Power Up!

The Joy of Running on the Cape’s sand dunes.

I worry I am not training properly or training enough in anticipation the beginning of racing season with New York Road Runners in February or for the Boston Marathon in April.  Last November I ran my first marathon, the NYC Marathon with a time of 3:49:08 after only running for 8 months. I had not run in over 20 years. I was thrilled with my time and all my planning went exactly as expected.  I also completed about 13 races consistently coming in within the top 13% of my age class and even earning a 1st place overall women in a 5k cross country meet.  But now, I am away from my team, they are training indoors at the nice warm track, getting speedier and speedier. I wonder what the heck am I doing in all this sand, even if it is far more beautiful here.

Today is a good example of a typical day and to say why running is so difficult or not difficult but slow.  I needed to go into town so first there was a 3 mile sand walk to get to my car and back. Finally home and ready to run, there is a ¾ mile run or walk in the sand to get to the bike trail. I usually run it to save time, but that extra 3.75 miles of sand before I even begin to run really takes its toll. The bike trail is a whole other animal; it is all hills, up and down for 5.5. It never lets up and puts a real strain on my legs, a good workout. Just walking the bike trail makes my ass hurt. I have been alternating between running the bike trail and running the beach. I figure running in the sand will make my legs really strong, but in reality the distance I normally cover in 63 minutes, takes 1:45 in the sand. It is grueling and depressing to move so slowly! Running in the sand feels like I have 10-pound weights on each ankle. I worry that I am getting slower and slower.  Today’s workout designed by our coach is a 1 mile warm up, followed by 4 x 1 mile at ½ marathon pace (60 second active rest in between), then a mile cool down. I figure that is a pretty moderate pace, about 8:25, so lets give it a shot on these never ending hills, I will either finish happy or completed devastated and depressed. Mile 1, 8:17, right on! Mile 2, 8:05, not bad, but too quick, Mile 3 and 4 both 8:20. I know for my friends at home running in singlets and shorts on an indoor fast track this is an easy workout. But I am feeling pretty smug that I ran it over endless hills, in layers of winter clothing, against the wind and cold. I guess I could say that I got the better workout or they could say they are smarter. I certainly have the most scenic route. So today I do not need to feel depressed, until tomorrow when I go running in the sand.