Not Cheating Myself

This morning I woke up to another 28 degree day. I didn't want to take any chances on being cold, so I bundled up in the following: running tights, shorts, short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, 2 more long-sleeved shirts, gloves and hat. Yes, I know it might have been overkill, but I would always rather take something off than be cold.

I was running a little late to meet the Terriers this morning, but I still made it in time to do most of the drill workout before heading off to the main workout. Technically, today's workout should have been 3 miles / 3 x [2:00, 2:30] AI / 2 miles, but because of my mixed-up workout schedule, I was hoping to get in at least 7 miles today.

Before I get into the details of today's workout, I need to pause and say that I'm starting to get a bit nervous about nutrition on the day of the race and in my longer runs in general. I know that most runners eat bananas before they go running and have Gu/gels during their runs, but neither of those sit in my stomach well. I should definitely not have either of those things, especially while running. After some Google research on the subject, I have discovered that several people recommend trying Fig Newtons or PB&J. Drew was kind enough to buy me some regular Fig Newtons and mini Strawberry Newtons to try out while running. So, this morning, I had half of a Clif Bar and some water before I left the apartment and I packed along three mini Strawberry Newtons in a baggie in my pocket.

So, we did the drills and then we headed off to the 102nd Street Transverse to get the rest our our workout. Along the way, we were supposed to incorporate 6 pick-ups into our run. Coach Spencer said that we only had to do the pick-ups from one light post to the next, so that's exactly what I did, six times. I will admit that I picked easy spots to do them (all on flat stretches), but I think that's okay, especially with what the rest of the workout would entail.

I knew that it would involve running up and down the Harlem Hill. I just wasn't sure how much time was involved in this workout. It is also quite a hike there and back, so I was pretty sure that I'd have no problem getting my 7 miles for the day in. Once we got to 102nd Street, we found out that we were supposed to run up and down the hill for 30-40 minutes (or as long as we could before heading for home).

I ended up running the hill three times (from 102nd Street to Adam Clayton Powell Drive and back again) in my allotted time. So, I'm not the slowest person on our triathlon team. I'm the second slowest person on the team. On my first loop up & down the hill, I was running ahead of the slowest person. Then, when I went to turn around to go back for the second loop, she was suddenly ahead of me. I know that what happened was that she just didn't run as far as me, which maybe she had her reasons for, but in that moment, I felt annoyed that I'd "look" like the slower person, even though I was going the full distance.

I also realized after thinking about it for a while (because, let's face it, there isn't a lot of other stuff to think about while running up and down hills), that while I might have thought that she cheated a little bit, I wasn't going to cheat myself by cutting corners, even if I did look slow. Even if I did get lapped by the fastest guys on the team. I'd still do the workout that we were told to do. Sure, I might not have covered the most distance, but I could be proud of myself, and that's really what this is all about.

After doing the three hill loops, I took a minute or so break and walked and ate two of my mini Strawberry Newtons. Verdict - they're dry, but they didn't give me gas or cramps or make me want to run directly to the bathroom, so they're presently a big winner for those things! Also, I may not have had water with me today, but I generally have something with me at the gym and there will definitely be water at the race, so it's definitely worth trying these out again.

After walking for a minute or so, I went back to running home slowly. I was definitely feeling a bit cold and hungry at this point, so I really took my time and I even walked up the remaining hills home (I'm lazy, what can I say?). However, even with my slow pace on the run back home, my overall pace today was 9:58/mile, which I still think is fantastic. Especially since I ran 9 miles today! New record! And totally pushes me over my goal for today and makes up for yesterday's miss by a mile.

It is pretty incredible to see how I keep breaking the length of my longest run as this process goes forward, which I definitely really am enjoying. Also, the clothes today were perfect. I was a really good temperature while running and wasn't cold, which was a nice change from last week. I even got a really hot shower when I got home. However, right after that, I think it all just hit me because then I had to get back in bed because I was shivering and freezing cold. This has happened before where I just can't warm up all the way, but lounging about under piles of covers definitely helps cure that.

Tomorrow is a rest day (after 4 days of running) and I'll be picking back up on Thursday. I still might try to stick with the 4 on Thursday, 8 on Friday plan, but that might prove to be over ambitious for Friday morning, so I might do a couple more on Thursday instead. We'll see.

Running - Home to Park
Time: 12:58
Distance: 1.30 miles
Pace: 9:58/mile
Calories: 147
Maximum HR: 177
Average HR: 165

Running - 72nd to 102nd Street
Time: 18:58
Distance: 1.95 miles
Pace: 9:43/mile
Calories: 240
Maximum HR: 185
Average HR: 174

Running - Harlem Hill (x3)
Time: 34:35
Distance: 3.60 miles
Pace: 9:36/mile
Calories: 440
Maximum HR: 186
Average HR: 174

Running - 100th Street to Home
Time: 23:15
Distance: 2.15 miles
Pace: 10:48/mile
Calories: 265
Maximum HR: 177
Average HR: 165