Hot and Cold

My Tuesday night run went very well. It was 40 degrees out, which was warm compared to how it's been Saturday mornings. I even had to shed a few layers mid-workout. We did 1 mile repeats; 1 mi at a fast pace+ 1 minute of recovery. Since our workouts are capped to 1 hour, how many repeats you do really just depends on what there is time for. I got in a solid 4 repeats and was very happy with my mile times.

Thursday was my long run day. Got in 7 miles on the treadmill without stopping, but definitely had to slow down a lot the 2nd half.

Today's morning run was rough. Mostly because it is only 14 degrees out, but the fact that we were running hill repeats also didn't help. I was astounded at how many CRAZY people were braving the frigid cold to run; then I realized that technically I was one of those crazy runner people.

I couldn't feel my toes or my lower jaw for most of the time, which, as one can imagine, makes breathing and running a bit challenging.....at least in any remotely non-rediculous looking way. Then I saw a small dog wearing a jacket AND a plastic cone on his head and felt a smidge better.

Just as I was ready to completely quit, another girl who lives in Brooklyn asked if I wanted to run a cool-down with her. She was going to jog all the way home, I was definitely not feeling so ambitious, but agreed to jog from 102nd street down to Columbus Circle (59th street) before hopping on the subway. After all those hills, a slow jog through the park actually felt quite good.

On with the day...... (I still haven't taken off my hood and hat, maybe that will be my next move). Note to self---buy wool running socks ASAP.

T- 8 weeks

8 weeks to race day!

Training officially started 2 weeks ago. Thankfully, I have been doing a bit of running on my own prior to this. As part of the Run to Stop MS team, I have the lovely privilege of joining the Jack Rabbit Sports 1/2 Marathon training program, at no cost. This is an amazing deal, since training with other people is much more motivating. Not only have I met a few other people that are also running through the MS team, but for the first time I have had the pleasure of running in Central Park! Our coach has done at least a dozen Ironmans. This is great news, as he is a great resource and certainly knows how to train. On the flip side, this means killer workouts. So much for my fantasy of leisurely trotting 13.1 miles. Time to step it up a notch or two.

So far I have gone to two Saturday classes. Last week was gorgeous weather (considering it is January in NY). We did two 1.7 mile laps, trying to go as fast as we could and maintaing a steady pace the entire time. I felt good, ran well, and was overall pleased with my times......that was, until I learned that based on my performance I have now been placed in the "fast" group for future workouts.

Needless to say, this past Saturday's workout was a bit harder. The workout was 1/2 mile speed intervals. Run 1/2 mile as fast as you can, followed by equal time recovery. Repeat 6 times. I'm not used to running outside, so my shins are feeling the pavement, but after a couple days rest I'm hoping to feel better for tomorrow's workout. Apparently Central Park is pretty crowded with runners, even on a winter Tuesday night!

Prologue

After 15 days and 16 hrs without internet, my service has now been restored (not that I've been counting). When I was first told by a Cable Company That Rhymes With "Dime Corner" Customer Service Representative that it would be 2+ weeks before they would be able to service my faulty internet, this felt like an impossible stretch of time. The first few days were painful, but I quickly made the best of my enforced time lapse to another decade.

Anyways, I digress. Long story short, now that my internet is up and running I can start this blog. If I have deceived you so far, this is not a blog about life without Google, but rather about a different endurance event in my near future. If you are reading this, you probably already know that on March 21st I will be running the NYC Half Marathon on the Run to Stop MS team. This blog is a way to give a little something back to all my supporters.

When I was 5, my Aunt Sylvia was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Ever since I can remember, she has been living with this horrible disease for which there is no cure. She has lost physical strength, making walking an everyday challenge. In addition, she has had to give up her career due to the devastating effects of MS. But there is a way I can help fight for a cure. By running 13.1 miles, I will raise money that will make a difference. Thank you so much to everyone out there that is supporting me in this race. If you have not yet made a donation, you can click here to visit my personal fundraising page.

If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Run/NYNGeneralEvents?px=7623445&pg=personal&fr_id=13953&s_tafId=148563

I know this is a difficult time, but a donation of any amount helps!

More updates on my training coming soon.....