Marathon Run, Marathon Journey

Not missing, but slight inaction

2010-01-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Wed, Jan 27: Last Wednesday GTS!! Supposed to be an easy 30min run, but I had to beg off as I was sick!

I might have mentioned in late December/early January that I was fighting off a cold that turned out to be an upper respiratory tract infection. It took a while, but with antibiotics etc. I was definitely feeling better. Last week, it was more or less just an annoying cough that kept dragging on. Then, Sunday, I started coughing more and what with the scratchy throat.... yep, you guessed it. Sick again!!! Sucks!!!

Doctor Tuesday, antibiotics again. I can't stand taking liquid medicine at the moment, so back to Mucinex and tablet Vicodin for the chest pain. This is a bit of a blow.

However..... I still went to meet up with everyone before their run, with my clothes and shoes in hand just in case I was miraculously feeling ok enough to run. Got my I (heart) Bk shirt from Yasi to wear to the inspiration dinner. Bought enough gel fuel to see me through the miles. Hung out with the teammates for a few minutes before they went off to run and I dragged myself home to rest.

In the end, I have decided that this just adds to the adventure! I will be taking a positive attitude and sense of adventure with me to Miami, and on the road for 26.2 miles. Sunday, 6:15am, is what I've been training for all these months. I will be running, so send me all your good thoughts and love. . I look forward to my next blog post being via text to say my time and that I've done it!!! Onward to Sunday!!!!!

Last long Saturday run

2010-01-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Sat, Jan 23: 6 miles, 1hr 20 mins!

For our last long Saturday run, "all" we had to do was 6 miles. When we started, we couldn't imagine saying only 6 miles to do. :) And now look at us. Look at me!!! This practice was good for a couple of reasons. :)
- Again, only 6 miles.
- I was right on target for a comfortable 13min mile pace, which was great!! That's even after having to double back slightly because I dropped my glove.
- Phoenix and Disney alums were there, which meant my running buddies Yasi and Nasser came out with their shiny medals!! :) It was great seeing them, now I just have to hold up the side. lol

Afterwards, we all got to have hot chocolate in the park (note to self: do NOT have chocolate after a run). Then Nasser, Yasi and I got to hang out for a bit, which was great! We even went to Five Guys. I made them promise not to talk about their races until we could all talk about our races, so I'm definitely looking forward to that dinner conversation come February. We'll all hang out and show off our medals like nerds, hahaha!

Pacing at tempo

2010-01-21T14:41:00.001-08:00

Wed, Jan 20: 2 miles in 21min 50sec, 1 mile in 10min 15 sec.

This day, I was really wondering whether to go, as my stomach was quite upset. But I wanted to keep breaking in my shoes, and I felt the guilt/commitment, so I toughed it out and went. Nevermind that I wanted to hurl and my stomach was bouncing around so much I swear I could feel and hear the bubbles forming and bursting. (Eew). I ran at pretty good paces for me, so afterwards I really had that feeling that yes, if I can keep this up even when feeling quite bad, I can do this. Really. Not just the intellectual trying not to freak out - I really felt it.

Let me explain that last sentence. I went online and looked up the ING Miami Marathon website, the race course, the participant info, etc. I reread having to keep up a 14min pace (or the buses will pick you up), but I was feeling slightly better about this after Saturday's practice. Then I read that you have to reach the 12.8mile point in 3hrs 15 minutes, or you will not even be allowed to continue on with the full marathon. This freaked me out in a big way. Honestly, I just had to reason it out with myself for a day or two. Once I'd calmed down, I went back and checked if it was 3hrs 15 minutes from the start, but luckily it's 3 hrs 15 mins shoe-tag time, due to the extra time for the corrals (and I'm sure I'll be in the last one). I kinda figured I would be able to make it, so I just kept working on keeping myself calm and not psyching myself out as usual. But after Wednesday, I don't know. I felt it. I didn't have to reason with myself. I just feel like I can do it. And it's AWESOME. I always have to work at motivating myself, so this is a dream come true - a dream that had better last until January 31st at midnight.

So, I'm going to stay calm, and not get too excited because I want to keep all that energy for the big day, and do my research so I can have my infinitesimally small freakouts way ahead of time so that I'll have my mental armour for the big day, and keep visualizing me crossing that finish line. Go team Janine. :)

Tapering - it's getting close!

2010-01-21T14:40:00.003-08:00

Sat, Jan 16: 2hrs 2-3mins, 9 miles!!!

Usually I put my distance first, but this time we were going to run for time. We'd done our last long run the week before, so now it was time to ease up and give our bodies a rest so we'd be ready for race day.

Everyone just ran for an hour, turned around wherever we were and ran back. For once, that meant that we should all finish together, and as a person who is always one of the last, I was quite looking forward to being "with the pack", even if that was at the end. I was also hoping to run at least 9 miles, as that would mean that a long slow comfortable pace was also within the pace I need to be for the marathon itself (~14 min mile). I was sooo pleased when I realised that I had. As I jogged at about a 13 1/3 min mile, that made me a little more confident for the race.

Just as good, we were back by 10:30am! Can't remember the last time I finished a Saturday practice that early. So a good day all round! :)

Hitting a steady pace

2010-01-21T14:40:00.001-08:00

Wed, Jan 12: Four 10min miles!!!

The point of this workout was to pace ourselves, and we were told by Coach Luis that we were going to do the mile in exactly the same time each time. So that's what I set out to do. I ran "tempo" and did my first mile in about 9mins 50 seconds, and then thought it had to be a mistake. lol Then I did the second one in just about 10mins (not more than a couple seconds over, if that). Same with the third. And the last one, EXACTLY 10mins. I was quite pleased. And guess what, that adds up to 4 miles in one practice. Pretty good for me!

Treading the miles

2010-01-13T14:39:00.001-08:00

Sat, Jan 9: 19 miles, 4 hrs 5 mins - on the treadmill!!!!

Since I was still sick (antibiotics or not), and it was going to be below freezing, I decided that I was better off running inside than out. (It was a West Side Hwy run anyway - no thanks. lol) I slept in, and although the day seemed very warm went I looked out that morning, I still felt I made the best decision. Besides, I had a plan to run as if it was race day, and so even though I'd be on the treadmill I thought it might just not be as mindnumbing as I'd previously imagined.

So here's what I did. On the treadmill specifically "for the long run", I ran by time so I could fuel on schedule but not watch and obsess over distance. I did the run in 3 parts - first 1/3 at 13min mile, 2nd at 12.45min mile, 3rd at 12.30min mile. Did all flat, no incline. I concentrated on paying attention to my legs mostly, followed by breathing during each stage. I ended up running 18.8 miles straight in 4 hours, then walked the last 0.2miles for a total of 19 miles.

Afterwards, I felt awesome! So, yeah, I had to stretch and gently foam roll for 30 mins after, AND do the did ice bath at home later to help the legs. But I'd done it, and I felt a little more confident about race day. Can you imagine? 19 miles! 4 hours of running! Wow!!!!

Getting back out there

2010-01-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

Wed, Jan 6: Pacing. Did a marathon pace, tempo and tempo plus (!!!) run.

So after missing the lovely pace, tempo and tempo plus training last week, I got a chance to get one in (although still quite sick - turns out I had/have an upper respiratory tract infection requiring penicillin!!!). Got back out there and did, if I am judging correctly, a 12 minute, 10 minute and at least a sub-10 minute mile. I was quite pleased with my effort today. Since the whole point of this exercise (other than some intervals, maybe) was to assess how we were feeling as we ran each leg, I'm quite sure that I will not doing anything near tempo plus unless it's the last 25 steps to the finish line. lol I felt like I was going to hurl running that fast! Still, proud of me!

Three Bridges!!!

2010-01-04T11:10:00.001-08:00

Sat, Jan 2: 16.3 miles, 4 hours, 2 boroughs, 3 bridges, freezing cold!!!

Still rather sick, but I medicated myself on Robitussin DM Max, dressed warmly and gots to running! lol The 3-bridges run was pretty awesome, although there were some bitter, unhappy points. Yasi, who was also sick and wisely skipped this run, was sorely missed. We ran from Brooklyn Museum (really, Coach Lisa's apt) to Manhattan via Flatbush Avenue and the Manhattan bridge, then went right and ran over and back the Williamsburg bridge, then went left and over the Brooklyn bridge. From there it was mostly Hoyt and Union back to the Park.

It was nice to have Nassar's company for the first bridge. His race is this coming weekend, so here's my shoutout: BEST OF LUCK, NASSAR!!! YOU'LL BE AWESOME!!!!! :) Williamsburg bridge was rather steep, and with my compromised lung capacity :) it was rather challenging, so I fell behind. Back through the city to Brooklyn bridge was ok, and there I met up with Captain Robyn who was waiting for me since I was the last person back on the 3 bridges route (some people were only doing 1 or 2). Then she and I ran most of the way back to Prospect Part, me very tired at this point and feeling some pain.

Now, since the run was only 13 miles so far, I had to add on some miles in Prospect Park. I was kinda exhausted, and Prospect Park was cold. I really wanted to cry. I was hoping to add five miles, but the coaches wisely advised me to add 3. I wasn't even sure if I could add 1/2, I was so tired and drained. Miles 14 and 15 were a slow, often walking slog with the mental mantra of left foot, right foot to keep me moving forward and trying not to cry because that would just make my face colder. But mile 16...... was worth it. The last mile was also our tempo run training mile, and some muscle memory had me actually running (albeit slowly) this mile!! It also seemed to fly by, unlike the previous 2. I'm glad I pushed through miles 14 and 15 to get to that 16th mile. I'm going to channel that mile in my marathon race.

Which leads me to the following: my race is this month!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Anyway, afterwards we all warmed up and chatted and bonded at Coach Lisa's and her husband Clark's apt with bagels, coffee, hot chocolate and yummy English muffins. Ok, I took a bit of time to defrost and become capable of being social, but it was lovely hanging out with everyone. :) We rocked!!!

M.I.A.

2010-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Wed, Dec 30: Sick = first completely missed training. Was tempo runs with negative splits. Ah well.

Well, I was trying my best to be well, but I got a cold on Sunday. The usual, bad 30-day extravaganza. So I tried my best to rest, and even though I brought my clothes on Wednesday, I ended up going home after consultation :) with my mom and Yasi because I was tired and it was cold, cold, cold. I felt very guilty, but know I made the right decision. After all, I'm not trying to get pneumonia! At least I did my Tuesday cross-training. Also, the upcoming Saturday run promised to be fab, so I'm determined to get there!!!

Holiday or not, still have to run

2009-12-28T15:02:00.001-08:00

Sat, Dec 26: 8 miles, about 1 hr 36 minutes on the treadmill

Well, Miami runners got to fall back (again) this week, since our race is furthest away. We had a choice of doing 6-8 miles, or (for me) 15-17 miles if I was feeling good to go. However, since I was all about the holiday rest, I squeezed in my 8 miles on the treadmill. Now that's commitment! :)

Tempo Run #2

2009-12-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Wed, Dec 23: About 3.5 tempo runs, about an 11 minute mile pace.

Just as before, we were supposed to run comfortably hard for a mile, then have a recovery run for 1 minute out and 1 minute back, then tempo run again for a mile. I really wondered whether this would be a safe practice, given that it had snowed heavily earlier in the week and it was a bit slippery just walking on the sidewalk. However, it turned out that the road itself in Prospect Park was really dry (while the fields still had inches of snow, haha), so it was safer running in the park than walking outside it! For this reason, I'm glad I didn't miss practice (what with it being so close to Christmas and all). And I was also pleased with my effort again. Never mind that this old guy cruised by me with little effort but much greater speed. :p I managed to impress Coach Lisa and Captain Robyn with my effort, so go me! :)

Ted Corbitt 15k

2009-12-22T14:23:00.001-08:00

Sat, Dec 19: NYRR Ted Corbitt 15k, 1 hr 48 m 26 s. Pace: 11:39min!!!

My 2nd real race! For this one, we were falling back in terms of mileage, so we were supposed to try to push our pace. Based on my (slow) 5K time, I was supposed to run at about a 12 minute mile for the race, +/- 15 seconds, so I wanted to try to do at least that. Plus, since I didn't know Central Park, I wanted to treat it like a real race and see what I could do. After all, the one I'm training for is 26.2 miles, not the 9.3 I was doing this day!!!

So, here are my results! :) Yes, I'm slow. But I'm pretty pleased with my effort and time. Just so you know, there were about 3500 people running, so I was in the back (just as with the Nike Human Race 10K). Still, I think I'm running better, which is something to be proud about.

Last Name	First Name	Sex/ Age	Bib	Team	City	State	Overall Place
MARTYR	JANINE	F30	7350		BROOKLYN	NY	3248

Gender Place	Age Place	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile	AG Time	AG Gender Place	AG %
1594	382	1:48:26	11:39	1:48:24	1640	42.6 %

Starting a tempo

2009-12-22T14:22:00.003-08:00

Wed, Dec 16: Tempo runs. Got in about four 1-mile runs, at maybe an 11.5 minute mile each one.

So, now we're starting to do tempo runs. Funny, (or not so funny), I thought race pace was just what we had been doing so far. Or at least, I had planned to do just what I had been doing. Apparently not.

For this practice, we needed to run as fast as was comfortably hard for a mile, with only a 2 minute slow run for rest before we did it all again. I didn't know if I could do it, as I'm always afraid that I won't be able to last. But, I remembered Captain Robyn's comment about me being able to run faster than I thought. So I pushed, and instead of getting worried when I started and continued to breathe really hard, I thought: real pain, or perceived pain. And funny enough, I wasn't really in pain. It was effort, but I could keep it up. And yeah, I was still slower than everyone else and I wish I didn't have to breathe so hard to do it, but I kept up the pace for a mile. I was quite pleased with my effort this practice. So, go me! :)

Round and round and round and round

2009-12-22T14:22:00.001-08:00

Sat, Dec 12: 15 miles, more than 3 hours and a lot of drama

So we were definitely not thrilled to be in Prospect Park for this run. After all, it was 3 full loops of the park as well as 3 intermittent half-loops to get us up to 15 miles. (One full straight loop is 3.35 miles, so there's a double-back of about 1.7 that gets us to a 5 mile loop). This was a boring run. However, that was the point, as it was designed to help build our mental toughness. Heck, this whole running thing was a struggle from the start, so I didn't know if I needed a mental toughness test. But more importantly to me, it was a very COLD run. My fingers were hurting from the start, and after 1/4 mile, I didn't know if I was going to get to 2 miles, far less 15.

Anyhow, miserable as I was, I kinda did 10 miles. And for the first time, I walked too. Bad, bad, bad. I just stopped when I felt like it, and walked the last half mile before 10 miles because I had decided to go home. I had visions of my warm bed in my head. I wasn't interested in running for another hour, even if Nassar, Yasi and I were going to eat together after.

However, I didn't count on Robyn. Suffice to say, Captain Robyn was the boss of me this day, and I don't make that kind of statement lightly. She kinda forced me to get back out there, since I wasn't injured and, as I am training for a full marathon, really needed to get in the miles. She gave me her mittens, and told me to just run the 3 mile loop. But since I heard her saying to Coach Luis that she would try to convince me to do the last 2 miles when I came back, and I REALLY didn't want to hear anything, I just sucked it up and did the last 5 miles.

The reward? Strangely, the hills on this time around felt like nothing (for the first time ever). It was an odd feeling, but I endeavor to remember it every time I meet a hill. Plus, I got to hang out with Nassar and Yasi after all. So, good times in the end. :)

5K - Take Two.

2009-12-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Wed, Dec 9: 5K again. 34 m 40 s.

After all of our hills training, we were supposed be stronger and maybe faster. The point was to compare this 5K to the one we ran 5-6 weeks ago. We were to run a smarter race, and have a good even pace.

Well, I was slower, which was disappointing. But, I ran a more even, less strenuous race. I paced at about 11.5mins per mile, which isn't terrible. Just not as good as the 10.5mins per mile I did previously. The hills were definitely easier to climb, though. :)

Coney Island and the BEST RUN EVER!!!!!

2009-12-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

Sat, Dec 5: 14 miles, more than 3 hours I'm sure. Running in the rain, lol.

This run really starts the day before, at the Chip Shop in Brooklyn. I met up with running buddy Yosi to go, and just expected lots of fried food - although I knew there was macaroni. Boy, was I in for a surprise. I was like a kid in a candy store, I was so excited about the menu. I ended up having macaroni, fried macaroni, veggie shepherd's pie, chips, ribena and lemonade. (Ok, some of this was ordered by Yosi, but I shared.) I was happy, happy, HAPPY, and this carb-and-shepherd's-pie-and-macaroni-induced happiness I am sure lasted all the way til Sunday morning.

Which meant that I had the best run ever this Saturday!!! I just chattered away for most of the run. Instead of obsessing that I was only at 4 miles, I thought, oh good, only 10 more to go. We got soaking wet, as it was supposed to start raining at 1pm, but instead started around 9am - *after* I'd run off without my rain jacket on. But it was so great. I enjoyed running TO Coney Island and the ocean, even knowing that I wasn't half done til I got there. It was lovely and flat, I must admit. And different from running in the Park, which is a bit boring now. And I enjoyed running back for the most part, although I did get tired and wasn't looking forward to the last bit in Prospect (hills, albeit small ones. I really have to work on them). It was just such a relief to have a "good" run, as 12 miles and 13.1 miles kinda sucked. If you read the last Saturday blog, you'll know how I've been feeling. Now I know what to do from now on. :)

The Hills Grand Finale

2009-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Wed, Dec 2: Hills #5, and a single moment of some triumph!

This evening, I was in a very bad mood. I wasn't sure I should even go, my mood was so off. I kept asking myself "To go, or to go home?" lol. I got to practice late, so late in fact that I met up with the group at 7:30pm (and we have to be back for our bags at 8:00pm). We were doing our last set of hill repeats, and I managed to get in 3. But what a 3!!!

First time up - not bad, but nothing to shout home about. Second time up - this deserves it's own bullet points.

Captain Robyn insisted I run faster and ran the last half up with me.
I was so surprised that I was a) going faster, and b) keeping up with Robyn, that I asked her whether she was "running slow".
When she said she wasn't, I ran faster. And faster!

Now, I was gasping for breath and nearly died at the top, but what a run! Captain Robyn was proud, I was proud, there was just a whole bunch of pride! lol

My third and last time up was also nothing to shout home about - I was tired already. But the endorphins were great, because I was now in a good mood. I actually felt sorry I hadn't gotten there earlier. What a turnaround. I still have a little pleased smile when I think about it. Go, me!

The Lone Runner

2009-12-02T11:08:00.003-08:00

Sat, Nov 28: 7 miles, about 1hr 20 mins on ye olde treadmill.

So at the end of Wednesday's pre-Thanksgiving and macaroni and cheese practice, we found out that, contrary to our training calendar, we only had to run 6-8 miles instead of 12 this Saturday. OMG. Can you imagine it? I wanted to throw a party right there and then. 4-6 miles less? Thank you, thank you, thank you! lol

True to form, I didn't do much for the day and then carted myself to the gym for around 6pm so I could have 2 hours to run before closing time at 8pm. It was me, the treadmill, and whatever was showing on MTV. As it was "only" 8 miles to do I tried to run it quicker, since I have really been struggling with my speed and getting tired way before the end. When the treadmill auto-ended after 1 hr, I was almost at 6miles, so I felt pretty good about that. But, boy, was it a struggle. I got off for a couple minutes and then went back and did 1 more mile so I could stretch a bit before I had to leave. It wasn't 8, but it was more than 6. And I had a chance to figure out what to do if I have to stop for a bit, because the poor legs and knees really seize up and I had to ease back into it. The lesson here: don't stop for long.

One more thing: I think I hate running. I know I don't love it, but perhaps it's progressing to a not-love/hate relationship. I don't know. I'm just putting that out there into the universe so I can see how I feel about it. Probably I'm just frustrated because I feel like it's not getting easier. Or rather, that it should be easier than it is since the truth is, I'm doing it! I don't know. I'm going to see how it goes. I want to think positively about this, but not the fake-positive "it's going to be alright somehow" stuff. More the critical-look-and-reason-that-it-will-be-alright-and-have-a-plan-to-make-that-so stuff. :) Because I firmly believe that I will do this. I just want to do it *well*. (And not so painfully). :)

Back to my (now) beloved hill

2009-12-02T11:08:00.001-08:00

Wed, Nov 25: Hills #4!

At least this time I was back at a hill I knew. And I wasn't late. :) Can I say how I kinda love this hill now? I feel like I know its curves like my own. ;)

For this practice, we ran 2/3 up the hill "easy", and then kicked it into high gear so we ran hard the rest of the way. The changeover marker was a little cone otherwise known as "Coach Luis", and the end point was another little cone going by the name of "Captain Robyn" lol. I think I did a decent job. Took it really easy on recovery, and managed to impress Coach Lisa a bit. She said we've never looked so good, in fact. I'm a bit worried that it still won't translate into better running, but I'll take it! :)

One thing I'd like to note. Can you believe, we actually volunteered to have this practice? lol We could have NOT had a GTS the day before Thanksgiving, and we RSVP'd that we wanted it! lol I dunno, it's weird how I miss my training buddies. I prefer to have them there sweating it out with me than not, while at the same time, I feel like I'm running along in my head even with people around me. Anyway, more room for the macaroni and cheese!!!

Jersey, baby! The 1/2 way mark.

2009-11-24T03:54:00.000-08:00

Sat, Nov 21: "Lane Silber" Half Marathon! 13.1 miles, 2 hrs 49 mins 20 seconds.

So TNT put on an all teams training race for us.

The good things: We started on the Manhattan side of the George Washington Bridge, and ran across the bridge into New Jersey's portion of Palisades Interstate Park. It was beautiful, with the trees and the river and weather that was really quite nice. Also, I finished! And did it in about the same time it took me to run 12 miles last week.

The not so great things: It HURT. There were hills upon hills in that park, and the steep hills took it out of me. I was at an ok pace in the beginning, but really slow in the second half. Hence, I was the 3rd last person to finish. I was hoping my time would be more like 2.5 hours, but then I was just hoping to be done under 3 hours. I was so exhausted and fed up, that I stared down the bikes on the bridge, who had to get out of MY way, lol. Note: I was in my lane, just not hugging the side like on my way out. (Bikers and runners tend to have some hostility between them, I've found, as bike and running paths are right next to each other and bikers don't like runners in their bike lane.)

Anyhow, I did it. Just have to do this twice in a row on race day. :)

The long winding road

2009-11-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Wed, Nov 18: Hills #3. Got a bit lost, did poorly. Sigh.

So, let this be a lesson to me to (1) not be late, and (2) if I'm going to be late, at least have the sense to memorize the email about practice. Since I did neither, when I got to the park and saw noone from our team in sight, I started off in the wrong direction. And by the time I knew that it was the wrong way, it didn't seem to make sense to turn around. So silly me ended up having to run (well, figuratively speaking) all around the park to find the group.

I started to get a bit nervous that I wouldn't make it all around the park before it was time to leave and pick up our bags. Plus, every other runner was heading in the opposite direction. It was dark, I was worried. But thankfully, I ran into the group with 23 minutes left.

What was funny, though: Everyone goes "Janine! Where did you come from? Were you here, but I just didn't see you?" (The coaches went, "My, my, where did you turn up from?!") My response: "I went left. I was here, just on the other side of the park!"

So, funny experience to tell, but a poor practice for me. Think I made up for it the Saturday?

Round and round and round we went

2009-11-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

Sat, Nov 14: 12 miles, 2 hrs 48 mins.

We stayed in the park today, which was a little disappointing. But at least it didn't pour with rain like we thought it would. And I learned the "five mile loop". Since I wasn't here the first time it happened, I guess it was appropriate that I got to do it twice, eh?

Here's the thing. This hurt. Like the dickens. My feet - SWOLLEN. I was running on my own padding. lol Plus, I forgot to eat breakfast so I had to fine chew a granola bar right before I started. Maybe that's why my stomach was upset for more than half the run. And I was so slow. And the legs were so heavy. But I was a souljah. I toughed it out.

Even tougher. The cold bath. Yes, people. The lower half of my body submerged for 20 minutes in a tub of cold water. Cold. I had to hysterically laugh and scream with my mom on the phone while the tub was filling (I sat first - no dipping the toe in and punking out). But coach Lisa was right. It helped a whole lot. I could actually bend my knees after! I think of it like a full ice pack for the lower body.

Hills #2

2009-11-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Wed, Nov 11: Cresting hills with high, continued effort. Good job, Janine!!

A far cry from my previous hills workout. I really worked, too! Five times up the hill and then on to the flat with the same effort level (and therefore greater speed). On my last effort, I even received a good job from Captain Robyn (who I outran for a couple strides, heh heh! :) I was trucking! lol. Plus, I'm very pleased that it was the breathing, not the legs, that was the real effort. Also, that despite the breathing being tough, I made it through a lot better than I thought I would. I'm definitely a bit fitter!!!

On a different, interesting note (maybe). I seem to really take recovery jogs more seriously than other people. I mean, on the way back down the hill, I was the person taking it the slowest, lol. Why does everyone run down the hill? lol. Ah, well. As long as I stay healthy.

To Manhattan and back!

2009-11-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

Sat, Oct 7: 11 miles, 2.5 hours. From Prospect Park, across the Brooklyn bridge to West St in Manhattan and back. First time out of the borough. First time in the double digits!!!

Considering that last weekend was the first time out of the park, these next milestones came very quickly. lol

Wow, it was cold that morning. I'm glad I took multiple pairs of socks. But the day warmed up some, and it was beautiful. My slow run/jog across the Brooklyn bridge was quite something. Yosi, Nasser and I stayed together for most of it, for which I'm quite grateful, as I definitely had to take it slowly. The legs hurt, alright, and it was slower on the way back. But it was the legs, not the breath, that was the fight, which is amazing to me. I mean, I was quite slow, but still.

As an aside, I am now a huge fan of frozen peas as icepacks (thanks janieane :). Doing my best to stay healthy and keep running. Thanks for all the support!!!

The bad and the ugly.

2009-11-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Wed, Nov 3: Hills 1. I crashed, I burned.

This is a difficult blog to write. I suppose I should give some history/context. I've been working lots of late hours, early mornings at work, 2:30am mornings some days for the last couple of weeks. Monday, I was in the office until 1:15 am on Tuesday, got home just before 2 am, and had to wake up at 5am so I could be at the site of the event we've been planning at 7am. Through it all, I've not missed a practice or a run. I've made it all happen, and in fact, figured that the running was saving me in it's own way by giving me something else to focus on and destress from work.

However, I guess you can't push yourself that hard without expecting to pay in some way. And now that I think about it, it's been coming to a head for a few weeks. After my 9 mile run, I could barely walk for a couple minutes. My legs have been hurting, so much so that I spent 40 minutes foam rolling on Tuesday evening. And my practice this day was not good at all. We were starting hills training for the first time, to build our strength. I started out ok, but then I got really down and frustrated. To be ok, I was running really slow, but this was getting to me because I felt that I was too slow and would therefore be running for too long come race day. I was slower than the walkers! And I didn't want to be last or left!

Even worse, it was clearly obvious to everyone else that something was wrong, which made it even worse for me, as I just wanted to crawl off by myself. In the end, I kept going, slowly, by myself, but I just wanted to cry. And shockingly, I did. As the last person finishing my last hill, our coaches Luis and Robyn waited for me to ask me if I was ok, and didn't take my weak "I'm fine" for an answer. And despite my best efforts, it just all came crashing down. I sobbed. In public. And they did their best to console me, but once the dam was burst, that was it. And once I found out that apparently I had been limping the whole time, it was all over. Now I was unhappy, pathetic, slow and limping? Once I told them where it hurt, now it was possible prolems with my IT band? Sigh. I refused to rejoin the group. I just couldn't. Tried to call my mother but couldn't talk to her. Stayed in the park for a little while, then just headed home instead of to the after-practice nutrition clinic. Cried all the way to the station. Cried so much, in fact, that I woke up with puffy eyes the next morning.

Now why am I sharing this? I'm not sure, but I remember what my friend Marielle told me after I commented on my blog probably not being that exciting. She basically said that it was fine to be honest, put my real feelings out there, not sugarcoat the struggle. And that's what this is. Despite everything that may be noble about this, I work for every mile, I fight an ongoing mental battle. And I need to fight the physical one too. Or, at least, figure out how to make this happen without hurting myself.

Robyn asked me if I was going to be at practice on Saturday, and I will be. Funny enough, there's no question in my mind that I'm going to do this. I didn't think for a moment that I was giving up or quitting. I just don't know how to do this yet and be ok. How to take away the frustration and be healthy physically, as well as happy with how I'm doing.

That's it. The bad and the ugly. I'm trusting that next time there will be good.

First time out of the park!!!

2009-11-05T14:32:00.002-08:00

Sat, Oct 31: 9 1/3 miles. First time out of Prospect Park!!!

And where did we run to? Ikea!!! lol (For anyone who doesn't know, I loooove Ikea).

This run was very interesting. First off, I decided to use the public bathroom in Prospect Park for the first time. And for my bravery, what did I get? I was locked in the bathroom. I'm not kidding. The lock wouldn't turn and I couldn't get out. Worse still, I was alone in there and not about to slide out under the door on that um, rather dirty bathroom floor. What was a person to do but somehow McGyver myself over the stall? I totally climbed up on the toilet, hoisted my left over the top of the stall wall and let myself over the other side into the empty stall beside. There was a terrible moment where I thought, I'm up, but how am I going to come down? Lol. But I made it without hurting myself anywhere. I was a little dusty and shell-shocked, though. They must not dust the top of bathroom stall walls.

But back to the running. It wasn't bad. I gave a good account of myself. Running to Ikea and back was 6 miles of it - 3 miles downhill, then that 'lovely' long couple of miles up 9th street on the way back up to Prospect Park. Then it was once around the Park for the last 3 1/3. True, I felt a bit broken up afterwards (wasn't sure I'd be able to walk back to the station), but 9 miles! Coming from 6 the previous week (and 7 the week before)? Go, me!!

5K in the Bk!!!

2009-11-05T14:32:00.001-08:00

Wed, Oct 28: 5K in the Bk!!! 32 minutes, 1 (or maybe 7) seconds!!!

So our team had it's own little 5K race for practice. We followed the 5K route in Prospect Park, and were told to run as quickly as we could while maintaining an even pace. This was so they could have a better sense of how we were doing and how we would be on our 'real' race day. Also, after hills training, we should see improvement in our time.

For me, I try to keep with a 12 minute pace normally. So I was thinking that an 11 1/2 minute pace would be great. I started out ok, and then tried to speed up as I felt comfortable. I was breathing hard, and every time it started to hurt a bit I'd try to concentrate on form. I ended up running by myself for much of it, though I tried to keep my running buddy in sight whether in front or behind. And there were some nervous moments when it was just me alone, running along a dark stretch of Prospect Park.

I definitely started to slow down during the end, but when I heard teammates cheering, I was soooo happy to be at the end. And 32 minutes for 5K / 3.1miles is like a 10 minute mile! Wow! At this point, no way could I keep that up for 26 miles (boy, was I sick afterwards), but still. 3.1 miles in 32 minutes? I'll take it! :)

Nike Human Race 2009!!!

2009-11-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

Sat, Oct 24: Rocked the Nike Human Race 2009 in Prospect Park, NYC! Clock time 1:17'01" (chip time a couple minutes less? :) , placed 3068th! lol

What a great day!! I had my race gear ready to go from the night before! lol After all, I had to get up at a ridiculous hour and I really didn't want to get lost. Met a friend on the way, who told me all about his h.s. school training team, them going to nationals, what he eats, what he thinks while he runs.... it really helped to alleviate the nervousness for my first 'race' ever. I'll probably won't ever run into him again, but thanks all the same.

Did manage to get there on time. It was great to see all the other runners in their red shirts no the subway. We were like this massive wave coming out of the station and rolling into the park. After I met up with my team, took my pre-race picture and checked in my bag, I got ready for the big moment by.... taking a bathroom break! lol

And then it was time to run! I got myself in right at the back, since there was no 12-minute station (there were 5 to 9 minute flags to people could group themselves). I ran a ways behind Yosi and Nasser (my running buddies) for most of the race, but caught up and even got a little in front in the last mile. Turning that last corner, and seeing the finish line in the distance even closer than I thought it was going to be was probably the greatest moment in the entire race. Swiftly followed by crossing the finish line. lol And the third best thing, I wasn't last!

The before and after pictures might tell it all. :)

Making the effort

2009-11-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Wed, Oct 21: Effort levels again. Better than the last time!

First time back with the group after my little vacation (not from running, just from NY). I missed them! Doing effort levels with my buddy Yosi next to me was way better than doing them on the treadmill by myself. And I was really proud of how I was doing. I was making it happen, even near the end of the workout session!

I think that the time at home, though challenging, was also good in a way. That increased mental toughness, no matter how slight, was making a difference as I ran up and down (or is it back and forth?). Now, onwards to the Nike Human Race NYC 2009!!!

How?

2009-10-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Sat, Oct 17: (which really happened Fri, Oct 16) 7 miles, 1 1/2 hours on the treadmill.

So, apparently, when you can run 6 miles comfortably, you can follow the "advanced" calendar. I'm definitely still a beginner, so no confusion there. But 6 miles is like a magic number in my mind, and I wondered how I would handle the 6-7 miles required. Especially since 4 miles two weeks ago hurt, and I'd just managed the 5 miles this Monday (late from Saturday).

Well, this is how:
- By focusing on my breathing which, you know, is slowly improving.
- By telling myself to get on with it, because 26.2 miles is way longer than 7.
- By staring at the bumps in the beige-yellow paint on the wall that kinda look like the southern cross and trying to find "the zone"
- By imagining a line pulling me inexorably forward, a mostly red line on a road that curved ahead in the distance
- By determining that I should dig deep, and contemplating a vision of my mental "core" from which I could ... um... dig deeply
- In fact, just about anything that would keep my feet moving.

There was a minute, at about 1 hour, where a painful cramp hit and I was wondering, is this it? Is this the run where I stop? But thankfully, I tried slowing down rather than stopping and miraculously it worked. The cramp eased, the feet kept moving.

But this mental battle.... It's as bad, maybe worse, than the physical one. Because when I think about it, at an easy pace, it really isn't as bad physically as I thought. People got on, and then off, the treadmills next to me, and there I was, still running. Trying to keep it easy, trying not to fight myself, trying not to obsess about the time and the distance, trying to find " the zone". And here and there, I did have moments of mental peace. But, too brief, and the battle started again. In the end, how to keep going? How?

Fighting the good fight

2009-10-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

Wed, Oct 14: Effort levels, alternating E1 & E4, and the gift of nausea afterwards.

Since I'm still in Barbados, and it's hot, while my team was running in Prospect Park, Brooklyn I was running on a treadmill in a gym near my house. Actually, that's not quite right. I was trying to convince myself to go to the gym while they were running, and only managed to do it when they were done. My family urged me to go while I was contemplating today's run. Even as I was putting on my shoes, I was still thinking about it. Because, frankly, this is hard. And no one else can do it for me. I suppose I shouldn't complain, since I signed myself up for this. But it *is* hard. And I'm not pretending that it isn't.

Still, I did it. Went to the gym that is. And did the workout. I alternately ran on the treadmill for 2 mins at E4 and walked (although I think I should have been jogging) at the E1 speed. In fact, in my best showing, I ran at 7mph for 1 1/2 mins. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

It's all part of the mental battle, I know. I'm so glad I went, so there's the reward. But the going, and the doing, I'm working in the hope that it gets easier.

And the nausea.... I've been eating anything I want at home, but I've been thinking for a while now that I need to do some research into a runner's diet (not lose weight diet, but eating right diet). If anyone knows how to help, that would be great. It comes on with long runs, but it's so much worse when there's strenuous exertion like today. Bring on the advice.

Tropical Runnings

2009-10-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

Sat, Oct 10: (which really happened Mon, Oct 12) 5 miles, 1 hour. Yeah!!!! :)

Home in Barbados for the week. To highlight my dedication, I'll have you know that I actually called Barbados from NY on Friday to find out what my gym options were and to decide whether to do my Saturday run on Friday night. Nice, eh? lol

Since I traveled on Saturday, I didn't do my long run then. Meant to do it Sunday, but forgot that gym hours aren't the same the world over. By the time I called just after noon, it was almost closing time! Which meant that...

Sun, Oct 11: I was running around Eden Lodge Primary School's pasture, as I have in the past. lol I got in my half hour, so that's what counts. And thankfully there were lots of other people there playing football or basketball on the field and court, so I wasn't the entertainment that I was in the past. Still, it's hot in Barbados, and I'm happy to be doing most of my running in the gym and not at the side of the road (sidewalks not always present). And no, I'm not running on the beach. I would like to associate the sea and sand with sunning and reading a good book, not working out. Besides, there's no bag watch on the beach! lol

Which brings us back to Monday and the long run. I really did 5 miles. No one to motivate me but myself, kept obsessing about the time and the distance, and yet the feet kept moving. I'm very, very proud of myself. I suppose this is the way to mental toughness - the doing of it. A bit worried about the next and the next, for those long runs will keep getting longer, but still. 5 miles? I'll take it! :)

Easy, breezy. Um, make that E-z, freezy.

2009-10-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Wed, Oct 7: Effort levels. E2? E3? Wherefore art thou, E1? (See the lingo on the side if this sounds like Greek).

Sigh, it all feels like E4. Ok, it doesn't really, but it's a mental battle, this wanting to stop and convincing oneself not to. Thank goodness for Yosi, my running buddy and motivator. I swear, she has this ending kick that drives me crazy! lol I make myself run slightly ahead of her as much as I can so I can be somewhere nearby when she makes for the finish. :)

On a sensible note, I'm reminding myself that I need to wear long sleeves now and buy some cold weather running pants. Thank goodness Prospect Park has shielding trees. It was windy!! Where are those people who keep saying that winter season is the best training time?

West Side Story

2009-10-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sat, Oct 3: 4 miles along the West Side Hwy

All-team runs can be fun. This one hurt. Brooklyn, Staten Island and Manhattan groups met in Manhattan for a group run and connection to the cause event. Only thing, that required waking up even earlier and I was still sore from Wednesday.

Wanted to try for 5 miles, but went out much faster than I came back so I knew I wouldn't make it wasn't to be. Lesson learned about pacing? Still, it was 4 miles of continuous running, and I was able to work on the mental endurance (to stop, or not to stop) as well as try to figure out what to do when one starts to get a shin splint. I run too heavy. Need to work on that.

On an interesting note, I also registered to run the Nike Human 10K on October 24th. Cross fingers!

Their idea of surprise fun is different to mine

2009-10-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wed, Sep 1: Survived marathon bootcamp with Coach Jasmine

It will come as no surprise to people who know me when I say that I resist going along with the program when people say something is "fun" and it's clearly not. This week, we had a "surprise" Wednesday workout, otherwise known as Marathon Bootcamp with Coach Jasmine. Crunches, dips, pushups, plank, a "cute" move known as "the duck"...., and me complaining all the while. In fact, you should have seen me when I heard there were only two more exercises to go. I was a veritable ball of excited energy, lol.

Truth be told, Coach Jasmine is kinda great, and right this moment, several muscle groups are reminding me that I worked out. Plus, I'm not as sore as the first pre-season bootcamp, so go me. Improvement, baby! lol

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

2009-09-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

(Courtesy of my cell phone:)

Really, really, really don't want to go today. Too bad. Will just have to watch House on the treadmill. For some reason, singing katy perry's song waking up in vegas in my head is helping with the motivation. I have this urge to jump around...

The Update:
I went, watched House and whiled away 40 mins. Alright!!! That's 40 minutes!!!!

Beyond the loop

2009-09-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

First things first:

Sat, Sep 26: Just under 4 miles! That's one loop of the Park, back 1/4 mile and back again. Yeah!!

I seem to be getting the post-run nausea under better control, too, but the bad eating habits are creeping back in. Time to get the fundraising act together as well.

All in all, improving slowly, but I'll take it. Plus, I got to my 11:30am yoga class (shhh.... don't tell the coaches/training captain). A good day. :)

P.S. That's the Brooklyn group in the photo, minus my buddy Yasi who came late but made it all the same! :) Guess where I am?

Why not?

2009-09-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

Team in Training is a fundraising program of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We raise money for blood cancer research, cure and patient care, and they get us to the finish line for a half/full marathon or even triathlon. I'm crazy, and have decided that I want to run the ING Miami 2010 marathon on Jan 31, 2010 and raise $4,000 for the cause.

Funny how I procrastinated with this blog but not with signing up. Two little words: "Why not?" They can get one in a lot of trouble. But to catch up on the action...

Tue, Aug 18: Met Peta tabling at my gym for The Leukemia and Lymphoma's Society Team in Training winter season. Decided to go to the next info session.
Wed, Aug 19: Info session. And then I signed up!! What!?!
Wed, Sep 2: Pre-season "boot camp" in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. I have a joke to tell about that later.
Wed, Sep 9: Pre-season "fun run" with the Brooklyn team - just under 2 miles. Hmm... was it fun? Sure, when it was over, haha. Did I mention that I'm not a "runner"? But I'll get there, as this was the day I met my buddy, Yosi!!!! :)
Sat, Sep 12: Official start of winter season! Go Team in Training! Fun "running" (read: slow jogging) in Central Park with all the entire NYC chapter.
Wed, Sep 16: 1st official Brooklyn training. Learning about arm swing.
Sat, Sep 19: 1st time looping Prospect Park. 3.35 miles - woohoo!!!
Wed, Sep 23: Low and high arm swing.

That's probably enough detail, but I'd just like to share that we have to run on our own twice a week as well. Improved from 20 minutes Sun, Sep 13 to 35 minutes last Thu, Sep 24. This is a far, far cry from barely being able to jog 3 minutes on the treadmill earlier this year. Thanks to Janice (NYSC) for taking the time to introduce me to foam rolling. Now, if only I could stop breathing like I'm dying....