Less than a week to go...

Last week started out great with two 6 mile runs in Central Park. I was breaking in my new sneakers and was able to run two of my quickest Central Park loops in a very long time. Not sure if was the shoes or not, but I felt like I was really moving but not straining too much at all. Good little confidence booster going into the homestretch leading into the marathon. Later in the week brought a sluggish run at a more relaxed pace on Saturday morning with JB and JT (after staying out late at a concert the night before). I was planning on doing a run on Sunday but that was derailed mostly by the volunteer assignment at the More Marathon that morning. The combo of getting up at 5AM and standing in the rain for about 4 hours totally zonked me out for the rest of the day. I took a nap for several hours but was still pretty exhausted. Rather than risk feeling worse by going for a run in the gym or outside, I decided to take the day off. Bagging this run wouldn’t really do me any harm.

Now there is not much left to do except wait and minimize any complications from happening between now and Sunday. Like most other people, I have been checking the weather pretty frequently and although it is supposed to be bright and sunny, unfortunately it looks like it is going to be a pretty warm day. I am not the best hot weather runner, preferring to run in the cold rather than the heat. Running in 25 degree weather in Philadelphia in 2008, while not ideal, wasn't all that bad. You can always layer up in cold weather but not there is not much you can do in the heat to stay cool except drink as much as possible. I guess warm and sunny is a lot better than the cold and rain the women had run through during the More Half Marathon this past weekend. Hopefully the high temperatures for the day won’t be reached until after the marathon is over. Most of my training has been in cold to cool temperatures. It is what I am used to and what I was using to come up with my goal time for the race. While I still plan to go after my desired time, I may need to adjust my goal and/or pace during the middle of the race if the temperatures are getting to hot. My training went well and I feel prepared going into this weekend. The best thing to do is to stay on strategy and run at an even a pace as possible for the first 20 miles. Even if it is on the hotter side, running with the pace group will help shoulder the load, keep me loose, and keep me calm. While I am looking forward to attacking the course and seeing what I am capable of, at the same time I need to be practical and reel myself in if the conditions are not favorable.

I’ll be crossing my fingers for cool weather and frequent breezes!

The Heavy Lifting is Over...Time to Taper

Last week was the last "mileage" week on the schedule before the taper began yesterday. You always get a weird feeling going into the taper. I've been used to consulting with my schedule and getting in my long runs (crossing them off each week) and now I'm just supposed to sit back and wait for the marathon to happen. I wish I can fast forward to the big day and not spend the next two weeks over thinking things too much. I've put in the necessary training and I feel that I am ready for the challenge ahead. Although it will be easier said than done, the next couple weeks will be spent figuring out a strategy, trying to eat/drink the right things, and getting in some 6 mile runs to keep my mind and legs busy.

After doing my final 20 miler last week, my long run for this week was a step down of "only" 15 miles. I was excited for the fact that this was going to be my last long run. This was it. Just power through this one and then the heavy lifting on the schedule would be over. I couldn't find someone to run with so I knew that I would have to get through this last one on my own. This would make things a bit tougher, since I always run and feel better with others, but I had to get push through it. I didn't get started until later in the day, but this allowed me to get a meal in beforehand and make sure that I was fueled up and ready to go. I took a deep breath, pressed the start button on my Garmin, and began. I decided to break up my usual run just a bit by starting on the Reservoir. I don't like doing multiple loops if I don't have to but I wanted to give my legs a little bit of a break and allow them to pound on a slightly softer surface for a few miles. Therefore, I went round and round for 3 loops and approximately 5 miles before venturing out on my usual run going through the Park and then up and down the Westside Highway for a total of 10 miles. It wasn't too exciting of a run. It was one that I have done many, many times and I was just looking to get it over with. I didn't feel great during the run, but not bad either. It was a bit odd. I didn't really feel a sense of relief or weight being lifted once it was over. I guess it showed how steady and workmanlike my training has been. It felt like just another run. The total time for the 15 mile run was 2:08:23 for an average pace of 8:33.

Rather than just waiting around for the marathon to creep up on me, I decided that I needed some inspiration and excitement to hold me over and I went up to Boston to watch the marathon. It was kind of an impromptu trip but one that was glad I made. The weather was supposed to be great for running, as well as spectating, and I wanted to cheer on my all of my teammates. I had such a great time and it was cool to be part of the marathon as a spectator. No worries about waking up early. No worries about whether or not I trained enough (that will come later). I was there just to have fun and give my support. I got to partake in the pre-marathon pasta dinner with everyone and cheer on/hi-five all the runners from the Flyer Cheering Zone at mile 17. It was a blast to see everyone I know looking great and soaking up the experience. It was just the boost I needed going into the taper.

Almost There...

Less than three weeks to go until Jersey. I was able to get in my third and final 20 miler last week (for the second marathon training cycle in a row) - while my body was feeling the pain towards the end of the run, I was happy to be able to push through to the end. I have only one more long run to go, a 15 miler this weekend, and then it is onto the taper.

Last week had elements of fun and training all rolled into one. Knowing that I was going down to DC for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler starting on Saturday morning, I had to figure out what my best plan of action would be to fit in my third and final 20 miler. Should I add it onto the 10 miler in DC (probably not the best idea since I don't know the area at all and the race already starts at 7:40AM)? Should I try and squeeze in the run during the week, and if I did would I have enough time to recover before doing a 10 mile race on Sunday? Since I wasn't working last week, I decided to do the Monday night downtown run (6 miles), get in a strength training workout on Tuesday since I have been neglecting it for a couple weeks and my legs were paying the price, take the day off on Wednesday, and then go for my 20 mile run on Thursday. I figured that by running on Thursday, and resting on Friday and Saturday that my legs would have enough recovery by the time Sunday rolled around.

The hardest part about the 20 mile run was the heat wave scheduled for the entire week in NYC and planning out my route with at least one or two people to join me for at least a little bit. With temperatures in the low 70s for most of the day, I waited until 5:30PM to start my run. I was hoping to start a lot earlier, but I did not want to run in the heat if I could avoid it. By the time I started the run, the temperature cooled down a bit and was quite comfortable by the halfway point. I ran the first 10 miles on my usual Central Park and Westside Highway course. Running along the Hudson River felt great its shady areas and cool breezes. This portion of my run just seemed to be flying by - feeling almost too easy. I was cruising along at around an 8:20 pace and felt like I could just keep on going for miles. I knew that this feeling couldn't possibly last for the entire run (although I hoped it would) and knew that I had to reel myself in just a bit. The end of the first 10 miles had me back in Central Park and meeting up with JB and CK. It was a bit tough trying to figure out a meeting spot due to the fact that I didn't want to stop running at all, but I was happy to see them at nearly exactly the time and place we planned. Knowing that I would have some company for the next several miles was a big boost to me. We ran a few miles on the roads of Central Park and then veered onto the Bridle Path for another couple of miles. JB and CK stayed with me until about mile 15 or 16 when I began to feel myself start to tire. I was doing well cardio-wise but my legs were starting to get sore and my knees were getting stiff and painful. Knowing that the final 4 miles were going to be on my own was going to be really tough and a be a true test of mental strength. Only a few minutes after I was on my own, the aches and pains started to get worse. While I thought about stopping the run at mile 18 or 19 (it was becoming a big struggle for me), I knew that had come too far now to stop short of my 20 mile goal and I needed to push through the pain. I would have regretted cutting the run short- feeling that I had given up instead of pushing through. I would have time later on to rest. Luckily I kept on going and was able to even pick up the pace on my final loop of the reservoir. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This run showed me how quickly your body can turn on you no matter how good you are feeling. However painful, this was a good lesson for me to go through only a few weeks to go before the marathon. Don't get cocky. I could be feeling great for 10-15 miles but it can easily be taken away a couple miles later. This was definitely not one of my negative split runs, to my disappointment. Remember this feeling and don't let it happen again come race-day. I was happy and proud of my overall time but not too happy with the run strategy and pacing. I went out too fast and paid for it at the end. Steady...Steady...Steady. It might be a boring but it gives me the best chance of feeling strong at the end of the race.

Overall distance: 20 miles; Overall time of 2:52:39; Average pace of 8:38.

With the 20 miler out of the way, I was excited to head down to Washington DC with the NY Flyer crew and have fun - get in a run, check out the Cherry Blossoms, and visit my cousin all in the same weekend. Although I wanted to get a good run while in DC, I decided to just go out and enjoy myself and run whatever pace I felt comfortable with. Just before the start of the 10 miler, I ran into JT and we decided to start the run together. I glad to see that we were able to run the first 5 miles side by side, chatting and enjoying the scenery. It was fun having some company on the course and we were going at a good pace to boot - around 8:00 per mile. The course was very scenic and fun. The crowds were very enthusiastic and were cheering on the runners for the entire time. After sucking down a PowerGel after mile 5, I was feeling pretty good and decided to pick up the pace. I saw that JT wanted to slow down a little bit so we parted ways for the time being and we would meet up after the race. At this point, I felt strong and wanted to try and get faster as the race went on and go for an overall pace of under 8:00 if possible. Mission accomplished - I was able to sneak in an overall time of 1:19:10 for an overall pace of 7:55. I felt relatively good throughout the race, was able to keep up a consistent pace that got faster towards the end and didn't have many aches and pains. The only complaint about the race was the lack of Cherry Blossoms along the course :) The locals told us that they peaked about a week or two before we got there.

Split	Avg Pace
1	8:26
2	7:55
3	7:57
4	7:47
5	7:47
6	7:52
7	7:51
8	7:36
9	7:35
10	7:20
0.17 mi	6:38
Summary	7:48

Well, the heavy lifting part of the schedule is now over and I need to concentrate about staying healthy and mentally strong for the next few weeks. One more long run and then it is onto the taper.

4 Weeks to Go - 13.1 Marathon Series

This Saturday brought the inaugural 13.1 Marathon Series taking place in Flushing, Queens. Unfortunately, this meant that I would be missing the Scotland 10K (which I've run nearly every year I've been in NYC), but this race gave me the chance to run on a different course and allowed me to get in a race at the Half Marathon distance before next month. This would be the only chance I had to go all out for a Half without being too close to the marathon.

It was pretty much a perfect weather day for a run. Bright and sunny and relatively cool at the start of the race. The majority of it took place during many loops and configurations, both big and small, in Fresh Meadows Park passing some cool landmarks such as CitiField and the National Tennis Center and Arthur Ashe Stadium.

I have only 4 weeks left to go until the marathon and I was looking to use this Half as a test to see how I was holding up. My training was going well so far, so I knew that there was a chance to go for a PR knowing that this would be my only shot at racing a half marathon during my entire training cycle. Even though I was feeling relatively good so far, I did realize that I was 3 months into training and my body was starting to feel some of the effects- feeling sluggish for a couple days after long runs, slightly longer recovery times, and sore muscles. Secretly, I was trying to go for a PR, but I would not be disappointed if I did not get it knowing that I had a bigger goal in mind. The result was pretty good all around - while I did not PR for a Half Marathon race, I did run a faster overall pace during this race than I did when I PR'd at Long Branch last year. I ran an overall race time of 1:39:19 (about a minute behind Long Branch), but according to my Garmin I ran a 7:27 pace for a total distance of 13.34 miles (I ran Long Branch at a pace of 7:30). I am not one of those people who look at their Garmin as gospel and say that the course was measured long and they really got a PR after all - the course is measured correctly for a half marathon, but I just ran a little longer than the course dictates. Either way, this race let me know that things are going well with less than a month to go before the big day.

While the race was relatively flat, there were a few bridges that we went over several times which added some inclines to the the course. This wasn't a "walk in the park." The bridges, although small, got tougher later in the race and the fact that there was very little shade on the course allowed the sun to beat down on you for the last 6 or 7 miles. This was my first race in which I was using my Garmin to help pace me. I paced myself pretty well during the Manhattan Half in January without a Garmin, so I was hoping I would do better now that I had the Garmin helping me out. A PR pace would be slightly under 7:30 per mile. As usual, I got a little bit carried away during the first two miles. I was standing toward the front of the pack at the start and I got sucked in right away and went out way too fast - going at a 7:20 pace for both miles 1 and 2. I knew if I wanted to survive the race feeling good, let alone getting a PR, I had to slow down. The plan was to slowly come down in pace over the next mile or two and then stabilize at around 7:35-7:40 and not go above 7:40 if possible. I have been able to do negative splits during my last several half marathons and didn't want to throw away that possibility in this race. It feels alot better feeling strong at the end and making up time, than going out too fast in the beginning and struggling to the finish. I was able to recover a bit after those first miles and calm myself down. My pace slowed down by several seconds in mile 3 and 4, and except for a dip to 7:20 in mile 5, I was able to achieve a more even pace between approximately 7:30 and 7:40 for the remainder of the race. The last 1.1 miles were my fastest of the entire race, as I like it. You don't want to feel like you were too conservative and left too much in the tank, but I'd rather pick it up at the end than struggle considerably. The only thing I ask the race directors to do next time is to have better signage at the end of the race. After passing mile 12 and running on a straightaway past the USTA, everyone can see the finishing banner in the distance fast approaching. As everybody is picking up their pace and getting more and more excited to see the finish line, they tell you to make a left right before you get there. Now deflated, you see a huge traffic circle in your sights that you have to run around before reaching the end.

I was extremely excited to see the pace that I was able to achieve on my own, and even more proud of the fact that I was able to adjust my plan and pace in the middle of the race. This run wasn't easy but it showed me that my pacing abilities and mental strength during a race are getting better. But, as in other races, I can get too carried away at the beginning and go too fast out of the gate. Even yesterday, I knew I was going too fast but wasn't able to slow down until 3 or 4 miles into the race where I chanced ruining my entire race by tiring out too quickly. The pace group is there to force you to calm down and leave the thinking to someone else for a while. I need to keep this in mind come marathon time if I want to reach my goal.

I took off the Auto Lap on my Garmin, and these are the pace and distance measurements at each of the mile markers on the course:

Split	Distance	Avg Pace
1	1.00	7:20
2	1.00	7:20
3	1.02	7:26
4	1.01	7:27
5	1.03	7:21
6	1.08	7:37
7	1.01	7:40
8	1.01	7:32
9	1.02	7:27
10	1.00	7:35
11	1.00	7:34
12	0.99	7:38
1.1 mi	1.17	6:50
Total	13.34	7:26

Total race time: 1:39:19 ; Overall race pace: 7:34
Total distance run: 13.34 miles; Overall distance pace: 7:27
20/158 in my age group ; 132/2103 overall

Course Map:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28841316?sms_ss=email