Sleep tonight

Again. With the not enough sleep. At least blogging about my runs is showing me this habit that I need to get out of. Loren's also been sick and I feel like I've been fighting it. I've shuffled my runs around this week and next week to best accommodate races, hard work outs, and long runs so I'm not doing them too close to each other.

I moved my 18 miler to today instead of tomorrow because I want to do my 20 during the week next week so I can race the Cherry Tree 10 miler on Sunday, or it least to it as my tempoish run for the week.

I managed to get myself up and out the door around 8:15. I did a bit over 4 before meeting my running partners for the day, Hilary, Rachel, and Claudia. They were doing 10 but it was great to have the company esp. when I'm not feeling 100% and was going long. The temps also found their way below freezing again. While I had some tough going in the middle miles, I rallied at the end and finished strong with some sub 9s. I'm really happy to have this one in the books.

every waking hour

Ok, I'm noticing a theme: running while tired. Now this has been lack of sleep tired, not running too much/too hard tired. I had a friend in from outa town this week and we spent 2 long and very funny days at the Westminster dog show. And in all honestly, I just have not had enough sleep.

I moved my tempo run this week from Tues to Thurs since I races on Sun. So today it was.

10 miles with 5 tempo. I usually do a nice long warm up, like 4 miles then have a mile to get home. Today, I ran 3, 5 tempo, 2 home.

My tempo runs have been sub 8s. I thought today might be a bit off cause did I mention being tired? I didn't factor in the howling wind that made my run seem like something out of Kansas. 

It seemed to be everywhere, swirling. No matter which way I ran, there it was. I'd get maybe a half mile of a tail wind at a time. Maybe. It was tough. I averaged 8:10s for my tempo. I wasn't very happy about that, but really, I couldn't do anything about it.

Now it's done and I've had a tough it out run through the wind run.

Everybody work now!

So as you faithful readers know, I raced on Sun. I rearranged this week to do my tempo on thurs and my general aerobic run today so I wasn't having to hard days close together. Today was an 11 mile run. I spent all of yesterday at the Westminster dog show (really, it's just like Best in Show). I stood on my feet for far too long waiting to see the Border Terriers. It's no secret, if I were a dog, I would be a border. I wanted to see them close up. Man, standing in one place is a killer. 

Anyway, it was a long long day. I was tired. I figured I'd phone it in on the run today.

Low and behold, 11 miles in my rolling Central Park at 9:04 pace. For being tired, I felt really good!

Let's hope I feel that way for my tempo run on Thurs. Ok, back to the dogs!

pissing in the wind

So loyal readers, as you remember just a few short days ago, I was complaining about the low teen temps. This morning was the Bronx Half marathon. While I was pretty sure we wouldn't be seeing 14 with a windchill of 5 like we did  few weeks ago, I did not expect to see close to 50 degrees at the start.

I was a bit over dressed with 3/4 tights and a long sleeve shirt. By mile 4 I was wishing I was at least in shorts and dumping water over my head. The Bronx has a totally weird course Don't worry if it doesn't make any sense. I've run it twice and it doesn't make any sense to me either. Normally, I wouldn't run 2 half marathons so close together. I ran a 1:50:51 in Manhattan 2 weeks ago. If it had been warmer, I think I would have been faster. Well today was warmer, actually I do think a bit too warm. And humid. This course also has a lot of turns, some rolling hills and always a head wind for about 2 miles. While we get the tail wind on the turn around, there isn't much benefit since you're going up hill. 

I kept telling myself to run relaxed, to stay in control, work the down hills, all those things that go through my head. Those last 2 miles though, wow, they were tough. I can usually push it on my last mile. Today, my last mile was my slowest (8:39). Once I hit the 13 mile marker, I just pushed as hard as I could. I think I was drooling, I really wanted to go under 1:50. 

And I did.

1:49:41. So I took 70 seconds off  my time from 2 weeks ago. I'm happy with that. I would like to get closer to 1:47 and I think I can with more than 2 weeks rest!

Now, I'm going to watch Kara Goucher run the 3000m.

Live through this

Today it happened. I may be self diagnosing here, but I'm pretty sure I've come down with Freezonal Disorder™. I have been a good sport this winter. It's been cold, really cold. Barely a day above freezing in January. I've put up with it with minimal grumbling (other's may disagree with this statement). I've run in the teens, I races a half marathon with a wind chill of 5 that not only netted me a PR, but a frozen ponytail. I headed out in snow/ice/rain/wintery hell storm with Ishii and Rachel with really no questions asked. Of course the post mortem of that run, by accounts of all involved, was that was dumb. We did it anyway. 

Today though, I thought it was just going to push me over the edge. Last night I was not feeling well. There are some nasty illnesses going around this winter that I've been trying to avoid.  This morning, it was 14 degrees with a windchill of about 4. If I was feeling 100% that would be fine. I was feeling maybe 80%. I spent most of the day negotiating this run. I had few options. I don't belong to a gym which is fine because I hate running on the treadmill. There is a Lucille Roberts 2 blocks away. The thought of getting a day pass to get my 8 miles more than crossed my mind. I figured it would be worth it for the entertainment of going to the Lucille Roberts on 125. People in Harlem have never been shy about talking to me about running, either while I'm running or while I'm waiting for a light to change. I've heard life stories about health issues and weight battles, been asked questions about how to get started, had kids run with me for who knows why. I actually love it. If I can help people get going, great, all the more reason for me to run. Even if I have to hear "skinny white girl" from time to time.

In the end, I made a few deals with myself:

1. I would wear a brand new pair of shoes. It was about time to get another pair in the rotation. A new pair of shoes always feels great.

2. I would stop at Road Runners and pick up my number for the Bronx half. That leads to 3...

3. I would partake in the candy bowl that NYRR always has out at number pick up. It always seems like an odd thing and the runners line up to it like pigs at a trough. 

4. I could cut it short. And I did. I ran 7.64 instead of 8. LOOK OUT!

Now it's done. Was it the greatest run of my life? No. Is it done? HELL YES.

I fall to pieces.

This morning, I got up much earlier than I usually do to get my NYRR volunteer race outa the way, the Empire State Building Run up. I've never had any desire to do this race, which is running up like 86 flights of steps. Volunteering for it didn't make me want to do it either. I pretty much sat around with pal/new running pal Rachel all morning. We got to give out the age group awards, so that was cool. Really though, I think I would have rather stayed in bed. Oh well. At least it's early in the year and I have that outa the way. The bad things is, I just haven't had enough sleep lately. 

When I got home, I ate, did some work, and managed to take a 90 minute nap. 

Even though this is a cutback week, I still planned on going to the track. I misread my workout for the night. I thought I was doing 1000 repeats, but no, I was doing mile repeats. 5 of them, on paper anyway. They were to be run the first 1200 at half marathon pace, the last 400 faster.

About half way through my first 1600, a pack of guys pasted me. It's a 200m track so it can get crowded. The rules of the track are posted and repeated via mic all the time. Lane 1 is for race walking only, so it's pretty much always empty. 2/3 is for people running SLOWER than 32 seconds per 200, so that's where I run. Always. 4/6 is for faster than 32 seconds and lane 6 is closed. So this pack comes by me and the lead guys says "you're too slow" and I tell him to kiss my ass. The 2nd guy turns to me and says sorry. Then the LAST guy, holding on to the pack for dear life says to me "you're too slow to be in this lane". I was like??? WTF? Is this your first time here, cause I know I'm in the right place. They were running 34s. I really wanted to just tell them to get a little faster if they wanted to run in the faster lane. I was not in the mood for this douch nozzle behavior by a buncha guys who dont  know the rules of the track. I dont care how fast they are.

Anyway, back to me.

My first one was ok, 7:25. I thought that was a nice start. 

Then I did a 7:24, 7:22. I was pooped. This was taking a lot more out of me then I wanted it too. Before I even started my 4th one, I sorta figured it would be my last one. This was just feeling too hard. That doesn't sound right. I didn't feel like doing 5 would be beneficial. 

I was right.

Number 4 was a 7:39. I had slowed down considerably (though still within McMillan's range). So that was it. Done and done. That was enough. And I am SOOOOO ok with that. Since it's a cutback week and I wanna run the Bronx well on Sunday, I'm fine with that. The rest of the week will be easy miles which I'm looking forward to.

we are one inside these walls

Last night, my running club had it's annual awards night. It's a nice night, a good chance to see what people look like in real clothes and eat things that are not bagels and bananas. People really cleaned up nicely. 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the club. Pretty impressive!!!

We give out several awards. We have a points competition for different age groups, new comer of the year, most improved, Triton of the year (our triathlon team), cyclist of the year, middle distance runner (for people who race mostly under 10k), long distance runner (over 10k), life time achievement, volunteer, and Front Runner of the year. It's a lot, it makes for a long night. I won my age group for the 3rd time mostly by just racing a lot. I think this will be the last time as I am in the twilight of my 30s and these up and comers are FAST. It's going to be a tight age group in 2009. 

Several of our awards are named for people who have done great things for and with the club over the years. This year, we renamed he distance runner award after Sue Foster. Sue ran the faster NYC Marathon ever run by a woman in the club. She ran a 3:05 and she ran it in 1980. She was 24 at the time and was the 42nd female over all. Oh how times have changed! She's been in the club pretty much since the start. Sue's a great person and I am so happy she is being honored like this.

I am also honored to have won the award for 2008. It was great to win this and have Sue there.

I wasn't the only one in this house to come home with hardware. Loren won middle distance runner of the year. I think we've reached a new level of ridiculous coupledom.

It was a late night. And Friday was a late night. Luckily, Loren and I live a half a block from where dinner was. I still didn't get to bed until almost 1. On tap for today was 17 miles. I was really not looking forward to it on 2 nights of not enough sleep.

One good thing is it was actually above freezing when I left the house. I dont remember the last time that happened. My friend Jen joined me for most of the run. That was so helpful, the 12 miles we ran together flew by. It was more of an I'm tired hard than a this is hard hard. I'm glad it's over with. I averaged 9:42 pace. I'm fine with that for the day. Since I was tired going into it, I knew it was just going to be about getting it done.

Now for a wee nap perhaps, before we start the football festivities.