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May 31, 2005
First full day in Brooklyn
So the workout tonight was not so scary. Getting there was sort of confusing, however. Matt was awesome and volunteered to come with me to the track and wait until I was finished. Now I understand how to get there but it involves a subway ride and a long walk through a somewhat sketchy neighborhood. I did meet one girl who lives in Brooklyn though, so walking with someone else wouldn't be too bad.
Anyway, to go in chronological order, my first run of the day today took me over the Brooklyn Bridge and back. I've run over the bridge before but it's always somewhat thrilling. I didn't realize that so many people walked/biked/rollerbladed over the bridge at 8am, though. It was quite crowded. I felt decent during my short run but definitely nervous about the workout later.
Matt and I spent the rest of the day getting this place organized, buying groceries, etc. We felt like real New Yorkers carrying our groceries in canvas tote bags instead of loading them in the car like we've done for the past 6 years. (Our car is in Westchester for the summer.) I ate lunch outside on our awesome balcony that looks out onto the river and Statue of Liberty--it's great. Too bad I have to start work soon.
And then we left in the early evening for our expedition to the Lower East Side and the track workout. Once we got there, I introduced myself to the coach who seemed pretty nice and even found someone I recognized from DC a few years ago (she didn't remember me but I am good like that.) We did some 1200s, 600s and 300s getting progressively faster. I ended up (co-)leading a group of us through everything but the 300s. I hate the short stuff. We were pretty consistent and I was just glad to have people to pace with, but I did miss my SRR peeps. (But they were doing 200s tonight and that is like torture for me.) I felt pretty good, especially knee-wise, but the track is kind of crappy. I'm spoiled by the one we use in Somerville and this one has a few major bumps that almost sent me flying a couple of times.
This club has a Thursday road workout, too, but I don't think I'm going to try and go regularly because it will take me a very long time to get up to Central Park and I'd rather run on my own, potentially attempting the workout on my own. We'll see. I also might start doing longer runs on Thursdays as suggested in Pete Pfitzinger's book. (More on that at some other time.)
I'm really tired from all my walking and running. Time for bed!
Posted by becky at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2005
Learning the Leatherstocking Trail
Well, we're not exactly settled yet, but at least we're unpacked, for the most part. We spent the day in Westchester again and hitched a ride to Brooklyn with Matt's mom and her boyfriend who are staying in "our" apartment tonight because they have early morning meetings tomorrow. It's a little cramped but they will probably be gone before we wake up!
This morning I did I little exploring on a small trail, the Leatherstocking Trail, in the area near Matt's mom's house. Matt's dad used to take him walking on it when he was little so he showed me where an entrance was last night. It actually goes further than I thought, but I ended up just doing a little of it--out and back--as part of my run because I didn't want to get lost. The trail is a little rocky at points (I twisted my ankle a little at one point) and in other places the dirt is covered over by wooden bridges/plank-type things. I was paranoid that I would catch my toe in between the planks, but luckily I didn't. It was nice to run somewhere new, anyway. I sort of hate running from Matt's mom's house because you are forced to run a mile at the beginning and the end because she lives at the end of a "no outlet" road. But today I thought of the first mile as my warm up and the last as my cool down and that helped, a little.
We got to hang out by the pool again for the rest of the day until it was time to leave for Brooklyn. I read and then did a little ellipticalling and some lifting in the gym that Matt's mom's boyfriend has in their house (nice!) Once we got to Brooklyn we unpacked and then did a little walking tour of an area I'd never been to. It was a beautiful night out so it was really nice.
Tomorrow I'm planning to attend a new club's track workout. This is a highly competitive club but their track workouts are fairly close to Brooklyn so I figured I'd give it a try. I hope some older men show up so I am not the absolute slowest person there...Oy. I'm nervous already!
Posted by becky at 10:25 PM | Comments (2)
May 29, 2005
Feeling a bit better
I'm glad to report that although I'm still stuffed up, I'm feeling much less "sick" today. I decided to skip the long run this weekend and start building back up next week--I suppose it won't kill me! But I did go to Rockefeller to run so it was a challenging one. I'm sure I've written about Rockefeller before, but I'm too lazy right now to look at past blog entries, so I'll repeat myself. In high school, I hated going to Rockefeller (or "Rockies" as the local elites--including Khalid Kannouchi--call it) because it was so hilly and that is where many of our dual meets were held. Now, I wish I could train there every day! I don't know how many miles of trails are in the park and its various connecting old railroad beds, but I've done 18 milers in there without too much looping back. Today I parked in a new place because I was coming from Matt's mom's house (about a 40 minute drive but well worth it) so I made up a new loop that was probably about 8 miles and included a lot of significant up and downhills, so it felt longer. I still didn't feel quite back to my old self while I was running, but the beautiful scenery and nice weather helped. Both my knees were somewhat achy, but nothing too bad and the soft surface helped. I literally ran into a friend from high school who ran at Columbia and who was coaching at one of the local colleges but I'm not sure where he is now. We haven't seen each other in years but he didn't seem at all surprised to see me there. It was kind of funny.
The run and the long drive to and from Rockefeller took a long time. By the time I got back, Matt and I had to get ready for a little pool party/barbeque we were having at his mom's house. We had invited another couple over and we had no meat to put on the grill! But we managed to get everything ready in time and had a nice day relaxing by the pool with our hamburgers and veggie burgers. I only swam a little because Matt got in and started tormenting me (he is like a little kid when he gets in the pool and I always end up screaming.)
Tonight we met my parents, sister and (NY) grandma for dinner to celebrate my sister's birthday. We had a nice time and my sister loved this funny t-shirt we found for her at Urban Outfitters last month. All-in-all, a fun family day.
**Oh yeah, shout-out to my college friend Tracy who ran great at the Vermont City Marathon today!**
Posted by becky at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
May 28, 2005
Still stuffy
I started my antibiotics last night and had a better night of sleep (despite the fact that Matt and I were sharing the single bed in my childhood room!). Still, I didn't think it was a great idea to drive to Rockefeller (awesome park/trail system in my county) and attempt a long run. I'm glad I didn't. I felt pretty horrible during most of my run, and I could tell I was going slower than normal because I ran a course I have clocked before and I know where the mile markers are (this was for tempo runs done during college breaks.) At one point I had a coughing fit and wished I could transport myself back to my house somehow. I ended up walking up (some of) a big hill toward the end of the run because I just felt so bad.
I was convinced I had a fever--but when I took my temperature when I got back, it was 96.1. That made me paranoid that my running issues of late are all in my head, because the only time sickness ever affects me this much is when I do have a fever. When I change my routine (on vacation, moving to a new place, etc.) I get so stressed out that my running often suffers. So if my cold symptoms continue to get better over the next week and my running doesn't, I'll know how to approach the problem.
I did a little shopping with my mom later in the day (she has been wanting to buy me some "petite" bras--how embarrassing!) and then Matt and I headed back to his mom's house. I was feeling better and I had time, so I went to the gym posing as my sister and biked/lifted a little. I felt pretty good, so maybe the antibiotics really will work.
Tonight we went to a famous local pizza joint and planned to walk around near the water in Matt's town, but it started pouring so we rented a movie instead. It's nice just to be able to relax and not think about school anymore--and I got my grades and it looks like my hard work over the last eight weeks paid off!
Posted by becky at 8:35 PM | Comments (1)
May 27, 2005
Not at the top of my game
I'm getting antibiotics. Our family friend was nice enough to call in a prescription for me after hearing that I probably caught Matt's ear infection. (He of course gave me strict instructions to go to the doctor if I don't feel better after a few days of the antibiotics.) I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night and felt AWFUL running this morning. I had a hard time breathing and I was really dragging, especially on the hills. I had hoped to do a longish run tomorrow but maybe it will have to wait until I'm feeling better...
Despite not feeling well, I wanted to keep my dentist appointment because I hadn't been to the dentist since last July in DC. Matt and I both had appointments with a dentist he's gone to for years. He was very nice and had a great personality, but he had some bad news for me. The most minor thing is that I have a huge cavity and it is my fault because I do eat too much gummy candy and don't floss. However, I also have some sort of gum problem--the dentist thinks I grit my teeth when I "jog." I wouldn't doubt it, because I do tend to fix my jaw when I am am working out and often have headaches after long runs. Anyway, this has caused the roots around my bottom teeth to become exposed and I need a gum graft ASAP. But before I do that, I need one of my wisdom teeth removed because it is decayed almost down to the nerve. LOVELY!! Just what I wanted to hear when I have no dental insurance.
After the dentist, we went to visit Matt's grandparents in their apartment in Bronxville. They are so awesome! We had fun hanging out with them but I had a headache and wanted to lie down the whole time. Eventually we returned to my house and I did just that. I had pipe dreams of somehow fitting in a lifting session today but even I have to admit sometimes that I need to rest. (As much as I hate to.)
OK, I'm about to take a trip to CVS to get the antibiotics. Hope they help! Happy weekend, everyone!
Posted by becky at 7:35 PM | Comments (3)
May 26, 2005
Up and down the East River Drive
I certainly saw a lot of runners during our car trip today--it was educational for me because I realized that there is a well-marked bike path that parallels the FDR drive on the east side of Manhattan. Having never lived in NY, the only place I've ever run in the city is over the Brooklyn Bridge and in Central Park (and Matt reminds me that I've also explored Staten Island with a college friend who grew up there.) But anyway, seeing the bike path helped pass the time we spent sitting in traffic today!
Before we left I ran for about an hour, which was a lot longer than I thought I would make it. I woke up with a much more develeoped cold--sore throat, cough, etc.--so I didn't expect to feel very well while running. Oddly, I felt pretty good for about 35 minutes. Then I didn't. But I had to get back home, so what could I do? I ended up sleeping in the car later, but my throat is still pretty sore.
It was a miracle that we got all our stuff in the car this morning--it took quite awhile. But lifting all the stuff can count as weight training (almost.) We drove to Brooklyn and dropped our stuff in the apartment while my sister watched our car (I bribed her with an US Weekly)and then headed back up to Westchester for dinner with Matt's mom. We'll spend the weekend here and at my parents' house being doted on and then go back to Brooklyn on Monday to really set things up.
We have to share a computer here, and it's Matt's turn, so that's it for me!
Posted by becky at 10:13 PM | Comments (4)
May 25, 2005
More cold and more rain
Obviously, I'm not one to complain about unseasonably cold weather--it's the other way around that I hate. But this rainy, cold, windy weather that we're having sucks! I had to wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt this morning, and I still was cold. I did not have a good run, either. I was tired from the track even though the workout wasn't that long or hard, and I could feel myself slowing down after a few miles (I think I ran maybe 8 total). The wind and rain didn't help motivate me to go faster! My IT band was also very tight--it was a lot better last week and seems to have tightened up on me despite my consistent use of the foam roller. Maybe it's the chilly weather. Whatever it was, it wasn't fun.
Matt was coughing a lot last night and complaining that his ear hurt, so I forced him to go to the doctor today. Sure enough, he has an ear infection--great. He should feel better tomorrow after being on the antibiotic for 24 hours, but I just hope I don't get it as well. My throat still feels a little raspy, but nothing too bad.
We packed all day today except for a break for lunch with a friend of mine from school and her boyfriend who will be going to MIT Sloan next year. (And I took another break to go to the gym and do my usual lifting and biking routine.) I was sad to leave the gym--I know that I'll have to pay a lot for a gym in NYC this summer and my swimming will have to be relegated to the weekends at my parents' pool club.
Well, I must get back to getting ready to leave tomorrow!
Posted by becky at 7:33 PM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2005
Soggy sendoff
When I woke up this morning, I couldn't believe it was still raining--I heard it raining all night! I intended on waking up early to get a good start on the day, but I had an alarm malfunction. So I got a late start--again. I went for my usual quick (~2.5 mile) pre-workout run and got very wet, making me worried about how it would be tonight at the track. It did stop raining later in the day, but by the time I left to go meet Mary to run up to the track, it had picked up again.
We were already cursing when we got to Tufts, which is never a good sign. There was a small crowd at the workout because of the weather, but our other partner-in-crime, Wynne, was there too. Between the three of us, there was a lot of cursing going on. It was wet and cold, but the worst part was the wind on the back straightaway--I felt like I could barely move against it. Luckily the prescribed workout was short, 3 x mile at 5K pace, but it dragged because of the awful conditions. Still, we were consistent on the first two and faster on the third, which I was very happy about. My knee is a little sore now, but it felt okay when we were running. We'll see how it feels tomorrow.
Mary, Wynne and I ran most of the way home together and I was very sad to say goodbye to them. I'll miss the Somerville workouts and especially their company! But we should be seeing each other at some point in NYC during the summer. And I know that the time will go quickly as it always does.
The non-running parts of my day were spent cleaning and packing. Now it's a lot cleaner in here and I at least know where things are. Tomorrow I'll start putting everything in bags. This is all very tiring!
Posted by becky at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2005
Monday's to-do list
I really think I'm getting Matt's cold, although I don't have any of his symptoms yet. I felt crappy when I was running this morning-- my nose was running, I had headache and was actually a little cold (!) It could have been allergies and the weather, though, because I've felt okay the rest of the day. I would like to be able to do one final track workout tomorrow with my club before heading off to NY, though, so I'm hoping that I don't feel worse tomorrow. We'll see.
I haven't started packing yet, but I did do a lot of cleaning today with my new and improved vaccuum. I watched the tape of Sunday's adidas Track Classic while I was folding laundry and was very impressed by Shayne Culpepper's torrid kick to win the 1,500. I would much rather watch these meets with no commentary. It seems like the ESPN commentators only know Tiffany McWilliams--she is a great runner, but Treniere Clement has beaten her many times this season and they never pronounce her name the same way twice! And they spent an awful lot of time on the shot put (I fast-forwarded.)
I went to the gym to bike a little and lift in the late afternoon. It was pretty quiet as most of the MIT undergrads have gone home for the summer! After that, Matt and I met a friend of his from school and his wife for dinner at an Indian place on our street that we've been meaning to try since last summer. I am not a huge Indian fan (too much cilantro and coriander) but it was really good! Now I'm going to try and finish my ironing while watching mindless MTV shows!
Posted by becky at 9:45 PM | Comments (1)
May 22, 2005
Busier day than expected
Wow, I just made it home with 20 seconds to spare before this blog entry would count for tomorrow! We just got back from seeing Crash, which we both thought was very well done, but a little contrived. But I highly recommend it--(almost) well worth the ridiculous $9.25 Loews charges for movies in Harvard Square.
Before the movies, we had dinner at my grandparents' for one last time before we leave for NY. It was a little sad, but we all know the summer will pass quickly and we'll be back to see them in just a few months. One of the best parts about going over there tonight was that my grandfather fixed our vaccuum! I was mystified by a strange noise it was making and its lackluster performance lately and it turned out to be a broken belt. My grandparents happened to have a spare Hoover belt (don't ask) and now it should be better than ever for my big cleaning brigade before we leave. Very exciting, if only for me.
Earlier in the day Matt and I went in search of a photo album to finally put our wedding pictures in. We spent about two hours in various stores and came away with...some good ideas. I'm sure we'll be able to find something we both like once we get to New York, but once we both start working it will be harder and harder to actually get it put together.
Before that, I finished up my paper for real and emailed it to my TA, so as long as I passed everything, I'm officially done with the semester. Finally!
I was really glad to have Audrey for company in the pool this morning, because the time was dragging. I ended up swimming for more than an hour, which is pretty long for me. I am glad I took a cross-training day because it's been awhile since I did. (And thanks to Audrey for the props on taking it!) Anyway, I'm glad Audrey thinks I'm hard core because I was feeling bad the rest of the day for not having time to squeeze in a lifting session this afternoon. I'm over it by now though.
Matt is just getting over a cold and I think it might be my turn to get sick. My throat and head feel a little weird. I think I should hit the sack (after checking on some results, of course!)
Posted by becky at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2005
Almost there
I can't say it's my best work--in fact it is probably towards the bottom of the papers I've written since being back in school--but I'm just about finished with my (final) final paper. I worked for a few hours last night and for most of the day today and I just have a few loose ends to tie up, and those can wait until tomorrow. Yay!
I didn't have such a great run today. More than anything else, I just wasn't into it mentally. I wanted to do a longer run today, especially since I knew I would only have time for one workout, and it was one of those days where it took forever just to get to an hour and I wasn't motivated to do much more. I think I ran close to 10 miles, but I'm not really sure. Maybe a little less. I hate running more than 10-12 miles by myself and am worried about having to do a lot of long runs alone this summer in NY. There are very, very few running clubs like my club in DC that have standing long runs every single weekend. They don't always get a great turnout, but there's always someone to run with. I really miss that and I was lucky to have met Mary and some of the others here in Boston for company on long runs this weekend. I know that there are a lot of races in Central Park during the summer; maybe I'll just have to do more of those and add mileage on. Maybe I'm just tired from a long week of running, biking, swimming and paper-writing....
Right now I'm very tired from staring at the computer for so long and I will probably fall asleep during the movie we're about to watch (Sideways). But I'll do my best to stay awake since I have been wanting to see it!
Posted by becky at 8:28 PM | Comments (1)
May 20, 2005
Not enough hours in the day
I just can't get back on a normal--i.e. go to sleep at a reasonable hour--schedule these days. It is extremely rare for me to have to even think about having trouble falling asleep, but last night I had millions of thoughts running through my head about all the things I need to do before we leave for New York. But I don't want to start any of them until I'm finished with this damn paper. Anyway, I didn't get to sleep until about 1, and then I of course couldn't get out of bed as early as I wanted to in order to be able to make the most of the day. Sigh.
I promised myself I would take a real easy day and only do a short run and no other working out so I could concentrate on my work. My run was okay, I just felt kind of tired for no real reason, and it seemed to drag a bit at the end. When I got back, I tried to hurry and get ready to leave, but I was talking to Matt, checking my email and cleaning the bathroom instead. By the time I got to the library it was close to noon. I was mildly productive for a few hours, and I tried to even sit in a spot where there was no wireless network connection to distract me, but I quickly realized that I needed to look things up periodically (what DID people do without the Internet? I shudder to think of it.)
I took a break to get my nails done (also extremely unrelated to the task at hand but important for my sanity, like running) and stop by at my grandparents. I stayed there longer than intended, but at least I came home with a piece of meatloaf and some asparagus! Matt is out at a pub crawl tonight, which I probably would not go to even if I didn't have work to do, so the apartment is like my own personal library (and laundromat.) I hope that I can report more progress tomorrow!
Posted by becky at 7:24 PM | Comments (1)
May 19, 2005
Plugging away
It was stunningly clear and sunny out when I woke up today, so I decided to explore a little near the river since my Boston running days are coming to a close (at least for the summer.) It was very crowded on my way out of Cambridge, but once I got to the part of the path along the river that extends to Watertown, it was much quieter. I trusted my instincts and was able to make a nice loop so that I didn't have to go back the same way. I found a quiet road in Watertown (or Arlington, I'm not sure) that connects back to a major road, so that was useful. I'll remember it for the end of the summer when we're back here. My legs were pretty tired today, probably still from the hills, but no other major complaints for now.
I also swam this evening. It was a good stress reliever after sitting working on a paper and then in class for several hours straight in total. The water, however, was frigid--I could barely get in! I don't know why it changes so much, it is a very odd thing. Hmm.
Today was my last day of classes, but I'm not really done because I still have this one paper to go. Matt finished today for good, so I'll do my best not to take my jealously out on him!
Posted by becky at 8:23 PM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2005
Dragging from the hills
I actually wasn't as sore as I expected this morning, after doing those hills last night. I'm just kind of tired, and it's been getting worse all day long. Luckily I was awake enough to survive my test (barely--it was a hard one) and get through my classes. Now I only have one more class left! And a paper, though, so I'm not getting ahead of myself.
I tried to keep my run short today, around 5 miles, but I misjudged my route and went a little longer. My legs were most tired on the downhills, actually. Luckily there weren't too many ups OR downs! I had no idea it was raining when I left my apartment, because it just looked gray and Boston.com said "fog." It was only a drizzle, but it kept up most of the time I was running and made me a little cold once I was really sweaty. Later on in the day it was sunny, but while I was biking (and reading US Weekly) it started to pour. But by the time I finished lifting and got back on the bus to go home, the sun was coming out again. Very strange indeed.
Matt has a club dinner or something tonight so I plan to take advantage of the quiet and (shocker) do some work! Tomorrow I will probably feel compelled to watch the finale of The Apprentice (or maybe just the very end) so I better get some stuff taken care of tonight.
Posted by becky at 6:40 PM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2005
Not-too-hellish hills
My club's track coach has decided to throw in some hill workouts during the summer, and tonight was the first one. Since I won't be here for the rest of the summer, I figured I'd better at least see what I'll be missing. I ran up to the track and then we all ran over to a hill on the Tufts campus. We went halfway up 5 times, all the way up once and then repeated that. The halfways weren't too bad--it only took a little more than a minute to reach the crest--but by the second set, my legs were feeling it! I had a little group to keep up with, and I was very consistent, even on the last long one, so I was happy with that. I used to be a better hill runner when I had more hills to train on. I was skeptical that this would be a "hard enough" workout compared to track, but it certainly was a good effort and a nice change of pace from doing laps of the track. Including the jog to and from the track, it was almost an hour and a half of running, too. (Plus I did my usual pre-workout 25 minute run in the morning.)
Even though the weather was "nice" today (about 60), I was freezing during the hill workout. I was completely soaked in sweat and the sun was going down--a bad combination. At least when it gets hot I won't have THIS problem!
I have a final tomorrow that I must cram for. Ugh, I'm so not in the mood!
Posted by becky at 9:09 PM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2005
Anniversary update
We just got back from a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary, so I'll be brief as I have a lot of work to do! I ran this morning for about an hour and felt better than yesterday but my kneecap bothered me again a little. It's nothing I haven't had before. Stretching seems to help and so did going faster at the end when I realized how long I'd been gone and that I had to hurry if I wanted to make it to class on time! It was very weird weather this morning--kind of muggy and cold at the same time. Definitely not my favorite.
I biked and lifted after I was done with my classes and then hurried back home to change so I'd be ready for dinner. The food was delicious but now I'm sort of in a food coma--not good since I have to plan out a little presentation to give in the morning. Maybe I should open the windows in our study to ensure that I stay awake for another couple of hours!
Posted by becky at 10:09 PM | Comments (4)
May 15, 2005
A blah day
Tonight was fun because a bunch of us who trained together this winter (for marathons which did and didn't happen, depending on the person) got together for dinner with our significant others. But besides that, today was a very blah day. I felt very heavy-legged and tired running, and there were tons of people on my route (by the river, less windy this week) so I had to keep yelling at people to get out of the way. I think we ran a bit faster than I'm used to yesterday since we were in such a big pack, so maybe that's why I was tired. I also had a little ache underneath my kneecap--usually a signal to start doing squats again.
I tried to work on a paper today, but I just wasn't getting anywhere. Sometimes I'll have days like that and there's nothing I can really do about it. I fell asleep for a little while in the afternoon and I have had a little bit of a headache for most of the day, so maybe this is the start of a cold or something. Finally, around 4pm, I realized I was not getting anywhere on my paper, so I biked down to the gym for a quick swim. They had the long course 50 meter lanes in, so that was a nice challenge! The laps actually didn't seem as long as I remembered from last time the pool was set up like that, but it was crowded because there are fewer lanes. I mostly pulled today because I was feeling too lazy to kick and because the longer laps intimidate me!
Even though this is the last week of classes, I still have a paper due next Monday so I have a feeling it's going to be a long week. But tomorrow is our first anniversary, so that's something nice to look forward to. And on Wednesday, one of my friends is passing through Boston and I will get to have dinner with her. So maybe it won't be as bad as I think!
Posted by becky at 9:22 PM | Comments (1)
May 14, 2005
Pack of six
This morning I ran with a bigger group of women than I had in a long time--it was great! My friend from Boulder was in town for a conference so she joined a group of us from the running club that had made plans to run earlier in the week. I hadn't seen Mary and some of the others in awhile, so it was fun to catch up. We incorporated a couple of loops of Fresh Pond into our route so we could run four and six abreast and not worry abou traffic. It was funny to see people quickly get out of the way for our big pack! We wondered whether people thought we were some sort of team (probably high school, despite the fact that we are all approaching or over 30!)
It was a nice way to start the day, especially since I spend most of the rest of it in the library. Mary was going for a swim in the afternoon, and I really wanted to join her, but I just need to get everything done for school right now and I don't have enough extra time! Matt and I went to the Harvard Divinity School library since it is closest to our apartment, and it was actually very nice. I was fairly productive but I still have lots hanging over my head. So I'll end here and get back to that!
Posted by becky at 8:52 PM | Comments (1)
May 13, 2005
One long swim
It was great to have company at the pool this morning! I was glad Audrey didn't mind paying the rather steep guest fee MIT charges to be able to swim together. I was doing a workout that Mary passed on to me, but it seemed really long, and I realized that part of it said "400 as (150 pull/50 back)" and had to assume that the swim coach who wrote it meant 200, since 150+50=200. Anyway, the whole thing still took me more than an hour, which is a long time (for me)--I was getting pruny! But it was a very good workout; I could barely lift myself out of the pool when I was done.
I spent the rest of the day doing work and errands and visiting my grandparents. I was glad to see that my grandmother baked me a batch of cookies--it really makes my papers easier to get through when I know I have cookies in the other room waiting for me! I'm getting sad that I won't see them all summer--it's weird that I went 27 years without seeing them very often but now, after a year of being here, I have become so much closer to them. I'm glad we have another year of school (in some ways.)
Tonight I'm being a nerd and staying in while Matt goes to an end-of-school bash at someone's apartment. I don't really mind staying home but his friends must wonder why I never come out anymore! One more week...
Posted by becky at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2005
A decidedly less productive day
I definitely didn't do much schoolwork today, unless you count printing out tons of articles for a paper I'm researching. But you can't (or at least I can't) be productive every day, especially if I hope to get things done this weekend. Anyway, as usual, I got all the running and swimming done that I wanted to :)
It was super windy this morning, but a good running temp--in the upper 40s, I think, or low 50s. This was my sixth day running in a row with no cross-training (including one double day) and I am trying to build back up gradually, so I only did about 5 or 6 miles. (I'm still not sure what pace I'm running these days.) I chose a hilly route because I haven't done many hills lately. I think we're doing a hill workout in place of a track workout next week, so that should be interesting. But if all goes well, I should be able to do some long and hilly runs in my favorite park in NY this summer.
I swam tonight, but it was brief because I have my swimming date with Audrey in the morning. I also ran into someone in the pool and talked for some time and I had to meet Matt somewhere so I kind of ran out of time. I felt relaxed today in the pool though and hopefully can have two decent swims in a row! I heard that on Saturday, the pool is switching to long course (50 meter lanes) for the summer. I'll only be able to use it for a couple of weeks, but it will be a good challenge until I leave. And if anyone knows of any pools Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan, please let me know!
Posted by becky at 8:32 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2005
Summer's back
I think it's supposed to be back in the 50s (and rainy) this weekend, but it sure was hot today! My legs were very heavy this morning after last night's workout, and I didn't feel so great. In fact, I think I got progressively slower throughout the run. By the time I got home, I was pretty dehydrated--with all my sweating, it takes me a while to get used to running when it's hot, even when I'm not even out there too long. But some Gatorade and getting out of the sun fixed me right up.
My friend and I decided to go to Harvard's main library to try and get some work done today. I have never been there before but had heard it was beautiful, and it was. It was really crowded since it's probably finals week university-wide, but it really was nice being in there.
After I finished what I needed to do at the library, I went to the gym to bike and lift as usual. It was very hot in there today, but luckily I snagged three towels on the way in without anyone noticing me going over the "limit." What luck, I know :) OK, back to work!
Posted by becky at 8:50 PM | Comments (0)
May 10, 2005
Good progress
I decided last night that instead of swimming in the morning like I did before the track workout last week, it was time to try to get back to my regular routine of doing a short, easy run in the morning. So that's what I did, and it was fine except for a pesky piece of dirt in my shoe that I had a hard time getting rid of. The weather seemed humid in the morning but got better as the day went on.
Later in the day, I was proud of myself for just about finishing a paper so I rewarded myself with a nap. Honestly, I wish I could nap every day. I do wake up a little groggy, but once I get moving again I usually feel very refreshed.
Finally it was time to jog up to the track. I brought some Gatorade with me this time since no one seems to be able to find a water fountain even though Tufts just redid their track and it's gorgeous. I wasn't expecting to see any of my indoor track/marathon training buddies because Mary's traveling for work, but Wynne and Kristen were there and we had a nice reunion. Kristen ran Boston and this was her first track workout since then, but I was worried since she has a lot of speed from her days as a D1 soccer player!
The workout was just 6x800 again, but we were supposed to do them a few seconds faster than last week. I let Kristen and Wynne lead on the first one and the first lap of the second, but then I could feel them slowing down after we came through the 400. I felt okay and wanted to try to get us back on target pace, so I bit the bullet and took over pacing duties. This is a big deal for me because I tend to hang back a lot in track workouts (and marathons, and long runs...) The girls were happy with my pace so I ended up leading all of the rest of the repeats. We were fairly consistent but not as much as we had been in the winter. I'm sure it's because we're all just getting back into shape. I'm so bummed that I'm going to miss all the club workouts this summer! I hope to find a club in NYC that has a few people around my pace, but I'm not holding my breath.
Anyway, I'm pleased with the workout and I know I have to be careful not to go overboard with mileage this week now that I'm (knock on wood) starting to feel better. I've vowed to keep at least one or two cross-training days in my schedule as long as I have access to a pool the next few weeks...
Posted by becky at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2005
Only Monday?
I don't know why, but it feels like it should already be the middle of the week! Maybe it's because we went out to dinner tonight with Matt's dad, who is in town for work, and we hardly ever do that during the week anymore. Anyway, I'll be brief because I don't have much time left to get things done before I fall asleep!
It was still on the chilly side this morning when I ran--I haven't worn gloves in May in quite a number of years! (Not that I'm complaining, as I surely will be later this week.) I was glad to do one of my former staple routes that I haven't done since returning from the achilles injury. All was pretty well once things (hip, groin, etc.) loosened up, although I noticed that both my achilles are (just a little) sore if I press on them hard enough. I need to keep doing my stretches and strengthening exercises.
Since I lifted yesterday, I swam after school today. I didn't feel that great though; my lower back was aching a little and I felt like I was working harder than I should have. I think my shoulders might be sore from lifting a little bit heavier on some things yesterday.
I was pretty tired in school today and was nodding off in my afternoon class. I hate that feeling. So I'm going to try to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight!
Posted by becky at 9:28 PM | Comments (0)
May 8, 2005
(Almost) swept away
I seriously thought that I might be blown over the bridge I was running on today right into the Charles River. I shouldn't have gone running by the river in the first place because of the wind, but it didn't feel so bad until I got down there. And that's when it started raining again, too! But other than the wind, I felt pretty good today, so I wasn't too upset that I chose that route. The first part of it goes through a very ugly part of Cambridge, but the rest of it is very scenic.
The rest of my day included the following activities: working on a paper, taking a nap, lifting, grocery shopping and cooking dinner. And checking to make sure that the Cornell men and women swept Heps again! Now I'm back at the computer but I don't have very much confidence that I'll last very long. Sigh.
Posted by becky at 8:52 PM | Comments (0)
May 7, 2005
A packed day
Today was a pretty busy one. I met a (Somerville) running club friend for a run this morning, and we both laughed when we met up because we don't run together often (usually only at track) and each time it has been horrible weather! This morning it was rainy, windy, and just plain COLD! Even for me, for this time of year and being all wet. We were very glad to have each other's company, I think. My hip hurt when I first got started but overall I felt pretty good today. I was very glad to get home and into a warm shower! It was one of those days.
After I got back and ate and everything, I took my little laptop to the Apple Store. This computer has been nothing but great since I got it last summer, but last night I returned from the Patty Griffin concert (which was excellent) and my iBook was just completely frozen. I tried restarting it and it wouldn't even do that. I ran a disk utility that comes with the computer and it told me that there were problems, but it couldn't repair them--great. At that point it was also making loud clicking noises that were scaring me, so I decided to let the experts handle it. Anyway, it turned out okay at the Apple Store and the guy there said the clicking noises could mean that the hard drive is "on its way out" and I should back up everything in case the system crashes again. I assured him that I will be religiously backing up all my final papers in the next couple of weeks, not to worry. It has (knock on wood) behaved well since I got back from the Apple Store, but I'm still worried. I'll see what happens, I guess.
After that fun expedition, Matt and I went to a barbeque (inside because of the rain) at MIT. He was supposed to do community service today and the activity got canceled, but the barbeque was still on. By the time we finished there it was after 2 and we went to the library for awhile. I was somewhat productive, but I've got a lot to do on this one paper I'm still working on.
Our last stop for the day was a Kentucky Derby party (same one Audrey went to). It was a nice diversion from studying, and lots of yummy junk food was consumed by me as well.
Since I've been home from the party (and a sushi stop on the way home), I've been very unproductive except for checking track results. The women's 10K at Heps was insane! Last year, Emily Kroshus won in 35-something, and she's a 10K All-American (I think). This year, Caroline Bierbaum ran 32:44, an Ivy League record by almost 2 minutes, and Lindsey Scherf was a few seconds behind breaking Mary Shea's American Junior Record from 1979! The next four runners' times also placed them on the all-time Ivy League Top Ten list. Incredible!
Posted by becky at 9:42 PM | Comments (0)
May 6, 2005
An early start to a day of procrastination
I'm sitting here "working on a paper" but looking for distractions, so I figured updating my blog is a good enough one. I swear, I never used to be a procrastinator! Yuck.
I woke up early today to meet Mary at her pool (mine is much nicer; I prefer swimming in water free of hairballs, but hers is cheaper). She's had a tough week workwise and emotionally, so I knew she would be working hard. Since she's training for an Ironman, she wanted to swim 3,000 meters straight with no stopping, no drills, no breaks. I tried to emulate her but only made it about 20 minutes before I needed a sip of Gatorade. I also ended up pulling most of the way because my hip/groin/mystery soreness was hurting when I kicked. Still got a good workout in though and swam for a full hour.
That's all I'll do today because I'm working on this paper and then going to see my grandparents and then going to a Patty Griffin concert. I love Patty and this will be (sort of) my first time seeing her live (I saw her in Washington as part of a group) so I'm very excited! Matt doesn't go to "my kind" of concerts (nor would I go to a rap show with him) so I'm going with a friend from school.
I thought I would have time for a nap today but I didn't, so I'm just hoping not to get home too late tonight...Happy weekend to all.
Posted by becky at 2:06 PM | Comments (0)
May 5, 2005
Great running weather
I woke up in a grumpy mood today, not for any particular reason. I think it was because Matt had to get up to go to class (I didn't have class until the afternoon) and I felt compelled to get out of bed too, even though I was really tired. But my mood improved when I got outside for my run; it was a gorgeous spring day--even by my standards, because it wasn't even 50 degrees yet. My track soreness was gone by the time I woke up today, and I actually felt pretty good for the majority of the run. I notice that when I'm getting back into shape, what happens is that I feel good (as in "back to normal") for increasingly longer periods of time, or increasingly long percentages of my runs. Some might say I should stop when I don't feel good anymore, but that's not how I work! I'm being as conservative as I can right now--don't forget it is only a year ago now that I realized I could go a day without running as my form of exercise and still survive. (Note that I didn't say "without exercising.") Anyway, right now my "feeling good" time limit is about 30 minutes, and I ran an hour today. The other half of it wasn't painful (my IT band gets a gold star today) but I just felt choppy and running the same pace required more effort, if that makes sense.
I swam for a bit after class, and the pool was eerily empty. Maybe it's finals week for MIT already, I'm not sure. But I hate being the only one in the pool--I feel like the lifeguard is staring at me! (I'm sure he's not. But it feels like it.)
I have so much work to do in the next few weeks, it's insane. Hopefully working this summer will be a nice break from the academic demands of this year. I'm so glad my program is almost halfway finished!
Posted by becky at 7:48 PM | Comments (0)
May 4, 2005
Now I remember...
I think I had forgotten what my legs feel like the morning after track workouts, particularly if I haven't done one in awhile! Boy, was I sore. However, only the first few strides felt really bad, and then I loosened up. My IT band did bother me some, but on the whole I felt better than I expected to.
I don't really like running along the Charles all that much, but today I was in the mood and incorporated it into my run. It was a nice day for it, and it's one of the only places where there is a soft surface to run on. I'm always intrigued by all the crew boats out on the water. I don't remember seeing so many on the Potomac in Washington, but there are more schools here.
My leg and hip soreness seemed to return once I sat in class for two hours, but a few of us took a walk to get lunch and that seemed to help. I am very excited that there is now a Bruegger's Bagels within walking distance! Of course, their bagels are nothing like New York bagels, but they have some interesting sandwiches.
I biked and lifted as usual this afternoon. It was uneventful; I did my usual routine. And I added some step-ups, taught to me by Leilani last year. (I'm just a novice though and she is hard core, doing them with weights and everything.)
While I was lifting, I looked out the window onto the MIT campus and saw all these people congregating around some sort of exhibit that looked like a huge slab of wood with a bunch of gigantic needles sticking out of it. I didn't get a chance to check it out tonight, but I just looked it up and it turns out it is "an art installation, designed by J. Meejin Yoon, assistant professor of architecture at MIT and commissioned by the city of Athens, Greece, for the 2004 Olympics [that] consists of a grid of chest-high rods that light up and emit soft noises as people walk through them." They are inaugurating the new MIT president this weekend, so there are a lot of special things on campus. It sounds cool, I'm going to see it tomorrow for sure.
Posted by becky at 7:17 PM | Comments (2)
May 3, 2005
Testing myself
I decided yesterday that I would go to my club's track workout tonight, if only to do the prescribed 800s at a slower pace and/or not do all of them. I am still feeling out of shape, but we're off to NYC so soon that I want to at least see some track friends before we leave. Usually on workout days I do a short morning run, but today I swam instead because I don't think I'm ready for double runs just yet. I was pretty tired swimming, probably from the length and intensity of yesterday's swim workout. I never really felt so great but I was glad I did it.
I took a nice nap in the late afternoon when I got home from school. I was reading an article and the next thing I knew, I was out. It was nice to have that opportunity since I haven't slept all that well lately!
And then it was time to head up to the track. I ran up there to warm up, and managed to do 6 x 800, getting a bit quicker on each except for one where I regressed. My times weren't even THAT much slower than I was doing a couple of months ago, but I just felt sluggish and weird, which always happens when I take time off from track. My achilles felt fine (although it's a little sore now) but my IT band was hurting during a lot of it (though not during my run back home, curiously.) I was pleased that I at least got back out there, but it's hard when you're not as fit as you want to be, obviously. But hopefully I'll get back to where I was fairly soon.
But boy am I pooped now! I kind of have a lot of work to do but I somehow doubt I'll be too productive...
Posted by becky at 9:07 PM | Comments (0)
May 2, 2005
Pool party
OK, it wasn't really a party, but I was glad to have company in the pool this morning! I went to the pool where Mary swims and met up with her and another friend from her triathlon team. I didn't have a workout planned so I just did what they were doing. It was pretty long (3,000 yards total I think) but it went well. Like in running, it's easier to pace myself when I am working with someone else. Mary is faster than I am, but I'm getting there.
I wasn't going to kick much while swimming if my weird hip thing (which is actually more like a pelvis/groin thing) bothered me, but it only seems to hurt when I get up from sitting. I tried to get at it with the foam roller last night, but it was pretty much impossible to contort myself that much. I'll give it another try, though!
This afternoon I biked a bit and lifted as usual. When I had just gotten to the gym, I noticed this horrible smell all of a sudden (I checked and it wasn't me) and all the other people in the gym did too. I was listening to my iPod but I could tell by the looks on their faces! It was weird, because I saw the guy at the desk walk away for a minute--after someone complained about the smell--and then all of a sudden it was gone. I wonder what happened, because smells don't usually dissipate that quickly when they are that strong. Hmm. But that was my excitement for the afternoon.
I made a yummy pizza for dinner tonight but I ate it too fast since I was starving. Must go lie down.
Posted by becky at 8:38 PM | Comments (0)
May 1, 2005
Quick weekend
This weekend went by really quickly, and I'm not sure where the time went, exactly. (I guess that's always how it is!) I probably should have forced myself to only cross-train this morning, but it takes so much longer so I opted for the most efficient option--a quick run. It was pouring almost the whole time but I was just glad not to get splashed by an SUV like last Sunday. My legs were a little heavy from going faster than I'm used to yesterday, but what was really bothering me was the outside of my hip. This is a new sore spot for me (but I expect that at some point, everything on my left leg will bother me) and I suspect that it might be from kicking more in the pool. I used to use the pull buoy most of the time but am working on my kick. Anyway, I'm icing it now and will keep an eye on it.
This afternoon seemed to fly by as I prepared for a group presentation we're doing tomorrow (I can't wait until it's over), read some articles for school and biked a bit at the gym. Then I went over to check on my grandmother since she's recuperating from her accident on Friday. She's doing fine and I left her with a book that I just finished because she has to stay off her feet for a few more days.
OK, I must get back to work!
Posted by becky at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)