Armed with our Polar Heart Rate Monitors, our group set out on a snowy Tuesday evening for an interval run on the 72nd Street transverse in Central Park. Rusty from a cold weekend in New York, my running has certainly taken a hit as a result of these freezing days. Coach Mindy instructed we complete a long run on Saturday, which was quite a challenge considering it was sixteen degrees (one degree with the windchill) when I woke up on Saturday morning. Feeling defeated, I swallowed my pride and ran the six miles on the treadmill. I was elated when I saw temperatures in the thirties for our Tuesday evening run, as I couldn’t bear another cold day just yet.
We stretched in front of Bethesda Fountain and then made our way to our starting point toward the East side of the park. After splitting up into groups, we warmed up for a few minutes and began our three sets, with three intervals each. For each interval we ran at different heart rate intensities, or RPEs (Rate of Perceived Exertion) if we didn’t have a heart rate monitor. I myself am in the process of getting mine to actually read my heart rate, so I had to go by the RPE scale. I have a pretty good sense (I think?) of my exertion rate, as I have completed many races and know my potential speed and endurance levels. I can see how the RPE scale would be challenging, though, for new runners. How does one know just how fast they are able to run? Heck, I might even be totally unaware, which makes me determined to get my heart rate monitor up and running before Saturday’s long run.
By the end of our three sets, the snow was falling and Central Park was quiet. Assistant Coach Charlotte led our group for a short cool-down along Literary Walk, quizzing our group on which literary figures are found along the path and asking us to recite some Shakespeare, too. The path was quiet besides us rambling runners on a quick cool-down, and a wonderful sense of completion (and exhaustion) came over me. Central Park at night in the snow (after a tiring interval run!) is truly a wonderful place to be.
With balmy temperatures in the thirties once again today, I’m off for a short recovery run. And later, an evening workshop at The Running Center — more on that later!
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