I Run this City

I had the day off today, but it didn’t start out very promising. It was rainy and blustery and I didn’t think I was going to get any out-door training in. Damn! But the skies cleared around mid-day and the evening was absolutely beautiful.

I did a 6.5 mile run along The Hudson River Path, one of my favorite routes in the city. I head down 10th Ave to 23rd street and cross over to the path in front of the Chelsea Piers Complex. My turnaround point is behind the World Financial Center (near the site of Ground Zero). It’s also right near a beautiful marina with lots of fabulous, uber-expensive yachts to ogle at. All in all, it is an inspiring run, especially at sunset.

My endurance during my runs has been getting better and better. I’m really relaxing and enjoying the workout instead of struggling through it. I’m not working on speed right now; I’m focusing instead on building endurance to complete my upcoming half marathon. Breathing is a very important part of endurance. I’ve found that if I breathe through my nose, I feel a lot more relaxed. Unfortunately my nose was runny tonight and I had to stop at a few bathrooms to blow it!

I run at about an 8:30 – 9:00 minute mile and try to spend the entire run working on making sure my body’s form is correct.

While focusing on form I make sure:
I keep my shoulders and fists relaxed.
I keep my head level and look at the horizon, not down. This keeps the spine straight.
I keep my arms moving front and back, not across my body.
I run tall, with my back straight. This helps ensure optimal lung capacity.
I keep my stride in check: not too large, and not too small.
I focus on not kicking my feet up behind me, but using my knees to move forward.