Thursday, December 31, 2009 – 310 days to marathon. Don’t think because I haven’t written that I haven’t run. It’s very cold in NY so I’m still running on the treadmill. I don’t think I can call myself a runner until I run outdoors in all weather conditions.
Anyway, working for a living can sometimes interfere with life so Tue I only ran for 30 minutes. I had planned to wake up at 5:30 but that didn’t work out. So I settled for a break around lunchtime. It was definitely not a very good run. I think I can’t run during my work day. It will have to be before or after work. On Wed I ran for 5.4 in 74 minutes. Today I ran 5.55 in 75 minutes. Am I training correctly? I have read quite a few articles on how to train, speed train, long runs, normal runs, yet I’m still not sure. I just downloaded Run Your First Marathon by Grete Waitz (yes, I own and love my Kindle). At this point, I’m running on a treadmill, not going very fast, and I don’t want to injure my already weakened knee. So do I concentrate on the time or the miles? When do I stop at; a couple of minutes past my last run or a tenth more than my last mile? Does any of this make any sense?
2010 is almost here. Happy New Year everyone.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, Monday
Monday 12/28/09-313 days. It’s very cold tonight so off I went to my favorite treadmill at the gym. 5.3 in 74 minutes. I actually ran a bit more than I walked. My knee is holding up although when I got home I did take a few Advil.
I was thinking more than listening to my music tonight. I must say it wasn’t happy thoughts; sad thoughts. I suppose this is expected during the holiday season. Family gathering alone can be so stressful, especially when you have a sister that doesn’t exactly like you. I think I’m a nice enough person so I don’t get it. Probably dates back to something from our dysfunctional childhood.
And there are Christmas gifts that we can’t really afford to be bought and family issues abound. We think about the year we are leaving behind; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. We also start thinking about the upcoming year and while we hope for better things, those of us who have been around for awhile, know better. We just hope The Good whips The Bad and The Ugly to a manageable size. Btw: a great Clint Eastwood movie. Sad thoughts tonight. I did feel better after…maybe those endorphins kicked in. Sleep well everyone!
I was thinking more than listening to my music tonight. I must say it wasn’t happy thoughts; sad thoughts. I suppose this is expected during the holiday season. Family gathering alone can be so stressful, especially when you have a sister that doesn’t exactly like you. I think I’m a nice enough person so I don’t get it. Probably dates back to something from our dysfunctional childhood.
And there are Christmas gifts that we can’t really afford to be bought and family issues abound. We think about the year we are leaving behind; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. We also start thinking about the upcoming year and while we hope for better things, those of us who have been around for awhile, know better. We just hope The Good whips The Bad and The Ugly to a manageable size. Btw: a great Clint Eastwood movie. Sad thoughts tonight. I did feel better after…maybe those endorphins kicked in. Sleep well everyone!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday morning at the gym
Sunday 12/27/09 – 314 days. I went to the gym this morning to run on the treadmill. I know I should be running outdoors but it’s cold. 5.20 miles in 74 minutes….I walked for 5 minutes ran for 35 walked another 5 ran more, you get it. Yikes, I keep this up and it’ll take me days to complete a marathon. And am I running or jogging or walking really fast?
The treadmills are on a balcony overlooking the weight machines so I was mildly entertained. Not many ‘Yo Bros’ on a Sunday morning. I got to watch men my age working out. Most are trying to keep a step ahead; I understand that, I’m doing the same thing. It’s the grown men who think they are still in their 20’s and 30’s and wear ‘work out’ clothes from the 80’s that are entertaining. A guy was wearing a cut off type sweatshirt with a string tee shirt; the movie Flashdance came to mind and ocean pacific pants…remember the colorful ones. I just wanted to have a word with him.
5.2 miles wasn't easy, I’m hoping that gets better. My knee held up fairly well.
In 2000 I had an Iliotibial Band (ITB) release on my left knee at the Hospital for Special Surgery. I had the same surgery on my right knee a couple of years prior and it was successful. This surgery was also successful, for about 3 weeks. I was at work, walking in the office, when I heard a pop in my left knee and a sizzzzz sound. I looked down and saw my knee swelling to the point that it was stretching my pants. My leg gave out and someone in the office caught me. Childbirth was a walk in the park compared to the pain I felt. A blood vessel burst in my knee; the doctor called it a hematoma. He inserted a really long needle to remove some of the blood. It took months to heal. I saw my really cute ortho surgeon way too often during those months. He looked over the surgical notes to try and figure out why and why so many weeks after surgery. To this day he believes it was the Vioxx he prescribed. He even called the manufacture to discuss it. My knee never fully recovered from that incident. It was pain I learned to live with. I couldn’t run though. Over the years I would go to the doc and he would inject cortisone and then finally in November 2008 I had surgery to remove quite a bit of scar tissue. I still have some pain and in October had another cortisone injection. It’s certainly better than before and I’m hopeful it will continue to improve.
I’m very open to training tips from experienced marathon runners. I just want to cross the finish line while there are still people around!
The treadmills are on a balcony overlooking the weight machines so I was mildly entertained. Not many ‘Yo Bros’ on a Sunday morning. I got to watch men my age working out. Most are trying to keep a step ahead; I understand that, I’m doing the same thing. It’s the grown men who think they are still in their 20’s and 30’s and wear ‘work out’ clothes from the 80’s that are entertaining. A guy was wearing a cut off type sweatshirt with a string tee shirt; the movie Flashdance came to mind and ocean pacific pants…remember the colorful ones. I just wanted to have a word with him.
5.2 miles wasn't easy, I’m hoping that gets better. My knee held up fairly well.
In 2000 I had an Iliotibial Band (ITB) release on my left knee at the Hospital for Special Surgery. I had the same surgery on my right knee a couple of years prior and it was successful. This surgery was also successful, for about 3 weeks. I was at work, walking in the office, when I heard a pop in my left knee and a sizzzzz sound. I looked down and saw my knee swelling to the point that it was stretching my pants. My leg gave out and someone in the office caught me. Childbirth was a walk in the park compared to the pain I felt. A blood vessel burst in my knee; the doctor called it a hematoma. He inserted a really long needle to remove some of the blood. It took months to heal. I saw my really cute ortho surgeon way too often during those months. He looked over the surgical notes to try and figure out why and why so many weeks after surgery. To this day he believes it was the Vioxx he prescribed. He even called the manufacture to discuss it. My knee never fully recovered from that incident. It was pain I learned to live with. I couldn’t run though. Over the years I would go to the doc and he would inject cortisone and then finally in November 2008 I had surgery to remove quite a bit of scar tissue. I still have some pain and in October had another cortisone injection. It’s certainly better than before and I’m hopeful it will continue to improve.
I’m very open to training tips from experienced marathon runners. I just want to cross the finish line while there are still people around!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
I want to run the NYC Marathon
Today is December 26, 2009. November 7, 2010 is the NYC Marathon. I want to run in it and cross the finish line. 315 days from today. I want to run this Marathon, the one that starts on Staten Island and ends in Central Park. I entered the lottery today. I can’t be guaranteed a spot because I don’t qualify and can’t afford the donation that will guarantee me a spot. To all NYC Marathon officials: I was born and raised in Brooklyn and have lived here my entire life. I am a New Yorker. I deserve to run it.
Obstacles: 26.2 miles, surgery scarred knees, age, and former smoker. And I have never run a marathon before, or even a half marathon.
Advantages: weight, diet, 315 training days, determination. I do run, slowly, but consistently.
Hmmmm, so many obstacles; why not start a blog? I need help; maybe if I write my progress and my difficulties I can actually get through it. I have faith that my number will be picked…Mayor Bloomberg, help?
A dear friend of mine wants to know what I’m running from. She says things like that, always stops me in my tracks. Am I running from…??? I’m not sure, maybe running and writing will help me figure that out.
In 2010 I will be 55 years old and I want to run a marathon. Who wants to help me?
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