5:30am

Lately I've been running at 5:30am.  It's light enough outside so I'm not running in the dark.  The boys are still sleeping so I can usually sneak out for my 3-4 mile run and be back before they get up.  It's also nice and cool outside still.  I'm really enjoying it.  I'm going to miss running in the mornings when I go back to work next week.

Back in the Saddle

I'm in week 3 of my next half marathon training program.  So far this training program has started off much different than my last one.  First of all I'm feeling much more confident. I've done this once already, I know I can do it again.  Last time I was solely focused on running 3-4 days a week, that was all I did.  I was happy to be running, moving forward that I didn't want to rock the boat.  This time I'm stepping it up a bit.

I've decided that I'm going to run 4 days a week.  One day is a tempo run (which throughout my training program will be 3 miles).  My goal is to run these 3 miles fast and to keep track of my times.  I really want to gradually become a faster runner and I think this will help me.  One run is 4-5 miles mid-week.  The third run is an easy 3 miles.  I won't time it, I'm going to run by how I feel.  Lastly I'll have my weekly long run.

I'm also going to add in Yoga Meltdown (you all know I'm a huge Jillian Michaels fan) on Mondays.  I'm also going to incorporate either Ripped in 30 or 30 Day Shred 3 days a week which means some days I'll be doing the video in the morning and running in the afternoon.  I'll have one rest day a week (right now it's looking like that will be Fridays).

I'm hoping this will help better prepare me for my next half marathon:  Half Moon Bay on September 29!

Could I be an Ultra-Runner?

I’m about ninety percent committed.  I just need a little wiggle room to let the idea truly settle in, but I’m on the verge of signing up for my first 50 mile race.  The race is in December, the North Face Endurance Challenge, on the trails north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the main thing that I’m wary of is the ten thousand foot total elevation gain.  The timing works out for me – I don’t have any races planned until next spring, and now that I’ve got a few marathons under my belt, I think it’s time to go for it.  But ten thousand feet . . . .

Last week we were in Lake Tahoe, and Lesley and I made a plan to hike up Mount Tallac and leave the kids with the grandparents.  I’ve been running regularly this summer, but have not been training, and decided that I needed to have at least one somewhat epic day this summer.  I decided would run to the trailhead and meet Lesley there.  It was about a seven-mile run, and I liked the idea of going from the cabin on foot all the way to the peak of Tallac.  When I told Lesley about my plan the day before, she told me (half-jokingly) that it sounded good, but it would really be impressive if I ran back to the cabin after the hike too, so I could say I did the whole thing on foot.  She claims she didn’t mean for me to take it seriously, but she must know me well enough by now to that once a suggestion like that starts bouncing around my head, I can’t let its go. 

Arriving at the trailhead

On the run to the trailhead I had some views from of Mount Tallac from Camp Richardson, and the over three-thousand foot climb we would be doing that day.  I’ve hiked it a few times before and that didn’t worry me, but what did worry me was the thought of stacking three of these mountains on top of each other, and knowing that that was how much climbing I would be doing if I signed up for the North Face race.  This imaginary mountain seemed to reach up into the stratosphere, and it seemed impossible.  But then I remembered that somehow people find a way to do these races, and that maybe somewhere inside me there exists the will, or craziness to do one of my own.  It was then I decided that I had to run back after the nine-mile hike, to prove something to myself.

At the Summit

Hero Shot -- The flag was already there

The run there was pleasant and quiet, and the hike gave us some much-needed time together, alone, outside.  I jumped in Cathedral Lake on the way down, or a more accurate description would be I waded out through the rocks trying to make sure I didn't twist an ankle, then quickly dunked myself when I was about waist deep.  It woke me up enough to get a little pumped about the run home, which turned out to be hot in the mountain sun.  I did see a hawk flying through the trees though.  When I made it back to the cabin, I thought that maybe I do have it in me to do a 50 miler.

Dunking

I’m now two days into my twenty-week training program, and it’s just a matter of registering for the run now (that and staying injury free over the next few months).  I guess once I put it up on our blog that makes it kind of official though.

Week One, Day One

Today marks week one, day one of my next half marathon training program.  I'm doing it again.  Part of me thinks I'm crazy because the memories of the oh so painful last half marathon are still fresh in my mind.  But then I rationalize that I was in a car accident a few days before.  Before that I was feeling strong and capable.  I'm hoping I can get back to that feeling. 

Today is a rest day in my training program.  I decided to do 30 minutes of yoga and a few weights for my arms.  Ideally I want to do something 6 days a week whether it be running, yoga, or cross training.  My training plan requires 4 runs a week.  I might double up some days and do 30 Day Shred (or Ripped in 30 - my new favorite) and a run.  We shall see.

Here we go again.  Let the fun begin.

Trail Run

This morning M and I headed up into the hills for a trail run.  I normally avoid hills when I run.  I'm normally just excited to be moving forward, why make it harder and throw a hill in the mix?  But I do get bored with just my normal routes around the neighborhood so I thought I'd give it a try.  We decided we'd run/hike.  Run the downhills, flats, and parts of the uphills and hike the rest.  It was a lot of fun.  It was fun stepping outside of my comfort zone and it gives me a new goal to work toward (running up all of Big Mama!).

I was exhausted when we got home and we just did 4 miles!

Eating healthier

M and I are really trying to make a point to eat healthier now that we are on summer break.  Too often when we are off work in the summer we end up eating out a lot (more free time = more being away from home = more eating out).  The past few days we've shared this for lunch:

Carrots, sweet peppers, cucumbers (from our garden) and pita bread to dip into hummus.  There's also avocado and sliced nectarines and white peaches.  It's delicious and filling.  I don't know why I don't bring this for lunch when I work!

See Jane Run 5K

Seven months ago I signed up for the See Jane Run Half Marathon which took place today.  But due to my back problems as a result of the car accident 3 days before the Oakland Half Marathon I knew I wouldn't be able to run 13.1 miles.  I debated about whether or not I'd run the 5K or not.  In fact I didn't downgrade my registration until yesterday.  I haven't run the past few weeks and I didn't look forward to running a race in which I might be struggling in.

Today was my first day of summer though and thought it would set the right tone for the summer by running a race.  I figured it was only a 5K, it couldn't be that bad, right?  It was a beautiful warm day.  The 5K started at 8:30 and the sun was already shining.  I knew it was going to be a hot one. 

I was nervous standing waiting for my wave to start.  I didn't see anyone I knew who was running the race.  I was on my own.  This is only the second race I've run (my first was a half marathon - that still cracks me up) and the pre-race jitters were starting to get to me. 

M and the boys were going to meet me at the finish line.  They were hanging out at the beach.
 
When the race started I felt better.  I was running.  It felt good to run again after having taken a break.  It felt good to be able to go out and run a 5K without having run much lately (something a year ago I wouldn't have been able to do).  I kept my pace slow and easy because I knew I hadn't run much lately.  The course was an out and back.  The out part was headed right into the sun and hot.  I'm not a fan of out and back courses, especially when I see people faster than me heading back already. 

After about two miles I was done.  I was hot (wish I had worn a tank top).  There were also a lot of people who would run for a bit, tire out and then just stop to walk.  It was annoying because they wouldn't look behind them to see if anyone was running behind them.  I was constantly bobbing and weaving to avoid running into people.  That was not fun at all and made me just want to finish the race.

As I approached the finish line I saw M and my boys cheering for me.  I loved seeing them and being able to give L a high-five.
 
I loved getting a hug from my boy after I finished.

At the finish there was champagne and chocolate.  My boys took the chocolate and quickly ate it.  I drank some of the champagne before it got knocked over.  But the boys enjoyed trying to drink from the empty glass. 
 
I ran into my friend Laura from Running 4 The Reason.  It's always great to see her and she rocked that race.

All in all, I'm glad I ran it although I'm not sure I'd run it again.  Maybe if they changed the course to a loop instead.