#nyrr percy sutton 5K

[djotaku]

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K 2022

A short writeup of my experience at the @nyrr Percy Sutton Harlem 5k

The Percy Sutton Harlem 5K was both the next race I’d registered for after the Front Runners LGBT Pride Run, and the first race after my doctors cleared me to start running again (“for reals this time”) after an X-Ray and MRI to make sure things were OK in that tiny area under the big toe where there’s so much going on. Both doctors told me to ease myself back into running. They also both gave me…

[nycrunning]

well, August is always a good month because of SUMMER STREETS, literally, I should be hired by the Summer Streets People because I feel like a community evangelizer. That is all I talk about to anyone all year long. You know it. Anyway, to recap: I like Summer Streets. A bit. If you just met me or this is the first time you read this blog, Summer Streets happens 3 weekends in August, on Saturdays: they close traffic on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, for 5 hours. It’s MAGIC.

If you missed it, shame on you (and, how are we friends???). If you never heard of it, pen it in for next year and don’t make vacation plans or don’t say yes to weddings. If you don’t live in NYC, get tickets now. 

So, Summer Streets was awesome, even though it RAINED ALL THREE SATURDAYS as you can see in the pictures (ugh) and we have to chop one run short because there was lightning, thunderstorm and flash flooding (but mostly because with all that water I couldn’t keep my contacts inside my eyes…!). It was still awesome. 

The day after the first Summer Streets, July something, a Sunday, I run the NYRR Manhattan Mile, a new race and a distance I’ve never run. So, automatic PR you say? Meh I don’t count those, but I WILL COUNT THE NEXT TIME I RUN THIS DISTANCE because I run it as slow AF. So, here we go: I have a bum knee. It’s not chondromalacia patellae, it’s not ITBS, I’ve ruled out a lot of things but it’s just weird because it hurts VERY randomly. AND, if I take time off, it hurts more. Go figure that one out. Good luck. Anyway, that day my knee was hurting so I struggled to finish. It was also like one hundred million degrees celsius/fahrenheit. 

Luckily I had Jackie, Michael and Brian to not only keep me company but throw power boosts at me during the last mile where they all decided to pick it up and I was just not into it. Aw, friends that throw stuff at you while you want to curl and cry are the BEST! ❤ I guess.

HA.

The next weekend was another combo of Summer Streets and a race. This time I attempted to do two races on Sunday and it didn’t work out AT ALL. I wanted to do the France Run, a 5 miler in Central Park at 8, and then scoot out to Williamsburg (in Brooklyn, for all my international readers! This Wsburg is in BK, not Colonial Pennsylvania, as I had to be told a few times in my first years in NYC coming from Philly!!!) (where was I?) then scoot out to Williamsburg to race the Brooklyn Mile. My heat was at 9:30 am. Possible?? Not really. What was I thinking? Not only David and I run France Run as slow as we possibly could without bursting into a walk spider-crawl, BUT we then proceeded to be extra stooopid fun after we finished and pretend talk in French and rename everything. We then also decided, while it rained, to taste and eat all the French things they had… chocolate, financiers, it was good… oooops, it’s 9:30! CRAP. And the truth is, I wasn’t in any shape to race a mile. My knee agreed (probably).

The last weekend of August (am I missing one???) it was a doubleheader. I did the Percy Sutton 5K in Harlem on Saturday and the Henry Isola 4 Mile XC in Van Cortlandt, Bronx, on Sunday. Who knew I could handle it? The knee was stoopid all week so I run to the 5K with Kettia and David SUPER slow, like 11 pace and was thinking to maybe cheer. I felt 100% pain-free so I decided to race. It was slow (23:06 It think, 7:24 pace) well, yes, I haven’t done anything hard in 2 months so I couldn’t expect much more but I felt good and that is all I cared about. Plus it was fun. We met lots of people, Frankie run me in, we had an hour-long stop on the run back… it was all shit and giggles, the way a race morning should be (to me, don’t judge!).

We run back. I ended up with like 10 miles… then… the next day, cause I felt ok… (who feels ok the day after a 5k?) I decided to run to the Bronx to run the Henry Isola 4 miler. It’s in the trails and it’s cross country. Ummmmmmm I was an XC virgin and had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn’t even know why my age and gender was on my bib! Or how we all run on the grass and not the path…? it was all so weird. So, I’ve done trail races, like ultras, or like Bear Mountain 50K, or stuff like that. But this was SOOO DIFFERENT. Fast but also trails, crazy. Anyway, I run to the Bronx, got there at 8 am, race was starting at 9 and it was SO BURNING HOT already��� I started feeling all the heatnessticity before we even started. It’s a smaller race than the typical NYRR race, like a LOT smaller. 40% of it were we out of the trails and in THE SUN. The last loop was hard and I won’t admit this to myself but there’s a chance I didn’t negative split this race. It was still great though (if can call walking up Cemetery Hill twice because your legs can’t run up, then yes it was great).

I think you can tell how HOT it was. Maybe by the sun situation, or my sweat situation, or maybe becase my hair is fried. I didn’t run back home. At all. I tried. But no.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 157, biggest mileage month so far this year. Just checked and my biggest month was 187 miles in October 2016. 

Races: Four. Two were miserable/slow. One was ok, one was awesome.

Ups: UM, HELLO, SUMMER STREETS. Did you forget already??? Also, that’s the most miles I run in a month this year. Catching up.

Downs: THIS STOOOOPID KNEE. Sorry, sorry, I still need love you knee, please don’t hurt me, anymore, prettyplease?

Balance: I wanna feel un-pain again and run hard, and do speedwork and I hate this crap. 

July

I barely remember July already and it was just now. My parents were still visiting so we kept touristing around and we had an amazing Fourth of July with all the official NYC fireworks on the East River. Epic. I did two races, with meh performances. The first one was the NYRR

hair working hard for the picture, post-Retro 4 Miler

 Retro 4 Miler, and I was really lame to not dress up, or back?  I seriously will wear any costume but just like happens every single Thanksgiving Halloween, I don’t care enough to remember more than 1 minute ahead of time. Every year I tell myself I am totally going to dress up next year and then I forget. Then every year, when the costumey event happens, I tell myself I am gonna set a reminder in the calendar for a month BEFORE Halloween/race/etc so I can plan ahead… but I am a snooze-hitter with things I don’t really want to bother with (NOT the alarm, you KNOW I wake up before the alarm even goes off!), and I use my go-to motto: if I didn’t bother doing it so far, no chance in hell this is gonna get done ever. Just like with the emails at the bottom of my inbox. If it’s been 2-3 days, there’s a high chance they won’t get opened/read/replied to… AAAANYWAY, I didn’t wear a costume for the Retro Run because I am lame. But people do, and it’s SUPER fun and I really really really always wish I did. mooooving on. Ah, so, the race. Wasn’t feeling it. I met with Courtney to do about 4 or 5 miles before and I kept wanting to go home. I was THIS close. Does that ever happen to you?

Then, I also did the NYRR R U N 5K in Central Park last week. Also wasn’t fast or anything special. It was a bit like hell hot so I decided to hold it in a bit. I managed to not kill myself. It was meh, but I love that course, it’s pretty fast with just one hill. Saw like a million people I knew, which was fun as always to catch up and chit chat and all those things with lots of chs in them. cha cha cha.

If anything else exciting, fun, amazing happened, I either don’t remember or it’s totally private or NSFW! HAAA, got you thinking!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

exciting huh? I am behind on my mileage… been behind since,… January??? I am lazy or having too much fun, you decide.

Total Miles: 152, not bad, not bad… not amazing but the most this year. July is a good month to run!

Races: 2. LAME!!!! Last month I had 6… so… AH THAT’S WHY MY MILEAGE IS UP!!!

Ups: I heart running in the summer. LOVE IT. JULY NEEDS TO BE 325 DAYS PLEASE.

Downs: omg my hair in the weather. HELP. Send the firemen or the paramedics or Paolo Puttanesca asap.

Balance: I have no idea. ALL I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS SUMMER STREETS. SUMMER STREETS STARTS IN TWO DAYS. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. SUMMER STREETS HERE I COME. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. DID I TELL YOU I LOVE SUMMER STREETS?

can you tell I am melting?

June

was a great month. Let me break it down before I forget it all (photos and a super organized calendar really do help!). I often wondered if I should do these weekly… there is so much to say but then I forget. Anyway, JUNE was BUSY, My parents came to visit from Argentina, which is awesome, they come every other year, for about a month and it was amazing. We did everything, we went everywhere, I got myself them so tired every single day…. it was awesome and rough at the same time. We literally did it all in a month. We even went to Miami for a few days of untamable hair and sticky skin. I forgot how insanely hot Miami is in the summer. #protip, don’t effing go to Miami in the summer, ever. or really, at any other time but definitely NO in the summer.

Anyway, the month started with the Italy Run NYC, a 5-mile race in Central Park, sponsored by Ferrero where I proceeded to smear Nutella all over me post-race, best celebration possible, correct? Before you ask, there are no pictures of that because it’s a LIE. Race was good; my performance… meh (actually, I don’t remember anymore!).

Literally 3 days later, I did another race, the Summer Series 5K in Prospect Park. It’s on Wednesdays at 7 pm, which REALLY messes up my sleep AND my Thursday morning run with my Flyers friends, BUT…I kinda love showing up because:

I see lots of friends I don’t see every day in Central Park

I cherish (and also hate) racing in a different course than the ones I did one million times in CP (though it’s also harder)

Love the small race ambiance

Also, don’t remember much I think (given there is a picture of my holding a medal, duh) that I placed and I got a medal. Oh, and I totally remember I got something like 71% AG. YEAH, nbd.

And… 3 days right after this one, I had the 3rd race in 6 days… can you imagine how that one is gonna go???? So, Saturday morning was a Mini10K, which is a mega party, so I wasn’t going to miss it. BUT, I also wasn’t going to miss the other mega party Friday night… So come Saturday morning I was a MESS… my feet hurt (from the heels or dancing, who knows!) and I was sleeeeeeepy, SO SLEEEEEPY. I have no idea why, NOT ONLY I SHOWED UP TO THE RACE, BUT I also met Elizabeth (she is real, I promise) to do 4 miles before the race. MENTAL.

But, it was all worth it. I run it, EASY, with 3 friends, and it was a frigging BLAST. I regret nothing. #noregerts.

Told you it was FUN! Yeah, I was physically miserable but no one remembers that… smh. So then my parents arrived and we started the daily tour of all the food and all the things we don’t tell the tourists about. AND the World Cup. June was literally mental. Somehow I managed to get to Queens the next weekend, early, to run the Queens 10K. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the trek because Argentina was playing at 9 am against Iceland and I’d miss the first half, but so happy I went… Not only I had tons of fun at the race, I SOMEHOW (…miraculously) managed to do OK. Noooo, not a PR or even close but I got up to 69% AG, I was just one minute off from my PR, which is from frigggggging 2013! Does that even count anymore? I say NO.

I am a sucker for high-fives!

Then, wait for this because the madness doesn’t stop there…. I did TWO races the next weekend!!!! YEAH, again, NBD! Crazy, right? I agree. It’s good that I am a biomechanics coach and I know what I am doing because otherwise my leggies would have fallen off by then… Saturday was the Pride Run and OMG I WAS NOT GONNA MISS THAT. I always race the Achilles Hope and Possibility race (which was going to the next day), so I decided to take the Pride Run easy and save my legs for Sunday. Only… I didn’t quite do that. I ended up with a lot of fun AND 12 miles… oooops. #mischiefmanaged (for you all PotterHeads!)

Jackie, Mary, Michael and I run the whole thing chatting from start to end. And the outfits were ON POINT.

Sunday I woke up to do a few miles before the Achilles Hope and Possibility race and I was wishing I had raced the day before… It was muggy, humid, gross and I was tired. You do what you can.

David and Patricia (and corrals B,C,D,E and F) smoked me but I was happy. My parents had come to spectate and it was AWESOME. They came both days. They LOVED IT. Those two races and really something. REALLY REALLY something.

The next weekend was a wash because I was out of town, and back just on July 1st to watch the husband race the NYC TRI, with the parents and my cheering crew along. TRIATHLETES ARE CRAZY, just saying. But he’s so cute, it evens out.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 139, eeeeeek. too much racing makes the mileage go puff!

Races: SIX. 6 races in month. That’s probably maybe a PR, at least this year… ha, I have 12 races this year, 6 in ONE MONTH. 

Ups: All the fun things I did with the parents…!!! The Nutella at the Italy Run was HEAVEN. The Mini10K was SO FUN. Queens was a MEGA REVELATION. Pride and Achilles get me teary every time…

Downs: Mileage was yuk and I am behind my yearly goal. Tapering before races and how sore I am sometimes after…

Balance: ALL AWESOME!!!! I can’t believe I did all those races with all the other stuff I had going on…!

May

May was a whirlwind!! So much happened, and so many races also! I remember I started the month with something we had planned since September last year: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!

Call me a Potterhead, That was awesome! Twelve hours later, I was up early for the Newport 10K, just over the Hudson, one of my favourite 10Ks, because 1, it’s flat, 2, the finish line bagels (and I don’t really like bagels!). The race was a blast as usual: I’ve run it a few times and it always delivers! It’s usually hot but I love the vibe and the views!

Of course, as usual, there were many runs and stairs workouts sprinkled through the month:

And then there was the Japan Run. I remembered being tired from something but then, at the start, I met with Brian and Nick and Jackie, and we all decided to run together and pace Jackie. Those are my favorite types of races!

Way too much fun was had!! The next weekend, just so I wouldn’t fall off the wagon, I run the NYPD Memorial Run 5K. It was HOT and humid but I rallied and for the first time in months, I did OK. I measure my race performances by AG and I feel I do ok when I get close or over the 70% AG mark. Lately, I had been around 64% to 69%, and in this race I went back up to 70% wohoooo. Also, it was super fun to run on the West Side Highway. I really like how wide it is there.

Then, three days later, after a brutal stairs workout and speedwork, we raced the Prospect Park Summer Series 5K: no biggie. The course was slower (as there is a hill in Prospect Park) but I managed very similar results! Just like 10 or 20 seconds off. I find it so weird to race at night (well, 7 pm), that I find it quite amusing to try to figure out what to eat, how much, when, etc. Of course, then I slept like crap after because I was so wired!

That was a lot of racing…!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

  Total Miles: 147, coming back up, but it’s hard with those short races because I feel like I need a good taper before and then my legs are thrashed for a few days…

Races: FOUR, here we go. Racing season is upon us!

Ups: the NYPD and the Summer Series 5K were definitely a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to do so well (NOT IN PR SHAPE YET THOUGH, ok?) and even though I don’t feel as strong as I used to, feeling in control of the situation really helps! One more thing: Central Park blossoming is the BEST!

Downs: how tired my legs feel two days after any short race! YUK

Balance: VERY HAPPY

So, I need to race more. Even if I am not in fighting shape or without any kind of expectations, I really enjoy it. The fewer expectations I have, the more fun I have, and so I go out there controlled and just let the race happen. I’ve actually started measuring races and performance by the amount of time it takes me to get back home, aka “how much fun I have”. For example, the NYPD Memorial Run was at 9 am and I got home at 4 pm: THAT is a successful race in my eyes now. The truth is I am not always (or ever again!) be as fast as I used to be or as I would like to be or as I would expect to be, so what should I do? Stay home until I feel I am in shape? HECK NO. To me, races are not a test of my fitness or “what I get from the work I put in” but a chance to enjoy with the community of friends who like to get out and enjoy the park with one foot in front of another trying to stay healthy. Yes, I’ll push hard here and there, but if one day I don’t feel like it or I decide to stick with a friend, it’ll be no different: it just HAS to be fun. 

April

We started the month in Argentina, which was great because it was WARM and hey, it was vacations. Got to see the fam and a few touristy things of course, and yeah, a few runs with Juan. Oh and of course I ate my face away. Lots of asado and steaks but also a lot of nikkei, my favourite non-native cuisine while in Argentina (my favourite non-native in the US is Japanese and French, you always gotta know where to get what!). I got back, I did a 4 miler in Central Park, the Run as One… it was so long ago, I can barely remember, or maybe it’s because I’ve been racing a lot the last two months! Oh yeah, I remember I got really hot (I was overdressed) and started way too fast or something, here is one picture!

I obviously spent some time running around, exhibit A:

or working:

or with Juan, usually eating crap:

and/or usually with friends, running or not!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 119. Ooops. That’s low. I really vacationed in Argentina… IT HAPPENS, OKAY?

Races: just one but it was more like a tempo, wasn’t expecting to go all out.

Ups: the fun runs!

Downs: didn’t get a lot done!

Balance: it was good -> lots of blossoming happening all over NYC made it amazingly beautiful!

March

March is always a good month because it is my birthday!!! HA. I started the month with a race, the NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K (there is a post there), which wasn’t great time wise but it was fun. See proof here:

There was a lot of running, maybe not tons of miles, because it was still cold as hell Alaska? ok Alaska, but it got done. 

And the United NYC Half happened. I saw so many of you there. That was an intense week and I was REALLY just a bit jealous of everyone running the new course. I got to run parts of it last year and was on one of the Pro lead trucks on race day and it looked amazing!! and everyone looked SO happy at the finish line… Really jelly So happy for you all!!!

We then went to San Antonio for a few quiet days of pulled pork and warmer weather. For my bday. We ate a LOT.  We run a bunch too:

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 151, it’s starting to pick up

Races: one. and I was so not wanting to race!

Ups: I did a lot of really great runs

Downs: still not feeling my best.

Balance: not letting it get to me. Let’s hope the nicer weather brings better running!

Also, one more thing I forgot to report on this whole year. A few friends and I have been doing monthly challenges. January was squats, February was pushups, March was planks. We usually just grab one from popsugar.com. Basically it tells you how many to do every day and each day is a bit more. It’s interesting. Maybe you’d want to try it with a few friends? we all text each other to make sure we’re all doing them EVERY DAY… Protip: it works better with a reward at the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!

February

was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

  Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

  Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!

Races: big old zero for the year

Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.

Downs: not feeling my best.

Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

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As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

  When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

  The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

  And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

Total Miles: 140

Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!

Ups: the runs in Mexico!

Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!

Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

August 2018 – the month that was well, August is always a good month because of SUMMER STREETS, literally, I should be hired by the Summer Streets People because I feel like a community evangelizer.

[blackmenrunnyc]

Percy Sutton 5k BMR Family. #percysutton5k #harlem #blackmenrunnyc #blackmenrun #weallwegot #bmrdc #bmrnj #loveislove #nyrr #harlemrun #runharlem #5k #percysutton5k (at 135th Street, Harlem)

[cdekultura]

2017 Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run #wakeupnrun #nrc #nikeplus #justdoit #runitfast #running #run #bcn #runner #instarunners #runhappy #cardio #fitness #fitnessaddict #workout #justdoit #nike #arewerunningtoday #percysuttonharlem5k #harlem #nyc #nyrr

[werunuptown]

# Congrats to @mikeylikesiticecream for the new spot Uptown! Shout out to the new + returning faces! ### Now for this weeks programming # Tonight 8/22 Time- 8PM Location- @harlemhiit– 117th & Madison Bag Check- YES 10$ Cash each! # Saturday 8/26 ICE CREAM VIBES after Percy Sutton Harlem 5k race (race starts at 8:30). So run fast to get ice cream faster! Location: @mikeylikesiticecream 2498 Frederick Douglass Blvd, Harlem, USA ## Sunday 8/27 Monthly special w/ @bRUNch.UP Time- 1PM Location- @coogansNYC 4015 Broadway Ladies only! Bag Check Available # BTW- KEEP SEPTEMBER 3rd CLEAR ! #weRUNuptown #theUPTOWNway #siempreActivo #HarlemHiit #NYRR #PercySutton5k #bRUNchUP #mikeylikesiticecream #Harlem #WashingtonHeights #NYC #nycrunning #runningculture (at Central Harlem)

[thelowcarbrunner]

2016 Recap'

Every individual has had a different experience with running. Mine came in four phases:

I don't have a choice (school)

Let's meet and run fast laps (college)

I have no idea what I'm doing (random runs)

Let's do this right (2016)

In this post, I am going to focus on 2016, the year I actually started keeping tracks of my runs, pace, and registering for official races.

NOVEMBER PROJECT NYC As I have said in my previous post "What's The Story Here?", I came late into running (if we consider that 'running' is when you run with diligence and care about progress). On the first Wednesday of February 2016, my friend Gabe invited me to the November Project workout. It was PR Day. Now, if you are familiar with the November Project (if you're not, please, visit this link, and come join us), you know that the first time you come to a workout, there is some type of light 'hazing' where you have to stand in the middle of the crowd and loudly answer questions to introduce yourself to the tribe.

I have a big secret...

I actually never did this. The reason is, while I arrived on time, I knew nobody, and my friend Gabe was late. So I proceeded to run by myself nearby while waiting for my friend. When he arrived (I believe he was 5 minutes late), I joined the already-running crowd with him, and finished the workout. I was there on the next Wednesday, and the announcement was made:

Is there anyone who is here for their first November Project workout?

Well, it was my second one, so I said nothing. That was it.

DON'T RUN, RACE! As I was attending more and more NP workouts, I was introduced to the NYRR races. I only knew about the NY Marathon, but there are many others, and a lot of us were racing them for ‘team points’. That sounded like a cool concept. I had only raced with the other guys in college Tracks in France. We would set up with the coach for a 400m or an 800m after warm up and drills, and run like the wind. Nobody really cared about the time, it was just about who finished first, so he could give shit to the others. I remember the coach talking to me about registering for official races, but we never did it.

I have talked about my first official race in my post "Resolve That". It was a 4 miler, and I was in the wrong corral. Even though the experience wasn't the best, I just wanted more.

In 2016, I have registered for 15 races, and ran 14. That one scratch really annoys me... The Percy Sutton Harlem 5K. See, I have only run one official 5K, and therefore, my PR is what I ran then, 19:18. I was hoping to break it a month later in Harlem. I was so ready. I was at the race, I had trained right, and my ACL sprain was healed. But 30 minutes before the gun resounded, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. After visiting the medical tent (yes, before the race even started...), I was sent home. It seems that the Meloxicam I had been taking for my ACL sprain had caught up on me and gave me some type of stomach ulcer. I immediately stopped taking it, and I was fine.

SUM IT UP MAN Ok, so, how can I recap my 2016? I would say that it was the year I committed 100% to running and doing it right. The year I met awesome people that still help me be a little less introverted. But in the end, it won't be the year I peaked, I won't let it.

[nycrunning]

November was something… I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs… It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line. I made a little video if you want to see what it looks like. It’s quite fun.

The next day, of course, was the marathon… I started the day early with a 12 mile run before spectating. It was a gorgeous day.

The Argentinian flag by the finish line!

We started the cheering around 10:30, when some of the wheelchair athletes were still going through First Avenue. We saw the pros and a LOT of friends, a LOT.

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We then moved the cheering party to Fifth Avenue for a few hours. I had little voice left but we managed to yell and cheer for a few more hours.

After a quick lunch and regroup we headed to the finish line to cheer on the last finishers. That is the biggest party!

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November has a lot of races and amazing runs… because the leaves change, it’s just magical out.  Here is one example:

I run a bit of the 60K to keep Michael company, that was fun:

The next day, I was signed up for two races. I know people who have done this but I never had. First, a 4 Miler in Central Park, at 8 am:

That went fine. Then some caffeine and up on the 1 train to Van Cortland Park for a trail 5K at 11:30 am.

That was intense… Legs were stiff right at the start of the 2nd race (it was a bit cold) but once we got moving it was fine. Happy it was a short race or I would have gotten hungry.. it was noon and all!

A few days later was Thanksgiving and spent it with family!

I am also lucky that I have a friend who lives close to my family and took me out for a 7-mile trail run, post-Turkey.

Looks sunny but don’t be fooled: it was freezing!!

That weekend we also did an exploratory long run into Queens and the neighborhoods that would be affected by Amazon’s takeover of the area. The LIC QNS waterfront has been evolving a lot in the last few years and it looks amazing. For now at least.

Told you it was a LOT!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 173, that IS GOOOOOD!

Downs: Not one.

Ups: All the fun fall folliage runs… Running can be quite epic in November, when there is daylight to see it! Also, finally caught up with my yearly mileage!

Balance: ALL so good. Hey December, TOP THIS!

October

Don’t call it a comeback, but I wish it was! In October, my legs finally felt good to go again, after about 3-4 months of some twinge, strain or whatever it was. I should have stopped running and I would have been fine in a month or two, BUT I was not going to miss Summer Streets… that really messed it all up. And I was managing it properly so I didn’t have to stop running but it took waaay too long because I didn’t really take the time to fix it. Anyway, I did the Bronx 10 miler (here is the report and here is a short video of the race),

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and a week later I did the Divas Half Marathon in Long Island -a tough race for me as I was all alone after mile 4 (how do the elites do it??). Here is a video of the race.

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Then, I took a last-minute flash trip to Argentina to see the family, especially my pregnant sister and I had some amazing runs. I did a long run from Palermo to Vicente Lopez and back, and a few more runs around Palermo and inside El Rosedal. It was epic. Here is a little video I put together.

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When I came back home, there were many great runs, as it was the few weeks before the TCS New York City Marathon and there are really waaaay too many events. Which is a great thing if you can clone yourself. Otherwise, it’s FOMO all day long as it’s impossible to go to everything. Take your picks and don’t look back!

The last weekend of the month, and the week before the marathon, I do the Polland Spring 5 Miler. It was a great run with Michael, we chatted the whole way and it was my 21st race this year, a PR. Not a really a PR but I’ll take it! I am behind on mileage and still really really slow so that’s all I have these days…! Good enough for me!

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Closing up the month with a visit to the marathon expo to pick up my bib for the Abbott Dash 5K, will report on that soon!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 140, oh well. SO behind my goals this year

Downs: NONE

Ups: running in Buenos Aires was literally epic. I can’t get over how fun that was!

Balance: ALL thumbs up!

September

hello Friends!

September was more work and socials and running… Is that a good thing? emmmm. You can decide (and keep it to yourself, as I like to say). There were some epic runs and some crappy runs. Mileage was pathetic not impressive. Some runs made it all worth it. We did a run to the Little Red Lighthouse, which was awesome.

I had no pain and I felt strong. The next long run was awful. The day after was AWESOME. Get the jist? A run to the Bronx and back last week was great. I was a bit all over the place (meaning: not just in Central Park) but I really like that. Had a few long runs with Kettia and Khris (as you can see I have a favorite pair of Oakleys).

The run to the Bronx was awesome but I got no pictures. I get distracted sometimes, I AM truly sorry!

Ah the sad part: Juan was ready and all packed to leave to China for his half Ironman and the RACE GOT CANCELLED…

Sad. Now we’re BOTH going to another one in November… in China also. It’s about 33 hours door to door, exciting! Gotta learn some Mandarin, help please!

and then I started feeling better. It was instantaneous. The little itch I had in the back of my leg went away last Thursday and voila… there goes 4 months of what the hell is this? but I am back! 

And Sunday was the New Balance Bronx 10 Miler, ohoooo. I’ll refer you to the official post, but it was fun. Slow as F but fun. Oh well, here comes the time to pick back up the speed. yeeeeeey.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 116, ooops, went from the biggest month to a very small one. OK.

Downs: my knee had a weird twitch and I was getting very tired of it. Had to skip the Newport Half to make sure I was giving it the rest and time it needed.

Ups: I finally felt ok in the last week: strong and ready to push back. 

Balance: Good now. I feel I am back to normal. Slow but normal.

August

is always a good month because of SUMMER STREETS, literally, I should be hired by the Summer Streets People because I feel like a community evangelizer. That is all I talk about to anyone all year long. You know it. Anyway, to recap: I like Summer Streets. A bit. If you just met me or this is the first time you read this blog, Summer Streets happens 3 weekends in August, on Saturdays: they close traffic on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, for 5 hours. It’s MAGIC.

If you missed it, shame on you (and, how are we friends???). If you never heard of it, pen it in for next year and don’t make vacation plans or don’t say yes to weddings. If you don’t live in NYC, get tickets now. 

So, Summer Streets was awesome, even though it RAINED ALL THREE SATURDAYS as you can see in the pictures (ugh) and we have to chop one run short because there was lightning, thunderstorm and flash flooding (but mostly because with all that water I couldn’t keep my contacts inside my eyes…!). It was still awesome. 

The day after the first Summer Streets, July something, a Sunday, I run the NYRR Manhattan Mile, a new race and a distance I’ve never run. So, automatic PR you say? Meh I don’t count those, but I WILL COUNT THE NEXT TIME I RUN THIS DISTANCE because I run it as slow AF. So, here we go: I have a bum knee. It’s not chondromalacia patellae, it’s not ITBS, I’ve ruled out a lot of things but it’s just weird because it hurts VERY randomly. AND, if I take time off, it hurts more. Go figure that one out. Good luck. Anyway, that day my knee was hurting so I struggled to finish. It was also like one hundred million degrees celsius/fahrenheit. 

Luckily I had Jackie, Michael and Brian to not only keep me company but throw power boosts at me during the last mile where they all decided to pick it up and I was just not into it. Aw, friends that throw stuff at you while you want to curl and cry are the BEST! ❤ I guess.

HA.

The next weekend was another combo of Summer Streets and a race. This time I attempted to do two races on Sunday and it didn’t work out AT ALL. I wanted to do the France Run, a 5 miler in Central Park at 8, and then scoot out to Williamsburg (in Brooklyn, for all my international readers! This Wsburg is in BK, not Colonial Pennsylvania, as I had to be told a few times in my first years in NYC coming from Philly!!!) (where was I?) then scoot out to Williamsburg to race the Brooklyn Mile. My heat was at 9:30 am. Possible?? Not really. What was I thinking? Not only David and I run France Run as slow as we possibly could without bursting into a walk spider-crawl, BUT we then proceeded to be extra stooopid fun after we finished and pretend talk in French and rename everything. We then also decided, while it rained, to taste and eat all the French things they had… chocolate, financiers, it was good… oooops, it’s 9:30! CRAP. And the truth is, I wasn’t in any shape to race a mile. My knee agreed (probably).

The last weekend of August (am I missing one???) it was a doubleheader. I did the Percy Sutton 5K in Harlem on Saturday and the Henry Isola 4 Mile XC in Van Cortlandt, Bronx, on Sunday. Who knew I could handle it? The knee was stoopid all week so I run to the 5K with Kettia and David SUPER slow, like 11 pace and was thinking to maybe cheer. I felt 100% pain-free so I decided to race. It was slow (23:06 It think, 7:24 pace) well, yes, I haven’t done anything hard in 2 months so I couldn’t expect much more but I felt good and that is all I cared about. Plus it was fun. We met lots of people, Frankie run me in, we had an hour-long stop on the run back… it was all shit and giggles, the way a race morning should be (to me, don’t judge!).

We run back. I ended up with like 10 miles… then… the next day, cause I felt ok… (who feels ok the day after a 5k?) I decided to run to the Bronx to run the Henry Isola 4 miler. It’s in the trails and it’s cross country. Ummmmmmm I was an XC virgin and had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn’t even know why my age and gender was on my bib! Or how we all run on the grass and not the path…? it was all so weird. So, I’ve done trail races, like ultras, or like Bear Mountain 50K, or stuff like that. But this was SOOO DIFFERENT. Fast but also trails, crazy. Anyway, I run to the Bronx, got there at 8 am, race was starting at 9 and it was SO BURNING HOT already… I started feeling all the heatnessticity before we even started. It’s a smaller race than the typical NYRR race, like a LOT smaller. 40% of it were we out of the trails and in THE SUN. The last loop was hard and I won’t admit this to myself but there’s a chance I didn’t negative split this race. It was still great though (if can call walking up Cemetery Hill twice because your legs can’t run up, then yes it was great).

I think you can tell how HOT it was. Maybe by the sun situation, or my sweat situation, or maybe becase my hair is fried. I didn’t run back home. At all. I tried. But no.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 157, biggest mileage month so far this year. Just checked and my biggest month was 187 miles in October 2016. 

Races: Four. Two were miserable/slow. One was ok, one was awesome.

Ups: UM, HELLO, SUMMER STREETS. Did you forget already??? Also, that’s the most miles I run in a month this year. Catching up.

Downs: THIS STOOOOPID KNEE. Sorry, sorry, I still need love you knee, please don’t hurt me, anymore, prettyplease?

Balance: I wanna feel un-pain again and run hard, and do speedwork and I hate this crap. 

July

I barely remember July already and it was just now. My parents were still visiting so we kept touristing around and we had an amazing Fourth of July with all the official NYC fireworks on the East River. Epic. I did two races, with meh performances. The first one was the NYRR

hair working hard for the picture, post-Retro 4 Miler

 Retro 4 Miler, and I was really lame to not dress up, or back?  I seriously will wear any costume but just like happens every single Thanksgiving Halloween, I don’t care enough to remember more than 1 minute ahead of time. Every year I tell myself I am totally going to dress up next year and then I forget. Then every year, when the costumey event happens, I tell myself I am gonna set a reminder in the calendar for a month BEFORE Halloween/race/etc so I can plan ahead… but I am a snooze-hitter with things I don’t really want to bother with (NOT the alarm, you KNOW I wake up before the alarm even goes off!), and I use my go-to motto: if I didn’t bother doing it so far, no chance in hell this is gonna get done ever. Just like with the emails at the bottom of my inbox. If it’s been 2-3 days, there’s a high chance they won’t get opened/read/replied to… AAAANYWAY, I didn’t wear a costume for the Retro Run because I am lame. But people do, and it’s SUPER fun and I really really really always wish I did. mooooving on. Ah, so, the race. Wasn’t feeling it. I met with Courtney to do about 4 or 5 miles before and I kept wanting to go home. I was THIS close. Does that ever happen to you?

Then, I also did the NYRR R U N 5K in Central Park last week. Also wasn’t fast or anything special. It was a bit like hell hot so I decided to hold it in a bit. I managed to not kill myself. It was meh, but I love that course, it’s pretty fast with just one hill. Saw like a million people I knew, which was fun as always to catch up and chit chat and all those things with lots of chs in them. cha cha cha.

If anything else exciting, fun, amazing happened, I either don’t remember or it’s totally private or NSFW! HAAA, got you thinking!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

exciting huh? I am behind on my mileage… been behind since,… January??? I am lazy or having too much fun, you decide.

Total Miles: 152, not bad, not bad… not amazing but the most this year. July is a good month to run!

Races: 2. LAME!!!! Last month I had 6… so… AH THAT’S WHY MY MILEAGE IS UP!!!

Ups: I heart running in the summer. LOVE IT. JULY NEEDS TO BE 325 DAYS PLEASE.

Downs: omg my hair in the weather. HELP. Send the firemen or the paramedics or Paolo Puttanesca asap.

Balance: I have no idea. ALL I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS SUMMER STREETS. SUMMER STREETS STARTS IN TWO DAYS. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. SUMMER STREETS HERE I COME. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. DID I TELL YOU I LOVE SUMMER STREETS?

can you tell I am melting?

June

was a great month. Let me break it down before I forget it all (photos and a super organized calendar really do help!). I often wondered if I should do these weekly… there is so much to say but then I forget. Anyway, JUNE was BUSY, My parents came to visit from Argentina, which is awesome, they come every other year, for about a month and it was amazing. We did everything, we went everywhere, I got myself them so tired every single day…. it was awesome and rough at the same time. We literally did it all in a month. We even went to Miami for a few days of untamable hair and sticky skin. I forgot how insanely hot Miami is in the summer. #protip, don’t effing go to Miami in the summer, ever. or really, at any other time but definitely NO in the summer.

Anyway, the month started with the Italy Run NYC, a 5-mile race in Central Park, sponsored by Ferrero where I proceeded to smear Nutella all over me post-race, best celebration possible, correct? Before you ask, there are no pictures of that because it’s a LIE. Race was good; my performance… meh (actually, I don’t remember anymore!).

Literally 3 days later, I did another race, the Summer Series 5K in Prospect Park. It’s on Wednesdays at 7 pm, which REALLY messes up my sleep AND my Thursday morning run with my Flyers friends, BUT…I kinda love showing up because:

I see lots of friends I don’t see every day in Central Park

I cherish (and also hate) racing in a different course than the ones I did one million times in CP (though it’s also harder)

Love the small race ambiance

Also, don’t remember much I think (given there is a picture of my holding a medal, duh) that I placed and I got a medal. Oh, and I totally remember I got something like 71% AG. YEAH, nbd.

And… 3 days right after this one, I had the 3rd race in 6 days… can you imagine how that one is gonna go???? So, Saturday morning was a Mini10K, which is a mega party, so I wasn’t going to miss it. BUT, I also wasn’t going to miss the other mega party Friday night… So come Saturday morning I was a MESS… my feet hurt (from the heels or dancing, who knows!) and I was sleeeeeeepy, SO SLEEEEEPY. I have no idea why, NOT ONLY I SHOWED UP TO THE RACE, BUT I also met Elizabeth (she is real, I promise) to do 4 miles before the race. MENTAL.

But, it was all worth it. I run it, EASY, with 3 friends, and it was a frigging BLAST. I regret nothing. #noregerts.

Told you it was FUN! Yeah, I was physically miserable but no one remembers that… smh. So then my parents arrived and we started the daily tour of all the food and all the things we don’t tell the tourists about. AND the World Cup. June was literally mental. Somehow I managed to get to Queens the next weekend, early, to run the Queens 10K. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the trek because Argentina was playing at 9 am against Iceland and I’d miss the first half, but so happy I went… Not only I had tons of fun at the race, I SOMEHOW (…miraculously) managed to do OK. Noooo, not a PR or even close but I got up to 69% AG, I was just one minute off from my PR, which is from frigggggging 2013! Does that even count anymore? I say NO.

I am a sucker for high-fives!

Then, wait for this because the madness doesn’t stop there…. I did TWO races the next weekend!!!! YEAH, again, NBD! Crazy, right? I agree. It’s good that I am a biomechanics coach and I know what I am doing because otherwise my leggies would have fallen off by then… Saturday was the Pride Run and OMG I WAS NOT GONNA MISS THAT. I always race the Achilles Hope and Possibility race (which was going to the next day), so I decided to take the Pride Run easy and save my legs for Sunday. Only… I didn’t quite do that. I ended up with a lot of fun AND 12 miles… oooops. #mischiefmanaged (for you all PotterHeads!)

Jackie, Mary, Michael and I run the whole thing chatting from start to end. And the outfits were ON POINT.

Sunday I woke up to do a few miles before the Achilles Hope and Possibility race and I was wishing I had raced the day before… It was muggy, humid, gross and I was tired. You do what you can.

David and Patricia (and corrals B,C,D,E and F) smoked me but I was happy. My parents had come to spectate and it was AWESOME. They came both days. They LOVED IT. Those two races and really something. REALLY REALLY something.

The next weekend was a wash because I was out of town, and back just on July 1st to watch the husband race the NYC TRI, with the parents and my cheering crew along. TRIATHLETES ARE CRAZY, just saying. But he’s so cute, it evens out.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 139, eeeeeek. too much racing makes the mileage go puff!

Races: SIX. 6 races in month. That’s probably maybe a PR, at least this year… ha, I have 12 races this year, 6 in ONE MONTH. 

Ups: All the fun things I did with the parents…!!! The Nutella at the Italy Run was HEAVEN. The Mini10K was SO FUN. Queens was a MEGA REVELATION. Pride and Achilles get me teary every time…

Downs: Mileage was yuk and I am behind my yearly goal. Tapering before races and how sore I am sometimes after…

Balance: ALL AWESOME!!!! I can’t believe I did all those races with all the other stuff I had going on…!

May

May was a whirlwind!! So much happened, and so many races also! I remember I started the month with something we had planned since September last year: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!

Call me a Potterhead, That was awesome! Twelve hours later, I was up early for the Newport 10K, just over the Hudson, one of my favourite 10Ks, because 1, it’s flat, 2, the finish line bagels (and I don’t really like bagels!). The race was a blast as usual: I’ve run it a few times and it always delivers! It’s usually hot but I love the vibe and the views!

Of course, as usual, there were many runs and stairs workouts sprinkled through the month:

And then there was the Japan Run. I remembered being tired from something but then, at the start, I met with Brian and Nick and Jackie, and we all decided to run together and pace Jackie. Those are my favorite types of races!

Way too much fun was had!! The next weekend, just so I wouldn’t fall off the wagon, I run the NYPD Memorial Run 5K. It was HOT and humid but I rallied and for the first time in months, I did OK. I measure my race performances by AG and I feel I do ok when I get close or over the 70% AG mark. Lately, I had been around 64% to 69%, and in this race I went back up to 70% wohoooo. Also, it was super fun to run on the West Side Highway. I really like how wide it is there.

Then, three days later, after a brutal stairs workout and speedwork, we raced the Prospect Park Summer Series 5K: no biggie. The course was slower (as there is a hill in Prospect Park) but I managed very similar results! Just like 10 or 20 seconds off. I find it so weird to race at night (well, 7 pm), that I find it quite amusing to try to figure out what to eat, how much, when, etc. Of course, then I slept like crap after because I was so wired!

That was a lot of racing…!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

  Total Miles: 147, coming back up, but it’s hard with those short races because I feel like I need a good taper before and then my legs are thrashed for a few days…

Races: FOUR, here we go. Racing season is upon us!

Ups: the NYPD and the Summer Series 5K were definitely a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to do so well (NOT IN PR SHAPE YET THOUGH, ok?) and even though I don’t feel as strong as I used to, feeling in control of the situation really helps! One more thing: Central Park blossoming is the BEST!

Downs: how tired my legs feel two days after any short race! YUK

Balance: VERY HAPPY

So, I need to race more. Even if I am not in fighting shape or without any kind of expectations, I really enjoy it. The fewer expectations I have, the more fun I have, and so I go out there controlled and just let the race happen. I’ve actually started measuring races and performance by the amount of time it takes me to get back home, aka “how much fun I have”. For example, the NYPD Memorial Run was at 9 am and I got home at 4 pm: THAT is a successful race in my eyes now. The truth is I am not always (or ever again!) be as fast as I used to be or as I would like to be or as I would expect to be, so what should I do? Stay home until I feel I am in shape? HECK NO. To me, races are not a test of my fitness or “what I get from the work I put in” but a chance to enjoy with the community of friends who like to get out and enjoy the park with one foot in front of another trying to stay healthy. Yes, I’ll push hard here and there, but if one day I don’t feel like it or I decide to stick with a friend, it’ll be no different: it just HAS to be fun. 

April

We started the month in Argentina, which was great because it was WARM and hey, it was vacations. Got to see the fam and a few touristy things of course, and yeah, a few runs with Juan. Oh and of course I ate my face away. Lots of asado and steaks but also a lot of nikkei, my favourite non-native cuisine while in Argentina (my favourite non-native in the US is Japanese and French, you always gotta know where to get what!). I got back, I did a 4 miler in Central Park, the Run as One… it was so long ago, I can barely remember, or maybe it’s because I’ve been racing a lot the last two months! Oh yeah, I remember I got really hot (I was overdressed) and started way too fast or something, here is one picture!

I obviously spent some time running around, exhibit A:

or working:

or with Juan, usually eating crap:

and/or usually with friends, running or not!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 119. Ooops. That’s low. I really vacationed in Argentina… IT HAPPENS, OKAY?

Races: just one but it was more like a tempo, wasn’t expecting to go all out.

Ups: the fun runs!

Downs: didn’t get a lot done!

Balance: it was good -> lots of blossoming happening all over NYC made it amazingly beautiful!

March

March is always a good month because it is my birthday!!! HA. I started the month with a race, the NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K (there is a post there), which wasn’t great time wise but it was fun. See proof here:

There was a lot of running, maybe not tons of miles, because it was still cold as hell Alaska? ok Alaska, but it got done. 

And the United NYC Half happened. I saw so many of you there. That was an intense week and I was REALLY just a bit jealous of everyone running the new course. I got to run parts of it last year and was on one of the Pro lead trucks on race day and it looked amazing!! and everyone looked SO happy at the finish line… Really jelly So happy for you all!!!

We then went to San Antonio for a few quiet days of pulled pork and warmer weather. For my bday. We ate a LOT.  We run a bunch too:

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 151, it’s starting to pick up

Races: one. and I was so not wanting to race!

Ups: I did a lot of really great runs

Downs: still not feeling my best.

Balance: not letting it get to me. Let’s hope the nicer weather brings better running!

Also, one more thing I forgot to report on this whole year. A few friends and I have been doing monthly challenges. January was squats, February was pushups, March was planks. We usually just grab one from popsugar.com. Basically it tells you how many to do every day and each day is a bit more. It’s interesting. Maybe you’d want to try it with a few friends? we all text each other to make sure we’re all doing them EVERY DAY… Protip: it works better with a reward at the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!

February

was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

  Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

  Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!

Races: big old zero for the year

Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.

Downs: not feeling my best.

Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

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As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

  When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

  The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

  And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

Total Miles: 140

Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!

Ups: the runs in Mexico!

Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!

Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

November 2018 - the year is almost over! November was something... I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs... It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line.

[nycrunning]

December

December was awesome and crazy. There was a LOT of holiday celebrations. a LOT. I ate a lot. Luckily, I am not into drinking as most people seem to be so I can’t really complain but there was a lot of outings and food and celebrations and fun races and fun runs… why can’t every month be Decembers??? well, it was really COLD so I am happy not all months are like December. I guess it’d be fine if I lived in Canada or the South Pole, then I’d probably have to keep eating like this. I did two races, the Jingle Bell Jog, where I did quite poorly and also the Ted Corbitt 15K, where, emm, same thing, but I ended having quite some fun, so I am glad I showed up. I went to the movies to see the Last Jedi (hadn’t been to a movie theater since the last Star Wars, a year ago, who goes to the movies anymore??), I spent Christmas with the fam, run around like a crazy person, doing quite a bit of mileage, and worked at the VERY FREEZING Midnight Run on December 31st. December was cool. Literally too.

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Total Miles: 137. Not shabby given I took a whole week off! I ended up having my longest streak ever for no reason.

Races: 2. Not good. not good at all. OUCH

Ups: It was a fun, festive, month! I had many amazing runs, with no pressure, and really had fun!

Downs: UGH IT GOT COLD. December was BRUTAL.

Balance: Even. But want it to be May NOW.

November

November was a whirlwind. I feel like so much happened that I am still processing it or that it’s STILL early November. November started with the best week of the year. When the marathon week rolls around, it’s ON. And there’s so much to do, see, enjoy, prep, etc… I was working crazy hours but even the days I was supposed to take off and rest/recover/prep, I was still doing things because it was impossible to stay away from the fun. Saturday, the 4th I run the Abbott Dash 5k to the Finish Line for the first time ever and it was an amazing experience. The next day was the BIG day, the TCS New York City Marathon. I got to Staten Island early, was at the start (on the Verrazano) for a couple of hours, then trucked to the finish line covering the male pro race and there I was at the finish line for a few hours. I got to see Juan and many friends finish. The things you see at the finish line are indescribable. I had been there about 3 times before as a volunteer, I’d totally recommend getting there if you’re not running. It can change your life. That’s literally how I decided to run a marathon, by watching the finishers… the next week was another whirlwind finishing and catching up, and the weekend after we run a modified version of the new United Airlines NYC Half course. The next weekend I went to Philly to cheer on a few friends doing the marathon, then it was Thanksgiving, and Juan’s birthday, and then, wait, it’s already December? HOW?

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Total Miles: 115

Races: 1. Abbott Dash to the Finish Line

Ups: Running the Dash, working on the TCS NYC Marathon, recovering, resting post-marathon, running in Brooklyn!

Downs: It got cold for a bit. I was a bit busy but if I didn’t get sick it’s a sign I held it well!

Balance: OMG BEST MONTH EVER!

October

October was a tough month. One last week of tapering, then the marathon. The Mohawk Hudson marathon was intense, and it left me mentally and physically exhausted.  I really don’t want to feel like that again. I also felt awful in the last 8 miles, and I really didn’t appreciate that. I know, that’s normal, but I am not used to that and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready to deal with it. I took a whole week off after. Luckily I was super busy at work the upcoming weeks with the marathon coming up and that’s where my brain and my energy went. Because my running went to crap! All my runs felt weird and awful for a while. Bye bye marathons.

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Total Miles: 102. told you it was crappy!

Races: 1. a marathon: a distance I hadn’t raced in 3 years!

Ups: done with the marathon, one way or another. On the other hand, super excited and happy at work with the “other” marathon stuff!

Downs: the marathon left a weird taste in my mouth. Not that I wasn’t happy with the result, I was mostly unhappy because I convinced myself I wanted to do it. Also, the marathon left me drained for a few days!

Balance: Glad it’s over.

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.

Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile

Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!

Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!

Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

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August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever

Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.

Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.

Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.

Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!

Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!

Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!

Downs: When I don’t run?

Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

RUN Brooklyn 5K

RUN Brooklyn 5K

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!

Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!

Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!

Downs: I am now training for a marathon?

Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)

Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.

Ups: managed to get enough miles

Downs: my race speed is MIA

Balance: I had fun!

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April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

Total Miles: 109

Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig

Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!

Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!

Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

  Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

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Total Miles: 127

Races: two! (6 total for the year!)

Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!

Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.

Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

  February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

Total Miles: 131

Races: three!!!

Ups: it was almost summer.

Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!

Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

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January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

Total Miles: 118

Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.

Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?

Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…

Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

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December 2017 Recap December December was awesome and crazy. There was a LOT of holiday celebrations. a LOT. I ate a lot.

[nycrunning]

November

November was a whirlwind. I feel like so much happened that I am still processing it or that it’s STILL early November. November started with the best week of the year. When the marathon week rolls around, it’s ON. And there’s so much to do, see, enjoy, prep, etc… I was working crazy hours but even the days I was supposed to take off and rest/recover/prep, I was still doing things because it was impossible to stay away from the fun. Saturday, the 4th I run the Abbott Dash 5k to the Finish Line for the first time ever and it was an amazing experience. The next day was the BIG day, the TCS New York City Marathon. I got to Staten Island early, was at the start (on the Verrazano) for a couple of hours, then trucked to the finish line covering the male pro race and there I was at the finish line for a few hours. I got to see Juan and many friends finish. The things you see at the finish line are indescribable. I had been there about 3 times before as a volunteer, I’d totally recommend getting there if you’re not running. It can change your life. That’s literally how I decided to run a marathon, by watching the finishers… the next week was another whirlwind finishing and catching up, and the weekend after we run a modified version of the new United Airlines NYC Half course. The next weekend I went to Philly to cheer on a few friends doing the marathon, then it was Thanksgiving, and Juan’s birthday, and then, wait, it’s already December? HOW?

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Total Miles: 115

Races: 1. Abbott Dash to the Finish Line

Ups: Running the Dash, working on the TCS NYC Marathon, recovering, resting post-marathon, running in Brooklyn!

Downs: It got cold for a bit. I was a bit busy but if I didn’t get sick it’s a sign I held it well!

Balance: OMG BEST MONTH EVER!

October

October was a tough month. One last week of tapering, then the marathon. The Mohawk Hudson marathon was intense, and it left me mentally and physically exhausted.  I really don’t want to feel like that again. I also felt awful in the last 8 miles, and I really didn’t appreciate that. I know, that’s normal, but I am not used to that and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready to deal with it. I took a whole week off after. Luckily I was super busy at work the upcoming weeks with the marathon coming up and that’s where my brain and my energy went. Because my running went to crap! All my runs felt weird and awful for a while. Bye bye marathons.

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Total Miles: 102. told you it was crappy!

Races: 1. a marathon: a distance I hadn’t raced in 3 years!

Ups: done with the marathon, one way or another. On the other hand, super excited and happy at work with the “other” marathon stuff!

Downs: the marathon left a weird taste in my mouth. Not that I wasn’t happy with the result, I was mostly unhappy because I convinced myself I wanted to do it. Also, the marathon left me drained for a few days!

Balance: Glad it’s over.

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.

Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile

Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!

Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!

Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

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August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever

Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.

Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.

Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.

Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!

Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!

Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!

Downs: When I don’t run?

Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

RUN Brooklyn 5K

RUN Brooklyn 5K

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!

Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!

Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!

Downs: I am now training for a marathon?

Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)

Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.

Ups: managed to get enough miles

Downs: my race speed is MIA

Balance: I had fun!

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

Total Miles: 109

Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig

Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!

Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!

Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

  Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Total Miles: 127

Races: two! (6 total for the year!)

Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!

Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.

Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

  February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

Total Miles: 131

Races: three!!!

Ups: it was almost summer.

Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!

Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

Total Miles: 118

Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.

Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?

Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…

Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

October and November 2017 Recaps November November was a whirlwind. I feel like so much happened that I am still processing it or that it's STILL early November.

[nycrunning]

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.

Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile

Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!

Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!

Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever

Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.

Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.

Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.

Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!

Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!

Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!

Downs: When I don’t run?

Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

RUN Brooklyn 5K

RUN Brooklyn 5K

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!

Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!

Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!

Downs: I am now training for a marathon?

Balance: let’s go!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)

Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.

Ups: managed to get enough miles

Downs: my race speed is MIA

Balance: I had fun!

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

Total Miles: 109

Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig

Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!

Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!

Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

  Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Total Miles: 127

Races: two! (6 total for the year!)

Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!

Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.

Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

  February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

Total Miles: 131

Races: three!!!

Ups: it was almost summer.

Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!

Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

Total Miles: 118

Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.

Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?

Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…

Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

September 2017 Recap September Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered.

[nycrunning]

August

August was a whirldwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely a excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever

Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.

Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.

Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.

Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!

Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!

Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!

Downs: When I don’t run?

Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

Tracktown Summer Series

RUN Brooklyn 5K

RUN Brooklyn 5K

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Freshkills Park in Staten Island

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

Roosevelt Island Run

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

RUN 5K Central Park

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!

Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!

Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!

Downs: I am now training for a marathon?

Balance: let’s go!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)

Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.

Ups: managed to get enough miles

Downs: my race speed is MIA

Balance: I had fun!

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

Total Miles: 109

Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig

Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!

Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!

Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

  Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Total Miles: 127

Races: two! (6 total for the year!)

Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!

Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.

Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

  February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

Total Miles: 131

Races: three!!!

Ups: it was almost summer.

Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!

Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

Total Miles: 118

Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.

Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?

Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…

Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

August 2017 Recap August August was a whirldwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon.

[nycrunning]

Percy Sutton 5K Race Report

Percy Sutton 5K Race Report

  hey hey peeps!

So, I did a 5K!! I have been trying to get to one but seems like it’s always easier to do ANY other distance than a 5K! I always end up signed up for a half, a 4 miler a 5 miler, anything but a 5K! I had one 10 days ago and got cancelled for lightning… it is apparently just not in the cards. So then August rolled around, the NYRR Percy Sutton 5K was still open, this was my easy…