That's what I've decided recently. It has street performers, it has hecklers like those from the third world - except selling bank accounts, and it has a vibrant air to it that draws from more cultures than I expected. It also has a lot of runners. Most of them seem to be recreational, although I probably haven't yet found the spots where the Harvard XC team work out. Today, the rain broke for the first time in 4 days. I awoke to a sunshine filling my room reminiscent of California. On my short little run today, I passed over 50 other runners enjoying the cloudless blue sky. While it lacked the humidity of MD - enough so for the sky to be blue - you couldn't quite feel the wind rippling across your body, cooling as it spirals around your legs and arms. I think that's something I won't ever quite get here. But for now, today was pretty nice.
8/24/2010 - 4.5 miles (time unknown) in the heavy rain. Ran south along JFK to the river, across to the Harvard athletic facilities. Ran by the large and industrial looking stadium and around some deserted and water logged fields before returning. Stopped at a small park on the N side, but it's too small for workouts. Reminded me of miserable east coast winter runs where I zone out and dream about being fast the whole time. CCB orientation was today. I think I'm the only person going to work in the physics department with funding from chemistry in my year. A little awkward, until my host G2 (Chem Ph.D. student in the Walsworth group[physics]) explained to me that it wasn't so bad at all and that it's win win for both sides.
8/25/2010 - Forced Day off. GSAS orientation today, in the pouring rain. Felt rather collegiate and scholarly. Went to the HMC and found journals from 1979 with my Dad's name all over it. Kinda neat.
8/26/2010 - First blue sky sighting since I left Pasadena. Nice 40 or so minute run along the Charles heading towards MIT. Was pushing a bit too much. Didn't quite make it to MIT but turning around at a nice vista of the river. The grass there isn't that bad, even the use trail is arroyo quality. It lacks, however, mountains, dry western air, coyotes, and techers.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I can run barefoot laps on grass 30 seconds from my front door.
Moving into grad school is nothing like moving into college. For one thing, the 8 moves I did at Caltech have really streamlined the process, even when you have to buy new stuff. More so, most of the things that were really tough about going to college, like finding friends - and yourself- are already sorta taken care of. Cambridge, despite a somewhat foreboding drive in, has, in a few hours, turned out to be much nicer than expected, despite the constant rain for the last two days. What struck me most, was the 400-500m perimeter grass field right next to Conant hall, my dorm, and the 1000m perimeter grass field of cambridge commons a 1/2 mile away. Things don't look so bad after all...
8/22/2010 - Long drive to Boston. 12 hours, made worse by the constant rain and continual accidents. No run.
8/23/2010 - Obligatory run around campus after spending an hour effortlessly moving in. Ran with Vadim for some nice, familiar company. First we ran through Harvard yard, then through the law school, then a lap around the beautiful cambridge commons - home of many future tempo runs -, and then through harvard square. Dinner and drinking with 4 techers afterwards. I'm actually really looking forward to this place, so long as I can say radical, tubular, far out, or gnarly once a day without forcing it. 25 minutes.
8/22/2010 - Long drive to Boston. 12 hours, made worse by the constant rain and continual accidents. No run.
8/23/2010 - Obligatory run around campus after spending an hour effortlessly moving in. Ran with Vadim for some nice, familiar company. First we ran through Harvard yard, then through the law school, then a lap around the beautiful cambridge commons - home of many future tempo runs -, and then through harvard square. Dinner and drinking with 4 techers afterwards. I'm actually really looking forward to this place, so long as I can say radical, tubular, far out, or gnarly once a day without forcing it. 25 minutes.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A new chapter in my running career.
The first realizations really set in on a 19 hour bus ride from the Malaysian border to Bangkok. No more structured seasons that don't line up with injuries, no more races I don't want to run, and no more workouts I don't want to do await me. On the other hand, no more endless stretches of green grass, no more tan and green mountains, no more consistent blues skies, no more erin and andres, and no more team - no more kids. I think it's pretty unremarkable to have a lot of mixed feelings about a major change in my life, but nothing makes me happier than knowing that I can always use running as a stalwart vehicle of progress and enjoyment in my life. Sure, the humidity, the cold, the wind, and the concrete will make things a bit tougher than the idyllic, almost utopian promised land of the southern California. But to dream once more of being fast not only gives me an optimism I haven't felt in almost two years, but gives me a way of adjusting to a new life. Thoughts of nighttime runs through the snow with boots and a scarf, sunny summertime runs through green forest trails, and thoughts of shattering my PR during a road 5k in the driving spring rain keep alive that little space in my soul created when I first set foot in the Brown Gym. Without further ado, a new chapter in my running career.
8/18/2010 - 24 minutes easy with Chief, barefoot on the south field and then an Arden loop. Saw Kim at the desk, "Aren't you done with this place yet?," and regaled Chief with stories of SE Asia from monkey attacks to crazy beach parties. First run in 2 months.
8/19/2010 - 30 minutes with Stephanie and Ryan Keeley. Around campus, then to Lacey and back. Quite slow. Stephanie and Ryan are in good shape and I forsee good seasons ahead for the two.
8/20/2010 - Off. A very sad trip home to D.C. My last memory of Pasadena is flying over it listening to the first song I listened when I touched down in August of 2006 - Aeroplane by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The smell of eucalyptus trees, Lloyd house, and the morning summer air in Pasadena still all rush to mind when I hear that song. Very sore in calves and groin (I hope that injury isnt still there). Achilles a bit sad, but I think it will pass with careful training.
8/21/2010 - Back home and great to see my friends. 26 minutes, 3 miles easy with Shof around my house and a lap around the circle drive park. Not as miserably muggy as I was expecting. Also, memory of high school acquaintances not as good as I was expecting. Used gmap-pedometer for the first time in what must have been 7 months - it has been too long away from that good friend. www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3980152 . Alas, I remember when the route numbers were in the low 2 millions. What a sentimental old man I am.
More to come, regardless of injury, work, or failure, this blog will continue to be updated for as long as I can.
8/18/2010 - 24 minutes easy with Chief, barefoot on the south field and then an Arden loop. Saw Kim at the desk, "Aren't you done with this place yet?," and regaled Chief with stories of SE Asia from monkey attacks to crazy beach parties. First run in 2 months.
8/19/2010 - 30 minutes with Stephanie and Ryan Keeley. Around campus, then to Lacey and back. Quite slow. Stephanie and Ryan are in good shape and I forsee good seasons ahead for the two.
8/20/2010 - Off. A very sad trip home to D.C. My last memory of Pasadena is flying over it listening to the first song I listened when I touched down in August of 2006 - Aeroplane by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The smell of eucalyptus trees, Lloyd house, and the morning summer air in Pasadena still all rush to mind when I hear that song. Very sore in calves and groin (I hope that injury isnt still there). Achilles a bit sad, but I think it will pass with careful training.
8/21/2010 - Back home and great to see my friends. 26 minutes, 3 miles easy with Shof around my house and a lap around the circle drive park. Not as miserably muggy as I was expecting. Also, memory of high school acquaintances not as good as I was expecting. Used gmap-pedometer for the first time in what must have been 7 months - it has been too long away from that good friend. www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3980152 . Alas, I remember when the route numbers were in the low 2 millions. What a sentimental old man I am.
More to come, regardless of injury, work, or failure, this blog will continue to be updated for as long as I can.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Track Week 2
1/11/10 – Huntingson nice and easy with the team. I gathered a large following telling my stories of drunken debauchery from ski trip. Abs, and light upper body lifting – shoulder a bit sore, we’ll see how it feels tomorrow. Late so no icing.
Miles: 7.5
1/12/10 – 40 minutes at Lacey. Felt pretty crummy actually. I had to TA and it was pretty draining, as was Monday. 50 minutes total, drills at the end.
Miles: 5.5
1/13/10 – Huntington Reverse with Chieffers. Felt okay, pushed it a bit going up, not too tired.
Miles: 6.75
1/14/10 – Great day of running. 2 mile tempo at Garfield. Felt good during the warm-up, felt good during the workout (skeptical at first but I’m glad we did it). 4 laps in Garfield in 14:10. Decent run back. Felt really good all evening.
Miles: 8
1/15/10 – Late from group meeting, did variation on Huntington up Virginia reverse. Felt not too bad.
Miles: 5
1/16/10 – Cool Trail run for N. end of the Rose Bowl up to the beginning of the Brown Mountain Fire Road with Chief and DChun. Felt pretty good, started out nice and chill, speeding up a bit on the way down at times. Legs okay, but still a bit tired. Too bad the road up to the waterfall is completely trashed. Ran around all the drainage ponds south of JPL for a cool effect. A good run, legs could benefit from a good day off. 64 minutes.
Miles: 7.2
1/17/10 – Despite awesome rain, no run. Got new pair of Brooks Defyance from run with us for too much money. Did the first round of shoulder exercises and stretched it. That’s about. I also had a really disgusting but delicious dinner at popeyes.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 40
Miles: 7.5
1/12/10 – 40 minutes at Lacey. Felt pretty crummy actually. I had to TA and it was pretty draining, as was Monday. 50 minutes total, drills at the end.
Miles: 5.5
1/13/10 – Huntington Reverse with Chieffers. Felt okay, pushed it a bit going up, not too tired.
Miles: 6.75
1/14/10 – Great day of running. 2 mile tempo at Garfield. Felt good during the warm-up, felt good during the workout (skeptical at first but I’m glad we did it). 4 laps in Garfield in 14:10. Decent run back. Felt really good all evening.
Miles: 8
1/15/10 – Late from group meeting, did variation on Huntington up Virginia reverse. Felt not too bad.
Miles: 5
1/16/10 – Cool Trail run for N. end of the Rose Bowl up to the beginning of the Brown Mountain Fire Road with Chief and DChun. Felt pretty good, started out nice and chill, speeding up a bit on the way down at times. Legs okay, but still a bit tired. Too bad the road up to the waterfall is completely trashed. Ran around all the drainage ponds south of JPL for a cool effect. A good run, legs could benefit from a good day off. 64 minutes.
Miles: 7.2
1/17/10 – Despite awesome rain, no run. Got new pair of Brooks Defyance from run with us for too much money. Did the first round of shoulder exercises and stretched it. That’s about. I also had a really disgusting but delicious dinner at popeyes.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 40
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Winter Training Week 6 and first days of track
12/28/09 – Feeling muuuch better today. 1 hour on the trails behind the nature center. The water has receded much and all frozen up. Temperatures were around 35 F with 10-15 mph winds in the woods. Felt okay, but my left anterior compartment swelled shut between minutes 20 and 45 of the run. Loosened up later. Ended up being 60:17.
Miles: Around 7
12/29/09 – Very cold and windy today, wind chills near 10 degrees F. Ran Frost Loops plus some exploring by the stream trails by Wotton. Very slow start but felt surprisingly good after about 25 minutes. 57 minutes total.
Miles: 6.6
12/30/09 – Still quiet cold today. Wind chills in the low 20s. I made the mistake of running with my chin exposed. Oh well. Churchill to CJ Trail to river and back . The last 2 miles of the trail was pretty unrunable, solid ice with old footprints in it, turned around just before the last hill as I wasn’t going to make it up it without crampons. Felt okay, dehydrated. R knee a bit tight things holding together otherwise just fine. 82 minutes.
Miles: ~9
12/31/09 – Fresh snow on the ground, cold light rain, 33 F. Another Frost loop with different explorations. Felt okay, very slow start, picking up to a decent pace at the end. Not a bad run over all. 57 minutes.
Miles: 6.6
1/1/09 – Kinda hungover, also cold again. 45 minutes nice and slow.
Miles: 4.7
1/2/09 – Way too cold to run, wind chills near 5 F.
Miles: 0
1/3/09 – Traveling.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 34
1/4/10 – Warm up too fast around the track for 3 laps. Then to Lacy via the long way too fast (7:30 pace). My left anterior two compartments both locked up. Had to message them out. Then came back at a more reasonable pace (8:15s) along Monterrey to Garfield and back. Total between 55 and 60 minutes. We have a big group of guys, we’ll see how things pan out. One thing is for certain, Ian will be missed.
Miles: 7.5
1/5/10 – Late from Ph 6 OM and missed warm up. Moderately tough to Garfield, then more chill but still moderate long long way back around Huntington gardens. Light drills and strechting and icing. Felt a bit tired, especially after today. R Achilles a bit achey and stiff. Will need to take care of that one.
Miles: 7.2
1/6/10 – Quite tired and feeling banged up. Achilles a bit better, heated before hand. IT band a bit sore before run. Nice Tu Madre with Anton and Justine. Went plenty slow (830 pace avg), but was decently tired by the end. IT pretty painful after I stopped, I will def have to work on that. 56 minutes total including warmup. I also need to sleep more. Rolled out, did one set of Anton core, iced.
Miles: 6.5
Miles: Around 7
12/29/09 – Very cold and windy today, wind chills near 10 degrees F. Ran Frost Loops plus some exploring by the stream trails by Wotton. Very slow start but felt surprisingly good after about 25 minutes. 57 minutes total.
Miles: 6.6
12/30/09 – Still quiet cold today. Wind chills in the low 20s. I made the mistake of running with my chin exposed. Oh well. Churchill to CJ Trail to river and back . The last 2 miles of the trail was pretty unrunable, solid ice with old footprints in it, turned around just before the last hill as I wasn’t going to make it up it without crampons. Felt okay, dehydrated. R knee a bit tight things holding together otherwise just fine. 82 minutes.
Miles: ~9
12/31/09 – Fresh snow on the ground, cold light rain, 33 F. Another Frost loop with different explorations. Felt okay, very slow start, picking up to a decent pace at the end. Not a bad run over all. 57 minutes.
Miles: 6.6
1/1/09 – Kinda hungover, also cold again. 45 minutes nice and slow.
Miles: 4.7
1/2/09 – Way too cold to run, wind chills near 5 F.
Miles: 0
1/3/09 – Traveling.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 34
1/4/10 – Warm up too fast around the track for 3 laps. Then to Lacy via the long way too fast (7:30 pace). My left anterior two compartments both locked up. Had to message them out. Then came back at a more reasonable pace (8:15s) along Monterrey to Garfield and back. Total between 55 and 60 minutes. We have a big group of guys, we’ll see how things pan out. One thing is for certain, Ian will be missed.
Miles: 7.5
1/5/10 – Late from Ph 6 OM and missed warm up. Moderately tough to Garfield, then more chill but still moderate long long way back around Huntington gardens. Light drills and strechting and icing. Felt a bit tired, especially after today. R Achilles a bit achey and stiff. Will need to take care of that one.
Miles: 7.2
1/6/10 – Quite tired and feeling banged up. Achilles a bit better, heated before hand. IT band a bit sore before run. Nice Tu Madre with Anton and Justine. Went plenty slow (830 pace avg), but was decently tired by the end. IT pretty painful after I stopped, I will def have to work on that. 56 minutes total including warmup. I also need to sleep more. Rolled out, did one set of Anton core, iced.
Miles: 6.5
Monday, December 28, 2009
Winter Training Week 5 (December week 4)
12/21/09 – Okay I promise to be more diligent about my running. A medium run to Wotton Parkway and back. Felt okay – all on pavement as usual for this run. I’m impressed with how my right metatarsal is holding up. I still need to be careful. One of these days I will get out on the snow while it is still soft.
Miles: 6.4
12/22/09 – Nice Hadley’s park run. Took a while, navigating snowy sidewalks and even a cross country adventure. Saw Bettis and Dave clearing the track and talked for 30 minutes afterwards. Fun. The run felt real good.
Miles: 6.2
12/23/09- Went to RnJ and splurged. I got Asics gel-cumulus-nice,soft neutral shoes and nike lunar racer (they were on sale for $50 so I had to get them), two pairs of running shorts, 3 pairs of socks, and heat-moldable inserts for everyday wear. Later ran along Wotton parkway until past the jail and back. Very icy, had to go very slow at times. Felt good the whole way, I’m getting more in shape. I can’t wait until the start of the season. It’s also great to be healthy, although groin was a little sore today. Will stretch more.
Miles: 4.6
12/24/09 – A bit tired, was doing last minute xmas shopping most of the day. The chaos that is an American mall on Christmas eve rivals even an Indian trainstation! Frost loop nice and slow, legs feel a bit sluggish, holding together okay. I can’t wait for some snow to melt so I can run on something other than pavement.
Miles: 5.4
12/25/09 – Xmas day, cool, foggy, rainy, windy. Got a Garmin Forerunner 305! This thing is incredible, it provides information on basically every step you take. It plots heart rate, pace, speed, elevation, grade against distance and time, in addition to recording exactly where you go. It even breaks down how much time you spend in aerobic training, threshold training, and anaerobic training zones. Incredible. I ran Tuckerman from Churchill to old Georgetown road in 53 minutes. Very hilly, felt okay. Apparently I was working too hard, though. Here are some stats from the unit: Avg. heart rate 155 bpm, max of 180, avg pace 8:55 (including a few stops), total ascent: 1200 feet, calories: 700. 31 minutes in aerobic region, 20 minutes in threshold region (I think due to the steep hills – why I say too fast). Will look into uploading straight from software.
Miles: 6.1
12/26/09 – Nice long run. Warmer (44 degrees), still rainy, still a few inches of snow on the ground but low enough that I could run through it. I decided to brave the trails down in the Cabin John glen today. It turns out they were flooded in many places but I just ducked through the thorns and ran on water-soaked snow to get around it. Lots of going rather slowly (but not easily!) interspersed with periodic stretches of good running at 7:45 pace. Tried to go behind the nature center but was thwarted by a 100 meter stretched of knee deep water with little icebergs of snow floating in it and rapidly receding light . 76 minutes, probably about 8 miles, thoroughly tired.
Miles: 8
12/27/09 – Quite hungover. It was my friend’s 21st birthday so all of the ‘friendlings’ as well call ourselves (13 of us) pregamed heavily, took the metro to Adam’s Morgan and went bar hopping. It was like the 21st birthday party I never had. I also managed to consume at least 10 drinks over the course of 9 to 2. Felt better by the evening but no run.
Miles:0
Weekly Miles: 37
Miles: 6.4
12/22/09 – Nice Hadley’s park run. Took a while, navigating snowy sidewalks and even a cross country adventure. Saw Bettis and Dave clearing the track and talked for 30 minutes afterwards. Fun. The run felt real good.
Miles: 6.2
12/23/09- Went to RnJ and splurged. I got Asics gel-cumulus-nice,soft neutral shoes and nike lunar racer (they were on sale for $50 so I had to get them), two pairs of running shorts, 3 pairs of socks, and heat-moldable inserts for everyday wear. Later ran along Wotton parkway until past the jail and back. Very icy, had to go very slow at times. Felt good the whole way, I’m getting more in shape. I can’t wait until the start of the season. It’s also great to be healthy, although groin was a little sore today. Will stretch more.
Miles: 4.6
12/24/09 – A bit tired, was doing last minute xmas shopping most of the day. The chaos that is an American mall on Christmas eve rivals even an Indian trainstation! Frost loop nice and slow, legs feel a bit sluggish, holding together okay. I can’t wait for some snow to melt so I can run on something other than pavement.
Miles: 5.4
12/25/09 – Xmas day, cool, foggy, rainy, windy. Got a Garmin Forerunner 305! This thing is incredible, it provides information on basically every step you take. It plots heart rate, pace, speed, elevation, grade against distance and time, in addition to recording exactly where you go. It even breaks down how much time you spend in aerobic training, threshold training, and anaerobic training zones. Incredible. I ran Tuckerman from Churchill to old Georgetown road in 53 minutes. Very hilly, felt okay. Apparently I was working too hard, though. Here are some stats from the unit: Avg. heart rate 155 bpm, max of 180, avg pace 8:55 (including a few stops), total ascent: 1200 feet, calories: 700. 31 minutes in aerobic region, 20 minutes in threshold region (I think due to the steep hills – why I say too fast). Will look into uploading straight from software.
Miles: 6.1
12/26/09 – Nice long run. Warmer (44 degrees), still rainy, still a few inches of snow on the ground but low enough that I could run through it. I decided to brave the trails down in the Cabin John glen today. It turns out they were flooded in many places but I just ducked through the thorns and ran on water-soaked snow to get around it. Lots of going rather slowly (but not easily!) interspersed with periodic stretches of good running at 7:45 pace. Tried to go behind the nature center but was thwarted by a 100 meter stretched of knee deep water with little icebergs of snow floating in it and rapidly receding light . 76 minutes, probably about 8 miles, thoroughly tired.
Miles: 8
12/27/09 – Quite hungover. It was my friend’s 21st birthday so all of the ‘friendlings’ as well call ourselves (13 of us) pregamed heavily, took the metro to Adam’s Morgan and went bar hopping. It was like the 21st birthday party I never had. I also managed to consume at least 10 drinks over the course of 9 to 2. Felt better by the evening but no run.
Miles:0
Weekly Miles: 37
Monday, December 21, 2009
Winter Training Week 4 (December week 3)
12/16/09 – Flying home to Maryland, running errands and packing in the morning. No run, oops.
Miles: 0
12/17/09 – Home is nice, cold. The Robert Frost loop. Use to think it was much longer: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3370901 . Cold air (below 30 F) will take some getting used to, otherwise felt great. Boston tomorrow, hopefully a run with Cameron.
Miles: 5.4
12/18/09 – In Boston for a visit to a prof at Harvard. Ran with Cameron. It’s very very cold here, but we ran at 9:30 p.m. around his neighborhood Newton. Felt good till 45 minutes, tired for the next 15 – 61 min total.
Miles: 7.5
12/19/09 – Another day in Boston while D.C. is busy getting snowed in. Another medium-easy 45 with Cameron.
Miles: 5.6
12/20/09 – Traveling. Didn’t get back to D.C. until evening, too lazy for run in knee deep snow.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 18.5
12/21/09 – Okay I promise to be more diligent about my running. A medium run to Wotton Parkway and back. Felt okay – all on pavement as usual for this run. I’m impressed with how my right metatarsal is holding up. I still need to be careful. One of these days I will get out on the snow while it is still soft.
Miles: 6.4
Miles: 0
12/17/09 – Home is nice, cold. The Robert Frost loop. Use to think it was much longer: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3370901 . Cold air (below 30 F) will take some getting used to, otherwise felt great. Boston tomorrow, hopefully a run with Cameron.
Miles: 5.4
12/18/09 – In Boston for a visit to a prof at Harvard. Ran with Cameron. It’s very very cold here, but we ran at 9:30 p.m. around his neighborhood Newton. Felt good till 45 minutes, tired for the next 15 – 61 min total.
Miles: 7.5
12/19/09 – Another day in Boston while D.C. is busy getting snowed in. Another medium-easy 45 with Cameron.
Miles: 5.6
12/20/09 – Traveling. Didn’t get back to D.C. until evening, too lazy for run in knee deep snow.
Miles: 0
Weekly Miles: 18.5
12/21/09 – Okay I promise to be more diligent about my running. A medium run to Wotton Parkway and back. Felt okay – all on pavement as usual for this run. I’m impressed with how my right metatarsal is holding up. I still need to be careful. One of these days I will get out on the snow while it is still soft.
Miles: 6.4
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