My weekend was for escaping the City to Three Mile Harbor where we celebrated this guy’s 59th:

We enjoyed cocktails at sunset on a local beach.

Nature’s finest artwork helped us cap off the celebrations.

It was a relaxing weekend spent with loved ones.

I had grand plans of running 15 miles along the picturesque streets of East Hampton. Three miles into my run I was exerting so much energy, already completely exhausted. By this point it was already well into the 80s and the humidity index was at 90%. Plus, my soleus muscle, which has been bothering me on and off for a few weeks, was starting to feel sore. My body was telling me to stop and I decided to listen. I did not finish my long run this weekend.

Sure, it’s difficult to grasp such hurdles in the beginning of training season. My marathon is creeping up! Mentally and physically, I want to feel strong and capable. But, perhaps the hardest and strongest part of training is holding back when you need to?

My parents have been sailing for the last 10 days and decided to spend the weekend at Montauk Yacht Club. My sister, niece, and I left the city to meet them for a weekend on the water. It was absolutely glorious!

My niece learned to drive…

We spent time by the pool…

We enjoyed the beach…

And, the beautiful sunsets…

After a great weekend, I am ready to take on the week.

My workout goals for the week:

• Speed workout: 10-20 min WU; 4×800 in 3:13 (2 min RI); 10 min CD
• Tempo: 1 mile easy; 5 miles at 8:00; 1 mile easy
• Long run: 15 miles at 8:45
• One cross training workout
• Daily stretching and foam rolling

Happy Monday, everyone!

I’ve enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the Met’s Rooftop Garden. Tomas Saraceno’s Cloud City was an absolutely wonderful addition to a perfect Manhattan view.

{Beautiful exhibit and sunset}

I found myself at South Street Seaport Museum for the Joseph Mitchell’s Harbor Panel. Fresh shucked oysters (with a pearl in one!) and complementary wine? Yes, please!

{Fresh shucked oysters; A pearl!}

So far, I’ve managed three runs since Saturday. Last weekend I pulled out a 14 mile run along the West side of Manhattan (longest since New York City Marathon). I had a wonderful early Tuesday morning run with Jess through Central Park. And, last night I ran my third Al Goldstein Speed Series 5K and finished in 22:54 despite temperatures nearing 100 degrees.

{One of my favorite Manhattan paths to run; Reflection in a caboose}

And, I’ve been hanging out with this girl.

I’ve really been doing my best to enjoy every day! There’s never a repeat, after all

A PR isn’t always a good thing. See, last weekend in NYRR’s New York Mini 10K I finished with a PR of over a minute. But, every single thing about this race left me with a sour feeling.

I woke up without a spirit to race. I met up with Jess and ran 2 miles through Central Park towards the start. I had a strong desire to stay on the winding paths through the park and forego the race altogether. Nonetheless, I found my way to the busy start corrals.

And, busy they were! I was assigned to the first corral, and so were about 300 people too many. Runners were spilling out the sides of the corral entrance and there was absolutely no room to even scratch your leg. Jess and I decided to move back a corral. While waiting for the race to start, cramped against other runners, a rather terrifying looking racer (think Magda from Something About Mary wearing briefs and a sports bra) pulled aside her briefs and peed. A full stream poured onto another runner’s shoe and splashed on a handful of other racers. Clearly this was deliberate; and, absolutely disgusting. (Read Jess’ recap here).

Yes. I have informed NYRR of the incident and reported her bib number.

But, in any case, I started the race feeling absolutely nauseous. I think I ran hard (and thus PR’d) merely because I wanted the race to be over as soon as possible.

{Just after mile 6}

 {At the finish with Jess}

So, no I will not race the Mini next year.

June is here and so is the reality of training season. I’m still trying to decide on my marathon training schedule. Last year, I loosely used a Hal Higdon schedule. I started off the 18-week program feeling quite dedicated to each of the 5 runs/week. But, about 10 weeks before my marathon I suffered from ITBS. I had to take a few weeks completely off from running, after which I came back very slowly.

My training was nowhere I had anticipated it would be, and this, at moments, felt devastating. I went through all the stages of grief, and then I decided my stress was not going to help me succeed in my goal of crossing that finish line. Instead, hard work, determination and patience were the virtues I decided to focus on. If I had to stop to stretch my IT Band every mile along the marathon course, I would.

And, despite my deviance from my original plan, I ran a great race.

So as I am figuring out my plan for 2012, I am keeping in mind the fact that I want to keep my weekly mileage low and incorporate cross-training, as a way to ward off potential injuries.With this in mind, a friend alerted me to check out Run Less Run Faster.

The idea behind this program is to improve race performance with limited running. There are 3 prescribed runs a week (track repeats, tempo, and a long run) and 2-3 cross-training workouts. So far, I am really interested in this program and 99% certain I am going to begin its 16-week schedule soon.

As always, my goal is to run hard and take care of my body.

How do you choose your training program? 

This Saturday my 3-year-old niece introduced me to her friends saying: “This is my A Yi. She’s a good runner!” At that moment I knew I had made it. See, earlier that morning I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon.

I arrived to Prospect Park just after 6 AM. The streets were swarming with some 14,000 runners and the spirit in the air was high. Because it was such a big race, I made sure to find my corral early where I casually conversed with other runners.

“Do you have a goal for this race ?” they asked.

“Not really…. My last half was 1:45, so I guess I just want to beat that time.” And, truly, I hadn’t put much thought (or active training) into this race. I knew the course was fairly flat, but also knew that the day’s high was 80.

I started the race with runners who were expected to run an average of 7:30 min/mile. I knew this was potentially dangerous, as I would want to keep pace with them (and I am not a 7:30 min/mile half-marathoner) and likely tire out. For the first 8 miles I felt great and kept up. The course ran along the outskirts of Prospect Park, followed by a loop around the Park before heading to Ocean Parkway. In the early miles I was impressed with the number of fans out cheering (especially at that early hour), and was absolutely thrilled to see Erica along the sidelines! Love that support!

Once I reached Ocean Parkway I knew the rest of the course was fairly flat. But, I started to feel tired and felt myself slugging. Sometime in this stretch another runner informed me that we were on pace for a 1:42. At that point I knew I was going to PR if I just maintained my pace. Regardless, I kept telling myself to push it at 10 miles… then when that didn’t happen, 11 miles… then 12. I never did. I had little left to push and maintained a fairly consistent pace through the finish.

Running into Coney Island and up onto the Boardwalk was a ton of fun.

{The turn just before the boardwalk}

{Cyclone!}

{I have a habit of overrunning courses}

My sister and niece met me at the finish. My niece seemed enamored with my metal (which she called a ‘dog collar’).

{Me, my niece, and my ‘dog collar’}

{Proud finisher}

{My cutie pie}

For three years I called Brooklyn home. Brooklyn Heights, specifically. This neighborhood is known for its picturesque streets and home to great restaurants and bars (if you ever need recommendations, hit me up!). It was hard to leave, and I definitely see myself finding my way back sooner rather than later.

While living there, I’d often run from my apartment and venture through the streets of Boerum Hill and Park Slope before reaching Prospect Park. It was my stomping ground.

On Saturday morning, bright and early, I’ll be heading back for a run. NYRR 5 borough Half-Marathon series is leading me and some 17,000 other runners to take on the streets of Brooklyn. The race commences outside of Prospect Park, entering the park on the southwest corner for a loop before heading down Ocean Parkway to the finish line on Coney Island’s boardwalk.

I am definitely excited for this race.

Plus, it looks like I’ll be heading to Brooklyn more frequently this summer as I am registered for the Al Goldstein Summer Speed Series presented by Jack Rabbit (thanks for the heads up, Leticia). This series of 5K races are every other Wednesday starting May 23, June 6, June 20, July 11, July 25, August 8, August 22 (skipping Wednesday July 4^th). At only $25, this is a bargain!

So Brooklyn, I’ll be seeing more of you!

Hartford Marathon.

Initially, I had no desire to run Hartford this fall. After an amazing experience running NYC in 2011, I really wanted to participate again. But, I didn’t qualify or win the lottery, nor did I participate in NYRR 9+1 program for guaranteed entry. Last year I ran for charity, which was a fabulous experience, but I decided not to commit to fundraising this year.

Once NYC was off the books, I decided on Hartford. And, now I am actually really excited to be participating. Here’s why:

Cost: The race is so affordable at just $95 for entry. 

Home: I went to junior high and high school in Connecticut, about an hour from Hartford. My parents still live in that area, which means I can sleep at their house and drive up early the morning of the race. Though I am not too familiar with Hartford, it will be nice to run in my ‘home state.’

Course: NYC was my first and only marathon. It’s a tough course with the numerous bridges and a gradual incline down Fifth Avenue at the end of the race. If it wasn’t for the amazing spectators I really don’t think I would have achieved my time of 3:54:56. I walked away feeling proud of my accomplishment and for achieving my goal of a sub-4 hour marathon. Hartford is not as challenging a course as NYC. It’s flatter, which means faster. I’m excited to see what I am capable of under different conditions.

PMP: After registering, I soon discovered that a large contingent of friends from high school will be running in the marathon and half marathon. They are running in support of PMP Research Foundation. Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) is a condition characterized by mucin and mucin-producing tumors in the abdominal cavity. The most common origin of PMP is appendix cancer. PMP is extremely rare and is a condition a high school friend knows all too well. I plan to run Hartford in support of him and anyone else who has been affected.

In a few short weeks, I’ll start training for my fall race. And, I am actually really excited that race is Hartford.

Late Saturday afternoon I arrived in Mystic, Connecticut. It’s a quaint village which was founded in 1654 and quickly rose as a prominent shipbuilding area. Now, it’s largely known for its gorgeous seaport and phenomenal aquarium. Ever since my family moved to southern Connecticut in 1991, we have made regular ventures along the coastline, and in the last few years have made Mystic a ‘second home’ (where my parents dock their sailboat). Arriving in town is relaxing and nothing less than picturesque.

{Historic House}

{Along the dock}

For a small town, there are a handful of fantastic restaurants. On Friday night we ate at Oyster Club. We started with a variety of on-site chucked oysters, including Ninegret, Fisher’s Island, and Matunuck. I had the NY strip for my entrée, which was amazing. And, for dessert we shared an almond brown butter cake with rhubarb compote and whipped cream, chocolate-caramel tart, and brown sugar date ice cream sandwich with oatmeal raison cookies (OMG!… so good!).

{With mum – heading to dinner}

Sunday was a gorgeous day, so my mum and I went out for a run/walk while my dad worked on the boat. I started in a long sleeve and quickly had to strip down to my sports bra as it was so warm!

{Along the Mystic River}

Nearly 3 hours later, we arrived back on the boat, showered, changed, and drove the dingy to town. We lunched, walked and shopped. It was fabulous.

It was such a treat to spend Mother’s Day with my parents and celebrate all my mum deserves. Hope you all enjoyed your weekends!

Yesterday, I ducked out of work and met my mum at Grand Central Station. From there, we ventured to my niece’s school for a “Mother’s Day Celebration.” I may not be a mother yet, but I certainly jump at any reason to celebrate and also love my niece to the moon and back.

{It’s hard not to love this sweet face}

It’s also such a treat to have my mum in town, always.

{My niece and mum}

After school I was talking with my niece who informed me (with pride) that she was getting freckles across her nose and cheeks. She also told me all about butterflies and chrysalis’. Generally, this is how the conversation flows around her.

I was sure to get into bed at a decent hour last night as I was to rise early for volunteer duties at NYRR Healthy Kidney 10K. Although I wasn’t running this race, I was excited cheer along fellow athletes. In particular, watching a few of  the 2012 Olympians take on Central Park was quite inspiring.

I signed up to volunteer as part of my 2013 NYC Marathon guaranteed entry and really enjoyed my morning in Central Park. I left Central Park with a very different perspective than I’ve had as a racer. My lead volunteer, Belinda, has been doing this for 20 years and will be arriving in Prospect Park at 3:30 AM next Saturday to prepare for my race, the Brooklyn Half Marathon. That is dedication and proof of how many it takes to put something races like these together.

So, for today and forever in the future, I would like to thank everyone who dedicates time to make road races possible.