KristenRuns

Easy run in Presidio and OB Bike Path. Never saw another runner the entire time!

Another beautiful day in San Diego. Full sun, a little breeze, 65 degrees.

I was sore from yesterday's hill sprints. I only did 6!!

Easy 4 on treadmill at 8:45 pace.

Upper body and core workout

+yoga

Easy on treadmill as warm up to yoga

My plan for this race was to use it as a fitness test and break through workout for my Spring half marathon training. I accomplished both!

I had in mind an average pace of 7:20. I ran the first 6 miles of the race at 7:15-7:20. This felt easy and comfortable. My breathing was relaxed and my legs felt great.

So I decided to push the pace in the last 5K of the race down to 7:00 miles. I ran miles 7 and 8 at 7:00 and still had a lot of energy left, and breathing was pretty good. A little choppy.

But I ran the last 1.3 as fast as a could. My average pace was about 6:45 for the last segment of the race.

I had run the first several miles of the race with a pink shirted woman who looked about my age. She picked up her pace at mile 2, and I decided not to go. But I kept within about ~100 meters of her most of the race. I caught her in the last mile and surged by her for the win in the last quarter mile! I beat her by 5 seconds. I felt sort of petty for doing this. But I really was proud of myself for hanging on the entire race and being tough at the end.

It was also great to negative split and be able to pass a lot of people in the final miles. I moved from about 15th place female to 11th place female in the last 3 miles.

The race gave me a good idea of where my fitness is. I think I could run my next half marathon (Carlsbad, January 19) at 7:15 or faster.

Needed a rest day post-race, but it was so hard to take the day off - it was a gorgeous day in San Diego!

Yoga for Athletes DVD. Felt amazing.

AM Easy run on Embarcadero. Saw a Coast Guard helicopter take off. Legs felt a little heavy stil from Saturday's race. 8:20ish average pace - a little fast for an easy run.

PM Day 1 of Project Pull Up. I am following the Marine training program for women to meet the new (now delayed) requirement of 3 pull ups. Why? Like many runners, I virtually ignore upper body strength, but I think it's important for overall fitness. This gives me a goal to work toward. On day 1, I could do 1 full pull up. 

3 x 10 assisted pull ups (40 pounds of assist)

3 x 15 of bent over rows with barbells (30 pounds)

3 x 15 3 way shoulder raises (5 pound dumb bells)

3 x 10 of dips - first set 7 unassited; second and third sets 30 pounds of assist

+yoga

Legs and core workout. Some light plyo.

AM - Woke up sore from yesterday's leg workout and maybe some lingering fatigue from Saturday's 15K race. (Also upper body sore from Monday's pull up workout.) Had a speed workout penciled in for today but decided to take it easier. Ran a hilly route at easy pace of 8:45. 3 major hills at Laurel St., bridle trail stairs, and Reynard St. Legs felt heavy.
 

PM - 2 miles on treadmill very slow at 10+ pace. This was to warm up for day 2 of my pull up experiment. +yoga

Pushups 2 x 20

Seated cable rows 15, 15, 11 (55 lbs)

Millitary press 15, 10, 8 (15 lbs)

Pullovers 15, 12, 10 (20 lbs)

3 way planks 2 sets

Treadmill speed workout after work. This was a challenging workout! My breathing was under control and my legs felt strong. But was still struggling...not sure why or with what. Perhaps mental toughness lagging since this is one of my first hard workouts of my spring half marathon training.

1.5 mile warm up easy

6 x 0.5 at 9.0 (6:39 pace)  with 0.25 rest intervals at 6.0 (10:00 pace)

0.5 mile cool down easy

all at 2% incline
 

Warm up - 2 miles easy on treadmill

Pull up workout #3

3 x 15 bar pull ups

3 x 15 pull downs (supinated)

3 x 15 upright rows

3 x 15 close grip bench press

Easy miles along Embarcadero at about 8:30 average pace. 

Long run on OB bike path and in Mission Bay, around 8:30 average pace. Legs feel cranky after this one. Havent' run this far in a while! 1 week away from Carlsbad Half!

3 miles easy on treadmill. 9:00 pace. Right hip a little sore from yesterday's long run. Stretched and rolled.

Pull up workout - 3x20 push ups; 3x15 single arm rows (20 lbs); 3x15 front raises (10 pound plate); 3 way planks 2x30 seconds

Legs and core workout. Right hip still a little sore/stiff.

Rest day - Chicago for work; traveling back to San Diego. Hip still sore. It is probably some bursitis. Got some healing to do before Carlsbad Half of Sunday. Wouldn't run the race if it were today.

pull up workout - week 2, workout 2

3 x 10 pull ups supinated grip (3 without assistance, rest 30 lbs of assistance)

3 x 15 low rows (35 lbs)

3 x 15 3 way shoulder (6 pounds)

3 x 6 dips

3 x 15 pull ups on smith machine bar

+yoga and rolling.

60 minutes yoga, stretching with Brandon.

Right hip has a lot of tension in it. Discomfort and tightness, not pain. Hip flexor, piriformis, glutes, lower back, hamstring on right side are all affected, very tight.

yoga, stretching, foam rolling.

1:33:42 (7:09 average pace). A new PR by 30 seconds! Hoorah! Obviously, the race went well. I decided to target 7:15 for the first half of the race, and I was more or less spot on. My plan for the second half was to go faster. And here is where the race went better than I expected. I sunk into a 7:00 pace and found the zone, taking it down to 6:39 in the 13th mile, and then down to 6:24 to the finish with lots of energy to spare.

Looking forward to shaving another 30 seconds to a minute off next race!

The Stats

Overall: 206 of 7256 (1st place was 1:02:13)

Women overall: 45 of 4303 (1st place was 1:14:17)

Division F30-34: 12 of 795 (1st place was 1:21:31)

Sore from race, so took a rest day. Even soreness in both sides of body calves, hams, groin area, quads. Also sore forearms and bicepts are sore (too much tension in upper body?) 

Sore/stiff right hip again. Got a massage. My first Ashiatsu Massage - where therapist uses an overhead support system to control her bodyweight and massages with feet. This was very effective on the quads, which took out some of my hip tension on right side.

Decided it is the right glutius medius that is sore. Yoga, foam rolling, and restorative yoga poses after the massage. A lot of relief!

AM - cranked heat up in house to 75 and did a big stretch, yoga, foam roll. Hip feeling so much better. That massage really helped. First time I feel a massage has really made an impact on my recovery.

PM - 30 minutes elliptical, easy and hated every second of it. Followed by pull up workout #6. 3x20 push ups; 3x13 cable rows (55 lbs); 3x10 military press (15 pounds); 3x13 pull overs (20 pounds); 3 sets of 3-way planks (30 seconds). Wrapped up the workout with more yoga and foam rolling. Then did some restorative yoga poses in the evening while watching the Aussie Open. 

AM - easy miles. Checked out part of the San Diego Half (3/9/14) course that is by my house. There is one big, long hill - and it is about 0.5 miles from my front door. It's a quad burner. Need to practice it. It is a 1.5 mile hill that goes from 3ft to 300 ft.
 

PM - YOGAS!

AM - 5 miles through the neighborhood. Foggy this morning so had to stay on streets with good sidewalks. Lots of hills.
PM - pullup workout. 2x10 pullups (30 lbs assist); 3x15 pulldowns (55 lbs); 3x-15 upright rows (20 lbs); 3x13 close grip benchpress (45 lbs); 3x12 bar pullups.

leg/core workout

30 minutes elliptical

pullup workout - 3x20 push-ups, 3x15 single arm rows (20#), 3x15 triceps pulldown suppinated, 3x15 front raises, 3x12 bench press (50#)

Easy miles along Embarcadero. Hip discomfort started about mile 2. Mild, but decided to call it an easy run and ran back home. I think it's the IT Band. 

60 minutes stretching, rolling, etc. to take care of the hip. 

AM - yoga. Planned on doing an upper body workout - but had to work very late instead.
 

Pull up workout - 3 sets way plank (60-30-30); 3 x 8 pullups (20 lbs assist); 3x15 3 way shoulder raises; bent over rows (pronated grip) 3x20 (30 pounds); 3x8 dips (unassisted).

Yoga. Getting very flexible in hips. Did full expression of king pidgeon pose for the first time!!

Legs, core, stretching.

All clear from doctor today to run! He recommended an arch support to keep hip in line.

2 x 1 mile at goal half marathon pace (7:00) on treadmill after work. First mile felt very hard, heavy. Second mile felt great.

30 minutes elliptical

Pull up workout: 4x30 sec 3 way plank; 3x13 cable row (50 lbs); 3x20 push ups; 3x12 military press (10 lbs); 3x15 pullovers (20 pounds)

easy run to Ocean Beach bike path. Wore the new Dr. prescribed arch supports, and no hip pain. amazing what a little insole can do! 

Pull up workout - 2x4 pull ups - supinated grip (no assist); 3x15 pull downs - supinated grip (55 lbs); 3x13 upright rows (30 lbs); 3x13 close grip bench press (45 lbs)

3 x 1 mile at goal half marathon pace (7:00) - on treadmill.

legs / core

30 minutes elliptical.

pull up workout: 3x5 plyometric pushups; 3x15 single arm rows (20 lbs); 3x15 front raises w/ 10 lb plate; 3x20 push ups

Easy run at lunch in Balboa Park.

A news crew stopped me to interview me about a local runner who was recently assulted by a registered sex offender on the Bridle Trail, one of the trails in the park - a trail I've run on at least 100 times. He threw her to the ground, but she was able to fight him off. Two walkers also were there at the right time and helped her. The sex offender was later found and arrested. This happened about 2 weeks ago.

I told the news guy that I was surprised she was assaulted there. The trail runs parallel to the 163 - a busy freeway that cuts through the park. If you've ever run San Diego RnR, that's the freeway you ran on. There are always a lot of people on the trail too. It's not secluded. I said I sometimes saw suscipious people in the park but I just try to avoid them. 

He asked me if I ever thought about running with a buddy? I said I don't have any one to run with at this time of day. (But actually, even when Penny lived here, we rarely ran together. We've all got our own training plans to follow!) 

Tempo run before work this morning. 5 miles at 7:00 was the plan - I had hoped to do a few at 6:50. Had a good night's sleep. Not that many miles this week. Ate a good dinner - early last night.

But I could barely keep at 7:00. Splits were 7:09, and then four miles of 7:03. I thought I this would be easier. I was pretty much spent at the end.

Maybe I overestimated my fitness? Maybe it's just one of those days?

In Vegas doing the anti-workout - drinking, gambling, and lots of second hand smoke.

wiped out from vegas - really, i stayed out til 5 a.m.? why did i buy that fancy hotel room?

work - ALL DAY LONG.

easy in mission hills + 6 hill sprints (shorties)

work - ALL DAY LONG.
 

easy on treadmill at hotel.
plus pull up workout - i can do two full pullups now.

jump pullups 3x8; bent over rows 3x20 (40 lbs); three way shoulder raises 3x10 (5 lbs); dips 3x9.

travel day from hell - NYC to San Diego. 

easy in mission hills. running the San Deigo 10/20 tomorrow.

checked out a new trail in my neighborhood called Mission Hills Open Space. Not good for running. Trail very narrow and had to jump 2 feet over a creek (dry). Also had to walk in a bunch of spots because of sheer drops and other spots were very rocky (big rocks).

Keeping on track with incrementally speeding up my half marathon pace. I ran a 15K at the beginning of January at 7:11 average pace, a half marathon in mid-January at 7:09 average pace, and now this 10 miler in mid-February at 7:00.

A PR by definition - I've never run a 10 mile race before.

Overall the course was flat - most of it along the 101 in Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas. I lived in this area of San Diego for 5 years and ran this route probably 100x - so it was kind of my home course. There was one mile that had a longish hill - made more difficult by the wind. Most miles were right at 7:00 or just under - with the hill mile (mile 6ish) coming in a little bit slower. I ran the last two miles fast - 6:35 and 6:45. I passed 11 people in the second half of the race, continuing the trend of strong finishes in my 2014 races. It was another negative split.

I spent a lot of the race with my eyes closed - as documented by the race photographers. During the early miles, I was closing my eyes and telling myself I was in control of the pace and I could keep it up. In the late miles, I was closing my eyes to dig deep to stay at those fast paces and not get repassed by anyone!

Weather was very foggy at the start and then the marine layer burned off by mile 2 or 3. It was actually pretty warm - and there was a coastly eddy wind coming off the ocean to deal with.

Race organization was really good - same quality as RnR race series but with the same price - $85 entry fee. This is the second in the "10/20" series (10 miles/20 bands) - the other race is in Austin. Owner of race was an original founder of RnR. The prize money was $3K for first male and female, bringing out some fast elites. First place male was 48:00 and first place female was 54:49.

Legs/core at gym

7 miles easy through Mission Hills and Balboa Park before work. I'm still on east coast time from last week's NYC trip - which is awesome! Makes getting up for an hour run before my day starts so easy!

Easy run before work in Mission Hills, Old Town, and the Presidio. Felt very tired today and went with it. Most of these were at 9:15+ per mile.

Fartlek run in the a.m. 4 flats and 6 hills. Left thigh - think its the quad muscle - was a little bit bothersome during the run and after. Think it is muscle soreness. Not sure what from.

p.m. pull up workout - 3x10 assisted pullups (30 lbs assist); low row 4x15 (45 lbs); military press 3x15 (15 lbs); dips 3x6 (body weight); kipping pull ups 3x4.

25 minutes elliptical very easy - heart rate sub-125

core

yoga

Easy run in mission hills and bankers hill.

Long run from harbor island to cabrillo. Ran through rosecrans national cemetery. Lots of hills. Most miles between 8 and 8:30 except the hills--took it easy on those.

The rolling hills on this route were pretty steep - and joints feeling a little achey several hours later. Probably from downhills at the end of the route - might have had some bad form.

Looking back at my training logs - I ran this route 4 days before I sprained my ankle April 2013!

legs/core.
 

Joints still feeling it after Sundays long hilly run so I did elliptical in lieu of an easy run for 30 minutes at moderate effort (145-150 heart rate). Followed by pull-up workout.

5x20 push-ups 

4x13 cable rows (55 lbs)

3x12 upright rows (30 lbs)

3x11 pullovers (25 lbs)

3x5 plyometric push-ups 

Easy run in my neighborhood - called Mission Hills. I live in South Mission Hills - today I ran up to North Mission Hills - and it felt like an entirely different neighborhoood. In North Mission Hills, there windy, narrow roads that follow the canyons and hills. In my part of the hood, we are on a grid layout and the streets are pretty wide. Interesting place for an easy run. Had to really pay attention to directions so I didn't get lost!

Progression run on treadmill last mile at 7:30

Treadmill speed workout. 4 x 0.5 at 9.5 (6:18). 

Travel to NYC . . . and work til late
 

Work and then jazz concert at Village Vanguard.

Elliptical 30 minutes and yoga. Late night at jazz club in NYC last night so had to take it easy. 

Progression run in Balboa Park. Easy to last mile fast and hard.

Joints are finally recovering from whatever was going on with them.
 

Speed workout in Pioneer park. There is a 0.3 mile sidewalk loop through the park. The loop is kinda hilly and there are some sharp turns, so not ideal for a speed workout...

2 mile warm up.

Speed intervals 4 x 0.3 (rest of 4 x 0.3)

     1 6:10 pace

     2 6:22 pace

     3 5:58 pace

     4 6:08 pace

1 mile cool down.
 

AM - core + yoga

PM - Ran to the expo for the San Diego Half to see if I could get an entry - it was sold out!!!!!! So much for making this my spring goal race. I wait as long as possible to register for races because with work, I might have to travel at any moment! I didn't realize this race sold out!! Booooo! So I'm registered for the 5K instead.............

20 minutes elliptical + yoga. 

Splits - 1: 6:14; 2: 6:05; 3: 5:42; 0.1: 5:25. (Average Pace 6:03)

This race started less than a mile from my house, so I jogged up to the start line and lined up just as it was about to begin. Brutal doing a race on daylight savings time! 

Mile 1 felt pretty good - as it always does!

A big downhill at end of mile 2 and in mile 3. In comparison to other 5Ks I've run, the last mile ran itself! So the challenge of this race as to keep my effort level at 5K effort rather than just cruising down the hill at 5K pace. I was able to keep my effort level up and was feeling that 5K pain in the last 0.1. 

In the last stretch I was trying to catch the 3rd and 4th place finishers. But they were playing cat and mouse with each other and had picked up the pace too. But I was able to keep the 6th place finisher from passing me in this final stretch. It was a pretty competitive race!

There was a cheater in this race! A lady jumped onto the 5K course in the very last city block of it with about 0.1 to go, and finished one place ahead of me. She was disqualified! 

recovery run through the neighborhood. Very slow. Sore from yesterday's 5K. +yoga

In DC for work. After a day of meetings, got out onto the Capital Crescent Trail. It was a warm day here almost 70 degrees. There were tons of people out on the trial - especailly cyclists. 

Progression run - a few easy miles and 3 miles moderate. 

+yoga at hotel gym. My legs are still sore from the 5K. Especially IT band on left leg. 

30 minutes stair climber (legs still sore, need a rest)

Pull up workout 5x20 pushups / 4x12 single arm rows (25 lbs) / 4x15 front plate raise (15 lbs) / 3 sets of planks (front 60 - side 45 - side 45)

+yoga

Threshold workout on Ocean Beach Bike Trail today.

2 mile warm up

10 minutes @ 6:40 (ran this a little bit fast - was planning on goal HM pace 6:50)

5 minute active recovery

10 minutes @ 6:30 (10K pace) This was very tough toward the end.

2 mile cool down

Legs/core/yoga with Brandon. Couldn't do plyo --> dead legs from yesterday's LT workout.

Long run in Balboa Park at 8:30 average pace on a hilly route. Crunched a lizard. :-(

Took a rest day because (1) I was feeling a deep sore spot in my left quad, (2) it was hot (80F at the coast), and (3) I had to work all weekend...again!

Made it to Coronado beach for a 3 or 4 mile walk to enjoy the warm temps in the evening. And also a gorgeous sunset over Point Loma!

Leg/core workout with Brandon

Threshold Workout (at the Embarcadero) - 2 x 15 minutes at goal HM pace (6:50) with attempts to accellerate to 10K pace (6:30). Never quite made it down to 6:30 though.

First interval was 6:38 average pace for 2.26 miles.

Second interval was 6:46 pace for 2.22 miles.

20 minutes on stair mill at easy to moderate effort. Read in Runners World artilce that stairs are good cross training for running. It builds stabilizer strength (if you don't hang on the arm rests)  and muscular strength because it is like a seep incline (I think a 65% grade or something like that).

pull-up workout - 9 weeks ago, I started a series of 18 workouts designed by US Marines for female marines to develop strength to pass the physical test requiring 3 pull-ups. I finished the series today. When I started I could do 1 pull up only 1 time. Today, I did 3 sets of pull-ups - 5, then 4, then 3. Now what? I guess I do a mud run while I have this strength...

pullups (5, 4, 3 - unassisted), cable rows (3x12 - 55 lbs), dips (5x8 unassisted), 3-way shoulder raises (3x10 - 10 lbs).

Fartlek run in Balboa Park. Easy miles with 8x40 seconds at hard effort (probably 1-mile pace) with 90 second rest intervals. I was running slow during these recoveries. Wonder if it is worth running a little faster during the rest interval?

No workout today. I've had lots of inconsistent weeks of training already this year due to work. But gotta pay the bills I guess!

Came down with the flu!!!

Missed the San Diego Hot Chocolate 15K to the flu. Sad to have missed the race and the chance to meet up with Jeff. Next year, it's on!

Still feeling kinda sick...30 minutes stairs +yoga

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Easy run + 4 x 0.25 hill sprints in Balboa Park. These were tough - very out of breath and even a little bit of moan at the end of each one!

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Easy run in Balboa Park - Florida Canyon / Persing / Bridle trails. Lots of hills.

all work, no play, continued...

all work, no play, again...

easy run in Balboa Park. Got a stomach stitch! I blame smoothie - drank a few hours before run.

Rest day (tired from work, Padres opening day...)
 

Threshold run on the Embarcadero before work. Felt well rested. Weather was ideal - 55 sunny.

2 mile warmup; 2 x 15 minutes at goal half marathon pace (2 min recovery); 2 mile cooldown.

first interval was average 6:47 - I was counting down to the end of this interval. 

second interval was average 6:27 - didn't expect to run this fast because the first interval felt hard. It felt very good to run at this pace - so I went with it. the time flew by...

Easy run through Mision Hills and Old Town. Sought out some hills to prepare for the La Jolla Half Marathon (April 27). Big hill on Juan St. and Washington St.

On vaca this weekend - didn't get a chance to workout.

On vaca this weekend - didn't get a chance to workout.

Speed workout on treadmill.

4 x 0.5 @ 9.8 (6:07 pace) at 1.5 incline, active recoveries for 3 minutes at 6.0 (10:00 pace).

My brain was telling me that 6:07 was too fast, but body signs were good. Breathing, legs, form were okay! Gotta prove to the brain that I can run at these paces.

+yoga

It was like a sauna in the gym today. No AC there, and it was in the mid-80s in San Diego today! Good for stretching - not for speed workout!

Legs/core/plyo/yoga with Brandon.

Legs sore from gym workout. Also feeling tired. Didn't sleep well. Day off.

Threshold run today of 4 miles at goal half marathon pace (6:50). Very foggy today - was running through the clouds on Ocean Beach bike path.

Struggled with the first two miles - 6:55, 6:59. A wee bit of headwind here. Nailed the second two 6:51, 6:45. A wee bit of tailwind here.

Felt pretty lousy in the first two miles. Felt this way on last week's threshold workout too. I'm learning to stick with these longer threshold efforts. It seems to get easier about half way through.

Long warm up 2.25 miles. And cool down 2.25 miles.

AM - Easy miles through the neighborhood. What did I did to my legs at the gym on Tuesday?! Still very sore!

PM - advanced pull up workout. Pull ups 3x12 (30 lbs assist); bent over rows 3x15 (35 lbs); pull overs 3x15 (25 lbs); push ups 3x20. +yoga and foam rolling - big time. Legs feeling less sore!

Easy run on Mission Beach boardwalk. It was nice to run near the ocean. Used to run next to it all the time before I moved from Solana Beach to San Diego almost a year ago. Really miss that but living in the city took 40 miles off my commute per day. So that was the trade off!

I threw this trail race into my schedule at the last minute. Sounded like more fun than a long run!!

My strategy in trail races has generally been to run fast at the beginning to get ahead of slower runners before the trail narrows. Then when I can, I run fast – on flat, comfortable downhill, and non-technical surfaces.  I “recover” on uphills, steep downhills, and technical terrain (rocky, slippery, narrow, or otherwise scary). 

Looking at the elevation profile of the route and talking to runners before the race, I decided to employ the usual strategy, and it would be very important to start out fast because the trail narrowed quickly to single track for quite a long ways. Then I planned to run the early and middle miles as fast as the course permitted. I wasn’t planning on saving much for the late miles because the hills were so steep for so long. It wouldn’t matter how tired I was – those hills would bring the pain either way.

Splits (elevation loss (-) and elevation gain (+) in feet)

1 – 6:36 (-247/+5)

2 – 6:56 (-171/+81)

3 – 6:55 (-115)

4 – 7:27 (-65/+85)

5 – 7:25 (-133/+147)

6 – 9:44 (-136/+194)

7 – 7:29 (-187/+32)                                                                

8 – 8:13 (+65)

9 – 10:02 (+263)

9.66 (16k) – 7:54 (10:30 pace) (+184)

TOTALS: 1:17:07 (8:03 pace) (-1059/+1055) – 4th female and 46th of 326 overall.

Easy run in the neighborhood. Tried to avoid hills - quads are screaming today from yesterday's trail race - but couldn't avoid them. I live in MIssion HILLS afterall...

Flew to NYC for work - a 6 hour journy. Legs not happy right now!

20 minutes elliptical as warm up to yoga/foam rolling.

another missed workout . . . tired from NY-SD flight and still sore from Sunday's race. Left Quad especially!!

Threshold run in Balboa Park. Target was 6 miles at goal half marathon pace (6:50). Didn't hit a single mile at this pace.

1 - 6:54

2 - 7:08

3 - 7:11

4 - 7:04

5 - 7:18

6 - 7:03

Reasons?

1 - Not well fueled and tired. Planned to run in a.m. before work but could not get out of bed (was up at 2:15 PDT day before to catch early flight from NY to SD - which is a 6 hour flight) So instead planned to run at noon. But two conference calls got scheduled - so couldn't run until 2:30. Didn't time the run/food thing right.

2 - Legs are still wrecked from Sunday's trail race. Legs aren't that sore any more, so I thought they would be okay on this run. But they are still fatigued.

3 - Windy today.

4 - Hilly in the park. Almost 700 feet of climb in this threshold run. I don't normally do key workouts here for this reason.

And possibly 5 - I've had to miss a lot of runs in Febraury, March, and April due to work travel and work deadlines. I've only managed 20 miles most week. I might have to revise my goal pace from 6:50 to 7:00...

Core/legs with Brandon.

easy run on Ocean Beach Bike Path around 8:10 pace.

AM - Long/progression run on Ocean Beach bike path to Ocean Beach Pier and home. Most miles at 8-8:15 with last 2 moderate at 7:30.

PM - tennis!! Haven't played in almost a year. Not too bad a showing. Forehand was like I never stopped playing. Backhand . . . a little rusty.

Easy run along 101 in Cardiff! Was up north for dentist appointment and took advantage of a few hours off of work!

woke up with a sore throat and runny nose yesterday. today it's a cold - and it wiped me out. no workouts

still fighting off a cold. legs/core/yoga/stretching at the gym - all light and easy.

Another Chamber of Commerce day in San Diego. And the spring breakers have gone home!!! So I had Balboa Park pretty much to myself this afternoon when I snuck out of the office at 3:15 for a run. Thursday is typcially my threshold workout day, but with this cold that I have, I thought best to skip it. It's just a head cold but I don't want it turning into something worse because I have the La Jolla Half Marathon on Sunday.

Cloudy and a bit windy this morning but pleasant temperature (60) and humidity (55%), as always. Ran from home, and my route took me by the historic mansions of Old Town and Mission Hills. Suddenly, all the flowers are blooming around the neighborhood. My favorite is the Jacarunda tree. The entire tree is covered in purple blooms that smell so good! These trees are the "official" tree of San Diego and are planted throughout the city.

Legs felt super heavy today - like I was wearing ankle weights. Still not quite over the cold that I came down with on Monday. Will probably take a rest day, or possibly a very easy run, tomorrow because I'm running the La Jolla Half Marathon on Sunday.

Windy at the coast today >20MPH! So I took my run inland to try to avoid the wind. I checked out Lake Murray - about 10 miles from the coast. It was still windy, and I even got to run in the rain for about 5 minutes! That never happens here! Lake Murray is a water reservoir / recration area. There is a wide paved path on the north shore of the lake, with great views of Cowles Mountain. Lots of kids on the path today, which was awesome to see. One little guy was running with his friends who were biking - and keeping up! I told him good job - I think I scared him. 

Tried to keep it slower today because I'm racing tomorrow. But went faster than intended, most miles were 8:00. No more ankle weights!

I loved this race – on of my all-time favorites! It’s a challenging course that starts at the Del Mar race track and heads south along the 101 to La Jolla cove – climbing up and down The Torrey Pines Hill. Not a course for PR-ing, with an elevation gain of 951 and elevation loss of 933. But I’m glad I didn’t let that keep me away! This is the first time in a major race that I’ve ever placed in the top of my age group. Second in F30-34!

I know this course well and had a good plan that I executed almost flawlessly!

Started out slower than my half marathon pace to conserve for the big hills ahead, but took advantage of downhills where I could.

1 – 7:29

2 – 7:23 (73+, 80-)

3 – 7:31 (72+)

4 – 7:53 (110+)

5 – 6:50 (23+, 193-)

Then the came the The Torrey Pines Hill. Ran it by effort, and passed a lot of people, which always produces that extra boost and spring in the step.

6 – 8:41 (259+)

7 – 7:55 (234+, 89-)

Then came a couple of flat miles. I wanted to speed up these flat miles to more in the range of my current half marathon pace. Passed tons of people in these miles.

8 – 7:15 (31+, 24-)

9 – 7:00 (19+, 69-)

10 – 7:13 (21+, 19-)

Then the big downhill. This was steep. But because I have been religious about leg workouts in the gym for the last year, and especially tough workouts in the last 3 months, I was able to keep my form under control. And I fleeeeew down the hill. Well, more like tromped.

11 – 6:12 (341-)

Then the course flattened out for one mile, and I continued to pass a lot of runners.  Then there was the cruel and unusual punishment of a very tough hill in thirst half of the last mile. I got passed back by about a handful of guys. I thought I ran the last hill pretty well (faster than the first smaller hill of the same size), but these guys powered up!

12 – 7:01 (-14)

13 – 7:48 (+109, -66)

And a downhill sprint to the finish for 1:37:31 (7:27 average pace)

2nd of 550 in F30-34. 24th woman of 3085. And 165 overall of 5891.                  

Got some sunshine this morning during a very easy run through the neighborhood. Legs aren't sore....yet. But I definitely felt yesterday's effort. Will take it very easy this week. 

Flying to NYC this afternoon. Forecast rain! Better than a polar vortex I suppose! 

In New York City where it is cold, windy, and raining. I wasn't even slightly tempted to run today. Good day to give the legs some recovery.

45 minutes elliptical. Heart rate never exceeded 135. Wonder if it there is any training benefit to this?

+yoga/rolling

How to take all the enjoyment out of running. Buy a treadmill. Mount a TV screen on it. Put it in a hotel "fitness center" in the most remote part of the property available. Make sure the room is about 10x10 with no windows or ventilation. The hotter and mustier, the better. Also be sure to program the locks so that housekeeping CANNOT ACCESS THE ROOM. 

3 miles easy in NYC. Rainy, windy, cold. Again.

PM Flight cancelled. Stuck in NYC another night. 30 minutes elliptical. Pull-up workout: 3x12 lat pull down, 3x25 jump pull-up, 3x12 bench press.

Back home today where it is hot and windy! High of 99! This is a very early Santa Ana wind. Lots of fires sparked already. With our three year drought, hot winter, and early Santa Anas drying us out in the spring, we might be in for a bad wild fire season this year in SoCal. 

Very easy and slow run through Balboa Park. Besides being hot and windy, I was tired from an early flight from NY to San Diego. Calves and shins still a little achy from the La Jolla Half (Sunday). Muscles are not sore. Waiting for joints to recover. Why do the joints take so long to come back?

Legs/core workout at the gym with Brandon. Not up for agility or plyo - or really much hard strength - so we focused on core and stability and support muscles in legs.

Is this San Diego or the desert?

AM - 45 minutes of tennis at 8 a.m., and it was hot already. Changed at the courts and ran 5 miles in Balboa Park. It was HOT. I stopped at every water fountain to splash water on myself, and the water would instantly evaporate. So dry! Checked the temp when I was done. Only 80 degress. Felt like 95!

PM - Today was not a day to be on land, so I headed to the beach for some ocean kayaking at La Jolla Shores. About 3 miles. Saw a seal, two sea lions, and five dolphins!
 

Travel to Madison, Wisconsin today. Staying with my grandparents for a week to help them out as my grandpa recovers from surgery.

1 mile run with my 3 year old nephew. I wish I had this kid's energy!

Easy run on Sun Prairie bike path, which runs behind my grandparent's house It's a dedicated bike path that runs through neighborhoods, parks, the woods, and through some native prairie grass restoration areas. Tons of birds, squirrels, and frogs! Lots of trail. Didn't even run the entire thing today.

Legs back to feeling normal today. That only took 8 days!

Threshold run on the Sun Prairie bike paths. 12 miles and I still didn't run out of path. This is a great trail!

The wind made me work for it today. Plan was 2 miles warm up / 4 miles at marathon pace / 4 miles at half marathon pace / 2 miles cool down. Had to run the marathon pace and half marathon pace by feel of effort because the wind was 20 mph, seemingly in every direction. Paces were all over the place, but I think I managed to get the right effort levels for the workout.

warm up - easy

1 MP - 7:30

2 MP - 7:21

3 MP - 6:59

4 MP - 7:03

5 HMP - 7:12

6 HMP - 6:58

7 HMP - 7:47

8 HMP - 7:02

cool down - very easy

5 easy miles on the Sun Prairie bike path - to the woods and back. Heard thunder and noticed the sky turning dark grey, so I turned around to head for home. But I did not beat the storm. At first, there was a light rain and that felt great. I rarely get the chance to run in rain, so I was enjoying that fresh rain smell. The rain drops were BIG, and eventually it started pouring when I was about a mile from my grandparent's house. Then, it started HAILING when I was about a half mile from home - which was even better than rain! I doubt I'll get the chance to run in hail (or rain for that matter) for a long time! I got a few odd glances from motorists as I sprinted through the rain and hail with a huge smile plastered on my face! Rain, however, has a downside - wet feet!

Hot and humid today, so I kept it easy on the Sun Prairie bike paths. The trees literally started budding today. The hot weather made the new leaves pop out finally! I've been enjoying all the birds around here. There is a bird in every tree! I've see hundreds of robbins, of course (WI's state bird). And lots of cardinals, geese, swans, ducks, oreals, some kind of bright yellow warbler. Today I also had two huge birding scores. First, I saw a wood stork, an endangered species. It was sitting on the edge of the lake. I got within about 15 feet of it, and the thing was huge. Almost as tall as me! I almost expected it to shake my hand and introduce itself to me. Then, I drove my grandparents through the UW-Madison Arboretum, and we saw wild turkeys - the males were all puffed out!

I hate wind. Workout was 6 x 1 mile at 10K pace (6:30) with 3 minute active recoveries. The wind in Wisconsin made me work for it again. I wasn't able to hit the 10K pace very consistently because I was being blown all over the place! I thought about quitting about half way through each of the working reps. But I perservered somehow! Usually after a very hard workout, I feel good about the effort, but after this one I was just glad to go inside and get out of the wind!

2 mile warmup

mile 1 - 6:39

mile 2 - 6:33

mile 3 - 6:44

mile 4 - 6:47

mile 5 - 7:05

mile 6 - 6:41

1.5 mile cool down

Last run in Wisconsin. Heading back to San Diego today!

42 miles in 5 days = needed rest day. Taking sailing lessons this weekend. It's been a long time since I've learned a new skill. I even have to take an 80 question test tomorrow! 

Day 2 of sailing lessons. I passed my test and am now qualified to skipper and crew a 22 foot sailboat! 

Plyo/legs/core with Brandon.

Specific endurance intervals today. 75 degrees when I started and 85 degrees by the time I finished this run. Felt like Death Valley in the middle of the summer! But wanted to get this run in before it gets hotter - high temps and winds all week in San Diego.

I might have let the temperature get in my head a little bit. 75 degrees just isn't that hot . . .

Planned workout was warm up / 2 miles @ half pace / 1.5 miles @10K pace / 0.5 @ 5K pace (3 minute recoveries) / cool down. I was able to run the half marathon pace (6:50) for 2 miles but could not quite reach 10K pace (6:30) - and I didn't even attempt 5K pace (6:15). Also had to adjust the length of the intervals.

2 mile warm up

2 miles @ 6:50 (walked 3 minutes for recovery)

1 mile @ 6:40 - couldn't get to 6:30 (walked 3 minutes for recovery)

1 mile @ 6:50

2 miles cool down

Another run where I was just happy to get inside afterwards!

AM - Easy miles through the neighborhood. Already hot! Will reach record highs today, predicted 97 degrees with high winds. Another red flag day as the fires still burn in Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, and Black Mountain areas of San Diego.

PM - was going to lift weights after work, but instead I gored myself at an office birthday party. CAKE!

I couldn't run outside today because of the smell of fires burning in the air. There aren't any warnings to stay inside, but even 30 mile south of the fires, I can smell it. Very very hot, dry, and windy again - fueling wildfires for the third straight day. Thousands of acres burned in 9 separate fires. Homes burned and one person killed. Hope the wind shifts tomorrow and it cools down.

Threshold run on treadmill.

1 - warmup

15 minutes at 6:48 = 2.1 miles

2 minute rest interval

17 minutes at 6:48 - 2.4 miles

1 - cooldown

Felt pretty good during these intervals. It was hot in the gym, so they were a challenge. But got through them with some pep talks. You feel good. You feel relaxed. You can do any thing for 5 minutes. Etc.

Staying indoors as much as possible. Smoke in the air. Some fires contained, others still burning. Check out this chilling time lapse video taken from the roof of Stone Brewery in Escondito. You can see the Harmony Grove fire and the San Marcos fire. Black smoke means the fire is burning. White smoke means the fire does not have an open flame.

Weather should be a little bit cooler today and cooling through the weekend.

Yoga at 6 a.m. - great way to start the day.

Easy miles on portions of the San Diego RnR Half Marathon course, which I am running June 1. I haven't run it since they re-routed the course, so I wanted to check out areas I am not familiar with. Although San Francisco gets all the attention for hills, San Diego is also very hilly - and this course goes through Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, University Heights, Normal Heights, . . . But it was actually pretty flat where I ran today. I'll cover the rest this week.

This was the Navy’s Coronado Bay Bridge Run (4 miles). The race starts on the Embarcadero by the Convention Center and goes over the Coronado Bridge, finishing over in Coronado’s Tidelands Park. It’s the only time the bridge is open to foot traffic all year. So it’s a must do for any San Diegan! (It would also be a fantastic destination race.) Over 10,000 people showed up to run (or walk) and raised money for wounded warriors and other worthy causes.

The race lends itself to a fun run, and I wanted to run this race as a fun run, but I just don’t have that in me. I raced it – but I didn’t race it too hard, after a pretty intense week of running. Plus one more intense week to go before I start tapering for the San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon on June 1.

This was a tough race from the start. Maybe it was my fatigued legs, but I struggled with the baby hills in the first mile (6:30). And then, the big climb (complete with headwind) up the bridge was in mile 2 (7:30, no Garmin data on elevation on the bridge – shows a flat line – but it was steep and long). By the time I crested the bridge, I could barely be bothered to enjoy the 360 degree views of the Silver Strand, Pacific Ocean, San Diego Harbor, Coronado, and downtown. I felt pukey. So I coasted downhill on the bridge in mile 3 (6:42). (I could have pushed a lot harder here, but eh…) I was well recovered for the 4th mile, which was totally flat (6:13).

My average pace was 6:47 – which, on paper, is a bit troubling because I am going for 6:50-6:55 pace in my half. But I feel really positive about the 6:13 in the final mile. It felt almost effortless after several very tough miles that I recovered from pretty quickly.

Splits

1 – 6:30

2 – 7:30

3 – 6:42

7 – 6:13

27:07 (6:47)

3rd female of 2548 / 54th overall of 4840 runners (over 10,000 runners and walkers!)

AM - a little core, a little legs, a little stretching (with Brandon). Muscles not sore from the race, but joints (feet) are feeling it. How can I get my joints to recover faster????????????

PM - 60 minute yoga class. And it felt sooo good! Inspired me to go back to work and type out some pain in the rear emails that I had been procrastinating on for several days. And I'm still smiling. :)

Less than 2 weeks before the SD RnR Half, and I am feeling the urge to exercise compuslively to cram in more training (resisting that urge). And also expressing some regrets on how my training has gone. I wish I had run more easy runs and more of these medium-length easy runs. Going to look through my log tonight to remind myself how much hard work I put in for some positive thoughts. 

Easy miles (8:00-ish) on Ocean Beach bike path, plus I ran the Sports Arena bridge an Mission bridge. This was a few more miles than I had planned, but I just had to take advantage of the perfect running weather this morning - cool, cloudy, a slight ocean breeze.

Easy miles on the Embarcadero. Saw the Dole ship - this carries all the Dole bananas and pineapples imported to the west coast.

Some yoga and stretching at the gym afterwards.

Threshold run (Ocean Beach) - 2 x 15 at half marathon pace (6:50) with 1 minute recovery. This is the hardest (AND LAST!) threshold workout of my training cycle. I did this same workout last Thursday on the treadmill (wild fires, smoke, hot). I needed to see how I would fare outdoors.

I did the first 15 minutes at 6:52 and the second 15 minutes at 6:51. While I was running, I was disappointed that this pace did not feel effortless. But then reminded myself that if a threshold run felt like an easy run, I wouldn't be running fast enough.

To get myself to relax, I surveyed the way my body felt from head to toe and relaxed everything one by one: the head, face, shoulders, arms, breathing, legs, knees, calves, and feet. Everything felt good, so I told myself, "This is what The Run feels like." I visualized  feeling this way during the race and pushing through to the end.

Kinda hokey I suppose, but when I was a gymnast, I always visualized my routines and especially nailing the hardest tricks before I competed them. It works!

30 minutes elliptical and 30 minutes yoga before work.

Long run on Ocean Beach bike path and in Mission Bay. Most miles areound 8:00. I haven't run this far in ages. Got turned around on Fiesta Island and ended up running about 3 extra miles. Napped for 2 hours after this one. Would have been better to run this distance last week, and a little easier this week . . . Oh well, now I taper.

Easy miles checking out more of the San Diego Rock N Roll Half course - Adams Ave. and Mountainview area in Normal Heights. Flat!

Easy five up in San Clemente on the beautiful beach ped path. Tapering this week.

The thought of eating a burito while watching French Open coverage on my DVR almost stopped me in my tracks on the way to the gym after work. But I delayed burito/tennis gratification and had a good stretch/yoga/foam rolling session (+30 minutes cardio warmup). Legs feeling that deep fatigue from Saturday's 16 miler. But it's only Tuesday. The taper continues...

4 easy miles at lunch. Ran to Balboa Park and up 6th Ave. to check out the first mile of the race. It's flat. Legs still feeling the fatigue of Saturday's 16 miler. But it's only Wednesday, and I'm getting a massage tonight. Tapering continues . . .

Been reading articles on tapering. Most of the information I've found is geared to elite-level runners. The suggested taper plans are almost harder than my hardest week of training. Not much out there on tapering for the hobbyist half marathon runner.

For my taper, I decided that a week woudl be enough. I'm planning on about 20 mile this week - half of my average weekly mileage over the last month - and keeping it all to easy miles because I'm worried about recovering from the 16 miles (I like to worry...).

One mile at race pace, and the rest were easy. Legs are not feeling springy yet. So this is the last run before the race. Probably.

6 a.m. yoga. Had to note the start time. I need credit for getting up that early. I was the only pupil, so the instructor customized the class for me. We did restorative yoga.

Yoga and foam rolling today. Legs are feeling good. Like they have a lot of blood in them. Ready to run tomorrow. We are going to be running through the fog. Forecast is mid 60s with 85% humidity. No wind.

A slow start . . . My strategy was to run at 6:55 and see how I felt at the 10K split. And hopefully feel great and speed up after that. Mile 1 was according to plan. I was up pretty close to the front of Wave 1, so I didn’t have to waste much time weaving (6:56). Mile 2 had one of the few sustained hills, and I pressed my effort a little here. Only to be delayed by a crossing fire truck! (7:03). Mile 3 was perfectly flat, and I was in the groove (6:52). Mile 4 had a 47 foot climb – which shouldn’t have slowed me down as much as it did. I became aware of my legs this mile. They were not feeling fresh (7:06). (I noted to myself that I need to taper for longer than 7 days when running the faster paces I am training for now.)

The Meb miles . . . Then the plan went out the window. Meb Keflezighi was the 1:30 pacer, and the Meb group caught up with me in mile 5. I got swept into the Meb pack, and it was a blast. The crowds were cheering for Meb, and when there weren’t crowds around runners were asking Meb about his training and life. I felt inspired and decided I could hang with Meb. Mile 6 I was still in Meb-party mode (6:42). When I saw 6:42 display on my watch, I panicked and decided not to look at my watch any more. I was still determined to hang with the Meb pack. I felt good in mile 7 (6:48), but by mile 8, I had fallen behind into the Meb-chaser pack (6:49).

Losing focus . . . Then there was mile 9. I lost sight of the Meb pack, fell out of the Meb-chaser pack at a water station, and momentarily lost my inspiration. The mile was a net 50 feet downhill but I clocked my worst mile of the race. I had started looking at my watch again and did not like what I saw (7:07).

And regaining focus, briefly . . . Mile 10 was more downhill, which allowed me to pick myself back up (6:53). I took focus off of the letdown of losing the Meb pack (later, I found out they finished at 1:29) and focused on getting the 1:30:XX. I did some quick math, and it was going to be close. I honestly don’t know what happened in mile 11, another starting in '7' (7:03).

A big push for the 1:30:XX . . . Mile 12 was my fastest mile of the race and also the biggest downhill. I was making up time for those 7:XX miles (6:37). The last mile was slightly downhill, but felt like I was running uphill. I was trying to will myself into another 6:40 mile . . . but I didn’t have anything left (6:57).

The elusive 1:30:XX . . . I crossed the finish in 1:31:24. Off by just 25 seconds! But still a 2 minute PR, and I’m really happy with my race. I would have loved crossing the finish line with the Meb pack. Or with a 1:30:XX. I’m just not quite there yet.

But I have came a long way since in a pretty short time. My first race back after a 6 month break from spraining my ankle was a 3 mile Turkey Trot in November 2013 where my average pace was 6:50. By design, I didn’t run very many miles this training cycle (averaged 26.5 miles a week), as I needed to build a base and some durability. But now, it’s on. Next time the 1:30:XX is mine!

Flew to NYC for work. Enjoyed a great pizza on a beautiful night.
 

Easy run in Central Park (the Reservoir) turned into a faster effort when I heard thunder and rain started falling!

Back in San Diego. An easy 5 through the Prescidio - the first European settlement in California. Now a hilltop park with views of the Pacific, San Diego River, and Mission Valley.

5 easy on treadmill after work. Couldn't deal with rush hour traffic... +yoga.
 

Legs/core workout with Brandon. Legs/joints feeling a lot better after some weights. Gets the blood to the rusty places.

I joined San Diego Track Club and am running with a training group for the America's Finest City Half Marathon in mid-August. This was our first run. In case you didn't know San Diego = America's Finest City.

Tennis today, in lieu of running. Feet are not accustomed to lateral movement, resulting in two blood blisters - one on each big toe! But my backhand was on! Must be because I didn't run 10+ miles before the match this time.

AM - Easy run to Sea World and back (8:15 pace). Joints (ankles, feet) still feeling the race a bit.

PM - power yoga.

6 p.m. work out with San Diego Track Club in Balboa Park. 20 minute "tempo" run at half marathon pace (7:00). This was a loop in a grassy area of the park. Running half marathon pace through the grass is way harder than on the roads.

Followed by 10 strides of about 200 meters. Legs are feeling those strides.

Then some core workout.

Easy on treadmill after work. Didn't leave the office until neary dark. Finishing up a law review article. Why do I volunteer for these things???

+yoga/foam rolling.

Gym workout - legs/core/plyo/agility with Brandon. It's crazy how at the end of workouts with agility and plyo components, I lose body control and become an uncoordinated mess.

Still sore from the 10 strides on Tuesday. Hip flexors! Don't remember being this sore from a regular workout in ages.

AM - Upper body weights and a little bit of yoga

AM Long run with San Diego Track Club - Harbor Island and Shelter Island. Ran at about a 7:45 average pace, which is faster than normal on long runs. I was still conversational though so I think it was the right pace. Enjoyed running with the group and connecting with some locals.

PM About 90 minutes of tennis. First 60 minutes was pathetic. Last 30 minutes I was on fire!
 

No run today. Didn't set my alarm and slept until 10. Haven't slept that late since the 12th grade. Took it as a sign to take it easy today. So did just a little core and upper body at the gym.
 

AM - Easy (medium?) run on Ocean Beach Bike Path (7:30 av) - which I noticed today has been renamed the San Diego River Path. "River" is a bit of an overstatement in these three year drought conditions. It would be more accurately to name it "the Interstate 8 Shoulder Path." Or "The Path Where Litter Accumulates." It is not scenic, but it's fairly flat, always empty, and an uninterrupted stretch of about 5 miles in each direction.

PM - Power Yoga

SD track club workout in Balboa Park. People were still talking about how "hot" it was at the SD RnR - in high 60s with 85% humidity. I don't know...maybe I'll addd weather to my list of reasons why I didn't run 1:30. ;)

Workout was 3 x 1200 at half marathon pace minus 30 seconds (aka 10K pace for me) plus 8 strides. The 1200s were in a big loop in the grass again. 1200s were at 6:23 pace according to my watch. 4:51, 4:49, 4:50. The coach said strides will take "seconds to a minute off your race, depending on the distance."

AM - Easy run on embarcadero (8:00s). Ran by the Tony Gwynn sculpure at Petco Park. Fans have been paying tribute by leaving flowers and memorbelia. Don't have enough history here to understand exactly what Mr. Padre means to San Diego. But he was very well liked. 

Leg/plyo/weights workout at the gym with Brandon. Beginning a series of heavier weight training for next 3 or 4 weeks. Felt more grumpy than normal this morning (not a morning person, as much as I'd like to be). I'm not going to attribute it to over running or over training yet. Think it's from unpleasant tasks at work and a looming trip to NYC next week. Going to take it easy for a few days though.

Long run after work on Ocean Beach bike path to the Mission Bay jetty which has trail on it.
Then took the hilly route home. The AFC Half finishes with a long hill, sigh, so hill training is very important this summer!

AM - 6 miles with SD track club in Balboa Park, hilly route.

Noon - got certified to climb / belay on the rock climbing wall at the gym. Did NOT like climbing. Unlikely to use this certification again!

PM - 3 miles commuting to the tire store to pick up car.

7 miles, mostly trail, on a hilly route through Balboa Park (w/ Liz). That's three runs this week with company!

AM - Easy run to Balboa Park and down museum row. This is a hilly route with all different types of hills - from short and steep to long and steady. At times, I found myself lazily bouncing up hills using only my quads. Trying to correct myself, even on easy runs, to use the glutes, arms, and have proper form/posture. Good habits! If I keep running this route weekly, I'll be ready for any hill the AFC Half course throws at me.

PM - power yoga. This is a free class offered at my gym for all levels. I wish there was an advanced class, but at least the basic class is . . . amusing.

Track club workout at Balboa Park. 5 x 800s at 5K pace + 10 strides.

Interval times were 3:08, 3:03, 3:05, 3:06, and 3:04. But these are in a makeshift loop in the grass, ranging from 0.5 - 0.52 miles on my Garmin. But I guess this is more or less accurate. Rest intervals of 2:00 or less.

I'm very excited to have met another potential running partner. She ran in college and is probably a little bit faster than me even!

First day off of exercising since June 2, the day after half marathon. Can't say it was planned. Got busy and work and just plain ran out of time. But I was overdue for a complete reset day.

After work run - 3 laps on Harbor Island. After a long warmup where I tried to let go of all the work stress I am experienceing this week, I decided to do a moderate-effort run. 5 miles at about 7:15. Having a tough time at work this week, so wanted to balance getting in a threshold-type workout with not overdoing it because I am under a lot of extra stress.  
 

legs/core/plyo workout w/ brandon

Easy run with SD Track club in Mission Trails Regional Park. This is the largest municiple park in California. San Diego's highest peak is there - Cowels mountain at 1600 feet. But we didn't run that trail. The park has a rugged, rocky landscape with lots of canyons and hills. You can feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, but you are actually in the middle of suburbia.

After a day trip up to San Juan Capistrano to see the old mission there, a couple hours of tennis. Inspired by Wimbledon, I was practicing approach shots and volleys today. Still wish I had a seve...
 

Easy run (8:30) around the sights of Old Town after work. Old Town State Historic Park is the most visited California state park, and, coincidentally, the Old Town zip code has the highest tequila sales in the United States.

San Diego Track Club workout. This was a "pyramid interval" workout. 400, 800, 1000, 1000, 800, 400 at 5K pace with 2 minute rests. Still running these with 50 people on a grass loop in the park, so the distances are estimates. It's chaos. My first 400 was 0.43 on the Garmin. I never know where we are supposed to stop...but I like looking extra tough since I'm doing extra. ;-)

Ran them between 5:50 and 6:10 pace. More like 5:50 for the shorties and 6:10 for the longs. :-\

Then 10 x 100m strides. These are almost easy now.

Easy through Balboa Park on a warm, sunny day at lunch. Think it's time to retire these shoes with only 282.2 miles on them. My shins are starting to feel splinty. Besides, I really dislike the color.

Shin splints! --> Rest day.

Another race, another 7:00 average pace, which is about the same average pace as last month's Half Marathon. I'm getting frustrated with not being able to break into the 6:5X range in races. But I can attribute this race's 7:00 average pace entirely to weather. By the time the race started at 7 a.m., the marine layer had already burned off, and it was fully sunny - UV index 10+. I'm unlikely to get a lot of sympathy here but it was HOT...for San Diego. By the time I finished it was 73 degrees with 80% humidity.

My plan was to run 6:55 for the first half and 6:50 for the second half, if I could. I knew the course was perfectly flat, and there was no wind that morning. The race was on out-and-back course, starting in Coronado Tidelands Park (under the Coronado Bridge) and to the Navy's Amphibous Base, then back. The Naval base sounds more interesting than it actually was...the most interesting part was that there was an on-base McDonald's. And the french fries smelled delicious!

Each mile was really the same experience - flat and hot. I quickly revised my plan and just tried to maintain a 6:55-7:00 pace. The one mile that stands out was the last one...I suffered from a stomach stitch in the last 0.5 mile - probably from dehydration.

Still, it was a good effort. I stayed focused, and passed a lot of people in the second half. I was 12th female at the turn around point, and finished 8th female and first in my age group.

Mile 1 - 6:38

2 - 6:52

3 - 6:58

4 - 6:51

5 - 6:58

6 - 6:55

7 - 6:58

8 - 6:54

9 - 6:57

last part (0.49 by my watch) - 6:55 pace.

Official average pace was 7:02.

Easy miles with my dad! We were the best dressed father-daughter running team on Harbor Island.

Easy miles with Dad at the Prescidio. Came down with a sore throat today. :-(

suffering from a cold. boo.

3 x 1 mile at goal half marathon pace. 

Between having a cold and entertaining 5 family members at my house this week, no time for running. But it was good timing for extended time off. My cold is almost gone now, and my shin splints are totally gone.

Hiked with the family 5 miles through Torrey Pines State Park.

Then 2 beers with my brother at Fathom tap room on Shelter Island. Followed by 3 miles easy run with my dad in Balboa Park. Beer before running . . . is there a saying about that? ;)

5 miles easy with Dad in Mission Bay Park. My dad saw a really bad bike accident on the boardwalk right in front of him. I saw the aftermath. A puddle of blood on the sidewalk and a kid without a helmet laying on the ground waiting for an ambulance. Reminder to wear helmets - even on a beach cruiser. Or maybe especially on a beach cruiser.

AM - easy run around Mission Hills.

PM - 60 minutes yoga. It was a yawn session. Sometimes yoga has this effect on me. More yawns than downward dogs.

San Diego Track Club workout in Balboa Park - 4 x 1000 at 5K pace with less than 2 minute recoveries. (paces: 6:24, 6:07, 6:05, 6:09). Didn't look at my watch during these, and they are pretty even. Plus 10 x 200 m strides.

Felt good to get some sweat on my skin after a week of no running / easy only runs while the family was here for a visit and as I recovered from another summer cold.

Easy run in Balboa Park

Easy in Balboa Park w dead left leg. Sometimes feels this way after the sd track club interval workouts. Sort of sore up he backside of left leg.

legs/core/plyo with Brandon. Brandon thinks my legs are getting stronger from running the strides. Noticable in single leg hop exercises. More power and body control.