Hill Graduation Day!

I'm not going to lie. Last night was miserable weather. We were lucky for a few months, but the last few Tuesdays haven't held up in the weather department. I guess that is what you get for running outside in February.

Right before I left work, I noticed it was raining. Of course, I didn't bring an umbrella. But what good would an umbrella do me anyway? You can't hold one and run. Maybe I need one of those umbrella hats! Then I will really be stylish.


I was really hoping the rain would stop before our run, but no such luck. I also didn't bring my red windbreaker / rain jacket. It was actually not that cold out, and I had on a long sleeve top with jacket over it. I started sweating right away, and I felt like I was wearing all the wrong clothes. No jacket, no hood, no hat. The only thing I did bring was a head band. That kept at least a little rain off my face.

This was the 6th (and final) week of hill training! We ran the same hill we ran last week over, and over, and over again. We split the hill in half and ran it two different ways.

1st time up:
Run the first half of the hill hard, the second half easier

Then recover while running down the hill, get your heart rate back down.

2nd time up:
Run the first half of the hill easy, the second half hard

Recover going downhill.

Repeat.

We got a few inches of snow on Friday, and there is still a good bit of snow left in the grassy parts of the park. This made for some crazy, steamy fog like I have never seen. The rain only got harder and harder for the first few hill repeats. At the bottom of the hill you could hardly see 10 feet in front of you, but at the top of the hill the fog cleared. I felt like we were in San Francisco. There were some near miss collisions that almost happened between runners.

It was foggier than this and dark and raining too.


I did this hill 5 times. After the run, our coach Luis told us that the round trip of the hill is a mile. So, including the run to the hill, this run was over 6 miles. That was surprising to me, because it didn't feel like 6 miles. I guess when you break it up like that the distances are deceiving.

I'm not sure what comes after this week. Prospect Park is pretty much all hills, so I don't see how we will avoid doing more hills!

Sometimes a Run is Really Great

Today was one of those days. I did 4 miles on the treadmill this morning before work, and I would have loved to do more. Some days a good run is just what I need.

10 Miles - Across the Brooklyn Bridge

This weekend was a recovery run. We only did 10 miles. "Only" 10 miles. It is hard to believe that 10 miles isn't really that long anymore. It snowed a lot of Friday (pretty), and the Manhattan team canceled their practice. Wimps. The Brooklyn team was out in force! We usually meet at the park, but this week we met at Gina's apartment. That way people could leave their bags inside instead of out in the wet snow.

There are 3 different marathons that our group is training for. The first one is in Paris during the first week of April, the second one is in Nashville the last week in April, and the third one is in New Jersey the first week in May. Most of us are doing New Jersey, but there are some for Nashville and Paris also. The Paris runners are sort of freaking out, because they have 4 weeks less of training than we do. We all started training at the same time, and their marathon is coming up fast! The Paris runners didn't get a recovery week like we did. I think they ran 15-16 miles. They have to get up to a 20 mile run soon so that they have time to taper their training in the last few weeks leading up to the marathon.

The coaches gave us our little cheat sheet so we would know the route we were supposed to run. The fun part for me was that we ran right past the building we are moving into. It was fun to show my new neighborhood to Elizabeth. I still don't know when we will be moving there, but someday...

It was kind of slushy out, so it wasn't ideal running conditions. Really most of the snow was gone, but there were some piles near the curbs and on the streets. We ran through downtown Brooklyn and over to the Brooklyn Bridge.

I was "on call" for work, because a news station we work with sometimes was going to be shutting down their editing rooms for the weekend. They needed to have a place to edit in case there was any breaking news. Because I had to be available, I had to bring along my cell phone on the run. I also had the key to my office and my work ID. I figured if they called I would just run all the way to the office. I might be a little sweaty, but what do you expect on such short notice? Of course 5 minutes into the run my phone rang. I pulled it out of the pocket of my fuel belt and answered it while still running. It was the girl from the news station telling me that they weren't going to need me for the weekend. That was good news! That is the first time I have talked on the phone while running. I don't plan on making a habit of that.

OK, I didn't take these pictures. I found them on the internet, but this is pretty much what the bridge looked like. There was a crew of men who were clearing the snow on the bridge, so one half was snowier than the other.


It took us FOREVER to run those 10 miles. It took so long that I didn't believe that it was only 10 miles. Last weekend I did a 10 mile race in 1:29. This one took us 2 hours. Crazy. We had to stop at traffic lights and run slower because of the snow, but an extra 30 minutes? I can't figure out what we did with that time.

Elizabeth and I enjoyed the run on the west side greenway. That is where we ran all last summer, so it felt very familiar. Of course we never ran there when it was less than 50 degrees out, so that was different! Once we hit Houston Street we turned around and headed back to Brooklyn. When we were crossing the bridge, we realized that we hadn't eaten yet. I had one last Gu (I need to buy some more), and it was vanilla flavored. It tastes a little like store bought frosting or vanilla syrup in a coffee. Not too bad. I think I would choose the fruity flavors over the vanilla, but I could tolerate it.

I was happy to get back to Gina's place at the end of the run. One of the coaches had made a joke before we left about bagels for when we got back. Well, Gina's husband actually went out and got a huge spread of bagels, cream cheese, and butter for us. So sweet! They were all set up in the kitchen. Yum.

The physical therapist recommended I try some inserts in my shoes. She thinks the pounding of the pavement is what is causing the knot in my calf after long runs. I tried them out today, and my calf did not hurt. I did take Advil though. However, I did get the IT Band knee thing. It is a kind of hard to describe discomfort on the side of the knee that almost feels electric. I can run through it, but it isn't ideal.

I bought one of these foam rollers, and I started using it this weekend. It is supposed to really help with the IT issues. I hear that it is painful at the beginning (true!), but you soon start getting good results with it. I'll report back.

Unrelated to Running...

This story was a big hit at work today, and everyone suggested I put it up here. So, here goes...

I'm pretty sure I got flashed this morning, but I'm not sure it was intentional. How could it possibly be accidental you ask? Well, I'm not really sure.

I was walking to the subway around 8:30 this morning. My building is on a pretty residential block. There are a few buildings between mine and the avenue on the corner (which is a huge construction site). As I was walking past one of the buildings I heard someone clear their throat. I instinctivly turned my head to the doorway where I heard the sound and I saw a man wearing a bathrobe. Open. And that was all.

Now I turned around so fast that I can't be 100% sure of what was going on. We all know that eye witnesses aren't so reliable. He seemed to be taking out garbage, but wearing that?!?! Some of my co-workers thought maybe he was really tired and forgot his coffee and his pants! It's not as though we live in a rural area where you might not be seen. We are in manhattan where there are tons of people around all the time. I was half tempted to turn back when I got further away to see if he walked out of the building like that, but I didn't want to reward that behavior.

Now I would also like to mention that it is FREEZING today. It is not a day I would run out in my pajamas (or less than pajamas) to take out the garbage.

Week 5 of Hills

Tonight was another night of running up a hill over and over and over again.

At least this time we ran up a different hill than we have done for the last 4 weeks. I have to admit, I think I was a little tired this week. I wasn't able to keep up with one of the girls that I can usually keep up with. But hey, I ran pretty hard on Saturday. I'll allow myself a tired day here and there.

The good part: it was kind of a beautiful night. There was a full moon with little wispy clouds that were backlit by the moon. We ran in a wide open area of Prospect Park, and it's not often that you get a view of so much pretty sky in NYC.

Here's a picture I took while I was on the subway (the N Train goes over the Manhattan Bridge) headed to training. It's hard to get a good shot while you are moving, but the sunset was gorgeous behind the Brooklyn Bridge.


In a few weeks it won't be dark when we start our evening runs anymore! Daylight Savings Time starts in only a few weeks. I can't wait! I wish we never went to standard time.

After the run everyone expressed to the coaches that we are BORED of the park, and we would like to leave the park for our long run this week. I hinted that I really liked going over the bridge last time. Luis said that maybe we would run over the Brooklyn Bridge. That would be fun! We'll see on Saturday...

Another Weekend, Another 13 Mile Run

The miles keep going up and up!

This Saturday morning I left my apartment just before 8:00am. I got halfway down the block, and I realized that I forgot to take Advil before the run. Oops. Even though I ran 4 miles on the treadmill Wednesday pain free, I'm not confident I could make it through 13 miles without it. Luckily the local deli had those mini-packs of 2 Advil for 75 cents. Of course when I opened the pack while standing on the subway platform, one of the pills flew out on the floor. I decided the 5 second rule still applied, but ONLY in this case. I'm certainly not a germaphobe, but I cannot imagine putting anything else that has touched the subway floor into my mouth. Anyway, I quickly wiped the pill off and took it without letting myself think about it too much.

When I finally got to Prospect Park (the subways were running crazy, so it took me a while), the coaches were finishing up explaining what we were doing for the day. Our whole group was going to do the Cheery Tree 10 mile race in Prospect Park (apparently named for George Washington's birthday) at 10:00am. Since 10 miles isn't long enough for the "long run" days anymore, we were all going to do a multi-mile warm up before. The beginners (that's me!), were going to do a 3.35 mile loop. The race is 3 more loops.

Then it was time for the "Mission Moment." Most weeks someone from the group will share a story of their connection to Leukemia, Lymphoma, or any other blood cancer. It's a good reminder for everyone about exactly who we are raising money for. One of the girls said she would do it today. She started off hesitantly, saying that she has been reluctant to do the Mission Moment because her story is not uplifting, it is a sad one. Then the tears started. She told us that her mom died from lymphoma in November, and that is who she is running for. Her mom's house just sold, and this weekend she was going to have to go and clean out her things. You could see how much raw pain she was in, and it was really heartbreaking. Our coach Lisa, whose dad is in chemo for lymphoma right now, said that today we would all be running in the memory of this girl's mom.



The Run Begins

We ran the first warm up loop in the opposite direction that we would be running for the race. The pavement is the park is pretty banked, so it is good to reverse direction when you can. That way you don't stress one side of your body too much. We saw a few people who were walking over to the race start while we were running. They were either:
a) confused, because the race had not started yet - or - b) thinking we were stupid for running BEFORE a race.

I decided that I was going to "race" this one. For the Bronx Half-Marathon last weekend, my goal was to finish the 13.1 miles having a good experience. I wasn't going for speed. For this race, I wanted to try for 9 minute miles and finish it in 1:30. In other races (much shorter races) I've been able to average 9 minute miles, but I've never tried to maintain that for 10 miles. That is what the training is about, right? It's better to test myself now than in the marathon. My ultimate goal for the marathon is anything under 4:30, and that would be 10 minute miles.

When the race started, we were close to the front of the pack. People started out fast, and you kind of get sucked into that. You don't want to get mowed down! Elizabeth and I had already decided on our paces before the race, so we knew that we wouldn't be running this one together. It's a lot more boring by yourself...

Our coaches Lisa and Luis were hanging out on the course cheering us on. It's pretty cute, because they were pretty much the entire crowd. This race didn't really have a lot of people out there cheering because it was in the 20's! If you are running, that isn't so bad. If you are standing around, that's really cold.

When I hit the last big uphill at mile 9, Luis jumped in ran up the hill with me. It was great, because just when I was feeling like slowing down, I couldn't. I had to keep up with his pace. He gave me a quick little pep talk that helped pull me through the rest of the race. I think he jumped in and ran with everyone he saw from our team. I bet he secretly just wanted to stop standing around in the cold and get moving himself!

During the last half mile, I saw 2 other girls from TNT. We ran to the finish together, and we finished in just under 1:30! I was really happy with that time. I met my goal, and I was able to maintain a good pace for 10 miles. I can't believe it! 3 months ago I couldn't even imagine running 10 miles. I really couldn't imagine running 10 miles after a 3.35 mile warm up! It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it.

Mile 1: 8:36
Mile 2: 9:16
Mile 3: 8:35
Mile 4: 8:29
Mile 5: 9:04
Mile 6: 9:29 - I remember this mile was tough! This was when I ate my Gu. Yum.
Mile 7: 8:47
Mile 8: 9:10
Mile 9: 9:19
Mile 10: 8:34

average: 8:59
total: 1:29:33

Pictures From the Bronx Half Marathon

They have an official photography company out during the NY Road Runners races. They try to snap pictures of everyone, and then they post them online for you to look at and buy. Of course, my frugal self just grabbed them off the website for free.

Here are my pictures from the Bronx Half Marathon. They told us to ham it up when going through the finish line, and I followed those instructions!

Running and Snow Angels

We all knew it had to happen eventually. You can't run outside from December to May and not encounter bad weather. There was a day in January that I wore shorts. I really can't complain (but I might anyway).

It started snowing this afternoon, and it actually stuck this time. It is the first significant snow we've had this winter. Our coaches emailed us and said not to worry, practice is still on.

Running in the snow was 3/4 fun and 1/4 miserable. It's a little bit harder to do, just like running in the sand is a little harder work.

It's not often you get to go out and play in the snow as a grown up, especially on a school night. When I got to Brooklyn, I was surprised at how much snow was on the ground. There is less foot traffic than there is in Manhattan, and there were at least a few inches of snow.

We were supposed to practice running fast down the hills tonight. Because of the snow, the coaches decided that wasn't safe. They didn't want us to slip and fall. Instead we did a few laps of a section of the park, and we did squats and lunges in between them. Then after we got the snow good and packed down, we did practice running fast down a small hill. A "bunny hill" of Prospect Park, not a black diamond.

Our practice was pretty short tonight. I think the coaches took mercy on us because we were being pelted in the face with sleet-y ice while running. That was the 1/4 miserable part.

The fun part: When we finished running, a bunch of us made snow angels. I wish I had brought my camera. My snow angel was pretty awesome.

Physical Therapy

I started physical therapy today to try to get rid of the nagging leg pain I've been having.

They are REALLY serious about you being on time to your appointments. They had a long list of all the finer points of their attendance policy for you to read and sign. Then they gave me another copy of it to take home. Ok, I get it. I'll be on time. Luckily it is 12 blocks from my apartment, so I don't have to rely on any transportation to get there (other than my own 2 feet!).

The therapist was really nice, and she gave me lots of stretches to work on for the week. She told me that there is not an overnight solution to my problem. It will take time and, and our goal will be to delay onset of the pain when I run. Now it usually pops up after 2 miles. Hopefully soon it will take 3 miles, and then 4 miles, and so on. I hope it will soon take after 26.2 miles before I feel the pain, and I don't plan on running any longer than that!

The Bronx Half Marathon

I just found this picture of the Bronx Half-Marathon on the New York Road Runners site. Perhaps they were trying to highlight the elite runners on the right, but I modified the picture to bring your attention back to where it should be!


I finished in 2:15:10. Not too shabby for my first half-marathon! I ran it pretty conservatively, because I'm still pushing through this calf strain. But I have to say, Advil is a wonderful thing. I would not have been happy without it.

Our coaches told us to treat this race as "just one more long-run, for you it is all about completing the distance and practice race day thingys, like pacing, patience, hydrating, running with a crowd, where to line up at the starting line, nutrition, behaving, etc..." We were supposed to treat the first mile as a warm up, and then break the other 12 miles into 3 4-mile runs. The first 4 miles should be most conservative, the second 4 miles at your comfortable pace, and the last 4 miles you should pick up the pace if you can. So that was our plan.

Getting there on the subway was a disaster. I left my apartment at about 6:20am, and I didn't get to the race until 7:50am! That is insane. It really should never take that long. I thought I would get there around 7:20! The train was running in 2 sections, so everyone had to get off at 125th Street and catch another train to the Bronx. Almost everybody waiting (forever...) on the subway platform was dressed in running clothes. It was a pretty funny sight to see. All the non-runners were staring. I did a little stretching waiting for the train, but it would have been nice to get in some more.

I called my friend Elizabeth just before I got there (when the subway was elevated above ground and I had a signal). It turns out she was running just as late as I was. We were both on the same train in different cars. We met as soon as we got off the train and hustled over to the start line. There was big line for the port-a-potties as usual. I thought about skipping it, but the race was too long to do that. As soon as we got our turn at the potties we headed to the bag check area, and heard the start horn. We weren't even at the start line when the race started!

We sprinted over to the start and began running right away. No stretch, no warm up, no nothing. It was not exactly a relaxing way to begin a race. I swear, sometime I will be early for a race if it kills me! At least your time is calculated by your shoe chip timer, and not the race clock.

About 2 miles into the race, I heard a woman in front of me say "Oh, oh no! Look out! Poor thing," just as I felt something squish under my foot. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but I decided to just put it out of my mind. Many miles later when we passed by that same point I saw that it was a roadkill rat. Sorry fella. You were already squished, but I would have rather not have added to it.

Elizabeth has been having her own wacky leg issues while running recently, and they were acting up a lot during this race. Her foot gets a pins and needles sensation, and she can't feel it too well. She checked her shoes to make they weren't too tight, but that didn't help. For a while she was saying she was afraid she was going to have to stop or slow down, and I should just go on without her.

The Bronx is pretty hilly, so we had a lot of ups and downs in this race. My leg hurts me more going downhill, and Elizabeth's hurts more going uphill. We were laughing that one of us was always miserable on whatever kind of hill we were on. Both of us were saying that we actually felt great throughout the whole race if it weren't for our legs. Running this kind of distance doesn't exhaust me like it would have a few months ago.

At mile 6, it was time to eat. I tried the lemon-lime GU brand gel this time. I think the GUs are going to be my brand of choice. They are a little smaller than the Cliff Shots, so you can get your 100 calories in fast. I decided to just swallow them as fast as possible and not think about it. I grabbed a cup and just downed a water and GU in the same mouthful. Much better than letting it linger... We ate again around mile 11, and I tried the orange GU. Also, not too bad. The lemon-lime and orange flavors just taste like really thick gatorade.

Our coaches were out on the course cheering us on. We saw them a few times, and the encouragement really helps. You perk up and make sure you are running with proper form when you see them. The biggest challenge of the race was the wind. We were running up hills and into the wind for a lot of it. That is... not so fun. There were also a few times when I was being blown sideways. The weather forecast called for rain, but we lucked out and only got about 3 drops. In the last 3rd of the race the sun came out.

Around mile 8, Elizabeth's pins and needles sensation went away for good. It kept coming and going throughout the race before that, and she was getting pretty frustrated. Now we know she just needs an 8 mile warm up, and then she is fine - ha!

Rick came out to support me on this race. He said he was going to be on the course a little after mile 11, and that is exactly where he was. It's really nice seeing a familiar face. He looked like he was freezing out there! We weren't, but we were running... I saw him again at mile 12, and then I picked up the pace. I had some energy left, and I didn't want to leave it on the course. I loved that last mile. I passed so many people that had used up their energy earlier in the race. It's an exhilarating feeling. All the TNT coaches were lined up about 200 yards before the finish line, and I admit, I did some Hi-5's as I ran by. I also totally hammed it up running through the finish line with my arms in the air. They have a photographer there, so I have to look good and triumphant for the official pictures, right? I'll post those pictures in a week or so when they are ready.

Mile 1 - 10:14
Mile 2 - 10:40
Mile 3 - 10:35
Mile 4 - 10:31
Mile 5 - 10:33
Mile 6 - 10:54
Mile 7 - 11:47 (included a port-a-potty break)
Mile 8 - 10:09
Mile 9 - 10:29
Mile 10 &11 - 20:04
Mile 12 - 10:10
Mile 13 - 9:10

Here's Elizabeth and I around mile 11. We're smiling!


This is me at the beginning of mile 13 - picking up speed for the finish!


Here we are post race. Not feeling so much like Gumby today, which is pretty great. I must be getting used to this distance running.


Everybody was stretching on the subway platform while we waited for the train after the race.


Here's the crazy, hard to balance (but very effective when you get it right) stretch...


Here's the super-confusing course map:



Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: Feb. 10, 2008, 8:00 am
Location: Bronx, NYC
Weather: 41 deg., 67% hum.

Injuries

Back in the summer, I started getting a leg pain while running that was pretty intense. It was in the back of my leg, kind of behind my knee, and sometimes radiated down the leg to my foot. I would try to run through it, but I couldn't. It would stop me in my tracks. The weird part about it is that it took a few miles before it started. I replaced my shoes, and the pain pretty much went away.

Well, it's back...

It started back during my first 11 mile run. The good part is, this time it isn't as severe. As soon as it came back I immediately replaced my shoes again. It's been about 5 months, and it was about time to replace them again. But as of this week, the pain is still there. I guess it is more "discomfort" than "pain." It doesn't stop me from running, but I notice it. It usually kicks in after 2 miles or so. However I am only upping my mileage each week, and I was starting to fear that it wasn't going to go away.

I went to a sports medicine doctor yesterday morning, and he was great. He is the director of sports rehabilitation at NYU. He was very thorough (xrays, the whole nine yards) and very knowledgeable. It turns out that I pronate my right leg (the one with the pain) when walking and running. He could tell this by looking at me, and by looking at my shoes. My left shoe leans in slightly. He also said I have problems with my IT Band (very common in runners) and my hips are too weak. All these things are causing the calf strain and the pain behind my knee.

He said he wouldn't switch my shoes now, but maybe after the marathon I should try some shoes to help with the pronating. If I change the shoes now, I'll just end up with some other pain somewhere else. He also said that the more important thing is to try to fix me, not just fix my shoes.

I'm supposed to do 6 weeks of physical therapy to strengthen all my weaknesses, and fix up this IT Band problem.

I'm so glad I went, and I'm so glad he was good. I'm not worried about running through the discomfort now. He told me that taking Advil before the run was fine, but I have to be careful about dehydration if I take it. I'll be sure to drink my Gatorade.

The Bronx Half-Marathon is in 2 days, and I'm kind of excited about it. This will be my longest run ever (13.1 miles), but I think it will be fun. The only bad part is how early we have to get there! I'm going to have to get on the subway around 6:15am. Ugh!

$177,766.93

The New Jersey Marathon Team has raised $177,766.93 to date. That is pretty amazing! Thank you very much to all my donors. If you haven't donated yet and want to, click the link at the top of the page. Thanks!

Here's a little bit about the Fundraising from an earlier post back in December:

Team in Training (my marathon training group) is a part of the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society. We are all raising funds to help stop Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin Lymphoma, and Myeloma.

We have honored teammates training with us who either currently have the
disease, or are in remission.

I don't really know our honored teammates too well yet, but I did know George Guzman. George was an Art Director at Nickelodeon who I got to know through work. He lost his battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma a few years ago. He was a lot of fun, and we all miss him.

Everyone has been affected by cancer in some way, and I am happy to raise
funds for this cause. If you would like to support me in my fund raising, please
visit my fundraising page!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/marathonmandy

I have committed to raise $2600 to run in this marathon, but my personal
goal is to raise $3000. If I raise $2600, 75% goes directly to the mission or
research (which is pretty great for a non-profit organization). For every dollar
I raise over $2600, 100% of it goes to the mission or research.

$25 could pay for 1 patient's chemotherapy drug prescription co-payment.

$50 could register 1 person to be a bone marrow donor.

$75 could provide HLA (bone marrow) typing for a family member of a patient with leukemia.

I'll do the running, and you can cheer me on by supporting me and this
wonderful cause. All donations are 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Maybe $1 per mile? (26.2 miles people!)
Or $30 - in honor of my upcoming 30th birthday?

No donation is too small or too large :)

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/marathonmandy

A Loop of Central Park - 6 Miles + a Celebrity Sighthing

This morning I went for a run with my friend John. He is also doing the New Jersey Marathon, but he is training on his own. John is very athletic and very motivated. I'm impressed that he can do these long runs on his own.

We decided to meet at 72nd and Central Park West at noon today. That meant that I got to sleep in! It was so wonderful. I haven't slept late in a while, and it felt great. I think I really needed the extra rest. I woke up at 8am, and it was so great to roll over and go back to sleep. I finally got out of bed at 9:30.

I got on the subway at 11:30, and I saw Robert Sean Leonard on the train. If you watch "House M.D." on Fox, he plays Wilson on the show. In NYC everybody takes the subway sometimes, even the actors. I guess he isn't too busy right now with the writers strike is still going on.

John and I met at a little after noon, because I was running late. We did some stretches, and then started our run. John let me set the pace, which is good. I'm not sure I could keep up with his pace. I had a lot of fun on this run. Central Park is beautiful, and there were so many people out. The weather was 50 degrees and sunny today, and that is pretty amazing in February! It's so nice to get some outdoor sun time in the winter. I haven't seen John much lately, and as I've said before, I really enjoy the running chats. We got to catch up and talk about things going on in our lives.

Now it is time to eat some guacamole and pretend like I care about the Super Bowl!

We Made It Almost to Coney Island

Today's run was 11 miles. We met at 8:30am in Prospect Park, as usual. There really is nobody out when I leave at 7:50am on Saturday mornings. Just me... It's kind of nice.


The subway today... not so nice. We got a ton of rain yesterday, and the station was flooded. Hooray! I had to do a crazy sideways leap to avoid this puddle. I'm glad I was in running shoes and not heels.


It's crazy. The things that are most challenging about this whole process is not the actual running. It's all the other things that go with it. Trying to figure out how much water to drink before running (and when to drink it) is something I haven't totally sorted out yet. For shorter distances, I didn't really think about it. Now it is an issue. I have been trying to drink 16oz. or so of water before I go out for a run. But I have to drink it long before I leave my apartment, or I have to pee when the run starts. That is not fun.

Cassie (AKA Hot Mama) you ask, and you shall receive! Here are some lovely fuel belt photos. Pretty cool, huh?



Today, our coaches told us that we were running outside the park today. Now, in some ways I was really happy about this. A change of pace is good for boredom. We would be running somewhere I had never been. But here is the bad part: there are no bathrooms where we were going to be running. The bathroom in the area of the park where we meet was locked (again!). It is supposed to be open at 8am, but obviously I cannot rely on that anymore. I guess I need to stop drinking about 2 hours before the run. Then I will drink during the run.

During our group stretches, our coach Lisa mentioned that there is a bathroom at Commerce Bank right where we leave the park. Hallelujah! Sarah and I were very happy to hear this! As soon as we go out of the park, we made a detour, and so did about 15 other runners from our group. The actual customers of the bank looked kind of confused about what we were all doing there. We're all dressed in running tights, fuel belts, etc. We look kind of funny. I felt sooo much better about starting the run after the little pit stop.

The run was long and flat, and I ran it with Elizabeth and Sarah. The conversations you have while running are so random. I feel like we are in a pinball machine bouncing from topic to topic. Here are a few things I remember that we discussed:

• Running Technique.

• Sarah's boyfriend's ER visit the night before because of his allergic reaction to nuts.

• Running nutrition gels & fuel belts, and our opinions on them.

• Dating.

• An article in the New Yorker about ICU death rates and how a check list developed by a doctor has reduced them.

• Coney Island and its possible re-development in the coming years.

• The fact that EVERY woman we saw in the neighborhood we were running through was wearing high heels.

These conversations are the thing that makes running these distances possible for me. I get distracted by it, and the time really flies by.



Our coaches gave us a little cheat sheet so that we could remember where we should turn back. There are half-marathoners, beginners, intermediates, and advanced runners. Each group is doing a different mileage. The intermediates and advanced runners ran to Coney Island. I would have loved to see the ocean, but I was afraid of pushing the mileage too high. That is how you get injured. I've already been nursing a pain in my upper calf behind my knee that appears after few miles, and I don't want it to get worse. It's better since I got new shoes, and I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to heal.

As usual, I felt like I had Gumby's legs when I got back from the run. We grabbed our stuff at the park, and Elizabeth and I got some doughnuts again. Those donuts are really yummy. This time I got some for Rick too. Last time I bragged about the yummy doughnuts I had, but I didn't bring any back for him. Maybe that wasn't so nice...