Depending on how you look at it, the Ugly Mudder is either the first race of the season, or an off-season race. Either way, it was my first time racing since the Philly Marathon Half-Marathon in November. And it went ok. Don't know that I enjoyed myself as much as I should have, although I finished around where I expected to. It's not a great fit for me, though. It's a hard race, and that's part of it – but there are some harder races that I like more.
In part, I find the 11 am ('ish') start time a challenge. When do you eat? But much of it goes back to the fundamental issue I have with racing: I'm a better trail runner than road runner; I'm a natural negative splitter; and trail running favors positive splitting. And Ugly Mudder really favors positive splitting. It's a huge race – 700 people? Maybe 800? On some pretty narrow trails. So even more than most, it's imperative to start out at least ok and get position. But I overdid it, so that I was pretty beat 15 minutes in, knowing that I had around 45 to go. And it's not a very forgiving race. It's some of the same trails as Half-Wit (albeit in the opposite direction), but I'd say that mile-for-mile it's a harder race. Similar hilliness, but trickier footing. And while there are fewer sustained climbs, there are more short but ridiculously steep, no-way-you-could-run-that climbs. So when you're realizing, ¼ of the way in, that you're kinda spent, there's not a lot of opportunities to get that energy back.
Unlike a lot of other runners, I did manage to stay on my feet. Even more surprising, I managed to stay on course – which many other runners didn't. Someone – again! - had stolen some of the trail directions, causing mass chaos. I was among the least affected, although among those most affected, some had to run extra, others less. So I suspect that I wound up around where I would have – with some who should be behind me ahead, and some who should be ahead, behind.
My goal had been top 35, and I wound up in the high-20s, so, yes, goal achieved. One guy I'd almost caught a few times 2 years ago, then couldn't get close to last year, finished right in front of me. I mean right - I was sprinting at the finish line and he didn't beat me by a full foot. I'd consider this a significant accomplishment, if I didn't know that he'd been part of the group that ran extra.
So that's where things stand now. I've had a good off-season, and this was a good benchmark, especially since I won't get to run Tyler. And who knows what's next? Apparently there's less sleep in my future, and that can't help things much. But then, maybe it can – sacrifice a few minutes, chill out some, and enjoy myself more. We'll see.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Best Runs of the Year – 2010
2010 has been a good year for running. Helen and I re-ran some classic routes and discovered some new ones. We ran in Philly and New England, we ran in France, and we ran in Morocco. We've now run together in five countries on four continents and, by my count, seven U.S. states. We had some of our biggest adventure runs this year – no monkeys, perhaps, but there were some rather ominous cows, some major climbs, and some serious weather.
A good year for running, although I'm not sure I could call it a great year for running. Helen was dinged-up for much of it, pregnant for the rest, with some overlap to boot. This ruled out epic runs like our '08 mountain runs in Provence and Hong Kong, and our biggest adventure journey – a day in the Atlas mountains of Morocco – was a hike instead of a run. And it wasn't a great year for racing. I did PR in the half-marathon, and ran my first ultra; on the down side, though, the streak ended, and the last 10 miles of that ultra were pretty dreary.
But there were still more great runs than anyone deserves, and it's nice to take the time to relive some of them. So, here they are, in chronological order:
The Abbreviated-Four-Corners-Extended-Cake Run
This winter was different from previous winters just in the sheer quantity of snow here in Philly. Eventually I'd get tired of it, but at this point, we weren't there yet. Helen and I had planned on running the four corners with fellow wanderers Leo and Pete. It's a daunting run in any conditions, but with over a foot of fresh powder, there was No Way. What was supposed to be 21 miles in around 3.5 hours became 12 in three-plus hours. But what it lacked in speed and distance it made up for in pure fun. And cake!
The Pre-Wedding run
This run starts off a good series. This was, in one sense, just the normal Thursday-night Wanderers run. But since it was two days before our wedding, we treated that run as the start of our wedding festivities. got some extra friends to join us, ran in our 'bride and groom' baseball caps... there was even more cake afterward!
Running in Nice
We did a few runs in Nice, but it was the first one that stands out – running up in the hills above the city, going up in the gardens and the smaller roads in the hills. The conditions, the new scenery, made the run great; but it was also a great feeling being there, the relaxation of the honeymoon, the break in our routines.
Running through the Medina
The next great Honeymoon Run.
We'd had a great hike in the Atlas Mountains the day before. Beautiful, empty, with great vistas. Walking around Marrakesh had been different – exciting but hectic, with pedestrians, donkeys, motorcycles and cars all hustling for the same space. Early in the morning? That's a different story. So Helen and I woke up early and headed out, running free through the streets before the hustle began.
Running in Essouria
This was the other city in Morocco we visited – along the Atlantic coast. The city itself is quite small, so when we ran we ventured outside of it. We found some roads that followed along the ocean – one was clearly *the* place to run, but the other – a quasi-abandoned quasi-road – that was the fun part. We were brave and went past the cows that were off to the side of the road. The next hear, though, the ones blocking the road – that's where we decided to turn back. A few too many bulls.
Double Trouble
This year, we decided to do it up, and do the whole thing twice. Not sure it was the wise thing, but it worked out well for Helen, as she was able to win the long version going away. (We later learned that she was pregnant during the race, but we didn't know that then). I struggled in the last quarter of the race, but I enjoyed the first three quarters a lot, and also enjoyed hanging out in the park afterward.
Beartown State Forest
Helen and I have been going to Beartown State Forest for a few years, almost every time we go up to Great Barrington. We'd always been trying to find routes to take along the trails and skipping the roads. This time, though, we were wary of doing the actual trails. (I don't remember why exactly – Helen's ankle maybe?) So instead of the trails, we stuck with the roads in the park. Turns out they're *great* running roads. Like a network of Forbidden Drives. We'd been avoiding them the whole time, but it turns out that they might be what's best about running in the park.
Half-Wit Half
This is an annual. It's almost at the point that it's what I think of when I think of summer. Running through the woods, up and down the crazy hills (and stairs!), trying to stay on course. This was the second straight year that I stayed on course, and the second straight year I age-grouped. It was the first year that I wasn't faster than the year before, and Helen only finished second (I know, right?). I also felt like I left a minute or two on the course, but you know what? That was ok – part of the fun of half-wit is running it, but a lot of the fun is hanging out afterward, sitting around with the horde of other Wanderers.
Stumpy's Marathon
This wasn't a normal marathon; it was a trail run guaranteed to be "at least" 26 miles, running through the woods in Delaware. It took me 4 hours - I was able to run the first three hours with Bob Reynolds. Keeping up with him for those three hours probably hurt me during the fourth, though – something of a death-march toward the end. I liked the approach, though, and I liked those woods. And I liked the fact that I was able to just go out and run 26 miles and not have to spend two weeks tapering and then two recovering.
The Hamlet run
During the fall, I'd run home from work once most weeks. It takes some planning, because while I can bring as much stuff *too* work as I want, I try to run home with as little as possible – usually, a few bucks, my keys, my faculty i.d. Leaving my phone at home is easy enough. The course reading is the complication. Sometimes I'll scan something in and email it home; sometimes it doesn't matter, because I've taught the material enough to not have to worry about it. But in mid-semester I was teaching Hamlet for the first time, and didn't want to go two days without the book. In part, it was for class prep, in part it was just because I wanted to keep reading it. So I put my copy of Hamlet in a plastic bag and ran home – 11 miles – with the book in my hand.
The run wasn't great, to be honest – it certainly wasn't one of the year's best. But I've been looking for an excuse to write about running 11 miles with a copy of Hamlet in my hand, and this was it.
Philly Marathon Half-Marathon
It was a great year for running; it wasn't a great year for racing. But I did manage to PR at the Philly Marathon Half-Marathon, beating my previous time by a minute on a beautiful fall day.
Racing-wise, I don't know what's in store for next year. I'm thinking about focusing more on 5ks and 10ks. I've definitely got no plans to race another marathon.
But running will have to take a back seat, too... runner # 3 is on his way, but it's gonna take him a little while to get up to speed. For now, I'm thankful for the year of running that we've had, and I'm looking forward to all of the adventures that 2011 has in store.
A good year for running, although I'm not sure I could call it a great year for running. Helen was dinged-up for much of it, pregnant for the rest, with some overlap to boot. This ruled out epic runs like our '08 mountain runs in Provence and Hong Kong, and our biggest adventure journey – a day in the Atlas mountains of Morocco – was a hike instead of a run. And it wasn't a great year for racing. I did PR in the half-marathon, and ran my first ultra; on the down side, though, the streak ended, and the last 10 miles of that ultra were pretty dreary.
But there were still more great runs than anyone deserves, and it's nice to take the time to relive some of them. So, here they are, in chronological order:
The Abbreviated-Four-Corners-Extended-Cake Run
This winter was different from previous winters just in the sheer quantity of snow here in Philly. Eventually I'd get tired of it, but at this point, we weren't there yet. Helen and I had planned on running the four corners with fellow wanderers Leo and Pete. It's a daunting run in any conditions, but with over a foot of fresh powder, there was No Way. What was supposed to be 21 miles in around 3.5 hours became 12 in three-plus hours. But what it lacked in speed and distance it made up for in pure fun. And cake!
The Pre-Wedding run
This run starts off a good series. This was, in one sense, just the normal Thursday-night Wanderers run. But since it was two days before our wedding, we treated that run as the start of our wedding festivities. got some extra friends to join us, ran in our 'bride and groom' baseball caps... there was even more cake afterward!
Running in Nice
We did a few runs in Nice, but it was the first one that stands out – running up in the hills above the city, going up in the gardens and the smaller roads in the hills. The conditions, the new scenery, made the run great; but it was also a great feeling being there, the relaxation of the honeymoon, the break in our routines.
Running through the Medina
The next great Honeymoon Run.
We'd had a great hike in the Atlas Mountains the day before. Beautiful, empty, with great vistas. Walking around Marrakesh had been different – exciting but hectic, with pedestrians, donkeys, motorcycles and cars all hustling for the same space. Early in the morning? That's a different story. So Helen and I woke up early and headed out, running free through the streets before the hustle began.
Running in Essouria
This was the other city in Morocco we visited – along the Atlantic coast. The city itself is quite small, so when we ran we ventured outside of it. We found some roads that followed along the ocean – one was clearly *the* place to run, but the other – a quasi-abandoned quasi-road – that was the fun part. We were brave and went past the cows that were off to the side of the road. The next hear, though, the ones blocking the road – that's where we decided to turn back. A few too many bulls.
Double Trouble
This year, we decided to do it up, and do the whole thing twice. Not sure it was the wise thing, but it worked out well for Helen, as she was able to win the long version going away. (We later learned that she was pregnant during the race, but we didn't know that then). I struggled in the last quarter of the race, but I enjoyed the first three quarters a lot, and also enjoyed hanging out in the park afterward.
Beartown State Forest
Helen and I have been going to Beartown State Forest for a few years, almost every time we go up to Great Barrington. We'd always been trying to find routes to take along the trails and skipping the roads. This time, though, we were wary of doing the actual trails. (I don't remember why exactly – Helen's ankle maybe?) So instead of the trails, we stuck with the roads in the park. Turns out they're *great* running roads. Like a network of Forbidden Drives. We'd been avoiding them the whole time, but it turns out that they might be what's best about running in the park.
Half-Wit Half
This is an annual. It's almost at the point that it's what I think of when I think of summer. Running through the woods, up and down the crazy hills (and stairs!), trying to stay on course. This was the second straight year that I stayed on course, and the second straight year I age-grouped. It was the first year that I wasn't faster than the year before, and Helen only finished second (I know, right?). I also felt like I left a minute or two on the course, but you know what? That was ok – part of the fun of half-wit is running it, but a lot of the fun is hanging out afterward, sitting around with the horde of other Wanderers.
Stumpy's Marathon
This wasn't a normal marathon; it was a trail run guaranteed to be "at least" 26 miles, running through the woods in Delaware. It took me 4 hours - I was able to run the first three hours with Bob Reynolds. Keeping up with him for those three hours probably hurt me during the fourth, though – something of a death-march toward the end. I liked the approach, though, and I liked those woods. And I liked the fact that I was able to just go out and run 26 miles and not have to spend two weeks tapering and then two recovering.
The Hamlet run
During the fall, I'd run home from work once most weeks. It takes some planning, because while I can bring as much stuff *too* work as I want, I try to run home with as little as possible – usually, a few bucks, my keys, my faculty i.d. Leaving my phone at home is easy enough. The course reading is the complication. Sometimes I'll scan something in and email it home; sometimes it doesn't matter, because I've taught the material enough to not have to worry about it. But in mid-semester I was teaching Hamlet for the first time, and didn't want to go two days without the book. In part, it was for class prep, in part it was just because I wanted to keep reading it. So I put my copy of Hamlet in a plastic bag and ran home – 11 miles – with the book in my hand.
The run wasn't great, to be honest – it certainly wasn't one of the year's best. But I've been looking for an excuse to write about running 11 miles with a copy of Hamlet in my hand, and this was it.
Philly Marathon Half-Marathon
It was a great year for running; it wasn't a great year for racing. But I did manage to PR at the Philly Marathon Half-Marathon, beating my previous time by a minute on a beautiful fall day.
Racing-wise, I don't know what's in store for next year. I'm thinking about focusing more on 5ks and 10ks. I've definitely got no plans to race another marathon.
But running will have to take a back seat, too... runner # 3 is on his way, but it's gonna take him a little while to get up to speed. For now, I'm thankful for the year of running that we've had, and I'm looking forward to all of the adventures that 2011 has in store.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Turning the Page
This morning's run was cold. Sunny, blue skies, but cold.
It was a strange fall; it seemed like the whole time it was fall, it was feeling like it had just been summer. Now, all of a sudden it's winter.
It's nice, though, because the weather is cooperating with a whole lot of other changes. It's just past Thanksgiving, meaning that it's Christmas season. I'm finally done my fall racing season. I'm practically done my semester. So it felt good to be out there this morning, running with the wanderers, wearing my tights and gloves and hat and jacket.
It felt good to be back on the trails, too. I'd been staying off of them in the weeks leading up to the Philly Half, since you never know when you'll turn an ankle and ruin your race, or else just totally biff, scrape your face up, and ruin your race pics. In those weeks, though, the trails changed; they're not the fall trails of changing leaves anymore, they're the winter trails, with the sun shining through the barren trees.
I don't know what this winter has in store, and I don't know what I want to accomplish. It was hard to run in last winter's snow; but I let that dictate my runs too much. It took a while this year – all of spring, part of summer – to make up for what I didn't run in the winter. I could make a point of avoiding that this year. But next year's a bit different anyway, what with the piglet on his way, and the probability that even if I'm running much next spring, I won't be sleeping much.
On Thanksgiving morning, we were at the Whole Paycheck, doing some last-minute shopping. I saw some popsicles in the frozen foods aisle. I remembered getting a popsicle on the way up to Great Barrington, how refreshing and cooling it was on that hot summer night. There will be more popsicles, but not for a while, not for a while.
It was a strange fall; it seemed like the whole time it was fall, it was feeling like it had just been summer. Now, all of a sudden it's winter.
It's nice, though, because the weather is cooperating with a whole lot of other changes. It's just past Thanksgiving, meaning that it's Christmas season. I'm finally done my fall racing season. I'm practically done my semester. So it felt good to be out there this morning, running with the wanderers, wearing my tights and gloves and hat and jacket.
It felt good to be back on the trails, too. I'd been staying off of them in the weeks leading up to the Philly Half, since you never know when you'll turn an ankle and ruin your race, or else just totally biff, scrape your face up, and ruin your race pics. In those weeks, though, the trails changed; they're not the fall trails of changing leaves anymore, they're the winter trails, with the sun shining through the barren trees.
I don't know what this winter has in store, and I don't know what I want to accomplish. It was hard to run in last winter's snow; but I let that dictate my runs too much. It took a while this year – all of spring, part of summer – to make up for what I didn't run in the winter. I could make a point of avoiding that this year. But next year's a bit different anyway, what with the piglet on his way, and the probability that even if I'm running much next spring, I won't be sleeping much.
On Thanksgiving morning, we were at the Whole Paycheck, doing some last-minute shopping. I saw some popsicles in the frozen foods aisle. I remembered getting a popsicle on the way up to Great Barrington, how refreshing and cooling it was on that hot summer night. There will be more popsicles, but not for a while, not for a while.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Ready or not...
This weekend represents my first entry into the world of ultrarunning.
I'm signed up for the Blues Cruise 50k.
50k.
That's 31 miles... significantly more running than I've ever done. And, perhaps, significantly more running than I ever should have planned on doing. I might be up to this; I probably am ready; but I'm really not sure.
My running mileage has been in the 50s lately, I think – maybe high 40s. I don't usually add it up. My sense is that's a little light for a 50k, but maybe not excessively so. The biking will help. I have two 20+ runs, one the 26.8 mile Trail Dawgs Quasi-marathon. And yeah, that one didn't go so well. At least the fourth hour didn't.
I do have hopes that the last miles of the Blues Cruise will go better than the last miles of the Quasi-Marathon. That one I didn't taper for, didn't eat right for, basically tried to train through. I also ran it in running shoes that had long since lost any padding. For Blues Cruise, I'm tapering (probably not enough, but I am tapering), going a few days without booze, and trying to generally get ready for it. I also have my new, new trail running shoes – although there, too, I'm not without concerns. They'll only have around 40 miles on them, if that; the longest run was 19 miles, a run that was supposed to be 22 but which I cut short. I blame the socks I was wearing that day, but still – it'd be nice to know more about how I like the shoes. But then, I ran in my old Cascadias today, and they're done.
At least it's rained. The ground shouldn't be that hard.
I'm also planning on not going out that hard. It's tough, though – with such a long race, even going fast, you'll be out there way longer than is necessary. Go out to slow, you're looking at more than 5 hours running. That, I may not be up for.
I'm signed up for the Blues Cruise 50k.
50k.
That's 31 miles... significantly more running than I've ever done. And, perhaps, significantly more running than I ever should have planned on doing. I might be up to this; I probably am ready; but I'm really not sure.
My running mileage has been in the 50s lately, I think – maybe high 40s. I don't usually add it up. My sense is that's a little light for a 50k, but maybe not excessively so. The biking will help. I have two 20+ runs, one the 26.8 mile Trail Dawgs Quasi-marathon. And yeah, that one didn't go so well. At least the fourth hour didn't.
I do have hopes that the last miles of the Blues Cruise will go better than the last miles of the Quasi-Marathon. That one I didn't taper for, didn't eat right for, basically tried to train through. I also ran it in running shoes that had long since lost any padding. For Blues Cruise, I'm tapering (probably not enough, but I am tapering), going a few days without booze, and trying to generally get ready for it. I also have my new, new trail running shoes – although there, too, I'm not without concerns. They'll only have around 40 miles on them, if that; the longest run was 19 miles, a run that was supposed to be 22 but which I cut short. I blame the socks I was wearing that day, but still – it'd be nice to know more about how I like the shoes. But then, I ran in my old Cascadias today, and they're done.
At least it's rained. The ground shouldn't be that hard.
I'm also planning on not going out that hard. It's tough, though – with such a long race, even going fast, you'll be out there way longer than is necessary. Go out to slow, you're looking at more than 5 hours running. That, I may not be up for.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Isn't this what *everyone* does on vacation?
Arrive late Friday night.
Saturday: long run in Beartown State Forest; dinner in town; movie
Sunday: 30-mile bike down to Connecticut, up through the valley; short run in the 'hood; home-cooked dinner of pasta, stuffed squash blossoms, gambas a la plancha, beet and tomato salad with fresh mint, peach and berry crisp
Monday: long bike ride (Noah) and a run in the 'hood (Helen); dinner at the Route 7 Grill.
Tuesday: one last run in Beartown State Forest; burrito lunch; schlepp it on back to Philly.
Saturday: long run in Beartown State Forest; dinner in town; movie
Sunday: 30-mile bike down to Connecticut, up through the valley; short run in the 'hood; home-cooked dinner of pasta, stuffed squash blossoms, gambas a la plancha, beet and tomato salad with fresh mint, peach and berry crisp
Monday: long bike ride (Noah) and a run in the 'hood (Helen); dinner at the Route 7 Grill.
Tuesday: one last run in Beartown State Forest; burrito lunch; schlepp it on back to Philly.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
One More Day!
Ok. The taper madness wasn't as bad as it could have been.
It wasn't easy, but I didn't buy anything particularly silly this time. And it's almost over!
It's now one day from the Philly Marathon. As I write this, I'm around 23 hours from starting. And I'm nervous.
It's not the big things that worry me. I've done a lot of training. And yes, I think I've tapered too much and that I've lost all my fitness, but I know that's how I'm supposed to feel.
And, contrary to my expectations, I have not contracted swine flu during the taper period.
On the other hand, I'm kind of worried about my feet. I'm still wandering around lost in the sea of running shoes, ever since Mizuno changed the wave riders. I've got a new pair of new balances, which I'm going to wear, but they're a lot harder than I'm used to. Plan is to have a back up pair of running shoes at mile 18. Just in case. Meanwhile, the weird little callous/corn/unidentified growth I've got under the ball of my right foot... well, the taper period hasn't turned out well. It seems to have taken the opportunity to grow a bit more. So, the conundrum: leave as is, or risk last minute changes? Ugh.
So, that's what I'm worried about. I'm hoping that, in the excitement of the day, all this won't matter. I'm also hoping that I can do well tomorrow. We'll know soon.
Monday, November 9, 2009
let the taper madness begin!!!
Ok. I'm now officially in my taper.
In some sense, I'm over a week into the taper. I went with a 3-week marathon taper; the first week is pretty mild, though, more like a light week during the training. I had had some pretty big weeks – a few over 50, and one that even peaked over 60. Last week was down to 40, so that's still a whole lot of running. And it included a 15 mile run this weekend.
That should be enough to keep me sane, right?
Maybe. Maybe not.
On the one hand, I don't remember yelling at anyone, picking any fights, or generally being disagreeable to the point where strangers would notice.
On the other hand, I did drag Helen all the way to the Bryn Mawr Running Company, because I was convinced that I didn't have the right kind of shoes for the race.
And that was in a week that still had a fair amount of running.
This week will be far less running, more like 30 miles. I don't know why that seems so light, lots of weeks this summer were like that. But it does seem light. No more running home from class, no more running to class from home. No more 20 milers, no more yasso-800s, no more 2-mile repeats at the track. Whaddameyegonnado?
And all the symptoms are there. I feel sluggish. I feel slow. I'm convinced that I blew my training. That I peaked too early. That I'm just not gonna be ready. I even felt a little under the weather the other day. Luckily that passed.
But with close to 2 weeks still to go, I just don't know. I'm hoping that my taper tantrums are mild. That I don't burn any bridges. But I just don't know.
In some sense, I'm over a week into the taper. I went with a 3-week marathon taper; the first week is pretty mild, though, more like a light week during the training. I had had some pretty big weeks – a few over 50, and one that even peaked over 60. Last week was down to 40, so that's still a whole lot of running. And it included a 15 mile run this weekend.
That should be enough to keep me sane, right?
Maybe. Maybe not.
On the one hand, I don't remember yelling at anyone, picking any fights, or generally being disagreeable to the point where strangers would notice.
On the other hand, I did drag Helen all the way to the Bryn Mawr Running Company, because I was convinced that I didn't have the right kind of shoes for the race.
And that was in a week that still had a fair amount of running.
This week will be far less running, more like 30 miles. I don't know why that seems so light, lots of weeks this summer were like that. But it does seem light. No more running home from class, no more running to class from home. No more 20 milers, no more yasso-800s, no more 2-mile repeats at the track. Whaddameyegonnado?
And all the symptoms are there. I feel sluggish. I feel slow. I'm convinced that I blew my training. That I peaked too early. That I'm just not gonna be ready. I even felt a little under the weather the other day. Luckily that passed.
But with close to 2 weeks still to go, I just don't know. I'm hoping that my taper tantrums are mild. That I don't burn any bridges. But I just don't know.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Dinged Up
Two runs so far this week, as I head towards Sunday's Philadelphia Distance Run.
On Monday I went for a tempo run... did around six and a half, with four of them the tempo part. I averaged 6:35 on those four.
On Tuesday, when walking to class, something in my left leg – hip? groin? – seized up.
Yesterday I went on a five mile run down on Forbidden Drive. Managed to average just under nine minutes per mile. The first mile took me just under ten minutes. And it didn't even feel that easy.
So, yeah, I'm dinged up.
My pattern, these last few years, has been to get dinged up some, but not actually get injured. I'm hoping that's the case right now. Worst case scenario, I'm guessing, would be that I've given myself some kind of groin pull. Best case scenario would be that this goes away quickly, and I can still kick butt on Sunday.
As to why this happened, there are two explanations.
The first explanation Helen can't stand... see, when I woke up on September 1, I didn't say Rabbit Rabbit. Since then, I've broken a tooth, banged my right thigh - hard – into a railing, and now this. I haven't had that kind of string of bad luck in ages. Coincidence? Could be... but I don’t know.
The second explanation is more traditional: too much hard running. Volume is up as well, which would be a contributing factor. But at last Thursday’s trail run I went pretty hard, esp. at the end. Then on Saturday Helen and I ran 17 miles, with miles 15 and 16 at the track, trying to go at marathon pace. Then the tempo run. So that's three hard runs in five days. So I'm making a note not to repeat that – to give myself more time between hard runs. But come October 1, I’m saying Rabbit Rabbit just in case.
On Monday I went for a tempo run... did around six and a half, with four of them the tempo part. I averaged 6:35 on those four.
On Tuesday, when walking to class, something in my left leg – hip? groin? – seized up.
Yesterday I went on a five mile run down on Forbidden Drive. Managed to average just under nine minutes per mile. The first mile took me just under ten minutes. And it didn't even feel that easy.
So, yeah, I'm dinged up.
My pattern, these last few years, has been to get dinged up some, but not actually get injured. I'm hoping that's the case right now. Worst case scenario, I'm guessing, would be that I've given myself some kind of groin pull. Best case scenario would be that this goes away quickly, and I can still kick butt on Sunday.
As to why this happened, there are two explanations.
The first explanation Helen can't stand... see, when I woke up on September 1, I didn't say Rabbit Rabbit. Since then, I've broken a tooth, banged my right thigh - hard – into a railing, and now this. I haven't had that kind of string of bad luck in ages. Coincidence? Could be... but I don’t know.
The second explanation is more traditional: too much hard running. Volume is up as well, which would be a contributing factor. But at last Thursday’s trail run I went pretty hard, esp. at the end. Then on Saturday Helen and I ran 17 miles, with miles 15 and 16 at the track, trying to go at marathon pace. Then the tempo run. So that's three hard runs in five days. So I'm making a note not to repeat that – to give myself more time between hard runs. But come October 1, I’m saying Rabbit Rabbit just in case.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Running in Hong Kong Part II: Noah Goes Solo
Last week I was back in Hong Kong for 5 days. Unlike our trip in November, this one was for business, and it was a much shorter trip. And, unlike the first trip, I was on my own this time. I didn't have as much time to run, and there was a lot less chance of asking for directions or figuring out the public transportation system. So no Maclehouse trail, this time. Really, I was pretty intimidated heading out to Hong Kong on my own, but since I was going, I was at least going to get some runs in. And even a swim, as it turned out.
I spent my first two nights on the campus of the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Technology. This is a beautiful setting. I wasn't planning on doing all that much; I'd gotten a scouting report on running there, and I was told that even the track there was beautiful, and overlooked the bay. So I really just planned on doing that.
Problem was, I woke up really, really early. I was out the door at a little after 6, and the track didn't open until 7! So I made myself a little loop around the campus. The loop was around 2.5 miles – more of a lollipop, actually, with a little out-and-back down to the beach. A very pretty run, especially going down to the beach and looking out over the bay. But man, was that run HILLY. I think it's around 500 feet elevation from the lowest point of the loop (sea level) to the highest. I did three loops. I felt good, despite the hills – and despite running on a 15-month-old pair of Asics that by this point were feeling more like running flats. By the third loop, the track was open, so I put in two miles there. Overall, 9.5 miles in 90 minutes. The two miles I did on the track were at 8-minute pace and they felt like they were at the same effort, so those hills were really slowing me down.
The next morning, I messed up and didn't have any breakfast waiting for me in the hotel room when I woke up – once again, way early. So this time I just bided my time, waited until the track opened, did a few easy miles there. Normally, the idea of easy miles on the track doesn't appeal to me. But the natural beauty of the track makes it more bearable. And the feeling of just walking up the hills I'd run up the day before let me know right away that I should keep it flat.
I took a rest day the next day; really, though, I should have gone swimming.
I knew that there was a pool at HKUST – what I didn't know was that it's a 50 meter, outdoor pool. That was quite tempting! And me, without my suit and goggles.
Same deal at Helen's dad's apartment complex – a huge outdoor pool, and time this time to go out and buy a pair of goggles and get in there.
Running at Helen's dad's place was a lot like it was back in November with Helen. I went out twice, once for 35 minutes, once for 45 minutes. It's ok. There are empty sidewalks, which isn't the norm in Hong Kong, and you can keep going without breaking stride too much. There are even parts where you're running along the harbor. But it's not really scenic, and the ground's quite hard. (Did I mention that all my padding was gone in my shoes?) So it's there for maintenance runs, but not much else.
I did get one swim in. Not too long or too far, but it was nice being in such a big pool. One more opportunity to work off all the great food I had while I was there.
I spent my first two nights on the campus of the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Technology. This is a beautiful setting. I wasn't planning on doing all that much; I'd gotten a scouting report on running there, and I was told that even the track there was beautiful, and overlooked the bay. So I really just planned on doing that.
Problem was, I woke up really, really early. I was out the door at a little after 6, and the track didn't open until 7! So I made myself a little loop around the campus. The loop was around 2.5 miles – more of a lollipop, actually, with a little out-and-back down to the beach. A very pretty run, especially going down to the beach and looking out over the bay. But man, was that run HILLY. I think it's around 500 feet elevation from the lowest point of the loop (sea level) to the highest. I did three loops. I felt good, despite the hills – and despite running on a 15-month-old pair of Asics that by this point were feeling more like running flats. By the third loop, the track was open, so I put in two miles there. Overall, 9.5 miles in 90 minutes. The two miles I did on the track were at 8-minute pace and they felt like they were at the same effort, so those hills were really slowing me down.
The next morning, I messed up and didn't have any breakfast waiting for me in the hotel room when I woke up – once again, way early. So this time I just bided my time, waited until the track opened, did a few easy miles there. Normally, the idea of easy miles on the track doesn't appeal to me. But the natural beauty of the track makes it more bearable. And the feeling of just walking up the hills I'd run up the day before let me know right away that I should keep it flat.
I took a rest day the next day; really, though, I should have gone swimming.
I knew that there was a pool at HKUST – what I didn't know was that it's a 50 meter, outdoor pool. That was quite tempting! And me, without my suit and goggles.
Same deal at Helen's dad's apartment complex – a huge outdoor pool, and time this time to go out and buy a pair of goggles and get in there.
Running at Helen's dad's place was a lot like it was back in November with Helen. I went out twice, once for 35 minutes, once for 45 minutes. It's ok. There are empty sidewalks, which isn't the norm in Hong Kong, and you can keep going without breaking stride too much. There are even parts where you're running along the harbor. But it's not really scenic, and the ground's quite hard. (Did I mention that all my padding was gone in my shoes?) So it's there for maintenance runs, but not much else.
I did get one swim in. Not too long or too far, but it was nice being in such a big pool. One more opportunity to work off all the great food I had while I was there.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
My Taper-Induced Consumer Madness
I went out and bought a The Stick yesterday.
For people that don't aren't familiar with it, there's a difference between a stick and "the" stick.
A stick is free, and made of wood.
A The Stick is made of plastic, and costs around $30. I probably could have gotten it for cheaper, but it all seemed like it was in crisis mode.
See, the taper's not going well. Not for any vague or general reason, or because I've been missing the running or yelling at people whom I shouldn't be yelling at. Rather, it's because I managed to hurt myself while going on a trail run last Thursday. Nice, easy, trail run. What could go wrong? But I managed to jerk my left leg up to the side, resulting in an uncomfortable sensation. I thought that it would go away, and even continued the run; things felt fine, I wound up running the next few days. But Saturday night it was hurting just to walk around. This was worrisome.
So taper turned to extreme taper. A 10-mile run, with a few marathon-paced miles, turned into an easy 30 mile bike ride. Followed by a rest day. A rest day on which I went to Philly Runner and bought The Stick.
I’m pretty sure that, on Saturday, I'll be ready at the start. I'm also confident that, at some point, my leg will start hurting, in exactly the place that's hurting now. The question is, when and how much.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Post-Weekend round-up
Well, I'd hoped to run and bike this past weekend.
I certainly ran. I didn't bike, though.
I'd wanted to do the Saturday morning trail run, because I'll miss it next week. And, for the marathon training, the 18-mile long run wasn't really one I could skip because I felt like doing something else.
The original plan I'd settled on also involved a quick, easy bike ride with my friend Caleb on Saturday, post-run. But it was a bit cold and starting to rain, he was still sleeping when I called, so the bike ride didn't happen.
Sunday, long run. I actually made it! 18 miles, with Helen's company for the first 16.5. Probably the tiredest I've been on a long run so far, with the exception of one fast-finish long run, which was supposed to be hard. Now that I think about it, though, I did a lot better on that 16 mile fast-finish long run than on this slower-paced 18 mile run. Hmmm. But it's been a busy week. I ran 44 miles this week, which I think may be the most miles I've run in any week, ever.
That said, I haven't been on the bike nearly enough. It's been hard to find the time to get outside or the mental strength to ride on the trainer. But this running plan has always been based on having a significant cross-training component, and I've let myself get away from that. So, for this coming week, at least one outdoor ride, at least one trainer ride.
Friday, February 8, 2008
What to do, what to do
Only 2 days in the weekend! What’s Up With That?
And so much I want to do.
Oh yeah, I should get some work done, too…
Run long. (Up to 18 miles! That’ll take forever!) That’s the one thing I’m definitely going to do.
I’d like to go to the Saturday morning trail run, too. Amazing how quickly I got addicted to that. And I’d like to bike, I’ve hardly done that at all lately. I’d like to bike with Helen, and with my friend Caleb, who’s got a spankin’ new Trek. (Carbon!). But I’m also tempted to go out hard, crank out 65.
And I just can’t do it all…
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Bread and Butter – Now With Pics! (part I)
A few months ago, I posted on my "bread and butter" ride, a 65-mile loop starting at my house, heading out to Landsdale, then out through a lot of mostly farm land. I've actually got a few variations, although they're all fairly similar. It's a lollypop ride, which can be anywhere from around 63 to maybe 73 or so miles long. It really gets nice after Landsdale.
I'd been planning on bringing a disposable camera for a while - and last week, judging by the trees in my 'hood, seemed like the perfect time.
I'd been planning on bringing a disposable camera for a while - and last week, judging by the trees in my 'hood, seemed like the perfect time.
.
Turns out, further NW of the city, the trees weren't as vibrant – they're a bit further along, it seemed. But these pictures are actually more representative - they really capture the late fall feel of the route.
These are the two varietes – I skipped the 15-17 miles (one way) taking me from our house to Landsdale. (Click on the photos for the gmap).
The shorter route:
The longer route:
The pics make the route seem flatter than it is, but it's by no means mountainous.
Landsale, Kriebel Road, I believe:
right nearby:
I've always had a certain fondness for this little building, since a time around 5 years ago when I waited out a thunderstorm in it.
Indian Creek Road:
I'm a sucker for photos of old school farms:
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Dress Rehearsal
Having never run a winter race before, I decided that I needed a dress rehearsal before the marathon next week. So, last night, I laid out the running clothes I might want to race in and got my stuff ready. I also made a rehearsal dinner of pasta with red sauce, and downed it. I got to bed relatively early, but thought I'd let myself wake up without the alarm.
When I got up, I immediately felt the urge to use the bathroom. This is a very good sign, as I won't have to "go big" during the run. After some cereal and milk, I headed out for 10-12 miles, a basic route through Mt. Airy streets to Rittenhouse Town, and then up Forbidden Drive to the hill at Valley Green.
My body was still asleep during the first 5 miles. I wasn't particularly trying, but I just felt so slow. So, I took the gel I carried with me - powergel in chocolate favor with a serving of caffeine. Despite it's thickness and my lack of water, within a few minutes of eating the gel, I felt better. Therefore, lesson #1: I need pure sugar AND CAFFEINE before the run. Oh, and I should've practiced running first thing in the morning.
So, I finally hit stride on Forbidden Drive and the next 3 miles flew by quickly. I stopped to get a drink at the water fountain at Valley Green but it was turned off. I then saw some Wanderers and chatted briefly with them. It was nice to see familiar faces.
I decided to tag on two miles at the track, which ended up clocking 14:20. I felt relaxed but not particularly smooth. It's nice to know that once I'm on flat ground, I can bum along at a decent pace without breathing too hard. Lesson #2: 7:30 pace is attainable. I need to be patient.
Final stats: 11 miles, 1 hour and 26 minutes, 7:45 minute miles on avergae.
Lesson #3: I need to wear some bottoms other than the black tights in the marathon because they were too warm. Maybe compression shorts? cotton pants? thinner tights? long socks? I don't know.
Lesson #4: The blue shoes with smartwool socks did well.
When I got up, I immediately felt the urge to use the bathroom. This is a very good sign, as I won't have to "go big" during the run. After some cereal and milk, I headed out for 10-12 miles, a basic route through Mt. Airy streets to Rittenhouse Town, and then up Forbidden Drive to the hill at Valley Green.
My body was still asleep during the first 5 miles. I wasn't particularly trying, but I just felt so slow. So, I took the gel I carried with me - powergel in chocolate favor with a serving of caffeine. Despite it's thickness and my lack of water, within a few minutes of eating the gel, I felt better. Therefore, lesson #1: I need pure sugar AND CAFFEINE before the run. Oh, and I should've practiced running first thing in the morning.
So, I finally hit stride on Forbidden Drive and the next 3 miles flew by quickly. I stopped to get a drink at the water fountain at Valley Green but it was turned off. I then saw some Wanderers and chatted briefly with them. It was nice to see familiar faces.
I decided to tag on two miles at the track, which ended up clocking 14:20. I felt relaxed but not particularly smooth. It's nice to know that once I'm on flat ground, I can bum along at a decent pace without breathing too hard. Lesson #2: 7:30 pace is attainable. I need to be patient.
Final stats: 11 miles, 1 hour and 26 minutes, 7:45 minute miles on avergae.
Lesson #3: I need to wear some bottoms other than the black tights in the marathon because they were too warm. Maybe compression shorts? cotton pants? thinner tights? long socks? I don't know.
Lesson #4: The blue shoes with smartwool socks did well.
Monday, November 5, 2007
I'm in the Philly Marathon!
I ran a difficult 20 miler on Saturday just in case my post-deadline, mailed-in registration is accepted. Noah ran the first half with me and then I ran the second half on my own towards Center City to meet Leah for coffee. My quads were still sore from Wednesday's 17 miles. So, I held back in the first 12 miles and was okay. That pace turned out to be ~9 minute miles. We ran into Wanderers Susan, who asked if I got in to the Marathon, and Matt, who was already tapering for the marathon and whom I was openly jealous of.
The last 8 miles of the run was like a death march -- long slow death (LSD). From the top of Midvale down the drives should've been my bread and butter -- downhill, smooth, flat. Instead, every step hurt, my strides tightened up, and random body parts (e.g. wing, lower back, forearm) became sore from impact. I fought through it by turning the legs over and drinking at every water fountain. At that point, I was not concerned about pace at all and just wanted the run to be done. To my surprise, I ran ~8 minute miles during this portion of the run. The whole 20 miles took me 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Late Saturday night, I got an email from active.com confirming that I am in the Philly Marathon! I owe a big thank you to Betty Chimichanga for getting me into the race!
The last 8 miles of the run was like a death march -- long slow death (LSD). From the top of Midvale down the drives should've been my bread and butter -- downhill, smooth, flat. Instead, every step hurt, my strides tightened up, and random body parts (e.g. wing, lower back, forearm) became sore from impact. I fought through it by turning the legs over and drinking at every water fountain. At that point, I was not concerned about pace at all and just wanted the run to be done. To my surprise, I ran ~8 minute miles during this portion of the run. The whole 20 miles took me 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Late Saturday night, I got an email from active.com confirming that I am in the Philly Marathon! I owe a big thank you to Betty Chimichanga for getting me into the race!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Yasso's glass is half full
Introduction
The marathon is now just 4 weeks away, and I still have no idea what pace to run it in. Ideally, I would find a local half marathon to race, and then plug the 13.1 time into some race result predicting calculators to figure out what to shoot for in the marathon. But I couldn't find a good half to do, so I resorted to a gimmick workout that I read about that have been used to project marathon times -- the Yasso 800's.
Method
Basically, "if you want to run a marathon in 2:45, 3:29 or 4:11, you should train to the point where you can run 10 repeats of 800 meters in the same time 2:45, 3:29 or 4:11. The only difference is that your marathon time is hours:minutes and your 800 time is minutes:seconds... Between the 800s, take a recovery jog that lasts as long as your 800s...." (Bart Yasso, Runners World)
Results
So, on Saturday, I went to the track to do 10 x 800's with a 400 jog/shuffle between each interval. Here's how the whole thing went down:
It was a good workout -- it became increasingly hard to maintain pace, but it was nice to get those fast-twitch fibers going for a whole hour. But there's no way that I am running a 3:03 marathon. I wondered if I did these correctly. To that end, I would like to ask Bart Yasso:
Conclusions
The marathon is now just 4 weeks away, and I still have no idea what pace to run it in. Ideally, I would find a local half marathon to race, and then plug the 13.1 time into some race result predicting calculators to figure out what to shoot for in the marathon. But I couldn't find a good half to do, so I resorted to a gimmick workout that I read about that have been used to project marathon times -- the Yasso 800's.
Method
Basically, "if you want to run a marathon in 2:45, 3:29 or 4:11, you should train to the point where you can run 10 repeats of 800 meters in the same time 2:45, 3:29 or 4:11. The only difference is that your marathon time is hours:minutes and your 800 time is minutes:seconds... Between the 800s, take a recovery jog that lasts as long as your 800s...." (Bart Yasso, Runners World)
Results
So, on Saturday, I went to the track to do 10 x 800's with a 400 jog/shuffle between each interval. Here's how the whole thing went down:
- 3:08 (went out at 1:23 the first lap and then overcompensated)
- 3:01
- 3:03
- 3:04
- 3:03
- 3:03
- 3:00 (started to feel tired)
- 3:01
- 3:01
- 2:59
- 3:28 (to feel out 7 minute pace, too fast for a marathon)
It was a good workout -- it became increasingly hard to maintain pace, but it was nice to get those fast-twitch fibers going for a whole hour. But there's no way that I am running a 3:03 marathon. I wondered if I did these correctly. To that end, I would like to ask Bart Yasso:
- How fast are "recovery jogs" supposed to be?
- Does it matter that I didn't jog for a full 3 minutes? (shorter recovery vs. more time on feet)
Conclusions
- I can probably run a 3:10 marathon one day if I run 50-70 miles per week for a couple months leading up to the marathon.
- For the Philly Marathon, I might aim for 3:15, but I will be satisfied with anything better than 3:28. My ideal pace is still a guess.
- I have learned to use the split/recall function of my wrist watch.
- Should I join the 3:10 or 3:20 pace group, or run on my own?
- It's time to do some shorter runs at 7:15-7:30 pace to see what that feels like.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
King of the Hill
We did it! 20+ miles on Tuesday!
Here's the route for future reference:
[UPenn --> Mantua/Powelton --> West Fairmount --> Roxborough --> Mt. Airy --> Chestnut Hill.]
This run was not easy. The parts through west Fairmount was pretty uneventful, but I felt cranky by the time we got to Ridge Ave. Roxborough was hilly but I enjoyed it a lot because the streets were quiet and the scenery was new to me. We ran up to Roxborough High where the Wanderers gather for track practice every Tuesday night. Seeing people we know gave us such a mental boost, and the Gatorade that Dennis donated to us (we look like charity cases, doing 20 miles on a weekday) tasted so good.
Polly ran a mile with us and then we split to cross the Walnut Lane bridge over to Mt. Airy. My legs were starting to get tired, and my bladder felt full. Noah hadn't been feeling very well all day. So from there, we ran straight home.
After a 3 minute break in the house, we were out again for the last 6 miles of this run, with Noah biking alongside. We decided to do the "gun loop," not because it's easy, but because we know it. Because we held back at the beginning, I was able to end the run at near 8 minute mile pace. When we're done, I raised my arms in the air. Yay! We did it!
*******
What's next? Yasso 800s and a trail run this weekend.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Trouble with bending over backwards
Why? The answer, my friend, is running. Running is causing stiffness in my back. Anyone who's watched me put socks on or untie my shoes recently have noticed that I have a lot of difficulty bending forward and backwards. This isn't an injury per se, and I can still run, but it hurts!
++++
Yesterday, we mapped out a new route to take for our 18-miler that involved doing a mile on four tracks on the way home:
I am thankful to have Noah's company, or else, I would've hopped on the R8 home, a thought I entertained privately in several points during the run. We made it home without much more drama, other than getting soaked from head to toe from the thunderstorms. We also had to skip the mile at CHA because of lightning, but we were okay with that. For the record, here's the route we took: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1376215
+++++++++
Noah and I have decided to change our long run days from weekends to Tuesday nights so that we can play more outdoors in the Fall. It makes a lot of sense -- I want to run trails or 5Ks on Sundays, Noah wants to bike, and neither of us want to be so wiped out after an epic run that we can't do any work. We had to give up having daylight for the long runs, but it didn't sound like a big deal. So far, it's working out well. 15 last Tues, 17 this Tues.
++++
Yesterday, we mapped out a new route to take for our 18-miler that involved doing a mile on four tracks on the way home:
- Franklin Field
- Penn Charter
- Germantown Friends
- Chestnut Hill Academy
I am thankful to have Noah's company, or else, I would've hopped on the R8 home, a thought I entertained privately in several points during the run. We made it home without much more drama, other than getting soaked from head to toe from the thunderstorms. We also had to skip the mile at CHA because of lightning, but we were okay with that. For the record, here's the route we took: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1376215
+++++++++
Noah and I have decided to change our long run days from weekends to Tuesday nights so that we can play more outdoors in the Fall. It makes a lot of sense -- I want to run trails or 5Ks on Sundays, Noah wants to bike, and neither of us want to be so wiped out after an epic run that we can't do any work. We had to give up having daylight for the long runs, but it didn't sound like a big deal. So far, it's working out well. 15 last Tues, 17 this Tues.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
It's always sunny in Philadelphia
Not! I was all set for the 15 miler this morning - checked the weather, stashed food in my pockets, wrote down people's phone numbers, grabbed the coins and keys, AND recruited Leah to run the last miles with me. Then, five minutes before I was to leave the house, it started pouring. Just my luck.
I waited for the rain to ease up and then called Leah to let her know that I will be late. The plan was for me to run down to the Art Museum (about 10 miles) by myself and then run 5 more on the drives with her, and then take the train home. The run pretty much went according to plan. I held back at the beginning and got to the Art Museum in 1:18. And after some stretching and rehydrating, Leah joined up with me and we ran to the 2.5 mark on Kelly Drive and back. On the way out, I started feeling a little dizzy and my legs started to hurt. If I were running alone, it probably would've been very difficult and I might've stopped. But with Leah there, I just tried to look ahead and occupy my mind with conversation. (Thank you, Leah, if you're reading this!) I felt sore and tight in the end, but finished nonetheless.
Including the shuffle back to the train station, I did 16+ miles today. I fell asleep hard during the ride home, and by the time I got off the train, I didn't feel so bad. I guess if I wanted to do Philly in November, I can.
I waited for the rain to ease up and then called Leah to let her know that I will be late. The plan was for me to run down to the Art Museum (about 10 miles) by myself and then run 5 more on the drives with her, and then take the train home. The run pretty much went according to plan. I held back at the beginning and got to the Art Museum in 1:18. And after some stretching and rehydrating, Leah joined up with me and we ran to the 2.5 mark on Kelly Drive and back. On the way out, I started feeling a little dizzy and my legs started to hurt. If I were running alone, it probably would've been very difficult and I might've stopped. But with Leah there, I just tried to look ahead and occupy my mind with conversation. (Thank you, Leah, if you're reading this!) I felt sore and tight in the end, but finished nonetheless.
Including the shuffle back to the train station, I did 16+ miles today. I fell asleep hard during the ride home, and by the time I got off the train, I didn't feel so bad. I guess if I wanted to do Philly in November, I can.
Friday, May 25, 2007
How I got faster
2007 has been a breakthrough year for me as a runner and it took me by surprise. In January, I didn't have particular running goals except to avoid sucking at Broad Street and finish a marathon with Noah. I thought if I just qualify for Boston once before I turn 35 (when I get an extra 5 minutes because of old age), I would be content. I wouldn't even want to run Boston. So now I am taking stock of all this. Modest goals, negative thinking, positive splits .... and I ended up with three significant PRs this Spring. If people didn't see me and realize my head is the same size as before, they might've thought that I've broken into Barry Bonds medicine cabinet. But here's my second PSA of the week: hats still fly off my little head. And my third: I'm still not fast fast.
1993 - from 5th runner to 1/2 runner on the cross-country team; set PRs in every distance
Enabled by: Ran year round. Malloy became our new X-C coach. Hard hard practices. Malloy was old and fast, and we didn't want her beating us all the time. Track coach Syd White's whole yelling of "contact" around the track (basically, keep the first runner within sight for as long as you can) finally got through to me -- this was the first year I saved nothing in races. You can't catch the person if they already crossed the finish line.
1999 - went from running 3 miles a day to doing the loop (11 miles to and from Penn) for no reason; seeing that there's a world beyond the 5K.
Enabled by: senioritis
2002 - went from 1:25 to 1:16 at Broad Street by actually racing it and not treating it like a jogathon
Enabled by: I had been running with fast Kieran and we decided to run the race together. The realization here is that I can race hard at the long races too.
2007 - dropped 2 minutes off the 5K, 7 minutes off the 10M; and 30 minutes off the marathon
Possible enablers: living in a hillier neighborhood, taking iron supplements, swallowing gels during long races and not hitting the wall, eating meat, eating dinners.
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