Speed What?

I was scheduled for 5mi of speed work yesterday. But I left work the day before with a headache and decided to sleep in. I figured I'd do it after work. I still had a headache, so I didn't. Went to bed last night. Dreamed about the headache I had. Woke up with the same headache (just less intense), but went to the track anyway. In any case, I said to hell with speed work. Just run 5mi and call it a day. Headache and all, the last 2mi were sub-9:00. So that should count for something. Activity Route: Track Elev. Avg: 36 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 04/24/09 Up/Downhill: [+3/-3] Time: 05:22 AM Difficulty: 2.2 / 5.0 Weather: Fair 36 F temp; 81% humidity 36 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 5.00 miles Time: 0:45:47 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 09 /mi Calories: 553 Notes Cool Down = .31mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 33 +0' 24 6.3 -0.3 0 ft 2 9' 20 +0' 11 6.4 -0.1 0 ft 3 9' 05 -0' 04 6.6 +0.0 0 ft 4 8' 58 -0' 11 6.7 +0.1 0 ft end 8' 50 -0' 19 6.8 +0.2 0 ft Versus average of 9' 09 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Running AM, Biking PM

Let me just start off by saying that I'm so excited that Bim Active is posting to my blog again. It's been, what, a couple weeks? I've had to do a screen shot of my graphs and such with this program, then upload it like a picture. It's annoying as hell. And time consuming. Well on to the workout. I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Since only 3mi were on schedule, it wasn't that big of a deal that I got out late. Whatever. So I didn't stick to the training pace at all. It was supposed to be 10:46 (well 10:34 according to my bootleg calculations). Whatever the pace should have been, it wasn't. But what it was was consistent. Miles 1 and 2 were at 10:00. How I managed that? I don't know. Anyway, I wrapped it up with an average pace of 9:56. I really should work on going slower on training runs. Especially since I came off of a hilly long run. I still felt it, you know. Okay, now fast forward. After the cold rain yesterday, it was a pleasant surprise to have sunny skies today. On my way home, I was flying down 295 with the windows down and sunroof open. It was glorious. I didn't want to waste the day. Mind you, I had spent 9hrs wasting away at work. I decided to get in a ride before dark. And it was nice. It was just good to be out. I headed home once the street lights came on. I managed to get in 8.46mi. My quads of course, got a workout AGAIN. I just hope I won't have any issues doing speed work on Thursday morning. That's the crack of dawn on Thursday morning. I hope my body cooperates in general. We shall see. Anyway, feel free to peruse my freshly posted BiM Active stats as I wind down for the evening. I've taken some valerian root and I'm ready to get the best sleep ever. And tomorrow's a rest day. Sweet. Night all! Activity: RUN Route: Track Elev. Avg: 36 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 04/21/09 Up/Downhill: [+0/-0] Time: 05:46 AM Difficulty: 1.5 / 5.0 Weather: Fog/Mist 51 F temp; 96% humidity 51 F heat index; winds W 3 Performance Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 0:29:49 Speed: 6.0 mph Pace: 9' 56 /mi Calories: 333 Notes Cool Down = .17mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 10' 00 +0' 04 6.0 -0.1 0 ft 2 10' 00 +0' 04 6.0 -0.1 0 ft end 9' 48 -0' 08 6.1 +0.1 0 ft Versus average of 9' 56 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Activity: BIKE Route: Around the way Elev. Avg: 34 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -9 ft Date: 04/21/09 Up/Downhill: [+269/-278] Time: 06:52 PM Difficulty: 2.6 / 5.0 Weather: Fair 68 F temp; 46% humidity 68 F heat index; winds Vrbl 3 Performance Distance: 8.46 miles Time: 0:49:13 Speed: 10.3 mph Pace: 5' 50 /mi Calories: 464 Elevation (ft) Speed (mph) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 5' 12 -0' 37 11.5 +1.2 -46 ft 2 6' 25 +0' 35 9.3 -1.0 +43 ft 3 4' 37 -1' 12 12.9 +2.6 -59 ft 4 6' 44 +0' 54 8.9 -1.4 +19 ft 5 5' 43 -0' 06 10.5 +0.2 -6 ft 6 5' 55 +0' 05 10.1 -0.2 +3 ft 7 6' 21 +0' 31 9.4 -0.9 +26 ft 8 5' 05 -0' 44 11.8 +1.5 -20 ft end 7' 13 +1' 23 8.3 -2.0 +29 ft Versus average of 10.3 mph

Posted from bimactive.com

7 Miles of Hills

They say long runs should be easy. But I figured it would be the perfect time to fit in a somewhat hilly, incline-y route. For the most part, I only have the opportunity to do that on weekends. During the week, now that I'm getting up at the crack of dawn, it's all track running. I keep hearing about the hills and inclines in Central Park and Prospect Park. And I'm sure the familiar route in my local park isn't going to cut it. So I ran around the golf course like I said I would. I chose an out and back route that had hills coming and going. Anyway, I was surprised to see that my fastest mile was mile 3 going uphill around the golf course. I don't know, I guess my thinking is, let me just get this over with already. Anyway, my pacing was fairly consistent, which shocked the heck out of me. At the end, I was so ready for the run to be over. I think this one street grew or something. I spent the last 2 miles wondering why it was the longest 2 miles of my life. What in the world? So I'm totally not prepared for Central Park or Prospect Park. But if I torture myself every weekend until then, hopefully I will be.

And with that, goodnight all! I'm tired.

First ride of the year

Finally, Spring decided to make an appearance. Thank you. And no, I'm still not sorry for cussing you out the other day. I meant what I said. You deserved it.

I was so excited to get out and ride my bike. But first I went to Produce Junction to pick up some fruit. It's about a half mile from home, so I decided to walk. And even though it was a leisurely walk, I strapped on my Garmin anyway. I guess I'm obsessed with numbers and statistics. When I got home, I put some air in my front tire. It was completely flat. Then I did a few things around the house. Came back outside to find my tire flat again. So much for just going for a little ride. Then I had to figure out how to get the tire off. Up to that point, the only thing I've ever done was adjust the bike seat. I ended up all dirty and greased up trying to figure it out. I finally got it. So I jumped in the car, headed to the bike shop for a new tube. I also bought a little bike pouch thingy that you strap under your seat. I needed a little something to carry a few things on my rides.

I finally head out. I didn't get far when I stopped to adjust the bike seat. It's funny how you don't know the right height until you're actually riding. The rest of the ride was Kool and the Gang. My quads got one helluva workout. My butt was feeling it too. Just take a look at the elevation chart. The way I was feeling, I'd rather run up the hills than bike up. I should start running around there to prepare for my upcoming races. Who knows? Maybe tempo runs and speed work won't be enough. I don't know. I'm slowly but surely freaking out about it. Racing is the unknown. And I'm not a fan of the unknown. I'm scared to death of new things. Or maybe I just need a really good long run to get all this mess out of my system.

Anyway, no pictures today. I brought my camera, but there was nothing to take pictures of. My route was all residential. I'm sure you don't want to see pictures of someone's house. I did stop at the park (a different park that I don't run in) for a bit. But there wasn't much scenery there either. There were kids playing and such. And I'm not the one to take pictures of people without their consent. I road past the golf course too, but there wasn't much of a view there either. Oh well. Maybe next time.

O'Dark Thirty Tempo Run

I had a somewhat successful tempo run this morning. It was my first attempt at a real tempo run. And I think I did pretty okay. Pacing really isn't my thing. I can be consistent, yes. But I have no idea what a certain pace feels like. Anyway, according to this training plan, the tempo pace should have been at 9:28. Of course, I think that's too slow. According to this other calculator (on the same damn website, mind you), tempo runs should be at 9:00. And according to my bootleg calculation (the original pace minus 30 seconds), tempo runs should be at 8:58. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I'd do once I got to the track. It's just too damn early to expect my body to cooperate. I figured I'd just run 5 miles and hope for the best.

Alright, so here's what happened. Once I started, I figured I'd try to keep miles 2 through 4 at 9:00. But it didn't help that it was pitch black at the crack of dawn. I could only make out numbers on my Garmin on one side of the track, where the stadium lights were. And about the time I got to checking where I was, mile 2 was just about over. And too fast. Okay, so let me slow down. Then about the time it was light enough to see the numbers clearly, I had about a half mile left of tempo running. It wasn't until after I got home that I saw that miles 2 and 3 were on point for the most part. Not too shabby. Like I said, pacing isn't my thing. And of course, track running isn't my thing either. I'm just happy that my body didn't go on strike.

So my next run is Sunday. It will be 7 miles of trying not to go too fast. Or maybe I'll just do away with pacing all together on long runs. If I can get it over with sooner, then why not?

Side note: I ran into this lady on the track who knows my father. This morning she told me, "You look good. Now don't lose anymore." I'm getting a lot of comments like that these days. I have friends telling me, "You run too much. You need to eat." My aunt asked me, "How small are you trying to be?" I've had co-workers call me skinny or tiny. I think I'm normal (You can see here and here). I have a healthy amount of body fat (not like I've been measured, but my bones don't start fires from scraping against each other). I'm 5'5" on a good day. I weigh between 140 and 143lb on any given day. Add about 5 more lbs to that if I'm using the scale at the Y. That's not skinny. So I'm wondering, is this just a thing in the black community? And probably the Latin community too (My Puerto Rican ex made comments as well). Or do some of you get this too? Since when is being healthy a bad thing?

Man Up!!

That's right, Spring. I'm talking to your punk ass. I had to scrape ice off my car before heading to the track. And get this, when I got there, I discovered it was covered in black ice. So yeah, my plans for a tempo run didn't quite work out. Of course, I wasn't in the mood for it anyway, but still. Spring, you need to stop acting like a little punk and man up. For real! I mean, it's April, and I don't have time for this. I'm finally making it my business to get up at the crack of dawn to get my run on, and you do this. Look, don't let me have to bring my people.

So yeah, I didn't do the tempo run. I couldn't see speeding up without busting my ass. So I just did 2mi that was actually due tomorrow. I guess that works out anyway. I got a late start this morning. I wasn't in the mood today. I just wasn't feeling it when I woke up. Trying to do a tempo run on top of that wasn't gonna work. I just hope tomorrow is better.

I finally did it!

I got my lazy butt up this morning and ran. Boy, what a difference a decent night of sleep makes (Special thanks to chamomile tea and valerian root). I woke up at 5am and just laid there for a few minutes processing the fact that I was awake and wasn't pissed off about being up so damn early. It sounded wet outside, so I turned on the news to check the weather first. There was a sprinkle here and there, but nothing significant, so off to the track I went.

My goal was to run a pace of about 10:34. If you remember, the training plan I'm using has my easy pace set to 11:04. I decided that I'd try to adjust down my pace on all runs by 30 seconds. To get to 11:04, I would have to walk. Seriously, the whole run felt like I wasn't doing any work. I don't think I sweat the whole time. I could have had an entire conversation on the phone while running. Are easy runs supposed to be that easy? And I'm not sure I can do longer runs at such a slow pace either. I'm the type who will get something over with quicker if possible. I mean, why spend so much time on a long run when I can finish it 15min sooner? Maybe I'm the only one who thinks like this. But I can't see sticking to the training pace on a long run.

So Michelle sent me a link to a Runner's World pace calculator. I still think the training pace is too slow, but at least the tempo pace is promising. After my bootleg calculations, I was planning to do about 8:58. So 9:00 isn't far off. I still think I should just run for two hours at whatever pace is comfortable for me and just roll with that. A two hour training run before the half is more than enough preparation, I think. So, of course, I'll be adjusting the training plan some more.

With all this half stuff, I'm forgetting that I have a 10k race in Central Park first. That calls for a training run or two around the golf course where there's a steady incline. I ran that route as a fairly new runner, in the summer time, and hated every minute of it. My skills have improved since, but I'm thinking I'll still hate it. Hopefully I'll handle it better in time to kick Central Park's ass. We shall see.

So no pictures today. There was nothing to see anyway. It was a shade above pitch black, and in the distance my view was a stop light and a Shop Rite. Yeah, nothing to see here.

Alright, so I'm off. It's time to wind down. Night all.

Run 4/11/2009

I didn't get around to blogging yesterday. When I got home, I rushed around to head back out to my uncle's retirement dinner. It was Kool and the Gang. I saw some family that I haven't seen in a while, so that's good.

So on to the run. I spent the whole run telling myself to slow down, because I'm convinced that I'm probably training too fast. The first mile was slower, then everything after ended up being sub-9:00. Yeah, not quite as slow as I would have liked. And honestly, I'm surprised mile 4 was sub-9:00. It was the hardest mile. All the sudden, my quads were really feeling it. Again, I have lack of food to thank for how I was feeling. Luckily, I had my fill at dinner to make up for it.

Anyway, I've been looking more at the Runner's World training plan. I tweaked it a bit to train hard. Still the pacing seems all off. I'm thinking that it would be more challenging if I ran 30sec faster than the suggested pace. Or maybe I should just throw all of that out the window and just run. I still like my idea of just running for 2hrs. If I can run that long, then I can run a half. Whatever I decide, I need to figure it out soon. Tuesday should be the first day of training.

I'm off. I need to prepare myself for today's long run. It's supposed to be 75min. We shall see, because I really don't feel like going out.

Happy Easter!

Run 4/10/2009

Happy Friday, y'all! And Happy Good Friday too! So yeah, I bring my camera with me everywhere. I took a picture with my friend, Camella, today at work. It's funny because she's actually taller than me by about an inch. But she's wearing flats, and I'm wearing heels. And she kind of bent down for whatever reason.

So on to this running business. I figured I'd do some kind of training plan from Runner's World, but alter it a bit. Anyway, I decided to incorporate a mini one mile race test into today's 25min run to come up with a pace for the training plan. So I did a one mile warm up, then one mile fast, then the remainder a cool down jog. So my fast mile was at 7:54. After that, I would have loved to just stop and fall out on the track. I resisted the urge to stop and walk and just jogged it out. It was a pretty decent cool down. My legs were up for the challenge. Again my lungs are a different story. But I am improving. I don't think it would have been possible for me to run a sub-8:00 mile before. Especially on the track. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't run well on completely flat surfaces. That would explain part of my treadmill hatred.

Anyway, I was looking at the training paces Runner's World came up with. I don't know if I can bear to run an easy pace of 11:04. On top of that, I don't think that the paces for tempo runs and speedwork are challenging at all. So maybe the whole one mile test thing was pointless. I guess I'll need to do a lot of tweaking to come up with my own plan. I believe most of you are more experienced than me. Tell me, what do y'all think?

Run 4/8/09

Crappy food = crappy run

See, this is what happens when you don't get enough sleep. Wake up, rush around and not have time to prepare anything. So the work day started with Dunkin Donuts and ended with peanut butter crackers. With that, it felt harder than it should have been. The best part about the whole thing was when I stopped to take pictures of the deer.



They were actually kind of far away. I didn't want to get any closer. They could have a) run away or b) sized me up and jumped me. That's three against one. I didn't want to chance it. So away I stood.

Anyway, back to the run. It was pretty uneventful. And that sucks because I was looking forward to running today. Well, all runs can't be glorious. Better luck next time. Oh, I'm kinda sorta thinking about joining one of the local running stores for a group run one night. Maybe tomorrow. But I've never run with anyone and I'm afraid I may be too slow. The running store peeps have their bios online. They've been running for years and years, and have personal records of sub-5:00 miles. Or maybe I'll chicken out and just take my butt to the park. Maybe I'll run faster if the deer actually chase me next time. Yeah, that should get me into the sub-8:00 category. Still not good enough to hang with the elite though.

So on to other business. I've registered for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. Again, thanks to Michelle twisting my arm. She somehow roped Ted into registering (probably by way of a headlock. She's one tough cookie. Ha! I kid. Love ya girl.) I was all excited about it. But during the not so great run, I started thinking, "What the hell was I thinking?" I'm sure that will all go away once I have a decent run again (I really should start getting to bed sooner so I can at least start the day right with a good breakfast). Oh, that reminds me..I must call my aunt in Brooklyn to let her know that I'll be cramping her style for three weekends. I hope she has nothing to do. Luckily, I'm one of her favorite nieces.

And on that note, I'm out. Night all!

Run 4/5/09 and Some Pics

Hey y'all. How was your weekend? Mine was cool. I went out Friday night. Had a few drinks. Listened to some good music and just chilled.


So yeah. More random photos because I'm really loving my camera. I'm snapping pictures of everything. I'm no where near being a photographer, so I'll spare you all the entire contents of my memory card. You can thank me later.

I've learned to zoom in






and zoom out.

This is the type of hill I imagine when people say they are hill training. Please tell me that hill training isn't that ridiculous.

And the best part is that I haven't cracked open the instruction booklet yet. I feel that if I have to read an instruction booklet to figure out the basics, then the damn thing isn't user friendly and I'd be better off without it anyway.

So on to the run...


I love my Adidas. Aren't they cute?

I have no idea why it was so fast (especially with feminine issues). Maybe I was just really diggin' today's music selection (It came highly recommended by a DJ acquaintance. This album is HOT HOT HOT!!). Maybe I loved running in short sleeves and a skirt.


With the sun all in my eyes. I didn't even realize he took the picture.


So we took another picture. This time, I could see.

It's about time Spring made an appearance. The weather has been sucky lately.


Daffodil outside my house.

Or maybe because it was warm enough to run sockless. Socks just don't agree with me. Who likes a hot foot? I don't. It's just more comfortable to me. And I can feel the breeze go through my sneakers.


Sockless running is hardcore!

But whatever the case may be, it turned out to be a good run. 5mi at a 8:53 pace! And get this, it was fairly consistent too. Check my splits when you get a chance. Anyway, I'm truly amazed. There's no other way to put it. So my fast day is your slow day, but still. It's an improvement.

In other news, guess what I did? I joined New York Road Runners and registered for two 10k races. Michelle talked me into it (If someone's looking for a negotiator, look her up). For one, I don't live in NY. Two, I don't live close either. Three, but I love NY and have family there and was born there. So why not race there? The first race is scheduled for May 16th, and the other is June 7th. Both are in Central Park. Maybe if I run the hill in the park near me, I'll be prepared for it. I hear Central Park is hilly. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Oh, and I did mention some months ago about possibly running the Brooklyn Half (again Michelle's doing). Brooklyn Represent! But they have yet to pick a date. So I'm still waiting on that one.

Anyway, I've done enough rambling and picture posting. And I am starving. So yeah, I need to work on that. Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

Run 4/2/09

This was a fast one, 3mi @ 8:49 pace. I didn't expect it to be so fast. But at least I know now that I'm capable of running a decent 5k, if I choose to run one. Short distances really aren't my strong suit. About time I'm warmed up, the race will be over. Anyway, I told myself to slow down. But once you get going, it's hard to ease up. Oh well. It was one hell of a workout. I wasn't too hard on myself though or I'd be feeling it now. Once I got into the cool down, it was like I didn't run at all.

And yes, those would be random pictures of my legs and feet. I bought a Nikon Coolpix yesterday. I figured I'd treat myself to a camera. I've never owned one. Isn't that sad? A camera phone and a web cam don't count. I feel like I want to capture life. I have no pictures to look back on and that stops now. So yeah, you may see some random pictures here. It would be nice to have something here other than stats (see below if you're interested).








So tomorrow's a rest day. I am going to my favorite lounge spot. Well, that's if work doesn't tire me out. I really hope not. Or maybe I'll just come home and take a nap first. But I love the music and I love the company. And I love that I can walk up to the DJ and ask what he's playing, and he'll actually show me. I'm a big, BIG music fan. I ended up buying an album he recommended since the last time I was there. Music just makes me feel so much better. You don't want to see me if I'm lacking food, sleep or music. It's not a pretty sight.

Well, enough of the random talk. I'm off to bed. Night all.