Another 12 Miles

Finally made it out for my long run last night - a scheduled 14 miles. Although I've been trying to get sleep and eat well, and even though I hadn't run since Friday, I still felt sluggish and tired. I talked myself through the first three miles and began to settle in for my first 7 mile loop, though at a very slow pace. When I finished the first loop, I wanted very much to just head home. I continued on into the second loop, but when I got to the turn-off for my 5 mile loop, I decided to let myself off the hook and just do 12 miles. I may add a mile or two to my recover run this evening.

Interestingly, my pace increased for the second loop and around 9 miles into the run, just as I started heading for home, I dug into a moderate hill and suddenly began to feel light. Not light-headed, just smooth and easy for the first time in the run. I've never experienced "runners high" but I imagine that might be what it feels like. For about 2 miles, I felt like I could run forever and my pace hovered around a 10:15 mile (up from 11:45 or so).

This week, I'll get in a short recovery run today and try for some speed work Thursday if the legs feel up to it. Then we're off to the East Coast for 10 days. We'll spend this weekend in New Hampshire for a wedding, then spend about a week in NYC.

Getting Back Up To Speed

Went out for my 5 mile tempo run today, which is still pretty slow - my training plan called for 3 miles at a 10:04 minute mile. I started slowly (my first mile was 10:47), but felt good from the start and knew I could pick up the pace considerably once I passed the 1 mile mark. I ended up averaging 9:32 for the next 4 miles, my fastest run in a couple of months. The best part was that the increased speed wasn't a struggle at all. I'd planned to slow to a jog for the last mile, but I found myself keeping the same pace without much effort. Overall, I feel like I'm about back to where I was before "the slump," and feel much more confident about the the next 8 weeks. It's nice to know it's possible to take a month and a half off and not have to start from scratch again afterwards.

Regardless of that, I'm beginning to feel vary nervous about the marathon. On almost every run, I catch myself calculating the percentage of marathon distance (19% today), judging my pace and guessing at how long I could maintain it. Part of that's good - a way to start preparing and predicting for the actual event. Part of it is the steady accumulation of nerves that will not lessen until the race (or, run) is over.

Biking, Running

I finally biked to work for the first time today - an easy downhill ride. About 3 minutes into the ride, a biker just in front of me caught a pedestrian that darted into his path, skidded, swiveled and went flying, he in one direction, his bike in the other. The pedestrian went on the attack, yelling about responsibility and following the same laws as cars. He even picked up a rock. Granted, cyclists in the city often disregard the law, running stop signs and lights, and careening through traffic. But you don't jump out in front of a car and then blame the driver for not looking out for you. They both seemed fine, so I continued on, but later I wondered if that was bad form - should I have stopped to help?

The way back was . . . painful. I kept shifting down but I couldn't seem to get low enough. I came home sweating more than I have on any run, though the ride is only 2.5 miles. Basically, it shamed me. I'm hoping that I can tell a different story three weeks from now.

Went for an easy recovery run when I got home - just 4 miles at a slow jog. As usually for my recovery runs, the first two miles were a struggle, in fact, I wanted to head home after the first 2 mile loop. But that's nothing new. Sometimes, you just run.

Vallejo 12 Miles

Mostly we've spent the weekend lounging around the house we're sitting, playing with the dogs, reading, napping, watching movies, and generally doing nothing. But we did head out for our scheduled 12 miles this afternoon. Out along the Vallejo waterfront, across the bridge to Mare Island, around the island, and out and back again along the water. Mare Island is a former Naval Base, now under a redevelopment plan that struck us as more hopeful than realistic. Set back somewhat from the former military housing sit rows of neat new houses in various stages of completion, mostly empty. Behind them, down still unpaved roads, we discovered the former prison and next to it, some basic training facilities - ropes to climb, logs to jump, etc. Around mile 5, we stopped and ate our energy gels (a new experiment) and drank our water, then continued on around the island before heading back toward the bridge. The day was warmer than we're used to, but we both had good energy until the last two miles, when the run devolved into an exercise of how much farther we could drag ourselves. When the nano showed 12 miles, I stopped, even though I had doubts about its accuracy. We'd been running for 2 hours, 12 minutes, and I had estimated our 12 miles to last more like 2 hours, 15 minutes. When we got back to the house, I mapped the run and discovered that at most, we may have been off by about a tenth of a mile. Good enough for me.

Keeping Up

More slow short runs this week. A 4 mile recovery run Wednesday, and a 3.5 mile fast(er) run today. I had to cut it short today in order to meet up with a friend who was dropping off his car with us, but that should leave me with lots of energy for my 12 miler on Sunday.

We're house sitting in Vallejo this weekend, which will give us some new places to explore, including the park where the Zodiac Killer made one of his first murders back in the late 60s. No, I don't plan to run there, especially not alone! Actually, Vallejo is quite charming, though still "up and coming." I imagine someday it too will be a very desirable and completely unfordable Bay Area town, but right now it's oddly empty, surprising slow paced, and in need of a paint job. It also boasts one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the Bay, which I hope is still there.

In Blogland, Phil, will be running the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego on Sunday - send him a note if you get a chance!

I could have run all night . . .

Now that the semester is over, I have Tuesday afternoons free to run. It was still warm and not too windy when I got home, but I lingered at the house for about an hour before setting out for the 10 miler I should have completed on Sunday. The wind had picked up slightly and I could see the usual fog rolling in from the coast, but the day still alternated between clouds and sun, and the temperature was pleasantly mild. I decided to do two loops of my usual 5 mile run - through the panhandle, down to 19th Avenue, and back. Somehow that seemed less daunting than running all the way to the windy beach and climbing back again.

I started slowly, conserving energy throughout the first loop and feeling good all the way. A little achy as I launched into the second loop, but also luxuriously warm and loose. I've learned that I need a long warm up - get me past the 4 mile mark, and I'm good to go; before that, it's a constant fight with myself to stay out there.

Through the panhandle at the end of the second loop, I put on speed and heard a group of homeless kids yell out from a bench, "damn, you're hot, you don't need to jog!" It balances out. Last week a guy yelled "you suck at life" when I didn't have any cigarettes to offer.

The panhandle is the last leg of all my runs, and I usually use it to take my "running temperature" for the day. Today I knew I could have run another loop for a strong 15 miles, and I half decided to do it, but the risk of derailing my already feverish training plan gave me pause. I can't risk injury right now, or the possibility of missing a single one of my long runs. So instead, I picked up speed. How else to end a strong 10 miles but with a sprint?

The run ended up just faster than my last 10 miles, way back on April 1st. Though still slow at an 11:12 minute mile, it was a full :30/mile faster than the training plan called for, and I felt truly great the whole way. I still plan to run all of my scheduled runs for the week, probably tonight and Friday, then run 12 miles Sunday.

In between, a bike ride to work!

New Bike

After reading up online and spending about a week looking and a day test riding, I finally settled on a bike that I am very excited about. It's a new Trek FX 7.3 in blue. I tried a couple of road bikes, but they felt pretty uncomfortable (I'm just not used to them), and I think the more upright riding style is better for city commuting. I biked home from the shop Saturday and felt surprisingly confident riding in city traffic. The bike is very light and responsive, it took the hills well, and the breaking felt good too. And it looks great. I can't wait to take it for a longer ride through the park!

New Training Schedule

I generated a new basic training schedule (posted below) and while I think it will get me there comfortably, my main goal at this point is just that -- to finish comfortably, ideally in less than 5 hours. Andy reminded me the other afternoon that there would be no shame in running a strong half marathon instead, but that would be pretty disappointing to me. Like most first time marathoners, I'll go in under trained, but I plan to go. I'll have two 20 milers, then a two week taper, and that should be enough preparation. At any rate, it will be all the preparation I can squeeze in.

My 5 mile tempo run yesterday was a bit painful and didn't end up being that much faster than my easy run Tuesday, but it felt good to push a little. I think I'll be in good shape for my 10 miles tomorrow. It feels good to be looking forward to runs again.

Perfect 6 Miles

This week's schedule called for an easy 6 miles yesterday, followed by a 5 mile tempo run Thursday, and a 10 mile long run Sunday. So in the afternoon I climbed out of my work skirt and heels and into my running clothes (shorts!), and headed down to the park for my favorite 6 mile run - around Stow Lake and back. The weather was perfect, the air full of the late afternoon city sounds of birds and traffic and wind. A group of teenage geese, awkward and gawky in their coats of half down, half feathers, bunched together at the edge of the lake, nibbling at pant legs; a mother and son stood at the edge of the path waiting for a gopher to poke his head out; a pigeon puffed himself up for a disinterested female - a perfect summer evening.

I found myself checking the Nike+ regularly, making sure to keep the pace slow. Over the last 6 months of regular running, I've started adapting in ways I hardly noticed. A 10:30 pace for easy runs now feels far easier than the 12:00 pace my original training plan called for, my short run has become 3.5 miles rather than 2, and many of the hills the used to hurt, now feel flat (the steep ones still hurt!). Which is to say, sometimes it just feels fantastic to be running - everything is easy, even the hard parts. You're there 100%, and you want to be there, and you've started looking forward to the next run even before this one's over, and you can't believe you ever dreaded walking out the door in your running shoes. This was one of those times.

I'm also looking forward to starting to bike, but I'm a bit daunted by the variety and price range - any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Recovery Runs

I've always wondered about the science behind the recovery run. I hate nothing more than plodding through a cold stiff run so short it almost doesn't feel worth the effort to put on running clothes. So I found this article on Active.com interesting. Combine recovery runs with an interval training regime, and fitness should improve exponentially! :)

Bay to Breakers Race Report

I had never run Bay to Breakers, but the lore around it is so vast that as I headed out of the house Sunday morning with Andy and our housemate Keith, I felt like I'd run it a hundred times. Or 95, to be exact - this is it's 96th year. Unfortunately, we hadn't done our homework very well, and traipsed down into the light rail tunnel thinking we'd get to the action in no time. Instead, we were told that unless we wanted to pay $7 for a special round trip ticket, we would not be allowed on the train. We'd left the house armed only with our camera, a phone, and the $1.50 each it usually costs, so that wasn't an option. We were told that dedicated shuttles were running above ground to take us to the start, but none were in sight. So we took what public transit we could find to where the roads were blocked off, then jogged the 1.5 miles that were left.

Waiting to get up to the starting line. I didn't catch any of the flying tortillas.

Flustered and irritated, but very warmed up, we arrived near the start area just as the run was getting started. We didn't have a chance to make our way toward the front, so we settled in among the throngs to shuffle our way to the starting line. Then we were off - at a very slow jog. Around us, people were still throwing tortillas, a long tradition of unknown origin, and stripping off clothing, and affixing costumes. Luckily, the there was plenty to see, so we jogged and gawked, and waited to pull ahead of some of the 60,000 plus other run/walk/revelers around us. It never really happened. Apparently, most of San Francisco is capable of jogging 7.46 miles because we remained in a thick group most of the race.

Getting started (drinking). These folks were doing keg stands on this float

Truthfully, the slow speed suited me fine, since I haven't been running as consistently as I should be. And it gave me a chance to look around, listen to the bands, and take pictures. About 2 miles into the run, we reached the infamous Hayes Street hill, a steep climb of about 4 blocks. Crowds had gathered to yell encouragements. One group was playing Chariots of Fire, another Wagner, as we labored to the summit.

Me at the top of the Hayes Street Hill. Unlike those around me, who are looking fresh, I actually ran up.

After that, the course cleared a bit, and we settled in to run the final 4 miles that sloped through Golden Gate Park down to the beach. A mile from the end, Keith sped off through the crowd, elbowing his way to the finish about 5 minutes ahead of us.

Our time of 1:26:17 was nearly 13 minutes slower than my last 12K time, but amazingly it was still good enough to get us into the top 10,000 finishers, though not by much! Since we hadn't planned to run for time anyway, we weren't surprised by our pace. Instead, we talked about making it a goal to qualify for a sub-seeded position next year, which for me would mean a 55 minute time in a qualifying 12K. It's an ambitious goal for me, a 7:22 minute mile, but one I plan to keep my eye on over the next 12 months.

The finish line on Ocean Beach. It was a beautiful day in the city, but the beach was cold and windy as usual.

Last year, the race organizers started giving the elite women a 4 minute and 40 second head start, the difference between the course records for men and women, in hopes of some extra drama at the finish line. I'm happy to say that there was none - Edna Kiplagat of Kenya was in the lead most of the race and finished in 38:55, well before her male counterpart, John Korir, also of Kenya (whose final time was 34:44). Korir didn't seem unhappy about the loss though. Here's his quote in the SF Chronicle "At seven miles I saw them (Kiplagat and Chebet),'' Korir said. "I tried to kick but Edna was too strong. It was good. I liked chasing them.''

In the VIP tent afterwards, all of the elite Kenyan runners, men and women, were sitting together laughing and talking. Keith, who does freelance writing in addition to green real estate, noticed that one guy was wearing a "All Kenya Running Club" T-shirt and he immediately fixated upon it. He wanted one of those shirts more than we've seen him want anything (he's an avid runner of many years). We teased him that he would have to earn it by training with the club for a week - a story idea that he pitched to the club organizer. We shall see.

We also observed our San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom chatting it up with event Grand Marshal Victoria Recaño, who looked absurd in platform stiletto heels. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures. Last year, Gavin completed the race in under an hour.

We started home around 11:30 a.m., but transportation was still a nightmare and we ended up walking another 4 miles back to our neighborhood. In all, 13 miles logged, 9 running, and a pretty good way to launch what will be an intense 2 months of training. I'll post my new running schedule as soon as I get it formatted, and pics as soon as I upload them!

Good Run

Ahh! We went for a real run for the first time in forever this morning. It wasn't long, just 50 minutes, but I pushed hard up a couple of sizable hills and we kept the pace around 9:50 most of the run, which is pretty good considering how out of shape I am. We also got out early enough that the wind hadn't picked up yet, and it felt great just to bake in the sun for most of an hour. As far as marathon training, this was a very bad time for a slump, but I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get to a place where I can run the full distance comfortably on July 29th. That means a lot of dedication over the next two months, but now that the semester is over and I've kicked the nasty cold I've had for the past 2 and a half weeks, I finally feel up to it.

As I try to analyze what lead to the total burnout I began to experience about a month ago, I realize that it had less to do with running than with the emotional exhaustion of juggling too many things for too long. I work 30 hours per week, am a full time graduate student, and was trying to still make time for structured writing, reading, family, a social life, cultural events, and running 4 times per week. I've been maintaining this kind of schedule for 4 years now, often against the will of my body and mind, and eventually this semester I stopped being able to will myself through it all.

Running was acting as a powerful counterweight, but the balance was tipped too far in the other direction: when crisis hit, the vast amount of energy it took just make my way through daily commitments, sapped whatever might have been left for running. As a result, I'm taking a hard look at how to bring my life toward balance. As a start, that will mean cutting back to one class in the fall, and working to keep the summer low key.

At the same time, I was running longer distances, and the inevitable wear and tear on the body was taking its toll. Andy and I have been talking about biking to work for a while now, and I think it might be time to start doing that, both as a way to get a lower impact cardio workout and strengthen my knees, and as a way to get some active personal time before and after work. I've never had a bike in the city, and am a bit nervous about riding in chaotic downtown traffic, but he assures me I'll adjust and I prefer that to the idea of spending time in the gym.

Tomorrow, we'll be running Bay to Breakers, a 12K that stretches from the San Francisco Embarcadero to Ocean Beach. Tens of thousands of runners, walkers, and revelers come out for the event, which is quintessential San Francisco with lots of athletes, fetish gear, nudity, joints, costumes, families, food, and musicians in near perfect harmony. We'll be in the mix with the camera, so expect some fun pictures.

Happy running this weekend.

Running? Blogging?

We've had rain for the last 24 hours, the skies pale and overcast, the ground musty and damp. I'm nestled in blankets listening to a Bright Eyes album a friend emailed this morning, nursing a worsening cold, and trying to catch up on a month of correspondences and several weeks of blogging.

Way back on April 19th, Kurt tagged me with a Thinking Blogger Award. Kurt recently peppered his posts with haikus, which prompted the comment-in-haiku that qualified me for the prestigious award :) In keeping with the trend not to needlessly irritate blog pals, I'll keep the tagging to two: Phil, because he's a fan of To the Lighthouse (one of my favorite books), and my friend Willow, who's blog budding scholar tracks her progress through a PhD in educational policy.

To my great surprise, a number of you wanted more details about the recent engagement, so I'm including most of the text of an announcement email I sent out to family and friends:

"After seven years, a few ups and downs, and many many happy moments together, it is with great joy that Andy and I announce our engagement. Overlooking the vast and beautiful Pacific Ocean, in the spot where we had discovered a Century Plant in full bloom and a pair of Golden Eagles circling above, Andy dropped to his knee and proposed. The ring he presented was one we had both fallen in love with a few weeks before, but that he had successfully convinced me was gone. For those of you interested in such things, it was hand made of platinum around 1925, and holds an exceptional old European cut diamond surrounded by 12 sapphires. I must have looked very silly, standing there on the edge of a cliff, crying and laughing and unable to open the little satin bag that held the ring. He must have felt very silly kneeling there while I stumbled about near the edge of the cliff too surprised and moved even to answer him (I finally did)."

One thing I didn't mention in the note to family, is that running really has become an important shared activity between us. Andy's always been athletic, and I never have been, so he was pleased when I began running. I was pleased that he was able to run with me despite an ankle condition that he monitors carefully (he long ago wore down the cartilage in his ankle playing competitive tennis).

Of course, we've hardly done any running since then, and I only wish I could blame the engagement. In truth, April was just a very busy month, with the end of the school semester drawing near and most of our weekends booked solid from Friday night to Sunday night. This month will be worse if anything, but we've been more consistent about running this week, despite my cold. Our next race will be Bay to Breakers - a crazy 12K that brings out the whole city as thousands of participants, many of them in costume, run across the city from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach.

Off Topic . . .

Difficult Choice

Andy and I decided not to run the Santa Cruz Half Marathon next weekend. Though we've been putting in quite a few miles, we've run only one 10 mile run a couple of weeks ago, and nothing of any distance since. Lack of preparation alone would probably not have stopped us, but in addition, the shin splint in my left leg has been threatening for the past week, and Andy's ankles have been acting up as well. Yesterday, on a 6 mile run through the park to the beach, the pain in my shin grew from a dull ache to a sharper nagging. The pain eventually went away, but it eased the decision not to run the half next week. While we had both looked forward to the race, we had to admit that at this point, we would be lucky to finish, and that's not the kind of running I like to do. I'm going to continue to run easy this week, then work toward building a more consistent base of medium long runs (10-12 mile distances). There are still something like 13 weeks until the marathon -- plenty of time.

Point Lobos Run

It was fabulous to get away for a few days this week. We took the coast down, made our way along Highway 1, then down through Monterey and Pacific Grove (at left) to Carmel, where we had booked a rustic little cabin just outside of town. The stretch of coast between Monterey and Carmel was unbelievably gorgeous, despite the fact that we skipped the famed 17 Mile Drive (through Pebble Beach) and the $9 entry fee that went with it.

We arrived late in the afternoon, checked in, then drove into Carmel and walked down to the beach. Not wanting to spend $27 on spaghetti, we later wandered around until we found a the Hog's Breath Inn - a pub formerly owned by Clint Easwood - which offered outdoor seating clustered around numerous fireplaces.

In the morning, we put on our running gear (shorts!) and headed out to Point Lobos. The park is small, and many of the trails dead end at the edge of stunning cliffs and beaches, but we managed to cobble together about an hour of good running, mostly on dirt trails. Here are a few photos from the run. More to come.

Faster and Faster

Our Wednesday night run was the fastest 5 mile training run ever at an average 9:39. We set out to complete our usual 5 mile route in 45 minutes, but that proved to be a little too ambitious. Andy was in good form (and it's more comfortable for him to run faster), but for me it was sometimes difficult to keep up that speed. That, and I ran most of the run with a blister developing on the arch of my left foot, and a side stitch in my left side. I was able to keep it at bay with a routine of exaggerated breathing, but as soon as I relaxed, it started up again.

In celebration of Spring Break, we're taking off a few days from work, renting a car (don't really need one in the city), and heading down the California coast to the Carmel/Big Sur area this weekend. It is a beautiful, and popular, stretch of coast and small towns, which will be gearing up for the Big Sur Marathon in a couple of weeks. There are some secluded (but alas, well known) hot springs a 10 mile hike in from the highway south of Big Sur, and we're thinking about running the trail in, spending a few hours, then hiking back out again before nightfall. Don't know if it's a realistic plan - the trail is hilly and demanding, so we'll have to think it over carefully. Once we've run 10 miles in without much food or any camping gear, we'll pretty much have to hike the 3 hours out whether we "feel like it" or not . . .

Not sure what kind of Internet access we'll have, so I may not post again until Tuesday. But I'll be taking a couple of good runs - and a lot of pictures.

Happy running this weekend.

Sunday 10 Miler

This was my first 10 miles, a distance I've anticipated since I started running. It's a bit arbitrary, but it has stood out on the horizon as a sort of marker to me, a defining distance. 10 miles feels, finally, respectable. At the same time, the added miles aren't as dramatic as they once were - the mental and physical demands of 10 miles over 9 are less than those of, say, 5 miles over 4, and in ways today's run was downright easy. It was also difficult in places, and painful. Mostly, I think because we hadn't eaten enough earlier and because it's time to start thinking about refueling during our long runs.

The day dawned overcast and windy and we allowed ourselves to sleep in until after 9:30 am. Then I picked up coffee and scones and we wrapped ourselves in blankets and wrote for the rest of the morning. We managed to put off the run until nearly 3:30 pm, but finally forced ourselves out into the weather, knowing we would be thankful for it around mile 6. For the first time, I tried carrying a water bottle with me. Based on a friend's suggestion, I found a sports tank with a pocket on the back, similar to many biking shirts, and I was able to fit a small (about 10 oz) water bottle in the zippered pocket. This worked incredibly well for me - it was easily accessible and snug enough not to bounce much. Next week, we'll experiment with some gels as well.

The first 6 miles went easily at an average 10:30 pace - down through the park to the ocean, then out and back a mile and a half along the Great Highway. After that, we turned inland for the more difficult final 4 miles - the climb back up through the park and home. Here we slipped down to an average 11:15 pace, which was closer to what should have been our goal speed anyway, and worked our way back to the relatively flat final mile. This was the first run in a long time where I've felt completely exhausted afterwards, but I still felt like I could have continued on for 3 miles if necessary. We averaged an 11:00 pace, which was far too fast, but our hard workout days isn't until Wednesday, so we have ample time to recover before then.

This week, I'm hoping to return to full mileage - 2 miles Tuesday morning, 45 minutes at tempo speed Wednesday night, 5 miles at goal pace Friday, and 11 or 12 miles next Sunday. A similar schedule the following week, and bring on the half marathon!

Sluggish run, gorgeous sky

Just a 3 mile recovery run last night. Wooden legs turning to cement as we dragged ourselves past the easy 2 mile turnaround point and down into the park. Some days, the body and mind settle in. On others, like last night, the only satisfaction is the task accomplished. I like to picture myself at mile 16 of a marathon, remind myself that the bad days are better training than the good sometimes. The sky was indeed beautiful - bright indigo and star filled.

Last night, I dreamed I was running the half marathon. The course was poorly marked, with jaunts into blind alleys, and even a mall. Somewhere along the way, I grew confused as to whether I was running a whole marathon or a half, and I only confirmed it was a half when someone jumped forward, holding up a stopwatch to record my time. In the dream, I finished in 2:14:55. Better than I'll do in the real thing - perhaps my mind has launched a positive visualization campaign.

Finally, I'm moving up in the blogosphere - the blog has cracked the top million on Technorati. (Insert amused smile). Thanks, everyone, for reading and linking here.

A Week Without Running

No reason in particular except a few days letting running get squeezed out by other, louder demands. We're both exhausted by the semester, work, being pulled in too many directions at once. We let the first running days pass pretending not to notice, feeling a bit sluggish and sorry for ourselves. Then a few more days. A dangerous slide but also welcome in ways. I needed a mental break. When we let Sunday, our long run day, slip by, we looked guiltily past each other and muttered about stress and tiredness. We were tired. Some old friends had been in town and we'd stayed up late talking and showing them our international collection of alcohols.

Finally last night, for the first time in a week, Andy and I went out for our 5 mile route through the eastern half of the park. The night was clear and rather cold, daylight just fading by the time we got out the door. We kept the pace fast but not too demanding and averaged about a 10:07 mile. After a week without running, we both had more energy than we normally do. I remarked that if I were running just for maintenance, I would always run 5 miles. It's far enough that it feels like something's been accomplished, but short enough that it feels easy and doesn't eat up a whole evening.

Later, our friend Donna came over to the house and we made martinis and talked late into the night about writing, then walked her home at 2am. This morning I am groggy and sore, but also, I feel better than I have for a week. Thank you running; I am now officially an addict.

Speed

I can't help it, I want to go fast. Last night, Andy and I headed out for a 40 minute tempo run around 9pm and for some reason, I really wanted to see what I could do. It was a beautiful night, with a slender new moon hanging over the western horizon, and after about 5 minutes, I began to speed up until we reached a 9:30/minute mile. At the faster pace, it was difficult to remain consistent. We fluctuated between about 8:30 and 10:00, with one spurt at about 8:00. For now, that seems to be this machine's top speed - I could only keep it up for a couple of minutes.

About 4 miles into the run, I noticed Andy sneaking looks at me. "Tired," I asked gleefully. I was a bit tired too, but I thought about the advice from my running books: slowing down is often just a lapse in concentration; if you don't feel good, try running faster; stay with your competition until you can't any longer, then overtake them(!) I had fallen to a 10:06 pace, and I consciously pushed it faster, staying there until we reached the panhandle and could jog a fast, relaxed pace home.

I came away feeling like I'd overcome a plateau, that I had begun to tap into a new level of fitness and endurance. Shaving off the next 2 minutes per mile will be a more difficult (and long) task, but I'm ready for it.

New Schedule

First of all, an update on the 12K: I came in 125th in my age group (out of about 270) with an official time of 1:14:12. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a picture of me, though I distinctly recall waving directly at the photographer and pausing as he snapped a shot. Next time maybe I can convince Andy to pull out the digital camera at the finish line and wait for me . . .

At the bottom of the page, I've included a new training guide, which I plan to follow roughly for the next 5 weeks. I haven't yet decided what my half marathon pace goal should be, but I've been having fun playing around with the McMillan Running Calculator. Based on that, it seems like it should be somewhere around a 10:30/minute mile. We also confirmed that we'll be staying with good friends in Santa Cruz, and may convince them to run the 10K that day.

I've been obsessed with things other than running for the past week. Too soon yet to spread the word.

12K Race Report

With the recent time change, it was still dark when the alarm clock went off at 6:15 am this morning. We dozed until nearly 6:45, then rushed down to the race site, where shuttles waited to take us over the Golden Gate Bridge to the starting line in Sausalito. The process was very slow, and we didn't get to the starting point until about 10 minutes before start time.

We were unsure of the course and were expecting the first half to be difficult and hilly, but after about a mile of hill climbing, the course leveled off over the bridge, then sloped gradually to dramatically down to the waterfront. The last 3.45 miles were straight and flat. We started slowly, a combination of the hill and heavy crowds keeping us near an 11:30 pace for the first mile. Once we reached the bridge, we set about making up some time, picking our way through chunks of runners until we reached the other side. By mile 3, we were at a steady 9:30 pace, and were averaging a 10 minute mile.

Andy took off around mile 4. I kept looking ahead until I could no longer see him, then settled in to hold my pace. I reached the 5 mile marker in around 48 minutes and knew I had a good chance of beating my time goal. 6 miles, still going, but already starting to wait for the 7 mile marker. This was the first race where I had enough experience to count down in tangible terms: 5k to go, 2 miles to go, 1 mile, half a mile.

At the 7 mile mark, they threw in a moderately steep hill and I had the satisfaction of seeing runners fall away as I plodded up. Over the hill, there was a down hill, and Andy waiting to run with me to the finish line (he'd come in 5 minutes ahead). I sped down and through the chute, officially coming in right around 1:14 - a full minute faster than my goal. In reality, we reached the starting line about 40 seconds after the clock started, so my time was even a little better. But had I known the women's 70 and over winner would complete the run in 1:10, I would have set that as my goal! :)

One skill I have not yet mastered is drinking on the run. Andy grabs the cup, throws it at his face, and whatever water reaches his mouth is what he drinks. I would like to feel like some water is actually reaching my stomach, but can't seem to manage this without coming to a complete stop, getting in peoples way, gulping a few gulps, then starting to run again. Any suggestions?

The half marathon is 5 weeks away - just far enough to get in a few long runs and maybe throw in a little speed work of some kind.

This week in running . . .

My 9 miles last Sunday were so much easier than the week before. I took the same route and ran all the hills without much trouble. Then an easy 2 miles Tuesday, and a fast 5 miles today.

I'm a bit nervous about the 12k on Sunday. I reduced my mid-week miles in preparation, and as a result I feel like I've hardly run this week. It's also a distance I'm less comfortable with, and thought I'm not entirely sure of the course, I think there will be a few good hills. Regardless, I've set my sights on a 1:15 time, which is a bit faster than I ran the recent 10k.

The weather just keeps getting clearer and warmer here, and with the extra hour of light in the evenings, it's really beginning to feel like summer.

Next Up?

Another recovery run today, and it feels good to be out running an extra day per week. I can definitely do four days a week. Five might start testing my commitment, but who knows. So far my commitment has been like that of an addict to a new drug - almost limitless. In fact, such a comparison isn't far off - after all, endorphins are more properly called endomorphines.

This Sunday, another 9 miler, then a lighter running week before the 12k. After that? Very likely, the Santa Cruz Half Marathon on April 22. Talk about milestones. The idea seems sudden to me, but here's what I'm thinking: lighter mileage leading up to the 12k and light mileage that week, so plenty of rest before upping mileage again. Then two 10 mile long run weeks, followed by two 12 mile long run weeks, tapering the rest of my week's mileage during the last week. Then the half marathon. We don't plan to run it for time, just as a 13 mile training run, but I'm not entirely confident about this one so advice is welcome!

My 50th Post

When I started running seriously a few months ago, I was almost morbidly attached to my training schedule. I refused to deviate from the prescribed mileage by even a block, and stuck as doggedly as I could to the required pace. I'm not usually like that, but back in December, I would never have thrown caution to the wind as I did last night, when I went out for a 6 mile tempo run - a day early. This might not seem like much, but for me it points to an important milestone. I've grown confident enough as a runner that I can begin to apply another important attribute - flexibility. I can run on a day when I'm not scheduled to run and no longer fear that something will break, that my shin splints will rear their head, that I won't possibly, for some reason, be able to do it. In fact, it was a great run. A comfortably fast 6 miles at an average 10:19 pace (including the slow first and last miles) and feeling fantastic the whole way. I need to add some serious hill work though. They just kill me.

This is my 50th post. Wasn't sure I'd be able to keep the blog (or running!) going this long. Another minor milestone.

New Shoes

An easy and fast 2 mile morning run in the new Asics 2120s. The extra room in the toes felt good, but I'm not sure if I prefer them to the 2110s. The shoe felt a bit stiffer, and the cushioning was, well, less cushy. They were noticeably lighter though, and since my feet felt sore even before stepping into them, I'm not sure it was a fair test.

I noticed today that my footstrike seemed to be somewhere between the heel and the midfoot area, rather than fully on the heel like I thought it was. Would that change over time, or was this was my natural strike all along and I just didn't notice or couldn't tell?

Slow 9 Miles

I knew as soon as I started that it wouldn't be an easy run today, which almost made it easier to begin the slow process of settling in. My legs were still tired from Friday, and my mind hadn't fully wrapped itself around the distance. The first half, which is a gradual descent to the ocean, was OK, though the mild downhill definitely helped. I checked my heart rate a few times the old fashioned way (finger on pulse) and it hovered in the 130-140 range. I passed the turnoff for the 8 mile loop and plunged on. It was another beautiful day, almost too warm. After mile 5, I began the gradual climb back through the park. My pace slowed and my heart rate began to climb. Between miles 6 and 7, I probably walked for nearly 3 minutes, trying to run the hills and then rest when they leveled out. Finally, I hit the turn around spot for my 5 mile runs and was able to dig in for the last 2.5. The final two miles where great - steady and easy, and I ended up with an 11:29 average pace for the run.

It hasn't been a problem so far, but with the longer distances recently I realized that I do need to go with a larger shoe size. One black toenail is quite enough, and I noticed some other blisters threatening near the front of my toes. I probably have about 200 miles on my current shoes, and have been thinking that it's time to get another pair to break in and rotate with anyway, so this evening we went down to Sports Basement and tried out the Asics 2120s. I've been running in 2110s, which work well for me, but Andy and I both preferred the feel of the 2120s. The cushioning is firmer and the shoe itself is slimmer and lighter. I'm looking forward to testing them out on my recovery run Tuesday.

The Long Haul

Fridays have become my favorite running days. I love going out mid afternoon, rested, calm, feeling almost lazy, feeling myself adjust to a higher level of exertion, then really pushing my speed for as long as I can. Yesterday, we ran a little over 7 miles, with 4 miles around a 9:30 pace and another mile around a 10:00 pace. I actually beat my 10k race time by almost a minute. The weather was perfect - warm and still. The best part is that I didn't feel at all exhausted, as I have after other hard runs, and I'm not nearly as sore today either. It's good to begin adjusting to the longer runs, both mentally and physically, and to look forward to a routine of 10+ mile runs. I'll be up around 20 mile weeks now, a good base from which to start real marathon training, and perhaps changing my running schedule as I adopt a new training plan. Tomorrow, my first 9 mile run and then, if I decide to follow the plan, a mini-taper before the 12k two weeks from now.

Also, my running books came today. I am settling down to browse through them both.

Why?

1. The blog has been locked because it "has characteristics of a spam blog." Huh? All those ads for fake meds I've been posting, I guess. If this is posted, however, it means Blogger deemed it "not spam after all."

2. A toenail on my right foot is purple/black and will most certainly fall off in a few months because I'm too chicken to poke a hot drill through the nail. Has anyone really done that? My shoes have always felt pretty roomy, but now I wonder if they're still too small.

3. The Nike+ worked perfectly this morning. I had the most accurate mileage reading ever and still without calibrating it (I have a date with the track tomorrow but I'm a bit intimidated.) Andy thinks the gizmo must like him - as soon as he was running with me again, it worked. Either that, or it thought it was helping me through the race by giving really encouraging splits. Side note: One of my favorite words is resistentialism, the idea that inanimate objects rebel when we need them most.

4. My "easy runs" are so often (like this morning) the least easy of my runs. Maybe because I've been running them mornings for the last month (I've never been much of a morning person)?

Chinese New Year 10k

Despite the night of heavy rains, 6:30am this morning dawned misty and overcast. Our downstairs neighbors had picked the night to pull an all night hang out session, and as a result what sleep we got was punctuated with trance music. They were still at it when we got up - the pitches and rumblings of their voices pressing toward us as we stumbled into our running clothes and shuffled money and sweat shirts into a backpack. Then our friends were outside in the car and we were off to Chinatown.

As soon as the race started, it was clear that Andy wasn't going to wait around for anyone. He had an ambitious goal of finishing in 53 minutes, and a slow start would kill his plans. He wished us good luck and headed out. Juanjo took off after him and Willow and I settled in at good slow pace, around an 11 minute mile. We chatted easily for the first two miles, then began upping our speed and at the end of the third mile, we were tired. I was just under my 5k time from a few weeks ago, and we still had 3+ miles to go. We watched the 5kers peel off toward the finish line, then looked in horror as volunteers pointed us up what looked like one of the steepest hills in San Francisco. I thought for a few seconds, then walked it. Willow followed my lead. It probably saved our time. At the top, we launched back in - up a smaller hill then down steeply for several minutes. "Lean forward as much as you can," I told Willow, "and rest." We passed mile 4. I'm not sure how fast we were going at that point - fast enough for it to be work, but not so fast that it was killing us. We passed mile 5, still feeling OK, and this time stopped for water. I drank a full dixie cup and immediately felt my stomach lurch, threw my second cup, still full, into the trash barrel and continued on.

As we headed into the smaller part of the enormous hill before the final sprint to the finish, Andy came jogging back toward us. We had just hit the hour mark and he knew I was going to come in near my goal time. He ran with us back up the hill and then Juanjo came up behind us and pulled us both along toward the finish line. Just as I was about to cross, Willow put on speed and passed me - grrr! Then we were walking out and handing our tags to a volunteer and climbing up to the square to get our green tea and sliced oranges. I couldn't see the clock as I crossed the line, but it was somewhere right around 1:03:30, which was exactly the goal I'd set. Since I wasn't really aware of how fast I was going for much of the run, I think I just did a good job of guessing what I would be able to do. The Nike + registered my pace as somewhere between a 5 and a 6 minute mile the whole way, not sure why, oh well . . . Andy came in very close to his goal at just over 54 minutes, and Juanjo came in with us looking very rested.

Now, if I can just do that for 26 miles, I'll have my 4:30 marathon. Eeek!

Here we are after the race. I'm in the Nike hat, Andy's in the black knit hat. Willow and Juanjo are on either side of him.

Easy 5

It's been relatively cold this week. Thursday it hailed, then cleared up at night and was frigid and star filled when we ventured out for and easy 5 miles. It took about 2 slow miles to warm up and the shin didn't like it much, but after that I pushed the tempo up into the low 9s and kept it there for 2 miles, even on the inclines. Andy had been running backwards for a good while, so he struggled just a little, but for me it felt great, and so easy. For the first time, I could imagine keeping up that pace for a good long time. Not a 26 mile long time, but luckily I have another few months before need to start imagining that.

Some non-runner friends are running the 10k with us tomorrow, so we're going to try to stick together for a nice slow first loop (3 miles) and then hit the gas at our own paces for the second 3 (thanks Phil, for the game plan). We hope to beat them by a satisfying margin since we can't manage to pummel (or scrape by) them at Scrabble, even though, as writers, we gloat about our superior verbal skills, and even though one of them is from Spain and not a native speaker. In Spanish they would doubly kill us, getting 50 point scores while we floundered around making words like gato and hola.

Regardless of the outcome, it should be a fun morning. The run goes through Chinatown and North Beach, up along the waterfront to the Ferry Building, and back around. And if we don't beat our friends in the race, we'll still have one more chance - to win the betting pool at their Oscar party afterwards.

Run for Something Better

Seen anyone sporting orange shoe laces out there lately? Chances are, they donated to ING Run For Something Better to support youth running programs. I'm a sucker for a charity, even if it's a corporate one: my two pairs of laces currently hang on my bedroom door knob (yeah, they're very orange, but they're going on my shoes eventually!) A pair will set you back $10 bucks, which wouldn't even cover lunch downtown where I work. Good deal.

Daniels VS Pfitzinger

I ordered both books online, but I'm not really planning on pitting them against each other. In fact, I don't plan on adopting the "Pfitz" plan any time soon (after the SF marathon?), but I am ready to get a bit more scientific about training. I'm still building base miles, trying to encourage my body to catch up with my ambitions, trying to keep it slow and patient, getting my mind to adjust to sustained pressure. Why is it that I can run for an hour and a half with relative ease, but a two minute dash to catch a train leaves me with heart pumping, struggling to catch my breath? Am I not pushing hard enough on my regular runs? Andy would say so. He thinks I should be forcing the pace up, chasing speed goals.

I want to be running farther and faster too, but most of my runs still leave me with tight calves, ominous shin aches, sore hamstrings. Part of that is expected, but I don't have any threshold for comparison. How hard is too hard to push, and what pains are run-of-the-mill, what pains are cause for carefulness? Case in point: after my long run Monday, the back of my left leg grimaced painfully along the whole length, painful even to stretch. It has only started to subside today, and the shin still aches. I want to get in a good hard run before Sunday's race, but is that wise? would a gentle 5 miles be better? if I do include a 6 mile tempo run, when should do it? should I give myself ample time to recover from Sunday rather than risk a real injury (run on Friday), or give myself ample recovery time before next Sunday (run on Thursday)?

Books aren't any substitute for experience, but I'm hoping they will give me context, new ways to measure and make meaning from the jumble of questions and impressions I've built up so far. After July 29th, maybe I'll be able to look back over a year of running and know things, crown myself "intermediate," set new goals. Until then, there are running books, and a break from all that poetry :)

8 Miles

I missed my long run yesterday and Andy and I ran it today instead since we both had the day off. It's been an amazing week - clear, sunny, and mostly in the high 50s-low 60s during the day. Today we added another mile to make it 8. I iced the shin and took an Advil before we set out, then iced again when we got back. Not sure if it was necessary, but it's continued to bother me a bit, and I was concerned about the longer distance. No problem during the run though, and I felt much better than I did on the 7 miles last Sunday. In fact, I still had a little gas in the tank at the end, despite running at a faster pace today. We completed the run in 1:27:52 for an average of about a 10:58 pace. I still haven't managed to calibrate the Nike +, but it seemed a little more accurate with the miles today and I think the pace is pretty right on.

The run was definitely a confidence booster for the 10k this weekend - I'm setting an ambitious time goal of 1:03:30, a 10:15 mile, which is last weeks 5 mile tempo run speed, but only a little slower than my 5k time. According to my schedule, I should also start adding a short recovery run on Fridays, but I think I may stick to my current schedule this week to give myself two days rest before the race.

I'm already thinking beyond the 12k in March about a training plan for the Marathon in July. I'll be up around 20 miles per week by then, and I'd like to be running 35 a week consistently by late June. Other than that, I'd just like to finish in under about 4.5 hours and feel good enough afterwards that I'm ready to train for the next one.

Testing the Nike +

I took the Nike + for its first test on my run today. In truth, I'm still not sure how accurate it is. At first, it seemed to be tracking the mileage correctly, but over the course of the run, it seemed to be reading miles just a little short, until it announce the completion of the run what seemed like 2 or 3 tenths of a mile too soon. That's pretty far off, but that was the aggregate of each mile being just a little off - probably somewhere around .05 per mile, which doesn't seem so bad, especially before calibration. As far as pace, it definitely works best at a steady speed. It's not great at registering minute alterations, and it seems to recognize foot turnover better than changes in stride length. Sometime this weekend, I'm going to take it up to Kezar Stadium and test it on the track, which should give a much better picture of how well its working.

I will say, it was great for motivation to be able to get instant (if not exact) feedback on my speed. According to the gizmo, I ran three miles in the 9:30-9:45 range, which is definitely my fastest tempo run speed, and which felt fast but very doable. By the time I slowed for my cool-down mile 11:30 felt positively, impossibly, slow. All in all, a fantastic run. We're basking in our traditional February warm spell right now, with temperatures near 60F most days. I was actually looking for the shady side of the street on my run. That, and the left shin seems to have realized that I'm not backing down, because it didn't let out a peep but for some token resistance in the first mile. I iced before and after the run and it feels fine now.

The Gadget Search: First Try

I bought a Nike + running system on my lunch break today. Kurt suggested I try it when I posted about running watches last week, (though I noticed that he's been complaining about the sensor in his last few posts). It's nothing like the more expensive systems. From what I read, its accuracy runs in the low 90 percents, and it doesn't monitor heart rate, or make pretty graphs, or have a GPS device. But since I already have an ipod nano (OK, technically it belongs to Andy, but I got it for him, and I mostly use it, just like the guitar), the total cost was only $37 dollars - $29 for the system, and $8 bucks for a little shoe wallet to put the sensor in. If I can calibrate it to somewhere near 95% accuracy, it might be all I need for now. Anyway, it's certain to be more accurate than than the combination of Google mapping and a cell phone I've been using thus far.

Even if I do like it, I'll probably buy a Forerunner eventually. I'm enough of a geek to want the higher accuracy and better tricks, even if I'm not yet enough of a runner to really justify it. I know I said I didn't like the look of the Forerunner, but after seeing the size and look of some of the other ones, including Nike, I think I actually prefer something that's clearly a "device," rather than a watch. But that's for some other day. First, I'm going to give the little Nike pebble a day in court.

Recovery?

I've made it up early for a morning run three weeks in a row, which really is more than I expected of myself. These two mile recovery runs are easy now, and I always take them too fast (this one came in at 21 minutes, including the lights and the minute I spent chatting with a friend I ran into). Today, to keep myself occupied, I was thinking about the difference between physical and mental stamina, how the body can do anything if only the mind won't interfere. I could practically run 2 miles on two broken legs at this point, but today, my mind didn't really want to do it, even on two fit legs. Yeah, I was a little sore after Sunday, and my left shin's been peeping again lately, but mostly, I was just a little bored, a little underutilized, my mind thought. Of course, the real challenge is to remember that these runs are about recovery, about training the body to use and conserve differently, also, about keeping the mind impatient rather than worn out. Being bored is good, being slow is good, and getting out when we don't really want to is best of all.

Three weeks late,

but I finally got in that 7 miles. The day was beautiful and warm after a week of rain and we headed through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach, then went another couple of miles out and back along the Great Highway. I was still a bit tired and sore after Friday's run. I normally run my tempo days on Thursdays, so my body must have been expecting another rest day Sunday.

Which is all to say that I began to run out of steam after about 5 miles and definitely dragged the 6th mile. In the 7th mile, Andy took off ahead and I kicked into a new gear as well. I felt great as I loped up to the Java Beach Cafe. The run felt pretty slow, but it turned out to be just under my target long run pace of 11:32. If everything feels good, I'm going to push ahead with an 8 mile run next Sunday. These are virgin miles now - with every new distance, a new threshold reached and exceeded.

Besides Running

We're focusing on writing this weekend. You can find a newly minted piece from yesterday on my other, infrequently updated, blog here.

The rain seems to have passed for now - we woke this morning to a warm, sunny sky and settled in at our computers. Later, a long run planned, more school work, and maybe a movie with our former housemate.

We also signed up for the Chinese New Year run, so there's a 10k in our near future.

Rain

I love running in the rain. Five miles through the park today with only the muffled sounds of water and leaves and an occasional car passing slowly. I've taken to running without the ipod, instead focusing on my feet, legs, lungs, heart, breath, thoughts, surroundings. In the rain, a certain unexpected stillness hangs, like the earth is pausing after a deep breath.

Living in a city, I find I most crave the smells of soil, water, vegetation. I'm still running on pavement, but around me the dense sensual world of nature reaches out. The smell of the earth after a rain is called petrichor, a word coined in 1964 from petros, stone, and ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. It could just as well be the veins of the earth, since the source of the smell has been found to be oil based. Amazing that we have managed to take something so profoundly of nature (oil) and convert it into its supremely ruinous and dangerously practical opposite (plastic).

The run today was the perfect opposite to last Thursday - fast, rich, and vitalizing. At least two miles came in well under a 10 minute time and the third came close. I was working hard, but in a good way, holding plenty in reserve. My fastest 5 miles so far at 54 minutes.

Wanted: Running Watch

Remember all that stuff I wrote about simplicity, about running when I want, where I want, for free? Throw that all out the window. I want a fancy running watch with heart rate monitor, and pace calculator and everything else. But which one? At something over $300 regardless of brand, I'm feeling some trepidation. I'd prefer to spend somewhere around $150, but it seems that in order to monitor speed, I'll have to spring for the more expensive version. If there's a good less expensive speed tracker, please tell me. i-run links to an excellent blog story explaining the technology of pace tracking. The story also evaluates most of the main contenders.

I'm turned off by the size and look of the Garmin Forerunners - I just don't like the idea of going out with a big clunky GPS device strapped to my wrist. And since I have an Apple Powerbook rather than a PC, I won't be able to interface with the thing anyway. If you are thinking about a Forerunner, however, there's currently a $50 rebate on the 205s and 305s - get it before May 15th.

So on to the Nike Triax Elite and Polar 625X models, both equally expensive and with similar technology (neither brand seems to use GPS). They're both ugly, but Nike seems a bit sleeker, with an S shaped band and face for easier viewing. Since I'm not an elite runner, or even an elite blogger, I don't have the luxury of testing each out. But I can go to the store and try them on and push their buttons, which is what I have planned for tomorrow - after my run.

Update on the 5k

The official times are now posted here. I came in 143rd out of 1077 (probably about 700 runners) in my age group (19-39) and 465th overall. Andy came in 144th in his age group, and 446th overall. I'm hoping there's a picture of me too - I'll post it soon if there is one.

I successfully ran again this morning, with speed-demon Andy pushing the pace up to 10:30. Not much of a "recovery run," but felt great nonetheless. Since I still haven't managed a 7 mile run, I'm skipping the recovery week this week and planning to run a normal 5 mile tempo run Thursday, followed by a 7 mile long run Sunday. In fact, since the last couple of weeks have basically been "recovery weeks," I'll probably run straight through, maybe decreasing my overall weekly mileage after the 8 mile runs on the schedule.

Kaiser 5K Run

We did it! The run took place in Golden Gate Park, so we left the house around 7:10 am (we saw our neighbor coming home from a night out) and walked to the panhandle. From there, we took an easy jog down to the starting line. By the time we arrived, many thousands of runners and walkers had already lined up, but we ducked under the tape and lined up somewhat near the front. The area was crowded with walkers as well as runners (we could tell because they were wearing parkas, and some had strollers and other gear).

After about 20 minutes, they rang the bell and we started off. It took maybe twenty more seconds to get to the starting line, and another couple of minutes to wind through the walkers. We settled into a very fast pace - WAY faster than I should have been running (well, my first race). I started falling back, but Andy kept it up and soon disappeared from sight. I imagined him cheering me in after already finishing his super fast-person time.

Around the second mile, my sides began to cramp up and my pace slowed considerably. I focused on my breathing and slowed to an almost-walk. I was definitely struggling. Just then, I saw Andy running toward me. I thought he'd finished already, but he'd come back to check on me. I picked up my pace and we came in together in about 30 minutes. My finish time was 30:51, Andy's was 30:38. He probably could have come in 5 minutes earlier without me, but he joked that the race was all about me anyway. Looking back, I should have set a time goal (I think I could have come in under 30 minutes pretty easily) and stuck to a slow pace at the start, but I'm still happy with my pace (a 9:55 mile) and overall had a great time.

After gathering up our goodies, we walked back to the finish line and cheered for the elite runners as they came in from the half-marathon. The men's winner finished in just over 1:05. The woman's winner in something like 1:15.

Around 10 am, we walked down the Great Highway to the train and headed back, but I'd already caught the bug and I think Andy felt it too. We're already talking about signing up for the Chinese New Year 10k on the 25th.

Blah

My run last night lasted exactly 15 minutes and 1.3 miles. Almost immediately, my left shin tightened painfully. I tried to stretch, but that felt worse. I tried to walk, which felt fine, but as soon as I started running again, the pain was back. And it was getting late. Finally I decided to bag the run and take the bus home. Disappointed, I hobbled over to the bus stop and contemplated my remarkable lack of fitness, stamina, and mental toughness. I knew I would try again today, which I did, but it was little comfort.

Today's run was not very different, except that I finished it. The first two miles were tight and painful. Then I began to settle in, but by the time I reached the third mile I was mentally exhausted. I walked for about a minute (for the second time in the run), and then plodded on up the only hill on my route. When I reached Stowe Lake, I walked again, then dragged myself around and back down toward the De Young and began to settle in again. By the time I reached the Conservatory of Flowers, about 4.5 miles into the run and 1.5 miles away from the end, I truely wanted to quit. My feet slowed to a shuffle, then a walk. I took a deep breath, visualized reaching the panhandle just a half mile away, and began to employ my "meditation breathing" - inhale through the nose for four counts, exhale through the mouth for four counts. So doing, I attained the 5 mile mark and continued the easy final mile through the panhandle and down to Divisidero. Despite the frequent walk breaks and slow pace, I finished the run in 1:09, a respectable long run time. By that time, I was pretty happy with myself just for completing the run.

Well ok,

so I set my alarm for 6:30am but there were no outside noises to help me get up this morning. I turned it off and didn't wake up again until 7:30am - my usual time. So instead, I have a new running route tonight: from the office, up a steep 2 mile climb to the panhandle, down to the De Young, and finally home. Which should total the six miles I don't strictly have time to run after work, since we have a reading out at SF State to attend at 7pm. I brought my running clothes to the office and am hoping, with the hill, to make it home in about an hour and ten minutes. That should give me just enough time to shower and head out to campus. Bay to Breakers registration opened Tuesday, so I'm thinking of the run as early practice - it's the same climb. I also noticed that Bay to Breakers is using timing chips for the first time this year. So my record breaking pace will be accurately charted.

This is the first time my Thursday tempo run has climbed to a distance of over 5 miles, but since I'll be running the 5k on Sunday, and don't know if I'll get in another 4 miles afterwards, I'd like to get in the full 6 miles today.

Morning Run

6:00 am - Dog we've never heard before barking and snuffling in the neighbor's yard.
6:30 am - Alarm clock. I roll over and cover my head.
6:45 am - Dog begins barking again.
7:07 am - Phone rings with a wrong number call.
7:10 am - Obviously the universe is trying to help me get up this morning. I get up.
7:24-7:45 am - Run. Too fast for a recovery run. About a 10:30 mile.

So I didn't get up at 6:30, but I did discover that probably a 7 am wake up would be early enough. And I did enjoy it. I even thought of getting my Thursday runs in early as well!

Home Run

We spent the weekend up in my hometown of Sebastopol and yesterday Andy and I took an easy 4 mile run through town. We went down the bike path that runs behind my old house, crossed through the local high school, ran along beside the Laguna de Santa Rosa nature preserve, then looped back down Main Street, up the only hill in town, passed a school friend's old house, and headed back. It was only 4 miles at most, but I'm pleased with myself for actually getting out and running this weekend. Later, we drove up to Clearlake to check out a possible site for my brother's wedding, then had dinner at a charming little restaurant in Hopland called Bluebird Cafe. It was fun to see my brother two weekends in a row - something that, sadly, almost never happens.

All this means that we didn't get to go to yoga as planned, and I didn't run my seven miles as planned, but this is probably the last impromptu trip we'll be able to make until the Spring semester is over, so I decided to relax and enjoy it. Tomorrow I try to wake up at 6:30 am for my easy run.

Routines

Well, I got in 3.5 miles last night. It should have been a 5 mile tempo run, but I haven't been feeling well all week and I had missed two runs in a row. So I felt clumsy and out of shape and my stomach was hurting. Weak, yes, but here's the thing: I'm still hoping to get in 7 miles on Sunday and there's nothing I fear more than making running become a loathsome chore I dread rather than the highlight of my day or week. I hope that one day I'll be one of those supremely dedicated people who has run every day for ten years, but for now running is still finding a place in my routines. My biggest goal aside from staying on schedule is to begin running Tuesday mornings before work and classes. Since Tuesday is my easy day, I can probably get away with a 6:30 am wake up, but that's still a full hour before our alarm clock usually goes off. Andy claims Tuesdays will become my favorite day of the week, which proves that he either doesn't know me at all, or knows me better than I know myself.

Trying to Settle In

The school semester starts at SFSU this week and we are trying to summon excitement, or at least energy. Andy and I are restless, moody, searching for things outside of our daily routines of work and writing. Maybe it's just winter, the deadening effect it can have, but we find ourselves impatient with the things that normally sustain us.

We did spend a lovely weekend with my brother in Long Beach just spending time with him, driving around listening to a recording of Charles Bukowski. Contemplating visiting Bukowski's grave in nearby Palos Verdes, but never making it there. He's not a poet most literary writers would admit reading, but there's an undeniable spirit to his work. And spirit is what seems to be missing from so much "literary" writing I encounter.

I always bring my running shoes on these kinds of trips, but never make it out running, and I wonder if part of my ennui is a sort of withdrawal. Anyway I can't wait to get out tonight, even just for my scheduled short run.

Running for a Cause - My First Race!

Suddenly my first race is just two and a half weeks away. I've been shooting for the 12k in March, but today, on the spur of the moment, I signed up for the Kaiser Permanente 5k on February 4th as well. Well, Andy signed me up. After a bit of haggling ("why pay $25 to run 3 miles right where we always run 3 miles" - a fair point, but I liked the idea of a real race) we agreed: he signed me up, and paid, to celebrate running, and my running, and to do something anti-athletic-consumerism before settling down to watch the Super Bowl that afternoon. In return, I offered to pay for his introductory yoga pass (30 days for $30) when we finally try to get back into doing yoga again (we've made a date for 10am Saturday, January 27th).

More importantly, the race is in support of three Bay Area charities. I am running in support of Family House, a home away from home for families whose critically ill children are being treated at UCSF Children's Hospital. I already feel blessed to have made running a part of my life, so it makes sense to combine it with something else that's always been important to me - making a meaningful contribution to my community and the world. I'd like to raise a total of $500 for Family House, so please, if you can afford to help, follow the link at right and donate today. It will mean a great deal.

Simplicity

I leave work early on Tuesdays, but somehow I didn't manage to get out and run until about 6:30pm. When I finally did go out, it promptly started raining and I had forgotten my gloves, so my hands were freezing when I started. I did find a headband yesterday after looking at the New Balance, Nike, and finally, Adidas, stores. It wasn't the thick, cozy, kind I had in mind, with the extra flap for the ears, but it did the trick last night. At this rate, by the time I get all of my winter running gear together, it will be spring.

Not that I don't want all the stuff - I do, but I'm kind of resistant to spending a lot of money on something as simple as running. In fact, the simplicity is part of what draws me. No costs, no classes, no gyms, no special tools - just lace up a good pair of shoes and run out the front door. I like that. I like feeling like running is something I can do anywhere, that I don't have to pack an extra duffel bag of gear, or load a car with supplies, when I take a weekend trip. So I guess I'm waiting to find out what I really need before going out and buying a bunch of stuff that I'll never use. The first thing was shoes, then socks, now a headband. That's about the way I like it.

Day Off

Andy and I took a lovely day off from everything yesterday. We went to breakfast around noon at a wonderful little French cafe in Cole Valley, then walked in the sun up to Kezar Stadium and watched the runners for a while, bumping into a couple of friends on the way. After that, we walked up to Canvas Cafe and spent a few hours reading and talking about the future of literature. Then we walked through Golden Gate Park to the Inner Richmond where we spent a cold half hour at Green Apple Books before getting dinner at Le Soleil. We capped off our night by going to see Almodovar's new film, Volver, at the Clay. Ahhh . . . A whole vacation packed into one day.

My long run Sunday was great and I feel good about the new schedule and pace goals. I started off a bit too fast, but settled into an 11:30 mile nicely and averaged an 11:00 mile over all. I'm already getting excited about the 12k in March!

New Schedule, New Pace Goals, New Running Buddy

I posted an updated training schedule at the bottom of the page with tempo run pace goals in the high 9s. I think this will put me in a good place to start training for the marathon and (I'm hoping) give me a good 12k time to base my training goals on. I'll be swapping out the speed trainings for hill work, and trying to incorporate more hills into my other runs as well.

Unfortunately, Andy's been having some trouble with his ankles and hasn't been running with me much recently. Back in his serious tennis days, he wore down the cartilage in his ankles and was told he would never walk again without a cane. He recovered, but he can't play much tennis or run on pavement more than about once a week. I prefer running with another person, especially on long runs, so I was excited when a friend's girlfriend emailed last week wanting to start running together. She ran the San Francisco Marathon last year, and wants to start training for it again. I hope to meet up with her for a run in the next couple of weeks.

For today, I'm planning on 6 miles through the park and around Stow Lake, hoping the shin will hold up and confirm that I really am back on track.

San Francisco Marathon Route

Jeff over at Map My Run alerted me to the fact that you can now embed maps into a blog. So here's the 2007 San Francisco Marathon route. A preview of what I'll be preparing for over the next several months.

Also, I hear it's National De-lurking Week, and I know there are a few of you who've found the blog, so please leave a comment and tell me about yourself!



Follow-up to the New York Times story "When It's OK to Run Hurt"

Here's a quick follow-up on the New York Times article I wrote about yesterday. I wrote to the story's author asking if the advice applied to shin splints. My question and her reply are included below.

I said:
Thank you for today's story "When It's OK to Run Hurt." The article, however, didn't answer one question that I'm sure many runners are dying to know -- does this advice apply to shin splints as well?

Gina's reply:
I think it applies to everything that is due to inflammation, which means if you have a stress fracture or real fracture or a ripped tendon or muscle, you can't run. So I guess it depends on whether your shin splints are from tendinitis, which is most likely, or a stress
fracture. Good luck -- I am so so sympathetic!

Interestingly, she attributed most shin splints to tendinitis, something I had never heard before. But when I Googled the terms "shin splint" and "tendinitis," I came up with this fantastic explination of the two different kinds of shin splints from Merck.com. It turns out that Posteromedial shin splints (the kind that effect the inside of the shin) are indeed a kind of tendinitis and would probably respond well to the icing/running therapy outlined in the NYT story.

Running the Embarcadero

At the risk of having to eat my words, I officially declare myself to be out of danger of shin splints. At least for now. Last night I took my first 5 mile run in about 2 weeks and everything felt great. I ran along the Embarcadero which, unlike Golden Gate Park, is full of activity. Runners, cyclists, and tourists filled the wide walkway along the waterfront. It was cold and windy near the water, so I pulled up my hood and ran to the sound of vinyl swishing against my ears. After about a mile and a half, I felt good enough to pick up the pace, and ran at something near a 10.5 minute mile for the next three miles. As I approached the Ferry Building on the way back, I forced myself to slow down again, though not quite to warm up pace. I completed the run in 58 minutes, an average pace of about 11:36.

Now that I'm back on track, I'll have a new training schedule with new pace goals up soon. The 12k is only 10 weeks away so, sadly, I might not get to add any 10 milers before the race. It's tempting to try for 7 miles on Sunday and stick with my current schedule, but it's probably smarter to play it safe and log a few solid 6 mile runs before upping my distances.

Running with an injury

The top emailed story on the New York Times this morning: According to some sports doctors, its OK to run as normal, even with an injury.

Maybe the reason the story (check it out here) is so popular is that it confirms what many of us have suspected for a long time. Continuing an activity after an injury doesn't seem to do any damage.

As new to athletics as I am, I've already started ignoring online medical advice. I've been running with a shin splint and a strained calf for weeks now and have steadily gotten better rather than worse.

The trick is to decrease distance and speed, these doctors say, and to ice for 20 minutes before and after exercise. Some recommend an anti-inflammatory like aspirin as well. And of course, don't run if doing so causes extreme pain. But if the pain after exercise is no greater than it would be otherwise, go ahead and run.

Again, this is what I've been doing for three weeks, with good results. The article, however, doesn't address the problem of shin splints, and I'm still not confident about running on them, so I wrote to Gina Kolata of the New York Times to find out. I'll post her reply if I get one.

In the mean time, I'll be buying a few more bags of frozen peas (yes, they're the best as ice packs!) and an extra bottle of aspirin and hitting the streets.

Hill Training

My run through the Mission Monday night convinced me to do a little more research on hill training in general. I found out that running hills might be the best thing possible for a distance runner - it seems that running hills works to strengthen muscles, improve fitness, improve form, and increase speed.

Because the runner must overcome gravity on an incline, hills work as resistance training, like lifting weights. This develops the muscles specific to running, namely the hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, and buttocks. It also helps develop the muscles around the ankles and knees, helping to prevent some of the most common running injuries.

In addition, the muscles used for hill work are the same muscles used for sprinting, so working hills improves speed, too. And because good hill running form requires an exagerated running motion - pumping the arms and lifting the knees high, form is improved along with both the length and frequency of your stride.

Since muscular fitness has been my main problem so far, it's clear that I would be well served by incorporating hills into my regular runs, mostly (at least at first) to develop the muscles that will prevent injury as I continue training.

Most of what I've read discourages speed work if you've recently suffered shin splints, so I plan to replace the speed work days on my training schedule with hill work. There are a few prominent hills in my neighborhood which I've so far taken care to avoid. Now I plan to take them head on.