Lauralee’s training blog

Swim - 0 hours - 04/12/2008

Workout:

• Type: Swim
• Date: 04/12/2008
• Time: 10:00:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Distance: 300.74 yd
• Average Pace: 0:14.96/100yd

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More Magazine Half-Marathon

Name: Lauralee
Sex/Age: F/21
Bib: 3032
Overall Place: 3707 / 6040
Gender Place: 3707 / 6040
Age Place: 566 / 790
Finish Time: 2:38:34
Pace/Mile: 12:06
AG Time: 2:38:34
AG Gender Place: 4335
AG %: 41.5 %

Race Statistics
Total Finishers: Women – 6040

Finishers by Age and Gender
Age Group / Women
12 - 19 84
20 - 29 790
30 - 39 1150
40 - 44 1407
45 - 49 1171
50 - 54 779
55 - 59 418
60 - 64 164
65 - 69 54
70 - 74 16
75 - 79 4
80 - 84 3

More Magazine Half-Marathon
Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: April 6, 2008,
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 45 deg. F, 71% hum., wind E 12 mph.

More to come!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/06/2008
• Time: 08:00:00
• Total Time: 2:38:24.00
• Distance: 13.1 miles
• Average Pace: 12:05.81/mile

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Scotland Run, and then some

Scotland Run 10K

Distance: 6.2 Miles, 10.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 30, 2008, 10:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 37 Deg. 25% Hum. Wind 8 MPH

(The logbook at the end of this includes only the 6.2 race part, not the 3.8 training run at the end.)  

This was only my second 10-km race, and my first in over two years. As much as I love Central Park, it really is a grueling run. The hills were incredibly rough, it was cold enough to freeze bare hands and force a very quick post-run cool down, and OUCH the concrete hurts! Also, something that isn’t directly related to the way I ran but is noteworthy and disheartening nonetheless: people who run in the NYRR races are so incredibly rude. Seriously, I don’t know what happened to running etiquette. I’m going to write a separate post about that, though… this is about the run!

The Scotland Run is one of NYRR’s most popular runs, and for good reason - it’s a lot of fun! There were almost 7,000 runners out yesterday, many of them decked out in kilts or wearing Scottish flags across their derrieres. The weather was clear and cold. The course went clockwise around the park - starting at West 62nd and ending at Tavern on the Green (West 70-something?).

Darling Boyfriend (Marky), Darling Aunt (”Boo”), and I drove into the city from Queens, which was an adventure complete with Marky trying to drive up a one-way street… the wrong way. We found parking on the East side, walked over to the staging area, and got psyched up.

Marky was going to stay to pace me the whole time, despite the fact that he’s a much faster runner, because: he’s still only 2 weeks out from his marathon, he wanted to keep an eye on my form and my knee, and he loves me. Boo and I have a system, even though I’m faster than she is: We start together, we finish together. This usually encompasses my coaching her through the hard hills, her dropping back a bit, me jogging backwards to catch her up, and several whispers of “Shut up!” during the tough parts… but it’s been getting us across the finish line holding hands and going strong for four years, so I’ll keep it up!

So besides running the race as a threesome, we also decided that we were going to turn a 10-km race into a 10-mile training run. That meant that even though we were running the race with 7,000 other people, we weren’t running it at “race pace” – AKA we weren’t running the 10-km as a 10-km, we were running it as the first part of a 10-miler… dig? Part of the reason why we wanted to do this is that the More Half-Marathon, which Boo and I are running as a team, will be on the same course. Here’s a map, for anyone who’s interested. We figured that after the race, we would refill water and get our chips cut, then keep going back around to the 4-mile mark (East 90th Street).

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, the dirty dirty of the race:
6.2 Miles, 10.0 Kilometers
Boo: 1:11.25
Marky: 1:11.26
Lauralee: 1:11.26

Mile splits, with reference:
Mile 1: 11:09.41 – very crowded, a lot of jostling around people
Mile 2: 10:57.06 – the flattest part of the course
Mile 3: 11:39.67 – getting really hilly here; we lost Marky at a water stop!
Mile 4: 12:01.56 – the hilliest, and I had to walk for 2:00 for my knee
Mile 5: 11:52.06 – starting to go downhill
Mile 6: 11:31.36 – very downhill; this would’ve been a lot faster, but Boo always hits her wall right around here, so we slowed down to keep her going.
My watch time for the last 0.2-mile reads 2:27.83 but it’s completely incorrect, because this dummy forgot to stop her watch until way after the finish line. D’oh.

Boo and I developed a ‘run-three-miles, walk a minute or so’ plan, and it stuck pretty well. My legs felt great from the beginning, but started acting up at the start of Mile 3 – I could feel the pain shooting down the front of my right leg, into and underneath the top of my kneecap. Halfway through Mile 3, I was feeling it in the right side of my knee, too. I tried some chocolate Power Gel on Mile 4, and I hated it! Yeuck! Haha… so I stuck to my Sport Beans and lots of water for the run. Marky’s knees hurt him, too, but he wasn’t as vocal as I was. (The run was a lot easier for him – it was slower than all of his slow training runs for the Shamrock had been.)

Things started to even out about halfway through, and we met some nice people on the course – one woman “lamenting” the fact that there wasn’t scotch at the water stops, another sharing mid-run re-fueling tips with Boo, and various others. The end of this course is always hard, because it’s a huge tease – you come around the bottom of the East side, level out a bit, and expect the turn back uptown on the West to be right there… it’s not. We had to run past a whole slew of horse-drawn carriages (smelly!), some pedicabs, tourists, and garbage trucks to even get in sight of the West side… Home free! Nope. Then there was a hill. Marky and I were having a conversation about Runners (the LJ community where we met) and some of the regulars there, and discussing studies of injury dependent on where the foot strikes the ground, when I realized that Boo was really hitting her wall. I started my coaching, and heard a lot of the usual “Shuttup!” but it worked – I grabbed her hand and we sped up consistently through the last quarter-mile, and noticeably through the last eighth to the tune of Marky saying behind me “Hey! You’re going faster! Hey, wait!” Boo and I crossed the line strong, and it felt really good.

But wait – there’s more. And not in the cheesy infomercial way – in the “I just ran 6.2 miles and now I’m running… more… fun” way.

We stopped for a moment to re-fill water, get our chips cut, stretch, and Marky got some bagels and apples, then we started all over again. The original plan was to go back up West Park Drive, around the North End and Harlem Meer, and come back down East Park Drive to Mile 4 – East 90th Street. That would’ve been the extra to make up our ten-miler. We walked a little bit at the beginning and I walked more than I would’ve liked throughout. My knees were really bothering me by now, and only getting worse with each step. Also, it was hard running through the park without the premise of a race – walkers, cyclists, runners, and bladers alike can be so rude and “me me me” on the roads sometimes.

We altered the route a little bit, based on the fact that we were parked at East 67th, not East 90th. I made the executive decision to turn at what’s called Central Park Driveway – around where 100th Street would be – and just make up for it on the East Side. So basically we were cutting our run from the North End, but going further South along the East Side. (This probably doesn’t make much sense to anyone who’s not used to running in Central Park.)

I began to really hurt, and limp, around the East 90s. Marky and I slowed down, and Boo kept plugging away. Eventually we caught up to her again, and while I lamented the fact that such a slow run could make me hurt so much, Marky made a (joking) comment that it was barely a run… Well, the hardcore, frustrated, stubborn runner in me took offense to that, and I took off.

Part of the reason why I get frustrated with myself when I run is that I know I have the energy, the cardio, the ability, to go and keep going and go faster… I just don’t. I don’t trust myself enough that I’m really stopping because of knees, so a lot of the time I’ll be limping completely before I’ll stop to walk a bit. But no matter what, whether it’s at the end of a training run, a 5km race, or the longest run I’ve ever done (10 miles), I always kick at the end. And I kick hard. At the Coogan’s Run in early March, despite the hills and my knee problems, I still had a strong kick.

This one was even better. It started behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art (East 80s) and ended at Loeb Boathouse (East 70s). It was mostly downhill, to my advantage, and I felt like I had a tailwind but I can’t document it. Gmap tells me that it was about 0.5, total, but I don’t have a time for it because I wasn’t timing. It was very unexpected, and surprising. I remember that Marky said from just behind me to the left, at the beginning of the kick, “How are your knees?” I told him “I don’t know. I’m ignoring them.” The rest of it was a complete blur. I felt the wind going through my hair, I felt my legs swinging with more range of motion than I’d ever done, I could feel how strong my thighs were without even touching them. I was flying – my feet felt like they were barely touching the ground. Marky stayed to my left, but he was behind me for most of it. Every time he caught up to me a bit, I sped up. It wasn’t really a conscious thing at all; it was like my legs took off. I remember briefly feeling bad for leaving Boo behind, but I quickly crossed that out of my mind because it was a training run and it was right at the end, anyway.

I’m a lifelong writer, and yet I’m at a loss for how exactly to describe what that felt like. I had just run my fastest-ever 10-km race on a very crowded course, shared the race with two of my favourite people, crossed the line holding hands with my dearest aunt, kept going for 3.8 miles, overcame intense knee pain and side stitches and breathing problems, run my furthest-ever distance, AND I KICKED IT!

The past two or three months, I’ve been dealing with these knee injuries and the accompanying pain, but perhaps the worst effect of all of that was a loss of confidence – both in my running ability and in myself. It affected everything – sleep, nutrition, work, my relationships with my family and friends, especially my relationship with Marky, and my commitment to my first-ever half-marathon. Even though I had already accepted that my original goal of a 2-hour half was out the window, I was beginning to doubt whether or not I would even be able to run the race. I’ve had horrible nightmares of my upcoming sports medicine doctor appointment – ranging from him telling me that there was nothing wrong with me at all and it was all in my head, to him telling me that my knees will break the next time I try to stand up. Everything was shaken – self-image, confidence, strength, training; and I didn’t know how to get it back. Doing the one thing I love, the one thing that has always been mine, was hurting me.

Then yesterday happened.

It reminded me of one time when I was golfing with Daddy and Uncle Izzy in Pennsylvania. I was facing a lot of problems that day: I was still relatively new to the game, it was a brand-new course, it was a really hot afternoon, I was sixteen, I had a horrible drive, I was playing on Dad’s old second-hand clubs, and I was a girl. I had been playing a terrible game, and at No. 7 Daddy put his arm around me and asked me how I was doing. He could tell I was upset, so he tried another approach. “Have you hit any shots you’re particularly proud of?” “No.” I pouted as we drove to the next hole. I teed off on No. 8 and hit the longest drive of my life, straight down the green. I walked back to Daddy with my driver slung over my shoulder. “Hey,” I said, smiling, “ask me that question again.”

(Note bene, if at least for metaphoric consistency: The rest of the round sucked, too, and I was pretty upset at the time. But now, when I look back on that experience, what do I remember most fondly? You guessed it – the drive on No. 8.)

I’ve been watching footraces for years – on TV and at competition. Even when I ran college track myself, I would sit in the stands on my offs and look at my teammates run with such speed, agility, energy; things I could never find in myself. It was something I was always proud of, for them as my teammates, but I also always envied it greatly. I couldn’t let myself dwell: I could only do as well as I could at the time. As much as I loved watching the races, my favourite part was always immediately after the race was over, after the winner gracefully slammed their body into the thin tape, after their arms went up in the air triumphantly. Afterwards, they would let go. Just let go. Their bodies would turn to jelly: limbs all over, moving fluidly and simply. All the speed, agility, energy, the push, the kick, the skill, it was all loosening in this one simple post-race moment.

I did that yesterday. As we came down the hill to Loeb Boathouse, I told Marky “I’m stopping up there” at the white van parked just beyond a crosswalk. There were more people around this particularly gorgeous area of the park, and out of the corner of my eye I saw someone backstep out of the crosswalk, onto the path, as I came barreling down the roadway. I hit the white painted stripes, I knew I could stop, I became jelly.

Marky told me that I ran harder than he’s ever seen me, that he honestly had trouble keeping up, that for the last quarter-mile or so I was approaching a 6:45-mile pace. Boo told me that she watched me take off and kick it. I kept telling myself “I did that, I did that” because I couldn’t believe it.

At glance it seems nothing much to be proud of – I ran a 10-km race in well over an hour, I walked a good bit of the whole 10-miler, and I did not much more than a jog for most of the whole of both. Even afterward, when my right knee swelled up like a grapefruit; even afterward, when I was laid-up with pillows and a stuffed shark; even afterward, when I opted out of a party for Marky’s friend because I could barely walk; even afterward, when I cried on Marky’s shoulder out of equal parts pain and frustration; even then, I felt something that I haven’t felt in a long time.

I felt proud of myself.

I felt like a runner again.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/30/2008
• Time: 10:00:00
• Total Time: 1:11:26.00
• Distance: 6.21 miles
• Average Pace: 11:29.66/mile

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Hi, I just joined the Sweat365 community

I’m a 21-year-old girl who lives in Bayside, NY.

This is my training blog, which will probably contain a mix of walking, hiking, running, cycling, swimming, and strength workouts. I’ll also include occasional dayposts to monitor my sleep, weight, mood, etc. Please come by and read my blog.  I’d love any advice you could pass along, and an inspiring word always goes a long way! I look forward to meeting fellow athletes!

I love baseball (go Mets!), football (go Giants!) and hockey (go Capitals!). My favorite sports TO DO include: running, rowing, walking, hiking, and foot races; I’m getting into cycling, swimming, triathlons, and marathons. I ran college track, and I was sidelined by hyperextension in both of my knees. My aunt got me into running races with the New York Road Runners Club (NYRR) about four years ago, but I just recently got back into serious training. I am still experiencing a lot of difficulty with my knees, and it’s been a rocky road trying to figure out how to deal with that.

My firsts this year will be: half-marathon, ten-miler, sprint triathlon, and a marathon.
Also, I’m aiming to qualify for guaranteed entry to NYC 2009 through my membership in the NYRR. I run various other NYRR races and local races throughout the year. Physically, my goals for this year include strengthing my knees to avoid further injury, and maintaining a stronger, sleeker body.

It’s all relative… My aunt is responsible for most of my running career - she’s the one who first dragged me out of bed to get at it!  We’re still running partners, and I’ll be teaming with her for the More Half-Marathon in Central Park in April.  My brother runs track for Shenandoah University.   My boyfriend Mark  just completed his first marathon - the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach on 3/16/08. We all inspire and motivate each other, and we’re kind of huge nerds about it.

“People ask why I run.
I say, ‘If you have to ask, you will never understand.’ It is something only those select few know.
Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels.”
-E. Leonard

Events this Year:
NYRR Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, New York, 1/1
NYRR Coogan’s Run, New York, 3/1 -Q
NYRR Scotland Run, New York, 3/30 - Q
NYRR More Half-Marathon, New York, 4/6 - Q
Broad Street Ten-Miler, Philadelphia, 5/4
Danskin Women’s Triathlon (sprint), Webster MA, 7/27
Rehoboth Beach Marathon, Rehoboth DE, 11/22

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First ‘official’ run back at it, 12 days out

Mark psyched me up nicely for tonight’s run. “Go out slow, we’re not looking to kill this run. We’re looking to get you through to the marathon. Do thirty minutes.” He told me to take some ibuprofen before the run, but I resisted on the basis that I wanted to have an honest representation of how badly my knees would hurt.

Left the house at 21:45. I started on my usual two-mile loop course, but I veered off because I didn’t want to know where my mile splits would be - it’s a mental thing It was a relatively easy, well-lit course. The right knee (top) around 0.75, the left knee (right side) followed suit around 1.00, and the right knee (right) about 1.25. There were gradual inclines and declines, but nothing steep or severe. My breathing was labored and I kept getting stitches in my right side, near the back. At one point, probably around mile 2, I realised that I wasn’t lifting my knees and my arms were responsible for most of my motion. I put my hands on my hips to keep the arms steady and focused on lifting my knees and springing up when I hit the pavement.

Mark had suggested a run-3-walk-1, but I I ran steady pretty much, only walking for about 5 minutes. Walked at minute 11 to minute 13. Walked again at minute 18, then at minute 22.

Against my better judgment, something in me decided to kick it when I got to Utopia Parkway, and I ran the last 0.337 in 2:45. It was a nice break from focusing on the knee pain.

Did a 0.25 cooldown and had a hard time walking up the stoop at the house. My knees were shaking pretty hard as I got out of my tights and into sweats. I took two ibuprofen, had two glasses of apple juice and a PB&J, and iced the knee for one 20-minute rotation. I should’ve done more, but I was freezing and had to get to bed.

Overall it nothing exciting. I know that I’m not going to make the 2-hour mark on the half next weekend, which is hugely disappointing, but hey - it’s my first half - at least I’ll PR!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/25/2008
• Time: 21:45:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00
• Distance: 2.7 miles
• Average Pace: 11:06.67/mile

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Logbook Daily Record for 3/25/08

Health:

• Date: 03/25/2008
• Weight: 127
• Mood: Happier than Normal
• Sleep Hours: 8.1
• Sleep Pattern: Better than Normal

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Late-night

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Select in Norfolk for Mark’s marathon weekend, and on Saturday night we decided to take advantage of their workout room. Mark was jittery for the marathon the next morning, and I needed to get moving a bit. He pounded out a few miles on one treadmill, and I lined up next to him to try to get something out of my legs… epic fail. I got through about 1.7 miles before me knees broke down, and I followed suit. We dipped in the pool afterwards for about 10 minutes.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/15/2008
• Time: 22:00:00
• Total Time: 00:23:00.00
• Average Pace: 13:32.64/mile

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Coogan’s Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks 5k, NYRR

Distance: 3.1 Miles, 5.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 2, 2008, 9:00 am
Location: 168th Street & Broadway, NYC
Weather: 30 deg. 49% hum., wind 21 mph

Another one with Mark - it was our two 5k racess weekend. Huge hills, windy, but a really fun run.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/02/2008
• Time: 09:00:00
• Total Time: 00:32:58.00
• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Average Pace: 10:38.3/mile

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Leap Year Midnight 5k at Republic Airport, Farmingdale NY

Ran the Leap Year Midnight 5k at Republic Airport with Mark. The weather was horrible - cold, windy, rainy. We were both soaked after the race.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/01/2008
• Time: 00:00:00
• Total Time: 00:31:58.00
• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Average Pace: 10:18.56/mile

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