Thursday, November 12, 2009

Today: 3 miles

Week: 11 miles

Workout: Central Park @65th & East Drive - 72nd Transverse - West Drive - 86th St. - back to 65th

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Today: 3 miles

Week: 8 miles

Workout: 8 Cat Hill repeats

This probably wasn't the best workout for me to do, but I tried not to run hard. I will be taking today off and giving my hip a rest.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: On West Drive, 6x1000m repeats with 2 minutes rest in between

It was only my second run in 6 weeks. It felt great to be out running again. Unfortunately, my hip is still a little sore. I'm just hoping the pain will be manageable, and that the physical therapist will be able to help me.

NYC Marathon

In the Bronx, between Mile 20 and 21

Photo by Alanna

Since I couldn't run in the marathon, I decided to cheer for my friends as they passed through the Bronx. Ohhhhhhh how I wish I was running!

Poor Start for the Yankees

Game 1 World Series, Yankees-Phillies

Yankees lost 6-1, to the Phillies. CC Sabathia had a decent game. He only made two mistakes. Unfortunately, those two mistakes were solo HRs to Chase Utley. The Yankees also couldn't hit Cliff Lee. In the late innings, I felt a small measure of satisfaction when a bunch of Phillies fans were thrown out by NY's finest.

What Next?!?

About an hour after I arrived at work, I started feeling pain in the area around my kidney. I thought I might have to leave work early in order to see a doctor, but the pain went away after a couple of hours. Even so, I went to the doctor after work. The doctor said she thought it was a kidney infection and prescribed some antibiotics. She also told me to avoid lifting weights for a week. WHAT?! OK, so I can't run, and now, I can't lift weights either?! What's next?

It's Official

I officially canceled my NYC Marathon entry today. It's going to feel like a long wait until November 2010.

Hip Update

I went to the doctor last week in order to get a steroid shot for the pain in my hip. (My primary care physician had recommended it.) The doctor who was about to administer the shot said that the shot is more often used for athletes whose livelihood depends on them being able to compete. That didn't seem to fit my situation. So, instead, he prescribed some anti-inflammatory drugs and gave me a referral for physical therapy. He did feel that my primary care physician's diagnosis of tendinitis was correct. But, this doctor, added something I didn't want to hear. He said that tendinitis could take months to heal. Months?!?!

CC CC CC ...

I think I need to rename my blog since I am no longer running the NYC Marathon. My hip injury has not improved, and I don't know when I'll be back running again. But fear not, all 6 to 10 of you who follow this blog, I will find some non running topics to post. Hope I don't lose any of you.

The Yankees beat the Angels 4-1 in Game 1 of the ALCS. CC Sabathia was in total control, and the fans let him know they appreciated his effort. Fortunately for everyone, it didn't rain. I couldn't believe how many empty seats there were. There were tons of empty seats behind home plate and in the upper deck. If those people stayed home because of the weather, they should have given their tickets away to REAL fans.

16,297

That's the number of days in a row Ron Hill (age 71) has run, and he's still going. (He's in the Nov. issue of Runner's World.) I had a streak of 64 days in a row that ended last month. If I wanted to take a crack at Ron Hill's streak, I'd have to run for the next 44+ years without taking a day off. I think I'll pass. He started his streak on December 20, 1964.

In the same issue of Runner's World, there is a guy named Ed Whitlock who ran a marathon in 2:54:49, at age 73!!! And he broke 3 hours again at age 74! I'll be happy if I can FINISH a marathon at that age.

Mysterious X-rays

I went to get some x-rays of my hip to see if a stress fracture was causing all this pain I've been having. The x-ray technician took four x-rays. She told me I could just lay on the table for a couple minutes while she made sure my x-rays were OK. Two minutes later, she called me out of the x-ray room. She told me to look at my x-ray on her computer, and she pointed out something that should NOT have been on the x-ray. There looked to be about 2 or 3 small objects lodged in the area around my pelvic bone. She asked me if I had any idea what they were. I was at a loss. She said they looked like staples. I began checking my underwear to see if there were some staples in them that I didn't know about. I couldn't find any. Was it possible that I was one of those people you hear about, who claim they've been abducted by aliens that perform experiments on them? Come to think of it, I did have a weird dream the other night.

The x-ray technician put one of the other x-rays on her computer screen, and sure enough, the objects were on the second x-ray too. We were both clueless. I started thinking that maybe I swallowed some metal recently and didn't realize it. The technician called her supervisor over and asked him about it. He asked me if I've ever had surgery before. I told him I had my appendix taken out about 20 years ago. He said, "That's it. You had staples put in when you had the surgery." Mystery solved! Borrrrrring! I was hoping for a more interesting explanation.

Out of Commission

I went to the doctor the other day and got a new diagnosis. Tendonitis in the hip area. (I was originally told it was a "hip pointer". I don't even know what that is!) I was told to get some x-rays to make sure it's not a stress fracture and also to get a steroid shot for the pain. Bad news for my marathon plans. Good news for my foray into power lifting?! Is anyone out there willing to provide me with some clean pee? I'm planning for the future.

Painful Short Run

Today: 3 miles

Week: 8 miles

Workout: 65th St in Central Park, counterclockwise to 102nd St Transverse, West Drive, 72nd St Transverse, 65th St.

I feel like I'm falling apart. Let's take an inventory of all the injuries. Hip pointer, plantar fasciitis, Achilles problem, and now, a new pain. I have some bad pain on the top of my right foot.

MILE REPEATS

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: 3 x 1 mile on lower loop of Central Park. Start on 72nd Street Transverse, end at the stoplight on the southwest corner of the lower loop, and jog back to the start.

I did my miles in 6:59, 7:04, and 7:00. I was trying to take it easy. I'm still recovering from yesterday's 18 miler. Half of our running group stayed inside (because of the rain) and did a workout involving the treadmill, rowing machine, stair master, and stationary bike. I think my workout was easier.

ING NYC Marathon Tune-Up 18 Miles

5 WEEKS UNTIL THE NYC MARATHON

Today: 18 miles

Week: 44 miles

Workout: Marathon Tune-Up 18-Mile race. Three loops of Central Park, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

Awful weather! It rained the entire time I was out there. By the time I completed the first 6 miles, my shoes were already soaked, heavy, and making that squishy sound with every step. I ran 2h 13m 22s (7:24/mile). I had modest goals. I wanted to run 7:30s and not damage my hip. I managed the first goal, but I'm not sure about the second. These were my splits:

Mile 1 7:40

Mile 2 15:00 (7:20)

Mile 3 22:17 (7:17)

Mile 4 29:40 (7:23)

Mile 5 37:15 (7:35)

Mile 6 44:41 (7:26)

Mile 7 52:17 (7:36)

Mile 8 59:51 (7:34)

Mile 9 1:07:12 (7:21)

Mile 10 1:14:32 (7:20)

Mile 11 1:21:56 (7:24)

Mile 12 1:29:15 (7:19)

Mile 13 1:36:40 (7:25)

Mile 14 1:44:04 (7:24)

Mile 15 1:51:22 (7:18)

Mile 16 1:58:44 (7:22)

Mile 17 2:06:09 (7:25)

Mile 18 2:13:22 (7:13)

Mile on Fifth Ave

Today: 8.5 miles

Week: 26 miles

Workout: 6-mile loop of Central Park. Then, 1-mile run to starting line and then, race.

I had to run to the starting line because I was a little late. I made it with just under 10 minutes before the start of my race. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind quite a few people and had to do a little weaving for the first half of the race. I hit the quarter mile in 79 seconds. By the time I hit the 3/4-mile mark, my upper body was starting to tighten up. I ended up with a 5:08. 11th place in my age division.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Today: 6.5 miles

Week: 17.5 miles

Workout: 10 minute warm up from West Side Y counterclockwise to middle of 72nd St Transverse, 6 x (4 min on, 2 min off.) 10 minute cool down.

Unusually warm night. The workout was good. I even did an extra interval.

Out and Back

Today: 6 miles

Week: 11 miles

Workout: Niketown - 65th St. - top of Harlem Hill and back

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today: 5 miles

Week: 5 miles

Workout: Bridle path

I still have a hip pointer that doesn't seem to be getting any better. The NYC Marathon might not be happening for me.

The West Siders Make Their Debut at the Reach the Beach Relay

The Official Team Picture

The starting line

Team 406, West Siders, Runner #7

Denie the champ has arrived, along with his entourage!

All the other teams might as well just go home.

Waiting for the final leg, Leg #36 (Claudina) at the finish line.

The beach has been reached!

Friday & Saturday: 18.25 miles

Week: 23.75 miles

Workout: Reach the Beach Relay, Legs #7, #19, and #31.

Leg #7: 7.23 miles in 46m 58s (6:30/mile) ran at approx. 8:00 p.m.

Leg #19: 4.33 miles in 31 m 00s (7:09/mile) approx. 5:00 a.m.

Leg #31: 6.69 miles in 46m 21s (6:55/mile) approx. 3:00 p.m.

Results: http://www.rtbrelay.com/2009results_r2.html Team: West Siders

Photos: Picasa Web Albums - Stu - Reach the Beach 2009

Kodakgallery.com: Slideshow

The Reach the Beach Relay (RTB) is the longest distance running relay race in the United States, according to the RTB website. The race goes from Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. This year that worked out to be approximately 207 miles. Relay teams consist of as few as 6 runners to as many as 12 runners. The race consists of 36 legs. Our team, West Siders, had 12 runners, so each person ran 3 different legs.

My first leg, Leg #7, was hilly and at night. I had 7 kills (people I passed), but one guy passed me. Headlamps or flashlights, a reflective vest, and a blinking light were required from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The headlamps took a little getting used to. I felt like I was running in a tunnel. I struggled on this leg. I went out a little too fast and was BARELY running up one of the hills. As I approached a line of spectators at the transition area, I could not see Rob, the next leg, and I ran the wrong way. Then, people starting yelling at me, and I saw Rob waving his arms.

My second leg, Leg #19, was short, but the worst of my legs. I started alone and never saw another runner the entire time. The worst part was my hip was hurting, and I thought I might not be able to complete my last leg a few hours later. Also, my headlamp kept tilting downward, and I had to tilt my head upward (or hold the headlamp up) so that I could see the arrows along the race course.

My last leg was the most enjoyable. Even though it was very hilly, the sun was out, and I was passing people (9 kills).

It's tough to pick out highlights from this race because there were so many. Here are a few of mine:

-- Our team finished in 73rd place overall out of over 400 teams.

-- We came in 15th place out of 123 teams in the Mixed Open category (at least 6 women)

-- It took us 26 hours 47 minutes and 36 seconds to complete the race (7:45/mile)

-- Rob was a last minute replacement on our team, and we rewarded him with one of the toughest legs of the whole race. And he was AWESOME on that leg!

-- Van #1 ran over a skunk.

-- Van #2 got lost and made Allyson wait for 10 minutes, but no one panicked.

-- Van #2 had issues with the blinking lights on our vest, but we never got penalized!

-- At one point (because we were one of the last teams to start) we were the last team to go through at least one of the transition areas.

-- A couple of our runners fell, but still completed their runs.

-- Everyone really came through for the team.

-- I would have missed a turn, but Team #121 pointed me in the right direction.

-- We almost forgot to put the timing chip on Claudina for the last leg of the race!

-- Van #2 runners were stuck in traffic and had to jump out of our van and run about a 1/2 mile so that we could see Claudina at the finish.

-- The whole team ran with our last runner (Claudina) across the finish line.

-- Bruno telling the story about how he woke up to find Rob's head on his stomach.

-- We finished the race and, amazingly, no one wanted to kill each other. In fact, I would do it all over again with the same people.

It was great to be a part of such an awesome group of people.

Tuesday, September 15th

Today: 3 miles

Week: 5.5 miles

Workout: Niketown - Engineer's Gate and back

I was testing my hip again. This time, on the road. It was a little more sore than yesterday. I still think I will be able to complete the Reach the Beach Relay but will probably have to run a little slower.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Today: 2.5 miles

Week: 2.5 miles

Workout: Ran on the treadmill.

I decided to test my hip. It's been a week without any running. The hip was a little sore, but I'm fairly confident I can still run the Reach the Beach Relay.

My New Dietary Supplement

Extended Break

My one day off on Sunday is going to turn into a week off. My hip was bothering me, so I went to the doctor. The doctor prescribed a strong dosage of Naprosyn and told me to stop running until Monday. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn't cover Naprosyn. So I'm popping Alleve (same stuff as Naprosyn, but OTC) at twice the recommended dosage, which is still less than what the doctor prescribed. The box of Alleve says "Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel faint, vomit blood, or have bloody or black stools. These are signs of stomach bleeding." STOMACH BLEEDING?! You can bet I'll be inspecting my stools VERY carefully!

Loops of Heckscher Ballfields

Today: 12.5 miles

Week: 12.5 miles

Workout: One full loop of Central Park. 2 loop warm-up around ballfields, 3 loops hard, 1 loop recovery, 6 loops hard, 2 loops recovery, 1 loop hard, loop of small field recovery, 1 loop hard, loop of small field recovery, 1 loop medium pace, loop of small field recovery.

One loop of Central Park was done in 43:00.

3 loops of ballfields were done in 2:05, 2:06, 2:09. Total: 6:20. Avg. 2:07

6 loops were done in 2:06, 2:15, 2:16, 2:12, 2:10, 2:07. Total: 13:06. Avg. 2:11

1 loop in 1:56

1 loop in 1:50

1 loop in 2:24

A DAY OFF!!!

8 WEEKS UNTIL THE NYC MARATHON

Today: 0 miles

Week: 65 miles

After 64 straight days of running, I decided to take a day off. I was tempted to go out for a short run to keep the streak going. But I felt that keeping the streak alive would have hurt me in the grand scheme of things. I'm already dealing with some minor injuries. And I wouldn't want to hurt my marathon preparation solely for the sake of keeping the streak going. Cal Ripken could have learned a lesson from me. :-P

LONG RUN

Today: 21 miles

Week: 65 miles

Workout: 1 1/2 x lower loop - Niketown - 3rd Ave - 34th St - Brooklyn Bridge - Niketown - Bridle Path - lower loop - Engineer's Gate - West Drive - YMCA

I completed about 13.5 miles at the end of the Nike Run Club workout, and once again, I thought about calling it a day. I was tired, my legs were tight, and it was warmer than I expected. But quite a few people already completed 20 miles for the day, so I decided to do a few more miles.

The plantar fasciitis in my foot was REALLY bothering me after the run. I was hobbling down the stairs to the subway. I also discovered that I lost at least 4 pounds, maybe more, during the run.

When I got home, I soaked my feet in a bucket of ice water and tried watching the U.S. Open, college football, and the Yankees all at the same time.

Easy Day

Today: 6.5 miles

Week: 44 miles

Workout: Inwood Hill Park

I worked some sets of pull-ups into my 8:00/mile run. Gotta stay ready, just in case there is an Urbanathlon in NYC next year.

Maybe I've been working out too much. I'm losing control of my muscles. Bonus points to anyone who can name the actors and/or movie playing in the background.

It's Gotta Be the Shoes!

Today: 10 miles

Week: 37.5 miles

Workout: 5 miles on the Central Park bridle path, 5 miles with Nike Run Club from 65th up East Drive - 102nd Transverse - West Drive - 72nd St. Transverse - 65th St.

A few minutes before we left Niketown for our workout, Spike Lee walked in the store. I wanted to yell, "Hey Mars!" or "It's gotta be the shoes!"

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Today: 10.5 miles

Week:27.5 miles

Workout: 4.5 miles on the bridle path, and a full loop of Central Park with WSY, the last 4 miles at short tempo pace, about 6:10/mile.

I ran the bridle path at 8:00/mile. I didn't expect to do the WSY workout at such a fast pace. But I was running with Farbod, so it ended up being pretty fast. We were probably doing close to 6:00/mile on the last mile, around the lower loop.

Afterwards, we went to an open bar on the Upper East Side, the first of many open bars this month.

Fall is in the Air

Today: 7 miles

Week: 17 miles

Workout: West Side Y - Niketown - 65th St - Engineer's Gate - extended bridle path - Engineer's Gate - Niketown.

My run today was very relaxing, nice and easy. It was made much more enjoyable by the cool weather. Unfortunately, the cooler weather also means that my summer vacation is about to end.