Goodbye to 2007 - Post Year Analysis and Thinking About 2008

Mon: off, Tues: 6 miles, Weds: abs/weights, Thurs: 6 miles, Fri: spinning, Sat: off, Sun: 9 miles

The week got off to a good start. I was able to take a day off on Monday and just take it easy. The weather was accommodating on Tuesday and I decided to go for a 6 mile run. Trakmaniak and I made up to run together for a 6 mile loop. It would be nice to chat it up with a friend while logging in some miles. While I was stretching, I see BH jogging up to me with fellow Flyer, and fellow speedster, NC. I was a little worried since both of them can pretty much kick my ass and I knew that I would have trouble keeping up with them for the whole run. To my surprise, I was able to push myself and stay with them for the entire 6 mile loop (granted they probably slowed down a bit from their usual pace) and log in an 8:06 pace, which is much faster than my usual loop pace of 8:45-9:00.

This run got me thinking. It showed me that I can usually "morph" into the runners that I am with. If I am with slower runners than myself, I run slower, but in a race or in the company of faster runners, I run the pace of the pack around me. If I am going to get better in the new year, I need to go out of my comfort zone a bit and run with people faster than me some of the time. The saying goes "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Also, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." If I'm always running at the same pace all the time with the same game plan, how do I expect to get faster? Maybe that means finally doing some speedwork or preparing myself to run harder on one or two of my weekly runs at a "race" pace rather than a "conversational" pace. Or finally starting to make a game plan that incorporates tempo runs or race pace runs that teaches my body work differently at various paces.

Another big thing I learned this year is that a debacle of a race or a tough running stretch can be helpful in the long run (no pun intended). Usually when our running is going well, we tend to overlook our weaknesses or things that we should be doing more often (better pacing, stretching, strength training, etc.) and forget to analyze what could be contributing to our good fortune. Sometimes we need a bad race to shake us up a bit and cause us to re-think our habits and what we could be doing to make ourselves better. In 2007, my awakening came in the weeks leading up to and including the Nike Half Marathon. Before the race, I was feeling sluggish, inflexible, uncomfortable and my running was suffering. During the NYC Half Marathon, my pacing was all over the place, I was feeling weaker due to not eating much beforehand, and I had to walk on and off for the last few miles. It was quite possibly the worst I have felt in a race over the past 7 years (or close to it - I was praying for it to be over). While I was not happy at all with my race or how I felt during it, it forced me to think to myself and say out loud "what went wrong here?" and "how do I change my habits so this doesn't happen again?". It forced me to add some strength training in some of my weaker areas (glutes and hips especially), have a more sensible and practical pre-race meal, consider what the best pacing methods for me are during a race, adding a weekly long run, etc. It was a wake-up call that I desperately needed and one that most runners need every once in a while so they don't get complacent.

While I won't be writing down specific time goals yet for next year, I do think that it is important to have a plan in mind to give you some focus and direction. Otherwise, it is easy to wander off course. I plan to add to this in the future, but here is a first try: 1) Keep up the long runs every week. They ease the pressure to run a certain number of days per week while keeping up my maintenance mileage. Also they keep me in constant shape to run a longer race or half marathons (if I want to run one). Finally, I am starting to enjoy them. 2) Run at least 2 half marathons outside of Central Park/Manhattan. They give me something to plan for and they also make for more interesting races. I don't know how many more long races I can take in Central Park anymore. Any fun ideas from anyone? 3) Make pacing a priority when training for longer races (10 miles or longer) and learn from someone who knows about how to pace properly and how to start to incorporate tempo and other paced runs into my regimen (talking to a Flyer coach or attending a speedwork class or contacting a Runner's World editor). 4) Run at least one relay race (they are fun). 5) Do at least one spinning or ab/weights class per week (adjust accordingly if training for a long race)

Finally, I looked at the end of the year plans for 2007 that I wrote in October to see how I was doing. I think I did pretty well for the most part. So far the only things that I didn't do from the list was try a speedwork class and check out a GPS watch.

Week of 12/17/07 - Out With the Old, In With the New (sneakers)

With the holidays still here and some traveling back and forth from home, I was afraid that I would have to skimp on the running this week. Luckily, we were able to get out of work early on Friday and I was able to squeeze in a 10 miler that day. The weekly long run has now become a comfortable part of my routine and I'm looking to keep it up for as long as I can. Because of it, I feel confident to run a half marathon earlier in the year than I usually would. The only thing I missed out on this week was my abs/weights day - oh well.

Monday - off
Tuesday - spinning at 41st and Third near work
Wednesday - 4 miles in the park (I had to get this done quick since I was meeting my brother and cousin for dinner)
Thursday - off
Friday - 10 miles on my own (6 mile loop and 4 mile loop) - Since I was going home for the holidays over the weekend, I was afraid if I didn't get in the long run today then it would be lost
Saturday - Off (at home in Rockland with my family eating)
Sunday - 5 miles on the treadmill - first day of my new sneakers (staying with the Silver/Blue New Balance 767) - they felt good and for the first time in a few runs my shins didn't hurt (not shin splits but more pressure on the muscles on the outside of my shins - especially the right one)

Pretty basic week.

Running and Eating - Week of 12/10/07

With the festive season upon us, I had several holiday parties and lunches this past week and therefore a big incentive to squeeze in workouts to counteract all of the eating. There was a couple of tree trimming parties which are always fun for me (since I don't have a tree of my own) and a fan favorite NYRR race to end the week (the Holiday 4 miler). Also we are in the midst of election season (Flyers, not presential) and I was able to hear all of the great candidates kick off their campaigning at our meet the candidates brunch. Here is the exercise for week:

Monday - off
Tuesday - Spinning
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - 6 miles with the "group run" (me and fellow blogger JL of Antisociology fame) in the cold and snow
Friday - Abs and weights
Saturday - 4 mile pre run and Holiday 4 miler for a total of 8 (long run for the week)
Sunday - 6 miles in the gym on the treadmill (ugh!!!) - running on the treadmill is usually a last resort for me. I hate it and try to avoid it at all costs.

In an effort to get in a longer run this week, I decided to run 4 miles before the Holiday 4 miler in addition to the race itself. It was a crisp, cold day on Saturday and a great day for running (with the appropriate layering). Fellow Flyer JT and I took it easy for the entire 8 miles and were able to have some fun. It was nice to take a race at an easy pace for a change. This was my last NYRR race of 2007, which makes 14 races for the year. It's time to soon reflect on the year and look forward to a great 2008.

Mileage Isn't the Only Measuring Stick

Unfortunately, I only ran two times this week (for a total of about 16 miles) but I was able to squeeze in abs and spinning as well as my first yoga class. Also the long run streak remains intact.

The small number of running outings is due in part to the downtown run this week. Over the past few months, I've made a point to join the downtown group run on the first Monday of the month since it helps me mix up my routes a bit, get in a longer run, and there is beer and food afterwards. The one wrinkle with this plan for this month was the fact that I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K (9.3 miles) only two days before. I was a little weary about running approximately 8.5 miles only two days after I ran a 15K since I haven't done that in a very long time. However, I really wanted to join the group and did it anyway knowing that it might be trouble. I was doing pretty well for most of the run but then felt my legs getting pretty sore towards the end of the run. I didn't get much of a chance to stretch afterwards since we went straight to the bar once the run was over. My legs definitely felt strained for the rest of the week. While I made sure to get in my spinning and abs for the week, I laid off of the weights and leg exercises thinking that I didn't want to push my legs too far. I knew that I had the Kleinerman 10K at the end of the week to get my running juices flowing a little bit.

The Kleinerman 10K was on Sunday and I didn't want to miss it. I believe that it is one of the only (if not the only) race that I've done every year since I've been in the city. The pacing was a little bit up and down and for the first time in a long time it was my breathing that was affected and not my legs (not shortness of breath but trouble taking long deep breaths - my ribs and side felt stiff). I'm not sure if it was the erratic pacing but I found myself needing to take deeper breaths towards the last couple miles of the race. My breathing got a little smoother towards the end of the race and I picked it up a bit.

Mile splits: 8:38, 7:53, 7:36, 7:48, 7:44, 8:47 (1.2 miles) - total time 48:27 and overall pace of 7:48

I took a yoga class for the first time at Practice Yoga after the 10K race (taught by a fellow Flyer) and I really felt that it was beneficial. My office gives free yoga classes but I was reluctant to take one before I knew at least some of the basic moves and terminology. There were about 12-15 Flyers that took the class and I was glad that I went. It was much easier to take a beginner's class when you know all of the people in it. I realized that several of the moves used in yoga class are also ones that I have gotten practice doing through my weekly abs class at NYSC. I definitely want to try and incorporate yoga classes into my routine - a class here and there at first, then more frequently if I enjoy it.

Although not a big running week, it was cool to finally try out yoga. The end of the year is about keeping up maintenance mileage, as well as toning and building up my body. So, by those measurements, this week was a success (running - 16+ miles; body - abs, spinning, yoga).

Hot Chocolate 15K - 12/1/07

I checked the weather last night before I went to bed and saw that it was going to be in the low 30's for the Hot Chocolate 15K run this morning. No problem. I like running in the cold weather as long as it is not too bad and the wind is calm. I bundled up and walked on over to the start of the race. Although it was chilly at the start, it was quite comfortable once I got running

At this point of the year, I'm not looking to run a race with the intention of setting a PR, so if I see that a race is crowded and I need to pull back a bit, I don't have a problem with that. If there is some open road in front of me and I feel comfortable picking up the pace, then I am fine with that too. Right now I'm just looking to get in some good runs to finish out the year and give me some positive momentum into 2008. The race was packed (I started the race on the grass and had to merge onto the road before the start sign) and the first mile was very slow (9:42 pace). However, I was able to open up my stride a bit after the first mile and settle into a good pace for the rest of the race. I'm starting to get a better handle on pacing and what certain paces "feel" like. It seems as though about an 8:00-8:05 min/mile is a fast but comfortable pace for me that I can keep up for races up to a half marathon. I'm trying to discipline myself to avoid drastic highs and lows during a race - either a really fast or really slow mile. I'd rather keep an even pace as long as I can. If I happen to have a mile that is a lot faster or slower, I'm trying to try to make sure that I hit the goal pace on the next mile and even things out. My breathing was calm and stable throughout the race, but I merely felt stiffness in my muscles, especially hamstrings and glutes, towards the latter part of the race. The wind really picked up during the last mile and I thought I was going to be knocked over!

Mile Splits: 9:42, 8:02, 8:02, 8:01, 7:48, 8:00, 7:44, 8:01, 7:33 (mile 8-9.3) - Overall time: 1:15:12 and Overall pace: 8:05 min/mile

This race allowed me to continue with my goal of running a long run every week. So far, two weeks in a row - yeah! I want to make a conscious effort to keep this up throughout the winter.

Totals for the week: Abs/weights on Monday, spinning on Tuesday, 5 miles with the Wednesday group run, 6 miles with the Thursday group run, and 9.3 miles (Hot Chocolate 15K) on Saturday