Contributed By Michele Gonzalez, Author of NYC Running Mama
I am amazed at how packed our weekends seem to get in the blink of an eye! I have all these little jobs around the house for my husband to do (that I can’t do b/c I’m a) not handy and/or b) are almost 6 months pregnant) on the weekends, but lately our weekends have been jam-packed with activities, weddings, parties – and the next few weeks don’t show any signs of stopping.
Last weekend was the Mini 10k and my sister’s gorgeous wedding.
This weekend started with a 10 mile progression run-commute for me, a drive down to Annapolis for a friend’s wedding, and Father’s Day back on Staten Island on Sunday.
Let’s rewind: My younger sister who lives in NYC was coming to Staten Island Saturday night to keep my mom company at our house while she babysat our son. There is no public transportation that would get her reasonably close to our house (with the exception of a slow bus), so the plan was to leave a car at my mom’s (who lives about 25 minutes north of us and close to the train stop) for her to drive when she arrived.
Rather than have both my husband and I drive cars up (with our son) only to turn around and drive back down (which on a Saturday afternoon could take well over an hour), I came up with the idea of a run commute!
The run had to start early since all but about .3 miles was along Hylan Blvd – the main road that stretches the entire length of the island. By 9am on a Saturday, the road would be busy, too busy, for me to be running and so I was up at 430am to start the trek! I was at my mom’s by 6am and was back on the road to our house by 6:20am.
My plan was a progression run – a run where you gradually speed up so that each mile is faster than the previous mile. I seriously love progression runs. And actually, most of my runs naturally end up as progression runs b/c I am a huge fan of starting slow and ending fast. I love them for a few reasons a) they are fun b) I only focus on one mile at a time so the run goes by so fast and c) it’s like a competition with myself!!
I knew I had to start super slow to save my legs and some energy for the end - the first 6 miles of the route were almost completely flat but the last four included a ton of rolling hills.
There were points during the run where I didn’t feel great and felt a little pressure on my belly. But it wasn’t overly uncomfortable and I enjoyed the majority of the run. I will go into more detail this week about my 2nd trimester running (PS. There’s only 1 week left until I start the last trimester – yay!).
I ran based on how I felt – I kept my Garmin on the main screen so I couldn’t see my pace. The only time I saw my splits was at the end of each mile. And despite that, with the exception of mile 4 which was 2 seconds slower than mile 3, it was perfectly executed progression run!
10 miles @ 8:33 pace. Not too bad for 26 weeks pregnant =)
Mile 1: 8:50
Mile 2: 8:46
Mile 3: 8:43
Mile 4: 8:45
Mile 5: 8:41
Mile 6: 8:38
Mile 7: 8:35
Mile 8: 8:22
Mile 9: 8:16
Mile 10: 8:03
Average Pace: 8:33
Mile 2: 8:46
Mile 3: 8:43
Mile 4: 8:45
Mile 5: 8:41
Mile 6: 8:38
Mile 7: 8:35
Mile 8: 8:22
Mile 9: 8:16
Mile 10: 8:03
Average Pace: 8:33
Note: I ran with my phone, ID, and some $ just in case I didn’t feel great, needed some water or needed to use the bathroom (and would have to buy something in the store in order to use their restroom). Thankfully, my precautions were not needed during the 1:25 run.
Little father/son time at Home Depot Saturday morning. Not sure who had more fun - my husband or my son!
Early Saturday afternoon my husband and I headed south to Maryland for a beautiful wedding on the Annapolis Harbor. No pictures from the wedding BUT we did have the privilege to listen to the greatest cover band EVER – The Nerds! I am embarrassed to admit that I’ve never heard of them prior to last night (I seriously live in a bubble). They have been around for 25 years – and they perform ALL over the country!! I’m already trying to convince my two younger sisters to start saving money so they can have them perform at their weddings!
Despite having the freedom to sleep in on Sunday because we were childless and alone in a hotel in MD,
we were I was up before 6am!!
We I tried to go back to sleep but by 6am, realized it was futile and we decided to make the ~3 hour drive home.
Sunday afternoon was spent bbqing and relaxing at my sister’s – perfect way to celebrate the special men in our lives! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and Father’s Day!!
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Have you heard of The Nerds? Or heard them perform?
Are you a fan of progression runs?
If you are an early riser, do you find it hard to sleep in?
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