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!

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.
   

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.

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?

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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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.

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 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.

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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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.