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March 29, 2005
Rain, Rain, Go Away
The sun came out today for the first time in more than a week. Briefly, but it counts. And thank goodness it does, because I was about ready to go out a window. I don't mind running in the rain--in fact, I often enjoy it--but more than a week straight is a bit much. Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful: in the 60s and all-out sunny, instead of just sunbreaks. So I'm really looking forward to my run in the morning--I'm hoping it will be short sleeves weather. It actually could have been short sleeves weather today; I was really warm in long sleeves. And I even considered taking off my gloves--that's when you know it's really warm! (Sometimes I make the switch to running in just a sports bra, and still don't take off the gloves!)
My 8-mile run this morning was pretty good--nothing spectacular, just an everyday run. I was feeling kind of tired at the end, but I wound up running more than a 1-minute negative split so I must not have been that tired. I was hoping to get back on my favorite trail, but it really poured yesterday and I had a feeling it would be impassably muddy. It had better dry up soon--I'm starting to feel the fact that I've been running on pavement a lot recently. After work I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical and abs. My gym hasn't made the switch from heat to air conditioning yet (it's on the first floor of a large office building, and I don't think they have control over the main HVAC system) and the last two days have been warm enough that the gym turns into a sauna. I still feel like I'm the only person who sweats a lot, though--I don't understand how everyone else isn't dripping!
Yesterday I ran a semi-hard 6 miles in the morning--I was feeling good so I pushed the pace. It was one of the times where I really had fun running in the rain--it raining hard, but it was warm. I love the looks you get from people all bundled up in their cars, and the looks you exchange with the other people "crazy" enough to be outside in bad weather. After work I did 50 minutes on the elliptical and lifted.
Backtracking a few more days--last Wednesday I didn't run quite what I wanted to at the track, but I did run hard, and felt like I put in a really good effort. I think I'm just not capable of running what I want to right now, so good effort will have to suffice. Eventually I'll be able to keep up with the girl I always used to beat!
Thursday morning I ran a VERY hilly 8 miles, and felt much stronger than I'd expected to having done a workout only 12 hours before. I also did 40 minutes on the elliptical at lunchtime (I couldn't go to the gym after work because I was going out to dinner with my Dad. We had a wonderful evening, by the way--defintely worth not having time to lift).
Although I felt good Thursday morning, by Friday I was really feeling the workout and the hills. Good thing I had an all-x-training day planned. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 on the bike, and lifted. I considered doing more cardio, but my legs were starting to feel really dead and didn't think another 30 minutes on some dumb machine were worth risking them feeling dead for long run the next morning too.
Saturday I ran 14 miles, my longest run since January 2 (which, coincidentally, or perhaps not coincidentally, was my last run before injury shut me down). It wasn't my best run. My legs were still kind of tired, and I had a cramp that I just couldn't shake, and had to stop a couple of times to walk and stretch. I'm not sure I would have even noticed the tiredness if the cramp hadn't totally wrecked my momentum. But--who cares about pain? Becky was in town! It was so great to see her and run with her again--I hope all you folks in Boston know how lucky you are to have her there.
Posted by jessie at 9:51 PM | Comments (22)
March 27, 2005
Kindness is Contagious
It's a cliche that cliches are true for a reason, but that doesn't change the fact that it's really nice to experience the reason for a cliche like the above. I did my regular Sunday routine today--run to the gym, elliptical, bike, strength work for my legs--and on the way home I was stopped at an intersection across from a homeless man who was panhandling drivers. I had a couple bucks in my pocket for buying Gatorade at the gym, and the light favored me running over to his corner, so I ran across the street and gave him a dollar. As I was crossing back, I made eye contact with a stopped driver. She rolled down her window, waved the homeless man over, and gave him a dollar as well. Maybe she was planning on giving him money anyway, but maybe my action inspired her action. Not that two dollars are going to get that man a place to sleep, or solve DC's terrible homeless problem, but it was all I could do at that moment in time, and it was a nice moment to be a part of.
I actually ran a little farther, and a little harder, than I usually do on run/gym days. My gym was closing early because of Easter, so I cut the cardio a little short (25 minutes elliptical, and 25 bike instead of 30 each) and added 10 minutes to the run home. I went the long way around to my apartment, which takes me up a steady (and steep!) mile-long hill, and then there's about a 3/4 very slight downhill back home. It's a perfect way to end--it's just enough of an incline that you can really cruise, but not so much that it feels like cheating. (I always feel like running downhill doesn't really "count," despite the ample evidence to the contrary provided by, oh, say, the Boston course.) I felt really strong going up the hill and really pushed it, and had so much fun on the last part. Whenever I come home that way I feel like I'm flying, and just grin like an idiot the entire time. Not a bad way to end a workout!
Posted by jessie at 9:47 PM | Comments (1)
March 25, 2005
A Public Apology
...to the girl I snapped at this morning in the metro for bumping into me. Commuting sometimes makes me grumpy and hostile, and I took it out on her when she didn't deserve it. There's not a chance in a zillion that she's reading this, but I'm hoping that just putting the apology out into the universe will help my karma out a little bit.
Okay, back to work for now...updates on the last few days pending.
Posted by jessie at 1:44 PM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2005
Ugh Again
I had another crummy run today, which was very frustrating. It was especially frustrating because it should have been a good run--my legs felt pretty fresh, I had gotten a decent night's sleep, it was a beautiful morning--but my stomach hurt so much I could barely stand up straight, much less run well. I have chronic stomach problems--I had colic as a baby, and my stomach has basically been a mess since then. Most of the time I can deal with it, probably because I'm so used to hurting I don't even notice it anymore, but sometimes it gets so bad it's incapacitating (I've had to leave meetings, pull my car to the side of the road, etc.). Sometimes it hurts when I wake up in the morning, but it's usually okay by the time I get out the door for my run, or at least within a few minutes of starting my run. I was optimistic this morning that I would feel better once I got going, but my optimism was misplaced. I didn't start to feel okay until almost 30 minutes in, and I was only going 6 miles so that was the majority of my run. And by the time I finally felt good, I was too exhausted from feeling bad to enjoy it. I just hope that now I've gotten my crappy runs out of the way for the week, so that I feel good for track tomorrow night. After work I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the elliptical and a little bit of abs. I didn't have time to do more because I was going out to dinner--my friend S. and I were overdue for a margaritas-and-complaining-about-boys night.
I'm kind of nervous for the workout tomorrow. We're doing 2x15 minutes at tempo pace, which isn't necessarily a nerve-wracking workout, but I'm looking it as a test of where my fitness is (or isn't) in preparation for a race on April 3--the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler. It's one of our biggest local races, maybe our biggest race. Marine Corps and the Army Ten-Miler have more runners, but Cherry Blossom draws some serious quality elite runners--Isabella Ochichi, Catherine Ndereba, Olga Romanova, John Korir, Rueben Cheruiyot. Registration always closes within a few days, so I registered for it way back in December, when I thought I'd be in great shape training for Boston. Last year at this time I had just gotten off crutches, and had to watch the race from my bike (which was actually quite exciting--I coulnd't believe how tiny Ndereba was in person) so I'm looking forward to at least being able to be run this year. Everyone from my club is running, so I definitely want to be there, even if I'm not in shape to race. I just have no idea what pace I should try to run it--I don't even know if I could run 70 minutes right now. Hence, tomorrow's workout as a test. I want to run at 6:40 pace or under, and if that feels okay then I'll feel better about trying to run 70 minutes. And maybe I'll even bother to wear the chip...although I think the jury will be out on that one until the day of.
Posted by jessie at 10:09 PM | Comments (14)
March 21, 2005
Ugh
I had a godawful run today. When I started, I wasn't sure how far I would go--anywhere from 5-7, depending on how I felt--and within a mile I knew it was only going to be 5.
I had originally planned to run in the morning, but when my alarm went off I changed my mind. It was supposed to be a really nice day today, so I justified being lazy by saying that I wanted to run at lunch to enjoy the weather. It was a beautiful day--sunny and in the high fifties--but it was really, really windy, which I absolutely, completely detest. I could have dealt with the wind, though, I think, if I hadn't felt crummy. I always feel kind of weird running at lunchtime--it's an odd time for me blood sugar-wise--although I usually have a snack and get by. But today was one of those days where I woke up starving, and stayed starving, despite a good breakfast and two pieces of toast before my run. I was worried that if I ate anymore I'd get a cramp, and I figured that was worse than feeling a little shaky. In retrospect, I should have gone with the cramp--but I'd be probably be saying the opposite if that's what I'd done. Oh well, not every run can be great.
After work I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 on the bike, and lifted. I'm pleased with how consistent I've been with lifting lately-I'm starting to see results, which encourages me to remain consistent.
Okay, off to bed--I intend to actually get out of bed when my alarm goes off tomorrow!
Posted by jessie at 10:52 PM | Comments (1)
March 20, 2005
Sundays
I've used that title before, to write about my favorite Sunday route, a ten-mile route through the woods that was great for the day after a long run. I'm not up for 10-milers the day after "long" runs yet, but I do have a new Sunday workout routine that I'm really happy with--running the 4-mile round trip to my gym, and doing an hour of cardio and then lifting, usually legs. (I've written about this before, but it just occurred to me today that it has become my routine, and that I like it.) It's a pretty long workout, so I feel like I get the same strength/endurance benefits as from doing a longish run the day after a long run. My legs were pretty tired today-I was fine on the run over and at the gym, but I was definitely dragging on the way home. The gym was pretty fun-I like it on Sundays, when it's pretty empty, and I can talk to some of the trainers I'm friendly with, and to the other diehards who are there. Today there were a bunch of us lined up on the stationary bikes yelling at the UCONN game-I can't believe there was another upset! It's about time to burn all my brackets-although I am ahead of most of my coworkers in the office pool. This year's tournament is one of attrition-whoever's brackets are the least decimated will win.
Posted by jessie at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2005
Basketball and Spring
Just got home from watching one of the best basketball games I've ever seen-West Virginia over Wake Forest in double overtime. At least Kansas is now in good (well, technically, bad) company in upset-land.
I'm about to fall asleep, so I'm not going to write much now, but this morning I had the best run I've had since I started running again. Everything came together, and I felt awesome. It was the first run where I've felt loose--my hips, my shoulders, everything was smooth. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, too--you could smell that spring is coming. It was sunny and mid-40's when we started running, and got up to 60 in the afternoon (we turned off the heat in our apartment and opened the windows!). There were people out running in tights and jackets, and I don't know how they did it--I was in short sleeves (and gloves) and by the time I finished I was really hot.
Including the jog over to where my club meets and back, I had 14 miles for the day; the run itself was 12. Perhpas more important than I how felt during the run, though, is how I feel now, which is good-no pain! Thanks, everyone, for your words of encouragement about remaining patient--today I really feel like Alison's right, and "healthy not fast" will eventually turn into "healthy AND fast."
Posted by jessie at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2005
TIME FLIES
Once again, somehow, an entire week has gone by before I had a chance to realize it. But being busy is definitely better than being bored-and it's a good thing I feel that way, because I have definitely been busy. A brief detour before I write about workouts: I got a promotion at work about a month ago, and since then I've been able to take on a lot of more interesting projects. Previously, I was doing all the communications for our CEO, ghostwriting articles for him and the like, but now I'm doing more in our marketing and press department. Including--this is the exciting part--writing articles with my own byline! Granted, they're trade publications, with titles like "Plumbing Standards" and "Construction Specifier" (we're an environmental association focused on the building industry) but hey, my name in print is my name in print! So what if only a few hundred plumbers (and my mom) ever see it?
Anyway, when I haven't been reading up on construction specification, I've been working out. Since it's been a few days, I'll start with Wednesday and go forward.
Wed: Track night. The workout was 5x1000 at 5k pace. I don't really have a 5k pace right now (at least not on that I want to make public) so I decided them at about 6:30 pace, which is a little quicker than I've been running during workouts. I ran the first one in 4:03, a 6:31 pace, and cut down a little bit from there, running the last one in 3:57, 6:21 pace. I was pretty happy with my effort--I ran fairly hard, and it was the longest workout I've done since I've been running again--even if I wasn't happy with the times. A friend that I'm used to beating kicked my butt, which was pretty demoralizing. I try to keep reminding myself that she's at the peak of her Boston training, whereas I'm at the peak of nothing, but still. Keep repeating the mantra: healthy not fast, healthy not fast...Before track I went to the gym for 30 mins on the elliptical.
Thurs: Easy 6 mile in the am. My legs felt really tight when I started, but by the end of the run they felt pretty loose, albeit tired from the night before. I ran a 30 second negative split, which isn't bad over 6 miles. And it was a beautiful morning, fairly warm and sunny. And picturesque--the river was chock full of people rowing, which looks nice with all the monuments in the background. The crew teams must be finished with winter conditioning, and everyone is getting back on the water. After work I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the elliptical, and then did lower-body lifting. My legs were dead by the end of the night--I could barely make it up my stairs!
Friday: All x-training day. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 on the bike, abs, and lifted a little. I had planned to get more cardio in today, but I couldn't get away from work at lunch, and then I stayed there later than I had planned, and I didn't want to do too much at night since I have a "long" run in the morning. The route for tomorrow is 15 miles (and was chosen by two of my friends who met through the running club, and are getting married on Sunday, to commemorate their relationship--we're going by the place they first met, their apartment, etc., very cute) but I'm only going to run 12. I hope it's as nice out tomorrow as it was today--I didn't get to enjoy the outdoors at all today.
Posted by jessie at 9:16 PM | Comments (12)
March 15, 2005
BAD OMENS
Question: How can you tell that you're going to have a bad day?
Answer: When you look down at your feet as you're stepping into the subway car and realize...you're wearing two different shoes. Of different colors. Sigh.
My day actually wasn't too terrible; I'm just super busy and stressed out at work, even more than normal (as evidenced by the fact that I'm so distracted I can't seem to manage to dress myself). And compared to yesterday, it had to be a good day. Nothing particularly bad happened yesterday, it was just one of those all around crappy days, where every problem seems like an insurmountable crisis. It required a major force of will to get myself to the gym, but once I got there and got moving I felt much better. Which of course I knew I would (and is how I convinced myself to go in the first place). I did an hour on the elliptical and 30 minutes on the bike, and decided that my self-pep-talk abilities were too taxed to convince myself to lift.
I had a really nice 8-mile run this morning. It was a gorgeous morning-very sunny and cold, one of those days where the air and the sky look crisp, where the edges of things seem more defined. I ran along the river for a few miles, then crossed a bridge and came back along the other shore. On the way out, I was wishing I'd worn shorts because it was warm in the sun. But as soon as I changed direction the wind attacked me, and I was quite happy to be wearing tights. I did not envy the people out on the water for crew practice; they looked damn cold. But compared to some of the days I've seen them out on the water, today was like being in the Bahamas.
After work I went to the gym and ellipticaled for 25 minutes, biked for 20, and lifted--no pep-talk required.
Posted by jessie at 9:28 PM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2005
I've spent the last five minutes trying to come up with a title, and I officially give up. This is going to be a short post anyway, because I'm falling asleep as I type, so I'm deeming it not-title-worthy.
I'm about to pass out because I was up until 4 am last night. A friend of mine invited a few of us out to spend the weekend at his family's cabin, and we were up really late talking and listening to music (and there may have been some drinking of beers involved...) It was an absolutely wonderful time-I really needed a day or two away from concrete and traffic and stress, and hiking and reading and eating and drinking and campfires was exactly what I needed. The return to real life tomorrow is going to be fairly traumatizing, but 100% worth it for the 2 days of peace.
I got some good running in this weekend as well. I didn't head out to the cabin until Saturday morning so that I could do a long run. Well, long for me right now. I went 12 miles, which is my longest yet (since New Year's), and I felt really good. Not transcendent, like on Friday, but good. By the end, I was definitely ready to be finished, but I felt pretty strong right until I stopped. And I actually probably ran a little over 12; I ran for time, based on 8 minute miles, but for the majority of the run I was on a marked bike path and was averaging 7:40s. I wouldn't normally be so psyched about that pace for 12 miles, but I am right now. (Although I shouldn't have written that last sentence-I've promised myself to stop making excuses, or feeling like I have to apologize, for how I'm running--because all that matters is that I'm feeling good and healthy, which I do. I can get fast later.)
I debated taking running stuff to the cabin, because I had no idea what the conditions would be like, or how tired and hungover I would be this morning. But I knew that if I didn't take shoes and shorts, and it was possible to run, I would be really annoyed with myself...and I also knew that having stuff with me would motivate me to replace that last beer with a glass of water. I woke up tired and stiff (I'm getting too old for pull-out sofas, plus we hiked a lot on Saturday afternoon) but headache-free, and after a cup of coffee I was ready to go. There was a 2-mile loop trail in the woods behind the cabin (a mile up and a mile down), so I ran that and then headed out onto the roads for a little bit. I only did about 7 in total, but it was wicked hilly so I'm thinking maybe I can count a few extra "hardship" miles :-). It wasn't a great run, but it was a good run--one of those that you kind of want to be over while it's going on, but you finish feeling really happy. I would be happier if I didn't have to go back to the real world tomorrow, but oh well.
Posted by jessie at 9:51 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2005
Runner's High
I'm usually pretty skeptical about the existence of a runner's high. I mean, I've had some great runs, but even great runs aren't generally transporting, or euphoric, or out-of-body-experience inducing. But sometimes they are--I've had a few runs where I just felt so incredibly good, so unbelievably happy to be running, that I become a believer in the runner's high. I just got back from one-- everything flowed, every part of my body felt like it was working the way it was supposed to, and I felt like I was flying. I wish I could put it into words--"damn good" and "freakin' awesome" are all I'm coming up with--but I'm probably writing for an audience that knows exactly how that indescribable feeling feels. I don't know why everything came together tonight--maybe the last few weeks of running are finally catching up to me (whenever I've come back after a layoff, it seems like there are weeks with no progress and then all of a sudden, bam!), and maybe it's just the mental click I had yesterday, that I'm psyched to start working again. Maybe--probably--it's both. Whatever it is, I like it!
Posted by jessie at 6:56 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2005
I Love March!
Ah, basketball...it's almost tournament time! Conference tournaments are in full swing, and selection Sunday looms. I love college basketball all season long, but come tourney time I am truly obsessed. Right about now all the news stories come out about how much productivity suffers during March Madness-I've seen estimates as high as $1.5 billion lost. All that time spent analyzing brackets and then checking scores and praying pays off, though-last year I won my office pool, and this year I'm looking for a repeat. Hey, I'm not exactly winning races right now, so I've got to win something!
This morning I ran a very hilly 8 miles. It wasn't as cold as it was last night, which was nice, although it was cold enough that my headband and back were covered in frost. At least my eyelashes didn't freeze, which used to happen all the time when I lived in Albany. Weather aside, I had a pretty solid run. The hills kicked my butt, but in a good way, not a want-to-be-sick way. It felt great to be working hard, to be pushing myself a little bit on tired legs. The last few days I've been feeling like I'm ready to start taking it up a notch or 2. I'm going to start by bumping up the mileage, making some of my regular runs 8 instead of 6, and taking my "long" run up to 12. Once I get a little stronger and get some endurance back I'll start trying to get some quality workouts in again. But-all things in moderation. I'm still sticking to my run-healthy, no-pressure, no-racing, plan for the spring...I just want to not race a little faster than I have been!
After work I did a quickie session at the gym, 30 minutes on the elliptical and some core work. I meant to get there early enough to put in more time in both areas, but work was nuts and I had a birthday-celebration happy hour to get to. Nothing like beer and cake to undo all my time at the gym!
Posted by jessie at 9:58 PM | Comments (0)
March 9, 2005
Improvement
But not in my running, alas--in the weather. It was still damn cold, but the wind was only 20 mph in stead of 40. So the track was only kind of miserable, instead of really miserable. Actually, I guess there was improvement in my running, too, but the same modest improvement as in the weather--instead of feeling really awful, I only felt kind of awful. The workout was 6 or 8 x 800 with only 200 rest, at about tempo pace. I only did 6, and I ran them pretty slow, 3:23, 3:22, 3:20, 3:17, 3:17, and 3:19. Actually 6:40 is about my ten mile pace when I'm in okay shape, but it felt really hard It was for a combination of reasons--not warming up for long enough, the wind, being exhausted from the mess at work...oh yea, and being out of shape. No way could I hold it for 10 miles right now. My friend J. keeps telling me not to be so hard in myself, that I'm running fine for where I am in coming back, and I know that he's right but I can't help being hard on myself. I feel like I need to apologize or make excuses for not running fast, which is silly--it's not like my friends are judging me for not being race-ready, and I don't need to answer to anyone other than myself. Right now the answer is that I'm not trying to be race ready, so why on earth should it matter that I'm running 800s slower than I was a few months ago? It doesn't matter...but it does. Ah, the existential crises of runners.
Before track, I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the bike. I would have liked to go for longer, and I would have liked to lift, but I couldn't get away from the office at lunch and I didn't have much time after work. Oh well, I got in a pretty long workout yesterday, and I'm hoping I can get in a decent one tomorrow.
Posted by jessie at 9:50 PM | Comments (1)
March 8, 2005
Craziness
So I hear the weather got much worse today further north than it did here, but I don't know that it could have been any weirder. And forget the fact that it was warm enough to run in a sports bra yesterday-although it does make it that much stranger. This morning when I went to the gym, around 6:30, it was pouring rain, but it was warm, in the upper 50s. I walked outside after a meeting at 10 am to discover that it was snowing and the winds were gusting over 30 mph. By the time I left the gym tonight, at 8 pm, winds were up to 40 mph and the temp had dropped to 25. Big surprise, I hadn't bothered to check the weather and I was woefully underdressed for the walk home from the metro. But I learned my lesson and checked the weather for tomorrow-fortunately it's supposed to be less miserable, so I'm hoping the conditions at the track will be less hurricane-like than last week.
Today was a no-running day, since I'd run three days in a row and have track tomorrow night. Fingers crossed, my foot is feeling okay, but I'm still being careful and not running for more than 3 consecutive days. In the morning I did 30 on the elliptical, the one that uses your arms too, and 30 on the bike. At night I did 30 mins on the other elliptical (the one that changes incline) and 30 on the bike, and abs and lower back.
In addition to being conscientious about abs/core work to improve my running strength and form, I'm also going to start doing drills. They're something that I read about all the time, and have attempted sporadically, but I'm serious about getting back into shape and think drills will help. Since I won't be marathon training for a while, I'd like to run some shorter distances this summer, so I need to work on my turnover and flexibility. They look a little silly, but there aren't a lot of people out in my neighborhood early in the morning. And if my neighbors do think I'm crazy, well, they're right!
Posted by jessie at 10:58 PM | Comments (2)
March 7, 2005
Hiatus
Technically, you're supposed to announce a hiatus in advance, and they're generally longer than a few days, but I kind of feel like I've been on hiatus, so that's what I'll call it. There's an extremely difficult and political situation at work right now--it doesn't directly involve me, and I think it's going to work out to my benefit, but it's one of those situations that could change at any moment, so I'm trying to keep my head down at the same time I make sure I'm noticed...not fun. I'm also trying to get some things right in my personal life, so suffice to say I've been a little distracted. Which is why I wrote "I'll update more tomorrow" at the end of my last entry, and it turned into several tomorrows.
Even beyond being busy, though, the days are moving much more quickly than they ever have before. This is the fastest the New Year has turned into March--I'm just getting excited about spring, but before I know it summer will be over and then it will be winter again. I suppose it's a good reminder to stop thinking about work and take the time to enjoy things.
Speaking of spring and enjoyment, today was incredible-I ran at lunch, and it was warm enough I wore just a sports bra! I think everyone is downtown DC was eating lunch outside or walking down on the Mall; it made me so happy to see everyone outside. I only ran for 40 minutes, but I was a sweaty mess--I want it to be spring, but I very much don't want it to get any hotter. Two months from now I'll rue the day I wished for winter's end.
After work I went to the gym for 30 mins on the elliptcal and 30 on the bike, and lifted. I've been really good about lifting lately, and I'm noticing a difference, which is motivating me to continue to be good about lifting. I've also been good about doing abs/core work regularly; I don't think I'm running enough right now to see if it's helping my running, but I have to admit I like how it looks!
Posted by jessie at 9:34 PM | Comments (16)
March 2, 2005
Wind
I hate wind. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it. So of course for the track workout tonight, winds were gusting up to 40 mph. I think the technical term for the conditions is "godawful." Coming around the second turn was like hitting a brick wall, every single time-it didn't let up the entire workout. On the plus side, it gave me an excuse for running crappy.
Because it was so cold, we shortened the workout to 3 or 4 by 1 mile, with only about a minute's rest in between; it was really more like a tempo run than intervals. I ran them all in 6:40, which isn't a terrible pace for a tempo run, but I felt like I was running all out. I couldn't get my breath, and my legs felt like cement blocks--not exactly how I want to feel running a single 6:40 mile. Not surprisingly, I opted for 3 instead of 4 repeats, and did a longer cool down. I can take one positive from the night--even though I didn't feel good, I still pushed through and kept the same pace for the last repeat, even though I really wanted to just lay down on the track. At least I wasn't the only person who had a bad night--there must be something in the water (or more likely, the air) because everyone felt godawful. One guy even threw up, which doesn't happen too often at our workouts. So I guess it could be worse--my silver lining is that I didn't get sick.
A person in my running club sent a link to cool running calculator today (choose calculator 2). There are a ton of calculators out there, but this is the most comprehensive I've seen. If you put in a time for a race, it calculates not only your possible time for other distances, but what pace you should be running for just about every kind of workout. I spent way too much time playing with it this afternoon--although it's pretty scary to put in a dream time and realize how fast you'll have to run to get there!
I'm planning to run in the morning, which means I need to go bed now--so I'll update on Monday and Tuesday tomorrow.
Posted by jessie at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)