Running Shorts

Starwood girl

"I have to do some more work tonight and then pack for tomorrow's trip to Calif.  I can't believe I'm going to have to stay in a hotel room by myself, without access to the concierge lounge."-J4

HAHAHAHAHA.  J4 is referencing the inordinate amount of time I spent over Thanksgiving break talking about how I recently obtained Starwood Preferred Guest PLATINUM status b/c of my numerous hotel stays.  PLATINUM PEOPLE!!  It's the highest (advertised) level.  There are rumors of higher, secret levels...  As a platinum member I get things like free water and internet (and access to a concierge room with breakfast and late night snacks)!!!  SNACKS PEOPLE!!!  The Starwood hotels are Sheratons, Weston's, Fourpoints, Ws, and a few others.

I am back in NYC.  J4 is back in Boston.  Since I last wrote I went shopping for the first time on Black Friday and I ran a lot.  It was so nice to be outside with record high temps in southern virginia and plenty of time to catch up on sleep at night.  I slept in my apartment Saturday night and it was awesome.  Then I left again to collect more Amtrak and hotel points.

I just got back from the gym.  I usually run in the mornings, even if it's early, but I wasn't feeling super great (stuffy nose) and I did not get much sleep so at 6 AM I made the executive decision to try and fit in a run tonight.  I also made the executive decision to run faster than I usually do.  Last winter I was doing tempo runs, in the summer I was racing one to two times a week and going to track, and this fall I race here and there, but I run 8:30 min/miles the rest of the time.  Since I would like to race sub-7 I should really run faster than all of my training miles at 8:30 min/miles.  Tonight on the treadmill I warmed up and cooled down a mile each and for my middle four miles ran 8 min/miles and increased the speed to 7:35 min/miles by the end.

That's the plan.  Train harder.  Run faster.  Rock my platinum status.

Turkey Trot Virginia!

Now that my parents live in Virginia I necessarily said good-bye to my NJ turkey trot and embraced a Virginia one.  There were two choices: one right near my parents (where a pro runner from the area rocked a 14:XX last year) or one a bit further away (35 minutes) where J4's family always goes.  J4 lobbied for the race with his family and we devised a (continually evolving due to my work schedule) Thanksgiving week plan that involved me taking a 10 PM train from NYC to DC Tuesday night, getting home to Virginia at 2 AM Wednesday, and driving together to my parents' at 8 AM Wednesday.  Then this Thanksgiving morning J4 and I drove to the race his family attends (this year the participant list included only his dad due to work schedules on their end and J4's injury).  J4 was happy to be reunited with his dog and he watched her while his dad and I warmed up, raced, and did the longest cool-down I've ever done!

The race was fun.  It's an absolustely gorgeous 5K course.   The route was a bit challenging to me as there are some hills.  The race had a lot of participants but I started in the second row as last year's race results led me to think I would be one of the top women.  Immediately after the start I was the fourth woman and I hit the mile mark in 6:30.  Soon thereafter I was passed by a woman.  I held my place until the end and while I was making progress on catching the new fourth place woman (at some point the women up front exchanged places) I finished fifth.  I ran ~21:43 which is over a minute slower than what I would have liked to run.  I don't feel super fit and strong like I did this summer.  I've been getting the miles in, but I haven't been training hard the past month due to my ankle and my work schedule.  I tried hard this morning, but a 21:43 was all that I had.

It was a very nice race though, and b/c J4's dad knows everyone in the running community, and community in general, I feel like I met a lot of the regular area runners!  Afterwards J4 headed home with his Dad and dog.  I came home to my family and I will head to his parents' tomorrow.

And so sums up my first Virginia turkey trot.  :)  It's pretty awesome people are racing all over the US today.

Hello blog

Work has been nuts.  I moved locations from NJ to NYC.  I have not gone home.  The seasons are changing so I asked J4 to bring me my winter running tights when we rendezvoused in Richmond a couple of weeks ago.  I also asked him to open my mail and tell me what bills I needed to pay.  Last night I went to H&M to buy shirts for work for this week.  I could have cleaned more of my clothes at the hotel and been reimbursed, but if I'm being honest with myself, my wardrobe could use a bit of sprucing up :)

I've been running though.  It has been almost all treadmill running b/c I run really early in the morning and I don't feel comfortable running in the dark (we're talking nighttime dark) in areas of NJ and NY that I don't know.  I did a long run in Central Park on Saturday though b/c I didn't have to be at work until 11 AM.  Within the park I ran into a race just before they started and I considered racing it.  I would have run pretty much any distance: 5K, 10K, 10 miles, or a 1/2 marathon.  I asked someone how far the race was.  They told me: ~37 miles.  Oh yes, I had come across the Knickerbocker 60K.  Nine inner loops of the park plus an add-on at the beginning.  I said, Well, that's something I'm NOT doing, and continued on my way!

I can't wait to go home.  I head back to Virginia late tomorrow night.  It's time!

November 2011

I'm spending it in Central New Jersey.  I left home on October 30 and, except for a few hours I fought to get next Tuesday night, I won't be home until December.  My work project extended a bit beyond scope and we're working hard-in New Jersey.  I'm right near my hometown and I'm in the town where my Dad used to work.  It's a shame b/c this summer after 20+ years my parents moved from 30 minutes away from here to central Virginia!  It would have been nice if we were all up here at the same time.  Ah well, so it goes.

I did travel away from work last weekend.  I flew into Richmond and J4 drove down from DC to meet me.  He picked up my number for me at the expo and met me at the hotel.  The next morning he drove me to the race and carried my stuff and cheered for me.  Is he a good man or what?

The 8K race was awesome.  It is 2 miles of a SLIGHT uphill followed by three miles of downhill, including a very steep downhill finish.  It is a FAST course.  With my 34:17 I got a 5 second PR.  (The race is also port-o-potty land with plenty of parking.  It was logistically awesome).

I had a build week rather than a taper going into the race b/c I was finally feeling better from my ankle sprain and I also hadn't slept much the week before the race.  I was a touch disappointed not to run faster on a ridiculously fast course, but I am not going to complain about a PR after the low that was my ankle sprain two weeks ago.  It was a really gorgeous day out (chilly at 35 degrees!) and I was very happy to be there.  I was 2/307 in my 30-34 AG, missing 1st by just a smidge-7 minutes!!!  The winner of my AG ran 27:XX.  That is a nasty time.  Respect.

I cooled down while J4 watched the overall winners awards ceremony and then we headed to Chapel Hill for my cousin's wedding.  This weekend meant using LOTS OF HOTEL POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I used both Marriott points and Starwood points :)

On Sunday J4 and I headed back to Richmond where I was flying out to head back to New Jersey.  J4 dropped me off at one end of Monument Ave. and I ran 8.5 miles total, out and back.  Then I changed in the back of the car and got on my plane.

I can't wait for J4 to get better so he can run with me.  That aside, it was a great weekend.  I am EXHAUSTED though and I really need to go to bed.  I spent Sunday night doing laundry in the hotel, going to Walmart on the hotel shuttle, and working.  Things are busy but okay.  I hope you are all doing well too.

Ankle update

Just a quick note to say hello from NJ.  My run on Sunday was okay.  I drove and parked along the Mt. Vernon trail so I could run somewhere flat.  I ran along the trail and into DC to the tidal basin and did a loop around there.  I have to say...what I think of as one of the flattest places in DC (where I was running) is not pancake flat!!  I set out to run 10 but my ankle started to feel a bit achy around 5.5 and I was about to hit another hill so I headed back to the car and called it a day at 8 miles (I was trying to run loops so I wouldn't end up too far from my car at any point for just such an event).  The run went much better than the previous day, though I'm still not 100%.  I could actually feel all of the other parts of both legs compensating for my weak ankle and I didn't want to get a compensation injury.  Plus, I felt out of shape!  I told the latter to J4, who hasn't run in a couple of weeks, and he was like, I don't want to hear it!!   I can see that.

I just got back from a pancake flat 6 mile treadmill run with all sub-8:30 min/miles and the ankle feels pretty good.  I'm feeling much happier about it, though I will still be seeking medical attention.

Happy girl

J4 is back!!!!!  We're watching the NYC marathon and he's setting up his computer b/c he'll be here for most of November.

Yesterday's run was one of my worst ever.  At 5 PM I was still hungover from the night before, my ankle hurt from running on hills, and I had to make an EMERGENCY EMERGENCY stop at a fast food restaurant bathroom.  (And I wouldn't have complained if the bathroom had appeared two miles earlier).  It was not a good run.

After the marathon I'm driving somewhere flat to run.  We'll see how that goes.  Then I'll be back on a train to work later tonight.

Now that I read all this I guess the main happy thing is J4 is back.  :)

I'm going to bed!!!

...b/c i'm getting up to run at 5 AM tomorrow!!  My run tonight was okay.  My ankle is not 100%, but it was about 80% during my three mile run on the treadmill.  I think it's okay.  Well, it's not REALLY okay- everything in there is torn up-but this crisis has hopefully passed.  I did make a doctor's appointment with an orthopedic surgeon ankle specialist for a consult before Thanksgiving.  It's the first week I'm back in town from my work trip.  Every time I get hurt I say that I'm going to get my ankle checked out and then I feel better and don't do it, but I'm going this time.

It's been just under two years since the pothole incident and since then my ankle has gotten quite bad.  I've sprained it on nothing, deplaning, stepping out of a cab, and stepping on an acorn (among other incidents).  I tweak it every time I hike and I've had to give up trail running.  I'm hesitant to use clip-in pedals and I won't kick a soccer ball around b/c I'm afraid my ankle is not strong enough.  I'm also always worried when I wear heals that I'm going to twist it.  I really don't want surgery but I need to see what my options are.

Jillian

I haven't run yet (sad), but I did complete a Jillian Michael's DVD workout w/ my co-worker in her hotel room.  I did ab work during the cardio segments since my ankle didn't want to do jumping jacks or butt kicks.  I am going to be so sore!  I don't really do core work anymore and I cannot tell you the last time I did a push-up before Jillian told me to.

I miss J4 but it's a good work week.  I'm traveling w/ a lot of co-workers which is rare for me and it's fun to be a part of a team.

I'm going running tomorrow morning on the treadmill.  First I need to eat dinner though!!!