2018 Running Year in Review (or lack of running)

This is a summary of 2018.  I moved from Orlando to New York City in January.  I did not run when I got here.  There was too much to do including getting used to a new job.

I ran a few times in the spring and just like in Orlando, I cut out almost all running in the summer.  This was due to working too many hours at the day job and the heat in the city.  Surprisingly, it gets very hot in NYC in the summer.  It's not what you would think.  It's like an oven in that all the concrete holds the heat.  That's my theory.

This fall, I started running a little more.  I may have missed one or two workouts, but I generally ran with MapMyRun tracking.  Here's what it says...

Oct 1 - 3.03 miles
Oct 3 - 3.14 miles
Oct 5 - 4.00 miles
Oct 8 - 5.00 miles
Oct 10 - 3.41 miles
Oct 15 - 4.00 miles
Oct 16 - 4.01 miles
Oct 26 - 4.16 miles
Nov 1 - 4.00 miles
Nov 2 - 3.72 miles
Nov 5 - 6.00 miles
Nov 10 - 4.01 miles
Nov 12 - 6.22 miles

In October, most of the runs were 4:00 running with 2:00 walking.  As of Oct 26, I switched up the workouts to 4:30 running with 2:00 walking.  As of the Nov 12 workout, the 4:30 is starting to feel easy.  I only start to feel a little out of breath when running uphill, so that's normal.  I think I am ready to switch things up.  I don't know if I want to increase the running to 5:00 or lower the rest.  Maybe a combo of lowering the rest and the running portion.  Since I am not ready to start any kind of speed work, it is probably best to keep slowly increasing the running time and go with 5 minutes.

Running these intervals (slow intervals) has been a pain since I started, because I was always looking at my phone to check the time.  I started thinking that there has to be a better way to do this.  I thought that maybe I could go through the process of building an app for the phone that allows me to enter split times and the device would beep as needed.  The smart thing to do here is see if someone already invented that wheel.  Sure enough, it has been done.  There is an app (at least on iPhone/AppStore) called Intervals.  It is created by Fourthframe Technologies.

Also, it is notable to mention the weather.  The temps stayed hot longer than normal (so the natives tell me) and the cold temps came on faster than normal.  So, I had to buy some winter running gear (and there may be more like a balaclava or neck warmer) and that has helped.  In October, the temps were cool in the 50's and 60's in the early evening, so I was running on my lunch breaks in shorts and T-shirts.  That's a nice break in the middle of a shift (working nights and lunch is around sundown).  It is dark by 4:45pm now, so I have switched to running during the days.  The temps have generally been in the 40's the past couple weeks.

And another big note, I signed up for the New York Road Runners today.  2018 marks their 60th year.  This is the organization that puts on the New York City Marathon and I'm guessing they are the largest event organizer in the city for fitness/running.  It's not a running club, though.  There are plenty of those.  I would like to get in the Central Park Track Club, but I need to get in better shape and hopefully get my times down before attempting that.