Spring!

The first flowers are out and I even saw a butterfly while running today! Hurray, I love spring! I decided to try for a full 5K today since its the weekend and since my last few runs have kind of sucked. I ate kind of close to running, but I wanted to go before it was dark out, even though I was a little worried about The Great Enemy, cramps. There was a lot of burping and farting, I'm not gonna lie, and a little cramping, but not too bad. I did 5K in 31.58 which is 10:11 minute mile or 5.9 mph. I seem to be getting a little faster, and it feels good when I'm not running up too much of a hill (when I'm not about to keel over from cramps.)

First outdoor climb of the season tomorrow! Can't wait to see my little quarry.

Passover #2

I recently read on Boston.com about ramen restaurants in Boston, so of course I had to try them. It's practically impossible to eat there! I bet it's easier to get a reservation at Mistral than to get in to the raman hole. I tried 4 times and they were closed, had a long line and I was starving, or had a long line and it was Sat night and I was embarrassed. So, I finally got in - pork ramen, quite delicious, though actually a little too salty for me. But I still had a large bowl (this place was awesome, cash only, no take-out, no doggie bags, one big community table and the counter by where the cook is. They serve two things, small pork ramen and large pork ramen. Or, more accurately, large and ginormous. I mean big enough that the waiter was congratulating everyone for finishing.)

I waited for two hours to go to the gym to run, but I don't think it was enough. I did well for the first 15 min, but then got crampy and had to slow down at the end. I still did 2.75 in 30 min, 3.0 in 35, so it's not like I was crawling, but it was a little pokey. Then I lifted weights super hard. We'll see if I get any muscle.

Passover

So, I told my boss that I had to leave work early today to help my sister with Passover. But in actual fact, I wanted to go for a run before picking up my carload of peeps that I was bringing. So, I guess it's fitting that I got horrible cramps and had to stop a mile and a half into my run, at the point that was about the furthest possible from home. My stomach was killing me! I wanted to lie down in the street, but instead I walked a mile home. Karma's a bitch.

I did decide to sign up for a 5K in the end of April in Cambridge. It claims to be flat. It's Central Sq to Harvard Sq and back. I'm sure I will be running there and see people headed back. In fact, I had a dream about it last night! I ran really well I thought, but forgot my watch and bib, so I had no idea if I was just imagining it. My first running dream!

5K in 31.18

Awesome run today! I almost broke the 10 minute mile doing 5K! I did my little route here in Somerville, going up Medford St first, and to McGoon Sq. Actuallythere were a couple times where I had to wait a couple seconds to cross the street, so it's possible I was running a 10 minute mile average pace. I guess many people would think that's funny to be excited about, but I'm not one of them. I'm thrilled!

I'm thinking about another 5K, but the one that looks the best is in Cambridge and it starts at 9:30 in the morning. Yuck!

Sadly, it doesn't seem like my stomach and thighs are getting any smaller. (Which was the original purpose of this all....)

Running Like the Devil

I broke the 10 minute mile outside today!!  How unbelievable is that? I only had time for my short loop, 2.32 miles, and I was feeling ok once I got up the hill, so I pushed it on the downhill parts. I did 2.32 miles in 23 min and 10 sec, which is a 9.57 minute mile. And I had to stop and adjust my headphones during the run, so it was really a tad faster :) Go me! Now if I can repeat that on the non downhill parts, and over a longer duration....

Of course, after I went and undid all the benefits of it by eating this totally amazing Morrocan food, and having 2 martinis. So good, and it's Restaurant Week, so you kind of have to go. They had a belly dancer there, and low couches, and downstairs hukkuh (which I didn't have.)  Belly dancing is probably a hard way to make a living. I'm crossing it off my list.

Gym again

It's the middle of March, it should be getting warmer! But, we are in the middle of a cold spell, so I went to the gym again, probably could have run outside, but I needed to lift anyhow.  Good run today! I went 2.9 miles in 30 min, about 6 minutes at 6 mph, and the bulk of it at 5.8 +! I was feeling pretty awesome at 20 min, which is why I upped my speed to 6, but by the end I wanted to puke a little. Anyhow, I did 3.2 miles in 35 min, and was impressed by myself.

The race organizers had photographers at the event. I didn't realize that these folks would email me with pics that I could buy. I guess it's a thing. Anyhow, apparently when I run I look like crap! And when I finished I looked like death. Gonna save the $15 on that. Hopefully at the Dirty Girls run there will be better, muddier pics.

Post Race Run

Short run today, 2.33 miles which I did in 24 min and 4 sec or a 10.20 minute mile. It was painfully slow, and just painful. That's what I always say, though. My plan for the evening is yoga, so I did decide it was ok to slack a little and cut the route short.

Scores are posted for the Big Race! 32.42, which is a little slower than what I got.  That's a 10.32 minute mile. If hadn't lied about my age I would have been #156 of 320 in my class. Of course, since I'm so vain, I was #625 of 991. First half of my real age! I'll take it :) (even if I won't take the age.)

New Pope today. I run past this convent of Carmelite nuns. I wonder what they were doing inside. It was kind of fun to watch the pageantry and pomp, and all the priests in Rome acting like they were waiting for the Beatles to get off the plane.

The Big Race

I met my goal of running the entire race! I finished in 32.34, which is 5.74 mph. Not really fast, but in my defense, it was really crowded at the start line, and for the first mile. I wasn't running really hard until about mile 1.5, and even then I was kind of pacing myself. I went fastest at the end.

I felt pretty good about it. It was kind of fun running with all those people, and kind of annoying to be so crowded. I finally passed people (and of course people passed me). I totally flew past this dude in a skirt! (I didn't think about the fact that it was a St. Pats day thing, everyone was in costume, and green, and kilts.)

I'm very sleepy now, must nap.

Less than a week to go!

I realized today that daylight savings time ends (begins) on Sunday at 2 am, and the race is Sunday at 11 am. #1 I'm glad I realized this today instead of Sunday at noon. And #2 that means my race is effectively at 10 am! And then we have to go for booze right after. Well, the booze part is ok at any time.

Ran the 2.9 mile loop at home today in 30 min, which is about 10.34 minute mile. If that's what I do on race day, I'll be happy. This route does have more uphill. I love gravity. Downhill is much better for me. I was in a mood before I started because the bloodsucker from the condo association filled out the form incorrectly. But I actually feel better after running! Yay runner's high.

Charles River again

So this time I ran the other way around the block of the Charles so I wouldn't have to figure out how to get on the right side of the Longfellow Bridge. It's way less confusing from this direction. I went about 3.57 miles in 38.15 minutes, which is slower than I've been doing. I had to park near the mall, then I sort of ran around the loop, and to the bathroom in Kendall Square. I was definitely puffing and panting for most of it, though only a few people passed me, and there were a lot of runners out today. (I didn't pass any of them, though there was a woman lying down on the Mass Ave bridge who I probably could have taken.)

I really like running on the Charles. I feel like such a city person, watching all the other runners and kids playing in the park, dogs, students.

One week until the big race :)