BTW, my toenail has already grown back.
Yay!
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I've officially rescinded all of the nice things I've said about NYRR.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...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Threshold
Last night, the point of our workout was to push beyond our lactic acid threshold. The actual workout really didn't sound that bad (40-45 minutes of Cat Hill repeats). Especially when Coach Steve told us that he expected "the fast guys" to get 5 or 6 repeats in. (Really? Last year I remember doing a hill workout on Cat Hill where we did 10 repeats!) The rest of us he said would get in 3-5. But this is an instance where the devil is in the details.
The hill repeat was a good .5 miles long (and Steve was really exact on this...my Garmin logged each uphill portion at .5 miles exactly!) and all uphill. The first 200 or so feet, from the 72nd Street Transverse to the Boathouse was supposed to be done at 80% effort. From the Boathouse to the Cat Statue we were to pick it up to 85% effort. As we crested the hill, we were supposed to take it all out all the way to Cleopatra's Needle. After that we recover all the way back to the start and repeat.
Even writing down the workout makes it seem lame, but it was really truly tough.
The point was, that when you crested the hill, that since you were going at such a quick clip (and UP) you would have built up a significant amount of lactic acid in your legs. Sprinting to the finish helped us work PAST that lactic acid and hopefully, would increase our tolerance.
And boy did I sprint those last portions. So much so, that when I started climbing that hill the second time my legs felt HEAVY.
My first split was 3:55, but it pretty much went downhill (haha) from there. But, that means I was actually doing the workout right. Believe me, I gave it my all. And the thing about our hill repeats? There is no stopping! I remember doing repeats with my Roncker's team in Cincy, and we always ran up the hill, recovered down the hill, and then had a few seconds to collect ourselves before the next repeat. Uh-uh, no stopping here.
So I was pretty happy when my next split was 3:57. But my third repeat yielded a 4:10. Whoops. The fourth was a 4:11. And I thought that was my last one, because when Steve was heading down on the downhill as I was heading up it he yelled "Great workout!" to me, which I thought meant it was my last one. But then as I was coming back down, he was standing by the Boathouse and was like "Just one more, then you're done."
Uh, I was running out of gas.
I managed a 4:07 on that last one, and I have no idea how. But I was ecstatic that I took 4 seconds off after feeling like I did.
I also looked like I had taken a shower.
Once again though, I was quite happy with my workout. I had given it my all and proven to myself once again that I am tougher than I think :)
The hill repeat was a good .5 miles long (and Steve was really exact on this...my Garmin logged each uphill portion at .5 miles exactly!) and all uphill. The first 200 or so feet, from the 72nd Street Transverse to the Boathouse was supposed to be done at 80% effort. From the Boathouse to the Cat Statue we were to pick it up to 85% effort. As we crested the hill, we were supposed to take it all out all the way to Cleopatra's Needle. After that we recover all the way back to the start and repeat.
Even writing down the workout makes it seem lame, but it was really truly tough.
The point was, that when you crested the hill, that since you were going at such a quick clip (and UP) you would have built up a significant amount of lactic acid in your legs. Sprinting to the finish helped us work PAST that lactic acid and hopefully, would increase our tolerance.
And boy did I sprint those last portions. So much so, that when I started climbing that hill the second time my legs felt HEAVY.
My first split was 3:55, but it pretty much went downhill (haha) from there. But, that means I was actually doing the workout right. Believe me, I gave it my all. And the thing about our hill repeats? There is no stopping! I remember doing repeats with my Roncker's team in Cincy, and we always ran up the hill, recovered down the hill, and then had a few seconds to collect ourselves before the next repeat. Uh-uh, no stopping here.
So I was pretty happy when my next split was 3:57. But my third repeat yielded a 4:10. Whoops. The fourth was a 4:11. And I thought that was my last one, because when Steve was heading down on the downhill as I was heading up it he yelled "Great workout!" to me, which I thought meant it was my last one. But then as I was coming back down, he was standing by the Boathouse and was like "Just one more, then you're done."
Uh, I was running out of gas.
I managed a 4:07 on that last one, and I have no idea how. But I was ecstatic that I took 4 seconds off after feeling like I did.
I also looked like I had taken a shower.
Once again though, I was quite happy with my workout. I had given it my all and proven to myself once again that I am tougher than I think :)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bum Run
After 3 years of running, I feel like some days you are just bound to have a crap run. Mine was Saturday.
I should have known when I got up at 6:15 am and was really contemplating taking the 8:30 practice instead of the 7am. But since I could already tell it was going to be an extremely unbearable muggy day I hauled my butt to practice anyway.
On the schedule for the day? 14 miles.
14 miles in Central Park is pretty boring (I can't wait until Summer Streets when they open up Park Avenue for running. I need some variety in a bad way!) but Coach Christine suggested a very do-able lower 5 mile loop, plus an upper 5-mile loop going the other way and then a four mile loop in the middle. I was the only one pacing at 9:30s since Lauren had to make the later practice.
As soon as we started I was like "OUCH!" Yes, I had contemplated getting a new sportsbra after Tuesday nights practice, and was painfully reminded of this at the beginning of the run. I have no idea what the lifespan of lycra/spandex is, but I do know that I have some running gear that dates back to my cross-country days in high school. Whoops. There is no excuse for still having that.
I had also been plagued with stomach problems all week and that little jolt into my morning run was NOT helping. Oh yeah, and I also didn't have my GPS because I decided to drain the battery of it since it's been acting wonky. So I had Bill's low-tech $9 Walgreens watch and was basically pacing "by feel". But I felt like I was doing a 9:30. Besides, the 9:00 group was about 50 feet ahead of me (and steady) and the 10:00 milers were about 50 feet behind me (and steady).
I was feeling very blah though and had to keep mentally on track by reminding myself that I could stop for a long water/Gu/bathroom break after 5 miles.
By mile 3 a chatty girl from the group caught up with me to be chatty. I wasn't much in the mood to talk, so there were a lot of "uh huhs" and "totallys" but not much contribution on my part. I could also feel us picking up, and sure enough, by the end of the 5 mile loop we were on Coach Christine and the 9:00 milers tails. I was mean and cut across the transverse when we hit 72nd to take a bathroom break without telling anyone. I know this was crappy, but I didn't want anyone to wait for me because I just wanted to take it easy, not talk, and make it through the last 9 miles.
As I was heading up the east side again I started feeling really really tired. It was almost like I had been drugged or something. I felt like if I closed my eyes I would have fallen asleep right there, running. The first thing I thought was "Uh oh, symptoms of heat exhaustion." But I have had that before, and this was not it. This was more like I took some Tylenol PM and forgot that I did it, and went for a run.
Crazy.
I took a long walking break.
I started running again. (Each time I started after stopping I was reminded to buy a new sports bra.)
Then my stomach started being mean to me again...right as I was climbing Harlem Hill. That's when I threw up the white flag. In my mind I was like "Forget it. Forget it. Just do what you can. Finish the 5 mile loop, go back, get water, go to the bathroom, go home and go to bed. You can make the last mile and a half."
And I did. Run/walking for sure, but I made it.
10 miles in 1:40.
I have no idea how I maintained a 10 minute pace with all of those issues but I did. I'm actually ok with how my run netted out, considering. But I'm definitely looking forward to a GOOD 15 miler next Saturday.
I should have known when I got up at 6:15 am and was really contemplating taking the 8:30 practice instead of the 7am. But since I could already tell it was going to be an extremely unbearable muggy day I hauled my butt to practice anyway.
On the schedule for the day? 14 miles.
14 miles in Central Park is pretty boring (I can't wait until Summer Streets when they open up Park Avenue for running. I need some variety in a bad way!) but Coach Christine suggested a very do-able lower 5 mile loop, plus an upper 5-mile loop going the other way and then a four mile loop in the middle. I was the only one pacing at 9:30s since Lauren had to make the later practice.
As soon as we started I was like "OUCH!" Yes, I had contemplated getting a new sportsbra after Tuesday nights practice, and was painfully reminded of this at the beginning of the run. I have no idea what the lifespan of lycra/spandex is, but I do know that I have some running gear that dates back to my cross-country days in high school. Whoops. There is no excuse for still having that.
I had also been plagued with stomach problems all week and that little jolt into my morning run was NOT helping. Oh yeah, and I also didn't have my GPS because I decided to drain the battery of it since it's been acting wonky. So I had Bill's low-tech $9 Walgreens watch and was basically pacing "by feel". But I felt like I was doing a 9:30. Besides, the 9:00 group was about 50 feet ahead of me (and steady) and the 10:00 milers were about 50 feet behind me (and steady).
I was feeling very blah though and had to keep mentally on track by reminding myself that I could stop for a long water/Gu/bathroom break after 5 miles.
By mile 3 a chatty girl from the group caught up with me to be chatty. I wasn't much in the mood to talk, so there were a lot of "uh huhs" and "totallys" but not much contribution on my part. I could also feel us picking up, and sure enough, by the end of the 5 mile loop we were on Coach Christine and the 9:00 milers tails. I was mean and cut across the transverse when we hit 72nd to take a bathroom break without telling anyone. I know this was crappy, but I didn't want anyone to wait for me because I just wanted to take it easy, not talk, and make it through the last 9 miles.
As I was heading up the east side again I started feeling really really tired. It was almost like I had been drugged or something. I felt like if I closed my eyes I would have fallen asleep right there, running. The first thing I thought was "Uh oh, symptoms of heat exhaustion." But I have had that before, and this was not it. This was more like I took some Tylenol PM and forgot that I did it, and went for a run.
Crazy.
I took a long walking break.
I started running again. (Each time I started after stopping I was reminded to buy a new sports bra.)
Then my stomach started being mean to me again...right as I was climbing Harlem Hill. That's when I threw up the white flag. In my mind I was like "Forget it. Forget it. Just do what you can. Finish the 5 mile loop, go back, get water, go to the bathroom, go home and go to bed. You can make the last mile and a half."
And I did. Run/walking for sure, but I made it.
10 miles in 1:40.
I have no idea how I maintained a 10 minute pace with all of those issues but I did. I'm actually ok with how my run netted out, considering. But I'm definitely looking forward to a GOOD 15 miler next Saturday.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Playing in the Mud
Once again, it was raining this Tuesday night. But I'm actually not complaining. This summer has been incredibly mild and if I have to deal with a few Tuesday night runs in the rain because of it, I'm okay with that.
Besides, this run turned out to be pretty fun (okay, maybe not the actual run, but definitely the rain part).
For once, the advanced group got to run on the bridal path. Hurrah! I get so sick of running on the road in Central Park. It is SO BORING after awhile. The workout was pretty tough, but what else would I expect from a Tuesday night practice.
We were supposed to do 4 loops around the bridal path (which is 1.7 miles). The first loop was supposed to be nice and easy. The next loop was an 85% effort. When we got to the start of the third loop we had .5 miles of recovery and 1.2 miles at 85% effort. The last loop was a repeat of the third.
Oh yeah. And the bridal path is mud city. Especially since there are these huge puddles, that sometimes take up the entire width of the path. Steve told us that we'd probably take the first loop dodging all of the puddles but then after that we'd be like "F this" and just go through them. Which is pretty much what happened.
I have to say though, I have GOT to keep my own pace when I am warming up with the advanced group. We all start out nice and easy, then the group sort of divides into two; the guys and faster girls, a big space, and then the rest of the girls. The guys start to take off about a minute or two into the warmup, but they do it so subtly that you don't notice. Eventually Lauren either asks me our pace, or one of the other girls is like "Did we speed up?" or "Are we going fast?" It happens every Tuesday. I guess I can't blame the guys. In the last race most of their splits averaged around 6:45s. But the 5 girls who are always up with them are so competitive that we won't slow down. (OK, I'm speaking mostly for myself here, but no one else seems to slow down either and from what I've seen at practice all of these girls are as competitive as I am).
Anyway, as a result, all of us girls were huffing and puffing by the end of the "warm-up". I don't know that any of us really picked up our pace too much for that first lap. But we all managed to stay together. One of the girls was like "It's so unfair. If we were boys we would be fast too." And another girl was like "No, we'd be faster if you took everything into account, because look, they're not that far ahead." Then we were like "Uh, why are we talking when we can hardly breathe?"
I was not having the best workout. Normally I can keep up with the pack, but as we ended the first fast loop I was starting to lose them. I lost Lauren too, and we stick together ALL the time. :(
But then I did catch up with her on the recovery. This was pretty much our conversation.
"That blew."
"I hate Tuesdays."
"I just feel like crap. And my legs are HEAVY."
"Yeah, mine too. Like sacks of flour."
"I am totally taking advantage of this slow part."
"Me too."
My second fast part wasn't too bad, but I still felt heavy and my calves were really really tight. I just kept telling myself that it was only 1.2 miles instead of 1.7 this time. But when I hit 86th Street on the west side I felt like I should be finished. In reality, I had a looooooong way to go.
When I passed the police precinct I stomped into a puddle that looked like all of the puddles I had been stomping in. But. It was like 3 inches deep. Yuck. Shoes totally soaked. And heavy.
It was okay though, because in a funny way, I liked getting mud all over me. I also liked looking at all the runners with mud caked all over them. It reminded me of all of those Pearl Izumi ads ("Run Easy is an Oxymoron.") It made me feel like a toughie, like they were my war wounds or something. Kind of funny, but in the midst of a speed workout these are the things that go through my mind.
On the last loop I hit the exact same puddle AGAIN (not on purpose).
I did catch up with about 3 of the other girls though, which made me feel good, and Lauren was just a little bit behind me, so I guess I ended up holding my own for the workout even though it felt crappy.
And it was fun to play in the rain, even though we were freezing cold walking back home. :)
(Oh, and I had mud caked all the way up to the back of my knees. But I think the reason that the bus stopped for me and Lauren when it was way past it's stop was because we looked so soaked and mudcaked and probably miserable-looking to the driver. So, it all worked out for the best. :)
Besides, this run turned out to be pretty fun (okay, maybe not the actual run, but definitely the rain part).
For once, the advanced group got to run on the bridal path. Hurrah! I get so sick of running on the road in Central Park. It is SO BORING after awhile. The workout was pretty tough, but what else would I expect from a Tuesday night practice.
We were supposed to do 4 loops around the bridal path (which is 1.7 miles). The first loop was supposed to be nice and easy. The next loop was an 85% effort. When we got to the start of the third loop we had .5 miles of recovery and 1.2 miles at 85% effort. The last loop was a repeat of the third.
Oh yeah. And the bridal path is mud city. Especially since there are these huge puddles, that sometimes take up the entire width of the path. Steve told us that we'd probably take the first loop dodging all of the puddles but then after that we'd be like "F this" and just go through them. Which is pretty much what happened.
I have to say though, I have GOT to keep my own pace when I am warming up with the advanced group. We all start out nice and easy, then the group sort of divides into two; the guys and faster girls, a big space, and then the rest of the girls. The guys start to take off about a minute or two into the warmup, but they do it so subtly that you don't notice. Eventually Lauren either asks me our pace, or one of the other girls is like "Did we speed up?" or "Are we going fast?" It happens every Tuesday. I guess I can't blame the guys. In the last race most of their splits averaged around 6:45s. But the 5 girls who are always up with them are so competitive that we won't slow down. (OK, I'm speaking mostly for myself here, but no one else seems to slow down either and from what I've seen at practice all of these girls are as competitive as I am).
Anyway, as a result, all of us girls were huffing and puffing by the end of the "warm-up". I don't know that any of us really picked up our pace too much for that first lap. But we all managed to stay together. One of the girls was like "It's so unfair. If we were boys we would be fast too." And another girl was like "No, we'd be faster if you took everything into account, because look, they're not that far ahead." Then we were like "Uh, why are we talking when we can hardly breathe?"
I was not having the best workout. Normally I can keep up with the pack, but as we ended the first fast loop I was starting to lose them. I lost Lauren too, and we stick together ALL the time. :(
But then I did catch up with her on the recovery. This was pretty much our conversation.
"That blew."
"I hate Tuesdays."
"I just feel like crap. And my legs are HEAVY."
"Yeah, mine too. Like sacks of flour."
"I am totally taking advantage of this slow part."
"Me too."
My second fast part wasn't too bad, but I still felt heavy and my calves were really really tight. I just kept telling myself that it was only 1.2 miles instead of 1.7 this time. But when I hit 86th Street on the west side I felt like I should be finished. In reality, I had a looooooong way to go.
When I passed the police precinct I stomped into a puddle that looked like all of the puddles I had been stomping in. But. It was like 3 inches deep. Yuck. Shoes totally soaked. And heavy.
It was okay though, because in a funny way, I liked getting mud all over me. I also liked looking at all the runners with mud caked all over them. It reminded me of all of those Pearl Izumi ads ("Run Easy is an Oxymoron.") It made me feel like a toughie, like they were my war wounds or something. Kind of funny, but in the midst of a speed workout these are the things that go through my mind.
On the last loop I hit the exact same puddle AGAIN (not on purpose).
I did catch up with about 3 of the other girls though, which made me feel good, and Lauren was just a little bit behind me, so I guess I ended up holding my own for the workout even though it felt crappy.
And it was fun to play in the rain, even though we were freezing cold walking back home. :)
(Oh, and I had mud caked all the way up to the back of my knees. But I think the reason that the bus stopped for me and Lauren when it was way past it's stop was because we looked so soaked and mudcaked and probably miserable-looking to the driver. So, it all worked out for the best. :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Whoo-hoo! PR!
This weekend we had one of my favorite races in Central Park...the Run for Central Park. I like this run so much because it is a 4 mile race, which means: it's short (duh), it skips the upper loop and therefore, Harlem Hill, it skips the lower loop, which I hate AND it starts on the east side in the 60s, so you get the worst hill over with in the first mile.
Despite this, last year, I most certainly did NOT PR this race (I did a 36:36). This year I totally did, despite the fact that it was 72 degrees with 96% humidity (yuck).
I had figured out all kinds of combinations of splits on Friday to get me where I wanted (which was around an 8 minute mile). I had hoped that I could start out the race with a nice and easy 8:30 pace, but in order to make my goal, I REALLY had to make up for it in the next three miles, and I didn't know if that was possible. I know this sounds stupid, but this is also why short races are hard...you just don't have a lot of room/time to do anything other than even splits. So in my mind, I was hoping to hit an 8:05 for the first mile, but I kept telling myself to take it easy and do an 8:30.
Well, I guess sensible/logical Emily won out, because I clocked my first mile at 8:33. But I think a lot of this was due to the fact that it was super crowded (the race had reached capacity at 5,000 runners earlier in the week). I was stepping on peoples' heels, which I know is really great for them. :( (I did apologize.)
This slower first mile probably saved me though, because it was a lot hotter and more humid out than I thought. I settled into what felt like a comfortable pace for me and clocked a 7:52 on the second mile. I had skipped the first water station, but when I hit the second one I decided to take some water, even though it was a short race. I even walked through it to make sure I was getting enough fluids even though I knew it would add to my time.
The third mile was the trickiest, but I knew it would be going into the race.
While I complain about Cat Hill and Harlem Hill, at least you go up them and they are over with. The west side is comprised of lots of tiny rolling hills. None of them is significantly large, but you can definitely feel them in your legs after running fast for 2 miles. It doesn't help that there are LOTS of them too.
My third mile was 8:17, and (surprise!) I was actually okay with that, seeing as that this was supposed to be our slowest mile (due to the hills) by 5-10 seconds, plus I had taken 5-10 seconds at the water stop.
Before the race, Coach Christine had told us to give it our all on that last mile because it was all downhill. LIAR. :) Right at the mile marker there was actually a significant UPhill. I was pushing anyway, but it took loads of energy. I felt like I was going fast but running on empty. Slowing down. Slowing down. Or at least it felt like it. But I was still actually passing lots of people. When I saw the huge group of coaches cheering at the end (they were in the last 5 yards or so) it gave me a burst of energy and I really started kicking. I could tell I was fast, but I felt like I was going to die!!!
Final time was 32:15, which means that my last mile was 7:32!!!
My average pace was an 8:03, which, while that doesn't beat my practice record, it is definitely a race PR!
Despite this, last year, I most certainly did NOT PR this race (I did a 36:36). This year I totally did, despite the fact that it was 72 degrees with 96% humidity (yuck).
I had figured out all kinds of combinations of splits on Friday to get me where I wanted (which was around an 8 minute mile). I had hoped that I could start out the race with a nice and easy 8:30 pace, but in order to make my goal, I REALLY had to make up for it in the next three miles, and I didn't know if that was possible. I know this sounds stupid, but this is also why short races are hard...you just don't have a lot of room/time to do anything other than even splits. So in my mind, I was hoping to hit an 8:05 for the first mile, but I kept telling myself to take it easy and do an 8:30.
Well, I guess sensible/logical Emily won out, because I clocked my first mile at 8:33. But I think a lot of this was due to the fact that it was super crowded (the race had reached capacity at 5,000 runners earlier in the week). I was stepping on peoples' heels, which I know is really great for them. :( (I did apologize.)
This slower first mile probably saved me though, because it was a lot hotter and more humid out than I thought. I settled into what felt like a comfortable pace for me and clocked a 7:52 on the second mile. I had skipped the first water station, but when I hit the second one I decided to take some water, even though it was a short race. I even walked through it to make sure I was getting enough fluids even though I knew it would add to my time.
The third mile was the trickiest, but I knew it would be going into the race.
While I complain about Cat Hill and Harlem Hill, at least you go up them and they are over with. The west side is comprised of lots of tiny rolling hills. None of them is significantly large, but you can definitely feel them in your legs after running fast for 2 miles. It doesn't help that there are LOTS of them too.
My third mile was 8:17, and (surprise!) I was actually okay with that, seeing as that this was supposed to be our slowest mile (due to the hills) by 5-10 seconds, plus I had taken 5-10 seconds at the water stop.
Before the race, Coach Christine had told us to give it our all on that last mile because it was all downhill. LIAR. :) Right at the mile marker there was actually a significant UPhill. I was pushing anyway, but it took loads of energy. I felt like I was going fast but running on empty. Slowing down. Slowing down. Or at least it felt like it. But I was still actually passing lots of people. When I saw the huge group of coaches cheering at the end (they were in the last 5 yards or so) it gave me a burst of energy and I really started kicking. I could tell I was fast, but I felt like I was going to die!!!
Final time was 32:15, which means that my last mile was 7:32!!!
My average pace was an 8:03, which, while that doesn't beat my practice record, it is definitely a race PR!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The List
I have this list above my desk that details all of the race results from when I started running. I noticed earlier this week that I hadn't updated it in a long time, so I decided to do that.
I think that whenever I am feeling down about my running I am going to look at this list and remember how much I've improved.
Here are some example pace improvements.
For my 10K:
11/24/05 10:38
11/23/06 9:09
3/3/07 9:35
11/22/07 9:06
6/2/09 8:33
or for a 4 miler:
7/1/06 9:45
6/30/07 9:09
7/19/08 9:09
9/6/08 8:35
or perhaps my half marathons, which I just started running last year:
9/14/08 9:29
10/12/08 9:15
2/8/09 8:45
I think the 10K is the most impressive jump. :)
EDIT: Whoops I forgot the marathon list because I was rushing to finish this before I was meeting Bill for a lunchtime shopping trip!
Marathon:
5/6/07 11:55
10/7/07 13:21 (but that's ok, considering the circumstances...the whole marathon being cancelled in the middle)
5/4/08 10:55
10/26/08 10:01
5/4/09 10:12
Aiming for a 9:06 pace this time (fingers crossed).
I think that whenever I am feeling down about my running I am going to look at this list and remember how much I've improved.
Here are some example pace improvements.
For my 10K:
11/24/05 10:38
11/23/06 9:09
3/3/07 9:35
11/22/07 9:06
6/2/09 8:33
or for a 4 miler:
7/1/06 9:45
6/30/07 9:09
7/19/08 9:09
9/6/08 8:35
or perhaps my half marathons, which I just started running last year:
9/14/08 9:29
10/12/08 9:15
2/8/09 8:45
I think the 10K is the most impressive jump. :)
EDIT: Whoops I forgot the marathon list because I was rushing to finish this before I was meeting Bill for a lunchtime shopping trip!
Marathon:
5/6/07 11:55
10/7/07 13:21 (but that's ok, considering the circumstances...the whole marathon being cancelled in the middle)
5/4/08 10:55
10/26/08 10:01
5/4/09 10:12
Aiming for a 9:06 pace this time (fingers crossed).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Pacing/Negative Splits
I have been really working on negative splitting my long runs lately.
On the 4th of July we had a "timed run" instead of our usual mileage run. We were running along the West Side Highway and the goal was to do 60 minutes out and 60 minutes back. I had been going out a lot more than usual that week because my sister was in town so I was really hoping to just do 10 minute miles. Lauren said she was going to do the same thing, so we decided to stick together. We started out with two other (fast) girls though, and I had to hold back from the group at about mile 3. They were doing 9 minute miles and I just didn't feel up to it. So I ran alone most of the time. When we got down to the Financial District (almost the bottom tip of Manhattan) the girls had all passed me on the way back. Pttt. Disheartening. But oh well.
Then, when I had about 4 miles to go I see Lauren just about 100 feet in front of me. What?! No way! She was WAY ahead of me. She pulled off of the trail to get water and I passed her, assuming we would catch up before we hit the park. Nope. She was no where in sight even as I was waiting at stop lights to go across town.
I actually finished with a 1:55! (A whole 5 minutes faster on the way back!) I was pretty impressed with this because I had walked for water breaks 4 times on the way back and didn't stop my watch. I felt great and had a lot of energy.
So, when I had set out to do a 10:00 pace I actually finished with a 9:23 pace. Nice.
So this weekend I set out to do a 9:30 pace. I really do think that I am going to benefit from going nice and easy on these long runs. I think I just need to get the long miles in and worry about time on Tuesday night speed workouts.
Once again, the group broke away from me. But you know what? I actually finished in front of them. I had a ton of energy at the end of my run. I could have done 5 more miles on pace, no problem. I did my 12 miles in 1:48 (a 9:00 pace flat). I was impressed with myself. :)
I guess I needed to listen to my coaches all along about long SLOW distance and negative splitting. But, in my defense, if you want to get a 9:00 pace, would you REALLY want to start your workout doing a few miles at a 10:00 pace? It doesn't seem like it would make sense, right? Besides, I am just stubborn. I am one of those people who needs to figure these things out for myself.
I have a 4-mile race this weekend. I am going to concentrate on getting a ton of sleep this week and trying to NOT let my mental state get the best of me on race day.
On the 4th of July we had a "timed run" instead of our usual mileage run. We were running along the West Side Highway and the goal was to do 60 minutes out and 60 minutes back. I had been going out a lot more than usual that week because my sister was in town so I was really hoping to just do 10 minute miles. Lauren said she was going to do the same thing, so we decided to stick together. We started out with two other (fast) girls though, and I had to hold back from the group at about mile 3. They were doing 9 minute miles and I just didn't feel up to it. So I ran alone most of the time. When we got down to the Financial District (almost the bottom tip of Manhattan) the girls had all passed me on the way back. Pttt. Disheartening. But oh well.
Then, when I had about 4 miles to go I see Lauren just about 100 feet in front of me. What?! No way! She was WAY ahead of me. She pulled off of the trail to get water and I passed her, assuming we would catch up before we hit the park. Nope. She was no where in sight even as I was waiting at stop lights to go across town.
I actually finished with a 1:55! (A whole 5 minutes faster on the way back!) I was pretty impressed with this because I had walked for water breaks 4 times on the way back and didn't stop my watch. I felt great and had a lot of energy.
So, when I had set out to do a 10:00 pace I actually finished with a 9:23 pace. Nice.
So this weekend I set out to do a 9:30 pace. I really do think that I am going to benefit from going nice and easy on these long runs. I think I just need to get the long miles in and worry about time on Tuesday night speed workouts.
Once again, the group broke away from me. But you know what? I actually finished in front of them. I had a ton of energy at the end of my run. I could have done 5 more miles on pace, no problem. I did my 12 miles in 1:48 (a 9:00 pace flat). I was impressed with myself. :)
I guess I needed to listen to my coaches all along about long SLOW distance and negative splitting. But, in my defense, if you want to get a 9:00 pace, would you REALLY want to start your workout doing a few miles at a 10:00 pace? It doesn't seem like it would make sense, right? Besides, I am just stubborn. I am one of those people who needs to figure these things out for myself.
I have a 4-mile race this weekend. I am going to concentrate on getting a ton of sleep this week and trying to NOT let my mental state get the best of me on race day.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Is Ramon Going Soft? :)
Last night it was POURING when I left work to go to running practice. It was pouring so hard, that in the short time (about 5 minutes) it took me to walk from the subway station to the park I was completely drenched. I'm talking absolutely soaked through, clothes clinging to every bit of fat drenched.
I was hoping that we wouldn't do our hill workout, which consisted of mainly hills on trails for my group.
When I was standing under the bridge by the Bethesda terrace I was talking to Ramon about one of my mentees and saying that she wanted to talk to him but was coming a little later and he asked how much later, because he wasn't sure we were even going to have practice. I passed this onto my running buddies in disbelief and they were like "are you sure?" I mean, Ramon NEVER cancels practice unless there is a huge lightning storm. He says it's good practice. And it's true. I mean, what are you going to do if it is raining on marathon day?
Anyway, our workout did get reduced to a "fun run" of 4, 5 or 6 miles...our choice.
I decided on 6 and Lauren was begrudgingly going to join me, but then we had to wait around in the rain for what seemed like forever for Steve to start our group, so we decided 5 was just fine. When I couldn't find my satellites I was like "Screw it. I'm not even going to time this one." Lauren was like "Yay! Fun run!" While running with Lauren IS fun, I think we both still push each other. So fun turned into fast, but how fast we have no idea since I had turned my Garmin off.
Let's just say fast enough that when we got back to the transverse at 4 miles we were really tired (I also contribute this to lack of sleep from the night before and just overall feeling crappy all day. Plus, I think running in the rain is somehow harder, sort of like how running on sand is harder. Especially when it is pelting you majorly.) We were losers and decided to do 4. We were such losers that we actually had to TURN AROUND to do this.
Oh well.
Did I mention it was raining really hard? At some points I couldn't see where I was going :)
On the plus side, I think the TNT team were really the only people in the park.
AND we all got kudos in Ramon's email to the team today:
"Thing#3
I was hoping that we wouldn't do our hill workout, which consisted of mainly hills on trails for my group.
When I was standing under the bridge by the Bethesda terrace I was talking to Ramon about one of my mentees and saying that she wanted to talk to him but was coming a little later and he asked how much later, because he wasn't sure we were even going to have practice. I passed this onto my running buddies in disbelief and they were like "are you sure?" I mean, Ramon NEVER cancels practice unless there is a huge lightning storm. He says it's good practice. And it's true. I mean, what are you going to do if it is raining on marathon day?
Anyway, our workout did get reduced to a "fun run" of 4, 5 or 6 miles...our choice.
I decided on 6 and Lauren was begrudgingly going to join me, but then we had to wait around in the rain for what seemed like forever for Steve to start our group, so we decided 5 was just fine. When I couldn't find my satellites I was like "Screw it. I'm not even going to time this one." Lauren was like "Yay! Fun run!" While running with Lauren IS fun, I think we both still push each other. So fun turned into fast, but how fast we have no idea since I had turned my Garmin off.
Let's just say fast enough that when we got back to the transverse at 4 miles we were really tired (I also contribute this to lack of sleep from the night before and just overall feeling crappy all day. Plus, I think running in the rain is somehow harder, sort of like how running on sand is harder. Especially when it is pelting you majorly.) We were losers and decided to do 4. We were such losers that we actually had to TURN AROUND to do this.
Oh well.
Did I mention it was raining really hard? At some points I couldn't see where I was going :)
On the plus side, I think the TNT team were really the only people in the park.
AND we all got kudos in Ramon's email to the team today:
"Thing#3
A BIG shout out to all those that showed up to yesterday's super awesome practice !!! You have showed us your committment to training, and THAT' my dearest is what will take you to the finish line.
You have earned the respect of this coach! and at the same time help us realized that we are all a bit crazy !!!!
I just hope those sneakers get dry before saturday's run !! :))"
Maybe he is going soft :)
All I know is I am NOT looking forward to 12 miles at 7am on Saturday. Blah.
Maybe he is going soft :)
All I know is I am NOT looking forward to 12 miles at 7am on Saturday. Blah.
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