Windmill 10K

On Sunday morning, I ran another DSE race in San Francisco.  This was a 10K race that went up and back down Golden Gate Park, starting and finishing at the windmills near the Great Highway.  I'd trained quite well for the past few weeks and tried my best to do quality workouts while on blizzard-cation in New Jersey  :> In addition, my coach had planned some tuning-workouts last week that were hard in a very good way.

I ran the race in 46:36 (7:29 pace) and was the 5th overall woman!! This is a personal best for me, and it represents a breakthrough in my race pace since the Fall.  Soooo, what does a breakthrough race feel like?

Well, I did a good warm up and lined up near the front.  It was a clear, cool, and crisp morning for a race. I worked hard but not too hard in the first mile.  I checked my heartrate and trusted my coach that Zone 4 was okay for racing, and that I could hang on for 40+ minutes in Zone 4. I focused on people in front of me and closing the gap. I also paid attention to the terrain---if it was flatter, I pushed myself, if it was the end of an uphill, I'd work my arms, and if it was a downhill, I'd let myself cruise.  I reminded myself it was only 6 miles and celebrated getting to the turnaround at 3.1 miles :) I also reminded myself that it was supposed to hurt and to go that "hurty" place :O

With less than a mile left, I just told myself to bring it in and keep moving.  I was pretty out of it for the last 1/2 mile and really could only concentrate on one stride at a time.  There's something about driving down to the finish line in which your vision ONLY sees the finish line. Woh, I think I might be addicted to 10Ks!

Take Two

When my coach, Mary, ordered that I take a week off of running, I thought I would lose it.  But, somehow, the week did me a lot of good.  It gave me a few more minutes for taking care of overall life stuff, and I didn't go completely berzerk! I did a ton of walking and a yoga workout (which fried my abs!). Now I'm back to running, and, ahhh, I've had a nice couple of runs. Today's zone 2 run went really well.

I've set two goals for this training cycle: 1) get stronger AND 2) tackle the zone 2 run.  To get stronger, I'm raising my commitment to doing arm weights and crunches and even crosstraining :O  I'm also going to work on learning what zone 2 (moderate effort) feels like and train my body to deal with working a tad harder on my everyday runs.  I think it'll make a difference!!

Halloween Highway

This morning's 4 mile race went great! I woke up early to head to San Francisco for another DSE race.  The route was an out and back--down the Great Highway and then back up to Sloat. At the start, I went out pretty hard because I didn't want to be trapped behind people on the narrow path.  I felt awesome during the first mile and had to reel myself in to run a 7:21 mile. Of course, this meant that I wasn't listening my coach, who'd suggested that I start at 7:40 pace and then go-negative ;O

I felt good on the second mile (7:35) and tried to enjoy the gentle, rolling hills along the Great Highway. At this point, I realized that a few women were running right around my pace.  But mile 3 felt harder, and I was huffing and puffing. I eeked out a 7:46 mile and could tell that my legs weren't too happy with me....On the 4th and last mile, I just hung on--7:50--and worked on pulling myself closer to the women in front of me.  It felt like a lonnnnng mile, and I was very ready for this Halloween "trick" to be finished!!  I kicked it in just a bit at the end, finishing in 30:40 & getting 5th place overall woman.  I think I'm getting addicted to the finisher's ribbons ;)  Now it's time for treats & more treats, as I am a pumpkin & candy addict  :P 

A couple reflections:  My average pace was 7:39, and now I should work on starting smarter in races....the going out fast probably hurt me a tad in this race. If I'd started under control, I may have been less of a pumpkin in the last 1.5 miles. Going to races with friends & meeting other runners at races is very, very motivating. So, I'm happy that I'm now in the habit of racing every month or so, instead of just a couple times a year.

Fierce

I had a blast running the DSE 5 miler at Oyster Point.  It was cool to really, truly race today.  That meant that I focused on passing people--instead of just considering my pace and time.  The nice & flat course traced around the San Francisco Bay near the SF Airport.  Though it was a glaringly sunny and hot day, I warmed up well, paced myself, and pushed myself to a strong finish.  And, guess what, I was the 2nd place woman!! My race time was 39:02 (7:44 pace). I need to thank my coach, Mary,  for encouraging me to do hard workouts, dig deep, and believe that I can run fast.

As usual, I woke up early and enjoyed my coffee, peanut butter toast, and banana :P  Then I picked up Jenica, and we headed down to South San Francisco and had a fantastic warm up jog.  I felt calm and ready to rock the 5 miler.  I lined up close to the start and noticed a few speedy looking women.

I started strong (7:37 pace) but was careful to keep in control, especially due to the heat. Then I just kept working my legs and tried to catch the runners ahead of me :)  At the halfway point, I heard that I was the 4th woman, but I knew I wanted to place.....And I saw women up ahead, so I knew I had work to do! I passed one woman & then another woman---yeehaw!  My breathing got tougher, but my legs still felt strong.  At points, I had to convince myself to push, and I tried some different mantras to maintain a speedy rhythm. With less than a mile to go, I heard footsteps and was certain that one of the women was going to pass me back.  But then I saw that it was an older man, and he helped push me to the finish. Whew!  I finished with a kick but had definitely left my energy out on the course. 

This race taught me a few things. First, heck yeah, I have the fierceness for racing. Second, even if your training runs are dragging, you can have a great race. And, third, it's just plain ole FUN to get out there, try your best, and kick some tail in the process ;)

Simplification

Running, like almost anything in life, can get pretty complicated. Training can get confusing by involving juggling different routes and paces and drills and techniques. And recently, I've just wanted and, ultimately, needed my training and running to feel simpler. Thank goodness my coach assigned a simple long run for this weekend.

So, this morning, I tackled the nice and simple long run. It wasn't totally easy or lazy, but it was simple....I headed out the door, up the hill, back down the hill, around another neighborhood (Trestle Glen), out to Lake Merritt, and then I trotted right back home. All in all, a 10 mile tour of our 'hood. I saw plenty of folks out with their dogs and grabbing coffee and several other runners and bikers. Best of all, I ended up running the last 2.5 miles at 8:30 pace! The workout felt like an honest effort because I didn't strain myself or freak out over paces. Instead, I just worked, and then returned home for a chocolate milk protein shake and plenty 'o' football :)

Wrapping my brain around it

My goal half marathon is less than three days away. In fact, in two days, I'll be getting to bed extra early, hoping for sweet, overhydrated dreams ;) And currently my belly's full of Thai food.

Today's sharpening workout went well. My legs are starting to feel like they WANT to go fast!! Thanks to my coach, I have a race plan with pacing goals and fueling tips, but I still need to spend some time psyching myself up that a) pain is okay, b) I want it BAD, and C) Yes, I CAN and WILL do it. Part of me feels like it's been forever since I've raced. But another part of me feels quite relaxed about the whole affair. It's true that it's been awhile since I've raced a halfie (February '09!). But I've run a bunch of other races since then, including a marathon in May, a 5K in June, and a 4 miler in July. Right now, 13 miles sounds like a ton of miles to race.....eeeek :>

Ain't it good to know

I loved running my last "sharpening" long run with my friend, Jenica. It was summer in San Francisco, which meant overcast skies, some drizzle, and cool winds blowing by Chrissy Field. I absorbed some terrific views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the SF skyline...wow! And meeting up with a friend makes workouts SO, SO much better & easier. It was a good, strong 10 miler-- with 5 speedier miles thrown in by my coach (who's doing a half Ironman tomorrow!!). The current goal is to teach my legs and body what goal half marathon pace (8:06-8:10) feels like.

It's good to have running friends and also great to know that a goal-race is around the corner.....

More quality time at the track

With the half marathon about ten days away, I did my final pre-race track workout this overcast morning. I woke up a bit tired but forced myself to eat part of a granola bar and actually felt pretty good on my warmup. Then it was time for intervals- 800s and mile repeats at goal pace! My fantastic track was hopping; there were some speedy runners and morning walkers and everything in between. A couple people failed to follow track etiquette and were doing recovery work in the inside lane---Boo :(

The 800s (3:40; 3:43) felt really good, and my legs felt strong. I was able to keep my breathing under control at the sub-7:15 pace. I definitely rely on my Garmin during track workouts to hit the goal paces from my coach :O By the way, at some point, I feel like I should go to the track and bust out intervals without the information from my Garmin.

Then it was time for mile repeats at my goal half marathon pace (8:10, yeehaw!!). I wasn't sure if these would feel really easy or boring or what....And, the first 1600 felt a bit too easy--8:07 pace. But on the second 1600, my legs felt a bit heavier, but I worked hard, reminded myself to breathe and did it at 8:02 pace :) Whew-- the best part of a track workout is completing it & knowing that it made you stronger AND faster!

Nope

Yesterday's long run was TOUGH. I got out there and ran 15 miles at an average pace of 9:20....It was my fastest training run in months and most likely my fastest long run EVER. But, it was ROUGH. I couldn't complete my coach's pace goals for the progression part of the run. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to sustain 8:30 pace :( At a few points, I tried changing the music on my ipod and really willed my legs to go, but they said no way!

After the rough workout, I dusted myself off (chocolate milk aided my recovery) and reminded myself that I can try again. My hubby and I drove down to Pescadero and enjoyed the dramatic coastline of Northern California. The scenery really tempted me to run the Big Sur Marathon :) I have a couple days of easy running and then another track workout to push my legs once again!!

Racin' Lake Merced

I think this was one of the coldest races that I've ever run....and, yes, it was in San Francisco in July :) But, I never complain about running in cool weather!! My coach wanted me to treat this as a tune-up for the half marathon. So, I got a tiny-taper and made sure to gel-up, etc. I ran the 4.5 mile race around Lake Merced in 34:47 (7:46 pace). Here's the beef on my race:

7:43-- I started out with the speedy peeps, felt strong, and held myself back to not be a jackrabbit...

7:31--There was a rad downhill, I relaxed, and I passed a couple strong women runners. I was concerned that they'd pass-me-back, but....I got 'em!!

7:55--Midway through this mile, I thought I was toast. My legs felt like jello, my breathing was off, there was a gradual uphill. I kept truckin' away and tried looking ahead to pull myself forward.

7:49--I'm really proud of this mile (even though it's slower than my goal 7:45 pace) because I convinced myself I was almost done. So, I pushed through some pain--with plenty of arm swinging and wheezing. My breathing felt a bit off by this point. Oh, and I was feeling pukey, too, which is GREAT sign that you're racin' and not just out for a run :O

7:57 (final 0.48)-- Oh, boy, I was giving it my all just reminding myself to move my legs. I lacked a kick. Near the finish, we had to run across a patch of grass, and I really had to concentrate to maintain my balance. My vision was wonky, too-- like I couldn't really focus. But, hey, I made it across the finish!

Post-race, there were plenty of refreshments (the chocolate cookies were delish), and I chatted with a few runners. Kudos again to the Dolphin South End running club because they put on really nice & low key races...this race had about 70 runners and the entry fee was $1! I'll be running more DSE races in the future.

End 'o' July

I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that this month is slipping away! I've had a few strong runs recently, and my coach thinks that things are coming together---and lord knows, I'm a sucker for positive appreciation :) At the same time, I know that the next few weeks of training are going to be strenuous--with peak workouts before my race on August 29th.

I raced a 5K in the beginning of June, and get to race again on Thursday in San Francisco!! It'll be another low-key DSE race. This time it's a relatively flat 4.5 mile race. In fact, it's so low key, that they asked runners to bring snacks to share. I bought a bag of cookies and hope to run fast enough that the good snacks are still available :P I'm also debating what to wear and need to make sure the outfit matches my Lunarglides....Ah, the frivolous details of running and racing! Seriously, I do plan on pushing hard during this race and testing my fitness.

Track workout

Initially, I'd been scheduled to do a track workout on Wednesday, but my legs and body had lacked pep this week. So, I took a rest day on Wednesday and planned to go up to the track this morning, which would be the first one with my coach.

I woke up bright and early, dressed, and headed out for a 2 mile warm up with a few pick ups. My legs still felt a little tight, but I knew I should try my best on this track workout. The 400s were speedy & fun (1:41 & 1:44). The 800s hurt more, and I really had to convince myself that I had an extra gear and could ace the final 800 (3:36 & 3:41).....By the way, I definitely was in zone 4 to hit these interval paces! The 2 mile cooldown dragged a bit, and I took it quite easy.

All in all, this track workout went well, and I hope I'm getting stronger and faster, bit by bit.

Happy birthday

Last week, my hubby gave me an early birthday present....a Bosu ball! I've been learning how to do fun arm & core work, such as push ups and planks on the ball. It's a good kind of ouch ;)

Today, which is my actual birthday, I woke up early to do a base run with 5 hill sprints. I felt strong in Zone 2 and concentrated on my sprinting form during the hill sprints. And, my copy of the Hudson training book arrived in the mail this afternoon! I can't wait to read it to learn more about the importance of hill sprints and the method behind the madness of Fartleks! Apparently, my coach's training philosophy is aligned with Hudson's....

Tonight, I'll be celebrating AND making a running-related wish!!!

This week

I've been following my coach's lower mileage philosophy but ran 32 miles this week. My legs are feeling stronger, and I think my running form is improving, too! It seems like every workout includes some type of 'quality' OR is an easy-paced recovery run.

Today's workout was an 8 mile progression run. I drove out to Walnut Creek for a flat running route---even though the temperature is higher out there. The first few miles were at a really easy pace, but I started working around mile 4 (Zone 2). BTW- I'm learning that the high end of Zone 2 is still fairly easy but requires me to concentrate and not just jog around ;O

Then, for miles 6-8, I maintained a medium-hard pace (Zone 3), which was about 8:30 pace. At the end of the run, I felt like I'd worked hard but wasn't completely wiped out, which is a good thing :)

Polo Field 5K

My coach encouraged me to race a 5K because racing helps you gauge your fitness/heart rate zones and gives you practice in pacing, racing, and dealing with pain :> So, I found a DSE 5K (3.1 miles) race in Golden Gate Park. This morning, I had a good breakfast (1/2 bagel w/ peanut butter & coffee) and sipped gatorade while driving over to SF. Then I jogged two warm up miles with Jenica and threw in three strides. I got nervous and took a gel about 10 minutes before the start.

Mile 1 included a fun downhill and my pace (7:22) felt too easy--probably thanks to adrenaline. But the second mile had a serious, neverending uphill (earned an 8:14 pace). I reminded myself that I run lots of hills where I live and kept working up the hill. It really helped me to focus on a man just in front of me, and then I passed him on a flatter section. Next, I targeted a woman in front of me.....I really worked to gain on the woman and was close behind her at the very top of the hill. My legs burned (third mile @ 7:52), and I kept checking that I was in zone 4, which is sub-threshold....Translation?? Painful!!

With about half a mile to go, I tried convincing myself that I was just doing an 800 interval on the track and really worked my legs. This part was downhill (final .14 @ 7:00 pace), but by the finish, I was pretty out of it. I finished in 24:26 and felt totally woozy & pukey in the finish chute. Later, I found out that I was the 6th overall woman!! This race was a successful 5K experience, and I'm happy with my new speed & strength training.

Coach me this

I'm working toward my PhD in Education Policy and am studying instructional coaches. Coaching is really interesting because, in schools, it potentially pushes and supports teachers at the same time. In other words, coaching challenges AND helps, or even nurtures. Right now, you're probably thinking---how in the world this could connect to running (except for the fact that my 4+ year grad school venture has gifted me with an odd schedule that permits running and more running)?

Well, guess what?!?! I feel very, very fortunate to say that I'm getting a running coach, Mary! I think Mary will focus on my running, rather than my capacity to teach phonics or manage munchkins. I'm looking forward to getting my tail kicked AND my hand held for my next training cycle. And, who knows, maybe I'll even get some ideas about coaches' work for my dissertation ;)