Running to the Beach

Sunday morning's early run with The Emerging Runner (ER) and The Petite Pacer (TPP) was cancelled due to thunderstorms in the forecast until 8am.  I woke up at 8am.  I'm not sure if it even rained.  TPP and I decided to postpone our run until later that afternoon.  I met her in the parking lot of Cedar Creek Park in Wantagh at 3:45pm.  The temperature was 87 degrees.  Perfect weather for a ten miler on the bike path along the Wantagh Parkway.  I'm kidding.  I was actually a little nervous about getting overheated, but my main goal that day was to get the job done.  No excuses.  Heatstroke, shmeatstroke (say that ten times fast).

We ran the first couple of miles in the low 9 minute mile range.  TPP was not used to running so late in the day and the heat was affecting her.  She told me to go ahead while she took a little walking break.  There is no tree cover on the path, but luckily it was mostly cloudy.  I ran over three small bridges where I could catch a slight cross breeze.  Right after Mile 4, I ran through the parking lot of the Jones Beach Theater  (A great summer concert venue, by the way!  Back in another lifetime when I used to go to concerts, I saw Sting, Erasure, Jimmy Buffet, and Duran Duran on many a hot, summer ni-hight ).  I continued past the end of the lot until I hit the 5 mile mark.  On my way back, I checked to see if there were any water fountains at the bay concession stand.  No fountains, but I found something 1000 times better - an outdoor shower!  Hallelujah!  I soaked my head under the cool miracle water.  I felt refreshed and ready to tackle the second half of the run.  I think I might have passed out (or at least developed a nasty headache) had I not taken advantage of the shower.

I finally caught sight of TPP ahead of me around Mile 8.  She was easy to spot because 1) her adorable neon outfit and 2) besides me, she was the only other runner on the path the entire time.  I realized no one else was as stupid intrepid as us to run the path midday in almost 90 degree weather on the longest day of the year when the sun is at its highest.  I finished the 10 miles in 1:29:47, an 8:50 pace.  It should have been slower, especially in the heat.  Bad pacer!  I'll get there.

My least sweaty portrait outside of the

Jones Beach Theater

TPP and me, 

the Wonder Twins!

Speed, Gym, and Rain

Sunday (6/14/15) - 8.04 miles, 1:11:30, 8:53 pace.  I'm still trying to get my pacing right.  I always seem to go out too fast and then try to adjust.

DISTANCE	PACE	ELAPSED TIME
1.0 mi	09:01 min/mi	00:09:00
2.0 mi	08:48 min/mi	00:08:47
3.0 mi	08:45 min/mi	00:08:44
4.0 mi	09:01 min/mi	00:09:00
5.0 mi	08:57 min/mi	00:08:56
6.0 mi	09:04 min/mi	00:09:03
7.0 mi	08:49 min/mi	00:08:49
8.0 mi	08:45 min/mi	00:08:42
8.0 mi	06:53 min/mi	00:00:16

(Just figured out that I can copy my Map My Run splits!  Yes, it only took me a couple of years....)

Monday 6am  (6/15/15) - 6 miles, 54:35, 9:05 pace.  I didn't bring my phone so no data.  I'm loving these early morning runs.  The temperature is cooler, less traffic on the streets, and no worries about Pete freaking out at home with the kids because they're all sound asleep still.

Tuesday 6:20am (6/16/15) - 7.51 miles, 1:01:43, 8:13 pace.  I ran a little over a mile to (and fro) the high school track for my 8 x 600m intervals with 400m recovery laps in between.  There were a handful of other people running and walking around the track which was good because I would have been creeped out if I was alone.

DISTANCE	PACE	ELAPSED TIME
1.0 mi	08:54 min/mi	00:08:53
2.0 mi	08:16 min/mi	00:08:16
3.0 mi	07:50 min/mi	00:07:50
4.0 mi	08:00 min/mi	00:07:59
5.0 mi	07:11 min/mi	00:07:10
6.0 mi	07:55 min/mi	00:07:53
7.0 mi	08:30 min/mi	00:08:30
7.5 mi	08:41 min/mi	00:04:22

I hit my intervals in the 6:40s and my recoveries in the low 9:00s.  I used the school bathroom at Mile 5 (Thank you nice security guard!) and screwed up the mapping, hence the discrepancy.  I adjusted the lapse in my overall time.  Good session.

Wednesday (6/17/15) - Off.  I joined my old gym again.  They had a special for former members:  No money down, $14.99 per month for the first 3 months and then $19.99 for the remainder of a two year contract.  I made the commitment because I wind up joining every winter, anyway.  I'm psyched to have this option again.

Thursday 6:30am (6/18/15) - 6 mile tempo run.  My tempo run pace should be about an 8 minute mile.  The first four miles I went out faster than I thought.

DISTANCE	PACE	ELAPSED TIME
1.0 mi	07:25 min/mi	00:07:25
2.0 mi	07:48 min/mi	00:07:47
3.0 mi	07:50 min/mi	00:07:49
4.0 mi	07:37 min/mi	00:07:35
4.0 mi	07:13 min/mi	00:00:04

I had to stop at home for a bathroom break after four.  I decided to finish up on the treadmill at the gym (Lucky for me I had a new membership!) where I could accurately run my prescribed 8:00 per mile pace.

Friday 6:30am (6/19/15) - 7.05 miles, 1:04:41, 9:11 pace

DISTANCE	PACE	ELAPSED TIME
1.0 mi	08:55 min/mi	00:08:55
2.0 mi	08:53 min/mi	00:08:51
3.0 mi	08:54 min/mi	00:08:52
4.0 mi	09:13 min/mi	00:09:12
5.0 mi	09:22 min/mi	00:09:21
6.0 mi	09:30 min/mi	00:09:29
7.0 mi	09:23 min/mi	00:09:23
7.1 mi	09:05 min/mi	00:00:26

Saturday 8:45am (6/20/15) - 6.55 miles, 58:29, 8:55 pace.

DISTANCE	PACE	ELAPSED TIME
1.0 mi	08:53 min/mi	00:08:53
2.0 mi	09:04 min/mi	00:09:03
3.0 mi	09:24 min/mi	00:09:24
4.0 mi	09:12 min/mi	00:09:10
5.0 mi	09:08 min/mi	00:09:07
6.0 mi	08:08 min/mi	00:08:08
6.6 mi	08:15 min/mi	00:04:35

If you notice the last mile was a minute faster than the previous miles, it was because of the sudden downpour.  The rain was gloriously refreshing, however I was nervous about my phone drowning.

Total Weekly Mileage - 41.2

Hanson Marathon Method Week 2

Sunday (6/7/15) - 8.01 miles, 1:12:50, 9:06 pace - The Hanson Marathon Method has two easy paces: Easy A is for regular easy runs; Easy B is for recovery runs.  My Easy A pace should be about a 9 minute mile and my Easy B should be between a 9:30 and 10.  Perfect Easy A pacing for this run.

Monday (6/8/15) - 6.1 miles, 53:47, 8:49 pace - Too fast.  Still trying to figure out what 9 minute miles feel like.

Tuesday (6/9/15) -  6.5 miles - Speed work at the middle school track.  One mile there; 9x400 (3 intervals short of the requirement, but I had to get my 13-year old off to school)  intervals between between a 5k & 10k pace with easy 400 recovery laps in between; another mile home.  I discovered the middle school track is short.  Next Tuesday I will run to the high school where one lap is exactly 400 meters.

Wednesday (6/10/15) - Off

Thursday (6/11/15) - 6 miles, 55:08, 9:11 pace - Ran with my neighbor.  Good conversation and the easy miles ticked by.  Kept on pace, too!

Friday (6/12/15) - 6.21, 54:05, 8:43 pace - Too fast again.

Saturday (6/13/15) - 6.15, 53:56, 8:46 pace - My daughter had an appointment in Brooklyn at 8:30am so while she was there, I ran on the promenade alongside the Belt Parkway.  I parked on Shore Road close to Owl's Head Park at 9am.  It was a steamy 80 degrees.  I had to use the bathroom (surprise) and luckily there was a porta potty right by the American Veterans Memorial Pier.  There was a group of runners on line wearing race bibs.  I asked the girl ahead of me what the distance and start time were.  A 10k at 10am.  Hmm, I was scheduled to run six, but did I really want to hang out another hour to start and, oh, I had no money on me to register!  I guess I'll pass.

There was a nice cool breeze coming off the Upper New York Harbor.  I felt good running and thought back to my Half Marathon PR that I hit at the same location in 2013.  There were a lot of runners, walkers, and cyclists out, but not so many that they were a disruption.  About a half mile past the Verrazano Bridge I hit the three mile marker (There were actually mile markers due to the race!) and turned around.  I ran up a couple of flights of stairs leading to overpasses just to get the elevation in and work my calves and hamstrings.  I was trying to run slow, however because of the race atmosphere, I found it difficult to stay focused.  I felt energized and great throughout.

Me at the promenade with a poor shot of the 

Verrazano Bridge in the background.

Total Weekly Mileage: 39