Trial Run

Battery Park City

In order to see just how crazy training for a marathon in 12 weeks would really be, I decided to do my first truly long, long run today. I took a little time after waking up at 7, watching a tivoed episode of Hills,eating some cantaloupe. Then loaded up my fuel belt with my metrocard, some cash a credit card, keys, and 3 Cran Razz clif shot blocks (95% organic and not too many ingredients).

I decided to go into the city to take advantage of the Summer Streets. I felt like a HUGE TOOL wearing my fuel belt into the city on the subway and through Grand Central Station. Fortunately, within minutes of being in Grand Central, I spotted a large tour group whose guide was keeping the group together by holding a giant fish net over his head. I decided compared to being led around the city via huge fish net, the tool factor for wearing a fuel belt in public seemed mild.

10 miles was about 2.5 miles further than I ran last weekend. My route was to run from 42nd down Park Ave to 4th, then Lafayette to City Hall--basically the Summer Streets path. Then down Broadway to the Seaport around the Battery Park City Esplanade and up the West Side Highway.

Running down car-free Park Ave almost the pedestrian utopia I had imagined. People on bikes, roller blades, skate boards, and scooters. I quickly got lost in my day dreams, I guess I'm just a day dream believer. That is an advantage of running outside, treadmills don't tend to fuel the imagination.

Down to the Seaport was easy peasy. I absolutely love running down the promenades in Battery Park City.

BPC was the first "green space" I discovered when I moved to the city. I still think it is one of the beautiful spots, with the promenade along the water, the boats, and the huge flowers and weeping willows. I will never ever be able to afford to live in this part of the city, unless say, Mark Zuckerberg proposes. (Mark: throw a sheep at me if your interested).

Anyways, the run up the Westside Highway was a little challenging at times, but mostly pretty easy. By the last two miles, it was an effort. I was listening to Kara Goucher endurance boost and literally when she said, 30 more seconds left, pick a spot up ahead and focus on it to the finish, I was exactly 30 seconds from 42nd street, my finish point. I stepped onto 42nd exactly as the music changed to cool down, then jogged across town to the subway.

Take home from the run:

*Your body will do what you ask from it, and probably even more. Don't let yourself think I can't run 3 miles, get through a spinning class, do ten push ups, etc. I have found that using positive thinking works wonders with running, if I say, "I am going to run for 10 miles today," my body seems to internalize it and prepares itself. So even when it seems overwhelming, I still feel strong physically.
*It really pays to mentally prepare for long runs. I started thinking this run during the week, which helps a lot with the mental side of things on the run days.
*Maybe adding 2 miles a week is too much. I wasn't feeling really strong on the run, so I think I am going to only go up to 11 next week and try to run a bit faster. I would guess I was running around 11 minute miles, it was feeling pretty turtle at times.

Weekly Workout Wrap Up will be posted tonight