saturday was my first race of the training season. a nice little 4 miler. it was sunny and cold, and reeeaalllly hard to get out of bed at 7am on a saturday knowing i was gonna freeze my butt off. but, i dragged myself out to central park and had a great race.
i wasn't paying too much attention to the time clocks, i just tried to pace myself and follow ramon's race strategy. ramon's strategy was to take the first mile easy, let people pass you and just keep a steady pace. mile two is alot of downhill, so it would be a fast mile. mile 3 would suck because it involves cat hill.. a slow long incline. then mile 4 is pretty flat so i will be fast also. i pretty much followed this exactly, but i think mile 3 was faster than i expected because i ended up running one of my fastest races yet.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
just a small step.
Even though i posted earlier, this is my first blog you're probably reading. I'm training for the Rome marathon coming up in March and I'm looking for allll the support I can get!
Aside from running 26.2 miles, i hope to have raised $6000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. With your help I know I can do it. It's only $229 per mile. So look at it this way, you could sponsor me:
$229 buys you one OFFICIAL MILE!
$130 buys you 100 YARDS! (that's cheap for a football field!)
$50 buys you 100 FEET... that's like if 20 of me were laying end to end! (50 bucks = 20 of me.. awesome deal!)
$6.50 buys you a 50 YARD DASH!
So, see there is something for everyone. The Leukemia Society means so much to so many people you'd be amazed. And every foot you buy makes a big difference from someone fighting a difficult disease.
Aside from running 26.2 miles, i hope to have raised $6000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. With your help I know I can do it. It's only $229 per mile. So look at it this way, you could sponsor me:
$229 buys you one OFFICIAL MILE!
$130 buys you 100 YARDS! (that's cheap for a football field!)
$50 buys you 100 FEET... that's like if 20 of me were laying end to end! (50 bucks = 20 of me.. awesome deal!)
$6.50 buys you a 50 YARD DASH!
So, see there is something for everyone. The Leukemia Society means so much to so many people you'd be amazed. And every foot you buy makes a big difference from someone fighting a difficult disease.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
CIAO!!
Well, it's been a loooong summer. and spring and fall for that matter.
When I last left you, i had just completed my first marathon (yup, all 26.2 miles) in Paris. I was nursing some sore muscles, but now after a bit of rest (8 months to be exact) i'm ready to train for marathon number 2 (yup, another 26.2)!
This time my training and your gracious donations will take me to Rome.. that's Rome ITALY, not Rome, New York! I will once again be training with Team In Training and fundraising for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and the Marathon is March 22 so it will be a long hard winter.
For all my new readers, Team In Training is a program provided by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society which, in exchange for fundraising, trains people for endurance events like marathons or triathalons. It's a great program, and last year with the help of many friends and family members I managed to raise over 6,000 dollars. The Leukemia Lymphoma Society uses the money raised to further research as well as help improve the quality of life for those battling blood cancers.
Last year I ran in memory of my grandfather, and this year I will also be running in memory of Kim Patterson who passed away in 2000 of Leukemia. I will also be keeping a couple people in my thoughts who are currently fighting the good fight against blood cancer as well. If they can find the strength to keep fighting, i can surly find the strength to get up at 8am to run!
So, stay tuned.. the training stories (both good and bad) will be posted.
And if you want to donate and post some words of encouragement you can do so here:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/rome09/bhickey
miles run: 0
miles to go: 26.2
When I last left you, i had just completed my first marathon (yup, all 26.2 miles) in Paris. I was nursing some sore muscles, but now after a bit of rest (8 months to be exact) i'm ready to train for marathon number 2 (yup, another 26.2)!
This time my training and your gracious donations will take me to Rome.. that's Rome ITALY, not Rome, New York! I will once again be training with Team In Training and fundraising for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and the Marathon is March 22 so it will be a long hard winter.
For all my new readers, Team In Training is a program provided by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society which, in exchange for fundraising, trains people for endurance events like marathons or triathalons. It's a great program, and last year with the help of many friends and family members I managed to raise over 6,000 dollars. The Leukemia Lymphoma Society uses the money raised to further research as well as help improve the quality of life for those battling blood cancers.
Last year I ran in memory of my grandfather, and this year I will also be running in memory of Kim Patterson who passed away in 2000 of Leukemia. I will also be keeping a couple people in my thoughts who are currently fighting the good fight against blood cancer as well. If they can find the strength to keep fighting, i can surly find the strength to get up at 8am to run!
So, stay tuned.. the training stories (both good and bad) will be posted.
And if you want to donate and post some words of encouragement you can do so here:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/rome09/bhickey
miles run: 0
miles to go: 26.2
Friday, April 11, 2008
Etes vous fatigues?!
now for the race..
believe it or not, i was not really that nervous for the marathon. i think that the fact that my brain really couldn't comprehend running 26.2 miles in a row helped. i tried to just think of it as another race in the park. except this park was paris and this was THE race.
i had been battling a cold for about a week, so i took some nyquil and fell asleep pretty quickly. i consider myself lucky for this because many of my teammates were tossing and turning all night.
race day was a bit more hectic. the race was set to start at 8:45am, so we had to be up at 6 in order to eat.. rules are to eat 90 minutes before and hydrate a bit. i still wasn't too nervous, had my clothes all laid out and was ready. once i got to the lobby and felt everyone elses nerves, and heard all the second-guessing of the clothing etc it got in my head a little. suddenly i wasn't satisfied with what i was wearing.. not sure if i had everyhting i needed.. UGH.
there were about 30,000 runners with only 18% of them women. pretty unusual. it also made for a crazy crowded start and i felt very very small in the crowd. i started the race with roxy, she's an old pro when it comes to marathons so having her there helped alot with the nerves.
i was hoping to run somewhere close to a 4:15 race.. kind of funny since i really had no idea how my leg would feel, how running 26 miles would feel etc. but i know my general pace is somewhere around 9:30/mile. this race (being europe and all) was counted in kilometers so i figured if i could run each 5k in 30ish minutes i'd end up close to 4:15 and more likely 4:30. the route took us from the arch d'triamphe down the champs elysees past the louvre, past tuileries, around the bastille and out through a beautiful park. lots to look at, and many distractions.
from the start i knew my leg was not going to be a problem. it felt great actually. i was running strong and pretty close to my goal pace. the crowd of spectators were not thick, but their cheers of "ALLEZ, ALLEZ!" were more than encouraging! it was an overcast morning and a bit chilly, so i had a jacket over my oh so lovely purple TNT tanktop. (it is hard to look cute when running 26 miles, but this tanktop made it IMPOSSIBLE). at about the 10k mark i started to warm up, and took off my jacket.. at that moment i heard 'GO BECK, YOU LOOK GREAT!' my coach ramon was there at that moment with all the support i could possibly need. as you read further, he will appear a few times.. not quiet sure how he managed to always be there when i needed him most!
the run through the park was a bit harder because the crowd all but disappeared, and there was not much to look at. i fell in behind a pacer (they had arranged for pacing runners to be scattered throughout helping us reach our goals) which was running a 4:15, and this gave me a good bit of momentum. i quickly realized though that i was being pulled along faster than i should be running at this point. if i kept up this pace i'd surly be in trouble later. it's hard to break that momentum, so when i passed a row of port'o potties i decided to make a pitstop and then it would be easier to resume my normal pace.
due to the large percentage of men in this race, there were not very many port'o potties.. and honestly i was amazed by how the men would just stop anywhere and everywhere and pee!
we came through the park and re-entered the city.. this portion of the race took us along the river.. the sun came in and out of the clouds keeping us warm. i still felt strong. not focusing too much on my watch, i was still not too far off my goal. i was looking forward to seeing the coaches though.. they told us they would be spread out from 20k- the end of the race.
somewhere around 1/2 way, i stopped for some water.. i passed 2 other TNT'ers walking and enjoying their water when i heard that oh so familiar spanish voice cutting through the crowd.. 'ARE YOU FREAKING WALKING?!' ramon.. i found him and ran over for a high-five. he ran along with me with encouraging words of how great i looked and gave me a run down of what i could expect in the upcoming miles.. 'a few rolling hills, small incline.. just let these middle miles fall away.. distract yourself.. play a game with yourself.. just keep running, you look amazing!'
as i ran on i thought 'play a game.. hmm.. a game.. i don't know any games.. damnit ramon, i don't KNOW ANY GAMES!' laughing at myself i decided to just read the signs on the stores, the signs on the street.. just keep reading the signs..
i felt good until about mile 20 which i guess is pretty normal. this is when the wheels usually come off. and when i say 'good' it is very relative.. at this point i had been running for over 3 hours.. RUNNING for OVER 3 HOURS.. i started passing the coaches which helped alot. a little distraction, a little chit chat and then off again.
things were getting more difficult with only 10k to go.. at one point i was taking a walking/water break and told myself 'when i get to that orange balloon i will start running again' only to realize that the orange balloon was running also. so i picked a new landmark. just as i was approaching my running mark (and about to pick a new landmark and walk a bit further) i heard a voice from behind me 'way to go New York!' our tanktops had i *heart* NY on them, and i guess there was a fellow new yorker running up behind me. she was not with our team, but it was jsut what i needed to get going again. i thanked her for kicking my ass at the right moment. we chatted for a bit and she was quite encouraging 'we're almost done!' and i ran ahead.
at around the 5K (to go) mark i was really tired and taking another walking break. NY ran up again and said 'ok new york, lets finish this!' forcing me once again to run! GOD LOVE THIS GIRL! i saw a water table and ran over to grab what i thought was a cup of powerade. took a big gulp and WAHGHAHA!!! it was NOT powerade.. it tasted like sparkling vinegar.. or what i later accounted as 'sparkling ass water!' it was exactly what i didn't want at that moment (or any other moment for that matter) i had run away from the water table, so i was now stuck with this in my mouth and burning my stomach. i looked around desperately for water.. there were half drunk bottles littering the ground and i struggled with the idea of picking one up! then i finally saw a fellow TNT member (thank god also for the distinctive purple tanktops that i cursed so much)
i ran over and begged for a sip of their water which they gladly shared. then i saw a smiling friendly face.. Eissa! she is one of our coaches this season, and was handing out bottles of water!!! seeing her also meant that ramon was not far behind.. and that meant the end!
about 250 yards from the finish ramon came cruising up behind me. i love this man. he knows all of us runners and everything we have gone through to get to this moment. he has worked so hard to get us here and genuinely feels the power we are feeling at this moment. it sounds corney, but if you haven't run a marathon you can't understand how accomplished you feel at the end. he points you to the finish and reminds you to relish the feeling cause there is only one 'first' time. i turned the last corner to the finish.. when i thought it couldn't get any better i heard peter shouting from the sidelines.. "GO BECK!!! NUMBER 3!!" and i sprinted (as much as i could muster) to the finish.
here are a few of my favorite parts.. i forgot to mention and now can't remember where they fit in!
** along the route they had tables with buckets of water and sponges so you could squeeze water on your head. i stopped at one to dip my hands in which were sticky from a goo. there were no other people at the table.. (our names are printed on our numbers) and all the french guys working the table started chanting my name "BECK! BECK! BECK! BECK!...." amazing.
** there was a chant happening during the race. i am not really sure what they were saying, but i think it roughly translates to "are you tired?" with a return of "NO!" then "something, something .. GET UP" so in french it goes like this:
"Etes vous FATIGUES?"
"NON!"
"something something RELEVES!"
if anyone can clear this up for me i'll give you a prize.. it's been driving me crazy!
** constant chants of "ALLEZ! ALLEZ!"
** the general love and support of the TNT team and coaches. i am not sure i could run a marathon on my own after this!
believe it or not, i was not really that nervous for the marathon. i think that the fact that my brain really couldn't comprehend running 26.2 miles in a row helped. i tried to just think of it as another race in the park. except this park was paris and this was THE race.
i had been battling a cold for about a week, so i took some nyquil and fell asleep pretty quickly. i consider myself lucky for this because many of my teammates were tossing and turning all night.
race day was a bit more hectic. the race was set to start at 8:45am, so we had to be up at 6 in order to eat.. rules are to eat 90 minutes before and hydrate a bit. i still wasn't too nervous, had my clothes all laid out and was ready. once i got to the lobby and felt everyone elses nerves, and heard all the second-guessing of the clothing etc it got in my head a little. suddenly i wasn't satisfied with what i was wearing.. not sure if i had everyhting i needed.. UGH.
there were about 30,000 runners with only 18% of them women. pretty unusual. it also made for a crazy crowded start and i felt very very small in the crowd. i started the race with roxy, she's an old pro when it comes to marathons so having her there helped alot with the nerves.
i was hoping to run somewhere close to a 4:15 race.. kind of funny since i really had no idea how my leg would feel, how running 26 miles would feel etc. but i know my general pace is somewhere around 9:30/mile. this race (being europe and all) was counted in kilometers so i figured if i could run each 5k in 30ish minutes i'd end up close to 4:15 and more likely 4:30. the route took us from the arch d'triamphe down the champs elysees past the louvre, past tuileries, around the bastille and out through a beautiful park. lots to look at, and many distractions.
from the start i knew my leg was not going to be a problem. it felt great actually. i was running strong and pretty close to my goal pace. the crowd of spectators were not thick, but their cheers of "ALLEZ, ALLEZ!" were more than encouraging! it was an overcast morning and a bit chilly, so i had a jacket over my oh so lovely purple TNT tanktop. (it is hard to look cute when running 26 miles, but this tanktop made it IMPOSSIBLE). at about the 10k mark i started to warm up, and took off my jacket.. at that moment i heard 'GO BECK, YOU LOOK GREAT!' my coach ramon was there at that moment with all the support i could possibly need. as you read further, he will appear a few times.. not quiet sure how he managed to always be there when i needed him most!
the run through the park was a bit harder because the crowd all but disappeared, and there was not much to look at. i fell in behind a pacer (they had arranged for pacing runners to be scattered throughout helping us reach our goals) which was running a 4:15, and this gave me a good bit of momentum. i quickly realized though that i was being pulled along faster than i should be running at this point. if i kept up this pace i'd surly be in trouble later. it's hard to break that momentum, so when i passed a row of port'o potties i decided to make a pitstop and then it would be easier to resume my normal pace.
due to the large percentage of men in this race, there were not very many port'o potties.. and honestly i was amazed by how the men would just stop anywhere and everywhere and pee!
we came through the park and re-entered the city.. this portion of the race took us along the river.. the sun came in and out of the clouds keeping us warm. i still felt strong. not focusing too much on my watch, i was still not too far off my goal. i was looking forward to seeing the coaches though.. they told us they would be spread out from 20k- the end of the race.
somewhere around 1/2 way, i stopped for some water.. i passed 2 other TNT'ers walking and enjoying their water when i heard that oh so familiar spanish voice cutting through the crowd.. 'ARE YOU FREAKING WALKING?!' ramon.. i found him and ran over for a high-five. he ran along with me with encouraging words of how great i looked and gave me a run down of what i could expect in the upcoming miles.. 'a few rolling hills, small incline.. just let these middle miles fall away.. distract yourself.. play a game with yourself.. just keep running, you look amazing!'
as i ran on i thought 'play a game.. hmm.. a game.. i don't know any games.. damnit ramon, i don't KNOW ANY GAMES!' laughing at myself i decided to just read the signs on the stores, the signs on the street.. just keep reading the signs..
i felt good until about mile 20 which i guess is pretty normal. this is when the wheels usually come off. and when i say 'good' it is very relative.. at this point i had been running for over 3 hours.. RUNNING for OVER 3 HOURS.. i started passing the coaches which helped alot. a little distraction, a little chit chat and then off again.
things were getting more difficult with only 10k to go.. at one point i was taking a walking/water break and told myself 'when i get to that orange balloon i will start running again' only to realize that the orange balloon was running also. so i picked a new landmark. just as i was approaching my running mark (and about to pick a new landmark and walk a bit further) i heard a voice from behind me 'way to go New York!' our tanktops had i *heart* NY on them, and i guess there was a fellow new yorker running up behind me. she was not with our team, but it was jsut what i needed to get going again. i thanked her for kicking my ass at the right moment. we chatted for a bit and she was quite encouraging 'we're almost done!' and i ran ahead.
at around the 5K (to go) mark i was really tired and taking another walking break. NY ran up again and said 'ok new york, lets finish this!' forcing me once again to run! GOD LOVE THIS GIRL! i saw a water table and ran over to grab what i thought was a cup of powerade. took a big gulp and WAHGHAHA!!! it was NOT powerade.. it tasted like sparkling vinegar.. or what i later accounted as 'sparkling ass water!' it was exactly what i didn't want at that moment (or any other moment for that matter) i had run away from the water table, so i was now stuck with this in my mouth and burning my stomach. i looked around desperately for water.. there were half drunk bottles littering the ground and i struggled with the idea of picking one up! then i finally saw a fellow TNT member (thank god also for the distinctive purple tanktops that i cursed so much)
i ran over and begged for a sip of their water which they gladly shared. then i saw a smiling friendly face.. Eissa! she is one of our coaches this season, and was handing out bottles of water!!! seeing her also meant that ramon was not far behind.. and that meant the end!
about 250 yards from the finish ramon came cruising up behind me. i love this man. he knows all of us runners and everything we have gone through to get to this moment. he has worked so hard to get us here and genuinely feels the power we are feeling at this moment. it sounds corney, but if you haven't run a marathon you can't understand how accomplished you feel at the end. he points you to the finish and reminds you to relish the feeling cause there is only one 'first' time. i turned the last corner to the finish.. when i thought it couldn't get any better i heard peter shouting from the sidelines.. "GO BECK!!! NUMBER 3!!" and i sprinted (as much as i could muster) to the finish.
here are a few of my favorite parts.. i forgot to mention and now can't remember where they fit in!
** along the route they had tables with buckets of water and sponges so you could squeeze water on your head. i stopped at one to dip my hands in which were sticky from a goo. there were no other people at the table.. (our names are printed on our numbers) and all the french guys working the table started chanting my name "BECK! BECK! BECK! BECK!...." amazing.
** there was a chant happening during the race. i am not really sure what they were saying, but i think it roughly translates to "are you tired?" with a return of "NO!" then "something, something .. GET UP" so in french it goes like this:
"Etes vous FATIGUES?"
"NON!"
"something something RELEVES!"
if anyone can clear this up for me i'll give you a prize.. it's been driving me crazy!
** constant chants of "ALLEZ! ALLEZ!"
** the general love and support of the TNT team and coaches. i am not sure i could run a marathon on my own after this!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
bienvenue
this is going to be a loooong one, so i may break it down into some more digestible installments. first, the trip to paris.
roxy and i were traveling together on a redeye to paris on wednesday night. our budget was tight so we booked our flights on air india. i have just recently seen the wes anderson movie 'darjeeling express', so i had visions of what i might be walking into at the end of that jetway. i was not far off.. the plane was a 747 from 1979.. there were stairs leading upstairs to what i imagined to be a bollywood disco lounge! the seats were orange and red, the flight attendants dressed in traditional sari. jokes of curry dishes as inflight food soon came true, and there was an offering of both hollywood and bollywood movies for our viewing pleasure. the good thing was the flight was empty, so i had my own row to stretch out in.
we arrived in paris and headed to our hotel. it was just off the champs elysees near l'arc de triamphe... which is WAY bigger than the one in washington square park. roxy has never studied french, so she quickly put me in charge of communicating with the locals. i was nervous but plenty of HS french came rushing back to me, and we got by just fine.
we were exhausted from the flight, so we decided to head over to the expo and pick up our numbers and race information. i couldn't believe i was actually there, in paris, picking up my offical marathon RACE number!! then we chilled out for a while, grabbed dinner and crashed.
friday we set out to see the town. it was a gorgeous sunny spring day. we took the metro across town because we were instructed to keep the walking to a minimum.. saving our legs for sunday. on the suggestion of a co-worker, we visited saint chapel which is on the same island as notre dame. saint chapel was one of the first buildings when the figured out how to support cielings without breaking up the room with interior walls. it is so beautiful. the walls are completely made of stained glass, and we were there on a sunny day so the entire room was like being inside a jewel. really awe inspiring.
notre dame is like walking into the pages of my art history books. so surreal that i was standing in front of this building i had seen so many times before. after vising this we walked across the bridge to isle st. louis, and had some lunch at an outdoor cafe (paris is overrun with charming outdoor cafes!) the island is a great place to wander. narrow streets with old buildings and shops. on the recommendation of roxy's friend, we found a shop that sells delicious ice cream and got some for our walk. we are running a marathon, so luckily carbs are high on our list of 'must haves'!!!
afer all this walking, we took a nap and then headed over to see the tour eiffel (eiffel tower) all lit up at night. it's a bit of a scene there.. tons of tourists, and then people in your face trying to sell you mini-eiffel towers that light up, and key chains and other assorted crap. we wandered back and grabbed some late night dinner before going to bed.
saturday there was a morning run which i skipped.. saving my legs for sunday.. and truthfully, i didn't want to know before the actual race if it was going to hurt. so i skipped it and slept in while roxy met up with the group for a quick 20 minute run to the siene.
our plan was to head down to monparnasse and visit the catacombs. it's a macabre place. old mines where the had stored bones when overcrowded graves had to be dug up. it was a confusing trip.. we were walking in circles trying to find the right streets and really looking like lost tourists! when we finally found it, it turns out the catacombs are closed due to renovations!!
roxy was tired, and i really wanted to visit the picasso museum, so we parted ways. at the museum i ran into some of the runners from TNT, and our head coach so we walked the museum together. it is a great collection of picasso's work, and all exhibited in an old mansion in the marais neighborhood of paris. after this we walked over to the pompadu center which is a big modern art museum. we didn't have time to go inside, but the outside of the building is a sight in itself. it was raining and the impending race was starting to set in..
saturday night we had a group pasta dinner. to kick off the dinner, people told their stories of why they got involved in team in training, who they are running for.. how leukemia has touched their lives. it's a moving night.
roxy and i were traveling together on a redeye to paris on wednesday night. our budget was tight so we booked our flights on air india. i have just recently seen the wes anderson movie 'darjeeling express', so i had visions of what i might be walking into at the end of that jetway. i was not far off.. the plane was a 747 from 1979.. there were stairs leading upstairs to what i imagined to be a bollywood disco lounge! the seats were orange and red, the flight attendants dressed in traditional sari. jokes of curry dishes as inflight food soon came true, and there was an offering of both hollywood and bollywood movies for our viewing pleasure. the good thing was the flight was empty, so i had my own row to stretch out in.
we arrived in paris and headed to our hotel. it was just off the champs elysees near l'arc de triamphe... which is WAY bigger than the one in washington square park. roxy has never studied french, so she quickly put me in charge of communicating with the locals. i was nervous but plenty of HS french came rushing back to me, and we got by just fine.
we were exhausted from the flight, so we decided to head over to the expo and pick up our numbers and race information. i couldn't believe i was actually there, in paris, picking up my offical marathon RACE number!! then we chilled out for a while, grabbed dinner and crashed.
friday we set out to see the town. it was a gorgeous sunny spring day. we took the metro across town because we were instructed to keep the walking to a minimum.. saving our legs for sunday. on the suggestion of a co-worker, we visited saint chapel which is on the same island as notre dame. saint chapel was one of the first buildings when the figured out how to support cielings without breaking up the room with interior walls. it is so beautiful. the walls are completely made of stained glass, and we were there on a sunny day so the entire room was like being inside a jewel. really awe inspiring.
notre dame is like walking into the pages of my art history books. so surreal that i was standing in front of this building i had seen so many times before. after vising this we walked across the bridge to isle st. louis, and had some lunch at an outdoor cafe (paris is overrun with charming outdoor cafes!) the island is a great place to wander. narrow streets with old buildings and shops. on the recommendation of roxy's friend, we found a shop that sells delicious ice cream and got some for our walk. we are running a marathon, so luckily carbs are high on our list of 'must haves'!!!
afer all this walking, we took a nap and then headed over to see the tour eiffel (eiffel tower) all lit up at night. it's a bit of a scene there.. tons of tourists, and then people in your face trying to sell you mini-eiffel towers that light up, and key chains and other assorted crap. we wandered back and grabbed some late night dinner before going to bed.
saturday there was a morning run which i skipped.. saving my legs for sunday.. and truthfully, i didn't want to know before the actual race if it was going to hurt. so i skipped it and slept in while roxy met up with the group for a quick 20 minute run to the siene.
our plan was to head down to monparnasse and visit the catacombs. it's a macabre place. old mines where the had stored bones when overcrowded graves had to be dug up. it was a confusing trip.. we were walking in circles trying to find the right streets and really looking like lost tourists! when we finally found it, it turns out the catacombs are closed due to renovations!!
roxy was tired, and i really wanted to visit the picasso museum, so we parted ways. at the museum i ran into some of the runners from TNT, and our head coach so we walked the museum together. it is a great collection of picasso's work, and all exhibited in an old mansion in the marais neighborhood of paris. after this we walked over to the pompadu center which is a big modern art museum. we didn't have time to go inside, but the outside of the building is a sight in itself. it was raining and the impending race was starting to set in..
saturday night we had a group pasta dinner. to kick off the dinner, people told their stories of why they got involved in team in training, who they are running for.. how leukemia has touched their lives. it's a moving night.
M is for MRI
so i'm back from France now, but i am going to catch you up a bit since i last posted...
after a few trips to the PT i decided to take a complete break and just rest my leg and see what happened.. after some rest it was slowly getting better, but i figured i'd be the responsible girl my parents always hoped i'd be, and have dr. metzl check it out before i ran on it. he examined me, and said that considering my history of bone injury i should have an MRI to rule out another stress fracture.
after a few nerve wracking days, i went back to the good doctor and we checked out the MRI. (which is very cool by the way) it turns out i had some swelling in my left fibia (the fracture was in the same leg, but in the tibia last time) but no cracks. this was a very good sign. dr. metzl said that considering everything i went through in the past, and how hard i've worked to get here.. that if he were me he would just rest until the race and then go for it! which is exactly what i wanted to hear!!
so april 2 i'm off to paris!!! vive la france!
after a few trips to the PT i decided to take a complete break and just rest my leg and see what happened.. after some rest it was slowly getting better, but i figured i'd be the responsible girl my parents always hoped i'd be, and have dr. metzl check it out before i ran on it. he examined me, and said that considering my history of bone injury i should have an MRI to rule out another stress fracture.
after a few nerve wracking days, i went back to the good doctor and we checked out the MRI. (which is very cool by the way) it turns out i had some swelling in my left fibia (the fracture was in the same leg, but in the tibia last time) but no cracks. this was a very good sign. dr. metzl said that considering everything i went through in the past, and how hard i've worked to get here.. that if he were me he would just rest until the race and then go for it! which is exactly what i wanted to hear!!
so april 2 i'm off to paris!!! vive la france!
Friday, March 7, 2008
UPDATE
quickly. i saw michael the PT guru yesterday, he knows how badly i want to complete this marathon, so he was worried when he saw me at his office. he worked on my calf.. it turns out the muscle that basically makes your toes bend is sore. it runs under your foot and up the outside of your calf, and it's bothering me in the center of my calf the most. he also did a crazy japanese taping technique that is supposed to help relax the muscle by guiding the energy... voodo if you wanna know the honest truth....
we also set a plan.. i am to be very conservative with my running this week (meaning, skip the long run on saturday) focus on crosstraining instead and then next week do a long 18-20 mile run. then taper off for the following 2 weeks as scheduled. sounds like a good plan. so this weekend i plan on going to hot yoga both saturday and sunday and also fitting in some cardio. bike or eliptical. lots of advil, and lots of ice.
we also set a plan.. i am to be very conservative with my running this week (meaning, skip the long run on saturday) focus on crosstraining instead and then next week do a long 18-20 mile run. then taper off for the following 2 weeks as scheduled. sounds like a good plan. so this weekend i plan on going to hot yoga both saturday and sunday and also fitting in some cardio. bike or eliptical. lots of advil, and lots of ice.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
lots of catchin up to do
ok, i owe you guys lots of posts so i will try to make this the reader's digest version..
saturday we had a normal group run scheduled for the park, and as you remember, it snowed on friday night. the weather man was making a big deal about how it was going to snow all night and into the morning. this would make a long saturday run very difficult, and sunday i was going to be out on long island (which also makes a long run more difficult) so i was crossing my fingers for rain. of course the snow quickly turned to rain and saturday i woke to wet streets and a comfortable 40° weather.
the goal was to run 16, and that either means i run 3 boring loops of the park or i get creative. so i opted to run from home to the park (4.5 miles) and then run 2 loops+ in the park then subway home. this also tricks the brain into thinking the run is shorter since it feels like the run to the park doesn't really count. my legs were a little tight so i took it slow and did a good stretch once i got to the park. i gave myself permission to take a bathroom break after my first loop, and even stretched a little again. the sun came out and things were good. by the end of the 16 i was feeling a little beat down but good. i got home, cleaned up and headed out for my sisters graduation party.
sunday i woke up with a really tight calf so i've taken it easy for a few days in hope that it would ease up. the pain is still nagging me, so yesterday i broke down and made an appointment to see michael (PT guru). last night i was feeling a little better so i went for a 3 mile run.. i also figured it would help me explain to michael exactly where it hurt. the run wasn't so bad, but it brings back memories of long, painful, limping runs of the past. after the run, i rolled out my calf and stretched good followed by 3 advil. as i chilled out on the couch the pain increased, and i was getting quite sad about it.. i can't have come this far to be knocked out again. i just can't.
at the height of my pity party, cash needed to go out for a walk... turns out that in the rush to get him outside, i forgot to grab the key. no key, no cellphone, not even a quarter in my pocket.. and i was in my pajamas! i was forced to call my dad collect from a payphone and he had to drive in from LI with the key.... an hour and a half cash and i sat on the stoop. aggrevating to say the least, but it did manage to get my mind off my leg.
So, today i'm off to see michael and i am going to devise a plan for making it through this training and getting to that marathon! DAMMIT!
miles run: 16.5 + 3.5
hours spent on the stoop: 1.5
saturday we had a normal group run scheduled for the park, and as you remember, it snowed on friday night. the weather man was making a big deal about how it was going to snow all night and into the morning. this would make a long saturday run very difficult, and sunday i was going to be out on long island (which also makes a long run more difficult) so i was crossing my fingers for rain. of course the snow quickly turned to rain and saturday i woke to wet streets and a comfortable 40° weather.
the goal was to run 16, and that either means i run 3 boring loops of the park or i get creative. so i opted to run from home to the park (4.5 miles) and then run 2 loops+ in the park then subway home. this also tricks the brain into thinking the run is shorter since it feels like the run to the park doesn't really count. my legs were a little tight so i took it slow and did a good stretch once i got to the park. i gave myself permission to take a bathroom break after my first loop, and even stretched a little again. the sun came out and things were good. by the end of the 16 i was feeling a little beat down but good. i got home, cleaned up and headed out for my sisters graduation party.
sunday i woke up with a really tight calf so i've taken it easy for a few days in hope that it would ease up. the pain is still nagging me, so yesterday i broke down and made an appointment to see michael (PT guru). last night i was feeling a little better so i went for a 3 mile run.. i also figured it would help me explain to michael exactly where it hurt. the run wasn't so bad, but it brings back memories of long, painful, limping runs of the past. after the run, i rolled out my calf and stretched good followed by 3 advil. as i chilled out on the couch the pain increased, and i was getting quite sad about it.. i can't have come this far to be knocked out again. i just can't.
at the height of my pity party, cash needed to go out for a walk... turns out that in the rush to get him outside, i forgot to grab the key. no key, no cellphone, not even a quarter in my pocket.. and i was in my pajamas! i was forced to call my dad collect from a payphone and he had to drive in from LI with the key.... an hour and a half cash and i sat on the stoop. aggrevating to say the least, but it did manage to get my mind off my leg.
So, today i'm off to see michael and i am going to devise a plan for making it through this training and getting to that marathon! DAMMIT!
miles run: 16.5 + 3.5
hours spent on the stoop: 1.5
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
a quick 3
in order to keep my promise to myself i was forced to run last night in the rain.
i can't believe i actually found the motivation to get changed and get out there to run when the couch was calling to me so damn loudly. but, i pulled out my new running clothes, set the ipod to the Garden State soundtrack and headed out for my usual 3 mile run from my house to the top of amsterdam ave.. up the big hill and back again. i am not sure what was up last night, but i was running FAST. a couple times i tried to pull my pace back a bit but it just wasn't happening tonight. my feet had a mind of their own. it wasn't the rain, because once outside it actually felt good.. 42° and a light rain was refreshing. it wasn't the music driving me along because the soundtrack is pretty mellow. i just had speedy feet!
as i was coming up audubon ave i started thinking that i could probably continue the run down to 155th street and back which would add another 2 miles onto the run. but due to the speed which i took the first three my legs were feeling a bit beat up and i decided that if i kept up this pace for 2 more i'd be really really sorry today. i was right, as it is my knees and calfs are tight today.
the run in the rain with the perfect music was enough to wash away the shit from last week. and the speed worked off alot of the aggrevation i have been feeling. so a week of feeling sad is kind of like a week of rain.. it sucks when it's happening but damn does the sun feel that much brighter when it comes out.
miles run: 3
soung of the day: "let go" by frou frou
i can't believe i actually found the motivation to get changed and get out there to run when the couch was calling to me so damn loudly. but, i pulled out my new running clothes, set the ipod to the Garden State soundtrack and headed out for my usual 3 mile run from my house to the top of amsterdam ave.. up the big hill and back again. i am not sure what was up last night, but i was running FAST. a couple times i tried to pull my pace back a bit but it just wasn't happening tonight. my feet had a mind of their own. it wasn't the rain, because once outside it actually felt good.. 42° and a light rain was refreshing. it wasn't the music driving me along because the soundtrack is pretty mellow. i just had speedy feet!
as i was coming up audubon ave i started thinking that i could probably continue the run down to 155th street and back which would add another 2 miles onto the run. but due to the speed which i took the first three my legs were feeling a bit beat up and i decided that if i kept up this pace for 2 more i'd be really really sorry today. i was right, as it is my knees and calfs are tight today.
the run in the rain with the perfect music was enough to wash away the shit from last week. and the speed worked off alot of the aggrevation i have been feeling. so a week of feeling sad is kind of like a week of rain.. it sucks when it's happening but damn does the sun feel that much brighter when it comes out.
miles run: 3
soung of the day: "let go" by frou frou
Sunday, February 24, 2008
confessions and definitions
ok, i admit it. i was a lazy ass this week. i didn't run at all.
this is not smart considering how close to the end i am, and skipping the short runs during the week only makes the long runs on saturday harder and more apt to end in injury. here are my excuses.. lots of work at the day job causing me to get home at 8pm every night combined with a bout of depression = lack of motivation to do anything more than sit on the couch. final excuse was the weather at the end of the week. i was scheduled to run the 4M race in central park on saturday so the plan was to run from my house to the park.. run the race.. and home again which would equal a 15 mile run. solid. saturday was cold and damp. roads slushy and icy. lack of sleep kept me in bed. so today with the sun shining i FINALLY set out for my run. the plan was to run the same route i would have run yesterday. 8 miles into the 15 mile run my ipod battery went dead. crap. i managed to squeeze out 2 more miles getting me back up to 125th street before i hopped on the subway and headed home. 10 is solid. i can make this my 'low' week and come back strong for the next 3 clocking 16 next week, 18 the following and 20 on march 15th before we start to cut back in preparation for the race on April 6th.
so i don't usually do this, but here's the backstory to all the blues this week. work exhausting me is a minor part of it.. most of it came from some setbacks with the bag business. i've been trying to launch a new line for fall 08. the plan was to finish up the samples this week when i got the news that i owe back taxes and all the money i had for the bags was now going to the government. this was the major force keeping me down this week.
the second is the slow realization that a (dare i say) *relationship* that i've been in for 2 and a half years must end. it was in no way a committed relationship, but the dictionary defines relationship as 'the state of being connected' so i feel confident in saying that after this much time we were 'connected'. a relationship built on the hope that it might turn into something else, but the realization that it never will is what finally hit me. so i had to put an end to it.. not because it is bad, but really because it is not good. he's great. someday maybe he will be even greater, but i don't have the time to wait around for that day anymore. it wasn't a perfect relationship, but still i am more than sad to see it end. as my friends will say 'on to bigger and better things' ... not much solace in that right now but 10 miles helped a bit.
miles run: 10
soundtrack for sunday: wilco
antidote for depression: a vow to run 3 weekday runs/week for the final weeks of training
this is not smart considering how close to the end i am, and skipping the short runs during the week only makes the long runs on saturday harder and more apt to end in injury. here are my excuses.. lots of work at the day job causing me to get home at 8pm every night combined with a bout of depression = lack of motivation to do anything more than sit on the couch. final excuse was the weather at the end of the week. i was scheduled to run the 4M race in central park on saturday so the plan was to run from my house to the park.. run the race.. and home again which would equal a 15 mile run. solid. saturday was cold and damp. roads slushy and icy. lack of sleep kept me in bed. so today with the sun shining i FINALLY set out for my run. the plan was to run the same route i would have run yesterday. 8 miles into the 15 mile run my ipod battery went dead. crap. i managed to squeeze out 2 more miles getting me back up to 125th street before i hopped on the subway and headed home. 10 is solid. i can make this my 'low' week and come back strong for the next 3 clocking 16 next week, 18 the following and 20 on march 15th before we start to cut back in preparation for the race on April 6th.
so i don't usually do this, but here's the backstory to all the blues this week. work exhausting me is a minor part of it.. most of it came from some setbacks with the bag business. i've been trying to launch a new line for fall 08. the plan was to finish up the samples this week when i got the news that i owe back taxes and all the money i had for the bags was now going to the government. this was the major force keeping me down this week.
the second is the slow realization that a (dare i say) *relationship* that i've been in for 2 and a half years must end. it was in no way a committed relationship, but the dictionary defines relationship as 'the state of being connected' so i feel confident in saying that after this much time we were 'connected'. a relationship built on the hope that it might turn into something else, but the realization that it never will is what finally hit me. so i had to put an end to it.. not because it is bad, but really because it is not good. he's great. someday maybe he will be even greater, but i don't have the time to wait around for that day anymore. it wasn't a perfect relationship, but still i am more than sad to see it end. as my friends will say 'on to bigger and better things' ... not much solace in that right now but 10 miles helped a bit.
miles run: 10
soundtrack for sunday: wilco
antidote for depression: a vow to run 3 weekday runs/week for the final weeks of training
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Whoa, was that Yonkers??
looooong run today. we met as a group at the bottom of the George Washington Bridge. I was really excited about this run for a few reasons.. first off it's great for me because i live do damn close. i got to sleep til 7, and the only reason i had to be up that early was so i had time to eat breakfast. the other reason was because i've missed this run twice in the past seasons due to injury, so this was a real milestone for me.
the run takes us across the bridge into jersey where we run in the Palisades Park north along the Hudson river. we were running according to time since there is really no way to track our mileage. our coach told us to start our watches when we enter the park at which point we should plan on running the same time as our longest run. since we weren't counting the distance across the bridge and back it would essentially make this 2-3 miles longer than our longest run. last week's half marathon was my longest run this season, and that was 2 hours.. i figured i'd be running at a slower pace this week so i decided to run 1:10 out, which would give me about 2:20 run plus the bridge. but according to how i felt i'd cut this short if needed.
as i mentioned in my last blog we were told NO HEADPHONES. i brought mine but started the run without it. once the entire group was running across the bridge i realized why we had this rule. it was a large group, and narrow walkways with bikes and other runners trying to get by.. it was actually a bit annoying. we were going at such a slow pace that at one point i stopped and walked. once into the park the group spread out and the run was pretty amazing. palisades park is wooded and hilly, with views of the river, waterfalls etc. there was no car traffic, so it was really pretty quiet. a beautiful sunny crisp (which is a nice way of saying COLD) morning. even the voices in my head were quiet this morning. i thought about putting my headphones on, but decided against it because i was really enjoying the quiet. jsut the sound of my breath and footsteps.
i was feeling good, so i pushed the run to 1:15 before i turned around. at this point i decided i really needed some music to bring me home. i had the ipod loaded up with a live Pearl Jam show from Madison Square Garden.. so it felt like i had a whole crowd cheering me on!
The run took us so far north that i really think i saw yonkers across the river.. i have to check the map, but i think yonkers is just north of the bronx. crazy to think i ran that far!!!
now to top off the experience, when i began my run back i realized i had to pee. i debated just holding it, but looked around and decided what the heck... so i peed in the woods! you gotta do what you gotta do to get through the run! i did feel better and set back to running with a sly grin on my face.
i finished the run strong and proud of myself once again. my body feels like it got run over by a honda civic.. not enough damage to put me out, just enough to be annoying. i think next week will be a bit of an easy week then the following week will most likely put me up to 20 miles.. eeek!
time run: 2:55
miles run: 17ish
song that got me up that big ass hill: given to fly
the run takes us across the bridge into jersey where we run in the Palisades Park north along the Hudson river. we were running according to time since there is really no way to track our mileage. our coach told us to start our watches when we enter the park at which point we should plan on running the same time as our longest run. since we weren't counting the distance across the bridge and back it would essentially make this 2-3 miles longer than our longest run. last week's half marathon was my longest run this season, and that was 2 hours.. i figured i'd be running at a slower pace this week so i decided to run 1:10 out, which would give me about 2:20 run plus the bridge. but according to how i felt i'd cut this short if needed.
as i mentioned in my last blog we were told NO HEADPHONES. i brought mine but started the run without it. once the entire group was running across the bridge i realized why we had this rule. it was a large group, and narrow walkways with bikes and other runners trying to get by.. it was actually a bit annoying. we were going at such a slow pace that at one point i stopped and walked. once into the park the group spread out and the run was pretty amazing. palisades park is wooded and hilly, with views of the river, waterfalls etc. there was no car traffic, so it was really pretty quiet. a beautiful sunny crisp (which is a nice way of saying COLD) morning. even the voices in my head were quiet this morning. i thought about putting my headphones on, but decided against it because i was really enjoying the quiet. jsut the sound of my breath and footsteps.
i was feeling good, so i pushed the run to 1:15 before i turned around. at this point i decided i really needed some music to bring me home. i had the ipod loaded up with a live Pearl Jam show from Madison Square Garden.. so it felt like i had a whole crowd cheering me on!
The run took us so far north that i really think i saw yonkers across the river.. i have to check the map, but i think yonkers is just north of the bronx. crazy to think i ran that far!!!
now to top off the experience, when i began my run back i realized i had to pee. i debated just holding it, but looked around and decided what the heck... so i peed in the woods! you gotta do what you gotta do to get through the run! i did feel better and set back to running with a sly grin on my face.
i finished the run strong and proud of myself once again. my body feels like it got run over by a honda civic.. not enough damage to put me out, just enough to be annoying. i think next week will be a bit of an easy week then the following week will most likely put me up to 20 miles.. eeek!
time run: 2:55
miles run: 17ish
song that got me up that big ass hill: given to fly
Friday, February 15, 2008
listen up
i'm taking a break for a little rant.
the other day i was on a marathon website and saw an article about how many marathon organizers are banning the use of headphones. i have heard that this is because it deminishes the 'competative nature of the event'.. crap.. 90% of the runners in marathons are not seriously competing to win the damn thing, so if officials want to keep it competative then they should only allow qualified runners enter.
now, i just read another website where people were commenting on how this is a good rule because runners with headphones on are oblivious to their surroundings and can get hit by cars, and constantly cut other runners off resulting collisions and potential injury. give me a break! i've been in plenty of races where people without headphones cut me off.. or are slow runners and line up in the front of the pack oblivious to the fact that there are faster runners trying to get by. this oblivion has nothing to do with headphones, it has to do with inconsiderate people!
our group training session this weekend is to run over the george washington bridge and into new jersey. our coach has banned headphones for this practice (and all future practices). i completely understand his decision for this saturday's run.. he is responsible for a big group running in unfamiliar territory on a bridge full of other idiots in cars.. safety first. but, to ban headphones for all future practices which mainly take place in the safe haven of central park seems unfair. i know he is promoting socialization and fun.. but i'm anti-social when i run.. i freely admit it. i go knowing i've got business to do.. and 15+ miles is alllllll business!
so, this saturday i will set aside the ipod, but as for the future i just can't do it without my music!
... thanks for listening... now back to happier running blogs :)
the other day i was on a marathon website and saw an article about how many marathon organizers are banning the use of headphones. i have heard that this is because it deminishes the 'competative nature of the event'.. crap.. 90% of the runners in marathons are not seriously competing to win the damn thing, so if officials want to keep it competative then they should only allow qualified runners enter.
now, i just read another website where people were commenting on how this is a good rule because runners with headphones on are oblivious to their surroundings and can get hit by cars, and constantly cut other runners off resulting collisions and potential injury. give me a break! i've been in plenty of races where people without headphones cut me off.. or are slow runners and line up in the front of the pack oblivious to the fact that there are faster runners trying to get by. this oblivion has nothing to do with headphones, it has to do with inconsiderate people!
our group training session this weekend is to run over the george washington bridge and into new jersey. our coach has banned headphones for this practice (and all future practices). i completely understand his decision for this saturday's run.. he is responsible for a big group running in unfamiliar territory on a bridge full of other idiots in cars.. safety first. but, to ban headphones for all future practices which mainly take place in the safe haven of central park seems unfair. i know he is promoting socialization and fun.. but i'm anti-social when i run.. i freely admit it. i go knowing i've got business to do.. and 15+ miles is alllllll business!
so, this saturday i will set aside the ipod, but as for the future i just can't do it without my music!
... thanks for listening... now back to happier running blogs :)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
the clash in the bronx!
this morning i ran the half marathon in the bronx.. my first half marathon race. the ipod was loaded with The Clash, and man what a good choice that was.
although i've run longer distances than 13.1 miles (last season my longest run was 15 miles before getting injured) this race seemed more significant. and definitely more nerve wracking. last night i was exhausted from a brutal week at work, but when it came time to go to bed i just could not sleep.
the race started at 8, so i had to get up at 6 so i had time to walk cash, eat, go to the bathroom, load the ipod and get myself to the bx on time... well all this was on slo-mo so it was a scramble to get a cab (which he had no idea where bronx science hs was so there was a panic call to my mom to google it at 7am! bless you mom.) weather started out great.. 40, mild, sunny. got a little colder at the start but that was ok cause i was overdressed. i hate things hanging off of me, so if i'm gonna take off a layer it's gonna get thrown away. i am not ready to part with any of my running clothes, so they were staying on.
i have been trying no to get too hung up on my race times because i can get caught up in setting goals, pushing too hard which could lead to another injury. i just want to run a smart, strong race. at the start i missed the time so i wasn't really sure what my time was.. i just tried to take note of my pacing and not push too hard. after a few miles i realized that i was pretty much hitting a 9minute mile and it felt like a pace i could run all day.. coach ramon would say i was doing good. the plan was to keep this pace going til mile 7 or 8 and if i still felt good i could push harder.
right around mile 7 the race went up the grand concourse in a steady incline.. suddenly the wind picked up and blasted us right in the face. i focused on my breathing and not letting the gusts disrupt my breath cause i could get a side-ache and that would be the end of me.. got through this and hit the turnaround point which put the wind at my back. so at mile 8 i picked it up til mile 11ish.
at mile 11 i started getting a bit tired, so i set my ipod on van halen and got into a pace i knew i could hold for 2 miles. seriously, 'runnin with the devil' saved me. seeing the coaches and TNT runners a bit before the finish gave me my 4th wind and inspired me to finish strong.
I just checked my time.. i finished the race in 1:59:39!!!! That breaks down to 9:08 average mile pace.. and that, my friends, is the fastest pace I've ever raced at!!! amazing considering that this was such a long run. I am very very happy with my success today, and with everything i've been through I'm proud that i've come back to running and come back this strong!
miles run: 13.1
song of the day: runnin with the devil
favorite fan quote: "Yeah baby, i like the way you're doin it" (read that in a bronx accent)
although i've run longer distances than 13.1 miles (last season my longest run was 15 miles before getting injured) this race seemed more significant. and definitely more nerve wracking. last night i was exhausted from a brutal week at work, but when it came time to go to bed i just could not sleep.
the race started at 8, so i had to get up at 6 so i had time to walk cash, eat, go to the bathroom, load the ipod and get myself to the bx on time... well all this was on slo-mo so it was a scramble to get a cab (which he had no idea where bronx science hs was so there was a panic call to my mom to google it at 7am! bless you mom.) weather started out great.. 40, mild, sunny. got a little colder at the start but that was ok cause i was overdressed. i hate things hanging off of me, so if i'm gonna take off a layer it's gonna get thrown away. i am not ready to part with any of my running clothes, so they were staying on.
i have been trying no to get too hung up on my race times because i can get caught up in setting goals, pushing too hard which could lead to another injury. i just want to run a smart, strong race. at the start i missed the time so i wasn't really sure what my time was.. i just tried to take note of my pacing and not push too hard. after a few miles i realized that i was pretty much hitting a 9minute mile and it felt like a pace i could run all day.. coach ramon would say i was doing good. the plan was to keep this pace going til mile 7 or 8 and if i still felt good i could push harder.
right around mile 7 the race went up the grand concourse in a steady incline.. suddenly the wind picked up and blasted us right in the face. i focused on my breathing and not letting the gusts disrupt my breath cause i could get a side-ache and that would be the end of me.. got through this and hit the turnaround point which put the wind at my back. so at mile 8 i picked it up til mile 11ish.
at mile 11 i started getting a bit tired, so i set my ipod on van halen and got into a pace i knew i could hold for 2 miles. seriously, 'runnin with the devil' saved me. seeing the coaches and TNT runners a bit before the finish gave me my 4th wind and inspired me to finish strong.
I just checked my time.. i finished the race in 1:59:39!!!! That breaks down to 9:08 average mile pace.. and that, my friends, is the fastest pace I've ever raced at!!! amazing considering that this was such a long run. I am very very happy with my success today, and with everything i've been through I'm proud that i've come back to running and come back this strong!
miles run: 13.1
song of the day: runnin with the devil
favorite fan quote: "Yeah baby, i like the way you're doin it" (read that in a bronx accent)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
couple quick things..
i got my race registration today!! IT'S IN FRENCH :)
i don't know why, but that makes it so much more exciting. Never been to paris so this trip will be double the fun.
next.. i am running the bronx half marathon on sunday. i am going to have to put together a special ipod mix for that one. not sure what it's gonna be, but if anyone has any songs that might be appropriate for running through the bx feel free to share!
i don't know why, but that makes it so much more exciting. Never been to paris so this trip will be double the fun.
next.. i am running the bronx half marathon on sunday. i am going to have to put together a special ipod mix for that one. not sure what it's gonna be, but if anyone has any songs that might be appropriate for running through the bx feel free to share!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
dreams of springtime in paris
yesterday at practice we got a little surprise. the focus was on pacing and keeping it slow for at least the first third of our long runs now so that we have some juice left to make it to the finish. we were going to run as a group with the coaches leading the way and controling the pace for the first 5 miles. then ramon broke the paris runners off from the group because we were going to be running the perimeter of the park today on the outside.. meaning on the sidewalks which happen to be cobblestone. seems part of the marathon in paris is on cobblestone streets.
i was a bit nervous cause i was thinking of 'bond street' cobble stones... 4 inch stones with 3 inch gaps that my perfect size 6s can barely cover! i sensed an injury in my future... but it was not the case, the sidewalks are pavers which for the most part are pretty even. the bigger risk was the dog shit!
running a new route with the group always makes the run easier.. new scenery and many distractions to make the miles pass quickly. we got about halfway around the park and one girl, who will remain nameless (since i don't know any names!) started telling her friend about a new guy she's dating. i am not big on talking while i run, but i loooooooooove listening, so this was like striking gold! the story lasted for the entire rest of the run, and she was talking nice and clear so we could all enjoy the details! the upsetting part of the story was that they kept talking about how 'old' this guy was.. his nickname is even 'silverfox'.. turns out he's *GASP* 39!! only 2 years older than me! god i hope there are no guys out there calling me 'silverfox' yet. i figured i had at least 30 years before that!
the coach told us our perimeter run was roughly 7 miles, so once the group entered the park i ran an additional 5 mile loop and finished strong. the funny thing is that at one point a group (two women and a guy- not at all related to my earlier evesdropping) passed me.. the guy was talking about dating from a guys perspective, and said that 'there are very few details about a date that are actually important to a guy'... i suddenly flashed back to the earlier story and every minute detail that she recounted and how we hung on every one. i had to laugh at this most basic difference between men and women!
this nice morning was followd by a day of doing my taxes. i really think it was more painful that running 11.5 miles!
miles run: 11.5
dates she's gone on with the silverfox: 3 (the 4th is tonight)
predicted superbowl winner: GIANTS
i was a bit nervous cause i was thinking of 'bond street' cobble stones... 4 inch stones with 3 inch gaps that my perfect size 6s can barely cover! i sensed an injury in my future... but it was not the case, the sidewalks are pavers which for the most part are pretty even. the bigger risk was the dog shit!
running a new route with the group always makes the run easier.. new scenery and many distractions to make the miles pass quickly. we got about halfway around the park and one girl, who will remain nameless (since i don't know any names!) started telling her friend about a new guy she's dating. i am not big on talking while i run, but i loooooooooove listening, so this was like striking gold! the story lasted for the entire rest of the run, and she was talking nice and clear so we could all enjoy the details! the upsetting part of the story was that they kept talking about how 'old' this guy was.. his nickname is even 'silverfox'.. turns out he's *GASP* 39!! only 2 years older than me! god i hope there are no guys out there calling me 'silverfox' yet. i figured i had at least 30 years before that!
the coach told us our perimeter run was roughly 7 miles, so once the group entered the park i ran an additional 5 mile loop and finished strong. the funny thing is that at one point a group (two women and a guy- not at all related to my earlier evesdropping) passed me.. the guy was talking about dating from a guys perspective, and said that 'there are very few details about a date that are actually important to a guy'... i suddenly flashed back to the earlier story and every minute detail that she recounted and how we hung on every one. i had to laugh at this most basic difference between men and women!
this nice morning was followd by a day of doing my taxes. i really think it was more painful that running 11.5 miles!
miles run: 11.5
dates she's gone on with the silverfox: 3 (the 4th is tonight)
predicted superbowl winner: GIANTS
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
holy lazy!
ok, so due to a head cold and a busy schedule i slid into a bit of a lazy spell. I have to be honest and say that I haven't run since my 10 mile run last weekend.. eeek!
i am determined to get back on track so today i ran a quick 3.5 miles and will run 4.5 tomorrow. friday i will hit yoga after work and rest up for a 12 mile run on saturday. i am so used to being in major pain at this point in my training that i'm a little scared of these long runs. as i head out i always think 'i hope this isn't the run where the injury comes back' but so far so good.
tonight I'm sending out my final fundraising email.. most of my friends and family have generously donated, and i am overwhelmed at the support i've gotten.. but it's my duty to raise as much for the leukemia society as i can so i'll give everyone one more reminder. it's a new tax year, so i might even get some repeat donations :)
i bought my plane ticket to paris this week! roxy and i are planning on flying out on wednesday night so that we have thursday and friday to adjust to the time zone and sight see before the group comes in. then we'll hang out til tuesday which gives us a full day of recovery and french wine to ease the pain!
miles run: 3.5
weeks til paris: 9
best part of today's run: NO SIDE-ACHE!!!
i am determined to get back on track so today i ran a quick 3.5 miles and will run 4.5 tomorrow. friday i will hit yoga after work and rest up for a 12 mile run on saturday. i am so used to being in major pain at this point in my training that i'm a little scared of these long runs. as i head out i always think 'i hope this isn't the run where the injury comes back' but so far so good.
tonight I'm sending out my final fundraising email.. most of my friends and family have generously donated, and i am overwhelmed at the support i've gotten.. but it's my duty to raise as much for the leukemia society as i can so i'll give everyone one more reminder. it's a new tax year, so i might even get some repeat donations :)
i bought my plane ticket to paris this week! roxy and i are planning on flying out on wednesday night so that we have thursday and friday to adjust to the time zone and sight see before the group comes in. then we'll hang out til tuesday which gives us a full day of recovery and french wine to ease the pain!
miles run: 3.5
weeks til paris: 9
best part of today's run: NO SIDE-ACHE!!!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
perfect 10
well not really perfect, but i can't really think of another title. i was super lazy this morning and missed the group training session, but i fought through the urge to stay in bed all day and headed to the park at 10am. I saw some of the TNT members which is always nice.. good to know you've got partners in the torture. Later in the run I ran into a woman I used to work with and stopped for a few minutes to catch up. This was a very welcome break because i had been running for a mile with a side-ache. Been getting them on every run.. about 3 miles in. It's insanely frustrating.. i don't know what i'm doing wrong, but i have to fix this or i'm never gonna make it through these long runs!
Had a few things on my mind today.. one being that i just found out that pro-skater danny renaud fell from a 9 story building in florida.. miraculously he survived. he severly broke both his legs, ruptured his kidney and they had to remove part of his spleen and gallbladder (i think.. i know it was 2 organs). I can't even begin to imagine how you fall from a 9 story building, and then to survive.. seems almost impossible. I kept thinking about how it must have felt like slow motion. you know when you're in a car accident and it feels like it's happening forever. I don't know danny personally, but he skates for stereo skateboards and i'm friends with a few people over there so it felt close to home.
hope he's ok. i know he's got a lot of friends around him to help him fight through the brutal recovery that i'm sure he's facing.
miles run: 10
song of the day: severed hand
Had a few things on my mind today.. one being that i just found out that pro-skater danny renaud fell from a 9 story building in florida.. miraculously he survived. he severly broke both his legs, ruptured his kidney and they had to remove part of his spleen and gallbladder (i think.. i know it was 2 organs). I can't even begin to imagine how you fall from a 9 story building, and then to survive.. seems almost impossible. I kept thinking about how it must have felt like slow motion. you know when you're in a car accident and it feels like it's happening forever. I don't know danny personally, but he skates for stereo skateboards and i'm friends with a few people over there so it felt close to home.
hope he's ok. i know he's got a lot of friends around him to help him fight through the brutal recovery that i'm sure he's facing.
miles run: 10
song of the day: severed hand
Thursday, January 17, 2008
to be continued...
snow and rain somehow always make my runs better. i think it's because it's quiet in the street, and i'm not thinking about the run so much.
tonight i tried to figure out why he's such an idiot.. and then, why i still care. this is proving to be more difficult a question than can be solved in a 3 mile run.. so i will continue with this topic on saturday when i will have 10 miles to work it out!
snow + ipod + radiohead = lovely
tonight i tried to figure out why he's such an idiot.. and then, why i still care. this is proving to be more difficult a question than can be solved in a 3 mile run.. so i will continue with this topic on saturday when i will have 10 miles to work it out!
snow + ipod + radiohead = lovely
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
it's a new dawn. it's a new day.
tonight on my run i thought about how bored you must be with this blog by now.. i mean how many times can you read about how sucky my runs were, or which foods were not good pre-run choices or which bathrooms are open in central park in the winter (the boat house and the tavern on the green). i spend my runs actually thinking about all kinds of other things.. so i decided that from now on i'll share with you the things that kept me occupied during my mileage. some days it will be politics, some days it will be boys, some days it will be bags, and unfortunately some days it will still be about the bathrooms in central park.
miles run: 4.5
question: how come side aches go away when you push on them, and cant someone invent something to push on it so you have both hands free while running?
miles run: 4.5
question: how come side aches go away when you push on them, and cant someone invent something to push on it so you have both hands free while running?
Saturday, January 12, 2008
wheeeeeeeeeeee!
ok, it's not often i can say that i had a good time running. But today i had a good time dammit!
this morning instead of our normal training run we ran the Fred Lebow 5 mile race in central park. it was a beautiful morning for a run. high 40s, sunny, not much wind. perfect! i haven't run a race since the cow harbor 10k back in sept., and if you remember that was pretty brutal. i was feeling good when i got to the park, but once i was lined up for the start i started to freak a bit. i am so used to feeling shitty when i run that it's almost like i am bracing myself for the pain before i take that first stride.
roxy came to the park with her friend demps who i have read about but never met before. it was nice to finally meet the man behind the legend. roxy is battling a sprained quad, so she told us upfront she would be slow and if we needed to take off we were allowed. i ran the first mile with them, but then needed to break away. i've been really curious about what kind of times i am running and this was the day to work out my pacing. seems like i am running slower and more cautious than before the injuries. speed is not a major concern this time around, i really am more focused on completing the mileage that will get me to the finishline in paris!
this was my strongest race yet! my first mile was a slow one, and i tried not to over compensate in the next 4.. just picked up the pace and listened to my ipod. it was a little tricky because i was now running among a slower pace so there was alot of maneuvering. once i got going i pretty much was hitting someplace in the 9+ minute range which is back on my old pace :)
cat hill shows up in mile 4 which kind of sucks, but seriously i took it fast. had a slight side-ache at the top which sucked but i knew i deserved it cause i should have taken the hill a bit slower. but i was feeling too good to slow down. the last mile was probably my strongest. and by the end of the race i was running so fast i felt like my legs were on autopilot.... so much fun!
remember, i'm the girl who hates running!
tonight i checked my time, and my average was 9:41 minute miles which is great to see! i'm going to stick to my training, try to hit yoga to keep my legs loose and hopefully i'll be strong come april.
it's good to be back. thanks fred lebow!
miles run: 5
album of the day: pearl jam 'pearl jam'
this morning instead of our normal training run we ran the Fred Lebow 5 mile race in central park. it was a beautiful morning for a run. high 40s, sunny, not much wind. perfect! i haven't run a race since the cow harbor 10k back in sept., and if you remember that was pretty brutal. i was feeling good when i got to the park, but once i was lined up for the start i started to freak a bit. i am so used to feeling shitty when i run that it's almost like i am bracing myself for the pain before i take that first stride.
roxy came to the park with her friend demps who i have read about but never met before. it was nice to finally meet the man behind the legend. roxy is battling a sprained quad, so she told us upfront she would be slow and if we needed to take off we were allowed. i ran the first mile with them, but then needed to break away. i've been really curious about what kind of times i am running and this was the day to work out my pacing. seems like i am running slower and more cautious than before the injuries. speed is not a major concern this time around, i really am more focused on completing the mileage that will get me to the finishline in paris!
this was my strongest race yet! my first mile was a slow one, and i tried not to over compensate in the next 4.. just picked up the pace and listened to my ipod. it was a little tricky because i was now running among a slower pace so there was alot of maneuvering. once i got going i pretty much was hitting someplace in the 9+ minute range which is back on my old pace :)
cat hill shows up in mile 4 which kind of sucks, but seriously i took it fast. had a slight side-ache at the top which sucked but i knew i deserved it cause i should have taken the hill a bit slower. but i was feeling too good to slow down. the last mile was probably my strongest. and by the end of the race i was running so fast i felt like my legs were on autopilot.... so much fun!
remember, i'm the girl who hates running!
tonight i checked my time, and my average was 9:41 minute miles which is great to see! i'm going to stick to my training, try to hit yoga to keep my legs loose and hopefully i'll be strong come april.
it's good to be back. thanks fred lebow!
miles run: 5
album of the day: pearl jam 'pearl jam'
Friday, January 11, 2008
watch out obama, beck is running!
i was waiting to make my announcement until i had a better idea of how strong i was this time around. but after completing a very strong 8 mile run last weekend I feel it's safe to say I'm training for a marathon again!
after my last bout of tendonitis, and my second drop out of the marathon, i wasn't sure i'd give it another shot. and i might not have had it not been for the promise of wine and cheese at the finishline. this time i am training for the PARIS marathon. yes, you read that right.. P. A. R. I. S. in april no less! since i've already raised over 6,000 dollars for the leukemia society i have met my minimum donation requirement and now just have to concentrate on the running.
this does not let you great friends of mine off the hook.. it's still a good cause.. and it still helps thousands of people battle a difficult disease.. and i still need you to donate if you haven't already.. and if you have donated, it's a new year and a new tax deduction so lets get that check book out again! your accountant will thank you!
so as usual I will update you on my progress here each week (sometimes more often) and you can cheer me on when the mood strikes.
tomorrow i run my first race of the new season.. the fred labow 5 mile race in central park. i'm not gonna try to win, i just want to finish strong and treat myself to a waffle!
marathons trained for: 2.3
marathons completed: 0
longest run this season: 8 miles
after my last bout of tendonitis, and my second drop out of the marathon, i wasn't sure i'd give it another shot. and i might not have had it not been for the promise of wine and cheese at the finishline. this time i am training for the PARIS marathon. yes, you read that right.. P. A. R. I. S. in april no less! since i've already raised over 6,000 dollars for the leukemia society i have met my minimum donation requirement and now just have to concentrate on the running.
this does not let you great friends of mine off the hook.. it's still a good cause.. and it still helps thousands of people battle a difficult disease.. and i still need you to donate if you haven't already.. and if you have donated, it's a new year and a new tax deduction so lets get that check book out again! your accountant will thank you!
so as usual I will update you on my progress here each week (sometimes more often) and you can cheer me on when the mood strikes.
tomorrow i run my first race of the new season.. the fred labow 5 mile race in central park. i'm not gonna try to win, i just want to finish strong and treat myself to a waffle!
marathons trained for: 2.3
marathons completed: 0
longest run this season: 8 miles
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