Brooklyn run!

This morning's run was in my neighborhood, so I got to serve as a tour guide of sorts for all the folks who never cross the river from Manhattan. We met at City Hall at 6:45am (an earlier start than usual because of the distance and the heat). We started at 7: ran over the Brooklyn Bridge (my favorite spot in the city; I will never get tired of the beauty of the bridge and the view from it), to Cadman Plaza, to Tillary Street, through Cobble Hill, over the Gowanus Canal (which smells when it is 80 degrees out, by the way) to Prospect Park and back to Manhattan. Our whole run, including one loop of Prospect Park, was 12 miles. We started at 2 and 1 intervals and dropped down to 1 and 1 at the halfway mark because it was just too hot. I showed the group my new apartment (!) and suggested that we run clockwise around Prospect Park to avoid the big hill. Everyone was very willing to go along with that idea. George said he would put me in his will in appreciation, and Christine, a former estate lawyer, said she could make that happen. Hilarious.

Road ID

I got a Road ID recently, and I thought it warranted a post. I also got my dad one for Father's Day. (Happy Father's Day, Dad!) These are cool little wrist or shoe tags that you can get that have your name, town, and emergency contact information on them. I put my friend Sarah on there so I'd have somebody local along with immediate family. She is prepared to sit by the phone on Saturday mornings, right Sarah?

We all need to run safely, so definitely check out the Road ID: www.roadid.com

10 miles and "energy cookies"

I have to start every post, of course, with a comment on how early the alarm went off and how hot it was by the start of the run. With that out of the way, today was a gorgeous day for a 10 miler in central park. We did the outer loop, followed by the inner loop. By mile 8, I wanted to stop running, but I kept at it thanks to the group. I think it's time for new shoes; the bottoms of my feet were definitely feeling it by the end!

We had a clinic with a nutritionist after the 10 miler. She had some great suggestions on foods that give us eneregy: coconut water instead of gatorade (no artificial sweetner), greens, proteins. It was food for thought. (Teehee). We had awesome "energy cookies" waiting for us at the clinic. The recipe is below, thanks to Andrea Moss of Spark! Wellness. They were delicious! I signed up for a 45 minute consultation with her through the team. I will be sure to report back.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Energy Cookies (these were delicious!)
3 large ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1.5 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c coconut oil--barely warm, so it isn't solid (or you can use olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal (you can make your own by pulsing almonds in a blender until they are the texture of sand)
1/3 c coconut, finely shredded and unsweetened.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine grained sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
6-7 ounces dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks on top third.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough is a bit looser than regular cookie dough, but don't worry. Drop dollops of dough, each about 2 tsp in size, an inch apart onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven, until cookie bottoms turn golden. Be careful not to burn them.

Makes about 3 dozen bite sized cookies.

What a fantastic weekend!

The family was down in DC this weekend to celebrate John's 80th birthday. It was great, a wonderful gathering in honor of a wonderful man. I arrived Friday night and Dad and I got up early Saturday morning to tackle 4 miles before it got TOO hot. (It was already 75 degrees at 7am). We ran out and back on the trail near the hotel (too many of us to stay at John's!), which was pretty good. It was an old railroad bed, so it was perfectly flat. I felt MUCH better than I have in weeks. The doctor put me on a time-released anti- inflammatory, and I am moving with much less pain. I almost forgot what it's like not to hurt. (Terrible, isn't it? I have so much respect for people with physical limitations). Anyway, Dad and I had a great run (well, run/walk). I love that he is out there with me!

The rest of the day was really awesome, too. Not about running, but worth sharing anyway. We went over to Arlington to wish Pop-pop a happy father's day. It was the first time I'd seen the marker since the burial. Arlington is such a confusing place, moving and heartbreaking at the same time. I am grateful to the armed forces, but I just wish everyone there died of old age like Pop-pop. We paid our respects and then went over to the Korean War memorial and had lunch near the GW campus (my old 'hood--for just a year). Chris was with us, and he said that we walked about 5 miles, so Saturday ended up being a longer mileage day than I planned. Still, by the end of all that, much less pain!

The party was amazing. John was so touched by everyone's presence. We ate, laughed, played music, and told stories. Lots of people shared memories of Mimi, too, which is always great for us. All the grandparents were with us this weekend!

feels like summer!

It's early June, but it felt like August during this morning's run. Sticky, sticky! We met in front of Jack Rabbit on the upper east side (which meant another very early departure from Brooklyn) for 8 miles. The course was cool: over to the park, north to 111th street, east to the FDR drive, over to the footpath, down to 60th street, and back to 84th/Jack Rabbit. It was so cool to run down the east side--I never go over there--and to see the Queensboro Bridge in the distance. I was remembering miles 14 and 15 of the marathon over that bridge. There are no spectators, so all you can hear are the feet of fellow runners. Very powerful, especially since the bridge is almost completely dark. Anyway, the lovely people at Jack Rabbit had a shoe clinic for us after the run, before the store opened. They had bagels for us (yum!) and gave us a discount on everything in the store. I stocked up on some gear, for sure.

8 miles felt pretty good! I was very happy, especially given all the aches and pains I've been feeling, which has also caused a fair amount of anxiety. I'm going to the doctor this week, so hopefully I'm going to get some answers and possible solutions. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to keep running. Talking to De last week and having a good run today made me feel better. I came home, stretched, iced, and spent a lovely afternoon walking around with minimal discomfort, so that's an improvement.

Next weekend, 3-5 with Dad in DC while we're all there for a family gathering.

One foot in front of the other...

It's been a tough few weeks. Briefly: fantastic physical therapist suggested that I have a physical because she wondered if I had something else going on other than running-related injuries. I'm in pain a lot and not healing as quickly as I'd like. I went to the doctor and am in the process of exploring my options and collecting information. Nothing concrete yet, but I feel like I'm on track toward getting some answers. My PT said that the doctors may tell me that I shouldn't be running, which was very upsetting. She told me to prepare me for the possibility, but I didn't want to hear it. I don't know that for sure yet, so I'm going to do what I can until I have a definitive directive. Of course, I see the bigger picture, and if I have to choose between running right now and feeling good in the long term, I will go with long term. I go back and forth between being terrified by the unknown and hopeful that it's nothing serious and/or nothing I can't manage.

I got a little bit of hope today when I talked to our program director after our 6 mile run. (We were supposed to do 5, but our pace leader led us the wrong way and we added a mile). She told me that she has similar issues to what the doctors think I may have, and that she still manages to run marathons. It was great to make that connection with her, to get some support, and to know what questions to ask when I go for appointments. I'll definitely be asking about diet and vitamins, etc. I'm certainly feeling a little less freaked out than I did earlier in the week.

Today's run included a "magic mile", which is supposed to be a predictor of marathon pace. We did it in the middle of our 6 mile run, and I took it easy. According to the chart, my marathon time will be about an hour and a half slower than my 2006 time. I don't think that's quite accurate, but on the other hand, I'm just trying to make it to the start. Having a time goal at this point just doesn't make any sense.

One foot in front of the other...

More gear

There's a rumor going around that you only need sneakers to run. Whoever started that rumor is obviously lying. I have accumulated more gear since I started running longer distances than I ever thought possible (or necessary, until I started using all of it). Shoes, shorts with pockets, fuel belts (to carry water and gels), SPI belts (to carry all my stuff), ipod holders, gu/gel, ID tags, body glide, hats, wicking clothes, special socks... you get the idea. The latest acquisition: a Timex watch with two interval timers so I can do the run/walk thing this year. I took it out for a little spin on Friday in Maine and I like it so far. But who knows, I may be hearing beeping in my sleep by the time November 7th arrives!

week 2!

5:30am felt extra early this morning after I didn't sleep well last night. But I made it up to the Upper East Side for our 4 mile run in Central Park at 7:45am. I saw some familiar faces from last week, and met some new people. I think the pace groups will be pretty well formulated soon, but there is flexibility to speed up or slow down depending on how we're feeling on a particular day. I ran with the 13s again today (comfortable mile pace +2 minutes, the Galloway rule). It was perfect out, sunny and breezy, and I felt much better than last week. (Amen to that!)

After the run, I took the time to stretch the way Gopi (super physical therapist) has been showing me. She has different thoughts on stretching than some of the Galloway folks do. I trust her and stretching makes me feel better, so I'm sticking with what I know. I'm reminded of Coach Adam's refrain, "Don't do anything different during the marathon than you did during your long runs!" So, stretching it is. And coffee (and water!) immediately following!

Next week, 5 miles in Maine, since I'll be there to celebrate B's "graduation" (in quotes because he has an internship until July) from UNH. Maybe I can get Dad to run/walk with me!

Run #1 = fun

I got up at 5:30am this morning to make it to Central Park for our first training run, an easy 3 miles. I was cursing the early hour a little bit, and wondering if I really wanted to give up all Friday night plans between now and November 7th, but I think it'll be worth it. Truthfully, there is no way I am making it to the start without a team and a structure to get me there. The goal of this morning's run was to see if this run/walk method would even work for me. Everybody on the Galloway team swears by it, and for someone as injury prone as I am, it seems like a good approach.

I arrived at our meeting place and was immediately surrounded by what seems to be a very friendly, supportive, and diverse group. It is so inspiring to see runners of all ages and paces working toward a goal together! I felt pretty good as we got underway. I was surprised, actually, at how nice it felt to be back out there. Those walk breaks were a great recharge. My legs appreciated them! I felt a couple tweaks in my knees by the end, but with some stretching and some ice, I'll be ok. (If Fred Lebow could run the NYC marathon after having brain cancer, I can run it again despite all of my issues!) Now I'm off to brunch with one of my favorite people in the entire world. It feels great to accomplish so much before 10am. That nap I'm going to take this afternoon will be excellent, too.

Run for Your Life

Watching a documentary on Fred Lebow, founder of the NYC marathon, tonight to get inspired for tomorrow's kickoff with the Galloway program. It's been a loooong time since I've run with any regularity, so I'm a little nervous about getting back out there. But I 'm optimistic that the Galloway run/walk/run approach will work. We'll see if I can run/walk my way, injury free, to 26.2 on 11/7/10!

Onward and upward

I got the all clear from my physical therapist to go for a run over the weekend! I'd been going through withdrawal symptoms and couldn't wait to get out there. I felt pretty good a loop of the park, in much less pain than I imagined. The 2x per week PT seems to be working! I feel like I am taking small steps toward achieving balance after a very difficult few weeks.

Race report: Portland 1/2

Sunday was an early morning! The boys were up at 5, I rolled out a bed shortly after that. Dad was bustling around the kitchen a little nervous. At the expo the day before, he looked over at me and said, "what am I DOING here??" We all had our power breakfast of bananas and pb and j and piled into the car for the trek to portland for the race. Mom, superfan, came along for the ride. She left us at the start, telling us to meet by B's tallest friend at the finish line. (He wanted to know where he would meet!)

Dad and I started off slowly. It was a perfect day for running--cool, not raining. The course was beautiful; nearly peak foliage and views of the back cove. On our way through a residential neighborhood, a spectator reminded us to enjoy the view. I spent most of the first few miles thankful that my knees didn't hurt. By mile 6 or so, I was definitely starting to feel them. Just before the turnaround, we saw B, S, and C heading in the other direction, which was both cool and humbling, since they're so much faster than we are. We saw Mom on the side of the road cheering us on, which was a great boost! Up the hill at mile 6.5, I had to walk, my legs just wouldn't take it. I don't know how I made it from mile 7-10. Those are just a blur!

Somewhere in there, Dad and I met up with another father-daughter team and bonded with them briefly on route 1. We also saw a dead deer on the side of the road. Gross. I guess the cosmos felt I needed to have the full Maine experience this weekend? By mile 10, we were visualizing the start of a 5k--we knew we could do that! I was praying to every deity out there for my legs to carry me to the finish. Being injured is so frustrating. I wasn't tired, and cardio wise, I could've run all day, but my stupid legs just wouldn't have it.

By mile 11, we were back over the bridge in Portland. Mile 12 felt positively endless, around the back cove again. There were no spectators until we got closer to the finish, but we did encounter a woman doing intervals who said that she would pretend Dad was her surrogate, as her dad had been gone for a long time. It was really amazing how many people said something about the two of us running together. That is something I'll remember for a long time, especially Dad looking behind him to make sure I was there. When we got a few hundred yards from the finish line, he reached back and grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him. We ran over the line together, saw Mom, B and several friends cheering us on. Even the announcer called our names out over the PA system as we were crossing, naming us a "father-daughter team!"

I've been pretty sore after the race, and my physical therapist made me promise to take a break from running for awhile while I work to address some of these injuries. I think Dad is feeling pretty good. Who knows, we may see him out there for the whole 26.2 sometime soon!

Just a few days to go!

I am both excited and terrified about the race this weekend. I'm excited because I've been looking forward to proving again that I can handle long(er) distances, that the 2005-2006 season wasn't a fluke. I'm also really excited because this is the first long race I'll be running with my brother AND my dad! Yes, my dad decided to join in the fun. He hasn't really been training, but he did 8 miles a few days ago and wants to be there with us on race day. He and I will tackle the course together, slooowly....

This leads me to why I am terrified. I am in rough shape. I've been in pain for weeks. I've been doing all my long runs on machines at the gym, and I'm really afraid that my IT band and adductor issues will flare up on Sunday and I won't be able to finish. I've been going to the doctor about all this--I learned my lesson the first time. I'm set to start physical therapy the day after the race, twice a week until I feel better.

It's sad when I love to run so much but my body doesn't like it. :(

Oh well, my best is all I can do. Here's to a good race with Dad and B!

Tenner

Done. On the elliptical, but done nonetheless. Two weeks until race day!

Running with Rachel Zoe

I did 8 miles today on the elliptical at the gym. I've never done that before, but I figured it was better than struggling through a long run in the park. I've been plagued by quite a few injuries lately, so I thought this was for the best. I felt pretty good after my 1 3/4 hours, if not bored out of my mind. Special thanks to Rachel Zoe and the Planet Money podcast for helping me through!

ugh

today was probably the worst run on record. i felt awful. i didn't finish all the mileage, and it was supposed to be at 10k. oh well. i know what i did wrong: ate too big a breakfast and didn't wait long enough afterwards, didn't drink enough water prior and didn't bring water with me, and went too late in the morning, when it was already hot. (i decided to sleep in instead). several strikes against me! i'm calling today a throw away, and i'm going to rest for the remainder of the weekend. i have 4 weeks from tomorrow to get it together.

Just over a month to go!

The Portland half-marathon is October 4, and I am slowly amping up my mileage. I ran 7 miles at the beach in Maine two weekends ago (Dad hung in there for 6 with me!) and I almost conquered 8 last weekend. I say almost because my knee started to hurt and I had to walk the last little bit. I did do 8, though, and I had delicious Mexican food afterwards. Lunch of champions!

This week has been a light week, which has been nice. This weekend I'm resting, only doing one shorter run on Sunday instead of my usual two workouts. I remember when I felt like running a half was like nothing. It's amazing how long it takes to get back up to that kind of mileage! B is a little further along in his training than I am--he's already up to 10 miles. But I'm not focusing on that, or how much faster he is. (But we did joke about how he'll have time to go get brunch and then come back and watch me finish!) Just have to take my own advice, run my own race, and prove that I can do this again!

The wall

Picture the scene from "Run, Fat Boy, Run": Simon Pegg encounters a giant stone wall during his marathon and had to throw his entire body weight into it to pass through to the other side and keep running. That didn't quite happen to me today, but I have been experiencing a lack of energy lately. I realized this afternoon as I was laboring through 4 miles on the treadmill (it was too hot to run outside) that a possible explanation may be the proverbial wall. How else do I account for taking a nap on Saturday afternoon in front of Top Chef when I should've been out doing 6 miles?

The half marathon is 7 weeks away, so the wall, as frustrating as it is, is appropriate. Seriously, though, not even intervals on the treadmill or "The Fabulous Life" on VH1 were enough to make the workout more tolerable today. I will not take a nap on Saturday. Instead, I will make up the 6 mile run and skip the speed workout on the calendar for this week in an effort to add some mileage. Funny, there was a time when I felt totally confident in my ability to run a half. Not now! It's been a process to get back out there, for sure. Wish me luck pushing through the wall!

GRBA 5k with Dad

I love how excited and victorious he looks!

Mini 10k!

7000 women+10k+medal+flower= great day

There was something really beautiful and powerful about running with all those women. Not to sound cheesy, but the crowd at the starting line represented women of all ages, nationalities, sizes and paces. All of us have a love for running in common. What a cool thing. I have no idea why the race is called the Mini 10k, but apparently it started sometime in the 70s with only 78 participants. Today we were out there 7000 strong. And the guys were on the sidelines cheering us on.