My running buddy T will run into work from her home in Bethesda. Every once in awhile I'll join her for most of the running, usually cutting away when we reach my street. So this morning, I got up at 5:45 am (did not turn on any royal wedding news) and eventually made my way via metro to Medical Center. From there we ran.
It's a nice running route, when I think about it. It's hilly for the first 2 miles, but after that it's flat or downhill. In total the run for me was 8.56 miles over the course of 1:30:34, but according to my Garmin, I was moving for 1:28:53. I guess I didn't stop my watch at a couple of lights. And this morning was a beautiful day for a long run. It was cool, with a slight breeze, and sunny. I think I'm tired enough to take a "nap" before I head into work later this evening.
Still, I've got to work on my speed.
As a post-run treat, I finally opened my jar of Speculoos Spread from Wafels & Dinges. It's yummy on a hot, fresh waffle. But it's was almost as good on toast. But, frankly, I think the spread would be great straight out of the jar!
Apr 29, 2011
Apr 28, 2011
Running in the Rain
Yesterday's run was short, but at least we ran. There was a tornado watch in effect and threatening clouds on the horizon, but T and I ran. It didn't start raining until we headed back. It wasn't a downpour, in fact, I'd call it a sprinkle. By then the raindrops were refreshing. The Mall wasn't completely deserted either. There were other runners and tourists on the paths, just less than usual. T and I didn't run in any snowstorms this year, so the tornado watch is this year's "We're Bada$$ Runners" award winner! (Although, it's also tied for the "You're Crazy" award and "Good Excuse to Hang Up the Sneakers and Head for the Bar" award.
Apr 23, 2011
Run, Run, Walk
At 8am this morning, I went to meet up with the Marathon Training group. I wasn't going to do the entire run, but I wanted to see if a) people showed up, b) if the person organizing showed up, and c) how fast the group was going to run. A nice group of about six people were there, the woman leading the run was there, and they run faster than me. I was able to stick with them from the store to the White House, but then I began to lag.
So this is my dilemna, do I want to run with people who are that much faster than me? In the long-run I will get faster, but it's getting to that point that I would find frustrating. I don't like the idea of holding back a faster runner, but I don't want to burn myself out trying to keep up with a faster pace group. While I don't mind being the last runner during the fun runs, I think I would find it incrediblly frustrating being the slowest runner in the training group. I don't want to spend the next 3 months feeling the need to catch up.
I broke away from the run because I was doing the Stop the Silence 8k in downtown DC with MLJ and P. It was a good run for me, fairly fast. P ran with me and I think he was running slowly to stay with me. The only frustrating thing with this run is that the course was in part, shaped like the teeth of a saw. We'd run down these short blocks off of Pennslyvania and then U-turn back to Pennslyvania Ave. On the way back, the finish line was taunting me everytime we popped back out from the tooth section.
After the run, I met up with D, who was doing a training walk. So we walked together. It was an active morning. I think it's time for a nap!
So this is my dilemna, do I want to run with people who are that much faster than me? In the long-run I will get faster, but it's getting to that point that I would find frustrating. I don't like the idea of holding back a faster runner, but I don't want to burn myself out trying to keep up with a faster pace group. While I don't mind being the last runner during the fun runs, I think I would find it incrediblly frustrating being the slowest runner in the training group. I don't want to spend the next 3 months feeling the need to catch up.
I broke away from the run because I was doing the Stop the Silence 8k in downtown DC with MLJ and P. It was a good run for me, fairly fast. P ran with me and I think he was running slowly to stay with me. The only frustrating thing with this run is that the course was in part, shaped like the teeth of a saw. We'd run down these short blocks off of Pennslyvania and then U-turn back to Pennslyvania Ave. On the way back, the finish line was taunting me everytime we popped back out from the tooth section.
After the run, I met up with D, who was doing a training walk. So we walked together. It was an active morning. I think it's time for a nap!
Apr 21, 2011
Lynn's Garmin Information
Untitled by runlynnrun at Garmin Connect - Details
I love this thing. Even though I forgot to start up the watch, it recorded it on the map. I did not swim across the tidal basin or run on the water. It picked it up again when I remembered to start up the stopwatch.
I love this thing. Even though I forgot to start up the watch, it recorded it on the map. I did not swim across the tidal basin or run on the water. It picked it up again when I remembered to start up the stopwatch.
Apr 20, 2011
Poor Start to Training Program
I've run marathons using training programs, but never with a training group. This year, I thought I would remedy that. A running store near me is offering a marathon training program, so it was like fate. Except tonight was the first weeknight run. I was going to bail because I was not feeling well earlier in the day. But I didn't want to be lazy. I waited for the bus for 40 minutes (that's a rant for another day) and got to the track and no training group. No one from the store showed. Now I could have gotten the wrong high school track, but there were two other people looking for the same training group. Maybe fate is telling me something else now.
Apr 18, 2011
A Monday Run to Start the Week
I ran 5 miles this morning. I thought it was a good start to the week. According to my Garmin 110, I ran 5.02 miles in 51:53. I had an average pace of 10:20 and an average moving pace of 10:10. I also had an elevation gain of 135 feet and an elevation loss of 157 feet. And to top it all off a ran the first mile in 9:50, the second in 9:46, the third in 10:35, the fourth in 10:39 and the fifth in 10:48. If you can't tell, this is the first time I've actually downloaded the information from my Garmin onto my computer. Had I know it would tell me all this information, I may have done it sooner. It's really kind of great to have all this knowledge at my wrist!
The run in and of itself was nice. It was my typical loop from home to the mall, where I ran to the Lincoln Memorial and then to the Washington Monument. The only downside was that the tourists were out in full swing, or so it felt. I was dodging tourists from the White House and all through the Mall. I wish someone would hand tourists a flyer entitled, "How to Walk and Gawk at the Same Time." Included in this list would be don't take up the entire sidewalk, don't take up the entire sidewalk when taking a picture unless you want a runner/biker or other tourists to go between you and your subject, don't stop abruptly, hang onto your little ones, and if someone says "passing on your left/right," don't move in that direction!
The run in and of itself was nice. It was my typical loop from home to the mall, where I ran to the Lincoln Memorial and then to the Washington Monument. The only downside was that the tourists were out in full swing, or so it felt. I was dodging tourists from the White House and all through the Mall. I wish someone would hand tourists a flyer entitled, "How to Walk and Gawk at the Same Time." Included in this list would be don't take up the entire sidewalk, don't take up the entire sidewalk when taking a picture unless you want a runner/biker or other tourists to go between you and your subject, don't stop abruptly, hang onto your little ones, and if someone says "passing on your left/right," don't move in that direction!
Pike's Peek 10k
Yesterday, I ran the Pike's Peek 10k. This is a PR-course because it's mainly downhill. I ran the first mile in under 9 minutes, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that I did PR (58:41), even despite my lack of running. The only thing that niggles in the brain is that it's about a minute under my last 10k PR, which was a run I did in Central Park. That is a hilly course. I'm thinking the two courses may even itself out. In any case, it was nice to know I can keep up a sub 9:30 average pace over 6 miles. I just need to translate that into 26.2 miles.
I have a new goal -- to actually log miles during the week, like I should be doing. Today is a beautiful day, and I plan on going out for a run this morning!
I have a new goal -- to actually log miles during the week, like I should be doing. Today is a beautiful day, and I plan on going out for a run this morning!
Apr 11, 2011
My "Rave" Run
I went running with T today. We were supposed to do a long run, but it was hot and I was tired. We ended up doing 4 miles and walking 2. I guess it was a preview of what the summer will be like. What made this run great was the view. You can really tell spring is here. Along the trail was a carpet of green, dotted with yellow and purple flowers. It was amazing!
Well, my lazy running days are over. I have to step up the milage and the training. I'm hoping to do sub-10:00 miles soon!
Well, my lazy running days are over. I have to step up the milage and the training. I'm hoping to do sub-10:00 miles soon!
Apr 4, 2011
A Preview of the NYC Marathon
As part of my 13 half marathons in 2011, I knew I would have to do two half marathons in one month. But I don't know what possessed me to do them in the same weekend. The 13.1 New York Half Marathon, which my cousin G ran last year, was on Saturday, 2 April. The More Half Marathon, which I have run before, was on Sunday, 3 April. I did them both. I made a NYC running weekend out of it! And it was a good weekend for running. Overall the weather was cool, but sunny. More importantly, there was great crowd support at both races. It really does help. Great crowds and great volunteers! And in Central Park, I saw NBC's Al Roker. It looked like he was taking a nice walk around the park, while we were running past.
The More Half Marathon is old terrain for me. It's two loops of Central Park. What made it different this time around was instead of running clockwise, we ran counter-clockwise. It may not seem all that earth-shattering, but it does change the composition of the hill at the north end of Central Park. When you run clockwise, the hill is long and gradual with a bit of flat in between. Running counter-clockwise, the hill was long and steeper, with no flat anywhere . You crest the top and then you have a little downhill. Normally, I would like the challenge. But the fact was on Sunday, my legs were sore from Saturday. In fact, I was very tempted to just stay in bed Sunday morning and forgo the run. I ran, just not that fast.
So why were my legs sore? Part of it was the 13.1 miles I ran the day before. The half was flat, with some small minor hills, that looped in and around Flushing Meadows. I'm not all to familiar with Queens, so this run was a fun revelation in some ways. I got to see Citi Field, The Queens Art Museum, Arthur Ashe Stadium, the big globe, and even a couple of rockets ships (I still don't know what museum or exhibit they were part of, but they were there).
It might have been a bit of arrogance on my part, but I thought the flat course would treat my legs well. And they did. I actually finished faster than I thought I would with a time just under 2:18. It was still 9 minutes longer than my PR, but I guess this early in the season and with my sporadic training, my legs weren't going to bounce back as quickly as I imagined. On Sunday, I did the 13.1 miles in just under 2:33. If you add up the times I did 26.2 miles in a total of about 4:51 minutes (and with a good night's sleep included). This might not bode well for my goal of doing the NYC Marathon in under 4:30.
The More Half Marathon is old terrain for me. It's two loops of Central Park. What made it different this time around was instead of running clockwise, we ran counter-clockwise. It may not seem all that earth-shattering, but it does change the composition of the hill at the north end of Central Park. When you run clockwise, the hill is long and gradual with a bit of flat in between. Running counter-clockwise, the hill was long and steeper, with no flat anywhere . You crest the top and then you have a little downhill. Normally, I would like the challenge. But the fact was on Sunday, my legs were sore from Saturday. In fact, I was very tempted to just stay in bed Sunday morning and forgo the run. I ran, just not that fast.
So why were my legs sore? Part of it was the 13.1 miles I ran the day before. The half was flat, with some small minor hills, that looped in and around Flushing Meadows. I'm not all to familiar with Queens, so this run was a fun revelation in some ways. I got to see Citi Field, The Queens Art Museum, Arthur Ashe Stadium, the big globe, and even a couple of rockets ships (I still don't know what museum or exhibit they were part of, but they were there).
It might have been a bit of arrogance on my part, but I thought the flat course would treat my legs well. And they did. I actually finished faster than I thought I would with a time just under 2:18. It was still 9 minutes longer than my PR, but I guess this early in the season and with my sporadic training, my legs weren't going to bounce back as quickly as I imagined. On Sunday, I did the 13.1 miles in just under 2:33. If you add up the times I did 26.2 miles in a total of about 4:51 minutes (and with a good night's sleep included). This might not bode well for my goal of doing the NYC Marathon in under 4:30.
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