So this one may not be running-related, but it’s beautiful. And New York-y, and basically just incredible. You can always imagine yourself pounding the pavement across the city. Enjoy!
Love.
In Which I State My Goal(s)
So the marathon is 26 days away. Well, to be more precise…
And as if I couldn’t stop thinking/talking about for the last four months? Yeah, it’s almost entirely consuming now. (Fine by me).
I’ve gone back and forth for goals this entire training cycle. For my last NY Marathon experience, my goal was just to have a good time and finish under 5. Done. Could I have trained a little better? Yes, a lot better in fact. Could I have run harder? Yep. But I had an awesome time and was totally satisfied with my performance at the time.
Marathon Course Map... which, as of today, lives on the back of my front door.
This time? I think I’m ready for more of a goal. Knowing that I’m more type-B about these things, my goal is still very loose. Making this goal will not make or break my marathon experience. I know, to some that may defeat the purpose of having a goal, but I don’t really care. This is something that I think I’m capable of if my health and the conditions are prime on race day.
- A Goal: 4:15. This would be about 9:44/mile. I think I could do it. Will I? Who knows. It’s my A goal, so if everything goes well, I think this could be within reach.
- B Goal: sub-4:30. This would be an average of about 10:00/mile. I can do this and it will still be a PR.
- Bottom-line Goal: Worst-case scenario, if the wheels fall off on race day, I want to keep things in perspective and have fun. The NYC Marathon is an incredible experience and I really want to enjoy it regardless of how I’m running on November 6.
With one more long run (20 this weekend), I don’t think I’ll need to adjust my goals too much. Can’t believe it’s right around the corner!
NYC Marathon Training Week 12: Pure Gold
Finally! I hit all my workouts this week. No exceptions. It was awesome and I plan on continuing this the rest of the month. Here’s how it went:
- Monday: REST
- Tuesday: 6 miles (2 mile repeats @ 8:11 pace)
- The plan was to wake up early and run, but that didn’t happen. I figured that after work and coaching, I’d probably get a run in, but a shortened one. After practice, I ran 2 miles to the gym and did 2 mile repeats on the treadie (easiest for me to do dreaded mile repeats on the treadie since it sets the pace), then ran 2 miles home. Perfect weeknight run. Clearly, I was very impressed with myself.
- Wednesday: Reformer Pilates
- Thursday: 7 miles (2 miles warm-up, 3 miles tempo – 8:15 pace, 2 miles cooldown)
- I was up in the wee hours for this one and met a group for a run in Van Cortlandt. It was pitch black outside and I was the only one without a headlamp (noted for future morning runs). It’s funny to me that I struggle with mile repeats at 8:11, but can hold 8:15 with this group for 3 miles fairly easily. Must be group dynamic. The only downside? I literally ran home, rinsed off, then took 70 seventh graders on a scavenger hunt field trip all day (oh, my achin feet).
- Saturday: 15 miles
- I was at the shore with family. Got to see the sun rise over the ocean nice and early. This was a super flat run and while it was pretty boring, it went by fairly quickly and was uneventful.
- Total mileage: 28
I really needed a good week (and great weather). This was definitely it. We’re 4 weeks out from the marathon and I have one long run left before the taper (20 this weekend). I’m so excited I can’t stand it, and I definitely feel ready. Now I’m starting to think of the fun stuff (what to wear, where we’re meeting people afterwards, etc). For the last 12 (or more!) weeks, I’ve almost entirely focused on the marathon. It’s funny that now it’s so close I can see life after the marathon, haha.
Workout Review: Soul Cycle
[source]
I’ve been dying to try out Soul-Cycle for quite some time. That time came on Friday. I was willing to pay the steep price of a class ($32), but was delighted to see that the Westside location was offering a free community ride on Friday at 1pm. And since I was on vacation, I happened to be free at this time 
I went to the 72nd St. location, and by the time I found the entrance (it’s just a lobby-front, the studio is in the back), it looked like everyone else in the class was already there! The narrow entry-way had soul-cyclists changing shoes and getting their stuff together, and I squirmed by to get my borrowed shoes (clipless pedals).
This was, I should tell you, my first time wearing cycling shoes. Once I awkwardly walked over to my bike, I snapped my shoes in (after a few minutes of failed attempts and having the lovely girl next to me help me out a bit) I started rolling. The lights were dim, the music was awesome, and the studio was candlelit. Almost more like a yoga studio, than spinning – in a good way. The zen similarities ended there.
Surrounded by fit women of many ages, mostly Lulu-clad, we got started with our instructor, Kaili. The warm-up through the very last minute was high-energy and saturated with awesome music, and loads of encouragement from the instructor. I almost forgot how badly my thighs were burning about 20 minutes in.
Afterwards, the room emptied quickly for a new group coming in, I rode my Spinner’s high to the juice bar next door for a tasty reward
The verdict? I’m in LOVE. I’d love to check out a few more classes, and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some freebie community classes. I think I can only justify paying full price about twice a month, but that’s good enough for me!
Have you hit up Soul-Cycle? What did you think?
Hey New Yorkers…
I just saw this Groupon today for $35 worth of groceries from the Tribeca Amish Market for $15. That’s means, if you buy this groupon, you can walk out of the Amish market (Tribeca only, though) with $35 worth of groceries after having paid only $15!
There doesn’t seem to be a limit on how many you can buy, but you can only use one per visit. In addition, this may not be used on their cafe food (lunch, made to orders, etc).
The offer lasts until about midnight tonight – so get your groupon on! I plan to buy a few and use them on fancy-pants cheeses, oils and vinegars.
Back in the Game
I recently made the decision to defer my place in the 2009 NYC marathon. I ran in 2008 and ran the qualifying races for my placement in 2009s upcoming race. Truth be told, the decision to defer was not a very difficult one and it was only made in the last week or two.
The 2008 NYC marathon was arguably the single most profound experience of my life (wedding is up there too). While it was my second full marathon, it was my first NYC. For years I had watched the coverage on tv (even before I was a distance runner), and once I moved to Manhattan I’d stand along the park to watch people finish for hours and hours. Just watching – on tv, in person – gave me such a rush of emotion that I knew that I had to do it. Even thinking of it know gives me the same chills I feel when I’m there.
To say that running it last year was an unparalleled adrenaline rush is a gross understatement. I think I had a giant smile plastered across my face the whole way… up the energetic streets of Brooklyn, over the 59th Street Bridge, waving to my friends and family on 2nd Avenue, and even when I felt like someone had pounded a nail into my heel as I entered Central Park.
It’s an incredibly humbling experience to be a part of something of that magnitude… to realize that it’s something much much bigger than you and the training you did for the last few months.
I loved it. And I’m not doing it this year.
I’m the runner who has run many, many races – like every other weekend it, it seems. It’s as if I had to run every race that graced the New York Road Runners calendar. I was always training for something. Something got lost in that mix. At a certain point, I stopped running for me. I was no longer running for the reasons that I loved it in the first place. It became a chore – a means to an end. I was no longer reveling in the journey.
It was only when I seriously began to consider deferring my entry to 2010 that I began to relish running again. I ran because I wanted to – not because it was on my training calendar or I knew I’d have a rough marathon if I didn’t. I am now running because I need to. I need running in my life to keep me balanced. I need it to clear my head after a long day of work. I need it to connect my mind and body and remind myself of my strength.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep running. Because I want to. I’ll plan a handful of well-chosen races. I’ll focus on dropping my half-marathon time below 2hrs.
I’ll be ready next year. I’m already looking forward to it. And if you’re running NY this year, I’ll see you there. I’ll cheer louder than everyone else and I’ll be there cheering until the last of the marathon warriors crosses the finish line.
