High fives

Laura and I were set for Running Club, which is special as it's the last for the next 3 weeks. (She's leaving me to go off and enjoy the sun in the Northern Hemisphere. So jealous!) She had 5 on her schedule and I was getting in my 4. She shot off to begin her loops around the docks while I continued at my comfortable pace. We actually went opposite directions so we met up twice to give each other big smiles and high fives. You can kind of imagine it as race day although we are the only 2 participants and enthusiasts to cheer us on, but it worked well. We both finished in record times so we were very pleased with ourselves and off to celebrate at the all-you-can-eat buffet for a bottle of wine. The most important part is refueling, right?

5 miles, that's nothing!

So after adding up mileage on the weekends the weekday runs seem like a piece of cake. The first 5 minutes are a bit brutal as my legs have a bit of amnesia and sometimes it takes time for them to get back in the rhythm, but then it's back to normal. I set out for my route for a loop around the Bosques de Palermo and was surprised by the amount of people running, especially in groups. Laura and I have noticed that when there is a 10K on Sunday the people make it out for last minute training that week. No surprise that there is one this week. But it's always nice to see the park being used and people getting out the pound the pavement with me. I ran at 9 min/mile pace again so that made the run even better.

Stomach cramps

Sunday I was sick all day from either a stomach bug or food poisoning. As I ate the exact same meal as Laura I don't think it was the latter. I took today off work so I could fully recover and was feeling better in the afternoon. As I skipped a workout last week I didn't want to make it 2 weeks in a row. So I decided to attempt 3 miles even though I had 4 on the schedule. Although rough at first, I actually felt better running than I did sitting in my apartment. It was a success and I felt a lot better knowing that I got out there even though it was against the advice of others.

Does not knowing where you are going help?

I sat down on Saturday afternoon to map out my run. I had decided to sleep in as I was exhausted and was going to do the run just before the sun went down. With the help of Google Maps and its satellite view I was able to map out a route that I thought would work well. I learned a few things from this experience:
1) Don't map out a route unless you know exactly how you are going to cross the highway. (I had to climb 3 flights of stairs to get on the walking overpass.)
2) Don't decide to run through parks after dark when you are unaware if there are lights or pavement besides the road.
3) Don't map a run based on street names when you know that Argentina saves money by not always putting street signs up.
4) Running through water causes your toes to get cold as you continue to run regardless of the amount of sweat that was already there.
5) Not really knowing where you are going gets your mind off the running so maybe it wasn't that bad of a plan.
Needless to say, I got my 10 miles in and am trying to not think about future runs. I can't fathom running double of what I just ran on my own. I've convinced myself the "race" will be different as I will be doing it with others.

I'm not the only crazy one

After my day of rest, I decided I had no choice but to enter the cold. Luckily it was around 40 so much better than the day before. I put on my many layers and headed out. I have been running around a 9.5 min/mile so I assumed I would base my 5 miles on that and went out for 48 minutes. Upon finishing, I decided to check it out and found out I ran over my goal again because I actually ran a 9 min/mile. I was very pleased with myself this time as that is a step in the right direction. Perhaps it was the freezing cold weather that got me going faster. I did encounter other crazy people out getting their run in as well. I was actually surprised by the amount and even found a guy in shorts. You have to be kidding me!

BRRRR!

After all day thunderstorms on Tuesday, and I mean 24 hours if not more, today was quite chilly. It snowed in areas of the country where snow isn't overly common including 100 miles outside of the city. My coworkers swear that there were flurries mixed in the rain this afternoon although I still question that. Regardless, I got home and it was below freezing, which lead to my first day of deviating from my running plan. There was no way I was heading out in freezing cold, wet weather. So I'm bypassing my 3 miles that I should do tomorrow and run my 5 that I had scheduled for today then. Fingers crossed that we're above freezing tomorrow because I have no choice but to go out in it.

In Shape?

Today marks the start of week 5 and I have now knocked down 70 of the 420 miles on the schedule. When put like that, I haven't even made a dent. I made tracks on my new favorite 3 mile route as it seems to fly due to it's a there and back scheme. Even with the time passing fast I knew I was running. I was having to put quite a bit of effort to get them to go one in front of the other. I finished and felt I must have run longer or faster, but not enough to count. Not sure if it's the aftermath of my long run on Saturday, but I hope it's a hump I just got over.

Steam Rising

As I said I would, I mapped out my run to make sure I wouldn't go over the 8 miles marked out for me. I woke up to have my peanut butter and jelly and made a plan. I decided to see a little more of the city instead of doing laps to try and confuse myself so I wouldn't realize how long I was running. Yet it's only going to get worse. I finished my run, which took place in thick humidity that was actually mist at one point. I lucked out again as it didn't start to rain until I was done though. As I was stretching at the doorway of my building, I noticed there was steam around me. I assumed that it was my breath until I decided to hold it to test things out. As it turns out, my head was actually steaming from how hot I was. You can only imagine the amount of sweat I was covered in, right? Maybe that means I ran too fast??

Organic Gloves?

As Laura and I have different training schedules, we are still trying to get our weekly run in together. Last night I had 5 miles and she had 6 so we did the first together and then parted our ways. Mostly due to the fact that she runs about 45 secs faster than me per mile, which definitely adds up. I did my laps around the port and the still water although poorly prepared without music and my shrunken, charred gloves. Due to the amount of snot I produce while running, my gloves normally double over as a hanky so they need a washing after each outing. This can cause problems for my back-to-back days. In an attempt to speed the drying process, I placed them on the gas heater until a smell flooded the apartment. My gloves had gotten much smaller in size as well as changed colors and had quite a particular odor. They still did the job, but I think I'll be in the market for a new pair this weekend.

Street vendors and others that think they own the sidewalks

Laura and I have questioned this before, but as it happened again today it's fresh in my mind. Why do street vendors offer a runner their products? Do they think we will stop and have a look at what is being sold and pull money out of our socks to pay? It boggles my mind as I run with nothing but keys, yet I suppose they need to market their product. Maybe one day I'll stop and have a look. Due to these vendors and the majority of the population believing they own the sidewalks, it can become quite a battlefield. It never seizes to amaze me that a blockade of friends will see me coming and still walk side-by-side causing me to concede and enter the street (an even bigger war zone). One day I think I'll go out as a bulldozer and teach them all a lesson, but as for now I'll just keep swerving and dodging them.

On a brighter note, I've been quite lucky so far with the rain as it seems to know when I'm headed out. Today it rained in the afternoon, stopped so I could walk home from work and run and then picked up again to finish off the night. Talk about good luck! :)

Case of the Mondays

Mondays have to be the worst. I get home from work and procrastinate as long as possible before heading out on my run. Debated skipping or even shortening my run last night, partly in compensation for the extra I ran on Saturday. Of course once I hit the pavement, I was fine. It's just getting down the elevator that's the hard part (rather ironic actually). I set off on my 3 miles and listened to some new tunes to keep me going. Was back and done before I knew it although I did realize it as I finished up a hill. I really need to work on my planning skills.

Decision made

I set off for my 7 mile run thinking I would go for 70 minutes. So far I have based my runs on a 10 minute mile with the hope that I was going faster, but figured a little extra couldn't hurt. I went to the Bosques, then did a lap around the Japanese Gardens and was on the home stretch or so I thought. I looked down at my watch and I still had 20 minutes to go! 10 minutes maybe, but I was shocked at 20. I was convinced my watch had some sort of glitch, but as I left to run for 70 minutes and I was going to stick to it. I finished my time and was thoroughly confused. I wasn't exhausted and actually felt really good, but was dumbfounded as to what had happened. I checked it out on MapMyRun and found out I ran 7.6 miles. That at least made me feel better, but it's also motivated me to start mapping my runs beforehand. So next Saturday I'm off with a guided route.

Getting lapped

After waiting and waiting for my lunch to settle in my stomach, I headed out for my 4 miles. Today is a holiday so Laura and I moved RC to yesterday and made it only dinner and drinks instead. That could have had something to do with my stomach not being itself. I headed towards the Bosques de Palermo and decided to do a loop around the park next to it that the Japanese Gardens are in. As I made my way down the first stretch, a man running towards me passed going quite swiftly yet I didn't think too much about it. As I was turning the corner to the third stretch of the square, he passed me again and AGAIN on the fourth. Talk about running too fast! I almost put my hand out to slow him down. He'll be the one finishing the marathon in under 3, but we'll both have that great feeling as we cross the finish line knowing that we did it.

Rise and Shine

I had my first early morning run today. Had the luck of getting a really cold day, in the 30's, but was on the streets at 7:30 a.m. to get my 3 miles in. The whole time I felt like my legs were still asleep and I kept trying to push myself harder, but they didn't want to go. Afterwards, I consulted MapMyRun and found out that I had actually run a bit faster and further than I thought. Nothing like a great start to a day!

On a side note, I passed a man walking down the street peeing as he walked. A little less conspicuous I suppose, but highly uncalled for no matter the hour of the day.

Humidity

I officially had the first day of not really wanting to run. It's possible that was due to the rain that fell all day long, but regardless even in my running clothes I was lingering around the house. In procrastination mode, I asked Fede about the amount of clothes to wear and he hit the nail on the head. He said, "Doesn't really matter, you'll be sweating within minutes." Boy did he know what he was talking about (besides the fact that he knows I sweat like a pig normally). I came back after my 3 mile run soaking wet like I had just gotten out of the shower. But the point is I got over that hump and made it out into stickiness to stay in line with my schedule.

Shorts & a T-shirt

What a pleasure it was to not have to bundle up. I decided to do my Saturday run a little later in the day and was graced by weather in the 60's. Normally I would think that I was out of my mind putting on shorts and a t-shirt in that kind of weather, but the sun was there to warm me up and keep me going. I took another trip to the Bosques de Palermo and did 2 laps around the lake to get in my 6 miles. Slowly, but surely I'm building up the mileage. But to think I'm going to have to get up to 20 is quite scary.

Improvement

Running Club started with me asking Laura, "So are you going to kill me again today." It's something you would expect to hear directed at one's coach, but I was hoping I wouldn't be heaving like I was the Thursday before. We headed out on our 4 mile trek around the port and I was pleasantly surprised as we finished and I was still talking and not gasping for air. As it turns out we ran it a minute faster if not more, which was music to my ears. Nothing like a bit of improvement to keep the motivation up.

Lights out

I got home after work to find out that the electricity had been cut. Not an overly common thing, but also nothing to think twice about. The biggest effect this has is having to climb the 8 flights of stairs to my apartment. I made it up, changed and hit the streets to get my 3 miles in. All the while hoping that in 30 minutes the elevator would have its current back. I made it back to see my doorman lit by the building's lights, which instantly put a smile on my face. I got in the elevator and shut the door only to hear a humming noise when I pressed the button. If the noise wasn't enough, the doorman was shaking his finger at me as I walked out the elevator reassuring me that it was another 8 flights to a glass of water. Shortly thereafter, the lights cut again proving that the doorman had all the reason in the world to tell me to take the stairs as the elevator could have actually been a disaster zone for me.