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NYRR Run for Central Park 4 Miler: Negative Splits!

 

Happy Saturday!

Even though this morning’s agenda included the NYRR Run for Central Park 4 mile race and my second long run of marathon training, I was still able to enjoy a double date last night and even get in some salt and carb loading.

IMG_3112 (480x640) We saw the 9:30pm showing of Harry Potter 7 Part 2 in 3-D at the Lincoln Center I-Max theatre with our Hogwart fanatic friends Mike & Liz. Luckily they knew a few things we didn’t:

  • Seeing HP7 in New York City opening weekend means you HAVE to be in line at least 2 hours in advance if you want to get seats together.
  • A few handfuls of movie theatre popcorn is the perfect way to load up on carbohydrates since it also includes a nice dose of salt.
  • Looking like fools in 3-D glasses after a long work week is the perfect way to feel like a kid again and forget any stress you left at the office. IMG_0761 (640x478)

I was a little nervous about my 6:30am wake-up call after going to bed past midnight, but surprisingly I was bounding out of bed five minutes before my alarm clock. Maybe it was the new Lululemon outfit I had waiting for today’s run or the fact that I had heard rumor that it was going to be cooler outside this morning than last week.

My morning started out just like any other Saturday of marathon training. I enjoyed my peanut butter and banana half sandwich and a Nuun cocktail before heading out with my CamelBak strapped to my back. IMG_3119 (478x640) IMG_3122 (478x640) IMG_3123 (640x480) This week. per my running coach’s recommendation, I did a true warm-up before arriving at Central Park. I walked from our house to 44th street before jogging a mile up to 68th and Park where I met Jes.

IMG_3126 (478x640)Last night, Jes jumped at the opportunity to use Bo’s bib for today’s race since Bo can’t run for two weeks while his thumb’s nerves heal. I was equally as excited to introduce her to the world of Saturday morning NYRR races since today was her first. We giddily chatted as we walked towards the start. She was amazed by all the people and the organization; not realizing that anything like this existed in the city.

IMG_3124 (640x478) IMG_3127 (640x478) Since we had both warmed our legs up with a mile jog before the race, we spent the remaining time doing some dynamic stretches. Since we both had different plans for today’s race, we decided to line up in the same corral but then run solo once the race started. Jes’ plan was to treat this as a true diagnostic race since it is her first race and she doesn’t run with a watch on a daily basis. My goal was two fold:

  • Run negative splits throughout the four miles
  • Finish the race feeling as if I’d pushed myself but could still run another 3 miles

Not every race is meant to set a new personal record and I’m finally okay with that. In fact, I think I was even more excited about today’s race because it was a new challenge. At 8am, on the dot, the race started and we were quickly moving towards the start line. I had a great feeling about today’s race. The weather was gorgeous, the crowd’s energy was high, and I felt very prepared after a great warm-up and stretching session.

The four miles passed very quickly as I focused on the gorgeous weather, my breathing, and starting out slow.

Four miles later I didn’t PR but I sure as heck registered negative splits! Success!

Mile 1 9:51

Mile 2 9:34

Mile 3 9:18

Mile 4 9:08

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Today’s 38:07 is a 7 minute improvement from the last time I ran this race back in 2009!

image IMG_3128 (640x480)I was super sweaty but felt great and immediately started running back downtown. My goal for the remaining 3 miles was to keep my pace below a 10 minute mile while also enjoying the sights and sounds of the Upper East Side, Midtown, Murray Hill, and finally Gramercy.

IMG_3131 (640x478) IMG_3133 (640x478) IMG_3134 (640x478) IMG_3135 (478x640) IMG_3136 (640x478) IMG_3138 (478x640) IMG_3141 (640x478) IMG_3143 (640x478) IMG_3145 (640x478) Success!

Mile 5 8:56

Mile 6 8:36

Mile 7 9:42

Mile 8 8:07

After an hour and a half of sweating, I was only craving one thing, thanks to Theodora’s influence.

IMG_3140 (478x640) I’m hooked on Zico now. It was refreshing, cool, and the perfect post run treat. In addition, the small amount of sugar helped keep me stable until our lunch at Guy and Gallard Cafe an hour and a half later.

IMG_3146 (640x478) IMG_3147 (640x478)It has been an amazing Saturday!

  • A wonderful long run, that shows great improvements versus last year’s pace.
  • A delicious lunch date with my hubby.
  • Plenty of time outside running errands and enjoying our city’s gorgeous parks, sights, and sounds. IMG_3149 (640x478) IMG_3150 (640x478) IMG_3152 (640x478) IMG_3158 (478x640) Like I said, New York City has some amazing sights and sounds.

Have a great weekend!

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ashleyd /

A Priceless Kiss

I can’t believe it’s been almost two days since my last post! I could sit here and apologize profusely but instead I’ll just say that life got in the way.

In case you missed it, Bo and a very sharp knife had an ugly meeting on Saturday while making guacamole at a friends house. The moral of that story was to always use a cutting board and the proper knife.

Yesterday, I was able to be the wife that I strive to be on a daily basis. I was at Bo’s side when he came out of surgery even though I was missing the biggest meeting of the year at work. Yesterday I chose to put family first and nothing has ever felt better.

Even though the surgery was minor, the first kiss after he came out of surgery and awoke from the anesthesia was priceless.

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But, the doctor couldn’t finish the repair on Saturday and therefore decided to book a full reconstructive surgery for Thursday morning. Bo spent an hour under general anesthesia while his doctor repaired the severed nerve and thumb damage. Hopefully, within six months, his thumb will be just like new.

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Bless his heart, yesterday due to surgery delays he ended up going without almost 22 hours without food. Needless to say, a Delfonte’s hot Italian sandwich was the key to his heart after surgery!

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Unfortunately, in the mean time it means he has to wear a brace and can’t bend or get his thumb wet for three weeks. This means he can’t rock the NYRR Sprint Triathlon next weekend which is a shame since he has trained for two months and was super excited. Anyone want his bib?

In between nurse duty, worrying, and work I’ve spent the rest of the time sweating it out at the gym or enjoying the gorgeous New York City weather with morning and afternoon fruit stand walks.

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The summer months bring fruit stands that are alive and thriving on every corner in New York City.

Before I head out to catch Harry Potter with our friends, I want to share the winner of this week’s giveaway: Denise!

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Have a great weekend and I’ll see you tomorrow morning after the Central Park 4 miler!

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Marathons+Moderation: Guest Post #8

 

Hey there, I’m Lauren and I blog over at Sassy Molassy about running, eating and food making and other shenanigans. I offered to write a Marathon + Moderation post for Ashley because I enjoy reading her blog and because I love marathoning and I feel like I’ve learned a few things along the way from experience. Some people say marathoning and moderation don’t go together. At one point, I would have agreed. My marathon journey started back in 2006 when I ran my first half (because I was sure I could never run 26.2 miles). Six months later, I was at the start line of the Portland Marathon.

The first through marathons were trained with tired legs and an exhausted body. I was sure I needed to run six days a week no matter what my body was telling me or what work/life commitments I had. After running a few marathons with injuries (IT bands so tight they wrenched on my knee, hamstring strain and runner’s knee), I realized my strategy wasn’t working so well. I needed to find some balance and moderation in my training schedule and life. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past five years that have helped along my marathon journey.

1. Cross training is key. Yes, get in your focused runs (tempo, speed, hills, long run, recovery, etc), but also take 1-3 days off per week to do other activities. This will allow your muscle strength to become more balanced and prevent injury.

I like to incorporate cycling, yoga and strength training into my fitness routine throughout marathon training.

2. Lower mileage doesn’t mean your training is suffering. Sometimes, your body needs those step back weeks to recover and build up. Be sure to listen to your body.

3. Ice bath, stretching and foam roll (especially after a LR). While it may be the LAST thing I feel like doing after a 15 mile run, it makes a huge difference in my recovery the next day or two.

4. Sleep is important. I’m all about hanging out with friends the night before a long run, but I try to get to bed by 11 pm and keep the cocktails to a minimum.

5. Discover what motivates you. For me, new running tights, a Garmin or pink compression socks keep me excited about my training because I want to use my new stuff. Good fuel, my favorite trail and meeting up with friends are other major motivators. It may seem silly, but these things keep me that much more excited to hit the road for another long run or speed session.

6. Hydrate and fuel often. For me, eating a Shot Blok or chunk of Larabar every 30-45 minutes works well. I also hydrate with a Gatorade/water mix. By the time you feel your tank is empty, often it’s already too late. Don’t be afraid of fueling your body with what it needs to perform, before, during and after a run.

7. Determine your A, B and C goals for your marathon. That way, no matter what happens on race day, you should be happy with the outcome. Be realistic and know that no matter how hard you’ve trained, sometimes race day is just NOT your day.

8. You’ve finished your race – take a freaking load off! Take a few weeks to recover and ease back into your fitness routine. And for your body’s sake, please get a massage and pedicure. Does anyone have a great tip you’ve learned from experience, a book or running magazine? Any marathon horror stories out there? Thanks, Ashley for letting me guest post!

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