my boston registration is in

Now it feels real.

Together we rise

I traded morning jogs around an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, for a basement treadmill from my childhood.

30 min jog/walk disco party on a treadmill, courtesy of IndieSoupRunner. Nearly 2 miles.

Favorite Trails 4: Towpath! Finally! (Cleveland, OH)

Before:

It's been months since I got in a long run at the famed towpath. Today, it was a sloppy, muddy twelve miles (the path had mostly dried by the time I turned around to head back, but by then I was already caked in mud of various consistencies from knee to toe). 50 degrees, sunny, and I'm pretty sure I did it in about two hours (for context, my last long run on the towpath was October-ish and it was ten miles in about the same time)!



Remember, this map shows only outbound. I about cried seven miles in, from aching quads and a realization that I was still five plus miles away from my car. Then the Clif Shot Bloks seemed to kick in (always testing stuff, I am) and I felt strong enough all the way back to the car. I think I even sped up. I hurt, yeah, and probably shouldn't have attempted such aggressive mileage after seven miles yesterday, but I reasoned that I am hardcore and badass and should be able to do it. There's no crying on the towpath.

After:

Favorite Trails 3: Smithsonian to Zoo (D.C)

Time of Day: 11:00 a.m.
Approximate distance: 4.42 miles
Time: 47:56
Temperature: 64 degrees
Running buddy: Johnny from CRC



Today my pal Johnny and I met at the Mall entrance to the Smithsonian metro for a pre-football run. We had planned on just running the Mall, but decided to meander off toward the Lincoln Memorial and see where our whimsy took us. The weather stayed balmy as we picked up Rock Creek by the Kennedy Center and followed it all the way to the zoo, stopping at the side furthest away from the panda exhibit. Several other winter runners scooted past us going the opposite way. Surprisingly, there was one dude decked out in full black CWX gear. He must have been quite warm given the temperature! We took a cooldown walk through the zoo, stopping to admire ostriches and orangutans along the way. We continued walking to the Cleveland Park metro stop, where we happily chomped our way through California Tortilla burritos.

I'm thankful for the warm weather (which occurs so often that it's no longer unseasonable) and good running buddies. I often worry about running buddies becoming irritated with my slowness and think that this worrying affects the first ten minutes of any buddy run. After the first ten minutes, my muscles have usually warmed up and I'm usually settled into conversation, and the rest of the run turns out much better than expected. I've been lucky with Cambridge running buddies and blogidarity ones--James and Sam are both good running buddies, and I bet that Wendy, Liz, and run.happy must be too!

good morning

Today I set off on a 20-minute run around 8:30 a.m., armed with a bandanna, Pearl Izumi tights, and a new Underarmour hoodie. Yesterday's 38-minute run (so far this break I've been tracking minutes rather than miles) had been an exercise in what not to do, aka eat spaghetti too soon before running), and I laced up my shoes with the expectation that I'd feel that sluggish again. The difference in mood hit me as fast as the cold air stung my hands and Fergie's voice boomed through my headphones.

Bounding along like a My Little Pony, I scooted through empty Arlington neighborhoods onto the W&OD. I thought of my VA blogidarity buddies, with whom I'd run these trails before, and vowed to say "good morning" to at least one person on the trail that day. I said "good morning" to an ipod and hat-bedecked lady and she just looked surprised in return. Five minutes later, a cheery old man biked toward me, waved and said "happy new year!"

When I don't meet my promise

I'm not sure what the consequences are for not having run even 3 miles last week. I did play badminton and walked 2 miles? The week prior, I ran 3 miles. I'm going to have to either rescind my accountability measure on this blog, or lose some kind of blogging priviledge. Bad on me. Shame upon us all.

100th post!

Things that are making me run happy this week:

-Reebok Cold Compress running gear: In a pre-Reindeer Run fit of desperation and fear (of hypothermia), I snagged a mock turtleneck from this line of gear from Dick’s (where all Reebok gear was and still is on sale, FYI). I have since bought another AND a pair of tights*. I am truly in love! The tights are lightweight and stretchy, yet warm (they were fine on a mid-20 degree night run); the mock turtlenecks made for a most effective base layer. Although I found it strange that the tights have no drawstring or zippers at the bottom, they stay put comfortably (and I think I must look cuter in them than the old man pants).


-Adidas Trediac GTX 2: Finally decided on (and purchased) some trail shoes for winter running. I test-drove the Trediacs this past Wednesday night when the sidewalk were icky with slush and snow. They kept my feet dry (made with Gore-Tex, so totally waterproof) and the aggressive tread made me feel sure-footed on the iciest of surfaces. They’re also ridiculously cheap for so much shoe ($85 MSRP).

-IndieSoupRunner.com: Like me, these guys like indie rock, and they like to run. They combine the two with music reviews and themed mixes, available as podcasts on iTunes. I listened to the second hour of the marathon mix on the treadmill today, and it was awesome.

I have been holding up pretty well this week so far. I have gotten on the treadmill when necessary (rather than using the weather as an excuse to curl up with a book), and sticking to the mileage plan I wrote for the week. With the 3.35 route I did on Wednesday with the running club (and I learned that yes, this is paid time), plus the five miles of intervals I did this afternoon, I am at twenty-four miles for the week, set to hit thirty-one after an easy (ha!) seven-miler tomorrow.

A holiday/100th post celebratory puppy (the groomers gave her a candy cane bandanna):

*Since this is a Dick's-exclusive line, the photo is obviously from dickssportinggoods.com

night running

After moving to Northern Virginia from Charlottesville five years ago, I ceased my night running because I didn't feel as safe running in Arlington as I did in the neighborhoods around UVA. My outside runs stayed in Arlington neighborhoods and the Custis trail for two years, then to the W&OD trail for another two. Most other runs occurred on the Ballston or Tysons' Gold's Gyms treadmills. There were a couple of 5:30 a.m. runs in Arlington (before I was used to an early schedule) and a few night runs on the Fairfax W&OD with a boyfriend who, unlike me, wasn't afraid of being accosted on the trail at night. When I first moved to Boston, I was still a major Nervous Nellie while walking around my neighborhood in the day, so I didn't even consider running around it at night. Thank goodness that's changed! I got a lot more serious about running during summer 2008 and soon grew to cherish the blazing heat and humidity that accompanied my training runs.

Last night I went on my second night run of the winter. Armed with a Patagonia Capilene baselayer, InSport tights, pants, ski hat, and my 2008 Boston Marathon volunteer jacket, I trotted out into the Central Square cold. I'd skipped my CRC track workout (which I should go do right now, in fact) because I felt like crap, but my roommate convinced me to just go outside and go around the block. Her wily powers are good...when used for good. Like she said, there were plenty of other runners scooting around, and I ended up scooting down to the river, over to Harvard Square, and back to our apartment. I could get used to this night running. I'll stick to the well-lit and well-traversed areas (no going east of Prospect Street for me, I've already been harassed there in mid-day), get some more UnderArmour and enjoy this cold scooting!

treadmill runs this week

I've only run twice this week (2.55 miles 23:39 on Monday, 3.45 miles 30:00 today). I'm not sure what I was thinking with my 7-days of workouts + 35 miles goal; I have to work up to that. On Monday I didn't even make it to three miles because my stomach started cramping up (likely from not eating for most of the day). Today felt better, but I'm still trying to shake a lot of stress and the malaise symptom of wanting to slink out the door and onto the T the second I see a treadmill. I came into the gym incredibly unhappy instead of psyched to run off the stress. I hope this changes. I've never trained for a marathon in the winter; Boston 2009 training should be a mental test of strength as well as an adventure.

A fellow teacher and fellow CRCer have offered their Boston training schedules. I'm going to look at both and see what works better for me during the upcoming 18 weeks. I'm also looking forward to starting up yoga, lifting, and spinning. I don't anticipate being as cheerful or as excited about running as I was this summer, however. For the past few weeks I've been feeling alternately powerless, stressed, or distraught and I've been using running as a distraction mechanism, and it's only going to continue.

Complete Running

We are the newest members of the family (as of 6:34 PM, EST).

Also, I think we should be friends with these guys.

Bah!

Intestinal disaster that knocked me on my ass* for all of Friday (and still echoed through Saturday) botched my last two runs, too. Well, I'm blaming it, anyway.

Yesterday, I did three miles of intervals on the treadmill (same formula as before: 3 minutes @ 4.0 and 1%, then alternating 1 minute @ 8.0 with 3 minutes @ 6.0 until I hit my mileage, cool down). I was trying for 4-5 to make up for being knocked on my ass all weekend, but was felled early by discomfort in my lower abdominal region.

Today, same cramping/aching occurred about three miles in. I forced myself to five miles; I am proud of my fortitude (and so is some lady on Lalemont Rd., who cheered me on while raking). On the upside, I mapped (and ran) a legitimate three-mile route that, when run in combination with the two mile zig-zag, will yield an actual five- or seven-mile run!



Note to self (and perhaps others who train in cold weather): it is actually worse to be too warm and overdressed than a little chilled. I'd have been fine, even better, if I had left my vest and maybe my headband at home.

*In all honesty, folks, don't accidentally grab fiberfull yogurt- the pressure it created in my belly was intense and agonizing for 36 hours straight on ONE serving!

Any interest...

...in getting ourselves listed here? We may increase readership and it could tap us into a community or communities in our geographic areas.

Just a thought.

CRC track workout

A1 & A2:
Carioca, weird jumping things, a-skips, b-skips, high knees, butt kicks, seals, walruses
3-4 x 1600 at 10K pace with 5:00 rest or 800 jog in between

I ran to the track in the rain and did 3 1600s:
#1: 9:19
#2: 8:30
#3: 8:41

At the end of the last one my stomach started cramping up--I wonder if it was because I didn't drink enough water today. I'm still having trouble pacing myself properly too. 8:30-8:41 is about my 5K pace now, not 10K. This is a good start though. I'm looking forward to the track workouts getting harder over the winter!

I ran for ten minutes to cool down and made the bad decision to walk a mile home without putting on the pants I'd worn over my shorts. The only pants I had other than the Quasar sweats I wore home from work were black sorostitute pants, and they had soaked up a ton of water on the run to the track. Three people yelled rude things at me in Central Square, and I wanted to kick them with my frozen legs.

P.S. At home I ended up not doing yoga...the two-a-days might have to wait until 12/23!

Big day.

Today, I ran a lot. I did my almost-five miler around noon (forced myself to slow it down and focus on form and breathing) in about 46 minutes. It had stopped spitting precipitation of indeterminate form as I dressed for the treadmill, so I took the chance that it would last and added a few layers. In fact, despite the 34 degree weather, I got a bit too warm. It's good to know I can overdo it; I learn more and more each run.

Then tonight, in a show of workplace solidarity and all-around trooper-ness, I went in and ran with the Striders on my day off. My boss did not acknowledge my presence (but I had the sneaking suspicion he gave me the evening off so that I would come in and run). I was glad I showed up; a customer to whom I'd sold some really nice shoes last week came! She's recovering from some serious shin splints and reduced fitness/activity, and I'd recommended she come on Wednesdays so she'd have a route and pacers (not to mention encouragement). Here's the route the slowpokes* and I took:



I was mostly pleased that there were so many runners (biggest turnout I've seen yet), and that there was a range of fitness levels and speeds (i.e., people slower than I am!). It also upped my mileage for the day from a shaky almost five to a solid eight.

And then I went straight to Zumba, which was actually kind of fun. Not super intense, cardio-wise, but it got my heart rate up, and I could feel different muscles working than just the ones I use to run. I think it will be good cross-training. I may even become coordinated and fancify my footwork! For $3 at the local Bally's, even I can afford to make it out there once or twice a week.

So I'm curling up in sweatpants and gearing up for runs the next couple of days. I think I will rest tomorrow (some slow yoga, lots of green tea), do 12 miles on the towpath on Friday (since I have it off), and follow it up with an almost-seven-miler on Saturday. Ass = pretty much back in gear this week!

*No offense! It was nice to have a poky run. It was also nice to have progressed enough in less than a year so that 3.35 miles at 10:30-11:00 pace felt sort of poky and relaxed (i.e., not like death was imminent).

inspired

Inarticulate, non-substantive post here mostly to make myself accountable. Tomorrow I'm going to run a few miles in the morning and then do a CRC track workout at night.

Yearning and yawning for a jog

Does anyone run at the crack of dawn or after they are extremely tired from coming home from work? I find it nearly impossible to do either, so I reserve running for the weekends, as a social activity. I also ran to the bus stop today and realized that my lungs were heaving. It was a sign that I'd lost a lot of ground since summer.

Learning to love the treadmill.

Yesterday, I tried a little interval-like experiment on the treadmill. I have rules this winter for treadmill running, the most important of which is that I will run no fewer than three miles at a time, but will not force myself to go beyond five. Yesterday, I felt good, so I did four.

I wish I could program in what I want to do, but maybe having to pay attention and change the speed every few minutes made it feel less mindless. Anyway, I set the elevation to 1% to mimic the effort of running against the wind. I walked for a few minutes (4 mph/15:00-ish minute mile pace), then alternated one minute at 8 mph/7:30 pace with three minutes at 6 mph/9:52 until I got to four miles, then walked to cool down. It was a good workout, and I think I will do it again (probably this afternoon), but increase the difference between the speeds (recovery pace a little slower and interval pace a little faster).

I think tomorrow night I will run with the store's running club again, now that I have some decent cold weather gear (and the snow should melt today!). Running that 5K netted me some Fiber One cereal and a series of Dick's coupons, so I snagged another compression mock-turtleneck (this time in a smaller, actually compressing size). Am also thinking of trail runners to keep me more sure-footed in the snow, but budgetary restraints what they are...

I still think we should try something blogidarity-/accountability-wise. Any takers? And I think I want to air some resolution thoughts for 2009: run the Cleveland Half-Marathon in May in under two hours, try a full marathon in the fall? You can see why I might need some accountability.

movie recommendation: run for your life

A bunch of CRCers gathered over pizza and salad (and pistachio macaroons!) tonight to watch Run For Your Life, a documentary about Fred Lebow, the founder of the New York Marathon. I highly recommend it!

Run For Your Life tells the inspirational story of Lebow's efforts to start the NYC marathon, including lots of archival footage and interviews (e.g., Grete Waitz, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and the founder of Runner's World).

Having always taken for granted that the New York City Marathon would have lots of runners, spectators, and support from the city itself, I was amazed to see how far Lebow took it from its inception as a Central Park race with fewer spectators than runners. His creative efforts such as getting Playboy Bunnies to run in an all-women's Crazylegs Mini Marathon both amaze and amuse.

Watching footage of those Bunnies made me even more grateful for the gender equality that I'd also taken for granted. One of the interviewees stated that women were not expected to run more than a mile at a time in the '70s...what would they have said to us wearing old-man tights and finishing entire marathons?

Reflective modifications.

At Vikash's suggestion, I checked out the local bike shop for reflective gear. I found the sticky strips for which I had been looking (see my Nimbuses?)!



I can sew this stuff on the jacket, too, but for now, I opted for a reflective mesh triangle that I can pin on and then remove for washing (or attaching to another article of clothing if need be). I counted, and I have two strips with 14 little silver boxes each left, so I'm thinking of maybe sewing Orion onto the back of the jacket.



As for Kristina's suggestion about earmuffs versus the dreaded, yet warm, headband, I have decided to just tough it out and look ridiculous. I will be running all winter in old man pants; what dignity do I have left?

Reindeer Run 5K

Old man pants!
Vikash and I ran together (ha, I just realized that Hermes didn't know what to make of a name like "Vikash"- nor a last name like "Goel," either- and so he finished with the females, 25-29), in 32:31. PRs all around! Next time, I'm going to see how much faster I can go!

Current mission: having discovered I like the quiet and anonymity of running in the dark, I am on the lookout for reflective tape to add some safety to my all-black cold weather running clothes (and some flash to my shoes). Will report on findings (and solicit for design ideas for the jacket).

*I have decided I do not particularly care for how the headband makes me look (but I still have ears, so, bonus). Seriously, it was so cold it took me until mile 3 to warm up.

First CRC track workout of the season

800 @8k pace, 3:00 recovery
2x1200 @ 10k pace w/ 4:00 recovery
4x400 @ 5k pace w/ 200 jog in between

Last night's track workout initially hurt as much as I expected it to, both physically and mentally. The second my feet hit the rubber track at MIT both my legs and mind did not want to go. I am so much slower than the rest of the A (meaning marathon training) group that I usually do the workout by myself. Hearing and seeing the hordes of fast people stampede by during the 800, 1200, and 400s added to the feeling of "wow I got out of shape," but by the end, endorphins had kicked in and I felt better.

I'm looking forward to this training season. Another teacher is going to send me his Boston training schedule and I might attend Quasar track workouts and indoor practices as well.

800: 4:35
1200s: 7:59 (did 1400 by mistake), 7:13
400s: 2:09, 2:15, 2:01, 1:52

Update.

I ran today, a 6.67 mile combination of the route featured below. It was awesome. Not fast, but I felt like I just dug in and pushed it out, controlling my effort the whole time. I almost wanted to keep going.

And I ran in my new bad-ass pants/tights! They remind me of old man pants: high on the waist, pockets at the hips sticking out a little, taper at the bottom is snug. But they keep me warm (and yet have ingenious breathing panels to keep me from overheating), are generous enough to allow a lighter pair underneath on really cold days, and have multiple zip pockets.

To verify old mannish-ness, I will take pictures this Saturday at the Hermes Reindeer Run 5K (now, I pretty much don't get out the door for under 5 miles, but a friend, a even newbie-er runner than I, asked me to run it with him, and I just wonder if the successful completion of a shorter race might not give me some much-needed confidence. Also, never having done a 5K, I wonder how fast I could do it).

I feel back in the saddle, ready to knock out some speed work on the treadmill, or maybe a lazy five miles tomorrow, and gung ho to yoga it up for some strength and flexibility. Let's just hope this optimism lasts at least through Saturday's race!

My regular run.

Not that I've been doing it much (I'm not a fan of the snowy sidewalks, and it's worse when they get all melty and then re-frozen). I'm trying to embrace the treadmill, but mostly I've been out so much lately (read: drinking more) that I feel dehydrated and crappy. Despite the beautiful sunshine the past two days, I have barely ventured out of the house, much less at speed. I think the investment in badass tights, some serious wind-blocking business, will make me more likely to venture out. Maybe a full week of not drinking alcohol, too.

Anyway, here's my neighborhood run. The little zig-zag portion is two miles, the longer loop about 2.7. I run them in various combinations to achieve a run of whatever length I feel like on a given day.



I think a "blogidarity" race sounds great. If I am still stuck here by May, I will probably run Cleveland (at least the half, though if I get off my ass sometime this month, I may consider the full). But I am ready and willing to travel for races (having now learned the hard way that I need to arrive more than twelve hours before the race).

Struggling lately with my weight (it's not up a LOT, and it's not going further up, but it's also not going DOWN, even after big mileage weeks)- any advice on how to embrace the pudge? I've been trying to tell myself it's cyclical and I'm just on the higher end of my natural weight zone...

Also, having a really hard time motivating myself to get out and run at all. I've got the time, the treadmill, the route...I could certainly use better tights, but acquiring more stuff hardly seems the most fiscally responsible way to jump-start my winter training. Advice? Maybe we should have a weekly mileage goal, say 150 for all of us together and each do our parts to make up that total? That way, we can all kind of run "together," even if we're far apart.

good news!

I got a Boston Marathon 2009 number! I'm ready to train hard and get in shape, winter be damned.

The countdown to April 20 begins...

Query: Winter Running

As winter descends upon Boston, I find myself missing long summer training runs. Yes, even those runs after which I am drenched in sweat and thirsting for Propel. I miss the salt on my Red Sox hats and the Champion sports bra tan lines. Headbands have replaced the hats and UnderArmour now covers up the sports bras.

Normally, I'd hibernate in the winter and hit up the YMCA treadmills, but I am hoping to be one of the ten lucky CRC'ers who gets a Boston 2009 bib without having to qualify. Bloggers: apart from clothing changes, how do you adjusting your race training in the winter?

Favorite Trails 2: B'more Landmark Run

Baltimore is an amazingly beautiful city once you get the chance to look closely at it. It's an old port city dating back to the colonial era and is grand in its tragedy. I'm a big fan of The Wire which tells the story of the city's ills in such a great literary fashion that is as moving as a Greek tragedy and as pretty as it is Gothic. On that show, the beauty of the Inner Harbor and the architecture of downtown are just as pretty as the vacant rowhomes that litter the inner-city. So, my favorite run is one that I've constructed for myself over the months I've lived in this city.

Distance: 10.45 miles (good for Half and Full Marathon Training)

Narrative: You start at Federal Hill Park and run through the Inner Harbor. After going through historic Fells Point, you see the gentrifying Canton area. Run past some empty and some gentrifying homes in East Baltimore, as you run back to downtown and past City Hall and up to the Washington Monument (elevation challenge). Come back down and pass Camden Yards before heading back to the starting point.

Positives: Lots of ground covered and beautiful for a city run. Pretty compact area. Good elevation challenge at the end going up to Washington Monument, but mostly flat other than that.

Negatives: Depending on time of day, may run into foot traffic. Also some sidewalks are poorly managed and may be injury-hazards.

Liz's first entry

I run long distances whenever I can... and I don't mind doing it on a treadmill. In fact, most of the year I train on a treadmill. It's my meditation. And, at the gym here, they have tv monitors on. Which I don't really understand.....

They call it "cardio theater" but the only stations offered are news, court tv, or the Spanish channel. Shouldn't I expect to see a movie? So, I just leave my iPod on and stare mindlessly at news hosts. Is that bad? Am I a tv addict?

Running on the treadmill has its pros and cons. Importantly, I don't use elevation as much as I should. But, it does help me train mentally for the task of being alone with my thoughts for a long period of time while moving my legs. For me, and I think for other distance runners, training to do something for 2 or 4 or more hours is 50% of the game. I need mental strength more than anything. For some lucky reason, I don't get a lot of leg cramps (one of the trainers at my gym here In Shape City thinks my big legs help avoid this because they can provide more oxygen to muscles). The trick for me is being in the right mentality.

When I started running I was actually running away from things in my life that I did not like. The longer I stayed out on a run, the longer I could avoid having to deal with other aspects of my daily life. That was good - it was my therapy (and helped me get into great shape!). Now, all-in-all, my life has been much better. I don't really have those same things to avoid or try to escape. So, why do I keep running?

Part of the reason might be that I am afraid to stop. Afraid I would never be in such good shape again. Afraid I will get bored. What happens to people who used to run but don't anymore?

Favorite Trails 1: Cambridge, MA

(click to enlarge)

My favorite running spot in Cambridge (and Boston) is the Charles River, hands-down. I live about a mile from the river, and usually pick it up at Western Avenue, River Street, or the Harvard Bridge and extend the loop from 3 miles to 15 miles with an add-on through Harvard Square. I love being able to see the Boston skyline, sailboats, rowers, Harvard stadium, the Museum of Science, and the Hatch Shell all in the same run. I used to miss the W&OD and Custis trails terribly when I first moved up here, but I'm now converted!