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

Kidnapped! (Almost)

Two things:

1.  I think someone attempted to kidnap me.

2.  It' s a good idea to leave a pair of sneakers in your car.

(Both these revelations could go hand-in-hand)

I'll tell you about my new sneaker rule first.  We spent an overnight at my sister-in-law's house in Cranbury, New Jersey.  As usual, I am responsible for packing for five people.  Pete packs car snacks and will remind me not to forget the sunblock.  We were already on the Southern State Parkway when I realized I forgot my pocketbook (Okay, I can be a bit absentminded) and, more importantly, my sneakers!  Can we go back? I ask.  Are you nuts?  Pete responds.  We actually weren't that far from home, however the traffic going in the opposite direction back toward our house was crawling, as is typical on the Southern State Parkway.  Pete mentioned he needed to go shopping at Fort Dix, the Army base near my sister-in-law's, so I could pick up a pair of shoes there.  Would spending money on yet another pair of sneakers bother me more than missing a run?  I thought about this for a good minute and a half: I have eight pairs of sneakers already, but only really rotate three of them for my runs.  It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair to keep in the car for running emergencies just like this.  You never know when you'll be away from home and have an impromptu opportunity to go for a run.  I rationalized the frivolity and agreed to another pair (Pretending like I was getting new sneakers reluctantly).

The nice thing about shopping at military exchanges and commissaries is that everything is tax free and most of it is discounted.  Unfortunately, sometimes the stock is limited.  I saw a couple of pairs of  Adidas and Asics for around $60, however none of their women's shoes came in a size smaller than 6.5.  Ugh!  As I was leaving the shoe department, I passed the kids' shoes.  I remembered that my women's size 6 translates into a children's size 4!  And whaddya know, they had a cute pair of Asics just my translated size!  The $40 children's price tag was the icing on the cake.

 Emergency Running Shoes:

When you gotta go,

you gotta go!

After the shopping was done, I went out for my "emergency" run.  I waited until 5pm when the temperature cooled down to 80.  My brother-in-law gave me an easy 7 mile route with just two turns.  As I was heading back, about a mile and a half from their house, I turned onto Old Trenton Road.  A man in a pickup truck at the traffic light rolled his window all the way down and waved enthusiastically for me to come over.  I had my earphones in and at first thought he was my brother-in-law.  As I approached the car, I realized I did not know him at all.  He was a thin older man in his 50s or 60s with a gray beard.  There was a small, yappy Jack Russell in his passenger seat.  Suddenly, every Dateline On OWN abduction came to mind and I quickly turned and kept running past his truck.  I saw him wave after me out of the corner of my eye.   There were cars behind him also waiting for the light so there was no way for him to reverse, if he was so inclined.  Now it's possible he could have wanted directions or some totally innocent request, however his exuberance was odd and off putting.  It was a strange encounter that I'm glad didn't get any stranger.  It made me more aware of how vulnerable we can be, as runners, alone on the streets.  I'm usually on high alert for four-legged fiends, but the two-legged ones can be just as threatening.  Yes, I know I'm suspicious to a fault, but if you're going to ask a young, doe-eyed female runner (Yeah, I'm talkin' about me, smarty-pants!) how to get to the highway, it's better to look like:

than

 

Santa Fe Running

I am not a fan of Long Island living.  I don't like the traffic.  The malls are too crowded.  The suburbs are...well, the suburbs.  Did I mention the traffic?  The one thing I do like about this island of Long is the lack of predators.  I am referring to the non-human predators, the human ones are still out there (Am I the only one who is concerned that the Long Island serial killer has not been caught?  In fact, I think I know someone who might be dating him.  I digress.)  When I go out the door for a run, I do not have to worry about bears or snakes or mountain lions mauling me.  The worst encounter might be with a possum or rabid raccoon (Okay, those are pretty bad, too...).  As much as I can't wait to get the hell out of Dodge, I always fret over where I will do my long runs once I'm out.

Last Friday night I returned from a six day vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  One of my best friends turned 40 so we took our One-of-Us-Is-Turning-Forty vacations.  I flew into Albuquerque from JFK airport Sunday night Monday morning after a three and a half hour delay due to lightning and a sick passenger.  Sitting on the plane waiting to take off was not as bad as you might think, thanks to my last minute seat change to the first row (Sooo worth the extra $45) and my new Hanson's Marathon Method book.  Monday, May 30 was the beginning of the program's Week 1.  The book was a fascinating, easy read.  We finally arrived at the hotel at 6am Monday.

I did my research before I left, meaning I discovered two super important facts related to my running:  1. Santa Fe's elevation is 7,000 feet above sea level (!) and 2. mountain lions have attacked joggers as recently as January of this year. I kept these in mind Monday afternoon when I ventured out for my first New Mexican run.  The Hilton Buffalo Thunder property (Which coincidentally resembles Mereen from Game of Thrones.   Coincidence, because George R.R. Martin lives in Santa Fe!) has a 1.5 mile walking route and a 2.5 mile running route.  I took the latter up a winding hill near the golf course.  The path was empty, possibly because it was midday and freaking hot.  The only people on the golf course were the groundskeepers.  I wondered who might save me if I was attacked by a mountain lion (A remote possibility, but in my head, "possibility" is the key word).  My breathing was labored and I had to walk in a couple of spots.  My Long Island lungs were not used to this elevation.  After 3.6 miles, I decided to finish up at the gym.

Tuesday's run was the same as Monday's, but my breathing was easier.  Wednesday was my scheduled day off, however I decided to run and take Friday off, instead.  We were checking out on Friday and traveling back to New York.  We did a lot of activities, sightseeing, relaxing at a spa, and shopping.  I happened to notice that there were a lot of statues and paintings of mountain lions.  After watching a news segment the night before about a girl killed by a lion while on safari in South Africa, I  got the hint.  Wednesday and Thursday I ran on the treadmill.

View from the hotel running trail.

Running downhill.

Yes, that's snow on top of those mountains.  

In the Southwest.

In June.

Monday 6/1/15 - 6 miles, between an 8:50 and 9:28 pace

Tuesday 6/2/15 - 6 miles, 57:12, 9:32 pace

Wednesday 6/3/15 (Happy birthday, Hiro!) - 6 miles, 57:32, 9:35 pace

Thursday 6/4/15 - 6 miles, 57:32, 9:35 pace

Friday 6/5/15 - Off

Saturday 6/6/15 - 8.05 miles, 1:13:54,  9:11 pace

Sunday 6/7/15 - 8.01 miles, 1:12:50, 9:06 pace

Hanson's Marathon Method calls for all easy runs to be run EASY, for me, no faster than a 9:00 pace.  It takes some getting used to.  We shall see...

Hoka, Lime, and Sneaker

(Get it?)

I had been in search of Hoka One One sneakers for months.  The regular price ranges from $130 to $170, a pretty penny indeed.  I was hoping to find a discounted pair online, however they were never available in my size, Delicate Petite.  Instead, the ones that are marked down tend to be Size Clown or Sasquatch (No offense to clowns, sasquatches or anyone with feet larger than a women's 6.  I'm sure your feet have served you well.   Mine just happen to be unusually dainty and attractive.)  (Oh, I'm kidding, they're just as calloused and stinky as yours...).  I finally came to terms with the fact that I will have to pay full price.  I called a local running store that went ahead and ordered a pair in my size.  They come in many styles and colors, I wound up with the Cliftons in coral.  Not my first choice (I preferred lime), but beggars can't be choosers.  I was happy to learn that everything in the store is 15% off, so I paid $120, including tax.

The next day I couldn't wait to try them out.  I laced them up (wrong) and the first thing I noticed was that I was now tall (relatively speaking).  Cool!  It's like wearing high heels without the excruciating discomfort.  I pranced out the front door and began my 6.4 mile test run, not before tripping down the path to the sidewalk.  I worried that I might be falling all over the place due to this new height, but luckily that was my only misstep.  So what was it like?  I told Freighbor it was like running on pillows filled with clouds and rainbows!  The cushion felt great on my bones.  Plus, they are so lightweight, it's literally like running on air.  I have been running in them ever since with no hip pain or stumbles.  You might say, I'm Hoka-ed (Get it?).

left to right: Right & Left 

Friday (5/22/15) - 6.4 miles

Saturday (5/23/15) - 3.5 miles

Monday (5/25/15) - 9 miles - Tough run at 1pm in 80 degree humidity at the Massapequa Preserve.  There were a lot of people enjoying the holiday on the path, I was not one of them.  I wished my running buddies were there with me.  

Tuesday (5/26/15) -3.66 miles, 32:10, 8:47 pace - Around the reservoir in Hempstead Lake Park with Pete.  Hot and humid again (And it's not even summer!)

Thursday (5/28/15) - 6 miles, 49:30ish, 8:15ish pace - Early morning run in 70 degrees.  

Total Mileage - 28.56 miles

Go Army!

At 7:00am I got a message from my friend, Michele, that registration for the Army Ten Miler opened a half hour earlier.  I already had this on my calendar, but was not sure I would sign up mainly because my St. George Marathon is the weekend before the Ten Miler.  This would mean possibly being MIA from the family two weekends in a row - not only during soccer season, but on a tournament weekend.  I asked Pete his thoughts on the matter and he said, "Sign up."  Well, that was easy.  The site was slow as snails, but at least it hadn't shut down yet (which happened a couple of hours later when I tried to check out the course).  After a great display of uncharacteristic patience, I was in.  Michele got in, too.  She was the main reason I had any interest in this particular race.  As a DC area resident and avid runner, she said this was by far her favorite local race, better than the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon.  Ten miles is a great distance and who better to run with than a bunch of soldiers?  There will be 35,000 runners, maybe the largest race at this distance in the country.  I am psyched.  Dare I say, "Ooo-rah!"

Wednesday (5/13/15) - 5 miles

Friday (5/15/15) - 5 miles

Saturday (5/16/15) - 5.61 miles 

Sunday (5/17/15) - 7.3 miles - The Petite Pacer and I ran 3.3 miles together at Bethpage State Park before meeting up with The Emerging Runner  (ER) for another 4.  Traditional Starbucks post-run coffee.

Tuesday (5/19/15) - 4.23 miles

Total Mileage:  27.14 miles

left to right:  ER, CSI: NY, and L&O:SVU

(Only one of us has not been cancelled)

Fire!

I went to a new orthopedist yesterday, Dr. Brian Neri at Pro Health Sport Medicine.  The office is large and bustling, however I never felt like I was getting lost in the shuffle.  First, they x-rayed me in the office which was very convenient.  After, I met with the doctor.  I told him that I thought it was bursitis from running, however, after taking a few days off, my hip actually felt 95% better.  He stretched out my right leg and then put pressure on parts of my upper thigh.  Nada.  He then put pressure right on the outer rounded part of my hip and bingo!  He chuckled a little which I thought was odd.  He then explained that he is actually writing a paper on this particular injury.  It is "tensor fascia lata enthesopathy" which is such a strange  coincidence because that was my nickname in high school.  He said he has only seen this condition in female runners, never male runners and never females who don't run.  It is similar to shin splints, except on the hip.  He said my x-rays looked great (I'm pretty photogenic) and I'm likely on the mend.  If it gets worse, I should go to a physical therapist or consider a deep muscle massage.  He also didn't think I would have any difficulty starting my marathon training in a couple of weeks.  I left the appointment feeling optimistic and couldn't wait to get home for a run.

Tuesday (5/12/15) - 4 miles, 32:47,  8:10 pace.  I went out at 2:30pm.  Although, it was 88 degrees and humid, the breeze never made me feel overheated.  On my second mile as I turned onto Maple Avenue, I could see some smoke in the distance.  As I got closer, I saw that there were some bushes on fire next to an office building.   Within minutes, the fire spread up the entire outer wall, as well as the Lexus SUV parked closest to the building.  The office workers who were inside evacuated.  A policeman strolled casually from the station house which just happens to be across the street.  He didn't seem impressed or alarmed.  I decided to keep running when some people mentioned the car might explode.  At that point, the fire trucks came howling down the street.  Almost a mile away, I could still smell the smoke thanks to the breeze.

Wednesday ( 5/13/15)- 5 miles, 42:08, 8:26 pace.  I ran past the building again today:

Someone didn't drive home yesterday.

Ready Or Not...

The week of April 26th, I ran four miles three times.  Last week, I ran twice, four miles on May 5 and five on the 7th.  Needless to say, I am still experiencing hip pain.  Whenever I felt good enough to run, I bolted out the door...but then like clockwork, my right hip would start acting up again for days afterwards.  It is not a debilitating pain, but enough to cause me concern that if I push it, I might do some serious damage.  I have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow.  Fingers crossed he will tell me it is not a big deal and I will be 100% to run 50 miles per week by June 1st because...

...last Thursday I received an email congratulating me on getting into the St. George Marathon!  I am so excited!!!  Apparently, this is the first year that everyone who applied was accepted.  As much as I wanted to run these past few days, I have refrained.  I am doing my best to be good so I can be great in a couple of weeks.  Having strep throat over the weekend helped.

Here are a couple of non-running related pictures from when I was non-running:

Girls' manicure on Mother's Day

Noodles with my Schnoodles at Ichibantei

in the East Village, the perfect place

 when you're in the mood

for Japanese food and Reggae.