The "I" word

Today was my third run since taking 2 full weeks off. There are those that would say I was injured, but I don't like that word. I'm just going to call it "taking a break, as one should periodically to rejuvenate."

Of course there are also those who would say that I'm in denial, but I figure denial is only bad if you don't take a rest or seek treatment. Since I did both, I figure I can call it whatever I want. So there.

I gotta tell you though, after a two week break I was completely miserable. I felt the fitness slipping, and then going into free fall.

Probably the worst part of denial, if indeed you believe such drivel, was that it kept me from posting to this blog. A lot of folks I know have posted in detail about injury and the steps they took to recovery, and I imagine it was therapeutic for the writers, as well as good material for the readers.

Enough about that - let's look ahead. The future is bright! My second year running the Need For Speed Relay is coming up next month. I just met with my Flyers - Black teammates, and it looks like the entire team will be back this year (WOO HOO!). Last year I ran leg one, a challenging, steep run that included crossing over Bear Mountain. Sadly, I begged out this year, as it wouldn't be the smartest choice for me during "recovery". I'll run a shorter, flatter leg. Probably when race day arrives, I'll be feeling 100% and be really pissed that I wimped out, but it was the "smart" thing to do.

No matter which leg I run, it's going to be a blast. I can't wait. In the mean time, I'll be focused on the slow and steady return to my previous fitness.... and beyond!

Running into Pierre

One of my favorite running bloggers, Harlem 26.2, decided to stop posting recently. He used to title a lot of his posts "Running into ...". In some cases, the reference was literal, such as "Running into a Train", and sometimes less so, as in "Running into a Double Latte". It was a great blog, and I'll miss it. When I decided to post about an unexpected sighting of a runner that I had met once before, it just seemed natural to title the post "Running into Pierre" in honor of Harlem 26.2.

A few hundred yard into the the 2007 NYC Marathon, a runner approached me and asked what pace I was targeting. It turned out that we had similar goals, and we ran together for a while. In the next few miles, I learned that Pierre lived in my neighborhood, was also running his first marathon, and had trained entirely on his own. I found this last bit very impressive, as I had relied heavily on my running club for support -- especially in completely the long 18 and 20 mile training runs that one needs to do before running a marathon. Pierre had gone out and run 20 miles in Central Park on his own. That's a long way.

I really enjoyed meeting him, and I was disappointed when we got separated in the crowds after three miles or so. I've often wondered how the rest of the day went for him. I didn't know his last name, so I couldn't even look up his results.

This morning, as I was heading down 96th Street to the park, a runner coming the other way called out asking if I was John. Sure enough, it was Pierre. I was amazed that he was able to recognize me -- it's been 5 months since we briefly meet. I was really happy to hear that he ran a really good time -- a lot better than I had done. We chatted a bit -- we're both signed up for this year's marathon but not yet committed, etc.

We ran on our separate ways, and I realized that once again, I hadn't gotten his last name or even suggested that we run together some time. I could have at least suggested that he look into joining the Flyers. Hopefully, it will continue to be a small world and I'll see him out there again.

Target Race

Had a great run yesterday with PL and TH. We had talked about going back to Rockefeller State Park, but with all the rain we were having we decided it might be a muddy mess. Instead we got together in Central Park for a couple of loops. PL wanted to get a feel for a race pace he was targeting, so in the middle of the first loop, we did a half mile pick at 10k pace or so. Then at the top of the Great Hill, we veered off to the cinder track that's hidden a few hundred yards off the road, and ran a few fast laps there. At the end of the second loop, we also picked up a bit to finish strong. The weather turned out to be beautiful, and I had a great time running with my two good friends.

I'm looking ahead at targeting the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 3rd. Brooklyn is a great course, and I haven't run a half since October. I'm hoping to be up for a PR. Either way, it should be fun.

This morning, TH and I went out early, as we each had family obligations for most of the day. Runners were just starting to gather for the More Marathon in the park. The More Marathon is an amazing event that is only for women over 40. You can run the full marathon, or get a partner, and each of you run half (the partner doesn't have to be over 40). There were 146 marathon finishers, and close to 6000 folks who ran the half.

We passed by the Flyers water station, where a large group of Flyers were setting up. It felt bad to wave and say hi to the folks that were volunteering as we ran by, but there was no way I could have helped out today. Note to self: get out and do more Flyers volunteer activities!

Other Parks

I had two spectacular runs this weekend. Saturday at Rockefeller State Park, and Sunday at the Inwood Hill Park.

I posted about a great run at Rockefeller before, and this one was just as good. Maybe better. I drove out with two good friends, and we took an easy pace, just soaking in the beauty of the park. There were lots of hills, and occasionally I charged up one, just to get the heart pumping. We stopped for a scrumptious breakfast at a Salvadoran restaurant in Washington Heights on the way back. Hopefully, we will do this many more times.

Inwood Hill Park was entirely new to me, and another place I hope to revisit soon. Located at the northern tip of Manhattan, the park has great views along the rivers, and a labyrinth of trails through a large wooded area. Running in this park was a little a remote, so I probably wouldn't do it alone, but with a friend there is a ton of territory to explore. I'll get up there again with my camera soon, and post some pics here for your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, here's a stock photo to give you an idea.

Before

Some of the folks that I run with have requested a "before" photo, so here you go. I started running in the summer of 2006, and by the fall of 2007 I had dropped 58 pounds. I've kept the weight off since then, and it feels great.

Running -- good.

Second time over 70

This morning was the Central Park Challenge 8K. It was a light turnout (1,700 runners) due to the early start just after DST kicked in, and the fact that so many folks ran last weekend in either the 15K points race or the 4 miler.

I arrived at the race with TH, and met up with PL there. We ran into DW from my morning training group, as well as MR and other Flyers at the start.

Although this wasn't a "target race" per se, I felt up for running a hard 8K (just under 5 miles), so I came ready to race. The small crowd made for an unusual opportunity as there was no need to bob and weave anywhere on the course. I ran the first mile in 6:42, perhaps my fastest first mile ever.

I kept a steady pace until mile 4, which was a bit slower as Cat Hill took its toll. The splits:
6:42 Mile 1
6:41 Mile 2
6:46 Mile 3
7:03 Mile 4 (Cat Hill)
6:35 (last .9 miles)

My 33.47 time was good for a 70.4% AG -- my second time breaking that tough 70% mark (woo hoo!).

After the race I reconnected with the folks I started with, and chatted with RB, JE and others. It seemed that a good time was had by all.

Running -- good.

Discipline... sort of

I ran the Colon Cancer 15k last week as a training run. I had run 35 miles already in the week, and given the recent inconsistency of my training, I wanted to be sure not to over do it. 15K was a nice distance to top off the week, and I knew that this week was going to be light. Starting next week, my schedule should allow me to get back into steady 40 mile weeks. Then, hopefully, I'll see what I can do to train hard for a target race and keep pushing my fitness.

The 15K (9.3 miles) was two loops -- a 5 mile loop and a 4+ mile loop. I started off with two friends running at an easy pace, but after a mile or two one of them picked up the pace. In keeping with my non racing plan, I stuck with the slower of my two friends. After the first loop, I succumbed to temptation somewhat, and set out to see if I could catch up with the friend who had run ahead. I never did catch him, but I enjoyed running negative splits. It's great to feel strong at the end of a long race.

I got faster in each of the final miles, and only momentarily broke the "training run" plan by running the last mile at a sub 7 minute pace.

In the end, last week was a really solid week of running, but I knew this week would be tougher. Next week, no more excuses.

See you out there!