Boardwalk Empire

One of my favorite runs is the vacation run.  I enjoy trying to squeeze a run or two in when we're in vacation.  It's a great chance to break up the monotony of running in Central PA, burn a few of the undoubtedly huge amount of calories I've eaten or drank, and in some cases scout out our location.

This time, we were away for a few days (with help from very good Livingsocial deal) at a place we know pretty well, but in which we had never gone running -- Atlantic City, NJ.  Since we're considering the Atlantic City Half Marathon in October (I originally thought I might try to make my comeback a few months early and run the Marathon, but I think it's safe to say that ain't happening), I wanted to get some miles in.

Highs were in the mid-60s on Sunday, Monday, and today, so I was also hoping to enjoy some cooler running weather than we'd gotten here in York, where summer temperatures and humidity were in full swing last week.

I'd had vague plans of running both Monday morning and this morning (Tuesday), but having hung out "A Dam Good Sports Bar" for several hours where we celebrated the Orioles' 17-inning win over the hated Red Sox (in which their DH pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game), drowned Flyers-related sorrow, and watched the Phillies embarrass the Nationals, I found that sleeping in on Monday morning was very welcome.  

(Unfortunately after this completely epic win and winning 5 of 6 against the YankSox, the O's seem to have reverted to their 1998-2011 selves as they take on the Rangers.)

We had a fun day on Monday exploring the very cool new Revel casino, shopping in the AC Outlets, sampling the wares of the Tun Tavern Brewery, winning some money on penny slots, and eating dinner at a 75-year-old Irish pub (creatively named "The Irish Pub").  But my resolve was strengthened to pound the pavement -- mean Boardwalk --  this morning.

 (Home Sweet Casino)

(Revel)

I'd love to say I went out there and felt great, but I'd be lying. Two days of beer and bar food does not make for an excellent run, but still, I went 6.4 miles (splitting the difference between Garmin and dailymile maps) in 59:15, which I think is my second-longest run of the comeback. I started at our hotel, Resorts Hotel & Casino, and ran north just past Revel, which is the northernmost of the Boardwalk hotels, and then turned south and ran southbound to the Atlantic City-Ventnor border.  I felt not so good at for the first three but then headed south, but felt pretty good for the second half.  

 (Resorts seemed soooo far away, but it was really only about 2.5 miles north of here.)

I think I prefer a road or sidewalk to running on boardwalk, but it was nice to run somewhere different with interesting scenery.  It was another cool, windy morning but the sun was strong even at 7:00am, and I was very quickly sweating profusely.  It wouldn't surprise me to have similar weather on half-marathon day, but I think eating and hydrating much more smartly the day before will have a profound effect.


Now I need to focus on getting in good runs the rest of the week so that I feel fast and confident for HACC Dash on Sunday. I'm not in as good a shape as I was for it last year, but if we get a nice cool day I've shown that I'm capable of occasional bursts of speed so a PR might be in reach.  Supposedly there's twice as many entrants this year, so another age group medal is probably not in the cards.

Trouble in Paradise

After a busy running 2011, I have yet to log a single mile in 2012. That wasn't my intent, but a result of my leg problem seeming like it will be more trouble than I thought it would.

To recap, on Christmas Eve, I ran 4 miles, was struggling quite a lot, and drove right to the doctor's office when I saw a large bump on my leg where there shouldn't be one. I was diagnosed with varicose veins and the doctor recommended compression socks and putting my leg up as much as I could.

On December 26 at about 12:45am, Chris and I drove to Philadelphia to catch a flight to Jamaica, where we had the chance to spend a wonderful week at Couples Swept Away in Negril in celebration of our 10th anniversary.


It was an awesome trip with amazing sunsets, a gorgeous beach, and delicious food and drink. It was exactly the week of relaxation that I needed and we had a wonderful time, but I was not planning on being idle. Our resort had a jogging track and what it billed as the nicest gym on the island, and I brought ample workout gear.

My first run in Jamaica was a 7-miler on Tuesday morning. It seemed to go decently; the heat and humidity was a challenge and my legs felt tired, but the compression socks seemed to do their jobs very well. I had planned on running mostly along the beach, but I found that it took three minutes to run the whole length of the resort's beachfront walk and I didn't want to bother other guests on their way to and from breakfast by running back and forth along the resort's busiest path, so I opted for loops around the half-mile jogging course. It was a nice place to run, but the repetitiveness did make me long for my Shuffle, which I'd left at home.

While the run went well, my weird vein problem bothered me intermittently throughout the trip, and when I went for what I hoped would be my "long run" on Friday morning, I had to stop after three miles when my leg was just hurting too much to continue.


I'd planned to run one more time (Yasso 800s) on vacation, but decided to bag it and rest. The leg bothered me intermittently throughout the trip. I didn't completely rest, though. I lifted three times on the trip, and the gym was very nice and lifting is much more enjoyable when you're basically outside. Still, I definitely feel like I gained 10lbs on the trip!





Relaxation and fun was the point and in that regard it was a complete success. I am nervous about my next run, which will be tonight, though. It was kind of vacation where I now feel totally out of shape, but I know that feeling will quickly pass if I can get back on the roads. However, I also know that if I'm not able to have a good January, the Shamrock Marathon is a really dicey proposition for me. I wanted to do everything right for this one and kick butt, but right now I'll just be happy if I can run it and finish.

My plan for tonight is just 3-5 miles, but I think it will be a key data point as I wonder how worried I should be about my leg and how challenging it will be to manage. My leg is elevated and my fingers are crossed!

Running in Montreal

As I mentioned in my last post, we just got back from a great vacation in Montreal. Since I'm training (sort of) for the Philadelphia Marathon, I decided was going to try to get some runs, including a long run, in while we were away. I'd done my homework ahead of time, and found that either running the trails around Mt. Royal or looping around the trails of Jean Drapeau Park, on two islands between Longueuil and Montreal, would probably be my best options.

We drove up to Montreal from the Philadelphia area on Saturday. We waited in line at customs for almost two hours, got into our hotel in Longueuil, across the river from Montreal, at about 9:30. Exhausted, we probably weren't in bed until about 12:30.

Still, I got myself out the door at about six and headed for the stairway up to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. I began my run at the stop of the tall stairway, so the incline across the bridge, with a lower span which crosses to the Ile Sainte Helene and then a taller span that crosses over to Montreal, didn't seem so bad.

(Ile Sainte Helene and downtown Montreal as seen from the Jacques Cartier Bridge)

Once on the Montreal side, it seemed that the best route up to Mt. Royal park wasn't readily apparent. Since I wasn't familiar with any of the residential neighborhoods of Montreal, I decided to abandon this plan. Instead, I made a left onto Papineau, figuring that if I kept close to the river it would be hard for me to get lost. I followed Papineau through neighborhoods until reaching Rue Notre Dame at the Molson plant, where I made a right. I followed Rue Notre Dame for what seemed like quite a long way, and then turned left and ran two blocks to the waterfront as I entered what I learned later was Old Montreal.

(The Jacques Cartier Bridge seen from Papineau St.)

I ran along the quays, enjoying Montreal's picturesque waterfront area, until I reached the beginning of the Lachine Canal. I'd read that the trails along the canal were the best place to run in Montreal, but I was already about 5 miles into my run, so I only made it a little more than a mile down the canal before heading back.

(The Lachine Canal and downtown Montreal)

To return to Longueuil, I reversed the same course, finding the climb up the Cartier Bridge from ground level much more difficult on the return. I also turned off the bridge onto the Ile d Sainte Helene to add some distance through Jean Drapeau Park.

Big mistake. The trails through middle of the park feature some of the steepest hills I've ever run on, the equals of the Dreaded Druid Hills 10K, but this time 11 miles into a run. Still, it was beautiful and interesting scenery, as I saw a fox and Montreal's Biosphere. I also forgot to turn Garmin back on as I paused for a photo break, so I'm ultimately unsure the exact length of this run. It read 13 miles as I reached my starting point back on the Longueuil side of the bridge. I don't think it was 14. It felt more like 20. A tough run, but one of the best ever in terms of neat things seen while running. That won't help me on marathon day, but it made it a humid Montreal morning run more fun.

(Pauly Shore was nowhere to be found.)

I would take a shorter, less interesting run on Tuesday, and then abort a planned run later in the trip to give my tired legs a chance to recover. I'm used to running and then sitting and working all day, not walking for hours.

Personnes son Jercs
As I do at home, I greeted fellow runners or cyclists (cheaters!) with a friendly "bonjour!", one of a handful of French words that I know. Very few returned my greeting. A cyclist on Ile Sainte Helene was very nice though, cheerfully pointing out the fox. Unfortunately, the noise of his brakes is probably what prevented me from getting a picture of the animal, but he meant well.

Montreal as a Running City
Montreal apparently doesn't have the best reputation as a running city. However, I found it to be pleasant. The waterfront is beautiful and flat, with parkland out on the quays that unfortunately I missed. The Lachine Canal trail was very pretty, though, and also flat. Once away from the water, Montreal is extremely hilly. It's not called "Flatreal" for a reason. You're not going to have to search far for hills.

Montreal is a GREAT city for biking, perhaps the best I've ever seen. There are bike lanes, separated from automobile traffic by barricades, in high traffic areas, and these are used by runners as well. I'm not sure if I was breaking some taboo by running on the bike paths in Montreal, but I saw many other runners on the bike paths on the Longueuil side during a flatter, more boring 10-mile run on Tuesday.

If you're looking for a great vacation spot and want a place where you can get some runs in, I highly recommend Montreal.