Another run around the track

Although I can now run my usual route near my kid's school, there was no way I was going to do it today when it was 90 degrees (or the next two days for that matter). So I decided to run in the morning instead, around the local track.

I ran the first three laps at about two minutes each, pushing myself because I had no hills to contend with. Unfortunately, during the fourth and final lap of my first mile, I could not keep up the pace, so I ended up finishing the mile in about 8:10 or 8:15. I guess I should be happy considering I typically run my second mile in my usual route (the one with the big downhill at the beginning and the end) at around 8:30. But I tend to focus more on what I can't do, or at least what I end up not doing well.

I spent the next a little over two miles alternating between sprinting (for me, anyway) and jogging about 110 yards each (the sprints were probably a little farther). I tended to do each one between 19 and 22 seconds. After the first few intervals, I generally felt overworked and tired during the sprints. Even though I did not seem to be running fast (and my form was surely not pretty), I could not muster up the stamina to run any faster. Yet when I did my recovery jog, I typically felt okay at the end. If I had jogged a greater distance in between each sprint, I might have done better overall. Who knows.

Regardless, I am glad I "mixed it up"; when you do the same thing over and over, your body gets used to it. Plus I recently read that a good way to increase your speed is to throw in some sprints. Tomorrow I hope to get a regular run in, though maybe for only two miles. If not, then I will plan to get in good run on Thursday. I gotsta have goals!

I ran around the square!

It took me almost four years to run in a 5k race (and about 11 months since I started running again), but I finally did it. Yeah, me!

Here are my thoughts:

• I was pretty nervous last night, and I did not sleep well as a result.
• When I arrived in Regent Square this morning, I had a lot of trouble finding a parking space. In 2002, there were 865 runners. This year, there were almost 1,600 runners plus 372 runners who ran the 1.5-mile race (which did not exist in '02). Quite a difference.
• When I walked from my car to the start (a few blocks), my ankle hurt. Fortunately, that went away.
• It was a beautiful day for a race. Probably around 60 degrees with low humidity when it started.
• It was weird not to have someone to start off a race with; when I used to run 5Ks, I almost always had my friend Zuri and/or MBB to begin a race with.
• For the first time in a race, I waited until almost everyone else had started running before I crossed the starting line, which took almost three minutes. Back in the day, I would try to stand/start with the eight-mile pace crowd.
• I liked waiting around to start (well, except that it meant I had to dodge the walkers). Less pressure and fanfare.
• Along with a smile, I am pretty sure I got a tear in my eye as I began the race. It felt good to be doing this again.
• I was glad to see the people cheering, singing, playing instruments (love me some steel drums), and passing out beer and champagne along the way. Great motivators.
• I actually took advantage of the downhills, more so at the end.
• Having run this 5k only once and eight years ago at that, I had forgotten how the course went, so I really could not "plan" for my best pacing.
• Now having just run it, I can say it was probably a good layout--you start off mostly flat and slightly downhill, then you move to a tough mile 2, which is mostly uphill. The last approximately half mile is downhill, which gives you a chance to kick it in.
• I am so glad I did not trip; between the cobblestone in the first mile and the rocky trail for another 1.5 miles, I came close at least once.
• A few times during the second mile, I contemplated running very slowly. In fact, at one point the thought of walking crossed my mind; the uphill climb, although not steep, seemed never-ending. But I just went with a slower-than-usual pace to get through it.
• And that meant I had the energy to pretty much sprint down the final hill.
• When I finished the race, I had a smile on my face (and, I am pretty sure, another tear in my eye).

The most notable thing about this race compared to what I remember from previous ones was that I did not push myself super hard. As I mentioned in another post, I used to be very competitive, so I would give it my absolute all, more so than a regular run. But this time, as evidenced by my waiting so long to start and taking it easy up the hills, I just wanted to prove to myself I could do it and do it with a little grace.

Yes, in the back of my mind, I wanted to finish in about 30 minutes. But last week, when I realized I finished the Run in 28:14 when I was in the best running shape of my life eight years ago, I was pretty sure 30 minutes was not going to happen, and I was just going to have to be okay with that.

Ultimately, I finished it in 30:08. I am really proud of myself, though, honestly the tiniest bit disappointed that I did not finish in under 30 when I clearly could have. Because I ran no harder than I do when I run regularly (and probably even less hard), I could have sprinted another quarter of a mile for sure at the end. Had I known where the finish line was, I would have run even harder/faster those last few tenths.

But the good news is that because I did well and yet did not quite achieve that under-30 time, I want to run in another 5k to prove to myself I can do.

Oh, I plan on it.

Last run before the race

Today I ran my two-mile route at my kid's school just before pickup. School is back in session, which means so is, hopefully, more regular running for me. I had really wanted to get a three-mile run in, but I played tag and raced with my kid off and on for over an hour yesterday, so I did not want to push myself too much today. That and I could not get this vision out of my head: Running my old route and falling or getting an awful cramp, rendering me unable to make it back to my car in time. As a result, my kid is left waiting for me in the parking lot, wondering why my car is there, but not I. Actually, she would not be wondering; she has expressed this very fear to me sometime. :-(

I think the run went well. I did my first mile is 10:07, which might be my best time for that not-so-fun mile (wish I had recorded my times more often). I did my second (easier) mile in 8:26, which is probably also my best second mile (I made sure I took advantage of the downhill today, fear be damned!). I did end the run with a couple trips up the 66 steps, but I felt an odd pain in my upper thigh, so put the kibosh on that pretty quickly.

Am I ready for Saturday's race? Not really. But all that I can do is give it my best and hope that I find a nice balance between pushing myself more than when I usually run and not overdoing it so I end up having to jog slowly or (gasp!) walk at some point.

Wish my luck! I will need it.

In conclusion, hills, heat/humidty are evil!

This morning I ran around Indiana, Indiana County again. I ran the same route I did three weeks ago, but I threw in another .3 miles for good measure. Well, that and because the Run Around the Square 5K (3.1 miles) is only four days away. Ugh!

When I started my run today, the wind was in my face and it was quite breezy. The last time I ran in temps that were around 60 degrees, it was probably May. I actually felt a little chilly. Not that I am complaining.

This run felt pretty good. Sure, as usual, it was a struggle anytime I ran up a hill. But actually my bigger concern is that I don't take advantage of the downhills. I guess the speed scares me, so I tend to run kind of slowly. I was thinking about how I need to channel the competitive edge I used to have/feel when I was running regularly years ago. Hopefully, I can do that on Saturday, assuming there are some downhills.

When my run ended today, in stark contrast to last week, I felt pretty good, even though I was pushing myself at the end (mostly because I had been feeling like a running slacker for most of the run). Of course, it makes all the difference in the world when you end your run on a flat street. Still, I was kind of surprised that when I checked my heart rate as I was finishing up today, it was only around 140 bpm. Contrast that with the end of my uphill run last week, when my heart rate was at a very high 180 bpm (which is pretty much my maximum).

I probably should have run a little farther today than the 2.9 miles I did, considering the (usual) lack of struggle I felt. Yeah, low temps and flat ending. Regardless, hopefully I can get an over 3-mile run in on Thursday, but that will be it before the race. Almost there.

Slightly better run

Knowing that the Run Around the Square is just nine days away meant I had to get out and run again this week. This morning I ran the same route I did on Sunday, and fortunately it went a little better. I finished the around 2.7 jaunt in just under 27 minutes, shaving over a minute off my time from four days ago. As I was coming up the last hill, I looked at the stopwatch on my phone and saw that I was almost at 26 minutes, so that gave me the motivation to push myself. I just hope I can find that same drive next weekend.

I also wish I remembered the course for the Run Around the Square. According the race packet, the first 1/2 mile is through Regent Square's streets, which are pretty flat, and the second 2 1/2 miles are through Frick Park's cross-country trails. Honestly, the only trail part I remember from 2002 was when someone handed out shots of beer or champagne (people along the Great Race also hand out one or both of those beverages). I thought that was so cool, so I grabbed one. Not sure if I will be so eager this time, eight years older and all...

Regardless, it might be a good idea to run on some type of trail before the race. Not sure where; I just don't know Frick Park that well to feel comfortable enough to run around there alone. The few times I have walked there with my kid, we do so for no more than 15 minutes one way; I am always afraid the trail will end up being five miles long, and she will get tired.

Hopefully, I will feel motivated enough to run Saturday morning. I want to get in two more runs before the race; three would be ideal for me, but probably not realistic.

Almost there.

Cleary I am not ready to Run Around the Square

After almost two weeks off, this morning I ran my new route around my neighborhood. I was pretty sure if I had a knife, I could have cut the humidity with it (it was over 90 percent), which made the run quite challenging.

When I run, I get very sweaty. On top of that, I breathe pretty heavily too. I kept thinking about those two things since I finally signed up for a 5k; can't wait for everyone to see and hear scary-looking me!

But really I am much more concerned about how I will do in the race, the Regent Run Around the Square, which is now less than two weeks away (yes, I finally signed up for a 5k!). I know I am not as prepared as I need to be. I really should be running twice a week, and today marked 13 days since my last run. I could "train" like this at 34, but at 38, I am not so sure.

After a few months of running during the school year, I decided I wanted to run a 5k in the spring, and my goal time was under 30 minutes. But since I have not been running as I had been, I think I am going to have to shoot for a more realistic 32 minutes. (Today, I finished my just over 2.6-mile run in 28 minutes exactly.) And that bums me out. I know it is just a number, and the way I felt today, my goal should probably be to finish the race without walking, but I have to aim higher.

For the record, when I ran the Run Around the Square in 2002, I finished in 28:14, and that was when I was in great shape. Yeah, I might just have to hope for 35 minutes...

Running two counties away

Yesterday, I ran in Indiana, Indiana County. The last time I ran in this area was 1996 at the latest, which was when I moved from there to the Burgh.

Indiana County is where it all started for me. I ran laps in gym class there. At track practice, I ran around the track that circled the football field. I ran around my neighborhood for evening and the occasional morning runs. I ran my first few 5k races there, the Torrance Run for Mental Health and the Blairsville Blast.

But last evening I also ran with a running partner, my 24-year old cousin, Annie. The last time I ran with someone was probably at the beginning of the Great Race in 2002. But when you are running over six miles, it is nearly impossible to keep pace with the same person, so I am guessing I was flying solo within the first two miles.

Fortunately, Annie and I managed to run the entire 2.6 miles together, though I did have to ask her to slow down just a bit after the first couple of minutes. I do have about 14.5 years on her, and she typically runs most every day. Plus, as has been chronicled here, I have not been keeping up with my running over the summer, just as I feared.

We ended up completing the 2.6 miles in about 26 minutes. I probably could have gone farther, but since I had just run two days earlier and this run was hilly, I call it a success. Even better, considering before we knew exactly how far we had run, I feared it was only about two miles.

I am thiscloseto signing up for the Regent Run Around the Square. I think I have almost two weeks to sign up for the early bird registration. Here is hoping I will just do it.

Running around an indoor track

Over the weekend, I took my daughter to a birthday party at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford. While she was playing games, I ran around the track. At the club, 10 laps equal one mile, versus only 4 laps on the local outdoor track; yet I actually found this run to be less boring than on the outdoor track. Being around others has always been a good motivator for me; I don't want people to think I am slow or out of shape, so I am sure that helped keep me going. Running in the AC certainly did not hurt!

A big downside of a short track, at least for me, is I have trouble keeping track of how many laps I have run. I am pretty sure I ran only 8, not 10, when I thought I had completed my first mile. I just don't see how I could have run a mile in just over six minutes, even though I was running at a pretty decent pace, obviously without any hills. But when I correctly counted laps later, the about eight minutes seemed much more accurate, if not disappointing.

I ended up running about three miles (maybe two laps shy). I threw in a fast lap a couple of times as well as a few slower ones for good measure. It was a nice change of pace, and, more importantly, it was good to get another run in just over a week after my last one.