a devil of a decade

Well first off, this is post #666 for me.  Hence the devil reference in the post title :)  No, I'm not saying I'm the devil...hahahaha.

So I'm watching "I Love the New Millennium" on VH1 right now...2000 was previously on, now this hour showcases 2001.  (Update since I started writing-now it's on 2003!  Boy this post took a long time to write...)  Holy shit-are we really on the edge of a new decade?  Was it really 10 years ago that we were all freaking out about the Y2K bug and thinking the world will come to an end on January 1, 2000? :-P  (funniest memory from that-my dad "stocking up" on 5 gallons of bottled water since apparently the Y2K bug would cause a lack of drinking water...oh the things people believed!)

Man-so much has happened this decade...if I thought 2009 was an emotional rollercoaster of sorts...well the whole decade was like the Great American Scream Machine or something like that :)  And since VH1 is looking back...I kinda feel like doing the same.

2000-my biggest memory of this year was breaking up with my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years...which as a lot of you long-time readers know, was someone everyone expected me to marry.  But no matter how great someone may be on paper, if you grow apart and become different people during that time...staying togehter for the sake of others can never result in anything good.  So for the first time in 5 years, I was single and it was really tough...partially because most of my friends were in relationships, but also partially because I was still living at home...

2001-fell in love, only to wind up getting played.  Moved on out of the parentals house and into the city.  9/11.  Seeing how the fallout from that brought out the good in people, but also brought out the bad in other people.  We were in a changed world, no matter how you looked at it.

2002-I think this year was officially the low point of the decade for me.  Still hurting from said 2001 player.  Dealt with some cash flow issues.  A friend of my brother...well, I will not go into detail about what he tried to do to me, but let's just say as a result of it, my brother terminated that friendship immediately.  Not one, but two roommate changes-and anyone in NYC knows how stressful it is finding a roommate!  Got laid off from my job...but thankfully I did find a new one and was only unemployed for 6 weeks.

2003-anyone else remember the blackout?  the day of my baby brother's b-day no less...original plan was to head to NJ for a b-day dinner right after work, instead we spent it grabbing beers from some of the 3rd Ave bars and him crashing at my place.  And thanking my lucky stars that I was still living in midtown then instead of uptown...yep, 2 weeks later I had moved into my little studio apartment on the UWS.  Can't tell you how good it felt to not have to deal with roommates.

2004-the running year, so to say.  Joined NYRR, joined the Flyers, opened up a whole new world for me.  Maybe this year was a turning point of sorts?

2005-learned and appreciated how tough it is to plan social events in NYC, thanks to my stint as Flyers' social chair :)  Was hoping to run my first marathon-NYC-this year, but a month into the training, a bad case of plantar fasciitis stopped me in my tracks, so to say.  And believe me, recovery was a bitch and then some :)  And oh yeah...I discovered this little thing called blogging and thought I'd try it ;-)

2006-busy year, I remember.  Had a Flyers exec board position-Member at Large.  And let me tell you, it really made me feel good that my teammates felt I was the best one for the job.  What a difference from 10 years before-when I kept getting shot down for positions on my sorority's exec board...i was too new, i was too shy, whatever, there was some excuse.  Met a lot more people in the running community...partially through this blogging thang ;-) and partially because one of my goals as MAL was to enhance relations between us and other clubs...with "mixer" happy hours, post-race softball games and other things.  Hit the big 3-0 this year...yikes :-P Work kicked me in the ass this year, partially due to one project from hell, partially because we were down one man and it took over a year to find a replacement!  But despite all that, I did finally run my first marathon...and broke 4 hours :)

2007-I think I was mentally in hibernation for a good portion of the first half of the year...yeah, work was still kicking me in the ass.  Just seemed to affect everything...my relationships, my running, as well as other things.   Things did get a little better through the spring and summer though.  Took my first real vacation in a very long time-to San Francisco...ran a half-marathon there and totally fell in love with the city...hmmm, could I maybe see myself living there someday, who knows.  (Or maybe I really needed a vacation and anything would have seemed good!)  Had my first serious relationship in years...which didn't end on the best of terms.  Learned 2 things-a significant other must respect my friends and if I need my space after said breakup, that needs to be respected too if there is to be any chance at a friendship.

2008-is it me or did this seem like the year of Facebook?  Almost every day, a new friend request, quiz invite and my personal favorite-the "SuperPoke" :-P  Halfway through the year, got a taste of what the state of the economy would be as we were told at work that "2008 is turning into a very tough year" and that certain big events would be canceled in order to make budget, that we'd have to do without some "nice to haves".  Running-wise, 2008 started off with a calf injury, I recovered from it and it did turn out to be my best running year in 4 years...ran 3:44 in NYCM and got goals in shorter distances that I had been chasing after for years.

2009-And so it brings us to this year.  Early months were kinda rough...close relative (my uncle) passed away...round of layoffs at work which thankfully I dodged that bullet, but me and others wound up absorbing a lot more work as a result...but at that point, just grateful to have a job.  Was vice president of the Flyers this year. The Yankees won their first World Series in 9 years!! Running-wise, was on track to have my best year yet...and it looked like not only was a BQ marathon in reach, but 3:40 was setting the bar too low.  But was stopped in my tracks at mile 21 of the Marine Corps Marathon with the infamous (sh)IT band injury.  As I said before, I am happy for the good running moments, just wish the year hadn't ended on such a bad note.  Was in 2 serious relationships this year...and I am grateful to still be friends with both of them.  Especially the latter...us getting together did cause me to lose a friend, but I feel I got a much better one as a result.  I never thought I'd be able to just hang out with an ex over a few beers and just enjoy ourselves...but we can and we do...someone I'm very happy to have had in my life this year...and in future years too ;-)

So I'm reading over this now and thinking wow...can't believe how much has happened in 10 years.  Even though I have said 2009 was a rough year, I will say that at the very least, this decade did end better than it started.  And have I learned anything?  Well I guess so...

Work-I felt like i worked away my 20s and don't want to do the same with my 30s...in my early years I put in the time because I thought it would get me more money, more power...yeah, at the time I did actually like my job...but by the end of the decade I learned that all the money in the world isn't worth it if you're not happy, don't feel fulfilled, don't feel like there is a good work-life balance.  Oh yeah-and getting involved with someone at work is definitely NOT the best idea!!

Love/relationships-and on that topic...well in the beginning of the decade, with a lot of my friends having the marriage bug, I kinda wanted the same...and I know I've felt like that for many years too.  But I've been thinking about this for a good part of this year.  First off, as I have mentioned before, I really don't like dating.  It's more...I feel like I'm putting on an act of sorts and it just gets exhausting.  I just want to be myself...and that was a sign that my last relationship was gonna have great potential, as I never once felt like I had to act, I could totally be myself.  And I honestly don't care that people tell me that "dating means free dinner and drinks" or something to that effect.  Seriously, I will gladly pay for my own damn dinner and drinks if it means I'm with a guy I can feel comfortable with and be myself with and enjoy myself with.  And I know I've said plenty of times before that I want to get married but...well as James Marsden's character said to Katherine Heigl's character in 27 Dresses: "I think you want a wedding-not a marriage."  I guess now I'm feeling the opposite...like it's more the companionship I'm seeking out instead of the shiny rings and wedding.  I do have friends who are in permanently committed relationships but havent felt the need to get married...and they are just as happy as those who have "made it official."  Maybe I'm not making sense here...but this is always a complex topic. :)

Well even though there are some things in my life that I do fell still need fixing...as I said before, this decade did end on a much better note than it started on...and I can only hope that will carry over into 2010.  As for tonight...I won't be running at midnight, I won't be smooching anybody at midnight, but I will be ringing in the new year with friends...just fun and no drama...all I can ask for.

So...long story short, I'm happy to be leaving this devil of a decade behind and can only hope for bigger and better things in the next year...or next 10 years...or more.

Happy New Year everyone!  Have fun, be safe...and talk to ya "next year"! :)

2009-not quite so fine

So yeah, figured I was due for one of those obligatory "running year in review" posts...

So first I guess I will revisit what I wrote at the end of last year to be my 2009 goals and how I did....

Continue to train smart. Meaning-no racing in January (that's my "off-season!"), and when I do race, schedule things well (no over-racing.) Keep with the HRM on training runs, keep up the cross-training. If it ain't broke...

I *thought* I did all that, but apparently not...as you will see later...

Have some fun with racing! I've already started that by signing up for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April and just like last year, will explore other non-NYRR races. Especially now with the capping thing going on with the NYRR races...

Well here's the tally...
non-NYRR=8 races
NYRR=5 races (2 of those 5 I actually used as training runs)

So I guess you can say I did that...

As of now-I do plan to try and knock 3 minutes and 15 seconds off my marathon time in the fall. This all will depend on the body holding up, and other circumstances allowing me the time to train, but as of now, that is the plan. Not sure where I will be going for it just yet, but definitely won't be NYC, as I'd like to try a different (flatter) marathon...as of now, Marine Corps and Philly are the top contenders.

Well this is the big one.  I thought it could be possible, but in the end, turned out the body didn't hold up.  And even now, it still stings.

You may say I'm being tough on myself, but I can't say I'm satisfied with how 2009 went.  I mean yeah, I had a decent window of racing between June and September (I guess winter was the off-season and spring I wasn't quite in shape yet) but I missed my most important goal...and as I said before, it kinda sucks to have my last memory of running this year being a DNF.  And maybe this has me concerned that if I quit a race once, will this become a habit in future races when the going gets tough?  (Though I will state for the record that even if my race report read like it, I did not give up once I realized the BQ was history.  I did give it all I had that day, it just sucked that my finish line was mile 21!)  Plus outside the racing arena, midway through my MCM training I had to go from coached speedwork with a group to being on my own...I don't know if that was what caused things to go down at the end, but it probably didn't help matters.

So I'm a little hesitant to make concrete goals right now for 2010.  Except for the obvious-getting this (sh)IT band healed and to become a real runner again.  I do hope to run a half-marathon in May...and intend to get my revenge on the marathon distance in October, but those are not set in stone just yet.  I guess most of all, I really need to figure out what went wrong last year and make sure it doesn't happen again.  Additionally, once I am healed enough to do speedwork, I intend to seek out a new group to do speedwork with...I think it's pretty obvious I can't-or shouldn't-be doing this on my own.  And I know I can benefit from the guidance that coached workouts can give.  So will need to research that...

So yeah-once again I have no clue how to go about any of this :-p  But ready or not...2010 is just around the corner.  Will I find the girl I once was...?

don't call it a comeback

...I been here for years
Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear...

yeah, felt like quoting a little LL Cool J...sorta fits in a way...

Normally, I would do my year-end wrapup a week later, but my racing year is over and it's a crappy weather day so why not :)

After a few frustrating years, I guess you can say 2008 was a comeback year in a way. Wouldn't have guessed that would be the case back in January, when I got hit by the calf injury, but that was a blessing in disguise, as it indirectly made me change my training-incorporating more cross-training, having things not just be about mileage. And did that work...?

Well-I'll revisit my year in review post from last year-and see the result of the 2008 goals...

"GET FASTER. this is the most important. i would like to just be able to complete one 6 mile loop of the park on a group run without getting dropped or begging people to slow down."

ehhh...sort of. race times, yes. training runs, no. unfortunately, this doesn't look to be easily solveable...as I really don't want to race my training runs at the expense of my own training/racing. I keep my easy runs easy for a reason...

"sign up for the NYC marathon and run it-and hopefully better my 2006 time."

check!! by 14 minutes.

"maybe a 10-mile race in the late spring, as i have never raced this distance before? (i'm eyeing Broad Street, perhaps...)"

check!! ran broad street in may, which was a very fun race-highly recommended!!

"look outside NYRR and Central Park for races (5ks, 10ks, halfs)-and just use NYRR races to get in my 9 marathon qualifiers and use them as training runs if need be. (races like the Mini 10K and Club Champs are the exception, as I can get a decent starting position and they are less crowded.)"

check!! the Broad Street Run. Philly Distance Run and Party With Purpose 5K (Hoboken.)

"PR in at least one distance. With the exception of distances I have only raced once, the majority of my PRs are 3 years old."

major check!!
lifetime PRs in 4 distances (4 miles, 10K, half-marathon, marathon)
"submasters PRs"-and lifetime 2nd best-in 2 distances (5K, 5 miles)
unofficial PR in 10 miles (never did a 10-mile race before, my previous fastest 10 miles was the 10-mile split of an old half-marathon PR)
and I would have been happy with just one PR!! And even though I was glad to get the marathon PR, I felt the shorter distance ones were sweeter...maybe because I have been chasing after those longer?

So yeah-needless to say, I was pleased with how 2008 went. And I learned from past mistakes...I know now to quit while I am ahead, and that a little downtime never hurts :)

Looking ahead to 2009...here's what is on my plate as of now:

• Continue to train smart. Meaning-no racing in January (that's my "off-season!"), and when I do race, schedule things well (no over-racing.) Keep with the HRM on training runs, keep up the cross-training. If it ain't broke...
• Have some fun with racing! I've already started that by signing up for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April and just like last year, will explore other non-NYRR races. Especially now with the capping thing going on with the NYRR races...
• As of now-I do plan to try and knock 3 minutes and 15 seconds off my marathon time in the fall. This all will depend on the body holding up, and other circumstances allowing me the time to train, but as of now, that is the plan. Not sure where I will be going for it just yet, but definitely won't be NYC, as I'd like to try a different (flatter) marathon...as of now, Marine Corps and Philly are the top contenders.

Unlike previous years, at least I do have an idea as to how to go about all of this!! :)

my running year-the cliffs notes edition

Taking a tip from Johnny's blog...This week's topic from Take It and Run Thursday at the Runners Lounge is a summary of your running year in 52 words or less.

OK-I'll play too :)

2008 started off with a calf injury…but I rehabbed well, ran smarter, and I came back. Stronger than before.
Four lifetime PR’s, two submaster PR’s, and a great first 10-mile race.
A marathon that exceeded my expectations.
To borrow from VH1…”Best (running) Year Ever!”

I do intend to have a more detailed wrap-up before the year is over though!! :)

where do we go from here?

yeah, probably a line you've heard before...like in a song or something else...but in this case i think it's kinda sorta appropriate.

so it's the end of 2007 and running-wise...was kinda meh. of course, part of it at the beginning of the year was work-related, preventing me from getting in the miles that I would have liked and as a result got severely out of shape. i did manage to find my way back to halfway decent mileage, but it was quite a struggle, and i only had one race that i was really satisfied with this year (the SF half.)

as the title says, i'm really not sure where to go from here with regards to running goals. i do know these things i would like to happen next year...

• GET FASTER. this is the most important. i would like to just be able to complete one 6 mile loop of the park on a group run without getting dropped or begging people to slow down.
• sign up for the NYC marathon and run it-and hopefully better my 2006 time.
• maybe a 10-mile race in the late spring, as i have never raced this distance before? (i'm eyeing Broad Street, perhaps...)
• look outside NYRR and Central Park for races (5ks, 10ks, halfs)-and just use NYRR races to get in my 9 marathon qualifiers and use them as training runs if need be. (races like the Mini 10K and Club Champs are the exception, as I can get a decent starting position and they are less crowded.)
• PR in at least one distance. With the exception of distances I have only raced once, the majority of my PRs are 3 years old.

and once again, i have no clue how to go about any of it :-p

a couple of top ten lists

first off-i just want to say my previous post about my 2005 running year in review...that one is only about actual running performance. i do know there were non-performance things that turned out well...but i'll get to those later.

anyway, everyone has a top 10 list or two in some shape or form, so why not me too?

here's one, which i won't go into too much detail about...my top 10 songs of 2005:

10. "These Words" ~ Natasha Bedingfield
9. "Put Em High" ~ Stonebridge
8. "Rich Girl" ~ Gwen Stefani
7. "Pump It" ~ Black Eyed Peas
6. "Since U Been Gone" ~ Kelly Clarkson
5. "Love On My Mind" ~ Freemasons
4. "La Tortura" ~ Shakira
3. "Cool" ~ Gwen Stefani
2. "Gold Digger" ~ Kanye West
1. "Hung Up" ~ Madonna

this one I will make a little more detailed...my top 10 discoveries of 2005.

10. post-long run brunches-especially Arte Cafe-the home of the unlimited Bellinis. (in case anyone was wondering, my PR is 7 Bellinis, tied with one of my teammates.)
9. Hershey's mint chocolate-so deliciously good yet so deliciously evil at the same time.
8. Madonna's CD Confessions on a Dancefloor-first CD I have bought in a long time. worth every penny.
7. iTunes-i might have been a little slow to catch on to this one, but it's great to sample a lot of songs, and even has a much better selection than i once thought (can find some extended dance remixes on there)
6. iPod nano-have only used mine for 5 days, but really enjoying it-kicks the crap out of my previous mp3 player!
5. Gawker-first saw it mentioned on blogs, and when i had to see a certain story involving one of my relatives...now is something i must read religiously, every day. too funny.
4. my camera phone-2 years ago i didn't think i needed one, now i don't know what i'd do without it.
3. Asics GT-2100s-everyone has a kind of running shoe that was "meant for them"-took lord knows how long (and a couple previous misdiagnonses) but found my perfect pair. (now only hoping that the upgrades will be just as good, once my 3 pairs of 2100s wear out...)

and the next 2 sorta tie for first...

1. Flyers' social chair-got off to a very rocky start at first, and dealt with some committee changes, but the stronger team prevailed in the end...learned that man, I am a trooper and won't quit. who knew? Got to meet a lot more Flyers this year at the events. Was very cool to see how successful an event I created-or helped to create-turned out. Even helped me with planning things outside of the Flyers!! now who's gonna be insane enough to follow in my footsteps next year... :)
1. Blogs. need I say more? :)

and that's the year in review, folks!

running year in review-2005

i guess i'm due for one of these posts. or something.

just a warning-this is not going to be one of those "oh, this year had its ups and downs but i learned so much about myself" kind of a post. nope, i'm just gonna write how i feel, and i don't want to sugar-coat it.

One word describes my 2005 running year, and that is "disappointing."
(running performance-wise, that is...)

These were my 2005 goals:

Racing goals:
Don't be so hard on myself-not every race has to be a PR.
Pick and choose my battles-I found I raced so much better in the fall that way.
Get a few more half-marathons under my belt
Run first marathon (NYC)
Stay as injury free as possible while achieving those goals...

Time goals:
Sub-30 4 miler
Sub-37:30 5 miler
Sub-47 10K
Sub-1:50 half
Sub-22 5K (lesser importance-I've found I don't like those as much as 10K's...)

Well I achieved only 1 racing goal (do a few more halfs) and only one time goal (sub-1:50 half) this year. Was so not worth it, as sadly it cost me all of my other goals. I over-raced, I got disappointed in my times, i got injured and had to forget about the marathon. And even before I got injured, running went from something being easy and effortless to being stressful. Every time I ran, I had to pray that I could just "hang on" for even as little as 4 miles without asking someone to slow down.

With the help of my sports doc, I figured out where I went wrong...I didn't allow myself ample recovery from the Vegas half. And that was a very hard half-that course did a number on my quads, and since I was trying for sub-1:45, I really went all out. Hindsight says I should have taken it easy for 2 weeks or so, but I didn't. And I got so frustrated when other teammates who ran the same half, and roughly the same time as me, were PRing all over the place in other races not too long afterwards. So I just chalked it up to something being wrong with me, and felt I had to just suck it up and train harder. I had a good race at the Queens half, but that comeback was short-lived.

So here I am, running again, the foot injury almost fully gone but I can sometimes feel a twinge here or there. And my old legs, my old speeds still aren't back. meh.

Not sure where to go from here. I was sorta eyeing the '06 Queens half at the end of April as a comeback half of sorts...I really like the course, it's late enough in the year to prepare and hopefully won't be too hot then. I have 4 months-is that enough time? I was hoping to go sub-1:45 in the half in '06 on a tougher course than Vegas to feel like I really "earned" it but at this point I think I'd be happy with a course PR (sub-1:47.)

Overracing-one thing I think I noticed was that I didn't feel "pressure" to race, but I found the races to be social events and felt like I'd be missing out by not being there. And once you have the bib and chip on, it's tough to not give it your all...

So I guess what I'd like to do in '06 is train smarter, get back to my old mileage (25-30 mpw), try speedwork again, PR in all distances (esp. the half) and finally run the NYC marathon. And somehow avoid getting injured again. And have running to be fun again instead of stressful.

And I honestly have no clue how to go about any of that.

2006 will be interesting, I guess.