They weren't kidding when they said 'The course consists of rolling hills.' I realised somewhat belatedly that I was asking for trouble when I scrolled to the bottom of the race homepage where it says -
...Or really really clueless :) No prizes for guessing which category I belong to.
So here's my story of how to train (or not to train) in a week for a 4-miler in February in close to freezing weather.
Friday, Feb 8th: Drag self out of bed at 6:45 to run at 7. Run 15 min., start getting cramps, walk/run till 7:30 when it starts to snow/rain/other indeterminate forms of precipitation falling from the sky.
Saturday: Register late at night to pay the early registration fee (that day being the last to pay the early fee, a very important motivation for an impoverished grad student).
Sunday: A blur of shopping, eating, lots of noble intentions of running which are abandoned as the weather doesn't co-operate. Make plans to go running Monday morning.
Monday morning (6:45 am): I call Kathy (or the other way around, it's a blur now).
Me (mumbling): Don't rea..lly waa..nt to run.
Kathy: Me neither.
ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz...... :)
Tuesday: Go to the gym at 8 pm after a full day at lab (spent mostly doing homework) and teaching section. Hop on the treadmill and jog a full 2 miles in about 27 minutes. Use my standard funda of 'If I can run half the distance, I will finish since I'll have to run back anyway'.
Wednesday : Lab, teach till 8:45 pm since I'm besieged with questions and think grand thoughts of running the next day.
Thursday: Chance to read all the way to the bottom of the race home page and come across the quote above. Spend rest of the day cursing myself (and Kathy, who suggested the race in the first place) and venting it on other people.
Friday: Abandon all thoughts of going running and keep checking the weather forecast for Saturday.
Eat some fantastic sushi at Miya's and turn in by 11 dreading what is to come.
(As an aside, I do recommend sushi as a pretty good pre-race night meal.)
Race Day: 8 am: Check weather - -1 Celsius, feels like -5. Curse myself some more.
I bundle up in sweatpants, fleece and woollen hat and arm myself with tissue because when I run, my nose runs too, every step of the way...
9:45 am: Get to the park, pick up registration packet and politely decline to be teamed up with someone (since that would mess up their timing too). Borrow Kathy's bright orange gloves and head to the start line with very fatalistic ideas running through my mind. When I said that I might not survive the race, Kathy very kindly pointed out the cemetery nearby saying, "Don't worry, we'll just put you there."
10:00 am : The race starts and I chug along. The wind had died down and the sun was out. If I hadn't been running, I would have admitted that it was a bright, beautiful day. (Yes, it could have been worse, it could have been raining!).
Finished Mile 1 in 9:24. That's when Kathy decided to take off and I decided to labor on through the gently rolling hills for the next 2 miles. I've realised that I do better running uphill with my almost doubled-over shuffle than downhill where I keep trying to not roll over.
Oh well...Labored upto to the end of Mile 3 to be greeted by a mile marker, a cheering volunteer and the steepest hill I've ever contemplated running up. It made the Sameer hill in IITB feel like a gentle stroll downhill. Plus it was about 0.6 miles long. The 'almost doubled over shuffle' worked though it seemed to take forever.
And suddenly, with a last push I was over the top and the day seemed a little cheerier. Chugging along, I spotted Kathy on the side, suggesting I run faster to try and beat the 40 minute mark. I did try sprinting (for all of 30 seconds) but I finally made it around the final curve to the finish line to make a timing of 41:31.
Have been feeling very proud of myself (and rather sore) for the past week. A little part of me is also already dreading the next crazy race I've already signed up for.
At this rate, I'll be ready to run a half-marathon in a couple of years...
Currently listening to: Carmina Burana
" A challenging course which begins and ends at Boothe Memorial Park. Plus, we'll be stationing pre and post race festivities INSIDE, so the weather won't be a factor. It's not going to be an easy course, but if you're willing to race in February, you are obviously tough enough!"
...Or really really clueless :) No prizes for guessing which category I belong to.
So here's my story of how to train (or not to train) in a week for a 4-miler in February in close to freezing weather.
Friday, Feb 8th: Drag self out of bed at 6:45 to run at 7. Run 15 min., start getting cramps, walk/run till 7:30 when it starts to snow/rain/other indeterminate forms of precipitation falling from the sky.
Saturday: Register late at night to pay the early registration fee (that day being the last to pay the early fee, a very important motivation for an impoverished grad student).
Sunday: A blur of shopping, eating, lots of noble intentions of running which are abandoned as the weather doesn't co-operate. Make plans to go running Monday morning.
Monday morning (6:45 am): I call Kathy (or the other way around, it's a blur now).
Me (mumbling): Don't rea..lly waa..nt to run.
Kathy: Me neither.
ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz...... :)
Tuesday: Go to the gym at 8 pm after a full day at lab (spent mostly doing homework) and teaching section. Hop on the treadmill and jog a full 2 miles in about 27 minutes. Use my standard funda of 'If I can run half the distance, I will finish since I'll have to run back anyway'.
Wednesday : Lab, teach till 8:45 pm since I'm besieged with questions and think grand thoughts of running the next day.
Thursday: Chance to read all the way to the bottom of the race home page and come across the quote above. Spend rest of the day cursing myself (and Kathy, who suggested the race in the first place) and venting it on other people.
Friday: Abandon all thoughts of going running and keep checking the weather forecast for Saturday.
Eat some fantastic sushi at Miya's and turn in by 11 dreading what is to come.
(As an aside, I do recommend sushi as a pretty good pre-race night meal.)
Race Day: 8 am: Check weather - -1 Celsius, feels like -5. Curse myself some more.
I bundle up in sweatpants, fleece and woollen hat and arm myself with tissue because when I run, my nose runs too, every step of the way...
9:45 am: Get to the park, pick up registration packet and politely decline to be teamed up with someone (since that would mess up their timing too). Borrow Kathy's bright orange gloves and head to the start line with very fatalistic ideas running through my mind. When I said that I might not survive the race, Kathy very kindly pointed out the cemetery nearby saying, "Don't worry, we'll just put you there."
10:00 am : The race starts and I chug along. The wind had died down and the sun was out. If I hadn't been running, I would have admitted that it was a bright, beautiful day. (Yes, it could have been worse, it could have been raining!).
Finished Mile 1 in 9:24. That's when Kathy decided to take off and I decided to labor on through the gently rolling hills for the next 2 miles. I've realised that I do better running uphill with my almost doubled-over shuffle than downhill where I keep trying to not roll over.
Oh well...Labored upto to the end of Mile 3 to be greeted by a mile marker, a cheering volunteer and the steepest hill I've ever contemplated running up. It made the Sameer hill in IITB feel like a gentle stroll downhill. Plus it was about 0.6 miles long. The 'almost doubled over shuffle' worked though it seemed to take forever.
And suddenly, with a last push I was over the top and the day seemed a little cheerier. Chugging along, I spotted Kathy on the side, suggesting I run faster to try and beat the 40 minute mark. I did try sprinting (for all of 30 seconds) but I finally made it around the final curve to the finish line to make a timing of 41:31.
Have been feeling very proud of myself (and rather sore) for the past week. A little part of me is also already dreading the next crazy race I've already signed up for.
At this rate, I'll be ready to run a half-marathon in a couple of years...
Currently listening to: Carmina Burana
1 comment:
:)) and they call it the Sweetheart run?!!! :P
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