September 30, 2005
It's Not a Race--Just a Tempo Run, I Swear
I waited for my husband, A., to get home from work today before running so that we could run together. We ran one of our newest loops, which takes us up to Pine Manor College before winding up at the Brookline Reservoir. We did one lap of the reservoir and walked home from there since I just wanted to do an easy four miles and we were at 34 minutes or so. Why only an easy four miles? Because...(deep breath)...I have decided that I'm going to race at Fresh Pond tomorrow morning.
Well, "race" isn't exactly the right word, since I'm really in no shape to do that and have no desire to run all out or anything yet. I just think that running one lap of Fresh Pond relatively hard will be more fun than doing a 2.5-mile tempo run in the middle of one of my regular loops. And it'll remind me (vaguely) what racing feels like. Plus, the weather is supposed to be beautiful here tomorrow, and what better way to take advantage of a gorgeous fall day than taking a quick trip around Fresh Pond?
And now, to get my heart rate up for the second time today, I'm off to watch the Red Sox-Yankees game...fortunately, my husband is yelling loud enough at every major play that I'm not missing much so far. He grew up in New York as a Mets fan but converted to the Sox after moving to Boston. And like many converts, he's now a fanatic, much worse than me and the rest of my family who were born and bred in Red Sox Nation. Well, there he goes again--I better get in there with the defibrillator!
Go Sox!
Posted by Megan at 07:41 PM | Comments (2)
September 29, 2005
Goals
This morning I just ran a short, untimed 3-mile run that included a lap around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I run this reservoir a lot since it's so close to where I live and now that the inside path closest to the water has opened, there are two options for running around it. I generally stick to the inside path--the surface is nice and smooth and it brings you farther away from the hustle and bustle of Cleveland Circle and Boston College, so it's nice and quiet.
Sometime over the last week or so, someone (I'm guessing the BC XC coach) spray-painted markers for 2K, 1600m, 1K, 800m, 400m, and 200m on the path, which has really made me want to do a workout. But I'm not quite there yet, so I'm resisting. Still, I know that I definitely pick up the pace between the start and the 1600m without meaning to. Sometimes the competitive juices just start flowing and I'm helpless to stop them!
I'm not really much of a recreational runner--my running is much more consistent and I'm much more motivated if I have some kind of goal in mind. I find it hard to go out and run every day just for fitness reasons. And I really miss working with a team. I've been wanting to join a local running club for a while now, but the workouts always seem to be on nights that I have class, so that'll have to wait. I'm hoping that this blog will help me to stay motivated in the same sense that a team would and keep me honest as I train.
So, as for my goals:
My PRs for 5K, 10K, and the marathon are 19:21, 43:42, and 3:36, respectively. I want to break 19:00 for 5K, 40:00 for 10K, and 3:15 for a marathon--most likely in that order. Right now, I'm just aiming for that 5K (although I haven't chosen a specific race yet, and it probably won't be until the spring, anyway). But before that, I need to get my training back to where it was my senior cross country season in college--basically 45-50 miles a week with 12 miles being my longest run, speed workouts, hill workouts, drills, striders, etc. with some alternative training thrown in. I'm planning to build up to this sloooooowly, since I am apparently not quite as durable as I was then. Patience is not exactly my strong suit, so this will be a test of character, too. =)
Posted by Megan at 09:54 AM | Comments (1)
September 28, 2005
Another Bostonian Blogger
Yes, another blogger in the Boston area joins the eliterunning community! I became acquainted with everyone's blogs over the last year and have loved reading about your goals, your training, and your races. When Alison offered me the chance to join this virtual running group, I jumped at it--I only hope that I can inspire and amuse you all the way that you have for me!
So a little about me...
I live in Boston with my husband, A., and I'm a full-time graduate student in mental health and behavioral medicine. I ran cross country and track in both high school and college (Div. III). After graduating from college in 2000, I returned as assistant coach for the next 3 cross country seasons. Unfortunately, I had to give it up to concentrate on my day job and pursue grad school part-time. But I miss it like crazy and definitely plan to coach again in the future.
I'm calling this blog "Heart and Nerve and Sinew" (from Rudyard Kipling's "If") because I think I'm finally back to having all three elements in my running in a relatively reliable way--heart and nerve certainly wax and wane, but it's been the sinew that's been the real problem over the past two years or so. You name it, I've had it--tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, sciatica...and all interacting in lovely, complex ways that made running pretty rare until the beginning of the summer.
So I've finally worked back up to about 25 miles a week and I'm about ready to build on that, add in long runs, strides, speed workouts, etc. and go after some old and pretty soft PRs at 5K, 10K, and the marathon. But I'm still only in the very early planning stages--as I wrote to Alison, my first goal is just to get up early enough for the 2.5-miler at Fresh Pond! This Saturday's looking pretty good...I think. =)
So I ran around 41 minutes today, which I'm calling 5 miles. The "chrono" function on my watch is broken, so all my times right now are guesstimates. I ran my "Reservoir run" which includes a lap each around the Brookline and Chestnut Hill Reservoirs--two of my few off-road options in the area. I ran just after 11:00 AM and it was beautiful, sunny and breezy, and not too hot. It was a good effort and actually a pretty steady one, since the lights seemed to be going my way today; I only had to stop for cars once. My Achilles is a little sore now, but I think that's more from standing on my toes trying to replace a curtain than from the run itself. I'm icing and crossing my fingers...
More about me, my running, and my goals later; right now, unfortunately, another curtain and homework await.
Posted by Megan at 06:33 PM | Comments (2)