This was the first time I’d run two races in one weekend. Why would I do that? Well because I wanted to get my qualifying races done before summer. So – because I completed two races this weekend, I only have two more to complete my 9+1 qualifiers for the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon! And to think – a year ago I said I would never do a full marathon… Never say never.
That was the sign on a girl’s shirt today for the UAE Healthy Kidney 10k. That’s when I decided I finally need to pick a charity to donate my miles to. For the amount of running I do, I should be, and now I will run with a greater purpose. Yes, there are times when partial registration fees are contributed to charities, but not always. I’ve been struggling to decide which charity to run my miles for.
I know a common charity choice is some sort of scientific research around diseases like cancer, usually because loved ones had been affected by it. Totally makes sense. There is often a lot of focus on supporting children, and again – very valid. So as I ran and thought and ran and thought, and as I ran past some older runners – and by older I mean 70ish – I wondered what supports they had in their want and need to remain active. Or what about bettering our communities through building gardens or something like that? So my quest is to choose my charity in the next short while. Or maybe I’ll just have to pick a few!
I have been wearing Nike Free shoes for years – not sure how many pairs and models I’ve gone through. But in light of the semi-recent knee pain I’ve experienced during long distance runs, I finally faced facts. I needed to go to the running store and have my legs and feet assessed, and allow someone to recommend shoes. I don’t know why I was resisting the change in shoes- usually change is pretty easy for me.
So test ran a few pairs and settled for some Mizuno Wave Runner 17s. Usually can’t go wrong with Japanese technology. They felt good in the toes and heel as I tested them out on the treadmill. Still light like my Frees, roomy enough in the toe, and not too flashy. I’ve got two weeks to try them outside and return them if necessary – and if they’re good I’ve got three weeks until the Brooklyn half to get used to them. So hoping these shoes will answer my knee issues. Toes crossed.
Thanks for the review! http://www.mainemomontherun.com
First, I would like to say that today’s run in Carmel was simply gorgeous and amazing. The 9 mile route was hilly but manageable. And really no one really cared about the hills because the route was so awesome.
Carmel Bay – mile 1-2
About mile three
Point Lobos State Reserve -mile 4-5
Second, I would to say that this run was so clean, it was incredible. East coast runners are disgusting! Hahaha! Water spilled, gatorade dumped making a sticky surface, crushed cups everywhere despite the garbage bags or recycle boxes, Gu packs, spit gobs every other step. Not here! You can feel the California pride in having clean communities! There was not a single cup on the ground. No orange peels. No Gu packs. Hardly any spit. It was a miracle! People can run and get the cup in the recycle box! It’s possible!
Most organized!
Third, the Marathon Village was awesome. There was no crowding in the finish area. No lines for food. They gave you a little tray box for your goodies which included oranges, bananas, apples, strawberries, bagels, muffins, cookies, pineapple juice, milk and then outside was the beer tent. Now, I love the Rock n’ Roll events, but Big Sur had them beat! I’ll be back 🙂
Yum!
Well, this weekend is my first west coast run, and I am so excited for it. This one has been a long time coming because I registered and planned this one starting the fall! Yes last fall! I had to get in!
Flew into San Jose last night and driving to Carmel in a couple of hours. Yes, folks. This is the Big Sur run. On the PCH! Ah! I can’t wait. I’m just running the 9 mile, and I plan on stopping to take photos. How could I not?
We encounter obstacles and “hit walls” in many parts of our lives, running is no different.
Normally when running a half marathon I can be pretty mentally sound until about mile eight or nine. Normally…
Well, today was not normal for me. I hit my wall right at the beginning of the run. Yeah I was excited Hoda got us on our way and that I knew the route inside and out, but I was battling many mental demons this morning – mostly because of how my body was feeling physically.
First, I knew I didn’t eat enough this week, particularly yesterday. I blame that on the workshop I attended and the allergy problems I’ve been having this week. Who feels like eating when you have constant nasal drainage, you’re perpetually sneezing, and your head and body just hurt? I don’t. So I tried to drink lots of vitamin water, camomile tea, and water – but, not good enough.
Second, good luck running if you haven’t had a good sleep in three nights due to the nasal drainage and coughing.
Third, I was worried about my IT bands. I was afraid of having horrible pain like I did last week in DC, so this week I bought a compression brace for my knee and wore it most days. I also bought a foam roller to roll out my legs. Yesterday I even picked up some K tape and watched a video to learn how to apply it.
So last night I taped up one knee and taped the other this morning. I put my brace on my right knee, ate my usual half bagel with peanut butter, drank some vitamin water and got ready. As I walked to the park I started feeling a little better, getting my body moving. Then once at the park I started absorbing the energy of the event – a few thousand women ready to run, flowers blooming and trees budding!
As I lined up in the corral and walked toward the start line, I just didn’t feel like running. My legs felt fine, my body felt reasonable, but my mind was already telling me that I didn’t want to. The whole first six mile loop, my internal monologue was me telling myself to walk after the first loop. I didn’t want to run past that same spot an hour later. I just didn’t want to. My thoughts were barely about my knee not hurting (yay!), or that I wasn’t sneezing or coughing – I just wanted to go home.
But as I completed that first loop, and came around location of the finish line, my wall began to disappear. I knew at that point, there would be no walking, there would be less mind games. Maybe I would stop for some Gatorade or a pee, but that’s it. Physically I was still okay at that point, and mentally – finally getting past the brick wall of the first six miles.
So I kept running, grabbed some Gatorade at mile nine and peed at mile 11 – finishing the run in decent time, strangely.
Once I crossed the finish line, got my medal and apple, and headed for home – the journey home was hard. Hard to walk because my left knee decided to pain me and hard mentally because I just wanted to be in my bath tub! That was the longest walk home but, once again, I did it. Yes with lots of complaints, I apologize, I know life could be worse.
All those complaints though, are always worth the satisfaction of the finish.
(Note: I won’t be signing up for any more half marathons in Central Park – the repeated scenery and anticipation of those freaking hills sent me into the abyss!)
I’m wondering if these allergy meds will subdue the perpetual allergy sneezes during my run tomorrow… Can I run and sneeze every ten seconds – let’s say ten times in a row? I hope I don’t have to! I can’t have two bummer races in a row! So Allegra, rest, tea, and vitamin water it is for me tonight!
And bummed for a few reasons…
Prologue: I’ve been looking forward to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC for months. So excited to see the blossoms on this lottery run. A run that thousands of people try to get into and Kristine and I were chosen in our first time entering the lottery.
I was a little worried the last couple of weeks that there wouldn’t be any because of the late ending winter – but luckily we saw some yesterday around the White House en route to the expo. Yay! There were going to be these beautifully blossomed trees to run through along the river and the paths!
Side note: The expo was held in the National Building Museum – gorgeous! Well organized and a decent amount of vendors.
Bummer 1: Back to the blossoms – the stars of the run…
So we get all staged this morning, started running and blah, blah, blah – blossoms nowhere to be seen. Yes, there were tiny buds on many trees, but basically nothing, nada – the whole way through except for three trees at the start/finish area. Don’t get me wrong, the run was still along a nice route, but I was still bummed. So to make myself feel less disappointed and commemorate the namesake of the race, as I was running my last three miles, I envisioned the most beautiful blossoms during a “regular” spring run, surrounding me on the path. I visualized the pink hues and imagined the perfumey smells wafting in the air. And that was lovely.
Bummer 2: My right knee basically gave out on me just before mile 6. There was no compromising with it – it would not stretch, I couldn’t rotate it out, zippo. I don’t usually stop running even with some pain, but I had to go to the medic tent. I sacrificed a decent time to sit with the medics for 10 minutes and ice my knee. The girl wrapped some kind of funky non-stick tape around my knee to hold the ice pack in place and then I ran the other four miles. Yep, a bit wobbly and with that ice pack taped on my leg creating a bulge under my pant leg. But I ran; I would not walk across the finish line.
Bummer 3: There was no food except bananas! What? How were we to replenish ourselves? Are you kidding?! Bananas? And watered down Gatorade? Apparently there were also granola bars, but I guess they ran out… Bummer again.
So the moral of my story is: enjoy the scenery, clutch the nice medal at the finish, then go for brunch with a friend and forget about the disappointment because life could be worse.
#cherryblossom10mile
No, not that kind of weight. Wet clothes weight.
Brett and I went running yesterday morning, thinking we would beat the rain. Well, we didn’t – but we didn’t mind.
Because we knew we’d get drenched if we walked to the park, we opted for the closer, less desirable route along the East River. Regardless – it was raining when we headed out. No big deal, the air temperature was about 8 Celsius and running in the rain adds an extra “cleanse”.
So along this route, we have a few hills to tackle. Again, not a big deal, getting used to them. What I felt was a bigger deal were my heavier-feeling pants. The extra weight of my rained on pants felt almost substantial enough to … make a difference in my run. Realistically this is BS right? But – I really felt like I was lifting a few extra pounds on my legs!
You know what I mean right??
jasoninhollywood.blogspot.com
Let me start by saying that I surprised myself today. I thought I was be mentally blocked and physically dead, for many reasons. Have to say – my pace was acceptable, and my time decent. And that included a stop for a quick piddle at about mile 10. My Nike+ said 9:36 pace, 2:02:00, fastest 13.1 miles. Not sure about that… and… somehow I managed to run a total of 14.57 miles… Anyway, gotta check my results on NYRR.
So here’s the break down…
The morning started with me walking to the park… it was chilly but I was okay with my layers and such. Unfortunately I just missed the 6 to 59th Street and I wasn’t going to take a cab. So I walked.
Baggage was outside the park along 59th Street and really was efficient because volunteers were just collecting the bags and semi-sorting. They were just throwing them in a bunch of UPS trucks to deliver them downtown to the finish area.
Once inside the park, there were portable security checkpoints that some people walked through and others got the detector wand scanned over the body. That was a new experience for me, security at a race. Helicopters above yes, but not the body scan. But it was a big event and better safer than not.
Corrals were set up in three waves. I was in the third wave with the 20,000-29,9999 crowd of course, with average runners. We had a little bit of a wait in the frigid and windy air since the second wave was just starting. Time seemed to move quickly and before I knew it, my section was slowly moving to the start!
My face and hands were numb for the first couple of miles. Mile three I started warming up but then my LCL (I assume) started giving me grief. This pain occurred mostly while running on some uneven pavement, particularly at Central Park North then later on the bumpy streets downtown.
Once back in the park and after the freaking hills, we exited onto 7th Avenue and ran through Times Square to 42nd Street. That was fun because there were some bands playing and lots of people cheering along the gates.
Tried to get a shot running toward Times Square area
As we turned towards the Hudson on 42nd Street, the wind picked up and once again it was cooooold! Damn! Dust flying in my eyes, gusts pushing me back….brrrrr! But upon turning onto the West Side Highway and out in the open, the sun was finally shining on us. That was lovely! The remaining 5 miles were in the sun, with some optional shade.
West side, heading toward downtown. Freedom Tower on the left, Chelsea Piers on the right.
I didn’t see the mile markers for mile 9 or 10. Usually that’s around my mental wall time. But today, I just breezed through and when I saw the mile 11 marker, I told myself to get my butt in gear! Those last two miles had to make up for the bathroom break I took, which I usually don’t!
Mile 12 was unique – running through the entrance of the Brooklyn Park tunnel for the last mile and coming to surface by the South Street Seaport. And finally – finish line around the corner on Water Street! That was a lot right?!
Well let me tell you – this usual mental block I expect between miles 8 and 10 as mentioned, I didn’t even notice today – nor did I really long for the next mile marker at all – because there are so many distractions along the route. People, dogs, bike riders, cars, trees, the river, flashing lights, tall buildings. sports complexes, billboards, boats – I think I was just so distracted I didn’t even really think about running that much (except during my somewhat more than occasional knee pain).
Maybe my ADD is useful after all! Be careful and happy running!
espn.go.com
Jibber Jabber & Happenstance 