Oh Yeah! Test #1

I think Ramon has it in for the advanced group.

Tuesday we had our first "test". Now, last year I missed the first test, but I was told that it was running 3 miles at 80% and then running 1 mile as fast as you can. That timed mile was your "base" for the rest of the season.

This year it was a five mile test.

I got very nervous when I read the email detailing the test and had to try not to think about it all day. Apparently, my running buddy, Lauren, felt the same way. We were both NOT looking forward to it.

Luckily, it was the first Tuesday that was not either unbearably muggy or rainy. Although, Lauren said, it almost made it worse because we had no excuse if we did poorly :)

We all met on the bridal path at 86th. Steve described the test as a "5-mile race" and we should treat it as such. Therefore, faster than a tempo run but without the crowd support or water stops of a race. Yuck. We were supposed to ditch our running buddies and run for ourselves. Oh yeah. And to save some for the end, because Cat Hill was in the last mile and a half. :( My goal was to not take it out too fast because that is my fatal flaw when it comes to running. We warmed up to 90th and then took off on our loop.

I didn't have to worry about running with my running buddy, because she took off and was maintaining about a 50 foot lead on me. I was thinking "Nice and easy, nice and easy." And I felt really good. I looked at my watch on the first mile. 7:28. Whoops. That's not exactly nice or easy. Who even knows what Lauren did! She was about 75 feet ahead of me now. I gave up on following her (this is a big deal for me ;) and concentrated on slowing it down.

Second mile: 8:28. (Lauren was too far ahead to even worry about). I have to admit, even though my plan was to get this pace, I was a little disappointed with myself. Coach Steve was standing on the path by W86th and said "Now's the time for you to pick it up, Em! But be sure to save some for Cat Hill!" I was very confused. Because he said to pick it up halfway. According to Mr. Garmin we were around 2.2. I was thinking "Whatever. I can't pick it up yet!" But I said "OK! Thanks!"

But I guess I did pick it up because my next mile was 8:01.

Now we were in the dreaded lower loop and coming up on what I call the "tricky hills" (they don't look like hills but they FEEL like them). I could swear that I was closing in on Lauren.

Then, right by the carousel, I passed her. I know that the only reason this happened was because she took that first mile out so quickly, but the competitive girl in me was like "Yay!"

But then karma bit me on the butt because my shoe came untied and I had to stop to tie it. My shoe has NEVER come untied. I soon passed her again but we had Cat Hill. She told me I was kicking ass (I didn't feel like it) but I couldn't respond because I was breathing way too hard. I tried not to psych myself out AND I tried to run like her. (Lauren has a super efficient short and quick stride and therefore flies up the hills, passing everyone. I am definitely trying to learn that from her.) No dice. Lauren, the hill killer, killed me on the hills. :)

Somewhere in there, my 4th mile was a 7:56.

I was all excited now. I love a challenge, AND I love running with Lauren. We are really good for each other because we are like, exactly the same pace, AND we are both competitive. My goal was to catch her again and finish together.

I caught her right around the bend. She was like, "6 blocks to go!" I said, "Thank God!" (I was eyeing those block markers on the lampposts too.) Those 6 blocks lasted forever. But we finished (pretty much) together (she finished like 2 seconds ahead of me.)

According to Garmin, my time was 40:57 for those 5.14 miles. That's an average pace of 7:58!

Yay!

And my other running buddy, Molly, was right behind us. Unbeknownst to me, she was doing the same thing I was doing. She said that she just kept looking for my pink shirt and trying to pace off of me and that I kept her on track the entire time. She thanked me for it, because she said she never would have finished the test like she did without me. I guess I paid karma back for the time that David did the same thing for me. :)

First Race in NYC

Sunday will be my first race here in the city. It is a five-mile run around Central Park (if you haven't noticed , that is pretty much the ONLY place that Manhattanites really run.) Luckily the loop totally avoids Great Hill (which would have been towards the end of the race), but unfortunately we do run up the other large hill in the park which is "Cat Hill". Cat Hill stinks because it is one of those hills that is both steep AND gradual. Coach Ramon said in his last email "Those of you that don't know Cat Hill, you know you are there when you feel like you are running backwards". I would love to get a 45:00 time on this race (or less) but we'll have to see.

I think I can do it because it is the same course that I ran on Tuesday for my speed work. Tonight's workout calls for a mini-speed session on the same course. While running that 5 mile course I am supposed to do 2 minutes FAST three times. So I figure that after running the course twice this week I should have a pretty good idea of what my goal should be.

Last night was a cross-training night, which Coach Ramon told us means doing any sort of workout that is not running. For the past 2 weeks I have used this as my yoga night. I just pop in a DVD (MTV Yoga) and do the whole 45 minute routine. I am finally at peace with the fact that I cannot do all of the exercises (even doing the "easy" modifications). Now I am just looking at the whole thing as a great way to get a deep stretch and increase my flexibility.

I THINK it is working. Already my flexibility has increased since last week...I am able to do more of the exercises. My balance has also gotten better, which we all know is crucial for runners. I would really like to do cross-training (including weights) more than once a week, but this crazy running schedule I am on doesn't really leave time for it. I already feel like running is a big time commitment as it is, so adding in double workouts for a day or two would be crazy. (Although I did do this during college when I was on the rowing team. But come on! I was in college!)

Also, I am gaining weight again. Let's just hope it's muscle mass :)