Another Saturday run

Went out today on the usual Saturday morning run with the Inside track club. Brandy was there, along with a few others, and all of us planned to run ten miles. Some were tapering down while others were building up. Brandy and I are building up for the Santa to the Sea half marathon and are planning our assault on completing that run in under two hours. Yes, i have done a half in under two before but my goal is for both of us to finish it in under two hours. I think that we can do it by running together during the entire race, keeping a good pace throughout and adjusting a needed. I know that she can do it but she is not quite sure, so my job is to help her stop those thoughts enter her mind. So a-training we will go.

Today was a ten mile run, planned for an easy pace, about ten minutes per mile pace. Started off good and slow to warm up, going about 10:30. We picked it up a little bit in mile two but still a little more than ten minutes. Miles three to five were good and we got there in under 49 minutes. Stopped there to fuel up for the return journey and off we went on our merry ways. The return portion started off where we left off so we knew that it would be a negative split. Each mile got progressively faster, and we really noticed on mile 9 that we were going at a race pace. We actually did mile nine at under 9 minutes! We reminded ourselves to slow down, to think of a recovery pace for the last mile. This was good as it allowed me to complete the return journey without stopping. The return trip took under 48 minutes.

As if that was the only good thing to happen during the run, the others were waiting for us at the end. One group had finished about 8 minutes before and the other group finished about 5 minutes, so they decided to wait for us knowing we weren't that far behind. This made me feel good but even better was it made Brandy feel good. I think it helped her confidence tremendously knowing that the others weren't that far ahead of us. Granted everyone was doing an easy run, but so were we. Our easy runs are the medium speed runs from a couple of months ago. Ten minutes is now our recovery pace and we can consistently go a tad faster. I am not sure if I can maintain the pace we did today - I would have gone faster on my own and would end up walking. So the search for knowing my pace continues but if I can find a way to stay in Ventura on weekends, I will have my running partner who can rein me in while I pull her along at the same time. It's a delicate balance and it continues to be fun trying to find the equilibrium.

Keeping pace

Back on dry land once again after a few week cruise on board the mighty barge MATSS. Most of the days on board I would try to find at least fifteen minutes to walk around and get some exercise. Some days I would be able to get in thirty minutes of walking at a time and on a couple of occasions I walked an hour straight. Wasn't sure how many miles I did total, I just estimated that I kept a 3 mile/hour pace and that was that. Given the movement of the barge up and down, along with the many obstacles I had to avoid, that was a very conservative estimate. Maybe I went a little faster or slower, I think it all came out in the wash.

This led me to again try to figure out a way to run, be it during a training run or a race. Since my runs are usually defined by distance I know beforehand how long it should take me so I budget for that. Good rule of thumb has been ten minute miles - this still amazes me that I can do this. Not too long ago I was struggling to complete a few miles at a 12 minute pace and now I don't even worry about it.

But back to the topic: Usually when I run I start up at least one, if not two, apps on my iPhone. Nike+ and/or Runkeeper are on my iPhone and have kept me company on long runs. I don't use them to pace me during a run as I have been running without listening to the iPhone. I also keep track of my time on the chronograph function of my watch. If I am running "too fast" per mile I slow it down. I think this is important especially in the long and slow runs. They are supposed to be run at an easy pace to help with my recovery. Unfortunately this isn't the case, and I usually run at a faster pace.

My easy runs are supposed to be close to ten minute pace, according to my past results. If I am doing a speed workout then I need to pick up the pace. This is where my watch helps me out a bit, although there are times when I am feeling good with the pace I am running but deliberately slow myself down since I think I am going too fast. When I run with some in the running club and don't pay attention to my watch I know that I need to run a little slower than them since they are much faster than me. But I get caught up and run faster than I should, but it's not that bad. It does challenge me but I am not completely burned out at the end. Maybe I need to run some more on feel and not depend on my watch all the time. Time will tell ;)

To the top ...

... of Diamond Head, that is one of the runs I wanted to do since I got into this running thing. Oh yeah, it's also because I am blessed with a job that sends me to Oahu a couple of times a year. Any ways, I plotted it out last April when I was last on the island. From the hotel, a round trip would be about 7 miles and depending on which way I wanted to go, one of the legs was going to be a bit longer than the other since the entrance to Diamond Head was on the northern side. It seemed to make sense to go the longer route on the first leg since I will be fresher. In April I wasn't ready to undergo this run since I knew that I would need probably a Camelbak or something similar to stay properly hydrated. As much as I love the weather in Ventura and SoCal as it is very conducive for me to run longer distances, it doesn't help me run in a warm and muggy climate that is Hawaii. So wait for my next trip was the new plan.

Here we are in September and my next trip to Oahu. I was prepared this time with a good hydration backpack - it's a Costco model but it works and holds ample amount of water. I had just run a half two weeks ago so I am used to running a long distance. I took off from the hotel a little after 9, maybe later than I should have, but it wasn't too bad temp-wise. An added bonus was a good tradewind to cool me off on the first leg. I decided to go on the southern route, the longer, for the first leg. After a couple of miles of basically flat run it started to climb gradually. Had to take a couple of walk breaks on the way there but overall felt good about my run. Even was keeping a good pace when I was running. Maybe if I slowed down a bit I would have been able to run all the way. 4.5 miles after I started I got to the entrance from the main road to Diamond Head.

I took a good break, fueled up and decided that I would go up to the top of DH. I walked the first part as it was fairly steep and also went through a tunnel - didn't want to get run over by the cars going in and out. Walked most of the way to the top, sometimes slow as I waited for others and when it cleared picked up the pace. The round trip took me a little more than an hour and was well worth the added exercise. When I got back to the entance to DH I stopped again but not as long as the first time. Also didn't feel the need to fuel up as the second leg was downhill. Off I went back to the hotel and as luck would have it, DH was blocking whatever tradewinds there was and it got warmer and harder to run. I stopped running many times and took walk breaks but I continued on. The next 3 miles was done at a 12 minute pace but I got back to the hotel. Another run objective met, but I am sure that I would love to try this again the next time I am back on Oahu.

It's all about Disney

After a very long wait I finally participated in the Disneyland half marathon. This was the race that got me even slightly interested in running. Last year my friend Michelle invited me to walk the half marathon - I had been walking a few miles as part of my quest to lose weight and get in better shape/health. I figured that setting a race goal would help me to keep walking. So I signed up for the race. As luck would have it a work trip forced me to miss out on the race, but it was a trip to France so I was okay with it. Later on in September last year I signed up to walk the Wounded Warrior 5K, and I did that in a good time for walking, about 41 minutes. However, walking that fast was beginning to hurt so I decided that if I was to enter more races in the future it would be better to maybe jog a few hundred yards every mile. I was blessed that I was able to extend those few hundred yards to miles, and running them at a decent pace.

Fast forward to September 2011, Labor Day weekend, race weekend!!! It started out with a long fun day at the parks on Friday with my friend Michelle, the same friend who invited me participate in the race last year. Saturday had an early start to it with the Star Tours 5K, a fun race in which time is not kept. This freed us up to have pictures taken with characters or at cool locations. How often can one get a picture taken in front of the Mickey with no one else around, or Sleeping Beauty's castle just as empty? With the race theme being Star Tours, Mickey dressed up as a Jedi Knight and Minnie was Princess Leia. A good time was had by all and it was also a good warm up for the half to be held the next day. Here are some of the pictures from the 5K.



















This race was the biggest race in which I have participated, with over 15,000 runners and walkers registered. Luckily I was able to get a qualifying time fast enough to move me to the first starting corral. Knowing that there were gonna be many people who would be much faster than me I waded my way near the back of the corral. Here's a view of the starting line (near the video screen) from about 1800 runners back. The start of the race was 6 AM, and the weather behaved for the most part. It was in the mid 60s at the start, the sky was mostly cloud free and humidity wasn't high yet. It warmed up a little bit but not bad at all. Another wonderful thing about the race was some friends were also running it, although we were all spread out in different corrals. My friends Becky, Ron and Michelle from SB Search were there, along with Linda and Chuck from the running club.

The race started in Downtown Disney area and went through the parks the first couple of miles. It then went through the streets of Anaheim, including a view of the sun rising as we ran down Ball Road. A few turns here and there and there we were by the Honda Center. After a brief jaunt on the Santa Ana River Trail we ended up Angel Stadium, where we actually got to run inside the field. OK, it was on the warning track along the right field side and then the left field side. As we ran by the third base dugout a video camera caught the runners and displayed us on the big screen in left field. Way cool!!!

Well, I made it all the way to the finish line. My first half was a couple of minutes faster than the second half so not bad at all. I ended up taking a few walk breaks the last few miles but not slow enough to keep me from attaining a secondary goal. My first goal was always to participate in the race, finish and get that pretty cool medal. A second goal was to complete the 13.1 miles in under two hours. It helped that at every mile marker there was a clock to let me know how I was doing.




Finish the race, I did and it was an incredible feeling. I wish that I could have connected with my other friends right after the race. The different starting corrals, the different times it took us to complete the distance, and the huge number of people there which overwhelmed the cell phone capacity kept us from doing that. Still it was a great weekend, one which I would love to do again over and over.

New perspective on running

With the Disneyland half marathon approaching I had the opportunity to try something I hadn't done before. No more long runs before the race, no more crazy intervals, hill workouts, just one photo scavenger fun run with the track club. OK, I did 8 miles on Saturday but that was done with an easy pace as it should have been. Yesterday there was another local event put up by Compete Green (competegreen.com), the Half Marathon of the Harbors and the Ventura Harbor 5K. Brandy and I decided to volunteer and help out by handing waters to the runners. We were assigned the first (and last water station) of the races. It was at mile 1 of the half, near the turnaround of the 5K, and it was at about the mile 12 of the half marathon since it was an out and back course.

I think we were positioned at this station since the powers to be knew we could be trusted to be figure things out. All of the supplies were dropped off at the location, all we had to do was put up the table, lay out the water cups, fill them up with water and position the trash receptacles downstream of us. Brandy was able to lay out 8 rows of 20 cups of the table, and this looked quite impressive until we realized that it was less than a third of the number of runners. We knew that it could be challenging for us but Brandy came up with a plan that if things started getting busy, one of us could pass out the water while the other started laying out more cups and filling them with water. No better plan had ever been hatched up, in my opinion and we executed it perfectly ;)

The perspective of seeing runners in a race as I just stood there was amazing. The different styles of people, regardless of how fast they were, was striking. The winner of the half marathon ran so smoothly and so quiet not only in his motion but in the amount of actual noise as his feet landed. It was quite efficient no matter how you look at his movement. The leading woman was somewhat of a contradiction. Her lower bidy moved the way I expected but she swung her upper body from side to side, but you can't really say anything about it as she was the leading female.

As for the 5K it was easy to note the new 5K runners. Since we were near the turnaround spot for the race we were "only" 1.5 miles from the start. The lead runners didn't even think about taking water but the mid pack runners were happy to see us and gladly took water. I had never been thanked so much for such a small thing, never had I seen such grateful faces for a cup of water. Hopefully I am half as grateful and thankful to the volunteers in the races in which I am entered. It was a great experience and one I would love to have again in the future.

I'm baaacckkk!!!

OK, somehow I got lazy and just plain forgot to post new stuff or got too busy with work. Regardless I am back. It is now mid-August and lots have happened on the running front with me. Actually, it's basically I have done more running in races and have actually improved my time. I have been in a 10K race and a handful of 5Ks. The 10K was the Channel Islands 4th of July race at the Channel Islands harbor and I have run in the Salsa Dash 5K, the Ventura Tiki Run 5K, and in two of the Harbor Lights series of 5Ks.

All of these races were done locally and obviously in very flat and almost ideal conditions. The Channel Islands 10K was only my second one ever and I had high hopes of finishing this one under an hour - the Old Agoura 10K was hilly and I did that one in 1:01 - and I completed this in 53:40. I think I could have done it faster but I went out a little too fast in the beginning, getting to mile 1 in under 8:30. I was still just getting used to running fast, after I got "promoted" in the running club to run with the fast runners. Still I was happy with that race.

The next race was my first of two Harbor Lights 5K a couple of weeks later. I had read that for the short races like a 5K I should warm up properly beforehand, to go out and run almost as far as a 5K before the race itself. I went out to the mile 1 marker in a good pace, about 9 minutes and then jogged/walked back to the start. I then did a few strides right before the race to get my legs going. The race starts and I go at what felt like a comfortable pace. Mile 1 comes and I am at 8:05, too fast I think. Slowing down a bit for the second mile and I get there at about 8:30 but still I felt good. I was able to ramp it up a bit at the end as I was kept pace with and eventually passed others and I crossed the finish line in 25:17, a new PR! My previous fast time in an official race was 27:19, and about 26:50 on my own so this was awesome.

The next race was the Salsa Dash in downtown Oxnard, also a flat course. I didn't run the first mile of the course itself before the race but I did run around a few other blocks in the area to warm up, and then I did strides. Guess this worked well as I went out at and reached the mile 1 marker at 7:20, too fast but I noticed that it was about 0.1 miles too short. I slowed a bit but not too much as I felt pretty good. Mile 2 was at 16:05 which made me happy. Mile 3 I followed someone and I knew he was going for it. Saw the finish line and was able to kick it up a bit and crossed the finish line at 24:23, another PR! I'm really liking this warm up before a race, and of course the flat course on a cool overcast day doesn't hurt. Later this same day I ran the Ventura Tiki Run with Becky - two 5Ks on either end of the same day. I had no visions of running this fast, just to run alongside Becky as she put in some miles as part of her worko-up towards Disneyland half.

Was able to run in another of the Harbor lights race the following week and improved my time from the previous week in another sub-25 minute run, 24:52. Guess all of the track workouts are helping. Not sure how much more time I can take off but I know it can't be much on a 5K. I just can't see myself doing a sub-7 minute pace for a 5K. I don't think I want to hurt that much as part of my running.

This past Saturday I ran 10 miles easy. Michelle from Inside Track commented that I should have run with the fast runners who wanted to run with a 9 minute pace. I told her this was too fast for me for an easy run. She told me that I have to start changing the way I run, to lift up my legs a little more. I think this may mean a longer stride, or maybe even a quicker turnover. Told her no changes for me until after Disneyland, so I have a few weeks of this shuffling along for me. Kinda scared about the change as it will probably mean I can't go for longer runs or will tire out faster or whatever else I can think of because I am a wimp and hate change. Stand by to see what these changes in my stride are ...

O2O is done

Well, all I can say is that I showed up and I was able to go from the start of the race and made it all the way to the finish line. OK, there is a little more to it than that. After a couple of months of training for this the race finally was here. 6 am is way too early to start a race, but it's the same time the Disneyland half marathon will start in September. So this was good for me to figure out how early to get up for that one. With the start of the race near the Ventura Pier I was given a tip to park over across the freeway near Walden Surfboards, then just go on the overpass to the start line. Great tip and thanks Brandy. Walden Surfboards donated some old boards to be used as mile markers for this race, and the full marathon associated with it. Great way to reuse surfboards that could have gone to a landfill. Way to help out with the green theme of the event and its coordinator/producer Compete Green.

Because of some light rain late Saturday night, early Sunday morning the PA system to be used at the start wasn't working. Something about water and electricity not working well together. Some confusion reigned in the beginning but most of the racers understood the difficulty in setting up a race, and this being the first one, problems were bound to happen. Lack of a starting mat was very apparent to the racers but with a relatively small pack - less than 300, it seemed that people positioned themselves well enough according to their abilities. I figured that I would be about in the middle so I started in the middle. The bike/walkway was crowded but everybody behaved well enough and no one fell, at least I didn't see anyone fall.

By the time I got by the pier, less than a half mile into the race, the crowd was spreading out well enough. A mile into the race I saw a coworker sitting in his van as he was taking some time off before heading back out to the surf. He told me later that he loved having the racers ther as the parking lot was full, and it kept a lot of other surfers away from some choice waves that day. Because of construction still taking place near the river mouth the course was re-done at a fairly late time and I thought the turnaround was placed a little too early. My GPS verified this thought later.

I began to pick off some people and fear crossed my mind - was I going out too fast? I got to the mile 2 marker and my watch said that I just did the second mile in 6:35!! It didn't feel like I was going that fast but I slowed down abit. Then I figured out that the turnaround was too early, maybe two minutes early at my pace. By mile 4 more runners were picked off and this time I felt that most of them had gone out way too fast. I thought my pace was okay but my legs were feeling a little tired already. What was up with that? OK, what should I do?

I brought along some gummi bears as my fuel food for the race. Simple candy, lots of sugar for energy and it doesn't bug my stomach. What I didn't account for was how hard it is to chew and swallow those things while running. I chewed on some for almost a half mile when I came upon some bathrooms at mile 6. I decided to stop and use the facility and give myself time to chew the bears. Had a little extra burst of energy but that was due to stopping for about 45 seconds. Another two miles into it I stopped near mile 8 to fill up my water bottle and chug down some gatorade. I wasn't panicking but my legs were tired and I was really beginning to labor. Found some people that I had been passing and having them pass me during my stops, and I tried to follow them as best as I can.

There was a man who, from the start, was breathing hard and I thought couldn't make it to the end. I kept passing him with ease but he just kept a constant pace and would catch up with me during my stops. At mile 10 I started to walk a bit, about 30 seconds before running for a few minutes. He would catch me when I would walk and I would pass him when I ran. At mile 11 the group of people that were just slightly ahead of me started to pull away. By mile 11.5 the heavy breather passed me and I was never able to pass him again. I was spent. I had to figure out how I could finish this race. I couldn't run more than a half mile bfore my legs would just about give out. Walking fast helped me keep going. It was a struggle but I kept at it. Somehow the gap in front of me matched the gap behind me. It seemed as if I wasn't going to pass anyone else, no one else was gonna pass me unless I stopped. So forward I kept going.

I knew that there weren't many photographers in the course so I could get away with not having a picture of me walking. I know, vanity rules. Just about a quarter mile from the pier the photographer sat and waited and I made sure that I would take a little walk break just before that so he can catch me as I was running and then keep on running to the finish line. It was a struggle. I wasn't able to muster any energy for any kind of kick at the finish. It took all I had to cross the line and have a smile. I knew that I was going to do it in under two hours, a PR, and that was all I needed to know.

I did take some pictures during the race, none came out really well. The ones I took after the race came out pretty good so here are a few of them. I was able to finish a couple of minutes ahead of Brandy to catch her as she crossed the finish line. Luckily I was able to catch my breath, get something to munch and drink and compose myself in time for her moment in glory. She was able to complete the race within her goal time and set a new PR herself.

We stuck around long enough to cheer on other runners we knew. Most of them were in the half marathon but there were a couple that ran the full marathon. Here is Paul as he crossed the line. The half marathon is quite a distance and it makes the full fairly daunting. Not sure if and when I will be able to attempt it.

Here's me and Brandy with Tom, the coach of the Inside Track Running Club and co-owner of Compete Green. This is the first marathon/half marathon race that Compete Green set out to do and I think it went as well to be expected. There were some problems. The half marathon course was about a hlaf mile too short but it was due to the problems caused by the construction at the end of the promenade. I am sure next year's race will be better. Definitely planning on running it again next year.

Ahhh, the knowledge that I had finished a race. No, a half marathon. With my medal around my neck and completing the race in under two hours, regardless of the fact that it was a half mile short, was just a good feeling. Runner's high, so natural, so good.

Splits, that's all it is

10:08, 9:44, 10:09, 10:08, 9:48, 9:53, 9:35, 10:06, 10:01, 9:34, 11:05, 8:45

Splits, the time it takes me to cover a certain amount of distance. This past Saturday as part of building up for the half marathon it was decided to attempt to run 12 miles. The goal was to do it in under two hours, and to feel good about it afterwards. One part of the equation is objective, with a chronograph on my watch to keep track of my mile splits and total time. The other part of the equation is purely subjective and can change with the passage of time. After a few weeks of not being able to run the longer distances with my usual running partner or partners, I needed to be able to see how long it would take me to cover this distance. A plan was set in motion a couple of weeks ago when May 21 was going to be the first, and last, opportunity to get a long run with others in before the half. I was a little worried about my endurance. The week before I was only able to get in a couple of runs, the longest being six miles. Doing it on my own and in under an hour was good news, but six is only half of twelve!

7 AM on a Saturday is early but somehow I was able to drag my butt out to Inside Track to meet up with others for the run. Had to wake up much earlier so I can get something in me so I can have the energy to make it to twelve. The latest thing that seems to work for me is a bagel with peanut butter. It worked last week when that was what I had for breakfast all three days of a skiing weekend. Downhill skiing isn't running but it still takes a bit out of me. So I tried it on Saturday before my long run day. Any ways off we went at 7:05. We started off with a fair sized group but thought that it would go down to three right away; Brandy, Daisy and me. It turned out that Daisy hadn't run in a while herself and would go slower than Brandy and me. So the two of us went and we were able to keep a good pace. Every mile we checked to see what our splits were and they looked good. We were able to also keep a good conversation going throughout the run. Topics from the supposed rapture to my Jewish background to the types of birds flying in the sky.

I mentioned that I thought that pelicans were pretty cool birds, especially in the way they glide just over the water. The conversation and the relatively cool and overcast day helped us get to the six mile mark. We took a little break for refueling before starting back to Inside Track. Heading back had new challenges for me since I had never made it to the 6 mile mark. It meant that I had to run almost a mile before I started the climb up the bridge. It was a challenge but the little break helped give me enough energy back to do it with relative ease. Ohm just before the bridge we saw Daisy about a half mile behind us and about a quarter mile behind her was Linda. Daisy we knew could run at the same pace as us but Linda has made huge strides the past few weeks. She was doing about twelve minute miles and now she seems to be at a 10:40 mile pace. Hope she isn't pushing too hard so she doesn't hurt herself.

Our pace was keeping steady, or at least we think it's steady enough. I know that others may say that a steady pace should be within ten seconds of each other. Here we are with 30-40 second swings. The one part of the usual Saturday long run course is the sand portion where the bikeway is being redone. The sand is very loose in parts and after running a few miles it really takes a lot out of me but I must continue, especially when I am running with someone. Don't want to be the one to slow the group down. After ten miles Brandy had to make another stop but she told me to continue. I continued but only walked it so she can catch up to me sooner. I either walk fast or she took a little longer than expected as I was able to cover over a third of a mile walking before she caught up with me. Regardless I was able to cover mile 11 in 11:05 walking a third, running two thirds. When she had caught up with me she told me not to slow down and run with her. I was to run on my own from this point on. Having saved a little more energy I was able to get back to Seaward and Pierpont and run the last mile in 8:45!

My overall time 1:58:56!! Goal #1 was met. Brandy was able to finish about 20-25 seconds behind me, which means she did her last mile in a little over 9 minutes. So she too was able to finish in under two hours. Now for how we felt after the run. I can honestly say that we are both happy with this run, and even now a couple of days later, I am still very happy with my run. We completed most of the run having a conversation going. We didn't have the excitement of many other racers around us to get the old adrenaline pumping even more. So we did the 12 miles averaging just under 10 minutes per mile. The window of 2:00 to 2:05 is very possible. I am still holding out hope that I may break 2 hours myself but will not be disappointed if I don't. I need to remember that I want to finish the race upright, and maybe with a kick at the end. I need to prepare better to refuel during the race. Gummy bears or something like that may just be the thing for me. As of today there are thirteen days until the race. I don't see another double digit distance run before then. Maybe an eight miler this Saturday? We'll have to see. Stand by for the results.

Apparently I am not a sprinter

It has only been about eight months since I really started doing any kind of running, and it has been mostly fun. I went from being out of breath after trying to run a block to being able to complete a half marathon, albeit with good chunks of walking in the back half of that race, to running 11 miles just a couple of weeks ago and feeling that I could have done another mile or two. For the most part I have been injury free. I have tried to take it easy and gradually increase the distance I run, along with the speed at which I run. I think that I can run a little faster but being almost 48 I know that I should take it easy and not rush my progress. I want to be able to continue to run for quite some time. It has been helpful towards my goal of keeping the weight loss that has occurred the past year and a half. It has also been fun amazing myself at what I have achieved physically, plus I have met some new people through this running club that I was able to join all due to this sport which has me hooked.

Speaking of the running club,to keep things fresh and fun, last night's workout was splitting the club into teams of four people and running relays for some good competitive fun. It turned out okay that the slow group has grown (along with Brandy, there is now Linda and Daisy and we picked another one up Lydia) and there was one of us in each of the teams. Different relays were ran: the first was 4x800, followed by 4x400, then 4x200, with the last relay to start off with one runner doing a 1200,followed by a 400, then an 800 and the last runner had to run a 1600. This sounded a little daunting to me and the others in the slow group, but we figured that if we all ran during the same leg of the relays, it would be okay and be like we were running together.

It was decided that we would be the third leg of the relay. For my first leg, the 800, I was able to run the first lap in 1:55 and the second in 1:52. I was very comfortable with it but knew that I could have maybe ran a couple of seconds faster but I had to make sure I could run the other relays. The next relay I was able to complete my lap in 1:40, again very comfortable with the time, and I was getting caught up in the excitement of the competition. For the 4x200 my team was second when I ran my leg, second only by a couple of seconds. I knew that I could outrun the others in the slow group in the short distance but I also knew that I didn't want to go too fast. I took off at what I thought was a comfortable pace. Before this relay and based on the times for my 800 and 400, I knew that I should be able to do the 200 in about 45 seconds and that should be okay. My turnover rate was my usual pace I thought but I knew that I was also lengthening my stride so I could go a little faster. As I was rounding out the curve and ready to look at my watch to see my time for the first 100, I felt a pull just below my right butt cheek and the hamstring. Not good at all. I slowed it down and was able to jog to touch off to the next runner but I knew that I was done for the night. There goes my moment as a sprinter.

I asked the others if they thought I was going too fat and nobody thought so. I probably was but they are used to seeing others run pretty fast and just confused with me with them. I walked a couple of laps the rest of the night as the last relay was run. Once I got home I iced the back of my leg and then took a warm shower. Wasn't sure if I should stretch it out but felt that maybe using the foam roller would be better. I didn't put all of my weight on the roller, keeping the left leg on the ground as I used the roller. I put on some Aspercreme before I went to sleep. It must have helped as I was able to sleep thru most of the night and my leg seemed to not hurt as bad. After a full day at work with moderate walking on it the leg doesn't feel as tight. A few more days of staying off it should do the trick and I should be able to go for a few miles on Sunday. Brandy told me to take it easy or else I would be on the DL longer. Told her that I just want to to be on the 7-day DL so I will be good and rest it. I may buy some compression shorts or sleeve for the thigh to help with the healing as I get back to jogging/running. I will go for a few miles on Sunday, whether it's walking or jogging still remains to be seen. I signed up for the O2O half marathon and I will do what I have to in order to be able to complete it.

You know you are a runner when ...

... you just spent the last hour doing kickboxing at the gym and afterwards you think of going for an easy 3 miler to cool down.

OK, the thought occurred to me today after a good workout at the gym. I hadn't gone to this class held on Mondays and Wednesdays at the base gym since early March and this class felt easy. Of course the last class I attended was just a few weeks after I hurt my leg skiing and was just getting back into any kind of exercising. Today my endurance has greatly improved from all of the running I have done since then. The different track workouts and the long runs have been good for me. Last night was the track workout and we did 6x400s. The goal was to go about a second faster on each successive 400, with the premise that we don't dawdle on the first lap.

When i got to Ventura High I did my own warm up: one lap walking to get my joints loose, followed by an easy mile which I did at a 9:48 pace, faster than the mile pace during the long Saturday run. Still it felt easy to me. As a group we did 4x200s as a warm up and then we divided up into the intermediate/advanced group and the others - II can't really call the rest of us as slow any more as we are improving. And the group is also not me and Brandy any more. We actually had three more with us last night.

Off we went an the first lap I did was at a 1:55 pace. Pretty good I thought. After the easy lap in between my second lap was at 1:54. I was feeling confident that I could dial in the right tempo but with the help of my watch telling me how fast it was taking me to go each 100. Third lap was 1:53 followed by a 1:50. The fifth lap I covered in 1:53 and I did feel a little tired at the end. Maybe I started the lap a tad faster than I should have but made sure that I recovered during the easy lap in between. The sixth and last lap I knew that I could turn it on at the end to see how much faster I could go the entire lap, although I also knew that was not the point of the exercise. I covered the first 200 at 55 which meant a 1:50 lap, pretty good. But I was feeling good and I decided to turn it on. On the last 100 I was able to go for it all and surprised myself that I was still accelerating (or at least I thought I was still accelerating) at the end. I crossed the line at 1:39, a big improvement over the other lap times. The other runners were also able to go faster at the end. So I was happy for me and I was very happy for the others too. This is making me think that I can maybe do 8 minute laps for a 5K. Not any time soon but maybe by the end of the year?

As for the subject line, I saw that as a question on one of the forums on active.com. People were writing in stories of how they knew they were a runner. I have a few thoughts on the subject but I truly hope to keep coming up with more. It's only been about 9 months since I started any kind of running so I am still a relative newby in the sport. May I cntinue to enjoy it for many decades to come.

Training in progress

After a week back on land, and a few running sessions under my belt, I am glad to report that it looks like I am on track for the half marathon for which I am signed up the first Sunday of June. I was able to get a track workout with the club on Tuesday. We did 4x400s, followed by 1x800 and followed by another 400. The slow group, at least the one I knew before my trip, doubled in size from two to four. We were able to be somewhat consistent in the 400s, doing the first at a blistering 1:50, much faster than what we should have been doing, but we followed that up with three laps at 1:53 or 1:54. Our 800 was a 3:53 which is right in line with our 400s. Our last 400 was 1:55 so this was a good evening for us. It really pushed us and I think it will definitely help me in the half. There are six weeks to go until the race, and I now have a trip to Mammoth planned in a couple of weeks that will take away one of my long run days. Yes, skiing in May!! The record snowfall will probably keep the mountain open until July.

Speaking of skiing, I broke down and bought skis this past Saturday. It was partly as a reward for enduring the barge trip - the overtime pay is more than adequate to pay for the skis and boots that I bought, and it was partly a reward for the 11 mile run I did on Saturday. It was the usual long run on Saturdays. Meet up at Inside Track and away we go. Brandy and I were joined by Kim, another who can run at our pace. I had planned on doing 8, turning around at the 4 mile mark, but was open to going to the 5 mile marker so as not to leave the other two alone. I knew that I could always walk a portion to go back to my car and not feel like a failure for not running all the way. I have completed a half marathon before and I did walk portions of it. We went to the 5 mile mark and decided to go a little more. At the 5.5 mile mark it was decided to turn around and go back. It was turning out to be a warmer than expected day and it was beginning to show its effects.

Up to this point we were doing a good job of averaging about 10:15 to 10:25 miles. I felt pretty good during the run, for the most part but we did stop as a group, although briefly, on a couple of occasions. The stops seemed to reenergize me enough that I was able to keep running. Brandy was struggling a little so I started to lead the pack. After all of the times she leads, or I make her take the lead, it was the least I could do. I think I led the last two miles. Maybe it was that but we were all able to make it back to Inside Track, completing 11 miles. I think I could have done another mile nonstop, but I was also glad that we reached our end for the day. Brandy and Kim noted that I looked strong even in the end of our run, which really made me feel good. I am really thankful for all of the help I have gotten from the club, from being able to run with others, especially Brandy who has helped me take it nice and easy in the long runs. I know that I would be going so much faster running on my own and that is just begging for an injury. As it is I am feeling a little tight in the hams and quads. I really need to stretch afterwards. Guess I still have a lot of learning to do in this running thing.

Land ho ...

"Land ho!!" No two words are sweeter to hear after spending a few days out to sea, far from land. Okay, I was only out to sea for a little over nine days but that was still long enough to yearn to be on solid ground. I just got back from a work trip supporting a mission off the Hawaiian islands. We got back to land on the 16th. Part of my job is to go to the 50th state and push buttons for a living to protect the public from any errant flying things. Sometimes I do it on Kauai, and sometimes I get to spend a week or so on board the good ship MATSS. By the way, to the right of the tug boat in the picture, dead center, is Diamond Head area viewed from about 25 miles out to the southwest of it.

The good ship MATSS is a converted portion of a World War II floating dry dock. Back then the Navy had these floating dry docks in the Pacific theater so they can repair ships near the battlefront instead of bringing them back to Pearl Harbor. Each of these portions are about 250 feet long and 75 feet wide. For perspective the big radar antenna in the picture has a 24 foot diameter. Any ways the barge, as I call it, has been outfitted with many kinds of instrumentation in order to support these missions and tests for the Navy, which has graciously been paying my salary for over 23 years now. So about once a year, maybe twice, I volunteer to ride the barge and take my turn to be the protector of the Hawaiian Islands. There are some perks to riding the barge, like getting a lot of overtime pay and lots of pretty good Hawaiian food. With the new me I don't eat as much of the food as I used to, but I still eat it and love it. A big negative for me these days is that I don't get to run. The barge is not equipped with an engine and must be towed all over the place at a gentle 5-7 knots. The slow speed and the flat bottom makes for a rolling and pitching deck not conducive to running on the deck. Besides, there are many obstacles on the deck to go around, plus it rains a lot in the middle of the ocean making the deck slippery as well. So any exercise I was able to do took the form of walking. I was able to sneak in 15 or 30 minute walking periods now and then but at a leisurely 3 mph pace. But as it was pointed out to me, I got to work on my core just trying to balance myself on the deck.

But enough of the work talk, this blog isn't about my work. I was able to sneak in a couple of short runs on land before the barge left the port in Pearl Harbor. I figured the best time to run in the Waikiki area is at 5 am, when it isn't as warm yet. The humidity is high but at least it's not in the upper 80s already. Even at 5 am I wasn't the only one who had the same idea. I saw many dozens of people running at that time. Even saw a couple of moms pushing their strollers out during their early morning jog. Much to my surprise I was able to maintain a ten minute mile pace through both sessions. Guess those runs on Saturday mornings along the Ventura coast is helping me figure out my pace when I run solo.

An even bigger surprise to me was after when we got back from our "cruise", I was able to get in a 3 mile run the very same day, in the late Waikiki afternoon and I also was able to keep about a ten and a half minute mile pace!! It was a little slower since it was warmer and I hadn't run in nine days, but it felt good to stretch the legs out. So good that I just had to get my picture taken sans shirt - actually I ran sans shirt. The shirt would have been drenched even in that short time frame - my shorts were pretty wet and I never got in the water. Flew back home the next day and took today off from work so I can get back to the right time zone and also try to get in a run. I think I am adjusted back to CA time, and I was able to get in a run in this afternoon. It turned out to be a little more than a 10K and I did it in just over 1 hour. Not bad for not having run a longer distance than 3 in about two weeks. I did have to stop a couple of times to walk and rest up a bit. The one thing that caught me by surprise is how tired my arms got trying to keep my form good during the run. Holding the arms bent at 90 degrees takes some effort and I haven't done that in a while so I had to let my arms dangle down as I ran to rest them. Something else I need to work on. Maybe I will bring my exercise bands to work so I can work out the arms while just sitting at my desk. Back to the old office grind tomorrow, but I'm happier to be able to go to the track workout tomorrow night. It has been something I've missed the last three weeks now. The half marathon in June is a few weeks away and I need to get more serious in my training.

Ventura is such a nice city to live in, with many great places to run or walk or just hang out. One such place that I really enjoy is the promenade. Whether it is to walk or run on, or just to sit and watch the ocean and the many people playing on it, it is a favorite of mine. This weekend was one of those when it is the regular Friday off at work, and on those days, a few friends like to gather at the beach and play some volleyball. I have been taking advantage of these days to get in a short run before playing some volleyball. Starting at San Pedro Street and running towards the fairgrounds before turning around at the roundabout allows me to get in a 5K run. On this day I wore my Nikes since the two days I ran during the week wearing the Brooks didn't feel too good, although I got off a fast 5K on Tuesday. Those shoes seem a little tight in the toe box and even if I don't tighten the shoe laces much closer to the toes, they still feel tight. So I will have to take the shoes back and see whether I can exchange them for another pair of Nikes or if those shoes will be a very expensive walking shoes. They feel good walking around in but not quite for running.

On Saturday I went to Inside Track to join in on the long run. Brandy wanted to get a 14 mile run in. My first instinct was to reply, "Are you nuts?", but I thought that it was a good challenge to me. No, not 14 miles, that would be nuts. But maybe I could go to about the 5 mile marker before turning around. This helps her as she will only be alone for a shorter distance than usual and it will test me as to how my endurance is. We got going at a consistent pace from about 10:15 to 10:30. I was a little pumped at the beginning but was able to slow down with some gentle prodding from the running buddy. I will figure out how to keep a good slow pace for the easy days, if it kills me!!! Any ways, made it to 5 mile marker, exchanged fives and turned around for the return trip. By the way another runner joined us, Daisy, and she also turned around at the 5 mile marker. She ran the LA marathon a couple of weeks ago and was just getting back into running after taking a well-deserved break.

Daisy and I ran back at what I hoped for was the same pace. According to my watch we were a little faster, surprise surprise since I was the one keeping the pace. It was a little under 10mm. This may have been too fast for Daisy as she stopped to walk once we were near the entrance to Emma Wood. I continued on trying to maintain the pace and was doing okay until I got back to the sand area of the trail, about 7.5 miles into the run. Had to walk this part as there were too many people at the time and I couldn't get to the hard pack portion of the trail. Hate running in the sand!!! When I got back to the hard pack I started a slow jog but I knew that something wasn't right. I couldn't get back into a groove and was pushing too hard to get it. Maybe a bit too fast as I was approaching the pier I had to stop and walk. Walked a little over a minute before picking up the run. Again maybe a bit too fast as I pooped out before I hit Sanjon Road - that's not even a half mile!!! Walked another minute then ran two minutes before walking again. By the time I was approaching San Pedro Street I decided that I was going to finish the rest of the run so off I went. This time I was able to get a nice and easy pace going. About a block away from the end marker I picked up the pace a little more, as if I was finishing a race, although not as even close to what I did last weekend at the real races. I was spent today. Not too spent that I collapsed, but I was approaching the low fuel light. Brandy mentioned that Michelle wants us to fuel up about every 45 minutes. I have never run this far before non-stop, even when I was training for the half, so this iskinda new to me. Need to figure this one out, which bar or ge or whatever will work for me. It will have to wait a couple of weeks as I am getting ready to go on travel for work, riding aboard MATSS for two weeks. Will try to get a couple of runs in while in Honolulu, but no promises as it will be warmer and more humid than I am used to.

PR Weekend

OK, setting personal records wasn't something I had in mind when I started this running thing. It was done as part of trying to get healthier, to work with what I had achieved losing weight with WeightWatchers. Yet I find myself enjoying the sport and participating in several races now. This past weekend I signed up to do something different from the other races. I signed up for two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Saturday race was the Old Agoura 10K, and regardless of what my time was it was going to be a personal record as it was my first 10K race. The one on Sunday was the Coaster 5K down by Knott's Berry Park. This race was on a flat course so I had a chance to see whether all of the track workouts and LSD will help me get my fastest time to date.

The Old Agoura 10K was part of the Great Race of Agoura, which includes two half marathons, the 10K, a 5K and two other races intended to involve younger children. My friend Becky ran this race as well, and I was glad to see her before the start and hung out with her until we had to go running. The 10K ran through some neighborhood streets at first before turning in to a hilly neighborhood. Then about 2 1/2 mile in the route goes over a mile total on Chesebro, a nice gradual uphill which to my surprise I was able to complete without stopping. Between miles 4 and 5 were some pretty nasty hills, in my opinion. Very scenic neighborhood but those hills were a challenge. I was able to run on some of them while there were some I had to walk up portions, if not the entire hill. At mile 5 the people at the water station were telling us that there were no more hills, only one more mile to go. What a bunch of liars. There were a couple of hills left. Not too steep but one was pretty long. And then we had to go on a muddy section thanks to the recent rains. I emerged through it relatively unscathed and the last third of a mile was back on pavement, partly downhill before ending with a dash on the grass of Chumash Park. The official clock had me at 1:00:43. I didn't think I could complete the course in under an hour, not with all of the hills, and was thinking of a window of 62 to 72 minutes. But thanks to all of the recent workouts and LSD I was able to manage my race and not go out too fast in the beginning, saving enough for the hills.

Today's race was down in Orange County, right at Knott's Berry Farm. I specifically signed up to do this race with my friend Ron. It was very cloudy and rain was threatening to come down, but the temps were in the upper 50s lower 60s so it was quite comfortable. The Old Agoura 10K was ran in overcast skies and was a bit colder but rain stayed away. Right before the start of the 5K it actually started to sprinkle and it continued until about 5 minutes after the starting gun. There was some character from Knott's who shot off a rifle to signify the race start. Speaking of characters I was able to snag Snoopy for a pre-race picture. The Coaster Run consisted of a 5K and a 10K and they started at the same location and at the same time. This created for a very busy start, mostly because the race coordinator didn't request that walkers start at the back. I went to the middle of the starting area as usual, and this meant that I had to wade through a whole lot of people who were walking. I don't mind walkers in races as I walked my very first 5K, but it does create a traffic jam. With 2500 people registered for the two races it was quite a traffic jam. The one positive thing it did was it help me start off slowly and reminded me to keep an even pace. The course was fairly flat except for the portion where we went in a tunnel that went underneath a street. With the recent rains there were some puddles, some which I was unable to avoid but such is life. I crossed the 1 mile marker at 9:48, a lot slower than I wanted but I knew I had some reserved for the end. The crowd thinned out slowly and I tried to maintain a good pace. At what I thought was around the 2 mile mark I was able to see more daylight between people and I picked it up a little. Kept reminding myself to not go too fast until we were in sight of the finish line, about a half mile to go. With it in sight I kicked it up a notch and slowly picked off some people. At the last turn I saw a boy about ten years old who had stopped and was slowly running again. I tried to motivate him, telling him to kick it in gear. I heard someone from the crowd yell out, "Don't let that old man beat you!!". Had to laugh at that one and I kept telling the boy to pick it up, and he did, and I did and we were in kinda full sprint mode when we finished. He may have nipped me at the end but seeing the big smile on his face as he finished was worth it. That and high five exchanged is what it's all about. My time was officailly 27:19, which shatters my previous best of 28:09 but that was before I joined the running club and getting more miles and experience in this body of mine. Not sure how much faster I can do the races as all that really matters is that I am enjoying it. Yeah, that's the ticket ;)

New shoes

Late last week I noticed that the shoes with which I have been running, a pair of Nike Lunarglide+2, were worn out quite unevenly. The heel on the left shoe was worn a little more on the inside than the outside, and the front was worn out somewhat evenly. The right shoe however had a lot of wear on the outside heel. It was so worn out it was white, the black bottom was gone. I was hoping to keep this pair until after the Old Agoura 10K but since I already had bought a replacement of the same kind of shoe, I decided to start running with the new Nikes. I also decided to go to Inside Track and ask questions about the uneven wear on the shoes.

So on Friday I went in and showed off the old shoes. The first comment given to me even before I showed the sole of the shoes were that the pair was too big for me. I always thought that I had wide feet so I needed a wider shoe. Roadrunner Sports also checked things out and this was the pair that best fit me. I liked the wider toe box, as it didn't crush my toes like other shoes did. So I tried on some Brooks Ghost and in a size 8, vice the 8 1/2 of the Nikes. Again I was told that the Nikes were too big for me. I ran with the new shoes and they checked out my form. Was advised to try out a different pair of shoes, one that was neutral instead of a stability shoe. Again Roadrunner suggested a stability shoe for me. So I tried out a pair of Brooks Glycerin and my running form checked out again.

Guess this time around things looked better but still had no reason for the uneven wear on the heel other than a question as to whether I dragged my heel now and then. After thinking about it, I do believe I do drag my heel every few steps. I have seen similar wear on my dress shoes. So now I have a new pair of Brooks, first time I have ever worn the brand. Guess I can start using these shoes in time for the races this weekend. Tuesday is a track workout so that should be okay to break them in then. I will have to warm up before so that should give me enough feedback as to whether I can get used to them in time. I still have the newer Nikes as backup - guess that's what their role will be now. Or maybe I can alternate between the two. Have to ask if that's a good idea or not.

Time trial

The other day members of the running club were timed to see how fast they can run a mile. It was done as part of a Run and Bowl social event. Take the time, in seconds, how fast one runs a mile on the track on Tuesday, and then subtract the highest bowling score of two games on Thursday, and that is a person's score. The lowest score wins some prize, as well as the highest (maybe?). If that is the case then I have a shot of winning the highest score. I was able to complete the mile in 8:14, my fastest mile by almost 30 seconds!

Fortunately I was able to complete the mile. Setting things up, I arrived at VHS and did my warm-up. One lap of walking followed by 5 laps of a jog. Or what I thought was a jog. Halfway thru my jog I was joined by others in the club and they tod me that we were going at a 9 minute pace. That may have been slow to them but not really that slow for me. When the rest of the group showed up, our official warm-ups started. We did 4 sets of 200s, a "fast" 200 followed by a "slow" 200, and then do that for four laps. I pretty much followed behind people and hung out at the back with Brandy. We did our 4 laps at a little over 9 minutes, and that included slow 200s! We weren't looking forward to the mile.

We followed this warm up with some strides, and it actually felt good to just run a little faster than normal. I like being able to take longer strides for the really short distance knowing that I have about 30 seconds in between strides, plenty of time to rest up. After the strides and some time to rest some more, we were given our instructions. Line up along the curved line, start about a step behind actually until told "Runners set", and then take off at "Go". There was a clock about 9 meters past the finish line, since 5280 feet is 1609 meters, so we were told not to stop running until we past the clock and go into the chute set up past the clock.

I made sure to start off at lane 6 - that's me above as the "gun went off", giving the faster runners enough room for the inside. Off we went and I got in a rhythm, which I thought was a bit fast. The runners ahead of me slowly got further ahead but by 200 meters they were only about 20 meters ahead. This s when I knew I was going a little too fast for my own good. I yelled out to Brandy that I think I was going too fast. She quickly said, "Yes, you are". So I slowed down to let her catch up. As we turned the corner for the last 100 of the first lap I could see thclock and it read 1:25! Positive proof that I was going too fast. I was hoping to go for 2:10 first lap but at this pace we were going for to cross at 1:53. Since I was a little ahead I had to set thepace for the two slow runners. We finally crossed at 1:59. We slowed the pace a little more and crossed the line on our second lap at 4:06.

We continued with this pace and finished lap 3 at 6:16. At this point I knew we were both going to get new personal bests for our mile. It didn't matter that most of the others passed us - the first one to pass us was at about the 600m mark, the second one just before we finished the curve into the straightaway to the finish line, and most passed us as we were crossing the line. Then we had the track all to ourselves. Finally able to get to the inside lanes we picked up the pace a little. At 1400m we kicked it up a notch, relatively speaking. Brandy and I were still side by side until the last 30m when I somehow was able to lengthen my strides a little more and finished maybe two seconds ahead. She did give me credit for running on the outside of her for the whole distance, which probably meant an extra 20 meters. Regardless I just finished my fastest mile and I was ecstatic, although too tired to really show it. I know one mile doesn't a runner make, but it lets me know that I have plenty of room to improve and that 2 hour half marathon is ripe for the picking. Ripe especially since I have almost three months to train for it.

Carbo loading

Tonight, in preparation for a potential long run of 7 or 8 miles tomorrow morning, I decided to go for pasta dinner. OK, people may not think much of Presto Pasta - it's fast food pasta, not real Italian,etc. Well, it's a whole lot cheaper than other "Italian" places around here and I actually like the place. The food taste very good and the portion size is more than adequate. Tonight, however, I decided to go for the pasta combo. Got the spaghetti with meat sauce and a meatball, with a slice of garlic bread and a cup of minestrone. That thing filled me up and I actually still feel a little stuffed. Maybe next time I will order the pasta with just marinara sauce and the meatball, skip the meat sauce.

Normally I would feel bad after a meal like that. What happened to the weight watchers guy? That meal was probably worth over 30 points alone, if not more. Well, I think I calculated it out to be about 32 points. Any ways, I did some form of exercise today and I have that long run planned for tomorrow. Today was our regular off Friday and I got a little jog in, three mile round trip from San Pedro Street to the turnaround on the promenade, before trying to play some volleyball. Was able to average under ten minute miles, which was faster than what I wanted especially if I was going to play vball afterwards. My training plan calls out for 11 minute miles during my slow runs but my head keeps telling me to go a little faster. Today was also the first time I ran without headphones on, trying to get more in tune with my body during a run. All it did was let me know how much I was breathing during my run. My endurance is still not there, but I have three weeks before the 10K in Agoura. And this past Tuesday I was able to join the running club and we did some more hills, this time 4 reps running up about a 350m incline followed by a jog down.

As for the vball after my run, well, it turned out to be not much. I was able to play in one game of 4 on 4, and it was a good one. Unfortunately my left calf started to act up a little and it seemed that any sudden starts may re-pull the muscle. I couldn't really try going for balls and risk hurting myself and then I wouldn't be able to run the 10K. I am able to run since my running doesn't have any quick starts or sudden change of directions. Lame excuse but I am enjoying being able to run and I don't want to lose that right now. While we were at the beach we were graced with the presence of two Olympic gold medalists. Yep, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhauser, 2008 Olympic gold medalists in beach volleyball, were in the court next to us getting some practice before they head on overseas. It was amazing to see how high they can jump, how fast they can cover that court, just how good they were. People have paid a lot of money to see them play for about 20 minutes, while we got to see them play for about an hour and a half for free. They are in the background of this picture, to the right.

Back to Tuesday night track work

Tonight I was able to go back to running with the club on Tuesday night, doing track workouts. I showed up early so I was able to do a good warm up for myself. Walked the first lap before jogging the next two, walked another then jogged two more. I followed this up with some stretches to loosen up the legs even more before joining in with the club for the workout.

The first thing we did were strides. We ran four 100 meter intervals with about 30 seconds in between. The running was at about 5K pace - I was the slowest in the group as my leg still felt a little tight but it got better the more I ran on it. We followed it up with some more longer interval works. Being in the beginner group we did three 800 meters at approximately 2:05 pace with a slow jog in between. I followed during the first two sets of 800 but in the last one I was told to set the pace. Luckily the only other person in my group, other than Michelle the coach, was Brandy who was also a bit winded so my pace of almost 2:10 was more than fast enough.

By the way I enjoy running with Brandy, who during the three times I have ran with the club on Tuesday nights, has been very consistent with her pace of about 2:05 per lap. So staying with this club and running with her will be great for my building up my endurance. Despite missing out almost two weeks of running I was able to get back into it. After the last 800 we ran a few more laps of cool down, always running the opposite direction around the track as when we do the workouts. The warm up laps are also ran in a clockwise direction, workouts in counter clockwise. This helps balance whatever strain running in a track, since the track slopes from the outside lane to the inside ever so slightly.

Michelle mentioned that the club is doing a running and bowling thing - we get timed on how fast we run a mile and then we'll bowl as a group and whatever score we get, that gets subtracted from our mile time. I better start practicing my bowling. We have two chances to get timed in our mile, once during the regular Tuesday night workout on March 8 and then again during the Compete Green Mile on March 12. This event is part of the St. Patrick's Day festivities in Ventura, and goes along Main Street from Cemetery Park to Mission Park. Overall, I was glad with the workout this evening. I was slowed down a bit with my stupid ski injury but I should be back on course for the Old Agoura 10K on March 26.

Taking it easy

Last weekend I went with some friends to CO for a little skiing vacation. This was my first time skiing in that state and was excited. The first day, Friday, we skied in Keystone and I had a blast. The runs I went on there were much longer than any I had tried in Mammoth. Just as challenging but these were long. And the view was just spectacular. Lots of tall mountains - these were the Rockies after all. On Saturday we went to Vail and that's where I had an adventure I didn't plan on. After a few runs on another challenging and long blue run, I tried a different blue run but unfortunately I ran into some moguls. Took a spill and somehow pulled a calf and hamstring muscle on the left leg. Or was it a muscle tear. Regardless it hurt. Was able to make it down to the bottom of the hill. Spent the rest of my vacation not skiing and just barely getting around.

Now back in SoCal. Showed up at Inside Track to meet up with people from the club before they headed on out on their runs. I told them I was just gonna walk, and luckily found someone else who was walking too. Went on a four mile walk at a leisure pace. Completed it in under 90 minutes, and actually felt a little winded. Maybe it was the 7 am start, maybe it was the fact I hadn't done any form of exercise in a week. It was good to stretch out the legs before, during and after the walk. Hoping to go for another walk tomorrow and maybe a little jog on Monday. Stay tuned ...

Blogging again, on running?

Yes, I am going to give this blogging thing another shot. This time I have a somewhat real purpose, at least for me. It will be mostly about my running. I actually wish that I started this blog while I was going through my attempt at weight loss, which was partially made possible because I decided on waling as a form of exercise. This walking then turned into jogging, which after a few 5Ks and a half marathon I cannot deny that it is actually now running.

OK, since this the first entry I can put in a little background on my running. On November 2, 2009 I decided to join the online version of Weightwatchers. On that morning I weighed myself at 195 pounds!! Yeah, being 5 foot 5 inches on a good day, I should not weigh that much unless I am just ripped full of muscles. Well, I wasn't that, instead I was just fat. I couldn't hide behind the fact that I was born with a physically large head for my height. So I gave WW a shot. Slowly but surely the pounds went away. My first goal of losing ten pounds came by quickly, within a month, so I set up for 20 pounds. The weight kept coming off but it was getting harder todo it just by not eating as much as I used to - I would tell people I stopped eating thirds initially and then stopped eating seconds, finally figuring out what a proper portion of food should be.

After some time I decided to do some form of exercise to augment my eating less. Walking seemed to be the easiest thing to do. I decided to get ambitious and set a goal for my walking - to walk the Disneyland half marathon in less than 3 and 1/2 hours!! The half was on Labor Day weekend and this was in April when I decided on the goal. 5 months seemed like it was do-able. I had to walk at a 16 minute mile pace to achieve the goal so I went at it. By the end of May I was walking up to 7 miles and at a 15 minute pace so I was stoked. By my birthday I was up to 8 miles but my pace had decreased to about 14:30 so more good news. Then I was told at work that I had a chance to go to France but that the trip would be over the Labor Day weekend. I was disappointed to miss out on the halfmarathon, but we're talking about a free trip to France!

I continued my walking regimen despite the goal of the Disneyland half no longer existed. Guess I wanted to show myself that I could have done it. I participated in the Wounded Warrior 5K on base and I did it in about 41 minutes. Well, walking at a pace faster than 14 minute miles was beginning to hurt so I decided to jog a little and then walk the rest. Other 5Ks came and I signed up for them. There was the Be The One 5K in Long Beach, where I jogged more than half of the distance and I finished in 31 minutes - 10 minutes faster that the Wounded Warrior 5K. The Calabasas Classic was done in 32 minutes but that had some hills so that was okay. The Ventura Turkey Trot 5K was the first one when I completed it in under 30 minutes. I remember turning the final corner and seeing the clock at 29 minutes, so I just grinned and ran as fast as I could, and I did it 29:51.

After this race I got it in my head to try and find a half marathon to participate in and see if I could do it. My walking/running had gone up to about ten miles and at under a 12 minute mile pace. This gave me plenty of wiggle room should I get too tired at the end and walk a bit slower. So I looked for a half and saw that there was one in Venice the middle of January, the LA 13.1. It was a flat course, starting off at the boardwalk in Venice, then about 6 miles each way up and back on Venice before ending up at Venice Beach again. With a goal set I went at it. Thank goodness I had the last two weeks of December to really concentrate and it paid off. To make a log story not as long, not only did I finish the LA 13.1 in under 3 and 1/2 hours - I actually had thought I could do it in 2 and 1/2 hours - I did it in 2:06:51. Yes, I averaged 9:40 miles for 13.1 miles. This blew my mind and totally set me up for disappointment, should I not finish another half in less than two hours. Actually I am okay with it. I will continue to walk/jog/run - whatever it is I will call it. To insure my transition into a runner, I joined the Inside Track running club. I will try to join them on Tuesdays as they work on drills, and on Saturdays for their long runs.

As of today I have signed up to do the Old Agoura 10K and then the Coaster 5K the end of March. I think I will sign up for the Ojai to Ocean half marathon in June, and I have signed up for the Disneyland half marathon in September. So those are my goals for now, to compete in those and do the best I can. Stand by for updates on my training, my actual races, and maybe some random musings I may post about.