Last run of 2009!

Back on the West Coast! Loved taking a break and discovering a new park to run in, but I am so excited for 2010! Hit Lake Street with Dan for a 5 mile run that included Mountain Lake Park. I took it easy, figuring this is the last week for any excuses. 2010 will be about NO EXCUSES.

My running related New Year's resolutions will be:

1. PR in a marathon (better than 4:51). Should be possible with Sarah's training schedule!
2. PR in a 1/2 marathon (better than 2:20)
3. Add 2 or 3 days of strength training a week.
4. Improve my pace. This one is a little abstract, but I just want to generally push myself to be faster. If I can keep up with Sarah on regular long runs, (non pace) that would be good.

Happy New Year!!!!!

On second thought...

The sun is shining so I decided to get my butt outside for a run. We are staying at Dan's brother's house in the Bronx, right across the street from Pelham Bay Park so off I went this morning for an easy 4 mile run. There's a really nice track over there, so I did 2 miles on the track, and about 2 miles there and back. Today and tomorrow we will be somewhere in the Hamptons (!) so I will try and do my long week day run there to start the week off on a good note - Tuesday we fly back to San Francisco.

Winter Break

Can a blizzard, a few hoagies and serious family visiting stop this runner in her tracks? Oh yes. I have to admit I've taken a nice winter break from running this past week or so. I know I will pay the price next week and the first week or so of marathon training but I'm thinking of it as a nice deep breath before diving in to marathon training and serious bride boot camp!

Oh and Happy Holidays!!

Misty Tempo

I'm leaving for the east coast on Thursday (whoohooo!!) so I'm trying to cram my runs in before I go. I suspect there will be much merriment and not much running in the 10 days I am home. My goal is to get three runs in next week at home, with no long run. Sarah and I start marathon training on Jan 4th so I'm thinking this will be a nice little break before the torture, I mean "fun" begins.

So yesterday I did my 75 minute run down Lake Street extra early and I must have been missing the track because i did a 800 in the middle, mostly because I was running so slowly and I had an early meeting I had to get to. That was pretty fun though. This morning I woke up to the sound of the rain but was determined to get my 60 minute tempo workout in (20 mins at tempo pace). I think my tempo pace needs a little work and I hope to improve in the New Year. I ran along Chrissy Field trail to the "Hoppers Hands" sign for a nice misty yet flat run. It was pretty quiet down there - just me, a cop car, a few runners and some birds.

The Great Highway

Along Ocean Beach in San Francisco is a sometimes windy, foggy, sandy, soggy road that is called the Great Highway. Many marathons, races and training runs hit this road because it's flat, scenic and has a great paved trail along it. It's not very long, but it adds a few miles to a run through the Golden Gate Park. Sarah and I have a love hate relationship with this trail. I think we love it because it's a no brainer - you don't have to worry about traffic or hills. But we hate it because it can be cold and very boring. It's hard to avoid it though because San Francisco is notorious for a lack for flat roads to run.

You can get an idea that this area is historic by looking at the crumbling promenade even before you hike up the hill to the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. The historic Playland Amusement Park used to draw people here, but now surfers and people walking their dogs are typically who you see along the beach and in the water. But when it's really warm out it can get crowded with people who are flying kites, sun bathing and otherwise looking for a typical California beach experience.

So this takes me to yesterday's run - down Arguello Blvd through the Golden Gate Park (a mild down hill) and along the Great Highway for a bit and then back home.

The 13 mile run wasn't bad, even with the rain that was of course at its worse along the Great Highway. My toes got a cold soaking in a few puddles but the rain never really got bad until I was back home. Today, I'm going to tempt the rain again and head out for my last run of the week, an hour run down Presidio.

It's cold outside!

Ran in the new capris, gloves, long sleeved top this morning. Felt like I was on the east coast except for the lack of sarcasm in the air (I heart sarcasm). My legs never seemed to warm up and I don't think my brain did either because I was supposed to run 75 mins, but during the return trip back (from the out and back) I had thought that I had to run for 1 hour 25 mins which is 85 mins, so I thought that I must have ran back a lot quicker. Felt good about that and did a few extra hills,   until my brain finally warmed up and I realized that I was supposed to run until 1 hour 15 mins. Duh. At least I got a little extra millage in.

The prognosis on the capris is that they are probably great for normal Bay Area weather, but not this east coast coldness we've been having. I took a very long hot shower to warm up and then overdressed for work.

Cold, windy, raining and a rainbow!

Weather was at its most interesting again today. I didn't know what to wear or expect but it kept me going during the tempo. Again, I put off my speed workout until the day after a long run - silly to do this I know, but I've been taking advantage of Sundays as run days more lately. The tempo went well. I'm hoping for a 2:10 or 2:15 1/2 marathon in Feb (Kaiser half) so that's what I'm using to figure out my tempo times.

Also ran again with Dan which was nice. After we went to Sports Basement and I finally broke down and bought running capris - I'm the type of person to run in shorts all year long in San Francisco, but it seems really cold lately and I think my legs deserve a warm up. Should be motivation for my next run, probably on Tuesday.

Saturday I ran in Oakland with Sarah. I've been doing all of my long runs alone, so it was nice to get lost in our chats and my pace was faster which was nice. I felt a little tired after but still managed to run today. I'm taking tomorrow off from running :)

7 months till I get married, 5 months till my next marathon

I got three emails from wedding planning sites trying to freak me out about my wedding - my favorite is: "7 months to go - book your florist now or forever hold your peace!" Way scary. I'm wondering what running websites would send: "5 months until the marathon - get off the couch!" But I don't think they do that. It's funny to have two big events that seem way off in the future but right around the corner at the same time. I'm "training" for both by getting in shape, deep breathing, concentrating on one thing at a time.

And no, I didn't run on Monday to get my 100 miles for November. I went home and relaxed and ate cookies with Dan. I did get two runs in this week already, so I'm on schedule. I'm running with Sarah on Saturday in Oakland and we are going dress shopping. Fun times. I'm wondering how I fit a full time job into my wedding and marathon training?

Should I run tonight just to top 100 miles this month?

So this month I've run more than I have since July when I was at the peak of marathon training. While not officially training for a marathon until January (although I am following a schedule called "tranica" that Sarah made me so I wouldn't be a sloth between now and then), I have been running regularly and have managed to log 99.6 miles this month. Was going to wait until tomorrow for my first run of the week, but this may tempt me tonight when I get home from work. Stay tuned :)

Sunday Steady State

Today I did my first "Steady State" run - a speed that's slightly slower than a tempo, and was 25 mins long during the middle of a 60 minute run. I did my long run yesterday, so I didn't have high expectations of what my legs could handle. I feel like I did pretty good - it helped that Dan ran with me and that the weather was beautiful. It's not too ideal to do this run after a long run but I thought it wouldn't hurt (well not too much) to try and squeeze it in and close out the week. I feel pretty good and now I have an excuse to relax the rest of the day and drink mimosas, right??

Windy Post Thanksgiving Long Run

November in San Francisco can be warm, rainy, cold, windy, foggy or all of the above. Mostly it's about 65 and sunny and that's pretty much what it was yesterday, except for the wind. I ran against it on my way to Marin over the Golden Gate Bridge, and it carried me back to San Francisco, almost lifting me off my feet at times. Tres gusty! That was the fun part. Then I ran the rest of the 13 miles, getting the mileage wrong and running an extra .5. I think anything over about 11 miles hurts. Or at least that's how I feel right now because it's the longest I've run in 4 months. In January when I start my marathon training again, I'm sure I'll be wishing for a Saturday with only 13 miles to run!!

It was really nice though and made me relax for the rest of the day, since I didn't have much energy for anything else.

Good luck Amber and all of the Philadelphia Marathoners

My cousin Amber is running in the Philadelphia Marathon tomorrow and it's her first marathon. I am so proud of her. She has an hour commute to work each way everyday and a three year old, yet she managed to get all of her long runs in! I have a fiance, a commute and a cat and I can barely keep up with running.

Can't wait to hear how it goes! Send her your good running thoughts :)

Running on empty, with a full tank of stress

The past month has been filled with work stress and I've been doing my best to run through it. Work has been stressful, as I'm sure it is for most people. I love my job, but sometimes working so hard just wears me down and I just want to have a power cry. Maybe this is all because I am not training for a marathon - that always proves as a good stress reliever and distraction. Luckily, after the holidays, the training will commence and all will be well again. I'll have sore legs to complain about :)

Running wise, I'm just taking the same routes over and over lately. I think this is something I have control over and it's comforting to know what I can expect. On the weekends, I usually head over the Golden Gate Bridge. Seeing all of the tourists, bikers and runners always makes me calm.

Power running

Becky, my BFF/Matron of Honor/wedding cake designer flew out from Philly last week to see me. After a busy week at work, we had a busy weekend getting some planning done. She even played around with cake design, since she has so sweetly offered to make my wedding cake. I decided to drag her along on my long run on Saturday, thinking she could bike beside me. I run much slower than she bikes, and she had to go on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was pretty fun and the weather was great.

Congrats to Sarah!

My running buddy Sarah ran the NYC Marathon in 4:07 yesterday. She did this after having run the SF marathon only 3 months ago!! She is a rock star.

I had some of my own victories last week, having gotten back into a running routine. I ran 4 times last week and ended with a 8 mile run through Golden Gate Park yesterday that was really nice. I ran with my ipod for the first time in awhile and I think that really helped my pace.

Happy November!

Monday early morning run

I was out running with all of the other early birds this morning. The key is to wake up, put on running clothes and head out of the door before any other thoughts enter the mind. I've done this a million times before, but for some reason, lately it seems darker and colder out and I feel lazier and lazier. But I succeeded in ignoring the lazy devil on my shoulder and left the house in time for an hour long run. It was really nice - I got to see glimpses of the bay, the sun rise, and people setting off to start their days.

Intervention Successful! I have quit the couch (for now)

Not that I've been a complete sloth - I have been running a few times a week and doing the 30 day shred a bit but I could see myself slipping into the couch more and more. Yesterday, Sarah staged an intervention. I think she was afraid she's lost her running buddy. She's got the NYC Marathon next week so she's maintained her running hardcore like while I've taken a bit of a break. So, over pizza and gelato, she created a plan to get me in shape for our marathon training which starts on Jan 2nd. I will be back to running 4 days a week and I'm hoping to keep doing the dvd to help with abs and arm stuff.

The intervention worked and I ran 9 miles today from my house down lake street to Baker Beach, halfway over the Golden Gate Bride and back through the Presidio. It was warm, sunny and great. Glad to be back, hope I don't fall off the wagon.

Shredding!

Normally I use the word "shredding" to apply to my snowboarding skills (or 12 year old snowboarder vocabulary) - in this case, I'm using it to apply to the 20 minute workout dvd, 30 day shred. I'm using this as a punishment for not running or as a way to tone muscles I've forgotten about. Also, it's something I can do when it's rainy or dark out. The first day I did it I felt like I released all of the lactic acid of the world into my blood stream and it made me loopy. Yesterday wasn't so bad. I have to remember to drink water after. Since I gave up the idea of training for any races this fall, I'm going to try and maintain some level of fitness, so the May Marathon won't break me. Running, I have not forgotten about you!

Go Phillies, Go Brad Lidge and just go

I am a Phillies fan, turned also A's and Giants fan, and lately, I'm just back to being a good old Phillies fan. Sorry California teams, but my roots are strong. Watching the Phillies last week really made me nervous - I really wanted them to advance to the NLCS. But what really struck me, was the manager taking a chance on a relief pitcher named Brad Lidge. My Dad's face turned grey when the manager brought out Lidge in the 8th or 9th inning when the Phillies were finally ahead of the Rockies. He said "Here we go. I've seen this too many times - Lidge giving up the game." But Lidge actually saved the game, even though no one but the coach had faith in him. This happened again the next day when it was really important, and the Phillies went on to win that series. How the manager had faith in someone who showed him this season he should not have any faith, with everyone in Philadelphia against Lidge, really amazed me beyond words. I wonder if Lidge even had faith in himself?

Anyway, I found this really inspirational, especially as I have not been running at all and when I have, I am molasses slow. But I think I can bounce back if I keep going, especially with very supportive people around...

I'm still here

Had more family visiting, took almost two weeks off running etc. I know it's bad but I just had to let it happen. I dropped my family off at the airport, so tomorrow morning, I'll have no excuses - I'll just have to get up and run. Actually, I am looking forward to it. Even I guess if it rains.

Ran through the Summer, and now it's Fall

The past week and a half have been going well, running wise. I've managed to bring my running back to 4 times a week. It's a bit harder in the fall as the light sky appears later in the morning and sneaks out early at night - I'm also finding it harder to get out of bed even thought it hasn't gotten all that colder. I think this is mostly because it's been very foggy and misty most mornings.

Tomorrow I am running my first over 10 miler since July - 12.5 miles with 4 miles at half marathon pace. My pace has been back to a snails pace lately, so maybe this will snap be out of it. In fact, I'm not really feeling like I'm going to set a new PR, but I will set my sights on it...

Running up that hill

This morning I did the first hill workout for my 1/2 Marathon Training. Since the 1/2 is in a month and a half, every workout counts! I ran up the hill 5 times (after a warm up) - the first few were slow but by the end I was doing ok. I just have to keep reminding myself to get my butt out there!

The smell of Fall in the air is helping. Can you believe we only have a few official last days of Summer left?

Back with a bang!

Saturday morning at 5am I woke up with a bang - the loudest thunder I have ever heard caused me to wake up gasping for air with my heart pounding. Dan went out of the bedroom to see what it was because he said maybe it was a gun going off. Probably not the safest thing to do but very brave. He came back and said it was thunder and it was raining, very strange for September in San Francisco. The lightening storm continued as Sarah started her 19 mile run and I joined her at mile 12 so I could run 7 miles. It was hailing, rainy, foggy and humid. I staggered along still trying to get back into running shape. After our run, we saw that PG&E had closed off my street. I asked them what happened and they pointed me to the corner. The lightening hit a transformer and jumped to the two cars next to it and melted the fronts of both and set them on fire. Crazy.

This week has been slightly more uneventful. Dan and I did a 5 mile run to Mountain Lake on Monday and today I hope to do a hill workout after work. Friday is a tempo run and Sunday is 10 miles. Next week I will get back into 5 runs a week until I do a slight taper for the US Half Marathon on Nov 1st. I don't really have a time goal for that race, I just want to stay in shape and hopefully maintain it over the holidays because on Jan 1st I am going to start really getting in shape for the May 2 Avenue of the Giants Marathon and then for my wedding on July 3rd :)

Back on the Track!

I have been slow, ever so slow in getting back into things since the marathon. I always forget that it's hard to get back into the swing of things sometimes after the big day. Sarah has the NYC marathon to run for, but I slowly realized I had to take a break from 26.2 to focus on some other thing. Oh my excuses, they are aplenty! But, but! This week looks good so far! Monday I ran 5 miles, today I did a track workout with Sarah (she kicked butt!) and I realized although I am slightly out of shape, I'm not that bad. I am also going to sign up for the US Half Marathon in SF in Nov, the same day as Sarah's Marathon so I can still run some of her long runs with her.

Friday is a 5 mile run and on Saturday I will do 7 - Sarah's last 7 miles of her 19 mile run!

PS I did 4 800's and a 400.

PSS Here's a pic from where I am getting married next July!

Bike to work!

After two weeks of near slothdom (one run per week only), I decided to get off my lazy butt and do something. We had family staying with us for 10 days, so I was using that as an excuse, but now they are back on the east coast so my excuses are gone. Bummer.

I decided to bike to the train station - a 4.2 almost all downhill ride. I got there pretty fast and the route that the bike route planner chose had bike lanes so it was a pretty sweet ride. Tonight it will be mostly up hill so it won't be as sweet, but at least I'll get my workout in!

Wine Tasting is my new sport

Dan's brother and wife Jen were in town so we headed to Murphys for some wine tasting, my new favorite endurance sport. We started tasting at around 11am and went until about 3. You can drive to wineries outside of the downtown area, or choose to just visit tasting rooms on Main Street (mostly free). Everyone was friendly and helpful and there are plenty of restaurants around as well.

The next sport was swimming and lounging in the hot tub followed by eating lots of cheese. These new sports did not make me lose any weight for sure, but I did lose a lot of stress. I promise to get back on the running/swimming/biking wagon this week.

Family Visiting + Wedding Planning = excuses to not run

I need motivation! I went on a great run Monday night but yesterday and today I am in vacation mode (while working) since family is in town and we are just plain old celebrating. I hope to get back into the groove of it after the weekend. We are heading up to Gold Country for some wine tasting and exploring. I may get a warm early morning run in if possible.

Excuses, excuses. I don't know why end of summer makes me lose motivation?

Running, swimming, biking, repeat

It's Sunday, the end of a beautiful weekend and I'm left pondering the fall race season. Yes, I was (am?) planning on doing a Triathlon in September and the Philly Marathon in November. Mostly I am (was?) planning on running the Philly Marathon so I could train with Sarah who is doing the NYC marathon, and so I could run with Amber in Philly. What's changed since I came to this decision? The biggest thing is that I got engaged and now am spending some time planning the wedding. Since it will be on the east coast, I am planning it from across the country, and that will probably take up a bit of my time. Also, I started biking and swimming and this has turned out to be pretty fun and not as tiring as long runs (mostly because I am biking and swimming pretty slowly). After my 8 mile run I found myself to be really tired. I didn't really have energy to do all of the other things I should have been doing. It made me wonder if I was ready to get back into training for another marathon so soon. I look at my fall training schedule, and it looks a bit daunting - three of the weeks I will have family in town and since Sarah's marathon is sooner, we won't get to do all of our training runs together. So that's my confession - I am tired. I think I'm going to think about it for another week. If I don't do the marathon, I'll probably do the US Half, and shoot for a really good time, so I won't be sitting at home all fall eating bon bons...

Ps. Saturday's 8 mile run was really nice. I ran from my house to the Presidio and over the Golden Gate Bridge and back. Today I biked 15 miles with my friend Jessica through the Golden Gate Park and down to Ocean Beach and back. I'm loving the bike rides with Jess. It's a fun way to catch up with her and is cheaper than our normal pedicure dates :)

Bricks!

This week is still sort of a rest week before training for the Philly Marathon, although I have also designated it as the first week of Tri Training. I don't know if any of this is a good idea, and during today's run I contemplated not doing one of those events (if not both of those events). I took my first crack at a Brick Workout this morning. After biking for 30 minutes my legs did feel heavy during a 30 minute run. It could be the fact that I haven't had enough water, or that biking just makes my legs heavy (need to get in shape). I also thought about Ironmans (not that I am training for one!) - in an Ironman people run a marathon after swimming a long distance and biking 100 miles so I should be able to get my butt in gear for a tri. I think it will be a challenge.

Back in the pool!

Saturday I went for a 60 minute easy run along Chrissy field and I was not the only one out there enjoying the heat and sunshine. The See Jane Run runners were out there preparing for the triathlon in September. I plan on doing the triathlon the week before that one and have not really started training yet, so that was a good reminder that I have to get on it!

Sunday I went to the beach in Marin for some much needed relaxation (yeah, life is hard) and then I went for a 30 minute swim at the JCC. I slept so soundly last night. I forgot how wonderful swimming is...

Running up and down the Lyon Street Stairs and more!

Since I couldn't find parking the other night, I parked way up on Lyon street by the steps. I figured that was good motivation for coming back in the morning as part of an "easy run." I've felt a bit of inertia since the marathon, along with a hunger for pizza and other cheese products - running up the steps shook me out of that for sure...

No more fog in the sky

The fog left San Francisco today! Blue Skies everywhere! Alert the presses. I went on an easy run that didn't feel as easy as it should have. It was a good reminder to take it easy these next few weeks. I planning on adding swimming and biking so I can do a tri for fun (well, a try for real but I am doing it for fun) and hopefully that will help out my muscles. Maybe I'm crazy for adding that into my fall plans, but I thought it would be a nice diversion from thinking about planning my wedding for next July. I'm sure friends will get sick of me talking about it, so at least I can talk about triathlon and marathon training too :)

Giving Lance Armstrong a run for his money, or a laugh...

Thought I'd add some cross training into my life. My friend Jessica is loaning me her old hybrid bike with road tires since she upgraded to a sweeter ride. Yesterday we went on the Berkeley Bay Trail to Richmond, about a 16 mile ride. It was around 6pm - the fog and wind was kicking up a little bit. We chatted the whole time and enjoyed the view of the bay. I must say it was nice to be done a 16 mile workout and not feel any soreness - who knew low impact sports can be fun! I'm going to try biking to the train station instead of driving to work. I'm thinking about doing a triathlon in Fremont in September if I can add biking and swimming into my schedule.

As far as running goes, I plan on doing 3 or 4 easy runs this week and the next two before really beginning marathon training again. Crazy...

A Great Marathon Weekend

This overdue race report will begin a few days before the marathon...



Here's a video that sums it up as well

Thursday July 23

I work up in the middle of the night and never went back to sleep. My mind was racing while I was thinking about racing. I read too much about getting a PR and I just froke out. Friday morning I decided to just go out and have a lovely time and forget about getting a huge PR.

Friday July 24

Friday I woke up pretty exhausted and worked from home. Sarah and I met up and went to the Marathon expo. We met Bart Yasso who gave us some tips about track workouts. It was really exciting, especially for two running nerds like me and Sarah. Afterwards we went to Goat Hill Pizza for some carbo loading.

In the afternoon, I finished up some work and hung out with Dan. He then headed out to go to happy hour with some friends. I told him to not wake me up when he came home. I implored him, "I need sleep for the marathon!"

At about 11:30 I heard Dan come in. He came into the bedroom and put a ring on my finger and left the room. I said "What did you just do." He thought I'd just wake up with the ring on my finger. It was like a dream, partially because I was still dreaming and partially because I was very happy. Of course since I had just gotten engaged, I could not fall asleep.


Saturday July 25

I woke up and had to call everyone I knew to tell them the news. I laid on the couch all day, talking on the phone and looking at magazines. It was nice to just relax the day before the race. We went to Ella's for pancakes and had pasta for dinner. I went to bed at 8 and fell asleep at 9. It was a pretty good night sleep considering.

THE DAY OF THE RACE!

Woke up at 4 feeling fairly well rested. I ate some wheat toast and had coffee, called a cab and got my stuff together and went downstairs to wait. The cab NEVER Came. They don't let you reserve it the night before, but when I called in the morning they said they'd be right there. Maybe I came down too late, I'll never know. Then I walked to the corner and looked for cabs. I saw a girl at the bus stop who was heading toward the marathon as well and she gave me $2 for the bus since I didn't think to bring cash. Then we saw a cab and decided to share it. Two other girls ran over and asked if they could join us. So the four of us got to the start at around 5:50. I knew Sarah would be nervous waiting but she was a trooper and was just glad that I got there.

We ate a gel and waited at the start. 6:06 and we were off!

Miles 1-5

This section takes you from the ferry building, along Fisherman's Wharf (with the smell of sourdough bread), up Fort Mason, down past Chrissy Field and then up a pretty decent size hill to the Golden Gate Bridge. I tried starting out slow and I felt pretty good.

Miles 6-10

I should look this up to be exact, but I think these miles take you over the Golden Gate Bridge and towards the park. I still felt good. The bridge was super hectic and misty, slippery a bit but ok. Running up and down the bridge (it's hilly) felt pretty good. At some point I realized I was behind by 3 minutes on my pace band. I'm not sure if my garmin just caught up with the satelittes or what, but I don't know how I got behind. I didn't worry about it that much, I think I was still excited from being engaged. I think it calmed me in some weird way.

Miles 11-15

Still feeling good. Running in Golden Gate Park felt like being in the Blair Witch Project - the route kept going in circles and I would have been lost had it not been for the other runners around me. I felt trapped in the park for hours. I still felt pretty good. Was about 7 minutes behind my time goal at that point but felt ok.

Miles 16-20

I felt pretty strong until around mile 19. I just felt faint all of a sudden and decided to walk for about 15 seconds. I drank some gateorade and felt better. That was the wall for me for a short time. I recovered but didn't push it as much as we left the park and headed down haight. Dan was supposed to meet me at mile 20 with coke and m&m's but we somehow missed each other. I just kept going and knew that I'd see him eventually. This was a good downhill portion too.

Miles 21- finish!


The hills never stop. I am getting tired but still ok. At around mile 24-25 I run into my friend Lora who runs with me for awhile. I must have seemed manic and cried, "I am sooo happy to see you! Don't make fun of my form." I had heard that you should use your upper body at the end so I was running weirdly. Right before I saw her I was picked up the pace a bit. We chatted for that mile and she let me take off. I was so thankful to see her.

I finished pretty strongly at 4:51. Congrats to Sarah who finished at 4:19!

I think I could have pushed harder for the last 4 miles or so but some kind of survival instinct kicked in after I felt faint and I didn't push it as hard. I felt better then I ever have at the end. Sarah's training plan worked wonders. I know now for the next marathon I just have to do more speedwork, more miles and maybe some cross training and I can get toward my goal of 4:30.

What's next?

I'm running the Philadelphia Marathon in November. Sarah is running NYC a few weeks before so I thought we could somewhat train together. My cousin is running the Philly marathon with me - it's her first marathon so it should be really fun.

Survived and PR'd Marathon #6!

This is just a note to tell you I survived and had a new PR for the San Francisco Marathon 2009! Very stoked and will report soon.

Got engaged on Friday so that put a great spin on the marathon and the rest of the weekend :)

Off we go!

Eating toast and drinking coffee. Everything is in my race bag and ready to go!

You can find me along the route by going here and typing in 7404.

See you in 26.2 miles!

Inspiration #2

I got really lazy with posting inspirational thoughts. But here's a good one I found:


"The marathon's about being in contention over the last 10K. That's when it's about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what's left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon."

Rob de Castella

I’m just going to go out there and have a really lovely time

I woke up at 4 am - perhaps I am trying to get used to waking up at that hour so on Sunday it will seem like a breeze? No, it's just nerves. I've been going over the run over and over in my head. Last night I started reading a marathon training book that I just bought (somehow thought I needed another one) and was reminded that even shaving off 10 minutes from a PR is a big deal and here I am trying to shave off 30! Crazy? Ambitious? I don't know. So I decided to not worry about it. I've run 5 marathons and they've all been around 5 hours, but so what? It's always a challenge to just finish them and I still always go back for more. Isn't that enough? Then I remembered all of the training I've been doing, how I've been running 5 times a week, tempo runs, hill workouts, track workouts, etc etc and maybe it will just give me the push I need to somehow do better. So now I'm just forgetting about all of it and going to do my best. F the PR - I'll see how I do and just try and push harder at the end with whatever I have. Now I just have to REST and eat and drink right, hope the nerves go away. I'm just going to channel Katie Holmes who last night apparently sang and danced on So you think you can dance. When interviewed about getting the job, she was asked "Are you not terrified? Are you not scared out of your mind?" she said "I’m just going to go out there and have a really lovely time." I think that sounds lovely. Of course, dancing and singing to a Judy Garland song is probably one of the furthest things from running a marathon, but oh wells. They both require a certain amount of grace and guts.

Bang your head

People ask me if I am nervous about Sunday's "run" (MARATHON), I say it's nerves more than feeling nervous. To me, nervous is something that you are aware of, where nerves just kind of sneak in when you are doing other things. For example, I banged my head the last two days very stupidly. Luckily, I am combating the nerves by keeping busy working, watching Big Brother, and one trip to Kabuki with my friend Lora. She is a fellow runner who convinced me to go to Dosa last night (where I banged my head again). It was nice to get out. I feel like the last few weeks of marathon training makes you feel like a recluse.

Just a few more days to go until Sunday - water, carbs, potassium and protein are my best friends. And hopefully sleep...

Mini track workout

Back to the track one last time before the marathon! We did 3 400's at a somewhat slower pace. We went on a different day so I didn't get to see the regulars - my favorites are three women runners with a former Olympian coach. The coach once gave me a tip that I literally keep with me every time I run (don't work so hard, relax your shoulders) and one of the women always tells me to "run her down" meaning to catch up with Sarah. Despite them not being there, it was a pretty good last track workout.

Week of the 2009 San Francisco Marathon!

This time next week I'll be stumbling drunk up and down the stairs, not from booze but from post marathon side affects. Bring it on!

Sarah found a great website that allows you to plug your goal time to create a pace band. You can select the time of start you want (slow, slow/med) and it calculates what you need to do at each mile. Basically it has you starting slow for a few miles, running a little faster than your goal for most of the middle of the run, and then slower at the end giving you a cushion in case you slow down. I think it will help assure us in the beginning that it's ok to start slow.

This week we are running a 35 minute easy run, 3 400's at the track during a 45 minute easy run, and a 30 minute jog on Friday.

Two 1/2 marathons!

Is there any way I can trick myself into thinking I am only doing a 1/2 marathon, then have amnesia and do it again? Both my brain and legs would feel fresh, yet I'm half done. I am going to try and trick myself into thinking that.

Faster than fog

After last week's track workout I felt like I didn't need to bust my butt anymore until the day of the marathon. Sarah, my overachieving, perfectionist, hardcore runner, running buddy is relentless about making the marathon day seem "easy" so she made sure even this week our plan would include a real workout. So after work I picked up Dan and went to Chrissy Field for the last tempo workout of training. The bridge was yet again eaten by the fog monster, but the wind was at our backs during the 20 minute 1/2 marathon pace portion, so all went well. I split the 20 minutes into 5 minute segments so I could track each - I got faster for each segment and didn't feel exhausted at the end. I stopped cursing Sarah as I realized that this faster pace did indeed somehow (how?) feel, dare I say it? Easy!

Also, Sarah sent me this article about pre marathon tips. I plan on utilizing them figuring I need all the help I can get.

ps. We only have four runs this week - 50 easy, 45 tempo, 40 easy/med, and an easyish 8 miler on Saturday.

12 Mile run along the Crystal Springs/Sawyer Camp Trail

It felt a little like vacation today on our 12 mile run on the Crystal Springs/Sawyer Camp Trail, the second to last weekend run before the San Francisco Marathon. We experienced beautiful views of the Crystal Springs Watershed, fog covering green hills, and deer crossing the trail. The paved 6 mile trail ends at the San Andreas Trail for a 12 mile out and back route. Bikers, groups of runners and walkers made the trail a little bit crowded, but it was nice to go somewhere we hadn't run before. Between mile 5 and 6 it's a pretty "nice" uphill (if started on the south side) with a nice downhill after we turned around. All in all, it was a very nice mellow run. Next week is mellow as well with an 8 mile run on Saturday. I am going to try and encourage myself to rest, hydrate, stretch and think positive thoughts over the next two weeks so I can do my best to do my best on July 26th. As cheesy as it sounds, I think all of that could only help. Cheese is good.

Running is a good cure for the post vacation blues

It took me longer to put on my running shoes today. I've been feeling sluggish all week (except for the track workout) and I have diagnosed myself with post vacation stress disorder. The only known cures are drinking, going on another vacation, and I guess going for a run. It helped a little bit. I ran along Chrissy Field for a 50 minute tempo run which included 20 minutes at marathon pace. The 20 minute tempo part went pretty good - I was around 10:02, faster than marathon pace but I felt like I wasn't pushing it too hard.

Tomorrow is a 12 mile run with Sarah. We are running on a trail that is new to us so I am looking forward to it. Hopefully it will feel a little like vacation.

Inspiration #1

With 18 days left to the marathon, thought I'd be a dork and start posting inspirational thoughts for myself.

Here's the first one from Mile Markers from Kristen Armstrong. She kind of rocks. I like it because it's about the times we think we fail ourselves and that we need these failures. Not that I plan on failing, but knowing that you just need to do your best can be very inspiring in itself.

Last track (800) workout!

Sounds a little like "last chance workout," stolen from The Biggest Loser, but they are somehow related. This was the last 800 workout before the SF Marathon. I felt like this was a test to see if the vacation totally got me out of shape (and if I had no hope of a new PR for the marathon) but I am so happy to say that I passed. We ran 5 800's (two laps) and started out almost on fire. It was so hot out that I literally felt on fire. I was also scared to slow down and jinx myself. I was hoping to finish between 4:14-4:25 and finished 4:04 for the first one. The second was 4:10. The next two I did slower (the 4th was two seconds slower than should be) and for the last one I did 4:22. I started out too fast on the first one so I couldn't quite get that one again, but overall I think I did pretty good. I am hoping to finish in 4:30 for the marathon so according to McMillan.com, I "should" be able to at that 800 pace.

Yippeeeeee......

Less than three weeks to go!

As I said in yesterday's post, I am nervous since my last long run. But I'm trying to put that aside and enjoy the last few weeks of training. This was on my mind today as I ran up the Presidio hill and down to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. I've been homesick since last week's vacation (saw lots of family) but who can be homesick while looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. I watched the surfers catching waves, tourists stopping to gaze, and other runners whizzing by. This was the last longish weekday run of the training. Tomorrow I have the last 800 track workout with Sarah. I will once again write my target numbers on my hand and do my best to reach them.

Philly for the last long run before SF Marathon

Oh vacation, you are such a buzz kill to my marathon training plan. Every time! Too much fun, too much drinking, not enough sleep, no set schedule - you think I would learn by now not to have a vacation in the middle of training for a marathon, or marathon training in the middle of a vacation! Ok, I will stop my rant. Just wanted to set the tone of my "boo hoo is me" mood post vacation.

Over the ten days traveling I managed to only skip two runs, which was great. The only problem was planning my last 20 mile pace run. The intention was to run for 12 miles and then 7 miles at marathon pace, followed by 1 mile of cool down. I was thinking I could do this in Watertown NY where my brother lives. He had to work the day after we got there so I thought I could run then. He was able to get the morning off last minute so of course I wanted to spend time with him instead. This caused me to plan the run on Saturday when we'd be in Philadelphia. Friday night we stayed at a hotel and went out for dinner and drinks with family. I went to bed at midnight after carbo loading on beer and pizza. I woke up at 6am and started running at 6:30. It was already hot and I didn't have coffee or toast like I normally do. Instead I ran past a 7-11 and bought some Smart Water (has electrolytes!) and string cheese. I ran along Penn's Landing, down to the Art Museum, along Kelly Drive, to Manayunk and back.


There was a rowing race going on so it started to get crowded on the path along boathouse row and slightly beyond. I did the 12 miles without a problem and managed to get a mile or so in at pace before it got really hot and my legs got really tired. I opted to just finish the run at long run pace. At the time, it seemed like my only option. I also didn't plan it right, and got back to the hotel at 17.5 miles instead of 20. Now I feel like I failed myself in some way. I am hoping this didn't mess up my training and I can still get a really good finishing time on marathon day.

I did an easy run on Sunday and today and have a few quality runs scheduled for this week. I am going to try and do the best I can.

ps. the next few weeks should be filled with sleep, good eating, lots of water drinking, and more rest.

Running in Franconia Notch State Park

Last weekend and the beginning of this week I was in New England, pretty, cozy and sophisticated New England. Me and Dan spent a weekend in Maine with his brothers and their wives and kid before heading to New Hampshire. Sarah recommended staying in Franconia because it was pretty and had spectacular pancakes. Dan and I stayed at the Sugar Hill Inn for two nights. For the first night, his brother and sister in law also stayed at the inn, but the second day Dan and I toured the park on our own. Since I had a hill workout in my schedule, we found a place to run. The recreational trail in Franconia Notch State Park is a multiuse trail and had some very gradual rolling hills. We found a couple of hills to alternate between. It was very warm and I kept looking around for bears, but other than that, it was a great place for a run.


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Running in Vacationland

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We're getting so close to the end of our training plan - one more long run left next week. I am in Maine right now on vacation. Yesterday two Mai Tais caused a little run in between my foot and some kind of sharp object and I woke up with a gash on the bottom of my foot. This mixed with the fact that on Thursday's long run my hamstring was irritated with me and I felt that for sure I wouldn't be able to resist hanging out on the deck instead of running. But, for some reason I ran anyway, from Orrs Island to Bailey Island down rolling hills and over a bridge that didn't have room for pedestrians. Not so safe but very fun.

This was the first week that I didn't manage to run 5 times. I may go for an easy run tomorrow if I am super inspired and wake up early. Next week will involve a lot of traveling so I would like to have the option of skipping a workout without the guilt.

Running continues....

Is is Wednesday already? I am heading to the east coast tomorrow for VACATION! I can't wait and will be excited to report on my running travels over the next week or so. This week so far I went on a 50 minute easy run over my well traveled Lake Street route. Yesterday I ran down Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Marina and back home - was about a 9 mile jaunt. The weather was perfect and so many runners were out and about. I got energy just watching them. After about 5 miles I felt pretty warmed up and have noticed that my medium pace is getting faster. Tomorrow I have a 15 mile run that I plan on doing over the Golden Gate Bridge and around the Presidio. I need to tackle some hills. Luckily in San Francisco it's harder to not find hills.

Feeling a little woozy post run

I didn't mention in my last post how woozy I felt after the 20 mile run on Saturday. Maybe I was too woozy to think about it. We went for lunch after and I felt like I may pass out. I'm not sure if I didn't drink enough water, eat enough food, if I was overheated, pushed to hard or what, but I felt out of it. After I ate I felt a bit better and that night I was just tired. On Sunday I woke up starving, and then I just felt fatigued all day. At around 4 I broke down and called to schedule a massage. I just couldn't hold out. I went to the Imperial Spa and got the most hardcore deep tissue massage that included 30 minutes of the masseuse walking on my back and legs. I probably should have told her to focus more on my legs, but she mostly discovered the knots in my back and put all of her energy there. I was trying hard to breathe through it all and didn't even realize we were almost done before she got to get to my legs. She did walk on them and in the end she did massage my calves. It was very intense. I would be more lighthearted and joke about it but my back hurts just typing this. At one point I did start to feel like myself again.

I am heading on vacation at the end of this week and this is a "cut back" week so hopefully I can continue to take care of myself (no more deep tissue massages for a while though) until the next (and last!) 20 mile run the following weekend.

This week includes today's (much later today) 50 minute easy run, a 100 minute medium run, a 15 mile with hills long run, and a 70 minute tempo.

20 Mile Fun Run

Today's 20 miler included 12 miles of long race pace, 6 1/2 miles of marathon pace, and Sarah's most dramatic fall of the training! I think she was trying to out do my fall two weeks ago, as she skidded and scraped her hands, chin, legs and chest. It was a scary fall. We found a hardware store with a nice worker who let us use the bathroom to nurse wounds. Then we were off to "enjoy" the next 12 miles.

Here's a map of our route (more or less):


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During the last 6 miles when we aimed for marathon pace, I stayed within my pace range for most of the miles. Mile 3 I took a gel and walked for about 30 seconds so that messed up that mile's pace, and then the next one I think I was just tired. The last two were pretty good and reminded me how hard marathons are at the end and you have to just push, push, push and find strength somewhere.

I love running in circles

I don't know what it is, but I must say again, I love track workouts. Maybe because they are the opposite of a long run in many ways, or maybe it's the rush I get when I return around the bend. I love the feel of the track, the people at the track, looking at the bleachers, etc etc you get the point. I had such a high from it yesterday that I was slightly manic at work - I think I need to go take a yoga class and chill out.

We did what Sarah called (and what I should look up but am too lazy) a "ladder workout." We did a 400 (one lap), 800 (two laps), a 1200 (three laps) and then 800, then 400. I stuck within my target times for each, which I always struggle to do. I wrote all of my time goals on my hands because I would never remember. What I think helped is that I wrote what my per mile pace should be at best and even though I was a bit slower, I was still in target. What I've been thinking about a lot during this marathon training is that I am moving from a beginner runner to intermediate. I compare this in my head to snowboarding - when you move from blues to black diamonds you fall down a lot more and have aches and pains, but the rewards are spectacular views and faster rushes down the mountain. Even though I am tired, my shins hurt etc, I know all of these workouts will hopefully bring me to the next level. I'll let you know on July 26th how it goes :)

Is there such a thing as an easy run?

I didn't set my alarm clock for this morning, but I woke up at 6am anyway and found my way out the door with my running shoes on. Luckily it was an "easy run" that was scheduled for today, because my shins are a little sore still from what I've been putting them through lately. I read that shin splints are a sign of "too much, too soon." That's probably about right. Other then my shins, I feel pretty good and am getting used to the 5 days a week training. Now I'm thinking a lot about what to do with all of this running energy after July 26. I'm trying to stop that thinking and focus on one run at a time. But I'm such a planner, so that's hard...

Looking forward to our "mixing it up" track workout tomorrow. We are doing 400,800 and 1200's. Should be fun times.

Wired

Maybe it was the late day run, or the late day chocolate, but it is time for bed and I can't get off the couch. The legs are tired from the 8 mile run I forced them to do tonight. I had a lot of energy this morning but decided to use the energy for working and not running for once. After Saturday's pace run, my legs are leadish and needing a break. Just a few more weeks of hardcore training and then a tapering break. I am heading to Maine during that time for a much needed summer holiday. Can't wait.

This week includes a track workout, easy run, medium run and a 20 miler with 6 1/2 at marathon pace. Oh, now I am ready for bed just thinking of it.

Pace Yourself

Ah, a long training week is over. What a fun week. Yesterday capped it off with a 18 1/2 run in beautiful Tiburon.

I'm trying to think back to past marathon training weeks to see if this was indeed the hardest week ever. I think it may have been. Although last summer we ran from Stinson Beach to the top of Mt Tam and back, I think yesterday's workout is a rival for toughest run. We did our "pace run," starting out with a 12 mile long run pace segment, followed by 5 1/2 miles of "marathon pace." I've been a little confused as to what I should shoot for - two weeks ago all of my marathon pace miles were under or close to 10:00 miles. If I am training for a 4:30 marathon, my pace would average 10:19. So this time, I opted for sticking closer to that time, it helped that my legs felt way more tired this go around. My range was 9:58 - 10:26, 9:58 was my last mile. That was sort of my goal - to make the last mile the fastest. I started out slower so I think that really helped me end strong, even though I had a few miles out of the goal range. Next Saturday we have another one of these runs - I plan on trying very hard to keep it between 10 - 10:15 for each mile, again making the last the fastest. It's hard to maintain a good pace at the end of a marathon, so I'm hoping these runs will help me get to my goal this time.

On a wonderful side note, after the run, I celebrated my one year anniversary with my boyfriend Dan. He ran the Sacramento Marathon with me last year, staying with me every mile. He is the best.

A short race is a different kind of drug

Sarah scheduled a 4 1/2 mile race into our training plan for the SF Marathon. I've always seen this recommended in training plans, but it somehow always seemed like crazy talk to me. The race Sarah found is the Summer Evening Race Series at Lake Merced 4.5M loop which only costs $1. This is the shortest race I've done - in fact, it's the first thing I've ever called a race. Marathons are not really races, at least according to my legs. We got a bit intimidated by all of the serious runners there that seemed to know each other but it went really well. I ran faster than I thought I could and got such a rush out of it. I think I want to run shorter races more often.

Now I am still on my high and am thinking of signing up to do the New York Marathon for charity. I should probably do so while I'm in my post running stupor.

ps. Lake Merced is a 4 1/2 mile paved loop and is so pretty.

Track Stars

I wish I still had my 7th grade track team photo. Picture this: little Jenica in a red well worn track suit sitting in the front with my hair probably in tangles, laughing with my friend Jen. I wasn't the star, nor did I think I was - to me it was just fun. I think of this every time Sarah and I do a track workout at the Piedmont High School - I wonder how much my 400 time has improved or not.

Today the drama continued as Sarah found her car window smashed in. I didn't mention but last week my bank account was hacked into. We went to the track anyway doing 4 800's and a 400. My times were within my goal except for the last 800. I thought we were doing one more and I was running out of steam. To make up for it, during the last 400 I pretended I was playing hide and seek and someone was chasing me. That was fun and helped. Hopefully I can think of this on mile 24 of the marathon....

Oh the drama of being a runner

The ups (runner's high, good times), the downs (aches, falls, goals missed) of being a runner can make you feel a little bipolar sometimes. Last week was hard - I didn't take as good of care of myself and each run seemed harder than the last. We finished off the week with a 14 miler in Alameda. We were chatting about the NYC Marathon that Sarah will do this year and I hit a rock and caught air, landing on my side. These falls always make me feel hardcore. I have scratches and bruises on my right side and was covered in dirt for the rest of the run. It added a little bit of drama to the day.

On Sunday, Dan and I went for a 5 mile walk to the Golden Gate Bridge. I have a theory that long walks the day after a long run help your legs heal. Today my legs felt a lot better and I did a medium long run down to the Bridge, to the Marina Safeway and back home - I was missing the hills so I decided to include them this morning.

The rest of this week should be intense: Track workout tomorrow with 800's, Thursday a 4 1/2 mile race, Friday a recovery run, and Sunday an 18 1/2 mile run with the last 5 miles at race pace.

Let's see if the ups and downs continue...

Boy am I tired!

The golden retriever running next to me made it look easy today as I attempted to master the "tempo run." I ran for 25 mins at an easy pace, 20 mins at a faster speed, and then a 10 minute cool down. The path from my brain to my legs is a muddy one sometimes, "run! run!" my brain tells my legs. My legs are like the golden retriever laying in the sun, "not today, thanks." But I somehow nudged them away, and they ran.

Last week I felt like I had a breakthrough with my running and my legs felt great. This week they felt tired. The next two weeks will be hard as we get into the "meat" of our training.

Sarah just won the lottery, the NYC Marathon lottery - go Sarah! I did not get in but am happy (and only slightly bitter) for her :)

Happy National Running Day!

In honor of this, my new favorite holiday, I ran up the same hill 6 times. Well it wasn't just for this holiday, and was part of my training schedule, but it is a nice way to celebrate running. I am very grateful I am a runner - my sanity, strength and family thanks you.

Monday running is madness

Ran 7.5 miles this morning at the Baylands trail before work. The highlight was seeing a jackrabbit and his big ears. I'm trying to stick to below 10 minute miles for these medium long runs, since that is my goal pace of the marathon. Since I still do walk breaks, it averages at around 10:30 or so per mile with the breaks. My legs felt pretty good, but I think I am a little bit tired in general from the weekend run. Tomorrow is a recovery run, Wednesday is a hill workout, and then a pace run on Friday. Saturday is a "short" 14 miler. All in all, it should be an easier week.

Tiburon makes me run faster

Yesterday was our first "pace run" - this is where we run for 12 miles at a easy pace, and follow it with several miles of our marathon goal pace. We started by doing 4 miles at goal pace with 3 more in store for the coming weeks. We choose a flat route which Sarah researched online - a 17 miles adventure in Tiburon. Most of the route is flat, with a paved bike trail and a sandy running trail on both sides. I couldn't believe how amazing the views are, even on an otherwise dreary foggy day.

The first part of the run went by pretty fast. We tried a new type of gel named Octane which I think gave our legs a burst of energy, and took off for the 4 miles. It went well - I started out a bit to fast and that ended up being the best mile. The third one was good and the last one was the slowest. I also stopped for a few seconds on those two miles to catch my breath and have some water. All in all it went well and I am almost excited for the next three. almost.

Monday is a 80 minute run. I am going to continue speeding up the medium runs to maintain a consistently faster pace.

Hissing geese must be good luck

Fog, fog everywhere. I thought I'd head down closer to work and go running on the baylands trail behind Shoreline to escape the fog, but it swallowed the bay area whole. The geese were a bit sleepy until I came running by. I tried to be quiet ish so they wouldn't hiss, but they couldn't resist. There's something frightening about it.

I ran a 60 minute medium run on a flat trail - well I intended to until I saw that halfway through I could run a bit longer and reach 3 miles each way so it ended up being a 63 minute run with the last few minutes in a cool down. I followed that coach's advice and tried not working so hard. My legs took over and my pace got better. I'm hoping I didn't overdo it for tomorrow's 17 mile run, but I think I did ok. I am hoping these medium runs will get me in shape for kicking the next marathon's butt.

Stop working so hard!

Nothing is better than three 400's and three 800's in the morning! Yeah right.

It was actually really fun - I must hate myself. I drove to Oakland to go to Piedmont Track with Sarah. It's such a nice track and it was sunny and warm - very inspiring to the legs. We ran a 400 - 800 - 400 - 800 - 400 - 800. I had looked up my times based on what I hope to finish the marathon in and I stayed almost on track (no pun intended). The 400's were easier to stay within the goal time, but I had a harder time on the 800's. I have to work on that.

The best part was that the coach who is always there working with runners gave me some advice. The first time I ran by I figured he must be inwardly correcting my form. But the second time I think he couldn't resist and yelled, "Quit working so hard! Relax your shoulders and let your legs move your arms" or something like that. I did relax my shoulders and felt better. I think I expect my arms to move me forward during faster runs. Sarah noticed that I do that as well. I am going to try and remember that advice.

Road less traveled by

Today I went a new route - fancy stuff. I am bored by the flatish runs that I've been doing around here so decided to go right instead of left. I ran some hills but took them easy - from my house, up to Alta Plaza Park and around Lafayette Park. Alta Plaza Park is very close to my house and has great views of the city. I even saw amazing views of the bay - I will try this way more often. For some reason, my watch kept thinking I was running 5 minute miles when I am sure I was not, so I was distracted a lot of the time trying to figure out my watch. It was fixed though by the time I got near home, so it will be good for tomorrow's track workout with Sarah. Must go to bed so my legs are well rested.

Still Running

The last two weeks have been a little off schedule - Bay to breakers was on a Sunday so last week was a bit thrown off, and this week I will run 4 days in a row. I'm trying to take it one day at a time, not overwhelming myself with the whole week's running schedule. Today I got back from a very fun time in Chicago and managed to do my tempo run on Sunday there - it was warm and muggy but it was fun to run in different "terrain." I got to do a loop that took me twice around the Ferrara Pan factory that makes Lemon Heads and other candy. There was only one hill that was a bridge over the highway. I am still struggling to keep up a decent pace on the medium runs, especially in the heat. Today's 60 minute run was better - the cool foggy air of San Francisco felt good and my legs felt much better. Seems like after a warm day of running they feel better. Strange.

Tomorrow is an easy run and then track on Wednesday...

Presidio Hills

I heart the Presidio so I chose it for today's hill workout. I ran on a hill alongside Julius Kahn Playground in the foggy mist. We were supposed to do 5 - 90 second repeats so that's what I did. The last repeat I decided to run a different hill towards home. I guess that's kind of cheating but it was a harder hill so I was only hurting myself. My knee felt ok, better than last week but still a little bit sore.

Yesterday I did a 45 minute easy run on a few hills but mostly flat route - I really wanted to run faster so I guess that's a good sign. Tomorrow is a day off running, Thursday is a medium long run and Friday is 15 miler with Sarah.

A very hot Bay to Breakers

This was my 9th Bay to Breakers and the first time I've seriously run it. The first year I sort of ran it with my friend Elizabeth, but every year since I've gone with friends and treated it like a walking party. This year I dragged Dan along with me and we ran it with Sarah. It was about 90 degrees out! I felt like I was going to have heat exhaustion and couldn't decide if I wanted to pass out or throw up! Luckily I did neither but opted to dump cups of water on my head. Both Dan and Sarah got great times - mine was ok but I am a wimp in the heat. Actually I think the heat was a good thing because I took it pretty easy and today my knee feels totally fine. Yay! more photos

Knees say Yo!

I don't know why I wrote that title.

I went on a 50 minute easy run today at one of my favorite trails, the Baylands trail in the South Bay. It's in Mountain View behind Google. When I lived in Mountain View, and when our office was there, I'd run here as much as possible. The trail is almost endless and I get to see lots of birds flying around.

My knee is still sore so I plan on icing it again tonight. Fun huh?

Sunday is Bay to Breakers! This is the 9th time I've done bay to breakers and only the second time I'm running it. It's the first time that I've actually paid the fee to run it. Should be very fun! Stay tuned...

I am a machine - I do not feel pain

Today's mantra as I was running 6 - 400's with sarah was "I am a machine, I do not feel pain." This just came to me as I was running. I suppose a muse just whispered this into my ear. It was so inspiring. I decided to ignore the knee pain and new popping sound I was hearing and just sauntered on. At work during lunch, I decided to do research and self diagnose myself. I think I have runner's knee. Tonight I will ice my knee and hope for the best. Tomorrow is a day off, Friday is an easy run and Sunday is Bay to breakers. If my knee still hurts then, I will just join everyone else and drink a beer!

In other news, my cat's new workout plan isn't working so well...

Third week of training!

Yesterday's 75 minute run was a little longer than planned (more like 90 minutes). I ran from my house, down Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind was against me until I got to the bridge - I felt like I was running in a wind tunnel. On the way back though it kind of pushed me along - I must have gained a minute per mile thanks to the wind. My legs are feeling better although my knee still feels tweaked. That's new for me. Hopefully it will go away. Today is an easy run, and then the track on Wednesday.

I brought my camera along yesterday. I feel very lucky to say that I get to see these views about 2 or 3 times a week. Not too shabby.

I love the running

The end of the second week of training has arrived! Sarah mentioned a few days ago that this is the first marathon we've really trained for. At first I thought, that can't be right - we've run many marathons, and one an ultra! We should be pros by now. But now I know what she means - except for training for half marathons, we've done little more than the bare minimum in the past. The first few marathons, I just wanted to make sure I finished. Then I would have a time in my mind, but not really any new strategy to get there. This time is different. We have a game plan! I upped my training during the first week way more than the 10% that you are supposed to. I went from 3 to 4 days of running a week (3 days at little more than 30 min easy ish runs) to 5 days with hills, speed workouts and three runs at more than 5 miles each. That's a lot for me. I'm saying this to justify all of the whining that I plan on doing :) Of course, I am doing this to myself. Oh well. I love the running.

Friday I got new shoes! My shins felt better and I ran 5 miles. Saturday Sarah and I ran 15 miles in Alameda (Bay Farm Island) and today I went for a swim just to see how my legs are doing. I am tired, but I think week three will be great.

Performance

I wish I could yell at my shin splints, "you are lucky that I take you to such nice places! Quit your bitching." In today's tough economic times, blah blah blah, everybody has to work hard or go home. Or that's what I feel. Stress is your body's way of telling you to slow the heck down (I'll stop cursing now). Shin splints are your legs way of telling you the same? I don't know. I'm not sure I actually have shin splints, but I know my legs are tired. My poor tired legs. I slept 12 hours last night. I am doing no exercising today except a walk to the frozen yogurt place. Tomorrow I will get new sneakers and my shin splints will be fired!

A hard core approach

Oh boy. During my run today I was wondering about the tone of this post. Should it match the feeling in my shins? Or should I just straight out lie? I'm hoping for somewhere in between, so here goes.

Yesterday I did my easy run with Dan. For some reason, my legs haven't been cooperating on the easy runs. I think they just know that not much is expected of them, so they don't even bother to show up. I just kind of pushed myself along and kept telling Dan to tell me another story. It was humid and cloudy and warm - I loved that east coast inspired weather. We never get cloudy-warm days in San Francisco.

Wednesday takes us to the hill workout #2. Dan just joined our local gym and I am still thinking about it, so today we decided to get up early and do the "Hard Core" class. This class is all about the abs. I'm trying to actually remember I have abs and that I need to exercise them, and it really helps to keep them strong for running. So today we got up before the crack of dawn and went to the gym. I was thinking the class would involve crunches and maybe that ball thing, but one look at the room and I froke out. Dan decided to take a rain check first. He had to be at school soon anyway. I went in and attempted to try and find a spot. There were 2 types of hand weights, a step, a pilates belt and a ball thingy at each place. I thought the instructor set up the room beforehand so I was looking for a spot, but no, people had showed up already and set up their own spot. Then, the class started and she went right into telling people to do crunches. No warming up here. I couldn't find anywhere to set up, and I didn't even know how to begin, so I left. Yes, I was a quitter. I will try it again I promise.

I was going to take that 25 minute class and then do my hill workout. So I just went home after the failed class attempt and had coffee. Then I took off for my run. A few minutes in my garmin battery died so I did this run without a watch. The watch is especially helpful for these types of runs because you run for a minute and recover for 2. Oh well. I did the same hill so I usually know how far I can go and how long it takes to get down and drink water to recover. So I just winged it. The first two were pretty good and then I just got super tired. My shins have been bugging me and I need new shoes. So I just did the last 4 slower but tried to have good form at least. Then I ran home.

Next week is a track workout instead. Hopefully I can get into better shape for the next hill workout and that my next pair of running shoes will be magical.

Baker Beach and back

Monday of week two starts off with a medium paced 70 minute run. I choose an out and back to Baker Beach because it has a good portion of flatness, with a few hills. Actually, according to my Garmin it's only a little less hilly than running down Presidio, but it didn't seem as bad. I think it's more gradual. I ran past Baker Beach to Battery Chamberlin which seemed a little spooky on a foggy Monday morning run - I couldn't even see the bridge.

I was swimming

I love to swim, and like running, I tend to take the slow lane. Maybe I get into some kind of trance where I don't need to think about it and I just gradually stay in a slow and steady pace, who knows. I haven't swam for about a year, but since today was a day off from running, it felt like a nice day to swim.

I was on the swim team in high school and track in middle school, and both times, the coaches would laugh at my form. Neither coach gave me ideas on how to correct it, and one coach told me I swam like Gumby. It would be nice to have someone give me ideas on how to have a better form. It's worked really well when I've taken snowboarding camp - each time I've become a better snowboarder.

I'm thinking out loud now...Sundays are good for that.

I just swam to get back into it. I took it easy and swam for 20 minutes, just enough to deserve the hot tub.

A Hill-arious run

Sorry for such a cheesy title but I could not resist. Well I could resist but that wouldn't have been as fun.

I was in charge of designing our 13.5 mile run today from my house. We ran from my house up to Presidio, down Lake Street, up a huge hill, through the golf course, down to Mountain Lake, up Clement street, way way up, down past the cliff house, through Golden Gate Park and back to my house. Sarah was laughing on the way back thinking of the saying "When I was a kid I had to walk to school up hill both ways." That was our run today, an "up hill both ways" loop (an elevation gain of 3,110 ft). I don't think she'll put me in charge of our routes anymore.

It was fun though, very humid for San Francisco and raining to boot.


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