Representin

There are very few NYRR races in Brooklyn, yo, so when I spotted the NYRR Holiday 4 Miler in Prospect Park, it was really a no brainer.  I was to run it.

I thought I’d bust out the 4 miles, maybe set a PR yo, but then I realized I am working towards running 1000 miles OR 1,609.34K for the year, so why bust it out?  So, in my mind I settled on a fun run.  And how can you not have fun while running anyway?  Plus, peeps were dressed all holiday like.  Antlers and reindeer and Santa Claus and so many colors.  So, I was having fun even before the running started.  Plus kids, can’t forget the kids.

It was originally supposed to be a 5k but due to construction in the park it was changed to 4 miles. I felt a lot better running the hills today than any other time I ran there. 4.04 miles 40.40 10.03 min/mile
Mile 1 10.42 (flat/uphill)
Mile 2 9.44 (flat/downhill)
Mile 3 9.37 (flat/downhill)
Mile 4 10.15 (flat/uphill)
Mile 0.04 .19

I am happy with this run. I do think perhaps I could have run it faster had I decided to “race” it, but its cool.

The weather was perfect for a “holiday” run. Sunny, crisp, cold no wind. Just perfect.  Official race results have me at 4 miles in 40.34.

SO…….

So after the 4 mile race, I felt as though I had more in me. I was thinking about how I could get more miles done.  I could have run another loop in the park but then I would have to take the train home. So, why not just run home? Made total sense to me. And its flat all the way down Ocean Parkway. I made it 3 miles and decided to take a 1 minute walk break. I did the same after 4 miles and 5 miles. It shows in the last 3 mile splits. Yes, my legs started feeling tired. It was as if my brain wanted my legs to keep going but my legs didn’t want to.

6 miles 1.03.27 10.34 min/mile
Mile 1 10.17
Mile 2 10.06
Mile 3 10.14
Mile 4 10.50 (1 min walk)
Mile 5 10.56 (1 min walk)
Mile 6 11.02 (1 min walk)

My calves were very tight so I slipped on the  orange Zensah compression calf sleeves and the sole of my left foot hurt a bit, but otherwise I felt awesome!!

I ran a total of 10 miles that day and in 12 days I ran 63.66 miles.

Then yesterday, I had a great VFF run.  5 miles in 51.32 the most I ran in my VFF’s so far YO!  I busted it out.  Made it happen.

Today, 4 miler in 39.08.  Last mile 9.24 with fartleks thrown in towards the end.  Busted it out.  Representin.

And just to reminisce a bit, lets go back to last Thursday shall we?  I met up with my buddy Scott at NYRR to run a loop in Central Park.  I use the term loop loosely because there are many loops to choose from in the park.  Scott said we could either run 5 or 6 mile loop.  What’s cool about starting over at NYRR is the first part of the run is nice and flat which gives you a nice warm up to the first and very intimidating Harlem Hills.  It felt never ending but I DID IT.  Conquered that hill.  Then came some rolling hills, (I think) which were 4 sets of hills that were well, rolling.  And last came Cat Hill which is feared by many and used as great hill repeats.  Anyway, DONE AND DONE.  Scott really helped me with this run.  He paced me perfectly.  Held me back when I started moving to fast and pushed me up the hills.  We completed the 5 mile loop in 51.04 and I had a blast.

60. 60. 60.

You see things and you say “Why?”  But I dream things that never were and I say, “Why not?”