Oh the heights!

Hills! Gotta love them. Yesterday I did an easy run with Dan and my legs felt like sludge - he could have walked slowly next to me and would have out paced me. In fact, he almost did that on the hills until I had a temper tantrum and told him I would not move until he ran ahead. Oh, I'm so much to love sometimes. But today I was determined. Embracing my "opposite George" way of thinking these days, I decided to do everything differently - I got up, did some ab exercises (which I hate. I tried following something in Runner's World magazine as best I could), had coffee and tried to wake up a bit. Then I forgot my Ipod and said oh well. I ran about 20 mins to the hill and then I flew up it, glancing at my watch from time to time. I have to say that I was impressed. I know that sounds conceited but I didn't think my legs could handle it today and they did pretty good. I did 5 hill repeats with a two minute jog in between down hill. I got up higher on the third repeat and never got slower. When I have bad weeks I will try to think about today for inspiration. Of course, now I feel weak and am convinced I have the swine flu. Really, I just overdid it a bit.

As a side note. I have a new workout partner. My 13 year old cat has decided to join me in my healthy plight. He seems to have mastered the "cat pose" and the "look at my belly pose." He is very inspirational.

First Week of Training Begins!

Monday was the first official day of training, well the first on our well documented training plan that Sarah has been constructing. It was also the first time I used my new Garmin. I ran with the wind (literally, but not as fast as the wind) up and then down Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge and Back. Worked out to be 6 miles with an ascent of 1655 and descent of 1546 according to my watch! Crazy stuff. Next week I think I will pick a flatter route for a Monday run.

Running is such sweet sorrow

Ah the aftermath of a good run. I am longing for a bath, a nap, lots of food and a beer but I will do none of those things. I am catching up on the show Survivor. When I was watching it last week all I could think of was how much I'd miss running if I was on that show. I imagined running in circles because they probably keep you in a very small area. I'd be so weak from not eating a thing, I'd pass out and be sent home on day 3. I wouldn't have an ipod or my new Garmin that I'm so in love with. Oh the humanity! Those really are the comforts in life.

Today Sarah and I ran 12 miles from Sports Basement in the Presidio, over the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Fisherman's Wharf and back. Then I bought a Garmin so I could torture myself during my training and stick with a faster pace. I am excited for Monday's Run.

Summer, fog, fall

Today it felt like Fall running in the Presidio. Gone was the heat or the fog. Replacing it was a lot of sun, blue skies and wind. I'm hoping it will stay this way tomorrow when Sarah and I go running. This feels like the last "easy week" before our training really sets in. My concerns? Will I be tired for the next few weeks? Will I still finish the same even though my training will be harder. Dear Diary, I am scared and excited about it. At work, I am always "sprinting" and every once in awhile, I need to take a breath. Ahhh. I hope this training allows me to do really well, to sustain myself over the 26.2 miles. I can only do my best. To quote our new poet laureate W.S. Merwin, "I could do anything."

First the heat, then the fog

Ghosts, that's what the fog sometimes reminds me of. Trees creak and groan, the air is misty, and everyone seems to disappear. Running through it is so invigorating. The weather is big and San Francisco seems to go back to its roots. I'm reminded of boats crashing into the shoreline, forts being built and deserted, landfill placed on top of all of those abandoned boats. Maybe it's the ghosts that spur my imagination, maybe it's the weather, but I get lost on these runs and before I know it, I'm back into the present day San Francisco, feeling great from a long misty run.

A hot runner

We have officially ish kicked off our marathon training this week, just in time for global warming to kick in. Or sort of. It's been hot in San Francisco - for me, this is always unsettling. I keep waiting for the fog to roll in, and I am almost afraid to take off a layer. I melt in the heat, and when I try and run up the hills, I feel like I am running through sweaty water. I guess this counts as heat training, so I will suck it up and try to move on (slowly).

New Year's Resolution finally broken

Well, did I really think I could make it a year without torturing myself with another 26.2 miler? What is it I can't live without? That moment at 20 miles when every pore in my body cries "Why?" I think I just love the challenge, the Saturdays spent running along, thoughts that come to me only after 3 hours of thinking of everything else. So, here it goes! I'm planning on running the San Francisco Marathon on July 26th. Can I break my records? We are planning on training differently so I'm hoping for different results. Can't wait to see how I do...