Eating and Running Through Life

Race Report: Pocono Run for the Red Marathon 2011

2011-05-29T02:34:00.001-04:00

I was 29 seconds short of qualifying for the Boston Marathon when I ran NYC back in November, and though I was supremely proud of my time and knew that there was no way that I could’ve done any better, I really wanted to BQ. After running a 3:43 in Miami without much training, I knew that an easier course plus training could get me my elusive BQ. I unabashedly chose to run Pocono Run for the Red for that that exact reason. I needed all the help that I could get. Unfortunately, my training didn’t go exactly as planned since I had to travel a lot in the month before the marathon and could only get on 20-miler in (and no speedwork).

The course profile looks like this:

This is the reason that I don’t think that net downhill, point-to-point courses should count for world records. If it did, I’m sure someone would have run a 2 hour marathon by now!

My fellow Whippet teammates T & Kino also registered for the run – T wanted to shave 3 minutes off his ridiculously awesome 2:51 PR and Kino wanted to continue his recent streak of PRs. It was nice that the little town of Shroudsburg, PA was only a couple hours away from NYC, making for hassle-free race logistics. T drove us there on Saturday and we picked up the our bibs at the expo. The expo was definitely the smallest one that I’ve ever been to, barely filling up half of the conference room at the Quality Inn. There were some essentials for sale there like gels and BodyGlide, as well a few pairs of shoes and shirts emblazoned with names of local running clubs.

Marathon registration also entitled runners to a free buffet pasta dinner at the host hotel, and we chowed down after bib pickup. The fare was very simple – pasta with marinara sauce, salad, bread, chocolate cake, and water – but it was free and plentiful. I found that the pasta was actually above average, considering that they had cooked it in bulk, it was al dente and not stuck together and the sauce was decent. I ate an adequate amount and could’ve eaten more but I didn’t want to risk stomach issues the next day.

Despite the fast course and low entry price ($65), only about 700 people choose to run Pocono every year. I think that it’s probably due to the lack of publicity surrounding the event. Oh well – this just means that I get to start closer to the front!

After our early dinner, we drove to our hotel (the classy local Howard Johnson) and tried to sleep at 8:30pm – the race started at 8am and we had to get in line for the shuttle to start by 6am. It was still light out when we hit the sack. I was awoken in the middle of the night by screaming children in the hallway and their equally obnoxious adult chaperones yelling at them to STFU. We might have inadvertently booked rooms next door to children on a school trip. I laid awake listening to children racing each other down the hallways, doors slamming, and other youth-associated ruckus. It was horrible.

My alarm went off at 4:30 and I stumbled out of bed to make myself coffee and eat my breakfast. I always wake up hours ahead of my race time so I can have enough time to eat and go to the bathroom. It was raining pretty hard when I woke up and it continued to rain for the next couple of hours. It looked like my fear of marathoning in the rain was going to be realized. I hate running in the rain because I hate the feeling of wet, wrinkly feet. My awesome race shoes, the Saucony Grid Fastwitch 4s, have no water resistance and there are parts of the bottom of the shoe that are just mesh, so even stepping in a dewy patch of grass will make my foot wet. Ugh. Well, there was nothing I could do but complain. The three of us got ready and headed to the race start, resisting the urge to kick every door in the hallway as we left.

We got on the buses and drove to the start of the race. It was a long drive and all during the ride I kept remarking to my friend B how I couldn’t believe that I had to run all the way back. In the rain.

Once we got to the start, we were hustled into a school gymnasium to wait for go time. We met up with fellow teammate K, who would later go on to blow the female team marathon record out of the water. Anyway, time flew by and we were lining up before I knew it. Somehow, the rain stopped right when the race started and the gods blessed us with perfect marathon conditions – overcast and 50s.

Dashing Whippets at the start

I started with the 3:40 pacer but quickly pulled ahead of her in the early miles. I knew that I had started too fast, with mile splits in the very low 8s, but I also knew that I needed to bank as many minutes in the first half as possible. I had heard that the second half of the race had “rolling hills” which would be hard on runners after the downhill first half.

The first few miles flew by pretty quickly as I warmed up. The scenery was really nice, very lush and green, and the morning rain had left the area with a sort of misty gleam. It was early, but there were occasional cheerers throughout the course. There were also all sorts of assorted roadkill. Pocono runners are a self-selecting and very fast crowd, and I felt like I was in the bottom 50%. I think that all the fast people passing me also contributed to faster than desired splits the first half. The early miles felt flat and fast, and before I knew it, I was flying down the steep downhill portion around mile 8. I tried not to get ahead of myself and pursue an even effort but it was impossible to not race down them. At some point near mile 11, I caught the 3:30 pace group, but it was also around that point that I knew I was in for trouble and lost sight of them very quickly afterwards.

Course support was excellent, with water and Gatorade every two miles. The cool temperatures also prevented us from overheating. There was also one gel stop around Mile 20 but I just took my own Espresso Love GUs every five miles or so.

I passed the halfway mark in 1:45 and it was all went figuratively downhill for me from there. The second half was brutal! There were lots of big and little hills that my shot quads couldn’t run. The thing about point-to-point courses with very few turns in a rural area is that you can see very far ahead of you, so when a hill is coming up, you see it looming half a mile away. It’s a bit disheartening since I don’t like challenges in the last half of the marathon. The little hills that looks like blips on the course map seemed giant in real life. Around mile 18 I felt like I was going nowhere, and around mile 20, I started walking up all the uphills. I slowly felt the BQ slip from my grasp.

LUCKILY, I had banked enough minutes in the early miles to allow for a much slower second half. The last painful miles seemed to slowly peel off (even though all my later miles were under 9 minutes, they felt like11 minute miles) and mile 25 could not come a moment too soon. With half a mile left, we entered the grounds of the high school and with a quarter mile left, I “sprinted” the victory lap around the track. I knew I had it.

Sprinting to the finish
Photo courtesy of T

My official time was 3:35:36 and I had BQ’ed! I texted E immediately. Afterward the race, I met up with T who had finished 45 minutes ahead of me (and was 13th overall), and waited a few minutes for Kino to come in. He also flew in around 3:48, besting his previous PR by at least 4 minutes. My friend B had also BQ’ed and my new friend F had shaved 35 minutes off her previous PR. My teammate K ran a 3:07 marathon and placed 3rd in her age group.

Despite how well-run the race was, I don’t think that I want to run the race again. I felt miserable the second half of the race. I also enjoy much larger races when there are more people cheering and more things to look at. When I ran NYC (my favorite marathon ever), I felt like a rockstar for all 26 miles since there were so many people cheering and yelling. Pocono felt eerily quiet, more like a long run than a marathon. There was one point in the final half where I had to ask someone which way to turn because I had lost sight of the person in front of me. I’m not strong enough to turn my focus inwards or I start thinking about what hurts and how I can’t do it so I much prefer to turn my focus outwards and just try to enjoy the ride. This wasn’t possible in Pocono because there was so much of the same.

Anyway, I now have my BQ! I don’t think that my time will be good enough to get me into Boston next year since they have the new stringent rolling requirements, but I am happy just getting the BQ. Whether or not I actually run Boston isn’t as important to me as qualifying for it.

Finishing!

I’m taking a break from racing the next couple of months. I’m moving to Seattle and will need some time off to get used to my new surroundings. I hope to continue my running on the West Coast. I’m very sad to be leaving my best friends behind, but I’m looking forward to the next stage in my life.

Final stats:

3:35:36 (8:13 pace)

200 / 726 overall
29 / 219 females
14 / 49 age group
Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Race Report: NYC Half-Marathon 2011

2011-03-24T17:36:00.004-04:00

The medal I almost didn't receive!

I finished the NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday and had a great time doing it! It all started months ago when I convinced my old roommate J to lottery for the half-marathon with me. I knew she had a great chance of getting in since she was lotterying from California, and I assumed NYRR would let lots of international and out-of-state people in since this was positioned as such a tourist attraction. Seriously, who actually goes to Times Square besides tourists? There was a bit of a fiasco on the NYRR Facebook page when angry New Yorkers complained that they were left in the dark regarding their chances.

But I got in through the lottery! Since they charged my credit card right away (and the race was not cheap), I had to run it. I had secretly assumed that I would just be cheering for J from the sidelines. I've run the NYC Half twice already (2007 & 2010) and I felt a bit guilty to be able to run it again when so many people had wanted to run but were denied. To be honest, I wasn't super excited about the course either since the first 8 miles are in Central Park (which I run all the time) and the last 4 miles are down the West Side Highway (which I have run often and find kind of boring). The only exciting mile was the one through Times Square - hopefully that precious mile would make up for the other boring twelve.

J got into NYC on Thursday morning and we hit the expo on Friday to pick up our bibs and wristbands. The wristband was a new addition to the NYC Half - basically, every runner had to put one on at the expo and not take it off until the race on Sunday. Runners without wristbands would not be allowed into the corrals and they wouldn't receive finisher medals. This extra layer of security was foreign to me since the bib seems to be a good indicator of a legit runner. Anyway, I neglected to put on my wristband at the expo because I don't like scratchy things on my wrist. Then, we were off to a two day carbload bonanza. We had paella at Socarrat, a pasta brunch at Spigolo, and I capped off my carb-feeding frenzy with my lucky pre-race capellini primavera from Zucchero e Pomodori.

I was feeling pretty good until Saturday night when I went to put together my race day materials and outfit. I hit snafu #1 when I discovered I had somehow lost my arm warmers after the NYC Marathon. J witnessed me throw a minor fit and overturn my closet multiple times because I thought there was no way I would be able to run without the arm warmers that I had PR'ed in! I never found them.

My annoyance at losing my lucky arm warmers was eclipsed when I hit snafu #2 - I had lost my wristband! I freaked out at this point because the site explicitly said runners without the wristband would be unable to run. J and L assured me that NYRR would still let me run, and there was no way I would be the only person without a wristband but I was not completely reassured. Luckily, my friend Lisa works at NYRR and I sent her a frantic text asking for her advice. She told me to go early to the race and get a new wristband from NYRR. I was able to rest somewhat more easily after that, though I never am able to sleep well before a long race.

J & I woke up at 4:45am on Sunday morning and got ready to run. We got to the start before 6:30am and I ran to find Lisa. After some more frantic and stressful minutes, I was able to get a new wristband. I was finally able to relax. Luckily for me, the wristband fiasco completely eclipsed my nervousness over running a good time. As a side note to NYRR: THE WRISTBAND IS A BAD IDEA.

I slipped into my corral around 7am, and shivered for about 30 minutes before the gun went off. Temperatures were in the mid 30s at the start! In retrospect, losing my lucky arm warmers as a blessing in disguise as it forced me to wear a long sleeve shirt underneath my DWRT singlet. I'm pretty sure I would have been crying if I had to stand for 30 minutes wearing just arm warmers with my singlet.

Once we were off, I started to feel better about running. Since I had spent so much time freaking out about not being able to run without a wristband, I felt really lucky that everything had turned out ok and I was able to be out there with the other 10,000 people. Though I had no specific time goal, I told myself that I wanted to feel mildly uncomfortable during the entire race - a sign that I was pushing myself! I hit the first mile in 7:47 and I was surprised that I wasn't feeling too poorly. It helped that I ran into Elizabeth cheering for us! It's always nice to see people sacrifice precious weekend sleep hours and stand in frigid temperatures to cheer for their friends.

The rest of the loop was quite uneventful for me as I pushed myself to stay uncomfortable. Once I went over Harlem Hills, I reassured myself that the hard part was over. Once we exited the park, I sped up since I was still trying to stay slightly uncomfortable. Running through Times Square was fun - screaming crowds, music, and giant potholes all served to make the course much more interesting. I was sad to head west on 42nd Street but I distinctly remember seeing the 9 mile marker at this point and thinking that this race would be over before I knew it.

Running through Times Square

The last 4 miles down the West Side Highway weren't as bad as I remembered from last year. By this point, my GPS had sort of crapped out, and it was indicating that I had already run 0.4 miles over the distance that I should have run so I really didn't know if I was going at the right pace. Since there were only a few miles left, I decided to power through them without any water stops - after pulling no miles over 7:50, I knew I was on course for a PR! There was plenty of entertainment along the course - I read there were 26 entertainment zones for 13 miles - but I honestly don't remember any of it. Feeling too crappy, I guess!

The last few miles were sort of a blur with a few distinct memories. First, I ran into Annette, cheering during the early section of the highway. Second, I ran into Jane, a friend from business school. Actually, I noticed her hot pink Under Armour ColdGear shirt first (I love ColdGear), and then I saw it was connected to a face that I knew. I screamed her name, she screamed mine, and I powered on. I completely missed my friend A at 14th Street but it was impossible to miss the Whippets water station at Mile 11.5! They were crazy to have gotten out there at 6am in the cold to dispense similarly frigid fluids to runners for five hours - but it was good to see them. I didn't bother to stop and take fluids from anyone since I wanted to PR but I did smile and say thanks to all of my teammates who were there!

Happy to see my team!

I always have trouble kicking to the finish, so even though I told myself I would start pushing myself really hard at the 12 mile marker, I was unable to do so. I didn't start sprinting until about about 400m from the finish line and by then, it barely qualified as running faster than usual. After a fairly painful last minute, the race was over, and I was on my way to collect my medal!

Kicking it to the finish

My official result was a 1:40:32 (7:41 pace), besting my previous PR by more than 4 minutes! I could barely believe it considering that I had been struggling to hit 8:30 miles during my runs outside. I found J at baggage claim and congratulated her on her PR as well. I believe she did spectacularly well for her second half-marathon. Afterward, I found L and together we found BK, who had just completed her very first half for Team in Training.

Turns out, the NYC Half was a great race for most of the Whippets. There were 17 of us running, and it seemed like at least 3 of us PR'ed. Weather, course, cheerers, even the wind direction - everything had worked in our favor! I couldn't have asked for a better race.

Despite my enjoyment, I don't think that I'll be doing the NYC Half again next year. I would rather be spectating so I can see the top runners in the world. Kara Goucher was there running the same course and I would've gotten to see her if I had been cheering! Also, the half just isn't worth the $85 or $90 that I spent on it, considering most NYRR half-marathons are $25. I understand the excitement of running through Times Square, but after having done this course three times, I don't think that I need a repeat next year.

So next year, I'll be cheering!

Final stats:

1:40:32 (7:41 pace)

1748 / 10203 overall
444 / 5440 females
137 / 1329 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth & Amy
Post written using my brand-new MacBook Air, courtesy of E

Registered for the Las Vegas Marathon!

2011-03-10T16:08:00.001-05:00

I did it! I'm registered for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon on Sunday, December 4, 2011! They changed the marathon start to 4pm and they reversed the course so the last miles are on the Strip. I get to run Las Vegas at night! How exciting is that? I couldn't not register for this. The 4pm start also makes it ideal for typical Vegas debauchery the night before.

Kino, Steve, and I registered yesterday for $121. They're closing the registration tonight at 8:45pm PST before reopening at the end of May for a higher registration fee.

It's going to be a memorable run!

Race Report: The Valentine's Day Marathon (or Half-Marathon or 10K) 2011

2011-02-17T00:01:00.008-05:00

I finally had the opportunity to participate in one of the free Holiday Marathons organized by Michael Arnstein (author of The Fruitarian blog). These trail marathons take place every holiday in Van Cortlandt Park and are absolutely free. I've never been in town for any of the previous holidays, but this past Sunday I was able to participate in the Valentine's Day Marathon as E and I are delaying our celebration until this weekend.

Runners have the option to complete anything from 1-4 loops on the very hill trails of VC Park. They call the single loop option a 10K (even though it's slightly longer at 6.5 miles), the double loop option is a half-marathon, and a quadruple loop is a full marathon. I had set my sights on at least the half - that is, until I arrived at the park. The race organizer had informed us that the trails were going to be packed snow but were very "runnable". It is perhaps for some people used to running on ice and snow, but for me it was a complete disaster. Even though it was a lot of fun and a great workout, I basically walked and slipped through all 6.5 miles. Luckily, I had a bunch of Whippets to keep me company, and I basically followed in Elizabeth's footsteps the entire way. She was a great running partner too, keeping me entertained with a ton of stories. There were a few places where I could actually get into some type of rhythm, but for the most part, I was trudging and trying not to fall. We were "running" 15 minute miles, and when we did one mile at 12 minutes, I felt like we were flying!

Running through snow. There was a giant gong on the course for the runners!

About 200 meters into the race, the majority of runners decided that it was just going to be a 10K. Kudos to the few that finished the half marathon and the even fewer who finished the full marathon! The organizers were awesome, providing the runners with fruit, water, giant lollipops, and beanies - all for free! I donated the suggested $10 at the start of the race, but I noticed that many people didn't bother and the organizers didn't push for it. Given the work and supplies needed to put on a race for 100+ people, they should really be more forceful in asking for donations.

After my 1:33 10K, I went across the street to the famous Lloyd's Carrot Cake and got 4 slices of cake as post-race fuel. I gave two slices of cake away but saved two for myself. I'm a sucker for anything with cream cheese icing, so I love carrot and red velvet cakes. They were both good, but I would have prefered more icing sandwiched in the middle. The cakes were hearty and dense and extremely filling. However, the cake was the best reward at the end of a cold, snowy run!

Thanks to Annette for driving us to and from the Bronx and to Mike for hosting another great holiday marathon. I'm definitely up for going again once the snow melts. St. Patrick's Day or Easter Marathon perhaps?

Race Report: NYC Cupid's Chase 5K 2011

2011-02-16T14:54:00.005-05:00

I set a new 5K PR at the NYC Cupid’s Chase last Saturday! The race is run in over 20 cities all across the US with proceeds going Community Options, a non-profit organization. I decided to participate since it was for a good cause and I wanted a new PR. It was also only $20 to register.

The race started at 10am on 97^th Street in Riverside Park. I love late starts! I got there by 9:30 to pick up my bib, shirt, and goody bag. The shirts were kind of cute – everyone who is single got a red shirt with “AVAILABLE” written on the back and everyone who was taken got a white shirt with “UNAVAILABLE” on the back. I took a white one which I want to give to E, but I know he would never wear it. Surveying the crowd, I noticed about an equal amount of red and white shirted people, but the ratio of women to men was also approximately 3:1. Those red-shirted dudes would need to run fast to get away from the women! I also picked up a goody bag filled with fiber gummies and protein bars. The best part of the bag was a coupon for a free box of Klondike bars!

Since this was a 5K and the field didn’t look particularly competitive (many people in cotton shirts, cross trainers, sweats!), I tried to line up as close to the front as possible so I wouldn’t have to weave as much. This was a good move in retrospect because our final times were actually based on gun time, and not chip time. I crossed the start line less than 10 seconds after the gun went off, and we headed north on Riverside. There wasn’t much crowding and I was able to basically run as fast as I wanted to right away. The course was basically an out-and-back in Riverside Park. It was good because the course was flat, but bad because parts of the course were icy. Luckily, volunteers had been positioned at the icy patches to warn runners to slow down. Since there were a few turns in the course, I was able to see the people behind me and I noticed that a good portion of them were red shirted walkers. It seemed like most people treated this as an exercise opportunity and not really a chase at all!

I passed the first mile in 7:12, and that was approximately when the less experienced runners slowed to a stop. I guess some people had just sprinted the first mile. I passed a few people between mile 1 and 2, but then there was basically a lot of space between me and the people in front of me. I was a bit too aggressive with my pacing and my second mile slowed to 7:20. Though I have good endurance, speed has never been one of my strong suits, and I find it extremely hard to run more than one mile faster than 7:15. By mile 2.5 I was dying and the only thing that kept me from walking was being able to see the finish line from about 400 meters away. Nonetheless, mile 3 was my slowest mile at 7:27. I sprinted the last 0.1 miles and ended up with a finish time of 22:34 on my watch. My official time was 22:41 (7:18 per mile average).

What’s funny is that my time was good enough for 2^nd place overall women’s! This is hilarious because people in my age group will run a 7:18 per mile average for a half-marathon and that won’t be enough to even crack the top 10 in my age group when it comes to NYRR races. The highest I’ve ever placed in my age group was 39^th in an NYRR race (at the Bronx half in 2010) and I was in better shape than I am now.

Unfortunately, there was no awards ceremony and I didn’t get to take home any hardware for coming in 2^nd. There was a pretty cool buffet line of freebies at the end of the race which included cupcakes, candy, and energy drinks. As an indicator of how unserious the race is, they actually gave me someone else’s bib so my time wasn’t even under my own name when the results came out! I was annoyed by this because this is probably the only time that I will ever place. I emailed the race director and the results were corrected 24 hours later.

I thought this race is definitely worth doing if you want to place. However, the cold weather and icy patches didn’t amount to a particular enjoyable run. I will probably skip it next year.

Final stats:

22:41 (7:18 pace)

19 / 447 overall
2 / 307 females
1 / 114 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Race Report: ING Miami Marathon 2011

2011-02-02T22:12:00.011-05:00

I culminated an amazing weekend in Miami with a 3:43:50 finish at the ING Miami Marathon! I had overconfidently signed up for the marathon in early January thinking that I still had some residual fitness from running 4 marathons last year. After last week’s painful finish at the Manhattan Half-Marathon, I was petrified going into Miami. The longest run I had done since the Seattle Marathon was 17 miles just one week ago and my pace was frustratingly slow. When I ran with the Whippets on Tuesday, I could barely manage the 9:00 pace around the loop. I told myself that Miami would be a true fun run, and my goal was just to finish. After a month of near-record snowfall in January combined with bone-chilling temperatures, I was ready for sun and warm weather, marathon or no marathon!

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that the weekend wasn't warmer (high of ~75 during the day, 50s at night) but it was better for running and it still felt like paradise compared to NYC. Anyway, weather and marathon were second and third on our list of Miami attractions. #1 was food! Kino, DB, Jen, C, and I ate a ton (and very well, thanks to DB's meticulous research when it came to meals) in Miami prior to the race. I dug into every bread basket and attacked every calorie-heavy dish that came my way because I was “carbo-loading”. In retrospect, I might have been too overzealous with the carbo-loading but damn, the medianoche (a Cuban sandwich served on softer, sweeter bread) and hot buttered loaves at Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop were just too good to pass up even if I was full! I also ate ten succulent claws at Joe's Stone Crab followed by an almost full slice of their teeth-numbing, questionably “famous” key lime pie. The pasta and various desserts at Fratelli Milano weren’t too shabby either.

My very first medianoche

Due to a combination of regularly hot, humid weather and a desire to reopen roads to the public ASAP, the Miami Marathon has a predawn 6:15am start. I hated this when I woke up at 4am to get ready. Luckily, we were staying at the Intercontinental Miami, which was basically right at the start/finish line. Jen & Kino were running the marathon for PanCAN (so nice of them!), and the charity provided them with a hotel room that the other three of us were able to take advantage of. I ate my usual pre-race peanut butter sandwich and committed a pre-race no-no by trying a glass of chia seeds in water for the first time. From what I’ve read and heard, you should never ever try something new on race day, but I figured that since this was almost a fun run, it wouldn’t really matter if I had to spend precious seconds going to the bathroom mid-race. Luckily for me, I not only suffered no ill effects from the extra fiber and protein, but I think that the chia seeds gave me an extra boost during the run! I came back to NY and ordered a 1 lb bag off Amazon and will try to incorporate chia seeds into my diet.

Checking my bag and getting into my corral was a relatively painless process. Unlike the NYC Marathon, Miami doesn’t strictly enforce corral assignments so there were some very slow people in my corral. I had actually been assigned to the seeded corral based on a previous marathon time, but I had no desire to be trampled by the super fast people, so I slipped into a corral a couple behind the one I was assigned. I literally chilled a bit afterward since the weather was in the low 50s at the start, but I was too excited to mind a few goosebumps.

The race started at 6:20 (five minutes later than advertised) and we were off! The first few miles were in the dark, but they were beautiful – I ran over a bridge and was flanked by giant lit cruise ships on one side and magnificent city views on the other. I ran at a comfortable pace and didn’t look at my watch. I did end up stopping to use the porta-potty between miles 3 and 4, but only because I had been too eager with hydration and didn’t have time to go pee one last time before the start. The early miles ticked by otherwise and at I watched the sunrise just when we hit Miami Beach. I tried to concentrate on taking in as many sights as possible and tried to not think about my legs at all. Kino said he saw hookers cheering for the marathoners in Miami Beach, though I don't know how he could tell the difference between a prostitute and a partier. We ran down Ocean Avenue and I tried to recall the ditty little memories from my previous trip to Miami Beach in 2007 with some of my best friends in the world – really, anything besides thinking about the 22 miles ahead. The course was very well supported, with at least one (sometimes two) water/Gatorade station every mile. There was a good amount of crowd support once the sun rose and though I didn't feel like a rockstar like I did in NYC (where crowds were 8 deep), there were people cheering at many points along the side. There were also bands and DJs along the way, and it helped take my mind off the actual running.

10K mark - do you see me?

By the time the 10K marker rolled around, I felt like I was ok. Sure, I wasn’t feeling as springy as I was for NYC, but I didn’t feel as crappy as I did during Seattle. The ratio of half to full marathoners is about 3:1, so the course was a bit crowded at points, and deep down, I kind of resented them since they were almost done at 8 miles and I had another 18 to go. When I tried and failed to weave through a herd of half-marathoners, I pettily thought about how they wouldn't be in front of me if they had to double their distance! For a brief second, I contemplated crossing the tempting half-marathon line and calling it quits but then I thought about how easy it would be to not finish all my upcoming races once I quit one while still in decent condition. Still, it was disheartening to watch the halfers veer off to the left and run across their finish line as we fullers soldiered on to the right.

The field was much thinner once the halfers finished, and I continued on. We ran southwest of downtown Miami. By this time, the sun was fully out and the unshaded areas of the course were hot. However, the course was designed pretty well, with a surprising amount of shade. The only parts of the course that were painful were the bridges – not only was there incline and no shade, the organizers also didn’t feel it was necessary to cover up the painful grates with carpeting like they do in the Chicago or NYC Marathon. I wasn’t able to run as fast as I could because I was afraid I would trip and fall on those grates. I was sweaty and uncomfortable, but not unbearably so – and I definitely felt a hell of a lot better than I did the previous weekend when I felt like my limbs were going to freeze off. Miles 15-22 was an out-and-back, and I ran by Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, which I had visited the previous day. I remember looking at my watch around Mile 20 and realizing that I could fly in under 4 hours even if I did all 10 min miles. The last six miles of any marathon have always been a struggle for me and it takes me twice the effort to go at a 80% of my previous pace. This time, I relaxed around then and told myself to just keep cruising at whatever pace I could manage. My goal was just to not stop or walk for anything except water stations.

Vizcaya

The only horrible part of the course was from Mile 22-24.5 when we had to run across the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge towards Virginia Key (an island we coincidentally also visited the day before). By the time I got there, it was almost 10am and the sun was out in full force and the stretch seemed boring and relentless. I honestly don’t remember too much about this part as I have now blocked everything except the general feel of horror and a mental picture of massive sun glare. The last mile was a blur as usual but I remember people calling my name as I ran into downtown Miami. I managed a stiff-legged sprint across the finish line, arms raised in victory, just as the overhead clock marked the first seconds of 3:45. Official time? 3:43:50 (splits 1:51:32 / 1:52:18)! I could barely believe it, since I had clocked a 1:56 at the Manhattan Half last weekend and even achieving that time had not been easy. I attribute my finish time to a relatively flat course (only real inclines were the long bridges) and the great weather! I think that the weather was drier and cooler than it normally should’ve been in Miami. If I had been in the shape I was for NYC, I might even have PR’ed! No regrets though, I set out to have a good time and I achieved that – and I also got my confidence back!

Almost at the finish!

I collected my medal (a pretty double spinning thing), stumbled into the Finishers’ Village, took a picture, and ate some fruit. There was an assortment of festivities at the finish line including live music, lots of vendors, and tons of free food. Unfortunately, once you crossed into the Finishers' Village, it was impossible to return within view of the finish line so I couldn't see my friends cross.

Happy to receive my medal!

I retrieved my belongings and 5 minutes later, I was back in my hotel room. I called E, showered, and waited for my friends. Kino & Jen also finished in above average times, with Jen clocking an impressive 4:08 for her very first marathon! The longest distance that she had run in her life prior to Miami was 14 miles, so she put in an impressive 12 miles in unchartered territory. We all had good experiences with Miami – so much so, that Kino and I have already signed up for Miami 2012!

Finishers in Miami!

Final stats:
3:43:50 (8:33 pace)
634 / 3513 overall
95 / 1250 females
20 / 236 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Race Report: NYRR Manhattan Half-Marathon

2011-01-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday's NYRR Manhattan Half-Marathon did little to bolster my confidence about the imminent Miami Marathon. I intended to run the race at a comfortable pace and then add 4 extra miles at the end. It's probably true that a long run the week before a marathon probably doesn't help, but I wanted to know that I could still run long. The last long run I did outside was last Monday when I was in Seattle visiting E and it was not an encouraging experience.

The race started and I felt that I was running at a comfortable pace which usually is in the 8:30s for the beginning miles, but when I checked my Garmin, I realized I was much closer to 9:00 per mile. I remember thinking that it was going to be a tough race. And it was! Two frigid loops around the park - each time I got to Harlem Hills, I would look up and not see the end of the incline. It was so cold that I couldn't feel my feet for the first 3 miles, and I felt like I was flapping around on chunks of ice (the chunks being my feet). The flesh on my arms stung from the cold and it took me a very long time to warm up. I had worn my thickest Nike windproof and water-resistant brushed tights, my Under Armour Cold Gear top, and my DWRT singlet but I think I should have added an extra layer! Thank goodness for the handwarmers I had stuffed into my mittens, they were the only toasty thing about me for the first 5 miles.


Waving at the camera! (photos courtesy of Luciano)

Besides the cold, I don't remember too much about the race. I don't remember pushing myself very hard but then I really didn't feel like I was taking it easy either. I just felt like I was putting in a moderate effort, so it was discouraging when some of my miles hit the high 9s. It was great to see the non-running Whippets cheering and taking pictures for the duration of the race! It was braver to stand out there and cheer than it was to run! I finished in 1:55:59 (8:51 avg) which is my poorest half-marathon time in almost 4 years. True, it was cold (14F at the start) but I think that my poor time was a result of poor fitness than anything else. After my slightly depressing half-marathon performance, the last thing I wanted was to add some extra miles at the end but I felt like I needed to redeem myself somewhat. I ended up added an extra 4 miles in the 9:30s for a total of a little over 17 miles for Saturday. I also ended up with a bright red and frozen face but I was happy to know that I can go up to the high teens without feel too poorly.

Despite a dismal half-marathon performance, I'm committed to the full marathon on Sunday! I don't want to go all the way to Miami just for a half and I know that I can finish the marathon. I just have to keep reminding myself not to care about time and enjoy the race. So - Miami, here I come!

Final stats:
1:55:59 (8:51 pace)
2048 / 4358 overall
477 / 1687 females
176 / 522 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

I'm just not ready!

2011-01-20T23:30:00.001-05:00

I had a fantastic MLK weekend in Seattle! E & I went out and tried a couple of new restaurants and ate the best garlic clams of our lives at emmer&rye. I also finally got to try Simply Desserts and the cakes were phenomenal! Their red velvet cake put almost every other cake I've ever had to complete utter shame.

However, this past week hasn't been good for running. I decided rather overconfidently last week to run the Miami Marathon, and my runs in the past week have shown how seriously unprepared I am for a marathon a scant 10 days away. Sure, I'll be able to finish it, but I'm not even sure that I'll be able to fly in under 4:30 anymore. I did 4 loops around Green Lake on Monday (about 12 miles) and it was a struggle to keep my miles under 9:30, even with breaks. I had not realized that fitness could degrade so much in the 9 weeks since the Seattle Marathon.

I put in an 8 mile run on the treadmill last night and it was equally discouraging. Where I had normally managed to do 7.5 mph easily (keep in mind that I do the wimpy treadmill with 0 incline), I had to struggle and pause almost every mile at 7.0 mph. It's almost as if the stellar-for-me 2010 4Q didn't happen and I was back to where I was at the beginning of 2010.

The NYRR Manhattan Half-Marathon is on Saturday and I'm going to use it as a training run. I was hoping to run under 1:50, but now I'm hoping for sub-2:00. Depending on how I feel, I might want to try to tack on some extra miles at the end - I realize that it'll have no impact on my Miami performance, but I need to know that I can still run long!

"Welcome to Miami"

2011-01-11T17:27:00.006-05:00

I'm in for the 2011 ING Miami Marathon! It was really a spur-of-the-moment decision. Jen & Kino had registered awhile back to do it for a good cause, and I really wanted to go too since they have a hotel room that I could stay in. However, plane tickets were in the $300+ range for the dates I wanted so I didn't think it was worth it. I gave up on the idea of going and even went to give blood yesterday since I hadn't done so since last September. According to stuff I've read, it takes at least 4 weeks for your body to perform at the same level after giving blood since hemoglobin carries oxygen. Oh well!

Anyway, I kept checking ticket prices on a daily basis and this morning, American Airlines offered direct flights from LGA to MIA for $202 round-trip! The times were perfect - I would be able to leave Friday after work and come back Sunday night. After confirming with Jen & Kino that it would be ok to stay on their hotel room floor, I bought my ticket and registered for the marathon!

I'm going to take it easy regarding my approach to Miami. There's going to be minimal training - I'll shoot for at least 13 during my run this weekend, followed by the NYRR Manhattan Half next Saturday and then I'll see where I stand. My longest run since the Seattle Marathon has been, umm, 9 miles. Though I'm registered for the full, I don't see any shame in downgrading to the half if I don't feel up for 26.2. I'm not going to lie though - it would be great if I could complete the full in under 4 hours! On the flip side, I did just spend an awesome, decadent, and tasty holiday in Paris thanks to E (with no running but plenty of macarons) and it's been hard getting back into a workout routine - so I really need to be realistic here. And though no one says anything, I know that I've definitely put on a few pounds in December due to a combination of very tasty holiday parties and little training. Hopefully Miami will help me get back on the marathon horse for 2011!

Hill workouts are deceptively hard

2010-12-22T10:17:00.004-05:00

As much as I love Whippets practices, my attendance at them has been very poor due to a combination of work and a social life. It's easier to just run on my own. However now that the days are short, I've been logging most of my weekday runs on treadmills. I don't care what people say, but I just don't enjoy running in Central Park solo after dark constantly worried about muggers. I'm lazy when it comes to running on the treadmill (don't use incline) so the quality of my runs have definitely suffered. Luckily, I joined a team who holds weekly outdoor practices even during the winter! Central Park is wonderful at night when you're with a group and not constantly startled by your own shadow / phantom rapist.

Yesterday's practice was my first time doing a hills workout. Coach Scott's prescribed workout sounded simple - 8-12 x 200m up Cat Hill then a slow jog back down to recover for a total of maybe 4 miles. We marked out a course of about 241m (not 200!) from the boathouse to the cat statue. Then we tried to run those at 5K pace. I realized a few things about myself during those grueling repeats:

My 5K pace is about 1-2 minutes slower than the next slowest person at the workout yesterday so I always ended up about 50m behind everyone else. Eh, I would've been embarrassed being the slowest seasoned runner at practice last night but - well, actually I was a little embarrassed.
Hard quality workouts with fewer miles are better training than long leisurely runs.
Running with other people makes you way more willing to commit to pain. This is peer pressure at it's finest. If I wasn't running with other people, I would have gone home after my 3rd rep.
The tiny bit of road between the cat statue and the light post immediately south of it broke my spirit 12 times.
I want to do it again!

This will probably be my last workout of the year as I'm heading off to Paris tomorrow for vacation, thanks to E! I'm very excited.

Pumpkin obsession

2010-12-10T10:21:00.004-05:00

Starbucks cream cheese muffin

I've always loved pumpkin pie but I've never loved pumpkin-flavored pastries because they're usually too sweet and cinnamon-ey. However, my recent discovery of Starbucks' pumpkin cream cheese muffin has sparked an obsession with pumpkin. Now I get pumpkin everything - cupcakes, cheesecakes, whoopie pies, soup, etc. Most Starbucks pastries are too sweet and dry. I know because I've tried every single one, including the Mallorca sweet bread, which was a pale coil of dry bread sprinkled with powder sugar. Sometimes I get things that don't even look good there because I believe in miracles. I keep going back to Starbucks in hopes of finding the perfect pastry because ideally, the perfect breakfast would be found at the same location as my morning coffee.

The Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffin is the best thing I've ever eaten at a Starbucks. Though the cream cheese core has that ever so slight translucency reserved for processed foods, it actually tastes like a lightly whipped cream cheese. I hate it when cream cheese frostings tastes more like sugar than like cheese. The muffin has a very strong pumpkin spice flavour. The most surprising thing about this Starbucks pastry is that the cake is actually moist (must be the cream cheese!). The glazed toasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top add a delightful crunch. When I first bit into this muffin, I was so surprised that it actually tasted good that I thought it was a mistake. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I got the same pastry the next morning from a different Starbucks. The third morning, I went to yet another Starbucks to get another one. They all tasted good, so I'm comfortable recommending this muffin. (Please note that I live in New York, and there are three Starbucks within a quarter-mile radius.)

Forked open

Now that I've found this pastry, I get it almost every morning if it's available. If it's not on display, I sometimes ask the staff to check in the closet where they keep all the pastries, along with the cups and lids. Probably not the healthiest breakfast, but food is the reason that I run! As a side note, the Starbucks pumpkin loaf is not an acceptable substitute for the pumpkin muffin because it sucks.

I've found a recipe online if you ever feel inclined to make it at home. I probably never will.

(E, you should try this!)

Race Report: Joe Kleinerman 10K

2010-12-05T23:23:00.002-05:00

Just finished the Joe Kleinerman 10K in Central Park this morning. I debated skipping the race last night, but I decided against it since I've never regretted running. This was also a team points race, and though I knew that I wouldn't be in the top 5 Dashing Whippets women, I wanted to be out there to support. I'm selfish, but I would rather be running and keeping warm than cheering in the cold! However, I'm still battling residual soreness from last weekend's Seattle Marathon so I had decided earlier in the week to adjust my goal to a 9 minute mile. I also went running yesterday and found it hard to even keep a 9 minute pace on the trails, and running felt hard!

It was still dark when I woke up this morning at 6am and the weather report said it was 30 degrees. Perfect - not! I laid in bed, thinking about all the desserts I consumed last night, and decided that I needed to workout. Steeled with resolve, I hopped out of bed and made myself coffee. I pulled on running tights, a long sleeve tech shirt, and layered my DWRT singlet on top.

I got to the park with 20 minutes to spare. I luxuriated in my down jacket and sweats until the last minute. I slipped into my corral with 7 minutes to spare and then we were off!

I told myself to take it easy the first couple of miles so I hung back and didn't try to weave aggressively. I hit the first mile marker right after Harlem Hills. My Garmin read 8:32 and the pace felt good. Hmm, I thought, maybe I could speed it up a little. Second mile, 8:02, but it was net downhill. For the third and fourth miles, I concentrated on running tangents while passing people when I could and picking up speed whenever we went downhill - 7:45, 7:53. Passed Cat Hill in the 5th mile, 7:45. Skipped the last water stop as taking water in the last miles only wastes precious seconds. As soon as I passed the 5 mile marker, I focused on passing as many people as I could. I saw the 6 mile marker from a distance and broke into a sprint but it was way too early. I passed the 6th mile marker in 7:15, but I felt like I was dying for the last 0.20 miles. My gloved hands were freezing too!

Official time was 48:54. Not a PR, but I did better than I expected a week after a marathon. E was motivated by my run to put in a few miles on the treadmill himself. I'm officially done with races until next year. The winter mornings are too tough for racing. No more race reports until 2011! My instep has been bothering me again lately, so I plan to take it super easy for the next two weeks.

Congratulations to the other 52 Dashing Whippets that were out there representing! It's great that so many people posted such amazing times, but I'm more proud that we had so many people out there in our blue singlets. Way to show team spirit in frigid temperatures!

Final stats:
48:54 (7:53 pace)
1121 / 4647 overall
225 / 2385 females
78 / 702 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Easy holiday salted caramel corn!

2010-12-05T00:32:00.005-05:00

I had a holiday dessert party to go to on Saturday night and I wanted to bring something. After some thought, I decided to make caramel corn since it sort of has a holiday theme. I started with the simplest, yet richest, recipe possible - Paula Deen's "Grandma Paul's Caramel Corn" - and made some substitutions and additions. I figured Paula's unhealthy recipe would likely be delicious. Now that sweater season is upon us, no one can see if you've gained a few pounds!

Here's my recipe:

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
0.5 cup light corn syrup
1.5-2 teaspoons salt (extra salt for a salted caramel flavour)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 bags of microwave popcorn, popped. I used Orville Redenbacher's light butter since the recipe already had enough calories in it!

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Line two regular oven pans or one large roasting pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. You can used greased pans too but the caramel is pretty sticky and hard to clean.
Boil the first 5 ingredients over medium heat for 5 minutes. I waited until my mixture reached a rolling boil, then boiled it for exactly 5 minutes before turning off the flame.
Stir in the baking soda. Be careful when doing this as the hot caramel will start expanding and will overflow in your pot is not big enough.
Pour hot caramel over popcorn and stir to coat. Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool or serve warm.
Optional: Add nuts, chocolate chips, and/or pretzels before stirring in caramel.

The result? Glistening, buttery, salty, crunchy, caramel popcorn. I'll definitely be making this again! (E, I'll make you some next time for you to try.)

Close-up of my finished product

Thanksgiving Buffet at Ray's Cafe

2010-12-02T17:49:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays because it's the one day that it's the social norm to pig out. Though it was just E and me together for T-day, I still wanted the full Thanksgiving spread (and as much of it as possible). After much research - ok, I admit I googled "thanksgiving seattle restaurant"- I came upon Thanksgiving Buffet at Ray's Cafe for $38.95pp.

Ray's Cafe is the cheaper, less fancy sister of the more famous Ray's Boathouse. While the Boathouse also served a sit-down Thanksgiving menu for similar prices, it was not UNLIMITED. After taking a look at Ray's menu online, I immediately called them for a reservation. They only seat til 7pm, but were so popular that the only reservation I could score a month in advance was at 3:45pm.

Here were some highlights from Ray's menu:

fresh oysters on the half shell
king crab legs
prawns
carving station with prime rib & turkey
ahi tuna
smoked Coho salmon
25 different desserts. No fewer than 3 of them involved caramel (I am obsessed with it).

My 5 plates of food!

Though I was running the Seattle Marathon on Sunday, I pushed all notions of proper fueling out of my head and ate every bite off my multiple plates with little remorse. I was a tiny bit worried that the food would be stale or would be sitting atop a steamer à la Korean delis, but there was so much turnover that the servers kept bringing out fresh stuff. Nothing was fancy, but everything tasted like it was cooked in bulk by moms. I must have slurped down at least a dozen oysters!

We rolled out of there full and happy. There were no dishes to clean, leftovers to divide, or giant turkey carcasses to deal with. Though we weren't able to spend this Thanksgiving surrounded by family, we were able to spend it surrounded by food. Which is almost as important.

Details:
Ray's Cafe
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-3770
Sun-Thu 11:30a-9:30p / Fri-Sat 11:30a-10p

Race Report: Amica Seattle Marathon 2010

2010-11-30T10:26:00.018-05:00

I capped off my gluttonous Thanksgiving vacation in Seattle with the Amica Seattle Marathon on November 28. I had randomly decided to tack on this marathon after I found out I was going to be in Seattle for Thanksgiving. I knew the race was hilly so I decided early on that I would just try to take it easy and enjoy the sights as much as possible. I'm holding off on trying to BQ til next year.

I was pretty diligent about a high-carb, low-fat, low-sugar diet the week before the NYC marathon, but I didn't follow any sort of diet before the Seattle marathon. There was no way I was going to hold back at the Thanksgiving buffet at Ray's Cafe or stop myself from ordering two desserts at Poppy. Basically, I followed a high fat, high carb, and very high calorie diet up until marathon day. I don't recommend this if you're trying to run fast - I felt heavy and sluggish pretty early on during the race. During the early miles I was like "Hey, I'm running off that turkey and stuffing! Hey, I'm running off that barbecued pork rib!" Later on, it was "Fuck, I shouldn't have eaten that creme brulee" or "Gee, I had too many helpings of mashed potatoes." Thankfully, I didn't have any stomach issues during my run! That said, the 4 days of excess eating in Seattle were sooooo worth it that I would do it all over again if I could (more on food to come in a later post).

Anyway, E and I went to the expo Friday afternoon. The expo was crammed into the ballroom at the Westin downtown, but there were some pretty good deals. Road Runner Sports were selling returned shoes for $50 per pair. I contemplated getting another pair of Adrenalines, but decided against it since my 2 pairs were still relatively new. Some other retailers were offering 25%-50% off running gear - I got a black and neon yellow reflective headband from Brooks to wear on race day.

At the expo!

Bib pickup was seamless and easy. Up until pickup, I was strongly considering switching to the half option, but decided against it for three reasons:

The half started at 7:15am, whereas the full started at 8:15am. I wanted the extra hour of sleep!
I had already paid for the full option and I ain't gonna get no $ back.
We ran into 2 of E's friends at the expo who were also doing the full and I didn't want to look like a wimp.

The race uses Winning Chip technology, where the chip is attached to a velcro strap you wear around your ankle. Yes, like a prisoner and yes, can cause chafing. I prefer D-tags or Champion Chips. Directions said only the "special white bags" provided by the race could be checked. The white bag turned out to be a Hefty bag they dispensed fresh from the roll. We were instructed to mark the bag with a Sharpie - I decided not to check any of my stuff.

Race morning

The next morning E dropped me off 50 feet away from the start line and before I knew it, I was off. I lucked out with race day weather - though it was cold (38 at the start, went up to 40) and overcast, there was no rain! The first few miles were relatively easy through the city. I concentrated on taking in the sights and trying to keep good form. The marathon is small (only 2200 in the full) so there was no crowding to deal with at the start and I was able to hit my pace right away. However, by the 3rd mile, I knew I wasn't going to have a fun run. I just wasn't feeling strong and running wasn't easy. When I ran NY, I felt like I was consciously holding back during the early miles but in Seattle, I didn't think I had much in the tank. By mile 4, I was ruing my decision to stick with the full marathon. Mile 4 also took us through a tunnel where my GPS lost reception (this happened twice during the race because we had to run through two tunnels) so I got a bit disoriented because my mile splits seemed off.

There are two out and backs on the course, the first and longest was on I-90 across to Mercer Island. It was sort of pretty running by the water, but I was also kind of bored. I had been spoiled by the crowds in NY! To entertain myself, I waved and high-fived other runners wearing the same Marathon Maniac singlet as myself (and there were a lot!). The miles slowly ticked by and I saw more trees and more water. Aid stations were evenly spaced every two miles and the mile markers were tacked to porta-potties at every mile. There were plenty of half marathon walkers and we started passing them around mile 3. They stayed off to the side so there was no crowding.

Race photo courtesy of Steve Yee (yes, Marathon Maniac #1!)

I'm not going to lie - every time I passed a first aid station, I thought about how easy it would be to call E and get him to pick me up. I had my phone with me and no bag check to run to. E later told me that he would have not been surprised to get a dropout call from me. I kept running into Seward Park which is very green and very pretty. The course along Lake Washington is actually really beautiful but it's better when you're in a quiet and calm type of mood, not when you're struggling to keep down the second chocolate croissant from brunch the previous day. When I crossed the halfway mat, I thought it would be a good point to quit but somehow I just kept going. The desire to quit finally subsided at mile 16 when I realized I only had 10 miles left. Some part of me also didn't want a DNF while I was still ambulatory.

That said, I pretty much fell apart in the last 6 miles (my Garmin doesn't lie). I can go on about how the hills are all in the last 6 miles (including one motherfucker that caused me to walk at mile 22) but the drive I had in NY just wasn't there in Seattle. I wasn't having fun and I just wanted the race to be over. There were no crowds cheering for me so I felt pretty dumb with my name pinned to my shirt. I did chat with Marathon Maniac #1 (Steve Yee, I think I said "Holy shit!" when I found out who he was) and #25 (Mark Looi) during the later miles of the course, but I was really in too much pain to be cordial (sorry). By mile 25, I was back in the city and I picked it up a bit. Then I ran into a big hill right at mile 26 and I swore a lot in my mind. I was able to pull myself together to sprint across the finish line at the Seattle Memorial Stadium. Done! Chip time: 3:47:13, splits: 1:49:49 / 1:58:02.

There was no concentration camp death march after the race like there was in New York. I walked into the Exhibition Hall from the stadium, picked up some water, hot chocolate, and a banana and waited for E to come pick me up. He was there in 5 minutes and I limped home to shower, rest, and recover.

Victory sign celebrating the end of marathon season 2010!

I'm done with marathons until next year. Actually, I'm done with running for the next few weeks. Each marathon after Yonkers has successively broken me a little further and I could barely walk after Seattle. E witnessed me yelping each time I had to walk up or down stairs. I'm a little better now (48 hours after) but when I woke up this morning, my insteps just wouldn't bend. I'll be icing for the next few days.

Front and back of the marathon medal

Special thanks to E for chauffeuring me to and from various locations this weekend and supplying me with much needed coconut water & Powerade. You're the best! I think I'll opt for the Rock 'n' Roll option if I run Seattle again. I heard that course has more entertainment. If I'm going to do more hills, there better be music on the sidelines!

Final stats:
3:47:13 (8:40 pace)
550 / 2301 overall
107 / 864 females
28 / 180 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

West Side Highway on Foot

2010-11-22T13:19:00.001-05:00

I work at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, right by the South Ferry. I had to go into work on Saturday and came up with the semi-brilliant idea to run to and from the office. The subway system is an unpredictable mess on weekends and I had a much better gauge of the speed of my feet.

It was approximately 2 miles to run crosstown, cut across the park, and get to Riverside Park (via 72nd Street). While running across the park, I paused briefly to see if I could catch friends who were running the NYRR Knickerbocker 60K. Sadly, I was running late so I had to keep going. Once I reached the river, it was easy to run south uninterrupted. The flat terrain was easy and my previous instep pain seems to have subsided into mild soreness. However, I had forgotten how windy it was by the water! I knew that it was going to be cool so I had worn a cap, gloves, thick tech shirt, and capri tights but the wind was brutal. I felt like I had to propel myself forward to fight the headwind. The run by the water was pretty though and the sun was out which made it much more bearable. The major street markers are clear and it was very easy to tell where I was and how much farther I had to go.

8+ miles later, I made it into work, flushed and sweaty. After a few hours working, I debated taking the subway home but decided to return on foot. I was pretty tired and had to stop often, but the run home was easier since it was warmer and there was less headwind. The miles flew by and before I knew it, I was in Central Park. Once again, I tried to find friends at the 60K, but it was chilly and I felt my muscles stiffening so I had to hurry home. Congratulations to all that made it through all 37.3 miles (9+ unidirectional loops in Central Park)! You've inspired me to tackle an ultra at some point in my life (hopefully next year)!

Glaser's Bake Shop: The Really Old Bakery on the UES

2010-11-21T18:05:00.003-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for new cupcakes to try, and I randomly discovered Glaser's Bake Shop while yelping for "cupcakes" on the Upper East Side. It had gotten mostly favourable reviews so I knew I had to stop by and give their cupcakes and baked goods a chance. I had walked by this bakery a few times before and have never stopped because it looked so old.

Well, that's because it is old, 108 years old!. It doesn't look like the type of place to have a website or a Facebook page, yet they have both! The Facebook page is even updated on a daily basis to announce the specials of the day (I "liked" it immediately). I had perused both sites thoroughly prior to coming here so I had a good idea of what I wanted.

Festive holiday window display

I walked in and immediately felt like I was stepping back into history. The old stone tile floors and wooden display counters screamed geriatric. However, there was something quaintly charming and cute about the place, like the feeling you get when you see a frail elderly couple holding hands. It's a place frequented by regulars as I noticed the storekeepers greeting the customers by name.

The baked goods were tantalizing, and I spent a few minutes looking at everything - pies, tarts, cookies, breads - before deciding to stick to my original plan of a red velvet cupcake and a pumpkin ginger square with buttercream frosting. Those two items set me back a mere $4.50, the cost of just one regular cupcake at the nearby Two Little Red Hens.

I hurried home and immediately bit into the pumpkin square. The ginger taste was very faint but it had a strong sweet pumpkin spice flavor. The cake itself was on the denser and heartier side. The cake was fine, but I loved the buttercream on top. Sweet and whipped just right, with a caramelized sugar crust which gave the whole thing a little bit of a crunch.

Pumpkin ginger square with buttercream frosting

Afterward, I ate my red velvet cupcake which was also delicious. The cake was good - moist and more cocoa-ey than other red velvets that I've had - but it was the frosting that I really liked. I lovvvvve cream cheese frosting but I hate how many cream cheese frostings are so sweet that you can't taste the tang of cream cheese. Glaser's cream cheese frosting retained the taste of cream cheese and was smooth and light. The chocolate shavings on top didn't hurt either.

Red velvet cupcake

Now that I've discovered this neigbourhood gem, I can't wait to go back and try more of their treats. I have my eye on a lemon meringue tart and the sticky bun for the next visit!

Details:
Glaser's Bake Shop
1670 First Avenue (@ 87th St)
New York, NY 10128
(212) 289-2562
Tue-Fri 7a-7p / Sat 8a-7p / Sun 8a-3p

Trail Running for Dummies

2010-11-17T13:26:00.000-05:00

I went trail running for the first time last Saturday (the Central Park Bridal Path doesn't count). Our trail of choice was Rockefeller State Park in Sleepy Hollow, NY. This was the perfect location because it was only 45 minutes away from the city and had easy trails that allowed us to create runs of whatever distance we wanted.

Our group had arranged to meet at 7:15am on a Saturday. Normally I would be reluctant to wake up so early on a weekend, but I had never gone trail running before and I wanted to go before it got too cold. The trails in the park are very easy, so trail shoes are completely unnecessary, but I wore my brand new Mizuno Wave Cabrakan anyway since I was itching to break them in. I had gotten them a few months ago during the Paragon Sports Warehouse Sale and I had never worn them for a run. I felt a little strange in them at first because not only are trail shoes firmer than regular shoes, but because there are grippy spikes on trail shoes which made higher off the ground. I also brought along my Nathan QuickDraw water bottle, which turned out to be essential as there are no convenient water fountains on trails.

I could not have asked for a better day to go trail running. Fall is one of the prettiest seasons in the Northeast, but it's easy to forget when you're living in the city and bathed by artificial light all day. In upstate NY, you can see the leaves bloom into glorious hues of red and orange. It's like a whole new world up there!

We did 7 miles at a very easy pace since most of us were still recovering from the marathon a week earlier. I'd been having in pain my insteps (the tops of my feet) since the marathon and definitely didn't want to push the pace. Despite the abundance of lovely scenery and a mixture of wild & domesticated animals (which included horses, cows, and deer) to take my mind off running, I couldn't help noticing that the trails were hilly! It seemed like we were always on an incline. However, the trails themselves were not technical at all, and there was no need to scramble over large rocks or sling ourselves around trees. They were very wide and really as easy to run on as the bridle path. The Cabrakans were great shoes to run in too. The fit was quite snug and tight so my ankle felt very well supported and prepared for rocky terrain (which we never encountered).

Despite averaging an 11 minute pace on the trails, the miles really seemed to go by a lot faster than my normal loop around Central Park. Part of it was having fun company to talk to but a lot of it was just having a new change in my running routine. There are only so many ways to run around Central Park and after months of marathon training, the park has gotten really boring! The mild (50s and sunny) weather was unseasonably warm for mid-November, but it was perfect for running.

I had a great intro to trails today. I can't wait to come back for more. In the meantime, I will be icing and elevating my feet!

(photos courtesy of Megan)

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

2010-11-15T09:32:00.002-05:00

I've been curious about spaghetti squash since reading about it in Cooking Light. The directions for it are super simple, which made it all the more appealing to me. They are as follows:

Pierce squash a few times so it does explode when baked.
Put entire squash in the oven at 375 for one hour. Alternatively, you can microwave the squash for 10-12 minutes (rotating 2-3x) but I have never tried this method before.
Prick gently with a knife. If the knife goes in easily, the squash is done.
Carve squash length-wise and scoop out the seeds.
Scrape out the strands of squash with a large spoon.

I tossed my strands of squash with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Other similar recipes call for browned butter but I didn't have any at home.

Easy, delicious, high fiber, low-fat, low-carb, and low calorie. Unfortunately, spaghetti squash is high in water content, making it less nutrient-dense than other winter squashes like acorn or butternut. It is very economical to eat - my 2.5 lb squash cost $2.50 at Whole Foods and fed 3 people as a large side dish. Spaghetti squash has a very mild flavor and lends itself well to any sauces. When cooked properly, the strands of flesh should be a tiny bit crunchy. If it's mushy, it's overcooked. Some sites say that it's a good substitute for spaghetti, but you have to be seriously delusional to think that you're eating pasta when you're eating squash.

Now that I've experienced firsthand how easy it is to cook spaghetti squash, I can't wait to pick up another at the supermarket!

I'm Marathon Maniac #3028!

2010-11-12T17:51:00.001-05:00

Now 3000+ members strong!

After Kino found out that I was going to run NWM and NYC within 3 weeks of each other, he suggested I tack on Yonkers to qualify for the lowliest level of the Marathon Maniacs (3 marathons in 90 days). So I did and now I'm Marathon Maniacs #3028!

Marathon Maniacs started in 2003 and they've seen a huge increase in membership over the past year. Kino, who joined in early 2009 (and has a bajillion stars because he's run some ridiculous streaks), is #1382, which means that the club has over doubled in size since. Who would've known there were so many people who loved running multiple marathons?

So what does joining the club give you? First, you get your name on a website, in a section appropriately titled "InSane AsyLum". Second, you get to wear their signature yellow jersey so others can recognize you. Other than that, I guess you get some race discounts and access to some bulletin boards so there might not be any major perks besides the huge ego boost of being called "crazy" (in a tone of disdain tinged with admiration).

I'm happy to have finally earned my one star to join the Bronze level. However, I don't think that I'll be striving too hard to reach the other levels (see qualifying criteria here). I just can't stomach the idea of being fatigued at the start line of a marathon and then having to run 26.2 miles. That doesn't sound fun to me.

That said, I can't wait to wear my yellow jersey at the Seattle Marathon!

Race Report: ING New York City Marathon 2010

2010-11-08T22:41:00.015-05:00

E and his awesome handmade sign!

This past weekend was one of the most memorable weekends ever because I got to experience intense versions of the best things in life - love (wedding), running (marathon), and friends (cheer squad!). On Saturday, I witnessed one of my good friends from college marry one of the nicest guys in the world. The cutest part of the wedding was when the groom was so awestruck staring at the bride that he forgot to say "I do" and had to be prompted. The wedding was small, intimate, classy, and relaxed all at the same time. Congratulations L & M! Have a great time in Hawaii!

Though I had to run the 41st ING New York City Marathon (my second time running NYC!) the next day, I would not have missed the wedding for the world. There are marathons every weekend but I'll only get to witness my friends getting married once and that's way more special than achieving any sort of PR. I think that the lucky wedding risotto and the delicious yellow cake with jasmine chocolate cream was the absolute best pre-marathon fuel. Thanks to the end of DST, I got an extra hour of sleep after a night of celebration too!

I had luckily gone to the expo on Thursday so I had everything ready to go. There weren't that many good deals at the expo this year, but I still enjoyed wandering the aisles and trying lots of random foods. Thankfully, I had a few days to get random foods out of my system. My shopaholic tendencies still caused me to emerge from the expo about $100 poorer but with some cool headphones, a box of espresso GUs, and an absolutely hokey Power Balance bracelet. I have no idea why I bought the last item, the logic is retarded. A hologram that helps regulate your body's electricity? WTF? A hologram?!?! Anyway, I'm wearing it every damn day until it breaks to remind me of my own gullibility and stupidity.

Me at the expo. Number 26-484. My lucky number is 4!

I also packed my bag and pinned my race number on my singlet before going to bed. I think I got at least 5 hours of fitful rest (all my dreams that night were about running) before I woke up at 5am to start getting ready. I got my Dunkin' Donuts coffee, caught a cab to South Ferry, and made it onto the 6:30am ferry to Staten Island. I hung out in the warmth of the ferry terminal for about an hour before taking the shuttle buses to the start. It was freezing there but I was too excited and nervous to care. I had worn my brother's old down jacket and it was basically like a cozy sleeping bag. I didn't take it off until I got to my corral and had to donate it. If you run the NYC marathon, definitely bring some old but very warm clothing to the start because you'll be out in the cold for a significant amount of time. Volunteers collect it to donate to charity.

I hung out in the covered tents until the minute before the corrals closed. I squeezed into my corral (Blue 26, Wave 2) right before they closed the gates. I actually ended up starting with people in corral 28 because I was held up in the line for the porta potties. The start was slow and though I tried to refrain from weaving around people too much, I just couldn't help running a little extra just to get around people who seemed to be walking. I also really wanted to warm up as it was freezing!

Despite what seemed to be frigid temperatures (38 degrees at the start), the sun was out, the sky was blue, and the air was crisp - so it actually turned out to be an awesome day for running. Yes, I do say this in hindsight because I PR'ed. I tried to enjoy the views as I crossed the Verrazano Bridge but I was so preoccupied with trying to stay tucked in with other (taller) runners so I wouldn't be as cold that I didn't see anything. However, the early miles went by very quickly. I had put my name on my shirt and I felt like a rockstar in Brooklyn as I heard "Go Sonia!" from all around me. Smiling and thanking people helped me peel off the miles one by one. My only complaint about Brooklyn was that the course felt too narrow at some parts and I had to slow down to avoid crashing into other runners. Before I knew it, I was on the Pulaski Bridge and into Queens! Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about Queens except that I hit my halfway point at exactly 1:50:05 according to my watch.

I noticed my energy dropping precipitously a little after mile 13, but I decided to try to stick with my pace for as long as I could. This lasted until the Queensboro Bridge around mile 15. I remember a lot about crossing the Queensboro, and it seemed almost surreal. There was no support on the bridge, and all I could hear were other runners pounding along besides me. I occasionally heard snippets of what I assume to be motivational words in Italian, Spanish, and Finnish (I'm guessing based on the flags on runners' jerseys) as the international runners tended to move in packs. Some runners stopped on the bridge to climb over the railing and take pictures of Manhattan or to stretch. I didn't try to pass people that much on the bridge, but I did notice that some people slowed their paces considerably on what seemed to be a very long incline. My Garmin also lost signal at this point so I was gauging myself entirely on effort level rather than pace.

I took advantage of the steep decline off the bridge and bounded into the roar of the crowds in Manhattan. I knew this stretch of First Avenue very well and it was nice to know exactly what was coming on each block. I ticked off the blocks until 76th and 1st (exactly mile 17) where I knew my friends were waiting for me! When I saw them, I almost cried because I was so happy. E and D had made signs for me and they were awesome! R had gotten me balloons! A, DJ, and C were there too! Everyone had woken up early to come cheer for me in the cold! How awesome is that?

So excited to see my cheering squad!
Photo courtesy of E

Re-energized from meeting my friends and cheerleaders, I continued to power down First Avenue. I heard T screaming at me at 86th Street and Patricia yelling my name somewhere in the 80s. Thank you girls! After that point, the crowd seemed to thin a tiny bit as I made my way into upper Manhattan and onto the Willis Avenue Bridge and into the Bronx. I reached mile 20 and this is where the sights were no longer enough to distract me from my fatigue. I had tried to fuel as smartly as I could, with an espresso GU every 5 miles and a few sips of Gatorade or water every mile or two (I didn't sweat much since it was cold), but I definitely started feeling pretty tired!

The rest of the race was a blur. One of my few memories from mile 20+ was passing Ethan Zohn and telling him that he was doing an awesome job. He smiled at me and said thanks. I swooned a tiny bit inside because he is hot, brave, and has beaten cancer to run a goddamn marathon. I think that I must have also passed the Chilean miner at some point earlier too but I didn't notice when. Anyway, I knew that I had to run a 50 minute or so 10K in order to BQ and I wanted to try my hardest. I decided to take no water stops from mile 21 onwards and to push the pace as much as I could. I somehow told my legs to keep churning over the Madison Avenue Bridge and into Harlem then onto Fifth Avenue. Around mile 23, I remember feeling myself fade very noticeably and I had to kind of shake myself to keep my eyes from closing for too long. At this point, the crowds that were screaming my name could not elicit more than a tired victory sign from me. No smile. Sorry!

Notice the people stretching and walking in the background. I swear I'm not that leisurely!

Photo courtesy of Richard Chung

I remember running into Central Park and down the east side that I've run so many times before. Let me tell you, Central Park on a regular day is completely different from Central Park on marathon day. The crowds, three to five people deep on each side, all screaming for the runners, were enough to keep me moving. At mile 24, I pretty much knew that there was no way that I was going to BQ, but I knew that I was going to try for the sweetest PR possible. J (another Whippet) caught up to me around mile 24.5 and pushed me towards the finish. I basically trailed his orange top to the finish line.

My finish time? 3:41:28 (8:28 pace, splits: 1:50:03 / 1:51:25). I beat my previous PR by almost 8 minutes and I had run almost even splits! I missed BQ'ing by 29 seconds but I actually don't mind that much. I had set out to run my very hardest and I pushed myself as hard as I could. There is no way that I could have asked for a better race. Besides, with Boston 2011 full already, I have almost a whole year to qualify for Boston 2012.

After J and I crossed the finish line, MsRitz collided into us from behind. She had run a 3:42 (a new PR for her) with a fractured arm and ribs! All three of us were all so excited with our new PRs and telling our race stories that it made the one mile shuffle towards the baggage trucks way more enjoyable. I collected my bag from my corral, exited the park, and made my way over to brunch at Josie's where my cheer crew were waiting for me! I ate a good healthy meal (THAT WAS NOT PASTA) with seven of my best friends, who all listened to me blabber about a sport that they could care less about. Thanks guys! Afterward, we headed over to Levain's for the sweetest, gooiest, and largest warm chocolate chip cookies ever. I followed this with Buttercup's delicious red velvet cupcake, thanks to F.

I went home, showered, slipped on my calf compression sleeves, and spent a great deal of time on Facebook, looking at other people's posts and pictures about the marathon. Kino had run the entire race as Old Spice Man in a stuffed muscle shirt with a backwards pony clipped to his ass. Debbie had very happily PR'ed as well! She missed BQ'ing by a bit too, so now I have someone to chase that elusive BQ with at Poconos next year. Some of the people I know had just finished their very first marathons, and it was so nice just reading their status updates.

My sample size is limited, but I think that it would be hard to find a marathon that can beat NY. The crowd support, the sights, the sounds, are all amazing. I'm more sore today than I have ever been after a race, but it was so worth it! As much as I love NYC, I am extremely tempted to skip out on the race next year so I can be one of the awesome people who cheer! We'll see.

Congratulations to all those that participated in the marathon this year and thanks to all the volunteers! And an even bigger thank you to my awesome cheer squad (you know who you are)! Also, a very special thanks to E for flying out from the other side of the country to come to the wedding and watch me run the marathon!

Victory!

Final stats:
3:41:28 (8:28 pace)
7921 / 44923 overall
1278 / 16109 females
265 / 2635 age group

Links: Garmin Results Race Site

Lucky Charms or Silly Superstitions?

2010-11-04T15:29:00.002-04:00

NYTimes posted this article today about silly rituals that runners have for a race. This was a coincidence because I actually started composing a post about my race superstitions this morning. In general, I'm kind of a superstitious person and I look for signs in everything. I am especially vigilant about my rituals and superstitions during race week, and even more so when the race is a marathon! And as my race times have gotten better, I've gotten more and more attached to the small rituals that I have. This week, I am pulling out all the stops in preparation for NYC! (Only 3 days away! Yikes!)

The day before the race:

I will paint my nails black. I read Kara Goucher did this before she ran NYC in 2008 and she placed 3rd! She said it made her feel "tough." After reading that, I adopted her ritual and took it one step further - I wear an all-black outfit during my races.
I will eat the capellini primavera at Zucchero e Pomodori because I ate the same thing the night before I PR'ed the Brooklyn Half. Unfortunately, I will not be able to partake in this ritual on Saturday as I have a wedding to go to, but I'm going to dig my black nails into whatever carbs I can find at the banquet!

The morning of the race:

I will eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread.
I will buy a medium black coffee with two Sweet & Lows from Dunkin Donuts.
I will put on the same rusty gold barrettes that I wore in Brooklyn.
I will wear the same blue underwear with birds on them because birds fly.
I will wear the same dingy Nike socks that I have worn for every race since the Queens Half-Marathon in 2009 (a previous PR). I don't ever wear any of my race clothing on non-race days because I'm scared that they will run out of luck.

Yes, it's stupid and silly and old wives'y of me, but so what? It helps calm me down to control the little insignificant and inconsequential things in my life. I'm sure that all the perceived benefits I get from following these rituals are just due to the placebo effect, but hey, I'll take whatever confidence boosters I can get!

Pre-Marathon Jitters

2010-11-03T12:49:00.000-04:00

The NYC marathon is only 4 days away and I am getting nervous! It's my 6th marathon (2nd NYC) and each time I have to wrap my head around the fact that I have to run TWENTY-SIX-POINT-TWO miles. When I tell other people about my nervousness, I usually get one of three responses:

"You're the one who signed up for it." This is true but it's not the best response. No one tells that to a firefighter right before he walks into a burning building. Yes, I realize that the magnitude is very different but concern would be nice.
"Can't you just stop and walk?" Technically, yes, but then my time would be bad and though I realize no one cares about this but me, no one wants to put in training only to do worse than before. More importantly, if I stop and walk after 2 miles, I'll still have 24 more to go!
"You'll do great" (sometimes said flippantly). This would be nice but there are so many things that can go wrong, hence my nervousness. My greatest concern is not my legs, but my stomach. I am prone to, umm, sensitive GI issues when I run.

Essentially, I'm more nervous about this marathon than any other because as my 6th marathon, I'm no longer running for completion. I know I can complete it. I want to have a good time, both literally in terms of a PR, and figuratively, in terms of being able to enjoy the sights of all five boroughs. So as the countdown to the start draws nearer, I'm trying to rein in the crazy whilst keeping my fingers crossed for a good race.

If you know someone who's running a marathon, the best thing you can do for them afterward is congratulate them for finishing. Try to include a note of awe in your voice. Don't ask about time. If they're happy with their time, they'll volunteer that information. If you're really curious, go online. Race results are on the internet forever (sigh).

Roller Derby!

2010-11-02T14:19:00.001-04:00

I saw the Gotham Girls Roller Derby Finals on Halloween Eve. Angela introduced me to the spectator sport, and I've been excited for the finals ever since I saw my first game in September. Apparently, NY has one of the best leagues in the country! Unfortunately, neither team in my previous game made the finals so I was faced with a whole new set of players.

Players skating by in a blur

Roller derby is a fun game to watch because:

The rules are simple. Each team has a jammer and the first jammer to skate past all members of the opposing team becomes the "lead" jammer. The lead jammer scores 1 point for each member of the opposing team she passes. The other 4 team members in play are blockers.
It's fast-paced. Each play or "jam" is 2 minutes long.
The women are aggressive!
All the team members have nicknames like "Beatrix Slaughter", "Murder City Mandy", "Care Bear Scare", or "Donna Matrix."

The two teams in the final match were the Bronx Gridlock & the Queens of Pain (there are 5 teams in the league, 4 of the 5 boroughs are represented with their own roller derby team, plus one called the "Wall St. Traitors). Not only was this the finals, but the team captain and main jammer for Queens of Pain, Suzy Hotrod, was playing her last match after six years in the league! She played an amazing game, but unfortunately, Queens was no match for Bronx, who won 132-98. I think that the secondary jammer for Queens, Hyper Lynx, wasn't nearly speedy or aggressive enough - and she barely scored any points during her time in the rink.

Since it was almost Halloween, the halftime show was a costume contest! It was won by a cute little girl who went dressed as a jammer. The only other costume that I remember was a baby dressed as a chicken. The other special event during halftime was a proposal. The announcer asked a woman to come down from the stands to claim her "special prize". It turned out that her girlfriend was proposing to her in front of everyone. It was very cute, though I felt like the couple were hurried off the rink because halftime was ending.

Roller derby proposal

I had a good time at my second game so I'll be back next season!

Personal Worsts

2010-11-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

No one likes a braggart, so I've created a box for my personal worsts (PWs) on the right. I would like to say that none of my personal worsts were achieved while I was sick or injured. I was perfectly healthy - just not very fast. I am actually very proud of some of my personal worsts, like the 2004 Staten Island Half Marathon, my first half marathon ever. I still remember the feelings of astonishment and joy as I crossed the finish line to that half, which I had run entirely without stopping!

For the other PWs, I just didn't train enough. I ran very little and ate a lot in 2005-2006 and now my sad face race times are on the Internet forever. One of the reasons that I like running so much is because race times and performance reflect how much work you put into it. If you work harder, you get faster. If you don't run enough or train enough, you'll get slower. It's common sense. Even though elite runners are born with immense innate talent, they still average 100+ miles of training per week. Before you think I'm some psycho lady, I would like to say that I don't run nearly that much. I average between 15-25 miles per week during non-marathon season, and I'll run up to 40 miles per week when I'm training for a marathon.

Wow, as I write this entry, I realize how far I've come since high school. I used to dread our yearly fitness tests where we had to run one mile. It seemed like such a long distance to me! And I used to take over 13 minutes to run just one mile because I had to stop and walk after 400 meters. One of my most embarrassing high school running moments involved me finishing my one mile in 13:30 and having Mr. Cummings, the PE teacher, pointedly ask me what I was doing on the field hockey team. (For the record, I did field hockey so I could get into college. I was so bad that I was on the C-Team! As a senior!)

I've worked hard to get my times to where they are today. I'm not sure that I can get any faster since I wasn't born with any natural speed, but I'll keep trying. If I can run a marathon then so can you. If you want to get faster, run farther, or run longer, you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Often.