Great Lawn

Today: 8 miles

Week: 32.5 miles

Workout: Warm-up from Niketown to Central Park's Great Lawn. 7 loops of Great Lawn, alternating 7:00 pace & 8:00 pace. Then, 3 loops cool down and back to store.

I never really warmed up until I did my 7th loop of Great Lawn. I guess that's what happens when it's 13 degrees outside!!!

Mile Repeats

Yesterday: 6.5 miles

Week: 24.5 miles

Workout: 4x1 mile (7:40 - 7:50) along the lower loop of Central Park. 400 m recovery

Unbelievable! My legs are still sore from those lunges I did on Monday.

4x4

Today: 7.5 miles

Week: 18 miles

Workout: Warm up from Y to East Drive @ 72nd Transverse. From there, we did the 4 mile loop of Central Park and immediately did 4 Cat Hills.

The workout was supposed to be done at tempo pace. But I was so sore from Monday's lunges that I couldn't run fast. You know how some old people make all kinds of noises whenever they get out of a chair or get into a chair? That was me at work today!!!

Easy Run

Today: 5.5 miles

Week: 10.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - Central Park's East Drive - 72nd St. Transverse - up West Drive to 102nd Transverse - turn around and return.

My legs were soooooo sore from doing lunges yesterday. I had trouble going up and down the stairs at work all day today.

I've been reading Bowerman and the Men of Oregon by Kenny Moore. It's a really good read if you're into track & field. Bill Bowerman was the co-founder of Nike. The part I found really interesting was how Bowerman was instrumental in starting the running boom here in the U.S.

West Drive Run

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: Central Park @ 63rd & West Drive. At an easy pace run 20 minutes up and return.

After the run, we did some drills. Lunges, skips, high knees, etc. I obviously need to do the drills regularly. Some of the muscles in my legs are so sore. I had trouble walking to the train station.

Bridle Path

Today: 8.5 miles

Week: 25.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - 2 extended loops of the Bridle Path

Today was the second time this week I had people tell me they called me while I was running, and I didn't respond. I'd like to think I am just very focused while I'm running. In reality, I think my body is just falling apart. My hip hurts, my vision is failing me, and now I can't hear. So, for all those people who call my name and get no response, I'm not ignoring you. I'm just beginning my twilight years a little early.

Thursday Night at the Races

Today: 3 miles

Week: 17 miles

Workout: 1/2 mile warm up, 3000 meter race at the Armory's indoor track, 1 mile cool down.

I wasn't sure what to expect in the race. I haven't run a 3000 or 2-mile race in years. They were organizing heats for the race. The guy in charge of heats was calling for 10:41 - 10:50 runners. I didn't think I could run that fast, so I ended up in the "slowest" heat. I figured I would run about 11:00. I tried to stick to a pace of about 88 seconds per quarter mile. I went through the mile in 5:46 - 5:48. I think I was right on pace for the first 9 laps or so. (It's a 200 meter track, so there were 15 laps for my race.) I found myself in third place, right on the heels of the second place guy. I couldn't even see the first place dude and was worried he was going to lap me.

Since I don't have much of a finishing kick, I decided to pass the guy in front of me and put some distance between us just in case he had a kick. The air is very dry in the Armory, and I felt as if I was swallowing sandpaper with each breath on the last two laps. I finished in an unofficial 10:43. I was pleased. I'm looking forward to the next race at the Armory, in February.

Out and Back

Today: 4 miles

Week: 14 miles

Workout: YMCA - counter clockwise around lower loop for 16 minutes and return.

A nice easy run. Trying to take it easy before the Armory races tomorrow night. Plan on running the 3000 meters. I hope I don't get lapped by anyone.

East Drive Run

Today: 5 miles

Week: 10 miles

Workout: Niketown - East Drive to 102nd Transverse & back.

I think the difference between feeling great on yesterday's run and feeling really tired on today's run is I slept 10 hours on Sunday night and 3.5 hours last night. Therefore, in order to run some PRs this year, I need to find a way to get 10 hours of sleep the night before races.

Strawberry Fields Hills

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: Warm up to 72nd St. from Y. 25 minutes of loops around Strawberry Fields. Cool down back to Y.

The goal was to run a consistent pace. The times for my loops were 2:52, 2:48, 2:41, 2:39, 2:39, 2:39, 2:37, 2:37, 2:35, 2:28. The average was 2:40, and the total time was 26:41.

Bridle Path

Today: 6 miles

Week: 24.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - Bridle Path

Beautiful day! A lot of runners were out in Central Park. A woman came up to me while I was standing and directing runners. She said, "Can you tell your runners to stay on the right?" I just stood there thinking, "Uh...I guess I could tell MY runners that. Who's going to tell the other couple of hundred runners out there?"

Easy Run

Today: 5.5 miles

Week: 18.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - 72nd St. Transverse - West Drive - 102nd, turn around, head back down West Drive - lower loop - 65th @ East Drive - Niketown

I stopped by Swim Bike Run before my run in order to pick up some Shot Bloks. I saw a mountain bike that cost $10,000 and wondered how many of them have been sold. I paid just a tad more than $10,000 for my first new car, a Honda Civic, back in 1991. But then, I noticed that the price of the bike had been reduced to $7,000+. And I thought, "well now, THAT price was a lot more reasonable."

Lower Loop

Today: 5 miles

Week: 13 miles

Workout: Ran three lower loops.

Each loop was supposed to be run at a faster pace than the previous one. My loops were done in 14:00, 12:23, 11:46. I was actually supposed to do 4 loops, but my hip was hurting more than normal.

Crosswalk Intervals

Today: 4 miles

Week: 8 miles

Workout: Warm-up from Niketown to Central Park @ 65th & East Dr.- Run hard from one crosswalk to the next, then recover to the following crosswalk. Continue to 97th St, turn around, and return.

Easy Run

Today: 4 miles

Week: 4 miles

Workout: Begin at 63rd & West Drive, run 15 minutes north, turn around and come back.

The actual time going up the West Drive was 15:33, and it was 13:42 coming back. Total: 29:15. We did planks after the run, and they weren't as bad as I thought they would be. I have a difficult time believing I'm getting better at them since I don't do them too often.

20 Degrees

Today: 7 miles

Week: 28 miles

Workout: Niketown - 6th Ave. - Bridle Path in Central Park - 2 loops outside of reservoir - exit 85th St on East Drive - back to Niketown.

I woke up thinking the temperature was going to be in the teens. So it was warmer than I expected, especially when I was in the sun. Don't get me wrong, I still wish it was spring and in the 70s.

East Drive Run

Thursday: 4.5 miles

Week: 21 miles

Workout: Niketown - 97th St on East Drive and back.

It was a little warmer tonight than in previous nights. My legs were sore from yesterday's hill workout.

Cat Hill Repeats

Today: 5.5 miles

Week: 16.5 miles

Workout: Warm up from 63rd St. & West Drive to the Boat House. Ran 7 Cat Hill repeats, beginning at the crosswalk by the Boat House to the stop light at the top of the hill.

I thought I could do 8 repeats, but I probably should have stopped after the 6th one. My times for the repeats were 1:28, 1:24, 1:21, 1:23, 1:22, 1:23, 1:32.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Today: 6 miles

Week: 11 miles

Workout: Niketown -- East Drive -- 72nd St. Transverse -- West Drive -- 102nd St. Transverse -- turn around -- lower loop -- East Drive @ 65th St. -- Niketown

It's amazing how much my body temperature can change during the course of a run. At the beginning of tonight's run, I couldn't stop shaking. Two to three miles into the run, I was almost too warm. But then, the wind would pick up a little, and I would be freezing again. I was reminded that, before I moved to New York, I think the coldest weather I ever experienced in California was 26 degrees. I still remember that 26 degree night. I thought I was going to die. HA!

Out and Back

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: Starting on West Drive @63rd St. in Central Park -- Harlem Hill and back.

21:07 out, and 18:21 back, for a total of 39:28. A nice easy run. Then Myrtle and back drills indoors. No planks! Yes!!!

FIRST RUN of 2010

Today: 7.5 miles

Week: 25.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - Lower Loop of Central Park to West Drive - to Lasker Pool and back.

Not too cold today. A little icy. There were quite a few runners out this morning. It was nice seeing Michelle & Alanna, Jeanne & Emma, and Stacy & Will. It almost felt like a West Side Y workout.

The realization that I have to go back to work on Monday (after being off for more than a week) is finally beginning to hit me. No more waking up at noon. It was nice while it lasted.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I was signed up for the Midnight Run but had to skip it due to a foot injury. Hopefully, it's minor. I'd like to get the New Year started off on healthy feet.

All of the NYC running clubs in the Open B category better watch out this year! The West Side Y Road Runners Club is planning on making some noise in that division.