2 Loops!

Yesterday's Selden Hills run was in a word, AMAZING!  The "team" (which is in quotes because we really aren't a team, just a bunch of crazy hill runners) threw out a challenge: 3 loops, and the crew accepted!

I have talked about the hills before, but basically it's a 10k course of the hilliest hills around (seriously).  Long Island is relatively flat, there are some neighborhoods that are hillier than others, but nothing compares to the Selden Hills. 

Ok, so the challenge was to run 3 loops, I ran 2 because my training only called for 13 so I didn't want to push it, plus I'm slightly wounded (note: graphic wound shot).   I felt really great, strong even...and of course winded.  Some of these babies are STEEP!  This group is notoriously fast so I was at the back of the pack.  The first loop took a little over an hour, the second a little longer, but not by much (I'll update the times when I get home, gotta check the garmin).  I ran the second loop backwards with a new friend so that we could catch the speed demons coming back, great strategy as we got to see Will finish his 3rd loop (this guy is a machine). 

I love this run, I wish I worked closer because I would be up there weekly, for now though I'm going to try and get up there on the weekends.

Here is Sue and I at the finish - you have to slap the pole when your done (twss)...tradition!

Holy Road Rash

Wow, road rash is no joke.  I have had some spills resulting and scrapes and bruises, but this is just wild.  According to running partner I didn't just fall, I skidded across the sidewalk which explains the horrific road rash I now have.  I'm still in shock over the swelling and pain, I even went to urgent care which is pretty big, I'm cheap and I hate to go to the doc when it's not really necessary. Luckily there was no break (which I considered mainly because I couldn't really put too much weight on my leg).

I'll spare you the pics, although I did post one yesterday, but it's just ugly. I picked up some Tegaderm to dress the wound with as I've read really great things, plus I like how it's like saran wrap and not gauze which hurts like a mother when I have to change it.  Aside from the constant pain, I'm having a hard time sleeping, every time I move I wake up.  I really feel for cyclists and bikers who have gotten into accidents with a substantial portion of their bodies injured. 

I'll stop complaining now, because really, it's bad, but not that bad, at least not anymore :) No need to call me a waaammmmbulance.

So this put a little detour in my midweek plan, but I hope to get out there Sun for my long and maybe even to crossfit tomorrow.  Right now the plan is to run the Selden Hills for a double.  There is a group going out for a triple which is just insane - 18 miles of all steep hills.  It will be a fun day with some new and old friends. 

Next week starts up a new cycle.  The goal here on out is to 1. not injure myself and 2. get all my miles in.  No slacking!

Fairfield Half....or the Time I Seriously Tanked.

2:21:59.  Official time.  My PR and last race was 2:07:00 (Brooklyn).  Ouch.

All I can say was that this was one hell of a hot and hilly race.  And I do not care what those people in CT kept telling me, the new course was NOT FLAT!  I knew at mile 2ish when we charged up that monster hill that I was not on Long Island anymore. 

But you now what, I'm not disappointed (which I normally would be).  I knew going in that I probably was not going to hit my goal time of 2:05, I knew at mile 6 that I wanted this to be over, so I played it safe, dropped my pace, drank a ton of fluids and tried to have fun.  My one regret - not taking pictures (aside from the required cute pre-race pics with the girls).  This is a must run again for me, although the race directors should really consider starting this race at 7:00 - 8:30 is too late for a race that is in June...wayyyy to late. 

So for learning lessons - go back to running the Selden Hills.  Those hills would have prepared me for the race.  The dump which I have been running is good for my overall training/conditioning but does not justify a hill run.  Lose weight (duh, goes without saying).

Aside from the heat and hills, the course was beautiful and the spectators were AMAZING.  Seriously, I don't know what it is about CT, but they really come out to support their runners.  Back when I did the Stratton Faxon Hartford run a few years ago I felt the same way - full neighborhoods come out to support, plus there were bag pipers, bands, cute kids handing out Hershey kisses, a crazy lady chasing the course with a huge sign of Joey Fatone's head (OMG amazing).  Plus it seemed like at least one person on each block had their sprinklers blasting for the runners to get some much needed relief. 

Starting and ending on the beach was awesome too, as was the pizza which I couldn't stomach (I know, who am I?!?!?). I do wish they had more water at the beach - in fact I didn't see any.  Just iced tea, lemonade and fruit punch - which I threw up on the side of I95.  Ooops.

Next up - a bunch of random NYRR races, maybe a few of the summer runs.  Nothing big until the NYC marathon.  I'm looking forward to a little break between training cycles.  I'm going back to Crossfit and running and maybe even a little spin or yoga at my gym, but I'm not stressing over any of it.  It's summer and I want to enjoy and most importantly have fun!!

I Am a Running God!

Photo Credit: Maryann Harkins via http://fruitionfitness.com

This is one of the many hills that I DOMINATED last night!  Feels so great to be back on that course!  If there is one thing I know, hill training works.  Not only do they make you stronger and faster but the hills have magcal powers that can turn you into a running god (ok, maybe in my own mind, but still!).

Finally after a 2 month hiatus I got back to the Hills.  It was a great run, always humbling, those bad boys are LARGE.  I've had some crappy hot and humid training runs so I needed a good hill run to remind me that runs are supposed to be challenging and that I can and do have good runs from time to time.

I'm not sure of my splits but I kept my pace steady, only walked up one very steep section and basically kicked ass.  I'm a happy runner girl today!

Food Coaches And Hill Training

Some new and not so new "New" stuff is happening in my world and I'm pretty excited about it!

The first being I hired a food coach.  My friend Sheila is just about done with her program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition so she agreed to take me on as a client.  So what is a food coach?  Basically someone to help me on my journey, to provide some tips and suggestions, but most importantly someone for me to be accountable to.  If  I learned anything during marathon training it's that I needed the coach to help get me going, otherwise I would have stalled on my training.  I found out first hand that accountability and reporting in to someone works and it has carried over to my training today.  It's an automatic given that I will hit my miles and get 'er done every week...although I'm not with my coach, we still talk but I'm now a full fledged self supporting athlete and I attribute that to working with Bob for those 5 months or so.

Ok, so back to the food coach, I'm not really sure what we will be doing but I have agreed to work with her for about 6 months.  The plan is to meet 2x per month to evaluate where I am and for her to show me her magical nutrition skills.  We met last week and my homework was to limit the whites and log all my food.  I'm a pro at logging and I'm getting better with the no white thing.  We decided that I would limit not eliminate and for now it seems to be working. My start weight was 167 and as of my official Mon weigh in I'm at 162. Not too shabby.

I'm excited to see how this goes.  I'm feeling like this is my year, err summer to clean up my food and get to a good for me weight.  I'm not fixated on a specific number, I really just want to wear a bikini which is something I have never done.

Some other new stuff, although I have mentioned it before, has been the addition of hill training to my weekly workouts.  I seriously should have been hill training all last year while training for the marathon...I missed the boat on that.  Not this year!  I just linked up with the Selden Hills Warriors and run with them every Weds.  It's definitely the most challenging 10k course I have even ran.  It's hard, I'm generally at the back of the pack, but I love every second of it. This week I felt so much stronger (until I though I might crap my pants, sorry, TMI) A few of the guys commented on my progress which is always cool.  This has to be the friendliest group of runners ever,  It's a little far from my house, but it's so worth it!

Oh, and I'm super excited for the Half on Sun, new course for me, first half of the season....all good stuff!!

When Running Imitates Life

Last night I ran the Selden Hills which are my absolute new obsession and the best thing to happen to my running since I started running.  Basically we run 6 miles of the absolute largest hills that Long Island has to offer (or at least I think so). It's a total challenge and I'm hooked.  This group means business and they are SPEED DEMONS which basically means if I hang with them and run these hills I'll be kicking ass come summer/fall.  Hooraaaah!

This is a fast group and both times I have been in the back of the pack which is cool. Last night I was dead last and quite frankly a little nervous.  I had only done the course one other time so I wasn't sure of the exact route which basically meant I would: 1. have to somehow keep up or 2. get lost and figure out my way back.  I opted for #1.

So here I am trucking along, in the rain no less, but the cool thing was I kept going, one foot in front of the other.  I didn't stop and I didn't look back, I just kept at it.  It got me to thinking about the last year or so of my life and I was able to make some pretty cool parallels.  I have been looking back instead of trucking ahead, going in the wrong direction.  I have no regrets, but by not moving forward one step at a time I turned myself right round into that very relationship that just doesn't serve me well. We all have our course to take and for me that included another go around with the boy, which I needed...I now see so very clearly why this can't work and how much more I am worth and that I don't need to settle.  This was a settle, was there love, absolutely but there was also the battle of dealing with someone who has a lot of work to do.  I've been there, done that so I get it, I just don't have to live it. 

I'm grateful for a ton of things today, but I will always look back at last night and those hills and give a little shout out for being last and having to face some very real stuff.  Running is cool like that.  We work stuff out while logging miles, some good, some not so good, but I think we can all say that we feel better when it's done.