One foot in front of the other.
Date: 3/11/09
Consecutive Days Run: 70
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Embarrassingly Slow
Time of Day: 2:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 7.11 miles
Time Run: 01:03:25
Average Pace: 8:55 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (50 degrees Fahrenheit), windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26742524
About the Run: I keep wondering what adjective Coach Jeff will come up with next to impress upon me just how slow he wants me to go. Last time it was “embarrassingly” slow and this time it was “painfully” slow. So, I ran slow.
There isn’t too much to say about this run other than it really did feel good to take time and have a nice recovery run. My legs have been dragging a tiny bit lately and Jeff has taken this well into account the past few days. I don’t really have too terribly much to say about this run except that it got done. It was quite windy on the way uptown, but since I wasn’t trying to do anything with speed I really didn’t mind. On the way back downtown, the wind at my back was barely there and actually made me feel really comfortable instead of borderline cold as I was on the way up.
The next few days will be very interesting as there is a wicked weather system heading our way that will bring downpours and heavy winds on Saturday and more rain on Sunday. So, I guess my friend the dreadmill and I will be seeing each other.
Date: 3/10/10
Consecutive Days Run: 69
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.35 miles
Time Run: 00:11:13
Average Pace: 08:20 per mile
Weather Conditions: Pleasant (50 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26686269
About the Run: Most if not all athletes will tell you that the single most important part of recovery is rest. I am included in this belief and have discovered a couple of things about how my body recovers.
IN the past, when I have not been training so hard or so focused, I found that I could deprive myself of sleep a little bit and not be terribly affected. However, when I found myself unable to sleep the other night and eventually falling into a restless nap sitting on my couch, I was unaware just how much I needed real sleep. It’s not that I need (or can get) an extremely long sleep, but rather I just need to be consistent. In other words, that one night of little sleep followed by two nights of eight solid hours still leaves me in the hole and recovering from my one night of restlessness.
I know that consistent sleep will become an increasingly difficult task with our little one on the way, but I feel like I am a very slight bit ahead of the game having realized this fact of my body before she gets here.
My run tonight was simply one that I got done. There was nothing special or fast about it. Having swum earlier in the day and with time on the trainer in the evening yet to come, I just wanted to get it over and done with. So, as soon as I got home, I was out the door again to run. It felt decent, but my body was just fighting fatigue so much that I couldn’t truly enjoy it.I was so tired, in fact, that I went to bed without writing this post (which is why it’s being posted the day after that run).
Today is a nice, easy, recovery run. I am actually looking forward to it, and to getting back into my sleep rhythm.
Date: 3/9/10
Consecutive Days Run: 68
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Build
Time of Day: 2:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 10.85 miles
Time Run: 01:18:47
Average Pace: 07:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Pleasant (56 degrees Fahrenheit) Windy
Disposition: Decent
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26594839
About the Run: My run today was ironic because it hurt and did not feel any kind of good until I was done, but I did exactly what was assigned and I did it quite well. My assigned run was: Warm up very easy zone 2 10 minutes then run 60 minutes at your 1/2 marathon pace. Cool down and jog the remainder. Upon getting past the first ten minutes of warm up, I simply didn’t have the energy to move. However, I dug and literally said, “Screw it” out loud and got moving.
The sixty minutes at half-marathon pace hurt like hell. I did have to keep an eye on my Garmin because this was a pace specific run. For whatever reason, I could not get myself to lock into my actual half-marathon pace which is 7:15 per mile. When I tried knocking my pace back to that, it felt stilted and very uncomfortable. However, when I upped the pace, I felt ok. While my overall pace for the entire run, including the warm up and cool down, was 7:15 per mile, my pace for the intense part was 7:02 per mile. I’m happy about the run in general, I just wish it felt better!
Date: 3/8/10
Consecutive Days Run: 67
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:20 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.71 miles
Time Run: 00:17:43
Average Pace: 10:20 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (51 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, but with tired legs
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26505486
About the Run: Happy tenth birthday to our baby girl Annie! No, not the human baby girl, but the canine version of our baby girl. She is ten years old today and for her birthday, she wanted to go for a run with her dad and I was more than happy to oblige.
Whenever I run with either of my dogs, it really give me a chance and pause to see how they literally stop and smell everything. Even when they don’t stop, they’re still taking in everything around them. They aren’t jaded or oblivious to the incredible world with which they are surrounded, they are simply fascinated to be in it. This innocence always touches me. Even when I get upset with one of our dogs, they will always say they love me no matter how angry I am.
The run was good, but slow. Don’t be fooled by her age, Annie is fully capable of breaking down and going far faster than I am, but she just likes to take her time. My legs are a bit weary so it was probably a good thing to take it easy.
I rescued Annie from the Albermarle County, Virginia SPCA when she was just eight weeks old. Our other dog, Bubba was rescued from the North Shore Animal League two years ago. Danielle and I strongly support rescuing dogs and cats and other animals from humane shelters. Please consider donating to Me and the Road and helping to support the North Shore Animal League. You can donate by linking through Me and the Road or by going directly to the donation site located at: http://meandtheroad.bbnow.org
Date: 3/7/10
Consecutive Days Run: 66
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton Gravitas
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: LSD
Time of Day: 4:12 PM EST
Distance Run: 14.41 miles
Time Run: 01:48:25
Average Pace: 07:31 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (56 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Decent
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26421843
About the Run: I was very pumped and excited for my run today because I had just watched a replay of the 2008 Ironman World Championship in Kona. So, I headed out to the first “warm enough for shorts” day of the year ready to run. However, about twenty-five minutes into my run, I almost stopped.
For whatever reason, maybe because we had family in town and we had a delicious breakfast, my stomach felt horrible. In any event, when I wasn’t fighting the urge to stop and double over, I felt pretty good and much to my own surprise, made it for the full time of my assigned run. The day was stunningly gorgeous and I can’t imagine not spending time out in it. My legs felt my forty mile ride from yesterday less than I thought they would. I think one of thing that really helps with that is having a shorter than most stride and a higher than most turnover.
I sure hope we’re on a genuine upswing in terms of the seasons and I REALLY can’t wait until the time change in two weeks! I will say this though; my thoughts are increasingly dominated by the pending birth of my daughter. I find it hard to concentrate on virtually anything else!
Date: 3/6/10
Consecutive Days Run: 65
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 8:25 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.74 miles
Time Run: 00:13:08
Average Pace: 07:33 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (46 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, Full
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26283649
About the Run: My mother and brother-in-law came in town today to visit us one final time before d-day. This evening, the four of us went out to dinner and I had a big, delicious burger. Needless to say, after dinner I was a bit full but still had to get my run in for they day. So, upon coming home, I took a minute to go to the grocery store to grab some ingredients for breakfast, but then got home to prepare for my run.
I changed and headed out the door. I felt decent considering the burger sitting in my belly and got the run done fairly quickly. In fact, seeing as I had ridden about 40 miles earlier in the day on what was a very windy day, I was actually surprised at my pace. In any event, I am sort of looking forward to my run tomorrow. It’s a pretty long one coming in at one hour, forty-five minutes but it’ll be fun! The weather is supposed to be incredible, so that will really add to my run. I only hope I can get my clothing right on what will be the first warmER day of the season.
Date: 3/5/09
Consecutive Days Run: 64
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery Run
Time of Day: 6:29 PM EST
Distance Run: 8.49 miles
Time Run: 01:15:42
Average Pace: 08:54 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (41 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26179069
About the Run: The title of this post pretty much sums it up: embarrassingly slow. Now, I didn’t do that because of some injury or because I was too worn out, but rather because Jeff, my coach, asked me to. His exact instructions were: Very very easy run today. Embarrassingly slow! So, I obliged.
The run itself went pretty well, but I must say, when you’re used to pushing the envelope, getting out and fighting the urge to cut loose (which I gave into for about the last quarter mile or so) is extremely difficult. In fact, I remember reading somewhere that when it comes to the number of steps taken in a minute, speed is not really a factor. In other words, if I run at a 6:30 pace, I am taking the same amount of steps per minute as I would be if I were running an 8:00 pace. The only difference is the amount of ground covered. That said, since I took far longer to cover the 8.49 miles that I ran tonight than I normally would, I took far more steps than I normally would. Thus, chaffing. Oh well, it was kind of cool going slow.
Date: 3/4/09
Consecutive Days Run: 63
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Middle distance for endurance
Time of Day: 2:26 PM EST
Distance Run: 9.14 miles
Time Run: 01:09:09
Average Pace: 07:33 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (45 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26095528
About the Run: My assigned run for today was: Run a nice relaxed pace. Zone 2 Nice relaxed shoulders and hands. Tall and quiet. I took this very much to heart and was sure to take what felt like a very relaxed pace and posture. During this run I made a point of looking around and enjoying the scenery and ignoring anything to do with pace or effort, which is to say, I relaxed. I kept this up for the entire run, having no idea what my pace was the entire time. It felt good.
Since I usually do an out and back route when I run during the day, I got some wind in my face today. It wasn’t tremendously windy, but there was enough that it felt completely still on the way downtown. Once I turned around and headed back uptown, the wind hit me a little more. I remained relaxed as much as I could but I did catch myself picking up the effort more than I should have a couple of times. All in all, a very good, relaxed run.
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Date: 3/3/09
Consecutive Days Run: 62
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:39 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.74 miles
Time Run: 00:13:35
Average Pace: 07:49 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (39 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Kind of tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26028562
About the Run: The first part of my working out today came this afternoon with my swim of 3400 meters. As I headed to the pool to get that done, I found that I had a pretty nasty headache going. With that in mind, I actually had a really good swim, but it was also sort of ruined due to my head killing me the whole time.
After my swim I took some ibuprofen to try to alleviate my headache but some damage, in terms of my mood, had already been done. By the time I got home, though my headache was gone, I just felt drained. Unfortunately, I still had my run as well as an hour and a half on my bike (on the trainer). The run felt ok, but I just felt tired and couldn’t wait to get it done. Upon checking the data for this run, I was actually quite surprised to see that I had gone as fast as I had!
Date: 3/2/09
Consecutive Days Run: 61
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Tempo Run
Time of Day: 2:18 PM EST
Distance Run: 8.89 miles
Time Run: 01:02:56
Average Pace: 07:04 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (45 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25968645
About the Run: I was looking forward to a good tempo run today and, for the most part, I was not disappointed. When I have a workout during the day, I always leave my office at 2 PM, after having eaten lunch (salad) at about noon. What can I say, I am a creature of habit. Sometimes this comes around to bit me if I have too much sugar at lunch, which only comes in the form of a piece of bread with my salad. Today was one of those annoying days where my stomach gave me a bit of trouble.
My assigned workout was: Warm up by running easy for 20 minutes zone 2 then run 45 minutes at your 10K race pace. Cool down by running easy for 15 minutes. My run began nice and leisurely at about an 8 minute per mile pace. At the twenty minute mark I picked it up to my perceived 10K pace. This turns out to be in the 6:35 neighborhood. At about the five and a half mile mark, my stomach began to bother me. By mile six, I was very uncomfortable and had to knock my perceived effort back a notch to assure getting through the tempo portion of my run. Fortunately, I didn’t pay a very high price in terms of pace, staying under 7:00 per mile very comfortably. Due to time constraints, I had to skip the cool down portion of my run, which I know I shouldn’t do, but I simply had to get moving.
All things considered, I had a good run though I wish I could have kept my pace in the low to mid 6:30’s. Seems like there’s always something.
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Date: 3/1/09
Consecutive Days Run: 60
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:18 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.73 miles
Time Run: 00:12:44
Average Pace: 07:21 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (42 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25894955
About the Run: I expected the stabilizer muscles in my hips to be a bit sore today due to yesterday’s run, but surprisingly, they felt not even the slightest bit sore.
I left for my run thinking about March. I can’t believe that two months of the year are gone already! It is absolutely flying by! The biggest thought in my mind is the fact that this is the month in which my daughter will be born (we hope!)!! I cannot believe that I am going to be a dad! All that is running through my head are the things I cannot wait to show her, and the help her experience! Her first run, first bike ride, first fall off of said bike, etc…
This run went by fast, as it turns out I was running pretty darn fast too, and I barely even noticed I was gone. I hope the time until my daughter gets here goes just as quickly!
Date: 2/27/09
Consecutive Days Run: 58
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 5:35 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.83 miles
Time Run: 00:14:15
Average Pace: 15:06 per mile
Weather Conditions: Snow and Ice, Cold (35 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25692036
About the Run: Today was a very beautiful day for a run. My assigned workout, however, was a two and a half hour bike ride. Due to the copious amounts of snow from yesterday’s storm, that ride was forced to take place inside on my trainer. I did get to go outside and enjoy the day with my wife and dogs on a brief outing to Isham Park. After coming back from our fun in the park, I got dressed and headed out for my run.
The roads today were a bit more clear than yesterday and less icy due to the temperature getting into the middle thirty’s. I decided to take a bit of a detour from yesterday’s route to see what the hills in Inwood Hill Park were looking like covered in snow. They were really beautiful and the snow was not too icy to run on, making for a fun run.
As I came down out of the hills onto the park path, I saw a mother and some kids a short distance ahead who had just been sledding and were now headed home. The two kids, about five years old, were throwing snowballs at each other. The mother was warning them to stop before someone got hit in the face and wound up crying. As I got closer, one of the kids was dragging behind a bit as he was kicking an ice/snow chunk along the ground. The kid somehow managed to kick the snow directly into my path, which was no big deal, until he ran after it. I ran into him right as he went in front of me and quickly grabbed him under the armpits and picked him up to keep him from falling. It took me a couple of steps to come to a stop and when I did I set him down and asked if he was ok, to which he answered, “Yes”.
Of course, the mother saw none of this until she turned as I was setting him down and I told him he should watch where he was going. She took the opportunity to look at me like I had three heads. Now, before I get a bunch of comments saying how you can’t watch your kids one hundred percent of the time, I know. I am sure that I will find myself in that same exact position at some point. Today however, it was just plain frustrating. Kids.
Date: 2/26/09
Consecutive Days Run: 57
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 7:10 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.73 miles
Time Run: 00:14:15
Average Pace: 8:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Snow and Ice, Cold (32 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25601025
About the Run: Today’s sn-urricane left us with a bunch of snow on the highways and byways of New York City. Since I didn’t have an assigned run (swim day) this gave me the perfect opportunity to get out and play in the snow on a short run. I wore my La Sportiva Wildcat GTX’s because I knew that I’d be contending with quite a bit of ice on the road and the actuator lugs on my Newton AW’s tend to act like little skis on ice!
So, off I went into the elements for my run. A lot of the primary sidewalk was clear, but when I got in Inwood Hill Park, the paths had been plowed but a layer of ice lay covering the ground. As I was cam to a certain point where the path takes a VERY slight down grade, my feet went out and I found myself rolling, military style across the ground, though probably not as gracefully as I picture it in my head! I didn’t hurt anything and more importantly, I didn’t further destroy my clothes supply! I continued on, even getting to run a good stretch of my run on an awesome packed snow path.
All in all a great run. That hill that I want to conquer remains unconquered due to the fact that it was quite treacherous with snow and ice. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s run brings!
Date: 2/24/09
Consecutive Days Run: 55
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:52 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.71 miles
Time Run: 00:13:04
Average Pace: 7:38 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (37 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25478955
About the Run: Over the next two or so days a storm that is being call one of “historical proportions” will place itself over the Northeastern United States, including New York City. It’s not just the snow that will be significant, but the winds are expected to gust to as much as seventy miles per hour. So, it looks like I’ll be on the dreadmill for the next couple of days. Good times.
Today’s run was one that I was looking forward to not just because I didn’t get to run outside yesterday, but because I was SO hungry! My assigned workout today was 3400 meters in the pool and whenever I do any kind of significant workout during the day, my metabolism kicks into overdrive. Usually I fight this by having a bunch of fruit on hand, but today I was all out and didn’t feel like going to get more and I paid the price later.
The run was decent. I took it out easy and took a shorter, park loop that I’ve become fond of as of late. There is a nice little hill at right about the one mile mark that I have been getting beaten by. I’m not sure why this is because there is a hill at about the same spot on my other “usual” run and I do well on that one. Maybe this one is a bit longer or perhaps more steep. In any event, I’m going to aim to get up that hill while averaging 7:15. Gotta love goals!
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Date: 2/22/09
Consecutive Days Run: 53
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:41 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.74 miles
Time Run: 00:13:17
Average Pace: 7:38 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (40 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Decent
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25356166
About the Run: I had no assigned run today, which is a very good thing as I discovered about halfway through my run. I took off feeling fine, if a bit hurried to get home so I could eat before recording tonight’s episode of IronBrandon’s Podcast. I felt decent for about the first mile and then my legs just seemed to die on me. To be fair, I was running up a long-ish hill at that point, but I am not usually affected by that. I should also not forget that I did a pretty substantial run of 16.4 miles at a 7:30 per mile pace yesterday. In any event, I got it done and that’s what matters!
Date: 2/21/09
Consecutive Days Run: 52
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: LSD
Time of Day: 1:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 16.40 miles
Time Run: 02:03:03
Average Pace: 7:30 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (45 degrees Fahrenheit), WINDY (18~25 mph wind)
Disposition: Almost not sick anymore…still
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25264213
About the Run: Whenever I am just getting over a cold or allergy episode, the (please pardon the detail) mucus left behind often takes almost a week to leave my head. During that time, with all the nose blowing, coughing and such comes a bit of dizziness. In fact, when I am about to blow my nose, I have to be careful to try to sit before so I don’t fall over. So, when I began my run today, that dizziness was a very pesky addition that stuck around for the first five miles or so.
My assigned run for today was: 2 Hours. Run zone 2 but every 20 minutes put in a 3 minute surge. Finish with a 3 minute surge. Admittedly, I forgot everything about my assigned run with the exception of the “2 hours” part. The day was beautiful and sunny getting into the mid-forties. For the first mile I felt decent though my legs were protesting a little from my ride yesterday. Once I hit the West Side Greenway though, I almost immediately felt like I was working too hard, which turned into that same pesky dizziness that I talked about before. After about five miles, the feeling went away, thankfully, and I settled into a nice groove.
Now, some people are demoralized by hills, some by GI issues and still others by the temperature outside. To be honest, there is probably an annoying and demoralizing “thing” for every runner that exists. For me, nothing gets to me quicker than wind. The wind today was absolutely nuts. According to AccuWeather, the wind for the period when I was running today was from 18~25 mph…constant. So, on the way South, I figured that at least I would have an easier time on the way back, when my legs would be in need of the help. WRONG!!!!!!! The wind, which ad been coming straight out of the West, had flipped to coming out of the Northwest, which if you know how the island of Manhattan is situated, put the wind DIRECTLY in my face. What a pain.
All in all, it was a good run with plenty of distance. It was a bit slower than my last two hour run and definitely spent more time in heart rate zone 3 than zone 2. It’s nice beginning to feel like a real person again!
Date: 2/20/09
Consecutive Days Run: 51
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie (with my dog Annie)
Time of Day: 6:06 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.77 miles
Time Run: 00:16:29
Average Pace: 9:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (41 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Almost not sick anymore…still
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25158570
About the Run: Today was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outside. My assigned workout for today was a two and a half hour ride, which I happily did outside for the first time in a long time. While the sun was shining and it was much warmer than it has been, it was also VERY windy for most of my ride which kind of beat up my legs more than I would have liked. On the other hand, I rode some very tough hills much faster than I expected and MUCH faster than this same time last year.
Since I had a good, long ride, I was kind of glad that I only had a short run today. I was also happy because I got to take my dog, Annie with me for another run! We did the same route that Bubba and I did last night which is a nice easy loop. Since she isn’t a little boy dog like Bubba, she didn’t try to pee on every single thing. Our pace though can only be so fast because she’s not in the shape she’s in during the spring and summer when my wife takes her for runs, but also because while she looks far younger, Annie is nine years old. We had a great time and she did wonderfully. It is so much fun to simply be along for the ride when the outing belongs to the dogs!
Date: 2/19/09
Consecutive Days Run: 50
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie (with my dog Bubba)
Time of Day: 6:50 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.26 miles
Time Run: 00:11:53
Average Pace: 9:26 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (39 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Almost not sick anymore
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25064417
About the Run: I feel like day fifty should have some grand fanfare attached to it. However, I think it was somehow discretely grand, and I loved it just the same. Tonight I decided to take Bubba with me once again, seeing as Danielle said he seemed to have some excess energy to burn.
We both suited up (I in my running gear and Bubba always insists on wearing his fur coat (yes, it’s real fur and it’s attached to him)) and headed out into the slightly less cold night air. We paused to do the obligatory pee-pee break (for Bubba) and were soon on our way. The energy that Bubba seemed to have spilling over in the house appeared to have escaped him once we began moving. I know not to push either of my dog’s pace too much when running with them, but Bubba was taking his time, even for him. Once we entered Inwood Hill Park, he seemed to liven up a bit and on the way home he even managed to power up some hills in impressive fashion!
For me, the run felt so nice and relaxed. I could definitely feel some of yesterday’s run in my legs, but not enough to really affect me. Tomorrow, I will be riding from my house to Nyack, New York. This will be my first outdoor run in SO long and I cannot wait to get out on the road! For my run tomorrow, I think it’ll be Annie’s turn to run!
Date: 2/17/09
Consecutive Days Run: 48
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:25 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.08 miles
Time Run: 00:08:56
Average Pace: 8:14 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Sick
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24934547
About the Run: Before I begin this post I want to make a statement regarding something of which I have become acutely aware; men are wimps. There is a very good reason that it is women who go through pregnancy and childbirth, quite plainly, because we couldn’t handle it.
Now, with that out of way, I feel like death. The cold I was dealing with yesterday knocked me down and kicked the crap out of me today. I spent my day hovering somewhere in between working from home, trying to quell my chills in the shower and fitful sleep. I did arrive at the point where I had to tell myself out loud to, “Man up” and get dressed.
So, shivering and hurting, I headed out. As soon as I took my very first step I found that my body had arrived at the “achy” stage of being sick with full force. Every single step that I took felt like my calves and shins and head and legs and lungs were going to explode. This was one of very few runs where I found myself calculating just what route I should run to hit my one mile. I hope tomorrow is better.
Date: 2/16/09
Consecutive Days Run: 47
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 5:51 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.81 miles
Time Run: 00:14:18
Average Pace: 7:55 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit), Snowy
Disposition: Sick
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24865379
About the Run: Of all the strange things some people enjoy, I have never heard anyone say, “Ya’ know what, I love being sick!”. Yesterday I was getting sick, today I AM sick and it sucks. When I woke up this morning, my body felt so run down and tired. I went through my morning routine and then got onto the subway for a less than enjoyable ride into my office (thanks to the oxygen hogs at the MTA). I tried to stick it out, but wound up leaving early.
I got home, had some lunch and spent my afternoon being a big baby on the couch, napping. Shortly after Danielle got home, I decided to suit up and go out into an oddly snowy day for my run. It was a quick one, and one where the couple of small-ish hills I encountered just about killed me. Now I am sitting here watching men’s Olympic figure skating because I don’t have the energy to change the channel. Oh well, life happens.
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Date: 2/15/09
Consecutive Days Run: 46
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:08 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.51 miles
Time Run: 00:11:59
Average Pace: 7:50 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Getting sick
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24800223
About the Run: I felt good today after my run yesterday. That is, my muscles felt good. As for the rest of my body, not so much. I am getting sick and it sucks.
I had a really wonderful interview catching up with Incredible Jane and then took off on my run. I had such a hard time getting it together enough to even go out the door. Danielle and I had already had a busy day, and this was icing on the cake. However, it got done even though I went a bit shorter than my usual two mile run. My pace fell off a bit, simply because I didn’t feel like moving. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.
Date: 2/14/09
Consecutive Days Run: 45
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: LSD
Time of Day: 3:35 PM EST
Distance Run: 14.46 miles
Time Run: 01:45:02
Average Pace: 7:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (36 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24709744
About the Run: Happy Valentine’s Day!!
My assigned run today (which equals assigned nap time for my very pregnant wife!) was: Nice steady zone 2 run. Focus on keeping your hr down and not letting it rise more than 3 BPM. I left my building with that in mind, combined with my last LSD run pace of 7:47 per mile as well as the almost four hour brick workout from yesterday floating in the back of my head. Honestly, when I go do a run like this one, I set my Garmin so that the only things on my display are my heart rate zone and my total time run. This way, I cannot pay any attention to my pace and must pay attention to the perceived effort of my body.
So, off I went, feeling good and ready to do some more running on a bit of snow along the way. Largely, the snow was cleared from my path, one main exception being the most steep downhill I encounter on this route which was covered with snow and ice. This affected my pace little on the way out, but on the way back up the same hill, my pace and legs got destroyed.
My plan was to run South on the West Side Greenway for fifty minutes and then turn around. I took what felt like a very comfortable pace that was not taxing. When I hit the fifty minute mark it really came much faster than I expected. Still, I did not check my pace. On the way back, I was feeling good, still finding myself in a comfortable zone. I fully expected to be slower on my way back than on the way out, but I wasn’t. In fact, I had to run some unplanned roads at the end to fulfill my assigned one hour forty-five minutes. As I arrived at my front door, my brain was a little bit too scrambled to do the math required to figure out my pace and I still refused to look at my Garmin data.
The first time I did see my data was when I uploaded it to my computer. It was then that I looked at my pace, 7:15 per minute, and checked my half-marathon split. If you recall, a few weeks ago I was paced to a half-marathon PR by Laminator with a time of 1:35:20. My half-marathon time today was 1:34:53, a new PR! IN TRAINING! I was honestly shocked to see it because today I felt worlds different than I did in the Manhattan Half-Marathon.
All things considered, it was a spectacular run today. A bit windy, but otherwise a gorgeous day to boot!
Date: 2/13/09
Consecutive Days Run: 44
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: 20 minute transition run (off a trainer ride of 3.5 hours)
Time of Day: 5:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.80 miles
Time Run: 00:21:04
Average Pace: 7:32 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (33 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24616900
About the Run: As you may know, from my post yesterday, I had a bit of a spill during my run. So, today when I went out I decided to go on the same route I always do which is also the one on which I fell last evening.
My workout today was actually one that I’ll be writing about more often as the triathlon season gets closer, a brick. A brick workout, in triathlon terms, is one that consists of a medium or long ride followed by a run of varying distance. Today my scheduled brick was three and a half hours on the bike, which meant inside on the trainer today, followed by a twenty minute run.
Admittedly, my legs were a bit tired, but not nearly as much as I expected. For the first half mile or so, I could really feel my ride, but after that point, my pace felt better and my legs began to forget the time they had just spent strapped into the bike. After that point, I decided to push it a tiny bit, even over the same snow and ice I dealt with yesterday. When I reached the turn where I fell last night, the same patch of black ice was still there and looked like nothing more than a wet spot on the sidewalk, but it was not. Overall, a very good run that was surprisingly lively once I flushed the lactic acid than had built up on my legs.
I would like to take one second to mention the incredibly unfortunate passing of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger who lost his life during a practice run for the Vancouver Olympic Games. I will say that, while it may be no consolation to his family, teammates and countrymen, at least he died doing what he loved to do. My prayers go out to his family and all those affected by his passing.
Date: 2/12/09
Consecutive Days Run: 43
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:28 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.01 miles
Time Run: 00:16:39
Average Pace: 8:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy, Sunny
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24538745
About the Run: If you are reading this thinking I have some super secret coverage of the Vancouver Olympics, I am sorry to disappoint. Rather, this is my own tail of clumsiness and the generous outpouring of not-giving-a-crap by the wonderful people from the New York City Sanitation Department.
I headed out this evening, planning on getting in a nice easy run and then coming in to settle down and watch the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I expected to see plenty of snow and ice on sidewalks as we live in a neighborhood that is not quite as busy as Times Square and thus, probably falls a bit lower on the list of priorities.
I didn’t run into anything significant until about the .5 mile mark. As luck would have it, this is also the point in my usual route where I hit the first of a few hills. I shortened my stride and made sure to stay safely on my forefoot, as always, and ran across everything from loose snow to snow that had become compact and turned to sheets of ice…without a problem.
As I came down the hill on Staff St. (see details link above) and went to turn right on Dyckman St. my right foot went out from under me. I fell hard on my right knee and onto my shoulder, rolling into the street. As I pulled myself together and began to stand, I noticed an SUV from the Department of Sanitation parked about thirty yards away from me, with two men inside. I cannot say whether or not they saw me fall or if they even saw me picking myself up, regardless, nothing was said. I then turned to see, only about fifteen yards away from me, a large bulldozer that was being used to move snow, lights on and pointed directly at me, idling, with someone at the wheel. Again, not one word of, “Are you ok?”.
I looked down at my leg to see that the right knee of some of my favorite tights, my Sugoi Firewall 220’s, had been torn wide open. My knee underneath didn’t look much better. I could already see it becoming slick with blood. I stood for a couple of minutes, realizing that I was FAR more upset about my tights than about my knee, and then I headed home with my tights torn, my ego bruised and a confirmed sense of loathing toward any and all New York City agencies, especially those with powerful and abusive unions.
Date: 2/11/09
Consecutive Days Run: 42
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Easy recovery
Time of Day: 2:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 6.45 miles
Time Run: 00:50:07
Average Pace: 7:46 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (35 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy, Sunny
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24480060
About the Run: My assigned run today was a fifty minute, steady recovery run. I had every intention of following Jeff’s instructions on that, but it turns out, the road surface had other ideas. If you recall, yesterday the NYC area got about a foot of snow. While the roads themselves were 99% clear, things such as pathways in the park system took an obvious back seat.
I started out running West on W. 50th Street toward the West Side Greenway. The beginning part and even the first quarter mile or so Northbound on the Greenway itself were fairly clear. However, a little over a mile into my run, the pathways became choked with dense, packed snow. Yesterday I talked about what a great time I had running in the snow and hills. The difference was that the snow today was MUCH more packed down and had become slick. On top of that, I decided to wear my Newton AW’s and, it turns out that on that particular kind of snow, the actuator lugs under the metatarsals act like tiny skis, which I found out the hard way!
All the slipping and sliding I was doing really forced me to pay attention to my technique and REALLY made my legs work extremely hard. Having forgotten my heart rate monitor, I couldn’t see what my BPM was, but I’m sure it was much higher than my pace indicated. Speaking of pace, having just seen my data about ten minutes ago as of this writing, I am shocked at how fast I was going!
Overall, I had a good time, though a lot harder of a run than I had planned on.
Date: 2/10/09
Consecutive Days Run: 41
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcat GTX
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick and snowy
Time of Day: 5:17 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.81 miles
Time Run: 00:26:05
Average Pace: 9:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (31 degrees Fahrenheit), Snowing, Wind
Disposition: Good, Excited
Link to Run Detail: Today the snow came. The East coast welcome a brutal Nor’easter that brought with it blizzard conditions. I have been watching this storm coming ever since the disappointing lack of snow from last weekend. I know that some may abhor the snow, and I’m sure that if the white stuff chose to park itself on top of us all winter, I might feel a bit different. However, as it is, I adore snow and I could not have been more excited to go and run, mid-blizzard.
I left my building and stepped into a beautiful world of white. To my delight, my Garmin had picked up a signal and seemed to be in fine working order. I stepped to the sidewalk and went. Most of the sidewalks were fairly clear, and the snow that covered everything was a very heavy, packed snow. I decided to go on my normal two mile loop which turned out to be very snowy, but again, not so hard to run due to it being fairly packed. My pace was significantly slower than it normally is because, even though the snow was packed, with each step my feet would slip back a bit.
About .8 miles into my run, I decided to head up into the hills of Inwood Hill Park. It was absolutely incredible. While the snow was looser and far deeper than it had been. The trees in the trails were heavy with snow and many hung into the paths I ran. The wind seemed to be constantly in my face and I had a hard time seeing where I was going, regardless of my Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp. This is not a knock to the headlamp, but rather a testament to the winds that buffeted me as I ran.
Running the snowy hills was so much fun and I wish I could do it more. It was definitely a much harder leg workout than I am used to simply because of having to be aware of every step and because of each step being cut if half when the snow slipped away. I really do hope we get some more snow!
Date: 2/9/09
Consecutive Days Run: 40
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Step up
Time of Day: 2:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 8.96 miles
Time Run: 01:06:12
Average Pace: 7:23 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (36 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24363280
About the Run: My assigned run today was: run 10 minutes in zone 2 then 20 minutes in zone 3 finish with 25 minutes in zone 4 cool down by jogging for 5 minutes. Unfortunately, because I got completely mesmerized by the massive ice floes coming down the Hudson River, I wound up doing 25 minutes for both zone 2 and zone 4.
When I do runs like these, I definitely find that until I have warmed up enough, I am fighting against my body. It doesn’t seem to want to go and I don’t feel like expending the energy to make it go. Fortunately, I seem to have some kind of reserve of GO and I pulled from that. As I mentioned after the Manhattan half-marathon, my legs are generally very springy the day immediately following a long run, like this past Sunday. However, once the initial good feelings have taken their leave, I am left with legs that are more fatigued than I expect. Which begs the question, if I know it’s going to happen almost every time, why don’t I expect it?
Anyway, the run began fine, but I found myself quickly too hot. With the promise of a good deal of snow in the forecast, I just made the assumption that today would be fairly cold. I was wrong. It was about 36 degrees Fahrenheit when I took off and being that my body has now become accustomed to running in colder, I was overdressed and adapted to the temperature much faster than I anticipated. In any event, I went much farther than I expected also. I guess my general pace really is getting faster.
By the end of the run, I felt sufficiently worn and ready for some water. As I got in the elevator to head down to my gym to change, I looked for the first time at my Garmin. The distance I saw was one of those things that, if you have a tiny bit of OCD like I sometimes do, will drive you nuts. My Garmin read, 8.96 miles. Crap.
EMAIL THE LAMINATOR ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME!
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Date: 2/8/09
Consecutive Days Run: 39
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick
Time of Day: 6:48 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.03 miles
Time Run: 00:14:29
Average Pace: 7:08 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (31 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24293254
About the Run: When I was a kid, my brother and I would come out of movies like The Karate Kid and do our best imitations of the people on the screen. If we were lucky, no property or bones were broken in the process. A similar thing still happens to me these days. This evening I had an interview with the one and only Pip Taylor. Pip is an absolutely amazing professional triathlete and, as it happens, a nutritionist! After I got off the phone with her, I was so inspired and honored to speak with her that I got totally amped up to go for my run.
I left my building feel fresh legged, which was nice considering my long run yesterday, and took off. I began at a pace that was quick but comfortable and felt more like gliding than running. I hit my one mile turn around feeling good and looking forward to pushing it a bit on the return trip. I held my pace at about 7 minutes flat and for the last third of a mile, I pushed it down to around 5:40. I felt good and winded, in that really cool, “Hey, I just did that!” way.
Date: 2/7/09
Consecutive Days Run: 38
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Long (ish)
Time of Day: 1:55 PM EST
Distance Run: 15.44 miles
Time Run: 02:00:18
Average Pace: 7:47 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (32 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24201299
About the Run: In running the letters LSD do not stand for “lysergic acid diethylamid” or “acid”, rather it stands for either Long Steady Distance or Long Slow Distance. One way or the other, I was really looking forward to getting out and going long(ish) today. It was my first long day since the Manhattan Half-Marathon and I feel like my legs were ready to just take it easy and go.
Since today was cool and I was going for a while, I ran with my Fuel Belt Helium, with both bottles filled with blueberry-pomegranate Gu Electrolyte Brew. You see, I sweat in EPIC proportions, even on cold days and rather than my typical method of ignoring my nutrition, I wanted to play it smart. The reason I mention that particular flavor is because it contains double the sodium of any of the other flavors of Gu Brew and considering my copious amounts of sweat, I need it. So, with my Fuel Belt loaded and dressed for the occasion, off I went.
The day was absolutely gorgeous. It was a bit cold, but the sun shining made up for that and then some. As I have mentioned before, my hands get very hot when I run, regardless of the temperature, and this in turn affects my overall body heat. However, this only happens when I start with gloves. As I got to the point where my hands began to feel like they had been tossed into a microwave oven, I decided to try something. I took off one glove, the left glove, and held it in my right, still gloved, hand and a wonderful thing happened. My fingers which I expected to get rather cold instead acted like foils on a car radiator, dissipating heat and cooling down my whole body. It was awesome! At one point after I made my turn back home, the wind I was facing began to sting that hand a bit and I put my glove back on until it got to that “oven” feeling again and again, it was perfect!
The run itself felt really great. Running down the West side of Manhattan is always beautiful and at this time of year almost devoid of everyone but the most devoted athletes. To be completely honest, I never once looked at my pace, but rather, I just did what felt comfortable, which turned out to be faster than I thought it would! As I was about to exit the West Side Greenway I even ran into (or ran BY as the case may be) @AnnaCBee which was so nice as my day is always brightened seeing people I know out and tearing up the roads!
Date: 2/6/09
Consecutive Days Run: 37
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 7:33 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.24 miles
Time Run: 00:15:56
Average Pace: 7:07 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (26 degrees Fahrenheit, “Real feel” of 6), Windy
Disposition: Preoccupied
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24104809
About the Run: First, Danielle is feeling better, though still a bit tired, as expected. Thank you for your kind words.
Today was an oddly busy day. Danielle had a baby shower today to which I drove her. Since men were strictly prohibited (until after the festivities had wrapped up), my brother-in-law and I went walking around the alien universe that is the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I say the day was oddly busy because I really didn’t have anything to do except be nearby for when we were allowed back into the “clubhouse”.
Once we fought our way through traffic caused by and accident on the FDR and finally got our myriad precious pink things unloaded, I need a moment to decompress…from my day of doing nothing.
I knew it was a cold evening, one that I had hoped would be spent running in either falling or freshly fallen snow. However, while Washington, D.C. was blanketed in record amounts, New York City wound up with barely a flurry. I bundled up in my cold gear and headed out to my short, two mile loop. As I got to about .5 miles in, I noted that my lungs were actually so cold from my inhalations that my lungs hurt. This was probably because I was pushing the pace a tiny bit and because I was going right into a pretty hefty wind.
As I made the turn back toward home, my pace quickened but due to the wind now being at my back, my lungs thawed a bit. I felt good on this run and pushed it the last half mile or so down into the sub-6:30 range. Tomorrow is another odd day. We have family coming throughout the day, and though I may be busy, I have to find the time to get in a two hour run, my longest since the Manhattan Half-Marathon. Should be fun!
Date: 2/5/09
Consecutive Days Run: 36
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 8:32 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.08 miles
Time Run: 00:16:07
Average Pace: 7:45 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Preoccupied
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24020443
About the Run: As I walked out the door this evening the last thing that was on my mind was my run. About twenty minutes earlier I hung up the phone with Danny Abshire, co-founder of Newton Running, after having an amazing interview. I stepped out of my studio (daughter-to-be’s nursery) and began regaling my wife, Danielle, with the details of my conversation with Danny.
As I began to get changed to go for my run I noticed that Danielle was looking a bit out of it. In case you don’t know, she is currently almost 8.5 months pregnant. This kind of raised an alarm in my mind, but I didn’t want to play it up to her and make her worry. I asked if she was feeling ok and she said, “No”. She told me she was feeling a lot of “pressure” and tightness. I asked if there was anything I could do to which she responded once again, “No”.
My assigned run today was: “Very, very easy! just form and relax” for a time of one hour. I headed out the door worried about Danielle and whether she would be ok for that hour while I was gone. About .75 miles into my run I decided that I could not leave her unattended for that hour in the state she was in. So, I hit my one mile mark and turned around and headed back home completing my usual short run of just over two miles.
She feels better now, just a bit tired. We have a lot of family and friends in town this weekend for a baby shower on Saturday, so she will be busy. Let’s hope Little One stays put!
Date: 2/4/09
Consecutive Days Run: 35
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 5:06 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.00 miles
Time Run: 00:14:34
Average Pace: 7:16 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Hurried but good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23962231
About the Run: One of the biggest challenges I am finding with this mission is finding the time in the day to do all the things that I have to get done. Today was one of those day where I wish there were six more hours in the day. This is basically the way my day went:
So, as you can see it’s bee one heck of a long day. On top of that, this Saturday is a baby shower for my wife, and a bunch of people will be in town, so tomorrow, I get to: work, swim, work, interview Danny Abshire (Co-founder of Newton Running), run and then clean our whole apartment. Ouch.
My run today was a good one. I honestly don’t mind the quick runs as they give me a chance to see just how fast I can do my 2 mile loop. One of these days, when I have the time and am feeling up to it, I will go flat out and see if I can do it in under 12 minutes. I bet that will hurt. A lot.
Date: 2/2/09
Consecutive Days Run: 33
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 5:03 PM EST
Distance Run: 9.38 miles
Time Run: 01:07:23
Average Pace: 7:11 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (32 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23825528
About the Run: My assigned workout(s) today were: Run: Warmup in a nice comfortable zone 2 pace for 10 minutes then run 40 minutes in zone 4. Cool down by running easy for 15 minutes. Ride: Nice easy spin but keep your RPM right at 95. I was not quite ready for that run and I freely admit it. However, we’re on the march now so it had to happen.
I headed out into what was an overcast evening which has now turned to snow. It was pleasantly cold for what I knew would be a killer run. I took the first ten minutes nice and easy as instructed. Once I hit my ten minute spot I took off in a rather quick pace just under 7:00 per mile. I could tell almost immediately that this was going to be a hard fought workout. I took the opportunity on the downhills to really let fly and it worked out well.
I held my pace at about 6:30 per mile until about the seventh mile. At that point I was at my cool-down phase and knocked my pace back to about 7:40 per mile. All in all I felt good, but definitely worn out. I also kept thinking how great it’s going to be when I can hold 6:30’s for thirteen miles…OFF THE BIKE!! All in all, this workout kicked me VERY squarely, right in the chest. Once I got home, I ate a quick dinner and did an interview with the one an only Mark Allen! Then I was onto the trainer. First long day, of many more to come!
Date: 2/1/09
Consecutive Days Run: 32
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 6:35 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.25 miles
Time Run: 00:16:32
Average Pace: 7:21 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (31 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23759479
About the Run: I did not want to run today. I am truly in a place where I’m not affected by my runs and my body is so used to them that I just don’t feel it, well, at least my short runs. However, getting the motivation to go outside after having spent the whole day at work and after having done a good distance in the pool, that’s another story altogether.
Once I almost pushed myself out the door a la Edward Norton in Fight Club, I felt fine. The air was crisp and I got moving quickly and easily. It’s funny how it’s mostly the first step that takes some doing. I did my usual two mile loop and even kicked up the speed for the last mile or so. It was a fairly uneventful run, but I was also reminded that my training for this triathlon season began in earnest today. I am both excited and nervous and really ready to put concentrated effort into my training, as opposed to my general training from seasons past. Here goes nothing!
Sarah Stanley’s Run Ride Inspire
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Newton Running’s Take on Barefoot Running
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Date: 1/31/09
Consecutive Days Run: 31
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 1:36 PM EST
Distance Run: 7.59 miles
Time Run: 01:00:47
Average Pace: 8:00 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (24 degrees Fahrenheit), Sunny
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23674015
About the Run: I am now one full month into my quest of running every day of 2010. While I’m not sure what I expected, this has been remarkably easy so far (knock on wood). To celebrate this milestone and because it was my assigned workout for today (One hour. Nice steady zone 2) I took off on a very cold, but long(ish) run.
It has been a while since I’ve been on one of those weekend runs that is bright, sunny and without schedule. Heading out today, I was a tiny bit concerned with the cold, but luckily I warm up quickly in the cold, my hands even feeling like ovens! I had originally planned to run trails in Van Cortland Park today, but my friend who was going to be going with me was not feeling well and so I decided to take the early morning to catch up on sleep, which seems to be a theme this weekend. It was so nice on my run, seeing many of my hard core kindred spirits out and hitting the paths of Northern Manhattan on what was a cold but gorgeous day.
Here’s to month number 2!
Date: 1/30/09
Consecutive Days Run: 30
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 6:55 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.22 miles
Time Run: 00:17:12
Average Pace: 7:44 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (19 degrees Fahrenheit, Feels like 1), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23582137
About the Run: Today was super cold. My day also started off earlier and less entertaining than I would have liked as Danielle and I had to go get our car inspected. We headed up to Yonkers to the mechanic that normally handles this yearly ritual and got the process underway. As well as our inspection, we also needed to have our rear brakes replaced and this is where the problem arose. We got there at about 9:15 AM and, due to the fact that they didn’t have all the parts in stock to get the job done. So we waited…and waited…and waited. Finally, at about 2 PM our car appeared to be done and the lift was brought down off the lift. I was so happy to FINALLY be getting out of there, until…until I noticed the massive pool of oil pouring out from underneath our car. The mechanic had refilled the engine oil and had neglected to put on the new filter. Twenty MORE minutes later, we were done.
Once we got home, I was once again inclined to take a nap, hoping that it would not affect my sleep. It was very much welcome and needed. After I woke up and spent a bit of time clearing the cobwebs from my head, I decided to get dressed in my many layers and head out the door for my run. I was well aware, having spent a large portion of the day in a much too cold mechanic’s front office, how cold it was outside. I got myself as thermally compressed as I could and took off.
My run felt good. I decided to knock the pace back a few notches from yesterday, but nonetheless it felt swift and quick. I really think that I’m in that place now where I don’t really feel my short runs. It’s a nice place to be as far as fitness goes. On that note, my coach, Jeff, said something to me the other day that really hit home in a cool, exciting and slightly scary way. He said, “Next week, your march to greatness begins!”. Here goes nothing!
Date: 1/29/09
Consecutive Days Run: 29
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 7:19 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.18 miles
Time Run: 00:15:52
Average Pace: 7:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (24 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23497693
About the Run: Today, I ended up leaving work early due to the fact that I was simply exhausted. I’m not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the cumulative busy-ness of the week. So, I came home, had some lunch and proceeded to take a two hour nap. It was awesome! I usually try to avoid naps due to the fact that they often prevent me from sleeping later that night, but this one was SO needed!
My run tonight was a good one, save for one little issue. As I was on my way back home, I was running up what is a nice little hill that I hit almost every day. Ahead of me on the hill was a couple walking their dog and as I approached (I’d like to add that I was wearing my Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp which is VERY bright, so I was quite visible) the dog got a bit tangled around them and they were laughing and stumbling a bit and almost right into me. So, as I came upon them, and was almost run into, I said, in a completely friendly tone, “heads up!”.
After passing them the guy in the couple said something along the lines of, “Sorry, $#@, I don’t want to slow you down.” purposefully loud enough for my to hear him. So, I stopped and said to him, “No, you don’t” and I turned and began to run again. As I did, this guy AGAIN, made some unnecessary remark to which said, “look, we could sit here and trade smart remarks all night, but I’m just trying to run, you don’t have to be rude”. As I turned around and headed off this person once again decided to open his mouth and say, “You have to have the last word, don’t you?!”. I said nothing and kept going.
So, dear sir, should you see me again running along, please say something again so I know who you are and I will take the time to spend the rest of my run following you running in place behind you not saying a word.
Other than that, my run felt great! It is really cold outside and even the inside of my nose hurt from breathing in the super cold air. I must say, in an absolutely shameless plug, that my Sugoi Firewall 220 tights were so fantastic on this run! This weekend is going to be pretty cold in general, so I’m sure this won’t be the last time I mention it! I am very excited though, to be doing some trail running in the Bronx in Van Cortland Park on Sunday, so if you want to come along, let me know!
Date: 1/28/09
Consecutive Days Run: 28
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery run
Time of Day: 6:10 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.04 miles
Time Run: 00:15:40
Average Pace: 7:41 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (28 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, Tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23438720
About the Run: After a big race, I find that my legs go through stages of recovery. I also find that these stages come with varying degrees of speed and discomfort. I know that many reading this are probably going, “Duh.” and that’s to be expected. Doing this streak, however, give me a unique perspective on how my legs progress through the many different stages of repair.
Tonight’s run was apparently the part of my personal recovery process whereupon I begin to get speed back into my legs. Usually, immediately following a race, I can go out and run a what seems like an inordinately fast pace. For instance, the day right after the Manhattan Half-Marathon, while my run was short, it was done at a relatively blazing fast 7:39 per mile. The next two days, my pace fell to 7:51 and 8:41 respectively. Today, however, I went out feeling lighter and faster than I have since the race! I can’t wait to begin to tack some distance onto my speed!
As I headed out this evening, an Arctic cold front had already begun to make its way into the NYC area. This morning we had quite a bit of snow and I was honestly looking forward to getting out and running in some of the falling white stuff this evening. Unfortunately, the snow stopped and all we were left with was cold and an accompanying wind. The wind was such that coming up to my one mile point, I was blown back a bit and at the same time, chilled to the bone. It really didn’t help that the tights I was wearing were NOT thermal as my CW-X Insulators as well as my amazing Sugoi Firewall 220’s were in the laundry!
Date: 1/27/09
Consecutive Days Run: 27
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery run
Time of Day: 8:17 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.57 miles
Time Run: 00:13:38
Average Pace: 8:41 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (31 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, Tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23327321
About the Run: At some point, running in the morning will be more regular for me. I’m not exactly fond of morning, well, not so much morning as I’m just not a fan of waking up. However, once I know in my head that waking up early and working out, whether it be swimming, biking or running, is what needs to be done then it’s somehow not so bad.
I woke up today at my normal time (until the baby gets here!) at 5:45. I ate breakfast and watched the news as I got dressed and then headed out. My run was a short one and, after I checked my data (see link above) it was MUCH slower than I thought. It doesn’t really matter, I guess, especially since I am three days out from my half-marathon and the fact that it wasn’t an assigned run. I guess it’s just an ego thing!
Date: 1/26/09
Consecutive Days Run: 26
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery run
Time of Day: 8:17 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.06 miles
Time Run: 00:16:20
Average Pace: 7:55 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (33 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23326253
About the Run: I guess it was inevitable that it would happen during this streak that I would almost get hit by a car. I would also love to say that this was the first time that this has happened, or that it will be the last, but I’d like to think that I’m not that naive. I live and run in New York City. Frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t been hit full- on yet!
Anyway, my run tonight was an easy one and the second day of recovery after Sunday’s Manhattan Half-Marathon. I often find that the second day after a race has me a bit more sore, but also a bit more flexible…weird. In any event, my run felt fin and I held it nice and steady throughout.
My little run in with the lady in the black Lexus came when I went to cross the street…at a crosswalk…with the walk sign…with other people in the crosswalk also! This woman just rolled right into the crosswalk and what would have been right into me had I not stopped about 6 inches shy of getting hit. It’s just one more thing to reaffirm the lack of respect that runner, cyclists, rollerbladers and other athletes receive. Oh well, live to run another day!
Date: 1/25/09
Consecutive Days Run: 25
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Recovery run
Time of Day: 4:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.29 miles
Time Run: 00:09:51
Average Pace: 7:39 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (53 degrees Fahrenheit), windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23236417
About the Run: After yesterday’s half-marathon PR, I knew that today would be a nice, easy run and most likely very short. There was no run assigned today, so it was up to me what I did. I headed out, after having to wait a while for the torrential rain and wind to subside. It was a rather warm for January and it was quite a nice change. My legs actually felt very good and only a bit sore. I made up my mind to only do just over a mile early on in my run and headed back home. Overall, nothing terribly special and it felt good to get out and stretch my legs.
Beast of Burden Winter 100 Miler
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Today was the New York Road Runners Manhattan Half-Marathon, part of the NYRR Half-Marathon Series presented by Continental Airlines. If you’ve 
been following my posts, you know that my goal time was 1:35:00. Well, I am happy and proud to say that I ran a PR of 1:35:19! My previous PR was set in the first half of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon in a time of 1:44:38. That makes today’s half-marathon a PR for me by OVER NINE (9) MINUTES!!
First and foremost, I must give massive thanks to my support team. My coach, Jeff, who kicked me into gear in relatively little time. And also an enormous thank you to the one and only Laminator who paced me the entire way, keeping me going the entire time.
The race course was roughly two and a half loops of Central Park. For those that have run the full loop of Central Park before, you know that to call it a challenging course is somewhat of an understatement. This particular race began at roughly West 63rd Street on West Drive heading in a counter clockwise direction. This means that the runners got to feel the full fury of Cat Hill as well as Harlem Hill, and ALL the little bastard hills in between.
The goal for the race was to maintain a consistent effort for the entirety of the race. I honestly don’t have too much to say for the first half of the race. Cat and Harlem Hills seemed to cruise by, though the smaller hills just after them definitely reminded me to be humble. Lam maintained such a poised, relaxed posture that it really rubbed off on me, keeping me calm.
Once we got into the second loop, Cat Hill came up fairly quick. The weather held together nicely and was nice and cool, but by the second loop, I was definitely feeling hotter than I would have liked. I opened the zipper of my shirt (Sugoi Mid-Zero Zip) to let some air in and felt a lot better. At about mile seven, I took my Gu Roctane as I had planned. I felt decent through Cat Hill, but definitely felt the effort. The hills following the Cat though, ate their way into me. I noticed my breathing becoming much faster than I would have liked and at the same time, while my technique held together well, my stride turnover slowed considerably, thus making my legs work more than usual.
As we dropped down the hill in the Northeast corner of the park, by Lasker Pool, feelings of trepidation and a small touch of dread came over me knowing what lay ahead. As we hit Harlem Hill, I did my best to take deep, full breaths to get my heart rate as calm as possible. The first part of the hill was OK, but as we got to the small plateau-ish area before the next rise, I could feel my heart going into my zone 5 rate and my breathing speeding up accordingly.The next rise was pure agony and I have honestly never come so close to vomiting during a race. The next couple of miles, until we got to about mile 12, I honestly don’t remember much, except keeping my eyes on Lam and just moving forward.
Once we hit mile 12, Lam told me to count my strides to 100 to make it go by easier. I tried this, but my brain wasn’t working so well and I kept losing count after about 20 or so. I guess Lam noticed this and he began counting out loud so I could hear him and it really helped. As we entered the last half mile, he was pushing me to really go for it and, to be honest, I just didn’t have anything left. At some point, even though I refused to look at my watch, I knew I wasn’t going to go sub-1:35:00, but I just kept pushing as much as I could. As we crossed the finish line, I thought I was going to fall over but held on to Lam (Thanks!) and managed to keep myself upright.
I had a great race, and I made (for the most part) my goal time. I truly believe that, had this been a less difficult course, I could have gone much faster and not felt like I was dying late in the race. Lam was an absolutely amazing person to take me to the line and I cannot thank him enough.
Brunch afterward was fantastic, with so many new friends having a great meal together and a great time. Thanks to Michelle for handling the reservations for our get together! So many PR’s were set by so many friends, and all were celebrated, PR or no. What a fantastic race!
Date: 1/23/09
Consecutive Days Run: 23
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Easy
Time of Day: 6:17 PM EST
Distance Run: 3.40 miles
Time Run: 00:26:44
Average Pace: 7:52 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (37 degrees Fahrenheit), clear
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23050803
About the Run: Tomorrow morning is the Manhattan Half-Marathon as part of the New York Road Runners half-Marathon series. My goal time is 1:35:00. This would be a PR by 9 full minutes. I am being paced by the one and only Laminator and could not ask for someone better to get me there.
As I write this, it is 11:21 PM EST and I should be in bed, and will be as soon as I finish posting. As always though, nerves are having their say in my head. I’m not really nervous in a negative way, but more in a very anticipatory way. I cannot wait to get out there and push myself! This race will mark only the second race where I actually have a goal time, the first being the Philadelphia Marathon (where I missed my time). The race is taking place in Central Park and is two (2) counter clockwise loops of the park. This is an extremely technical course with plenty of hills as I mentioned in my post yesterday, and not exactly the best place to be going for a PR, but I believe I can do it! I’m going to stop talking about this now, because it’s getting to me a bit…
Today’s assigned run was: Do some short 20-30 second pick-up during this easy run. Cool down, and get off your feet for the rest of the day. I headed out feeling good at my usual comfortable pace, making a point of keeping my head out of my run. On my way back there is a hill which is similar, if not a bit steeper than Cat Hill in Central Park (albeit a bit shorter). I took the opportunity to take the split on my way up, being sure to keep a consistent EFFORT rather than a consistent speed, which is what Lam and I are aiming for tomorrow. Mission accomplished.
Race details to come!
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am an opera singer living and trying to make it in New York City. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
