Day 59: Two Steps Forward, 1.5 Steps Back

Date: 2/28/09

Consecutive Days Run: 59

Runner: Brandon Wood

Shoes: Newton AW Trainers

Location: New York, NY

Type of Run: LSD

Time of Day: 10:47 AM EST

Distance Run: 16.07 miles

Time Run: 02:12:21

Average Pace: 08:14 per mile

Weather Conditions: Snow and Ice, Cold (35 degrees Fahrenheit)

Disposition: Good

Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25775150

About the Run: My assigned run today was one hour and forty-five minutes easy. I made plans with Laminator to meet up on the West Side Greenway where we would run together to the halfway point of my run (about 55 minutes). I left my house at about 10:45 AM and was greeted with a beautiful day. The route to the beginning of the Greenway was almost completely cleared of snow. However, as I got to the stairs leading up to the path, I was greeted with what I feared, snow. The path itself was completely covered in snow, but it was the kind of snow that made it so frustrating. This snow was solid to the ground, but the surface was not nice and packed, nor was it soft and powdery. Rather, it was a kind of granular icy mix that was covering up spots of hard, packed snow. This made for incredibly hard fought running. This portion of garbage running lasted about a mile and a half and I did not enjoy one second of it. Not one.

Once I passed under the George Washington Bridge, the snow cleared and my spirits were lifted knowing that the rest of the way would not be as neglected as the opening stretch had been. After a bit I came upon a guy running barefoot and carrying his shoes. I cannot recall his name right this second but kudos to you, sir! While the path wasn’t covered in snow, it was certainly wet in spots as well as colder outside than I would run barefoot! We talked for a bit about running technique and how he was trying to nail down his technique. To do this, he (as I tell EVERYONE) was trying to find what I call his “zero”. Zero is trying to get back to what your technique would be if it were not influenced by technology.

After about a mile, I ran into Laminator and we headed off for our run. It’s so much fun to have good conversation when running. Our run together lasted 4.07 miles at a 7:30 per mile pace (according to Lam’s data). It seemed to fly by and after a while Lam had to remind me that I meant to turn around! As a matter of fact, I had gone about ten minutes farther than I was planning, so we said our goodbye’s and went separate ways.

On the way home, I maintained the pace that Laminator and I had established. Then came the snow again. When I got to the portion of my run that had been my nemesis on the way out, this time my legs had fourteen miles on them. Every single step I took seemed to challenge me and trip me up. There was more than once when I chose to hurl verbal (loudly I might add) insults at the snow on the path. Again, I did not enjoy a single step of this portion of my run. Not one bit.

The rest of my run was fine, though my hips were not happy from dealing with slipping and sliding. I did go about thirty minutes longer than I had planned but I chalk that up to getting lost in conversation and my pace being destroyed by the snowy portion. Overall, a fantastic run with only a couple small hitches along the way.