New Race to run: US Half in San Francisco

I am not so trained for tomorrow's 1/2 marathon. I didn't have a running workout schedule, in fact I didn't have any running routine at all these past few weeks. I ran here and there when I could. I did get one 10 miler in a few weeks ago, and I ran a 4 mile DSE Run on Halloween so I guess that counts for something?

We'll see tomorrow morning :) I am very excited to be running with my coworkers at JustAnswer, and Sarah. It's supposed to rain and that always adds to the excitement!

Oyster Point 5 Mile Race

This morning Sarah and I ran the Oyster Point 5 mile race sponsored by the San Francisco Dolphin South End Running club. This was my third time running their races, and Sarah's fourth time. They are very cheap to enter and very fun. All ages run and you see a lot of the same faces.

Sarah was the 2nd woman to finish! Go Sarah! I finished in 52 minutes, which was respectable given that it was hot, I ran 8 miles the day before, and I only wanted to not come in last! It was a great place to run and I know we'll go back. We had brunch at JoAnn's cafe. Was delux!

Saturday Long Run is back!

Happy Fall! That means amazing weather in San Francisco and some hot running weather. The last few weeks my foot has been hurting pretty bad for some reason (first real running "injury" I would say) so I've been pretty lazy - but today, I couldn't help but push it a little bit and try for a long run. Me and my new running buddy Rebecca ran through the Presidio on trails that I don't normally run on (through the new campground!) and over the Golden Gate bridge and back to Sports Basement. Was very hot but it felt nice to get a long run in.

I have some new running buddies from my new job so that's given me some extra motivation when my foot is feeling ok (but I miss Sarah!). Tomorrow we are doing a 5 mile race so hopefully I won't be last!
I really hot to get back in shape over the next few weeks. I miss it.

No New York, Yes San Franicsco

For better or worse, I decided to put off the NYC Marathon until next year. Sadness. There are a lot of contributing factors/excuses about why I'm not running it, but I mostly decided that this is not the year. I have now registered for the US Half which is sponsored by my work. I'm looking forward to training with my fun running coworkers and hopefully Sarah and Dan. It's not the same as New York, but I won't have far to travel and it will be warm.

Next week officially starts 1/2 marathon training! Looking forward to getting into a running routine once again :) Have enjoyed some time off from it, but I do miss it.

Update

I haven't really had much of a routine for the last few months. It all started in April, when I left the company I had worked at for almost five years. All of a sudden I went from getting up early to run, driving 42 miles to work, working all day, driving home, wedding planning, going to bed, repeat. Then I looked for a job, finished wedding planning, started a new job, took off to get married, went on a honeymoon and then returned to my great new job. Now I am back, and my running hasn't quite gotten back to being part of the schedule. It should certainly be - I don't have a drive anymore, I have a gym with a shower at work - I could even run to work if I wanted! Still, hasn't quite happened. I am supposed to run the NYC Marathon, but I'm not really sure if that can happen right now. I'm going to NY for Thanksgiving, so that's a lot of traveling in one month. And, everyone at work is running the US Half in San Francisco that same day, so decisions, decisions.

The cool thing is that there are women at work who run doing the day and I ran with them last week - it was great to run during the work day! I even ran with Sarah this weekend. Things are starting to feel back on schedule.

Married, well traveled, back for the attack!

I'm back! Well, I've been back in California for over a week, but I went on a Green Tortoise trip the weekend I came back (sans husband!).

I'm going to catch up on blogging soon - just wanted to say hi!

Jenica Szymanski Currie :)

Melting in the east coast, about to be married!

I can't believe how fast the last year has flown by. Since I got engaged last July, I ran two marathons, a 1/2 marathon, left my job, started a new job and planned a wedding. I had all of these grand work out plans for the time leading up to the wedding including a 25 pound weight lost plan. I only got about 10 pounds off for good (5 went before the marathon but has since come back) but I feel good about it. I've been working out since the last marathon but not as much as I'd like. My running plans are up in the air a bit. Hoped to run this week but it's been 95 plus for the last few days in Philadelphia, and that's too hot for me. I walked the dog down the street but we both gave up - it was that hot.

After the wedding, I plan on hoping back on the running wagon - still planning on running the NYC marathon this fall, and my new job has a gym!

First 5k!

My best running buddy Sarah now has a running coach! She's been trying new workouts and using a heart rate monitor to find the right pace. I am excited to watch her progress and to learn a thing or two from her as well! She was instructed to run a 5K and motivated me to join her. So last Saturday we did our second Dolphin Runners race - they have a few each month at different distances and locations around the city. This one started at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park.

Since this was my first 5k race, I can say that I did PR! I didn't really give myself a goal except to be under 30 minutes. The race started at a steepish downhill with almost a mile of uphill. It was very fun! Sarah rocked it and was the 6th woman to cross the finish line. I had an overall pace of 9:27 which isn't bad considering the downhill and my finish was 29:23. I could have kicked it maybe a little sooner, but I felt like it was a good workout.

I hope to run another one before the wedding!

I'm back

This month has flown by in a whirl. To sum things up, I've been working from home, traveling to the east coast, planning my wedding and had a wonderful girls weekend in Stinson Beach. What I haven't been doing is running. I did run once or twice in the last few weeks, and I have been walking a ton, but I really dropped the ball on my running. This seems to happen to me after a marathon.

Today I went out for an easy 5 mile run down Presidio to Chrissy Field and back. This is one of my favorite routes so it was a good way to say hello to running again.

I am getting married (!) in 5 weeks so I will be running and doing other fat shredding things in the next few weeks. Will keep you posted!

First weekend after a marathon - now what?

Woke up this morning without a plan - a running plan that is. This is the first weekend after the marathon, the first weekend in a very long time that I don't have a long run planned with Sarah or anyone. I woke up feeling a bit lost and tried to come up with a plan.

My favorite Saturday long run substitute is for some crazy reason, heading to the farmers market. Most Farmer's Markets take place on Saturday mornings when I'm usually out running. My favorites are the Oakland and the Mountain View farmer's markets. But now that I live back in San Francisco, I really haven't been going. The Ferry Building Farmer's Market is beautiful but crowded and overpriced so I decided to go to the Filmore Farmer's Market - they had cherries! They had cheese with sage! I spent about $40 mostly on the cheese, fruit, one or two veggies and salmon for Dan. Of course I saw lots of runners about and about and felt like a slacker. I think I'm going to head out for a run a little bit later with Dan, but for now, I'm going to go snack on some sage cheddar.

I was reading through my blog and saw my New Year's resolutions (running ones that is). And it looks like I've achieved two of them so far! I pr'ed in a 1/2 and a full marathon! Still haven't added any weight training to my workout schedule yet but I think I must this week. I'm down to less than two months before my wedding and I have a few pounds I want to shed. Sarah and I are going to do the sit up challenge and I want to get back into doing the 30 Day Shred. I'll give a report in a few days - hopefully I'll be inspired to do it.

Running Buns

I couple of weeks ago I bought these:

 Sarah and I have been obsessed with buns ever since we read the Runner's World issue with Kara Goucher preparing for the Olympics. She was wearing buns in those pictures and for some reason, we thought it was a good idea. We'll never be trained Olympians, but we can dress like them!

What are "buns" you may ask? They are very short running shorts, sometimes called compression shorts or boy shorts - they cover your "buns" and not much else. If you google buns, you'll find some interesting results. Some buns look like bikini bottoms but we didn't want to go that far.

So for the Avenue of the Giants marathon, we got buns to wear. I also thought I'd be in excellent, getting ready to get married shape. Which is sort of the case, although I am still eating loads of cheese and not quite doing any other type of exercise besides run. But still, I was determined.

Here's what buns look like on an 130ish pound, 5 foot 2 runner, at the beginning of a race:

Here's the end of the race:

My overall thoughts on these particular buns:

I found them to be pretty comfortable and somewhat flattering from most angles. They did ride up pretty quickly and by the end of the marathon I was far too tired to pick the wedgie, and they looked like bikini bottoms (it's good to know these things, right?). As Sarah said, "If I had a treadmill I'd run in them again." They are probably good for yoga, but not for running long distances. I may wear them for shorter runs or to the gym.

When I looked back at the product description, it doesn't say good for running, but all of the other ones I tried on that are supposedly good for running, rode up in the fitting room when I jogged in place. This one at least made it to the road test.

I think I may try and wear a running skirt at my next marathon.

Running Keen for Green

As runners, we make an impact on the environment (let's face it). Whether it's buying running gear made of bad things (or even just buying too much), participating in marathons that leave a trace, or leaving lots of old gear in our closets (when we could be donating them), we are making a difference, and it's not always good. I just wrote an article on Keen For Green, an informational/community site of bloggers writing about environmental issues, technologies, people  and political issues.

Check it out and run green.

Avenue of the Giants Racing Report!

Last year, Runner's World featured the Avenue of the Giants Marathon, a series of events that features a marathon, half marathon and a 10K in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in northern California. I read the article, saw the photos and was hooked! Sarah, of course, was quickly on board as well!

On May 1st, we drove up to Weott with Dan (he ran the half) and stayed at the Best Western Humbolt House Inn and carbo loaded at Sicilittos (a combination Mexican and Italian Restaurant). The hotel was great and the restaurant was slow to serve but the food was pretty good.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed up to the park - we made sure we went extra early because the closest parking fills up quickly and the last thing you want to do is walk a long distance after a marathon. Then at 8am we were on our way!

First 5 miles

The starting line was a little bit hectic. It's located on a narrow road and cars were trying to use the road even a few minutes before the start. The first half of the marathon is an out and back (this is also the course for the 1/2 marathon, which starts an hour later). I lined up with Sarah and once the race started we both went on our own pace. I had planned on trying to start out at around 10:15. But, the course had a bit of a downhill in the beginning and many people passed me, so I ended up finishing faster at 9:58. The next 4 miles were between 10 and 10:30. There were more hills than I thought so I was slower with the uphills of course and faster with the downs. I felt some pressure in my lungs maybe due to the slight elevation or the cold but that went away after the 5th mile. The trees were lovely and I enjoyed seeing all the different types of runners in the race. Also, I got to see the faster runners whiz by as they were heading back for the second half - I'll admit, it charged me up to see them and I quickened my pace for a bit.

Miles 6 - 13 1/2
At this point I was finally warmed up and the during the breaks in shade, it really started to fell hot. I saw Sarah coming back from the first turn around point and it was great to see her during the race. I still kept up running under 10:30. Luckily the way back had more downhills so it was like a little break. At this point, I saw all of the half marathoners on their first half coming out. It was great to see Dan heading out and also gave me a kick in my pace.

Miles 14 - 20
I was pretty much cruising at this point, keeping up my pace. I even ran a few miles with one woman who'd run over 35 marathons. She was great and kept me on pace. I saw Sarah before the turn around when she was coming back (mile 21 for her) and she said to dump water on my head. It was indeed hot out. This portion of the race was really pretty as well and a little more flat. I didn't hit a mental wall at all and made sure I ate orange slices. Normally at this point, I'm starting to feel really out if it, and wondering if a nap should be in order. I never got to that point.

Miles 20-26.2
Ok, so mile 20 I did not hit a mental wall but I did start to feel like it was hard to keep up a good pace. My legs just didn't want to keep going that fast. I did the math, and figured that if I kept up under 12:00 I could still PR. Sad, but true. Looking back, I guess it was like hitting a wall, and I was ok with letting the wall slow me down. Many people say that a marathon doesn't really start until mile 20, and it feels true. That's when you have to dig deep and see what you are made of. I knew if I ran 10 minute miles I could PR at the time I planned (4:34), but I just decided that I only had 11:30 ish in me for the rest of the run.

Right before I hit 26, I saw Dan walking toward me. He had finished the 1/2 at a great time and was coming to cheer me to the finish. I ran fast the last .2 to finish at 4:48, 3 minutes faster than before. I wish I had that kick in me a little bit sooner in the race - somehow my legs felt fine knowing the finish line was just a little bit away.

When I finished, I felt like I hardly stopped during the race, so I laid down once I got my cool Bigfoot metal. The sun felt great and I was sooo glad to be done.

It was probably the prettiest marathon I've done and I'm glad I PR'ed. It was also the toughest training plan. I think the extra miles helped ward off hitting a wall, but I think I still need to maintain a faster pace on most runs and maybe even see a running coach about my posture. Weight training would also help. I'm also thinking that if I run the NYC marathon next year (which I won the lottery for), I will try and run with a pace group.

All in all, it was a great marathon and I'd do it again!

Oh Ave of the Giants - see you in two days!

Oh so looking forward to this weekend. Marathons are such a crazy challenge. First few miles you are flying and trying to pace yourself (literally). Then you just kind of go with it and are in a zone. Miles 14ish to 20 - it gets serious and stays serious. Your legs start to feel like all the weight of the world is bringing them to a halt, yet this is when you have to just ignore that feeling and thoughts in your head and charge on. This is where I usually "hit the wall" my own special way - meaning, I usually think I could curl up and take a nap on the sidelines and it would be ok. I have to reach deep to find the sane part of me. Last few miles, I just have to do it and know that I'm almost done and I'll really be able to stop running once I hit 26.2. I also look forward to friends and family that meet me at the end and sometimes along the way.

Personal Records

With 4 days to go until the Marathon, I'm having a terrible time focusing. Recently I left my company after 5 exciting and sometimes challenging years. I am also getting married in 2 months. Those are my confessions. What does this have to do with running? It has more to do with not running. I long for a long run - the head clearing, mile upon mile kind with a great running buddy. When I started training for my first marathon 5 years ago, I was single, just finishing up grad school, and still in the process of, well, processing. While I'll always be processing in some way, now I am a seasoned worker, runner, and about to be married. I've come a longer way than 26 miles, but I find myself at another crossroad and it's a bit scary. Life is all about PRing - I'm looking for my next PR.

Week before my 7th Marathon!

Is it too crazy to say that I've almost lost count?

This training was the hardest yet easiest. It went by really quickly even though at its peak, we were running 50 plus miles a week! Now I have extra time on my hands and no big workouts until after the marathon, but I am trying not to get too nervous for next Sunday.

This week it's just a 40 minute, 3x400's, two days rest, 30 minute, drive up to the Redwoods and then the marathon. I will fill the week with rest, carbo loading, stretching, hydrating and some positive PR thoughts.

Running is for the birds.

I usually run in the mornings or after work, but yesterday I had the opportunity to run midday. I started out in the drizzle and by the end the sun was shining. I actually ran in capri tights and my old navy rain jacket because for once, I was in the mood to be overdressed. Well, overdressed for me. I'd normally rather be too cold than warm while running.

I didn't see many other runners out there - but I did see this bird.

Is it a crane? Chrissy field has tons of interesting birds since it's marshy. I wanted to get close but it looked so regal that I didn't want to disturb it. Once I got a little closer, I could see it's feathers were a bit rumpled. I felt a little bit comforted by that. But I know we're both ok.

I ran 5 miles easy. Today I will run the last tempo before the marathon. My legs already are forgetting all of the miles they've done but they better not forget too much :)

Lazy Legs

Oh tired and lazy legs, you better rest up! I'm catching up on sleep, wedding planning, Survivor Watching and generally overworking and taking a rest from long week day runs. I am allowed to for this week and next week leading up to the marathon. I only have one tempo left (tomorrow) and some short runs. I'm hoping to head out today on a 5 miler, but other than that, we are in the home stretch.

After the marathon, I will follow Sarah's bootcamp schedule that she made for us. I want to get in shape for my wedding, and I think she just likes following a schedule :)

It may actually rain for the marathon which is kinda weird for California in May, but at least it won't be hot!

Starting the taper craziness

I haven't been as good with updating this lately as I have been with other marathon training. Hopefully that means I'm spending more time running and less writing, but I also think that wedding planning, working and commuting also has something to do with it.

I did get back from the east coast and finish all of my workouts and miles last week, finishing with a great 22 on the Iron Horse Trail with Sarah on the weekend with two 4 mile intervals of pace thrown in! That felt good. I was on a runner's high and spent too much money on wedding shoes after. Lesson - never go shopping on a runner's high!

This week start the taper - but we aren't taking it too lightly. We had a 8 mile run, 6 mile run, track workout and a tempo ending with 12 miles this weekend (that's the nice part). I read a little bit of the taper chaper in Hal Higdon's book to refresh myself. I was reminded that I should still work hard on the speed workouts and only take the miles down a notch. Next week it's easier and the week after will be very easy on the running.

I am excited for the marathon. I intend on working hard to get a PR (hopefully) and just do my best. Then I may take a break from marathons for a little while. We'll see :)

Finally won the NYC Marathon lottery!

After three years, I'm in! The NYC marathon will be on November 7th! I had a taste of what it will be like when I ran over the Brooklyn Bridge last week! So exciting.

Big trees are only weeks away!

Last week I was on vacation, lazing away in New York and Philly. While visiting family, friends and partying at my Bridal Shower, I didn't find too much time to run. Actually only ran 14 miles over the Brooklyn bridge and three, three mile runs with Annie, the wonder dog. This week, I am going to make sure I get all of my workouts in so I don't undo the good training I have under my belt. Yesterday and today I ran and my legs felt very fresh. Hoping they will feel that way on May 2!

Towards the end of training, training report

Big mileage weeks are starting to seem like the norm (Sarah, don't go thinking you can add more miles to next week :) and that's a good thing since there is one more before the taper begins. My routine has been - get up way before the crack of dawn, run 12-14 miles (depending on the day) and go to work. That just happens twice a week. Other days we just run an easy 7 or 8 unless there is a pace or track workout. I'm feeling like I'm in the sweet spot of the training where it seems pretty easy and I'm feeling in pretty good shape. I wish this lasted longer. Pretty soon we will start our taper and feel like out of shape slackers.

On Saturday I celebrated my 36th birthday with a 20 mile pace run with Sarah in Golden Gate Park (a new workout that Sarah made up I think. You do 3 miles easy, 3 miles pace three times with a 2 mile cool down).  She said to think of it as a 3 course meal and had a goal to run each pace segment faster than the last. I stayed slightly faster than my zone most of the time and felt pretty good - the last few pace miles I really felt like I was working, but it strangely made my legs feel good. Go figure. It was a nice birthday run. After, I hopped on a plane to NYC, where I am writing this.

This week is a lower mileage week before we ramp it up next week one more time.

Two other big developments!

I got an iphone and now I can easily take pics from the road!

I got a running skirt! I guess I can't make fun of them anymore!

Daylight savings

Started out the week an hour late - for some reason, the daylight savings change messed up my fragile schedule and it took me until Thursday to figure out when I should get my butt out of bed. I ended up doing two workouts in one on Thursday - ran 4 miles with Dan and then 5 800's along Chrissy field during another 8.5 miles. We got up very early so I was able to get this all done and still get to work at a respectable hour! Friday I ran the tempo and managed to still get all of the miles in at my pace zone. The track workouts are still a struggle for me though.

Right now I am getting ready for a 14 miler with 6 miles at pace. Sarah is away this week so I will be running solo. Can't wait until she come back - running buddies are a big motivator!

Running away

Sarah is away this week so for my long Saturday run, I headed out solo for 20 miles - out and back from Chrissy Field past Sausalito and into Mill Valley. It was beautiful out and I neglected to wear sunscreen so I have my first sunburn of the year. My pace was pretty good for running alone - I tried to keep it in a respectable range for most of the run except when I slowly headed up those long hills. Back over the bridge I decided to speed up a bit, although it was very crowded.

So, nothing too exciting to report except for a pretty run and that my legs felt great later that night and today.

Music is my boyfriend

I used to always run with music and then at some point, I just wanted silence. I've been going back and forth recently between being bored with my own thoughts, or bored with my music. I think this happens when you run 40 plus miles a week and only run with a buddy one or two times week. Today, my ipod was charged and music motivated me during 12 miles - the sunny weather and scenery helped. I loved running over the bridge today and saying hi to the workers who were driving on the walkway in little cars. I didn't even mind the bikers who narrowly miss me (literally not emotionally) as they commute to work.

I have a 20  miler on Saturday and I'm hoping to download some new music. Sarah will be away so I will be chasing the miles by myself.

Halfway done

At some point last week, it became the midway point in our training for the Ave of the Giants marathon! I didn't really notice it because my schedule was wonky. I had a three day training in San Francisco and I ran at night after work instead of in the morning. Also, on Tuesday I actually ran home from training and did a 14 mile route in the city ending around 8pm. That was the longest mid week run that I've done (that wasn't a weekend run rescheduled). 14 miles in the middle of the week was a killer. I was bitter about it most of the week, but then during our 14 miles on Saturday with 5 miles at marathon pace, I felt like it may have paid off somehow. Stamina!

This week is another monster - almost 60 miles! Today I ran 7 and I have a 12, 10, a tempo workout and a 20 miler on Saturday to top it off. I am concentrating this week on eating better, sleeping more, and being more organized.

50 plus miles!

Hit 50.2 miles this week! Very exciting stuff since this is the first time I've run this much in a week. We are going to have several weeks of 50+ miles. We ran 20 miles yesterday, our first 20 miler of the training. I forgot how much harder it gets after 18 miles - I think I was starting to feel like it was no big deal. Oh it's a big deal :) Last night I was no fun and went to bed at 8:30. I feel bad for my soon to be husband and am glad that the marathon takes place two months before the wedding.

Next week I have training in San Francisco for work. We are planning a 14 mile, 7 mile, track workout and then a 14 mile run on Saturday that includes 5 miles of marathon pace. Should be a fun but intense week.

PS. If you want to go for a long run on a very flat trail, go to the Iron Horse Trail - part of it is in Walnut Creek. Then go refuel at Hubcabs.

Steady Stated Friday

We are almost at the halfway part in the training. All of the "deep into training" symptoms are starting to kick in but the one I'm feeling the most right this second is sleepy. I think it's because of this morning's steady state. My average for the 35 minute steady state portion of the 80 minute run was in the low part of my pace zone, so that's good. The last 5 minutes I decided to run as fast as I felt like and that felt pretty darn good. My legs liked having off yesterday. Hopefully my pace in speedwork is getting better and that will translate to marathon PR. Heck, I hope all of this training translates into a marathon PR.

Tomorrow is a 20 mile run with Sarah and she is bringing girl scout cookies! That's a good reason to get up early on a Saturday and hit the trail!

Down swings

Monday = great run. Tuesday = ok run. Wednesday = barely completed the miles. Guess that's what all of these miles do to your legs mid week. This morning I think it was because I didn't drink coffee or eat anything before I went running, but I was thinking since it was an easy short run (80 minutes), that I could do it. I don't have a lot of time in the morning before I go running, and I decided to stay in bed until the last possible moment (7am). Note to self: drink coffee or eat something before running!

PS. during the run, I day dreamed about being in the show Survivor and what my strategy would be. Maybe I distracted myself because I ran really slow. I secretly want to go on Survivor.

Bipolar Legs

After I complained during the beginning of our long run on Saturday, Sarah made the comment that she thought I'd either be faster than my goal, or way over it for the pace part. I think she had a good point. My legs either seem to feel really great, hence surpassing my goals, or really bad, hence not coming too close to them. I'm sure my diet, sleep patterns, work life stress etc play a huge part in that. Maybe I over do it for some workouts and then don't feel up for others? I wish I could figure out the winning combination to always hit those pace targets and have my legs always feel great.

This morning was the upswing in my bipolar legs. Sarah and I decided to switch our medium long run to Tuesday but after I headed out, started running and the sun came out, I decided to run it today instead of the recovery run. This will probably result in tired legs for the rest of the week, but they felt great. It was one of those runs that just feels good - the air and scenery are sweet and I am glad I'm a runner. My pace was great even as I climbed up the hill from Baker Beach to the bridge and the the hill back up Presidio on the way home. Overdoing it? Probably. But I'm just going to pretend that ups and downs are just a sign that I'm getting in better shape. Who knew I could run 18 miles on a Saturday, and feel great on a 10  miler two days later?

This week is over 50 miles with a 35 minute steady state and a 20 mile run on Saturday.

40 plus weeks

Heading up to this week I've felt pretty strong during the long runs but I think the miles are catching up with me a bit. This week my legs felt pretty heavy and I was a little concerned going into the 18 miles because I wasn't feeling good. We ran in Alameda and started out slow. At the end we had planned a 2 1/2 mile pace run to end fast and to test out or marathon pace. It was cloudy and really quiet when I started the pace part and I got my second wind and finished faster than my goal. We're doing a lot of long runs this training go around and I know they will be hard, but worth it. But I'll still whine about it sometimes :)

Warm and Foggy days

I've lived in San Francisco for over 10 years, but I've never seen it as foggy as it's been the last two mornings. Yesterday there was a small plane crash (so sad) I think due to fog and this morning I saw a bad accident on 280. This reminds me that I need to slow down and calm down and enjoy life. I know that's cheesy, but it's hard sometimes to remember these things when work, life and hard workouts (poor me!) get in the way.

Due to the plane crash, there was no electricity in Palo Alto, so I got to drive back to San Francisco and work from home. I enjoyed the warm weather and my cat got to sit on the deck and bask in the sun. I did the hill workout just as the sun was setting which was nice. My legs are really feeling it right now. I think I need to drink water, ice them and stretch over the next few weeks.

Happy running and happy Thursday!

Monday 12!

Misty fog welcomed me into Golden Gate Park during my 12 mile run this morning, and not much else. Many people have off today and MLK was closed in the park to cars so it made it a little spooky. Luckily on the way back, people were starting to get up and walk dogs, babies and themselves so that was good. My legs were very tired and didn't seem to wake up until right around 5 1/2 miles as I was heading down the great highway. They took naps on the way back a little bit too so I had to try and keep them awake. I think Saturday's 16 miles, and then two days later another 12 miles = fatigue in the gams. I am glad that we are building our weekly mileage and I know this will help me in the long run (literally) but for now I am a bit sleepy at work and can't wait for lunch.

Tomorrow is 7 miles, hill workout on Wed, and then a tempo on Friday leading up to 18 on Saturday!

Sun, oh sweet sun

Sorry east coasters (and skin), but I have some sunburn and it feels good!

Running to Saulsalito was beautiful and sunny today. We parked at Sports Basement and ran over the Golden Gate Bridge past Saulsalito - it's downhill or flat most of the way there and the back is a climb, but the views are worth it. We kept a pretty good pace even up hill as bikers were whizzing by.

Steady Stating

This is me and Sarah's marathon training process:

1. One of us gets the "bright idea" that we should run our next marathon. It's important to remember who thought of it because you can blame her during long runs and times of tired "crisis."

2. The other person thinks it over for a few seconds and agrees.

3. As it's been going, Sarah studies every marathon training plan under the sun and devises her own well thought out plan. It's around Kara Goucher's mileage per week when she's not in training, but that doesn't really say anything. It's a killer.

4. We take one week at a time and figure out cool places to do our long runs. Her husband and my soon to be husband have to put up with our tears, complaints, gloating (it's fun to show off how much you are running, at least for me), and strange eating habits.

5. I ponder if Sarah is really running what we are supposed to, or running twice as much as she puts down to secretly out train herself. She tells me "Only run 80  minutes if it says 80" and that it's a recovery run. But I know she doesn't follow that herself. She is that hardcore/crazy.

6. I wonder if the marathon goal I set out for myself is achievable or crazy. Then I think about how I've been running for 6 years now and I can do this. I wonder if I will fall over if I run too fast. I wonder how you ever know what your goal pace should be because you never really know until mile 20 if you've started too fast.

7. We plan our "outfits" for the race and sometimes even for long runs like we are 7th graders planning our outfits for the first day of school.

8. We freak out during taper week, "Did we train hard enough," "Are we lazy," etc etc

9. We get up way too early and do our best on the day of the marathon.

10. Even before that happens, we are planning the next one.

I am thinking of this as I sit here resting after a really good steady state workout where I was 2 seconds faster than my zone. Was that a good idea? Did I overdo it? Am I not doing enough? I had planned on running an extra mile or so so I could hit 40 miles this week but I was pretty tuckered out after the speedy part. I guess that's ok. I should stop freaking myself out about it and just be glad that I got out there :)

Pushing forty (miles)

I've gone back to my running log from the San Francisco Marathon training and I think the most I did per week is 39 miles. We've already had one week where we ran 42 miles, which was a few weeks ago. I think that's what helped me feel great during the Kaiser 1/2: more miles = being in better shape.

This week I ran the first two days after the 1/2. On Monday I ran with Dan for a 50 minute recovery run that was a little faster than I should have done but it felt pretty good. Tuesday I did 6 miles at my target medium pace and felt like I am hitting a stride. Wednesday I was hoping to run but when I was driving home I realized that I am zonked and my legs need a break. So I took yesterday off and headed out early today for an 80 minute easy run. I think all the miles caught up with me because my legs felt fatigued, kind of how I imagined they should have felt Monday. Tomorrow is our steady state run (70 mins with 30 at that faster pace). I am looking forward to it but hope my legs are up for the challenge. Miles wise, I'll probably be at around 39.3 miles after this weekend's run so tomorrow I may sneak in an extra .7. Now that I've discovered that the miles are rounded down to the tenth when I upload my garmin, I'm making sure I can get every bit counted. This is heading into crazy.

It's really nice to be getting into better shape, and I feel like my pace is improving. I still HAVE TO start strength training but I still can't figure out how to fit that into my week.

Half Marathon PR!

This morning Sarah and I got up early for our favorite yearly pre superbowl event, the Kaiser Half Marathon. She told me a few weeks ago that she'd "consider pacing me" for it. This means scrapping her own chances for a PR and slowing down her pace quite a bit. I thought it was a great idea, a challenge for me and a "fun run" for her! It was fantastic running weather, 50's and 60's with party cloudy skies opening up to sun at the finish. Thank you San Francisco! We truly are spoiled running brats. Sarah kept the pace at just below 10 minute miles the whole way and we had a negative split with an average of 9:50 for me - my new 1/2 PR is 2:10 (13 minutes faster than my last :)

It was a great confidence boast and a kick in the pants that I can and should up my pace more often. Sarah is quite convinced that I've been lying to her this whole time about what I can do, and she's not going to let me be lazy anymore. Fun times.

Mixing it up!

This is a little bit of a taper week leading up to the Kaiser 1/2 marathon on Sunday. I am celebrating a Saturday with no long run planned by going shopping with my running buddy. She left me a message saying let's meet up at 10 and for a second I thought, "Isn't that late for a run?" Habits!

I'm celebrating a night that I don't have to go to bed early by working late, having fun with the Comic Life App (notice the new header on this blog) and drinking Limonata!

Fartlek Fun

This week is a sort of taper week leading up to the Kaiser Half Marathon. Yesterday we ran 10 miles but the rest of the week is mellow. Today I did my first fartlek workout. I can't really get over that word, but it was pretty fun. I ran at 400 pace for a minute, jogged for two and repeated 6 times during a 50 minute run. I loved the sprints and felt fun flying by everyone for once (by everyone, I only mean people walking dogs or going to school).

Sunday Lazing About

I really wanted to have a relaxing Sunday, and I can say that I got what I wished for. Yesterday I work up early and went running at the Iron Horse Trail with Sarah. She gave me a run for my money, literally. If I had money in my pockets, it would have flown out :) Her long run pace is almost 2 minutes faster than mine and I did my best to keep up. It was almost better than my 1/2 marathon PR when we got to the 13.1 mile marker (according to my Garmin). We are running the Kaiser Half next weekend so I am hoping that I am well trained for a good PR.

Tomorrow is a 10 miler but the rest of the week is fairly mellow so we can taper a bit. I know after the half the training is going to ramp up, so I am going to enjoy this week as best as I can.

All caught up (for now)

I go through a cycle every week now that marathon training is in full swing. Friday is the best day, especially when I got through all of my weekday workouts and only Saturday is remaining. This week I was always a day behind the workouts but I am all caught up. I tried to take it easy today so tomorrow I can keep up with Sarah for 13 miles! We'll see.... Looking forward to a restful Sunday.

Falling behind

That's the trend in my life right now. I was ahead of the game when it came to wedding planning, work, running and this blog (or at least keeping up with all those things) and now I feel a bit swamped. Some of it has to do with the weather and the rest has to do with the fact that I like to tackle many things at once. Ok, now that the venting is over, let me give an update on marathon training.

Last week was a hailing, raining, tornado warning, thundering beast but I managed to get all of my runs in and have an enjoyable long run with Sarah! This week I gave in to the weather (and my job) and didn't run yesterday. This morning I ran at 6am (not the norm for me) so I could get into work and prepare for a meeting. Now I'm a run behind and wondering if I should give up my rest day on Thursday, or run on Sunday?? I think I'll wing it. Tomorrow is the first track workout of training and I am so looking forward to the track and to Arizmendi!

In the groove

At the end of last week, I seem to have hit my stride again (literally). The hill workout, tempo and then the Saturday long run went very well (always love running in Alameda) - my legs have lost their early training sludge and seem to know what it is they should be doing. I'm blaming the following things for this:

a.) I have a kick ass running buddy who motivates me (Sarah!) and a very supportive fiance (Dan) who puts up with my crazy running schemes.

b.) I have other things going on that make running seem like a stress less joy!

c.) I am eating eating pasta again

d.) I am getting in better shape?

I know I'll have weeks when I'll reread this in disbelief, but for now, I'm just enjoying it.

That leads me to this week. I ran 8 miles in the rain today, down Lake Street, down to Baker Beach, up the hill to Golden Gate Bridge, down to Chrissy Field and back up Presidio. It's a loop I've done on the weekends but always added more by going over the Bridge. This time I did the loop without the bridge and added about another half mile or so when I could. It's very hilly in the middle and at the end but I like the terrain changes. Since it was raining, I had to be extra careful of cars and of slipping - I noticed that people really can't see you even if they are stopped at a stop sign and you've already been crossing. I almost got run over twice. After that I was extra careful.

Anyway, the rest of the week is pretty similar to last week (switch out the tempo for a steady state) except for a 17 miler this weekend. I think we'll hit 40 miles this week!

Running up five hills

I didn't really give a summary of how the first week of training went, but I would sum it up as good but tiring. This weekend I was pretty tuckered out, and then during the 8  miles on Monday and 6 on Tuesday I was also lumbering along. I think it's a combination of the increase in miles, and the fact that I'm trying to watch what I eat more than I normally would (getting married in July craziness). Yesterday my friend Rebecca convinced me to come over for some much needed pasta and wine and this morning I actually woke up with energy! I had a great hill workout and actually got to work at a decent time. Food is golden! I'm going to make sure I eat enough now that I'm really burning way more calories, especially with the long runs getting longer as the weeks go by. I've just always found it hard to lose weight while training but maybe this time will be different??!?


ps. Today was a 60 minute run with 5 hills.
   

Monday morning long runs are like a few glasses of wine

Is it weird that here I am at work on a Monday morning and I am relaxed? I ran 8 miles this morning and now nothing really seems to be worth stressing over. Perhaps I am just too tired, but I feel pretty good post 8 miles :)

I ran along Chrissy Field - they are doing some construction on the roadway so it's not super peaceful but it was pretty good. Sarah would have "enjoyed" the huge waves that were splashing over beneath the bridge. At one point, the wave soaked the road but luckily I was far away when that happened. I ran down there via Presidio thinking that since I didn't use my "hill" muscles this weekend, they'd be well rested. My legs were a bit heavy from the 13 mile run this weekend and my pace was slow, but all in all,  I think it went ok.

My other training this week includes a hill workout, tempo, about a 6 mile run and 15 this weekend with Sarah.

Hills again!

Today was my first hill workout of this training (4 hills during an hour run - 1 minute up the hill and 2  minute cool down) and boy did my legs have amnesia.  I did the same hill I normally do, but I seem to have forgotten what pace to do. The first 3 hill repeats I sluggishly completed, and for the fourth I thought that I would just pick a pace at the bottom of the hill and maintain it all the way through. This was easy at the bottom and at the middle but I had to push it at the end. I think I actually got up higher for that one minute than I have before so that will be my new trick. I am happy to have gotten three workouts down so far with only two left for the week. I haven't gotten any strength training workouts in - I'm hoping tonight and tomorrow I'll be inspired.

Another day, another 5 miles

I'm not sure why, but I don't even feel like I'm training for a marathon right now. I think I may have a touch of the January blues. The weather isn't too bad though so that's good. I ran to Golden Gate Park which is something I don't usually do during the week. I was afraid it would be pretty empty that early in the morning but it was jumping with cars, bikers and runners.

I felt a little more energized during the run and I thought a lot about the upcoming year and wedding planning. It's almost like I've been in hibernation mode for the last few weeks and I need to shake myself out of it.

I'm looking forward to running with Sarah this weekend for our 13 mile long run. She is feeling a lot better!

First Week of Avenue of the Giants Marathon Training!

Week one of Ave of the Giants Marathon training began this morning with a 6 mile run. It felt pretty normal since I've been running pretty regularly (if you forget the holidays). This week of training is about on par with what I've been doing, except for one more run day. After this week, it really ramps up. I'm looking forward to getting into better running shape and to long runs with Sarah. Speaking of my running buddy, Sarah has been taking care of her husband who had stomach flu, and this morning it really hit her. So she'll be taking this week off I hope! Send her healthy vibes.

Happy New Year!

After a very relaxing and low key New Year's Eve (and maybe too much wine), I am ready for 2010! Wishing all runners (and non runners) a Happy New Year!!!! Let's bring it!