Blood Run...

Last week was definitely a tough running week for me. It started out great on Monday and went downhill after that.

• I decided to donate blood at work on Wednesday. Seemed like the cool thing to do and all.
• I have really small veins so I am always weary of people yielding needles (thankfully I am not afraid of the actual needle).
• What I am afraid of is a phlebotomist who stares at my arms perplexed...as this woman did.
• No worries, she said, I'll go right. Right! No one ever goes right. The good vein is left. Left I say LEFT!
• Nope. She went right. She stuck the needle in as I watched and nothing happened. And in slow motion I moved my gaze from my arm until I was staring her dead in the eyes. She looked at me, wiggled the needle and finally blood came out. She knew I was on the verge of leaving her chair (she knew because I told her).
• So other donors came and went and my little veins were working overtime to fill the contents of the bag.
• There is a point to this.
• I decided to run to work the next morning. I figured my body would have regenerated enough blood overnight.
• I felt fine when I woke up except for a slightly sore arm with a bruise (if I ever see that phelegmotomist again) :)
• So I did my usual bus across town, down the stairs to Riverside Park.
• I started to run and right away I knew I didn't have it in me...but as always, I was determined to keep trying.
• Run Jen, Run. Don't stop. You can do it. Blah blah blah. 
• Next thing I knew, my mind was still running but my legs had stopped. Eff. I had only gone a mile and there was nothing I could do to get myself going again. So annoying. 
• I walked the rest of the way to work and felt really lame about it.
• I totally blame it on the blood. Now I know not to donate before my big race :)

I just got my April schedule and everything is kicked up a notch. Easy runs are now 4 mile runs (Luckily for D and Mark my apt to their apt is just over 4 miles)...Saturday runs are going 8, 9 and 10 miles...with strength training on my off running days...6 days a week from this point on. Run like the wind little one.

Running Through My Mind...

Some people run to lose weight. Others run to feel the rush of endorphins.  Some run when they've had a bad day...in general, I run to get to the end. My last 2 runs however, were different.

• Saturday, I did my group run up the Westside highway. It wasn't about mileage, it was about time. Beginners (yes, that's me), had to run 80 minutes.
• I was nervous because I didn't see my 2 running friends at first and though, ugh, 80 minutes with just me and my brain (it was a rough few days, I was afraid what was going to come out).
• Luckily I spotted them last minute and we had a really good run. The sun was shining and warm. It seemed as though we were all in the same frame of mind...minimal talking and just running.
• I rewarded myself with a chocolate milk and pb&j bagel at the end.
• I decided to run Monday in the rain as well. I knew if I didn't get out I was going to sit in my apartment all day and sleep. And after what felt like days of being in the car, I needed fresh air.
• So pouring rain and all, I decided to run to Jackson Heights to see my family (my dad apparently wasn't too happy about me either running in the rain or through Queens)?
• I tried this run almost a year ago. I had made it 2 feet onto the 59th street bridge and realized it was um...uphill. After walking the bridge and running to 36th street and Northern Blvd, I pulled out my metro card and hopped the R train the rest of the way.
• This time around I knew there would be a hill, and after running the hills in Central Park, I thought I could take the bridge, and I was right.
• After 3 minutes, I didn't feel the rain at all. I just felt me, the ground and the puddles.
• It was such a great run. It allowed me to think and clear my head. 
• When I got to my sister's apartment, I was soaking wet and my face bright red, but I felt amazing.
• 4.15ish miles and 50ish minutes later, I had completed the Queens run that last year had gotten the best of me.

Maybe this running thing is actually good for me. I think I'll keep it up :)

In the Long Run..

I am a few days behind in my blog, but not my running (I don't want anyone to think I've been slacking). 

• I ran my usual Upper West side down Riverside Park to work route on Tuesday. I added extra mileage by running from the river to 9th avenue (I usually take those avenues to cool down).
• Tomorrow I am running for 80 to 90 minutes. Apparently now Saturday runs are about time, not distance. 
• Tomorrow however, I will be running with a heavy heart.
• My grandma passed away yesterday and the funeral was today.
• I have only the fondest and best memories of Ma.
• In some ways she was the quintessential Italian grandma. She was always telling me to "mangia, mangia" (she was also the only one who used to tell me I was too skinny) :)
• She always had my favorite dish (pasta con funghi) waiting for me (I could smell it down the block), and if I didn't eat at least 3 bowls, she was insulted or convinced it hadn't come out right.
• For those who know me well, they know I love eating with small utensils. lol. I got this from my grandma who used to serve me pudding in little glass cups with little spoons from Alitalia (I never asked how these spoons made their way into her silverware drawer).
• Up until the very end, whenever I would visit Ma and leave, we would exchange "I love you's" and she would say "don't forget, Nonna loves you".
• I will never forget you Ma, or that you loved each and every one of us.
• I know that she  is now with Nonno, the snoopy(s), her parents and grandparents. I am convinced that they waited for a beautiful sunny day to come and take her.

Tomorrow I run with a heavy heart, but wings on my feet.

I'm Running In the Rain...

Just running in the rain...What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again...

Saturday morning, 9am: wind blowing, windows rattling, rain coming down hard, a groggy Jen opens one eye and thinks, this is soooo stupid. Yet I get out of bed, eat a bagel, get dressed and head out for my 6 mile run in the rain.

• I took the crosstown bus to the park. As I was walking a gust of wind blew my hat off my head and into dirty gutter water. Blech.
• Got to the park seconds behind my running friends. I was so happy to see them. 6 miles alone is hard enough. Let alone 6 miles in a rain storm.
• We ran the outer loop in Central Park. After the first 5 minutes or so, I didn't even notice the rain.
• It was a pretty decent run actually...until I stopped. Then I realized I was soaking wet and freezing cold.

Oh well. I survived and felt good about it afterwards. Run on Jen, run on.

3.5K Wednesday

Ended up skipping italian class last night (had to finalize upcoming vacation plans...more on that soon)...and met TNT in Central Park for the 5k challenge.

• I was so relieved when I spotted Heather & Lorraine, my new running buddies (running solo in a group of 300 or so people is not fun).
• Total run was 4ish miles. First mile was a warm up, the rest was a race to determine our pace baseline.
• We were told to run hard and challenge ourselves.
• I ran as fast as I could while still maintaining the flow of oxygen in my body :)
• My time was 36:15...a tad bit over a 12 minute mile. A definite improvement over my 4  miler 12:45 pace the other weekend.
• I felt good afterwards. We stopped at a bar and I had a tall drink of water. mmmm

Saturday is 6 miles in what is supposed to be a torrential rainstorm. Yay. Can't wait.

Jen vs Riverside Park: Take 2

So I woke up early Tuesday morning, slammed 3/4 of a whole wheat bagel and hopped on the m66 crosstown.  

• My run started off much better this time around.
• I was prepared this time by bringing clothes into work the day before, so I didn't have to run with a backpack.
• I didn't try to hitch a ride with any cops on horses and I didn't have to stop to walk.
• I played around with my arm swing and trying to run more upright (Yvette said I looked like the letter "c" at my desk the other day bc I was so slumped over).
• Me and my Harry Potter streak made it to my desk at 8:55am.
• I showered, changed and grabbed 2 pancakes.

Jen 1, Riverside Park, 0. Any excuse to have both a bagel AND pancakes in the same morning, priceless.

xoxo,

j

5 Mile Saturday

It's been a long weekend, so not too much to say here, but I'll try.

• Is it wrong that I took a cab to Central Park on Saturday morning for my 9am group run?
• Met up with the team in training folks and we broke out into pace groups. My slow group didn't have a leader, so we had to push and pace ourselves.
• I met 2 new friends in my group: Lorraine and Heather (thanks for running with and encouraging me).
• We ran 5 miles. As always, it felt hard while I was running it, but it felt great afterwards. 

I may attempt to run to work again on Tuesday. Stay tuned.

xoxo

Jen

Egg McMuffins & Speed

I missed my group run on Wednesday night because I have 3 weeks left of italian class. The run was all about speed, so I decided to tackle it last night on the treadmill.

• I had to run 10 minutes easy, and then pretty hard for 1/4 mile, the cool down for 1/4 of a mile.
• rinse and repeat above 4 - 6 times
• I wonder if there is exercise induced asthma? running fast = out of breath Jen
• It was hard. I really pushed myself. as usual though while running, I smelled something funny.
• Again, it was me. Apparently now when I run, the sweat that radiates off my my head smells like an egg McMuffin...
• Maybe it's time to wash my hair more than once a week.
• I told my friend Lauren about my new smell later that night at dinner. She made a funny face...maybe I should keep that fact to myself.

Run on muffin head, run on.

Keep reading and donating.

Love,

Jen

Riverside Park 1, Jen 0

So yesterday morning I woke up and I decided it would be a good idea to take the m66 crosstown bus and run from w.66th and Riverside park down to my office on 9th ave and 16th st. I ran 4 miles on Sunday, I can handle 2.5 flat miles to work. Um. What was I thinking???

• I woke up and saw that it was kind of grey-ish looking out
• Drank my protein shake, threw my running clothes on that I had laid out the night before and 86 stairs later, I was outside
• Hrm...it's kind of raining, snowing right now. No fear! I have my new weather tolerant running jacket.
• Hopped on the bus- slightly amazed at how many people are up and going to work at 7:45am. (doesn't everyone get in after 9, like me)?
• Got to the park, descended the stairs and started to run...I had a light bag with me because I had to shower/change at work.
• For future reference: running with a light backpack, no matter how light, is really really cumbersome. It swings from side to side, it falls off your shoulders. stupid.
• So after 5 minutes of shifting, peeling off layers, trying to balance my backpack, snow and rain in my eyes, I realized this was a horrible idea...and I was only at 56th street
• I police man on a horse rode by and said good morning. He mistook my hitch-hiker thumb for a thumbs up. I am not above riding a horse to work.
• So for the next what seemed like hours, I ran and walked my way to work
• Amazingly, I made it in a bit before 9am- quicker than the subway

New weather tolerant running jacket, 1 (it kept me warm and dry). Weather intolerant Jen, 0

My friend Pam said that even the bad runs are good. I'll try to keep that in mind :)