January 30 Long Run

On this run, you are pretty much running next to the rivers all the time. There is never a moment of boredom. And the course is really flat. Good way to keep a steady pace or gradually speed up.

Getting a lot of sun is a bonus if it is sunny as it was today. I got enough sun in the two hours that I ran this course for the rest of the winter. (not really, but you got it).

By the way, it is only 90 days till the next marathon (Long Branch, NJ).

Week 4, last three days

Thursday, January 27th, 2011:

Day mileage: 0 miles
Pace: NA /mile
Where/How/Who: Nowhere
Weekly mileage: 17 miles

Another rest day?

Friday, January 28th, 2011:

Day mileage: 0 miles
Pace: NA /mile
Where/How/Who: Nowhere
Weekly mileage: 17 miles

Yet another rest day. Work. Overnight call. And lingering hip pain.

Saturday, January 29th, 2011:

Day mileage: 6 miles
Pace: 8:17 /mile
Where/How/Who: Along East River/Easy run/Alone
Weekly mileage: 23 miles

Easy run along East River. At some point had to run on slippery ice and slushy snow. Ended up jumping out of the riverside and running up and down First Ave. It was a Marathon course in reverse.

Sunday, January 30th, 2011:

Day mileage: 15 miles
Pace: 7:42 /mile
Where/How/Who: Around Lower Manhattan/Long run/Alone
Weekly mileage: 38 miles

This was a good long run. See map above. I needed this after the three-day break this week.

I started slow and gradually sped up. Great sunny day (I was running mid-day). First real long run of 2011.

The mileage for week 4 is 38. That means I have not increased the mileage this week. (Good thing given the pain).

January 2011 graph

I am using mapmyrun this year.

Here is one of the graphs their site represents. I will write a review of the main features of the site and the phone software.

Week 4, first four days

Monday, January 24th, 2011:

Day mileage: 10 miles
Pace: 8:45 /mile
Where/How/Who: Central Park/Conversational pace /with Y RRC
Weekly mileage: 10 miles

Run from home to WSY, then a full loop around the park with the team, and then back to the Y, and jog back to home. Easy conversational pace, with about two miles of fast tempo run in the middle. Total mileage more than I had planned for today but it felt OK.


Tuesday, January 25th, 2011:

Day mileage: 7 miles
Pace: 8:24 /mile
Where/How/Who: The Bronx/Easy pace /Alone
Weekly mileage: 17 miles

Run around the Bronx zoo, on cold slippery roads. I am getting used to stepping on snow and slush without getting my feet and socks too wet. The softness is probably easier on the knees, as is a run on a trail, but the risk of falling on ice is always there.

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011:

Day mileage: 0 miles
Pace: NA /mile
Where/How/Who: Nowhere
Weekly mileage: 17 miles

My leg started to hurt yesterday, and it forced me to take Wednesday off. It seems like the high mileage of last week and the long runs of weekend and Monday were not smart ideas.

I ended up taking two more days off, but Thursday due to pain, and Friday due to work. I have only two more days left on this week. So week 4 is probably going to be a low-mileage week. I have to make sure I do an easy (really easy) long run on one of the weekend days.

Week 3 summary

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011:

Day mileage: 6 miles
Pace: 7:45 /mile
Where/How/Who: Central Park/Medium pace/Alone
Weekly mileage: 15 miles

Medium-pace run through Central Park four-mile loop and then through
midtown to get to 50th street. Running through traffic in the City is
very different from running in the dedicated lines in Central Park.
The only easy part is the portion of Broadway that is closed to
traffic and even there, you get the random biker who doesn't hesitate
to cut you off.

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011:

Day mileage: 8 miles
Pace: 7:12 /mile
Where/How/Who: Central Park/Tempo run/with Y RRC
Weekly mileage: 23 miles

Could join the Y runners and do half of the tempo run loop with them
before heading back home. I had run from home to the Y, and that gives
me an extra 2 miles each way. Super-cold weather. Punishing.
Relentless. When is the winter over?

Thursday, January 20th, 2011:

Day mileage: 0 miles
Pace: NA /mile
Where/How/Who: Day off
Weekly mileage: 23 miles

Much needed day off. Not taking a day off every week is madness.

Friday, January 21st, 2011:

Day mileage: 6 miles
Pace: 8:10 /mile
Where/How/Who: Bronx /Easy run /alone
Weekly mileage: 29 miles

Ran around in side streets in the Bronx. Slippery roads, dark streets,
refreshing weather.

Saturday, January 22th, 2011:

Day mileage: 6 miles
Pace: 7:12 /mile
Where/How/Who: Central Park/Tempo run/with Y RRC
Weekly mileage: 35 miles

Ran to the Park from home, and counterclockwise on the middle 4-mile
loop. I didn't want to run more than six miles. The loop should have
been faster than the overall tempo pace because the beginning and the
end were much slower.

Sunday, January 23th, 2011:

Day mileage: 13 miles
Pace: 7:16 /mile
Where/How/Who: Central Park/Long run /alone
Weekly mileage: 48 miles

Two loops in Central Park. I ran for 13.1 miles and felt OK with the
pace. The first loop was about 7 min/mile and the second one was 7:30
min/mile. I have to learn to reverse that. Good runners
negative-split. I don't. Have to learn how to.

I have to cut down on the mileage too. 48 miles may be a little too
much for week 3 of training.

Glassicle

This is what happens when your long run is on a cold cold cold day in New York.

A glassicle is an icicle that forms on your glasses in cold weather. Very much like a moustachicle and beardcicle for those with facial hair.

Third week, Day 1

9 miles in the morning, MLK day, cold but nice. Running in New York in winter is half balance and half stamina.

Wanted to go to run club too but got called in to work so no two-a-day today.

Second week

No run on Friday and on Saturday. Friday I decided to take a day off
after running every single day. Saturday I got called to work and it
got so late.

Sunday: 9 mile run in Manhattan and the Bronx. That brings the total
weekly mileage for the second week to 39 miles if I am not mistaken.
That is not too bad for a second week. It is less than what I had planned for this week but it is a more realistic mileage for now.

I clearly need to take a day off each week at least until I am
stronger and can possibly go two weeks with one day off.

Now jumping into the third week with a goal of about 45 miles for the
week, and definitely a good long run of at least 12 miles.

Cold cold

Wednesday: 8 mile run with the Y run club

Thursday: 6 mile run along East River

It is so unbelievably cold you could freeze

Running in the Bronx

Day 2, Week 2

7 miles in the Bronx, right before the second Blizzard hit New York. As I was finishing the run, the first snow flakes landed gently on the ground. It is supposed to snow at least 8 inches tonight.

 

Second week

Ran 9 miles in Central Park, including 8 of those tough 400-meter repeats at 102nd transverse. The uphill was a killer. I will post the splits tomorrow.

First week of training

9 mile run in Manhattan and the Bronx, I think that brings the week mileage to 47 miles. Good for the first week.

So going by the 10 percent rule, I will have to shoot for 47-52 miles.

How many miles today?

I have run 37 miles over the last six days. How many miles today to have a good first training week in 2011? This sets the tone for the rest of the training coming up to my fall marathon?

Last three days

January 6, 2011:

Six mile run in Central Park, ending in a dinner in Perspolis which serves a mean Soltani on the Upper East Side. Who knew a former goal-keeper from the best soccer team in Iran could establish such a good chelo kababi?

January 7, 2011:

Six mile run in the Bronx. Running along Morris Park Ave and then around the Bronx Zoo on roads that were slippery and slushy. Great weather though, cold enough to make the running heat pleasant. I didn't hear any of the zoo animals when I ran along the perimeter of the zoo. Running back to work on Palham Parkway.

January 8, 2011:

Easy three-mile run in the City along the East River. The pain from that Monday work out is finally gone. I am ready for a good run on Sunday.

Recovery run

3-mile run down 2nd ave to around 50th street and then down to UN building. Still sore legs from Monday speed workout.

7 mile run

Despite the heavy legs from yesterday's speed workout, today was a 7-mile day in the Bronx. So far so good for 2011!

Speed workout

8.4 miles total, including warm up to run club, 12 strawberry hills with two fast runners, and run back home. One of the fast runners won the Knickerbockers race thus year!

1/2/2011

Six miles in the Bronx today.

Happy 2011!

All of you runners out there, Happy New Year!

Today the Van Cortland Park Trail Marathon was on. I wish I had known and planned for it earlier so I could go and participate in this rather uncoventional marathon. The full marathon course was four loops of the park.

Instead, I ran to Prince Street to meet my friend who was visiting from Massachusettes and had Lombardi's Pizza with him. This counts as the first run of 2011. It was 4.5 miles and was done though heavy traffic and slushy streets.