NYCM Training: Six weeks down!

Late in the week post...work has gotten crazy busy, but I've still gotten in all my runs! Last week was a pull-back week, but the runs were tough.

Here's how week 6 shaped up:

• Monday: Cardio mash-up including 35 mins elliptical, 5 mins weird stair thing, 5 mins incline walking, 15 mins StairMaster
• Tuesday: 3 mile run, Total Body Conditioning
• Wednesday: 5 mile run
• Thursday: 3 mile run, CNW workout
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 6 mile run down Summer Streets
• Sunday: 9 mile run (9:17 pace) in the rain

Total mileage: 26

Most of the runs were uneventful, but Thursday's early morning run involved a beautiful sunrise...

The always lovely East River

...and a run by Mayor Bloomberg's house:

Gracie Mansion

I actually only recently learned that this is where the mayor lives. I knew it was on the Upper East Side, but I just didn't realize that I ran by it every time I run on the East River!

On Saturday I was tired, so I slept in and didn't get out to run on Summer Streets till 11am, when it was already crazy hot and the streets were FILLED with people. It was definitely fun, but the cyclists were kind of aggressive. I feared for my life a few times and was pretty close to yelling at someone for biking in the running/walking lane. 

Park Avenue - closed down!

I ran all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge and thought about running across, but there were just too many people. It was still so cool to run in the streets rather than the usual Central Park or West Side Highway. 

Headed downtown

I was trying to figure out why I'd never done this before, and I realized I didn't do this last year because I was injured, and the year before I thought I didn't like to run outside (I was still pretty new to running...how wrong I was!). I plan on heading out there this weekend -- I've got 14 miles on the docket!

Sunday it was raining, but I read someone's tweet (I think it was Kelly) that said "A run in the rain beats a run on the treadmill any day!" It was just what I needed to hear to get me running. I decided to run in Central Park since I knew there'd be plenty of crazies like me out there who would be running in the rain and they'd provide excellent company. The first mile was kind of uncomfortable, but once I was fully soaked I just went with it and felt good. (Better than a humid sweaty run like last week!)

Map:

and splits:

• Mile 1 - 9:27
• Mile 2 - 9:09
• Mile 3 - 9:27
• Mile 4 - 9:20
• Mile 5 - 9:26 (took a Gu somewhere in here)
• Mile 6 - 9:16
• Mile 7 - 9:17
• Mile 8 - 9:11
• Mile 9 - 8:56

Total time: 1:23:35, average pace 9:17

I definitely thought about cutting the run short, but I figured, "What's another 9 minutes?" Plus I was already completely soaked, so a little more rain wouldn't hurt.

So glad I finished the run!

Goober.

I look so silly in my hat but I swear that people totally wished they'd worn a hat in the pouring rain. It really helped! 

Once again...soaked.

It was a great little running week!