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.
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.
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…
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!
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!
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:
- 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.
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
runningandthecity 
amazing recap! i love all the photos too! it’s been quite a year of running 🙂
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Wow!! All these experiences must require a lot of preparation. I know from personal experience, I’ve been preparing for the NYC Marathon this November with the help of my PT’s at NYDN Rehab. This is the second time I will be running a full marathon and without the help of experienced PT’s it is hard to say I would be anywhere close to 100% ready.
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