Marathon Training: Week 9 Summary

Once again I am late posting this weekly recap. I would love to be a full-time runner and blogger, but alas. I am constantly playing catch up. Fortunately, when my biggest problem is being too busy, I know I’m doing okay in life.

Week 9 was the week preceding the Cow Harbor 10K and my lowest mileage week since week 4. If we’re measuring the weeks Monday – Sunday (as the NYRR Virtual Training Program I’m using does), I only ran four days this week. So this should be a short post!

Make Yourself At Home: 2018 Great Cow Harbor 10K Race Recap

The Great Cow Harbor 10K is my favorite race that I completely ignored for 18 years.

I first ran the race in 1999 at the tender age of 25. I was a casual but dedicated runner, having run a handful of 5Ks, a copy of Runner’s World in my mailbox each month (yes, the print edition), and boasting a solidly middle-of-the-pack racing career. My 5K times were in the 8:45-9:45 pace range from what I recall, and I had never run a 10K before. Hell I don’t even know if I had run 6 miles. Maybe I had. If I had, it was my “long run.”

Cow Harbor is the nickname of my hometown of Northport, Long Island. Similar to calling New York City “The Big Apple,” it’s a fun moniker that no one actually uses in conversation. The backstory is that Northport used to be called Great Cow Harbor until I guess someone decided it was less of a mouthful to simply name the town for what it was: a village with a port on the north shore of Long Island.

In Lieu of a Gift for My Not Getting Married, Please Donate to Cancer Research

I have no plans to get married. Ever.

I have nothing against the institution of marriage. I think it’s a lovely thing when it works. I’m just not… interested. I don’t think it’s for me. Same goes for romantic relationships in general. I am serious. I think I’m done. I’ve been single for almost four years and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier. I like this life. I do what I want, when I want, and never have to consult with anyone about what to have for dinner. The only splayed limbs in my bed are my own. Also, loneliness seems to be a foreign feeling to me. I like hanging out with myself.

Marathon Training: Week 8 Summary

Once again I am a week behind in posting my weekly summary. I always feel like I’m behind somewhere in my life. Maybe someday I’ll be all caught up for a blissful 24-hour period and finally understand what that feels like.

Week 8 marked the official halfway point in my 16-week NYRR Marathon Virtual Training Program. This is significant, as whenever I hit the halfway point on my longer runs, I think now I am closer to the end than I am to the beginning, and I start fantasizing about what I’m going to eat afterward. Have you ever trained for a race, gotten your eating really clean, and fantasized about what you’re going to eat after the race? Me, I’m thinking sausage pizza. A whole one. And cookies. Large cookies. And these peanut butter s’mores I found a picture of online after googling “food porn.”

Let’s Go Crazy: 5th Avenue Mile Race Recap

I almost didn’t sign up for this race. I just didn’t think I was all that fast and maybe didn’t see the point in running a race that was essentially a sprint.

Several weeks later, when I was looking for more races to add to my calendar, I saw it on the NYRR schedule again and thought, wait, why NOT run this? Who cares how fast I am? WHO CARES ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL? So I signed up. Heck, I’d get a shirt or a hat, too. What’s to lose?

I’ve been training for the marathon, so most of my runs have been longer distances. I’ve done 5Ks and 10Ks in the 7:45-7:55 pace range. The interval workouts I’ve done have gone down to paces in the low 7:00s a few times, but only for a quarter mile to five-eights of a mile at a time. I’ve hit the 6:00s, but not for long. I had absolutely no idea how fast I could run a mile.

Fred’s Team & the Run to Coney Island

I haven’t been writing much about individual runs these days. There seem to be so many of them. However, I will make an exception when it is a truly memorable run. Many of you know that I’m running the NYC Marathon this fall (if you didn’t, welcome to what is apparently your first visit to my blog) and that I’m running it with Fred’s Team. Before I get into my run, here’s a little about Fred’s Team.

Marathon Training: Week 7 Summary

Week 7 was a HOT week. Literally. I sweat more in week 7 than maybe the previous six weeks combined. Luckily, it cooled off by the weekend. Unluckily, it’s hot again now in week 8.

But this post is all about week 7! I am following the 16-week NYRR Marathon Virtual Training Program in preparation for my first marathon on November 4th in NYC – just two months away! Gulp! Training is coming along great – I haven’t had any major aches or pains lately, KNOCK ON WOOD.

Run Like Hill: 2018 Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Race Recap

Saturday, August 25th marked my first 5K since moving back to NYC: the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run, only a stone’s throw from my new apartment! This would be my first 5K since the Marci Mazzola 5K on Long Island back in April, where I ran a personal best of 24:14. Would I be able to beat that today? Let’s find out!

Book Rec: First Ladies of Running

Just wanted to pop in and recommend a collection of fascinating stories about the history of women’s running. I bought First Ladies of Running by Amby Burfoot several months ago. After a rocky few months of not reading as much as I used to (losing my two-hour daily commute really threw a wrench in a lot of my productivity), I’m getting back into it – even if all I can do for the day is read for the 10-15 minutes I’m on the subway.