Monday, March 31, 2008

omigosh


It's almost here!   Less than one week!  I fly out on Thursday night!  I have so much to do! Could I use any more exclamation points! :)




Well, this is the week.  The training is essentially over.  We had a Tuesday night practice about
pacing where I learned that I didn't quite have a handle on how to hold myself back and run really slow.  So, instead of running with the group for 6 miles on Saturday morning, I ran in the Scotland 10K on Sunday morning.  I wanted to challenge myself in a race situation.  10 minute miles, that was the goal.  And it worked, I ran really easy.  The second mile I thought I was still holding back, but found out it wasn't quite slow enough so I pulled it back.  The next 4 miles were pretty consistent pace wise and I stopped at every water station.  10:04/mile was my overall pace as reported by NYRR.  I can safely say I know what that pace feels like - even though I'll admit it pained me to let people pass me by!  But Ramon has assured us that by holding back in the first two thirds of the marathon, we will have the energy to power through the last third and actually increase our overall pace.  I trust him!

I ran my last pre-marathon workout with my pal Maggie on Wednesday between shows.  She has been a tremendous motivator.  She's training with Team in Training for a triathlon and I like to think of our Wednesday runs as a third GTS.  The oddest thing about this past Wednesday - the poor little seal from the previous Saturday was still on the dock.  Hope he's okay.

And a huge thank you to everyone who has donated.  At the Team in Training send off event on Thursday, I was awarded a plaque and some swag for being the second highest fundraiser on the team.  I (amazingly) raised over $11,500!!!! I really can't believe it.  You guys are the best.  You know I'm a sucker for causes and I've become attached to this one.  I am honored to have been able to help.

I'm going to try to check in one more time before I leave, and I have a plan to try to take some pics during the race!  Hopefully I'll be able to blog from Paris and keep everyone in the know!




Sunday, March 23, 2008

2 weeks

Two weeks from right now I should have finished running my first marathon.  How cool is that.  Yesterday was my last long run before then, and it was only 12 miles!  Sounds crazy I know.  We ran up the west side along the Hudson River.  Starting at 72nd St. in Riverside Park we ran the 5 miles up to the GWB and back and then tacked on one mile south and back to reach 12.  On the southern part of our run we actually saw a seal on a little dock just north about 69th St.  He was very cute, but I can't help thinking how lost he must have been.  Poor thing.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

20 miles

Today I ran 20 miles.  I took the matinee off and went with Team in Training to a trail along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in New Jersey.  It went pretty well.  The coaches had set up water stations at mile 4, 6 & 7.5.  When we got to mile 10 we turned around and went back. I had 5 Gus, a handful of pretzels, 4 fuel belt bottles of Gatorade, 4 fuel belt bottles of water and 1 regular bottle of water.  The quad behaved and I couldn't be happier.  Now I get to start tapering.  Woo hoo!  3 weeks to go!

P.S. Did you know there are such things as sponsored air guitar players?  Neither did I.  Things you learn while driving with teammates to New Jersey.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

test #2

Tonight's GTS was test #2.  That's the workout where we run a mile as fast as we can 3 times in a row with some recovery time in between runs.  I'm still nursing the right quad so I didn't push as hard as I did the last time around, but I still showed a tiny bit of improvement.  8:00 for the first mile and 8:07 for the second.  We're not talking about the third one - they made us run up Cat Hill! Damn cat!  It was great to have most of my running crew there.  I'll miss them on Saturday when I go with the Paris gang to NJ to run 18-20 miles!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

15K


Today was the Colon Cancer Challenge in Central Park.  9.3 miles.  I did pretty good.  On Coach Ramon's advice, I only ran the race and didn't add any extra mileage.  Some people had already run 7 or 8 miles this morning by the time the race started!  The weather was beautiful, if a bit windy, and even with the loss of an hour overnight I felt okay.  A 9:40/mile pace and a finish time under 1:30.  I'll take it.  Thanks for cooperating right quad.

4 weeks from today I will be running a marathon.  In Paris.  Eek!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

better luck this time...

I am running a 15K (9miles) in Central Park tomorrow.  I have already attached the NYRR chip to my shoe.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

update

Scenario #2 - the one where my ATM card fell out of my jacket pocket while running is the winner.  A very nice man from NYRR called to say it had been found.  He promised he would cut it up.

Diagnosis - muscle strain (quad, abductor)
Remedy - stretching, stretching, stretching

No hills for me tonight but I'm going to to GTS and try an easy run as recommended.  

Sunday, March 2, 2008

oh my

Let's just say it wasn't my morning.

8:05am
Get on the subway to go to Coogan's Salsa Blues and Shamrock 5K up at 168th St.  This was good since the A train was running local today.

8:25am
Realize just before 155th Street that I have forgotten my NYRR chip. Uh oh. Get off at 155th St. and get back on the downtown train. Again, the A train was running local

8:46am
Text my running buddy Meryl that she should start without me, if I make it I will be late.

8:50am
Convince a cab dropping someone off outside my building to wait for me. "I'll be going to Washington Heights!" I yell at him.

8:56am
Head up the West Side Highway in said cab. I kind of can't believe he waited for me!

9:07am
168th St. Pay the $18.50 fare with debit card, tip with cash, get receipt. Get out of cab, peeling off sweatshirt and bag. Toss bag at luggage pile at appropriate bib number.

9:09am
Volunteers guide me around the starting line - the finishers are 5 minutes away.  I do not get to cross the start mat with my chip.  Unsure what this will mean for my time.

9:10am
Off and running.  There are about 5 other people in the same late boat as me.  I feel crazed but am happy to just be running.  A few minutes in I am actually passing people.  (About the time the finishers pass me as the course doubles back on itself.)

Mile 1
My right quad, the one that started seizing up toward the end of yesterday's long run, starts to tighten up again. Ugh.

Mile 1.5 - turnaround
Right quad is not having it.  I actually stop and stretch.  Manage to run another couple hundred yards and stop to stretch again.  All the people I managed to pass, are now starting to pass me.

The Next 1.6 Miles
I mostly walk.  Walk.  Ugh.  Every time I try to run, the quad refuses.  I do not want to do permanent damage and a finish time is no longer an issue, so I stretch, walk, stretch, walk - all the way to the finish line.  I am passed by speed walkers, mentors with unhappy middle school-aged runners and skipping fathers with their 7 year old daughters.  I am feeling pathetic.  I have even turned the nike+ off.  

Finish
I'm done.  I retrieve my bag (not hard, there are only about 2 dozen left in the entire pen.)
Grab an undeserved bagel and get back on the A train heading down town.

125th St.
Putting my sweatshirt back on, I notice that the zipper on the arm pocket of my running jacket is open.  This is where I usually keep my driver's license, ATM card and cash.  I pull out $10, my license and.......nothing else.  My ATM card, the one I used in the cab is gone.   I check my pouch (I'd brought my phone to the race) and find only my phone and my metrocard.  All pockets and my bag are checked again.  Nothing.  Nada.  Pretty sure I threw my card and the taxi receipt in the trash can as I threw away a Cliff Block bag right after I got out of the cab.  Or I put it in the arm pocket and it fell out when I took my running jacket off and tied it around my waist.

10:30am
Home at last.  Triple check all pockets and pouches.  The ATM card is officially gone.  I call and report is missing. Sometime today I'll have to figure out what things I have automatically deducted through that account since the number will change.  Total cash on hand? $11

And here's the kicker.  Seems that if you don't cross the starting mat at a race, your time is calculated from the start time of the race.   My finish time on my results reflects the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line.  49:43  Oh well.

Let's hope the day doesn't get any worse!



Saturday, March 1, 2008