Holiday 4M

Ran the Holiday 4M this Saturday - and it was cold! Had a pretty good race - ran it in 35:28 for a pace of 8:52. Saw Ramon and a bunch of the coaches and TNTer's which is always nice!

Did some good cross training on Sunday and Monday, felt good. Can't go to Niketown tonight b/c I have a work thing today. But brought my stuff to go to the gym and do my own speed workout afterwards.

Disney is in less then 3 weeks!!!! I am so excited!

Its cold outside...

The weather has definitely turned cooler...which is making running slightly more difficult. Went running Tuesday night at Niketown - had a great run. Did a 3.5 mile tempo run and felt good with a comfortable pace of 8:50. Excellent.

Running the NYRR Holiday 4M tomorrow morning. Should be another cold one. Still taking it kinda easy tomorrow. Don't want to over push my body post Chicago/Philly. Last race of the year! Then a new racing season starts in January - already looking forward to it!

Last week

Last week I was not very good about my training, despite my best intentions. Lots of Holiday parties for work and it messed my schedule up. Went to the gym last night and had a solid cross-training workout: ellipitcal, arms, legs and stretching. Going to NIKEtown tonight to go running with the group.

My bike

Finally got around to uploading a picture of Ginny (my lovely tri bike). Isn't she pretty?

Medals

Here are some pictures of my Philadelphia Medal and since I never posted a picture of my Chicago medal, here's that too.

Weekend run

Did the NYRR Hot Chocolate 15k this weekend (that's 9.3 miles) as my training run. As this was my first long run since Philadelphia, I decided to take it nice and slow. Ran at a 9:55 pace - stopped for water and walked (I really took it slow). Took my legs a long time to loosen up, apparently they were resisting this whole running thing (I don't know why, its not like I ran 2 marathons within 6 weeks or anything - haha). Also, I forgot to bring a gu with me, so I didn't take anything during it, which never helps. Anyways, getting back into a solid training schedule this week with some cross training tonight.

Also, just registered for the NJ Half Marathon - figured if I can do 2 laps of the thing, one will be a piece of cake!

Thursday Speed Workout

Did a speed workout on my own last night. Felt good too (kinda surprisingly, since I haven't been running). Did a Nike speed mix to OK GO! (great music to run to, by the way). 7 intervals in different lengths of time. Got up to a 6:58 for one of the intervals (granted it was only 30 seconds long, but I wasn't dying when I finished running it). Once my speed workout was done, I did some strength training (arms) and a nice long stretching section. Feel good all around. Ready for my race tomorrow (despite the fact this will be the longest I have run since Philly).

First run since Chicago

Had my first run since Chicago last night. Went to the Niketown running group and did about 4 miles. Took it nice and easy, but it felt good to get back out there and run. My knees where a little stiff afterwards, but lots of stretching made them feel better. I'm doing a 15k this Saturday with NYRR in the park, so this run was definitely key.

Crossing the finish line in Philyl

Here is the "official" picture of me crossing the finish line in Philadelphia. Don't I look awesome? Woohoo!

Nice week off

Had a nice enjoyable week off. And I mean off. Didn't do anything remotely related to training this past week. Going to get back into the swing this week. Can't not run forever :)

Pictures (philly medal + bike) are coming, I promise!

Halfway back to normal

I am still slightly sore today, but nothing too bad. Mainly in my legs. Kinda look ridiculous walking around my office all stiff.

Philly team mis-behaving party tonight with margarita's. You know how I love margarita's :)

Philadelphia Triathlon

Just registered for the Olympic Distance Philly Triathlon. It's next June. Will be a good practice tri for Timberman. Guess I'm gonna conquer Philly in the next year!

Finally done

I am finally done. Philly was great. I finished in 4:17 - a time I am SUPER happy with. My goal time was 4:15, so to finish right near there - I was thrilled. The race was good overall. The weather was much better then Chicago - mid 40's and even misted at times. Didn't rain enough to truly get me wet. I was feeling good for almost the entire time. At Mile 17, Kiernan jumped in and ran with me, which was a nice pick me up. Then Dave jumped in and ran with me until 21. It was after that that it started to get really hard. I had never run that hard for that long before and my body was aching. 21 was definitely my worst mile. Right before Mile 22, I saw Coach Sandy and Krista cheering on the sidelines. They jumped in and ran with me to 26. They were awesome. Kept me moving, would run in front of me if it was windy, ran ahead to get water for me. It was HUGE help in those last 4 miles and definitely kept me moving. Then, at mile 25.5, Coach Steve H and Melka also jumped in and ran with me. I had my own entourage (I hope some got a picture of it!). They all jumped out right at 26 and left me to finish. It was so great crossing the finish line! Finally felt like I had run a race on my terms and was so proud.

I like our medals a lot (I'll post a picture of it soon) and didn't remove it the entire day. So glad its finally done!

I am definitely sore today, but not as bad as after Chicago. Just taking it easy today and plan on treating myself for the week :)

I bought a bike!!!

Yes, that's right. I bought a bike. Its a beautiful Cervelo. I'll take some pictures and post them soon :)

Philly is an less than 4 days! Woohoo!

Ahhh!

I am about to purchase a tri bike! OMG! I mean, since I signed up to do a triathlon and everything, I knew the purchase was going to happen. But there is a big sale going on right now at one of the tri stores in the city and the bike I want is on sale for a ridiculous price. Going to go afterwork to check it out!!! Exciting!!!

Weekend run

Went for a short run this weekend. Looked like the weather was going to be crappy - it was pouring here Friday night and freezing. But by Saturday morning, it has stopped raining, but was still cold. Went for a quick 5 miles run. Less than a week to Philly! This week is all about the taper. And lots of stretching. So excited to eat lots of food at Thanksgiving, which conviently falls 4 days after philly :)

Weeknd Run

This is the last long run before the marathon (which is in 9 days, holy crap!). We'll be running about 6 miles. As of now, the weather looks like it may be crappy (rainy or potentially snowy!), so if it is, I will probably run on the treadmill. I'm feeling like I have a cold coming on and can't risk running outside in that kind of weather.

If you're interested in learning more about the half-ironman, check out: www.timbermantri.com
It'll tell you all about the event I'll be doing :)

Tuesday Workout

Last night was our last "hard" workout before the marathon. We have already begun to taper. It was fairly simple last night - 3 lower loops, 2 at tempo, third on faster. I actually only ended up doing 2 loops. I was feeling like I was getting a cold, so i decided to take it easy as not to wear myself out and actually get sick.

Busy Weekend

Busy weekend, lots to update on. Saturday was the Olympic Trials for the Men's Marathon. Ryan Hall won with dominance. It was truly inspiring to watch some of the best marathoners in the world run. I followed up watching the trials with a 11 mile run. It was a gorgeous day for running, so it was perfect.

Saturday night was the TNT pasta party which we all went too. It was good, made me cry (of course, typical of a TNT event).

Sunday was the NYC marathon. We went out and cheered on all the TNT participants, of course. Jenny, my running partner from New Jersey and my fellow Disney runner, was running. I jumped in with her at mile 18.5 and gave her some encouragement until Mile 23.5. She looked great and I am so proud of her!

And, if you didn't know I was insane already, I registered today at 11:53 for the Timberman Half-Ironman. That's right, a half-ironman. A 1.2 Mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. I am NUTS!

Tuesday Training

Tuesday training was last night. It was a gorgeous night for running! Perfect conditions. Did 2 lower loops and one cat hill. My legs were still a little tired from the weekend, so I took it easy.

Running filled weekend

Definitely did a lot of running this weekend. Got up on Saturday for my last long run prior to the marathon. And it was raining. And not a little bit of rain, a lot of rain. But marathon training does not wait for nice weather, so I ran. In the rain. Got the 20 miles done. I felt good, towards the end I started to get some rubbing in my shoes from the wet socks, but other then that it was a good run.

On Sunday, I did the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5M in Central Park. It was cold (only 53 degrees), but a nice cold. Ran it nice and slow (still recovering from the 20 miler, so no need to push it) and finished in 47:46 - a 9:33 min per mile pace. Not bad for my first race from Chicago.

Only 20 days until Philly!

Good run

Had a great run last night. I couldn't run on Tuesday night with the Team because I was bag watching (all mentors take turns bagwatching so everyone else can run), so I ran last night. And since it was gross and rainy, I ran inside. Typically, I don't like running on the treadmill. I usually find it boring and extremely tiring. But last night, I had a great run. After warming up for 5 mins, I ran for another 50 mins at a 10:00 min pace and even some for a 9:50 mile pace. Felt comfortable, prolly could have kept running. Feeling back to myself for Philly!

Weekend Run

Went for my first "true" long run since Chicago this weekend. Did about 13 miles and let me tell you it was tough. My legs definitely took a long time to feel good again. But I did it and its over. One last long run next weekend - 18-20 miles - left before Philly.

On a side note, went looking for road bikes this weekend so I can do some tri's next year. I am freaking nuts!

Its official!

It's official - I have lost my mind! I just registered for the Philadelphia marathon. Holy crap, I'm crazy!

This weekend

Got a nice and short run in this weekend. Ran 5 miles on Saturday with the team. Before our run, we had a meeting with Coach Ramon to discuss the Philly Marathon and logistics. Looks like its gonna be a team of about 40 or so people. Insane!

All recovered

Well, I'm all recovered from Chicago. My quads are still a little tight, but nothing too bad. Believe it or not, I'm ready to start running again. As I said before, I'm considering doing the Philly marathon on the 18th. Ramon is holding a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss. Can't believe I'm so insane! But some of my teammates are considering doing it, so I'm not alone :) I'll keep you all posted on my decision.

Chicago Re-cap

Well, the Chicago marathon has come and gone. And let me tell you, it was one for the books. While I finished, it was most definitely one of the hardest things I've done. It was super hot in Chicago - so hot in fact that it was record breaking. Yup, record breaking. The temp reached close to 90 degrees. It was insane out. I just tried to drink as much water and gatorade as possible in order to stay hydrated. It was not an easy job. I was drinking 2 cups of gatorade at every station and pouring as much water on me as possible to stay cool. I was also putting ice in my hat to keep my head cool. The ground was un-godly hot. By Mile 17, my feet were on fire. And to top it all off, at Mile 23.5, the marathon was CANCELLED. That's right, cancelled. We were allowed to continue, but we're encouraged to walk. I still got to complete the entire 26.2 and cross the finish line. It was unreal. There were ambulances everywhere and people collapsed on the side of the course due to the heat. The heat just got to everyone.

I did finish, and I am very proud of it (especially considering the heat factor), but I do feel like I missed the true Chicago experience (although I won't be running there again for a while). Some of our team members weren't even able to finish! Ramon is organizing a team for the Philly marathon on November 18th for people who feel "cheated". I am seriously considering running it. Hmmmm. I'll be making a decision soon.

Less then 1 week!

OMG - the marathon is in 6 days. I can't believe its here already. All season it seemed super far away and now its here. YAY.

This week is all about the taper and relaxing. No working out this week. 40 min run on Tuesday and 30 mins on Thursday and that's it.

This past week we ran for 50 mins along the westside highway. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for a run. People running long had a great day for it.

Weekend taper

This weekend will be doing a nice short run of approximately 6 miles. The weather should be gorgeous and perfect for a nice run. Chicago is an (almost) a week! Woohoo!

Yay for tapering

Yay for tapering. Last night we did a nice easy run of 4 miles. Took it easy. Not running today because of tapering. Running less this week then normal and even less next week. Can't believe the race is already here!

Weekend run

Was in Cape Cod this weekend for a wedding, so ran there. Since the race is less then 2 weeks away, we are beginning to taper. Ran about 11 miles. We ran on this bikepath that was gorgeous. Ran along the beach for part of it. Beautiful run and nice way to see Cape Cod.

Tonight is send-off. We'll get last minute details as well as the rest of our flight information and such. So soon!

Its coming up!

Only 15 days until the marathon - ahhhh! Can't believe its almost here. I remember when I started this blog and was getting ready to run my second race. How insane! Anyways...

Tuesday night was more pacing work. Ran out and back pacing myself. My body was still a little tired from RTB, so I took it easy. No reason getting injuried 2 weeks before the race.

Running about 12-13 this week - I'm gonna be in Cape Cod for Denis' wedding, so I'll be running there. Nice change of pace from Central Park.

Reach the Beach Recap!

So, this weekend was Reach the Beach (RTB). Had an awesome time. We finished in 31h 4 mins for a pace of 9:03. How awesome is that? I ran each of my legs in under 8:45 - not really sure where the burst of speed came from - I never run that fast, nor do I run that fast in mountains (I'm not calling them hills, because we ran through freaking mountains). Really had a great time, was happy with my paces and loved the experience. Super excited for next year already!

I'm working on uploading the pictures, so once I do, I'll post the link. YAY Your Pace or Mine (my team name)!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was our pre-race trip the trails - 20 miles total (10 out and 10 back). The Chicago team went to New Jersey and ran actual trails (you know, dirt, rocks, trees, etc). It was hot and humid. Not one of my best runs, but now its done and the marathon is less then 30 days away! OMG!

This weekend is Reach the Beach. It's a 200 mile relay race in New Hampshire. We're heading up to NH on Thursday night and start running Friday morning. I am very excited - should be excellent.

Tuesday Night workout

Last night we worked on pacing. Ran with Jenny. Did a warm-up from E65 to E72 and from there we paced from E72 to E90 (1 mile). Then paused for 2 minutes to recover, then ran back to E72 - 15-20 seconds faster then we ran there. Then we repeated this. And then we did 2 Cat hill repeats. My toe felt ok, a little sore, but didn't prevent me from doing the workout and actually pushed it so it was challenging. Nice Tuesday workout.

Short run on Saturday

This Saturday we did a short run - only 8 miles. Nice recovery from last week's 20 miler and prepping for next week's 20 miler. Other then that run, took it a little easy, did cross training on Monday, but otherwise off letting my toe rest. On Saturday afternoon, I stubbed my toe at my friends pool and took off a chunk of skin. It's still slightly tender, so I didn't run so it could heal for this weekends run.

Tonight is group training. We will be working on pacing.

Tuesday night workout

Last night's workout wasn't too bad. Did a farlek run (which is pretty much a run with bursts of speed in it) for a 5 mile loop. It was cooler out, but still pretty humid. Run went good. My legs were still slightly sore from the (almost) 20 miler on Saturday, but other then that good.

This Saturday is a dip week - only running between 6-8 miles. Should be nice.

Monday night run

Went for a short run last night - just 30 mins. Hot and humid out again. Felt good, surprisingly not sore from Saturday's long run.

Hottest run of the season

So this weekend was the hottest run of the season (and the longest). It was like 85 with an 85% humidity - I was sweating before I started running. Despite the heat, still managed to get in a long run. Coach Michael decided to change this up this weekend and we did a "Bridge Run". What's that you ask? We ran the bridges! Started at Riverside, ran down the Westside Highway, across at Chambers and over the Brooklyn Bridge (like last week), except we turned around at the Brooklyn side and ran back to Manhattan (too bad it was too foggy for a good view). We then ran up Centre to Delancy and out and back over the Williamsburg Bridge. Then up the East River Running path, up 1st Ave to 72nd and back to Riverside.

Total mileage: 19.33 miles.

And, on top of it being hot and humid and a long run - it was hilly! Never run over a bridge? Trust me - its a hill (both directions!)! Man was I tired afterwards!

Still sore

Haven't been able to run / train at all this week following cross training. Coach Michael really worked us this week. My legs are still sore and its 2 days later. Stairs hurt. Moving hurts.

Thanks Michael!

Ouch...

So last night was "X-Training 102" or in other words, Coach Michael gets to torture us. It was a good workout, I'm not going to lie, but OUCH. We did jumping drills, sprints, races, squats, lunges, pushups, planks, mountain climbers and more. I am definitely sore today. I was going to get up and go for a run this morning. But my body was still achy, so I decided it was probably better to sleep and recover.

Brooklyn Bridge Long Run

So this past Saturday for our long run, we did a run to Brooklyn. It was a gorgeous day to run - cool tempature and not too hot. Ran from W72nd st down the west side highway to Chambers. Then we ran east on Chambers to the Bridge. Over the bridge and through Brooklyn to Prospect Park. Once in the park, we did 2 full loops. Ran about 17 miles :)

Tuesday night workout

We had group training last night - warmer then Saturday, but still decent running weather. We did a full loop of the park (6 miles) as a tempo run. First mile was a warm-up and the next 5 were at a pace 30 seconds slower then our 10k pace. Did pretty good.

Saturday Long Run

This past Saturday was a perfect day for a long run. The weather was much cooler then it has been and I loved it. I am discovering, having done a summer and winter training season now, that I prefer running in the cold to running the heat. I have much better runs and they are faster too. Anyways, this weekends weather was perfect (almost perfect I should say - could have been a little cooler) and I was able to get in 16 miles. Took me 2:43 - which is a very good pace for a training run. Afterwards, we have Connection to the Cause, which is an event where the honored teammates speak about the Society and TNT. It's always a good event and never fails in making me cry.

Fundraising Update!

Fundraising update:

I am currently at $1925 - approximately 39% of my goal. Please take a minute if you haven't donated and click on the link below. You really can help make a difference! Thanks.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/tntnycSPodzio2

My insanity continues

Less then 40 days until Reach the Beach (RTB). For those of you who don't know, RTB is a 200 mile relay race through New Hampshire. I am really excited to do it! I don't know yet which leg I will be running, but it will most likely be between 16 - 19 total miles. We'll be heading up on Thursday and coming home on Sunday. So excited! Should be an excellent time.

Saturday Long Run

The hot and humid weather continues. During Saturday's long run, it was 75 degrees with 92% humidity. I have never sweated so much in my life. Did 14 miles, which was one less then my goal, but I would have died if I did the last mile, so I cut it short. Talked to the coaches and they said that was a wise decision. Running when your body can't handle it requires a longer recovery time and does more damage then good.
Got up early this morning and did some cross training exercises. Squates, lunges, pushups and ab work. Starting the week off right.

Recent runs

Training has been going well lately. Ran 13 miles over the week. Definitely felt tired at the end, but it was ungodly humid, so that's to be expected. Training was last night, did a tempo run. First 1 mile was a warm-up and then ran the next 5 at a tempo pace (not all out racing pace, but faster then a casual run). Felt good during the run. Made sure to hydrate all day and eat a good lunch. Definitely helped. 15 miles this weekend. Supposed to be hot and humid all weekend, always fun.

Let's recap shall we...

So, its been a couple of days since I last posted...so let's recap quickly. Wasn't able to go to training on Tuesday since I was home sick (and when I say sick, I mean really sick - it takes a lot for me not to go to work). Lost a couple of days of training because of it. But got a really good run in on Saturday - 10 miles and felt good doing it. Last night was more tempo training, which was ok. I wasn't feeling good (didn't eat a big enough lunch) and took it easy. Gonna get up and go for a run tomorrow mornign.

Park to Park 10k

Ran the Park to Park 10k this weekend (that's 6.2 miles for those of you who don't know). Woke up Saturday morning feeling sick - no voice, stuffy nose and slightly nauseous. Because of that, I wasn't able to eat a good breakfast (a no, no before races). For the obvious reasons, I didn't have the best race, but still finished in 1 hour, averaging 9:48 min/miles. I'll post splits tomorrow.

Running in the Rain...

So training on Wednesday was not one of my best ones. It was pouring and for some reason, I had the worst side stitch. Still got about a 5.5 mile run in, which is good. Also got up on Thursday morning and went for a run. Park to Park 10k this weekend.

Disney is less then 6 months away! We just booked our dinner reservations. Can you tell we're excited?

Training tonight

Tuesday night training was moved to tonight. Luckily, it is much cooler today then it was yesterday, except there is a chance of run tonight. I remembered to bring a dry shirt in case it rains. No buying a new outfit! Can't do that everytime it rains. Tonight we are running by race, not by level. So all the Chi-towners will run together!

Got up yesterday and went for a 3 mile run, so I feel good. Gonna try and get up tomorrow morning and go for a run as well, since Helena is having a fundraiser tomorrow night and I know I won't be able to run then.

Back into the swing of things...back from Florida and ready to get back into training. Feeling a little behind, but nothing I can't catch up on. Hoping to get in some cross-training tonight.

This weekend we will be running the Naples - NYC Park to Park 10k. Should be a good run. Let's hope its not to hot!

Fundraising Update!

Quick update on my fundraising status. Currently at $1,090 - 22% of the way towards my goal of $5,000. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far - you all rock! If you haven't yet, please take a minute to make a donation. Thanks.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/tntnycSPodzio2

Tuesday Training

Training last night was intense. We worked solely on technique last night. We worked on leg turnover and push-overs. Very intense workouts. And we did it on the Bridle path, which takes more effort because its dirt and up 2 hills. I am very sore now. But a good workout.

Hope and Possibility Splits

Here are my splits from the Hope and Possibilty 5M:

Mile 1: 9:31
Mile 2: 9:00
Mile 3: 9:10
Mile 4: 8:53
Mile 5: 8:32
Total: 45:12

Avg. per mile pace: 9:02

Pretty good. They aren't 100% accurate, my watch was being weird.

Hope & Possibility 5M

Yesterday was the Hope and Possibility 5M race. We did this race as a team and even now, I still get a thrill when approaching the finish line and some 30 odd people are screaming for you. Gives you a nice boost before the end. Had a good run. Was worried a bit before hand since my training has been so spuratic so far this season. So, I went out easy and tried not to push it to hard, just to get a decent run in. Ended up running a 9:00 per mile pace. That usually is not a "slow" run for me. I'm pretty impressed. Wonder what it would have been if I had pushed it. I have my splits at home. I'll post them tomorrow.

Upcoming Races

So this Sunday we will be participating as a team in the NYRR Hope and Possibility 5M. No training on Saturday because of the race. Although, I may try and get a long run in on Sunday anyways. Haven't really gotten a good one in in a while and with vacation coming up.... We'll see.

Tuesday traning

Last night was training. No rain thankfully. Can't handle that two weeks in a row. Ran about 5.5 miles. We ran the course for the race on Saturday with a warm up and cool down. Had an ok run. Got new shoes and last night was the first run in them, so they need to be broken in. The humidity also killed me. I soooo do not remember training last summer like this.

Rockstars

We are rockstars. Especially after last night. Tuesday training, tempo runs. Did one lower loop for a warm up and then ran the rest of the 5 mile loop at a hard pace. But that's not what makes us rockstars. It was the fact that we did this in the POURING RAIN. And when I say rain, I don't mean a drizzle. It was pouring. And it was cold. But we did it. I won't lie, I have never been so wet and cold in my life. Nothing like finishing a run and standing around in wet clothing.

In fact, after training, Jenny and I went to the New York Running Company in Time Warner and BOUGHT dry clothing. I kid you not. I did need a new running shirt, so that was good. And I really like the one I bought. Didn't really need new shorts....but they were dry so that's all that mattered.

My lower back has been bothering me since yesterdays run. Feeling better today, but last night it was tight. Hoping doing a light run and lots of stretching will help it feel better.

Insane...

More proof that I have lost my mind. I am officially registered to do Reach the Beach - a 200 mile relay race in New Hampshire (www.rtbrelay.com). Yep. I'm crazy. Check out this video from a previous years race:

http://www.rtbrelay.com/Attachments/RTB05_Trailer12-27_Final_1.mpg

Recap

Well, I wouldn't call last week my best week of training ever...didn't really get a lot of good running in. Missed our Tuesday night practice b/c of a work thing and couldn't go to Sat. b/c of a wedding. Hoping this week is better...

huge dork...

I think my obsession with running just confirms the fact that I'm a huge dork. Case #1 - this shirt I just bought: Chicago 2007 In Training. Yup, I'm that much of a dork.

And to top it all off, they have a Chicago Jacket that I am seriously considering pre-ordering. I love that my running has given me a new wardrobe and a way to expand my shopping problem :)

Tuesday Workout

Training last night...it was hot! Definitely blacked out the heat portion of last summer's training. Ran 4 miles - slightly easy (not sure easy, but not hard either). Haven't cross trained in a while and am sore from Monday night (still sore today too).

Memorial Day = Weekend of Running

Finally really getting back into training. Saturday practice went well, extrememly hot and humid (a preview of summer weather training - which I seemed to have blacked out from last summer). Ran 5 miles which is my longest run since the marathon. Despite being hot and sweaty, had a pretty decent run. Also went for a 30 minute run on Sunday and did some running and cross training (think squats, lounges, situps, pushups, etc) on Monday. Training tonight. Not sure what exactly I'll be doing tonight. Beginners are doing cross training (think I'll pass - sorry Coach Michael!), so I think I'll be running with the Intermediates who are focusing on effort levels.

Getting back into the swing of things

Ran my longest distance since the marathon on Tuesday, 3.5 miles. Definitely felt good to get out there and run again. Also got up on Wednesday morning and went running. Have training this Saturday in CP. Weather is going to be in the 80s. Welcome back to warm weather training. Remember in the winter when I complained about the cold weather?

Pictures from Mis-behaving Party

Some pictures from the Spring Season Mis-behaving Party!

Mentor Buddies - Jenny, Me and Steve



Me and Coach Steve



Craziness ensuing...

Updates...

It's been a while since I posted...here's some updates:

Disney
We are all done with Disney planning. Are staying at Port Orleans - Riverside. Looks nice. We got a really great package that includes hotel, park tickets, a meal plan. It's gonna be awesome. Plus, TNT does this as an event, and the coaches already told us we could crash there "we just ran a marathon/half-marathon" party. yay!

Spring Season Mis-behaving Party
The spring season mis-behaving party was last Friday. Had a blast. As usual, Ramon got crazy, I drank too much :) Training the next morning was interesting. I also won an award - Freaking Most Improved. So proud :) I really worked hard last season and love that they noticed. It probably also helped that I took 40 mins off my PR (which is unusually, it usually only improves by like 3-4 mins)

Fall Season
Fall season has started. I am still taking it easy for right now. Most I've run is 2 miles. I have 5 months still and, lets be real, I did just run a marathon. Easing back into it is definitely the best way for me not to get injuried. I'm so smart.

Disney - 2 of 4 things done!

So we just booked our tickets for Disney. Found a ridiculously cheap flight (only $148 roundtrip!). Now we just have to figure out lodging and park tickets. I am beyond excited!

Fall Season Kick-off Tonight!

That's right - fall season is here already! I am super excited for Chicago in October and to meet my new mentees! Kick-off is a great way to see what TNT is all about. Interested in coming:

Kickoff
7pm
630 Second ave (b/w 34th and 35th) - its a big church, cant miss it.

See you then!

Disney World!

So Jenny and I decided that we are going to run the Disney World Half Marathon in January. We already registered for it! YAY! I am actually really excited - I hear great things about the race. Plus, you know I love a good half marathon. We are going to take a couple of days off of work and go down and spend some days in the park. Very excited! Make your calendar's January 12th at 6am (Yes, the race starts at 6am, meaning I'll be done and ready to ride some rollar coasters at 8am). Plus, it's 2 weeks before my b-day!

Things I learned this weekend...

Things I learned this weekend courtesy of the NJ Marathon:
1. Chocolate GU is repulsive after 22 miles. Vanilla from now one please.
2. Gatorade really is the drink of champions.
3. Local marathons are very different then big city marathons. Running through people's streets/neighborhoods, not so much fun
4. On a loop course (each loop equalling 13.1 miles), miles 12 and 13 are very depressing. Having everyone yell "Only 1 miles to go" or "You're so close" when you really have 13+ miles to go is not a great motivator.
5. TNT truly does have the best coaches :)
6. Coach Ramon and his cowbell will make anyone smile at mile 26.6

I did it!

That's right - New Jersey is done! I had a pretty good race. Started out a little too fast and paid for it during the second half. Still finished in 4:25 which I am very excited about! I took close to 40 minutes off of my previous marathon time, which is un-real. I am thrilled! I am very sore today though - my body hates me (in a good way). Hopefully will get a massage tonight - that will definitely help with the soreness. YAY for me!

This is it!

This is it - the marathon is finally here! I can't believe its here already. These past 5 months of training have flown by. Only 4 days left!

Ran the Alumni fun run on Sunday - was a blast. Great to see a lot of participants from last fall.

The run on Sunday served another purpose for me: it was race #9 of 9 to qualify for the New York City Marathon next year. That's right - NYC 2008! It's going to be awesome!

Alumni Fun Run!

Ready for Fall season? Missing our wonderful coaches? Come to the Alumni Reunion Fun Run on Sunday! Details below:

Sunday, April 22nd - Adidas Central Park 4-miler (click here to register: http://www.nyrr.org/races/2007/r0422x00.asp)
9:30am - Meet at Bethesda Terrace (south side)
10:00am - Run/Walk begins
11:00am - 1:00pm : Gin Mill (81st & Amsterdam Avenue )
and……
FREE breakfast & $3 mimosas

You know I'm there for the $3 mimosas :)

Make sure to wear your purple singlet and show some TNT pride!

As Coach Ramon says: Behave!

Send off

Tonight we are not having a group training session, instead it is send-off. Send-off is were we get all the details of the weekend (hotels, flights, pasta and victory party tickets, singlets, etc). It's also we were get last minute details about training, what we should be doing in the next 2 weeks and etc. Also gets everyone super excited for the weekend.

Only 12 days until the marathon!

Boston Marathon

Today is the Boston Marathon. A bunch of people from TNT are running it, including 3 of the coaches, 1 training captains and numerous mentors. Even though the weather is not great (rainy and possibility of snow), I am sure they will all have a great race! Good luck!

Brooklyn Half Marathon

Ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday. It was gorgeous day for a run. Started in Coney Island and finished in Prospect Park. Had a really great run - kept a 9:11 pace, one of my best training runs of the season. Looking forward to NJ! Pictures coming later this week.

Socials!

We at TNT looove to get our drink on (Carbs, anyone?) Below are some pictures from our last 2 socials

Blondies (3/20)


Me, Meg and Kate - the rebels who sat at the bar


I don't know...

Fiddlesticks (3/29)


Me, Melanie and Erin - Fall Mentor's unite

Tuesday Workout

Last night's workout was pretty basic. Three lower loops of the park for a total of 5.1 miles. Except I only did 2 loops. Wasn't really feeling good so decided to cut it short. Definitely a good idea.

Long Run

Ended up doing a 12 mile long run instead of 14. My left calf was starting to bother me at Mile 11, so I decided to cut it short rather then risk injuring myself. Definitely a good idea. Even Coach Ramon agreed. Now only 1 long run left before the marathon - the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon this weekend.

Interested in joining TNT?

Interested in joining TNT? Teams are forming now for the Fall season. Attend an info meeting to learn more:

Tuesday, April 10
7:00pm
Schulte, Roth, and Zabel
919 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(Entrance on 55th Street)
Please bring I.D.

Wednesday, April 18
7:00pm
Girl Scouts of America, 6th Floor
43 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
(Between 5th and 6th Avenues)

Thursday, April 19
6:30pm
Trinity School
139 West 91st Street
New York, NY 10024
(Between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues)

Saturday, April 21
11:00am
Westside YMCA
5 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
(Between Broadway and Central Park West)
Please bring I.D.

Saturday, April 21
11:00am
Prospect Park YMCA
357 Ninth Street
New York, NY 10023
(Between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Please bring I.D.

Monday, April 23
6:30pm
**Exclusively for Walkers**
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 8th Floor
475 Park Avenue South (at 32nd Street)
New York, NY 10016
Please bring I.D.

Tuesday, April 24
7:00pm
Citibank Building
1 Court Square, 50th Floor
Queens, NY 11101
(Intersection of 44th Drive and Jackson Avenue)

Wednesday, May 2
6:30pm
**Exclusive Nike Marathon Meeting**
Wild Salmon (formerly English is Italian)
622 3rd Avenue (40th Street)
New York, NY

Wednesday, May 2
7:00pm
Central Brooklyn Library (Grand Army Plaza Branch)
Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Thursday, May 3
7:00pm
Schulte, Roth, and Zabel
919 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(Entrance on 55th Street)
Please bring I.D.

Wednesday, May 9
6:30pm
630 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(Between 34th and 35th Streets)

Races for the Month of April

In the home stretch of training before the marathon, but that doesn't mean I'm done racing. Here's whats on the ticket for April:

April 14 - NYRR Half Marathon Grand Prix: Brooklyn - working on my guaranteed entry for the 2008 NYC 1/2 Marathon. Although, I will be using this as a long training run. Ramon made me promise not to race it.
April 22 - adidas Run for the Parks (Central Park) - This is going to be a TNT Fun run to recruit alumni to come back for the Fall season. It'll be followed by a free breakfast and $3 mimosas at the Gin Mill. Check back for more details
April 29 - M-Day! New Jersey Marathon in Long Branch.

Pacing

Last night we continued to focus on pacing (something I was not so good at during my last marathon). We started at Bethesda and ran up East drive, across 102 and down the West side for 30 mins. Then we turned around and ran back pushing ourselves a bit. I managed to run back faster then I ran there (which is good). Ran just over 6 miles total.

Spoke with Coach Ramon about this weekends training run. Wasn't sure if I needed to run long again or if I should begin to taper (taper is when you start running easier to prep your body for marathon day). While my mileage will go down, I don't actually get to taper. According to Ramon, I need to run 14 miles on Saturday: 6 very easy and 8 hard. Making sure to push myself on the last 8 is key. Weather should be in the 40's on Saturday, making it great running weather.

Fall Season

As hard as it is to believe (given that the Spring season isn't over yet), Fall season has begun. For Fall season I will be mentoring for the NYC Marathon and running the Chicago marathon. This is particularly exciting for me, because I have a lot of family in the Chicago area and am looking forward to having them there. We just had our Fall Season Mentor Kickoff meeting followed by a social (Coach Michael even bartended). Great way to start off the season. Training for Chicago officially starts on May 12 - just 2 weeks after New Jersey. I am nuts!

Long Run

Since I have some family visiting for the weekend, I won't be able to get my long run in on Saturday like normal, so I went this morning. Choose to do the perimeter of the island as a change up from Central Park. Didn't quite measure my mileage correct before hand and actually can 21 miles (was only supposed to run 20). Felt good, gorgeous weather out. Finished in 3:20 at a 9:33 pace. Very good training run.

MORE 1/2 Marathon

Getting ready to cross the finish line at the MORE 1/2 Marathon on March 25, 2007

MORE 1/2 Marathon

Ran the MORE 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles for those who don't know) in Central Park on Sunday. Had a PR (personal record) with a time of 1:59. Before that my fastest time was a 2:03 - a huge inprovement. I am very excited.

Was definitely sore the next day, but the time was worth it!

And so it begins...

Well, I have decided it was time to create a blog to document all my running craziness. Give people a chance to see what I am doing and how training is going.

As many people know, I am training for the New Jersey Marathon on April 29th (ok, so this is a couple of months late seeing as how I am already most of the way through training) as a member of the New York City chapter of Team in Training (TNT). For more information on TNT visit: www.teamintraining.org

Also make sure to check out my personal fundraising page: http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/tntnycSPodzio1

I will also be running the Chicago marathon on October 7, 2007 - mark your calendars! In addition to participating, I will be mentoring participants and helping them to cross the finish line. Will be a great season!