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June 30, 2005
Good-natured barbs
It was kind of dark out this morning when my alarm went off, making it even harder to get out of bed. T. and I were meeting early because we were running over to pick up his friend who lives near Prospect Park. We were both a little late but made it over to B.'s house in time. We then ran a loop of the Park, but B. took us a bit off the usual path to explore some of the trails. I don't think I would have done that by myself, so I was glad to have someone show me. During the run, the two "older" guys kept teasing me that I was picking up the pace. I totally wasn't, and I had promised to obey their pace. Then they started talking about gastrointenstinal problems that apparently afflict runners when they are over 35, trying to gross me out! But I didn't give them the satisfaction :)
I felt pretty good today--my legs were a little less dead and my shin, which has been sore since rock-climbing (I think), was a little better. My achilles has been twingey since I came back but I'm massaging it and sending it some love. I didn't lift or work out a second time today (I know, what a slacker :) because I'm going to visit my Boston running friend Mary tonight in New Jersey, where she is house-sitting for her sister, and we're going to do a long run tomorrow. I know the humidity is going to break this weekend so of course I'd rather do it in better weather, but I'd rather run with Mary! There's even a chance we will run in Rockefeller--if we have time. She is doing a really long ride on her bike today, so hopefully she'll be tired and not push it up the hills tomorrow! One can only hope.
I'm at work now trying to get stuff done before I head to NJ, so that's all for now!
Posted by becky at 3:03 PM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2005
Another late meeting and a sock casualty
I forgot what it's like to get home from work late. It's tiring! I had a work meeting tonight at the main NYRR headquarters that was supposed to go from 6-8, but of course we started and ended late. At least there was pizza (and beer) this time. However, there was no a/c in the room we were in and I was so hot after eating the pizza that I got nauseous. Not a great experience, but the meeting was actually very productive.
As usual, I started the day with a run. I met T. again and we did a variation on the Lower Manhattan/Battery Park loop that I've really taken a liking to. Both of us had kind of dead legs and weren't moving too fast, but at least the conversation was lively. It was nasty and humid again out this morning and I was dripping by the time I got into Manhattan--and my shoes were squishy when I got home. I just love the summer on the East Coast!
Because my clothes are always dripping when I get home from running, I have taken to hanging them outside on our balcony in front of the air conditioner's exhaust fan. (Not over the balcony, but on a chair on the balcony.) But today it rained and must have been windy because my beloved socks have gone missing! Probably my own fault for taking that chance, but I didn't see how they could actually fly high enough to jump over the balcony ledge!! So sad.
I didn't have to go into work until about 1, so I biked a little at the gym after hanging out at home for awhile (that is what's nice about running early and having a flexible schedule--it makes for a longer day.) Work was busy the whole time and then a bunch of us went over to the NYRR for our meeting. On my way back home, my sister and I met up since she was also coming back to Brooklyn from Manhattan. We were walking down the main drag in Brooklyn Heights and all of a sudden she hit me because we had just walked by (the actor who played) Charlotte's husband in Sex and the City! I totally didn't notice but the bald head definitely fit the bill! How exciting, a celebrity sighting in the 'hood!
Posted by becky at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
Pseudo workout
When I met up with T. this morning, we decided to run toward a track he knew about (but hadn't been to) in Red Hook, about 2 miles from Brooklyn Heights. He wasn't too keen on doing speed but said he might do a little. When we got there, I did a couple of tempo-ish miles (felt like they should have been faster but the humidity was awful) and he did some 400s. Then we did some 100 meter strides, which actually felt good. So it was a much shorter "workout" than I would have normally done, but my total distance for the day was pretty good (I actually added on a couple of miles after dropping T. off). One down week won't kill me anyway. (At least I hope not!)
The rest of my day was quiet--did some work from home and then jogged to the gym to lift. Tonight, I met my sister in the West Village to check out a store we had heard about and then we walked to SoHo, which ended up being a lot further than we thought, to meet a friend of hers for dinner at this healthy/organic place. It was a lot of fun! In the back of my mind, I wondered if I should have gone to the track meet at Randall's Island tonight, but I think the humidity would have psyched me out. Plus, we got cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery, which I had been wanting to try. They really were awesome.
I guess that's it for me today--it's almost time for Real World!
Posted by becky at 9:28 PM | Comments (1)
June 27, 2005
Longer day than expected
It's almost 11pm and I just finished eating dinner, because I didn't realize that I had to go to a meeting tonight, one that didn't end until after 9. Getting back to Brooklyn took a long time and then to make things more fun, it was pouring when I got out of the subway. Lovely! I hate eating this late because I worry that it will affect my run in the morning, but it's better than not eating dinner at all, obviously.
My day began on a much less hectic note--I met T. for a run in the morning and I was very glad for the company as the humidity level was sky-high. I was dripping even before we got over the Brooklyn Bridge, which is as good a barometer as any for me. We did an out-and-back run on the West Side bike path and I was pleasantly surprised to run into a classmate from school! She and I have talked about running together many times but never did in Boston, so it was funny to be running together now. She is a former D1 runner from a certain West Coast school and I think T. and I were secretly relieved when she had to go a different way than we did after about 5 minutes. But maybe I'll meet her for a tempo run one of these days!
I was glad to get back into the air-conditioning of our apartment when we finished the run, and highly disappointed to arrive at my office to find that the a/c there wasn't quite doing the trick. I sweated my way through the day and then found out that I had to go to this meeting. (Interesting running-related things went on at this meeting, but I am too tired to write about them now.) I had planned to lift but at that point only had about an hour to do whatever I could at the gym. It wasn't much, so of course I beat myself up over not sticking to my routine, but I hope to make up for it later in the week. I have to keep thinking about what's important (in life) and missing a lifting session is just not one of those crucial things.
Tomorrow, the track club that I've been working out with isn't having a workout because they are encouraging people to go race up at Icahn Stadium. I would do the track races if it didn't require hours of transportation. In place of the workout, I was going to do this tiny 5K race tomorrow night, but that is further away than I thought and it may be a rainy night. Instead, I'm either going to do something on the track near here in the morning or a tempo run in Prospect Park. I never get as good of a workout without someone to work with, but I'll do my best. OK, off to bed!
Posted by becky at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2005
Whirlwind sporting day
I really, really tried to get up early today so I could "beat the heat," or at least pretend to. But it wasn't happening. I snoozed a million times (something that Matt and I both do a lot) and finally got out the door about 8:15. I vowed to do a short run today since I hadn't run less than an hour in several days, and since it was so humid, it wasn't too hard to stick to that plan. I did my newest old standby loop: over the Brooklyn Bridge and back through Chinatown and then over the Manhattan Bridge. It was relatively uneventful and I felt surprisingly decent after my longish run on pavement yesterday. You just never know.
When I got back, we ate a quick brunch and then went on an adventure to meet some friends at Chelsea Piers, the huge "sports & entertainment complex" in Manhattan. One of our friends is an associate at one of the big NYC law firms and the firm was hosting a "family fun day" there today. I've never been to Chelsea Piers but have always wanted to see it as it is often featured in trendy television shows like Sex in the City! I did not enjoy the 10-15 minute walk from the subway over to the complex (I was so sweaty by the time we got there) but once inside, most of the place was air conditioned. We did a little rock climbing, played basketball, hit some golf balls at the driving range and bowled, all the while being provided with free food and drinks. Nice! Not enough to make me want to go to law school, but it was a fun day all the same.
By the time we got back to our apartment, we were beat. I had a fleeting thought of lifting, but my body was protesting and I had been pretty active since I woke up so I gave in. I turned on the TV to watch track, but I fell asleep within about 5 minutes. Matt woke me up when the 800 was on, since he knew it was the one race I wanted to see, but I was so groggy that it didn't really register. We ordered in Thai food for dinner (too hot to use the oven in this small apartment!) and are now enjoying the final hours of the weekend.
Posted by becky at 8:49 PM | Comments (2)
June 25, 2005
Run, drill, spell
I groaned when I heard my alarm go off this morning, because I knew that the next few hours would be rather painful--although part of it was by choice. First on the schedule was a longish run and then a dentist appointment. Usually when I'm at my parents' house I run at Rockefeller, but I was on a tight schedule this morning and I knew I wouldn't enjoy running in the heat and humidity no matter where I ran! So I combined a few of the runs I know from high school around my area--a very hilly one--for a total of just under 2 hours, but I know I was slow on the hilly parts. I felt like crap at the beginning, then better in the middle and then died on a HUGE hill coming up from the village and back to my house. I kept moving, but I was embarassed at how slowly I was moving! It was definitely hot out there (I drained 2 bottles of Gatorade) but I also felt somewhat better than I did running in this weather a couple of weeks ago, so I'm trying to look on the bright side!
My mom and sister were nice enough to accompany me to my dentist appointment so we could sneak in some quick shopping afterwards. I hate getting cavities filled but it's my own fault because I eat a lot of sugar candy (gummies, etc.)...this one was particularly big, though. The dentist drilled for a long time and then told me I had to come back in two weeks! I don't know what his technique is but apparently he does the cavity-filling in two visits. That means I have to come back to Westchester yet again--not that I mind, but it's kind of annoying not to have it all done with.
I took the train back to the city this afternoon and Matt and I went to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a hilarious musical about (obviously) overacheiving kids trying to win a spelling bee. My parents saw it before it moved to Broadway and bought us tickets for our anniversary. It's now a big Broadway hit and we tend to like the smaller-scale shows, but it was a lot of fun. We were in the front row, too! This show has audience participation but you have to be screened first on spelling ability and we didn't get there early enough to undergo the test! In the end, I was glad, because it would have been embarassing to be up there spelling at the microphone.
So now it's almost midnight and we're sitting in the dark on the balcony because it is the only place we can get a wireless signal this weekend for some reason. I have been putting off checking USATF results until now, so here I go!
Posted by becky at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2005
Another Friday
I just can't believe that it is almost the end of June already--wow! It is, in fact, the last Friday of the month. Summer is flying by. And speaking of summer, it was already very humid when I met T. this morning at 6:15. There was a little breeze, but both of us brought Gatorade, which turned out to be a wise decision. We ran over the Brooklyn Bridge and toward the West Side bikepath and then around Manhattan via Battery Park etc. We talked a little about what it was like doing that run after Sept. 11... T. said he didn't run in Lower Manhattan much until May 2002. Part of it was the air quality, but part of it was emotional. I can certainly believe that. We talked during most of the run, which kept it at a nice, conversational pace--perfect for a Friday, generally one of my easiest days of the week.
I did some editing work during the day and then headed up to Grand Central to go to Westchester. My mom picked me up at the train station and we went to get our nails done. Today was her last day of school for the year so it was a nice way to celebrate! I'm here for the night because I have a dentist appointment tomorrow. I think I'm nervous about it (big cavity, new dentist) because I haven't had much of an appetite today, a very rare occurrence for me!
USATF comments: I was really surprised to learn (when I woke up today and checked) that Shalane ran away with the 5,000 last night at the USATF championships. She ran from the front like she likes to, and it paid off! I am happy for Lauren Fleshman too--she had a great performance to solidify her as one of the top young U.S. distance prospects after suffering a stress fracture last summer that took her out of the Olympic Trials. And I feel badly for Shayne Culpepper--she unfortunately had a bad race at the wrong time--but it shows that even the elites can have sub-par performances, too. We'll see what happens in the 10K!
As usual, happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 7:27 PM | Comments (1)
June 23, 2005
Is a dead black cat a sign?
I met T. this morning before 6am. I was not in a very talkative mood--I could barely get out of bed. I'm okay once I've been getting up early for a few weeks, but my body was not cooperating. We went early because we were meeting T.'s longtime running partner B., who lives about a half-mile from Prospect Park. I thought I might do some pickups once I got into the park, but I was really enjoying running with and talking to those guys so my motivation to get a second speed workout in this week diminished pretty quickly. (More on that below.) So we just did an easy run and everything was fine--except for a little ITB pain--until we were almost back and I came thisclose to stepping on a dead back cat! In general, I don't believe in signs or karma much, but it sort of freaked me out. At least we finished the run--it took about 1:20 but we were slow in the Park--without any bad luck.
I know I need to do more tempo work if I really want to drop my marathon time, but it's so hard on my own! (A sorry excuse, I know.) The club I do workouts with here has a Thurs. night road workout (which I've mentioned before) but it doesn't start until 7pm on the Upper West Side and that would mean getting home pretty late. I've heard it is really intense and much more of a speed workout than a tempo-type. I really like getting my run out of the way in the morning, and when I wait all day to do a workout it makes me nervous and for my mental health, I am going to TRY and be okay with only doing one evening speed session per week. Besides, the Pfitzinger school of thought (I am not completely following his training schedule but using it as a guide) says it is better to do less speed and more distance when your focus is on the marathon.
I worked from home today (giving me flexibility to finish a great book, The Kite Runner), and then jogged over to the gym to lift (about 3/4 of a mile.) I was kind of hungry when I got there because I didn't eat enough for lunch, but I bought a Powerade and that gave me a glucose boost for the next hour. Then I came home and waited for Matt to get home from work and we walked along the water to this famous pizza place under the Brooklyn Bridge. To be honest, it was good but not as awesome as I had expected. Still, it was a nice night for a walk.
Now I'm going to check USATF Nationals results. I don't think the 5K has happened yet, but I think it could be a great race between Shayne, Amy and Shalane. I can't wait to see the results!
Posted by becky at 9:13 PM | Comments (1)
June 22, 2005
Return to the pool
I am very sleepy so this will be brief! I went running early this morning with T., who has returned after spending last week in Montreal and Boston at academic meetings. I was glad to have the company and his understanding that I was running on tired legs after the track last night. We ran for about 50 minutes and I was relieved to find that switching my shoes (my new ones haven't arrived yet, but I have a barely-run in pair of Kayanos around) seemed to help my sore ankles and calves.
After the run I did some straightening up around the apartment and went up to the Foundation office. Unfortunately it was a slow day up there and I spent most of the day researching classes to take in the fall. Sitting in front of the computer without a clear task is one of the most tiring things, I think. I left at about 4 and went for a quick swim at one of the three NYSC locations that has a pool--this one, at 20 yards, is the largest. It was do-able, but I definitely noticed the short laps and felt like I was pushing off the wall every few strokes. I mostly pulled but did some kicking and regular swimming too. I'm definitely out of swimming shape already but it was nice to be back in the water.
After the gym, I picked up dinner and went to a free Dar Williams concert at Madison Square Park, a small park between Fifth and Madison Avenues in the mid-20s. I was supposed to meet a friend from school there but she never showed up, or she showed up too late to find the spot I had saved. Dar only played for an hour but it was a great set. She has a new album coming out in a couple of weeks and I was glad to get a preview!
OK, off to bed--I'm exhausted.
Posted by becky at 10:02 PM | Comments (1)
June 21, 2005
Down the ladder (and some 400s)
I really need my new sneaks! I did my pre-workout morning run today and my calves were killing me. I massaged them and it didn't really help, but there's no pain when I stop running so I am reasonably sure (especially since this has happened before) that this discomfort is shoe-related. While I was running over the bridge I saw this super-skinny man in pink shorts who I have seen almost every time I am running on the bridge, no matter what time it is. I thought it was a coincidence, but then I saw him turn around at one end of the bridge and again at the other, so apparently he runs back and forth. That is nuts! I could not imagine doing that. I wonder how many times he does it...he seemed to be carrying something in his hand too--I was thinking that maybe he was marking off his "laps." So weird.
My day was very quiet. I read and napped (yay part-time internship!) and supervised while the ice-maker guys came to fix ours. Then I went to the track and kept thinking how much nicer the weather was this week as compared to last week. Unfortunately I was feeling a little sluggish despite the low humidity. Our coach was on vacation so someone else announced the workout, but the whole thing seemed to lack the cohesiveness that the coach usually brings. But at least there were a lot of people to run with tonight. We did 1200, 1000, 800, 600 and 4x400 with the bulk of the workout at 5K pace and the quarters at 3K pace. Again, not as much volume as I was doing in previous summers with my DC club but the pace has been a lot faster than I am used to, so it's a good experiment to see what works for me. I led the first interval because the whole group was going so slow. I knew we would speed up as we went down in distance, so I had to keep us honest, or try anyway! I am best at the longer intervals so this was my best shot. I kept up with the middle of the group for all the rest of the "long" intervals and hung on for the 3K pace stuff, which I am the worst at.
OK, I'm going to watch the new season of Real World!
Posted by becky at 9:46 PM | Comments (0)
June 20, 2005
Coolest day of the week
Apparently the heat and humidity is scheduled to return "later in the week," but today was another cool morning for running. I'm already dreading having to do my long run in my most despised weather, but I guess I should be grateful we've had a spell of cool, dry days. Anyway, I had an okay run this morning. I'm having need-new-shoes symptoms--tight calves and pins and needles in my left foot. I've ordered a new pair (apparently no NYC-area specialty running stores carry the Asics Gel-Evolution) but it will be a few days before they arrive. I stopped and stretched a few times once I got into Prospect Park today and the last few miles were a lot better. I'm not sure on the distance of this Prospect Park loop anymore. At one time I thought it was close to 9 miles, but there are a few different ways to get there and I think that must be where the variation comes in (I was 2 minutes faster today than I was last Monday, although it was also digustingly hot and humid last week.)
I spent most of the day at work doing some research on obesity-prevention programs for kids and finding out about a new summer task I've been given because one of the women on staff is pretty sick. She will be in and out a lot this summer so I'll be taking over some of her responsibilities while I'm here.
After work I went to the gym for my usual biking/lifting routine. It was super-crowded (Mondays are always bad) and I was the only female in the lifting area for a while. Usually I don't mind, but the guys in there seemed especially big today! One of them reprimanded me for leaving a weight on the floor--he didn't realize I was using it. Whatever.
So that was my relatively uneventful day. Now we're watching wrestling (yes, WWE) on TV. Well, I'm playing on the Web while wrestling is on in the background. I thought Matt had given that up for more age-appropriate programs, but apparently not!
Posted by becky at 10:02 PM | Comments (1)
June 19, 2005
Sunny Sunday
It didn't seem like it was going to be as nice a day today as the weather gods had predicted, but the last half of the afternoon was great. I didn't mind the clouds when I ran this morning, either. I kind of made up a loop as I went along, but it included the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park (bad, bad idea on a Sunday morning), the West Side bike path and the Manhattan Bridge. My legs felt pretty heavy today again and I'm not sure why--usually after running in Rockefeller I barely feel long run tiredness. When I was passing South Street Seaport, this tourist family flagged me down to ask where Wall Street was. I was kind of annoyed to have to stop, and I didn't really have a good answer for them. I mean, I knew where it was, sort of, but I didn't know the best way for them to get there on foot. Luckily two women came running by and helped the family out. I'm starting to get a better sense of the layout of Lower Manhattan, but I don't know which streets are where yet or how they all connect.
Matt and I had a leisurely brunch on our balcony after I got back from running, called our fathers and grandfathers to wish them a happy Father's Day and then headed out to Prospect Park for the afternoon. Matt had never seen the Park before so we took reading material and sandwiches and hung out there enjoying the nice weather. There were SO MANY families there that it was amazing. And lots of moms breastfeeding right out in the open. Is this the new Brooklyn? :) Anyway, we had a nice day.
I went to the gym quickly when we came back to bike and lift legs and abs. The gym was blissfully quiet so I got through my lifting routine easily. Now we're having a late dinner with a friend of ours, back on the balcony to enjoy the sunset!
Posted by becky at 8:21 PM | Comments (19)
June 18, 2005
Father's Day fun
Even though Father's Day isn't until tomorrow, Matt and I celebrated with our families today because the timing worked out better. We went back to my parents' house in Westchester late last night and I got up early to run at Rockefeller and still get back in time to do a few errands my mom had asked me to. I was actually a little chilly before I started running--so exciting! Despite the awesome weather, it took my body a long time to warm up--close to an hour. My feet and ankles were still sore from standing around at the concert Thurs. night, I think, and I just felt like I was crawling along and not getting anywhere. Eventually I did start to feel better, and enjoyed having my iPod Shuffle with me, the first time I've used it on a long run. I'd rather have company, but I love my music too. I ended up running for almost 2 hours but I think the pace was pretty slow. I just need to keep remembering that it's only late June and I'm still in the building up my long run phase. Once I can do about 2:30 without too much trouble, I'll feel better.
So after I got back from running Matt and I went to pick up a free anniversary cake promised to us by the bakery that did our wedding cake--my mom had sent in a picture of the cake at the wedding and apparently in exchange you get a free cake. Whatever! Then we went back to my parents' house where Matt's dad, his dad's girlfriend, his grandparents, my grandma and my sister were all gathered. Even Matt's aunt from New Hampshire showed up for a bit because she had to pick something up in New York. We had lunch and ate the free cake (delicious) and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. We came back to Brooklyn tonight and got to see the sunset from the balcony, which was awesome. Now we are just chilling out here and looking forward to spending tomorrow relaxing and reading the paper (well, and in my case, working out, of course!)
Posted by becky at 9:25 PM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2005
TGIF
Actually, this week went by pretty quickly. But I'm still happy it's the weekend, or almost the weekend anyway. My run this morning was pretty lackluster, but the weather was great. My feet and legs were just really sore from standing for hours (with unsupportive moccasins on) at the Indigo Girls concert last night. (It was worth it.) I had some watch issues so I'm not sure how far I ran, but it was in the vicinity of an hour. I ran toward Prospect Park but I knew I didn't have enough time to run all the way around, so I just did an out and back there. On my way home, I was on the sidewalk in a busy neighborhood--lots of kids and parents walking to school, etc.--and this guy working on a house accidentally kicked me in the knee as I ran by. He basically walked backwards toward me and somehow nailed me. It didn't hurt too much but it definitely made my heart rate go up for the next couple of minutes!
Last night, my sister and I were talking again about how Ground Zero has become a tourist destination. In the few weeks I've been in New York--and especially running through New York--I've realized that the most haunting and inspiring reminders of Sept. 11 are the small ones scattered throughout the area. I've run by firehouses in Brooklyn and Manhattan that have small monuments to remember their lost firefighters and I've seen a "commuter memorial" in a tiny park on Long Island, to name a couple. Ground Zero might be the site of the terrorist attack, but the real meaning of what happened almost 4 years ago is carried around by New Yorkers every day. At least that's what I think.
Anyway, I've been at work most of the day and now I'm about to go do a couple of errands and get my nails done. Today is a one-workout day for me (planned) and I am going to enjoy the nice weather and (try) not to feel guilty!
Posted by becky at 4:15 PM | Comments (1)
June 16, 2005
Breath of fresh air
It was so great to be able to breathe again on my run this morning! It was only around 60 degrees and breezy when I left and it felt excellent. I had to go out pretty early today and I had originally wanted to try and do a tempo run in Prospect Park, but it would have taken too long. Instead, I ran over the Brooklyn Bridge and around the tip of Manhattan and threw in some pickups. I wore my heart rate monitor for the first time in probably years and was surprised to see that I had trouble getting my heart rate up as high as I used to when doing tempos/pick-ups in college. I'm not sure if I'm just more fit now or I need to get it recalibrated or I wasn't running at the effort I thought I was! Anyway, today's run ended up a couple of miles shorter than I had intended on running, but I was just glad that my humidity sluggishness is on hiatus for a few days.
I spent the morning and early afternoon at a community asthma forum in Washington Heights sponsored by Columbia's public health school. I saw the flyer at work and decided to go hear about the link between asthma and obesity, one of the topics advertised. The guy who spoke about it was great, but unfortunately he had to kind of improvise his talk because his slides weren't working. So I feel like we missed a little. But I think he might be a good advocate for the Foundation's programs and I will suggest that to my boss. In general, the event was good for me to go to because it was a real community-based solution to a major public health problem in low-income neighborhoods (asthma).
I was nodding off on the long train ride back to Brooklyn, but I didn't miss my stop and went right to the gym to lift. Instead of biking today, I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill (my treadmill max.) I didn't feel like biking much, so this was a good change. I had a nice lifting session after going to the gym at peak, crowded times earlier in the week.
Now I'm headed off to the Apple Store in SoHo to pick up a sweat-proof case for my iPod Shuffle (desperately need it!) and then my sister and I are going to see Indigo Girls, my all-time favorite musicians. I've seen them many, many times but it's always fun for me since I have their lyrics permanently imprinted on my brain. The concert is at Roseland so we'll have to stand but I still can't wait!
Posted by becky at 4:20 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2005
Delightful drop in temperature
It was definitely a little cooler this morning when I left to run, but later on in the day it got even nicer, something that rarely happens! I was tired from the track and my achilles was a little stiff during my run, so I didn't notice being as hot and thirsty as I've been, but I was equally as drenched as I've been recently so I think humidity levels were still high despite the drop in temperature. My route today was not the smartest because I had to dodge a lot of people and wait for way too many traffic lights in Chinatown. My basic route was out over the Brooklyn Bridge and back over the Manhattan Bridge, but I added on a mile or so (as much as I could stand) in Chinatown/the Lower East Side. Not the best idea during rush hour. But I lived to tell the tale.
When I got to the Foundation office today things were very quiet and I was working on an article for one of our newsletters. Then, I heard someone say that the (ING) NYCM lottery results had been posted. I checked and (yay!) my Boston running partner Mary had been accepted. Whoo-hoo! Hopefully we'll both make it to the starting line healthy. But after checking on Mary, one of my co-worker's phone began to ring...and ring and ring. It turned out that on the entrant database, people who were not accepted into the lottery were urged to sign up for the Team for Kids, which is a special marathon training program that raises money to support the Foundation. My co-worker is one of the Team for Kids coordinators, so her number was listed on the NYCM Web site! She had about 50 messages on her phone an hour after the lottery results were posted. Thus I spent the rest of my day there helping out with that crisis! I was glad to be able to help--it was a side of the marathon that I have never experienced!
Tonight I biked and lifted and ate leftovers with my sister while Matt was at the Yankee game. Now I'm pooped so I will go to bed shortly. I am looking forward to waking up tomorrow and feeling the breeze from the river instead of the air conditioner!
Posted by becky at 10:23 PM | Comments (3)
June 14, 2005
Hot as hell (still/again)
When I went for my morning pre-workout run, it was already more than 80 degrees and I looked like I had jumped in a pool when I was done (I wish). There was a little breeze, but that only made the fishy smell from the seaport worse going over the Brooklyn Bridge. Yum!
My day was very uneventful. I didn't get a response from my boss on some things I asked him about yesterday, so I didn't have a whole lot to do. I have a small assignment but I will do it tomorrow when I'm back in the office. So I pretty much chilled out today, did some errands and set up our new printer. Someone came to look at our air conditioners, because the thermostat won't go lower than 85+ degrees although it's blowing some cold air. The guy said that they may need to be replaced. I feel kind of bad because this probably wouldn't have come up if we weren't living here for the summer, but....we're living here for the summer and it's hot!
I was dreading track all day because of the weather. It took me a shorter time to get over there than usual for some reason, so I sat in the shade for a little while since I was pretty sweaty from the walk. When people finally started to arrive I "warmed up" and got an inkling of how difficult doing 400s would be. I did feel sluggish, but at least I was consistent. A big group of us worked together and polished off 12x400 at 5K pace and managed to pick up the pace on the last 5 or 6, which was impressive. I couldn't quite catch my two usual training partners on the last one (and they raced on Saturday!) but it was still my fastest one.
I didn't do that much distance tonight, but I'm sure tomorrow's run will be a challenge just because I'll be more dehydrated and tired than usual. I think I need to make sure that I take it EASY and not force myself to run more than 5 or 6 miles if that is what my body wants to do!
Posted by becky at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2005
Super hot, but not too bad
I was dreading going outside for my run this morning because I knew how hot it was supposed to be, and I didn't get out the door until a little later than I had intended. In general, I feel sluggish at the start of runs and it tends to take about a half hour for things to come together. Today, though,
I felt nauseous after about a mile, which is rare. But I tried to relax and drink my nice icy frozen Gatorade (melting by the minute) and I did start to feel better. I ran toward Prospect Park and was grateful for the shade when I got there. I also brought my new iPod shuffle with me, which was great! I had it in my back pocket and it didn't bother me at all. The only thing is that my profuse sweating may not be so great for it--I will buy one of those waterproof cases soon.
Coming back from the park was tough--especially at the very end--but I did the loop a little faster (2 minutes or so) than I had with T. a couple of weeks ago, so I felt good about that. I couldn't get enough to drink when I got home and during the rest of the day, which has been the norm lately--but easily remedied.
I met my sister in the gym after going to work for the afternoon but we both felt crappy biking because it was pretty hot in there. I attempted to lift a little, but I was having a major sugar low so it didn't go very well. But while I was standing there doing some free weights before deciding it was better to go home and eat, this big, muscular guy came up to me and pronounced me a "million dollar baby." He said I looked really intense and strong! Too bad I was feeling weak, but I was flattered by the compliment!
I am going to go catch up on my magazines. We just got a stack of magazines in the mail after the post office finally caught on to our mail forwarding request! I glanced through Runner's World and was very glad to note that in the Best Running Cities list, Washington trumped Boulder by quite a few spots. I'm glad I'm not the only one that realizes there are a milllion great places to run in DC!
Posted by becky at 10:11 PM | Comments (3)
June 11, 2005
Big day of running in NYC
Matt and I are on the train to Westchester right now, so hopefully I’ll remember to post this when I get to my parents’ house! Aside from sitting on the subway and on a bus, this is the first time I’ve gotten to sit down and collect my thoughts after a long day. I was out the door this morning for a quick run before 6am, and although it was difficult to get up so early (especially when Matt and his sister came home from being out at around 3:30am) but it was actually nice to run in the city before any of the tourists were awake. I saw a lot of bikers on the Brooklyn Bridge, but I didn’t have to dodge the throngs of walkers (amblers would be more precise) enjoying the view. I was a little nervous in lower Manhattan/Chinatown because it was so empty—except for the homeless people sleeping in the parks—but I quickly got over that. I returned to Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge, which I am beginning to really like. For one thing, the pedestrian path is lower than the cars, so it is somewhat shady and definitely shielded from direct sunlight. Secondly, the path runs along one side of the bridge, so you get a great view of what’s around without any obstruction. Finally, the path is relatively flat! I assumed that they were all sloped similarly to the one over the Brooklyn Bridge, but happily that is not the case.
I was really worried about having a subway mixup and not getting to the start of the Mini in time to get a spot on the press truck, but it all worked out. The subway line I needed to take was screwy, but there were lots of other runners headed to Central Park to follow. I met Alison near the race start at Tavern on the Green and we joined the rest of the reporters, photographers and VIPs aboard the truck. It was really cool to be waiting on the truck, watching runners like Benita Johnson and Tegla Loroupe finish their final warm-ups mixed in with top local athletes and recreational runners.
Once the race started, it turned out to be sort of anticlimactic. Lornah Kiplagat took the lead right from the beginning and ended up far enough ahead of everyone else so that those of us in the lead vehicle were only able to see her race and had no idea what was happening in the chase pack. Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome to watch her seemingly effortless stride as she clicked off close to 5-minute miles, but I wanted to see where everyone else was! When we got to the finish, I was able to see some more finishes. I was especially impressed with a woman from DC (a friend of a friend) who was one of the top American women. In fact, I was impressed with everyone who ran hard today—the humidity and heat were awful.
After the race, I spent a couple of hours working on my story for the NYRR site and then it was time to go to the Reebok Grand Prix. Many of the people I worked with in the morning covering the Mini were also working at this meet, so I was very grateful to just be able to sit there with Matt and enjoy it. Although the weather was obviously not ideal for the distance races, we saw some great performances, including a gutsy a few sub-2:00 800s (Jen Toomey, Treniere Clement are two of them that I can remember), a near-world record 5K and a really exciting finish in the men’s 3K. My favorite part of the meet was the fact that after their races, most of the athletes came up and sat in the stands with friends and family. I’m definitely a track groupie so I loved looking behind me and seeing Shalane Flanagan and Amy Mortimer right there! Getting back to Brooklyn from the meet took an interminably long time, but all in all I had a great day and enjoyed being so close to the action!
Posted by becky at 11:22 PM | Comments (1)
June 10, 2005
Doesn't feel like a Friday
Probably because I am working tomorrow--although I'm looking forward to covering the Mini--today didn't feel like a Friday. I have to get up very early to get in even an hour-long run before the rest of the day's events, including spectating at the Reebok Grand Prix and then going back to Westchester for my birthday, so I'm hoping that today's decision to cross-train will allow me a decent run tomorrow and a good long run on Sunday.
Anyway, my morning was fairly boring. I jogged to the gym (6 minutes) and then rode the bike while watching various morning talk shows and a classic episode of Who's the Boss?. I love that show and it still makes me laugh! One of the best things about NYSC (and the other SCs on the East Coast) are the flat-screen TVs attached to the cardio machines. I could never watch while ellipticalling or running on the treadmill, but it's perfect for biking, especially when I'm out of books.
I spent the rest of the day at the Foundation office and then stopped by the main NYRRC office to pick up something and hang out with Alison a little bit. I think I've roped her into running on Sunday with me at Rockefeller, which is exciting. It will be a b-day long run so she has to run at my pace! Hah.
Nothing exciting going on tonight. My sister invited me out to a move but I need to go to bed early in order to be able to wake up tomorrow. Matt's sister and boyfriend are also coming for the weekend and are staying over tonight so I have to clean up the apartment a little so they can fit!
Posted by becky at 7:53 PM | Comments (2)
June 9, 2005
A long, hot day
The early summer heat wave continues to drive me crazy...I ran early this morning with T., and I brought frozen Gatorade with me this time. It was amazing how quickly it melted. But it was nice to have it stay cold a little longer than usual! We intended on doing a Prospect Park loop but ended up changing the route around when we ran into one of T.'s running partners in the park. We changed directions so they could catch up with each other a little and then ended up running back to Brooklyn Heights through some neighborhoods to make up for the part of the park loop that we didn't do. At one point, we took a wrong turn and ended up in some sort of bus yard. I was really glad not to be alone! My knee bothered me off and on today during the run so I decided to take some Advil when I got home and that seems to have helped it during the rest of the day. Maybe I should start taking glucosamine/chondroitin again--that helped me with patellar tendonitis some years ago--but they stopped making the one brand of pill that wasn't huge and difficult for me to swallow.
Later in the morning, I headed up to Tavern on the Green for the press conference for the Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K (I'm practicing calling the race by its full name) which I will be covering on Saturday for the New York Road Runners (thanks to Alison for recommending me for the job!) It was pretty by-the-book as press conferences go, and no one asked any really provocative questions of the athletes who were there--Benita Johnson, Colleen DeReuck and Lornah Kiplagat. Colleen's family was there with her and I thought of introducing myself to her husband Darren because he coaches my good friend Vicky, but then I got a little shy (sorry Vic!).
After the press conference I had a little time to kill, so I fit in a lifting session. I was desperate for places that were air conditioned, and the gym was a good choice! It was really oppressive out there today.
Then, I went up to meet someone from the Foundation at an after school track practice at an elementary school in the Bronx. Despite the heat, these kids were running around with smiles on their faces--it was very impressive and inspiring. Four of the kids on this team will be competing on Sunday in a special co-ed 4x100 meter relay at the Reebok Grand Prix meet at Icahn Stadium on Saturday. They were really psyched and I can't wait to watch them!
After my long day I pretty much just crashed. I ordered in some food since Matt is out tonight and hung out with my sister. Tomorrow I am going to take a cross-training day since it's been too many weeks since I have. I really want to swim but I'm not sure if it is going to work out and I may just opt for biking since I can do that in Brooklyn. I just hope I don't drive myself crazy all day about taking a non-running day!
Posted by becky at 8:46 PM | Comments (3)
June 8, 2005
Offensive is an understatement
Sometimes I wonder why I am so loyal to the East Coast since I detest the soupy summer weather. It's not like there aren't other cities where the weather is more to my liking all year round. But then again, I do believe that the harsh winters and summers in New York and New England can, in theory, make you a stronger runner. I'm just not sure that's how it's working for me.
I met T. early this morning but it was already almost 80 degrees and pretty sunny. He was feeling good because he took the last two days off and I was feeling like crap after the workout last night, so we made a good pair. Still, I was really glad to have company and he showed me some neat things in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn (DUMBO stands for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass.) We ran over the Brooklyn Bridge, through Chinatown (something I realized can only be done in the early morning) and then back over the Manhattan Bridge, which I had never done. DUMBO is an artist/loft neighborhood that is currently experiencing a revitalization. There is a beautiful park that stretches almost from the Manhattan Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge and T. says more green space is slated for that area if the neighborhood complainers stop griping. Another thing T. pointed out is Food Network star Jacques Torres' chocolate factory and pastry shop right on the waterfront between the bridges. It smelled delicious when we ran by and I can't wait to go there to try some chocolate!
Despite my lingering dehydration from the workout last night, today's run wasn't terrible, especially since I drank Gatorade throughout. However, my kneecap is still hurting me some--kind of like a combination betweeen patellar tendonitis and ITB pain. Very odd. Of course this is my left knee which has bothered me off and on pretty much since the Boston Marathon in 2002. It's got to be biomechanical, so I am working on strengthening the muscles around the knee at the gym, which has worked before. Someday I will figure this all out and run pain-free.
Speaking of strengthening, I did some errands downtown near Wall Street this afternoon so I decided to check out a different NYSC branch. It was a little nicer than the Brooklyn Heights location and the bikes had sweet flat screen TVs attached--nice! Too bad nothing except makeover shows and soap operas were on. When I was lifting, one of the trainers came by and gave me some pointers. I was very grateful! That doesn't happen at the MIT gym.
Tonight we are going out to dinner in Murray Hill with good friends of ours to celebrate a bunch of birthdays (mine's coming up this weekend too!) I am already hungry and the reservation is 2 hours away!
Posted by becky at 4:52 PM | Comments (1)
June 7, 2005
A hot one
Although I spent a lot of the day inside today, I don't think our air conditioner is working all that well. It was actually better with the windows open in the morning thanks to the breeze coming off the river. I did my new pre-workout loop when I woke up--out and back over the Brooklyn Bridge--and didn't think it was as bad (humidity-wise) as yesterday. Then I hung out here for awhile (no work today) and went out to do some errands around lunchtime, and it was pretty offensive again.
All told, to get to the East River Track takes me about an hour. The quickest part is on the subway (10 minutes or so) and the rest is on foot. So the more of the route that I run, the shorter the trip becomes. I intended on jogging part of the way there, but I was so sweaty just from walking that I decided to wait and just run around the track when I got there and had easier access to my water and Gatorade. This ended up being a good decision since we started late (I think that is normal with this group) so I had plenty of time to get a couple of miles in.
Everyone was complaining about the heat and humidity, and our coach told us just to listen to our bodies. We did 800s at 5K pace and then some 300s for form and finishing speed after that. I stuck with a few guys for all the 800s and was consistent or got faster as I went along. I didn't feel that bad, actually, just like I was working way too hard for the pace that I was running. On the last 800, the group started while I was grabbing a drink from my water bottle so I felt like I was playing catch-up the whole time. That one felt the worst, and then the 300s were pitiful. But the 800s were the real "meat" of the workout so at least I did okay on those. My knee, which has been bothering me lately, was okay for most of it but is stiff and a little sore now. I am not particularly looking forward to tomorrow's run, but thankfully I will have company: T. and I are meeting up again. He knows I had track tonight and supposedly we're taking it easy. I hope so!
Posted by becky at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)
June 6, 2005
Day at the 'office'
To borrow my sister's term, it was offensively hot today. I ran pretty early but it was already gross. I did a shortened loop of Prospect Park because just getting there (about 20 minutes) nearly wore me out, even with Gatorade. I know that I am slowly acclimating to the humidity but right now, an hour of running has to be good enough on a day like today. That's all I'm going to say about today's run--oh, except that my knee was bothering me again, especially going downhill--because I'm ready to forget about it.
Later on in the morning, I went to the tiny office that the Foundation has on the Upper East Side. (As Alison can attest to, the New York Road Runners Club staffers have much more space in their headquarters, but somehow the Foundation got the shaft!) I saw some of the people I had met at the meet on Friday and met some new ones too. I spent most of the day editing and rewriting a bunch of articles for a newsletter. It was kind of fun to be back in an office environment again, but I was ready to leave at the end of the day!
I met my sister at the gym after work (by that time it was already 6:30) and we biked and I showed her some weights. She doesn't lift much but has been wanting me to give her a little orientation. Unfortunately it was super-crowded and I couldn't even find half the weights I wanted for myself! We were both pretty hungry so we didn't last too long lifting...but at least I did a little!
All my traipsing around the city in 90-degree weather carrying my laptop has made me tired! It is quite likely that I will be asleep before my head hits the pillow tonight.
Posted by becky at 9:05 PM | Comments (2)
June 5, 2005
Some running and lots of driving
Today was one of those days when I didn't even do that much but I am tired from the effort anyway. It was already really hot and humid when I woke up and luckily most of the route I chose to do this morning was in the shade. Even so, I did not enjoy it too much. My IT band was bothering me a bit again--maybe after all the hills in Rockefeller?--and I felt like I was weighed down by all my sweat. When I finally got back to Matt's mom's house, I was creating puddles of sweat just waiting for someone to answer the door. Welcome to summer on the East Coast, right?
After eating a quick breakfast and putting on my dress, it was time to leave for the wedding we had on Long Island. We made pretty good time getting out there and had a nice time. Of course, since it was hot, the temple was over-air-conditioned and even I was freezing! But we got to catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones, which is always a fun part of weddings (for me at least!)
On our way home from the wedding, we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam getting over the Whitestone Bridge. It took almost two hours from door to door. Shortly after we got back to Westchester, we left for Brooklyn with Matt's mom, who is staying with us tonight and tomorrow in the apartment. That was another hour in the car (though I appreciated the ride) which just made the day drag on a little bit more. But now we're back here and catching up on the Sunday paper and laundry, so all is well. I think it's supposed to be a hot and humid week, so I'm hoping that I continue to acclimate.
Posted by becky at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
June 4, 2005
Just a (short) long run
Every year when it starts to get humid I feel like I don't ever want to run anymore. Today wasn't as bad as they are predicting for tomorrow, but I had to wring myself out (gross, I know) at 20 minutes into the run so I count that as humid. Anyway, I went to Rockefeller where at least you are protected from the sun from the most part, but I got there a little later than I had intended, so that didn't help things. Having Gatorade helped, but the hills and humidity made the last few miles really awful. I did a loop that was took me 1:45. I'm not sure of the distance but I wasn't moving very fast. I was glad to get back to my car and was kind of down when I finished, because I feel like I was doing 3-hour runs much more easily than today's run just a few months ago. But I guess there's time still to build up for a fall marathon (I'm shooting for NY this year.)
On the way back from Rockefeller, I stopped to get a seltzer (although Mary, if you're reading this, I almost got a Diet Coke!) and ran into a high school teacher. I haven't seen him in more than 10 years and I was honored that he remembered me as a runner! And that he said I looked exactly the same, just confirming my suspicions about how young I look!
My back/shoulder is still bothering me so I'm holding off on lifting for a couple more days. I was going to swim in the little pool at Matt's mom's house this afternoon but I did some work for awhile and then fell asleep and by that time I wasn't feeling like it. I miss my big pool at MIT. I'll swim sporadically this summer but I'm resigning myself to the fact that I'll have to build my swimming skills and endurance back up in the fall.
Now we're off to a rehearsal dinner for our friends who are getting married tomorrow. Hopefully we'll actually get a chance to talk to them since we haven't seen them in almost a year!
Posted by becky at 5:18 PM | Comments (0)
June 3, 2005
Exploring Prospect Park
Even though the humid air made me feel rather sluggish this morning, I was really glad to have company and a tour guide to lead the way from my apartment to Prospect Park. T. has lived in Brooklyn for a number of years and has already shared many of his "standard" routes with me by email. Today we met in person (he lives only a couple of blocks away from where we are staying) and we ran to Prospect Park (about 2.5 miles, I think), did a loop of the park (almost 3.5) and then back home a different way. T. was concerned that I wouldn't want to "slow down for an old man" but we compromised at about 8:30 pace and that was just fine for me today. I miss having company so I'll run at pretty much any pace!
We chatted almost the whole way, but I did notice how cool Prospect Park is. Having never been there, I imagined it more like Rock Creek Park in Washington. But it was just like Central Park, only half the size. Next time I go back I'll try to explore a little more, but today we just stayed on the main path that loops around the perimeter. It's fairly hilly but nothing too bad--it will be good to run that loop a couple of times a week.
After the run and a few errands, I took the subway all the way up to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. I haven't been there in a few years, and never to the track stadium where I was headed today. The track meet going on there marked the culmination of the "season" for NYC school kids participating in the New York Road Runners Foundation (NYRRF--where I'm working this summer)after-school running program. There were hundreds of kids there and it was quite chaotic but very inspiring. I met my new boss and interviewed some kids and parents about the program and how it has impacted their lives. Good stuff. I have some follow-up work to do on that this weekend in between a rehearsal dinner and a wedding we are invited to.
Now we're back in Westchester because this wedding requires that we use our car. We planned to come back tomorrow but changed it to tonight when the weather was crappy. I hope to get in a good run at Rockefeller tomorrow since we're in the area! Enjoy your weekends!
Posted by becky at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2005
Dodging tourists in Lower Manhattan
This will change once I am working, but right now I don't have a set schedule and I haven't been going running until about 9am. That means that (with a limited knowledge of where to run) I have to navigate through bunches of elementary school kids walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, people dashing from the subway into work at City Hall when I get over the bridge, and tourists waiting to get on the ferry to Liberty Island. Today I felt better while running (I brought some Gatorade with me) but I had some close calls with wandering tourists. I ran over the bridge, then to the promenade on the West Side and then around the tip of Manhattan to loop back to the bridge. I was feeling slightly guilty not attending the road workout that the track club has on Thursdays, but I can do pickups on my own when I'm feeling more motivated. I want to have a good summer and fall of running so I can finally complete a marathon I've trained for! I haven't run one since Chicago 2003 because of my various injuries.
We didn't do a whole lot today except read and enjoy the sun on our balcony. I went to the gym this evening and biked and then did some lifting, but my left shoulder/upper back is really bothering me. I must have done something funky yesterday with the weights and not noticed until I tried to lift again. I hope it feels better tomorrow because it is very painful right now.
Tomorrow morning (earlier than I have gone running in weeks...maybe months) I'm meeting one of Matt's mom's colleagues, a professor at the law school, for a run. He has lived in Brooklyn for years and is going to show me Prospect Park. I'm very excited both for the company and the tour of Brooklyn so that I have more running route options! Later in the day, I'll be heading up to Van Cortlandt Park for a youth track meet sponsored by the foundation I am working for this summer. It will be a loooong subway ride up there but I can't wait!
Posted by becky at 8:22 PM | Comments (0)
June 1, 2005
Weather woes; Gym joining
It's not even hot yet and I'm already needing to carry fluid with me on everyday runs. I might have been extra dehydrated this morning because of last night's workout, but I was dying for a water fountain when I got over the bridge, less than 20 minutes into the run. I eventually did find 2 water fountains, but not until I was almost finished. It was not a good run--nothing hurt, I was just mentally out of it. I didn't even run that much on the track last night so I'm not sure I can blame it on that--maybe all the walking to and from the workout made me extra tired? Who knows. But I did explore the West Side bike path a little bit, and noticed that the WTC site looks almost like any other huge development/construction site now when I ran past. If you didn't know, you might think that's what it was. The last time I ran by it, in January 2004, it was still more of a gaping hole. Now there is a lot of work going on. Which is good, I guess--but it still gives me a weird, creepy feeling, like once they build over the site it will be as if nothing ever happened, especially for non-New Yorkers who had never visited pre-9/11 Manhattan.
Anyway, Matt and I did a little more exploring around the Brooklyn Heights area and found some great fresh cheese and other goodies at a famous Mediterreanean market. Later in the afternoon, I went over to New York Sports Club and paid through the nose to have access to a gym this summer. I tried to make a deal with the guy, but it seemed like there was only one "lowest" price they could offer me. Oh, well--at least I know I'll use it. I biked and lifted after signing up and really missed the MIT gym. I was a member of WSC in Washington and I know that some of the gyms are nicer than others, so I'll have to explore other locations in Brooklyn and the ones in Manhattan when I plan to run in Central Park.
We tried a new sushi place tonight and it wasn't my favorite. I miss our old standard in DC (we haven't really found one yet in Boston) but I'm sure I can find another in this huge city that is more to my liking!
Posted by becky at 9:52 PM | Comments (1)