Hi there
Happy Friday. I’m trying to get my butt out the door for a 22 minute run today but have this annoying cold/congestion thing going on and I’m not as energetic as I’d like to be. But of course after not being able to run for so long I know i’ll have a hard time skipping a run because of the sniffles. I just need to blow my nose a few more times and then get out the door.
Last Sunday I ran 18 minutes and felt really great. It was drizzly but there was still a little crunch to the autumn leaves that have started to fall.
It made me a little weepy to know that after 10 consecutive years, I wasn’t able to run the Staten Island Half. Last year it poured but i was prepared for the inclement weather and finished with a smile on my face.
I remember running it in 2011 and made it a 20 miler in preparation for my very first marathon a month later. I ran 7 miles before the race began and when I crossed the finish line I was definitely hurting….
And in 2009 and 2010 I was just so darn happy
Good memories! Meanwhile I just looked at my race recaps page. Wow, no recaps for 2017? Cray Cray. I sure hope 2018 will be filled with recaps for all my favorite races. Maybe even some new ones. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
On Tuesday I ran for 20 minutes. Still increasing the time 2 minutes per run with success.I tried out a new pair of Altra Running sneakers for this run. Having enjoyed walking in the Altra Escalante for a few months, and then transitioning to running in them with success, I wanted to try a more cushioned pair. I bought the Torin 3.0. They felt AWESOME! But I’m actually going to exchange them for a half size up. The Escalante’s are an 8 but I think these felt a bit snug so I’m going to try and 8.5. Interestingly I read online (after I bought them) they actually suggest you get a half size up in this style. I’m now obsessed with this whole foot shaped toe box thing that Altra provides with their kicks. Altra also makes trail/hiking shoes that I’ve got my eye on. Gee, you’d think I was sponsored by them. Comfy feet has become more important to me than anything lately. The Altra sneakers also are a zero drop shoe, and while I wasn’t seeking out a zero drop when I got my first pair, I really like them. I’ll probably have to run a lot more miles in them to decide whether or not I think the zero drop helps or hinders my running stride.
And so I’ll continue adding 2 minutes per run and according to the calendar I’ll hit a solid 30 minutes on October 25th, my 44th birthday!!!! I remember when a 20 miler was a milestone….and now i’m excited to reach 30 minutes. Injuries are humbling.
Anyone with a birthday coming up?
Any zero drop shoe runners?
Favorite Season?
As 2016 comes to a close I thought I’d recap my top 10 favorite runs of 2016. All for different reasons why they made the list and not in any order (although maybe they’re in date order now that I look at it).
1. There was my first time running a 10 miler…
The Cherry Blossom 10 miler in Washington D.C. Jane, Amy and I got into this race via lottery and while it was cold and windy we all did really well and had a fun girl’s weekend. The Cherry Blossoms were post-peak but I was fortunate last year to experience them during their peak so I wasn’t too bummed about that. I left that weekend with this desire to want to run more 10 milers. Of course there just aren’t a ton of 10 mile races so I haven’t run one since.
2. And a half marathon in Philly for the 3rd year straight…
The Love Run. I set a PR (in the pouring rain) at the 2014 Love Run, the first year I ran it. This year I had a solid run. My fastest of my 4 half marathons of 2016.
3. A Meaningful run to honor someone’s memory:
Happy Monday! I’m off today (although I have a dentist appointment shortly….#boo) and have just been enjoying this long weekend so much.
Starting backwards….
I completed the Staten Island Half Marathon yesterday and miraculously had a really good race. I’ll have a complete recap up soon. Thank you to those who gave me knee advice. I’m really happy to report it held up. Just some mild pain from mile 11 to the finish.
Saturday rained all day but when it lightened up a bit we took the dogs for a stroll through the park.
Friday I attended a wedding. My hair behaved and my dress zippered….#winning
I got to see some old friends/coworkers.
And I had so much fun with my partner in crime pigging out on the best cocktail hour eats. I love that he loves food as much as I do. Food is not just fuel in our world. I failed at taking pics of the delicious eats because I was too busy shoving in as much as I could in an hour. But the highlights were mini red snapper fish tacos, crab cake sliders and mini philly cheese steak sandwiches. Oh the shitake mushroom tempura was pretty tasty too. =)
After my dentist appointment this morning, I’ll be taking Duncan upstate to meet up with my friend Susan and her Jack Russell (Duncan’s girlfriend) Lucy for a hike along the Hudson River. It’ll be a great way to get that lactic acid buildup out of my quads from the race yesterday. The fall foliage should be pretty amazing too.
Holiday weekends are the best!
What did you do? Are you working today?
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