The truth is out there.

Brrrrrrrr

It was another cold 10 mile run after work today. I switched to a heavier pair of gloves from the ones I wore Tuesday, an old pair of snowboarding mittens pulled from the back of my closet. Feeling fully protected from the sub freezing temperatures, I ran along to some music while thinking about this or that. At some point I passed beneath the Williamsburg Bridge. But I must have just imagined that I did because some minutes passed before I realized that the bridge was still ahead of me not too far in the distance. I could still remember running under the bridge and I could see in my mind how that little section right after the bridge looks, when Broadway hits Kent Ave at the site of that weird looking restaurant that appears so out of place. Hadn't I stopped for two SUVs while they pulled into the parking lot?

The only reasonable explanation for what must have happened is alien abduction. I must have been picked up, and a mistake was made and I was dropped back down to earth in the wrong spot. Even technologically superior aliens make mistakes. What would Dr. Octagon say about this?

No Fancy Dress

Forty-six days to go until the Kyoto Marathon! There isn't a lot of information available online about this race. I know that it's March 10th and there will be about 15,000 runners. I know that the course takes the runners past many shrines and temples, ending at the Heian Shrine which was built in 1894 and was expanded in 1940. I know I will receive a t-shirt, a towel and a medal. And I also know that the race does not allow fancy dress:  

"Running in fancy dress is fun and somewhat livens up the event. However, it may limit your move and make other runners and the audience on the road uncomfortable."

I guess I'll leave my fancy dress at home (fancy dress like this?), which will mean more room in my luggage. I have learned that "fancy dress" is British for "costume". Okay, this does make more sense now.

Me in running drag.

Speaking of fancy dress, I recently got some new winter running gear, and I made very good use of it yesterday. I ran 10 miles after work in freezing temperatures. Brrrrrrrr. Everything remained warm for the most part except for my hands and my face, which began to sting something fierce at about mile 7. I got a thermal top made by Sugoi and thermal pants made by Brooks at Jack Rabbit in Park Slope. The top and pants are both pretty amazing. These thermal pants are not the tights, so I can wear them and do other activities like eat large amounts of food and drink Sake.

I think these could count as fancy dress.

I was wearing new gloves that I picked up at a Tibetan store in Park Slope after seeing a pair on Shamala. They have a warm felty lining and a mitten to cover the fingerless glove holes, so they are very warm, but during my run my fingers still got so cold I had to ball up my fists inside of the gloves, a trick that sometimes works but makes for doing anything with your hands difficult.

Bigfoot approves of these.

I got new Mizuno running shoes, which is appropriate since I am heading to Japan to run in a marathon. I hear these are very popular there. I wore them on my 10 mile run yesterday and I really liked them. This pair is considered a stability shoe, but I didn't think they felt as heavy as some other stability shoes I've tried. My impact on the ground felt light. While I have high arches, I like the stability shoes more than the neutral shoes for long distance. I get my running shoes in a size bigger than my civilian shoes (I wear a size 11 running shoe!) and these didn't feel too bulky even with the bigger size. I will need to go for some more runs to really get a feel for them, but my first impression of them is great.

I'm finally not feeling plague-y and I've been able to amp up my training. On Saturday I ran 7 miles and stopped at a friend's house to feed her cats. Afterwards I ran 3 1/2 miles to meet some friends for brunch and then I ran 3 1/2 miles home for a total of 14 miles for the day. On Sunday I got in some cross-training with 4 hours of snowshoeing, hiking and running up in New Paltz. I'd really like to see if I can get 40 miles in this week even though the temperatures are extremely cold. Here's to hoping my winter fancy dress can help.

Feels like Six

I think I might have PR'd (personal record) running home from work tonight. There were several tricks involved in this feat. First, I had to race the cold feels-like-six-degree temperature outside, and by this I mean I had to run fast to keep my body temperature warm and I had to get through wind tunnels as fast as possible. Second, I had to beat that guy with the flashing light on his backpack. Who did he think he was? At some point on 2nd Ave, my chosen route home tonight because I don't like running along the East River in the dark (because someone might throw me in), I was standing still at a stoplight and this guy dressed all in black with a backpack and a flashing light on it, ran past me. Not only did his backpack have a flashing light, but it also had a reflective cover over it. I don't know why this last detail is important, but I'll admit it, his extreme caution irked me. "Where's your helmet?" I wanted to call out to him in my best circa 1985 bonehead accent. Instead, I did what any rational person would do and I sprinted halfway down the block to pass him. I was winded for the next few blocks but I was happy to be winning. But then, something surprising happened and suddenly the sidewalk seemed to split into two sections; one section continued being the dumb sidewalk and another section turned into an awesome asphalt-paved bike lane right along the road, and that joker with the backpack light took the awesome route. He breezed past me, rightfully on the road with his flashing light, which now seemed like his own custom automotive tail light.

I was reminded of a half marathon I ran in the Bronx nearly a year and a half ago. It was a terrible race to start with because it took forever to get there via train from Brooklyn. I got a late start and it kind of threw me off for the next 13 miles. But at some point I was competing with this dorky-looking guy with one of those hydration belts. These things also irk me even though they are eco friendly, and hey, ultra runners have to carry their own water! I think it has to do with looking like you take yourself too seriously. But I digress. This guy would pass me and then a little ways ahead I would pass him, and this went back and forth for the entire race. At the finishing area where I was noshing on a bagel and a banana I ran into Hydration Belt and he smiled at me and said, "Great race! I was trying to keep up with you the whole time!" It was such a great moment! And of course he suddenly seemed super fit. I would tell people later, "Oh man, I really killed it in the half today. I raced this guy with 2 percent body fat the whole time." Not!

Needless to say Automotive Tail Lights beat me down 2nd Ave. and we had to part ways when I turned down Delancey to cross the Williamsburg Bridge. At which point I had to go it alone. And alone I was! There weren't many people on the bridge tonight.

I ran 7 1/2 miles this evening, but according to the Two Oceans Marathon training program I was supposed to run 3.7 miles (or 6 km by their measurement standard). This seems weak. In fact, none of the running days look too demanding for January. I'm feeling confident.