Status Quo

4.3 miles in just under 40 minutes.

Anandamide (aka bliss)

The source of my insanity this weekend has been found. I dare you to give me the IUPAC name for this bad boy...

An Idiopathic Outburst of Energy

I don't know what has happened to me over the last several months, but something has caused a switch to be flipped inside of me. I've become more involved in working out than I ever have before. I think it's a matter of never being involved in sports growing up and realizing that I really missed out on a whole different side of myself that never had the opportunity to show until now. I'm feeling healthier, I have toned up and I've discovered a competitiveness in myself that I love. And, to top it all off, I am re-learning things about my personality and drive that have been hidden away for quite awhile.

As I mentioned in my last post, I did a 2 hour spin class yesterday. Today, I followed a similar routine, heading to spin with the intention of only staying for an hour since I had to run later in the day. Well, that didn't happen. My ischial tuberosities didn't want to get off the saddle any longer than the standing hill climbs and jumps called for, so I stayed on the bike and spun my little heart out for another 2 hours.

Later in the day...

Andrea, Amina, Adam and I ran the reservoir loop and logged 6 miles ... in the rain.

For those of you that may say I am overdoing it before the race, never fear. I am not going to continue the back to back to back workouts. I will be tapering down over the next 3 weeks and will likely keep my mileage below 10 for any given run. This was really just a case of pushing to see how far I would let myself go and to see how I would feel once it was all said & done (so far, pretty damn good). I suppose only the next couple days will truly tell. I am expecting my legs to send out an S.O.S. signal by morning.

Tomorrow: rest

Wheel in the sky

keeps on turning...

Just got back from spin class. I hung in there with 4 other people for 2 solid hours of hills, jumps and sprints. All I can say...I'm hooked.

Rain!

Forecast calls for rain all weekend. This does not bode well for my long run. Good thing I logged 4,6 and 5 earlier this week, - however, I still need more miles.

Plan A: run 10 tomorrow (if the rain decides to let up) and spin class on Sunday. Plan B: Saturday morning spin class and a 10 on Sunday with Andrea and Amina.

SF plans are shaping up quite nicely...just over 3 weeks away now. It's going to be a busy 4 days...spending time with the family, going to an engagement party, taking a trip to Sonoma with the girls, having dinner in the city with some friends and yes, of course, the run...

02:20:07

Don't really know what to say at the moment except I finished my first half today. Actually, it was 13.3 miles to be somewhat exact. The route was the usual MIT-Eliot loop, with a brief diversion into the Boston Common to do 2 hill repeats - the full route is here. This was an amazing run - the temperature was in the 50s, the sun was out and I felt great. My goal was to finish in 02:15:00, but I am going to say that I am ok with my time given that this is the first time I've run this far. Adam was a trooper and ran with me for the last 11 on an empty stomach and 4 hours sleep. Have to give him credit for hanging in there.

This week I taper down, do some more hill repeats and maybe throw in a bit of cross training.

HRM part 3

http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/HeartMonitorTraining.cfm

According to this article, my HRmax would be 194. I am going to test it out again during tomorrow's team run. Plan: throw a couple of hills into the mix and going for at least 11 miles. Maybe I'll just do the whole damn 13.

******
Based on the simple Heartrate calculation, your max Heartrate is: 194.
To get the most out of your workout, you should work out in one of the "zones" described below, depending whether your goal is weight loss, an aerobic workout or an anaerobic workout.
Zone 1 - Low Intensity zone: 50% - 60% of max 132-145
Zone 2 - Weight Control zone: 60% - 70% of max 145-157
Zone 3 - Aerobic zone: 70% - 80% of max 157-170
Zone 4 - Anaerobic zone: 80% - 90% of max 170-182
Zone 5 - Maximal zone: 90% - 100% of max 182-194

Trail Running

Directions. Yes, having one's bearings is essential when trying to find your way to a running clinic at The Fells. We followed two sets of conflicting directions that were provided to us by the clinic leader and found ourselves nowhere near where we needed to be to run with the group. After searching a map multiple times, we realized that we were at the south end of the park's entrance when we should have been about 2 miles or so to the north.

Instead of throwing in the towel, we decided to make the most of it and run the Long Pond trail on our own. It turned out to be great - the temperature was perfect and the views were amazing. Got in a little hill training as well toward the end of it. Total time was only 30 minutes (~3.5 miles or so), but it was probably one of the better (and faster) runs I've had this week.

Quick Run + Trails

Did a quick 5 miles yesterday with the HRM on for test drive #2. I am getting a little worried that I either have a heart problem or I am completely technically challenged. At the beginning of my run, I was averaging between 95-101 and then all of a sudden it shot up to 177 again. What is going on???!!!

Tonight I am off to a trail running clinic at The Fells with Andrea. Should be a good time. I am going to try and convince her to run a half (or full...!) with me in February.

HRM part 2

Today has been a very long day. Woke up at 6am and could not fall back asleep. I've resigned myself to the fact that I am now a morning person, which really isn't a bad thing. Had my coffee and got my day started. Around 3, I started messing around with my new running accessory. Calculated my HRmax using two different calculations and got a range between 188 and 192.8. I set my zones according to the lower number, but I think that because I am on the smaller side, my HRmax tends to be higher (maybe I am just out of shape). I started my run and the monitor started beeping at me constantly. Took me until halfway to washington square to realize I had all the zones 'on' (smile). I need to do a little more reading on this, but my average HR was 177. Call me crazy, but I don't think I was running at 90% capacity for 6.2 miles. The run was good with the exception of the gnats that took kamikaze dives toward my forehead. Disgusting.

HRM

Bought a heart rate monitor yesterday. Can't wait to give it a test run later today.

Plan B

Woke up at 6am this morning to get to training by 7. The initial plan was to do a 9 mile run, but when I got there, the coaches had laid out 20, 18, 10 and 9 mile routes. I am not doing this training to make my life easier, so I decided that I needed to push myself to see how I would do on a 10. It's been awhile since I've done one and I have been feeling very guilty about it. So we headed out to stretch & get some last minute updates. I strategically positioned myself right in front so that no one would be running ahead of me. I did this for a couple reasons: 1) I wanted to see how I would keep pace with the marathoners and 2) I wanted to see where I would come in among the half marathoners. 40 of us were running this morning and it was pretty much split evenly between the two groups.

And then I took off....
Time: 7:40am

Only one person passed me after the first mile. She was a marathoner. I figure she had much more experience on me since it seemed she was running a sub 9 minute mile.

After mile 2, I had eased into my pace and a couple other people passed me. No big deal. They were also marathoners.

Mile 4 was the first water stop, I had already taken my first gu and was ready for some liquid. Grabbed a handful of jelly beans and continued on.

Miles 5 & 6 were spent chatting with one of the mentors about the coaching he gets from an elite runner. Somewhere around this time I hit the hour mark.

Just after mile 7 was the Eliot bridge water stop. By this time, about 7 more marathoners had caught up to me. I was hurting because I'd only had one gu and felt my legs screaming for more energy. Drank more liquid, had an orange and watermelon slice, grabbed a gu and a handful of pretzels. Took off thinking I was the 1st half marathoner heading down the home stretch.

This last part of the route was great - I knew I was almost done and my ego was huge thinking I'd left everyone in my dust. I know, I know. This isn't a competition.

Trader Joe's was the last water stop around mile 9. I asked if anyone else had come through and they told me that 2 people had already stopped by. How did I not see them??? Maybe they only ran the 9!

I headed past the BU bridge (which I now know is about a mile from the Mass Ave bridge) and saw the end in sight. I hit Mass ave, crossed the street and ran the last 1/4 mile to MIT. I ran up the stairs and into the building to see what time it was & who had checked in ahead of me.

It was exactly 9:30 am. That means I was out for 1hour 50mins. And yes, 2 people had already checked in.

The mentors said that the route was about 10.5m. Indeed it was. I am so ready for this half.

Thursday Night Run

Went for a 6.2 mile run tonight - fall is definitely in the air. I love this weather.
happy birthday mom.

Race Results

Click & scroll just over halfway down and there you will find me... *sigh*
Results

Run Like a Girl

Ran the Montrail Run Like a Girl trail race this morning. 8k of rooty (is that a word?) and rocky trails within the gorgeous Great Brook Farm in Carlisle. The thing I love about these races is that I get to see areas of Mass that I never knew existed. Carlisle is another gorgeous town that I could live in (or maybe have a summer home) when I make my millions...This was a hilly route and since we had a monsoon last night, the course was slippery and soggy. A couple racers took some nasty spills, I tripped on a couple of occasions and rolled my ankle once, without sustaining any injuries. At the end of the run, there were two enormous puddles that we splashed through to get to the finish...not too fun walking around in soggy shoes & socks. I imagine the shoes are going to be pretty stinky once they dry. Maybe I can wash them??? I managed to finish in 00:54:20-ish sans inhaler which I needed around mile two. Not the best time, but given the trail conditions and the fact that I had no idea what to expect out of it, I suppose I am satisfied. Ok, not really, but I'll live with it. I'll have to give it another try next year.

I am going crazy...

...because I haven't been able to run in 4 days! This has been torture.

Wednesday Morning: Took an 8am flight to Austin for work. Arrived at 11:30am - had lunch & wandered around the city for a couple hours. Interesting to note, my coworker got stung by a bee at the capitol building and for me, a consequence of the miles we walked (in my inappropriate shoes) was a nasty blister.

Wednesday Night: Had an amazing dinner at Fogo de Chao complete with a pitcher of sangria, creme brulee and of course, coffee. Got a message from my doctor with the dx...I have shin splints and need to take it easy with the running. Easy to do in Austin since it was a mild 88* with 70% humidity.

Thursday: The actual work began and lasted a few hours. Had some time to wander again and stumbled upon the river walk and dog run. Probably my favorite place in Austin. Fellow coworker and I decided to take the (in)famous bat boat tour and it subsequently rained guano...everywhere. Had another fantastic dinner at the 5* Driskill Grill (complete with eau de guano parfum). Spoiled (and stinky), yes.

Friday: Work commenced at 7am and was a success. Hit the road for the airport and headed home. Arrived in the evening and crashed.




Saturday Morning: It was pouring rain when I woke up at 6:30am, so I didn't make it out to the TNT run. However I did go apple picking with some friends in Harvard (rain had calmed down by that point), had a great lunch at the Fruitland Museum's Tea Room which, I might add, has a gorgeous view of the valley. I think I could live in Harvard.

Saturday Afternoon: Betty Crocker I am not, but I attempted to bake some pie with all of the apples we brought home. Tried a variation on the recipe - for the crust I used whole wheat flour and for the filling, I tried unbleached cane sugar. Let the tasting begin...

And the plan for Sunday: The Montrail 'Run Like a Girl' 8k Finally, I'll get my run in.