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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Racing the boats

My weekday runs for the first week are complete! I haven't counted how many weeks out we are but I know that it is one less than a week ago. My math skills are that good. Today was a "tempo run." That's the first official time I've done that. I've done treadmill runs where I run fast for a few mins at a time and I've done some trail runs when I've done the same, but today I ran 15 mins slow, 20 fast pace, and 15 slow. When I looked up the pace I am supposed to run, I thought it was a bit slow for what I could do, so I just started running as fast as I thought I could maintain for 20 mins. It worked out well that way. Sarah and I are planning on running a few of our long Saturday runs with a few miles fast at the end and we are supposed to run around our fast tempo pace (which would be a little bit faster than marathon pace). I am going to try and stick to what I did today and see how I do. I ran along Chrissy Field so I could watch the boats, watch the tourists, watch the bridge and stay on flat ground.