membership ID XXXXXX
Race # XXXXX
Thank you so much for your time and consideration with addressing this matter.
Sincerely,
Emily Mason
And here is what I got back:
Dear Janet,
Thank you for your quick response.
I do realize that I listed 4:22 as my marathon time. I listed that because I assumed that my half marathon times from NYRR, which were already in the system, would affect my corral placement, like my previous NYRR times do for other NYRR races. I also assumed that my "Predicted Time for half Marathon" (which was listed 1:55) would be considered.
I would not be so insistent except for the fact that I know that my pace is much faster than a 10:12 (from the MCM, which was last year).
My past NYRR paces were:
8:27 for Hope and Possibility
8:42 for the Front Runners
8:33 for the Women's Mini
8:45 for the Bronx Half Marathon
I know that this race is a large one and my coaches and I are concerned that I will not be able to get to where I should be until after the loop around the park.
Are you saying there is no way to change my corral at this time?
I understand that it is very late in the process. But I just want to make sure that there is nothing more that can be done to remedy this.
Thank you,
Emily Mason
Nothing back. Nothing changed. I picked up my 11th corral number for the race yesterday.
I was going to let it all go but then I kept thinking about it. This is a BIG half marathon. NYRR is supposed to be regarded as a premiere racing club. I am not stupid, I understand that they can't change everyone's corral. I also understand that they were probably incredibly busy this week. But at least acknowledge my questions. It would have at least made me feel better about the whole thing and I would have dropped it. (I would have still been disappointed, but I would have dropped it.)
It makes me not even care about fufilling my stupid 9+1 commitment (you have to run nine qualifying NYRR races and volunteer for one event) to get into the New York City Full Marathon next year.
I mean why am I busting my butt in training every week to improve if I don't even get credit for it?
Ptttt.
So I'm really not expecting much (except a lot of frustration) from the race tomorrow...which makes me sad.
I know I am probably being petty, but here is the deal:
Last Saturday I decided to check my "status" on the NYRR website for the NYC Half Marathon (which is tomorrow). Turns out I was in the 11th corral...out of 14. Now, I knew this wasn't right because all of my friends I train with are in the 7th corral. To show you how insane this is, I will be starting on 97th Street. The start is on 85th Street.
So all of my friends suggested that I contact NYRR to see if I could change my number, because it was so off.
So I wrote a nice, long letter.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to ask a question about my corral assignment for the NYC Half Marathon.
I recently checked my registration and saw that I was assigned the the 11th Corral with the number XXXXX. I was talking to my teammates that I normally run/pace with (I belong to Team in Training) and they said they were assigned to the 7th corral.
I am expecting to finish between 1:51-1:53 and am worried that I may be in the wrong corral. My most recent time for a half marathon was the Bronx Half with a 1:54.38.
I know that the half marathon is going to be quite crowded and that the corrals are in place to avoid unnecessary weaving and to ease congestion, so I want to make sure I am in the right corral.
Is it possible that I am in the wrong corral? And if so, would it be possible to change my corral?
Here is my entry information:
Emily Mason
Entry #XXXXXXX
Membership ID XXXXXX
Race # XXXXX
Thank you so much for your time and consideration with addressing this matter.
Sincerely,
Emily Mason
And here is what I got back:
Hello Emily
Bibs were based upon the information you provided on your entry form
Your best time – was listed as 4:25 for the Marine Corps Marathon
This is the time used to assign bibs
Dear Janet,
Thank you for your quick response.
I do realize that I listed 4:22 as my marathon time. I listed that because I assumed that my half marathon times from NYRR, which were already in the system, would affect my corral placement, like my previous NYRR times do for other NYRR races. I also assumed that my "Predicted Time for half Marathon" (which was listed 1:55) would be considered.
I would not be so insistent except for the fact that I know that my pace is much faster than a 10:12 (from the MCM, which was last year).
My past NYRR paces were:
8:27 for Hope and Possibility
8:42 for the Front Runners
8:33 for the Women's Mini
8:45 for the Bronx Half Marathon
I know that this race is a large one and my coaches and I are concerned that I will not be able to get to where I should be until after the loop around the park.
Are you saying there is no way to change my corral at this time?
I understand that it is very late in the process. But I just want to make sure that there is nothing more that can be done to remedy this.
Thank you,
Emily Mason
Nothing back. Nothing changed. I picked up my 11th corral number for the race yesterday.
I was going to let it all go but then I kept thinking about it. This is a BIG half marathon. NYRR is supposed to be regarded as a premiere racing club. I am not stupid, I understand that they can't change everyone's corral. I also understand that they were probably incredibly busy this week. But at least acknowledge my questions. It would have at least made me feel better about the whole thing and I would have dropped it. (I would have still been disappointed, but I would have dropped it.)
It makes me not even care about fufilling my stupid 9+1 commitment (you have to run nine qualifying NYRR races and volunteer for one event) to get into the New York City Full Marathon next year.
I mean why am I busting my butt in training every week to improve if I don't even get credit for it?
Ptttt.
So I'm really not expecting much (except a lot of frustration) from the race tomorrow...which makes me sad.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bill, Do NOT Read This Post
I just happen to know that my husband gets quite squeamish when this subject comes up :) To be fair, I usually do too.
Anyway, I've joined the club of marathoners who have lost toenails!
I'm not entirely convinced that it was a marathoning thing, but I'm sure that all the running I do didn't help.
See, I have been rather lax when it has come to pedicures in the past month (which is very unlike me). I've just been sort of layering polish on top of polish. So last night, I decided to take my time and actually do things properly. As I was removing the polish from my last pinky toenail I noticed it was extraordinarily long. I also noticed that as I wiped the cotton ball across, the toenail came almost completely off.
I started freaking out.
Bill asked what I was doing and I was like "You don't want to know. You don't want to know. Get me the toenail clipper!!!"
I clipped it off and it bled. I cleaned it out and put massive bandaid coverage over it so that I didn't have to see it.
Then it started hurting. Really hurting.
I know I have no business even complaining. I know many people who've lost a lot more than a baby toenail. I don't think I could handle that.
Luckily my toenails grow super quickly. AND my baby toe is super stubby and small...so I'm hoping I won't have to worry about it for much longer.
Anyway, I've joined the club of marathoners who have lost toenails!
I'm not entirely convinced that it was a marathoning thing, but I'm sure that all the running I do didn't help.
See, I have been rather lax when it has come to pedicures in the past month (which is very unlike me). I've just been sort of layering polish on top of polish. So last night, I decided to take my time and actually do things properly. As I was removing the polish from my last pinky toenail I noticed it was extraordinarily long. I also noticed that as I wiped the cotton ball across, the toenail came almost completely off.
I started freaking out.
Bill asked what I was doing and I was like "You don't want to know. You don't want to know. Get me the toenail clipper!!!"
I clipped it off and it bled. I cleaned it out and put massive bandaid coverage over it so that I didn't have to see it.
Then it started hurting. Really hurting.
I know I have no business even complaining. I know many people who've lost a lot more than a baby toenail. I don't think I could handle that.
Luckily my toenails grow super quickly. AND my baby toe is super stubby and small...so I'm hoping I won't have to worry about it for much longer.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Mayor No-Show
This weekend Team in Training was invited to kick off the Summer Streets program in NYC! What is Summer Streets? Well, basically Park Avenue is closed to traffic so that runners and bikers can enjoy a long stretch of the city for three weekends in August. It was SO FUN last year. And TNT was invited to cut the ribbon this year. We were supposed to be running with Mayor Bloomberg but he didn't show up.
We even waited around an hour for him, starting our practice late (which stinks because it gets SO HOT). But, as his aides told our coaches previously that week "He is the mayor of New York City. Something may come up." Uh huh...What exactly comes up at 7 in the morning on a Saturday? Sleeping in? And isn't he the one who spearheaded this whole Summer Streets thing anyway? I mean, this was his little pet project as I remember reading last year.
ANYWAY, that couldn't even get me down too much, because I LOVE Summer Streets. It was crazy too, because there were about 500 TNTers on the road (Bloomberg said he would come if we could promise 200 people). We took over all of Park Avenue!
I was planning on running the 15 miles on the calendar, but after talking to the coaches (who admonished me, since I am running the NYC half next Sunday) I decided to do 8, like they suggested. I really do want to get a PR in the NYC half, so the taper is worth it.
Lauren and I CANNOT figure out our pace on these lesser mileage runs though. We usually keep the long runs to 9-9:30 miles, but we were flying. And it felt like we were flying. We were averaging 8:30s, but it felt REALLY GOOD. I know you are not supposed to do things like this during a taper, but it was actually a real confidence booster for me.
My half PR is a 1:54 (from the Bronx) which averages out to an 8:45 pace, but that was in the winter when it was cold and the conditions were optimal for an "Emily PR". So I was wondering if I could do that again since it is so hot.
After that run, I totally feel like I can. I felt so great. I could have gone another 8 miles!
We even waited around an hour for him, starting our practice late (which stinks because it gets SO HOT). But, as his aides told our coaches previously that week "He is the mayor of New York City. Something may come up." Uh huh...What exactly comes up at 7 in the morning on a Saturday? Sleeping in? And isn't he the one who spearheaded this whole Summer Streets thing anyway? I mean, this was his little pet project as I remember reading last year.
ANYWAY, that couldn't even get me down too much, because I LOVE Summer Streets. It was crazy too, because there were about 500 TNTers on the road (Bloomberg said he would come if we could promise 200 people). We took over all of Park Avenue!
I was planning on running the 15 miles on the calendar, but after talking to the coaches (who admonished me, since I am running the NYC half next Sunday) I decided to do 8, like they suggested. I really do want to get a PR in the NYC half, so the taper is worth it.
Lauren and I CANNOT figure out our pace on these lesser mileage runs though. We usually keep the long runs to 9-9:30 miles, but we were flying. And it felt like we were flying. We were averaging 8:30s, but it felt REALLY GOOD. I know you are not supposed to do things like this during a taper, but it was actually a real confidence booster for me.
My half PR is a 1:54 (from the Bronx) which averages out to an 8:45 pace, but that was in the winter when it was cold and the conditions were optimal for an "Emily PR". So I was wondering if I could do that again since it is so hot.
After that run, I totally feel like I can. I felt so great. I could have gone another 8 miles!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Shoe Review! The Pearl Izumi Syncrofloat III : Speedwork Test
So, the coolest thing ever happened to me a couple of weeks ago...the marketing coordinator from Pearl Izumi contacted me and asked if I would like to try out some Pearl Izumi shoes and review them on my blog.
OF COURSE I said yes.
After visiting their website, I decided (with his help) that the Syncrofloat III would be the closest match to what I currently wear, which is the Adidas Supernova Glide. So, even though I was excited at the prospect of trying new shoes I was also nervous for a few reasons:
• I used to have knee pain and after running in the Supernova Cushion (now the Supernova Glide) my knee pain went away
• I spent a long time having my gait and shoes analyzed by a runner/podiatrist and he selected the Supernova Cushion for me
• I have run 5 marathons and countless other races in the Supernova Glide
• Until last year, I was pretty sure that Pearl Izumi was a tri-athlete brand only, and why would you get shoes from someone who specializes in triathlons? Triathletes are looking for something much different.
I was also nervous because from the description it sounded like these shoes had a little less cushioning and a little more stability than I was used to.
I got them in the mail on Monday night.
They looked so much cooler than my shoes.
But we all know...looks aren't everything.
I was excited to try them out for my speedwork practice last night, which involved brutal hill repeats (this time Harlem Hill, which is WAY worse than Cat Hill) until the coaches said to stop. Oh yeah, and it was 88 degrees out. And humid.
Because of our practice time I had to change at work. Walking to the subway I felt all bouncy and airy in them. But I was still skeptical. First of all, they are new shoes, and new shoes always feel bouncy and airy. My real test is when I start running and how much of the pavement I can feel.
The advanced group started on the Bridal Path by the Reservoir to head towards Harlem Hill, nice and easy. I actually felt like there were springs in my shoes...like in the back. It seems like there is a lot more cushioning in the heel than I am used to and this is what I am attributing the springy feeling to. HOWEVER there is not as much cushion in the front of the shoe. But I'm not convinced that this is a bad thing. I say this because I actually feel like I was running differently in these shoes.
This is what I felt was happening...
I got an extra spring in my heel, propelling my leg forward faster, but also providing me with a quicker turn-over. (So I didn't need the padding in the front because I felt like my forefoot was on the ground for less time.)
Now, we did a gruelling 6 repeats of that awful hill. I HATE that hill. I am always far behind the rest of the people I usually run with when I do Harlem Hill repeats (it is much steeper than Cat Hill) and I can't seem to turn on the speed until I'm well past the water fountain (about 2/3 of the way through).
Usually I am a very neutral runner. I don't pronate or suppinate, I don't run heavy, and I tend to be a "midfoot striker". When I do tests on my form the coaches always ask if that is how I always run, because they are surprised I run so evenly. However, when I do hill repeats like this over and over, my form starts to fall off.
I find myself trying to run on my toes to make it up the hill and then try to correct myself because it feels "off." It usually takes a couple of strides to correct this.
I did not have that problem in these shoes. I noticed myself running on my toes on the third repeat and IMMEDIATELY was able to correct it. I have no idea why...more stability? different turnover? who knows?
So the shoe test was a success. For now.
I must say, I'm surprised (as were all of my friends). I never would have tried a Pearl Izumi shoe on my own. Saturday we'll see how they do for a long, slow, 15 miler.
OF COURSE I said yes.
After visiting their website, I decided (with his help) that the Syncrofloat III would be the closest match to what I currently wear, which is the Adidas Supernova Glide. So, even though I was excited at the prospect of trying new shoes I was also nervous for a few reasons:
• I used to have knee pain and after running in the Supernova Cushion (now the Supernova Glide) my knee pain went away
• I spent a long time having my gait and shoes analyzed by a runner/podiatrist and he selected the Supernova Cushion for me
• I have run 5 marathons and countless other races in the Supernova Glide
• Until last year, I was pretty sure that Pearl Izumi was a tri-athlete brand only, and why would you get shoes from someone who specializes in triathlons? Triathletes are looking for something much different.
I was also nervous because from the description it sounded like these shoes had a little less cushioning and a little more stability than I was used to.
I got them in the mail on Monday night.
They looked so much cooler than my shoes.
But we all know...looks aren't everything.I was excited to try them out for my speedwork practice last night, which involved brutal hill repeats (this time Harlem Hill, which is WAY worse than Cat Hill) until the coaches said to stop. Oh yeah, and it was 88 degrees out. And humid.
Because of our practice time I had to change at work. Walking to the subway I felt all bouncy and airy in them. But I was still skeptical. First of all, they are new shoes, and new shoes always feel bouncy and airy. My real test is when I start running and how much of the pavement I can feel.
The advanced group started on the Bridal Path by the Reservoir to head towards Harlem Hill, nice and easy. I actually felt like there were springs in my shoes...like in the back. It seems like there is a lot more cushioning in the heel than I am used to and this is what I am attributing the springy feeling to. HOWEVER there is not as much cushion in the front of the shoe. But I'm not convinced that this is a bad thing. I say this because I actually feel like I was running differently in these shoes.
This is what I felt was happening...
I got an extra spring in my heel, propelling my leg forward faster, but also providing me with a quicker turn-over. (So I didn't need the padding in the front because I felt like my forefoot was on the ground for less time.)
Now, we did a gruelling 6 repeats of that awful hill. I HATE that hill. I am always far behind the rest of the people I usually run with when I do Harlem Hill repeats (it is much steeper than Cat Hill) and I can't seem to turn on the speed until I'm well past the water fountain (about 2/3 of the way through).
Usually I am a very neutral runner. I don't pronate or suppinate, I don't run heavy, and I tend to be a "midfoot striker". When I do tests on my form the coaches always ask if that is how I always run, because they are surprised I run so evenly. However, when I do hill repeats like this over and over, my form starts to fall off.
I find myself trying to run on my toes to make it up the hill and then try to correct myself because it feels "off." It usually takes a couple of strides to correct this.
I did not have that problem in these shoes. I noticed myself running on my toes on the third repeat and IMMEDIATELY was able to correct it. I have no idea why...more stability? different turnover? who knows?
So the shoe test was a success. For now.
I must say, I'm surprised (as were all of my friends). I never would have tried a Pearl Izumi shoe on my own. Saturday we'll see how they do for a long, slow, 15 miler.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Welcome to the (Blogging) World!
Yay!
Seems like blogging has become a favorite pastime for runners :) I personally think it is a great way to log runs...much better than a training log. I mean, in a training log there is only a small section to write down how you felt during the run. Some of my entries would have to be shorted to:
hot, humid, but ok. better than chicago but same temps. pb crackers before ok on stomach. garmin ptttt. new chocolate gu great. crowded bc of nyrr training run. 10 min pace good. faster later...like at least 9:00 pace most of time but not sure bc of garmin.
or something like that. (Btw, that was a summary of my last 14 miler). And who knows what that all means when you re-read it?
ANYWAY, the point of this post was to introduce two new running blogs from running friends, and one older running blog from a running friend. So here goes:
The Runner Mom
This is my running buddy, Lauren's new blog that she just started this weekend! She is amazing because she is a mother of a two-going-on-three-year-old, a social worker, and STILL manages to run and train for marathons. And her husband is an avid biker too! I have no idea how they juggle all of this, so I just have to admire her.
Eat N Run NYC
This is my running buddy Rebecca's blog. She introduced me to Dinosaur BBQ, which is the best bbq in NYC, so her title is fitting. :) She started this blog as her summer project. Rebecca is another crony from the Advanced group and her blog not only details her running life but also her life in NYC and how cool it is to live here. (And it is VERY cool to live here).
Vaya
This is my friend Jen, from Cincy, who started running with me way back in the old days. (Way back in the old days means the Hyde Park Blast 2006). She is now another Roncker runner and has had her blog for quite awhile, detailing all of her running adventures.
So that's it!
I personally already read about a million blogs on my lunch hour already, but I am ALWAYS willing to read more :)
Seems like blogging has become a favorite pastime for runners :) I personally think it is a great way to log runs...much better than a training log. I mean, in a training log there is only a small section to write down how you felt during the run. Some of my entries would have to be shorted to:
hot, humid, but ok. better than chicago but same temps. pb crackers before ok on stomach. garmin ptttt. new chocolate gu great. crowded bc of nyrr training run. 10 min pace good. faster later...like at least 9:00 pace most of time but not sure bc of garmin.
or something like that. (Btw, that was a summary of my last 14 miler). And who knows what that all means when you re-read it?
ANYWAY, the point of this post was to introduce two new running blogs from running friends, and one older running blog from a running friend. So here goes:
The Runner Mom
This is my running buddy, Lauren's new blog that she just started this weekend! She is amazing because she is a mother of a two-going-on-three-year-old, a social worker, and STILL manages to run and train for marathons. And her husband is an avid biker too! I have no idea how they juggle all of this, so I just have to admire her.
Eat N Run NYC
This is my running buddy Rebecca's blog. She introduced me to Dinosaur BBQ, which is the best bbq in NYC, so her title is fitting. :) She started this blog as her summer project. Rebecca is another crony from the Advanced group and her blog not only details her running life but also her life in NYC and how cool it is to live here. (And it is VERY cool to live here).
Vaya
This is my friend Jen, from Cincy, who started running with me way back in the old days. (Way back in the old days means the Hyde Park Blast 2006). She is now another Roncker runner and has had her blog for quite awhile, detailing all of her running adventures.
So that's it!
I personally already read about a million blogs on my lunch hour already, but I am ALWAYS willing to read more :)
#@%$ing Garmin!
Grrrr. My Garmin Forerunner 405 gets one more chance before I send it back for repairs. It has been acting very crazy lately and I think there may be a short in it. This is very disappointing because I love my Garmin and I do not want to be without it for any of my runs. But more importantly, I don't want to be without for my marathon in October, so if something is wrong with it I need it fixed now.
When I ran in the Gay Pride run in June I kept trying to get it to reset, but it was like the reset button wouldn't work. I finally got it to reset like 3 seconds before I went over the starting mat (stress!).
I noticed it behaving strangely again when I did my speed work in the rain two weeks ago. It was searching, searching, searching for the satellites (which it usually takes awhile to do, but this time, when it the end of the progress bar it just froze). After trying to restart it 3 times I finally got it to work, but after my first lap I kept trying to hit the lap button with no luck. When I looked down to see my pace, it had gone to time/date mode and even though I kept trying to make it go back into training mode it would not. But the whole rest of the run it kept beeping. It was so annoying. "BEEP BEEP BEEP" every single time I moved my arm (which was a lot). That night it wouldn't connect to the ANT stick. Grrrr.
I decided to try the good old tech trick...let the battery drain all the way down.
This seemed to help! No issues on Tuesday night's practice. Well, except the fact that the light would come on and go off like every three seconds without me touching the bezel or anything. It was like it was posessed.
Saturday, for my 14 miler I was very optimistic.
It was doing great, just like when I first got it! At mile 6 I couldn't get it to log my split with the "lap" button again. Hmmm. Then, I decided to take a walk/Gu/water break at mile 10.5. I stopped my watch with the intention of starting it again when I was finished refueling. When I went to start it again it had gone to the time/date screen and I could NOT get it to go to training mode again. So I ran the last 4 miles sans watch. Which was REALLY disappointing, because I felt really really good on the run (and like I could have gone another 4 miles no problem, despite the heat) but now I will never know what my time and splits were.
Frustration.
I am going to try one more thing...I need to make sure that my Garmin is not storing a million runs, so I am going to go through and make sure they are all erased tonight. But I have a feeling I am sending it back.
I hope the whole process is easy. I have never heard of anyone having to deal with Garmin's Customer Service or get a repair on their Forerunner 405. So I'm crossing my fingers...
When I ran in the Gay Pride run in June I kept trying to get it to reset, but it was like the reset button wouldn't work. I finally got it to reset like 3 seconds before I went over the starting mat (stress!).
I noticed it behaving strangely again when I did my speed work in the rain two weeks ago. It was searching, searching, searching for the satellites (which it usually takes awhile to do, but this time, when it the end of the progress bar it just froze). After trying to restart it 3 times I finally got it to work, but after my first lap I kept trying to hit the lap button with no luck. When I looked down to see my pace, it had gone to time/date mode and even though I kept trying to make it go back into training mode it would not. But the whole rest of the run it kept beeping. It was so annoying. "BEEP BEEP BEEP" every single time I moved my arm (which was a lot). That night it wouldn't connect to the ANT stick. Grrrr.
I decided to try the good old tech trick...let the battery drain all the way down.
This seemed to help! No issues on Tuesday night's practice. Well, except the fact that the light would come on and go off like every three seconds without me touching the bezel or anything. It was like it was posessed.
Saturday, for my 14 miler I was very optimistic.
It was doing great, just like when I first got it! At mile 6 I couldn't get it to log my split with the "lap" button again. Hmmm. Then, I decided to take a walk/Gu/water break at mile 10.5. I stopped my watch with the intention of starting it again when I was finished refueling. When I went to start it again it had gone to the time/date screen and I could NOT get it to go to training mode again. So I ran the last 4 miles sans watch. Which was REALLY disappointing, because I felt really really good on the run (and like I could have gone another 4 miles no problem, despite the heat) but now I will never know what my time and splits were.
Frustration.
I am going to try one more thing...I need to make sure that my Garmin is not storing a million runs, so I am going to go through and make sure they are all erased tonight. But I have a feeling I am sending it back.
I hope the whole process is easy. I have never heard of anyone having to deal with Garmin's Customer Service or get a repair on their Forerunner 405. So I'm crossing my fingers...
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