8 miles in 1h 37m in cold weather

Completed 8 miles in 1h37m in Liberty State Park today morning.

Started early - around 7:15 AM - to prepare for the 7:00 AM start in Philadelphia next week. It was cold and breezy! The temperatures must have been between 40 F and 45 F.

The first 3 miles almost were a big drag - warming up in the cold is a slow process! Also, without gloves, I could feel my hands getting frozen very quickly.

Will have to make sure I have a pair of gloves when I run next week. It will be mandatory to have gloves and a head band for the first couple of hours at least.

12 miles last Sunday

Forgot to record my 12 mile run last Sunday!!

Ran 12 miles two weeks prior to the Marathon as per the training plan last Sunday. It took me 2h 26m to complete the distance.

20 miles in 3h 53m at LSP

Ran 20 miles today afternoon! I am thrilled!

This is the longest run I have planned for before the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov 23rd.

Started running a little after noon; the weather was cold and cloudy - the temperatures must have been in the mid 50s - upper 60s. Since I had to take care of the vehicle inspection earlier in the day, I could start only at noon. It was kind of odd time to start as it wasn't yet time for Lunch when I started, and it was too late for Lunch by the time I finished.

Had planned to run at 5 miles per hour pace every hour and complete the 20 mile distance in four hours. Some of the milestones along the way are as follows:
10 mile - 1h 48m
13.1 mile - 2h 27m
15 mile - 2h 51m
18 mile - 3h 30m

I was wearing two layers of shirts and a single layer shorts - it was pleasant enough in the weather, though at some places where it was windy, I could feel the chill. I am expecting similar weather for the Marathon on Nov 23rd in Philly which is further south from here.

My car was parked in the free visitor parking lot near the kid's play area and the Columbus monument. This place is in the center and allowed me to create my own 2-3-4 mile long stretches for running and get back to the car for Gatorade and some cookies.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable run. Looking forward to the 26.1 mile run in 17 days!

18 miles in 3h 38m in LSP today morning

Ahhhhh, I ache all over! Put myself through an 18 mile run for the first time today morning, and it shows up in every part of my body :-)

After prepping myself mentally for a week (since finishing the Grete's Gallop Half-Marathon last Saturday) I was still very nervous and scared as I made my way to Liberty State Park this morning. Couldn't help laugh at the notion that I would be running for four hours today!

Started the run a little before 8:00 AM and completed a little before 11:40 AM. Had plans to start earlier - maybe around 6:30 AM or 7:00 AM - but was glad that it was 8:00 AM by the time I started as it was very chilly today morning. The temperatures were in the mid-50s and the Sun was just rising at that time.

The first three miles were a pain as with the last week's run. After that it became much easier to run. Started from the Parking lot close to the Columbus Monument, and ran along the various paved running paths in the park, always making sure that I come back to the Parking lot (and my car) every 2 to 3 miles. My car was stuffed with Gatorade bottles and some stuff for me to snack on and continue refreshed.

Completed the half marathon distance in 2h 36 minutes, which was much slower than last week's run.

The last three or four miles were a drag; just kept going - telling myself it is only a 5K I have to cover!

3h 38m was much better than I expected of my first shot at an 18 miler. I guess my first shot at the marathon distance will be a similar experience as well. One big difference would be that the watching crowd and fellow runners will motivate me to do much better at the Philly Marathon!

Quarter marathon in 1 hour 11 minutes in LSP

Ran 6.55 miles in 1 hour 11 minutes today morning at Liberty State Park.

Still having a hectic time at work and at Landmark, and hence could not run during the week. Got myself to go running today for sure!

The weather was very pleasant in the upper 60s - lower 70s all along. Did two loops of from the south end to the north and back. Stopped for a Gatorade after the first run. The run was quite tiresome, especially in the first loop when my legs felt heavy.

Next Sunday is the Newport Liberty Half Marathon; will most likely run an additional 2 miles with the half marathon to do my first 15 mile run!

Five miles in 57 odd minutes in LSP

Got back to running after the monster half-marathon last week. Legs are still sore, and mind and body unwilling. Unmotivated to run as I realize I am not in ship-shape to run the Queens Half-Marathon next Sunday, and also quite likely to not do well at the Philadelphia marathon.

Well, too bad I seem to be stuck in a rut!

Ran 5 Miles today morning in Liberty State Park, and now I feel good about it. It was not easy while running; wanted to give up many times; took walking breaks and completed 5 miles. My body seems to be warming up to the idea of long-running. I will have to run regularly this week to be in a good shape for the Queens Half-Marathon next week.

My goal for the half-marathon next week: To complete it in less than two and a half hours.

Six miles in 1 hour 15 minutes at Liberty State Park

Started the Sunday with a six mile run at Liberty State Park along with Siva. Completed the distance in one hour and fifteen minutes.

For the first time in my runs, I had to take a bathroom break - very surely induced by the cup of coffee I had before the start of the run. Luckily for me, Liberty State Park has clean toilets!

One question that has been on the forefront of my mind is whether I should or should not run in the Monster Half Marathon in Virgil next Sunday. If I run and complete it, it will be my first half marathon, and the first run at such distance. The difficult terrain which includes over 2700 feet of elevation gain coupled with the lack of adequate preparation is holding me back to take up this effort with a full heart. The NYRR Queens half-marathon is two weeks later on Sunday Sep 14th.

I will run in both! The Monster half would be a good one to begin with, as any time I set during this event will be easy to beat later on. Besides, completing the Monster half marathon will make running on flat surfaces look easier. That would be a good preparation for the Philadelphia Marathon in November, especially as it is just 90 days away!

5 miles in 54:25 on Super Friday

Ran 5 miles today morning very early; started around 6:30 AM. Since I didn't get enough sleep yesterday, was not sure if I could complete the 5 mile distance. Managed to do it by running slow and steady.

4 miles in 44:51 minutes at Liberty State Park

Back to running after almost a week!

Difficult run today - one of those I-Don't-Want-To-Run days. Stuck to the basics and ran slowly and steadily for 45 minutes to finish 4 miles. Need more of these kinds of running over the next two weeks to be reasonably successful at the Monster Half-Marathon on Aug 31st.

5 miles in 51:56 on a day of running after a week break

Did not run for a week since last Tuesday's 10K run :(

Finally got around to run today and completed running 5 Miles at Liberty State Park, finishing the distance in 51:56 minutes.

Ran along the water-front walkway all the way to the Ferry Launching area, and then continued to run along the path adjacent to the boat docking area. Discovered a walkway connecting Jersey City to Liberty State Park at the end of Jersey Avenue near the Jersey City Medical Center building.

Today's run of 5 miles in 51:56 minutes is my personal best at this distance, shaving off more than a minute from the 53:08 minutes I accomplished at the Father's Day 5M in June.

10K in 1 hour 8 minutes at Liberty State Park

Ran 10K (6.2 miles) today morning at Liberty State Park in 1 hour 8 minutes. The fact that I was running along the same path where I ran my first 10 Miler last Thursday made it easy for me to focus on finishing the 10K distance. I wasn't looking at my watch to know the distance or the time I had covered all the time, and just kept running, knowing that there was a long way to go before I complete the intended distance.

Took one water break after around 2.7 miles. The weather was on the warmer side; temperatures being in the lower 80s. There was a light breeze at times which made the running pleasant.

First ten miler on my Birthday

There are good days to run. And there are other types of days to run!

Today was a terrific day for running. Wonderful weather. Heavy rains last night had brought the temperatures down to mid 70s as compared to upper 80s and above for the past few days. I was also well rested, having slept deeply yesterday night and taking a break from running yesterday. I was also in high spirits thanks to the amazing love and friendship shown by many on the occasion of my Birthday!

Originally was thinking of running a Watchung Reservation, but decided to go to Liberty State park mainly due to the wet and soggy conditions likely to be there on the dirt tracks of Watchung Reservation. Concrete and tarred tracks of Liberty State park were perfect for running in these conditions.

Ran from around 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM - completing 10 miles in 1 hour and 54 minutes! I was energetic all along, and took only a couple of water breaks all through - the first break after an hour having completed 5.65 miles. There was quite a bit of juice left in me even after the 10 mile run - that is Goooood!

My Garmin Forerunner 305 clocked double digit mileage for the first time! I have taken a picture of this amazing feat for the sake of history!

I am proud of how much I have improved my running over the last few months. At the beginning of this year, I ran a 4M race and finished it in 51 minutes walking half the way. Now I run more than 5 miles without taking a walking break!!

Happy Birthday 2 me!

Labored 4 mile run at Liberty State Park

Today was the day I did not want to run, and my legs felt like heavy lead all through. Ran 4 miles - resisting the urge to quit or to take a walking break - and completed it in 44:20 minutes.

I was running in Liberty State Park after a long time; used to frequent here quite often, before I discovered the parks closer to my place. Since it was very sunny even at 6:00 AM today, I restricted my running to the shaded back-roads in Liberty State Park, avoiding the river front walk-way, which is more scenic but does not have any shaded area.

Feels good to have started the day with a 4 mile run, and be ready for the rest of the day by 8:30 AM!

Had come across an interesting article on running in a recent issue of The New Yorker. The article titled The Running Novelist was written in Japanese by novelist Haruki Murakami, and chronicled his entry into long-distance running and subsequent experiences. I was particularly stuck by the paragraphs which deal with days when he does not want to run. Too bad the full article is not available on-line.

Here is the relevant part of the article, reproduced from the print version:

No matter how much long-distance running might suit me, of course there are days when I feel lethargic and don't want to do it. On days like that, I try to come up with all kinds of plausible excuses not to run. Once, I interviewed the Olympic runner Toshihiko Seko, just after he had retired from running. I asked him "Does a runner at your level ever feel like you'd rather not run today?" He stared at me and then, in a voice that made it abundantly clear how stupid he thought the question was, replied, "Of course. All the time!"

Now that I look back on it, I can see what a dumb question it was. I guess that even back then I knew how dumb it was, but I wanted to hear the answer directly from someone of Seko's caliber. I wanted to know whether, although we were worlds apart in terms of strength and motivation, we felt the same way when we laced up our running shoes in the morning. Seko's reply came as a great relief. In the final analysis, we're all the same, I thought.

Now, whenever I feel like I don't want to run, I always ask myself the same thing: You're able to make a living as a novelist, working at home, setting your own hours. You don't have to commute on a packed train or sit through bored meetings. Don't you realize how fortunate you are? Compared to that, running an hour around the neighbourhood is nothing, right? Then I lace up my running shoes and set off without hesitation.

Good start to the Marathon Training

Started on the Marathon training this Tuesday.

• Ran for 30 minutes on Tuesday at Liberty State Park.
• Could not run on Wednesday.
• Ran for 30 minutes on Thursday at Liberty State Park.
• Completed the long run today; ran for 1:15 in Bayonne Park.

Good start to the first week of Marathon Training as per the Novice Program of Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide!!