Mech.

My easy/off day for the week. Ran 2mi warmup, 8.8mph up to 9.2, then lifted arms. In and out in < 30minutes. Cleaning/packing for Hamptons trip. JeRM has bailed :-(

Pottruck

10.4mi on the treadmill. A week ago I skipped over a step-down week and plowed ahead with the long run progression. I'm going to use up that credit now, instead of saving it for PDR. Waiting any longer is going to mess up next weekend.

My post-run, nekkid weight is (barely) down into the 150s. I've been deliberate with what I'm eating--a big breakfast, usually yogurt, which I'm now culturing myself (cheap! saves plastic!!), fruit, and toast; a big, hearty lunch, usually some rice or pasta, fish, egg whites, or tofu, sauce, salad, fruit, dessert; often a banana an hour before running; then a big dinner and another dessert when I get home--but it's hard to keep pounds on when the mileage go up. It's not a problem now, but I fear the post-marathon weight gain. One's appetite doesn't go away just because the running has stopped. Hopefully my bike will be built then and I'll stay active doing that.

5.7mi

Rain, rain, rain, so I ran at Pottruck. I did it really slow, as in 7:40 pace--if I felt good, I was going to push and do a long run; if I didn't, I wanted to be fresh for a run outdoors tomorrow. I got bored and kept burping up my lunch. Yuck. Hoping to finally get back on track tomorrow.

Bike parts!!

I am the proud owner of ... this stuff!

Pottruck

I didn't do my long run. I was going to do it on the treadmill, but it's just too damn boring to run for 2hrs indoors. So I did 6.5mi, then packed it in. There's always tomorrow.

Feast!

It was just over a year ago, in Prague, that I (re)discovered the Confessions and (re)started what Tita Mary says is "the most important journey of one's life." This morning, during his homily for Augustine's feast day, Fr Frank concluded by reading his famous prayer:

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

I have so much more to write about the spiritual journey, and about what I think is humanity's great mistake in attempting to describe its (metaphysical) structures and specify its strictures, and, in doing so, to miss the whole point. But for today, let's just revel in the joy of awakenings to a life beyond body and mind.

Strawberry Mansion

Great weekend with the Williams boys up in Callicoon-on-the-Delaware. The cabin was literally RIGHT on the river. It rained all day yesterday, but we still played wiffleball, lots of pesoi (I sucked it up and lost about $20 in 10min, mostly to Pete, but then we wiped out all debts in the end), grilled tons of meat, drank gallons of beer, and a bottle of Glenfiddich--a send off to John from Cristie, a bottle of so-called "Spanish Whiskey" (a trick by Sean, John, and I who were sent to the liquor store and came back with a liqueur of some sort, but neither wanted to drink cheap whiskey for the 2nd bottle nor appear to be pansies). I wasn't going to go to the Hamptons, but I'm reconsidering now. It would be good to hang out with Alex, John, Lia, and Xavi some more.

Ran my 9mi, after dark, a few ticks past Strawberry Mansion on the Kelly Drive side. I've grown to prefer W River Dr, but at night I don't want to risk it. 9.25mi total according to Google. Am just glad the weekend is not a goose egg. It's raining, but not too hard. I like late summer rainy runs. One feels invisible in the rain, or at least, slightly crazy. A few other crazies were out doing their long runs, but mostly I had the trail to myself.

It's that time of year--POPL reviews beckon. Having ones advisor on the program committee == heavier-than-average reviewing load.

G Love on Lemon Hill

I saw G Love live once when he came to the Berkshire Hills to play a show in my little college town. When he came on stage he had a stringy, fading scalp and a bit of a beer gut, and he played an awful set. The girlfriend had seem him play in the Square once, and still swooned a little when remembering it, so the fact that his show disappointed secretly pleased me.

But the man has some great songs, and is one of Clare's favorites (my iTunes has 78 tunes by him thanks to her), so with a beautiful Philly summer evening, and the (other) G-loving phase of her life done, it seemed appropriate to put him in my ears. The workout was a little more than 40 minutes. And, oy, are my legs sore today. This week got bumped by my Sunday hangover so today was warmup, 5xhill repeats, cooldown. I did a slow 2mi warmup to Boathouse Row, then charged up Lemon Hill cinq fois, easy on the downhills, and then came back around the Museum and down 22nd. I think it adds up to around 5mi.

Hills are good and I haven't done any since France. I just wish I had more juice left. After compressing those three days of running into less than two 24hr periods early in the week, and with an exhausting work week (though rewarding: we think we figured out how to re-tell the lens story on standard models of string transformers; it should be an ICALP or LICS submission?) my legs are toast. No running tomorrow. Just hanging out with the boys in a cabin in the Catskills.

Pottruck, Partners

Ran my 4mi at the gym, then did a leg lifting circuit.

The next few days get busy. Giving PLClub with Alan, Aaron, and Benjamin, then I'm up to the Catskills for JeRM's bachelor. Sunday was my off day for this week, but I think I'll probably end up taking another. Will try to do the 9mi Saturday run, and save the 16mi long run for Monday.

NatePod3 (#1 was killed by an update a few months ago, #2 was the warranty replacement that got washed with my jeans last Saturday) is currently filled with a mix I made Xtie for her birthday and pretty much everything Wilco has every recorded. This song I'd forgotten about popped on right at the start of my run:

For your sparkling cocky smile
I have walked a million miles
Begging you to come wed me in the Spring
Why do you my dear delay
What makes you laugh and turn away?
You're a hesitating beauty Nora Lee

Well I know that you are itching to get married, Nora Lee
And I know I am twitching for the same thing, Nora Lee
By the star and clouds above
We can spend our lives in love
You're a hesitating beauty Nora Lee

We can build a house and home
Where the flowers come to bloom
Around our yard I'll nail a fence so high
That the boys with peeping eyes
Cannot see that angel face
Of my hesitating beauty, Nora Lee.

We can ramble hand in hand
Across the grasses of our land
I'll kiss you for each leaf on every tree
We can our kids to play
Where the dry winds blow today
If you'll quit your hesitating, Nora Lee

The lyrics are by Guthrie and, as always, are sparkly, sharp and folksy at the same time; Wilco provides a perfect twangy musical complement; Billy Bragg's anarchist scratchy voice rounds it out. I love it (though, I think a duet with Natalie Merchant could have made it even more perfect). Anyways, I've been thinking a lot about partnerships, have reading about them on the blogs of my friends (and their friends, and their friends friends: "Let the fish have their bicycles, cuz this girl needs a man and that just is what it is."), and contemplating my sister's split with her boyfriend G over the weekend. All this thinking is taking place in a context where, for the first time in almost 8 years I have the mental and temporal space to sort out who my adult self is, and the things that are important to me (I started doing the same thing last August, and discovered a lot, but also jumped into a thing right away and let my identity get pulled and pushed into a thing that it was not.) I don't have any ready conclusions, but I guess it has made me sad to see people--even people with otherwise rich and fulfilling lives, and who are connected to a strong network of family friends--seeking, and finding, for a time at least, self-validation in a single romantic relationships. Every partnership exibits a tension between wanting to take the other away from everyone else and have them all to yourself, and wanting to have a rich and full life. It just seems like the former always wins out, and that makes me sad, and a little pessimistic. I certainly don't ever want to "own" someone, or to build a tall fence so I can trap an angel face behind it. Maybe a commune really is the modern family. Who's in?

Morning 8

Early wake, early run along W River Dr to the same spot between the Columbia and Strawberry Mansion bridges. I walked back from the Locust St CSX tracks, so call it a little under 8mi. I love morning runs. The temperature is cool, you get to watch the sun rise over the CC skyscrapers, and the rowing crews are all out, coxes squawking on their boxes. Most importantly, there is much less foot traffic on the tow path compared to the evening.

I am not sure about playing vollleyball tonight. In a moment of tequila-induced enthusiasm on Saturday night, Chris, Matt, Andre, Klara, and I all agreed to play today. Planning ahead for tonight, combined with moving Sunday's workout to Monday because of a tequila-induced headache, and re-jiggering of the workout calendar to put a lower-mileage week just before PDR, means I've run 25mi in the last 36 hours (I better finish the actual marathon in less time!) Maybe I'll just play setter tonight.

Pottruck

The gym finally opened after a four day closure and was jam packed today: Matt, Jered, Leslie, Doug, Alex, and Kuzman were all there. I think I'm just going to stagger this whole week: 3mi today, easy pace (21:56 total), then did a light upper body circuit.

Volleyball tomorrow for the first time in months!

Manayunk

Fused the W River Dr loop with a side-jaunt down Main St in Manayunk, then back down Kelly Dr, walked it in from Chestnut St. I totally ran out of juice in the homestretch. I'm a little worried--this gets harder as the mileage ticks up--tho', I think I didn't eat enough today, and even less yesterday; maybe with proper nutrition it would have finished better.

Recovered with delicious Czech mushroom soup, gulash and sourdough bread, and the good company of great friends.

Columbia/Strawberry Mansion-ish

Saturday night: Ran 8 measured miles on W River Drive. I kept splits on my watch and they were all around 7:10-7:20, which was about right.

Sunday: did NOTHING. Am exhausted from our party last night and not in shape to run 16. Tomorrow morning I'm hoping to wake up wicked early and run down to Manayunk.

Someone, possibly me, ran off with my iPod during the party last night. I don't remember grabbing it when I came up to bed, but it's possible I did. Hoping it turns up, though not holding out much hope. I've gotten very used to running with it and it's going to be really difficult to train without it. Grr.

Update: My iPod was at the bottom of the washing machine. I now have a squeaky clean shuffle (good thing it is solid state!!)

Comments

Comments off for the time being at least. I've been comment-bombed by a quite angry member of Cara's family. I have made a (peace-making I hope) reply, but I'm pretty sure my workout blog is not the place to have this discussion.

Update: This blog really is supposed to be boring; I record the frequency and distances of my runs and occasionally write down a thought or feeling from the run if I want to remember it. Nevertheless, evidently some people are tracking my comings and goings through this, and a very large misunderstanding seems to have occurred. Let me quote my email to make the purpose and events of last weekend's trip crystal clear:
two college friends will marry in october, and it was shaping up to be the first time we'd see each other since last summer. they had been jumping through hoops to make sure that we didn't cross paths this summer, and each mentioned that it would be nice if us being in the same room for the first time didn't detract or cause a distraction at the wedding. independently, my aunt asked me to come down to baltimore to spend the weekend with her and my uncle ahmad, so it seemed like a convenient time to meet.

i don't know what you think transpired, but really nothing did. i'm still single, still somewhat disaffected in general with modernity and the lazy, wasteful american "way of life", and am still therefore trying to discern if i have a vocation, or how i might make my life one of service, not just bettering myself; i am not trying to rekindle anything with cristie, or seeking any romantic relationship at all.

Thursday Speedwork

5.5mi in total: a couple miles warmup at 7:15 pace, then 5x800 at 6:10. Pottruck is hot and sticky. Alex was running next to me and we agreed it was pretty unbearable! Better to do these workouts at a track if it gets cooler.

Pottruck

My tour of elite east coast college gyms concludes back at 37th and Walnut. Ran my Wednesday 3 miles in 20:18, and then lifted legs (tho', couldn't do hamstrings because both machines were mad busy; I just paid $232 to renew my gym membership and I can't get a hamstring machine? Sheesh). The iPod died in the first mile, which made for a quiet workout.

I ran ~43 miles in the last 7 days; 50mi weeks soon!

The JHU Fitness Center.

Xtie guested me into the Hopkins fitness center where I ran 7mi right at 7:10min/mi pace for 50:04 total. The Hopkins treadmills are springy--certainly bouncier than the Pottruck ones--and gave a much-appreciated boost, especially after yesterdays pseudo-long run. Lifted arms/back very briefly, then scarfed down a delicious bean burrito at the One World.

Random observation o' the day: I love the Kieran Kane, Emmylou, and Lucinda song "Dirty Little Town". It always picks me up in the middle of a workout.

I got a little lost

...and there are some muthafuckin' ants in my muthafuckin' iPod case.

I mapped out a 14mi loop up to the green patch near the top of the photo. Except I missed the turn off and went almost due West instead of North. D'oh. Baltimore is hilly! Only did 12, which wasn't the 14 the training plan called for this week. Not sure if I should be worried or not. I'll do better in Philly where I'm less likely to get lost.

Laziness

We were lazy today and I'm in the hole for one long run. 
The day started out well: we went to Baltimore's fantastic farmer's market, but then I spent the afternoon sitting around the house working on a proof for my paper (which is interesting enough that we're thinking of sending it to PLAN-X, which has no proceedings, and then to PLDI later!) while Tita gardened and Ahmad cooked a Persian feast. Mass with the Jesuits at 6. Then they went to a cafe to work and I drove up to Gunpowder Falls State Park. Xtie had recommended it as the place to do long runs when we met up on Friday. It was further out Route 1 than I thought so I didn't get to the trailhead until 8.15 and the sun was setting. I got about 10 minutes into the run and realized that the sun was fading and with an wide but still trail-y trail (hopping over roots, logs, and rocks), setting out for a 2hr run by my own was probably not wise. Turn an ankle and it could easily turn into a very long night. So I turned around and sure enough, a few minutes later the sun had dipped behind the treeline and it was dark. I guess I'll set out for a few loops of Dru Hill park tomorrow early and either zap Monday's easy day or Friday's rest. Shame, because it did look like a great place to run. 

Rock Creek Park

Friday: rested. 

Saturday: ran 7-8mi in about an hour in Dee Cee. Ran from Limmah's place down to G'town, then into the park at P St, along the drive and past the Zoo to Tilden St, then up the hill to Connecticut St, and back down to Kalorama. 

Pottruck

3mi run in 20:38, lifted arms/back.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Quite literally.

Yesterday: caught the Chinatown bus back to Philly, then came home very hungry and very tired. Stuffed my face around 4pm, slept until 6, then set out to run. I had dinner plans at 7.30, so I was already scaling it back in my head (8mi loop to Strawberry Mansion). As it turned out, my stomach was going to turn it into a short run for me: right after I turned onto W River Dr, I cramped up, big time. I tried to run through it for a few minutes, but it was just not happening. Shame because it was a beautiful day for running. Frustrated, I turned around and came home.

Today: I made sure to plan my eating better so that my stomach wasn't about to burst when I set out. I ran to the Falls Bridge by the W River Dr, then made a left and followed it another few minutes to the start of the Wissahickon trail, then all the way back down Kelly Dr, along Boathouse row, the river trail, and walked it in from Locust St RR crossing. That's a few ticks short of13mi, as the map shows but it'll do; it ain't a sprint, after all. I didn't bring my watch, but I felt like I was running fast on the back half. I passed a few other runners and got passed by one serious looking distance guy. Using the PECO clock, Locust <-> Locust was 7:33 to 8:59, which puts those miles somewhere between 7:30 and 7:40 pace for those 11-12 miles?

Am headed down to Baltimore and DC this weekend. Hope to do one run in Rock Creek and the other on that road that heads up from Druid Hill Park to the north.

Prospect Park

Ran ~4mi up to and around the Prospect Park loop in Brooklyn. Started out running slow with JeRM, then picked up the pace and kicked a bit for the last 20 minutes. Dreading making up Sunday's run tomorrow...

8miles

Am supposed to run 13mi today, but am a guest of the Morikawa's in NYC, so felt it would be rude to take the time to do such a long workout. Swapped Wednesday for today and did 8mi in just under an hour at NYU's very swanky Palladium gym.  

Massachusetts Hills

I took yesterday off--I was on the Amtrak Vermonter all day, coming up to S+J's wedding in New England. It's so nice up here, I miss it quite a bit. 

Got up at 6.30 this morning and did a 45 minute run over rolling hills. I am not sure of the distance, I don't think I was going very fast, but it still felt good to do something after a day's rest. Off to the cathedral now for groomsman-ing.

Yick

Crappy day. I felt bouncy, and would have been better playing volleyball or something similarly explosive. Running, not so much. Did my 2mi warmup, probably too fast (13:40), then didn't feel like doing the 4x800s. So I just did 2 of them, then biked for 10 minutes. Yick.

Wednesday

is an easy day on this training program: 3 treadmiles in 20:48, then leg circuit. 

Update: Dammit, I want to do a sub-19:30 5k. That's 6:15 pace. I can do that, right? Maybe the Parkway run in week 11?

Evening Pottruck

Did 30min spin, lifted arms/back/chest.

I love bluegrass!

'nuff said.

5mi trot

I got up early to run today. Unfortunately the temperature was already up to 79 when I set out. It is supposed to hit 100 today.