I’m back, baby

Two long runs in a row with zero leg pain = happy Shannon.

I ran the Coogan’s Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K last weekend all the way up in Washington Heights. I had built up the hills in my head so actually tackling them wasn’t as much of a challenge as I thought. I ended up blasting through the 3.1 miles in 28:46, averaging a 9:16 pace per mile. Holler!

After the race I chilled out at home for a bit before heading to the gym to run 4 more miles on the treadmill. It was rainy and I didn’t feel like another soggy run.

I took my time leaving for this afternoon’s scheduled 9-miler. Thanks to Daylight Saving Time (finally!) starting, I slept later than I’d care to admit, so I bummed around digesting my breakfast and stretching before heading out. I tried out a new route today, running a mile in Central Park before exiting the park at 72nd and Central Park West. I headed over to Riverside Park and ran a mile or so uptown along the river. Holy wind! Although I typically try to keep conditions optimal during runs, I need to start sucking it up and just dealing. There’s no way to predict race day weather!

I left Riverside Park at 95th Street and ran back over to Central Park, where I did a counterclockwise lap, heading east at the 105th Transverse and entering the reservoir path at 86th on the east side. I ran most of the way around the reservoir and exited at 86th on the west side, taking West Drive all the way home.

Kind of random, but I think the (slight) change of scenery did me good.

Final verdict? 9.07 miles with a 10:03 average pace. I felt pretty great the whole time, taking walking and stretching breaks occasionally. At about the halfway mark, I took a Powerade Gel. My legs started feeling like lead during mile 8, but I kind of just sucked it up and ended up having an enjoyable run.

Also helpful? A new(ish) playlist with some old favorites (“Not Afraid” and “Remember the Name”) and new additions (“Let Me Think About It” and “Hold It Against Me”). (Also, U2′s “City of Blinding Lights” is oddly awesome to run to.)

The view of Midtown from the reservoir path, somewhere during mile 6. I couldn’t resist the photo opp so I took a stretch break.

Next up is an 11-miler on Saturday, followed by the National Half Marathon! After two great long runs in a row, I feel so much better about this race than I did a month ago. I’ll also be focusing on yoga a lot; I swear those half-pigeons have helped heal my leg!

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