Priorities + Week 7 Marathon Training

One thing I've learned from going through the marathon training cycle a few times is you have to have conviction in your priorities.

I suppose this is true in life as well, but when you have fewer hours of free time during the week because of training, it becomes even more obvious. I try not to become a complete hermit when I train, because I enjoy being social and doing fun things outside of running. But when I commit to something, I am super committed. I am taking marathon training seriously, especially because as the weeks go on, I am finding it to be one the more successful training cycles I’ve had. So what does this mean? I have to let some things go. But there are things I've learned along the way that are both good and bad. Do you want to hear about them? Okay then.

The Positives

I’ve trained my body to wake up before work and run, specifically for the purpose of being able to meet up with friends in the evening, or just lay on my couch and catch up on Project Runway. This has proved helpful so far, and I find on the days when I train in the morning I have a TON of energy the rest of the day. I make both my runs and my evening plans a priority, and everybody wins.

A photo of a happy, well-balanced runner.

Last year when I was training for the Philly marathon, I had a hard time balancing everything. I was burnt out from running all year, and my original training plan was pretty aggressive. Between running and work, I was stress city. Even when I was training for the tri in the spring, fitting in workouts 6 days a week was no easy task. I pushed a lot to the side, and focused on my training. Too much of one thing made me super stressed. But this time around? I feel great. It is the first time since last November that I’ve been able to devote all of my active time to my love for running, and I couldn’t be happier. I really try to use my time when I run to sort out my worries and let go of negative emotions, instead of letting it bring any added stress into my life (MOM ARE YOU READING THIS).

The Negatives (wah-wahh)

The reality of marathon training is that you will not be able to do everything. You can’t get drunk Friday night AND nail that 18 miler on Saturday morning. At least I can’t. It’s either a Harry Potter DVD and the 18 miler, OR getting drunk Friday and laying in bed Saturday morning while chugging Gatorade. During marathon season, I choose the former because that’s what I’m committed to. I’m very lucky to have a boyfriend and a family who support my training, because I know that my long training runs can be selfish.

While I know that my long runs can cut into weekend time, I try to adjust my schedule so training doesn't take over my life. For example: I’m going away to Keith’s house this weekend, where his mom, Keith and I are going to the Brimfield Antiques Market to scavenge for cool old knick knacks. I know we usually leave EARLY on Saturday morning to get good parking, so I chose to do my long training run last night so I didn’t have to worry about it over the weekend. Running 2 ½ hours on a Thursday night is not exactly my idea of fun, but now I don’t have to stress about when I’m going to fit it in over the weekend. Sacrifices, people.

Anywho! Let’s get down to how last week’s training went.

Monday : 6M, 3M @ Marathon Pace (kind of)

Tuesday: 5M easy

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Rest (and drive up to Portland for Labor Day!)

Friday: 13 Miles in Portland

AWESOME run. Well, awesome first half, when Keith joined me. Keith and I got to the apartment we were staying at around lunch, and strapped on our sneakers to enjoy the fresh air. Keith’s plan was to join me for the first half, and I would do the last 6 ½ on my own. We had a bit of fun.

Show-off.

Kind of showing-off.

 

VERY PLEASED.

The first half I felt really strong, despite the heat and humidity. I also didn’t fuel properly before the run. I had an egg sandwich at about 10, and half of a banana right before the run. So by the time I turned around for the second half of my run, I was HUNGRY. My clif shots and blocks weren’t doing the trick. The last few miles I could feel how drained and dehydrated I was. Plus, being by myself was not fun. I was ready for a weekend of drinking and playing.

I turned on my iPod, and kicked it into high gear for the last two miles. A little Miley Cyrus got me to do my last mile at 9:19, which I was really happy with. Then it was beer time.

Fall beer is LITERALLY my favorite thing.

And beach time.

And casual biking time.

Sunday: 4.25 Miles

Keith and I did another run on Sunday, and I was not really up for it. After a weekend of beer and fried food, I just wanted to nap. But we plotted our route so that we would end at a bar on the water. As I said before, it’s all about priorities.

Total Miles: 28.25

Here's to another week of being balanced and stress-free. And drinking all the fall beer I can get my hands on.

Week 6 Marathon Training – and Where the Heck I Have Been

I'm here!

I’ve spent the last few weeks enjoying the beautiful August weather we’ve been having. The sun has been out and I haven't been to work on a Friday in weeks. Work has also been crazy busy, so play time + work time = no blog time. I’m back! I hope.

The last few weeks have been REALLY great. I feel like I spent part of the spring and the hot days in July focusing on the negative. But with beautiful 70/80 degree weather and lots of little trips planned, I think I'm back to focusing on the positive.

Do you want a recap in photos? Those are my favorite.

Summer Streets! One of my favorite running weekends of the year. I had a great 9 Mile run down Park Avenue.

Another long run spent over the Williamsburg Bridge. It was hot and sweaty, but I was finally able to run up the Williamsburg Bridge without feeling like I was going to collapse. Gettin’ that hill stamina.

After Keith took the bar (!!!) we spent plenty of time celebrating him being able to bar hop again.

With busy weekends, busy work days, and training, I've been been seriously neglecting my kitchen. But Keith did manage to teach me how to make an awesome kale dish. Just oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a pan. So good.

I went to Cape Cod to visit my good friend from college, Jaime. I managed to get plenty of time in at the beach, plus drink PLENTY with my amazing gal pal.

I also had my 25^th birthday (EEEEP) at a german beer hall in Williamsburg. General debauchery ensued.

There was sister time (!!!)  plus a creeper.

(Keith's bro)

Arm wrestling time.

Bossy time.

All in all, a pretty good August. I also got a fair amount of running in. Which brings me to…

Week 6 Marathon Training!

Monday: 5 Miles (Easy)

Nothing to write home about – 5 easy miles after work.

Tuesday: 5 Miles – w/ 3 @ Marathon Pace

This is typically my “speedwork” day. It's definitely not true speedwork, but I try to pick up the pace after a warm-up mile. Sometimes I go faster than marathon pace, sometimes slower. It depends. I’m not really worried about it.

Wednesday: Rest (I got my hair did)

Thursday: 4 Miles (Easy)

I was SO TIRED this day. It took literally everything in my being to get out of bed. But I knew I had to because it was my birthday weekend, and I knew I wouldn’t want to exercise at all. So I cut it a mile short.

Friday: 12 Miles – Long Run

This was an interesting run. I was at home, which thankfully always makes for better runs since I’m looking at something other than concrete and trash. Keith did the first 4 miles with me, my dad biked a few miles with me, and then I was on my own. When Keith and I started out, we realized how freaking humid it was. By the time my dad was biking with me, my legs felt like lead and I was really hot. Then by the time I was on my own, I actually felt great. My pace REALLY slowed when I was with my dad, but I was able to pick it up and finish strong.

I ran by my elementary school I went to in Kindergarten/1^st grade. It is so TINY. It smelled the same too – like PB&Js and band-aids. I remembered when my kindergarten teacher completely disheveled our classroom on St. Patty's Day and blamed it on leprechauns. I remember sitting under a tree during recess drinking capri sun and eating doritos. Running past it put me in a really good mood.

I did lots of little loops around my neighborhood, passing no fewer than 4 cornfields. By the end of the run, my body was tired, but I felt like I could have kept on going.

This is in Jersey, I swear.

Overall, I feel really good about marathon training. My long runs have been going well, which is key. I haven’t been pushing the pace at all, but I do try to pick up speed in the last few miles to get my legs used to going fast when they’re tired. My runs during the week have been okay, but I’m finding it more and more challenging to fit them in the morning before work. I thought I could hold off becoming hermit Kate for awhile, but once weekday runs become 7-8 miles long, I may have to crawl into my shell during the week.

Short n sweet recap, but I felt like I needed to check-in. I’m heading up to Portland, ME this weekend with Keith for a beer fest, seafood, and the beach. More updates soon…

Until then, happy running!

Week 2 - NYC Marathon Training

Living in NYC, you see a lot of crazy. I’m hyper-sensitive to other people in the summertime, because the subways and streets seem even more crowded than usual. I’ve observed a few things recently that annoy me and I would like to get them off my chest.

Several times recently, I’ve seen people get on an elevator, walk to the back of it, and then just as the door is about to close say, “Can you press 4?” Even if you’re distracted, what is the first thing you do when you walk into an elevator? Do you not to immediately press the button of what floor you’re going to? Are these people just lazy? You should be in control of your own schedule. I am not going to be at your disposal in every other transportation mode you take throughout the day. Riding an elevator should be the easiest part of your day.

Also, I find it really annoying when people ask me the address for a place. JUST. GOOGLE. IT. I don’t understand. Not only will you have a better sense of where the address is if you look it up, but it will also avoid all follow-up questions that are likely to ensue (What is it on the corner of? How do I get there?). Maybe people just really trust my judgment, or they are old school and don’t automatically go to Google for their everyday questions. Either way, trust me when I say that asking for the address of a place is a waste of both of our times. (Please note that this anger brews almost entirely at work. Mom and Dad, still feel free to ask me for an address anytime you like. You are both the exception to this rule because you are very sweet and nice).

LOOK AT ALL THIS INFO GOOGLE GIVES YOU.

Sorry to unload all that on you first thing. It’s just that the NYC summer heat can cause irrational behavior that I am very sensitive to. And I am perhaps a victim of.

On a high note, Week 2 was a good week!

Monday: 3 Miles

I did a slow, easy run after work. My joints have been a little achey, I think from going to running 4 days a week. My body is still adjusting to marathon training, so I’m taking it nice and easy.

Tuesday: 2 Miles

I was supposed to do 4, but cut it short because my muscles were still achey. I took the less is more approach because it is so early in training, and figured I would make up the miles later in the week.

Wednesday: Rest

I watched a lot of Orange is the new Black and knitted.

Thursday: 3 Miles

I did these miles in the gym – I started off with 10 minutes of the stair stepper to warm up, and then switched to the treadmill. It was great to get a true warm-up in, because my muscles were ready to go by the time I got on the treadmill.

Friday: Rest

I went home for the weekend, and got some shopping and TLC in on Friday. Can I just express my immense love for malls in the suburbs? I do a lot of my shopping online now, because I just can’t stand the lines and crowds at stores in the city. But I went to the mall by my house and I had so much room to peruse! No lines for the waiting room, no one bumping into me in the sales section. It was just me and my credit card.

Needed approval from my sister that this was cute.

My mall got fancy with an Apple store while I've been in NYC.
And I only see two people. So nice.

Which is real?

Saturday: 7 Miles

I was out the door early for 7 miles on my favorite path at home. It was so peaceful, and I smiled the entire way. My dad joined me with his bike for the last half, which always makes the run go by in a flash.

My happy place.

This is my absolute favorite place to run. I used to play soccer here as a kid, and I usually climb and jump over the fence, and run diagonally across the field. It almost takes me back to soccer and Capri Suns.

I went to the beach after the run, which I had been looking forward to all summer. I got some freckles, read my book, and got a healthy dosage of jersey shore trash crazies.

Sunday: 2 Miles

I made up those miles! I told you I would. Slow and steady.

I got back to Brooklyn mid-day, went for my quick run, got some groceries, and then went gang-busters in my apartment. I have a few storage bins that I keep random “essentials” in (Christmas decorations, my Spanglish DVD). I’ve been meaning to go through them, as well as re-arrange my bookshelf. There were far too many books on my shelf, but I think “cool” bookshelves are supposed to have a mix of books you haven’t read and cool trinkets.

It was a success! I went through all my books and made some tough decisions. I put aside a bunch to donate, kept the ones I want to read on my bookshelf, and placed the rest back in a bin (I just can’t part with all of the books I read in college. They make me feel scholarly). I cleaned and re-arranged my bookshelf, my crowning jewel in my apartment.

Do you see all my trinkets?

All in all, a pretty perfect weekend. My legs were definitely sore Sunday afternoon, but I’ve rarely done 5 days of running in one week during training. I’m continuing to take my own advice of taking my increasing my mileage and pace slowly, and I'm really looking forward to each run. 

A Positive Outlook

Today’s Workout: 8 Miles

Recently, I’ve been really anxious. Work has been crazy – which is usually great, but when I'm feeling stressed, it's mostly terrible. I’ve been dreaming about work almost every single night for the past two weeks. I dream I forgot to prepare for a meeting or think I put in a phone call to work in the middle of the night when I really didn’t… so my sleep to worry ratio has been causing havoc.

While work is generally great and I'm really happy there, yesterday I had one of those unavoidable “bad days.”

I woke up cranky, and couldn’t seem to shake it all day. By the time I finally left work, I was really angry at the world. I wanted to just collapse on my couch and catch up on my DVR, but I had to run 5 miles first. Ugh. Sometimes life is so hard.

But as I was riding the subway home, I realized I shouldn’t be angry with the world at all. I should be celebrating all of the great things in my life. And that’s exactly what I spent my run last night doing.

I left my iPod at home in an effort to clear my mind of work stress, and focus on the positive. Here is what my head came up with:

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Things I’m Thankful For

-My family (They give me so much support and love)

-Keith (He knows how to make me giggle when I’m really cranky and mad)

-Bad days and good days (you can’t have one without the other)

-The Williamsburg Bridge (nothing tests the shape I’m in like that behemoth)

-Autumn (I decided that October is my favorite month. Bring on Halloween and watching Hocus Pocus as much as ABC family allows me to)

-Wine (enough said)



At a winery with Keith!
Wine makes everything O.K. in my book



-Living in New York (this is a cynical one… living anywhere else will seem easy after surviving this city)

-Cold weather running gear (I wore one of my running jackets for the first time since spring last night!!)

-Nail polish (I’m sporting my fave black polish right now. That’s probably all I can share on this point)

-Running

----------

When I was thinking about why I’m thankful for running, I mentally patted myself on the back for last weekend’s long run.

I ran 15 miles on Saturday – my longest run of 2012!

I decided to run into Manhattan and do a loop of Central Park, since I’ll be running a half-marathon there this weekend. I ran a 10k there in May, and it kicked my butt. So mentally, I wanted to run the course so I would feel confident for the half.

I do 95% of my runs alone, and while my routes in Brooklyn encounter the occasional runner or biker, it’s pretty solitary. Running the outer loop of Central Park sent a shock to my system – so many runners! So many children! So many weirdos! I passed a guy who was running while juggling three baseballs. Awesome.



Proof I ran to Central Park and back.



As I mentioned a few weeks back, I’ve been trying to run the first half of my long runs without music so I’ll get that extra boost when my legs get tired. I had so much visual stimulation in Central Park that I didn’t need my music at all. I still felt really good while running back over the Queensboro Bridge, and realized that I could probably do the whole thing without music. And I did!

15 Beautiful Miles.

I also realized that I only have three long runs left before my taper. It’s exciting but also terrifying, because I fit in more long runs during last year's training. I keep reminding myself that I had a great base going into training, but I’m worried that I’m lacking the long run experience I should have at this point. I guess I will just have to make the most of these last few weeks of peak training, and hope for the best.

The next post will likely be a race report for the half I’m running this weekend - I’m definitely not looking to PR, but I’m hoping use it as sort of a “test run” for the marathon. I’m pumped to get out there and race!!!

Confident & Strong

Today’s Workout: 5 Miles, Easy

I’m feeling really confident these days. Work is good, my relationships are great, and running is back to amazing.

But let’s focus on the running right now.

I was being pretty cautious over the past month. I didn’t want anything to deter me from completing the marathon, so I’ve been taking it easy and listening to my body as best I can. I take walk breaks every mile, slow down if I feel achey, and ice and stretch religiously.

My weekday runs have been pretty successful – no issues completing them, or feeling too tired or sore afterwards. My weekend long runs, however, are a different story.

Anyone who’s trained for a half or full marathon will tell you that the long runs are key. Sure, skip a weekday run here or there and it won’t kill you. But if you skimp on your long runs, you will definitely feel it during your race, and it won’t be pretty. I’ve been there. It’s brutal.

So the last few weekends when I’ve been on the mend, the long runs have definitely been tough. I am almost ready to collapse by the end, my legs are screaming at me, and every week I swear I couldn’t run another step. The upside – I’ve been working on some mental techniques that seem to be working. Let’s have a sharing session, shall we?

Technique #1 – Wait to listen to music until you need a boost

If I’m going for a 4-6 mile run, I’ll grab my iPod if I’m feeling sluggish, but I usually don’t need it. I know very well the effect that a little hit of music can do to your sore and tired muscles. So for long runs, I started bringing my iPod, but leaving it off until I’m more than halfway through my run. During my 11-mile run on Saturday, I didn’t really need that boost until I was 8.3 miles in. As a result, it broke up my run, and gave me that extra surge of happiness that only comes from lip syncing unashamedly in public.

Technique #2 – Give your brain a little mental stimulation

There was an article in Runner’s World that gave some suggestions on what to do when you’re feeling tired during a run. One of them was to name all of the states – which I tried this past Saturday. It took me about two miles to do, but I swear those were the quickest two miles I’ve run in a long time (another tip – teach yourself how many states are in each letter, and go through them alphabetically, so you know which letter to go back to if you can’t remember one. i.e. The letter I has four states). For some reason, Nevada was last. It just ain’t that memorable to me.

I also have been listening to this podcast called “Stuff You Missed in History Class” by HowStuffWorks.com. I’ve been learning all about public enemies from the 1930s to how the Titanic worked. I like to learn and run at the same time.

Technique #3 – Put some gold at the end of the rainbow

I suppose this is self-explanatory, but it can really help in the last few miles of a long run. Plan exactly what things you have to look forward to after you run – an iced coffee, brunch, relaxing on your couch–and remind yourself it’ll just be a few minutes ‘til you get your reward.

So my long run on Saturday had some highs and lows – I ran over the Williamsburg Bridge, and I am pretty sure I ran past Fred Armisen. I thought I saw him, so I sprinted back so I could pass him again, and then I wasn’t so sure. So that part is up for discussion. (However, I DID see Tony Danza on Sunday. He waved and said hi after he overheard my friend say "wow he looks really good." And he did). 

Ok. This is an ugly picture. But still
proof that I was on the bridge.

My knee felt stiff, but it was pretty much along for the ride the whole way. I took walk breaks after every mile, but realized I didn’t need them as much as I did just two weeks ago. That is progress in my book!

Pretty splits.

I ran each “half” at about the same pace, which I’m also pretty happy with. Basically, this run gave me some confidence that I’ve been lacking, and I’m ready for the last eight weeks of training (eep!).

Later on Saturday, Keith and I went to the wedding of our two dear friends, Dustin and Karen.

It was an amazing wedding, with the ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the reception at a cute restaurant nearby. We ate and drank with their friends and family, who were all there to party like we were.

:)

So I’m going into this week feeling pretty happy, confident and strong. Ready to ramp up my training, and work on my U.S. geography.

Lots of Good Food & A (Very) Hilly Run

Today’s Workout  – 5 Miles, Hills

I spent this past weekend tapping into some childhood happiness at New England’s State Fair called the Big E.

An omen of great things to come.

Keith’s family and I headed up Saturday morning bright and early to the fair that took place in West Springfield, MA.

We grabbed some yummy breakfast sandwiches, and then started through the fair. The Big E is sort of a mini-town – beyond the typical fair staples of food stands and carnival rides, they have replicas of the state houses for each New England state that you can walk through and explore. Each state house was full of food and trinkets that locals make (Vermont – Maple Syrup, Massachusetts – Lobster Rolls… you get the picture). I grabbed every sample of cheese and fudge I could get my hands on.

Mmm mini pies.
Perhaps the only item I didn't consume that day.

Cool old car!

We filled up on Harpoon Oktoberfest (there are few things in life I love more than fall beer), saw the New England rednecks out in droves, and made our way over to the “Farm-a-Rama.” There were baby chicks hatching, a mama and baby alpaca, Clydesdale horses, and baby pigs!!!

Cute lil spotted pig. I want to take you home.

I retract my previous statement. There are few things in life I love more
than watching baby pigs climbing over each other to get to their mama.

There were also lots of fun trinkets you could buy – everything from puppets to jewelry to cute little Halloween decorations. I had to refrain on a few things, but I did walk away with a block of Vermont cheddar cheese and a pez dispenser.

Keith found me a beautiful hat.

Excitement after ordering a "large" kettle popcorn 

I took a little catnap on the ride home – probably my body’s way of preparing for the nine miles I had to run after a day of walking, drinking, and eating. So after a little hydration and procrastinating, I hit the road for my long run around Keith’s hilly neighborhood.

Hilly. F-ing. Run.

I know the roads around Keith’s house pretty well, since I almost always fit in a run when we visit his parents. I wanted to try a different route, and one that wouldn’t force me to make two loops (it’s mentally easier for me to finish a run when I don’t pass home halfway through). I was trucking along, feeling pretty good, and suddenly realized I had no idea where I was. Luckily, a somewhat-friendly man walking his dog was around the bend from me, and I asked him for directions. Normally I hate being lost, but it was oddly exhilarating. And there’s comfort in knowing that if you simply turn around, you can follow the route you just took home…

This was my longest run in awhile. Not going to lie, I was completely wiped by the end. I tried to keep in mind that I was running an incredibly hilly route, and my pre-run fuel of cider donuts and beer probably didn’t help any. But once it was over, I decided to see it as a confidence boost that I could successfully run all those crazy inclines.

I had an amazing meal with Keith’s family, watched some of the Notre Dame Football game… and was in bed at 9:30. Successful day in my book.

I did a 5 mile “hilly” run at the gym this morning. Everything was telling me to stay in bed since the sky was dark with rain clouds, but I dragged myself out of bed and I’m glad I did it. I think the hills over the weekend helped build my endurance, because I didn’t feel like dying when I boosted the incline level past 1.0 on the treadmill.

Aside from being excited to go home and finally put up the curtains my mom made me while likely watching my new copy of the Hunger Games (thanks Kel!), today marks an amazing day. My anniversary with Keith!

Surprise flowers waiting for me!!!

(Cue icky love stuff)

So happy to be with such a wonderful person, who makes me laugh and smile every day!

Summer Streets!

Today’s Workout: 4 Miles, Easy

Health Check: I've been feeling pretty tired on on "rest" days, so I've been taking full advantage of my couch on those days. Must mean I am working hard during my runs!

After this weekend’s heat, I am READY for the fall. Bring on the sweaters and booties please.

But until then, I’m trying to make the best of the heat. I’m trying to use a glass-half-full-attitude to convince myself that runs will be much easier come the fall, not to mention how grateful I am that I do not live an inch closer to the equator.

I had a relatively short long-run on the schedule this past weekend, and had Keith to accompany me on the trek (YAY). The weather report for our run? 8:57AM Saturday morning: 82 degrees. Yikes.

We headed into queens, starting our run chatty and energized. There were lots of runners and bikers already out, perhaps also trying to beat the heat, and by the time we got to the Queensboro Bridge, I was feeling nice and warmed up.

Cue the low point of the run - the slowww incline up the Bridge, where there is no shade and apparently no wind. Conversation subsided, and we took our time getting into Manhattan.

Keith and I made it to Park Ave, where pedestrians were in full force, and our endorphins kicked in.  We made it to Summer Streets!!!

We jogged several blocks and started picking off people we wanted to run past. That seemed to be working for Keith but I could only keep it up for about two blocks. Damn my slow-twitch fibers.

My favorite part of Summer Streets by far is Grand Central. You get to run through the cool tunnels that are often only seen from the inside of a cab. It makes you feel like Will Smith in “I Am Legend.” (Not that I’ve seen that movie or anything…)

This reference is a little obsucre, I admit.

The last few miles went by fast. There was a shirtless dude that was about 50 ft in front of us, and Keith and I made it our goal to pass him. So we picked up the pace and it was mission accomplished. Thus explaining the fast split at the end of a hot, hot run.

I was very impressed with Keith’s performance, since he’s more of a gym-goer than a runner. I was even more impressed with the amount of sweat we both produced. It was not a pretty sight.

During the last mile, I was seriously looking forward to the breakfast spot we were going to check out after the run. It was a cute little diner on 1^st Ave called the Ritz (not to be confused with the hotel chain. Absolutely no relation).

This fun run made me realize a few things about training:

Change is good.

I always run the same routes in Brooklyn – for anything under 10 miles (mostly weekday runs), I find it hard to change it up. But I’m going to make it a priority to try new running paths during my long runs, because Saturday’s run was awesome, and this city is worth exploring!

Mind over matter.

Keith usually doesn’t run over 3 miles when he hits the pavement. Yet on Saturday, he was able to finish 7, on a hilly and hot route with a smile on his face. I want to keep this in mind for difficult runs in the future (ahem, two 20-milers on the training plan sjflskjdfldskj). It’s a good reminder that working on mental techniques is just as important as the physical component. No matter the weather or the mileage, I can do it!

This week I will be starting to get into higher mileages, and I want to make sure I do all my runs, and at the required paces. I've been changing my plan around a bit because of my knee, and I want to get back on track. Begin Week 4 of Marathon Training!!!

Good Food, Good (and bad) TV

Today’s Workout: 5 miles, easy

Health Check: I feel awesome! But I need to add more veggies, and subtract greasy food from this week’s diet.

I headed home to the lovely state of New Jersey on Thursday evening. I had been looking forward to going home - the summertime, while kind to my social calendar, is unkind to my wallet. A few home cooked meals and some uninterrupted sleep was just what I needed.

My mom made an amazing meal Thursday night – pork chops and Spanish rice. It must have caused a food coma, since I began watching a movie with my family and fell asleep… at 9:45. Perfection (we were also watching Dante’s Peak, which I loved as a kid. But 13-year-old Kate did not, as it turns out, have Oscar-winning film taste).

Whatever. I still love this movie.

I skipped my run on Friday per Dr. Ngo’s orders, and was happy to take the day off. My knee was feeling loads better, and I’m not one to turn down time on the couch with my fam.

On Saturday morning, my dad and I hit the pavement to find unwavering humidity in the air. Papa Wyman was my amazing pit crew, as he biked next to me and handed me my water bottle at every mile. I took several walk breaks to minimize some of the impact on my knee, but overall felt great. I was scheduled to do 9 miles, and ran the first 7 with my dad, so the first hour or so flew by. I was solo on the last two miles, which seemed to drag on with intense heat. Anyone else ready for fall?

I started out intentionally slow, and picked up the pace in the middle. It started to get really hot by the end, so I slowed down a bit. I tried to speed up during mile 9, and even though I felt like I was going at an 8:00 pace, the heat fooled me once again.

I got the royal treatment after my hot run – I was allowed to stretch in my parents’ living room in the cool AC in my sweaty, sweaty clothes, almost immediately washed and dried aforementioned sweaty, sweaty clothes, and found an English muffin breakfast sandwich waiting for me right after my amazing shower. This is why I love doing my long runs at home.

They are too cute!

How is it possible I made it this far without once mentioning the Olympics? I’m not quite sure, but I'm about to change that.

I'm placing all my bets on you, Gabs.

MVP of the Opening Ceremony in pink

I watched the majority of the Opening Ceremony, and realized that I really need to work on my world geography (not quite sure about that pastoral/bedtime bit, but I do love that Kenneth Branagh was an MC of sorts). I also caught a fair amount of swimming, gymnastics, archery, table tennis, volleyball, and fencing. Gymanstics still remains the fave, and fencing is really boring. I don’t know how it works, and I can never tell who stabbed who first.

After Keith and I spent much of the afternoon watching the Olympics on Sunday, we headed over to a new cute diner in Williamsburg called Blue Collar. People have been drawing comparisons to In-N-Out Burger, which Keith and I tried in California, and I can understand why. It’s a no-frills counter-service restaurant, that has about 10 menu items, but everything is delicious and cheap. The cheeseburger was so good that I didn’t even need to eat it with ketchup (perhaps the second time that has ever happened in my life).

Mmmm...

To walk off our burgers, we decided to head over to the ferry dock in Greenpoint where you can catch a good look at the East River and Manhattan. We were lucky to see a storm that was brewing over the city, and obviously did some instagraming.

It was a good little weekend, and now I have my third week of marathon training to look forward to. It’s a “step-back” week, so nothing crazy to write home about – but I will be doing my first official “hill” training this week (and considering I’ve been running the flatlands of Greenpoint recently, it should make things interesting).

Here’s to a week of Olympic watching, and making dents in my couch. You're more than welcome to join me.