Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
A new route!
38 °, WSW 4, 72% H, UV 0, Dp 30°
The coldest morning I've run in so far this autumn. I wore my long pant, 1 tech shirt, 1 tech pullover, gloves, and my cotton gator. It was pretty much perfect. I knew I was going for an adventure today, running Sea Cliff's hills. I took the road I came across a few days ago. Half way down, I was able to over look Hempstead Harbor to the north, the orange and pink glow settling above the horizon. It made me smile. So did the downhill. I pushed the thought out of my head that I'd have to come UP that hill on the way back.
The route took me down yet another hill which would wind it's way down to the water. There I would run past Sea Cliff beach, the yacht club, and the marinas. I saw the sunfish sailboat that I had gotten from a patient several years ago. It was in need of repair which I did not have the skills for - so I donated it to the sailing school at the beach. He looks fine and well sitting with the rest of them in their respective racks.
The traffic was light as I made my way down to the end of Shore Road before turning around and headed back. I slowed down, or tried to - as I knew I had those two hills to climb. I wanted to stop and take more pictures, but I knew I had to get home and get ready for the ride out east. Plus, my sister was running a 10 miler Monster Dash ( How can a dash be 10 miles, I wonder..) and I wanted to at least follow her for the start of that.
My performance was only fair. I had a burrito right before bed last night - (my daughter and her friends brought it back for me, and they eat later than I do) - and I think wearing all those clothes for the first time made me feel constricted. I also weight trained shoulders and arms yesterday after work. I've been up since 4:00 am - the excitement of a new route and catching the bus for the wine tour today kept my brain churning away once I left what I would guess was my final REM sleep of the night. Yeah, I'm just LOOKING for excuses, aren't I ?! :)
Oh, and I bought Gevalia coffee for a change up. Delightful.
Get a gander at that hill. The two blended together. The flat is along the shore.
Ok - I have to run. Hopefully tomorrow, Selden.
Ok - I have to run. Hopefully tomorrow, Selden.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
New routes, calf tightness and a new look coming soon!
Tuesday, October 22nd
52°, SW 3, 85% H, UV 0, Dp 48°
I didn't jot down any notes about my Tuesday morning run, so I'm having a hard time remembering the specifics. I ran less than 2 miles. The sun comes up later, and my scheduling has gotten tighter again. And I wasn't really feeling it. After the 5k race in Oyster Bay on Saturday, I was supposed to go out to Selden on Sunday and run with the Hillbilly Warriors. But later on in the day on Saturday, my calf began to tighten up again. I foam rolled, stretched my back out, and tried my best to relax. At the same time, however, my sister set me up on Wordpress, gave me the 'keys' so to speak, and I sat on my ass all day and learned as much as I could. That lead to more tightening, headaches, eye strain and the like. Needless to say, Sunday I was even tighter, and decided not to risk straining the calf again by running 6 miles, on hills, no less. So, the logical thing to do (not) was to stay home on my ass all day again and delve into the creative aspect of my new blog site. After 6 days, it's almost complete, and should be debuting shortly. And my calf is feeling better too.
Thursday, October 24th 42°, W 10, 72% H, UV 0, Dp 33°
This morning was a whole different animal. I watched a video featuring Karnazes running in Greece. That inspired me to finish my coffee as quickly as possible and get out there and try to run as effortless as Dean looks when he runs. Once outside on this beautiful October morning I noticed just a wee bit tightness in my lateral gastroc head - but it eased out during the short walk to the end of the block that I usually do for my warm up.
My goal was 5 miles. I tried to keep my heart rate under 150, then under 160 and finally gave up and just ran.
I really need to find and run different routes. I find that running elsewhere really motivates me to get out there to begin with, and gets me to stay out running longer.
AND I'M TIRED OF ALL THE CARS AND EXHAUST.
In my attempt to change things up a bit and get away from the main roads and traffic, I started running down the smaller roads in my neighborhood. I came across this gem.
Downhill, with Hempstead harbor in the distance. Sweet. I didn't take that route, but one day soon I will. I imagine after running Selden on a more frequent basis, these local hills will be akin to speed bumps. At least that's what I'm hoping. Seldens hills are long and steep - the hills I have here locally are shorter distance, and variable in elevation.
52°, SW 3, 85% H, UV 0, Dp 48°
I didn't jot down any notes about my Tuesday morning run, so I'm having a hard time remembering the specifics. I ran less than 2 miles. The sun comes up later, and my scheduling has gotten tighter again. And I wasn't really feeling it. After the 5k race in Oyster Bay on Saturday, I was supposed to go out to Selden on Sunday and run with the Hillbilly Warriors. But later on in the day on Saturday, my calf began to tighten up again. I foam rolled, stretched my back out, and tried my best to relax. At the same time, however, my sister set me up on Wordpress, gave me the 'keys' so to speak, and I sat on my ass all day and learned as much as I could. That lead to more tightening, headaches, eye strain and the like. Needless to say, Sunday I was even tighter, and decided not to risk straining the calf again by running 6 miles, on hills, no less. So, the logical thing to do (not) was to stay home on my ass all day again and delve into the creative aspect of my new blog site. After 6 days, it's almost complete, and should be debuting shortly. And my calf is feeling better too.Thursday, October 24th 42°, W 10, 72% H, UV 0, Dp 33°
My goal was 5 miles. I tried to keep my heart rate under 150, then under 160 and finally gave up and just ran.
I really need to find and run different routes. I find that running elsewhere really motivates me to get out there to begin with, and gets me to stay out running longer.
AND I'M TIRED OF ALL THE CARS AND EXHAUST.
In my attempt to change things up a bit and get away from the main roads and traffic, I started running down the smaller roads in my neighborhood. I came across this gem.
Downhill, with Hempstead harbor in the distance. Sweet. I didn't take that route, but one day soon I will. I imagine after running Selden on a more frequent basis, these local hills will be akin to speed bumps. At least that's what I'm hoping. Seldens hills are long and steep - the hills I have here locally are shorter distance, and variable in elevation.
Another 10k is coming up in less than 2 weeks. I've got to start getting runs in on both days over my weekends. I'm going on a wine tour with my friends at work on Saturday, so I'm hoping to get out on the roads early and be ready for the bus at 10:30am. Less than moderate drinking and a good nights sleep that day, then a drive out to Selden on Sunday morning early. At least that's the plan.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Oyster Bay Supervisor's 5k Recap
48°, ESE 5, 72% H, UV low, Dp 40
Brrr! Chilly and dry.. just the way I like it. I must say, though - I believe that the sudden change of weather conditions played a part in how I felt during the race. I'm not blaming the weather, because I think that my finish time reflects my training. But during the race, I really felt poorly in my lungs and throat. I don't have any type of respiratory issues, but I think I now have some idea how asthmatics must feel. My breathing felt like it became more constricted over the course of the race, and I found that most of my energy was consumed by literally, 'sucking wind'. I'm hoping it was just because of the combination of first time running in the cold this season, PLUS racing, that caused this to happen. Although I did not PR or place, I came in faster than my last 5k, so I'm happy about that. I like to try to rationalize my performances and find some good if I can.
But, the thing I'm MOST happy about, is that I finally met my running blogger guru, The Emerging Runner! I've been reading his blog since the start of my running, and I felt like I met a celebrity!
He is every bit as nice as I thought he would be. We chatted up a storm, took a warm up run together, and talked about things running related and not. He recommended some races that he has enjoyed during his running career, and I'll be reviewing them right after this post and probably start signing up.
It was a very friendly, community type atmosphere - GLIRC supported. I'm assuming most members of the Selden Hills group were there, but I've only met a few of them once, so I didn't really recognize anyone. The finish line snacks were awesome. Oh, the muffins. How to decide? I walked the entire length of the table, noticing the healthy stuff was at the end. Eh. I'll go back and get a MUFFIN. It was enormous. And delicious. Poor ER. He had to watch me snarf that muffin down. So much for social graces.
The hooded sweatshirts are very nice. Let's see what happens when I wash/dry it. I hope I took the right size.
Instead of finding our times on the side of a van, we waited online to get handed our times on a slip of paper. Classy! I think I remember getting something like this at a kiosk after a race last year? -- but it spit out a blank piece of paper at me. I just remembered this at this very moment. *sigh* Loosing one's mind sucks. I hope if am in the beginning throes of dementia, that I become a happy, mindless geriatric instead of a nasty one.
The course itself was great. That downhill was a relief. I stopped to drink at the top of the hill, and I stopped to walk again briefly half way down. My lungs were cold, yet felt like they were on fire at the same time. Weird.
Magellan did ok with the splits,
but took a dump on translating it to graphics. Nice job, problem child Magellen... I see a new Garmin model in my future..
The JMS Timing website was fun to use. Here is a screen capture of my stats.
I'm hoping I feel up to Selden Hills tomorrow morning. I'm not looking at another race until the second week of November. Although, the racing calendar I just prepared shows that I have 4 races up until December 1st. They'll act as my speed training maybe?
Do you think that's a good idea?
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Brrr! Chilly and dry.. just the way I like it. I must say, though - I believe that the sudden change of weather conditions played a part in how I felt during the race. I'm not blaming the weather, because I think that my finish time reflects my training. But during the race, I really felt poorly in my lungs and throat. I don't have any type of respiratory issues, but I think I now have some idea how asthmatics must feel. My breathing felt like it became more constricted over the course of the race, and I found that most of my energy was consumed by literally, 'sucking wind'. I'm hoping it was just because of the combination of first time running in the cold this season, PLUS racing, that caused this to happen. Although I did not PR or place, I came in faster than my last 5k, so I'm happy about that. I like to try to rationalize my performances and find some good if I can.
But, the thing I'm MOST happy about, is that I finally met my running blogger guru, The Emerging Runner! I've been reading his blog since the start of my running, and I felt like I met a celebrity!
yay! But God, I'm short.
He is every bit as nice as I thought he would be. We chatted up a storm, took a warm up run together, and talked about things running related and not. He recommended some races that he has enjoyed during his running career, and I'll be reviewing them right after this post and probably start signing up.
It was a very friendly, community type atmosphere - GLIRC supported. I'm assuming most members of the Selden Hills group were there, but I've only met a few of them once, so I didn't really recognize anyone. The finish line snacks were awesome. Oh, the muffins. How to decide? I walked the entire length of the table, noticing the healthy stuff was at the end. Eh. I'll go back and get a MUFFIN. It was enormous. And delicious. Poor ER. He had to watch me snarf that muffin down. So much for social graces.
The hooded sweatshirts are very nice. Let's see what happens when I wash/dry it. I hope I took the right size.
Instead of finding our times on the side of a van, we waited online to get handed our times on a slip of paper. Classy! I think I remember getting something like this at a kiosk after a race last year? -- but it spit out a blank piece of paper at me. I just remembered this at this very moment. *sigh* Loosing one's mind sucks. I hope if am in the beginning throes of dementia, that I become a happy, mindless geriatric instead of a nasty one.
The course itself was great. That downhill was a relief. I stopped to drink at the top of the hill, and I stopped to walk again briefly half way down. My lungs were cold, yet felt like they were on fire at the same time. Weird.
Magellan did ok with the splits,
but took a dump on translating it to graphics. Nice job, problem child Magellen... I see a new Garmin model in my future..
The JMS Timing website was fun to use. Here is a screen capture of my stats.
Do you think that's a good idea?
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Blogging: 1 year Anniversary!
61°, SW 5, 93% H, UV 0, Dp 59
It was not as nice a running morning as it was on Tuesday. The sleep I got, despite the fact that it was dandy - didn't help. All my joints were achy this morning - especially my right knee. I think I'm going to attribute that to the Carvel hot fudge sundae I had at work yesterday. Sugar OVERLOAD. I had a huge panini also, which was delicious - but I stopped eating that much bread at one time a while ago. I'm wondering how much of an effect it had on the way I'm feeling today.
Most of my paperwork for the week is done, except for the 10 or so papers I have to 'grade' for Monday. I think I'll take care of that after my race on Saturday.
I was feeling pretty unmotivated this morning, probably because of the way I felt physically. I wore a sleeveless shirt, and I still felt warm. My BT headset crapped out in the middle of the run. I was planning for 3 miles, didn't quite make it. I was feeling that lousy.
I just want the blue line on these graphs to be in a somewhat straight line. Is that even possible? I don't think this one is too bad today, however, except toward the end, when I realized just how HUMID it felt.
Happy Anniversary to me! 1 full year of blogging..
1 yr 7 months of running!
It was not as nice a running morning as it was on Tuesday. The sleep I got, despite the fact that it was dandy - didn't help. All my joints were achy this morning - especially my right knee. I think I'm going to attribute that to the Carvel hot fudge sundae I had at work yesterday. Sugar OVERLOAD. I had a huge panini also, which was delicious - but I stopped eating that much bread at one time a while ago. I'm wondering how much of an effect it had on the way I'm feeling today.
Most of my paperwork for the week is done, except for the 10 or so papers I have to 'grade' for Monday. I think I'll take care of that after my race on Saturday.
I was feeling pretty unmotivated this morning, probably because of the way I felt physically. I wore a sleeveless shirt, and I still felt warm. My BT headset crapped out in the middle of the run. I was planning for 3 miles, didn't quite make it. I was feeling that lousy.
Happy Anniversary to me! 1 full year of blogging..
1 yr 7 months of running!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
I'm still not as fast at shorter distances..
45°, ESE 2, 99% H, UV 0, 57° Dp
This morning's weather felt quite perfect - I was surprised to see when I came back that the humidity was so high. It certainly didn't feel that way. I chose to run 4 @ 70%, but alas, I am fickle. So, I just ran as I felt, slowing down when I needed, and speeding up when it felt good. I wished I could just conjure up someone to pace for me - I'd decide, "I think I'd like to do 5 miles at a 9:00 min/mile pace, please.." and >*poof*< - I'd have someone appear out of the ether who knows what the heck they're doing and just let me follow.
I've got nothing but work on the brain, and soo much paperwork to do today and the rest of the week, so this isn't going to be much of a post. I'm hoping to get out again Thursday morning, maybe slow it down a bit, as I have the 5k in Oyster Bay on Saturday, and that long incline to deal with.
Although I felt like I was running fast this morning, the numbers don't lie. I would like to get back to training at 8:45 -8:30 as an easy pace. Today, at between 45 and 1 minute slower, I was working and breathing HARD on roads that I do on a regular basis. My heart rate was very high, and it bums me out. I guess my biggest fear is not injury, but that I will just stop improving. Be it speed or endurance. I often times ponder on how I'll feel about that when the time comes.
Congrats to my sister for PR'ing her half marathon over the weekend - and to fellow blogger and speedster SheisOutRunning who PR'ed 4 minutes faster in her marathon this past weekend - and who ran her own race. (For details, go check it out..) That's got to feel awesome when it comes all together like that!
What do you folks fear most about your running career, I wonder..?
This morning's weather felt quite perfect - I was surprised to see when I came back that the humidity was so high. It certainly didn't feel that way. I chose to run 4 @ 70%, but alas, I am fickle. So, I just ran as I felt, slowing down when I needed, and speeding up when it felt good. I wished I could just conjure up someone to pace for me - I'd decide, "I think I'd like to do 5 miles at a 9:00 min/mile pace, please.." and >*poof*< - I'd have someone appear out of the ether who knows what the heck they're doing and just let me follow.
I've got nothing but work on the brain, and soo much paperwork to do today and the rest of the week, so this isn't going to be much of a post. I'm hoping to get out again Thursday morning, maybe slow it down a bit, as I have the 5k in Oyster Bay on Saturday, and that long incline to deal with.
Although I felt like I was running fast this morning, the numbers don't lie. I would like to get back to training at 8:45 -8:30 as an easy pace. Today, at between 45 and 1 minute slower, I was working and breathing HARD on roads that I do on a regular basis. My heart rate was very high, and it bums me out. I guess my biggest fear is not injury, but that I will just stop improving. Be it speed or endurance. I often times ponder on how I'll feel about that when the time comes.
Congrats to my sister for PR'ing her half marathon over the weekend - and to fellow blogger and speedster SheisOutRunning who PR'ed 4 minutes faster in her marathon this past weekend - and who ran her own race. (For details, go check it out..) That's got to feel awesome when it comes all together like that!
What do you folks fear most about your running career, I wonder..?
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Realizations
58°, NE 10, 80% H, UV 0, Dp 47°
This was my second time running the Selden Hills, this time, with the self appointed "Hillbillys". It so happened that today was 'newbie' day. And although I had run these hills before, I still felt like a newbie, because I had yet to meet the group.
I managed to get lost on the way there, so all those hillbillys had already left without me. There was, however, a gentleman waiting in the parking lot. A tall and lanky man with a friendly face. He was dressed in his red Selden Hills shirt. We exchanged pleasantries while waiting just a few minutes more to see if anyone else would show.
Even though I had my all my electronics, I didn't start any up. The conversation was non-stop - mostly on his end. He asked me what he thought my pace would be, I told him anywhere between 10:30 and 9:30. He seemed good with that, and told me that we would run the entire course together. He explained some of the history, described the course, explained the philosophy of the group, and everything in between. I tried to be gabby, but I found it was wearing me out. I explained that I always run alone, so talking while running was not easy for me. He totally understood, and told me I did not have to participate in the conversation, but - he would keep talking anyway. He was awesome! What a great introduction into this hard running group!
The hills were just as challenging as before, and I had to walk several times. My guide and escort, K.C., slowed his pace down for me while I recovered. Only once he went on ahead, and that was to scout a dangerous section of the route that was blind to both drivers and runners, and he would wait for me at that crest.
It was nice to have him prepare me for each of the hills that were coming up.
"OK, this is the second to last, and then it's down hill and a right at the stop signs"
"OK, we get a decent break here, about a half mile of flat"
"And here's the halfway point, but now we've got to go up again for a mile and a half" - and so on.
I had asked him our time on the way back. He told me that we were about 31 minutes at mile 3, and we were 38 minutes out as the answer to my question.
I was surprised. It felt fast, but I thought it was because I had company, and that it was an illusion. I was really running these hills faster than I thought.
First important realization: In order to get faster, for me, I need to run with someone faster than myself. I let myself get away with too much slacking during training.
By the time we were about 2 miles out from the finish (10k) we had come up on two runners from the back of the pack of the original group that started about 6 minutes ahead of us. The woman was going to run in Brazil in a few weeks. Her longest run had been 4 miles - and it was her first run on the hills, too! She had an escort in the gentleman who was running with her, as well. We ran together for about 400 meters until K.C. and I pulled away from them to continue on for yet MORE hills. At the end of the last hill, we had 1.2 miles of flat. It was a straight line back to the parking lot. Marty let the woman he was with finish at her own pace, and he caught up to us before the final quarter mile. As we turned right into the parking lot, K.C. mentions that we have 30 seconds to go to finish in exactly 60 minutes! We had to haul ass.
Ugh! I was exhausted! But, to the left - about 200 meters away, was a sea of red shirts, about 20 or so folks, waiting. And when they saw us break into a sprint, they must of realized we had a goal. The cheers and encouragement where amazing! I was genuinely moved.
So, Cow Harbor had just become a docile, familial pet. Selden Hills is the untamed, relentless beast. And, running with a coach of sorts, it took me only 3 minutes more to harness the potential power in not only myself, but those hills as well.
Realization #2: Hills are your friend. In order to build endurance, besides cycling as cross training, hills can't be beat.
I met only a handful of the group. We were talking about fueling, how long it takes us to get to the hills from where we live, tackling the declines, etc. I was told they will be running every Wednesday at 4:30 pm and Sundays at 8:00 am.
I will try to get out there at least 2x a month. I have a feeling it might be 3. (But I'm still a little high from the morning!) Economically speaking, it took a quarter of a tank to get there and back. The good news is that gas prices are dropping. 4.09 for premium last week to 3.97 last night. How serendipitous! And now that I know the correct way to get there, I'll be shaving miles and time from the ride.
Realization #3: There is power in camaraderie. And THIS is coming from a self-proclaimed introvert.
No pictures, not much data. I had the sense to start Magellan up about 2 miles into the run. It's not as elegant as Runmeter's data, but I'll post the link nontheless.
Magellan Data
Hey. Did you hear about the new Garmin 620? It's coming soon.. and it looks AWESOME. I'll be trying that baby out, and maybe put the Magellan up for sale.
This was my second time running the Selden Hills, this time, with the self appointed "Hillbillys". It so happened that today was 'newbie' day. And although I had run these hills before, I still felt like a newbie, because I had yet to meet the group.
I managed to get lost on the way there, so all those hillbillys had already left without me. There was, however, a gentleman waiting in the parking lot. A tall and lanky man with a friendly face. He was dressed in his red Selden Hills shirt. We exchanged pleasantries while waiting just a few minutes more to see if anyone else would show.
Even though I had my all my electronics, I didn't start any up. The conversation was non-stop - mostly on his end. He asked me what he thought my pace would be, I told him anywhere between 10:30 and 9:30. He seemed good with that, and told me that we would run the entire course together. He explained some of the history, described the course, explained the philosophy of the group, and everything in between. I tried to be gabby, but I found it was wearing me out. I explained that I always run alone, so talking while running was not easy for me. He totally understood, and told me I did not have to participate in the conversation, but - he would keep talking anyway. He was awesome! What a great introduction into this hard running group!
The hills were just as challenging as before, and I had to walk several times. My guide and escort, K.C., slowed his pace down for me while I recovered. Only once he went on ahead, and that was to scout a dangerous section of the route that was blind to both drivers and runners, and he would wait for me at that crest.
It was nice to have him prepare me for each of the hills that were coming up.
"OK, this is the second to last, and then it's down hill and a right at the stop signs"
"OK, we get a decent break here, about a half mile of flat"
"And here's the halfway point, but now we've got to go up again for a mile and a half" - and so on.
I had asked him our time on the way back. He told me that we were about 31 minutes at mile 3, and we were 38 minutes out as the answer to my question.
I was surprised. It felt fast, but I thought it was because I had company, and that it was an illusion. I was really running these hills faster than I thought.
First important realization: In order to get faster, for me, I need to run with someone faster than myself. I let myself get away with too much slacking during training.
By the time we were about 2 miles out from the finish (10k) we had come up on two runners from the back of the pack of the original group that started about 6 minutes ahead of us. The woman was going to run in Brazil in a few weeks. Her longest run had been 4 miles - and it was her first run on the hills, too! She had an escort in the gentleman who was running with her, as well. We ran together for about 400 meters until K.C. and I pulled away from them to continue on for yet MORE hills. At the end of the last hill, we had 1.2 miles of flat. It was a straight line back to the parking lot. Marty let the woman he was with finish at her own pace, and he caught up to us before the final quarter mile. As we turned right into the parking lot, K.C. mentions that we have 30 seconds to go to finish in exactly 60 minutes! We had to haul ass.
Ugh! I was exhausted! But, to the left - about 200 meters away, was a sea of red shirts, about 20 or so folks, waiting. And when they saw us break into a sprint, they must of realized we had a goal. The cheers and encouragement where amazing! I was genuinely moved.
So, Cow Harbor had just become a docile, familial pet. Selden Hills is the untamed, relentless beast. And, running with a coach of sorts, it took me only 3 minutes more to harness the potential power in not only myself, but those hills as well.
Realization #2: Hills are your friend. In order to build endurance, besides cycling as cross training, hills can't be beat.
I met only a handful of the group. We were talking about fueling, how long it takes us to get to the hills from where we live, tackling the declines, etc. I was told they will be running every Wednesday at 4:30 pm and Sundays at 8:00 am.
I will try to get out there at least 2x a month. I have a feeling it might be 3. (But I'm still a little high from the morning!) Economically speaking, it took a quarter of a tank to get there and back. The good news is that gas prices are dropping. 4.09 for premium last week to 3.97 last night. How serendipitous! And now that I know the correct way to get there, I'll be shaving miles and time from the ride.
Realization #3: There is power in camaraderie. And THIS is coming from a self-proclaimed introvert.
No pictures, not much data. I had the sense to start Magellan up about 2 miles into the run. It's not as elegant as Runmeter's data, but I'll post the link nontheless.
Magellan Data
Hey. Did you hear about the new Garmin 620? It's coming soon.. and it looks AWESOME. I'll be trying that baby out, and maybe put the Magellan up for sale.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Back at it..
55°, ENE 11, 84% H, UV 0, Dp 50
After taking a well needed rest for the first part of the week, I decided to get out there this morning. I really had very little discomfort. I was just weary. I could not keep my eyes open past 9:00 pm each night, and I went back to eating bread and ice cream, like it was going out of style. Yesterday and today I've moderated more toward healthier eating, and I really needed to see how I felt running. When I woke up this morning, it hadn't started raining yet, and as a matter of fact, it felt pretty good out there. I had lots of things to do before I left for work this morning, so I decided to make my first run since my half marathon a shorty. I'd only do 3 miles at 70%. I did the 3 miles, but it was more like 80-85%. Oh well..
My heart rate shot up pretty high soon into the run, and although I tried to bring it down without having to walk, it didn't work. So, I just went with it, and ran by how I was feeling. I believe I could have run a bit faster, but I kept waking up with a mild headache all night, and by morning, it hadn't changed. As a matter of fact, as I'm writing this, I still feel pressure and a bit of lethargy. I really don't want to take a decongestant. I know it's probably sinus related, but I'm hoping it will resolve on it's own.
My sister asked if I took any 'selfies' during my HM, and I said no - I never really like the way I look in them. So, I took one this morning. She says it's a good idea to remember how you're dressed for the weather, and it helps a lot to do this. So, here is the pic before I went out. I guess I should have also shot below the waist. Another oh well. I wore my Under Armor compression capris, compressions on my calves, and my Brooks Ravenna 4.
After taking a well needed rest for the first part of the week, I decided to get out there this morning. I really had very little discomfort. I was just weary. I could not keep my eyes open past 9:00 pm each night, and I went back to eating bread and ice cream, like it was going out of style. Yesterday and today I've moderated more toward healthier eating, and I really needed to see how I felt running. When I woke up this morning, it hadn't started raining yet, and as a matter of fact, it felt pretty good out there. I had lots of things to do before I left for work this morning, so I decided to make my first run since my half marathon a shorty. I'd only do 3 miles at 70%. I did the 3 miles, but it was more like 80-85%. Oh well..
My heart rate shot up pretty high soon into the run, and although I tried to bring it down without having to walk, it didn't work. So, I just went with it, and ran by how I was feeling. I believe I could have run a bit faster, but I kept waking up with a mild headache all night, and by morning, it hadn't changed. As a matter of fact, as I'm writing this, I still feel pressure and a bit of lethargy. I really don't want to take a decongestant. I know it's probably sinus related, but I'm hoping it will resolve on it's own.
My sister asked if I took any 'selfies' during my HM, and I said no - I never really like the way I look in them. So, I took one this morning. She says it's a good idea to remember how you're dressed for the weather, and it helps a lot to do this. So, here is the pic before I went out. I guess I should have also shot below the waist. Another oh well. I wore my Under Armor compression capris, compressions on my calves, and my Brooks Ravenna 4.
I love my new cap I got from the Diva expo. It's stretchy, and it really stays snug to my head. I should have bought another.
Fall is here..
I will probably do 5 slow miles on Saturday morning, weather permitting, then on Sunday, I'm going to attempt to get back out to Selden and run with the 'Hillbillies'. The group organizer recognized me during my packet pickup at the Diva expo and introduced himself to me. It was so weird to hear my name called out, when I really haven't met anyone I know devoted to running on a personal basis yet. There are still so many people I know because of blogging/Facebook that I've yet to meet! We talked about my first half, and that his wife was running her first half too, (the Entenmanns) and even though I live an hour away from the hills, they would love to have me run with them. So, I will make it out there by 8:00 am on Sunday. I hear that there will be at least another newbie to the group there also.
You know, they are talking about this being the 'off season' on their Facebook page - but I consider this my 'on season'! Fall and early winter last year is when I made most of my progress as a runner. The cool weather does this for me. I raced into December, and then February into March. I PR'd a 5k then in April. Does anyone also feel that this is off season? Maybe I was fortunate that the weather was mild last year?
Right now I've got the voices of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona as ambient noise. They are doing sound and video tests in one of my browser tabs. I imagine pretty soon there will be an Internet press conference. The race is this Saturday, starting at noon eastern time. They will be broadcasting online here. I'm going to watch as much as I can. I think I would one day like to do a tri. I can swim. I can bike. And now I know I can run. I find it much more appealing than a full marathon, at least right now in my short running career. I already know someone who has done a tri, so if I ever feel compelled, I can get some great advice.
I have to run, as I'm going to take my daughter out for sushi tonight for her birthday. I still can't believe I have a 28 year old daughter. Sheesh.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Diva Half Marathon Recap
66°, ENE 8, 97% H, UV 0, Dp 60
I would like to change my position on the Diva runs. Last year, I did the 5k. I came in first in my age group and I believed it was because the race was more of a social event than a race, so that gave me an edge, because I was there to try to PR. This year, I did the half, and even though there were plenty of women in costume - tutu's, hair appliances, jewelry - there were just as many women who where NOT dolled up. And they ALL meant business, it seemed. Very few groups of women 3,4,5 abreast - mostly quiet and contemplative. And, as last year, the 5k'ers were the boisterous bunch. The walkers, the singers, the high-fivers. I guess the distance makes all the difference. But, to each their own. They have every right to participate as they wish.
If I came across as being persnickety or judgmental in my last post about this race, I apologize. It all comes down to knowing the circumstances of the race. Don't cry foul if you did not do your homework.
The weather. Oh brother. From light drizzle to heavy misting. But, it wasn't so bad. There was no direct sun, and the breeze.. oh, how wonderful it was. It was cool enough before I left the house, and I was tempted to wear shorts instead of capris because of the humidity. None of my shorts had a place to put my key, so I stuck with the longer pants. I wore a loose fitting tank. I carried no water, no carbs. I drank on the course sparingly. I really didn't feel very thirsty until the finish, and the inch of champagne they were serving at the finish line (how much did I pay for this race?) did not appeal to me AT ALL. One of the firemen dropped the medal around my neck. It was ridiculously heavy. I had to walk about a mile and a half back to my car on Merrick with this thing clanging around my neck. (That center gem piece rotates and makes a helluva noise)
While standing on the porta-potty line, a young girl turned to me and asked me if this was my first half and if I was nervous. "No, I'm not," I said. "Well, this is my first half and I'm so nervous, I could barely eat this morning." She had told me her longest run had only been 6 miles, and that she's only been running a year. "Are you here by yourself?" she asked. I told her that yes, I was. She said she was there with a friend, and by this time, as if just by talking about it, she really started to look nervous. I basically shared with her my plan on just thinking it was a long, Sunday run. And that if she viewed it that way, why - of course she'll finish. That seemed to make sense to her, and she thanked me and headed off to an open potty. I remembered her bib number, and saw that she indeed did finish, coming it at 2:24. Respectable for her first HM!
I listened to my podcasts during the entire run. I attempted my plan of thinking it as merely a long run on a Sunday morning, but you can guess how that went. I really thought that during the first 2 miles, I just might be able to pull it off. It was very slow going, (it took about a minute to get to the mat) But, during mile 2, I started looking around at the women in tutu's running faster than me. Never mind that they were probably 20+ years younger. So, I threw being reasonable to the wind and started working on my form, picking out one tutu after another and trying to pass them. My pace was vacillating as it usually does. I was doing well though until I came up to the 9 mile water stop. I did not take water, but I asked, no - screamed (everyone cheers at the water stops, so I had to scream to be heard) 3 times to different people handing out water if they knew at what mile the next water stop was. Why did I need to know this? I have no idea. But, not one person knew. And from there, things got a little torturous. Whatever available O2 I had circulating around my arteries and hanging out in the distal aveoli of my lungs was depleted with me needing to know the answer to that question. I hit the wall HARD - and whatever stride I had I started to loose from that point on. The last 3 miles were brutal. I felt my posture let go, so my low back was on fire, and my calves and hamstrings started to get tight. I walked several times, just to bring my heart rate back down and give my legs a chance to loosen up. At mile 11, my right hand started to swell, so I slowed down because I REALLY LIKE my right hand. After shaking it out a bit, I thought I had enough rest to push through until it happened again less than a mile from the finish. That would be the last time I walked, and then with the finish line in sight and 2:08 on the clock, I plowed on in.
I even raised my arms as I crossed!
I managed to smile for one of the cameras, too!
I had a whole lot more to say about this race, but I can't remember any of it. I did not accept the tiara, or the boa. A woman at the finish asked if I wanted my picture taken in front of the DIVA sign.
"No, thank you. I look like shit." is exactly what I said, and the girl walking in front of me who also declined the request turned and gave me a big smile. She must have felt the same way I did.
2:07:37 9:44/mile
24/129 age
405/1880 overall
When I signed up for this last year, my goal was to come in 1:58:xx.
Maybe next time.
I would like to change my position on the Diva runs. Last year, I did the 5k. I came in first in my age group and I believed it was because the race was more of a social event than a race, so that gave me an edge, because I was there to try to PR. This year, I did the half, and even though there were plenty of women in costume - tutu's, hair appliances, jewelry - there were just as many women who where NOT dolled up. And they ALL meant business, it seemed. Very few groups of women 3,4,5 abreast - mostly quiet and contemplative. And, as last year, the 5k'ers were the boisterous bunch. The walkers, the singers, the high-fivers. I guess the distance makes all the difference. But, to each their own. They have every right to participate as they wish.
If I came across as being persnickety or judgmental in my last post about this race, I apologize. It all comes down to knowing the circumstances of the race. Don't cry foul if you did not do your homework.
The weather. Oh brother. From light drizzle to heavy misting. But, it wasn't so bad. There was no direct sun, and the breeze.. oh, how wonderful it was. It was cool enough before I left the house, and I was tempted to wear shorts instead of capris because of the humidity. None of my shorts had a place to put my key, so I stuck with the longer pants. I wore a loose fitting tank. I carried no water, no carbs. I drank on the course sparingly. I really didn't feel very thirsty until the finish, and the inch of champagne they were serving at the finish line (how much did I pay for this race?) did not appeal to me AT ALL. One of the firemen dropped the medal around my neck. It was ridiculously heavy. I had to walk about a mile and a half back to my car on Merrick with this thing clanging around my neck. (That center gem piece rotates and makes a helluva noise)
It weighs more than 1/2 pound. So THAT'S where my money went..
While standing on the porta-potty line, a young girl turned to me and asked me if this was my first half and if I was nervous. "No, I'm not," I said. "Well, this is my first half and I'm so nervous, I could barely eat this morning." She had told me her longest run had only been 6 miles, and that she's only been running a year. "Are you here by yourself?" she asked. I told her that yes, I was. She said she was there with a friend, and by this time, as if just by talking about it, she really started to look nervous. I basically shared with her my plan on just thinking it was a long, Sunday run. And that if she viewed it that way, why - of course she'll finish. That seemed to make sense to her, and she thanked me and headed off to an open potty. I remembered her bib number, and saw that she indeed did finish, coming it at 2:24. Respectable for her first HM!
I listened to my podcasts during the entire run. I attempted my plan of thinking it as merely a long run on a Sunday morning, but you can guess how that went. I really thought that during the first 2 miles, I just might be able to pull it off. It was very slow going, (it took about a minute to get to the mat) But, during mile 2, I started looking around at the women in tutu's running faster than me. Never mind that they were probably 20+ years younger. So, I threw being reasonable to the wind and started working on my form, picking out one tutu after another and trying to pass them. My pace was vacillating as it usually does. I was doing well though until I came up to the 9 mile water stop. I did not take water, but I asked, no - screamed (everyone cheers at the water stops, so I had to scream to be heard) 3 times to different people handing out water if they knew at what mile the next water stop was. Why did I need to know this? I have no idea. But, not one person knew. And from there, things got a little torturous. Whatever available O2 I had circulating around my arteries and hanging out in the distal aveoli of my lungs was depleted with me needing to know the answer to that question. I hit the wall HARD - and whatever stride I had I started to loose from that point on. The last 3 miles were brutal. I felt my posture let go, so my low back was on fire, and my calves and hamstrings started to get tight. I walked several times, just to bring my heart rate back down and give my legs a chance to loosen up. At mile 11, my right hand started to swell, so I slowed down because I REALLY LIKE my right hand. After shaking it out a bit, I thought I had enough rest to push through until it happened again less than a mile from the finish. That would be the last time I walked, and then with the finish line in sight and 2:08 on the clock, I plowed on in.
I even raised my arms as I crossed!
I managed to smile for one of the cameras, too!
I had a whole lot more to say about this race, but I can't remember any of it. I did not accept the tiara, or the boa. A woman at the finish asked if I wanted my picture taken in front of the DIVA sign.
"No, thank you. I look like shit." is exactly what I said, and the girl walking in front of me who also declined the request turned and gave me a big smile. She must have felt the same way I did.
2:07:37 9:44/mile
24/129 age
405/1880 overall
When I signed up for this last year, my goal was to come in 1:58:xx.
Maybe next time.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Done until the Half
57°, Calm, 79% H, UV 0, Dp 55
Sunday's weather looks to be breezy, upper 60's in the morning. The humidity looks to be dropping during the afternoon on Saturday after some rain we should be having Friday night, so I'm hoping for even lower humidity Sunday morning. Humidity is my nemesis.
I think I'll try to get to the expo for my bib after work on Friday instead of Saturday.
Ok! I'm ready for my adventure, come what may -
although: no boas or tiaras, please.
How exciting!
I wanted to practice setting a pace and trying to stay with it.
I clearly suck at it.
I barely managed it the first mile, then I just botched it. I also did not set Runmeter correctly, forgetting to put the mile value in 2 of the 5 interval settings. I was confused when I heard the 3rd mile was finished before I even started it. Then I realized what I did when mile 5 did the same thing.
That's it. I'm done. I didn't need to fuel during the ten miles I did on Sunday, but something is telling me I better bring something with me during the half. I don't know what that will be yet.
My daughter is sick with a sore throat, stuffed nose, a slight fever and a cough. I sure hope I can stay healthy until Sunday. What a bummer otherwise.
Sunday's weather looks to be breezy, upper 60's in the morning. The humidity looks to be dropping during the afternoon on Saturday after some rain we should be having Friday night, so I'm hoping for even lower humidity Sunday morning. Humidity is my nemesis.
I think I'll try to get to the expo for my bib after work on Friday instead of Saturday.
Ok! I'm ready for my adventure, come what may -
although: no boas or tiaras, please.
How exciting!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Taper commitment fail.
I forgot to check the weather this morning.
But it was cool, no breeze, and dry!
I thought I would do 4 miles easy at 70%.
It turned out that I kept changing my mind the whole time!
You can see this as reflected by the graph.
I have a commitment problem, most obviously.
I'd probably be a better runner if I could stick to a plan.
So, for months I thought that my half marathon was the first Saturday in October. I'll cut myself some slack and not worry TOO much about my memory issues.
No, it's the first SUNDAY in October. Therefore, I have an extra day of rest. So, hopefully if it's not too warm Thursday, I'll do some speed work. Thanks, Karl!
And it looks like it will still be windy on Sunday.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
3 miles shy of a half
52°, 89% H, UV 0, Dp 55
My plan to run 10 miles alternating each mile with 135 bpm and 155 bpm didn't quite work out that way. But, by golly, I felt great during and after the run anyway.
I averaged 158 HR and a 10:26 pace in an hour:44. If I manage to do that again on Saturday, I should come in under 2:20:00. I think I did the math right on that..
The only thing that slowed me down was the long 1.5 mile hill on this route. I ran it 3 times.
I decided that instead of driving 30-40 minutes x 2 out to Wantagh or Bethpage, I would stick closer to home. I ran the route in Oyster Bay that makes up the Supervisor's 5k.
It's got this huge ass hill that really isn't so bad, it's just long - but it's the downhill run that I felt was more technical. I really had to concentrate on my form so that I didn't get hurt. Parts of it contained some tight turns and were treacherous with traffic and sand.
It was cool this morning, so I wore my medium fleece hoody the first time around. By the time I got back to the car, I had to take it off - and I also took my first drink of electrolytes. The next two times around I was able to slow down and drink on the run. I also bought half of a P90X bar which I found I did not need, although I was feeling a bit hungry. I think I won't need to consume carbs on the half.
Depending on how I feel, I think I'll skip the speed work and maybe just do another easy run and a tempo. As of today, it looks like Saturday's weather for the HM will be a tad bit warmer, but 17 mph winds? Dandy. At least the course is flat.
EDIT: The race is on Sunday. I really thought it was Saturday. God. I scare myself sometimes...
My plan to run 10 miles alternating each mile with 135 bpm and 155 bpm didn't quite work out that way. But, by golly, I felt great during and after the run anyway.
I averaged 158 HR and a 10:26 pace in an hour:44. If I manage to do that again on Saturday, I should come in under 2:20:00. I think I did the math right on that..
The only thing that slowed me down was the long 1.5 mile hill on this route. I ran it 3 times.
I decided that instead of driving 30-40 minutes x 2 out to Wantagh or Bethpage, I would stick closer to home. I ran the route in Oyster Bay that makes up the Supervisor's 5k.
It's got this huge ass hill that really isn't so bad, it's just long - but it's the downhill run that I felt was more technical. I really had to concentrate on my form so that I didn't get hurt. Parts of it contained some tight turns and were treacherous with traffic and sand.
It was cool this morning, so I wore my medium fleece hoody the first time around. By the time I got back to the car, I had to take it off - and I also took my first drink of electrolytes. The next two times around I was able to slow down and drink on the run. I also bought half of a P90X bar which I found I did not need, although I was feeling a bit hungry. I think I won't need to consume carbs on the half.
Depending on how I feel, I think I'll skip the speed work and maybe just do another easy run and a tempo. As of today, it looks like Saturday's weather for the HM will be a tad bit warmer, but 17 mph winds? Dandy. At least the course is flat.
EDIT: The race is on Sunday. I really thought it was Saturday. God. I scare myself sometimes...
Thursday, September 26, 2013
I may have crushed it.
62°, NNW 6, UV 0, 87% H, Dp 59°
6.25 miles 56:59
Changed to a different neighborhood this morning for a change a pace, so to speak - it definitely makes things more interesting for me. I didn't go all the way through the Italian 'hood, but stayed more east. I had plans to do a 10k, and at 5 miles felt like stopping, but toughed it out mentally to stick with the plan. I didn't stick closely to the pacing splits, I was supposed to do negatives. Well, you know by now how that usually goes with me.
I'm hoping to do 10, slow, negative split miles on Sunday morning - even if I have to start at 11:30/mile and end at 9:30/mile. Then, maybe a track run for speed, and some local hills before my first half on Saturday the 5th.
I think that will do.
I also think I hit a PR for this distance today. At the Cedar Creek 5 mile race earlier this year I came in at 43:46. Another mile.2 at that pace would have put me in at 54:45. I've still got some conditioning to get back, but I believe I can get there.
Eventually.
I thought this article was interesting, as there was a discussion at Emerging Runner about different ways to get faster.
Have a great remainder of the week, and like they say at Runner Academy-
"go out and crush it!"
6.25 miles 56:59
Changed to a different neighborhood this morning for a change a pace, so to speak - it definitely makes things more interesting for me. I didn't go all the way through the Italian 'hood, but stayed more east. I had plans to do a 10k, and at 5 miles felt like stopping, but toughed it out mentally to stick with the plan. I didn't stick closely to the pacing splits, I was supposed to do negatives. Well, you know by now how that usually goes with me.
I'm hoping to do 10, slow, negative split miles on Sunday morning - even if I have to start at 11:30/mile and end at 9:30/mile. Then, maybe a track run for speed, and some local hills before my first half on Saturday the 5th.
I think that will do.
I also think I hit a PR for this distance today. At the Cedar Creek 5 mile race earlier this year I came in at 43:46. Another mile.2 at that pace would have put me in at 54:45. I've still got some conditioning to get back, but I believe I can get there.
Eventually.
I thought this article was interesting, as there was a discussion at Emerging Runner about different ways to get faster.
Have a great remainder of the week, and like they say at Runner Academy-
"go out and crush it!"
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Change of shoes
47°, NNW 3, 79% H, UV 0, Dp 41
Tuesday morning was a great morning for a run. I had to wear long sleeves. I switched from my Ravennas, which have about 260 miles on them, to my Glycerins, which only have 140. I happened to catch a glimpse of the bottoms of my Ravenna's and saw the wear on the shoes, and thought it was about time to stop being so lazy and rotate them. I wear a cadence pod - and although it's not a big deal at all to switch it from shoe to shoe, somehow I must think that the few seconds it will take is going to rob time from my run. Silly me.
My plan was to run by heart rate, but after the short, brisk walk I took to warm up, I just didn't feel like slowing my pace down. And, I only had 30 minutes to run, being that my first appt. was at 9 am. I wasn't feeling any ill effects from Cow Harbor - but I had taken 2 days off. The only issue I had after this morning's run was some tightness around my ankles, but I think that was because I switched shoes.
I have a very busy weekend coming up so I'm hoping to get a long easy run in on Sunday, as Saturday I'm working and then spending the afternoon with a friend and our dogs. I'll be taking my 'local' sister to a running store to get her first pair of proper running shoes for her birthday, as she just recently was able to run her first full mile!
I'm less concerned about the half marathon I'm running on the 5th since I decided to run by effort/heart rate and not time or pace. I'll probably be listening to some Runner Academy podcasts to keep me in 'training' mode, and not let my fight or flight race response kick in. That should be interesting to see how I deal with that.
Tuesday morning was a great morning for a run. I had to wear long sleeves. I switched from my Ravennas, which have about 260 miles on them, to my Glycerins, which only have 140. I happened to catch a glimpse of the bottoms of my Ravenna's and saw the wear on the shoes, and thought it was about time to stop being so lazy and rotate them. I wear a cadence pod - and although it's not a big deal at all to switch it from shoe to shoe, somehow I must think that the few seconds it will take is going to rob time from my run. Silly me.
My plan was to run by heart rate, but after the short, brisk walk I took to warm up, I just didn't feel like slowing my pace down. And, I only had 30 minutes to run, being that my first appt. was at 9 am. I wasn't feeling any ill effects from Cow Harbor - but I had taken 2 days off. The only issue I had after this morning's run was some tightness around my ankles, but I think that was because I switched shoes.
I have a very busy weekend coming up so I'm hoping to get a long easy run in on Sunday, as Saturday I'm working and then spending the afternoon with a friend and our dogs. I'll be taking my 'local' sister to a running store to get her first pair of proper running shoes for her birthday, as she just recently was able to run her first full mile!
I'm less concerned about the half marathon I'm running on the 5th since I decided to run by effort/heart rate and not time or pace. I'll probably be listening to some Runner Academy podcasts to keep me in 'training' mode, and not let my fight or flight race response kick in. That should be interesting to see how I deal with that.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Cow Harbor Recap.
58°, Calm, 92% H, UV 0, 55° Dp
Well.
I just want to start by saying I DID PR.. but only by 56 seconds.
This is my second Cow Harbor 10k. And I can't remember the field being so crowded last year. According to the website however, there were only 5 more people running this year than last (that were timed). So I don't know how or why this year I felt lost in a sea of humanity.
I promised myself I would not weave in and out like I did last year - especially since the humidity was so high. I was very uncomfortable. I remember feeling cold last year to start. But because I held off on the weaving, I was trapped too many times behind groups of people - and then I found myself following someone's cadence far too long, just sort of zoning out. I fell into that trap at least 3 times.
I walked at least 5 times - always just before the crest of the hills. I definitely overdressed. I should not have worn the capris. I was sweating so much, that the earbud to my bluetooth headset kept falling out of my ear! That's a first!
I didn't turn on the Magellan properly. I discovered that on the St. James hill. I didn't have the correct coaching activity on Runmeter, it ended up being my calf recovery program. "Walk 2 minutes, Run 7 minutes". - Ha! Wonderful. I did however, have my sister in Minnesota coaching me throughout the run. I missed a few comments because of my sweaty ear canal, but I'm sure that's too much information.. :)
And of COURSE.. I failed to STOP Runmeter and Magellan at the end. I think I remembered about 1 minute after crossing the finish. And I was NOT smiling as I crossed the finish. So much for any pictures that might have been taken. I thought I did hear someone - about 50 yards or so from the finish call my name and offer words of encouragement. Even if I was imagining it or not, it did get me kicking just a wee bit more. I thought this happened at another race too, but I can't remember now which one. Maybe my subconscious has a male voice! (Totally off topic- with iOS7 I did change Siri's voice to male by the way .. it sounds much more natural than the female voice)
I did not drink beer. I did not see any of my blogger friends. I did not take any goodies, except for a small bag of popcorn. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people today for some reason.
There were plenty of goodies after the race, plenty of water stops. I did not see any clocks - but I believe there were folks with horns calling out the time every other mile or so. As usual, a really well done race. The favorite to win, Mo Trafeh came in 8th overall. Winning time was 29:32, Fernando Cabada from Colorado. A 4:46 pace! I can't even imagine that.
I will train on that course more often for the race next year.
I made it to the baby shower and I did miss the brunch, but the service staff fixed a plate for me when I walked in. I ate most of the fruit and all the bacon and a half a piece of french toast. No butter, no syrup. The mother-to be looked beautiful!
2 weeks until my first Half Marathon.
*snort*
I'm just not ready to break 2 hrs. I think I'll run it 70% max. At an 11:30 pace, that will put me in at 2:30:00. Any faster will be a bonus. Hopefully the weather will be in my favor.
57:22
9:14
45/213 Age
Age graded: 62% - puts me in Local class. This makes me happy.
2153/4577
Video finish
Well.
I just want to start by saying I DID PR.. but only by 56 seconds.
This is my second Cow Harbor 10k. And I can't remember the field being so crowded last year. According to the website however, there were only 5 more people running this year than last (that were timed). So I don't know how or why this year I felt lost in a sea of humanity.
I promised myself I would not weave in and out like I did last year - especially since the humidity was so high. I was very uncomfortable. I remember feeling cold last year to start. But because I held off on the weaving, I was trapped too many times behind groups of people - and then I found myself following someone's cadence far too long, just sort of zoning out. I fell into that trap at least 3 times.
I walked at least 5 times - always just before the crest of the hills. I definitely overdressed. I should not have worn the capris. I was sweating so much, that the earbud to my bluetooth headset kept falling out of my ear! That's a first!
I didn't turn on the Magellan properly. I discovered that on the St. James hill. I didn't have the correct coaching activity on Runmeter, it ended up being my calf recovery program. "Walk 2 minutes, Run 7 minutes". - Ha! Wonderful. I did however, have my sister in Minnesota coaching me throughout the run. I missed a few comments because of my sweaty ear canal, but I'm sure that's too much information.. :)
I didn't think my heart rate looked good at all, (it certainly didn't feel very good) but I think she was just trying to make me feel better! lol!
And of COURSE.. I failed to STOP Runmeter and Magellan at the end. I think I remembered about 1 minute after crossing the finish. And I was NOT smiling as I crossed the finish. So much for any pictures that might have been taken. I thought I did hear someone - about 50 yards or so from the finish call my name and offer words of encouragement. Even if I was imagining it or not, it did get me kicking just a wee bit more. I thought this happened at another race too, but I can't remember now which one. Maybe my subconscious has a male voice! (Totally off topic- with iOS7 I did change Siri's voice to male by the way .. it sounds much more natural than the female voice)
I did not drink beer. I did not see any of my blogger friends. I did not take any goodies, except for a small bag of popcorn. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people today for some reason.
There were plenty of goodies after the race, plenty of water stops. I did not see any clocks - but I believe there were folks with horns calling out the time every other mile or so. As usual, a really well done race. The favorite to win, Mo Trafeh came in 8th overall. Winning time was 29:32, Fernando Cabada from Colorado. A 4:46 pace! I can't even imagine that.
I will train on that course more often for the race next year.
I made it to the baby shower and I did miss the brunch, but the service staff fixed a plate for me when I walked in. I ate most of the fruit and all the bacon and a half a piece of french toast. No butter, no syrup. The mother-to be looked beautiful!
2 weeks until my first Half Marathon.
*snort*
I'm just not ready to break 2 hrs. I think I'll run it 70% max. At an 11:30 pace, that will put me in at 2:30:00. Any faster will be a bonus. Hopefully the weather will be in my favor.
57:22
9:14
45/213 Age
Age graded: 62% - puts me in Local class. This makes me happy.
2153/4577
Video finish
Thursday, September 19, 2013
NOW I can rest.
51°, WSW 3, UV 0, 89% H, Dp 48°
Just a short run in great weather this morning to see what I can do. It looks like I have to run at a 9:00 pace to break last year's Cow Harbor time. Last year I did 9:23 to come in at 58:18.
The 5 miler in Bayville on Sunday was a good run, I managed to average 9:05.
Today, for just under 3 miles I averaged 8:50 - AND I walked toward the end for 20 seconds or so to bring my heart rate down before ending with a bit of a kick. I tried to simulate racing conditions, but decided not to overdo it 2 days before the race. I need to save that frenetic nastiness for Saturday.
I'm also under a little bit of pressure as I said I'd go to a baby shower on Saturday for a friend at work. It starts at 10:00 am - it's a brunch, sit-down-and-served type. It's supposed to last til 1:00. Doubtful I will make it there in time to eat, I may just arrive in time to deliver the gift. I may just bring it in tomorrow to work, and beg out. I haven't decided yet.
Just a short run in great weather this morning to see what I can do. It looks like I have to run at a 9:00 pace to break last year's Cow Harbor time. Last year I did 9:23 to come in at 58:18.
The 5 miler in Bayville on Sunday was a good run, I managed to average 9:05.
Today, for just under 3 miles I averaged 8:50 - AND I walked toward the end for 20 seconds or so to bring my heart rate down before ending with a bit of a kick. I tried to simulate racing conditions, but decided not to overdo it 2 days before the race. I need to save that frenetic nastiness for Saturday.
I'm also under a little bit of pressure as I said I'd go to a baby shower on Saturday for a friend at work. It starts at 10:00 am - it's a brunch, sit-down-and-served type. It's supposed to last til 1:00. Doubtful I will make it there in time to eat, I may just arrive in time to deliver the gift. I may just bring it in tomorrow to work, and beg out. I haven't decided yet.
I'll spend some time visualizing a great race - and try to remember to hydrate and eat well before hand. I'm so convinced it makes a big difference.
Good luck to all those running races this weekend!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Minimal effort 6 miles
49°, NNE 10, 64% H, UV 0, Dp 36
What a beautiful morning for a run! I dressed appropriately. It was cold and windy to start, but about a mile an a half in, I was fine. I decided to run 5 miles at 70% max HR. By halfway through the run I was feeling really good, and decided to then run in the 150s and 160s the rest of the way, letting my perceived exertion
guide me. I found I was able to speed up and slow down and that my heart rate QUICKLY reflected the effort! I'm sure the cool weather was the major player, but for the first time in a long time, I really felt like I had control of the run.
I decided to do a 10k because I could, and the effort was minimal to moderate, so why not?
Glorious, I tell you.
My last run before the Cow Harbor will be a few miles race pace, hopefully Thursday morning.
What a beautiful morning for a run! I dressed appropriately. It was cold and windy to start, but about a mile an a half in, I was fine. I decided to run 5 miles at 70% max HR. By halfway through the run I was feeling really good, and decided to then run in the 150s and 160s the rest of the way, letting my perceived exertion
guide me. I found I was able to speed up and slow down and that my heart rate QUICKLY reflected the effort! I'm sure the cool weather was the major player, but for the first time in a long time, I really felt like I had control of the run.
I decided to do a 10k because I could, and the effort was minimal to moderate, so why not?
Glorious, I tell you.
My last run before the Cow Harbor will be a few miles race pace, hopefully Thursday morning.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
A quick report while I'm on the mend..
54°, WNW 4, 86% H, UV 0, Dp 45
This will be a short post. I developed a nasty ass migraine when I got back from my run, and 4 hours later it's in full bore.
Went to Bayville to do 2 - 3mile loops. Started out too fast. I think I did a decent job of moderating it though, as the run progressed. I remembered I only wanted to run 5, so I cut it short.
I wore my compressions, capris and long sleeve tech shirt, only because I was going to be by the water, and it was brisk this morning. I was too warm at the end of the run.
I achieved my goal of getting an average pace between 9:00 and 9:15 - but did not make good on staying within those limits during the run. I'll try again soon.
This will be a short post. I developed a nasty ass migraine when I got back from my run, and 4 hours later it's in full bore.
Went to Bayville to do 2 - 3mile loops. Started out too fast. I think I did a decent job of moderating it though, as the run progressed. I remembered I only wanted to run 5, so I cut it short.
I wore my compressions, capris and long sleeve tech shirt, only because I was going to be by the water, and it was brisk this morning. I was too warm at the end of the run.
There was a bike ride assembling. I didn't catch the charity.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Yay is for Yasso!
54°, NW 10, 71% H, UV 0, Dp 45
Breathe Right strip. (Secret weapon.)
I went to the track and did a 3 mile warm-up @ 70 % max. It was pretty solid. At about a mile and a half my heart rate monitor shot up to 190 bmp. Ooops. Hardware error. I don't know what that was all about, but it had only happened that one time. It might have skewed things a bit, but I think it was only over the course of 50 or so yards before it fixed itself.
Date Miles Avg HR Avg Pace Time Avg Cadence
8/24 3 144 12:49 00:38:45 no magellan
8/29 3 145 11:30 00:38:01 no magellan
I took out the 5 milers and the 3 milers that had mixed rates. Although I have no stats for cadence for the first 2 of the 3 milers, I was able to increase my cadence this last time around from the previous.
So even though with the hardware glitch that caused logging my HR from 170-190 for a small time, average heart rate was still the lowest yet. And I have to give credit to the cool morning. What a pleasure. It felt like I could have run forever.
Then I decided to do Yasso 800's. This was my first attempt at these. Oooh boy. I had forgotten if I was supposed to run them at race pace or just fast enough to be moderately spent at the end, but the first one was EXHAUSTING. I was able to crank out 3 for another 1.5 miles of speed work, and another half mile of recovery jogs.
Fastest Max Avg
Time Pace Pace HR HR
Lap 1 4:02 7:36 6:50 176 166 (I felt like I went all out 10/10)
Lap 2 4:13 7:59 7:25 177 170 (I deliberately slowed 6/10)
Lap 3 4:14 7:55 7:12 179 171 (feeling challenged 8/10)
These were interspersed with jogging rests (not walking!) between 300-200 meters. I was supposed to have jogged 400 meters in between, but I'll remember that for next time. You can see the 'drift' as my average heart rate gets higher even though I'm running slower. 'Heart rate drift' is a real term and physiologic state that supposedly happens all the time.
Interesting to see it happen to me.
According to Bart Yasso, if I'm able to do 10 of these at around the same time for each one - that's the number I'll be able to run a marathon. So, lets just say I did ten of these babies with similar times. That would have me finish a marathon between 4:00-4:15. Not that I have any plans to do so in the near future. I'm trying to find out how or if this can be correlated for a half marathon.
Does anyone know?
I should have watched this before I decided to tackle these, but here it is from the man himself..
Bart Yasso
On tap for tomorrow is a 5 miler somewhere, I'd like to run it by pace, maybe at about 9:00-9:15. I'm shooting for a 10k race pace of 8:45. I don't know if keeping low nines is possible for me over 5 miles yet, but I'm willing to give it a try.
I hope everyone has great runs this weekend!
Breathe Right strip. (Secret weapon.)
I went to the track and did a 3 mile warm-up @ 70 % max. It was pretty solid. At about a mile and a half my heart rate monitor shot up to 190 bmp. Ooops. Hardware error. I don't know what that was all about, but it had only happened that one time. It might have skewed things a bit, but I think it was only over the course of 50 or so yards before it fixed itself.
Date Miles Avg HR Avg Pace Time Avg Cadence
8/24 3 144 12:49 00:38:45 no magellan
8/29 3 145 11:30 00:38:01 no magellan
9/12 3 146 11:04 00:35:00 88
9/14 3 142 11:17 00:34:13 90I took out the 5 milers and the 3 milers that had mixed rates. Although I have no stats for cadence for the first 2 of the 3 milers, I was able to increase my cadence this last time around from the previous.
So even though with the hardware glitch that caused logging my HR from 170-190 for a small time, average heart rate was still the lowest yet. And I have to give credit to the cool morning. What a pleasure. It felt like I could have run forever.
Then I decided to do Yasso 800's. This was my first attempt at these. Oooh boy. I had forgotten if I was supposed to run them at race pace or just fast enough to be moderately spent at the end, but the first one was EXHAUSTING. I was able to crank out 3 for another 1.5 miles of speed work, and another half mile of recovery jogs.
Fastest Max Avg
Time Pace Pace HR HR
Lap 1 4:02 7:36 6:50 176 166 (I felt like I went all out 10/10)
Lap 2 4:13 7:59 7:25 177 170 (I deliberately slowed 6/10)
Lap 3 4:14 7:55 7:12 179 171 (feeling challenged 8/10)
These were interspersed with jogging rests (not walking!) between 300-200 meters. I was supposed to have jogged 400 meters in between, but I'll remember that for next time. You can see the 'drift' as my average heart rate gets higher even though I'm running slower. 'Heart rate drift' is a real term and physiologic state that supposedly happens all the time.
Interesting to see it happen to me.
According to Bart Yasso, if I'm able to do 10 of these at around the same time for each one - that's the number I'll be able to run a marathon. So, lets just say I did ten of these babies with similar times. That would have me finish a marathon between 4:00-4:15. Not that I have any plans to do so in the near future. I'm trying to find out how or if this can be correlated for a half marathon.
Does anyone know?
I should have watched this before I decided to tackle these, but here it is from the man himself..
Bart Yasso
On tap for tomorrow is a 5 miler somewhere, I'd like to run it by pace, maybe at about 9:00-9:15. I'm shooting for a 10k race pace of 8:45. I don't know if keeping low nines is possible for me over 5 miles yet, but I'm willing to give it a try.
I hope everyone has great runs this weekend!
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