np_nyc

10/7/2015: Morning Run: November Project PR DAY YAYAYAYAY!

/ Jim McEvoy / Leave a comment

Yesterday’s Training

I hit the gym and did my leg day routine, which consists of: 1) leg press; 2) abduction machine; 3) adduction machine; 4) glute press; 5) hamstring curls; and 6) squats, usually with a kettle bell pressed to my chest. I also stretched a bunch, and then I ran 6.2 miles after work. Leg day always falls on a running day, but as I’ve been doing it this way for a couple months, my body is used to it.

November Project NYC PR Day

Of course, PR day doesn’t always fall on the day after leg day plus run day, but no matter! When it comes to NP_NYC, you #justshowup and hit the workout hard. I knew that this would be my second to last high intensity run before the NYC Marathon (the other being the Staten Island Half coming up on Sunday!), so I planned to give it my best effort. My first run on the course on last month’s PR day netted me a 22:34. I was hoping to break 21:00 this time.

A quick explainer: The first Wednesday of each month is NP_NYC’s PR day. We run eight loops of a course in Carl Schurz Park on the east side, which makes for a 3.5ish mile run. The goal is to improve every month and earn a PR. Very straightforward. The course itself is mostly flat except for two sets of stairs at the end of each loop. As I’ve discovered both times I’ve run the course, the stairs really slow the run down.

NP_NYC had a surprise for us this PR day: Strava had helped the group create a race within their app, so we could track our individual and team results by logging the run with the Strava app. I dislike running with my phone strapped to my arm, but went for it anyway. I thought it would be cool to see everyone’s results.

After Lew got us going with the bounce, we lined up and John started the timer. Boom! We were off.

I ran the first two loops with Myles, a strong runner who unofficially manages NP_NYC’s NYRR running team efforts. Myles and I tried to make small talk, but I was in the zone pushing hard and not exactly capable of continuing a conversation. Myles pushed the pace after the second loop, and I ran the rest of the way by myself.

I view this run as a great example of my mindset during most races. First, I charge out of the gate, ready to conquer everything and everyone. After a couple of laps, I settle into a groove, and usually slow my pace down. Once I sense the end is near (in this case, the last two laps) I pick up the pace again and fight hard to the finish. This mirrored my efforts from this morning, except that I pushed so hard during the first three or four laps that I had trouble finding that extra push in the last two laps. My legs screamed and I had to fight through some negative thoughts to keep on moving.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 21:07 (John said 21:02 when I crossed, but Strava tells me 21:07, so I’ll go with that). Not quite my goal, but damn close and a solid effort overall. At the end of the day, whether I meet the goal or not isn’t the most important part. I felt great because I gave the run a strong effort, and remembered that no matter how much I’ve improved over the past few months, I can still get better.

November Project NYC

We keep improving one step at a time. Woohoo!

I hung out and cheered on the rest of the Tribe, all of whom were crushing the course. My sister ran what I think were her fastest mile splits ever, which was great. I ran with her for her final lap and was pleasantly surprised when she picked up the pace toward the end and pushed me to run faster. Good work, Katie!

As always, I love NP_NYC and fully support any and all friends coming out. You just have to show up and give it your best effort. No judgment!

Tomorrow’s Workout

Tomorrow I’ll run 10 miles at an easy maximum aerobic heart rate pace. Friday is a day off, and Saturday I’ll run two miles in anticipation of the Staten Island Half on Sunday! We’re so close to the marathon now. So pumped.

Happy running, everyone!

9/30/2015: Morning Workout: 5:28 a.m., November Project: Quad Torture!

/ Jim McEvoy / 1 Comment

Yesterday I posted a picture of the leg press machine at the gym after loading it up with 380 pounds. Between that, the glute machine (which also works the quads), squats, and the 6.2 mile run from the morning (which was sort of a recovery run after the Bronx 10-Mile), my quads could have used a day to chill.

Leg Press

Leg Press of doom

Alas.

This morning’s November Project NYC workout was all about the quads. We met at the Wards Island side of the 102nd Street walking bridge. Rain or shine! That’s how it works. You #justshowup. This morning: no shine, little bit of rain. Nothing too hard to handle.

The workout: Starting on the Ward’s Island side of the bridge, run onto a large turf field to the corner created by the midfield and side lines. 10 burpies. Run across the midfield line to the far corner. 10 crunches. Run down the sideline to the corner kick area of the field. 10 mountain climbers. Run across the goal line to the far corner. 10 squats. Then back to the start. Lunges across the circle area in front of the bridge. Run across the bridge and down onto the East Side walking path. 10 lurchies (lunges performed while making circles with your arms). Run back across the bridge. Lunges across the circle at the other side of the bridge. Repeat for 35 minutes.

As you can imagine, between the mountain climbers, squats, lunges, lurchies, and running up and down the inclines on the walking bridge, the quads took a beating. I slowed down on my third loop. Fall racing season takes it toll!

A good workout, though! It’s awesome that people showed up in the rainy weather and pushed themselves across the bridge and through all the exercises. That’s the beauty of NP_NYC: When you feel like quitting, you look up and see 20 other people fighting through the discomfort and finding ways to enjoy it, and you just keep going and fighting and trying to smile. High fives help!

I also introduced my buddy Eric to the group this morning. Eric and I went to law school together, and he’s running his first half marathon next weekend in Brooklyn! He reached out about checking out NP_NYC, so we headed over together this morning. At the end of the workout, he was drenched in sweat and had a huge smile on his face. Glad you had fun, Eric! #justshowup and ye shall be rewarded with smiles and hugs from other very sweaty people!

November Project NYC

Look at that smile! He’ll be back 😉

Happy running, everyone!

9/23/15: 5:28 a.m. and 6:28 a.m., November Project! ALL THE RUNNING! Can I have yo’ numba?

/ Jim McEvoy / Leave a comment

Yesterday, I hit the gym for leg day, a/k/a “L” on my Training Plan Page, for the first time in two weeks, as I had taken two weeks off from all weight lifting because my body needed the rest. I returned to the gym on Monday for some upper body lifting, and yesterday was all leg presses for the quads and glutes, adduction and abduction for the IT bands, hamstring curls, and squats. I can always lift more weight after a break, but also feel sorer the following day.

As such, my legs felt heavy as I rolled up to November Project NYC for this morning’s workout, knowing that I was “doubling,” a/k/a doing the 5:28 a.m. and 6:28 a.m. sessions.

Here’s this morning’s workout: Run an outer loop around Carl Schurz Park and East End Avenue (between 1/3 and 1/2 mile) and, upon returning to the start, do “n” burpies, “n” equal to the first digit of your phone number. Then run a shorter quarter-mile loop out toward East End Avenue and back to the start. At the start, do “n” dips, “n” equal to the second digit of your phone number. Repeat for 18 minutes, moving through the digits of your phone number. Then, at minute 18, reverse the direction of the loops, and do push-ups instead of burpies, and step-ups instead of dips. Continue for 18 minutes. Repeat your phone number if you complete all ten digits.

During the workout, I kept thinking about this amazing skit.

Let me tell you: We ran A LOT. An NP_NYC workout usually contains 2-3 miles of running, but this morning I ran five miles during the first session, getting through 17 digits. That made for 29 burpies, 25 dips, 20 pushups, and 10 step-ups. As I’ve said before, the weekly NP_NYC workout is my anaerobic push for the week, and my heart rate shot up into the 170s. I felt great out there, and my right leg and hip felt great as well (they were bothering me a smidge during my long run this weekend, but a few days of rest, easy runs, and lots of hip and piriformis stretching alleviated the tightness).

I ran Round Two at a much slower pace, getting through 14 digits of my phone number and running another three and a half miles. That equaled another 20 burpies, 18 dips, 24 pushups, and 20 step-ups. I ran the second half with John, an NP_NYC veteran who photobombed the hell out of this picture from last month. He’s a great dude and a perfect example of what I love about the NP_NYC crew: He #justshowsup and gives it his all every Wednesday and Friday.

November Project

John, photobombing like a boss!

I definitely did not plan to run eight and a half miles this morning, but that’s OK. My planned 8-9 mile Thursday run will likely become 6.2 miles around Central Park, followed by a well-earned rest day on Friday. Then an easy day on Saturday followed by the Bronx 10 Miler! Woot.

Here are some sweaty pictures of cool people (my sister, cool Sarah, and cool Kimmy . . . or is it Kimi, or Kimmie?!)

November Project

Just a portion of the cool NP_NYC crew!

And then a picture of my sister and me:

November Project

She is better at pictures than me.

As always, happy running, everyone!