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February 28, 2005
Sore ARM??
Only I would have trouble getting through my run today not because my legs were sore after the half marathon, but because my ARMS were. Particularly the left one. I mentioned that they were bothering me after the race, but I didn't expect to feel anything today because I didn't all night. But about two miles into the run, I started having this intense pain in what I believe to be my brachialis muscle (I looked it up on an anatomy chart.) I kept trying to massage it but it is just my normal running carriage that seems to bother it. It was not pleasant, and I was so mad because my legs actually felt pretty good!
I think I know what it's from now. At the gym today, none of my usual exercises affected my sore arms except one--dips. I usually do them on the assisted dip machine but last Thursday I did some real ones. Even though it was several days ago, I think that those dips, combined with my tensing up probably to shield myself from the wind, caused this weird pain. Anyway, I am staying away from the dips until this stops bothering me.
That was all the excitement in my day today. It's supposed to snow tonight and I'm heading to a friend's to watch the finale of The Bachelorette so I hope I don't get stuck there!
Posted by becky at 6:49 PM | Comments (18)
February 27, 2005
Reflections on a sub-par race
As noted, I don't like racing. I get nervous and dread it--but mostly I just don't ever get into the racing mentality and push myself as hard as I know I can. Today's half marathon was no exception. I've actually only run one real half marathon before this--last April's Runner's World Half, with Leilani--so I was hoping to beat that time, which I was also disappointed with. I was about a minute slower today, but there was a very strong headwind nearly the entire way, so I think it about equals out.
Mary and I both wanted to run an average of 7:15 pace (or faster) and had opposite strategies. She went out a little harder than I had wanted to, and I stuck with her for 2 or 3 miles, but slowed slightly after that. She ended up finishing a minute before me, so I guess I should have stuck to her, but I was scared. That's the thing--I am so not used to the feeling of running at that uncomfortable pace for more than an hour that it is daunting to me. The second I start feeling a little tired, I back off for fear that I will "die." But I noticed that in the later miles, I passed a bunch of people and was feeling stronger and more confident. We just signed up for another half in two weeks, and I will do my best to be a little more aggressive and see what happens.
I feel okay now but didn't get much of a cool down in because I was feeling really shaky and needed to eat. That happens a lot when I'm waiting awhile to start a race, as we did today. (Also, my arms were KILLING me when I finished and I have no idea why. I must have been clenched up the whole time.) But the next week should be one of our longest runs, so I will try not to feel too bad about the lack of mileage.
Our friend from track ran the full marathon in Hyannis today to qualify for Boston and looked really relaxed finishing in 3:35. There were maybe 300 people in this marathon, and the wind coming off the icy ocean was bad enough the first time around--I can only imagine the second loop. Her performance was particularly impressive since her longest runs leading up to this were 18 miles.
It's been a long day and I have yet to do any schoolwork. I'm still catching up on this weekend's conference meet results, but I have to congratulate Cornell on yet another Heps sweep! Whoo-hoo!
Posted by becky at 7:48 PM | Comments (4)
February 26, 2005
More watching than running
I did run a bit today, but made sure to keep it short and easy so that if I get inspired to, I can try to actually race the half marathon tomorrow. I usually lift on Sat. mornings too but decided it wasn't going to do me any good to be sore when I already lifted several times this week. (Of course, I felt guilty about it all day.) I ran towards Fresh Pond because I knew Audrey was doing the weekly race there and hoped to cheer her on, but my timing didn't work as well as I thought it was. In fact, the race might have been over when I got there--I couldn't tell. It was a nice morning, though--sunny and warmer than it was yesterday.
This afternoon I went over to Harvard to catch a few of the Heps races. I feel very removed from college track now, but Cornell is very good in the league right now so I don't have any problems being a loyal fan. I watched the mile trials, which were mainly tactical but one had several finishers under 4:55 or so, which used to be considered fast for the Heps! Cornell has great sprinters this year, many of whom I believe are seniors, so I enjoyed watching the 400 trials in which every Cornell athlete entered qualified for the finals--4 out of 6 spots, I believe. Then, I sat through some stuff on the infield that I couldn't really see and waited for the 5,000. As expected, it was a completely Caroline Bierbaum-dominated race. Harvard frosh Lindsey Scherf led through the mile at about 5:10 and then began to fall off pace so Caroline grabbed the lead, and extended it by a ton. It was pretty impressive to watch her lap everyone in the field, but it must have been hard for the rest of the runners! The winning time was 15:54, which according to the Ivy League Web site is a league record. Wow, cool. Speaking of Ivy League record holders, I realized I was sitting behind Kate and Laura O'Neill's dad today when Kate came over to say hello. That was cool, too.
Time for dinner!
Posted by becky at 6:46 PM | Comments (2)
February 25, 2005
Indecision catches up with me
Those of you who know me well realize that I don't make a decision to race lightly. I race infrequently because it makes me so nervous and I always feel crappy about how I do in comparison to the expectations I set for myself. I do want to experiment and do shorter races frequently during some period of my life in the next five years and see if that makes me like it more, but right now I'm in marathon training mode.
But, I also hate doing long runs alone. Mary and some of my other long run buddies had planned to do the Hyannis half marathon more than a month ago, but I was dragging my feet first because we were planning to be away this weekend, then because I just wasn't sure I wanted to spend all day traveling to and from the race. So I put off registering and just when I decided I wanted in, online registration was closed. So I'm gong to try and sign up on race day (it could sell out) and hope for the best. I could always run it unofficially, but I do feel guilty doing that. If only I had signed up earlier.
So I'm bummed about that, but I had a good day otherwise. It snowed last night so the roads were very wet and I managed to step in huge puddles many times. I still felt a little sluggish but better than I had yesterday. I think I might be a little bored of my routes and concentrating too much on how every step feels. I need to mix it up.
I'll be taking it easy tomorrow in anticipation of this "race" (more like a faster-paced long run) and will be able to get myself psyched for "competition" when I go watch Heps at Harvard! I can't wait--tomorrow is mostly trials but I will enjoy it nonetheless! Go Big Red!
Posted by becky at 7:50 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2005
Feeling blah
I got to sleep a lot later than I intended last night--Matt was out and he came home right as I was turning off the light, so we were talking for awhile--and I'm hoping that is why I feel kind of blah today. I had an awful run, the worst in a long time--after about 20 minutes I felt weak, like I had really low blood sugar, plus my knee hurt. I think I didn't eat enough carbs with my dinner last night--I don't know how any athlete could ever do a low-carb diet because if I eat a NORMAL amount of carbs I get weak!
Anyway, I convinced myself that the feeling would pass, and it pretty much did. I made it back home in just under an hour and ate something as soon as I walked in. That helped, but all day I've just been feeling kind of weird. I think it is tiredness. The compulsiveness in me made me lift this afternoon because it was scheduled, and I actually feel a little more awake now.
Tonight Matt and I organized a little "mixer" with girls from my program and boys from his. I don't think there will be too many people there, but it should be a good time. Let's just hope it isn't like an eighth grade dance where the boys and girls stay on separate sides of the room!
Posted by becky at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2005
Already Wednesday
Wow, I feel like this week is going by fast, most likely because Monday was a holiday. Still, I'll take it--I think the normal work week should be four days. Americans spend way too much time working and not enough time doing what they want. That's my mini-diatribe for today.
I stayed up later than I should have reading an article in the New Yorker last night, so I was doing some major snoozing when my alarm went off. When I finally did get out of bed, it was hard to get out the door because my legs were still tired from track. But my run actually wasn't too bad. It was windy again, which was annoying, but I didn't feel as tired as I expected to. I explored a little bit thinking I would be able to make a bigger loop than I usually do and end up in the same place, but it didn't work out exactly how I thought it might. Still, I know my way around the Arlington/Somerville/Cambridge areas enough now to be confident in my sense of direction.
I lifted this afternoon and now I am home experimenting with making a meat loaf. I had some ground beef in the freezer and it sounded like a good idea, so I'm hoping it turns out tasting okay. I'll report back tomorrow in case anyone cares!
Posted by becky at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2005
Reward for staying on pace
I felt pretty loose on my quick run this morning, so I wasn't too nervous about tonight's workout. But as usual, once it was almost time to run I felt tighter and worried about keeping up with everyone. We were doing 2 sets of: a mile at tempo pace, an 800 at interval pace, a 400 at repeat pace and 2x200 at repeat pace. It was basically a ladder, getting faster as we moved down. It didn't sound so bad but the only rest we had was a 200 jog between each one and even between sets.
Our "tempo" miles in these workouts have been getting faster and faster, so I wasn't too surprised when we were way under our projected pace. (M. likes to pretend that she isn't going to just go as fast as feels right to her, and the rest of us pretend that we won't just follow her.) That just made everything else harder, but we consistently hit the times we wanted to (if not faster.) As usual, I got burned on the 200s but felt better on the second set than the first, which was odd. And my knee was pretty sore throughout the workout--nothing too bad, but it hasn't been bothering me at track so I was a little bummed.
Other than track, my day wasn't all that productive. My first class was canceled, but no one got the email in time so we all showed up. I would have liked to have the 3 hours to do my reading that I've been avoiding, but of course I didn't bring any work with me since Tuesdays are usually packed. I took a little nap at the library instead!
Matt just walked in so we're going to catch each other up on our daily events.
[Oh! I forgot to say yesterday what the reward was. It was a short cool-down, which I first felt guilty about, but have long since gotten over.]
Posted by becky at 9:19 PM | Comments (1)
February 21, 2005
Back to snow-pace
As forecast, it did snow today. Not enough to wreak havoc, but enough to make running challenging. But since I had planned to meet M. and W. for a run, it wasn't so bad. Both of them knew I wouldn't cancel a run for some snow (or any other reason) so they were grumbling that they wouldn't have been out there if it wasn't for me. :)
We got really wet, but it wasn't too cold so it actually wasn't all that bad. I was just bothered by the slogging through the snow, which tends to make my IT band sore. And later today I felt it in my hips. But aside from that, we had fun dodging cars and puddles.
I was jealous of M. and W. because they got to go home after the run and relax. I had a lot of work to do and I basically worked all day, except for a lifting break. Actually, at the gym I ran into one of the women who had been running with us on the weekends and she's pretty injured, so that sucks. We've all been there but when it's you, it feels like no one understands.
In reality it is 1am so I am barely functioning (I had to alter the time on the entry so it would show up as Monday's) and I am so ready for bed....
Posted by becky at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2005
Not QUITE as windy
I stayed up late (for me) last night--didn't get to bed until about 1:30. So I considered incorporating a stop at the gym into my run, but I opted for an extra half hour of sleep. We were invited to brunch this morning at a family friend's house, so I didn't have a lot of time to spare!
My legs didn't feel as heavy as after other long runs today, probably because of the lack of hills yesterday, so I was grateful for that. I headed down to the river because I hadn't run there in a couple of weeks, and I didn't think it would be too windy. But I need to remember that it is ALWAYS windy down there (this could come in handy as it gets warmer.) It wasn't too bad, but I felt like I had to concentrate extra-hard to keep my form.
After brunch (which included my parents and sister), Matt and I joined the rest of the family in going to see my grandparents. I was getting really stressed out because it was getting to be late afternoon and I knew how much work I had to do. Not that I don't enjoy the time with my family--I do. (I was also a little stressed about not lifting all weekend, but hopefully I'll get a chance to tomorrow.) We didn't get back to our apartment until after 4, but luckily I was fairly productive when I got home.
Tomorrow it is supposed to snow, but I don't know if I believe it. Since my weekend running friends have the day off, I convinced them to go in the morning with me. I'm excited to have company on a morning run!
Posted by becky at 8:12 PM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2005
Way too windy
Even though the sun was shining really brightly today, there was a fierce wind that made us feel like "we weren't wearing any clothes." (My running partner W. said it best.) It was brutal.
This morning we started at a running store in Melrose, which isn't too far but somewhere I had never been. The aforementioned Mary's triathlon team was meeting for a run from there so we decided to meet there as well. The owner of the running store gave us a route that he said was "about 20" but ended up being a bit short of 19--but that was okay.
We went four miles on this main road and the wind was in our faces the whole time. I wasn't even hot, which means it sure was cold. I had a hard time getting my legs moving, I was feeling really stiff. Then we got to this lake that we were supposed to go around three times. I have a mental problem with loops, so I was dreading it. But it turned out that it wasn't the loops that were bad, it was the WIND. For about a mile or a mile and a half on each of the loops (we changed directions but it didn't help) we were absolutely miserable. Everyone was cursing--it was ugly. At least my aches and pains were numb. AND it was a very flat route. I haven't done a flat long run in practically as many weeks as I've been doing long runs, and my legs appreciated it.
But we got through it, and I felt a little guilty that I was short of 20 again, but the wind made it really hard to want to do any more.
I've got to run--my sister and I are going out to a birthday party of one of my school friends. Should be a good time!
Posted by becky at 8:38 PM | Comments (1)
February 18, 2005
Typical Friday stuff
Today was a pretty low-key day, so not much to report. I was looking forward to just doing a quick, easy run but my ankle was bothering me--this is something totally new so I am blaming it on being sore from pushing off from the wall in the pool yesterday. I actually remember thinking I felt like I twisted it on one lap. It kind of loosened up toward the end of the run but it made me worried about my long run tomorrow. I think we're going to try and do 20 or so, which is never FUN but I hope it is as pain-free as possible! My right hamstring is really tight too and even my IT band again...this week has just been a sore one for me.
My family is coming to Boston tomorrow. First it was just going to be my parents, because they are meeting up with some of my dad's high school friends who also happen to have (adult) kids in the Boston area, but then my sister decided to come too. I'm excited because we have a couple of parties to stop by tomorrow so my school friends will get to meet my sis. Of course they will assume she is my OLDER sister, not younger by 4 years but that's okay! I also have a ton of work to do this weekend, but we do have Monday off.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone!
Posted by becky at 7:45 PM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2005
Slogging along
Today's run was just kind of blah. My legs weren't too sore but I just never got into a good rhythm--that happens (at least to me) sometimes. I found it interesting that I did a route that I assumed would take me about 1:05 or 1:10 and it took 57 minutes--I think I am remembering some of the slower times (i.e. snowier times) I've run this route. I was kind of glad though, as I was in a rush to get to class. :)
I am taking a class this semester at the Harvard Education school and one of the Ed students in my class is a pretty avid runner. She is training for shorter stuff right now but has run some pretty quick marathons. We might work together on the final project for the class to create a curriculum involving running!
Later this afternoon I swam for the first time in ages. It was a little painful on the arms but nice to be back in the pool. I'm going to try and do some laps once a week or so. It's hard to balance everything, but swimming is at least a fairly quick workout and I can replace one of my lifting days with it. I was inspired to swim again now that one of my good friends (although not local, sadly) has recently taken up swimming.
Tomorrow is definitely going to be an easy day as I am running long on Sat. this week and not having a full week means I'll probably be even MORE sore after that one. Such is the marathon training/speedwork cycle...
Posted by becky at 7:57 PM | Comments (2)
February 16, 2005
It's always good when it isn't as bad as you think
Since my legs were aching when I got out of bed in the middle of the night to change my shirt (I not only sweat a lot during the day, but now that it's getting warmer during the night as well), I was dreading my run in the morning. But actually, it wasn't too bad until the end of it. I woke up a little later than I intended to, so maybe the extra rest helped. Who knows?
It was a little windy today, but otherwise very winter-warm. Nothing too exciting occurred on the run (only about an hour)...but I did notice that my sidewalks are finally back now that we've had enough warm and rainy days to wash away the remaining snow. I still prefer the shoulder, but it's safer to have the sidewalks at least available. My knee was behaving and even my toe blister felt better after applying some good old Neosporin last night.
I'm trying to decide if I should join some friends in a half-marathon next weekend. I don't really want to race it--but I know I'll get caught up and run faster than planned anyway. It would probably be a good experience, and a chance to do some longer, faster running, but it's on Cape Cod so it would take a lot of the day. Hmm. The Ivy League track championships are also at Harvard next weekend so I want to at least catch some of that.
I just got back from the gym and I am starving. I also have a lot of work to do so I am going to keep myself away from the TV tonight. Well, I'll just tape the silly shows that I want to watch. Off to set that tape and eat my dinner!
Posted by becky at 6:19 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2005
At least my knee didn't hurt
Well, that track workout went as well as could be expected for a week when I had tired legs. I actually didn't feel that horrible, only that I didn't have that extra "oomph" at the end of each interval that I usually try to at least pretend to have :) Numbers were down again for the club this week, but I ran with W. who, as I feared, had pretty fresh legs but was a good pace target for me. We did 6x800 in around 3:10 and then 4x200 "all out" which turned out to be about 40 seconds for me. Can't seem to get the legs moving faster than that when I'm in marathon training mode. The workout seemed longer than it sounded on paper--I was really glad to be done and now I am waiting for my pasta to cook and I can't wait to eat it!
I have a blister underneath my little toe that was really bothering me tonight, especially during the 200s. It's such a little thing, but it hurts so much! I'll have to see how to doctor it up tonight.
Oh, I mentioned in my title about my knee because it hurt (just ITB stuff) on my little run this morning. Maybe I didn't stretch well enough. OK, off to eat!
Posted by becky at 8:57 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Putting one foot in front of the other
I used to be able to do long runs without much soreness afterwards, but lately--probably because I am still not doing enough hills during the week--Mondays have been brutal! This morning I was also in a rush because I thought the appointment I had was 45 minutes later than the true time, so I think I was subconsciously trying to speed up so I would get finished faster! The end result was a very slow jog.
The car mechanic called this morning to say we could bring the car in, so I took it over there and ran a Fresh Pond loop from there. Besides my aching legs, I was annoyed by all the unleashed dogs. I realized why I haven't run there in a few weeks (well, the snow, too.) By the time I got back to Harvard Square, about 5 minutes from my apartment, I was really hurting, and who should I see walking to the T but Matt? It was weird; he's usually sleeping while I am running so I feel like those two parts of my life don't often overlap. At least it perked me up enough to keep moving until I got home!
I biked this afternoon and that seemed to help a little more. I'm not going to do any leg lifting stuff this week either. Tomorrow's track workout is 800s and 200s at mile pace, so I'm just going to have to do my best to hang on. It doesn't help that my training partners didn't run very long this weekend and will have fresh legs! I'm getting nervous already.
Matt's on his way home and I think we're going to dinner, but I'm not sure since it is a V-day surprise. We used to eat out all the time, but now that we don't, I'm very excited at the prospect of it!
Posted by becky at 6:48 PM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2005
Debunking more Boston myths
It's true, I did run Boston once before, but it's all kind of a blur because I had a weird injury in the week leading up to it and wasn't sure I'd be able to run. But I do know my left knee has never been the same since then--I just figured it was a weird overcompensation thing from the other injury that was bothering me.
But the more I run on the course these days, the harder I think it is on the body. Especially for pounders like me. I thought things become easier when you're more familiar with them, but in this case it seems to be working the opposite way.
Today, I decided to go to the run where I would be bringing up the rear just because I thought it would be neat to run from Hopkinton--at least it's different than what I've been doing. The running club that organized it took us all from the 15 mile mark of the Marathon to the starting line. In no way, shape or form did I recognize it, but I wasn't that surprised because the corrals are a lot further away from the starting line than we were today, so it's almost an afterthought when you do get to the line.
There was one group of women there who I thought I would be okay keeping up with, but after going through 2 miles in 15:00, I decided to slow down a bit. Sometimes that pace is okay for me, but today I just felt it too much in my legs, which are still sore from lifting Thurs. I ended up running with some old men though, so that eased my worries about getting lost 10 miles outside Boston. Plus the club had 3 Gatorade stops between Hopkinton and Wellesley, which was really cool.
So when I settled back into a more comfortable pace, I started remembering one of the reasons I didn't like Boston in 2002. The whole "The first half is downhill" thing is really a myth. Sure, there are some steep-ish downhills, but there are plenty of rolling uphills to balance them out. THAT's what makes the first half of the course hard. One of the men I was running with has run Boston 15 times consecutively, and he pretty much summed it up by saying, "Remember that half-mile stretch in Framingham? That's the flat part of the Marathon." It's true! (Downtown Boston is flat too, but who cares by that point?) So I definitely think it is a course that takes a toll because it is so rolling, but it is never described that way.
I ran a little more than 17 total today, which is probably a bit less than I should have but I hope to do more like 3:00 next weekend (sounds good now, but...the thought of it is scary.) I desperately wanted to take a nap this afternoon, but I kept procrastinating with my work and it never happened. Too bad...
Posted by becky at 9:29 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2005
A very quiet day
Nothing too exciting to report today. I went running pretty early and didn't get enough sleep, so I felt pretty sluggish and kept worrying about tomorrow's long run. Fun times! I did stop at the gym and lift a little bit but I was speeding through it because I wanted to get back so I would make this appointment we had to take our car to be looked at. (Usually Matt handles such stereotypically male activities, but he had a conference at school today.)
It turns out that the squealing noise I've been hearing in the car is the brakes, so we're going to get them fixed hopefully this week. Of course they were too busy to do it today and I need the car to get to the start of the run tomorrow (I know my priorities!)
Other than that, I didn't do a whole lot except school work and take a nap today. We did receive the wedding pictures that we ordered a few weeks ago, so now we can take the next step and actually put them in an album. I'm sure we'll get around to that by summer break!
Posted by becky at 6:44 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2005
Return of winter temps
It was a lot colder out this morning than it has been in about a week--I even dusted off the tights again. It wasn't too bad but it was super-windy and I was not enjoying myself too much. I only ran about 50 minutes but my legs felt really tired because I did some leg stuff in the gym last night. I was glad to be sitting for much of the rest of the day. I did some school work and then went to see my grandparents as is becoming my Friday tradition.
I'm kind of bummed because no one in my usual long run group is up for running this weekend. There is a group run on the first 15 miles of the Boston course on Sunday so I would like to do that, but this is a FAST group and starting out at 8 minute miles will put me out of view of everyone else. Not that I mind so much, but I don't know the way from Hopkinton to Wellesley without help. I would run tomorrow instead just to get it out of the way but we have an appointment to take the car in at 10 and I don't think I'll be ready to run at 6:30 or 7am :) Oh well, I'm sure it'll all work out.
Happy V-day weekend everyone!
Posted by becky at 7:55 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2005
Splashy Thursday
I just knew that it wouldn't end up snowing after everyone made a big deal out of it when it was too early to tell. But we did get a lot of rain today, and it was very puddly already when I ran this morning. Other than getting my feet very wet, the run was not too exciting. My legs felt less tired than they did yesterday, which was a positive, but I didn't get to run as long as I wanted because I had trouble getting out of bed when my alarm went off! It was one of those dark mornings even though it wasn't too early when I got up. But I ran a couple of extra miles on the treadmill later before lifting so all is okay.
Sadly, I found out last night that my friend's husband, who I mentioned yesterday, passed away. It's a big mystery as to why the immune system of a healthy military guy all of a sudden failed, and I'm sure it doesn't make it easier for anyone close to him to deal with. I feel terrible and I've been thinking about how short life really can be all day.
I am about to go eat dinner, but I have to mention that it just thundered. How weird is that when it's cold outside?? It was snowing on my walk home about an hour ago. What is going on with the weather?
Posted by becky at 6:21 PM | Comments (3)
February 9, 2005
So glad to have company
Thanks to the fact that Audrey was there (with even fewer clothes than I had on!), this morning's run wasn't as bad as it could have been. I don't think I rehydrated as well as I could have after track, and I am always soaked after running hard in that hot place. When I woke up, my left arm was completely asleep from lying on it and my right hamstring was super-tight from the workout. So things weren't looking too promising as I ran down to Central Square to meet Audrey and then I took her on a quick tour of North Cambridge and pointed out Fresh Pond. But was really fun to run with her--we've been trying to plan a time to do this for so long now--and it took my mind off the heaviness in my legs.
When I got back I felt like the side of my calf had tightened up. It's been sore all day and I will make sure to do a good foam rolling tonight. Maybe I stepped funny over a puddle or something, or maybe it is just lingering soreness from the 200s last night. I biked at the gym this afternoon and that didn't bother it at all--but every time I got up and walked to a new piece of lifting equipment, I felt it. Grrr. I also just walked home with a big bag of books, so that didn't help things. But my plan for tonight involves a lot of sedentary activities, so that's good.
I just found out that the husband of one of my former DC running partners (who has since left the area herself) is gravely ill with an dangerous form of pneumonia. He's young and in the military, so hopefully he'll pull through, but it is very scary. I feel terrible for their family, and will be keeping them in my thoughts as I wait to hear more news.
Posted by becky at 7:22 PM | Comments (0)
February 8, 2005
Workout without my posse
For various reasons, I was the only one of my usual track group (those of us that pace together) who was able to make it tonight. Luckily, I met someone new (although not new to the group) who I was able to work well with. It turned out also that she ran at Ithaca College, so we probably ran against each other in college at some point! I think she's more of a speedy 5K type, but luckily for me she's just getting back into shape.
This was the first time I'd done a workout like this--a mile at tempo pace right into a fast 400, a mile slightly faster right into a fast 800, and a mile at 10K pace right into a fast 800. I had a lot of trouble switching gears, which I'm sure was due in part to having done a long run only two days ago. It was a tough workout, harder than it sounded on paper. By the time I got to the 200s at the end, my legs were really dead. But the miles did get a little faster each time, and the effort on the fast parts was good, even if the times didn't really reflect that.
In other news, it was really warm again today. It's supposed to snow later in the week, though, so I guess I should enjoy not being the only one in shorts while it lasts. OK, I must go and finish my tasks for the night so I can get to bed at a reasonable hour. I'm meeting faithful blog reader Audrey for our first run together in the morning!
Posted by becky at 8:59 PM | Comments (1)
February 7, 2005
The curse of the bloody nose
A long time ago (like when I was in middle school), I used to get a lot of bloody noses. There wasn't anything wrong with my clotting function, it was just superficial vessels in my nose. So after a few scary nosebleeds that seemed to take forever to stop, I had my nose cauterized (twice--it didn't work the first time) and that basically took care of it. Since then I've had occasional bloody noses but nothing serious.
But on Friday I had my first bad one in a long time, and a few others over the weekend. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it; it starts bleeding when I'm just sitting still. I was a little worried about what would happen on my long run, but it was fine. So I didn't bring cotton with me this morning and 10 minutes into the run, I took off my hat because I was boiling and all of a sudden my nose started pouring out with blood. I used my glove to try and clot it a few times, but I think because my heart was beating fairly fast, it was taking longer than usual. Eventually it stopped (after a few people passing by and asking if I was okay!) but I was paranoid the rest of the run and kept stopping to see if my nose was okay (and to hock up all the blood that had gone down my throat--sorry if you're squeamish.)
So it was not the best of circumstances on my run today, but the positives were that my legs didn't feel as dead as they did after last week's long run, and that it was very warm but I was okay because I was properly dressed. And I didn't have any other bloody noses today, a good sign I guess. I did my usual biking/lifting after school and it was fine as always. I had extra motivation to lift today because a girl in one of my classes turned around to ask me what kind of sport I did because she had been admiring my arms all last semester in another class we had together! I thought it was hilarious (but flattering.)
Posted by becky at 7:43 PM | Comments (0)
February 6, 2005
Superbowl Sunday long run
I was a little surprised that I was the only one of the five of us who met to run today wearing shorts. But I know my body and what works for me, and I ended up just fine. (And the others complained about being overdressed, so there.) My goal today was a hilly run that took 2:15-30 or so, and I ended up with about 2:35 of running so that was perfect.
One of the girls we run with has been injured the past couple of weeks, but she was back today to see how her calf felt. You could tell she hadn't run much in the past few days (she's been ellipticalling and biking like a madwoman though) because she was pushing the pace from the beginning. I was feeling kind of sluggish in the beginning so I hung back a bit with one of the other girls, W. She told me right as we started running that she didn't have a great week because her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer after being cancer-free for 20 years. So I decided right then and there that I was going to stick with her the whole run, even if she wasn't feeling so great (last week she fell behind a bit too and I went ahead, so I wasn't about to do it two weeks in a row.) I got her to talk about her mom a little, which helped (I hope) since she seemed to be in a better mood as the run went on.
The other 3 really got ahead of us after a long, flat stretch and W. kept telling me to go ahead, but I reassured her that this week was just about getting the mileage in. We definitely hit some killer hills, and we were definitely taking it easy pace-wise, but I felt surprisingly good. I feel like my knee is finally adjusting to long runs again--let's hope it continues to behave.
When I got back, I went to pick up some things for our Superbowl gathering (all guys, so I'm not too concerned about the fact that the apartment isn't as clean as I like it to be when I entertain). I have a feeling that I might start falling asleep during the game. Maybe no one will notice and I can sneak in a little nap!
Posted by becky at 5:48 PM | Comments (0)
February 5, 2005
Warm and puddly
It was probably only in the high 30s this morning, but it sure felt much warmer. And I wasn't the only one in shorts, for once! But the melting snow created lots of puddles, most of which I managed to step in. I ran to the gym so I could lift a little and when I got there, I looked at my legs in the mirror and noticed they were covered in mud. They went well with my frizzed-out hair.
So I did a little lifting and then ran back home just as I was running low on energy. I ended up getting a later start to the day than I wanted, mostly because I didn't get out of bed until 9am. It wouldn't be that bad, but now I have to remember that I have a lot of work to do on top of my usual weekend tasks (cleaning, food shopping, etc.) Matt and I spent a good couple of hours cleaning the apartment, and then I tried to read an article for class but I admit I fell asleep--it was not the most stimulating of papers. But one of the dogs on our floor was barking loudly throughout the whole nap--what a waste!
Tonight we went to a birthday party for one of the girls in my program. It was a lot of fun, especially since I haven't gotten a chance to catch up with everyone about their breaks yet. (Audrey, we missed you!) Now I'm headed to bed and hope to be more productive tomorrow--but with my long run and the Superbowl, I don't have high hopes!
Posted by becky at 11:11 PM | Comments (1)
February 4, 2005
Fab Friday
As usual for a Friday, today was an easy day for me in terms of running. I didn't expect it to be as icy as it was, though. The main roads weren't too bad, but the side roads were downright scary. I almost wiped out a couple of times, which was even more dangerous than usual because it was rush hour and the cars didn't seem to notice the ice, either. But thankfully I stayed on my feet the entire time. I felt pretty good, too--my side stitch wasn't bothering me today.
The rest of the day was just going to a couple of classes and then I went to say hi to my grandparents. This weekend should be fairly quiet; I'm supposed to have lunch tomorrow with one of my best friends from college who's in town visiting her boyfriend and my little group is doing our long run on Sunday. Hopefully it won't tire me out too much pre-Superbowl. I don't really care about the game but Matt invited a couple of his MIT friends over so I at least have to be a little social!
I just checked Millrose Games results and I am very impressed with Aislynn Ryan's second mile win in two weeks. I feel badly for Nicole Blood, though--when she runs 4:59 she is criticized for having a bad race. I think she'll come back during her senior season stronger than ever before, though. It's hard to live up to all those expectations when you are elite starting as a seventh grader.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Posted by becky at 8:04 PM | Comments (0)
February 3, 2005
This time I was too cold
You guessed it--I wore my shorts today and still wasn't quite right with the temperature--I was a little chilly. It was still better than being as hot as I was yesterday, though. I knew it was supposed to rain later today so I was glad that I did my run during the sunny part of the day, anyway. I explored a little today and went on a hunch that a road I had never been on connected to another one I did know, and figured out a new loop (well, a variation on an old one.) It was quite exciting.
Hate to write it, but my knee has been feeling pretty good lately. My problem area this week has been my stomach/side. It's been a really long time since I have gotten a side stitch while running but I have one that keeps coming back. Usually it means I strained something going downhill on a longish run, and I don't remember anything like that from Sunday but it's possible. Hopefully it will feel better soon. Other than that bother, my legs felt a lot fresher today and I enjoyed most of my run. (I also ran a couple of miles later on the treadmill before lifting, which I generally avoid, but for some reason felt like it today.)
I forgot to mention that while we were doing our workout at Tufts on Tuesday, high school star Chantelle Dron was also working out. I know she lives in NH but our coach said that her mom is friends with the Tufts athletic director, so maybe that's why she was around. Anyway, it was inspiring to watch someone so fast doing short repeats as we were going around and around the track. I was one of the only people there who knew who she was, but our coach is a track geek too so luckily I could share my excitement with him :)
OK, off to do some work/watch TV!
Posted by becky at 8:08 PM | Comments (0)
February 2, 2005
The balmy 30s
I swear, I am a freak when it comes to temperature. Today, my worst nightmare came true: I was overdressed for my run. Boston.com said it was 22 degrees, so I put on pants, a light 3/4-sleeve shirt and a light vest. It felt cold at first, but after about a mile of being in direct sunlight, I was BOILING. Either the Web site lied or the sun was that strong.
I thought about rolling up my pants or something, but it would just get too annoying. By the time I had gone about 30 minutes, I was positively soaked with sweat (for those of you who know me: even more than usual) and I was losing energy fast. I stayed in the shade and made it another 25 minutes, but boy was it uncomfortable. Also, my hands stayed freezing the whole time, even with my gloves. I did overhear a guy walking on the street talking on his cell phone and saying it was warmer than he expected--so maybe it wasn't just me.
And then when I walked to the bus stop about 2 hours later, I had on a tank top and a fleece. Terrible sweating ensued and I ended up waiting for the bus wearing just my tank top and feeling perfectly comfortable (except for the looks I got from people in their hats and scarves.) What's wrong with me? (I'm happy to report that I wore my fleece and gloves all the way back from the bus stop tonight.)
I also biked a bit and lifted today, and the gym was again ridiculously crowded and they had run out of towels. Lovely, and so hygienic. I made sure to eat a bigger lunch today than on Monday and lifting was much more pleasant. It's amazing how that works :)
I have been letting my schoolwork build up, so I better go crack open the books!
Posted by becky at 7:36 PM | Comments (5)
February 1, 2005
A long one
I think tonight was a PR for number of laps run consecutively around a 200-meter indoor track: 52, counting my warm-up and cool down. It certainly was dizzying, I'll say that. Our "workout" was weird: we were supposed to run a mile at marathon pace, a mile at tempo pace, a mile at marathon pace, a mile at tempo pace and then a mile at 10K pace. (The faster guys did a total of 7 to make it more challenging for them, but 5 around that track was quite enough for me.)
As expected, we started out conservatively and got a little faster on each "fast" repeat and really pushed the last mile. But the entire effort felt more like a tempo run. I was happy with it, though, considering my legs are still on the dead side from Sunday's long run. I did my usual pre-workout loop in the morning and felt okay at first but my knee started hurting soon after. Hopefully tomorrow's run won't be a repeat!
Posted by becky at 9:24 PM | Comments (3)