I'll borrow from sentiments expressed by Seebo this morning, which is to say that there weren't many really deep thoughts produced during this morning's run. It was back out to the track today for some more 200s. Again, the legs felt a little tight and wobbly at the same time, if that's possible. I am starting to question whether or not my track work is best placed the morning after I'm out salsa-ing until 10:30 at night. Maybe next week I'll switch it to my Friday run... just for shits and giggles.
So today I remembered that I had that nifty 'split' function on my watch. Don't know why it hasn't occurred to me before to use that to see how fast I was running my 200s, but it honestly hadn't. I'm reticent to list what those splits were for several reasons which I won't get into (58, 57, 56, 56). Suffice it to say, I'm still not looking for a coach. I'm just playing around a little bit on the track... see what, if anything, happens.
5 laps around the track plus the out and back... call it a bit over 5 miles in something like 46 minutes.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Pictures from Tinicum
I haven't been able to stop thinking about the turtles. They were/are so cool. Because I'm newly obsessed, I googled some information on how long it takes eggs to hatch once they are laid. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a clear answer - seems that the gestation period can be anywhere from 9 to 18 weeks, depending on the weather. So much for visions I had of late night hikes with flashlights to see the hatchlings pull their way towards the water.
Anyway... I returned to Tinicum today after dropping my sister off at the airport. It was kind of spur of the moment given that I was in a skirt and flip flops (death before sensible shoes), but I managed to hike the initial loop and get a few good shots.
Anyway... I returned to Tinicum today after dropping my sister off at the airport. It was kind of spur of the moment given that I was in a skirt and flip flops (death before sensible shoes), but I managed to hike the initial loop and get a few good shots.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Tortoise vs Hare
There were a lot of 'races' going on this morning. The first one being the race to complete the post run meal preparations before Amy arrived - mission accomplished: crepe batter made, strawberries cut, Nutella ready for action, bananas set to peel. Amy arrived punctually, of course, and we set out around 7:30 (hoping to beat the heat - yet another race, of sorts).
Tinicum was on the menu for the day. Before leaving, I consulted with Amy about our strategy given the heavy rains yesterday evening and the likelihood of a soggy and possibly muddy course. My main concern was the 'interesting part' of the first loop. Experience has taught me that this part of the trail is most likely to get thick with mud and since the path is narrow to begin with, there isn't a lot of wiggle room to try to avoid it. She was reluctant, but I talked her (and me) into doing the 'interesting part' - reasoning that we hadn't had a lot of rain lately, so the rains from last night probably did not make the conditions too bad. Plus, the worst that could happen would be that we'd have to walk (**gasp**) and that we'd get muddy. So out we went.
True to its name, the 'interesting part' of the loop offered lots of good stuff. A machete would have been helpful to contend with the recent explosion of foliage. Given the 90% humidity (of course I checked), the rain was still clinging to the brush and as we ran through, it felt much like I imagine a car wash would. Before we reached the second bridge our shorts, legs, and sneakers were drenched, squishy drenched. Fortunately though, there was no real mud to speak of.
No, it wasn't the mud that stopped us in our tracks, it was the large turtle on the side of the trail that did it. She appeared to be actively laying eggs! So cool. And she was huge - Amy estimated about 10 to 12 inches lengthwise. Not too much farther, we saw an even larger turtle just off the side of the trail. Throughout our run, we spotted several more (and, yes, we were keeping track) some laying eggs, some just chillin' out, and even more nests, some of which had already hatched eggs strewn about (which looked like ping pong balls). We looked around briefly for some of the hatchlings, but to no avail. I'm sure they were long gone by the time we set foot on the trail.
As we ran the second part of the figure eight loop, we noticed that this was bunny territory. We counted those too. Amy was clearly pulling for the turtles to win - and they did have a strong lead, but I knew that the rest of the path was more hare habitat and did not have a good feeling about the turtles' chances of remaining ahead. Clearly, the rabbits had advantages too - they hop about and dart across the path and are, therefore, more easily seen and plus they multiply like, well, you know.
In the end, the bunnies were victorious: 8 to 6, I believe. The last mile or two was tiring, as usual. After we finished, I turned to Amy and was about to ask her if she had been peppered by the occasional gnat cloud. No need to ask. She had several dozen more 'freckles' in the form of gnats plastered to her neck and face. I knew I probably looked about the same - which Amy (and later the mirror) confirmed. There was even one or two in my teeth. Mmm... protein.
All in all a great run, our time was slower than I've done in the past, but that includes bushwacking and stopping a few times to check out the wildlife. A little over 9 miles in 85 minutes.
After showering and picking the gnats out of our teeth, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Crepes Reba: strawberries, bananas, and Nutella. Also on hand was some delicious and WAY overprice fig-spread from Whole Foods - which, along, with a touch of butter, made for a delicious new crepe. I also learned that Amy is addicted to powdered sugar... good thing I had just a little on hand. Next challenge: how to incorporate poultry seasoning into crepes. Hmm... I'll figure something out.
Tinicum was on the menu for the day. Before leaving, I consulted with Amy about our strategy given the heavy rains yesterday evening and the likelihood of a soggy and possibly muddy course. My main concern was the 'interesting part' of the first loop. Experience has taught me that this part of the trail is most likely to get thick with mud and since the path is narrow to begin with, there isn't a lot of wiggle room to try to avoid it. She was reluctant, but I talked her (and me) into doing the 'interesting part' - reasoning that we hadn't had a lot of rain lately, so the rains from last night probably did not make the conditions too bad. Plus, the worst that could happen would be that we'd have to walk (**gasp**) and that we'd get muddy. So out we went.
True to its name, the 'interesting part' of the loop offered lots of good stuff. A machete would have been helpful to contend with the recent explosion of foliage. Given the 90% humidity (of course I checked), the rain was still clinging to the brush and as we ran through, it felt much like I imagine a car wash would. Before we reached the second bridge our shorts, legs, and sneakers were drenched, squishy drenched. Fortunately though, there was no real mud to speak of.
No, it wasn't the mud that stopped us in our tracks, it was the large turtle on the side of the trail that did it. She appeared to be actively laying eggs! So cool. And she was huge - Amy estimated about 10 to 12 inches lengthwise. Not too much farther, we saw an even larger turtle just off the side of the trail. Throughout our run, we spotted several more (and, yes, we were keeping track) some laying eggs, some just chillin' out, and even more nests, some of which had already hatched eggs strewn about (which looked like ping pong balls). We looked around briefly for some of the hatchlings, but to no avail. I'm sure they were long gone by the time we set foot on the trail.
As we ran the second part of the figure eight loop, we noticed that this was bunny territory. We counted those too. Amy was clearly pulling for the turtles to win - and they did have a strong lead, but I knew that the rest of the path was more hare habitat and did not have a good feeling about the turtles' chances of remaining ahead. Clearly, the rabbits had advantages too - they hop about and dart across the path and are, therefore, more easily seen and plus they multiply like, well, you know.
In the end, the bunnies were victorious: 8 to 6, I believe. The last mile or two was tiring, as usual. After we finished, I turned to Amy and was about to ask her if she had been peppered by the occasional gnat cloud. No need to ask. She had several dozen more 'freckles' in the form of gnats plastered to her neck and face. I knew I probably looked about the same - which Amy (and later the mirror) confirmed. There was even one or two in my teeth. Mmm... protein.
All in all a great run, our time was slower than I've done in the past, but that includes bushwacking and stopping a few times to check out the wildlife. A little over 9 miles in 85 minutes.
After showering and picking the gnats out of our teeth, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Crepes Reba: strawberries, bananas, and Nutella. Also on hand was some delicious and WAY overprice fig-spread from Whole Foods - which, along, with a touch of butter, made for a delicious new crepe. I also learned that Amy is addicted to powdered sugar... good thing I had just a little on hand. Next challenge: how to incorporate poultry seasoning into crepes. Hmm... I'll figure something out.
Friday, May 25, 2007
I knew it was coming...
I'm starting to feel some blog pressure. I knew it would eventually come to this and I guess I'm actually a little surprised it hasn't happened already. Pressure to write something interesting, witty, insightful. Sometimes a run is just a run... a get-out-and-get-'er-done run. That was pretty much how it went today.
A late night out at the Mill Creek Tavern and other factors conspired to keep me in bed longer than I had intended (I feel like I write this a lot). I even thought about skipping the run altogether, but I knew there was no way I'd run later in the day as it's supposed to go up to 90 degrees. So I went out and ran around the neighborhood back streets of Prospect Park and Ridley Park and whatever is between.
Pointless to G-map it since I have no clue where I went.. but I ran for 45 minutes and there were a fair amount of rolling hills. Somehow I've convinced myself that doing these once a week rolling hills will prepare me for The Monk... don't mess with my delusion.
The best part of the morning (post run, that is) was the sourdough toast with fig-spread....Mmmm... and the three remaining fresh strawberries. Maybe I should make this a blog about food instead... I seem to get much more excited about that than running.
Seester is in town this weekend - going for her National rating as a lacrosse referee. I know less about ref-ing lacrosse than I do about track workouts (and we already know how little I know about that), but I'm excited for her as I know this is a big deal. She flies in tonight, but I won't get to see her in action until Sunday (up at Lehigh). Go Tammy!!!
A late night out at the Mill Creek Tavern and other factors conspired to keep me in bed longer than I had intended (I feel like I write this a lot). I even thought about skipping the run altogether, but I knew there was no way I'd run later in the day as it's supposed to go up to 90 degrees. So I went out and ran around the neighborhood back streets of Prospect Park and Ridley Park and whatever is between.
Pointless to G-map it since I have no clue where I went.. but I ran for 45 minutes and there were a fair amount of rolling hills. Somehow I've convinced myself that doing these once a week rolling hills will prepare me for The Monk... don't mess with my delusion.
The best part of the morning (post run, that is) was the sourdough toast with fig-spread....Mmmm... and the three remaining fresh strawberries. Maybe I should make this a blog about food instead... I seem to get much more excited about that than running.
Seester is in town this weekend - going for her National rating as a lacrosse referee. I know less about ref-ing lacrosse than I do about track workouts (and we already know how little I know about that), but I'm excited for her as I know this is a big deal. She flies in tonight, but I won't get to see her in action until Sunday (up at Lehigh). Go Tammy!!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Holding on to Spring
Another gorgeous morning. I could get used to this. But I know better and the armpit of summer will soon be upon us. Nothing too interesting to write about today’s run. I went out to the track again and pretty much did what I did last time – ‘fast’ and slow 200s – four of them and then another lap around the track at a medium pace, just for shits and giggles… and so I could lap the octogenarians again. Maybe that would be called a ‘tempo’ pace, but I’m still learning the vernacular and how it applies to me. Then home again, home again jiggity jig. I felt like I pushed it more today and my legs are certainly agreeing with that assessment, but I don’t think my times were appreciably better. Anyway… 5.18 in 46:30.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Thankful
I can’t express how excited I am that we are having a spring this year. If memory serves correctly, it seems like in the past few years we’ve gone from winter almost right into summer – just glossing over spring. There are a lot of reasons to appreciate this; having great running weather is just one of them.
I took advantage of the nice weather on Sunday and met up with Amy at Lloyd Hall to do the loop. Parking was surprisingly easy – don’t know why, but I’ll take it. The physiology of the run, itself, was rather uneventful. We didn’t set any land-speed records, nor were we aiming to. We kept a nice pace around 9:15 and caught each other up on the various goings-on in our lives.
Amy is someone I met through a mutual friend and we initially began getting together with the purpose of running. That was a few years ago. Since then, we’ve really developed a wonderful friendship and we’ve seen each other through some very high and very low points in both our running and our lives. I didn’t really mean to get all mushy here, but I do like to reflect on this as another thing running has added to my life.
So this post is a celebration of friendship as much as it is a celebration of running and beautiful spring weather. Amy and I have more than just red hair and freckles in common. We make each other laugh, help each other think things through, and – perhaps most importantly – discuss the importance of liking the color of your shoes.
The loop plus some – call it just under 9 in just under 80 minutes.
I took advantage of the nice weather on Sunday and met up with Amy at Lloyd Hall to do the loop. Parking was surprisingly easy – don’t know why, but I’ll take it. The physiology of the run, itself, was rather uneventful. We didn’t set any land-speed records, nor were we aiming to. We kept a nice pace around 9:15 and caught each other up on the various goings-on in our lives.
Amy is someone I met through a mutual friend and we initially began getting together with the purpose of running. That was a few years ago. Since then, we’ve really developed a wonderful friendship and we’ve seen each other through some very high and very low points in both our running and our lives. I didn’t really mean to get all mushy here, but I do like to reflect on this as another thing running has added to my life.
So this post is a celebration of friendship as much as it is a celebration of running and beautiful spring weather. Amy and I have more than just red hair and freckles in common. We make each other laugh, help each other think things through, and – perhaps most importantly – discuss the importance of liking the color of your shoes.
The loop plus some – call it just under 9 in just under 80 minutes.
Friday, May 18, 2007
When you're right, you're right
This is a phrase which has been heard with disturbing frequency around the pumpkin patch as of late - especially since it's coming from my lips. I did not want to run this morning. I know, not an uncommon sentiment among early-morning-end-of-the-work-week runners. But I was advised by a wise old sage, that I should get out there, that I would feel better for having done so.
The question became where to run. This winter I logged far too many miles on the treddy, so I knew I didn't want to go there. Besides, the weather has been optimal for running lately and this morning was no exception - overcast, mid 50s, with a nice breeze. Tinicum was likely too wet from yesterday's downpours and Prospect Park is not known for it's glorious running routes, so what to do? Basically, I just winged it - I ran this route with the intention of exploring some of the neighborhoods of nearby Ridley Park.
As I wound my way through the bowels of Southeast Delco, I had a little competition going: Beer distributors vs. Wawas. It was close, folks, but ultimately the Wawas won it, four to three. I kind of liked this route as it presented me with something I’ve been quite unaccustomed to as of late (with all my treddy and Tinicum running) – rolling hills here and there. I dare say that I even enjoyed some of the hills once I was warmed up and in a groove of sorts. So much so that I actually extended my route a bit beyond what I had intended just to get in one more (sort of) hill…. wild woman that I am!
The closer I got to home, the better I felt. It was one of those days where I felt like I could have kept going for at least a few more miles. I haven’t had one of those days in a long time, so that was really nice. As I cooled down and stretched, I felt really good and wanted to hold onto that feeling. I made a mental note, “This is why I run.” And somehow, the morning just got better from there.
5.8 in 53 and change.
The question became where to run. This winter I logged far too many miles on the treddy, so I knew I didn't want to go there. Besides, the weather has been optimal for running lately and this morning was no exception - overcast, mid 50s, with a nice breeze. Tinicum was likely too wet from yesterday's downpours and Prospect Park is not known for it's glorious running routes, so what to do? Basically, I just winged it - I ran this route with the intention of exploring some of the neighborhoods of nearby Ridley Park.
As I wound my way through the bowels of Southeast Delco, I had a little competition going: Beer distributors vs. Wawas. It was close, folks, but ultimately the Wawas won it, four to three. I kind of liked this route as it presented me with something I’ve been quite unaccustomed to as of late (with all my treddy and Tinicum running) – rolling hills here and there. I dare say that I even enjoyed some of the hills once I was warmed up and in a groove of sorts. So much so that I actually extended my route a bit beyond what I had intended just to get in one more (sort of) hill…. wild woman that I am!
The closer I got to home, the better I felt. It was one of those days where I felt like I could have kept going for at least a few more miles. I haven’t had one of those days in a long time, so that was really nice. As I cooled down and stretched, I felt really good and wanted to hold onto that feeling. I made a mental note, “This is why I run.” And somehow, the morning just got better from there.
5.8 in 53 and change.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
PSP
To paraphrase from Lily Allen's LDN:
You might laugh, you might frown
Runnin' round Prospect Park.
The sun is in the sky, oh why, oh why,
Would I wanna be anywhere else?
Lily doesn't sing about Prospect Park, but when that song came on the iPod this morning on my return run from the track (yes, I did say track... more on that in a bit), I easily adapted the lyrics to fit the dirty little blue collar town in which I live. And the sun was in the sky and I had a lot to be happy about despite all the little things nipping at my heels (i.e., work, getting licensed, bills, etc.)
Since I had my salsa class last night and didn't get home until after 11pm, I awoke a bit later than is typical for me. Given this, running in Tinicum did not seem like a real possibility due to the fact that the construction workers were likely arriving on the scene just as I was rolling out of bed. I thought about the track - a mere two miles away - and my half-hearted commitment to speed work, but really didn't feel like I wanted to go fast today. So I bargained with myself that I'd at least run over to the track and check it out... see if it was open, see exactly how to get onto the track, etc. I figured that I didn't have to do any actual track work.. I could just go and take a look see... which is essentially what I did.
As I got closer to the track, I realized that even if I did want to do any 'speed work', I didn't know what times I should be aiming for. It was easier when I did it on the treddy last week because I could increase my pace accurately (well, as accurate as the treddies at my gym are) and note the distance traveled at said speed. The track is foreign territory to me... are there markers for 200s? or do I just eyeball what is halfway around? And how fast should I be striving to do 200s or 400s? It sounded like a lot of math to me and at 6something in the morning, I was like, "Nahhhh."
But, I figured I had come all that way (okay, so it was a little less than 2 miles), I really should at least pretend to do some speed work... which is essentially what I did. I did four laps around the track: 200s at a regular pace mixed in with 200s at something faster than regular pace... which didn't feel so fast (and, no, I didn't keep time). My legs just weren't feeling it. I still got this foot thing going on. I'm hoping some new kicks (which should be arriving by late this week, early next week) will help that - and make me run faster, of course.
But, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I was feeling pretty happy, so my tired legs and non-SPRNTCness didn't get me down. As I ran home, I thought about my upcoming day. I'm looking forward to a possible picnic (weather permitting) with Seebo this evening. If the weather does cooperate, we'll dine in the Azalea garden near the Art Museum... I believe that is called al fresco.
A little under 5 miles in a little under 45 minutes.
You might laugh, you might frown
Runnin' round Prospect Park.
The sun is in the sky, oh why, oh why,
Would I wanna be anywhere else?
Lily doesn't sing about Prospect Park, but when that song came on the iPod this morning on my return run from the track (yes, I did say track... more on that in a bit), I easily adapted the lyrics to fit the dirty little blue collar town in which I live. And the sun was in the sky and I had a lot to be happy about despite all the little things nipping at my heels (i.e., work, getting licensed, bills, etc.)
Since I had my salsa class last night and didn't get home until after 11pm, I awoke a bit later than is typical for me. Given this, running in Tinicum did not seem like a real possibility due to the fact that the construction workers were likely arriving on the scene just as I was rolling out of bed. I thought about the track - a mere two miles away - and my half-hearted commitment to speed work, but really didn't feel like I wanted to go fast today. So I bargained with myself that I'd at least run over to the track and check it out... see if it was open, see exactly how to get onto the track, etc. I figured that I didn't have to do any actual track work.. I could just go and take a look see... which is essentially what I did.
As I got closer to the track, I realized that even if I did want to do any 'speed work', I didn't know what times I should be aiming for. It was easier when I did it on the treddy last week because I could increase my pace accurately (well, as accurate as the treddies at my gym are) and note the distance traveled at said speed. The track is foreign territory to me... are there markers for 200s? or do I just eyeball what is halfway around? And how fast should I be striving to do 200s or 400s? It sounded like a lot of math to me and at 6something in the morning, I was like, "Nahhhh."
But, I figured I had come all that way (okay, so it was a little less than 2 miles), I really should at least pretend to do some speed work... which is essentially what I did. I did four laps around the track: 200s at a regular pace mixed in with 200s at something faster than regular pace... which didn't feel so fast (and, no, I didn't keep time). My legs just weren't feeling it. I still got this foot thing going on. I'm hoping some new kicks (which should be arriving by late this week, early next week) will help that - and make me run faster, of course.
But, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I was feeling pretty happy, so my tired legs and non-SPRNTCness didn't get me down. As I ran home, I thought about my upcoming day. I'm looking forward to a possible picnic (weather permitting) with Seebo this evening. If the weather does cooperate, we'll dine in the Azalea garden near the Art Museum... I believe that is called al fresco.
A little under 5 miles in a little under 45 minutes.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Steady As She Goes
I'll keep this brief - it's too nice of a day to be inside and I have to get work done... so the longer I spend on this entry, the longer it'll take me to get my work done and that'll mean less time outside.
Beautiful morning - I was really looking forward to running in Tinicum. I decided to do the whole figure eight loop. Seebo says it's about 9.5 doorstep to doorstep. That seems about right. My intention was to run it easy, which is pretty much what I did. A fairly uneventful run - no foxes or deer. Just one bunny and a heron flying high overhead. Also a dead mouse and a dead frog - cause of death unknown. I did encounter a fair share of people walking and even a number of fellow runners, of which there are usually surprisingly few.
My legs were really tired by the end. I think running on the rocky, uneven surfaces is hard on my legs. But I was, again, thankful to have Tinicum so close and was glad that I got out there on a beautiful day. While I didn't plot the route... we'll say it was, in fact, 9.5 miles, in 85minutes.
Beautiful morning - I was really looking forward to running in Tinicum. I decided to do the whole figure eight loop. Seebo says it's about 9.5 doorstep to doorstep. That seems about right. My intention was to run it easy, which is pretty much what I did. A fairly uneventful run - no foxes or deer. Just one bunny and a heron flying high overhead. Also a dead mouse and a dead frog - cause of death unknown. I did encounter a fair share of people walking and even a number of fellow runners, of which there are usually surprisingly few.
My legs were really tired by the end. I think running on the rocky, uneven surfaces is hard on my legs. But I was, again, thankful to have Tinicum so close and was glad that I got out there on a beautiful day. While I didn't plot the route... we'll say it was, in fact, 9.5 miles, in 85minutes.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
As it should be
No, this isn't a race report. Whew! I was getting tired of those too. This is just your run of the mill reflections on life post. Actually, it isn't even that deep - just something I wanted to share.
So, it's a beautiful Saturday morning and before I can bring myself to do any work (yes, unfortunately I bring work home with me many weekends), I decide to go for a walk to the local Wawa and get a cup of coffee. En route, there is a church whose claim to fame is that it played a prominent role in instituting the phrase "In God We Trust" on United States coins and currency. As is true of many churches, this one has a cemetery.
I've lived in this town for almost a year now, but have only recently begun exploring the nooks and crannies of it through neighborhood walks. Returning from Wawa, coffee in hand, I decided to check out this cemetery a bit. Old and newer headstones dot the grounds in no apparent order or pattern. I see more than a fair share of toppled over markers, old and new alike, and I'm sad at the thought that some local teenage punks likely had a hand in that.
The cemetery wraps behind the church and goes back farther than I had anticipated. Walking through, it's pretty clear that this is not the most well maintained graveyard and before long, I notice gravestones beyond the natural border of the cemetery, peeking through the ground brush and overgrown grass. At first I felt a little saddened by this, that these markers, and those whom they represent, have long been forgotten. But then almost as quickly came the thought, "As it should be" and I saw it differently. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, right? So it's fitting that nature has taken over, gathering the dearly departed back into her embrace.
So, it's a beautiful Saturday morning and before I can bring myself to do any work (yes, unfortunately I bring work home with me many weekends), I decide to go for a walk to the local Wawa and get a cup of coffee. En route, there is a church whose claim to fame is that it played a prominent role in instituting the phrase "In God We Trust" on United States coins and currency. As is true of many churches, this one has a cemetery.
I've lived in this town for almost a year now, but have only recently begun exploring the nooks and crannies of it through neighborhood walks. Returning from Wawa, coffee in hand, I decided to check out this cemetery a bit. Old and newer headstones dot the grounds in no apparent order or pattern. I see more than a fair share of toppled over markers, old and new alike, and I'm sad at the thought that some local teenage punks likely had a hand in that.
The cemetery wraps behind the church and goes back farther than I had anticipated. Walking through, it's pretty clear that this is not the most well maintained graveyard and before long, I notice gravestones beyond the natural border of the cemetery, peeking through the ground brush and overgrown grass. At first I felt a little saddened by this, that these markers, and those whom they represent, have long been forgotten. But then almost as quickly came the thought, "As it should be" and I saw it differently. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, right? So it's fitting that nature has taken over, gathering the dearly departed back into her embrace.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Goofy Broad Street Pics
They always try to hornswaggle ya out of waaay too much money with race photos... and they do their best to try to keep you from being able to download the pics for free. But I'm too crafty for them! Anyway... here are a few from the race. They were taken around mile 9 - I know this because it wasn't until then that I caught up with Amy (who's just in front of me).... and I remember seeing the photographer up on the ladder. Even though they're pretty goofy pics (especially the one), they're better than usual since I'm actually smiling and don't look like I'm about to have a coronary.
Kicking my own A**
Woke up about fifteen minutes ahead of my alarm clock. I hate when that happens - especially when it's set for 5am. So I figured I'd get out of bed and get my day started... problem was, it was still pretty damn dark - too dark for me to run, especially if I was considering Tinicum. I decided it would be a good hamster wheel day. I've been wanting to do a little 'speed work' (shh... don't tell anyone) and I wanted to lift some weights since it's been forever since I've done that.
On the topic of speed: I am not fast. I have never been fast. I will never be fast. I am okay with that. Still, I will admit that I was bothered that my race times did not decrease this year (I'm referring primarily to the Allentown/Lehigh Valley Half and Broad Street). Every year that I have run Broad Street, I have improved my time - this year was the exception. I don't know who the hell I was last year. I don't recall actively trying to be SPRNTC fast, but I kind of was - at least by my own standards. I knew that I likely would not match and certainly not beat my prior times this year. I'm actually pretty surprised at how close I came.
So, all of this has given me some pause and has turned my attention to maybe trying (on purpose) to get faster. This month, Runner's World had an article on working towards this goal with only running three days a week. Perfect for me since I typically only run three days a week anyway. Someone, who shall remain nameless, seems to have accidentally threw out my copy. I'll have to pick up a new one. But anyway, it got me to thinkin' and plannin'. I figured today was as good as any to dip my pinkie toe into the fast lane. I'm even hesitant to blog about this for fear that I won't stick with it or it will seem like I don't know what I'm doing (which I don't).
Anyway.... so I warmed up for a mile and a half on the ole treddy. Since hanging out with Seebo and friends, I've started to learn a little track vocabulary (a very little). I now know that 400 meters is once around a track, which is a quarter mile - I'm embarrassed to admit that I did not know that before. Not knowing what I was doing and not having my Runner's World article to guide me along, I just made some stuff up. After my warm up, I decided I'd do 200 meter stretches at a pace that was very fast for me. I looked up my 'predicted' 5k time, based on my Broad Street performance... and those sillys think I could run a 5k in 24min and 16sec (7:49 pace). Going on that, I decided to do my 200s at 7.7mph (7:47 pace, according to the treddy). I think I did six 200s at that pace with a 200 at 6.5mph rest pace in between. The first two were not too bad... pretty easy recovery. The next few were rougher, in both the speed effort and the recovery. My intention was then to run another mile and a half, two miles as a cool down, but damn was I tired. I made it through about a mile and a quarter cool down - varying between 6.6 and 7.0 pace - depending what was jammin' on the iPod.
All in all, I did about 4.25 - and then I went upstairs and wailed on the free weights. Ha! Cracking myself up here... me..... wailing on free weights... that's funny. But I did lift a bit.
On the topic of speed: I am not fast. I have never been fast. I will never be fast. I am okay with that. Still, I will admit that I was bothered that my race times did not decrease this year (I'm referring primarily to the Allentown/Lehigh Valley Half and Broad Street). Every year that I have run Broad Street, I have improved my time - this year was the exception. I don't know who the hell I was last year. I don't recall actively trying to be SPRNTC fast, but I kind of was - at least by my own standards. I knew that I likely would not match and certainly not beat my prior times this year. I'm actually pretty surprised at how close I came.
So, all of this has given me some pause and has turned my attention to maybe trying (on purpose) to get faster. This month, Runner's World had an article on working towards this goal with only running three days a week. Perfect for me since I typically only run three days a week anyway. Someone, who shall remain nameless, seems to have accidentally threw out my copy. I'll have to pick up a new one. But anyway, it got me to thinkin' and plannin'. I figured today was as good as any to dip my pinkie toe into the fast lane. I'm even hesitant to blog about this for fear that I won't stick with it or it will seem like I don't know what I'm doing (which I don't).
Anyway.... so I warmed up for a mile and a half on the ole treddy. Since hanging out with Seebo and friends, I've started to learn a little track vocabulary (a very little). I now know that 400 meters is once around a track, which is a quarter mile - I'm embarrassed to admit that I did not know that before. Not knowing what I was doing and not having my Runner's World article to guide me along, I just made some stuff up. After my warm up, I decided I'd do 200 meter stretches at a pace that was very fast for me. I looked up my 'predicted' 5k time, based on my Broad Street performance... and those sillys think I could run a 5k in 24min and 16sec (7:49 pace). Going on that, I decided to do my 200s at 7.7mph (7:47 pace, according to the treddy). I think I did six 200s at that pace with a 200 at 6.5mph rest pace in between. The first two were not too bad... pretty easy recovery. The next few were rougher, in both the speed effort and the recovery. My intention was then to run another mile and a half, two miles as a cool down, but damn was I tired. I made it through about a mile and a quarter cool down - varying between 6.6 and 7.0 pace - depending what was jammin' on the iPod.
All in all, I did about 4.25 - and then I went upstairs and wailed on the free weights. Ha! Cracking myself up here... me..... wailing on free weights... that's funny. But I did lift a bit.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Pea Soup
When I peered out my window this morning at about quarter of six, I thought, "Damn, it's foggy. Wonder if I'll be able to see well enough to run at Tinicum.... Of course you can." This was my first post-Broad Street run and I wondered how the ole legs would feel. Turns out they were pretty okay - not too tight, but still remembering that I asked a lot of them just a few days ago. My right shoulder was acting up again - pain that - fortunately - had left me alone for a few days (including Broad street). I concluded that salsa last night - with all that turning, probably aggravated things.
I, again, did the initial loop of Tinicum - the boring side first. Not that it's really boring... after all, I did see a woodsie of some kind.. a woodchuck or groundhog or whatever you want to call it... and three rabbits streaked across the path as I ran. This part of the trail parallels 95 and I can see and hear the commuters whooshing past. After about 20 minutes of running (from home base), I turned onto the more interesting, bushwacking, single-track part of the trail... where I 'chased' the deer last time. About a quarter mile in, I rounded the bend and saw the red fox lounging in the middle of the trail about 25 feet in front of me. I couldn't have been more surprised if there had been a hippo blocking my way... well, maybe. Clearly, he didn't hear me approach (maybe he had his iPod on, like me). His back was towards me, he was lounging in quite the relaxed state... bushy tail and all. This stopped me in my tracks. I wasn't really concerned about being attacked, but the last thing I need is to startle some poor unsuspecting (and possibly rabid) beastie and have him bite me. That would ruin my whole day. So I stopped, took out my earphones, gazed at him for a few seconds and then shuffled my feet to make some noise. This got his attention and in no time he was off and trotting down the trail. How cool!... but I also felt a little guilty for disturbing him as he surveyed what is, truly, his territory.
Didn't encounter any more wildlife on my run, but I did see a few really beautiful dew-laden spider webs. I also ran through a few strands of web strewn across the trail. The humidity in the air clung to these strands and felt cool and wet across my face as I ran through.... an interesting (and not unpleasant) sensation. I also took note of more than a half dozen freshly hatched egg shells here and there along the trial - more evidence that life is burgeoning in Tinicum.
And... I made it out before the construction workers arrived!
4.6ish miles in... I forget... something like 41 or 42 minutes... guess I should pay better attention to those things.. but not today.
I, again, did the initial loop of Tinicum - the boring side first. Not that it's really boring... after all, I did see a woodsie of some kind.. a woodchuck or groundhog or whatever you want to call it... and three rabbits streaked across the path as I ran. This part of the trail parallels 95 and I can see and hear the commuters whooshing past. After about 20 minutes of running (from home base), I turned onto the more interesting, bushwacking, single-track part of the trail... where I 'chased' the deer last time. About a quarter mile in, I rounded the bend and saw the red fox lounging in the middle of the trail about 25 feet in front of me. I couldn't have been more surprised if there had been a hippo blocking my way... well, maybe. Clearly, he didn't hear me approach (maybe he had his iPod on, like me). His back was towards me, he was lounging in quite the relaxed state... bushy tail and all. This stopped me in my tracks. I wasn't really concerned about being attacked, but the last thing I need is to startle some poor unsuspecting (and possibly rabid) beastie and have him bite me. That would ruin my whole day. So I stopped, took out my earphones, gazed at him for a few seconds and then shuffled my feet to make some noise. This got his attention and in no time he was off and trotting down the trail. How cool!... but I also felt a little guilty for disturbing him as he surveyed what is, truly, his territory.
Didn't encounter any more wildlife on my run, but I did see a few really beautiful dew-laden spider webs. I also ran through a few strands of web strewn across the trail. The humidity in the air clung to these strands and felt cool and wet across my face as I ran through.... an interesting (and not unpleasant) sensation. I also took note of more than a half dozen freshly hatched egg shells here and there along the trial - more evidence that life is burgeoning in Tinicum.
And... I made it out before the construction workers arrived!
4.6ish miles in... I forget... something like 41 or 42 minutes... guess I should pay better attention to those things.. but not today.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
... and in marches summer
A little while back, I made myself some promises. Once Broad Street was over, I'd go to the doctor to treat my stress fracture and I'd get on my bike. You know, the one I spent several hundred dollars on almost two years ago. The same one that's a nice 'conversation piece' in the living room. I'm embarrassed to say that I could count on my fingers how many times I've ridden the dang thing (probably on one hand). It needs a tune up (derailer issues) before I ride it and I'm too embarrassed to take a bike that has clearly seen little use to the bike shop. I need to get over it. And, no, I haven't scheduled a doctor's appointment yet, but you know what... the ole leg is feeling pretty okay, so I'll likely ignore it again for a while.
And now onto the purpose of this entry: as if this needs stating... today was Broad Street. This race holds a lot of significance for me as it was the inspiration for me getting involved in this bloody sport. I always think of Polly, my dear friend from graduate school who I watched run Broad Street in 2001. She's in Indiana now raising a family and kicking some serious neuropsych-ass out there. I miss her and think of her when I run this race.
Going into today, I didn't have great feelings for how I would do. I'd been fighting off a cold and recovering from last weekend's half marathon. To add injury to insult, I did something - I have no idea what - to my left foot yesterday. Kind of feels like a mild sprain just below the outer ankle and I was keenly aware of it as I walked around pre-race this morning. But this was Broad Street, I'd be damned if I was going to let those things dampen my spirits too much.
Along with the typical excitement, I learned this morning that this was Amy's first Broad Street. How could that possibly be?, I wondered aloud. Subways, she said... she was intimidated by the whole taking-the-subway-to-the-start thing. I didn't even bother trying to wrap my head around this weird 'logic' that has kept her (a local and a long time runner) from ever running this race! Whatever. We did the usual pre-race wandering around...waiting in porto-potty lines (singing about 'workin' on our fitness'), pinning on race numbers, dreading taking off that last layer so we could stow our bag on the bus, and lining up with the 17,000+ other registrants.
I don't have much to say about the race itself. It's Broad Street!, so it's fun... lots of positive energy, drums, dance troupes, and it's downhill (and we had a nice tailwind much of the way). As I suspected it might, my foot felt fine during the race. I barely gave it a second thought. I was tired, though... around mile three I was thinking that this would be a long race. It was about at that point that Amy pulled away from me and Stacey caught up to and quickly passed me. It was fine... I was tired, glad to see my friends having a good race. I tried not to have too much of that save-yourself-I'm-wounded-on-the-battlefield mentality. To my surprise, I was sustaining pretty good splits - around 8:20. It felt like work though. I had some slower miles, but nothing too far off.
Just before mile 9, I spied Amy again. I was surprised, but happy that I had caught up. I didn't want to catch her too soon for fear that I wouldn't be able to hang on and she'd smoke me like a salmon in the last half mile. I held on and caught her within the last half mile. We entered the Navy Yard together and were both glad to be just about done. This being her first Broad Street, Amy asked where the damn finish line was (she had had enough). I told her it's always farther than you think, but that it should only be another minute or so ahead. We pretty much ran it in together... I think she finished just before me, but I won't be sure until we see the results. Seebo marvels at how we truly don't have that end-of-race competitiveness with each other.
Of course, it was good to be done.... and much to my delight and surprise, I finished only about 30 seconds behind my time from last year - and still in the 1hr 23min time frame. I could not have been more surprised or pleased. Well, of course that's not true - I could have been more pleased... if I had bested my time from last year, but, really, considering that I didn't even think I'd come close, I was very happy with the outcome.
We caught up with Kevin and then Seebo near the awards stage. Seebo, doing a fine OMW (old man walk), but otherwise looking good after another SPRNTC performance. Amy asked how long he'd walk like that. I estimated 'til Tuesday (good 80's band, incidentally) - we'll see how my prediction fares. Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice post-race party at Matt's place - just a mile or so from the Navy Yard ("Hey, there's boats!", Amy marveled as we walked back to the car. Seebo was glad to know he's not the only one to space such things.)
So now we're unofficially off to the summer. The spring races are all but over and racing will slow, if not stop, until the fall. While I'm glad for the break, I'm sad in a way. It's been a good spring.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Reba and the (snot)Rockets
Woke up grumpy again this morning. I used to be a morning person... I hope that is not changing. I like being a morning person - greeting the day with a smile, accomplishing things when the day is still fresh, and, of course, I especially like how it pisses off the non-morning people. Well, this morning was not one of those greet the day with a smile days. I think my cold, which has settled nicely into my lungs (definitely not allergies, I've determined), had a lot to do with that. I just did not want to get out of bed and run. Plus my stomach was feeling a little unsettled due to the ball of goo I burdened it with last night (in the form of an Oreo sundae).
But, of course, I did. I ran the first loop in Tinicum (just over 4.6 miles... I tried to link to the Gmaps route, but something went wonky with it... so screw it). I was a little nervous about going to Tinicum because they are doing some construction there and Seebo kind of 'got in trouble' the other day when he ran there. But I was figgerin' that those construction boyz wouldn't be there at 6am-ish. So out I went. I did the boring part of the loop first and it was, well, boring.
The second part of the loop was more interesting. I chased a lone white tailed deer for a while. Poor bugger. I encountered him (or her) on a narrow stretch of the path where there is water on either side, so the deer would scamper ahead a few dozen yards, stop to graze, only to be disturbed by me again in short order. This happened about three times until (s)he grew tired of my pursuit and just took off. Not too long after I saw a red fox! (and, no, it wasn't my reflection in the water - HA!). He scampered down the trail for a while before I lost sight of him. Very cool. I marveled for a bit at how Seebo seems to always spot hawks. Me, I don't look up for fear of tripping over a root or stone or something. Now that spring is upon us, there is quite a bit more foliage to contend with on this part of the trail and, at times, running it feels like fast-paced bushwacking. But, to me, that's fun and I caught myself actually smiling and enjoying this second part of the run, in spite of my grumpy morning mood.
As I headed out of Tinicum, the first of the construction dudes were arriving.... so I avoided getting scolded.. at least for today. Running back along 420, towards home base, I caught the scent of a lilac tree (or bush... or whatever) right about at the spot where I'm usually inhaling a whiff of the latest road kill - quite a nice change... I'll take it. So that was my last run pre-Broad Street. Not feeling all that great about Sunday - mostly due to this cold. As the title of this entry suggests, I'm not having such a fun time with the congestion. But screw it... BROAD STREET IS SUNDAY!!!
But, of course, I did. I ran the first loop in Tinicum (just over 4.6 miles... I tried to link to the Gmaps route, but something went wonky with it... so screw it). I was a little nervous about going to Tinicum because they are doing some construction there and Seebo kind of 'got in trouble' the other day when he ran there. But I was figgerin' that those construction boyz wouldn't be there at 6am-ish. So out I went. I did the boring part of the loop first and it was, well, boring.
The second part of the loop was more interesting. I chased a lone white tailed deer for a while. Poor bugger. I encountered him (or her) on a narrow stretch of the path where there is water on either side, so the deer would scamper ahead a few dozen yards, stop to graze, only to be disturbed by me again in short order. This happened about three times until (s)he grew tired of my pursuit and just took off. Not too long after I saw a red fox! (and, no, it wasn't my reflection in the water - HA!). He scampered down the trail for a while before I lost sight of him. Very cool. I marveled for a bit at how Seebo seems to always spot hawks. Me, I don't look up for fear of tripping over a root or stone or something. Now that spring is upon us, there is quite a bit more foliage to contend with on this part of the trail and, at times, running it feels like fast-paced bushwacking. But, to me, that's fun and I caught myself actually smiling and enjoying this second part of the run, in spite of my grumpy morning mood.
As I headed out of Tinicum, the first of the construction dudes were arriving.... so I avoided getting scolded.. at least for today. Running back along 420, towards home base, I caught the scent of a lilac tree (or bush... or whatever) right about at the spot where I'm usually inhaling a whiff of the latest road kill - quite a nice change... I'll take it. So that was my last run pre-Broad Street. Not feeling all that great about Sunday - mostly due to this cold. As the title of this entry suggests, I'm not having such a fun time with the congestion. But screw it... BROAD STREET IS SUNDAY!!!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
No parkin' on the dance floor
My allergies or cold or whatever it is has been making it really hard to get out of bed in the morning to do my usual workout stuff. Such was the case yesterday morning. I was planning on doing part of Tinicum, but a sore throat and stuffy head kept me warm between my covers. But I knew that if I missed a run yesterday, I would not feel happy, so I packed my gear and aimed to run after work.
Finding a parking spot at Lloyd Hall at 6:30ish on a beautiful afternoon/evening is no easy feat. There were lots of lurkers. Just as I was about to try to figure out a plan B for parking and/or running, I lucked out and found a spot. And finding a parking spot may have been the most momentous part of this run... I just did about 4.5 - out and back.
Lots of folks milling about. I spied quite a few Broad Street t-shirts which started to get me fired up for Sunday. My legs felt pretty good during the run - my right leg was tight, but dealable. I had more trouble with my breathing than usual, which I attribute to whatever is going on cardiovascularly for me right now. I was initially thinking it was allergies, but it's hung around a bit too long for that and I can now feel it in my chest. On the upside, I have a sexy, raspy phone sex voice. Not sure what good that'll do me on Sunday, but I'm planning on getting good rest between now and then. As evidence, I've already forfeited my salsa plans for Friday night. **Gasp** I know... it's serious when that happens.
Looking forward to the weekend. Amy and I are going to hang out Saturday night, do dinner, and have a pre-Broad Street sleepover. I made her promise not to tell scary ghost stories or dip my pinkie in hot water when I'm asleep.
Finding a parking spot at Lloyd Hall at 6:30ish on a beautiful afternoon/evening is no easy feat. There were lots of lurkers. Just as I was about to try to figure out a plan B for parking and/or running, I lucked out and found a spot. And finding a parking spot may have been the most momentous part of this run... I just did about 4.5 - out and back.
Lots of folks milling about. I spied quite a few Broad Street t-shirts which started to get me fired up for Sunday. My legs felt pretty good during the run - my right leg was tight, but dealable. I had more trouble with my breathing than usual, which I attribute to whatever is going on cardiovascularly for me right now. I was initially thinking it was allergies, but it's hung around a bit too long for that and I can now feel it in my chest. On the upside, I have a sexy, raspy phone sex voice. Not sure what good that'll do me on Sunday, but I'm planning on getting good rest between now and then. As evidence, I've already forfeited my salsa plans for Friday night. **Gasp** I know... it's serious when that happens.
Looking forward to the weekend. Amy and I are going to hang out Saturday night, do dinner, and have a pre-Broad Street sleepover. I made her promise not to tell scary ghost stories or dip my pinkie in hot water when I'm asleep.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
A quick addition
I was feeling a bit beat-upish on myself for not beating my time from last year's half marathon in Allentown - though I kind of knew I wouldn't. Still, Seebo broke things down for me a little and this made me feel better:
I came in 1319 out of the the total 2784 who were running (i.e. under 12 minute pace meaning not walking); 411 out of 1334 women running; 54 out of 197 in my age/gender group running.
So I guess that ain't bad.
I also forgot to blog about my piddly little run on Friday. I don't remember much other than it was on the hamster wheel and probably about 4 miles.
I came in 1319 out of the the total 2784 who were running (i.e. under 12 minute pace meaning not walking); 411 out of 1334 women running; 54 out of 197 in my age/gender group running.
So I guess that ain't bad.
I also forgot to blog about my piddly little run on Friday. I don't remember much other than it was on the hamster wheel and probably about 4 miles.
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