I often cite runner's brain as a source for silly mistakes made while running. Such as when you think it's a great idea to charge up an uphill two-miles into your 10-mile run and then wonder why you don't have energy in mile five. Or like when I ran MY FIRST MARATHON EVER and was clocking an 8:30 pace during the first quarter of the race, even though I was training to run at a nine-minute pace. Such moments of non-brilliance are scraped up to runner's brain.
Yesterday though I had so many instances of runner's brain that it reached a new level--runner's fever perhaps? I just don't even know. Let's discuss.
First, I miscalculated my goal time. I met up with the Laminator at the Super Runner's Shop (getting closer to free shoes!) for the Saturday group run--although we had plans to break off from the group because the Laminator had an 18-mile run and I had a 14-mile run scheduled for the day. During the first mile or so I calculate my goal time for the run to be 2:04 for an eight-minute pace. Now if you whip out your calculator, you'll easily find out that eight minutes times 14 miles equals 1:52. Where I got 2:04 from, I have no idea--I can't even replicate the math.
Next, as I mentioned before, the Laminator and I planned on breaking off from the group at one point to go exploring different parts of Manhattan, since no one wants to run high mileage in Central Park (those hills will destroy you). I mapped out a great 14-mile route from the group's starting point heading south and committed it to memory. Just in case, I quickly mapped back up route for if we headed north since the group likes to alternate between directions. Of course, we head out northward, so I have to use the back up route that I didn't remember so well.
We exit the Park and say goodbye to our group leader, letting him know we won't be returning to the store. I start leading the way through Morningside Park and Teacher's College. We get to Riverside Drive and it's basically a straight shot south from there. I love this stretch of Manhattan and it's pretty cool sharing it with another runner, pointing out all the landmarks and the different ways you can go through the park. We plug along through Riverside Park, then Death Valley, then Battery Park, and then the final stretch along the seaport leading up to my finish line at the Brooklyn Bridge.
I wish the Laminator good luck on his last four miles and I head toward the subway. I look at my watch. 1:51:30. Huh? If I was supposed to finish in 2:04 at an eight-minute pace then I must have been hauling some serious ass. That is suspicious, but I'm so happy to be done with the run that I don't even think twice about it.
I get home and start mapping the route I just ran. Turns out that I messed up the route. We were supposed to exit Central Park at an entirely different point to make sure we hit 14 miles by the Brooklyn Bridge. But we exited the park way too early, which cut an entire mile off the run. So my fantastic run, got a lot less fantastic. Then I entered my time and saw my pace instead of being sub-eight minutes, was actually 8:34--way off from the 8:15 pace I had for 10 miles two weeks ago. Around this time I also realize my time miscalculation from early in the run. Damn, damn, and damn.
But wait, there's more. This morning I go to check off yesterday's run from my training calendar. I open up the Excel sheet and find the 14-mile long run...under May 30. Yesterday was May 24. WHAT. THE. HELL. The running gods were obviously out helping someone else yesterday.
P.S. - The Laminator suggested I buy a Garmin yesterday citing that it has helped him tremendously with his running. I shrugged it off saying that Mapmyrun.com is all I need. This morning I have seriously reconsidered his suggestion and will be adding a Garmin to my birthday list (less than two weeks away!).
P.P.S. - And in what is clearly an early sign of a terminal bout with runner's brain, I realized TODAY that I misspelled gravy as gravvy every single time in my post from WEDNESDAY--even though I used spell check on the sucker. The extra "v" is for "vroom" you generate in your final kick, so there.
10 comments:
Hey SRod...quite an interesting run yesterday, wouldn't you say? First, thanks for showing me the new route. It was a nice adventure. Second, don't worry about the miscalculations...we all know it's hard to do math 13 miles into a long run...Third, invest in a garmin so you don't fry your brain with too many mileage and route info.
Either way, it was a good run, although my legs are so not thankful today. Until next week.
I think Gravy deserves an extra "v" for its deliciousness, so it's okay with me to modify the spelling. And I agree, you need a Garmin. I used to make mileage mistakes like that before I had mine.
With your average pace kicking that much ass, I concur... that Garmin should be tops on your b-day list :-)!!!
I just found an application for my blackberry where supposedly it will turn into a GPS mileage/time tracking device like a garmin... we'll see about that.
MapMyRun is a brilliant tool - but for people like me whose Runners Brain is a little less than preemptive... well, let's just say I have no idea where I went or how far I've gone on days like yesterday since none of the trails are available on the actual site. Which leaves me going "screw it, as the crow flies" and calling what could have been greatness... a 10 mile trot at less than impressive speeds.
I don't even really know what time I really left... it mattered *that* much :-).
Happy Memorial Weekend to you and yours!!!
The garmin is such a great tool. You can even set up all sorts of interval training using it
Uuuuhhhhh homie, that is WAY to much math right there. You TOTALLY need a Garmin. Hell, even get the 101. It's only $50 off eBay.
Even still, very killer job on the run!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who gets totally mixed up on how far i've gone, have left to go or what actual pace I think I'm running...during a run. Can't say I've given in to the Garmin yet just cause I don't want to wear it, but I hear good things from people who seem far less confused.
Yes, I second Laminator's suggestion. Become a slave to Garmin. Join us....join us.....join us....
You have no idea how well I relate to this post. I just did something kind of like this. I thought I was running a 2 mile loop twice in 25:32. I was overjoyed...until I found out it is a 1.5 mile loopy. Yeah, I added in an extra mile....LOL. I'm a newbie who has only trained to run for endurance and distance for a marathon, never for speed. I'm just learning the timing stuff. The Garmin seems overwhelming to me, I almost needed a class on how to use my stopwatch....LOL
No worries, I love to run, I'll pick up some speed along the way!
Good luck with your training!
I've held off on buying a Garmin too - when I run in NYC, I tend to do the same courses all the time and I know exactly how far it is. Then that big REI sale on Garmins happened, and I totally planned to get one, but forgot until it was over, and now I don't want to pay full price. Here's hoping for another sale!
HA HA, so funny. I definitely get this same thing. I always say, please don't ask me to do math while I run (and this from someone who had a math scholarship!) I can't even add up miles correctly, it is really scary. It has often resulted in way too long or way too short of runs compared to what I had planned and wanted (even with Garmin!). I do best when I have a planned route, rather than trying to wing it. hee hee.
I'm so jealous that you get to run with Lam. I am dying for a training date in NYC so I can run with you guys (our corp office is in Manhattan so I do get there sometimes!)
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