Monday, May 18, 2009

Healthy Kidney 10k 2009

I went 12 seconds faster than four weeks ago. I guess I am sort of disappointed, after some really good weeks of training and feeling like my run last weekend was a bit of a breakthrough.

However, it POURED rain for the first three miles (again, just like four weeks ago), and I just felt pretty bad overall - I think my body is begging for a rest week and I am not quite sure when to take it. It was so crowded it was impossible to get into any type of rhythm in the first mile. I have pretty much decided it is a waste of energy to try to PR at NYRR races 10k and less, they are just too crowded - it's not worth the effort. No excuses though, it was my best open 10k, so no complaints. My splits (my Garmin had me running 6.33 miles for 7:36 pace, which I am much happier with than my 7:45 chip pace):

1 Mi7:36.79
2 Mi7:16.58
3 Mi7:19.2
4 Mi7:55.59
5 Mi7:34.8
6 Mi7:47.35
0.33 Mi
2:34.99

This week the Summer X-Country 5k Series starts up in Van Cortland Park and after these last two 10ks, I am very excited to get out of Central Park for some low-key, fast, cross country running!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Full Bloom.

Whenever spring comes into full bloom, the campus I work on turns into a little wonderland in the middle of Manhattan.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Spring Couples Relay

On Saturday, my ex-roommate and I did the Spring Couples Relay in Central Park. It consisted of a 2 mile run/12 mile bike (2 loops of central park) and an approximately 1/2 mile 'row' in the lake in Central Park. The plan was for me to run, him to bike, and do whatever we could not to fall into the lake during the rowing.


I did an easy jog from home over to the race transition area, and wasn't sure what to expect. Low-key races like this in NYC tend to draw fun crowds, but still the serious folks as well. When I got to transition, I saw multiple disk wheels and some aero helmets- I laughed out loud. The race is divided into 'combined' age groups, we fall in the 50-59 group. After eying our competition, I told my partner we had a shot at our age group. He has just started to get back into cycling shape and his doing his first triathlon with me in about a month- I told him that he better be winded when he was done with the bike :)

We lined up, and I told my partner that if I was back in 15 minutes, I would be happy. That is the pace I am hoping to hold next weekend in the 10k. I knew there was some serious runners in the race, but I lined up with them front and center and decided my plan was to run as fast as I could, try to hold on to the person in front of me, and not puke. I settled in the first mile with one woman in front of me (who I knew had just run 3:10ish in Boston). At the first mile (6:48), another woman passed me. However, we were not yet close to the turnaround for the 2 mile 'out and back' course- meaning the run was clearly going to be more than 2 miles, and I had just run the fastest mile I can ever remember running. I almost started to freak out and back off, but tried to stay with the woman who had just passed. That didn't happen, but I was still feeling OK and thinking about using my arms and keeping my legs moving. I was passed by another women after about 1.5 miles, hit mile 2 at 6:58, and felt great. The run ended up being 2.31 miles and I finished with my first ever sub-7 pace.

As I entered the transition, my partner was chatting it up with the people around him, and was clearly not expecting me so soon :) I yelled at him to 'Go, go' and he was off. I came in when I told him to expect me(15:53), but he later told me he didn't expect me to 'beat all the boys' :) I had come into transition 7th overall, with 3 men and 3 women ahead of us. Unfortunately for my partner, this meant that many of the serious cyclists would be hunting him down. He finished up his two loops, and promptly told me to be proud because "only 4 non-fancy super serious bikers" had passed him...I was very proud! And we were also safely ahead in our age group.

The rowing portion was hysterical. What I thought would be a quick, 5 minute little out and back row, was in reality a real 'course' with buoys and turns and took probably 15-20 minutes. I tried to do my part and took the oars while my partner recovered from his ride, but I was the only female rowing and we were not going anywhere (except in circles). We ended up in a fun little race with another boat, played some bumper boats, ran into a few rocks, but ended up winning our age group, soaking wet, and with smiles on our faces.

The race was really fun and we plan on not only defending next year, but now my partner tells me our new goal is to win the costume contest as well. There was some stiff competition this year, but we have a year to prepare :)

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Powered by RunningAHEAD.com

Not so sure how I got below sea level in Central Park, but I had a great hill work out last night (4x Harlem Hill at 85-90%) and am feeling the progress. Can't wait for a little 2 mile race this weekend!!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

A new Kind of Brick

Last night's Brick workout*:

4.5 mile run

A Shake Shack Dinner
(my fave burger in the city)

0.7 mile run.

*highly recommended for removing all guilt from one of my favorite meals in the city.