Lots of Running News, and the Wall of Fame!

Lots of running, not so much writing- I know, I know. Well, here's some of the latest:

I did, in fact, run 2 half-marathons in two weeks. The second one, in the Bronx, earned me a new PR of 1:55:06- yay! It feels good to be working hard and seeing it pay off (a little, anyway). Then, back to one hard week of running, which ended with my very own Valentine's run of 18 miles. It was sunny and I woke up early, knowing I had to finish, shower and get to rehearsal afterwards. My teammates were starting later and heading on a flat run to Coney Island and the boardwalk, but I knew I had to map a big loop to get me home in time. So, I started...
18 plus miles, 4 bridges, 3 boroughs, 2 great country crooners (Dwight Yoakam and Lyle Lovett) and countless smiles and waves later, I was home again, in the shower and out to rehearsal. Click here to see my route:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=40.640009,-73.78006&spn=0.461636,0.878906&z=10&msid=116797349652229055058.0004639902854f9bc1349

There was something so serene about running this route on Valentine's Day. It was like my own little Valentine to the city that I love so much. The views from the bridges, the water-front path, Central Park, the neighborhoods I passed and the life that was happening in each of them, and the older woman who, at nearly the start of the run, in Polish Greenpoint, yeller "Run a mile for me!" (taking me back to my pre-running days in Poland where we encountered a marathon that ended near a brewery and a reluctant old woman who saw us cheering on runners and later joined us with English that she had to think about for awhile before saying it aloud. The result: "Ok-ay, ba-by!") With the stress of living and working here in the day-to-day, it's easy to lose sight of all this city has to offer and all it has given me. And, on that Saturday morning, it gave me even more- NYC did, in fact, decide to be my Valentine as well. All in all, it was a long damn run- my longest to date. And while I was a little reluctant to be out there on my own, it gave me exactly what I needed- one of the best damn runs I have ever had.

After another, slightly easier week of running, I found myself in what I now consider my "Home"
park- Prospect for a Saturday morning race. It was chilly and a bit windy, but I ran it fast enough to move up a corral group (meaning that I start closer to the front of the pack and don't waste energy early in the race trying to get around slower runners). So, now I hang with the people whose min/mile times start with a "7." YAY!!! This is was a goal that I set back in December and I was really proud to see that goal realized.

After the race, I fought BQE traffic back home and showered in time to turn around and get out the door to dance class. It felt especially freeing and joyous to be able to dance after that race for some reason. Perhaps it's the news of starting some ballroom classes in addition to technical classes. Or that a friend and fellow dancer is creating a solo for me, to premiere in May. Or that everything that makes me feel happy- running, dancing, yoga, Physique class- is physical and perhaps taking the place of what's lacking elsewhere. That's something that I have to figure out, probably while running (lol).

I am now 60 days out from the Nashville marathon. And you can still help!! You probably got here through my fundraising page, so go back and click to donate!! Every little bit helps, so please, please give what you can and help me get to Nashville! Thanks again!

xoxo


Wall of Fame!!
A huge shout out to my Nashville Donors to Date!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You all really do Rock..or two-step...it IS a Country Music Marathon, after all! Get your name on the wall today!

Bob Early- and his friends from BP!!!
Forever Man
Michael Bell
Ciaran D'Arcy
Marty Ambos
Jennifer King
Mary Anthony
Kara and Patrick Curtis
Kate Nelson
John Londono
Shaun Smith
marc wolfe
Jimmy Ho
Karl France
Meaghan Atkinson
Demian Ordway
Peter Guy
Jeff Klein
James Comtois
Christopher Woodrell
Sherri Protze
Andrea Pastorella
Stutard Beerlicker
Tami Wallenstein
Judes

Lessons from the Cold

Hi all!

First, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far to my Team in Training marathon effort. I can't get there without those dollars (for a great cause, of course- whose life has NOT been affected by cancer in some way?!) If you haven't contributed yet, I am trying to do a push right now to get to the half-way point of $1900 by February 11th-my recommitment date (the date you have to put up or shut up in terms of your fundraising!). You can make your dollars go even further if your company has a matching gift program! Let me know if you need more info on that...

On Sunday morning, I ran the first race of the Continental Airlines Grand Prix series- a half-marathon in each of the 5 boroughs. The kick-off half-marathon was the Manhattan event, in Central Park. It was 15 degrees out. The subways were the usual weekend racket: re-routings, running in sections, etc., etc. Still 5,000 crazy people (you're allowed to call people crazy if you are part of the group you're describing...oh, who am I kidding- I call people crazy -and that's the nice extreme- all the time) toed the line and ran the loops of the park. I was not convinced that I had it in me. I wasn't racing this race; rather, I was using it as a gauge to test out the timing of my new hydration and fueling plan and getting the week's miles under my belt. plus, getting the memory of my last half out of my head. And I succeeded, mostly. My only goal was to come in under 2 hours, even if by a second. I ran a very conservative race pace and came in at 1:59:21.
The hydration test run had one additional component that I hadn't really anticipated, though. Um, when it's 15 degrees out and you're carrying your own water, you forget it's 15 degrees because you are nice and toasty, what with the 13 miles to run and all. The water you're carrying, however, is not nice and toasty. In fact, it's frozen. That's right, it's can-not-possibly-drink-from- this-bottle-because-ice-crystals-have-formed-and-the-water-is-now-chunky-and-not-going-through-that-tiny-spout frozen. Awesome. The water at the fluid stations were the same way. You had to squeeze the cup to crack the ice layer on top to get to the water below it, which is fine, except now there's water on your running clothes that quickly turns to more ice crystals. We all looked like Mr. Freeze out there. But, we had some fun....several of my teammates ran PR's, I suspect because they were hoping to make it home before their fingers fell off from frostbite.

For me, yesterday's race was exactly 3 months until I toe the line in Nashville, where it will certainly NOT be 15 degrees at race time. But the best thing I accomplished yesterday was overcoming my biggest hurdle- not the weather, but myself. It was not my fastest race but it was my most thoughtful one so far. I controlled the race. I climbed the hills without swearing (too much) and felt good and strong doing it. Oh, and I called to reserve my spot in tonight's super popular spin class while I was somewhere between miles 3 and 4. It sells out quickly and 10am would have been too late to get a spot in the class- a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Besides, I am sure that in addition to me sharing it with you, some other runners got to share it with their friends...."you'll never believe what this girl did during the race...she called and booked her next workout!" then again, runners WOULD believe it. Plus, spin helps me think about my leg turn-over, especially in the hills!

I'm still a long way from being the best runner I can be, I know, but I'm sure having fun (and sometimes, apparently, fun feels like torture) figuring it out. Thanks for coming along for the ride, er, miles!

Faster and Faster

A friend of mine asked the other day what I had learned this time around now that I am 5 weeks into my training program. There are quite a few things, it seems.
* It's always better to run outside. Being away from a treadmill and programmed pace doesn't let you underestimate yourself. For awhile now, my indoor running has felt stagnant and that's because typing numbers into the computer to generate pace, etc. based on a former race 16 weeks out doesn't automatically account for the strength you've gained and improvements you've made since that race time. Plus, it's just a hell of a lot more fun.
**subpoint to that: While it's often easy to pick a number to achieve and overestimate ability, I need to remember not to underestimate myself.
* Race often. Even if you use it as a tempo run or something, the experience of doing it and getting to know the course (for me, that is usually Central Park). Not too often so as to undermine the big goal race, but enough to be comfortable...and definitely enough to qualify for automatic entry into next year's New York Marathon! (9 + 1, here I come!)
* Find a running partner or a group to train with. In addition to accountability and added fun and entertainment while logging those miles, partners push each other in a friendly, competitive way. I have a group now in the Team in Training folks, and I have signed up for one more structured run a week by taking a NYRR class on Thursdays. It's one of the things that has been missing from my running and, while I love all of you and know that you support me, it allows me to spare you the agony of having to listen to me yammer on about split times and "that *$&#ing hill!" so really, it's good for everyone.
* Don't be a slave to the numbers. It's best to take a day to cross-train or rest after a hard workout, rather than log miles because the schedule says so. Tempo runs, sppedwork and long runs are where the real work gets done, so don't skip those, but it's okay to do something easier on the joints and legs than just slavishly plodding through those 5-6 miles if it's going to sacrifice your ability to have a strong quality work run the next day.
...and finally, a fun fact for everyone:
Chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink! Not only yummy, but the perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates to help the body recover quickly, this is great news for me! I now keep a large carton of Nesquik in my fridge at all times, and it's the first thing I reach for after a run. Deeee-lish!

Finally, I will end this by saying that I am having a really good running week. I am getting stronger: I felt that yesterday on my 6 miler- because I went to the track to do some strides and then hit the Williamsburg bridge- my favorite run because seeing the skyline helps me remember that I love this city and that I am pretty lucky to have the life I do when times are tough or I've had a bad day- and I felt less difficulty on the uphill and that I was faster and the whole thing was a bit easier than in the past. I am getting faster: some good times have been pulled down this week, from the race to our tempo workout in the park this week, which I thank my fellow, faster advanced group members for pushing me (damn type-A personality!!)
I am having fun: I am really enjoying running- even in the cold, the snow, the wind- and learning that runners are generally good, friendly, social folks, and I really like being out on the roads with them!

A gentle reminder: there is a challenge to get to 25% of my fundraising minimum by the end of December!!! I get a fun prize, which I will consider my Christmas present from you if you help me get there! So, please, please, please donate to my cause...my personal webpage is: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/cmc09/kkocinski

The Most Freezingest Time of the Year

On Friday, I was sitting in my office, listening to streaming radio and on came "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." I had to literally grab my desk to prevent myself from ripping the speakers off the desk and flinging them out the window. It's cold, there are tourists everywhere meaning that I can walk nowhere on the midtown streets and, truth be told, this is just not my year. So, I went for a run.

I am just about 4 weeks into my training program with Team in Training, and on Saturday, we raced. It was the New York Road Runners' Holiday 4 miler. And, was it freaking cold out there! I couldn't really feel my feet for the first mile-seriously. But then I got into my groove and just started plugging along. I finished in 32:56- a PR for me and a math calculation for you-and went home to some delicious cranberry pancakes and then headed out to my show. Oh, right, I did shows at Mary's this weekend.

I am also completely obsessed with the Physique 57 class that I am taking. You know, Kelly Ripa's workout place? It's really amazing work, though I will not hide the fac tthat I swear during it- especially the thigh work....OUCH! But, my month unlimited special is up next week, and I have no idea what I am going to do! I am dreading it- but will come back after the holiday ready to start going only twice a week or so.....
To take its place, partially, I also signed up for a New York Road Runners class to work on speed and such. It's just one more structured workout a week for ten weeks. Hopefully, it helps and I get a bit faster.

Alright, more soon- gotta get to Physique!

Back in the Swing

Did I get sidelined by my injury. I saw a fantastic specialist, and thne had amazing physical therapy treatments, did my exercises, bought enough PT acoutrements to start my own PT gym, and got better. What did not get better, until this week however, was my motivation to get back out there. After a summer of pretty intense training, 2 half-marathons and a bunch of smaller races thrown in, I was climbing towards my really big challenge: my first marathon. Now, instead of sitting on a plane bound for San Fran and that Tiffany finisher's medal, I am sitting at a computer. And it kind of sucks.

Granted it doesn't suck as much as the lockjaw that i got the week of my birthday due to the stress of injury, sick cat, rehearsals, work, a tanking economy. It did not suck as much (and it still really sucks) as having to watch my cat get very sick and die and know there was nothing I could do. It did not suck as much as having to rearrange my birthday plans because someone was inappropriate and having to rehearse. But it did and, as I enter this weekend, probably will continue to suck. Quite a bit, I imagine.

Now, I know there's always another race. In fact, I have started training in pursuit of possibly entering the Miami marathon in January. And, I have committed to attending a Team in Training meeting to see if running for a charity and the support that it provides as far as coaching and training programs would be a good fit. And, I am back in the game- well on my way to logging 30 miles for the week. But, there was something about those weeks off that made my ambition to get out there again seem as fleeting as the plane that was taking off for San Fran and leaving me behind. It just didn't seem possible. It seemed over. And then, one morning, I woke up missing the feeling of running through the early sunlight. The next morning was the same. The next morning, thanks to an early morning at the office, I just got up and ran- a little slow, a little fast, some hills, some flats....and I really, really, really enjoyed it.

Maybe it's the fall air meaning that I don't have to determine whether it's too hot to run outside, or the season-induced discipline of knowing that with a new semester came a new goal or routine. But, all I know is that I am up and running, literally. And, maybe looking to start learning Spanish so I can FINALLY cross that off life's to-do list.

So, so, so sidelined

The weekend in Chicago was a total blast...well, mostly a blast. Lots of baseball and the fam and friends from near and far (thanks, by the way- you guys rock!!! so much fun!). Race day had me feeling not so hot after being up most of the night (NOT partying), but despite my stomach wanting me to do otherwise, I ran...and ran....and ran.......I started swearing when I didn't see the Mile 7 marker and started to become despondent that the damn mile was taking for-EVER when I heard two guys near me saying the same thing. One guy missed the marker, the other had seen it, and just like that... Iwas almost an entire mile farther than I thought! That was a good boost, even if it did throw my timing off. Overall, it was not the race I set out to run, and that was a bit disappointing, but I still came in right around 2 hours, so all was not lost.

The week after the race, my body totally broke down. The stress of the race, and all the traveling, and the bar (which I never really rested after), and work, and rehearsal finally made the old girl say "enough!" and i remained parked on my couch with my pup and lots and lots of Olympics for 2 days straight.

Now, however, there is a new problem. That nagging soreness from before the race has worsened and I couldn't finish my miles yesterday. It hurt to walk or put all my weight (which was probably a higher number after last week's recovery time) on it. SO, I sucked it up and made a doctor's appointment to get to the bottom of it. Problem: doctor can't see me for more than 2 weeks. IN the meantime, what do I do? No running at all? No running today?

More soon- have to go to abs class....god forbid, I am fat AND injured!

Check, check

Illinois bar exam- check. Tickets to baseball- check. New, supercute racing sunglasses- check (hey, even a robot like me has to bribe herself once in a while to stay motivated). While I am still looking for my sanity after this last bar exam experience, my body continues to rebel against being subjected to further regimentation and discipline, mostly in the form of a nagging quad pain (this could be fun on Sunday- stay tuned!), and I am battling that inevitable post-goal-reaching funk, I am also making my lists and doing my errands in order to be ready to leave for home bright and early tomorrow morning. About this, I am excited. It's this week in the city that has been the challenge. I am not exactly sure what it is that has made me struggle so much this week, but hopefully tonight's workout- my last speedwork session and inaugural run on the new shoes I am picking up at lunch- will knock me right out of the funk and into the fastlane.

Alright, off ot create more lists...and pack...and run. More when I arrive tomorrow!