Thursday, February 18, 2010

Broad Street

Just registered for Broad Street! I'm excited. Broad Street was my first long race -- I ran it in 2008 -- and it was sometime during training for that race that I realized two things: (1) I really, REALLY enjoy long runs, and (2) I strongly prefer racing long distances to short ones. I loathe 5Ks -- there's something so nice about a race where you can take the first two or three miles to "warm up."

I didn't get to run it last year, since I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding the night before and didn't want to deal with the additional commitment and timing issues, but I'm so glad to be back at it this year. My time goal for 2008 was 90 minutes, and I JUUUUUUST made it with a time of 1:30:59. (woohoo, instant PR!) It was the first (and only!) time I'd ever run that distance, and I went into it with about six weeks of moderate, but consistent, training involving one long run, a shorter/easy run, and a 4 to 6-mile "quality" run, either speedwork, tempo or hills.

Ideally, I'd like to beat my '08 time (and PR again! who wouldn't?), but I will really need to see where training takes me. My knees gave me so much trouble this fall and winter that I am more out of shape than I've been in a while and I don't have a particularly reliable picture of where I am, since I haven't really pushed it at all.

So, right now, I'm fine with just taking it slow. I'll follow a similar plan as last time. For the first week or two of training, I want to focus on just making sure I can actually handle a solid base. I haven't run more than two or three days a week for months, and I haven't even run multiple consecutive two to three day weeks in a while, either. I'm crossing my fingers than my stamina and "speed" (heh) come back relatively quickly with some consistent training. But, whatever. I'm confident I can complete a ten-miler, even today -- it would just be significantly slower than I'd like -- so I'm just excited to have something to train for again.

Also, this time, PhillyGuy better bring a camera.

Who else is running this?

2 comments:

  1. hey there! i'll be running broad street too - i signed up for that new training group they started (team philly). it'll be my first time running it, so hopefully the group will help!

    anyway sorry i never responded to your last comment! the deli that makes that awesome veggie sandwich is paganos market on 20th & market. it's buried in the building there, so you might miss it... but i hope you find it! it's good stuff :)

    -cassie
    www.runningaccountant.com

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  2. Thanks Cassie! I'm feeling particularly sorry for myself today so maybe I'll treat myself to a veggie sandwich. 20th & Market is also home to my real favorite lunch place, Gia Pronto -- their salads are faaaaaaabulous. I've been so lazy with my underground labyrinth lately that I haven't gone there in forever!

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