Fall is here and that can only mean one thing....cooler running weather is here! And with that, I am happy to report that Half training is in full swing and going pretty splendidly. Yes, I said "splendidly". For the month, I did 3-4 runs per week. Usually a hill session, long run, and either an easy run, tempo, time trial or race. Long run is up to 7 miles (doing 8 tonight), but the pace is not where I'd like it to be yet. Probably a combination of (a) the weather, though cooler, is still not as cool as I'd like it; and (b) I'm still carrying over some extra poundage that I gained from not training in the summer. Need to work the diet to correct that one.
I've even been to the pool a couple times, since its emptier now that summer is over. Spending only about 30 min each time, going about 1000-1200m, but in the end, I'm glad I got in some cross training. Volleyball has now started as well, so that will cover me (cross training-wise) while the pool is shut down for the next 3 weeks for maintenance.
Two races to report about- The Fitness Magazine Mind, Body, Spirit Games (aka 4-miler in CP) and the ever popular 5th Ave. Mile. Showed some improvement in the 4-miler over the previous Back to NFL run, finishing in 39:10 (9:48 pace). Again, I'm going to chalk it up to the cooler, less humid weather. But happy with the result as I was getting back into the swing of things. The following week was the 5th Ave. Mile. Not really sure what to expect, but was almost certain I wasn't going to match last year's 7:32. After going out SUPER hot, more so than last year I feel, I was almost completely gassed after the first quarter mile! So I pretty much chugged along for the remaining 3/4 of a mile and actually finished 3 seconds better than last year for a time of 7:29! Completely surprised myself, so I was happy with that finish.
The Rock n Roll NY 10k is now less than 2 weeks away and Urbanathlon less than a month away! Those will probably the last 2 races before I head back to Vegas in December to tackle the "Strip at Night" again. And I'm hoping for a MUCH better outcome this time. Also hoping for a better organized race. Time will tell.
Showing posts with label half-marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label half-marathon training. Show all posts
Monday, October 1, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
2 Week Warning! (from DC)
I guess I'm posting monthly now huh? In any case, Rock 'n' Roll DC is two weeks from tomorrow. I can't believe its here already. I feel like I just did Vegas, and just signed up for DC. Speaking of signing up, I've registered for a handful of NYRR's spring races, which are also listed on the right. It'll be most of the runs I did last year. Run as One (was the NYRR4 last year), Healthy Kidney 10k, Japan Day (4M) and Wall Street Run (3M). May still sign up for the Scotland Run 10k on April 7. Still deciding.
So to recap the last 3 to 4 weeks, training hit somewhat of a speed bump (not sure if pun was intended...). Before the recovery week I was up to 9 miles on the long run. But since then (3 weeks later), I've only done 1 long run for 10.4 miles, which was a pretty poor run. In fact, I had tried to do the long run a few days earlier, only to cut it short because I just didnt have it. I've also only done hills once since then as well, which was this past Monday, which actually went pretty well. Six reps of the extended hill. The remaining runs were all just easy runs or time trials. Not really thrilled how that turned out. But the one positive is that I have been swimming and have gone 5 times since the last post. Just about once a week. And I think I saw the first results of it from Tuesday's 5 miler. Felt good and strong from start to finish, and probably could have kept on going at the end. Its a shame it wasnt a long run that day. But I totaled about 1400m in the pool last night, if you include the 100m warm up and cool down. Felt pretty good actually, but was hard to get a feel of speed due to congestion in the pool.
Another long run scheduled tonight. Not sure if it'll happen, as the weather is now saying it might start raining when I usually go out. Otherwise, it'll have to happen on Monday. I'm also starting to feel under the weather a little bit. I guess we'll see how it goes. Will hopefully have an update before DC.
So to recap the last 3 to 4 weeks, training hit somewhat of a speed bump (not sure if pun was intended...). Before the recovery week I was up to 9 miles on the long run. But since then (3 weeks later), I've only done 1 long run for 10.4 miles, which was a pretty poor run. In fact, I had tried to do the long run a few days earlier, only to cut it short because I just didnt have it. I've also only done hills once since then as well, which was this past Monday, which actually went pretty well. Six reps of the extended hill. The remaining runs were all just easy runs or time trials. Not really thrilled how that turned out. But the one positive is that I have been swimming and have gone 5 times since the last post. Just about once a week. And I think I saw the first results of it from Tuesday's 5 miler. Felt good and strong from start to finish, and probably could have kept on going at the end. Its a shame it wasnt a long run that day. But I totaled about 1400m in the pool last night, if you include the 100m warm up and cool down. Felt pretty good actually, but was hard to get a feel of speed due to congestion in the pool.
Another long run scheduled tonight. Not sure if it'll happen, as the weather is now saying it might start raining when I usually go out. Otherwise, it'll have to happen on Monday. I'm also starting to feel under the weather a little bit. I guess we'll see how it goes. Will hopefully have an update before DC.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Training Recap: Superbowl Edition
There really is nothing "Superbowl" about this post other than the fact that the Giants won this past sunday! Just thought it'd be fun add that to the title of the post.
In any case, its been almost three weeks since my last update, and training is cruising right along. Have been pretty consistent with my weeks, with 3 runs per week- hills, easy, and long runs. Have been adding one extra hill rep per week, and this past Friday I got back up to 9 (well, 9.2 to be exact) miles on my long run, with total mileage last week at 17.2. I've made this week somewhat of a recovery/taper week, with an easy run on Monday, and a 5 mile run last night, with some intervals thrown in. That will probably do it for the week, giving me about 8.5 miles for the week. I do plan to remain active by going swimming tonight, the first time since the Tri! So its been like what? 6, 7 months? Saturday, I hope to get in some Yoga X (which I also did a couple saturdays ago, more details later). And since Mon and Tue are busy next week, I plan on getting the week started on Sunday. This should be interesting, running on the weekend, what a novel idea!
My Yoga X session a couple weeks ago, to my surprise, went fairly decently. I made it through all 92 minutes, and stamina was actually pretty good, and held some of the more difficult poses. I even made it through the entire warrior 3/half moon sequence on my right side. The same could not be said on the left though, which is odd since my left leg was always my stronger leg. Through the workout, I did find that I am far less flexible than I once was. Especially in my hip flexors, working through a lot of the lunge moves proved to be difficult as a result. Another difficulty, which was expected, was all the push ups and vinyasas. My chest/tri's have seriously atrophied from the lack of strength training. Though I was satisfied with my performance through the Yoga belly 7 section of the workout. The next day, my hammies were very sore, but my abs were not. I had expected my abs to be a lot more sore than it was.
NYRR had posted their Q2 races and I am eying some of them. Will update as they open registration (supposedly tomorrow) and/or when I actually register.
In any case, its been almost three weeks since my last update, and training is cruising right along. Have been pretty consistent with my weeks, with 3 runs per week- hills, easy, and long runs. Have been adding one extra hill rep per week, and this past Friday I got back up to 9 (well, 9.2 to be exact) miles on my long run, with total mileage last week at 17.2. I've made this week somewhat of a recovery/taper week, with an easy run on Monday, and a 5 mile run last night, with some intervals thrown in. That will probably do it for the week, giving me about 8.5 miles for the week. I do plan to remain active by going swimming tonight, the first time since the Tri! So its been like what? 6, 7 months? Saturday, I hope to get in some Yoga X (which I also did a couple saturdays ago, more details later). And since Mon and Tue are busy next week, I plan on getting the week started on Sunday. This should be interesting, running on the weekend, what a novel idea!
My Yoga X session a couple weeks ago, to my surprise, went fairly decently. I made it through all 92 minutes, and stamina was actually pretty good, and held some of the more difficult poses. I even made it through the entire warrior 3/half moon sequence on my right side. The same could not be said on the left though, which is odd since my left leg was always my stronger leg. Through the workout, I did find that I am far less flexible than I once was. Especially in my hip flexors, working through a lot of the lunge moves proved to be difficult as a result. Another difficulty, which was expected, was all the push ups and vinyasas. My chest/tri's have seriously atrophied from the lack of strength training. Though I was satisfied with my performance through the Yoga belly 7 section of the workout. The next day, my hammies were very sore, but my abs were not. I had expected my abs to be a lot more sore than it was.
NYRR had posted their Q2 races and I am eying some of them. Will update as they open registration (supposedly tomorrow) and/or when I actually register.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Slow Start to 2012
Even with the Rock n Roll USA Half in DC looming (less than 2 months away), motivation is still lacking. Not really sure what it is, maybe its just the cold weather. Don't get me wrong now! I am in now way complaining, I'd much rather have it this cold than in the 90s with 90% humidity. But still, running in any kind of extreme weather is not very pleasant, but I'll take the chill over the heat/humidity as the lesser evil.
So its only been 5 measly runs since the new year, totaling under 20 miles. Got the ball rolling, with 9 weeks left, on the "serious" training last week, doing one hills session and an EZ run. Was going to do one more "long" run, but got scared away by the cold (did i really just say that?). This week so far, its been one hills session, a short EZ run, and I have 7 miles planned for tonight. That will put me around 13 miles for the week, which I guess is not terrible for week 2 of training (though is terrible if you consider I'm only a little over a month removed from the Half in vegas).
Otherwise, nothing spectacular on all fronts. Just trying to get the ball rolling again and find that same motivation that got me up to 12 mile long runs for Vegas. I guess I should just be happy that I'll have done 3 runs this week. I've yet to get myself to cross train, which I wanted to break out Yoga, Plyo and Core from the X. Or even some swimming at the Aquatic Center, which I payed $75 membership for. Until next time!
So its only been 5 measly runs since the new year, totaling under 20 miles. Got the ball rolling, with 9 weeks left, on the "serious" training last week, doing one hills session and an EZ run. Was going to do one more "long" run, but got scared away by the cold (did i really just say that?). This week so far, its been one hills session, a short EZ run, and I have 7 miles planned for tonight. That will put me around 13 miles for the week, which I guess is not terrible for week 2 of training (though is terrible if you consider I'm only a little over a month removed from the Half in vegas).
Otherwise, nothing spectacular on all fronts. Just trying to get the ball rolling again and find that same motivation that got me up to 12 mile long runs for Vegas. I guess I should just be happy that I'll have done 3 runs this week. I've yet to get myself to cross train, which I wanted to break out Yoga, Plyo and Core from the X. Or even some swimming at the Aquatic Center, which I payed $75 membership for. Until next time!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Less Than a Month Until Vegas
Here we are, a little over 3 week's away from the big dance! I can actually confidently say the training is going pretty swimmingly, as evidenced by my 12 mile run last night. That's right TWELVE!! My body is still feeling it. That was my 6th run so far above 7 miles. Hoping to have 2 more before we get to Vegas. One thing that I realized though, is that I'm once again neglecting the cross training. Its been run, run, run, for the past 2 months. And its really too late to do anything about it at this point, but I did want to start doing Ab Ripper X every other day from now until the race. Definitely feel the lack of strength in my core as I get into the late miles of a long run. Hope that will make even a small difference.
Last week (after Urbanathlon) was 1 hill day, 2 EZ days and a long run. I did the shorter version of hill, for 9 repeats, which felt really good. I always seem to push hard on that last repeat, which causes me to get slightly woozy! But in all, a good training day and I'm glad that I am keeping up with the hill training. 2 EZ days of 3.5 and 2.5 miles. The 2.5 mile day was on a Sunday morning, and I must say, was probably one of the hardest runs of my life. Probably a combination of the fact that I dont usually run mornings, I didnt eat anything, and was still recovering from my 11 mile run Friday night. Ah, 11 miles. 11.2 to be exact. Was going to do the 6 mile loop then 5 mile loop in CP, but was detoured due to the NYC Marathon Festivities. So had to reverse course at 72nd and re-do the 6 mile loop from there. Harlem hills twice (once in each direction) was killer. Average pace ended up around 10:45, which I think I'm satisfied with. But that is still more than a 2:20 half marathon, and I was REALLY hoping to come in under that.
This week, so far, has only been 1 hill day and the long run. I did the extended hill again, this time for 6 repeats, then ran up to 90th and back down, totaling about 6 miles. This was a tougher run, probably a product of being the 4th run in 5 days. And the day before that was volleyball and one more before that was my previous hill day. So it was 6 days of work in a 7 day span. Then, last night was the almighty 12 (well, 12.16) mile run. Again, I think I was still slightly fatigued from all the activity from the past week, but all in all, it was a decent run. Averaged a 10:50 pace, so not too far off the 11 mile pace. It felt really good through 7 miles. Starting the 8th mile, I started to feel it on the uphills. I took a Gu at 4.75, and again at mile 9. I didnt feel its impact as greatly this run, I think because I was so fatigued. Perhaps I should have carried a THIRD packet with me. The bottom of my right foot started to really bother from all the pounding. My ankles and knees actually held up pretty well. Then in the final mile, I started to feel quite a stinger in my left hip. Luckily it wasnt a steady pain, but was pretty sharp. It came and went like an ocean wave, kinda strange, but thankful. So I'm going to take the next 2 days off to FULLY recover, and do either an EZ or tempo run on Saturday (crosses fingers). I need about another 6 miles to cover my weekly mileage.
So, I think I've reached my peak mileage for long runs. So next week I think I'll do either 10 or 11, then 8 or 9 the following week (thanksgiving), before I taper off. Much more pleased with my training this year, so far. I'm hoping it will translate into a good, no, GREAT finish this year!
Last week (after Urbanathlon) was 1 hill day, 2 EZ days and a long run. I did the shorter version of hill, for 9 repeats, which felt really good. I always seem to push hard on that last repeat, which causes me to get slightly woozy! But in all, a good training day and I'm glad that I am keeping up with the hill training. 2 EZ days of 3.5 and 2.5 miles. The 2.5 mile day was on a Sunday morning, and I must say, was probably one of the hardest runs of my life. Probably a combination of the fact that I dont usually run mornings, I didnt eat anything, and was still recovering from my 11 mile run Friday night. Ah, 11 miles. 11.2 to be exact. Was going to do the 6 mile loop then 5 mile loop in CP, but was detoured due to the NYC Marathon Festivities. So had to reverse course at 72nd and re-do the 6 mile loop from there. Harlem hills twice (once in each direction) was killer. Average pace ended up around 10:45, which I think I'm satisfied with. But that is still more than a 2:20 half marathon, and I was REALLY hoping to come in under that.
This week, so far, has only been 1 hill day and the long run. I did the extended hill again, this time for 6 repeats, then ran up to 90th and back down, totaling about 6 miles. This was a tougher run, probably a product of being the 4th run in 5 days. And the day before that was volleyball and one more before that was my previous hill day. So it was 6 days of work in a 7 day span. Then, last night was the almighty 12 (well, 12.16) mile run. Again, I think I was still slightly fatigued from all the activity from the past week, but all in all, it was a decent run. Averaged a 10:50 pace, so not too far off the 11 mile pace. It felt really good through 7 miles. Starting the 8th mile, I started to feel it on the uphills. I took a Gu at 4.75, and again at mile 9. I didnt feel its impact as greatly this run, I think because I was so fatigued. Perhaps I should have carried a THIRD packet with me. The bottom of my right foot started to really bother from all the pounding. My ankles and knees actually held up pretty well. Then in the final mile, I started to feel quite a stinger in my left hip. Luckily it wasnt a steady pain, but was pretty sharp. It came and went like an ocean wave, kinda strange, but thankful. So I'm going to take the next 2 days off to FULLY recover, and do either an EZ or tempo run on Saturday (crosses fingers). I need about another 6 miles to cover my weekly mileage.
So, I think I've reached my peak mileage for long runs. So next week I think I'll do either 10 or 11, then 8 or 9 the following week (thanksgiving), before I taper off. Much more pleased with my training this year, so far. I'm hoping it will translate into a good, no, GREAT finish this year!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Quick Recap and Urbanathlon
Almost a month without an update? Rest assured the training has been going well! Since the last update, I've gone from about 13 total weekly miles to 20 last week. Long runs have accordingly gone from 8 to 10.4. The 9 miler was one of my best long runs, in terms of how I felt (still around an 11 min/mile!). But at the end, I almost felt like I could have kept on going, with minimal pain in my legs and feet. The 10 miler on the other hand, the pain set in around mile 6, and I had to fight through it till the end. Honestly my pace is not where I would like it to be, but I am glad that I was able to get to the 10 mile long runs with over a month left to go. So I will shift the focus a little to tempo runs and intervals to try to better the pace.
And just to throw out there, Urbanathlon is TOMORROW. Considering my lack of strength training in the past month, I am rather anxious about it. Actually, there are really only 2 obstacles that concern me: the monkey bars and the wall climb at the end. From what I can tell from the pictures, the wall looks to be about 8 feet. Although theres a rope to help you climb it (picture the old school batman tv show), I'm not sure I'm very good at that, or how I would release the rope and grab the wall. I think my best approach would be to leap, grab the top of the wall and pull myself over. Thats all fine and dandy, providing I have anything left in my legs to, LEAP.
Ok, I'll be back on Mon/Tue with a fuller recap of both Urbanathlon and training. Til then! Wish me luck!!
And just to throw out there, Urbanathlon is TOMORROW. Considering my lack of strength training in the past month, I am rather anxious about it. Actually, there are really only 2 obstacles that concern me: the monkey bars and the wall climb at the end. From what I can tell from the pictures, the wall looks to be about 8 feet. Although theres a rope to help you climb it (picture the old school batman tv show), I'm not sure I'm very good at that, or how I would release the rope and grab the wall. I think my best approach would be to leap, grab the top of the wall and pull myself over. Thats all fine and dandy, providing I have anything left in my legs to, LEAP.
Ok, I'll be back on Mon/Tue with a fuller recap of both Urbanathlon and training. Til then! Wish me luck!!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Training Recap Since 9/26
So I'll start this post with something I don't mention often, only because I'm not great at it: NUTRITION. The saddest part is I probably know all there is to know about how to eat and fuel properly, yet ignore it all (most of the time, at least). As more of an effort to save money, rather than being healthy, I had started to bring my lunch the past few weeks. Simple baked chicken breast, on whole wheat bread. Usually complimented with some raw veggies and fruit. This has been doing wonders on my training runs. I feel more energized and strong while running. And my legs and feet ache less (not actually sure if this is a product of the better eating). As stated earlier, its sad that this really comes as no surprise to me. I already knew if I fueled myself correctly, it'll be seen directly in my training. You really are what you eat.
So back on the training side of things, 2 runs only last week. 5.2 miles and a long run of 7.75, for a total of just about 13 miles for the week. The first was originally going to be just an EZ run of once or twice around the southern loop (1.7 miles). But, when I got out, it was actually a lot cooler than I had thought. And as I progressed in the run, I knew I could extend to do the 5 mile loop. So thats what I did. See, good eating takes you far. Though it was just under 70 degrees, but SUPER humid, the run still went surprisingly well. As did the 7.75 long run. Even having to contend with the crowds going to the Black Eyed Peas concert! Averaged a 10:43 pace through the run- which is about where I wanted to be on a long run. I did then entire park loop (6 miles) and then an extra southern loop, which is how I ended at 7.75 miles. Wanted to do 8, but to piece together 8 miles in Central Park gets a little complicated. I took a Gu gel around 4.75 miles into the run, and it proved wise. I was very surprised at how I felt toward the end of the run. Again, legs felt fatigued, yet strong, and conditioning was good. Lower temps and humidity I'm sure played a big role in that as well.
Monday (10/3) I actually went out in the rain and did some hills. I missed hills last week, so was partly why I decided to head out, even though it was raining. Did 6x the Cat Hill, and again, benefiting from the cooler temps- it went pretty well. Though I think I pushed it a LITTLE too hard on that last rep, because I felt like I was about to pass out.
So, this week's long run goal is 9 miles. Which I think I will do tomorrow. It'll be a 5 mile loop and a 4 mile loop in CP. If that gets done, I'll actually be one week ahead of my training plan. Lets hope I get it done!
So back on the training side of things, 2 runs only last week. 5.2 miles and a long run of 7.75, for a total of just about 13 miles for the week. The first was originally going to be just an EZ run of once or twice around the southern loop (1.7 miles). But, when I got out, it was actually a lot cooler than I had thought. And as I progressed in the run, I knew I could extend to do the 5 mile loop. So thats what I did. See, good eating takes you far. Though it was just under 70 degrees, but SUPER humid, the run still went surprisingly well. As did the 7.75 long run. Even having to contend with the crowds going to the Black Eyed Peas concert! Averaged a 10:43 pace through the run- which is about where I wanted to be on a long run. I did then entire park loop (6 miles) and then an extra southern loop, which is how I ended at 7.75 miles. Wanted to do 8, but to piece together 8 miles in Central Park gets a little complicated. I took a Gu gel around 4.75 miles into the run, and it proved wise. I was very surprised at how I felt toward the end of the run. Again, legs felt fatigued, yet strong, and conditioning was good. Lower temps and humidity I'm sure played a big role in that as well.
Monday (10/3) I actually went out in the rain and did some hills. I missed hills last week, so was partly why I decided to head out, even though it was raining. Did 6x the Cat Hill, and again, benefiting from the cooler temps- it went pretty well. Though I think I pushed it a LITTLE too hard on that last rep, because I felt like I was about to pass out.
So, this week's long run goal is 9 miles. Which I think I will do tomorrow. It'll be a 5 mile loop and a 4 mile loop in CP. If that gets done, I'll actually be one week ahead of my training plan. Lets hope I get it done!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Training Recap (Weeks of 9/12 and 9/19)
So here we are, half marathon training once again in full swing. It seems to be off to a rather slow start, but I think I'm doing okay. I just wish the weather would start getting cooler and LESS HUMID. Been steadily building the weekly mileage and long runs, and have been on track there. Also being consistent in doing hills. Was up to 6x the Cat Hill, with no bonus up to 90th street. Last week I also included one short run (once around the small southern loop), but in the middle, I did the stairs near Bathesda Fountain. This of course is preparing for Urbanathlon, which I've registered for. My original plan was just to do 5 reps, but after the 5th one, it was still rather easy and I was nowhere near exhausted, so I did a few more for a total of 9. I'm not really sure why I ended at 9, but I did.
This past saturday (9/24) was the 5th Avenue Mile. A one mile sprint from 80th (the Met) to 60th (Grand Army Plaza) streets. My "swift" sprint took 7:32. That was actually better than I thought I'd do, especially considering the humidity. I was really shooting for around 8 minutes, since my best mile to date, ever, was 8:11. I must admit that I came out too hot out of the gate, and lost a bit of steam about half way through. But lucky for me, the last 800m was more downhill than anything, and was able to coast to the finish. They even called out my name as I approached the finish line!
So after that was over, since it was only a mile, I attempted to do a long run. Now about 10:45, temps starting to get into the mid to upper 70s, with humidity north of 75%, I knew it was going to be a struggle. My goal was around 5.5 miles (in addition to the 1 mile race earlier). Since the end of the race was close to where I normally enter the park, I started from the same spot. Was going to go clock-wise around the park, crossover at 104th and come down the east side, completing the loop and ending at 72nd on the West side.
Sadly, I only made it to about 4.4 miles, ending at 72nd on the East side, meaning I didnt even complete the loop. It was just TOO humid.
So, with about a month left until Urbanathlon, i should really start getting back into some resistance training again. Have definitely slacked off on that end. Looking for an 8 mile long run this week (as this weekend looks to be MUCH cooler and MUCH less humid!). We'll see how that goes. Until next time!
This past saturday (9/24) was the 5th Avenue Mile. A one mile sprint from 80th (the Met) to 60th (Grand Army Plaza) streets. My "swift" sprint took 7:32. That was actually better than I thought I'd do, especially considering the humidity. I was really shooting for around 8 minutes, since my best mile to date, ever, was 8:11. I must admit that I came out too hot out of the gate, and lost a bit of steam about half way through. But lucky for me, the last 800m was more downhill than anything, and was able to coast to the finish. They even called out my name as I approached the finish line!
So after that was over, since it was only a mile, I attempted to do a long run. Now about 10:45, temps starting to get into the mid to upper 70s, with humidity north of 75%, I knew it was going to be a struggle. My goal was around 5.5 miles (in addition to the 1 mile race earlier). Since the end of the race was close to where I normally enter the park, I started from the same spot. Was going to go clock-wise around the park, crossover at 104th and come down the east side, completing the loop and ending at 72nd on the West side.
Sadly, I only made it to about 4.4 miles, ending at 72nd on the East side, meaning I didnt even complete the loop. It was just TOO humid.
So, with about a month left until Urbanathlon, i should really start getting back into some resistance training again. Have definitely slacked off on that end. Looking for an 8 mile long run this week (as this weekend looks to be MUCH cooler and MUCH less humid!). We'll see how that goes. Until next time!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Birthdays..Oh MY!
Another month since the last update? Glancing over at my blog reading list, I'm glad I'm not the only one slacking! Nothing notable since the last update though. Maintained my two to three shorter runs per week since, except for the week I was in Virginia Beach. Only one run (for 4 miles) that week on the Va Beach boardwalk. That was a nice run, and nice change of scenery. Temp wise it was "cool", but the sun was pretty brutal, as there is no shade on a boardwalk, of course. Had a really good training week last week, as it was going to kick off my half-marathon training, but was quickly derailed this week, with the rain and birthday festivities. Totaled about 10 miles last week, including a 5 miler last friday (haven't done a 5 miler since before the Tri!). I also learned that day that 75 degrees is my performance threshold. Once it exceeds that, my conditioning dramatically decreases. On top of the 3 runs last week, I also biked 2 days, for 7 and 11 miles each. So it had seemed like I was off to a great start to my training, but not so much anymore. After this week, I'll have 12 weeks remaining. Better get crackin.
On an events note, will soon sign up for Urbanathlon. They've released the obstacles, and everything seems do-able. Will require work, but definitely doable. Also eying 2 NYRR races, the Poland Spring Marathon Kick Off (5M) on 10/30 and the Ted Corbitt Classic (15K) on 12/17, 2 weeks after the Half.
I'm also going to start my search for a road/racer bike, as my current city-bike will only take me so far- competitively speaking. Hoping to do 3 Tri's next year, 2 sprints and 1 olympic distance.
On an events note, will soon sign up for Urbanathlon. They've released the obstacles, and everything seems do-able. Will require work, but definitely doable. Also eying 2 NYRR races, the Poland Spring Marathon Kick Off (5M) on 10/30 and the Ted Corbitt Classic (15K) on 12/17, 2 weeks after the Half.
I'm also going to start my search for a road/racer bike, as my current city-bike will only take me so far- competitively speaking. Hoping to do 3 Tri's next year, 2 sprints and 1 olympic distance.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
8 miles
Completed the planned 8 miles, and thought since it was kind of a milestone, it deserved its own update. I mean, its certainly not the first time I've done this distance, but it surely has been a very long time. The stats:
Distance: 8.07
Time: 1:23:05
Pace: 10:21
Weather (at start): 45 degF, sunny and breezy
Thats actually better than the 10:30 I was shooting for. This also included 2 walk breaks of about 1-2 min each. To think if I didnt have to walk?? I think what was most killer was doing the upper portion (from 102nd to 110th) of the loop, twice. Ironically though, one of my better splits included the second time around that loop. Perhaps it was a result of the uber generous couple who were handing out bottles of water! I re-fueled with Jelly Belly's Sport Beans around mile 4, near Lasker Pool. I went against my better judgment getting a fuel source that wasnt liquid (or at least a gel), and I paid for it. I should also mention that my quest to find some Gu energy packs was unsuccessful, which is why I ended up with the jelly beans. The note on the package even said to take it with water, which is what made that couple handing out water even more of a Godsend. But asides from the slight cramping and other gastric issues from the beans, it did help me push through the final 2 miles of the run, which were basically unchartered territory.
I felt myself struggling just shy of mile 6. Heck, I want to even say in the beginning of mile 5, and I thought to myself, "whats going on?! I do 5 miles all the time, and I did 6 last week at a sub 10 pace!" Thats when I realized it was doing the upper loop twice that took a toll. I also thought I took a wrong turn, and ended up doing less than 8 miles, and was a bit dismayed when I finished in the time that I did. But a quick recalculation in my head, and I realized I DID do the full 8 I had planned, and my night was much better.
All I can say was, I was TIRED. Tired and sore. My legs are incredibly sore, especially in the lower calf on both legs. Hip flexors, hammies are both sore as well, but tolerable.
Looking to do a hill or interval run on Thur, maybe a bike/run combo over the weekend, and then tackle 9 miles next week. 'Till next time!
Distance: 8.07
Time: 1:23:05
Pace: 10:21
Weather (at start): 45 degF, sunny and breezy
Thats actually better than the 10:30 I was shooting for. This also included 2 walk breaks of about 1-2 min each. To think if I didnt have to walk?? I think what was most killer was doing the upper portion (from 102nd to 110th) of the loop, twice. Ironically though, one of my better splits included the second time around that loop. Perhaps it was a result of the uber generous couple who were handing out bottles of water! I re-fueled with Jelly Belly's Sport Beans around mile 4, near Lasker Pool. I went against my better judgment getting a fuel source that wasnt liquid (or at least a gel), and I paid for it. I should also mention that my quest to find some Gu energy packs was unsuccessful, which is why I ended up with the jelly beans. The note on the package even said to take it with water, which is what made that couple handing out water even more of a Godsend. But asides from the slight cramping and other gastric issues from the beans, it did help me push through the final 2 miles of the run, which were basically unchartered territory.
I felt myself struggling just shy of mile 6. Heck, I want to even say in the beginning of mile 5, and I thought to myself, "whats going on?! I do 5 miles all the time, and I did 6 last week at a sub 10 pace!" Thats when I realized it was doing the upper loop twice that took a toll. I also thought I took a wrong turn, and ended up doing less than 8 miles, and was a bit dismayed when I finished in the time that I did. But a quick recalculation in my head, and I realized I DID do the full 8 I had planned, and my night was much better.
All I can say was, I was TIRED. Tired and sore. My legs are incredibly sore, especially in the lower calf on both legs. Hip flexors, hammies are both sore as well, but tolerable.
Looking to do a hill or interval run on Thur, maybe a bike/run combo over the weekend, and then tackle 9 miles next week. 'Till next time!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
One Last Hurrah
Well, we are 2 days away from the big race. Everything is set, and even the weather is looking promising. The only thing left is to get through all 13.1 miles. Major development since last update? I bought a bike! A bicycle that is, so- may the triathlon training commence.
I did complete the planned 10 miles (10.5 to be exact...) mentioned in the previous update, in just around 2 hours. Again, that realistically puts me at 2:30 to complete the half. It was a pretty good run, with stops at the 5 mile mark, 7.5, and roughly the 9 mile marks. And as previously concluded, its not my conditioning that will hold me back, especially if the forecast is correct (as of now, lower 60s, low humidity at race time). It is my lower extremeties and how they will hold up. At the end of the 10 miles, my ankles and feet were in some serious pain, to think, theres another 3 to go!! Fun.
Tonight will be either a quick once or twice around the southern loop, and that will be all she wrote.
I did complete the planned 10 miles (10.5 to be exact...) mentioned in the previous update, in just around 2 hours. Again, that realistically puts me at 2:30 to complete the half. It was a pretty good run, with stops at the 5 mile mark, 7.5, and roughly the 9 mile marks. And as previously concluded, its not my conditioning that will hold me back, especially if the forecast is correct (as of now, lower 60s, low humidity at race time). It is my lower extremeties and how they will hold up. At the end of the 10 miles, my ankles and feet were in some serious pain, to think, theres another 3 to go!! Fun.
Tonight will be either a quick once or twice around the southern loop, and that will be all she wrote.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Recap: Maine Edition and the Home Stretch
Wow, we're down to single digit days until the half. Cue the anxiety!
Its been 2 weeks since the last update, and I've done only three *gasp!* runs! BUT! (there is a but), I did rack up about 60 miles worth of bike riding! So it's not as bad as it seems.
So I was in Bar Harbor, ME from 8/21-8/28, and only got one run in, on the first full day there. A moderately hilly 5 miles, which entered Acadia National Park. The hills were challenging, and once I got into the more level portion of my route, I was able to challenge myself by doing extended intervals. The temperature was in the lower 60s, but since it was gloomy and on the verge of rain, meant 100% humidity. Overall, it was an "okay" run.
For the next 3 days, as mentioned earlier, we did a lot of biking, to the tune of over 50 miles. The first day was the biggest challenge. Riding up Cadillac Mountain. From the house, it was just over 6 miles, and a 1500 ft. climb to the top, with the bulk of the climb coming in the final 3 miles, taking just under 2 hours. A far cry from the estimated "30 minutes" which the guy at the bike shop advised. Honestly, it was an amazing accomplishment, and had it not been for the running, I think I would have passed out.
Fresh off the 1500 ft climb, I did about 15 miles the next day, with moderate hills. A very scenic ride through Acadia National Park, down to Jordan Pond. Nothing too challenging, at least when compared to the previous day's feat.
The third and final bike day was a doozy, totalling 30+ miles on a rainy cold day. Thing was, it only ended up being 30+ miles due to a couple wrong turns! On some pretty hilly terrain to boot. Rode from Bar Harbor down to Sand Beach, then Thunder Hole, which was about 9 miles. Then the return trip would have taken us back through Jordan Pond, repeating the previous day's return. One swift wrong turn, then another, tacked on a bunch of needless HILLY miles. But hey, in the end, it was a GREAT workout.
Took the next 4 days off to recover (though I should mention that I did kayak one of those days), and did a 5 mile run, in 90+ degree weather. Though hot, humidity was down. First half of the run went great, then deteriorated quickly as the heat caught up with me. Last night's run, though a touch cooler (89 degrees?), the humidity was up, so was cut short after one lap around the southern
loop.
So its been an interesting past 2 weeks, and should be even more interesting next 10 days. The plan is to hit 10 miles tomorrow, and will cap the training there. Two shorter runs for the upcoming week before the race, and then it's showtime. Man oh man, here we go. Hope to have an update before then.
Its been 2 weeks since the last update, and I've done only three *gasp!* runs! BUT! (there is a but), I did rack up about 60 miles worth of bike riding! So it's not as bad as it seems.
So I was in Bar Harbor, ME from 8/21-8/28, and only got one run in, on the first full day there. A moderately hilly 5 miles, which entered Acadia National Park. The hills were challenging, and once I got into the more level portion of my route, I was able to challenge myself by doing extended intervals. The temperature was in the lower 60s, but since it was gloomy and on the verge of rain, meant 100% humidity. Overall, it was an "okay" run.
For the next 3 days, as mentioned earlier, we did a lot of biking, to the tune of over 50 miles. The first day was the biggest challenge. Riding up Cadillac Mountain. From the house, it was just over 6 miles, and a 1500 ft. climb to the top, with the bulk of the climb coming in the final 3 miles, taking just under 2 hours. A far cry from the estimated "30 minutes" which the guy at the bike shop advised. Honestly, it was an amazing accomplishment, and had it not been for the running, I think I would have passed out.
Fresh off the 1500 ft climb, I did about 15 miles the next day, with moderate hills. A very scenic ride through Acadia National Park, down to Jordan Pond. Nothing too challenging, at least when compared to the previous day's feat.
The third and final bike day was a doozy, totalling 30+ miles on a rainy cold day. Thing was, it only ended up being 30+ miles due to a couple wrong turns! On some pretty hilly terrain to boot. Rode from Bar Harbor down to Sand Beach, then Thunder Hole, which was about 9 miles. Then the return trip would have taken us back through Jordan Pond, repeating the previous day's return. One swift wrong turn, then another, tacked on a bunch of needless HILLY miles. But hey, in the end, it was a GREAT workout.
Took the next 4 days off to recover (though I should mention that I did kayak one of those days), and did a 5 mile run, in 90+ degree weather. Though hot, humidity was down. First half of the run went great, then deteriorated quickly as the heat caught up with me. Last night's run, though a touch cooler (89 degrees?), the humidity was up, so was cut short after one lap around the southern
loop.
So its been an interesting past 2 weeks, and should be even more interesting next 10 days. The plan is to hit 10 miles tomorrow, and will cap the training there. Two shorter runs for the upcoming week before the race, and then it's showtime. Man oh man, here we go. Hope to have an update before then.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Running Recap (8/13 - 8/19)
Looks like its just about crunch time, 3 weeks left until the Half!
It was a pretty decent week, which included two 8 mile runs. One short 1.7 mile (which was shortened by heavy downpouring rain, yes, got drenched!), and an early morning 3 miler (this morning!). Both 8 milers came on relatively cooler and very low humidity days, which made them possible to begin with. What I realized from those two runs is that, given similar weather conditions, its not my conditioning and/or lungs that will prevent me from finishing (or at least finishing with a respectable time), its my legs. Anytime I surpass the 6 or 7 mile mark, everything starts to ache. From the balls of my feet, ankles, knees, and the newest one, my right hip flexor. This is what I get for not being as diligent with yoga as I had planned. But I completed both 8 milers in about 1:30, so that realistically puts me in the 2:30 range to complete the Half. Not what I wanted, but hey, as I have said before, I'm just looking to finish (in one piece!) at this point!
I cannot believe I actually peeled myself out of bed to run this morning. Got up around 6:15am, washed up, got dressed, and started around 6:30. All the experts recommend that you run in the morning, but man, it was tough. Even though the weather seems nice now, the humidity was around 75% this morning, which is trouble for me, despite the cooler temp.
So now its off to Maine for the week. No plans on slowing down the training though! Hopefully I'll get a long run in there somewhere. We'll be doing a bit of biking, so at the very least, I know I'll stay active through the week.
Here is the route from this morning, courtesy of MapMyRun.com
It was a pretty decent week, which included two 8 mile runs. One short 1.7 mile (which was shortened by heavy downpouring rain, yes, got drenched!), and an early morning 3 miler (this morning!). Both 8 milers came on relatively cooler and very low humidity days, which made them possible to begin with. What I realized from those two runs is that, given similar weather conditions, its not my conditioning and/or lungs that will prevent me from finishing (or at least finishing with a respectable time), its my legs. Anytime I surpass the 6 or 7 mile mark, everything starts to ache. From the balls of my feet, ankles, knees, and the newest one, my right hip flexor. This is what I get for not being as diligent with yoga as I had planned. But I completed both 8 milers in about 1:30, so that realistically puts me in the 2:30 range to complete the Half. Not what I wanted, but hey, as I have said before, I'm just looking to finish (in one piece!) at this point!
I cannot believe I actually peeled myself out of bed to run this morning. Got up around 6:15am, washed up, got dressed, and started around 6:30. All the experts recommend that you run in the morning, but man, it was tough. Even though the weather seems nice now, the humidity was around 75% this morning, which is trouble for me, despite the cooler temp.
So now its off to Maine for the week. No plans on slowing down the training though! Hopefully I'll get a long run in there somewhere. We'll be doing a bit of biking, so at the very least, I know I'll stay active through the week.
Here is the route from this morning, courtesy of MapMyRun.com
Friday, August 13, 2010
Running Recap (8/6 through 8/12)
I ended the last post saying I may be ambitious and do 7 miles. Well, I didnt, I did 7.5! Hah! We've been having some great weather, and that day in particular, felt really good. So I did the full 6 in central park, and when I got back down to 59th, I decided to do a bonus lap on the southern loop. But right as I got to the 7.5 mile mark, my legs were completely exhausted. I could not take another step, even if i wanted to. And to my surprise, my lungs were actually ok. If my legs would have cooperated, completing the southern loop at the end would not have been a problem. I'm still at a snail's pace, hovering around an 11 min-mile for the longer distances. But hey, at this point, I'm just looking to finish this half-marathon. Which, by the way, is in exactly a month from yesterday!!
Sunday 8/8 turned out to be a nice day, so went for a quick 3 miles at the Cross Island path. That turned out to be harder than I had anticipated, given the conditions. But I got the run in, and thats all that mattered. The next day, 8/9, I had planned to do just another 3 miler (twice around the southern loop, central park), since it was near 90 degrees and humidity was moderate. But as I head out, it seemed cooler and less humid than was forcasted. I still set out for my 2x around, but as I'm finishing up the 2nd lap, it felt SO good, that I did an extra 3rd lap, for a total of 5.2 for the day. And really, I felt like I could have kept on going! Great run for the day.
And then theres Wed 8/11, I'm not even sure what my plan was, but it was a complete off-day. My legs felt the slight burn in the beginning, which is completely normal as I warm up. But, as I'm approaching the end of the first lap, the burn was still there, and I found it hard to breathe. It was warm and humid, and the sweat was dripping off my arms! So, I completed the loop and called it a day. There was really no point in furthering that run.
So, tomorrow (8/14) is looking to be a really nice temperate, low humidity day...so again, going ambitious. The plan is 8. We'll see how that goes....'till next time!
Sunday 8/8 turned out to be a nice day, so went for a quick 3 miles at the Cross Island path. That turned out to be harder than I had anticipated, given the conditions. But I got the run in, and thats all that mattered. The next day, 8/9, I had planned to do just another 3 miler (twice around the southern loop, central park), since it was near 90 degrees and humidity was moderate. But as I head out, it seemed cooler and less humid than was forcasted. I still set out for my 2x around, but as I'm finishing up the 2nd lap, it felt SO good, that I did an extra 3rd lap, for a total of 5.2 for the day. And really, I felt like I could have kept on going! Great run for the day.
And then theres Wed 8/11, I'm not even sure what my plan was, but it was a complete off-day. My legs felt the slight burn in the beginning, which is completely normal as I warm up. But, as I'm approaching the end of the first lap, the burn was still there, and I found it hard to breathe. It was warm and humid, and the sweat was dripping off my arms! So, I completed the loop and called it a day. There was really no point in furthering that run.
So, tomorrow (8/14) is looking to be a really nice temperate, low humidity day...so again, going ambitious. The plan is 8. We'll see how that goes....'till next time!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Running Recap (last 2 weeks)
The weather has become more bearable as of late, so have somewhat been on track. Though still not going out as frequently as I like, the sessions are getting better. Since last update, I've only had 3 runs, of 5, 6 and 6 miles each, with no breaks in the second 6 mile day. The second one was also run 4 min faster than the previous one, which I'm sure the lack of breaks had something to do with. Nothing really of significance to note....
Mixed in there was an all day softball tournament, which left me pretty sore (surprisingly) the following day or two.
On my last run, I tested out the iMapMyRun app on the iPhone, and I really like it. It'll map your route as you run (using the phone's GPS), and record information such as time, pace, speed and your mile splits; it can also give live updates via twitter or facebook, which for a geek like me, I find to be a really nice touch. The splits is what was sorely missing from Nike+ (if it does tells have that information, someone please enlighten me!). I feel like thats such a basic yet important stat, and have a hard time believing that its missing from Nike+. iMapMyRun then syncs to your account on mapmyrun.com, and logs all your information. The site even shows the elevation of your route. I've only used it once so far, but I really like the app. I'm still using Nike+, so it was a bit tricky starting both apps on the phone before starting my run.
Was planning on doing another 6 miles tonight, but as the weather is looking to be really good this evening, I may be a little ambitious and up that to 7. We'll see.
Mixed in there was an all day softball tournament, which left me pretty sore (surprisingly) the following day or two.
On my last run, I tested out the iMapMyRun app on the iPhone, and I really like it. It'll map your route as you run (using the phone's GPS), and record information such as time, pace, speed and your mile splits; it can also give live updates via twitter or facebook, which for a geek like me, I find to be a really nice touch. The splits is what was sorely missing from Nike+ (if it does tells have that information, someone please enlighten me!). I feel like thats such a basic yet important stat, and have a hard time believing that its missing from Nike+. iMapMyRun then syncs to your account on mapmyrun.com, and logs all your information. The site even shows the elevation of your route. I've only used it once so far, but I really like the app. I'm still using Nike+, so it was a bit tricky starting both apps on the phone before starting my run.
Was planning on doing another 6 miles tonight, but as the weather is looking to be really good this evening, I may be a little ambitious and up that to 7. We'll see.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Heat & Humidity!
Its been a month since my last post, and thankfully, the whole "no posts = no training" does not hold true this time! Though training has slowed in the past month for 2 reasons: 1) i was on vacation for 9 days and 2) it has been ridiculously hot and humid here in the NYC. Lets see how much I can recap.
First things first, I've reached the "GREEN" level on My Nike+ ! Meaning I've exceeded 155 miles run, this year alone! Thats probably more than I've run in my entire life up to the beginning of this year.
So I left off my recaps on a really good note, logging my longest run (7 miles!). Its been a bit downhill since then, no pun intended. In my week before vacation, I did 2 runs, for 5 miles each. First one was a tempo run, and for the second, I had fully intended to do another long run (7 miles), but the heat/humidity was too much to bear, and I had to cut it off after struggling through 5.2 miles. Then, it was off to Aruba! The resort actually had organized runs at 7am on a couple days, which I REALLY wanted to join. But of course, its in the AM, and well, quite frankly, I WAS ON VACATION. Though I missed those runs, I was able to make it to the gym (at about 10pm) one night. Did some lifting (half of P90X Chest & Back, actually), then hopped on the treadmill. Did about 3 miles, and it appears the workout preceding it had wiped me out a bit, as I was pretty maxed out at 3 miles.
So, upon returning (2 days later actually), was the Dash & Splash 10k in Central Park. How'd I do? Lets just say that it probably was not the best idea to sign up for a race thats 2 days after you were just on vacation for about 9 days. We'll chalk it up to that, being extremely humid, and the fact that I probably wasn't properly nourished and hydrated for the race. I had to start walking around the 3 mile mark, and in fact, probably walked more than I ran in the final 2 miles. I've never been so disappointed, ever! (ok, maybe I have, but just to give you an idea of my disappointment with my finish). I wont even get into my numbers, lets just leave it at, they were abysmal.
So since that race, it has been pretty hot and humid, so my performance and running has suffered significantly. Did a couple tempo runs, but had to keep most short, and as I saw during the 10k, could not really make it past mile 3. Finally, yesterday, we had our first low humidity day in a long while, and I was able to go out and do the 5.2 miles in Central Park, sans any breaks. What a wonder that did to boost my confidence again. OK! So thats my "brief" recap of the past month. Hope to be back to my weekly updates next week. 'Till next time...
First things first, I've reached the "GREEN" level on My Nike+ ! Meaning I've exceeded 155 miles run, this year alone! Thats probably more than I've run in my entire life up to the beginning of this year.
So I left off my recaps on a really good note, logging my longest run (7 miles!). Its been a bit downhill since then, no pun intended. In my week before vacation, I did 2 runs, for 5 miles each. First one was a tempo run, and for the second, I had fully intended to do another long run (7 miles), but the heat/humidity was too much to bear, and I had to cut it off after struggling through 5.2 miles. Then, it was off to Aruba! The resort actually had organized runs at 7am on a couple days, which I REALLY wanted to join. But of course, its in the AM, and well, quite frankly, I WAS ON VACATION. Though I missed those runs, I was able to make it to the gym (at about 10pm) one night. Did some lifting (half of P90X Chest & Back, actually), then hopped on the treadmill. Did about 3 miles, and it appears the workout preceding it had wiped me out a bit, as I was pretty maxed out at 3 miles.
So, upon returning (2 days later actually), was the Dash & Splash 10k in Central Park. How'd I do? Lets just say that it probably was not the best idea to sign up for a race thats 2 days after you were just on vacation for about 9 days. We'll chalk it up to that, being extremely humid, and the fact that I probably wasn't properly nourished and hydrated for the race. I had to start walking around the 3 mile mark, and in fact, probably walked more than I ran in the final 2 miles. I've never been so disappointed, ever! (ok, maybe I have, but just to give you an idea of my disappointment with my finish). I wont even get into my numbers, lets just leave it at, they were abysmal.
So since that race, it has been pretty hot and humid, so my performance and running has suffered significantly. Did a couple tempo runs, but had to keep most short, and as I saw during the 10k, could not really make it past mile 3. Finally, yesterday, we had our first low humidity day in a long while, and I was able to go out and do the 5.2 miles in Central Park, sans any breaks. What a wonder that did to boost my confidence again. OK! So thats my "brief" recap of the past month. Hope to be back to my weekly updates next week. 'Till next time...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Running Recap, week of 6/14
So I decided I'd try a run, a day after I did Plyo X. Simply put, my legs were having NONE of it. Dragged myself around the southern loop in Central Park once, and called it a day. The muscles in my legs were just WAY too sore. In fact, they were sore until at least Thursday.
Wednesday was the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge (3.5 miles). Finished in 39:30, which quite frankly, I was very disappointed with, considering the amount of running I had been putting in, and knowing that I've done longer distances at faster times. I suppose I'll chalk it up to still being sore from Plyo, and the simple fact that it was really, really crowded.
Reached yet another milestone on my third run of the week (on Friday); 7.2 miles, longest run to date. Completed it in about 80 minutes, but I did stop once (planned), for about 2-3 minutes. I realized that stopping is a really bad idea for me, unless I absolutely need to. What happens is, though I didnt stop completely, I walked for those 2-3 minutes; but, I guess my body goes into this "shutdown" mode, where it thinks we're done. When I tried to pick it back up, it was mighty difficult, for the first few minutes, at least. It's as if I had to re-do the warmup.
Another good three-run week in the books! 'til next time...
Wednesday was the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge (3.5 miles). Finished in 39:30, which quite frankly, I was very disappointed with, considering the amount of running I had been putting in, and knowing that I've done longer distances at faster times. I suppose I'll chalk it up to still being sore from Plyo, and the simple fact that it was really, really crowded.
Reached yet another milestone on my third run of the week (on Friday); 7.2 miles, longest run to date. Completed it in about 80 minutes, but I did stop once (planned), for about 2-3 minutes. I realized that stopping is a really bad idea for me, unless I absolutely need to. What happens is, though I didnt stop completely, I walked for those 2-3 minutes; but, I guess my body goes into this "shutdown" mode, where it thinks we're done. When I tried to pick it back up, it was mighty difficult, for the first few minutes, at least. It's as if I had to re-do the warmup.
Another good three-run week in the books! 'til next time...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Ouch!
Ok, the DOMS has fully set in from Sunday night's Plyo session. For those of you who have started or tried P90X and done Plyo X; you should be familiar with the pain. Its been a while, and though I have been running, it has in no way primed the legs for the beating that is Plyo. Ouch. Ouch indeed.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Running Recap 6/7 - 6/13, 100 miles, Plyo X...
An overall good training week. And since, for me, it was a huge personal milestone, its worth repeating...
Go me! In any case, since I made last week a recovery/taper week, I started the week off with a long run. 6.4 miles in Central Park- going in the reverse direction (clock wise). This direction seemed to be a touch easier, as the uphill wasn't quite as long as it is going the opposite way. Improved my average mins/mile, compared to the last long run.
On 6/10, I had intended on doing 4 miles. It started to drizzle as I started the run, and didnt think much of it, and thought as long as it stayed like that I would be fine. Well, it DIDNT stay like that. It started coming down in buckets at one point, so had to cut the run short to just once around the southern loop for 1.74 miles. And just as luck would have it, it cleared up as soon as I left the park. So to make up for the rain shortened run, I went back on the following day, 6/11, for a 4 mile run at the CIP path. Made it a quasi-tempo run, where I averaged a 10:20 min/mile. The first mile I was able to do in under 10.
And as a bonus....I did Plyo X yesterday (6/13)! The first time in a very long while. And I'm happy to report, I was able to get through the WHOLE thing, bonus round included- WITHOUT ANY BREAKS. So it appears my condition is improving. Good stuff.
Coming up: This week will be the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. It will fill in good for one of my runs for the week. 'Til next time!
I have now ran over 100 miles for the year!!
Go me! In any case, since I made last week a recovery/taper week, I started the week off with a long run. 6.4 miles in Central Park- going in the reverse direction (clock wise). This direction seemed to be a touch easier, as the uphill wasn't quite as long as it is going the opposite way. Improved my average mins/mile, compared to the last long run.
On 6/10, I had intended on doing 4 miles. It started to drizzle as I started the run, and didnt think much of it, and thought as long as it stayed like that I would be fine. Well, it DIDNT stay like that. It started coming down in buckets at one point, so had to cut the run short to just once around the southern loop for 1.74 miles. And just as luck would have it, it cleared up as soon as I left the park. So to make up for the rain shortened run, I went back on the following day, 6/11, for a 4 mile run at the CIP path. Made it a quasi-tempo run, where I averaged a 10:20 min/mile. The first mile I was able to do in under 10.
And as a bonus....I did Plyo X yesterday (6/13)! The first time in a very long while. And I'm happy to report, I was able to get through the WHOLE thing, bonus round included- WITHOUT ANY BREAKS. So it appears my condition is improving. Good stuff.
Coming up: This week will be the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. It will fill in good for one of my runs for the week. 'Til next time!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Running Recap 5/31 and 100 miles!!
So I decided to make it a taper/recovery week, only doing 1 run for 4 miles. On Monday (Memorial Day) 5/31, I did play some softball and volleyball, which was good and served as a bit of cross training. I was more sore than I expected to be. On Wed, I did 4 miles in Central Park on a new route: entering at 59th, I went west/north along the west side, crossed over at 72nd towards the east side, then went north on the east side up to 90th. Turned around and reversed course.
Right calf and hammy were sore for the next day or 2, which is what ultimately led to just taking the next few days off. The heat wave didnt help it either.
After my run yesterday (which will be in the next recap), I broke 100 miles for the year! Thought I'd take a moment and celebrate the milestone =)
Right calf and hammy were sore for the next day or 2, which is what ultimately led to just taking the next few days off. The heat wave didnt help it either.
After my run yesterday (which will be in the next recap), I broke 100 miles for the year! Thought I'd take a moment and celebrate the milestone =)
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