A reason to live in Northern California

I am in the double digits!!! Oh my god, I accomplished something I have never done before. And it wasn't just any 10 mile run...trail running - full blown Redwood Park trails through the woods, over creeks, up the freakin mountain!!! So I can safely say I kicked my own butt today, and reached 10 miles, and took my first ice bath...we'll get to that late, eh hem.
I have to just reflect on the run itself, pretty majestic. Actually, the entire run was pretty profound for me as far as experiences go in my lifetime. The scenery was incredible. I seriously felt like I was running through a fairy tale, a magical painting you wish you could escape to. I think it might have made the hills a little easier...eh, maybe not. But it was beautiful to look at! I was running on root knobbed earthy trails winding in and out of HUGE redwoods, some so old they had fallen across creek beds and formed picturesque bridges for little wildlife to scurry across. Shedding of trees softened the path beneath my feet and enormous branches of glowing evergreen fanned out over my head (like 100 feet in the air) and shaded the trails ahead. I listened to chirping birds and rustling squirrels the whole time. At the top of the treacherous 2 mile 'up the side of the mountain hike trail' climb I looked out and saw blue and green overlapping hills reach out accross my perspective and fall into the glistening bay and meet the horizon. It made me smile and feel small (although not so light weight at that point) and perfectly placed in this world at that moment. I was able to spend 2 hours in meditation using only the rhythym of my own breath, my foot steps on the earth and the most beautiful views you can imagine.
Now, let me explain why I was running my long Saturday run alone, in mediation, but definitely alone. I arrived 10 minutes late today. :( This put me about a mile behind everyone else. Normally, Coach Al is busy telling a story, doing the stretches, shout outs, the cheer, and so on. It isn't usally a big deal. And - I am usually early. So, this morning I arrive to see them gone. Only the food/water volunteers around. They told me where the start line was and said GO! So I ran, desperately hoping to catch up with the team, but not wanting to push my pace too hard and burn out. My worst fear about my 10 mile run was coming true - running it alone. I had to tell myself to chill out, appreciate my body, and do it right the way I have been trained to so far. Turns out around mile 2 I catch up to the run/walkers as they are walking the hills (not helpful to see everyone around you walking the hill you are convincing yourself is a minor little mound!) and eventually Mama Lisa found me with her cowbell. She ran up a hill next to me and told me I had perfect form. (this is actually a triumph from my run today) So I kept on, passing the walkers and never quite catching up to my runners until I saw them passing me after they had met the 4.5 mile turn around. I finally saw my Chipper Sue and that was exciting - for like 3 seconds until she was gone with her running buddies for the day. I did end up running the whole thing alone. I saw everyone finishing and then running one last mile to round up to 10, so I decided I couldn't be the only single digit girl, so I ran that last extra mile alone too. I finished feeling sore, but totally elated and rather energetic. (Maybe this was due to my tasty GU - yet another first for me today - I had at mile 6 which was sticky and raztastic)
On the way home I stopped at the store and bought myself a cup of extremely desired coffee and 3 bags of ice. Uh-huh. Going home to the ice bath. I ended up pouring out all the ice in the bath tub, running cold water until it was about 5 inches deep, and sitting in it, like a mad-crazy person...I screamed for most of it. My neighbor probably thought I was murdering someone with all the ice breaking and screaming. After all of the craziness, I am positive my body is less swollen, and after the initial red skin and chill bumps, my musles appreciate my sacrifice for sure. I am happy and will most likely spend the rest of the day watching movies on the sofa! Yay for 10 miles, beautiful hilly trails, and ice baths - well, maybe not ice baths.Oh, another perk to today is that I discovered where exactly I will need to start using body glide, oh yay.

Silly Hills - Why must you Hurt so Good?

Today we broke routine and did not do ciruit drills. At first I was excited, felt like I was getting off easy for today. Oh no, at the end I was wishing for the relief of "taking a break" during the drills themselves! Hill repeats got a little more intense today. I would say I enjoyed the run...mostly the last 10 seconds of it when I knew it was about to be over! Coach Al mapped a 1/2 mile loop through the Berkeley neighborhood near the track. Somehow this loop seemed to ONLY go uphill after each turn, although physics would suggest there would be a downhill at some point. I couldn't find that point. He had us run it 3 times, so 1.5 total miles of continuous uphill. I thought I was in a nightmare and wanted to wake up to downhill. Somehow I finished. Coach said this will get us ready for SF hills. What did I get myself into???

(No) Buddy Run to the Mirror again

I was supposed to do my buddy run yesterday (Tuesday), but we had an open house that threw everything off, so I ran today instead. Pressed for time once again, I ran at the gym on the treadmill, staring at myself run in a mirror for 47 minutes this time. I couldn't take the boredom any longer. Also, this run was particularly difficult today. Obviously, the course itself wasn't diffucult - being on a treadmill and all. I struggled for easy breathing the whole time, and just felt really exhausted. Maybe it has to do with poor lunch today (almost no lunch)and little sleep last night. Oh well, I finished 4.5 miles and learned to eat better before running. Bad run, good lesson. And...off to track at 5:50 am tomorrow!

No Triathlon any time soon

I thought I might mix it up a little today with my cross training and decided to swim. First, I didn't seem to realize how cold it actually was outside until I jumped in the pool. Suddenly the unheated pool was warmer than the breeze above the water and I was convinced I wouldn't be able to get out. Laps started off nicely for about, let's see...3 laps! I was totally winded, gasping for breath and pretty much flailing around with zero form at that point. I pushed on, taking a 10 second breather at the end of each lap, then decided I clearly wasn't a swimmer and started running water laps around the perimeter of the pool. That also became pretty difficult, so I tried switching 2 laps of swimming, 2 loops of water running. This silliness continued for the 45 minutes and I came to the realization that I am in NO way ready to take on a swim meet, or any form of tri any time soon. (Note to self)

The hard part was at the end, when I had to jump out of the pool - risking hypothermia - and run all the way back to my apartment dripping wet, freezing cold, and completely exhausted. Next time I think I'll stick to core secrets in my living room :).

Eight is SO Great!

Back to Berkeley Marina...where it all began. I think Berkeley is my favorite spot so far, but the wind is pretty intense and it gets really cold this early in the morning.

This particular morning Chipper Sue and I arrived at the same time, so we were able to start together and both committed to the 8 miles at the beginning of the run. I noticed it took me a couple of miles to get into my groove. My muscles felt super stiff and sore for the first 2, then I seemed to warm up and get over it. (Maybe I should stretch better to warm up before the run?? Or maybe ice more? I'll try both) We ran from Ceasar Chavez park at Berkeley Marina, traveled north along the 580, turned and passed the horse racing place and climed a nice big hill at that point, passed the Albany Bulb (a little dog beach) and continued on the little running trail until we reached the Albany Waterfront sign at the 580 freeway again. That was our 4 mile point to turn around and run it all back. I think I am starting to like the out and back route...I always get to run back the part I might have had a hard time with and run it better the second time around. Leaves me feeling a bit victorious over the hill that seemed big the first time, and not so bad the second.

On the 4 miles back, Candace the mentor joined us on our run. She started telling us the story of her runniing the SF Nike last year and how great it was. She also told us our training this year is pretty advanced comopared to last years schedule and we should be really prepared come race day. (this is good news...)

The run was fun. We finished 8 miles at 1:20, which means we totally averaged 10 min miles. It seems this is my comfortable pace, which I am starting to believe is completely acceptable for my level. I mean, I am no boston qualifier or anything, but one day I believe I will call myself a marathon finisher, which is about all I am able to bite off at this point. Go Jenn - the hopeful finisher!

By the way, tonight I will ice my knees for sure!

Buddy Run - But No Buddy

There just isn't enough time to get home after work, walk the dogs, race over to Berkeley Marina and run from 6:30-7:30, then come home, eat dinner at 8:30 and pretty much go right to bed. No thanks. So today I decided to do my buddy run when I got home from work at 5:30, at the gym in the apartments...only, with no buddy. Pretty freakin boring! I run on a treadmill, staring at myself in the mirror wall in front of me...for an entire hour. But I did it (shhh..I sneaked my ipod for this one) and ran for an hour, completing six miles for my buddy run (with no buddy).

I am noticing a bit of tension on the lateral side of my left knee. I am positive it is my iliotibial band pulling, but I definitely am feeling it more and more. This week I will focus on foam rolling my legs/hips/glutes. Oh yay.

Super Seven

Six Saturdays into my training...I completed seven miles, woo hoo! We met at San Leandro Marina. Overcast gloomy day - so run was nice and easy. Not too hot, pretty flat course, and breeze from the water the whole time. Chipper Sue and I ran together the whole time. I was actually able to participate in some of the chatting this time(not that she doesn't let me...it's that I usually can't breathe easy enough to even think about talking) so the conversation made the run pretty enjoyable. The course was set up as an out and back. we ran out three miles and turned around. Due to the set up, Sue and I decided we wouldn't commit to more than six miles until we were able to assess how we felt when coming back to the start. Well, upon crossing the initial start line, we decided to go for seven. On the last mile Odessa, a mentor, chatted with us. For some reason when she talks about running, she makes it seem really easy. I still haven't figured out why, but I always find her attitude about it all very relatable and refreshing.

Anyway, we finished feeling pretty good. I definitley felt a little left over soreness from the hills on Thursday, and some soleus pain from the run. Nothing alarming, just pretty usual. I did notice that I gained one pound during the run today, which isn't good. I don't want to be losing too much fluid, or taking in too much fluid. Hmm...I will work on this.

Good Morning Hill Repeats, Please kick my butt!

Today Coach introduced us to the beloved, and desperately needed hill repeats. I successfully arrived to track this morning, pleasantly surprised to find my Chipper Sue had decided to switch to AM track also. Yay, partner in pain! We were no longer setting up on the track. Coach had us gather in a winding drive area around the pool. He had mapped out a course of three hills, one long and gradual, then a quick steep one, and then a quick steeper one.:) we were replacing our 400 meter laps with the hill repeats this week. Woah. Our workouts will now consist of looping the three hill repeats, then doing our circuit drills...and of course, repeat 4-5 times. All done after that. Thank god for Chipper Sue! She kindly chatted through all of the hills each time, allowing me to huff and puff, heaving myself through the drills. One day...I will run hills like the wind itself. Just not today. (I did finish it all though, and the time was't even that bad: 36.27!)

Sunny Southern Cali for a change

This Saturday I was out of town for the fourth of July, so I did my long run solo and decided to run Santa Monica beach for my 5 miles. So glad I did, the sun was out, beach was packed (with tons of fun people to entertain my run by watching), nice breeze...it was a perfect easy run. Kinda made me miss living in LA :(

GI Jane experience # 2...Solo :(

I tried to make AM track today. Evidently it had been too long since I had tried to make a morning track because I was the crazy girl walking up for track an hour late! Yep, I arrived as everyone was leaving to their cars, ugh! So, I went home and did my track, all alone, in the gym at my apartment. I used the treadmill to run the 400 meter laps, jumped off in between to do the circuit drills, and successfully kicked my butt in 30:34 minutes. Then, jumped in the car and drove for eight hours to Los Angeles for fourth of July weekend....OUCH! Sore sore sore legs at the end of that drive!