Brooks Trance 8

I took the new shoes out for two runs. After the first run, I was disheartened and wanted to relegate them as treadmill shoes. They seemed flimsy on the first run, and I desperately wished that I had purchased a pair of Kayanos instead.

I took them out one more time yesterday, thinking that I would stop by Jack Rabbit after work during the week if my first assessment held true.

The second run was a bit surprising. I didn't notice the road as much as my first run, and my arches weren't as fatigued. I did wear a different pair of socks (a pair made by Under Armour), which probably changed the feel entirely.

So, I am happy to report that these shoes, with the right pair of socks, do pass go. I just hope they last.

In any event, I think I'll have to pick up a pair of Kayanos anyway. I'll use them as an alternate since I've been wearing my Asics Gel GT-2120 Trail as my default walking shoes around NYC.

Now ... I just need to commit to my next race.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Fall Distance Running Gear:
Under Armour Cold Gear mock turtle neck and running tights
Columbia Breast Cancer Awareness fleece vest
CamelBak with 50 ounces of Gaspari's SizeOn sports drink
Asics Gel GT-2120 Trail

The Delaware and Raritan Canal stretches along Central Jersey all the way down to the New Hope area of Pennsylvania. Along side the canal is a tow path, and that is usually where I find my distance runs.

I have a love-hate relationship with this tow path. The gravel and rock hurts the feet, and I have suffered from numerous ankle twists and sprains due to the highly irregular surface. When I see a big pile of leaves, I will come to a complete stop and walk because underneath the colorful and seemingly even surface can be a jutting tree root, a large rock, or a big hole looking to shell out some unmerciful pain after an inevitable fall. Oh, and did I mention the mud puddles? Those puddles can cover such a wide expanse of the path that there is no possible way to continue forward without stomping into that thick organic brown liquid, soaking your socks through, and being rewarded with some lovely blisters for your pursuit of more miles.

And then you have to endure every last one of those obstacles again on the return trip.

The tow path itself is beautiful, especially this time of year. Right before the red and yellow leaves started to fall, there was an amazing spread of wild purple flowers all over the landscape. The view is calming, but the run can be maddening especially if it had rained. If the path was dry, then the problems are not quite so numerous.

On Sunday, I decided to buy a new pair of running shoes. I think my form suffers as I fatigue, so I have been eyeing the Asics Kinsei’s (to the left) for its motion control feature. In all honesty, I’ve been coveting them because it’s just a hot looking shoe, but my rationalization is that the motion control will prove beneficial for this weekend’s marathon in Philly.

Am I ready? No, I probably won’t finish with a Boston qualifying time as I had originally hoped in the beginning of this year. Will I finish? Hell yes, and I’ll be happy with anything near 5 hours.

So while I was at my favorite running store, I asked the cute sales boy who is about all of 15 years of age regarding their selection of trail shoes. I ended up sticking with a stability shoe from Asics that is made for trail running, the Asics Gel GT-2120 Trail (below and to the left), and took them out that afternoon for a ride. What an amazing difference.

The first couple of miles were on the road en route to the path, and my toes fell asleep. I had a moment’s hesitation and thought that maybe these girls were going to be returned. When I hit the path, everything changed. I felt completely in control, and I can tell that my ankles were secured in place. Midway through my run, I realized that trail running is an entirely different sort of running. I felt the smaller muscle groups (ankles, calves, hip flexors, even a bit in the adductors) working harder than they ever had before. By the time I was finished with the 15 mile run (I know … not a good idea for a taper week, but I couldn’t resist), I felt sore in places that I didn’t think could be touched by running. I welcomed the discomfort, and found the soreness refreshing.

I do believe that this marks the beginning of a whole new running experience, and I do look forward to chronicling every single one of them.

Week #2

I think I pretty much missed Week #1, but Week #2 was 85% there.

Monday 10/01 - Power Session

Tuesday 10/02- 6 miles at 5.8 MPH

Wednesday 10/03 - Power Session

Thursday 10/04 - Late night at the office, brought home a pizza and watched Grey's Anatomy.

Friday 10/05 - Should have gone to the gym to make up the missed 5 mile tempo, but ended up vegetating at home.

Saturday 10/06 - Power Session

Sunday 10/07 - 12 miles between 5.8 and 6.5 MPH pace (got a little cocky after the 10th mile)

I was geared up for a run outside when a few drops of rain and some scary clouds sent me packing for the gym. Do you have any idea what it's like to spend over two hours on a treadmill? Because I did take my run indoors and spent that amount of time on a treadmill, the clouds decided to move on to other places. I know if I had continued on my run out on the trail, the sky would have immediately split open with rain the very second I reached the farthest point from home.

So, for all of you people out there that enjoyed the afternoon outside in the Jersey sunshine on Sunday, you're quite welcome.

Tonight, we got some more Power in store.

Here I Go

This is the itinerary up through the Philadelphia Marathon, compliments of Runner's World. I will definitely maintain the milage, but I may tinker with the pace a little.

I wasn't entirely back at the gym and doing my full load of work, but I do believe I'm ready for a full return this week.

I did go for an 8 miler on Sunday, and went to a Power session last night. I'm definitely looking forward to the Easy Run tonight.

Almost Back Entirely

Tuesday Night

6 miles on treadmill at a leisurely 10 minutes per mile pace - heart rate did not exceed 80% max

Half an hour on a machine that's like part elliptical, part stair climber - hear rate did not exceed 75% max

Wednesday Night

Power Session

6 miles on treadmill at the same 10 minutes per mile pace - wasn't wearing heart rate monitor

Thursday & Friday Nights

In Little Italy for the Feast of San Gerrano

Saturday

Deep tissue massage and a facial

This sort of treatment will definitely be part of a regularly schedule program. I think the massage is what made me return to being human. Well, the massive quantities of the uber doughy zeppola helped a bit as well.

Sunday

What an absolutely gorgeous pre-fall day. I was worried about the type of distance I would cover, but I simply couldn't not head out there for some sort of run. I was pleasantly surprised a bit after an hour and having completed my typical seven mile loop, I was able to resist heading home and continue on to finish ten miles in 1:40.

As for today ... there will be a Power Session and some time on a treadmill.

I hope I'm back for good. I didn't like not having any go in me. Thanks Gotta Run for your advice in my previous entry. I think you were right about the recovery and my need to clear the head.

15 Miles and Some Cross Training

On Sunday, I decided to head to the gym for my distance run instead of taking it outdoors on account of fear of the eminent thunderstorms. On my way there, I saw three cyclists making an evenly paced break away in the opposite direction of where I was traveling. It was odd to see them riding in such a way, they weren't riding in a draft/pull configuration but more of an each man for himself sort of mentality. I soon understood why - they were riding to save their lives.

The sky had ripped open, and visibility was none existent about half a mile down the road. It was scary, but I was pleased with my treadmill decision because being caught in that storm would not have turned out well.

I intended to run a total of 20 miles, even though I was slated for 15. I felt strong enough to cover about 30 at my relatively slow pace. I started off at a mild 5.8 MPH, where my heart rate stayed between 75 and 78% of my max for the first ten miles. When I crossed over to the 11th mile, I turned it up to 6.0 MPH, and my heart rate held steady at 80%. Unfortunately, I had to get off the treadmill by mile 14 because I had ran out of water. The water fountain was off in another corner of the gym where the temperature was a lot cooler, and I felt my legs starting to tighten up.

By the time I climbed back on the treadmill, my leg muscles felt locked and I had lost my go. I tried to get it all started again, but after a mile struggling with the 6.0 MPH pace with a heart rate up at 85%, I knew the day was over.

In total, I covered 15 miles in about 2:45 ... and the best part? It felt good.

Last night, I struggled my way through Power and a cycling class. I was considering going home for a rest as I was on my way to the gym. Once I showed up, I was hardly energized to even consider putting two hours of work, but somehow ... I made it through.

Tonight is a Tempo Run. I hope I can find my go tonight.

So It Wasn't the Cheese

Tried for 16 last night, got all of 10.3 miles in.

I knew it from the very beginning because I wasn't using my quads as much as I was using my calves. Needless to say, the pace was UBER slow, something like 11:30 minutes per mile.

The gravel trail I do my long distance runs is insufferable. It takes every last grain of joy out of running. Before I even hit the 8 mile turn around, I was thinking maybe I should just do my typical 10 - 12 mile paved loop everyday instead of doing this marathon training stuff. I would have more fun, and I really don't need to do marathons. It's just ... cool to run through cities ... the closed down 26.2 miles worth of road for the sake of pedestrian traffic.

Okay, so I need to do marathons. That's one of the best ways to tour a city. I just have to figure out some other place to go to cover the heavy mileage days.

Was it the Cheese?

Yesterday, I went out for a run without really knowing what to expect. It was later in the day, and I had about two hours of daylight remaining. I was suppose to cover a 16 mile run, but I knew that that couldn't possibly happen last night. So I was thinking either a fast and mildly shorter run, but I wasn't feeling up for that either AND I wanted to spend as much time running in that beautiful day as I possibly could. So I just ventured out with my Garmin, hoping for the best.

Knowing that I've been eating pretty much randomly since Thursday, I wasn't expecting much. The only thing that had been consistent was the cheese ... it started off with some Apple Smoked Gouda and it ended with Sharp White Cheddar.

So I headed out, feeling as though I was trucking along. My body felt heavy and lethargic, but I felt confident that I can continue on for at least 10 miles. I was focused on my form - although my upper body was a little wriggly, I felt my foot plants had improved. After the first three miles, I finally looked at my Garmin. I was expecting to see an average pace that was slightly higher than 10 minutes per mile, but I was completely shocked by what I saw.

9:17 Minutes Per Mile.

Keep in mind, the first portion 6 miles of this course is mainly downhill, but still ... I have NEVER covered any distance greater than 7 miles at a pace like this.

I guess the speed work and tempo runs are finally paying off. Either that, or it was the cheese.


In total, I covered 10.5 miles in a bit over 98 minutes. The return trip uphill killed my average pace down to an overall average of 9:27 minutes per mile ... which is still pretty fast. I didn't even feel as though I had left a chunk of my midsection out on the course this time.

And now, in about half an hour ... I'm going to try to cover 16 miles. I'm hoping for some divine intervention right about now.

Farewell 2006

The last morning of 2006, Goddess made her debut as a Club Strength Instructor. She was "just subbing," but the whole class ... present company included ... simply loved her despite the fact that she took our behinds and handed it back to us, thoroughly whipped and beaten. Numerous parts of me were involuntarily shaking as we progressed through her profile, and a few tears did shed from my sweat encircled eyes.

We all made plans on attending tomorrow morning's super spin class, and Goddess will be instructing, so I really wasn't going to do any type of exercises until then.

H and I went out for lunch to Old Man Rafferty's (no table cloth, but it wasn't a bar and there were utensils ... so I'm okay with that), and my waistline that's already well stocked with some extras had only expanded more. With the sun shining coupled with the mildly cool weather, and my pudge jiggling about, happy in providing a muffin top to my silhouette, I decided that it would be poetic to go on the run that started my affair with running this year.

Around 2:45, I headed out to Johnson Park to tackle the very first 8 mile outdoor run I completed this year. I remember the day well. I just met a friendly stone contractor by the name of John, and we decided to go long that day. I remember my heart rate being up at 85% after the third mile, and I was already deliriously tired. I tend to be a quiet runner, but he really wanted to chat with me. Most people do chat while they run, so not wanting to seem rude or abnormal, I chatted. It only made the run harder than it already was. In addition, our starting origin is also our finish destination, and it is at a higher elevation than the bulk of the course. So we had to finish this sucker uphill, chatting the whole way. Needless to day, we were one of the last ones in, and we got lost on the way back since we were both new comers and weren't too familiar with the course. I hadn't really seen him since, and I've stopped running with that group since the days became shorter and they run during the early evening hours.

As I plodded through this course, I remembered that day, and other running moments during the year. It feels like I'm starting the process all over again, but this time a bit stronger and wiser ... like I've taken 26.2 steps blindly forward, and 16.2 steps consciously back. I'm a bit out of shape, but I don't really mind because I'm still 10 steps ahead of where I was a year ago.

As I've said before, 2006 was very kind to me, and 2007 will be a challenge. With my friends and support network, I feel confident that each goal will be met, and I know I will go to Boston in 2008. So I sealed off the year with a serious strength work out, and paid homage to the path that has brought me to where I am now. There will be chocolate fondue and champagne to celebrate all that was 2006, and to embrace all that we hope for in 2007. Tomorrow ... we will buckle down and get the game plan started for Destination Boston.

So Happy New Year Everybody!

Live well, be well, love generously and above all else, be happy and just keep going.

A Monday That's Actually Wednesday

Because of the short week, I'm not feeling too guilty about my brain-dead-ness. My Sunday long run was just a mess, and it felt like I stumbled my way through the whole 3 hour exercise - started 2:04-ish and ended at 5-ish. The only good this is that I kept my heart rate between 65 and 75% during the entire affair.

I think the reason as to why it was a bad run is because I didn't eat well. Saturday night dinner comprised of Aunt Annie's organic macaroni and cheese, when it should have been a large plate of whole wheat spaghetti with meatballs. Sunday breakfast was PJ's omlette from PJ's Pancake House - yum ... which is a place that I have been going to ... probably even before I was born. It's a 5 minute walk from my parent's former restaurant named North China Restaurant now turned Karen's Corner, or something like that. In any case, I digress. I had the omlette at 9 AM, and didn't have anything else prior to my 2 PM run. As I started, I knew the food thing was going to be a problem, but I casually shoved it aside.

In addition to the food issues, it was and has been very cloudy, so Patrick (my Garmin Forerunner) was having problems picking up the GPS signal. It kicked in between 2 and 3 miles after I started, and it lost the signal 7 miles after it had picked up. Then it got dark and cold, really quickly. At 3:30ish I wasn't feeling too good by the way things were panning out, so I turned around hoping that I would get my goal distance (between 18 and 20 miles) in by running home. I was about 9 miles away from where I started.

Then it got REALLY dark and REALLY cold, and I started to feel the lactic acid circulating from my mid back all the way down to the back of my heals. I started to get scared, so I think I may have done a couple of intervals back to my start on the tow path ... which was four miles away.

I finally get there, and I decided to call it quits. Running home was really not an option, so I walked over to Au Bon Pain, and asked the cashier if I could use their phone.

Unfortunately, I was so cold that I did not have full control of my tongue and speaking clearly was a bit of a challenge. I think it was apparent that I was in a bit of trouble, so the manager lent me his cell phone, I called H (now turned Knight in my shiny Corolla), rescued me with an order of a banana and a Pumpkin Harvest Soup in a bread bowl, and drove us home.

First he reprimanded for sending him into a panic, then he admired me for my "toughness" (which I'm so not, it's really more of stubborness and being fixated on my training schedule), and he ended the evening by whining and threatened to tell on me ... to my Spin Girls.

Ugh, the only good part about the whole thing was the soup in a bread bowl. I know I cleared at least 16 miles if not 17, but I'm not sure if I got up to 18 ... though it wouldn't surprise if I did. Whatever, given the conditions, I think I will definitely be able to finish the marathon ... maybe with a slow recovery job / bouncy walk here and there.

Let's Get Started

Now I'm ready to roll. The two previous posts are for races I've already finished, and everything should fall into sequence from this point forward.

Tonight's Plans
Easy run for seven miles (probably at a 10 minute per mile pace).
Afterwards - it's all about Meredith and McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy.

******

Easily cleared the 7 miles at 10 minutes per mile pace ... but I was on a treadmill, so it was a bit easy to begin with.

I'm going for another 15 miles this weekend. I'm hoping it will feel better than last week's 15 miler ... the wind on Sunday made me seriously question whether or not I really wanted to be a runner. For a second I thought I was either some type of bizarre masochist, or that I only like being able to say that I enjoy running when I really didn't.

Then I remembered Philly, and the joys of running on cool summer evenings ... and I suffered on with the most painful facial exfoliations EVER - wind, leaves, and dust/dirt from the tow path ... I was convinced that my nose would fall off.

So the exchange between George and Meredith (aka slut-intern) in the elevator was simply brillant. George rattling off with the slew of Mc-s ala Christina and Meredith's overuse of "seriously" ala Izzy was just such an easy yet quietly hysterical comedic piece. Cheers! to the brainstorm session on that scene.