18 miles and 16 Handles

On Saturday, I was meant to run 18 miles. As I'd indicated on Twitter earlier in the week, I had a weird pain from my lower back to my upper hamstring that made it hurt to sit, and I even woke up in the middle of the night a few times throughout the week. It got better as the week went on, and stretching definitely improved it. I always make sure to stretch and foam roll after every run, especially after getting injured last July, so I thought it might be something worse when Saturday rolled around and I still had a twinge of pain. I decided to not take any chances (especially after reading this article about a pain in the butt) and hopped on the elliptical for an hour, making sure to stretch a lot afterward.

Honestly, I'd been dreading this run all week, and even woke up from a dream one morning thinking, "I don't WANT to run 18 miles today..." even though it was only Tuesday. For some reason, I'd woken up feeling PUMPED about running 17 miles, but 18...I don't know, I just couldn't get excited about it, which definitely contributed to my thinking I might be on my way to a debilitating hamstring injury. I must remember to always think positively, but I think I was also feeling some sort of pain, so it was good for me to listen to my body and not push it when it didn't want to be pushed.

Sunday morning rolled around though, and even after a fun night out with friends, I braved Central Park for a shot at 18 miles. For some reason, it seemed I didn't read the weather very well. I thought it sounded like it would be similar to the previous weekend, so I wore an almost identical outfit with just an extra tank top under my T-shirt. I figured if I was chilly I'd warm up soon enough.

Ten miles later the chill hadn't warn off. I was freezing and thought I'd swing by my apartment to grab a long-sleeved shirt before continuing on. But then I had a more brilliant idea -- run to the GYM and finish the run up there! It would be warm and I still had another Gu and water in my CamelBak! So I ran two more miles to get to 12, then finished up the final six on the treadmill.


Splits:

• Mile 1: 10:11
• Mile 2: 10:22
• Mile 3: 9:54
• Mile 4: 10:03
• Mile 5: 9:53
• Mile 6: 9:46
• Mile 7: 9:52
• Mile 8: 9:51
• Mile 9: 9:48
• Mile 10: 9:31
• Mile 11: 9:42
• Mile 12: 9:30 

I ran the 12 miles in 1:58:29, for a 9:52 average. I didn't stop to take any pictures in the park, mostly because I was cold and didn't want to stop for anyone or anything (including any birds that might come my way*).

And here's a blurry iPod picture of the treadmill:

Also a 9:52 average! Go figure.

None of this run was pretty, but I got it done and I couldn't be happier about that! I rewarded myself with a manicure and a trip to 16 Handles for some much needed frozen yogurt and bountiful toppings. It really is the perfect reward after a tough run, though really, I could have totally used a full body massage...maybe next week.

This morning I was meant to pump some iron at Total Body Conditioning, or just do a weights workout on my own, but these options did not tempt me. My legs hadn't had a break since Sunday (I ran 5 miles on Monday) and they begged me not to torture them with squats. Instead, I clicked open ExerciseTV and did Bethenny Frankel's yoga. I was skeptical at first because I thought she might be leading the video, and as much as I enjoy her show, I didn't see her as an instructor. Thankfully, there was a totally likable yogi master instructing, and the hour flew by. It was challenging but interesting, and I really enjoyed the video. It helped open up my hips and stretch out my hamstrings, which I really needed. I think I'll be doing it again in the near future!

*I think I identified the type of bird that flew into my head! I had a look when I was running in the park, and I believe it was a starling:

Source

which, naturally, has an interesting factoid connected to Central Park:

"The year was 1890 when an eccentric drug manufacturer named Eugene Schieffelin entered New York City's Central Park and released some 60 European starlings he had imported from England. In 1891 he loosed 40 more. Schieffelin's motives were as romantic as they were ill fated: he hoped to introduce into North America every bird mentioned by Shakespeare." - New York Times article

 Who knew?

Done and done

Yesterday was kind of a big day for me. I ran the farthest I've ever run at one time, and I'm pretty pumped about it. I woke up feeling excited but nervous about what the day held: a 17 mile run. I ran 12 miles last week, and those miles were TOUGH. I knew going into it with a good mental attitude would help power me through those 170 minutes of non-stop running, so I stayed positive. I also did something new with my music, listening to two episodes of NPR's This American Life before switching to some pump-up tunes. The TAL episodes helped the first two hours go by quickly but didn't psych me up/make me run super fast like some songs can do. I felt like my pace was manageable for 17 miles, and in the end, it definitely was!

I decided that instead of doing almost-three loops of Central Park, I would go back to running in one of my favorite spots, the West Side Highway. It was a beautiful day and I set out in a T-shirt and cropped running pants around noon. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea though, and it was pretty crowded out there. I was dodging strollers, dogs, and other runners the whole time, but it was really a great run. I made it almost to the tip of Manhattan before I turned around at 8.25 miles, and added some mileage on the way back by running out on some the piers/parks.

At 14 miles, I was elated -- it was the farthest I'd ever run and I was still going! It was definitely a motivator to keep going. At times, I thought to myself, "You know, it'd be OK if you just ran 15 or 16 miles instead of 17. 17 is FAR." I'd usually counter that with, "Well, it'd only be 10 or 20 minutes more if I just run 17, so why don't I just run 17?" That definitely did the trick!

Here's my map:
Splits:

• Mile 1: 10:04
• Mile 2: 9:33
• Mile 3: 9:50
• Mile 4: 9:54
• Mile 5: 10:00
• Mile 6: 9:49
• Mile 7: 9:56
• Mile 8: 9:54
• Mile 9: 9:56
• Mile 10: 9:42
• Mile 11: 9:43
• Mile 12: 9:37
• Mile 13: 9:22
• Mile 14: 9:43
• Mile 15: 9:45
• Mile 16: 10:11 <-- running/falling up the stairs to get from the river to street level
• Mile 17: 9:35

Average pace: 9:48. I took two Powerade gels with me, and took them around miles 8 and 14. They definitely help -- though I had my usual breakfast, I could feel that I needed some calories and these little guys really do the trick. Along with the gels, I was pretty darn geared up:

Post-run with SpiBelt, CamelBak, iPod and headphones. Not pictured: Garmin

I sometimes feel super lame when I'm out running with all this STUFF...like maybe other runners are calling me a nerd runner for having all this gear, like maybe they think I'm just running three miles and am overdoing it a bit...but I just keep on going, knowing this stuff is useful to me. I don't usually run with my CamelBak, but I bought it this summer for fall marathon training and found it to be useful then. Since I didn't want to go 17 miles without any hydration (water fountains are still turned off on the West Side Highway!), I thought it would be a good thing to have...and it definitely was!

Here are some photos from my lovely run:

Oh hellooo there Statue of Liberty, aren't you looking liberated?

View of the Empire State Building from Tribeca

Today I did some yoga to help stretch me out. Even though I spent 20 solid minutes stretching yesterday, I knew more stretching wouldn't hurt, and it's nice to do something active the day after a long run.

Next week: 18 miles. Woo! I'm now infinitely more confident that I can do 18 now that I've successfully tackled 17 miles. 

BK to UES

It all started when my boss emailed me asking if I'd like to run a race in Brooklyn for his friend who had signed up for a race but realized she would be out of town and didn't want it to go to waste. I said yes -- I mean, I had to run anyway! He suggested I run back home after the race, which would up my mileage to my planned 11- to 12-mile run, which sounded great. Central Park is beautiful, but it can get a little old...perhaps a change of scenery would do me good?

The night I agreed to do it, I had second thoughts...Brooklyn is pretty far from my apartment, it might rain, it was cold...excuse after excuse. Lame! The next day, I nearly backed out of it, but finally decided I'd see how I felt Saturday morning. I'm getting used to Eastern Standard Time after a two-week vacation in Asia, so I've been going to bed super early and getting up early pretty easily, so I woke up at 6am today with no problem.

Then I had an internal debate...

AAAHHH it's soooo far to go to Brooklyn (it really is an hour-long trip).
...but you'll get to change up your route and have a fun!
OMG but it's soooo dark outside! I definitely cannot go to Brooklyn in the dark.
...but it'll be sunny soon enough! And it'd be better to get the run done with now!

So I decided to go. I grabbed half a bagel with almond butter and half a banana and ate it on the go. The E was running on the F line, but not all the way to Brooklyn, and the F was running on the A line for a while...it took some time, but I got there on time! I ran 4 miles in the race in Prospect Park, followed by a 9 mile jaunt to Manhattan, 8 miles of which were run and 1 mile walked. It's nice to see my Garmin map look different!


Splits:

• Mile 1 - 9:40
• Mile 2 - 9:25
• Mile 3 - 8:48
• Mile 4 - 9:19
• Mile 5 - 9:32
• Mile 6 - 9:26
• Mile 7 - 9:32
• Mile 8 - 10:29 < -- I got a bit lost trying to find the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge
• Mile 9 - 9:12
• Mile 10 - 11:12 < -- I think the Garmin went a bit wonky...I was definitely running faster than this!
• Mile 11 - 9:26
• Mile 12 - 9:12

Average pace: 9:36. I'll take it! After a two week break from running, I was pretty pleased that I finished 12 miles! It was so fun to change up my route. After the race, I ran along Prospect Park West to the top of the park, then to Flatbush Avenue, then across the Manhattan Bridge to Chinatown, up Bowery, over to 2nd Ave, and up to my home on the Upper East Side. Across the bridge I had some fun views too:

On the bridge itself

View of the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan from the Manhattan Bridge

Next week is my farthest run yet though...17 miles. And since I missed a 14- and 15-mile run while I was on vacation, it'll be interesting to see how it goes. 

You can't make this stuff up

Today marks the single most bizarre running experience I've had in my two years of running. I'm sure we've all had strange things happen to us while running, but this is one for the books. If you have had something comparable to this happen to you, please share. I need to know I'm not alone.

First, the run! I had 12 miles on the agenda today, and since it's my last long run before I go on vacation, I knew it had to be a good one and I knew running with a friend would make it all the better. My wonderful friend and marathoner Shawna agreed to join me and we set out around noon to tackle 12 miles in Central Park. Even though it was in the chilly low 30s, after the first mile I actually said it felt so much warmer than last week! But really, anything would be...it was frigid last week!

It was so great to have someone to talk to while I ran -- it gave us a chance to catch up and do something together that Shawna actually first introduced me to. She was the first person in college I remember going for runs, and she was the one who told me I really needed to run outdoors to get better. She ran the Chicago marathon in October and is in general a badass runner. Unfortunately, she's been suffering from an injury and had to stop after the first six miles (definitely a smart move! Better to stop when it hurts than keep going and risk further injuring it!).

After Shawna dropped off, I kept going. At 6.5 miles, the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me while running occurred. I was running by The Boathouse and sort of noticed that there were a bunch of birds starting to fly. Assuming, as most people would, that they would avoid running into people (when have you ever seen a bird run into a person?!), I kept running.

*THUNK*

A (rather large, from the sound and feel of it) bird FLEW STRAIGHT INTO MY HEAD AT FULL SPEED. Flew. Into my head. HIT ME ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD. As far as I know, that bird is now dead, because it FLEW INTO MY HEAD. Let me tell you, that thunk was LOUD. At that, I just started laughing. WTF?!?! What kind of bird flies directly into a person? Sure, I can understand getting sucked into a jet engine, but birds seem to be generally quite good at avoiding people, poles, even windows! Perhaps I was just running so fast that it didn't have time to avoid me...yes, that MUST be it.

I kept going and just started laughing and asking, "What the hell just happened?" I mean, what else can you do? My head hurt, like someone had thrown a rock at it, but when something like that happens, you just have to laugh. And of course, I was not alone by The Boathouse when this happened. First, a guy ran by me and asked if I was OK, expressing that that was truly a strange thing to have seen, and then a girl ran by saying pretty much the same thing. I said I was OK, that it hurt, and gave a general WTF face. I had 5.5 more miles to run though, so I kept going. I know a bird pooping on your head is good luck, but can a bird flying into your head be even better luck? Let's hope so.

Here's today's run from the Garmin:
Splits:

• Mile 1 - 9:45
• Mile 2 - 9:29
• Mile 3 - 9:39
• Mile 4 - 9:32
• Mile 5 - 9:38
• Mile 6 - 9:23 (had a Gu at mile 6)
• Mile 7 - 9:22
• Mile 8 - 9:14
• Mile 9 - 9:32
• Mile 10 - 9:15
• Mile 11 - 9:09
• Mile 12 - 8:53

Clearly, the bird flying full speed into my head gave me some additional speed!

Every Friday I wonder which day I'll do my long run, and I'm always glad when I do it on a Saturday. Shawna and I had discussed running on Sunday, but I woke up today thinking it would be better to get it done on Saturday so I could focus on last-minute errand running on Sunday (I leave for China on Friday!). It was definitely the right choice -- I love feeling like I accomplished something so big and can relax and not worry about it for the rest of the weekend.

As I mentioned, I'm going on vacation on Friday, visiting my brother in China with stops in Thailand and Hong Kong with my family. I think the hotels in the cities should have gyms, but I definitely won't be able to stay on top of the marathon training schedule the whole time. I'm going to do my best to keep the balance -- run a few miles a few times a week if possible, bring along my resistance cords, and walk as much as possible! As my dad pointed out, now is probably the best possible time for me to take this vacation since I'm in great shape (best shape I've been in since I started working out! Woo!). I'll lose a little fitness, I'm sure (Beijing is not known for its smog-free sky!), but hopefully I'll be able to gain it back relatively easily when I return.

So now, I need to know a couple of things. First off, how do you stay fit while you're traveling? And second, can you top my bizarro bird story? Please share!

Aaand I'm back...again...

Hopefully for good!

I'm training for the Potomac River Run now. I'm four weeks in and so far, so good! I'm using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 training program and I'm enjoying it. I've edited it a bit to include speedwork and tempo runs, plus I'm running Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and a long run on a weekend day, doing Total Body Conditioning Tuesdays, and resting on Fridays. I'm going to try really, REALLY hard not to get injured this time...I want to bump up my strengthening workouts, which I think will help keep me from getting injured, and I've been sure to stretch a lot following all workouts. I want to try to get yoga into my schedule too, even if it's just on Exercise TV, a podcast, or the NYSC classes. And I want to make sure I'm always wearing the right shoes!

Yesterday was my long run (11 miles). I knew it was going to be cold this weekend, so I was really dreading my run when I checked weather.com and saw this:

FEELS LIKE 11!!!???

Then I remembered this race, when it was 18 degrees, and I knew I could do it if I tried. I figured it would be better to get it done with on Saturday rather than wait till Sunday (plus I had a friend's birthday brunch to attend!) so I headed out just before noon and was back by 2pm. It was sunny, and it was cold, but it was also a GREAT run:

• Mile 1 - 10:16
• Mile 2 - 9:39
• Mile 3 - 9:28
• Mile 4 - 9:41
• Mile 5 - 9:31
• Mile 6 - 9:38 (had a Powerade gel at 6 miles)
• Mile 7 - 9:21
• Mile 8 - 9:32
• Mile 9 - 9:26
• Mile 10 - 9:33
• Mile 11 - 9:04

There had been a half-marathon in Central Park earlier in the day, so the roads in the park were totally clear. There were quite a few people out running, but the runners weren't the only ones working up a sweat -- I saw quite a few people sledding and even some cross country skiers!

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the gym today, but I did get to do some fun stuff like eat brunch and watch football. Could be worse :)

Three miles planned for tomorrow...according to weather.com, it'll be 3 degrees and feel like -7 when I head to the gym. The high for the day is 16! EEK! Is it spring yet?

Inspiration for the day

"...anything is possible and your limits might not be where you think that they are. I'm continually surprising myself by what I can achieve."

- British Ironwoman Chrissie Wellington 

Read the full article here.

I've recently been thinking about the need to push myself and the idea that I am probably able to run faster than I am allowing myself. I like feeling comfortable and like I can breathe, but every now and again it's helpful to get out of the comfort zone and really feel my lungs burn. I feel stronger when that happens, and I know that I can do it. The trick is to not get injured in the process...

Race recap: Race to Deliver

The Race to Deliver was my first race since I started running again, and it was only the second time that I'd run outside since then (the first time was just a week prior!). I had been a bit hesitant about running outdoors since my injury since maybe running on the pavement had added to the stress reaction, but I was excited to finish my 9+1 qualifier for the 2011 NYC Marathon and was ready to do my best and have an easy run. But with a new Girl Talk album on my iPod, an easy run was just not possible.

I love living so close to the start line of most of the NYRR races -- I can walk over there five minutes before the race starts and don't have to wait around in the cold. It was pretty cold that morning too, about 40 degrees, but my trusty Runner's World "What Should I Wear?" tool told me two layers on top, shorts, and gloves would be all I needed. I arrived at the start line and saw people in running tights, fleeces, hats, mittens and more, and I doubted my clothing choice. After all, there's not too much sun on the four-mile course, and it wasn't even 40 degrees out yet! But once I got a mile in, I knew I'd made the right decision -- I even took off my gloves and wished I had one less layer on top. And...I was going fast! My Garmin (map and splits to come!) even said I was sub-9:00 pace for a couple of miles, so I gunned it pretty much the whole race, hoping to improve my previous 4-mile PR of 36:00...and I did! By one whole second! I really do have a thing for improving times by mere seconds this year. I'm going to take that as a sign that I should work on my speed workouts.

On top of the race last weekend, I also volunteered the day before at the Knickerbocker 60K -- yes, SIXTY kilometers, as in 37.2 miles, as in 11 miles on top of a marathon! The people in the race (all 214 of them) started at 8 a.m., ran 1.2 miles, then ran nine loops of a four-mile course. Talk about monotony! The volunteers and I would yell out the numbers of the runners as they came by each loop, encouraging them -- I loved seeing the smile on their faces as they ran past us! We had quite a few people come up and ask us what was happening, how far 60 kilometers was, what on EARTH would possess a person to run such a distance, etc. It was really fun to watch, but it's not something I ever plan on doing in the future!

As for my running, I've been having some weird pain in the left leg again (in a totally different place from the stress reaction), but I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill over Thanksgiving and felt pretty good! I think I'm finally getting back into it, but I feel like I need/want something to train for to get me doing those speed workouts and long runs. I honestly really enjoy running in the cold, but I don't live anywhere near the Westside Highway anymore and I'm not the biggest fan of Central Park's hills, so I don't know how much I'll get outside this winter. Hopefully I can run along the East River at least a little bit!

Here's to a running-filled and injury-free winter!