Good ole January

January has been kind to me as runner.  Dear East Coasters, please don't hate me.....But I just ran in shorts & a short sleeve shirt. And, when I finished, I was a bit warm ;)  I've had some strong runs this month, including some fast 800 repeats that felt, well, too easy at 7:00 pace.  For that reason, I've been tempted to do some sort of time trial to figure out what my current PR would be for an 800 and 1600!!

There's something about running in the snow

My running has been excellent while out east for the holidays!  Today, we're being treated to snow---and lots of it.  There's a magical feeling in the air when snowflakes start falling, blanketing the streets and sidewalks, and making the world quieter and softer.  And my body was content out there.

Angel Island Race

I had a blast running Enviroport's 12K yesterday! The morning began with coffee, breakfast, and driving over to Tiburon. After finding parking and meeting up with a couple running buddies, it was time to get on the ferry.  The boat ride to Angel Island took only 15 minutes, and then we waited at the starting area. It was damp and gray---with tons of fog hanging around.

The first couple of miles involved a lot of uphill.  I felt pretty good and just let my pace vary according to the terrain & the pace of people in front of me :) Part of racing on singletrack trails is dealing with being 'trapped' behind other runners. Due to the fog, our views of the SF Bay were extremely limited :(  But the trees and birds and ups and downs of the course kept it interesting!

Around mile 3, there was some flatter ground, since we were running on a ridge, and I let myself pick up the pace a bit.  But when the course threw in some more uphills around mile 4, I could feel my heartrate shooting up and had to back off a bit.  I reminded myself that there would eventually be some downhill, and when I got to the flatter and downhill segments, I let myself cruise.....That meant relaxing my body, concentrating on the trail and my footing, and just running. I worked hard on the last 1.5 miles, including kicking it in near the finish :)  My finishing time was 1:12, and I finished in the top 25% of women.  I think I'll be doing more trail races in the future!

I learned a few lessons from this race:
1) Trail running is very peaceful
2) Trail races also give me post-race glow
3) It can be tricky to figure out an appropriate racing pace/effort when the terrain varies
4) Extended uphills are tough on your lungs and heart
5) Racing with friends is the BEST way to kick off the holidays!!!

Rainy day

According to the calendar, it's been fall for about a month.  But we've only experienced a few days of fall thus far. And today's a rainy, fall day.  I went out for a 30 minute recovery run in the rain, and it was quite soothing.  The Bay Area feels quieter when it's raining, and I only crossed paths with a few people on the sidewalks of Oakland. I appreciated the fresh smell of rain and paid a bit of extra attention to the fallen leaves.  With my rain jacket on, there was no need to chase the rain away!

Happy Fall!

Yesterday I noticed that the leaves were changing colors, and it was lovely to see some red and golden foliage on my recovery run :)  Today is a gloriously sunny day, but fall is in the air!  I had a great, confidence boosting interval workout today--with 90 second bursts at 5K pace (7:44, 7:26, 7:12).  They felt great, and my legs truly felt "in the flow."  I'm looking forward to this weekend's 5 miler and just want to have fun at the race, and, well, feel some pain while pushing myself!!

Sharpening

Today was a bright, hot, summery day. I had a sharpening workout on tap, so I geared up around 6pm and braved the 90+ degree weather.

After a nice warmup, I did three 1 mile repeats. The first couple felt great at sub 8:10 pace. I felt strong and in total control.....But on the last one, I was, quite literally, cooked. Baked. Roasted. Toasted. Broiled. I'm stoked that I completed this workout because it's a jam packed week. I'm also crossing my fingers and toes that the Bay Area cools down before my race weekend :>

Winter in August

It was so chilly that I almost dug out my capris for today's 40 minute recovery run!

I ended up wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and my new SmartWool running socks. I loved the way these socks felt---they fit nice & snug and really hug your foot. And I think they kept my feet warm and dry on *another* gray Bay Area day :O

Heap of heat

Running on the east coast in July requires, well, huevos!!

To get in a 10 miler, I got on the road at 5:45 am and still encountered humidity & heat. On the bright side, I got to explore a lovely neighborhood in Philadelphia. And, the greenery and wildlife (deer, bunnies, and squirrels) are precious :)

Taper away

Somehow, the marathon taper is long enough so you start questioning if you've stopped being a runner! When tapering, I find myself looking at the clock and calendar, reviewing my running log, doing body checks to conjure up strange pains, and checking the weather A LOT (more on that later). Oh, and sometimes there's some dangerous online shopping, too ;)

Yesterday's taper-pampering involved a sport massage plus tasty treats! My brilliant massage therapist did some excellent, deep kneading of my legs and glutes; let's just say that my quads, the backs of my thighs, and my calves all had some serious issues. Now I'm sitting on an ice pack---good times, good times.

Afterwards, I picked up burritos & feasted with my hubby because marathoners need the potent fuel of guacamole, beans, and carne asada. Oh, and then I baked brownies (Totally not sure if Kara Goucher or Deena Kastor have ever even smelled a brownie. And, by the looks of their arms and legs, my answer is NO!). Of course, I not only smelled the brownies, but ate 'em....delish :P

I think part of the tapering process is getting to know who you are and figuring out your limits. And, I'm most definitely not a professional marathoner. But I have put in the time and sweat, as well as the energy to train hard and try my very, very best. I'm hoping for a delish marathon and will work during the race to make myself proud.

ps- Current weather forecast is cool with some showers on May 2nd.....

April

I ran 10 miles this morning before the April showers rolled in! My legs were happy to be running, which always makes training easier and more fun. This will be another high mileage week, so I'll try to eat and drink and rest appropriately :)

On tap:

-Another medium long run of 13 miles

-22 miler with some goal marathon pace miles....Yeehaw!

Buoyancy

This week of marathon training included a 14 mile midweek run, which is definitely a record medium-long run for me! I decided to go down to Alameda to run the 14 miler, since there are nice and flat routes along the waterfront.

Of course, it was raining off and on during my run. I was really happy that I chose to wear my Marmot lightweight rain jacket because it ended up saving me from hypothermia. I'm also sure its bright orange color made me more visible in traffic. Around mile 9, when it was pouring rain, I imagined that the jacket was a rescue-flotation vest that would whisk me away to safety. At that point, I felt about as soaked as a swimmer, and was thinking about whether or not I'd ever consider doing a triathlon.

Also on tap for this week: a track workout AND a long run (only 14 miles) with 5 miles at goal marathon pace.

Sopping

I ran this week's medium long run of 10 miles in the rain. Well, the first few miles were just grey and humid, then it was sprinkling, and then I could hear the pitter-patter of rain over my ipod's music ;) By the end of the run, I was a little chilly and every part of my body--from the rain gliding over the brim of my hat to my puddle drenched Sauconys--were soaked. I was definitely inspired to remain positive and keep my grumbling to a minimum about the rain because I'm aware that many of my running-buddies from the internets (e.g., http://mile-posts.blogspot.com/ & http://tri-ingtodoitall.blogspot.com/) are dealing with snowy and icy conditions.

All in all, it was a good run to Berkeley. Now I'm warming up my core by refueling with a hot mug of green tea and a scrambled egg sandwich :P

Terrific Tiburon

Running 17 miles in Tiburon was a great way to tour the SF Bay. There were cool views of the Richmond Bridge, Angel Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. At times, it felt like running through a rain forest or imaginary world because of the odd weather--cloudy, misty, and interspersed sun-showers!! It was weird at mile 8 to realize that there were STILL 9 miles left to run, but all in all my body felt fine throughout the long run.

Now it's time for some professional grade recovery before the next week of training :>

Didn't melt, but

I ran in moderately unsafe conditions today and should be more cautious in the future!! It was cloudy when I left the house, then it started raining (pouring, actually). Next, I heard thunder and there was some hail up in the Oakland Hills :O At that point, I was a couple miles away from home so it made sense to stick it out (maybe).

I managed to run toward lower ground, and the storm passed through. Then I did the hill repeats and felt strong (much better than last week).

Thanks to google, I found some lightning safety tips and learned that when you hear thunder, you could be within striking distance of lightning (scary!).

I definitely need a cup of hot tea :P

Week of January 18

It's rainy season in the Bay Area, so that means rain, wet sidewalks, some flooding, wind, broken branches, and rainbows!

Marathon training is in full gear, and I've already completed a medium long run of 8 miles. Tomorrow will be a hill workout, and we'll see if I can manage to avoid torrential rain. I also have a steady state run on tap for Friday (before heading back to class at Berkeley). And, Jenica and I will be running 17 miles (already!) this weekend which should be a satisfying workout and provide us with plenty of time to chat!

Brr...un

With the feels like 10 degree temperature, I managed a 50 minute run in the Cinnamon Ridge neighborhood.

P.S. I took two days off while in the Hudson River valley because my nephew was too darned cute ;O I guess that means that I won't get a new hat, but I'm still pleased with my east coast running.

P.P.S. Last night, I dreamt that I was meeting someone and traveling to SF for a race but we were running late. Somehow, I was chill about the prospects of rushing to the start of the race!

Dashing through the snow

Happy holidays, y'all!

I did a bit of my run in some powdery snow in NJ, and the weather outside was delightful.....Now it's time to celebrate :)