NYCM Birthday Weekend (Oh, and a Workout)

Sunday AM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 4-5x3k @11:00 or faster (5:52 pace) w/2 min. jog/rest
Actual: 11:18 (into wind), 10:55, 10:57, 10:53
1 mile c/d
Total: 12 miles
Sunday AM #2: ~4 miles to/from/around marathon course
Daily total: 16 miles

Wow, what a weekend! It's hard to summarize it all into one cohesive blog post, but since I'm far too lazy to write a handful of separate entries I'm going to attempt just that.

So, let's go back to the beginning. Except I don't really know where the beginning is. Technically, this trip started on Wednesday morning as Jordan and I loaded up and headed out for the rest of the week on the road. NYC was our ultimate destination for Friday meetings at the Runner's World international editors summit and marathon weekend shenanigans, but we had several stops along the way. Wednesday night found us in Princeton, NJ and an impromptu hosting from newly relocated Esther Erb. Fresh off her recent top three finish at the US Marathon Champs, she led us on a great Thursday morning run in an amazing soft surface park next to her new digs before we continued southbound to Philly. On Thursday night, Karhu sponsored a Halloween-themed Urban Scramble with Philadelphia Runner, which basically meant that I sprinted through the downtown Philly streets with a heavily perspiring Karhu bear (and yes, I did count those two miles). We had great company yet again for my birthday morning run, as former D2 standout and soon-to-be Philadelphia Marathoner Tina Muir showed us around her favorite local training grounds in Wissahickon Park. And then, finally, we set off on the final leg of our journey into Manhattan. Marathon weekend was upon us!

The Karhu Bear and his new Philly Runner buddies

Friday afternoon until Sunday morning was all a blur of reunions with friends, industry colleagues, and elite marathoners and coaches past and present. My workout was originally slated for Saturday morning, but after a little bit too much fun Friday night at the Runner's World party it seemed a bit unrealistic. Instead, Jordan and I decided to see how long we could stretch out a 10-mile run (answer: about five hours) by meandering our way around various marathon-related activities. First we jogged up to Columbus Circle and met Sarah and Jay to cheer on Molly, Esther and other elites in the NYRR Dash to the Finish 5k. In desperate need of coffee and lured by the buttery aroma of freshly baked croissants, we swung by Fika before making our way over to the Hilton on Avenue of the Americas for a quick work meeting. If you've never experienced this hotel during marathon weekend, it's really something else. Besides being the official host hotel for the event and its athletes, it is also the unofficial hub for the elite race and everything it entails. Within its massive lobby and bar area, you're likely to be surrounded at any given time by dozens of elite marathoners, coaches, agents, team--ahem--doctors, media and pretty much anyone else that is associated with the race in any capacity. It's hard to make it through the lobby to the elevators without bumping into a handful of people that you know, which of course is what happened and somehow resulted in us abandoning my workout plans in favor of a pre-race shakeout with Kim, Amy, Katie DiCamillo and Diane Nukuri-Johnson, whom I'd never met before in person but upon first glance quickly confirmed that, as suspected, her legs were twice as long and half as fat as mine.

Posing for the paparazzi on Friday night with Huub, the Karhu CEO. He would go on to run 3:50 on Sunday.

The run was easy, relaxed and fun, but at the same time infused with a distinct undercurrent of nervous energy. As we entered Central Park, I'm sure each of the girls visualized what it would be like the next day when their race-weary feet would pound the same section of pavement on the finishing stretch. The park is always bursting with energy the day before the marathon, as eager runners criss-cross the paths and snatches of conversation in every imaginable language can be heard in passing. The girls stopped for drills and I continued on with Jordan, jogging under the finish line banner to soak in the atmosphere even though we knew it would be an absolute cluster. We continued south on the West Side Highway, our run now approaching a total of eight miles and approximately three hours, before deciding to stop at the Javits Center and poke around the expo for a bit. Finally, just past 1pm, we returned to our hotel to relax before another run and a birthday dinner with friends. Since Heidi was in town and she turned 31 just a few days before me, it was only natural to make this a joint celebration. Naturally, with a group comprising all runners, we were full and happy and buzzed and soundly tucked away in bed before 11pm.

Pre-dinner Sardinia reunion at the Hilton with the incomparable Marcello Magnani. His two elite athletes, Valeria Straneo and Daniele Meucci, would crack the top 10 in the elite race the following mroning.

Race morning! But first, my stupid workout. Delaying it by a day sure sounded like a better idea 24 hours prior, but at this point I was out of options. Time to get it done. The first few steps out the door confirmed that the weather had indeed turned overnight--the first two days of November had found me incredulously running in only a sports bra--and now it was cold, overcast and quite breezy. Actually, "gale force winds" might have been a more appropriate way to describe the gusts that blasted us in the face as we hit the West Side Highway, but I tried not to dwell on it. As unpleasant as it would be for the first part of my workout, the marathoners would face it for the majority of their run. If they could handle it, so could I.

That optimism lasted approximately five minutes into my first 3k interval, which we were unfortunately forced to run northbound into the wind so that the rest of the workout didn't send me south all the way to the Statue of Liberty. Jordan and I consciously decided to relax and not force the pace for this one; there was simply no point. But my struggle would be rewarded with the wind at my back for the remainder, which enabled me to run strong and relaxed and totally comfortable at the target pace. Hell, with as much action packed into this weekend, I consider simply completing a workout to be an accomplishment in itself! There was no time to revel in my self-satisfaction, however, as we started jogging back to the hotel immediately after the final interval so we could rinse off, layer up and then head uptown to meet the crew for some race spectating. We hoofed it over to First Ave to see the elite women at 17, and I was pumped to see Kim holding strong in seventh place. From there we dashed to the park and planted ourselves squarely at the 24-mile marker, eager to see the final stages of the race unfold in front of us. We screamed like crazy for Kim (who finished sixth!) and Amy and Diane (who still managed to look like a model over two hours into a marathon) and then the elite men who followed shortly thereafter. I've never spectated from this particular location before but I'd definitely recommend it--not too crowded and with a fantastic vantage point.

Eagerly waiting at mile 24...

...for Kimberley to come flying by!

By the time I made it back to the hotel, checked out, said goodbye to Jordan as he departed for a friend's house, and met Sarah back at NYAC for some post-race fun, it was time to hit the train station and head home. I boarded the car and settled in alongside Huub and our other coworker ST--both of whom had just crushed the four-hour barrier in the marathon and then hustled down to Penn Station--and was almost immediately struck by the letdown, the carefully measured mix of exhaustion and sadness and almost instantaneous nostalgia that always sets in at the end of this sort of weekend. People ask me all the time if I plan to run NYC, and I always honestly respond that I'm not sure. It's a deceptively tough course with mercurial weather, and I would be lying if I didn't say that I witnessed some carnage out there today. But without question, I know I'll return next year and years to come just to be part of this amazing experience.

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Jay's Birthday Weekend Workout

4.5 mile w/u
Target: 2x4 miles; first set w/Caitlin and Jay @~6:05-6:10; second set w/Caitlin, Jay and Sarah @6:00 or faster
Actual: Set #1: 6:09, 6:02, 5:55, 5:58; Set #2: 5:56, 5:56, 5:49, 5:52
1 mile c/d
Total: 14+ miles

Due to my delinquency in updating the 'ol blog, it is with great pleasure that I direct you to Caitlin's detailed recap of this morning's workout. As she mentioned, we're in NYC for Jay's birthday weekend, and what better way to kick off the festivities than with a Saturday morning workout?! As an added bonus, Sarah was using this as her last long run/workout before next weekend's Twin Cities Marathon, so everything aligned perfectly for a group session on the WSH this morning.

If you're paying attention, however, one detail you might notice which varies from Caitlin's recap is the last mile split. She and Jay and Sarah cheerily pulled away from me while I counted down every minute of the last two miles and willed myself not to drop out. It's frustrating and a bit perplexing why I'm struggling so much with these longer threshold efforts right now, but I have no choice but to keep plugging away and forcing myself to embrace the discomfort...until one day, marathon gods willing, it will feel easy. For comparison's sake, I felt equally shitty running four "fast" miles during my uptempo long run with Sarah B. a few weeks ago and both of the 4-mile segments today were at a brisker pace than that, so perhaps this does represent some sort of improvement after all.

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Week in Review

105 miles
3 doubles
3 days in NYC
3 workouts
5 AFDs

Without question, this is the biggest week I've successfully completed since returning to "normal" training at the beginning of July. Not only did I hit my mileage goal, but I actually got in three quality efforts. Further, I had four single runs of 12 miles or more--the longest being Saturday's 17-mile workout, which actually ended up being farther than Sunday's 15-mile "long run" with Jay, Katie and a special guest appearance from Heidi--and those four runs occurred on four consecutive days (Thursday-Sunday). So, while I might have just thrown myself a pity party in the previous entry about my woeful lack of fitness, seeing these stats written down gives me confidence that huge gains are just around the corner.

Running aside, the weekend in NYC was awesome. Mom and I witnessed an epic women's final at the US Open on Sunday (complete with a Bill Clinton sighting! Eek!) and otherwise enjoyed the beautiful weather by taking leisurely walks on the Upper East Side, dining al fresco and taking in a spectacular Broadway production of Kinky Boots. If you are in New York anytime soon and haven't seen this show, make it a priority! (Just don't make the same mistake we did and end up seated next to the most obnoxious, demonstrative, excessively emotional person in the entire audience. Seriously, people, pipe down. It's a play, not a college football game.)

Our view in Arthur Ashe Stadium just before the women's final

And so, just like the final bite of icing from a Sprinkles cupcake (consumed while prone on the floor after Sarah demolished me Saturday morning), all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow is back to Boston, back to work and back to the quotidien. My only solace is knowing that Caitlin and I will be back in three weeks for Jay's epic 30th birthday celebration, which promises revelry and merriment and many more miles with friends. I can't wait!

But in the meantime...I'll just keep grinding.

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3x3 Miles on the WSH, or "Sarah is Fit and I am Not"

~4 mile w/u
Target: 3x3 miles; first set @6:05, second @5:50-55; third TBD
Actual: first set @5:53 pace; 5:45 mile + 2 mile jog; 11:50 two-mile + 1 mile jog
3 mile c/d
Total: ~17 miles

I'm in NYC this weekend for a few days of fun, relaxation and US Open spectating with my mom. Of course, having a chance to run with friends someplace other than my standard Salem loops is a huge plus. I enjoyed an easy mid-morning run with Jay and Josh yesterday and was looking forward to (while simultaneously dreading) a beast of a workout with Sarah this morning. Simply put, as this post's title suggests, she is in phenomenal shape right now and I am just beginning to attempt some legitimate marathon-specific training. Plus--and with Sarah being one of my favorite people and a close friend, I think she will respect my honesty here--she can be a bit difficult to workout with. It's not her fault; she's so speedy that it's hard to force herself to slow to the pedestrian-by-comparison pace I'm often striving to hit. So, despite what Terry had written as the suggested paces for the workout, I was expecting her to go much faster and doubting I'd be able to hang on beyond one or two sets. Jordan's take? "Yeah, that's probably a bit much for you right now," he said with an uncharacteristic amount of tact, "but if you feel good, go for it." Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but he wasn't completely counting me out, either.

Stunning morning view of the Queensboro Bridge from our hotel on the East Side.

At 8am sharp, the air crisp and pleasantly mild, I met Sarah and Katie at Columbus Circle for an easy warmup down to Chelsea Piers. We'd chosen the bike path as opposed to Central Park for obvious reasons; it's much flatter and hopefully wouldn't be as crowded (although this part would prove to be wishful thinking a few miles later). After a few easy miles with Katie and a quick bathroom/water stop, we parted ways. Not a small part of me was wishing I could continue on a normal run with her, but at the same time I was excited to see what my legs could do for a longer, marathon-paced effort. "We'll definitely start at 6:05," Sarah assured me as we toed the imaginary starting line.

A few seconds later we were off to the races, or so it seemed. Between dodging cyclists and pedestrians and at one point nearly hurdling a veritable conga line of Asian tourists disembarking one of the cruise ships (thank goodness their suitcases weren't very tall), I found myself out of my comfort zone almost immediately. If this is 6:05 pace, I remember thinking histrionically, I'm never running another step for the rest of my life. So, it was with a mixture of relief and frustration that I received the news of our 5:53 average pace at the end of the first interval; relief because I wasn't trying that hard and still running slower than marathon pace, but frustration because I knew I was more tired than I should be, and much more fatigued than Sarah, and light years away from where I'd been when I crushed a similar 3x5k workout on tired legs before Philly last year. I know it's silly to make comparisons at this stage in the game--to Sarah, or even to my former self--but it's hard not to.

"Just being honest," I told Sarah when I caught my breath as we jogged between intervals, "at that pace I can only do one more set." At the moment, that was a course of action I was fine with. "Well, let's slow this one down," she replied. "I need to practice running marathon pace anyway, so let's just flip the paces and run this one slower since we ran the other one too fast?" Perfect, I thought, but there's no way that will actually happen. Sure enough, from the first few minutes of the second interval I felt like I was sprinting. If this is 6:05 pace, I thought as an eery feeling of deja vu swept over me, I'm never running another step for the rest of my life. Already a few steps behind Sarah, I split 5:45 for the first mile and was spent. I stopped to catch my breath while she trotted briskly into the distance, free to pick up the pace even more now that her dead weight had been jettisoned.

The rest of the "workout" merits no elaboration, at least from my perspective. I jogged along dejectedly until I ran into Sarah, who had simply crushed the remainder of the second set, and then nodded vigorously while not believing a single word as she swore she was going to pump the brakes on the final set. She proceeded to demolish the remaining miles while I flailed around for a bit before stopping to walk for a few minutes (the Ethiopians we'd passed during the first interval looked vaguely less impressed as they blew past me now) and then jogging until I met up with Sarah again.

And then, after all that, there was still the matter of getting home. First we trudged uphill from the WSH back to Columbus Circle, at which point I jokingly-but-seriously threatened to invade Sarah's apartment and force her to give me a few bones so I could catch a taxi back to my hotel. It was less than two miles away, but I was beyond ready to be done. (For the record, I remained bipedal.) If nothing else, this delightful little session showed me I'm still light years away from where I need to be...but I'm determined to put in the work to get there. Watching Sarah hammer this from beginning to end was definitely inspiring (and also slightly soul-crushing), as hackneyed as that sounds. Without a doubt, her effort was just as solid, if not more so, than anything I did before running 2:39 at Philly. I can't wait to see her big PR at Twin Cities next month!

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Week in Review

90 miles
4 doubles
16-mile long run
6x10 mins. core
3 runs in NYC
4 AFDs

I'll admit, this week might have been a tad aggressive. Ninety isn't anything new, but this is the first week since pre-Philly that I've attempted (and arguably succeeded) executing two big-girl workouts and a decent long run. But with great company and perfectly acceptable weather the entire weekend, it was hard not to get carried away. The week culminated in a huge, CRC-esque long run in Central Park with an eclectic cast of characters including Jerry's Kids, Jay, some of his UA teammates, the lovely ladies' NYAC contingent of Sarah, Katie and Heidi, plus my long lost buddy and former couch-surfing roommate Dave Nightingale. In a distinctly cowardly fashion, the boys let the ladies lead the first 40 minutes of the run only to instantly drop us with one quick charge up the Harlem Hills. Fine by us. The final hour would've been torturous for my exhausted legs had it not been for the beautiful weather and great conversation, but Sarah and Heidi held me accountable and refused to let me bail too early. Tough love.

As pleased as I am with this week, I'm dreading next week's inevitably lackluster training in equal measure. Tuesday morning I'm taking an early flight to Salt Lake City for Outdoor Retailer, and between the work schedule and the weather my running will likely be nonexistent. I suppose I'm due a down week, but this one promises to take that premise to the extreme. Even if/when my running suffers, I'm still going to try to stick with a new goal--some might call it a resolution--of devoting 10 minutes a day, six days a week to stretching/core/rehab/prehab. Mario Fraioli, an industry acquaintance of mine and editor for Competitor Magazine, tweeted this a few weeks ago as a goal of his for 2013. Ten minutes a day sounds like nothing, but added up over the course of the year it totals 52 hours! With my mileage intentionally lower than during this fall's marathon training, I see no reason why I can't carve out a measly 10 minutes per day for the "little things." I have no idea if this will make me faster, but if it contributes to keeping me healthy and consistent then I'm sold. So far--and granted, we're two weeks in--it's been a piece of cake, but next week will be my first true test.

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Central Park Workout With Sarah

Fri AM: 4 miles
PM: 10 miles w/Jay in Central Park

Sat AM: 3.5 mile w/u
Target: 3 miles @6-6:10; 1 mile @7ish; 2 miles @5:50-6; 1 mile @7ish; 1 mile @5:40-50
Actual: 3 miles @17:35; 2 miles @11:37; 1 mile @5:40ish
2 mile c/d
Total: 13.5-14 miles

For a rare treat, I'm spending an entire weekend in New York doing absolutely nothing work-related. I'm sure Betsy invited me to her baby shower hoping I would just send an elaborate and expensive gift without actually showing up, but (un)lucky for her all it took was the promise of a few good group runs, quality time with my favorite news producer and a $48 fare on Jet Blue (helloooo, Popcorners) to seal the deal: NYC, here I come!

Friday was an absolute blast. I arrived at Jay's just in time to make us late to meet Jerry's Kids (an Oklahoma-to-NYC transplant) for a run in Central Park. Fortunately we bumped into him midway through and shortly thereafter stumbled upon a solid and previously undiscovered bathroom location, making the run a win on all counts. Upon returning to Jay's, we were so cold--yet so thirsty--that we were forced to double-fist wine and coffee (with Bailey's) while waiting for Jordan to arrive and discussing Facebook etiquette nuances, the details of which are unprintable here at Jay's behest. After taking turns reveling in what is "probably the best shower in New York City," the three of us headed out to eat, drink and be merry with friends for the remainder of the evening.

Saturday morning, at the leisurely hour of 9:30, a group assembled at Columbus Circle with varying agendas in mind. The entourage I'd envisioned for Sarah's workout somehow dwindled down to myself, her and Jordan (always the queenmaker, never the...queen?), and despite some mid-week bravado our enthusiasm was greatly diminished due to, well, apathy. And also the ridiculous wind. We'd previously discussed starting the first, relatively slow interval in the park and then meandering down to the West Side Highway for a completely flat second half, but the promise of a 25-mph headwind quickly dissuaded us. Instead we would take on the undulating terrain of the park, hopefully avoiding the brunt of the wind. To give us a nice boost out of the gate, we set out down a generous downhill with the wind at our backs. Hitting six-minute pace should be no problem, we reasoned.

We split 5:40. Whoops.

As Sarah said shortly after her watch beeped, "That was the easiest 5:40 I've run in a while." Sure, but 5:40 wasn't the problem. Everything thereafter was--at least for me. Sarah seemed to have an easy time sticking close to Jordan's heels, but I struggled mightily from there on out. Maybe the previous day's mileage was a little aggressive at this stage in my training, maybe I'm a big baby, or maybe I'm simply just not very fit yet--whatever the reason, I spent the remainder of the workout straining toward the singular objective of not getting dropped, a goal that was met with varying degrees of success. Even omitting the Harlem hills, Central Park is no joke, nor was the wind that still seemed to find us deep within the protection of the Manhattan skyline. By the end of this effort I was frustrated and thoroughly exhausted, but at the same time pleased with my resolve to keep pushing despite getting my doors utterly blown off. I trust the process and am well-acquainted with the work it takes to get back in shape after an extended down period, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant in the moment. Still, it was fun to work out with Sarah and will provide a good excuse to gorge myself on finger sandwiches and chocolate-covered deliciousness at this afternoon's baby festivities.
  

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Making the Most of the Marathon Sunday that Wasn't

For the past month, Jordan and I have been planning to travel to NYC for marathon weekend. Though we didn't have any official race or expo duties, there were several media meetings to attend on behalf of Karhu. Plus, Thursday happened to be my birthday and we knew there would be plenty of friends in town for marathon festivities, so not unlike last year we were looking forward to making a long weekend of it.

Then, Hurricane Sandy hit. Actually, even before landfall she was screwing things up. I ended up marooned in Texas until Tuesday afternoon, only to arrive home and find that the storm's devastation had left the marathon and everything surrounding it in question. But it seemed as though the show would go on, and so we traveled down as scheduled on Thursday. Instead of spending my birthday at a Cracker Barrel off the Mass Pike like last year, this time around--for the first anniversary of the 29th anniversary of my birth--we had drinks at the Marriott Marquis and took in an evening showing of "Once" on Broadway. (It was so good that Jordan didn't even fall asleep!) The next morning we met our favorite news producer for a run around Central Park--literally "around," as the park itself was still closed in Sandy's wake--and heard his insider's view of how Sandy and her aftermath were impacting the impending marathon. We attended our one remaining media meeting, grabbed lunch with Tarpy, then headed back to our hotel to relax a bit before meeting up with friends at the Runner's World party for a fun night out.

Then, they canceled the marathon.

Enough news articles, editorials, blogs, interviews, podcasts and tweets have already reported, dissected and over-analyzed this decision; to do so here would be both redundant and inadequate. On a completely superficial level, however, one positive result was the opportunity to spend more time with friends. Jay, who had spent months preparing marathon coverage, suddenly found his weekend wide open. Same with Jon, who'd planned to spend his time interviewing elites and listening to emo music while writing for several running publications. (He also profiled each day of his NYC trip on The Trailer. See if you can spot my incognito cameo in one post. Hint: it's Friday.) Heidi and Sarah and several other NYAC girls who'd been training for Sunday were now free to join me for an easy 10 on Saturday and a hard 20 on Sunday, the same day as would've been their marathon debut. And despite the absence of an official sanctioned race on marathon morning, or maybe because of it, the sheer volume and energy level in the Park were like nothing I've ever seen before in NYC, nor anywhere else for that matter. It was electric, and overwhelming, and something truly extraordinary to be a part of.

So the marathon didn't happen, and all our plans changed, and the trip turned out drastically different than it was supposed to be. And I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

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13.1 NYC Race Recap

~3 minute w/u
Target: Win and run sub-1:17
Actual: First place, 1:17:19, $1000
Results
Total: 14 miles


The Karhu Bear at the start of the 5k. Will he get a new bear record??

One of these days, I'm going to run a race like a normal person. I'll arrive to the destination city a day or two before, spend plenty of time relaxing off my feet, then enjoy a delicious pre-race dinner and a restful night of sleep. On race morning I'll arrive to the event site an hour or so early with plenty of time to get in a proper leisurely warmup. I'll make my way to the starting line feeling fresh, rested and incredibly confident in my preparation.

Of course, today was not that day. I spent the majority of the previous 48 hours walking up and down the labyrinthine stairways and back corridors of Paragon Sports working packet pickup. The night before the race, Jordan and I undertook a well-orchestrated four-part transportation sequence that included walking a mile back to our friend's place from Paragon, taking a taxi to Grand Central Station, hopping a train to Pleasantville to retrieve our car, then driving 45 minutes to scenic Queens so we could pass out for a few hours at a hotel near the race site. (It goes without saying that the takeout meal I snagged at Grand Central was less than ideal.) Fortunately, the New York edition of the 13.1 race series boasted the latest start time of them all, a blissful 9am, which meant that we didn't need to arrive to Flushing Meadows for setup until 6:30. (In stark contrast, the Miami 13.1 race a few weeks ago was already a few miles underway at this time.) That said, with plenty of setup necessary before gun time, I barely had a chance to say hello to Jay and Billy and haphazardly pin on my number before frantically sprinting over to the start line.

A few minutes later, after a particularly ear-piercing taped rendition of the national anthem, we were off. Luckily for me, "we" included an entourage I have since dubbed "the three J's," consisting of Jay, his Urban Athletics teammate Josh, and a surprise late-entering JSK. For the next hour-plus, these three gentlemen made it their mission to keep me on pace, block the wind during some particularly drafty sections, offer me water and Gatorade when necessary, and provide plenty of verbal encouragement. During the later stages, when the course criss-crossed over itself several times and we found ourselves doubling over some straggling runners and walkers (and generally unaware park visitors), the three J's expended plenty of their own energy shouting at people to get out of the way and blazing me a clear path (albeit one that several times included dodging shrubbery and hopping over unfortunately placed curbs). At one point, an errant soccer ball from a hotly contested Mini Mexico tournament strayed directly in front of our path, but one of the J's deftly kicked it out of the way without even breaking stride. What more could a girl ask for?? These guys were a huge help, both mentally and physically, and I undoubtedly would've missed my time goal by an even wider margin had they not been there to act as my queenmakers. I think this finish line shot says it all:


The three J's bow out gracefully to the right so I can
get the glory. What class acts!

Of course, as soon as I broke the tape, I immediately began calculating where I could've gained back the 20 seconds that cost me a sub-1:17 showing. Though almost perfectly flat save for a few short overpasses, the course had about 100 turns that often slowed my momentum and broke my mental rhythm. Along the back section of the park around mile 8, we inexplicably encountered a wet, slippery, disgusting muddy section about 25 meters long. Gingerly tip-toeing through it definitely didn't do me any favors--not to mention also didn't prevent my entire backside from the waist down from being completely splattered with mud--and resulted in what was probably my slowest mile of the day. But even taking these things into account still can't explain why my legs felt flat and heavy from the gun. By mile eight my energy and optimism was flagging and I could feel every muscle in my hips and hamstrings vehemently protesting what I was asking of them. Regardless, I'm happy to have persevered and set a new PR even if it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I also just discovered from Jay's blog that our sub-5:40 final mile was the fastest of the day, which is promising. (Jordan took my watch at the starting line and recent experience has taught me to distrust my math skills based on the race clock, so this was news to me.) My training is going well and I just have to trust that the incremental fitness I'm gaining from each race and workout will all culminate in a breakthrough performance soon enough.

It's also worth noting that our Karhu Bear absolutely dominated the 5k, finishing 5th overall and shattering the previous bear record of 18:47, set at the Los Angeles 13.1 in 2011. If you haven't seen or felt this bear costume in person, you can't truly understand what an impressive feat this is. We might need to drug test his honey pot!

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Week in Review

83-84 miles
3 doubles
5 runs in Austin
2 runs in NYC

What a great week on all fronts! Training, travel, work, weather, time with friends--all went swimmingly, and I couldn't hope to feel better the week after a hard half-marathon effort. I had a blast working out with Allison in Austin and loved catching up with Jay, Heidi and Betsy on a very well-orchestrated run spanning the West Side bike path and Central Park. Jordan and I also spent some quality time at Paragon Sports, our partner for 13.1 NYC next month, educating both staff and customers on the benefits of Karhu footwear and Craft apparel. If you've never been to Paragon, you're definitely missing out as it's quite a shopping experience (not to mention practically an NYC institution). We also reunited with tons of Brownies while crashing at Craig's place in Chelsea, enjoyed several meals with the Holders as well as Jay's sister and her fiance and spent plenty of time on foot soaking up the sunny and mild winter weather. The only way this weekend could've been better is if it stretched on a bit longer--oh wait! It does! Thanks to all presidents past and future and to Huub for giving us the special treat of a Monday off and rare day spent at home.

What's on tap for the week ahead? A trip to Charlotte! As a sponsor of the Charlotte 10 Miler and 4 Mile Run, I'll be representing Karhu at the race and selling some sweet kicks. I couldn't be more excited about returning to the Queen City, especially in light of Caitlin's recent engagement and upcoming wedding dress shopping. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and getting in some quality miles with old friends. It's going to be a great week!

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NYC Marathon Weekend

Friday, 11/4: Rockefeller Preserve w/Madeleine
78 mins. + strides
10 miles

Saturday, 11/5: Central Park w/Jordan
4.5 mile w/u
Target: 8x1k @3:30 w/2 min. jog
Actual: 8x1k @slow w/2 min. jog
4 mile c/d
Total: 14 miles

Sunday, 11/6: West Side bike path, Prospect Park, Brooklyn w/Jay, Heidi and Jordan
1 hour 48 mins. + 7 mins. ; 16 miles

Wow, what an amazing weekend of all things running-related. If you aren't a fan of the sport you could probably think of better ways to spend a few days in the Big Apple, but as far as Jordan and I are concerned it was an absolute blast.

Things started out as is becoming routine these days with a lengthy car ride. Less than 48 hours removed from pulling our overladen Uhaul trailer up to Fort Sewall Lane, Jordan and I were back behind the wheel headed south. Our destination on Thursday night was Madeleine's place in Pleasantville, just north of NYC, and we reached it around 11pm. The sun wasn't even contemplating rising when the three of us awoke the next morning and set off for the amazing Rockefeller State Park trails. We could barely see for the first 40 minutes and spent a few dicey moments dodging fallen tree limbs from the previous weekend's snow, but it was blast tromping around in the woods for a bit before heading into the city. From there it was a whirlwind of activity as we moved from place to place meeting with various editors in conjunction with the Runner's World media summit. I've never been part of those types of meetings before, and it was valuable experience for me as I transition into my new role at Karhu.

Once the trip's primary business was finished, it was time to fully soak up the NYC Marathon weekend experience. For once, I was attending a major race without the intention of either running or working the expo, which is a rare experience not to be taken for granted. Over the course of the next two days we spent time with literally dozens of friends all involved in the marathon in some capacity or another, whether that meant racing or working the expo or supporting a loved one's race efforts. We saw friends from Charlotte, friends from Brown, friends from Brooks and Mizuno, friends from local running accounts and many more as we enjoyed great meals, visited the enormous expo and took down a pint or two. On Friday night we rubbed shoulders with the running industry elite at the Runner's World VIP party in Midtown, then bumped fists with the running nerd elite at the LetsRun.com soiree in Union Square. It was one part work, one part play and all parts exhausting, and by midnight I was already several hours overdue for bedtime.

Come Saturday morning, after a few much-needed hours of sleep and even more needed sips of coffee, it was time for a workout. Jordan and I waited until almost 11am before venturing out onto the bustling streets of Chelsea, a short but hectic two-mile jog from Central Park. He'd written 8x1k on my schedule at a pace I was confident I could nail despite the fact that we planned to use the soft surface of the reservoir and carriage trails. We entered the park and were immediately swept up in the excitement of the next day's race. The finish line and clocks were set up and the air fairly crackled with energy and buzzed with the voices of countless different nationalities all converging for one singular purpose. The spirit was infectious, and I trotted toward the reservoir with 100% certainty that I was about to knock the workout out of the park.

But remember earlier this week, when I learned that the way you feel during the warmup doesn't necessarily indicate how the workout will go? Turns out that can work against you just as easily as it can work in your favor. After two intervals I was in disbelief at how hard I was working to run so slowly. After the third interval it was so bad that Jordan took my watch away so I couldn't see the evidence. I would've dropped out in an instant had I been solo, but he encouraged--read: mandated--that I press on. After a particularly dismal seventh interval even Jordan was ready to pull the plug, but at that point I'd come so far that I wasn't about to quit. It was humbling and not a little embarrassing to know how royally I'd failed at this workout, particularly since it shouldn't have been that challenging to begin with, but what can you do? At the end of the day it's still time on the feet (barely) under marathon pace, and sometimes that's all you can ask for--particularly when you're wrapping up one of the most exhausting weeks of your entire life. To be sure, I spent a few minutes pouting on the cooldown, but with such an exciting weekend on tap and the crisp fall sunlight on my face it was hard to stay despondent for long.

If Saturday's run was decidedly lackluster, Sunday more than made up for it. Jordan and I met Jay--who, by sheer coincidence, literally lives one city block away from the friend we were crashing with--and then ran down to the West Side bike path to rendezvous with our friend Heidi. Jay had mapped out a route that would take us across the Manhattan Bridge and into Brooklyn, where we'd head all the way up to Prospect Park before finishing near the 8-mile mark of the race. Even more brilliantly, he'd timed the run so that we'd arrive just a few minutes before the elites were scheduled to pass. The run flew by in what seemed like only a few minutes, and before I knew it we were lined up with the other spectators eager to catch a glimpse of the day's contenders. Though I didn't know many of the top male competitors, our friend and roommate for the weekend Mike DeCoste would be shooting for 2:30 pace and of course we had Spada and Theoden and many others in pursuit. On the women's side, our good friend Kim Smith was gunning for the win and would be joined in the elite start by our friend Camille, my former D2 rival Sarah Porter and several other familiar faces. We stood literally inches from the course as Mary Keitany flew by well clear of the field, then cheered like crazy as Kim passed after the next chase pack. The men followed shortly thereafter, still bunched together in a small pack with Meb tightly wedged in the middle. At that point it was too soon to tell how the race would play out, and we were all eager to watch the remaining drama unfold. From there our group hopped onto the subway, each bound for different destinations to finish our race spectating. Turns out that Keitany's early recklessness would catch up with her, while Kim's patience meant she was able to secure a top five finish and a London Olympic birth. Records were shattered on the men's side with a simply extraordinary performance by Geoffrey Mutai, while Meb hung on to best his own personal record by several seconds. No matter who you were rooting for, the finish was inspiring to witness.

Several hours later, after reuniting with more friends (including a random run-in with our buddy Dave Nightingale in a ghetto grocery store on the Upper East Side), it was time to reluctantly say our goodbyes and head home. We still had a train ride and multiple hours in the car before returning to our barely lived in house in Marblehead. We were exhausted and already in need of a weekend to recover from our weekend, but I wouldn't trade the past few days for anything. If this experience doesn't get you pumped up to train and race, I don't know what will!

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13.1 NYC Week in Review

80 miles
2 doubles
5 days in NYC
5 AFDs
1 airport reunion

Another week, another successful Karhu and Craft event in the books. This week's festivities brought me to the drizzly, cold, sleety "spring" weather that is New York City in early April. Despite exhaustive and exhausting workday shifts at our partner account, City Sports in Midtown, I somehow managed to keep the mileage respectable and the quality acceptable for the week. Several of these runs were dark solo Central Park outings in the early morning hours, but on other occasions I was lucky enough to have some pavement- or trail-pounding company.

The first of these group jaunts, a Wednesday night run club at City Sports, also found us in Central Park after meandering past some famous sights such as Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall with the bright lights of Times Square as our backdrop. We jogged through the park to a landmark called Belvedere's Castle--I have no idea who Belvedere was, nor would I suspect that he ever lived in this alleged domicile--then made a nice big loop past the former Tavern on the Green and Columbus Circle before returning to the store.

In contrast to this run's relaxed pace, my next group run o'fun left me with heavy legs and a reaffirmation of the unpleasant reality that I am, in fact, horribly out of shape. Earlier in the week I'd made contact with my friend Heidi, whom Caitlin and I had run with several times when she was visiting her in-laws in Charlotte earlier this winter, in hopes that we could meet up for a run. Unfortunately she was out of town but helpfully referred me to her friends and NYAC teammates Reilly and Betsy. Considering how small the running community is, it should come as no surprise that we were only two degrees separated as Reilly was teammates with my good friend Dave Nightingale and Betsy ran with my friend and former coach Jeff "G-Unit" Gaudette's girlfriend Melanie. Sight unseen, we made plans via email to meet in Central Park and embark on an "easy morning run" together. The meeting went off without a hitch, and from an observer's perspective I'm sure it appeared as though the three young, stunningly attractive, blond-ponytailed girls were laughing and chatting away and enjoying the pleasure of each other's company while running at a leisurely pace. While mostly true, in actuality it would be more accurate to say that two of the young, stunningly attractive, blond ponytailed girls were running at a leisurely pace. I, on the other hand, was basically in full tempo run mode from the outset. It felt like we were running my marathon pace up and down the undulating terrain, and though I'm sure the pace wasn't quite that quick I have no doubt that I covered well over 11 miles during the ensuing 75 minutes (and yes, that includes my shuffling/hobbling last solo mile back to my hotel). In the end, it was definitely a good wakeup call for me and a nice little unplanned workout. Turns out Reilly and Betsy ran sub-1:14 and sub-1:17 respectively at the NYC Half a few weeks ago, so they're definitely legit. I also owe them a thank you for being incredibly friendly and welcoming and also for tactfully ignoring the huffing and puffing and wheezing noises being emitted from my general direction.

Finally, my last accompanied run of the trip took place in the picturesque trails of Sleepy Hollow, north of NYC in Westchester County. While the headless horseman's absence was a bit of a disappointment, I had a great time traversing the breathtaking carriage trails and wooded areas with my new friends Shebna and Kelly for 90 minutes on a gorgeous Sunday morning. Oh, and I meant "breathtaking" in the literal sense of the word--the unrelenting hills made 7:30 pace a struggle during some portions. I met Kelly and Shebna through my friend and gracious hostess for Saturday night, Madeleine, who unfortunately is sidelined for a few weeks due to a foot injury. After brunch at the Horseman Diner, Madeleine and I packed up and headed to LaGuardia to see me off. In a delightfully unexpected turn of events, the stars aligned just in time to allow us to meet up with our long-lost friend and my former virtual training partner Jilane before seeing me off. As a communications advisor for the artist formerly known as the NFL Player's Association, Jilane is probably the only person I know whose work and travel schedule rivals mine. Thus it was only fitting that our first reunion since she watched me run at Penn Relays last year would take place with carry-on luggage in hand and an airport PA system blaring overhead. Forced ambience notwithstanding, it was a special treat to spend some quality time with these two friends before leaving on a jet plane once again.

Whew, so there you have it. Another week in the books, a few more miles tallied both on my feet and in the air. Life is short but sweet for certain, and I'm just along for the ride.

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More Manhattan Shenanigans

AM: 48 mins. (~6.5 miles)
PM: Travel

A mere 12 hours after my race, I was out the door with Maraya and Simmons to enjoy a recovery run in Central Park. We had the option to run on our own this morning in case some people preferred the treadmill, but I'm 0 for 3 in outdoor runs since arriving here and was dying of cabin fever. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of taking the subway to Central Park instead of running there--the sidewalks were mostly plowed and vehicle traffic was at a minimum, but we weren't counting on that--which meant that our transit time nearly eclipsed our run time. I'm against that in principle but I knew Simmons and Maraya weren't looking to get in more than 30-45 minutes au pied, so I took one for the team and obliged them.


20 inches later, this is what Central Park looks like...

Once we arrived at the park via Columbus Circle, it was readily apparent that even the native New Yorkers had been itching to get back outside. Throngs of runners, cyclists, dog walkers, and even a few cross-country skiers and snowshoe-ists paraded up and down the park's main thoroughfares. Someone (likely many someones) did a stellar job of plowing the main paved loop, and since our beloved bridle path was impassible we were relegated to the roads throughout this jaunt. Simmons turned back after about 15 minutes but Maraya and I completed an entire loop, gradually picking up the pace as the minutes ticked by. My legs felt fine today--too fine, actually, for having just raced, which is yet another indicator that I didn't perform up to par last night--and I would've been perfectly content to run another loop in the midst of the park's snowy wonderland had time allowed. But, alas, the hotel checkout and a promised brunch with Mad & Co. awaited me back at the Affinia, so I begrudgingly returned home with the other two.

It ended up being worth it an hour later when Madeleine, her brother Tom, Becky and myself sat down for brunch at the iconic Tick Tock Diner in Midtown. Tell me anywhere else in New York where you can enjoy a stack of carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese frosting and a cup of coffee for under 10 dollars. Go on, I dare you. That's what I thought. To steal a recap from Mad's blog (which I cannot link you to because she is super important and thus shares her musings only with the privileged few): "The food was great, the carrot cake pancakes were magical. Conversation was awesome, ranging from the predictable but oh-so-delicious Craig Lake bashing, to my fabulous cousin Patrick who lives in Soho and has a ram coat, to my brother's plans to have a spectacular hair cut by his stylist, Robert, all while having a glass of wine or two. It was great. I think we may have scared Meagan and Becky. Anyway, it was a great brunch. And we made Meagan late. Oops."


Mad, Becky and me eagerly awaiting our tasty treats

No harm no foul on making me late, as the Queens team still arrived at the airport with two hours to spare (somewhere the elder Nedlos are beaming with pride). Another fun, crazy, unpredictable, one-of-a-kind weekend in NYC is successfully in the books.

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NYU FastTrack Invitational 3k

AM: 3 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
3k race in 9:58
2 mile c/d
Total: 6.5-7 miles

Despite being pummeled with what would later be described as the "4th biggest snow in NYC in 141 years," the NYU FastTrack Invitational proceeded as scheduled today. I arrived at the Armory around 2pm with the QU crew and was surprised at the number of athletes who'd braved the storm to show up to the meet. There were a few scratches in each event, but overall there were plenty of bodies to fill out the fields.

Unfortunately for me, the 3000 was scheduled as the second-to-last event of the meet. This meant I probably wouldn't be racing until around 9pm, which most of you know is dangerously close to my bedtime. I could've stayed at the hotel this afternoon and ventured to the Armory later in the day, but there's only so much E! News that one person can watch and still feel good about herself. Plus, I wanted to support my teammates in their last-chance attempts to qualify for Nationals.

First up was Simon in the mile. When we were here three weeks ago he ran 4:09.24, just an eyelash away from the auto time of 4:09.00, and he needed to dip below that standard to punch his ticket to ABQ. He ran brilliantly and crossed the line in 4:07.6, a huge PR and well within the qualifying standards. Maraya followed next in the women's 800. She won her heat with ease, but the pace lagged too much at the start; her 2:18 was about five seconds shy of what she needed. Nelson, on the other hand, absolutely rocked his 800; his time of 1:52.5 is half a second short of the auto time but should put him high enough on the list to ensure his trip to the big meet.

Slowly but surely the hours and minutes ticked away, and by 8pm it was finally time for me to warm up. Maraya had offered (read: been instructed by Simmons) to pace me through the mile, which meant I had a companion for my warmup in the hallway. Yes, that's right, I ran two miles in the hallway. For the first time since I've been to the Armory, running outside was simply not an option. Finally, just before 9, it was go time. I was seeded in the faster of the two heats, and my plan was to pass through the mile at 5:15 or faster and then go from there. Seeing as I've never run a mile in 5:15 before I wasn't sure how that would feel, but I suppose it's always good to have a plan.

From the gun, I could tell things felt a bit off. I got stuck behind a few slowpokes on the first several laps, which meant by 800 meters in I was way off the back of the leader. Maraya, bless her heart, had never paced anyone before and didn't realize that the pacer is supposed to run in front of the pace-ee. Instead, she sort of danced around me in lane 2, not really slowing the pace but not pushing it either. Ultimately her legs would be too fatigued from her earlier race to make it to the mile; I think she dropped out around 1k. I definitely appreciated her effort regardless of the outcome though.

At this point, I should mention that I had no idea what the pace was. The race officials and the announcer did a crappy job of calling out times at any of the sensible markers (e.g., 1k, mile, 2k, etc.). I also learned afterward that the jumbo-tron time was also off--apparently they hadn't started the clock until we were halfway through our first lap, which meant the time it showed was 20 seconds faster than we were actually running. So the clock was telling me one thing but I could hear Simmons yelling out something different, which made for a very bizarre overall race experience. It didn't help that I was behind the leader but a good 10 seconds ahead of the next person, so I essentially ran in no-man's land for the entire race. Not ideal, but I'm not one for excuses either; I should've been able to lock into pace regardless. Actually, I did lock into pace...just not the pace I wanted to run. Apparently I came through the mile in 5:17 (a PR! Woohoo!) and then locked into 80-point for the rest of the race. The leader started coming back with about three laps to go, and I did my best to gain on her, but in the end I needed one more lap to reel her in. I finished in 9:58, well short of my goal of 9:50.

In looking at the positives, I set a substantial 3k PR and ran 25 seconds faster than the 3k at ETSU last month. I also finished 8 seconds faster than I went through the 3k in my 5k several weeks ago. And let's not forget that mile PR either. I also feel good about how easily I locked into 40-second laps; if I have someone to run with, I'm confident I can maintain that pace for 5k. I should also mention that Madeleine braved downed trees and power lines and Becky gave up part of her rare snow day to come cheer me on! So, all in all, this race wasn't a total wash. It's just frustrating because I know where my fitness is right now and I don't think this effort was an accurate representation of that. Let's hope I can make up for it at Nationals.


Simon and Nelson rabbiting the last race of the evening, the men's 5k.
Futsum would go on to win in 14:35, while Alex set a PR of 14:51.

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A Tree Falls in Brooklyn

AM: 6.5-7 miles
PM: 20 mins (2.5 miles) + strength



Wow, I don't even know where to begin with today, except to say that I'm officially done complaining about the conditions in Charlotte. That's because I have an entirely new weather system to lament: the storm of the century in NYC! That's right, we left Charlotte today to return to NYC for another Armory meet, only to find ourselves in the midst of a full-on blizzard. I know you're probably thinking, "But she's from the South. Any amount of snow would seem like a blizzard to her." Perhaps, but when the mayor holds a press conference to announce that every school, university, library, museum and department store in the tri-state area is closed on Friday...well, that's when you know it's kind of a big deal. At this point I'm not even sure if the meet will go on tomorrow; and if it does, I'm not sure who all will show up. Oh, and did I mention that a man died in Central Park today when a snowy tree branch fell on his head?? Scary stuff. Needless to say, my afternoon shakeout took place within the confines of the hotel fitness center.


Me, Maraya and Futsum in the limo from the airport. Baller.

The one silver lining to today's snow-laden clouds was the wonderful coincidence of Jordan's dad and Roger being in the city for the weekend. Even better, their hotel was just a five minute taxi ride from my weekend home, the Affinia Manhattan, which made getting to them super easy. (As an added bonus, I found a stray umbrella in the taxi on the way over, which will no doubt serve me well for the rest of the weekend.) Due to the inclement weather, we opted to stay at the Sheraton and dine in the hotel lobby bar instead of venturing outside. It was great to spend a few hours hanging out with them and swapping stories about their darling son. Now it's time to get some rest and hope all goes as planned tomorrow!


The view from our hotel room

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Central Park Sunday

85 mins. (~11.5 miles)

This run was hands down the best way to close out our spectacular weekend in New York. For the first time since our arrival, we didn't embark on our run until after 10am and were greeted by blue skies and sunshine upon stepping outside. All seven of us plus Coach Simmons met in the lobby and headed over to Central Park together before going in separate directions to enjoy the gorgeous morning. I ended up doing the majority of the run with Tanya--I was supposed to meet up with Ozzie but through some sort of miscommunication we completely missed each other--and we ambled along at a relaxed pace for the entire run. Our desire for soft surfaces kept us on the bridle path the entire time, which made for lots and lots of loops, but the scenery was charming and the people watching was entertaining, so neither of us minded.

After showers and lunch it was time to head to the airport, so we all headed outside to hop into what we assumed would be two cabs. Instead, we were greeted by the following...


Ballin'. Whatever that means.

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Saturday in the City

AM: 3 miles + strength
PM: 4 miles

After yesterday's race and a fairly late night in the city, it would've been ideal to sleep in this morning. However, Tanya, Jess and I really wanted to make it back to the Armory for Simon and Nelson's mile race at 10:50, which necessitated a fairly early start to the day. Despite snowstorms all around us, Manhattan somehow managed to dodge the winter precipitation, which meant the streets were clear and dry when we ventured out for an easy shakeout run. It was still windy and very, very cold--I was layered up like a homeless person--but I suppose that's all part of the NYC experience.


Brrr! Jess and me layered up in Central Park


Inside the fountain at Columbus Circle

The girls and I meandered around very slowly, which my weary legs appreciated, stopping every so often to snap a few photos. The turnaround point came before any of us were ready, but we had to get back quickly in time to clean up and make the 45-minute walk/subway/walk trip to the Armory. Turns out the trip was even longer for the boys this morning--they accidentally hopped on the #2 train instead of the #1 and made it halfway to the Bronx before realizing their mistake. They managed to hop off and run the rest of the way to the Armory, making it to their race with a few minutes to spare. Nelson didn't have the best race, clocking 4:18, but Simon ran brilliantly and missed the D2 auto time of 4:09 by an eyelash with 4:09.24. I know he would've liked to hit the mark, but I'm confident he'll make the cut with this provisional time.


Keeping it cool on the subway


Coach Simmons, TZ, Mad, Oz and Becky taking in some Armory action

After the morning race excitement subsided, I took a short walk from the Armory to Ozzie and Becky's place on 175th. Becky had graciously offered to cook brunch for me, Ozzie, and fellow Brown alums Madeleine and Pat, which meant that pancakes and eggs were soon enjoyed by all. Before long it was time for me to ride back downtown so that I could get in another easy run, shower, and then head back up to the Armory to watch Tanya race the mile. (Yes, it would've been easier to just bring my clothes to Oz and Becky's but no, I'm not that smart.)

I ventured out for my second Central Park run of the day solo (Dad, don't tell Mom) and had a great time. Despite the weather--neither the wind nor the cold had abated much since the morning--there were tons of people out and about, and I enjoyed every minute of this relaxed (read: slow as molasses) jaunt. An hour later I found myself back at the Armory to watch Tanya. She ran well, clocking another automatic qualifying time of 4:53 despite hoping to run a bit faster, capping off a solid showing by Queens Track and Field at the New Balance Invitational.


Apparently Oliver Coconut is a full-blown alcoholic

The remainder of the evening was spent hanging out with Pat, Oz, Becky, and their beloved bird Oliver Coconut back on 175th. We rallied for a trip downtown later to meet up with Madeleine and her bro, which made for my second night in a row of a post-midnight bedtime. Crazy, right? Better get to bed so I can enjoy a Central Park long run in the morning.

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Great times with great friends--no better way to spend a Saturday night!

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New Balance Invitational 5k Recap

AM: 3 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
5k @ 16:54.67
Link to results
2 mile c/d
Total: 7 miles

Okay, so now that I'm finally back in Charlotte and have had a few hours to recover from my crazy weekend in NYC, I can share my official race recap from Friday's 5k. First of all, let me just state the obvious by saying that this went better than expected. And I'm applying that as a blanket statement, because I'm pretty sure every single person who knows me (including myself) had no idea things would play out this well. Given the relatively short amount of training time I've had leading up to this, both in terms of overall weekly mileage and workout volume, I wasn't expecting to run much faster than I did at this meet last year. And, to be honest, I would've been okay with that. I truly was just viewing this race as an opportunity to compete and gain experience for the rest of the season, with relatively few expectations. So, needless to say, a 33-second PR came as a pleasant surprise.

Anyhow, back to the beginning. I arrived at the Armory via subway about an hour before my race. Upon checking in I was told that the meet was running about 15 minutes ahead of schedule, which more or less threw me into a panic. Hence, I rushed through my warmup, hurriedly put on my number and uniform, and booked it back to the holding area--only to find out that, in my 30-minute absence, somehow the meet had gone from running early to running 15 minutes late. Awesome. I suppose the 29 heats of the 200 were to blame. At any rate, I went from a shortage of time to an excess, which proved to be equally frustrating. Lots of standing around, stretching and sporadic strides ensued. Finally, around 2:25pm, the race was ready to go.

I toed the line with 13 other girls, none of whom I knew personally but several I'd heard of. In particular, D2 star Neely Spence (whose father and coach at Shippensburg is the legendary Steve Spence) was easily recognizable; I knew enough to understand that she and I would practically be running two different races and that I shouldn't be concerned with her. Mainly my plan was to latch onto someone who was running approximately my pace and stick with them as long as possible. In a 25-lap race, it's critical to maintain contact with at least one other person. Running in no man's land is both physically and mentally exhausting and often proves futile, and I wanted to avoid that scenario if at all possible.

From the gun, the pace was quick. I wasn't sure how quick, as I was solely focused on falling in with the group, and had no real idea of pace until we approached the first mile marker. At this point in the race we were all more or less strung out in a long line, with Spence and Texas A&M's Christina Munoz near the front. I was sitting near the back of the pack, but this didn't trouble me. I knew many of the girls would come back, and I also knew we were cruising along at a much faster pace than I'd ever maintained before. Sure enough, I came through the mile at 5:22. In case there are women and children reading this, I won't be specific about the thought that went through my head, but suffice it to say I thought I was toast. This was much faster than I'd (perhaps naively) planned for, but due to the adrenaline and the crowds and the whole atmosphere I wasn't feeling much of anything in my legs or the rest of my body. In a situation like this, that's best case scenario.

The middle part of the race is pretty much a blur. Every time I came around the first turn, I could hear Simon yelling that I was on 17-flat pace, and I fought the urge to yell back that there was no way in hell I was running that fast. For the next few kilometers I planted myself squarely behind Mary Dell, a teammate of Spence's from Ship. She was running like a metronome and reeling in those who were falling off the pace, and I knew that under no circumstances could I let her gap me. 3k came and went in 10:05--yup, that's almost 20 seconds faster than I ran the open 3k two weekends ago--and at that point I first entertained the idea of breaking 17 minutes and attaining the automatic qualifying time for Nationals. The pace lagged slightly for the next kilometer--in looking at my splits post-race, I threw in a few 82-second laps as opposed to the 80s and 81s I'd been maintaining throughout--and with 1k to go I knew I'd have to find another gear and go around Dell to crack the 17-minute barrier. So, caution to the wind, that's what I did.

Meanwhile, in the actual race for the lead, Spence had broken away from the pack around 3k and was now blazing her way to a sub-5 minute last mile. As I was approaching two laps to go, she passed me to begin her bell lap. At that point I remember thinking that my mom would be able to see me on the live internet feed, as they usually follow the leaders and this was the one point in the race when I was sharing a frame with her. Hi, Mom! Spence would go on to finish in 16:13, the exact same time Tanya ran at UW last weekend, while Munoz finished second in 16:37. As for myself, I crossed the line to begin my own bell lap and spied 16:18 on the clock. I knew at that moment that if I could just run sub-40 for the last lap, I would break 17 and punch my ticket to Nationals. Thirty-six seconds later, that goal became a reality. I crossed the line in 16:54, utterly exhausted and in disbelief about what had just transpired.

To say I've been on an emotional high since the race would be an understatement. More than anything, it's given me a confidence and excitement for racing that I've never really had before. I know I still have a long way to go, but I'm encouraged by how far I've come in such a short amount of time. Five weeks remain until Nationals, and I know I can gain a ton of fitness between now and then. I mean, five weeks ago I was just getting my groove back when we were vacationing in California. There is still much work to be done, but this race was the best start to the season that I could've imagined.

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New Balance Invitational 5k

16:54! I'm going to Nationals!!!

Will write more later, and results are incorrect on Armory web site for now, but who cares. Guess I better start my altitude training for ABQ...

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Greetings From NYC

AM: 53 mins. (7+ miles)
PM: 3 miles + strength

What a busy day! It started before the crack of dawn, when Jordan and I dragged ourselves to the Dowd to meet the group again. (Remember how I said waking up early would get easier? For some reason that only applies on Wednesday. Thursday still sucks.) I hung back with Ben for most of the run, wanting to keep things super easy in light of tomorrow's race, and felt very relaxed and comfortable throughout.

The rest of the morning was spent packing and traveling...to New York City! Woohoo! I'm so excited to be here for the weekend and to race tomorrow! The group o'travelers includes myself (racing the 5k), Coach Simmons, Jess (5k), Futsum (5k), Alex (5k), Simon (mile) and Nelson (mile). Tanya is also running the mile and will join us tomorrow. Our hotel is located right in the middle of everything; we are next door to the Letterman show, a block from Times Square, a 3-minute jog to Columbus Circle and Central Park, and less than half a mile from the Museum of Modern Art. The rooms, while small, seem palatial compared to the shoe boxes we stayed in last year. The best part about racing on Friday afternoon is I should have time to enjoy the city and explore my surroundings, plus meet up with some friends while I'm here.


Columbus Circle, with Central Park to the upper left of the frame

After settling in for a few hours, Jess and I embarked on a shakeout through Central Park. We entered through Columbus Circle and immediately found a wide dirt path on which to run. We ran past the soon-to-be defunct Tavern on the Green, then passed through an underpass where a bagpiper was playing a song that seemed to be just for us. We reluctantly turned around after what felt like just a few minutes; both of us were eager to continue, but needed to be mindful of the reason we were here. Besides, we'll have plenty more opportunities to explore the park before our 5pm flight on Sunday.


Tavern on the Green, an NYC landmark

The rest of the evening was very low-key. We're both anxious to race tomorrow--I run in the Championship section at 2pm and Jess runs in the Collegiate section at 9pm--and I'm looking forward to challenging the PR I set last year at this same meet. See you after the race!

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