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.