The schedule said 16. The Valley Forge Loop (5 miles) over and back to the gravel river trail (2 miles) the river trail out and back (6 miles) finished with 1.5 miles out and back on the SRT. *Sigh*.. my mistake was probably in starting with the loop. It's all hills. Even the parts that appear hilly are mostly slow inclines or declines. I started out in good spirits. It was a nice sunny day and a few degrees warmer than yesterday. About 3 miles in to it my brain went into a downward spiral and it was all over.
It started with the loop, sure. But then I started thinking about how I had to be back home by a certain time today. And at the end of the loop I still had 11 miles to go. What if I got to the end of the river trail and needed to walk back... I wouldn't make it. I had plenty of time... I knew that somewhere deep down but couldn't resurrect that at the time. Another issue was no mile markers. The loop has no markers and when I get in this mood I ususally say ok go to the next marker. Then I arrive and think ok not so bad try another one.. and so on and sometimes I have to do that the whole way and sometimes I get into a rhythm and forget them.
So I stopped at 5. Not to worry. These things happen. I just have to hope they don't happen on race day. The key now is to get back out on Tuesday and have a great run! I left the park and went to the gym for a weight training workout to make up for being a slacker on the course. The endorphins from that did help boost my mood. :)
Tomorrow is another day :)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
USAFIT Phily: 5 degress of separation
5 Degrees.. that's how much warmer it was this morning compared to the 2008 Philly Marathon run. It was 31 when I left the house at 7:15 compared to 26 at the 7:00 start on Nov 22, 2008. It's amazing how much difference 5 degrees can make. Don't get me wrong it was COLD! I had to scrape frost of my windows before leaving and I needed head gear, gloves, running tights and layers to run but it didn't feel nearly as bitter as it did last November.
We were a small group this week. It seems we've been pretty small since the Marathon closed out and people didn't get in. Next year we will have to convince people to sign up early. I ran mostly with Angie, Maureen and Brenda but I turned around before them for a total of about 8 miles they went 10. I'm going out again tomorrow for 16 and really want to stick to my Goofy training schedule. Not that the extra two would have killed me but I wasn't feeling 100% so I took it careful.
Today it was my back. I usually don't stretch until halfway or every 4-5 miles of a run. I think when it's this cold though I should do some gentle strectches for my back. I'll try that next time (which may be tomorrow). The run was uneventful except for my back.
Our speaker today was Ira Meyers who won the Marathon in 1986. He is a podiatrist in Montgomery County. I talked about race prep in the next two weeks. Mainly he said there is nothing you can do that is going to make it any better. The key is to stay healthy. He suggested of course trying to get good sleep on Thurs and Fri before becauase Saturday night there are too many nerves.
We were a small group this week. It seems we've been pretty small since the Marathon closed out and people didn't get in. Next year we will have to convince people to sign up early. I ran mostly with Angie, Maureen and Brenda but I turned around before them for a total of about 8 miles they went 10. I'm going out again tomorrow for 16 and really want to stick to my Goofy training schedule. Not that the extra two would have killed me but I wasn't feeling 100% so I took it careful.
Today it was my back. I usually don't stretch until halfway or every 4-5 miles of a run. I think when it's this cold though I should do some gentle strectches for my back. I'll try that next time (which may be tomorrow). The run was uneventful except for my back.
Our speaker today was Ira Meyers who won the Marathon in 1986. He is a podiatrist in Montgomery County. I talked about race prep in the next two weeks. Mainly he said there is nothing you can do that is going to make it any better. The key is to stay healthy. He suggested of course trying to get good sleep on Thurs and Fri before becauase Saturday night there are too many nerves.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Gym workout; speedwork on the treadmill
I realized this morning that I will miss my run tomorrow because we are going to the Nova game at the Wachovia Center. Yeah, I know it's 'only' Kutztown but I like seeing the team play in person no matter who the oppponent is. And look at Syracuse getting beat by some Div II team last night so anything can happen, right? But I digress.... realizing that I would miss my run I considered skipping the gym for an outdoor run tonight. I need the gym workouts though just as much as the running. I need the strength and core exercises. Of course I could do the gym and run outside but I'm not motivated to do that. So I opted to go to the gym and instead of the bike I did a speek workout on the treadmill.
Tomorrow will be a full day at work, then the basketball game followed (I hope) by the end of the Phillies-Yankees game when we get home. They are losing 2-1 in game 6 as I type. It's still early. :)
Tomorrow will be a full day at work, then the basketball game followed (I hope) by the end of the Phillies-Yankees game when we get home. They are losing 2-1 in game 6 as I type. It's still early. :)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Daylight savings time has ended
I knew this. My clocks were all carefully turned back on Saturday night before bedtime. I forgot, though, how much that affects the after-work run. I set out tonight at 4:47 in relative daylight and returned an hour later in need of my reflective vest. Fortunatly the shirt I chose was not dark but it still wasn't sufficient if I was not in someone's headlights or under a street lamp. Note to self: where vest! I may have to get a lamp as well. I almost lost my footing on some as yet unidentified object in the road between streetlamps.
Depite the surprise of darkness it was a good run. About 5 miles combined from two previos routes. Some flat, some hills. No aches pains or mental hinderances at all. :)
Here is a link to David Letterman last night. "Top Ten Thoughts That Go Through Your Mind When Running the New York City Marathon" read by the winnner Meb Keflezighi. Pretty funny, I thought.
Depite the surprise of darkness it was a good run. About 5 miles combined from two previos routes. Some flat, some hills. No aches pains or mental hinderances at all. :)
Here is a link to David Letterman last night. "Top Ten Thoughts That Go Through Your Mind When Running the New York City Marathon" read by the winnner Meb Keflezighi. Pretty funny, I thought.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Run the Bridge
What a fun race! I forgot to tell you my goals last night. So I'll tell you now before going into my race report. My first goal, as always, is to have fun. Beyond that I thought a lot about this one and decided that an 11 min/mile average pace would be doable and a really good goal. My training runs have been 12 minutes and slower but they have also been much longer than 6.2 miles. So here goes.
Saturday night/Sunday morning marked the end of daylight savings time. Still I was in bed at 11/10 for a good night's sleep. I was up at 6 am for breakfast of bagel and peanut butter, vitamins and water. I also took a throw away bottle of water with me. I packed a bag of dry clothes as, once again, it was raining this morning. All of the training runs in the rain with USAFit Philly were going to come in handy. If nothing else, it meant I just didn't mind it (or care) anymore. My only regret is I forgot to pin a Phillies Rally Towel to the back of my shirt.
As I headed north on 95, I made a last minute decision to take the Ben Franklin Bridge instead of the Walt Whitman because it was not going to close until 7:45 and it was only 7:15 as I approached. The traffic once I was over the bridge was heavy though. It took close to 30 minutes to get from the bridge to Campbell Field. I parked, walked over to the field and picked up my packet and t shirt. I went back to the car to drop everything off, pin my bib to my shirt and put the timing chip on my shoe. I double checked that my car key was tied to my other shoe, locked the car and headed back to the stadium. As I climed the steps they were singing the National Anthem.
The runners and walkers were assembled on the field (but not on the tarp... being instructed not to do so). At 8:15 we began the walk to the base of the New Jersey side of the bridge. At 8:30 the gun went off and so were we. Funny note: just before the gun went off I looked down and saw two nickels on the ground. I had no pockets though so I left them there.
So the first three miles of the run were on the bridge. Two up hills and two down hills. I imagined the long slow up hill to be Edgmont Street in Media. A street I have run many times in both directions. Although the bridge climb was probably longer it wasn't any steeper so I had not trouble with this picture. I attacked it at my own comfortable pace. I thought too that the Valley Forge loop, which has a much steeper hill to start, prepared me well for this. I passed mile marke 1 at 10:54. Ok, so far so good. As I crested the top of the hill I lengthened my stride and let gravity help me down the other side. Around the turn on the Pennsylvania side and now back up to the top. At mile 2 the clock said 20:10. I must have picked up time on the downside. Just past mile 2 I passed NJ Governor Corzine and his bodyguard. At mile 3, at the bottom of the hill and the end of the bridge, he passed me but this was also where he stopped. I continued on the rest of the course; a flat 3.2 miles.
Interestingly the next mile was the same route I took driving off the bridge when I arrived earlier. We ran through this faster than I drove it! I forget the clock was at mile 3 but I remember still being on track.
Before I move on I have to comment about runners trying to pass each other. I thought to myself as I ran that the runners would have done well to think of themselves in cars as they passed each other. When you pass someone in a car, you check first before pulling in front to see that there is room. Twice, I was almost clipped by someone who passed and then slowed down as they moved in front of me. HELLO!!!!
Anyway, back to the route. Mile4 was finished in over 11 minutes. I'm not sure what that was all about except that maybe coming off the downhill of the bridge I slowed as I adjusted my gait to run on flat instead of downhill. The final clock (except for the finish) was at mile 5 and I was back on track there. Just after mile five the group running in cadence came up behind me. I managed to stay in front of them the rest of the way and found it amusing to listen to them. One ditty was about Fred and Barnie; the chorus being Yabba-Dabba-Do in cadence. Think about it.. it's kind a cool!
Saturday night/Sunday morning marked the end of daylight savings time. Still I was in bed at 11/10 for a good night's sleep. I was up at 6 am for breakfast of bagel and peanut butter, vitamins and water. I also took a throw away bottle of water with me. I packed a bag of dry clothes as, once again, it was raining this morning. All of the training runs in the rain with USAFit Philly were going to come in handy. If nothing else, it meant I just didn't mind it (or care) anymore. My only regret is I forgot to pin a Phillies Rally Towel to the back of my shirt.
As I headed north on 95, I made a last minute decision to take the Ben Franklin Bridge instead of the Walt Whitman because it was not going to close until 7:45 and it was only 7:15 as I approached. The traffic once I was over the bridge was heavy though. It took close to 30 minutes to get from the bridge to Campbell Field. I parked, walked over to the field and picked up my packet and t shirt. I went back to the car to drop everything off, pin my bib to my shirt and put the timing chip on my shoe. I double checked that my car key was tied to my other shoe, locked the car and headed back to the stadium. As I climed the steps they were singing the National Anthem.
The runners and walkers were assembled on the field (but not on the tarp... being instructed not to do so). At 8:15 we began the walk to the base of the New Jersey side of the bridge. At 8:30 the gun went off and so were we. Funny note: just before the gun went off I looked down and saw two nickels on the ground. I had no pockets though so I left them there.
So the first three miles of the run were on the bridge. Two up hills and two down hills. I imagined the long slow up hill to be Edgmont Street in Media. A street I have run many times in both directions. Although the bridge climb was probably longer it wasn't any steeper so I had not trouble with this picture. I attacked it at my own comfortable pace. I thought too that the Valley Forge loop, which has a much steeper hill to start, prepared me well for this. I passed mile marke 1 at 10:54. Ok, so far so good. As I crested the top of the hill I lengthened my stride and let gravity help me down the other side. Around the turn on the Pennsylvania side and now back up to the top. At mile 2 the clock said 20:10. I must have picked up time on the downside. Just past mile 2 I passed NJ Governor Corzine and his bodyguard. At mile 3, at the bottom of the hill and the end of the bridge, he passed me but this was also where he stopped. I continued on the rest of the course; a flat 3.2 miles.
Interestingly the next mile was the same route I took driving off the bridge when I arrived earlier. We ran through this faster than I drove it! I forget the clock was at mile 3 but I remember still being on track.
Before I move on I have to comment about runners trying to pass each other. I thought to myself as I ran that the runners would have done well to think of themselves in cars as they passed each other. When you pass someone in a car, you check first before pulling in front to see that there is room. Twice, I was almost clipped by someone who passed and then slowed down as they moved in front of me. HELLO!!!!
Anyway, back to the route. Mile4 was finished in over 11 minutes. I'm not sure what that was all about except that maybe coming off the downhill of the bridge I slowed as I adjusted my gait to run on flat instead of downhill. The final clock (except for the finish) was at mile 5 and I was back on track there. Just after mile five the group running in cadence came up behind me. I managed to stay in front of them the rest of the way and found it amusing to listen to them. One ditty was about Fred and Barnie; the chorus being Yabba-Dabba-Do in cadence. Think about it.. it's kind a cool!
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