Running Form: top 10 at Healthy Kidney’s 10k in Central Park

Video from Mile 4.

A very racy weekend without racing (Scotland Run and Colon Cancer)

I was going to just run once this weekend, Saturday, so I timed it perfectly that I got to the park when the Scotland 10K leaders were going by. We stood there ~~and froze~~ and cheered my lungs out during the race before our run, which ended up being right under 10 miles. My runs lately haven’t been that great, nothing worth writing home about. I think I might have overdone it a bit running two halfs in 6 days, mostly after my big PR. My legs have been heavy since and something is off with my hamstrings, they’ve been spasmming and twitching, even when I sleep… I am stretching and hoping it’s just that I’ve been over doing it and not the extra weight I’ve been carrying around, because there is ~~nothing~~ not much I am willing to do about that. But cheering at the Scotland run is always fun as a lot of people dress up (I put a lot of FUN pictures up in this post) so it was a great morning!

On Sunday, I had signed up to volunteer at the Colon Cancer races, there was a 4 miler and a 15K and didn’t notice they were over an hour apart and my shift would be over 5 hours… So I was up at the crack of dawn again (which for me is a sin on the weekend IF I am not racing) and triple bundled up like a maniac. There were 30 of us there at Engineers Gate to be course marshals on the east side and I was the only one looking like the michellin man…

I was placed in the right turn on 94^th st, which in a way, was a great/tough spot, because most runners will hug the curb and not take the whole two lanes, but cyclists and everyone else gets shifted to the tiny right side of the road and were NOT happy about it. At all. And they were vocal about it. I am not going to pretend I don’t like to scream a lot but I was as nice as possible and all I could say back was something about please be safe and follow the rules. They hated me! (like I care!). Safety first people!!

Now, the race was fantastic and I felt awful not having signed up, weather was perfect for running (me, on the other hand… completely froze after 1 hour even with all the layers I had on!), and there were some fast times happening! Saw a lot of friends running, cheered for everyone (when I wasn’t taking people off my lane!) and I had a fabulous time. I am not gonna lie though, 5 hours is a bit much for me, I like 3 hours better but with two races they shifts get longer and no one wants to do them… but I had fun and got to cheer on two races, while also helping out!!

Spring is in the air today… dying to run up and down every day, but I have to be smart, I think…

Scavenger Hunt Entry, sit down for this one

Jun14

When (OSOM) Mr.Bacon posted about the Scavenger hunt I got so super excited I wanted to run out of work, lace up, and go out for pictures. Is there anything more exciting than pictures??? anything?

Do-not-think-so!

Of course you know I would go overboard with pictures! It took me one run plus some time in the Mini 10k on Saturday… Here we go!

Animal

The animals I see the most, along with squirrels, racoons, and birds: dogs on a leash!

Horse carriages in Central Park. By Tavern on the Green (which is also a Landmark, the NYC Marathon finishes there!!).

Holden Caulfield’s ducks!

My favorite, also a landmark: the bobcat on top of %#!$% Cat Hill… I usually %$%@^^&& right at him!!!

Body of Water

hey, humans are 70% water after all!! Ok, for real now!

The Bethesda fountain, a super famous landmark too

The Reservoir… See the blimp????

Favorite Medal

There’s two, I couldn’t pick one. My first NYC marathon, and my recent Boston. I love love love love love them! Oh, and a flower!

Landmark

Besides the Cat Hill, this one is my all time favorite in the park: Fred Lebow. I always salute him when I go by, and he’s right by my entrance to the park! Yo, Fred!!!!

License plate

This had me stressed out as I never look at cars… but I started paying attention and saw this!

And then… this!!

Footprint

my sweaty, sweaty, foot!!!!! this is probably why I get crazy big blisters!!

A flower

A sign with a four-syllable word on it

A plant that looks like a person

Ok… this doesn’t look like a person, but if you ask me what a runner’s high looks like, it’s THAT!!

A missing, broken or black toenail

No broken or black toenails right now… mine are missing!!!

Wild card

#1– My fridge:

#1– … ready???

hahaha!

This was F-U-N!!!

original post and comments here

Mini 10K RR

Jun13

Everybody I know was wondering why I’d be racing while Argentina was playing. I was questioning it too: I never do well in this race, it was hot, humid, and… the World Cup was on.

Still, I’d rather be the main character in my life before being a spectator of anyone else’s, so off I went to the park with my white chocolate mocha… A PR wasn’t the goal, but just to do this race justice. My 10k PR was three weeks old: a 46:43 (average pace of 7:32); but weather yesterday was not cooperating… I wasn’t expecting much, just to start slow and pick it up later.

Mary Wittenberg (President and CEO of NYRR), Paula Radcliffe, and Kara Goucher wished us luck and we were off. I was in the first corral, and that always spells disaster for me; I went out way too fast. (My first mile in the last 10k was 7:40.) Mile 1 and 2 got merged together as I was too hyped up to press the lap button. They averaged 6:59. Ooooops, crap. I am in big trouble. Then I heard/felt a bunch of people surrounding me: a huge group passes me with Mary and Paula. Pretty cool.

We then go into Central Park and I saw pretty much everybody I know there cheering (even Pottbott, remember him?). This race is just bigger than life and everyone comes out to watch!

Mile 3: 7:24, still going too fast, and I was definitely feeling the effects of the heat and humidity. That’s when I started to fall apart. Mile 4: 8:01. But when I saw the 4 mile mark I decided to step it up, though my mind kept wandering… The extra effort felt ok but I was so unfocused. Mile 5: 7:21. Until I started chasing this tall woman until the finish. I’ve noticed I’ve been doing that more and more, just chase someone… Mile 6: 7:28. The final .2 was done in 7:16 pace. I clocked in at 46:05. That’s a 38 seconds PR.

How?

I have no idea…

Weather was yucky, Blaise wasn’t there to pace me, I went out too fast, I had the same shoes, the same coffee… Someone figure this one out please. It’s making me mental…

Off to find everybody. Now, about the outfit: I have a couple of running skirts that I NEVER wear. I figured it I didn’t wear a skirt to the Mini10k, then I’d just have to recycle them. And the pink… it’s a all women’s race, I had to! Right?

I saw Kara, who looks OSOM as you can see, and I don’t have to tell you how sweet she is!

There’s Mary too. You all know she is “The Most Amazing Woman In The Whole Wide World”, right?

Katherine Switzer, who I had met in Boston earlier this year. You know her: a true pioneer of women’s running. She created this race, along with Fred Lebow, and was the first woman to run NYCM (won it twice) and the first winner of Boston (after they established the women’s category). She was also the one who pushed for adding the women’s marathon to the Olympics.

Where would we be without her?? Well, I’ll tell you: we’d still be holding our uterus so it wouldn’t fall out when we run; and running anything but marathons!

kara goucher mini 10k nyrr mary wittenberg adam goucher

Adam Goucher wasn’t getting as much attention as super-rockstar Kara, so we chatted for a while. He’s super nice and was telling me about his training and how much he suffered while injured. I get moody and grumpy when I can’t run, but I couldn’t even imagine how the elites would deal with it, it’s gotta be 500 times harder (he said he put on 15 pounds!!!); and he’s targeting the Olympic trials (for the marathon) so he’ll do the half in January instead. And… it’s confirmed, it’s a BOY!!!! Seems like they were all expecting a girl, but he’s happy as it took them so long to get pregnant. He’s super nice, that boy’s gonna be fast and OSOM with those genes!!

And, the myth, the woman, THE Paulinator! Not sure if Paula is a soccer fan but she didn’t say a peep about the Argentinian shirt. I was not about to bring it up.

She was SO nice!