Heat Wave...burning in my shoes?

Last Wednesday was like 90 degrees all day and all night. And what does stupid runner girl do...well, run.

• Left work, headed north on the West Side highway...hrm. It's hot out here.
• Scared of having to pee again, I stopped drinking an hour or so before my run. hrm. It's like really hot out here.
• Run. Run. Run. OMG I think I may die. I think may brains may be oozing out of my ears. OMG. I think my asics treads have melted onto the West Side highway.
• Okay, I am exaggerating a tad, but it was hot. Like Africa hot.
• I had to stop and walk bc I was overheating, but I was determined to get my time in...so I ran walked for about 4 miles up and back.
• Treated myself to a nice, cool chocolate milk and a shower when I got back to work.
• Met up with my running friends and picked up my race day info and team singlet.

How do people train for the NYC marathon in the heat of summer? Hopefully I'll have to find out for next year, until then, 6 more days until SD. Run on hot flash, run on!

I Have to Pee!!!!

I guess I haven't had a bad run in a while, so the odds were in my favor. Last Saturday was hard, but it wasn't bad. Tuesday was just bad.

• It was warm out, so I made an effort to really hydrate. I had my 8 full glasses of water before the end of day.
• Problem was, I was peeing every 20 minutes, but whatever.
• Changed into my running gear and headed out.
• Started to run...and I had to pee. Okay. I can run through this...ugh. I still have to pee.
• I was on the West Side Highway heading south, with no bathroom in sight.
• I could not get the "I have to pee" thought out of my head...which does not help when just trying to run.
• There were some fine looking bushes to my right, and a mounted NYPD right behind me. Hrm. maybe not the best idea to pee in the bushes.
• So I cut my run short so I could go back to my office and pee. ahhhhhhhhh.

Stupid hydration tactics. Run on bladder girl, run on.

Running Solo...

Who wants to run alone? I am happy to do most things alone...bloomingdales, eat, wander...but running 12 miles alone? That's where I draw the line.

• But really, I had no choice. Running buds got back late from a business trip, so they were going to miss Saturday's group run.
• I had to give back the spirit cape (you only get it for a week) so I had to go.
• Maybe I will run with my mentor...she texted that morning and said she wasn't going to make it to practice.
• Maybe I will run with the blond girl that sometimes is in our pace group. No where to be found.
• Maybe I will stand here and cry...or maybe I will just suck it up and run alone.
• I enjoy running solo on short runs. Saturday was two 6 mile loops in Central Park.
• That meant 2 cat hills, 2 harlem hills and 2 rolling 3 in a row hills. blech.
• And so they called out for the 12 min group and I let out a huge WHOOOP! heh. I was the only one.
• So I started...I kept the 11:30s in sight, hoping to catch up, but they just kept getting farther and farther away.
• I caught up to a straggler...actually someone I am not a huge fan of, but it was better than nothing....until the straggler let out a yelp and stopped running. eff.
• Loop one. done. Loop two. Someone shoot me please. I don't know if it was difficult bc I didn't have my friends with me, but it was a tough run for me.
• I wanted to stop at mile 10 but I kept going. I didn't even get a kick of energy at the end. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
• At least I saw a bicyclist flip over his handlebars bc a pedestrian got in his way.

And so I ran. 12 miles alone. Then I took the bus straight to the deli and inhaled a ham, egg & cheese on a roll. I'm proud of me. Less than 2 weeks to go. Run on.

Harlem Hill 2x WTF!

As promised, here are the wings I added to the spirit cape.

• Wednesday night training- tempo run (slightly faster than your easy pace, but not as hard as your marathon pace)...you should only be able to blurt out a few words, not sentences (i.e.: "WTF am I doing on this hill"!!!)
• Heather and Lorraine were in Newps, opening a new Elie Tahari store (I was kind of jealous).
• Yasi (my mentor) was on bag watch duty.
• Guess what that mean? Jen runs solo. Booooo.
• Started the run, I think I mis-fired my first inhaler hit, so my breathing was a bit rough.
• Ran the first upper look, was heading across 102nd for the second loop and guess who found me...
• Yup, flat leaver. Two days in a row. "hey, how are you today, how ya doing, what's new"...ugh...this is a tempo run, how are you speaking right now.
• Side note: flat leaver seems to be a nice person, with a good heart. I just don't like full conversations while running.
• So FL proceeded to tell me about the bad day/week he was having. As always, I nodded and smiled, and pretended to listen (I have a tendency to check out)...except he wouldn't let me! He kept checking me back in "are you following", "are you listening", "did you get that part"...ugh.
• Effing Harlem Hill was all I kept thinking about.
• Anyway, I survived it. Went for pizza afterwards with Noah and Yasi (my 2 favorite mentors) and then Ro showed up as a bonus :)

Run on *!&!!!$% runner, Run on!

Flat Leaver Take 2...

Sunday...no time for a recovery run...I had the super important role of godmother to baby James at his baptism!

• Monday- pilates. No running.
• Tuesday- blech. It's pouring rain, cold and windy. To run or not to run.
• Sitting at my desk debating this when my phone chimes. It's flat leaver texting me..."want to run tonight"..."maybe, more like a game time decision for me", I text back.
• "perfect, see you at 6pm. west side highway and 14th st". Hrm. What part of game time decision did he not understand.
• So like a big sucker I say yes. I am thankful for 2 things that day.
• 1. Google's head of security heard me whining about forgetting my hat, so he handed me his big, warm, fleecy hat, +5 to RR
• 2. Mike offered to run with me from 8th ave and 15th st to the west side highway, just to get me out the door. +5 Mike
• So I run across with Mike, get to 14th st and guess what? NO FLAT LEAVER. At this point, as the rain is pelting down, I am cursing and muttering for being so stupid as to make plans with a flat leaver....so I wait 5 minutes (rather generous amount of time to wait in the rain I thought) and started to run.
• As always, you forget about the rain...
• I went about 10 blocks and low and behold, who did I run into. Yup, F.L...."i'm so sorry, work kept me late"...blah blah blah. That's all I really heard after that.
• FL: "so what's going on, what's new, what have you been up to, how's work. what's going on, what's new, what have you been up to, how's work. we running 8 miles today. i need to run 8 miles today" blah blah blah.
• I know better than to run with company on my short runs. My answers "nothing, nothing, running, nothing, nothing, running, no, I only need to run 5 today".
• FL: "c'mon, meet me in the middle, run 6"...Me " did you go to practice on Saturday". FL: "no, I was hung over". Me "I went, even though I was sick, so I only need to do 5 today"...
• And so it went...

I made it back to 14th in one piece. I said my goodbyes. I ran back to the office where I took a nice hot shower and ate a nice free hot meal.

Rain, 0. Jen, 1. Flat Leaver, 0.5 (minus .5 for showing up late). Run on Jen, Run on!

Spirt Cape & Snotty Plaza Hotel Run

As mentioned, I was sick last week. I emailed my coaches and asked them if I should do the long run on Saturday, even though I felt like poop. Coach Michael said if it was just a head cold, yes, to take it easy and run through it.

• Saturday morning- alarm goes off. I feel okay. Not as bad as the day before, but still a tad bit crappy.
• Get dressed, get to the park and hang with my running mentor for a few.
• Coach Michael gets up to speak...announcements...Why is Yasi up there speaking. What! Me! Spirit Cape! No way! YAY!
• Spirit Cape: given each week to a different mentor or mentee for being, well awesome :) Okay, really Lorraine and Heather nominated me, which was awesome of them. The winner of the cape then takes it home, decorates it and gives it back the following week (pic to follow soon).
• Ran for 2 hours up the West Side highway. I had snot dripping down my face the entire time, but it felt good to get out and move, especially after not running all week.

Post-run treat...lunch at the Plaza! Well almost. Said in snooty maitre d voice: "Laaaadies, we have a dress code at the Plaazaaaa". Eff that. We had an awesome brunch at Fig & Olive instead...sweaty running clothes and all. Thanks to my running gals for nominating me and allowing me to stay at a nice, easy pace on Saturday. Run on Snot Head, Run On!

Interlude #2...

Monday night...hrm. My throat kinda hurts...

Tuesday morning...hrm. My nose is a bit stuffy...

Tuesday afternoon. hrm. I can't stop sneezing...

Tuesday night...eff, I have a cold.

Yes, even I, super elite athlete Jen, can succumb to the common cold :(

No running Monday - Friday last week.

Lots of vitamin C, juice and matzo ball soup :)

All better. aaaah.

Mother Runner...

The 12 mile run hit me hard. By late Saturday night I could barely lift my legs...my hip flexors were killing me!

• Happy Mother's Day. Wait, I am not a mother. I am a runner.
• Shoot, I signed up for the Mom's Day 4 miler weeks ago. Why did I think this was a good idea?
• Oh right. Sunday recovery run.
• Met Lorraine and Heather in Central Park. Dropped off my bag and headed to the start line.
• It was a crowded race. Lot's of moms on the course.
• Race started...my legs were like LEAD. They were so sore and so heavy, but I kept going.
• I passed an Italian woman who was grumbling about the hill. Her husband said to her "no parlare, io penso lo stesso"...basically "shut it woman, I am thinking the same thing" (thanks Ro for the translation help).
• I don't know how, but I managed to finish the race. It wasn't a personal best, but I did it.

I rewarded myself at the end with a bagel and a great Mother's Day brunch in Astoria with D and James :)

Bye Bye Mexico. Hola 12 Miles!

Got back from Mexico late Thursday night. Luckily I took Friday off, slammed some penne alla vodka that night and hoped that I was hydrated/fueled up enough to run.

• Saturday morning: woke up scratching. Stupid sun rash.
• Woke up peeling. Stupid sunburn.
• Actually, thankful I woke up bc my alarm didn't go off.
• Got to practice with like 2 minutes to spare.
• Ran from 72nd and Central Park, down the West Side highway to the financial district, and back up.
• It was super humid out...finished all of my gatorade by 3/4 of the way through.
• Tried shot blocks for my second fuel (instead of gu) to see if my tummy would react better...tummy okay, but shot blocks are super gummy and take a bit more effort to chew and swallow.
• It rained on and off but it felt refreshing bc of the humidity (side note: saucony moisture wick shorts and tank top dried off in like 3 minutes- it was awesome).

I definitely felt the 12 miles in my legs. I don't know if it was because I didn't get enough miles in while in Mexico...and I was STARVING like never before (slammed a ham, egg and cheese on a roll at the deli counter on my way home). Run on senorita, run on!

Run for the Hills (Part Duex)

Jen: it's Tuesday. I have to run again.

Lauren: great, let's do hills again.

Jen: shit, why is she so darn perky :)

• And so it went...hills again.
• Snail pace, same as the first. A little bit slower and a little bit worse.
• I don't know if it was the bowl of kashi I ate too soon before the run, the heat of Cabo or my heat rash flaring up, but this run was noooo es bueno.
• However, at the top of the hill, I waved Lauren on to keep going, so we ran outside of the resort into a slightly shady looking part of Cabo.
• As we turned to run back, my stomach did the now all too familiar slow roll and with it came my wave of nausea, potential poop incident and eff, I think I may faint.
• So I stopped running. I thing I needed freon because I was definitely overheated.
• I walked back. Lauren walked with me for a bit and I told her I would meet her at the bottom, so she ran.

Cabo San Lucas Hills at Pueblo Bonito, 1. Lauren, 2 (again, an extra point for both running and walking with me). Jen, 0. Maybe the corona lights were not the ideal hydration drink :)

Run for the Hills!

Jen: so the beach didn't work out so well
Lauren: yeah, I know
Jen: so I still have to run
Lauren: yeah, I know
Jen: our only choice are the hills on the resort
Lauren: cool, I'll run with you
Jen: shit, I was hoping she would say no so I wouldn't have to do it too :)

• and so it went. Lauren and Jen ran for the hills
  
• Our resort in Cabo was built into a hillside. When you first enter you drive about 1.5 miles down a windy hill. Lauren and I decided to run up it (again, to the amazement of the resort staff).
• Okay, we'll run/walk it if we have to...and honestly, we ran the majority of the time.
• It was hot, it was an impossibly hard hill, but we did it!
• When I got to the top and it leveled off a bit, I wanted to keep going, but it was super hot out and I didn't want to over do-it.
• The run back was awesome because it was all downhill. "go, go, go" shouted the hotel staff as the drove by us in golf carts (the method of transportation the sane vacationers used).
• The run turned out to be a little over 2.5 miles. It was difficult but rewarding when we finished.

Hills, 0. Jen 1. Lauren 2 (I gave her an extra point bc she is not training for a half and had no reason other than friendship to run the hills with me) :) Run on inclined runner, run on!

Run for the Border!

No, no, no. I am not talking about Arizona's new law. I've been in Mexico for the last week (Cabo to be exact)...and let me tell you, I hyped up my weekend runs to Lauren. Lauren, I have to run 8 miles on Saturday. Lauren, I have to run 5 miles on Sunday. Lauren, I have to run 5 miles on Tuesday. She should have just shoved a taco in my mouth and told me to shut it!

• Saturday morning in Cabo. Sunny and windy. Not bad weather for a beach run.
• I gear up. I feel like a running wonder as the Mexican hotel staff stares at me in amazement (I wonder where that woman in braided pig tails, calf guards, visor, big running watch and foot pod thinks she is going, this is Cabo chica, not the olympics).
• Sigh. If only I had know. Lauren and I hit the beach and it was like quick sand with every step. Run, sink. Run, sink. Run, Sink (you get the point).
  
• Note to self, there is no hard running sand in Cabo like there is in Florida.
• It's okay I said, let's keep going and we'll try our best.
• Did I mention the wind? The 35 mph winds? Sand and 35 mph winds do not mix well. Ouch, what is that on my face. Ouch,what is that on my legs. Ouch, I am being pelted really hard by sand. Hrm. On a lighter note, it's cheaper than micro-dermabrasion...
  
• So we ended up run walking about 1.5 miles. Hey, I was only 6.5 short of my goal. That's not too bad right?
• Thank you Lauren for being a trooper!

Sand, Waves, Mexican Hotel Staff 1. Gringo Jen, 0.

Second 5k Challenge

First TNT 5k challenge was about 6 weeks ago. Second one was last Wednesday. Major error on my part: I had a few too many Pimms Cups on Tuesday night and forgot for a few hours that I am a runner, not a drinker. Blech.

• Went to work slightly hung over, but powered through.
• Met the TNT crew in Central Park. We did a warm up run and I thought I was going to die. My legs were like lead and I had nothing in me.
• 5k. Up the 3 evil hills starting at 101st and CPW, down to 72nd and up cat hill. boo HISS!
• We were told to run HARD. Even my warm up was hard after those darn Pimms....
• So I started with Heather and Lorraine and then I took off. Lorraine summed it up nicely, she said "Jen, I saw you take off and knew you were running to get it over with". She was right.
• I ran. I tried to breath. I ran some more. I am a whiner, not a quitter. I thought I was going to vomit from lack of air. It's an odd feeling. If you don't know what I am talking about, I recommend you all try it some time. Just run for fun, as fast as you can. And when you feel like you need to stop, don't. Keep going. You'll get the feeling.
• The most awesome part...I shaved over 3 minutes off of my time from the first 5k challenge.
• Woo hoo! Thank you inhaler, Heather and Lorraine :)

Pimms, 0. Jen, 1. Stop whining little one and run on.

Morning Run

Back from Mexico and a few too many runs behind...

Was supposed to do a recovery run last Sunday after the two bridges, but when I woke up it was cold and rainy and I couldn't find the motivation.

• Monday is my day off from running, so I ran last Tuesday morning...
• The usual morning run down the west side highway from 70th and west end to work.
• It was a good run. I think I need to start running more like 5 miles on my easy runs, not 3.5ish...so I will have to find a way to add the extra mileage (yes Mike, I know I can run the avenues from my apartment) :)
  
• It was a good run. I have done it so many times now, I know the landmarks (NY Dept of Sanitation...STINKY, Mounter NYPD Station...STINKY...Intrepid...I really want to go there)...etc etc.

Look for more fun, diverse morning runs coming soon!