These legs

Dear Legs,

Thanks for powering me around the track this morning! You seemed to enjoy the workout (1600/800/400/400), and I appreciate the way you beat my target-times! I sincerely hope you soaked up the carbs and protein from the bowl of oatmeal with almond butter, banana, and blueberries (sounds strange yet totally delish).

I know that sometimes I abuse you and force you to endure long runs, big hills, plus squat jumps (ouch with a capital O). But, deep down, I love you. After all, you've helped me walk around France, Greece, and Mexico; you've helped me dance at weddings, at raves, and around my living room; and you've supported me through highs-and-lows. For all that, I know I need to care for you with nutrition and hydration. I'm trying to eat more fruit and protein while holding onto my obsession with ice cream and chocolate :P

XOXO,

Moi

August

It's the end of summer, and I want to squeeze in some good times---with family & friends, food, and running! From head to toe, I have a few FUN goals for the month of August....

Family & Friends: Celebrate my hubby's graduation from his MFA program; Skype with family on the east coast; Visit friends around the Bay Area

Food: Enjoy cooking with ingredients from our Eatwell CSA box, including goodies like strawberries, summer squash, and farm fresh eggs; Do some baking (perhaps a pie!); Get Thai food- just because :)

Running: Try a different running route; Keep up with core workouts; Get fired up for the Santa Rosa half marathon!!

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.

What you can do

The truth is, we can all do more than where we draw our limits and boundaries. We are able to rise up (even after hitting the snooze button) and work harder, dig deeper, or run harder. Our minds think we can only do this or that. But, step by step, I'm figuring out that we can do more than those silly (and sometimes sad) limits. I give thanks to running for teaching me this lesson.

And I surprised myself today. I ran 12 miles- with 2 miles sub 8:29, 2 miles sub 8:24, and a give-it-all-you-got mile in 8:00. So, yes, I could do it.

Deep thoughts

Ruminations while consuming peanut butter (post-run, of course!)

Do I love peanut butter because I'm a runner?

Or am I runner because I love peanut butter so damn much?