Getting Stronger

I must be getting stronger, I can run pretty decent distances at a moderate pace now. Today's run was my longest to date and I looked at it as a one of my longer runs in prep for the Westchester Half Marathon on October 9.

I started out today at my usual location, Davis and Prescott and ran out to Sheldrake and Mamaroneck Rd in Scarsdale. (1.6m) I made the left onto Mamaroneck Rd and a right turn onto Murray Hill Road to Morris Lane. (.6m, 2.2m). I ran down Morris to Richbell and out to Post Rd right by Scarsdale High School. (.8m, 3.0m) I went past Scarsdale High School to Wayside Lane and made the right. Ran past the Alternative School and made a left on Church to Crane Rd to the Bronx River Parkway. (1.1m, 4.3m) The BRP was closed for Bicycle Sundays so I jumped on it and ran towards White Plains. I stayed on the BRP all the way to Walworth Xing. (2.6, 6.9m). I ran the whole distance without stopping and made this leg in 66.39 giving me 9:30 miles. I gave myself a little gift and walked up to the Post Rd from there via Quinby which is about .4m (7.3m) and then ran the remainder of the way home. Soundview Ave to Prospect St. to Sterling, Byron, Smith, Stratford, Ogden and Davis (1.0m, 8.3m).

Total Distance Run: 7.9m
Running Time: 1:16.37 (pace 9:40 min/mile)
In Zone: 1:13.12
Avg Hr: 163
Peak: N/A (bad data)
Total Cal: 1821

Saxon Woods Trail

Saxon Woods Trail,
originally uploaded by Nick Allison.

Saxon Woods were named for a William Saxton who operated a saw mill on a west branch of the Mamaroneck River and the woods used to be knows as the Saxton Forest in colonial times. According to some history the local usage became Saxon Woods and this is the named adopted by the Parks Commision in 1925.

I sighted a garter snake on the first loop about a mile in near the frame of an old building on the trail. Not long after the snake I came across what I think was a red tail hawk

There are two loops in the park as defined by the map I have. I printed it off from the web and cannot find it again. The first loop is supposed to be 2.5 miles and I completed it in about 27 or 28 minutes. This loop is on the eastern side (the Mamaroneck side of the Hutchinson River Parkway. The loop on the western side of the Hutch is a completely differnt story. It is rated as 2.4 miles, but there are many more little side trails and it is much hillier with some real tough rocky up and downs. Last time there I got pretty far off the trail. Today I did pretty good but I don't think I ran the "proper" western loop. I am going to call this one 5 miles. I did quite a bit of walking to read the map and to catch my breath on the rocky inclines.

Total Mileage: 5m
Timing: 1:06.09
In Zone: 50.30
Avg. HR: 154
Peak HR: 169
Total Calories: 1431

A Bridge To Sell

Today's run took me to Brooklyn via the bridge and I believe that this is a pretty good workout as the Bridge is a real good hill. I went out from the gym at Wall St and Broad up to Pine and over to Broadway. I ran to City Hall Park and right onto the Brooklyn Bridge. (.6m) The Bridge is walkway takes you out to Tillary St in Brooklyn Heights and the distance is 1.4m so the hill goes on for about .7m. I ran the entire span and then walked a bit on the other side to the turn around at Tillary and ran the entire span back. This was a pretty good workout for a shorty. (2.8m, tot: 3.4m)

Total Mileage: 3.4m
Timing: 35.24
In Zone: 32.45
Avg HR: 164 BPM
Peak HR: 176 BPM
total Cal: 841

West Side Highway Loop

Today was my first day back and I was very curious to see what I could do on the streets in the city. I left from the gym and Wall St and Broad and ran down to Exchange Place which is a small one lane incline that has no traffic on it at all. I ran up and over Broadway to Exchange Alley and down to Trinity Pl. I made the right and ran to Rector and down the hill to West Street. (.4m)

There is a foot bridge that takes you over West Street and a bike/ped path that goes up the West Side Highway. I ran up to Stuyvesant High School before I walked a little and then ran to Canal St. where I had to walk again. At this point I was noticing that my Heart Rate was very quickly getting up above 170 BPM. Was it the heat that was getting up my HR. According to my almanac in the NY Times on 9/7/05 the temperature was only 81 degrees so, I can't say it was very hot, but the Sun was bright and the asphalt reflects the heat pretty well.
I had a cup of coffee about 9:30, so maybe the caffeine was raising my heart rate. I can't say for sure. I made the turn around at W. Houston. (1.4m, tot: 1.8m)

On the way back down West St I stopped and walked again at Canal St. Each time I stopped I only walked until my heart rate dropped back below 150BPM and then I would start right back up again. I made the right turn when I got to Chambers Street at Stuyvesant High School (.8m, tot: 2.6m) and ran along the water past the ferry, through the North Cove to the South Cove to 3rd St and Battery Pl. (1.1m, tot: 3.7m). Ran back to the footbridge at Rector and all he way back uphill on Rector Street to Broadway. (.4m, tot: 4.1m)

Total Mileage: 4.1m
Time: 43.06
In Zone (>150BPM): 37.20
Avg HR: 161 BPM
Peak HR: 174 BPM

Labor Day, Murray Hill and Fox Meadow

At the suggestion of my wife I took a spin through the Murray Hill neighborhood today. The weather was, and has been this whole weekend, spectacular. I went out the usual route, Davis and Prescott to Soundview. (.3m) For some reason today I noticed that this incline as a start in my run can be challenging. I start going through the usual scenarios in my head about how this is going to be a short run today, blah blah.

Made the left onto Soundview and the right onto Hartsdale to Cushman (.5m, tot: .8m). Through this little back neighborhood in Scarsdale Cushman to Willow to Sheldrake to Mamaroneck (.8m, tot: 1.6m). As I did yesterday I walked a bit at the top of the two rolling hills on Sheldrake to catch my breath and let my heart rate drop a bit out of the target zone (>150 bpm). There has obviously been some construction in this neighborhood in the last 10 years. This is some of the most expensive real estate in the area, the plots are large and the Fenway Golf club is behind some of the homes. On the north side of the street there are these three large newly constructed homes, they must be 3-4K square feet.

I made the left onto Mamaroneck Road at the end of Sheldrake and took Murray Hill down past Cooper Road (.7m, tot: 2.3m) and out to Olmsted Rd where the Scarsdale Public Library stands. Made the right onto Olmsted and the right onto Brewster Rd to Butler (.5m, tot: 2.8m) Brewster is a nice little incline and I walked at about Butler once again until my HR dropped below target.

I picked it up again and ran out Brewster, across Fenimore to Huntington Rd and made the right. (.7m, tot: 3.5m). I ran out to the Post Rd and walked over to Oxford and mostly ran up the nasty winding hill that is Oxford to Garden. (.7m, tot: 4.2m) At this point I was feeling pretty good so I ran the rest of the way back from Oxford and Garden to Soundview to Prescott to Davis. (1.0m, tot: 5.2m)

Overall a pretty nice little run, some really nasty hill climbing on Oxford, some good little rolling hills on Sheldrake, a nice long rest down the hill that is Murray Hill. I liked this run and I'll do this one again.

Today's Vitals
Mileage: 5.2m
Time: 53.20
In Zone (>150BPM): 45.42
Avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 172
Total Cal: 1192

Sunday Morning Easy

This morning's run was a pleasant little loop that took me around the Fenway Golf Club. I started out my usual first leg from the corner of Prescott and Davis to Soundview (.3m) the took the left on Soundview and ran out to East Hartsdale, made a right to Cushman. Made that left and ran to Willow Lane and Sheldrake (.9m, tot: 1.2m). I walked a bit up Sheldrake Rd and let my heartrate fall out of my target zone and then started up again and ran out Sheldrake Road to Mamaroneck Road, made a left turn and ran to the bridge that goes over the Heathcote Bypass. I walked over the bridge at this point to be more sure of my footing in oncoming traffic and then ran to Secor Rd (1.4m, tot: 2.6m). At this point I was contemplating a longer run, but I decided against it and made the left on Secor Rd and ran back to Old Mamaroneck and Soundview (1.1m, tot: 3.7). I was still feeling pretty good at this point so I ran walked up the nasty little hill from Old Mamaroneck to the Kol Ami and the ran down Soundview to Prescott (.9m, tot: 4.6m) and back to Davis (.3m, tot: 4.9m).

Today's Vitals
Mileage: 4.9m
Time: 49.36
In Zone (150 - 190 BPM): 43.18
Avg. Heart Rate: 157
Peak Heart Rate: 173
Total Calories: 1109