Yesterday afternoon, after a thorough and successful snow-shovel and house-clean, I decided to go to the gym (roads were not all clear and I didn't want to risk running on ice) and run 5 easy miles with some incline on the treadmill. I got on a machine at 5:30. Not even 15 minutes into my run I heard the guys at the desk yelling something. I paid no attention. At 5:55, I heard them yell again something about 5 minutes. I assumed he was talking to the big guys lifting weights (this is a college gym). Then the room cleared. Turns out the gym closes at 6 p.m. on Sat nights. WHAT?! What better way to encourage college kids to go out and party on Sat night than to close down the gym?
Thanks to my fun Saturday night, I had nothing better to do than to google race reviews of the Austin Marathon. The most thorough one I found was this one. I took the elevation image image from that blog. Yikes. Its not the overall elevation that scares me or even all the spikes, but it is a combination of plenty of short, steep hills with everything else that is going on.
This was only the second time I forced myself to go this year. It's a free membership, but still unimpressive to close at 6 on a Saturday and then not open until 12:30 on Sunday (I checked the hours on my way out). Oh well, I got 3 inclined miles in, felt great, and then came home to a big dinner.
With a short 8 mile run planned today, I embraced the hills.
These are two different hills that are approximately the same grade and size in town. I embraced each of them several times, but I made sure to keep my pace slow and steady. I do not want to ruin my legs before the race by doing hill sprints a week before the race.
I have run some pretty hilly marathons (some at elevation, too!) in the past and I always end up surviving. So I know I will survive. I just like to be mentally prepared and I think this weekend helped.
What better reward than a nice and easy yoga class tonight? That is my plan. Hope everyone has dug themselves out of the snow by now! Did anyone get in any super-snowy runs, X-country skiing, or snowshoeing in the show?
Wow, that snow is something serious.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate to be a member of a 24 hour gym, but my gym that closed (before I moved here) was always super slow on Saturday afternoons, they probably close just so they won't have to pay the staff which is kinda sad :(. Glad you still got a good run in.
I ran about 15.5 miles this weekend, but not in snow. Just a little chilly yesterday and beautiful today, but a bit windy.
Living in the south must be nice so you don't have to worry about the snow. I would miss it lots, though.
DeleteGood lookin' hills! After our snowbound fun of the last 2 days, it was great to get out this morning. The only tough thing was that there was 0% traction. The roads just weren't cleared enough for smooth running. No worries though - the glasshalffull in me grabbed my trail shoes and headed out. Paying no attention to my Garmin time (which threw a low battery temper tantrum during my run), I ran for the fun of it and got in a solid 10 miles. Take that, Nemo!
ReplyDeleteGreat work on getting that 10 in on the snow! I have Yak Trax to put on the sole of my shoes, which I wear if I have to (esp on trails), but usually the roads are good enough that I do not need them.
DeleteMy runs are always pretty snowy these days, although today was much less snowy than usual (too warm!)!
ReplyDeleteThose tiny spikes are terrifying! Seems like it would be hard to get into a groove if you're constantly going up and down such short inclines/hills. Good luck with that!
I sometimes use the gym at my school (which has 15,000+ students but only THREE TREADMILLS), and it also has really crazy hours. Like, it'll be open for a couple of hours really early in the morning, and then maybe from 12:00 - 2:00, and sometimes after 5:00. It also seems to change every single day of the week. It's confusing enough that I generally try to steer clear.
Wow! Inconsistency in hours plus not knowing if you could get on a machine when you did go would definitely annoy me. I guess outside on the snow is what you have to do in Alaska!
DeleteUgh to the snow!!!
ReplyDeleteBummer about the gym hours - how do they get business??
Have you been to Austin before? If not, I hope you will be there long enough to explore - one of my favorite cities!!!
I have never been to Austin! I have heard great things about it and when the marathon seemed to fit so well in my schedule, how could I pass it up?
DeleteI get in Fri night and leave Tues morning so I hope 3 full days is enough time. The farmer's market is on my list of things to do on Sat. The nightlife will have to wait until Sunday, but I am sure there will be plenty of runners out celebrating, post-race :)
I wish we'd get some snow so i'd have to debate going out and running in it! But sadly, Seattle has gotten jipped this year on the snow. Dumb. And wow, a gym that closes at 6 on a Saturday night! I've never even heard of that but I guess I've been spoiled by 24 Hour Fitness :P
ReplyDeleteAh, you may not have snow but you get to live in Seattle, which is by far, one of the coolest cities in the country!
DeleteThat is definitely a super early closing time for a gym on Saturday! But, if it's anything like my gym, it's sooo empty friday/saturdays..but I'm there!! lol!
ReplyDeleteBest time to be there, right? When it is empty!
DeleteI tried running on the roads on Saturday morning, but kept getting sprayed with snow & salt from the cars going by :( I managed less than 5 miles out of my 10, so got the pleasure of running 10 on the treadmill on Sunday. That stinks that your gym closes at 6pm on Saturday, that is crazy early! There are many nights when I don't get to the gym until 7 or 8pm.
ReplyDeleteSo while I don't know the entire course by heart, I've seen a lot of it & think that most of the short hills are rollers more than steep inclines. There are a few of the latter; I believe the real asshat of a hill is smack in the middle of mile 26, a little before the finish line.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I'm going to drive the entire course maybe on Friday, to see the bits I haven't yet seen and get a mental roadmap. I got my butt handed to me by the hills in the Runners World Half this past fall (roughly 1,000 feet of total climb, ~300 more than I had ever done, even in a full). So I really want to know what I'm in for in ATX!