sRod Over Hard

It is hot as hell out there. Not summer blackout hot--that happens in July around here--but even 80 degrees feels like the friggin Sahara.

To give you an idea, after the run (during which I had water), I drank a liter of water, drank a bottle of chocolate milk (I swear it works better than Gatorade after a run), had a bagel, and STILL managed to come back home a pound lighter than when I left.

On top of that, I went running with my friend who has a marathon PR pace of 7:50 min/mile, and normally trains at speeds faster than that. (My training pace is 8:40, 8:30 on a GREAT day.) So I tried desparately to keep up. And failed. Yeah, real nice ego boost during my first week fo training.

Good news is that next weekend I'll be in Boston (my sister will be there for a conference) and will be able to put in some time along the Charles. In my head, the trails up and down the Charles are Rodeo Drive for runners. (During college I was actually intimidated to run along the Charles with the 1000s of phenonmenal Boston runners.) The sights are beautiful: the view from the Longfellow Bridge, the sailboats in the back bay, the views of MIT, the smoots, my alma mater, etc. On top of that, there is the storied history of running in Boston. It's inspiring. Hopefully, this will help shake off the painful run I had today.

Also, my wife went with me today. Unfortunately, she got to see me tired and grumpy after a disappointing run. But the great thing is that I got to share something with her that I seldom am able to.

Week One

Coming into the end of the first week of training for MY FIRST MARATHON EVER! Of course, this is the same week that I've been super-social and had an event or gone out for drinks everyday this week after work. Waking up early to run + staying out late to drink = really tired. When Friday morning came around and I didn't have to wake up at 5:45 am I was so happy.

The running wasn't too bad. I'm not at my peak levels yet, but that's ok, I'm just starting and I'm still getting used to running in the early morning--which is growing on me. The first time I went out in the morning it was painful. I was saying "wtf" for the whole run. Now, I'm getting used to it, but I still feel "creaky" in the morning. I know most people like to run in the morning because they've just rested and their muscles are relaxed, they're "fresh." Well, not mine. Fresh is the last word I would use to discribe myself in the morning. My muscles and joints are rusty and stiff from sleeping and the last thing I want to do is shock them into awakeness by running. I feel like this may take a very long time to get used to.

Today I'm taking a break from the early morning run and instead, I'm heading out for an 8-mile run with a friend (while my wife walks with my friend's wife). Its a beautiful weekend here in the city, so it should be pretty nice.

Good news and bad news

Good news first: went out yesterday for 8 miles on the Hudson River Park/West Street/West Side Highway (aren't they all the same?). Anywho...I normally hate this route because it's rather boring and straight, plus it gets really hot. But despite that I did pretty darn well: I finished at an 8:38 min pace. My best half-marathon pace is 8:40, so I figure this is a great spot to be in before I start officially training for Baltimore.

And now the bad news: I have become web illiterate. More specifically, I have become HTML, CSS, Java and whatever-language-is-out-there-now illiterate. Back in high school I made my own webpage from HTML, but nowadays I can't even figure out how to insert a linked picture into a page. Sigh. So that RBF Member button over to the left is supposed to be linked to Running Blog Family...and God knows I've tried to figure out how to link that sucker back to the website...but alas, there is only so much I am willing to try before I just let it be. So the button is there, and one day it may be linked.

**Bonus Section**

Now for some so-so news: I'm still trying to figure out how to post my training schedule for Baltimore. I've been able get a jpeg version of the spreadsheet on here, but it's not legible. So I'll try again later this week when I have more time.

Blog frustrations

Finally complied a training plan for Baltimore thanks to the folks at Runner's World. Now I have to figure out how to post it here. Looks like I have to find an FTP provider, set up an account, upload the file, and then link the file here. That may take a while...I hope to have the training plan up before the race.

On a separate note: went for a run this morning. I'm not normally a morning runner, mostly because in the past it hasn't go over well. I struggled through 4 miles, but completed without stopping (although my bowels suggested stops a few times). Overall it went well, which is good. I'll probably start by doing my short runs in the morning, maybe moving other runs to the morning.

Runnerssphere

Way back in the day...meaning April, when I started this blog...I thought there were only a handful of running blogs out there. As is too often the case, I was wrong.

I took this morning to play around with the site layout, add some links, get some site counter action, see about getting my stats on the page. And in this persuit of gadgits, widgets, and gizmos for the blog I stumble across Running Blog Family. This just blows my mind. Ok, maybe more like sends a warm breeze over my mind. Not only is it an organized community of running bloggers, but they have all sorts of resources like training trackers, feeds to other running blogs, etc, etc. I don't have time to digest it all this morning, but this is huge. I'll definitely be adding more bells and whistles.

I also realize, that despite being young and hip and with it, I know nothing about the world of blogging.

Refocus

Ok, so I've come to terms with it: Fairfield is off the plans for this year. And didn't get into New York...so that's off too. Oh yeah, and it turns out that DC filled up BEFORE the lottery for the NY Marathon was called. Hmmm. So there go all my plans for 2007. Love it.

No NY or DC this year means I have to find another race to be MY FIRST MARATHON EVER (as it should always be referred to as). So I'm defaulting to Plan C: Baltimore. I've heard great things about the city, I'm a big fan of Chef Duff, and I always see Baltimore Marathon t-shirts at races. Based on that expert analysis of the race, I signed up this week.

Now it's officially on: the 2007 Baltimore Marathon on October 13 will be MY FIRST MARATHON EVER. So excited.

But wait...oh crap...that means I have to start training for a marathon. Hmmm. Perhaps I should get on that.

(Also...on the housekeeping front...adding a couple things on the right today since I finally have the time)

No more Fairfield

So it's been a while since I last posted. Between being on "vacation" in Miami and traveling to LA for work I've been able to run three times in the past two weeks. And since I haven't been able to break 4 miles on any of my runs I've decided to not do the Fairfield Half-Marathon.

This particularly sucks because this is the second year that I had to skip this race. This time last year I was working insane hours at work and hardly had time to sleep, let alone train for a race. I guess the timing of the race is bad too, since I usually do a late spring race and this race is in mid-June.

In light of this I'm going to try things a little differently for my 2008 races. I'll be running either NY or DC this fall as my first marathon (woo hoo!!!!). Then in January I want to run the Austin half marathon, 1) because it is a downhill course race, 2) we have a friend that lives close to Austin who has been asking us to visit her since forever, 3) it will be a warm winter race. With a race so early in the year I will be able to prepare for a the San Francisco Marathon (late July) and then Fairfield (late June) can just be part of my training for SF. To round off the year I'll find a fall race sometime in October or November (I'm taking suggestions). Of course, these are my ambitions now, we'll see what surprises lie in store between now and then.

So, for now I'm eagerly awaiting for 12 noon on June 12 which is when they pull the names for the NY Marathon. If I'm pulled, then I'll be touring the 5 boroughs. If not, then it's off to DC.

Run in the sun

On vacation this week! Well, sort of. We're in Miami for my brother-in-law's graduation on May 31. Since the 31st is in the middle of an already shortened week, we decided to just take the whole week off and call it vacation. So we're trying to vacation as much as possible even though certain family members are trying to talk us into babysitting or going with them to run errands. At least the weather should be on side this week.

I'm about to head out running in some very warm and humid conditions, and that has me a bit freaked out because I haven't been able to run for more than 4 miles under normal conditions. Add in the higher temps, humidity up the wazoo, and the extra intense sunshine, and the title to this blog could quickly change to "See sRod Not Really Run As Much As He Walks Kinda Fast." I love it.

Not sure what has made it so difficult for me to train lately. Not sure if its psychological or physical. Could I be talking myself out of running long distances because I just had a great race? Or am I pushing myself back into training too quickly and my body isn't ready for it? Or maybe its the warmer tempuratures?

Blue period

I'm in a slump. I can't seem to run more than 4 miles at a time. I'm heading out now for what is supposed to be an 8 mile run. Let's see what happens.

Bad run

I went for a run yesterday and it sucked.

I had planned on doing 8 miles around Central Park, but from the get go it was going wrong: I left the house 3 hours later than I normally would have, my stomach hurt (perhaps too much food before leaving the house?), and it was raining. Of course I'm hell bent on running an 8 minute mile at the Fairfield Half Marathon so I went out anyway instead of playing it safe and going on the treadmill.

The second I started running I could tell it was going to be a difficult run because my legs were tightening up and I couldn't get my pace under control (i.e., I was going faster than I should have and couldn't sustain a slower pace). The rain only made the situation worse. By mile 3 it was seriously raining and all I wanted was for the run to be over. So I figured I would walk for a minute and try to "reset" myself, give myself a fresh start. While I was walking I passed by a subway station and that was it. I started thinking about the rain, and how my phone and iPod would get damaged. I started thinking about how horrible my stomach felt and how my legs weren't cooperating (even though I was doing about 8:15 a mile). And despite knowing much better, despite having faced this situation 1,000 other times, despite knowing that this would be a high-order sell out, I stopped my run, got on the subway, and went home.

I don't think I've ever felt so defeated by a run before. I've stopped to walk, I've taken shortcuts, but I've never cut a run off so soon--I wasn't even half way through! For the past 24 hours I've been beating myself up over this. I've been thinking about what a wimp move that was, how I've had much, much bigger challenges and yesterday I just gave up without a fight. And then I started thinking about how I wouldn't be ready for this next race...and that's a whole other stream of thoughts. And then I started thinking how this could signal a downturn in my running, how I might never reach an 8 minute mile, how I'll never make it to a full marathon, how I'll have to just give up running all together. My demons have been in full swing since yesterday.

And then I realize--as I'm thinking all this--that perhaps I am taking all this running a bit too seriously. Maybe I should reevaluate my priorities when it comes to running. Or more specifically, maybe I'm pushing a bit too hard for this next race. I should really just concentrate on being prepared for it rather than having an amazing time. I did set a new half marathon personal record this year AND I plan to do my first full marathon this year--that is a lot to squish into 12 months. So maybe I should take the Fairfield race as my fun run for the year. If I improve my time, great, but if I don't, I'll still be in great shape for my fall marathon (whatever that turns out to be).

Running clockwise

To cap off my first week of training for the Fairfield Half-Marathon I did what I intended to be a nice 5-mile run around Central Park: get some nice hill work, enjoy the beautiful spring day, etc. To spice it up a bit I plotted my run around the park clockwise, instead of counterclockwise like everyone else does. Here's what I learned:

1. Running against traffic is like swimming up stream. Suddenly, everyone is coming at you instead of running with you. Not that people were getting in my way, but psychologically it feels like you are running the wrong way--and that makes it very difficult to keep going forward.

2. As I was running I saw street signs that show that runners/walkers are supposed to go clockwise around the park and bicyclists are supposed to go counterclockwise. I don't think I had ever seen these signs before, probably because I had only seen them from behind. And this made me wonder: what crazy runner gets to the park at 5 in the morning and decides the direction of traffic for the rest of the day? Then this lead me to another question: is there ever not someone running in Central Park? I have seen people there at 10pm running as if it were the middle of the day. Or maybe it's one of those impossible questions, like: if a tree falls and no one is there does it make a sound?

3. One thing I noticed off the bat was that other runners looked at me. Now, if any New-York-ism is true it is that people do not make eye contact; actually, New Yorkers tend to not acknowledge anything around them, period. It's not so much a matter of being proud, it's really just a mechanism you develop in this city where everyone and everything is trying to get your attention. However, as I ran people just kept on looking at me--and I could tell because many of them weren't wearing sunglasses. It got to the point that in the first mile of my run I looked down at my shirt to see if there was something on it. I have to assume that it was because I was running face-to-face with 90% of the runners in the park, but it's still an awkward experience in a city where no one pays attention any stranger.

4. An amazing thing I realized was that the park looked entirely different running the wrong way around. I've run through the park dozens of times, but I really felt like I was in a different place. I'm used to seeing turns and hills and trees from one side, and now I was looking at everything "from behind" (so to speak). I even discovered a lake! As I was running north, up the west side of the park, I saw a lake on my left that I had never seen before--every other time I had past this point I was heading south, and with how this lake was laid out it was hidden if you where heading south.

5. The one running-related lesson I learned during this run was that I am starting from scratch again. It happens every time, but, as always, I thought this time would be different. I was in peak condition for Long Branch two weeks ago and now I feel I'm back to square one: I couldn't regulate my speed, I couldn't control my stride, my stomach was going haywire, I couldn't get into my music. I hate runs like this because they completely break me down and make me feel like I can't run at all. I guess this is what training is for: to get rid of the demons.

The new job

So in my infinite brillance I thought it would be just fine if I started a new job the day after I ran a Half-Marathon. I know, you were just thinking the same smart thing.

It actually sucks because since you're new, no one is there to share the excitement with you, which is a total runner's high killer. The one or two people who did ask how my weekend went didn't actually know how to respond to "oh, I ran a Half-Marathon yesterday." They kinda just smiled and said that's cool. And then the overshadowing tiredness didn't help at all.

But that was the first day. Things have been great ever since at the new place. Wonderful people. Unfortunately, I came just in time to start and finish a massive project in two weeks (at my old job I had two months to do it). So that has put a cramp in my running: gave myself a week off for a job well done at Long Branch and have since tried to get back to the gym, but no luck. May have to resort to mornings run, which my body will not like.

Yes!

Holy sweet Jesus! I did it! No, I didn't just do it, I smashed it. Crushed it. Rolled over it with a steam roller and ate it for breakfast.

My PR going into this race was 1:59:55. So my goal was to maintain a 9 minute pace for an end time of 1:57. I would have been happy with 1:57. I would have been exstatic with 1:55. But taking a whole six minutes off my PR--I just honestly did not think that was going to happen.

Here's a recap of the race/lessons learned on the run:

So I have issues sleeping before a race. I'm usually so excited and nervous before a race that I just can't sleep the night before. I learned the hard way at Disney where I did not sleep at all the night before and managed to FALL ASLEEP in the starting corral. Since then a swig of NyQuil has become part of my ritual the night before.
After on and off shallow sleeping for 7 hours I woke up at 5am. I ate two slices of bread with generous amounts of peanut butter, along with about half a gallon of water.

By 6:30 we were on the road to the starting line. This was the first time I had to drive myself to a race. And there were warnings that there would be major traffic delays and limited parking. So you can imagine the heart attack I had when, with only 30 minutes until the starting gun, we were stuck in a traffic jam 2 miles from the starting line. Turns out Long Branch just has a problem with some poorly timed traffic lights. We got through it pretty quick and I was able to park within a block of the starting line.

It was perfect weather: 55 degrees when I left the car and light overcast (i.e., there were patches where you could see the sky but we never got direct sunlight). I stood in line for the port-o-johns (one last chance before I hit the road) and stretched before heading over to the starting area.

At 7:27am I headed into the corral for the 4-hour marathoners /2-hour half-marathoners...but by the time I could find a place to stand I was with the 5-hour group (which I paid for later in the race).

7:29..I'm jumping in place, eager for the pre-race announcements to start.

7:30...no gun.

7:35...no gun.

7:40...still no gun.

7:42 the race director finally finds his way to the stage. At this point, I'm already starting to get hungry, so you can imagine I wasn't too happy about the delay. But after a few garbled words from the director, the special guests (who included Kathrine Switzer), and the Star-Spangled Banner, the gun finally went off at close to 7:50.

My memory from the course is spotty...as anyone's tends to be because all you're thinking about is putting one foot in front of the other. I thought it was hilarious that in the first mile I ran by a hot dog vendor setting up her cart ON THE COURSE, as if today were a regular day and there weren't 7,000 people running down the street in front of her.

The first 1/3 of the race took a lot of turns. When I saw this on the course map a few weeks ago I got to wondering how courses are measured. So I took a little trip over to USATF.com to see if they had their methodology posted. They did, and it turns out that courses are measured assuming that you hug the corners and take straight angles between S-turns...basically they assume runners take the shortest distance and calibrate the course so that everyone runs the advertised distance no matter what. So I didn't feel bad at all getting on the sidewalk and taking the straightest course.

I realized that this race was not for speed runners. So I got the slow people, which is fine. But combine them with the narrows roads of Long Branch and Monmouth, and you get lots of congestion through the first 4 miles of the race. It was a bit frustrating since I was trying to set a PR. But once we got to the straight-aways it was clear sailing.

Most of the race was uneventful, very few surprises. I loved the group of townhouses that decided to go all out for the race and cover all their porches with signs like: "Beer Hydration Stop Here" and "We're All Kenyans Today." However, I did learn how important food is during the race. Normally I go through one pack of GU during a race, just because that's all I thought I needed. But this race I took a different approach and ate my first GU pack at the 50 minute mark, grabbed some gummies at the 8 mile mark, and downed my second GU before hitting mile 11. So smart. Each time I ate it gave me a big boost of energy. So much energy that by mile 11 I was blasting by all the other runners. (And I started singing outloud to my iPod...which I didn't realize until I heard people laughing at me....)

At mile 12.1 (I presume) there was a huge banner with "One Mile to Go." At that point I looked at my watch and realized what time I was going to make. And then the tears came. It was sudden, a cathartic. I cried because I was about to destroy my old record. I cried for all the training runs that felt useless. I cried for all the years I was the fat kid. I cried for my tired body. I cried for all the people behind me that still had miles to go. I cried for every single thing in the damn universe.

And then I realized that I still had a mile to go.

So the tears had to be put on the shelf for now--I could cry when I was done. The last mile went by in a blur. I felt I was going a 1,000 miles per hour and getting no where. I could see the hotel next to the finish and it just would not get any closer no matter how much more I poured on the heat.

I started yelling and waving my arms to get the crowd excited. Thank you to the two girls that saw me barreling down the boardwalk and started cheering my name. I couldn't hear what you were saying (the downside to wearing phones headphones) but it helped a lot.

My only memory of the final few hundred yards was the finish line floating in the distance, never getting closer even though I could swear no human had ever run faster.

I stopped the second I touched the timing mats. It took me ten seconds to remember to turn off my watch. 1:53:52. Then someone took my timing chip off, someone handed me a medal and a bottle of water, and somehow I got a finisher's hat.

In a blur I looked for my wife. I say blur because when sweat mixes with tears it is impossible to see straight (or even keep your eyes open). When I found her in the mob I gave her the biggest hug I've ever given her (which is hard to say once you've known someone for 12 years). I wanted to pick her up and swing her around in one of those classic romantic comedy moves, but my legs were buckling under my own weight--I would have fallen on my ass if I had even tried to pick her up. I showed her my time and she lit up, and when she noticed I was still crying behind my sunglasses...well, I think it made her tear up a little bit too.

This is why I run. The feeling of elation after a race is enough to make you want to run a 1,000 more miles. It is a high that cannot be surpassed. Yes, the sensation is fleeting. Yes, there is lots of pain. And yes, there are plenty of times when it all seems like a bad idea. But crossing thet finish line propelled by nothing but your own two feet is one of the greatest accomplishments a human can achieve.

On your mark, get ready, GO!

I just got back from the gym. I did a 30 minute run on the treadmill because it was pouring outside (you could call me a fair-weather runner). I couldn't concentrate for a damn minute because I'm too excited for Long Branch this weekend. I'm so excited to be back in my zone that I can't wait to hop in the car and head down to the Jersey Shore.

Additionally, yesterday was last day at my old job. Of course it's a relief to be out of there, but there's also an odd mix of emotions. Disappointment: I thought I was a tougher cookie and could handle my old agency for more than just two years. Anxiety: I'm leaving my team, they are only people I've worked with in advertising, so it's kinda like leaving your family. Happiness: I've spent the past two years on the same account, which made me feel stagnant, so I'm happy that is over...for now.

Some people were sad to see me go. Some just saw me as part of the natural turnover in advertising. Overall, I got out of my old job what I wanted: a solid foundation in advertising and a basis to start a long career in the industry. Here's to hoping the new job can deliver everything I want out of it: a creative atmosphere, a freer approach to advertising, and a healthier work environment.

Good to go!

A week from today I'll be running the Long Branch Half-Marathon in Long Branch, NJ. Since it's been about 7 months since I last ran a race I'm a bit out of practice, but after a solid two months of training not only am I back at the level I was at back in September, but I think I might even improve my time. Yesterday I ran an 8-mile loop around Central Park and maintained an 8:30 pace--which is fan-f***ing-tastic because there are some monster hills in Central Park, as opposed to the Long Branch course which is all flat. I'm completely stoked because there is a good chance I could make a PR during this race.

Yesterday I also went through the first of my pre-race rituals: I put together the playlist for my iPod. A week before every race I put together my playlist for the race. The process takes a good hour or so. I start by taking a look at my iTunes library, pick out the best running songs in it, and put them into one playlist. (Normally, I buy several new albums between races.) Then I rate the songs using the stars and the following system:

• 1 star ("inspiration songs") = exciting, super high energy start song to help set the pace
• 2 stars ("transistion songs") = similar to 1 star songs, but just a tiny bit slower to make sure I don't burn out in first half of the race
• 3 stars ("groove songs") = these are the pace songs, they are the slowest in the mix, but they are good for keeping pace and help for the "workhorse" middle portion of a race
• 4 stars ("warning songs") = faster than 3 stars (and kinda like 2 stars), these warn me that I'm close to the end and that I better pick up the pace if I'm behind because the end is around the corner
• 5 stars ("power songs") = the crown jewels of the mix, these push me through the finish line and tell me to start sprinting if I'm not there yet (these can also be called the "oh shit" songs, because they mean "oh shit, I have to haul ass")

After rating all the songs then I sort the list by rating and make sure the songs gel from one to the next and then take it out for a test run. The mix for Long Branch is pretty good, I may end up switching out a song or two, but here's the mix in playing order:

• 1 star section:
• Proud Mary, Tina Turner (always my first song)
• Spirit, Caesars
• Out Here All Night, Damone
• Cubicle, Rinocerose
• Say This Sooner, The Almost
• Heartbreak Stroll, The Raveonettes
• Crankin' Up, Caesars
• 2 stars section:
• Filthy Gorgeous (Extended Original), Scissor Sisters
• Abra Cadaver, The Hives
• Evil and a Heathen, Franz Ferdinand
• Tres Deseos, Gloria Estefan
• Is It Any Wonder?, Keane
• I'm Waiting, The All-American Rejects
• Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand
• Suddenly I See, KT Tunstall
• 3 stars section:
• Hang Me Up to Dry, Cold War Kids
• SexyBack, Justin Timberlake
• I Like the Way (Radio Edit), Bodyrockers
• I Turn My Camera On, Spoon
• The Fallen, Franz Ferdinand
• Unknown song from my friend
• Freedom 90, George Michael
• Tell Me in the Morning, Cold War Kids
• 11:11 PM, The All-American Rejects
• Lights, Editors
• Rubidoux, Cold War Kids
• 4 stars section:
• It's Not the Fall That Hurts (US Mix), Caesars
• Hey Teacher, Louis XIV
• You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz Ferdinand
• Let's Go Parking Baby, Caesars
• Vertigo, U2
• Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones, The Hives
• 5 stars section:
• Soulchaser (US Mix), Caesars
• I Don't Feel Like Dancin', Scissor Sisters
• Move Along, The All-American Rejects

Real fast

Just did 7 miles in 59:04. I did cheat a little: I walked for 1 minute at the 40 minute mark because I got too ambitious in the first half. But still if you add that in that's 7 miles in 60 miles. That's roughly an 8:30 mile. For me that's fast.

Really happy.

Crap, crap, crap...

...that's all I can think. Thanks to some last minute travel plans I haven't been able to go running for about a week now. Normally, that wouldn't throw me off too much, but I have a race in 12 days--now is not the time to be missing runs!!

My shoes; lonely, sad, unloved:











Don't worry boys, we're going out soon!

Still hurts

So last night went on the treadmill for 8 miles. Shins still hurt and not sure why. I actually had to stop the machine at the 2 mile mark and stretch my legs because I could feel the mounting tightness. I finished just fine, but I could just feel my shins getting tight (which makes it difficult to want to run faster or increase the incline). I think the Bridges run I did last weekend really threw me off--that'll show me about being super ambitious about suddenly throwing in massive hills into my training.

But in other, perhaps more exciting news...I got a new job! And while I am in advertising, which has very little to do with runnning, my new boss is a marathoner. Isn't that something, I will actually have something in common with my boss. It will be a first. The new office is in swanky SoHo, which is an extra 15 swanky minutes further than my current midtown job. 15 minutes sounds like a short amount of time, but I feel like it may be the deciding factor between being on a post-work "I'm-going-running!" high and a post-work "I'm-exhausted-from-the-work-day" low.

Ouch

Went for a quick run last night--5 flat miles on treadmill. My goal was to finish at a 8:30 pace, so a time of 42:30.

Extremely excited that I started off strong, hitting 7.0 mph within the first few minutes. I was coasting along a little too easy when this started to happen during mile 2:

My shins started to get tight. So I tried to adjust my stride, but no luck. Once I have my form down for a run, it's very hard to change.

In the name of saving my legs for another day I took a break at 3.75 miles. After a little walking I hit the machine again--ignoring the dull pain (as I probably shouldn't have). Finished spectacularly in 42:25, but oh my shins. Poor boys.

I don't know if it's the shoes (which need to be retired) or the little hill I threw in at the beginning of the run or the 3 enormous hills I did on Saturday. Hopefully I'll be fixing the shoe one soon...you know, if I ever make it to the running store. What kind of runner forgets to stop at the running store even when they pass it everyday on the way to work? Me.

Running in new territory

Yesterday as I was getting ready for my run I had a stroke of genius: since I missed a run this week, I'm going to try to make up for it with an extra hard run today. Instead of going over the Queensboro, going down the East Side, and going up the West Side, I mapped out a route going over the Queensboro, down the East Side, over the Manhattan Bridge, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and ending at Battery Park. As mapped here: http://beta.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ny/new-york/322813642.

WTF was I thinking?

First off, it turns out that between 59th Street and 34th Street you can't run along the river--there is just no path. Once I found this out I had to backtrack to 1st Ave until 34th Street. At 34th Street I completely miss the entrance to the path along the river and end up taking a 5 block detour. This whole time I thinking: who designs a running path that you can't access?

Finally, at 23rd Street (maybe 28th) I manage to get on the running path and start getting into a nice stride (this would be about mile 3 or 4). Eventually I see a bridge and figure that I have to get on the other side of the street to get on to what I think at the time is the Manhattan Bridge. Turns out it was the Williamsburg Bridge. And after another 5 block detour I'm back on the East River path.

After going through 50 red lights in Chinatown I made it onto the Manhattan Bridge. After so many detours and reroutings the last thing you want to see is a barrel view of a 135-foot climb. And immediately follow that with the Brooklyn Bridge. By the time I landed back in Manhattan my knees, quads, and hamstrings were screaming to stop.

The last mile was forgivingly flat and I coasted to my endpoint (the Whitehall Stop on the R/W). The goal was 11 miles in 1hr 39min--but at 1hr 46min, who knows how much I had run. But I can tell you that even the seats on the NYC subway feel like leather sofas after a run like that.