Speed work

Have I ever mentioned that I have multiple jobs?

Maybe once or twice ... ?

Well, although two of them are very part-time, living this way has been putting major logistical strains on my time for blogging and working out these days, but I am doing my best to fit it all in. And hopefully the multiple-job situation will end soon.

Last night I got back on the pavement for the first time since Wednesday and it felt awesome. The long gap had a lot to do with my painful left ankle (plus work and a general lack of energy) and a desire to rest it up for good. I think five days off from running was enough.

The run was fast and powerful and sustained -- unlike any I have ever had, even in a race. Although I left the house feeling tired and heavy from a long day sitting in front of a computer, as soon as I started running I got the urge to go fast. I was so excited to be back out there and my body was being so cooperative that I couldn't resist the urge to do it, even though it meant straying from my usual mantra -- take a few minutes to warm up to a 9-minute mile pace and sustain it for as long as possible, with the goal to build stamina.

So I tossed stamina out the window and focused on speed. I sprinted down Lake Avenue, hit the valley and continued up the sloping hill. No ankle pain!

When I looped back down Caroline Street and hit 2.5 miles, I forced myself to slow down a little and not overdo it, for my ankle's sake. But when I returned to Broadway I didn't want to go home, so I sprinted back and forth a couple times in front of an elderly couple watching me curiously from their bench near City Hall.  Total = 3.7 miles, 38 minutes,  including some walking in between sprints.

Tonight was pretty good too, although I traveled less and dealt with some pain in the other ankle and calf -- although this feels like just a sore muscle that will ease up in a couple days. 

Speaking of speed, if my life was made into a movie, the year 2010 up to this point would only take up about 3 minutes of it ...  (How is it almost August, already?! I'm just getting around to changing the floor mats in my car from the winter ones to the regular ones!) ... And the 2010 part of the movie would be a montage, of course, which would have to include a shot of me zipping down Broadway at dusk on this sweet ass bike:

Popular belief and my general ignorance about cars may lead you to believe that I am not a motorized vehicle buff, but this hot orange Stella scooter just turns me on. I almost stole it off Lake Avenue this morning. It goes 65 mph. What can I say?

39 and counting

Here in Saratoga Springs, we have a little something called the race track. Today was opening day at the races, and in an attempt to cure myself of a bad case of the late-July blues I've been suffering with, I've composed a list of things this silly season indisputably means to me. 

(Cue Julie Andrews:

"When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feeeeeeeeeeel

sooooooo bad")

The List:
 
1.) It will now take about 15 minutes longer to drive anywhere in town.
2.) Everywhere you look, there's a tourist stroking/trying to take a photo with/drunkenly trying to jump up and straddle a painted fiber glass horse statue or one of the City Hall lion statues. 
3.) For the next six weeks, I will no longer be able to find a parking spot in front of my apartment.
4.) There's no point in trying to run on Broadway at any sane hour of the day or evening -- it's too crowded
5.) It's fun watching people strolling across Broadway at Lake Avenue when there's a red light but a green left-turn arrow that they don't notice. And then they wonder why they get honked at.
6.) It's raining.
7.) More people order pizza when it's raining.
8.) Trying to park in The Saratogian parking lot during non-business hours practically requires handing over your social security number and DNA to the crotchety security guard to thoroughly convince him that yes, you are an employee of the newspaper and you are entitled to park in the lot, for the whole night, without paying 10 bucks to do so, and without getting towed.
9.) The line for coffee at Uncommon Grounds is out the door.
10.) Caroline Street. Enough said.
11.) And, finally, the season means a new and chic addition to my wardrobe. And by new I mean foisted-upon-me and by chic I mean apparently designed to attract snickers from interview subjects and neighbors, and excite dogs. On second thought, maybe the dog just liked the smell of my perfume...

Just like a bridesmaid dress, you can wear it again.

Workin' for the weekend

It's Sunday, and you know what that means. Don't you?

When I work a Tuesday through Saturday shift at the paper, Sunday is my one day of rest before another working week.

Since I usually get home around 3 a.m. from job #2 Saturday night, I try to drag myself out of my delirium and out of my bed before 11 a.m. noon 2 p.m. so I can:

write my column for the newspaper
race to complete a long list of domestic tasks
squeeze in a run
and a long-distance phone call to a dear friend who's planning her wedding!
and, if I'm lucky, conclude the evening cooking dinner and relaxing.

Tonight was only slightly different from the norm, in a good way -- somehow, I managed to do all of those things in way less time than usual.

On my 3-mile run this evening, I discovered what I think is a new favorite route: Lake Avenue (starts off with a long and low uphill climb) to East Side Recreation Park, where there's a pavement track that circles a skate park and passes a baseball field. Why didn't I know that this track existed before today?

Anyway, I went around it a couple times at race speed and got in two half-miles under five minutes, with walking in between. Then I ran out of the park onto Caroline Street for a steady and easy trek back to Broadway. This part of the workout seemed effortless after the short, fast periods on the track and the uphill climb. I maintained a 7 mph pace without stopping for the entire last mile. This was made possible by the lack of humidity, fiiinally. Overall, running conditions were pretty perfect tonight -- a slight breeze, 70s and cloudy with no chance of rain.

Here's the route:
MapMyRun - LakeAve/EastSideRecTrack/Caroline in Saratoga Springs, NY 

After that, it was time to refuel with an amazing veggie burrito. I concocted so much of the inside mixture yesterday that I'm going to be eating it for a couple more days.

Borrowing a cue from my new friend and food blogger, Rebecca, here is a visual of the amazing veggie burrito:

Looking forward to checking out Phila Fusion with her tomorrow!

S.R.S. returns, with a tan

Hello again!

I forgot to mention one big item in my list in the last post, which would have explained why it's been quiet around here the last week.

I went on vacation, first to Oneonta for July 4th and then to Cape Cod for five glorious days of enjoying wonderful company, 90-degree weather, the ocean, the beach, swimming ponds, Provincetown, the beautiful scenery and much delicious food and drink.

While I was there, I fully intended to blog, but all of the above were, shall we say, slightly distracting.

I made it a point to run a couple times during the week though. The runs were short, about 2.2 miles each because of the intense heat. I carried a water bottle with me, ran as early in the day as I could, and slathered myself in sunscreen.

You can't really beat running along the shore: When your view is a harbor full of sailboats bobbing in pristine blue water, your feet are kicking up beach sand and the sweat is rolling down your face and into your eyelashes, all the stresses, worries and complications of work and day-to-day life melt away. The only thing that matters is inhaling, exhaling, and hearing the pounding of one foot and then the other on the ground. You are left with the simple thought "Life is good."

 Near my running route, with Wellfleet Harbor in the background.

Here is a picture of my route around Wellfleet Harbor, with Cape Cod Bay to the west and the National Seashore and the Atlantic to the east.
 

View Cape Cod run in a larger map

When I returned to Saratoga, I met up with my bestie Emily, who was visiting from Brooklyn, for a weekend of girls-only fun. Thanks to The Saratogian, we scored a majorly awesome surprise Saturday night: red-carpet access to the New York City Ballet gala at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, where we were wined and dined, saw two breathtaking performances, and later, sipped champagne and ate chocolate eclairs several feet away from two members of ballet world royalty: City Ballet master-in-chief Peter Martins and his wife, the Balanchine-trained ballerina Darci Kistler.

I tried not to stare but was very, very unsuccessful.

I'll wrap things up with a quick update on the Firecracker 4 last Sunday:

Had a decent run, finished in 36:30, and felt better than I ever have after a race (i.e. little risk of barfing).

Still standing after conquering four miles at 8 a.m.

Could this race location be any more convenient? 

The start/finish and activities were located in the Algonquin building parking lot.

Thank you to the Caroline Street resident who provided a mist station, (i.e. sprayed the runners with a hose as we passed by) and King Brothers Dairy of Schuylerville that handed out samples of chocolate milk afterward.

It was fun to see some friends, as well as some former and current coworkers from The Saratogian both running in and covering the race.

 Let's just say the whole week, from Sunday to Sunday was, if not the Best Week Ever, the Best Week in a Long, Long, Time. Yay.

Now that the temperature has dropped from an uncomfortable 92 degrees to a nice, brisk 87, I think it's time to suit up and go for a run.

Red, white, blue and grey

Bye Bye Birdie

 

Unfortunately for her, and to my great joy,

this feathered foe was forced 

to find new digs today.

How's that for some alliteration?

I'm really looking forward to this weekend for lots of reasons.

In no particular order:

No. 1 at the moment is because I'm hoping to score some quality time on my clean, bird-free balcony, perhaps enjoying a cold beverage in the warm sun, perhaps while recovering from Sunday morning's race.

No. 2, naturally, then, is Sunday's road race, the Firecracker 4. It's an annual 4-mile race that kicks off the city's Fourth of July celebration. It starts and finishes just outside my apartment building at the City Center, goes straight up Broadway, swings around the East Side, then hangs a left for a long journey down Excelsior Avenue, ending with a short but steep hill going past the Courtyard Marriott hotel.

About 2,000 runners are expected to be in town, double the amount from last year. Hopefully there will be lots of spectators coming out to hear the musicians along the course, browse the vendors and listen to the live announcer.

Registration is still open now, and is through the morning of the race. Sign up here.

This will be the largest race I've participated in to date, which probably means I'll be finishing way back in the pack, but no big deal. This time, I'm mostly concerned about racing against myself, and enjoying the sense of community provided by the event.  

I've been training hard the last week, running an average of 3 miles every workout. Monday I ran 4.11 miles in 38 minutes, and even spent the first .75 mile walking briskly. Finishing in that time despite the walking really pumped up my confidence -- I hope to finish the race in 36 minutes. 

No. 3 is because a major project at the newspaper will finally conclude on Saturday evening as Sunday's paper goes to press. If you're interested, read about the Ben Franklin Project, here. Note the final paragraph of the post --

"The second phase of the Ben Franklin Project is for all 18 Journal Register Company daily publications to publish — both online and in print — on July 4, 2010 using only free web-based tools."

-- It's what we've all been consumed with at The Saratogian for the last six weeks or so. Let's just say it's been a month-long headache for everyone that will hopefully result in some positive changes at Journal Register Company and maybe even in industry-wide.

No. 4 is that after the race and recovery Sunday, it's off to Oneonta for the hometown Fourth of July festivities, complete with my sweetie, the Fam, a visit with my favorite out-of-town lovebirds, spiedies (you have to be from upstate New York to be fortunate enough to know what this delicacy is, or at least be dating someone from upstate New York), and fireworks, of course.

Ok, end of list.

Check back later this week for a training update, and Sunday or Monday for race results.  

Accessories, accessories

This week was all about shopping around for the right accoutrement to help me bring my training to the next level.

First, my new armband arrived in the mail from the Apple store, allowing me to wear my iPhone as I run rather than carrying it like I have the last few days.

This getup replaces my iPod-sized armband, which has served me well over the last few months, but my tiny little app-less iPod is no match for the iPhone and all the magical things it can do ....

... like MapMyRun.

This new app has successfully tracked all my stats in real time and mapped out the route for me as I run. It also gives me a live audio update of my pace, time, distance, etc., during the run every .5 mile.

It automatically integrates your data with the website, so when you go online after your workout, you can see everything you've done on a calendar, a graph or a list.

Using the website, I can see that in the last two weeks, I've run 17.81 miles during 3.82 hours over six workouts. This knowledge is so motivating! As cheesy as it may sound, I find myself anticipating the workout more because I'm excited to log the info when it's over.

I kicked it up a notch this week and went for four runs, if you count Sunday (which I do), Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I'm getting better at planning ahead to schedule them in around work and other activities. It is something I can count on feeling good about even when the world is at its most depressing.   

It was one of those weeks at the newspaper when I had to make one of those phone calls that makes me sick to my stomach.

For the record, I have competently conducted interviews with lunatics, angry people, intoxicated college students, senators, CEOs, homeless people, victims of crimes and people who just escaped from their house before it burned to the ground. But speaking to a grieving parent or family member beats it all.     

Writing these stories leaves me (and my liver) wishing, at least temporarily, that I was in another line of work. And yet, as one of my editors (always the optimist), said to me this week, interviewing people in their time of loss 1.) gives them a chance to memorialize their loved ones publicly and 2.) is perhaps even cathartic for them.

As a journalist and someone who is naturally empathetic, I feel humbled to provide service #1, but #2 is sticky territory.

What are your thoughts on the intersection of local media and personal tragedy ?

App attempts #1 & #2

I didn't need an iPhone app, or an iPhone for that matter, to inspire my first real run. I didn't need one to complete my first 5K (or three) either. But I am now a proud iPhone junkie, and the other day I felt compelled to combine my iPhone love with my running love and buy an app called Couch to 5K by Felt Tip. 

New friends

The concept is a 9-week training program of 20 to 40 minute workouts three times a week that will supposedly enable one to run 3.1 miles without stopping or walking. Sounded perfect for me. 

On Monday I giddily downloaded the app and then drove to the state park to try it out, breathing in the warm -- but not too warm -- air as a sweltering afternoon turned into a comfortable dusk.

You can start anywhere you want in the week 1-9 sessions, which gradually work you up to a full run, so I placed myself at the beginning of week three, starting with a 5 minute warm up then moving on to 90 seconds of walking and 90 of running, then 3 minutes of each. It ended with a 5 minute cool down.

The whole time, I was psyched to find out how far I'd traveled and at what pace, because when you are training for a 5K, these details are a powerful motivator to have at your disposal.

But did the app track my speed, distance or pace? Did it monitor my heart rate or calories burned? Nope! Apparently, these functions are just too much for Couch to 5K and you need another app to do them. So, I quickly downloaded RunKeeper for just this purpose, but alas, you can't operate both apps at the same time.

Now you can call me cheap, but what I got for the $2.99 I shelled out for Couch to 5K was hardly worth it. The extent of its functions was basically to give me a choice of a male or female voice (or a little beep, how novel!) telling me when to walk or run alternately for 28 minutes. Verrry disappointing.

RunKeeper was free (although there is a more sophisticated version you can purchase), so when I tried it later and it didn't work I was a.) not surprised and b.) not too disappointed.

I will continue to search for a better app and see how it works. I also have an exciting new accessory arriving in the mail any day now that should make for some fun training. Stay tuned ...

Note: This post was written Tuesday, June 22, but there was a delay in posting it until Wednesday night.

Weekend Over

It's 2 a.m. and I'm winding down another weekend of waking up bleary-eyed after late-night shifts delivering pizza, writing a column for the newspaper, and squeezing in a trip to Oneonta for a family barbecue and other fun stuff. Getting the dishes and laundry done got sacrificed so I could run this evening instead.

The temperature was hovering somewhere around 80 degrees, or possibly higher, at 6 p.m. when I went out for an hour. It was slow going because of the heat and I should have brought a water bottle, but I managed 3.72 miles running/walking and felt great afterward. So great that I enthusiastically wolfed down a pulled pork sandwich, a salad and a Rare Vos at Bailey's tonight. mmm. 

So anyway, I took a meandering route along the East Side and tried some new streets. Here's my route:

View Sunday 6/20 training in a larger map

I'm not very happy that I only ran twice this week. I took Monday off and went to a yoga class for race recovery, worked late at the newspaper Tuesday, attended a work-related fancy dinner on Wednesday night and left bursting at the seams from that, ran two miles Thursday at 10 p.m. and on Friday night, went straight from job #1 to job #2, which made for a wonderful 13-hour work day.  

So as I'm preparing for the Firecracker 4, a four-mile road race on July 4th, my next major hurdle to get over is to make time to run at least three miles, three times a week and absolutely no less. More would be better, but lately life has been overflowing with things to do. For the most part, they're all good things, so it's hard to pick and choose what to cut out. I feel lucky that way.

For example, this week, I interviewed for a freelance writing opportunity that I feel really optimistic about, both because of the content of the work and because of the earning potential. But it seems almost impossible that I'd be able to manage yet another job. Do I risk it and quit Domino's so I can concentrate on a new project? What happens when the project is over?

I'd like to find a way to dedicate myself more seriously to running and also be able to pay the bills. What's a slow girl to do?

For the moment, the answer is: go to bed.

P.S. The one exceptional news item from today is that because I have an awesome landlord, the pigeon infestation problem is getting swept away this week! I'm certainly not going to cook the pigeon egg and eat it, but if anyone is interested, it's all yours. Come and get it quickly, before animal control gets here and does whatever unspeakable thing they're gonna do with it.

Rainy day, silver lining

They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and that's what happened Sunday at the Read Run 5K.

Despite all the worrying and whining I did the other day, I finished in 27:37, my best time yet and a full 28 seconds faster than the last race May 23. I was number 146 out of 427 registered participants.

How did I do it? Don't ask me. I'm just relieved it's over and I didn't throw up.

Here we are shuffling over the start line. This is the first time I didn't wear my "lucky" Brockport cap and the first time I've used my iPod during a race.

Race registration: $20
New running gear: $45
High-fiving the dude dressed in Daffy Duck
costume along the course: Priceless.

It was a good run, and I'm happy with the results, although the weekend was not ideal for a race and all the other stuff -- job #1, job #2, maintaining a social life and the lack of sleep had me overwhelmed to the point where I could not enjoy the achievement until long after the moment had passed. (And after post-race indigestion and nausea had finally passed as well. Come on stomach, work with me! The legs are doing fine!)

I learned a lot from the training leading up to it and the race itself about pacing, eating and drinking properly for running, and adjusting my game plan according to circumstances, such as weather and energy levels, as they change from moment to moment.

After that not-so-great run, er, stroll, on Friday afternoon, I drove to the state park a few hours later to try again, and I ran for real about 2.5 miles with the music pumping in my ears and the trees along the Avenue of Pines sheltering me from the sun. I went to job #2 feeling much better about things.

Later, I took a break to eat some free pizza, and received a stern yet sympathetic pep talk from Mr. Fast Running Saratoga himself. Awesome.

Saturday was rest day and it rained all day so I burrowed inside for most of it before heading to a dinner party, where I met some cool new people, chatted with some cool people I already know and enjoyed lots of delicious things like grilled sausage, potato salad and brownies. I'd say my calorie stores for the next morning's effort were above what was necessary. I also was drinking water nonstop. That was all the preparation part.

It was a nerve-wracking late night Saturday. I came home from work at 3, laid awake for two hours, and then slept for three before somehow forcing myself out of bed and to the library -- getting there was one of the hardest parts.

Mom decided at the last minute to get up early and drive to Saratoga and stand in the rain to cheer me on. Thanks Mom! Her appearance and the fact that it was cool and wet outside Sunday morning helped me to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep running when I wanted to walk.

I know it's too soon, and I have a lot of miles to cover first, but I can't get the words "half-marathon" out of my head...

Friday Fail

Today's run was supposed to be practice for Sunday's Read Run 5K, and I wanted to check out the course, which does one small and one large rectangular loop around the East Side, starting and ending at the library on Putnam Street.

But if Sunday goes anything like today did, I'm screwed.

I went to meet Kellen at the library around 12:30. We are both registered for the race, and he had graciously agreed to join me for the practice course (and I'm guessing will never agree to that again, after my pathetic performance). I haven't run all week, so I already knew I was in for a struggle, but I was looking forward to finally getting out there and moving and also, I hoped having faster company would push me to do well.

The Fail began with poor preparation last night, when I went out first for girl's happy hour with Emmy and Lauren, and later with my beau. It was a great night and a great morning until I attempted to hit the pavement. I got up late and had to eat immediately before leaving, so there was no time to digest the half a bagel I scarfed down with some OJ. Also I didn't drink enough water before going out, which was probably slightly dangerous because it's 73 degrees out.

We started off at a fast pace up Spring Street (a hill) and kept going until I had to walk. We jogged and walked intermittently the whole way because I could not maintain a steady pace in the heat and my breathing was all out of whack. We kept to the sidewalk for awhile, which was hard in places like Nelson Avenue where there are brick paths with edges sticking up everywhere. Otherwise the course is pretty easy and flat, and I think they're closing off the roads for us so the brick sidewalk will be a non-issue.

When we turned onto Caroline Street for the last few paces, I started running as fast as I could to the library. That was the best minute of the whole outing. Those 29 other minutes? Not so much. To top it off, the soreness in my right hip flared up again half-way through. I am worried it will turn from a minor discomfort that's happened once or twice this whole year into something more serious.

I walked home feeling totally discouraged. I want to go out right now and try it again, just to feel like I got a real workout. I am also worried about getting up in time Sunday, because registration closes at 8:30 a.m. and I probably won't get home from work until 3 Saturday night. It's gonna be a stretch.

Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in like it has the last two races, and help me get out of bed. I'm glad the race is in town and I don't have to drive to get there. Also, the weather will surely be cooler at 9 a.m.

I will be sure to drink a lot of water and eat a carbohydrate-rich dinner Saturday night. I'm setting my goal low -- to maintain the 28 minute finish from three weeks ago.

Check back Sunday for results.

P.S.: On a side note, another reason I am pissed off is because the pigeons have once again reclaimed my balcony, and get this: they built another nest and laid another egg. Their feathers have gotten caught in my window screens and their crap has once again covered the floor of the balcony, after I spent two hours scrubbing it off last month. Any hope I had of enjoying the view out there this summer is quickly fading.