Zoom Zoom Zoom!

So today was a speed training day - not sure what excatly the point whether it is to push yourself for better speed or to learn how to pace yourself or a combination of the two - but Sara and I were off to the track today to work on all of that. Unfortunately Danny couldn't join us - I hope he made it to the track - but not sure. We were set to do 9x400 with jog/walk laps between each lap. I was aiming for 1:45 laps or so - not sure where that number came from. I remember reading somewhere that your estimated full marathon time was your 800meter speed - so, even though I am not preparing for a full marathon - a 3:30 pace seemed like something that could eventually be a realistic goal. I kept most of my laps between 1:32-1:36. I walked laps between each run, I don't think I could have kept up that pace if I was jogging between - but I think I will try that the next time I run. It was really hard - at the halfway point, I remember on each lap that the wind was blowing really strongly in my face - that definitely made it harder. It was also the first time that I basically ran all out. I know that I was supposed to do it at 5k/10K pace and I ended doing it much faster - but for me, especially today, it was about building up some stamina for faster speeds. I really want to get the half marathon in under 2-hours.

Times:
1:32
1:36
1:30 (The last 150 meters or so I flew - made up a bunch of time and was going at least 12MPH).
1:47 (still recovering from the prior lap)
1:34
1:33
1:32
1:33
1:23 (I gave it all I had - but I was petering out by the last 100-150 meters. I think I could probably do a lap in 1:15 or so if I was fresh)

By the way - the picture of the track here doesn't do justice to what's there now. The track is really nice, really soft on my knees - and except for the few areas where people felt the need to spit on the track - it was clean. As Danny posted during his last speed run - I can't figure out why people feel the need to walk on a track. Obviously they have the same right as I do to be on the track - but I think they should be considerate enough to stay on the outer lanes, since I think most runners prefer to run in Lane 1. They wouldn't even move when I was running - I had to run around them - ws a little annoying but not so bad. But the track was really nice. However, the picture must be a couple of years old. Now the track is very nicely (I don't know what the word is for putting down a soft track) and the inside of the track is a football field. There were a bunch of guys playing some sort of league game - we couldn't figure out why these guys (who I think were in their mid 20's) weren't at work or at school. Also, there are a bunch of a few hundred foot poles, I don't remember what they were - maybe lights - that Sara pointed out to me all had birds' nests in them. What was totally cool was that these birds were a lightish green. Were they parrots? Unfortunately, unlike Danny I was not prepared with a camera to take a picture. Maybe the next speed day.

Yesterday Danny and I did a 5 miler. It definitely started out rough. First of all it was 40 degrees (I know that's not so cold, but this was the first time I have ever run in weather that cold. I got to wear some of my new winter running clothing. (All I have to say is that thank God runners are not judgemental because I don't think I looked all that cool in my running clothing) I was sore from Sunday and the first mile really hurt. Danny started about 3/10ths of a mile before me so he paused at 2.5 miles while I continued to my 2.5 and doubled back to him. We did the first 2 miles or so at about 10 minute pace. The next mile which I ran most ofby myself I picked up the pace. By the third mile my knee was aching a bit and I had to continue at a faster pace (I am sorry Danny). Average pace time was 9:08, but I was getting tired by the end. I don't know that I can keep that up for 13.1 miles - we shall see.

Final splits times:
Mile 1: 9:53
Mile 2: 9:50
Mile 3: 8:42
Mile 4: 8:34
Mile 5: 8:41

In really great news, hopefully, I got my schedule for next month. I will be starting my sub-internship in internal medicine at Jacobi Hospital. Basically I function as an intern on an inpatient floor. I have my own patients - I round on them every day, write their notes, orders and lab tests. I am quite nervous about it - it's going to be a big change and responsibility. It seems that the weekend of the Philly Marathon is the one weekend that I have off - so I will be able to run the race with Danny and Sara - and meet Shore Turtle afterwards. Also, thankfully - my knee has been holding up - it seems the ITB brace is working well (thanks ACE).

Friday is an easy 3-mile run - should be nice and relaxing. I am looking forward to it as my body is a little sore from all the running this week.

And now for totally unrelated thoughts:

1) One of my favorite Simpsons episodes is on as I write this. Bart is recruited to join a boy band (NSYNC spoof) and they sing a a song Drop Da Bomb - with the chorus YVAN EHT NIOJ (or JOIN THE NAVY) backwards. They are making a subliminal recruiting video for the navy, lol... Now followed by the Scrubs episode where Turk fights off all the Asian surgical residents while "Everybody was Kung Fu fighting" so realistics - that's what always happens during surgical residencys. And why is the x-ray backwards in the beginning of the show - Situs Inversus?

2) Did anyone see Lost tonight! How crazy is that show - it's awesome - but I still can't figure out what the heck is going on on the island. I know there are a million websites, last year I was more into all these theories - now I am just enjoying it episode-to-episode.

3) A quote from an e-mail from Running Shorts (I mean Shorts Running): "i WOULD like to meet you all and cheer everyone on-but i am so busy. and poor" I wanted her to come meet us in Philly - but no! How lame! :( Would've been nice to meet ya.