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Jul 29: ~2 miles in Astoria (1 lap)
--Phooey. Today's run sucked. It was a right shin-split day. Right when I started, I knew this was going to be a slow run--I had little strength in my right leg. Yesterday, I wore my black Piston shoes casually and started to feel my shin split acting up. Sooooo, I now hold those shoes under suspicion to commit shin splints. Today's run also didn't feature ibuprofen, so that's my next test--seeing whether wearing casually my "good shoes" and not taking ibuprofen yields running shin splints. I ran in perfect weather--79 degrees with 50% humidity in beautiful blue skies. I had wanted to get in 6 miles today to clean my system before my girlfriend's visit(!) later today, but I will have to deal without. I'll work out now, that'll help. My training will likely reduce over the next week while she's in town. I hope my leg gets better.

Jul 27: 6.3 miles in Central Park (1 lap)
--What a difficult run this afternoon. I started my run around 1pm in Central Park, with bright, sunny skies, 58% humidity in 90-degree weather. I've run in hotter, more humid conditions, yet for some reason, today's run was not easy for me. I was set on doing my first 2-lap run in Central Park today (12.4 miles), but I ran only 1 lap, even having to walk for about 90 feet because I overheated. My legs have never felt better, having taken a lot of time stretching--no tightness in my left quad tendon and no right shin splint! I may be onto something with my casual shoes, as I wore flats the last few days (my red Diesel shoes, and my gray biking Diesels) and not my older, sole-worn shoes. I also took an ibuprofen just before this run, to keep swelling in check. I biked yesterday for a little bit (I finally got a new bike), so perhaps that also had some impact on my run. From the start I was chasing a man taller than me, finally catching up to him around mile 2, only to have him overtake me, then eventually stop his run. My trying to maintain an ahead-pace may have tired me out. Other than him, I don't think I really ever was officially lapped, but I did catch up to a runner who then went into afterburn. My run today may have been slowed by my light upper-body workout before it, as my arms felt tired when I went up hills. My running mileage may drop over the next week and a half because my girlfriend will be in town, but I think we will run some together. I hope, that is!

Jul 24: ~8 miles in Astoria (4 laps)
--I'm back in the saddle! I got in 8 miles today, in 81-degree weather with 57% humidity. If felt about the same as last night (I began my run around 7:30pm) weatherwise, and there was a wind against me for part of the run. I recognized an actor named Kevin I've done background with as I ran past Kaufman-Astoria Studios, where they were filming The Stepford Wives. My lefts felt pretty good. I had occasional tightness in my left knee, but it hasn't really been a concern of mine since it was diagnosed as a tight quadriceps tendon and I just try to exaggerate the bending in my stride when I feel it. My right shin splint was manageable, and as in the past, I was able to run through it to the point I didn't feel anything. I wore my black patent-leather shoes during the day, which are pretty new--I don't think they are the criminals in giving me shin pain.

100 days until the NYC Marathon 2003!

Jul 23: ~4 miles in Astoria (2 laps)
--My last run halted very early because of my right shin splint, so my training momentum was jarred. But not just because of the pain--Creativity is another big nemesis to my running--my rush to learn to make a reel on my computer and get it to a talent agent got also in the way. Today I finally found time to make it out for a run, in the warm dark night of Astoria. I did 2 laps but felt strong enough to do 4, maybe even 5, but I kept my mileage down as not to burn out and because of all the stuff I needed to get done tonight before bed. I didn't stretch much this run, and my right shin splint was manageable. I'm starting to wonder if the pain is attributable to my running shoes, or any old shoes I might have, but the soles of my running shoes seem to have no noticeable wear. The temperature was 75 degrees and with 88% humidity, but it was gorgeous running weather for the nighttime. My stride still felt very strong and even longer than I remember it, and I got a nice runner's high several times from running up inclines. I much prefer running in Central Park to Astoria, but tonight it was nice not to have to make the commute to run.

Jul 16: <1 mile in Central Park
--Interesting story for today's run. I met up with Ab Winsemius in Central Park for him to interview me on running marathons, for a commercial pitch to Dutch bank ING. ING is the sponsor for this year's NYC Marathon. Ab interviewed me for an hour on DV, filmed me stretching, and even filmed me running the lower loop and (ha!) crossing the marathon's finish line, while he pedaled around me on his mountain bike. The session lasted for more than an hour. I had set on running 8 or 9 miles today, but after Ab & I parted, I continued for just a little bit more running before I succumbed to right shin splint pain! I was limping pretty badly. I don't know why I had the problem today because I had enough stretching--perhaps the few times I started and stopped with Ab was not good for my shin? I don't know. I hope to rest it. More so, I hope to figure out how to help it, to stretch even more appropriately, and also I hope to cure it! Ab said it was 93 degrees and humid, and while it was humid, my Weatherbug for Central Park says it only got up to 84 today. It was indeed warm, though.

Jul 13: 8.0 miles in Central Park (>1 lap)
--The weather was fantastic for a run today. Central Park was buzzing with people, the temperature was in the mid-70's, the humidity was not noticeable, it was breezy and sunny. The sun and warmth slowed me down a little bit in comparison to my last run post-downpour, but I still had speed to my run. I was taking on hills still with more strength and speed, the plateaus with smaller strides, and downhills about normal. To get to 8 miles this late-morning run, I did a lap around the park and then the lower loop. I was lapped by two obviously more conditioned runners, but I did a lot of lapping of people myself. My left knee had a couple of slight episodes of tightness, but nothing that worried me, and my right shin splint was practically gone. After my run, my calves felt like "all svelte muscle," and my body has been making a slight conversion to lean, I feel. Tighter butt!

Jul 11: 9.7 miles in Central Park (1.6 laps)
--A beautiful run at dusk today. During my journey to Central Park, the skies opened up for a downpour, but by the time I got to the park, there was no more rain. Instead, I was in 74-degree weather with thick humidity. The humidity dissipated over the course of the run, and I was breathing much easier. This run began with my right shin splint really sore, but I mentally ran through it--I had been stretching a lot of different times during the day my calf, but nothing helped the pain. After about 3 miles, the pain was negligible, almost as if I warmed into the pain, but upon completion of my longest run to date, I felt near limpdom. I had no knee problems this run, and my strides felt longer and stronger! Again, like the last run, running uphill I would for some reason speed up, and hitting the top of a hill, my steps tended to shorten, but not nearly as short as in last run. I did the whole loop plus two circlings of the lower loop to rack up 9.7 miles (also included in that measure the southeast feeder road). I was not lapped by anyone, but I did try to chase a couple of people ahead of me and could not lap them. I felt really good again during this run--stronger, faster, and more relaxed. My breathing was especially good today, as for a lot of the time, my running felt effortless. YEA!

Jul 9: 8.0 miles in Central Park (>1 lap)
--IT RAINED! So refreshing it was when it started to pour around the 6-mile mark. Such a good run today--the weather was just under 80 degrees with high humidity but cloudy and windy. I didn't overheat. I felt the tightness in my left knee a couple times, but it didn't bother me--as long as I'm not sensing any twinge in the back of the knee, I feel safe. I did for a few strides this weird thing where I did a quad stretch while hopping about 5 lengths. Also, I did a lot of sprinting or faster-paced running. One particular standout of this run was that when I hit a hill, I pretty automatically would run faster! My backstride (the last moment when my foot is on the ground) felt very strong, and I noticed how if I put force into it, I'd propel myself easily forward. Another different element of the run today was when I mounted a lot of hills in the second half of the run, I was doing little babystep running, as if to balance out the uphill sprinting. One man was tough to lap but I did it, then he lapped me, but then I lapped him for a long time, then, near the 6.3-mile mark, he passed me, only to stop his run 90 feet in front of me. I don't count that as a true lapping! But he was a strong runner nevertheless. My shoes are soaked from the very pleasant downpour and are now drying out. All this, and I took the lower loop of Central Park after doing my 10K, making for a full 8-mile run this lunchtime! It would be great if the weather kept this way--then I'd be able to cover some real ground in my progress toward this year's NYC Marathon.

Jul 5: 6.1 miles in Central Park (1 lap)
--SWEAT. Today was the hottest run I've had to date, with a heat advisory for a 100-degree heat index. I ran in bright sun, temperature about 90 degrees with around 50% humidity. There weren't too many runners in Central Park around noon; of the ones out there, there were mostly men without shirts. I was tempted to strip my top, but with my water bottle belt strapped around my midsection, I couldn't get my shirt off anyway! The run again was steady, as were the last couple. I had some leg problems to deal with today that weren't too significant--my right shin splint was acting up again but didn't paralyze me, and I felt a few times tightness in my left knee from a tight quadriceps tendon, when I slowed down a little and when I went downhill. (Of late, I've only been doing my quadriceps tendon stretches around runs, instead of in the morning and at night.) Somehow I maintained a pace of about 8:22 min/mi, sprinting the last minute of my run, and only being lapped by one man who was doing shorter distances. (The heat is draining my speed.) Today's run began and ended at Columbus Circle, where for some reason I don't get in as good of stretching.

Jul 4: 6.3 miles in Central Park (1 lap)
--A finally got in a pretty decent run today. It was a hot one at 88 degrees with about 50% humidity around noon, and since my last two runs in nearly as warm weather had me succumbing to the heat, I thought I'd succumb again today. I am proud to say I lasted the whole time without walking! My one strategy for this run was to go steady and not overexert myself, which worked, and somehow I was only lapped once (by a super-running power-couple). I saw Rachel Biello walking her dog on Great Hill, which was cool. I took time to stretch before the run, and a little after, and my legs held up very, very well. Today was the first time, also, I wore a tank top rather than my muscle shirt, allowing my upper body to breathe a little more and hopefully keep me from overheating. I think it worked. Beautiful and sunny for an Independence Day, I hope I got a suntan!

Jul 2: ~4 miles in Astoria (2 laps)
--This run was rather humdrum. It was 81 degrees with about 40% humidity in the early afternoon, which made for better weather to run in than my last one two days ago. However, I couldn't muster the energy to go for 3 laps (~6 miles). My mind decided that it would be better that I take this run easy, because I'm still a little unstable in my running regularity and I don't want to burn myself out, especially when it comes to hot weather. I did, however, maintain a steadier pace throughout today's run, with no sprinting. I've been getting some light weight training in and push-ups and crunches, in hopes of building my upper body. A stronger upper body, especially stronger arms, really helps running uphill, I find. At the start of the run I felt a little discomfort in my right shin again, but the discomfort eased a few seconds later and was never felt again.