Sunday, January 21, 2007

Life in Forward Motion

so Garmin and me have seen each other twice this week and it's going well mostly due to the fact that we ask so little of each other.

if Garmin is right my BART trail run is 3.6 miles ...about what i thought. the richmond marina loop from my house is over 14 miles...i was way off on this, i thought it was between 8-10 miles. we got off to a sketchy start when Garmin failed to notice the first mile or so and i had to restart it. this is were it's wise for me to not get hung-up on the numbers because despite this marvel of technology...it's got two strikes against it:

1. me
2. it's only technology.

today's 13 plus mile mostly flat run boosted my confidence for my upcoming race. around mile 7 i felt pretty good and loose. by mile 8 the hot spot on my right arch started to bug me and i began to tense up abit.
a few times my right arm felt that weird tingling like a pinched nerve or something. only once or twice did i notice any shin pain or side stiches. i gued a total of 3 times and had water and gatorade left in both flasks by the end of the run. when i got home and had a look a small blister had begun to form but after a shower and rest it seemed to go away on it's own.

this is week 6 of the novice training plan i've been casually following and today should've only been a 10k. next sunday a 10 miler is on the schedule but we'll be in Mendocino celebrating our 7th wedding anniversay and a shorter run seems more likely.

the richmond marina urban trail run is mostly concrete with sandy trails on either side. i didn't like the feel of the sand wearing the asics plus i've been running on the harder stuff to get conditioned to it.

had i actually trained properly for this race mile 10 was where i was supposed to go into "race pace". the training sessions leading up to todays run well...don't look so good on paper. i'm just glad i hung on to finish. my legs had taken a pounding and by mile 12.7 i circled my neighborhood, determined to run the full 13.0
13.1 could kiss my tired ass...today.

conditions: low 60s, sunny blue skies, mild cross winds
distance: 13.03
time:02:32:53
best pace: 10:33

please send good vibes for these exact conditions on 2/4th.
because i'm not above bailing on lesser conditions.
i'm serious.

on a less wimpy note. i'm meeting Reba, my personal trainer at
All in One Fitness tomorrow at 5 pm for our first session. we'll meet again on weds at 3 pm. i paid for an 8 week start-up package and it wasn't cheap..but according to my demographic, i deserve it. plus my lazy butt got way soft this past couple months and i want to give personal training another try now that i've got a better base to build on. i was a bit wary of them (personal trainers) before but this studio seems different (better be for the money). so we'll see.

anger management is coming to and end...2 more meetings...remember the bad attitude guy i mentioned that first meeting? he's turned out to be an alright guy. class attendance dwindled during the holidays and there's only 6-7 of us left out of the original 18. it's been a good starting off point. i listened and learned. i'm far from done however. doubt i ever will be.

i've made a decision to request a transfer to the walnut creek facility. my boss won't like it but i don't think she'll be too surprised. i've gotten into the groove there and because it's a larger facility i have a greater pool of patients to draw from thus eliminating the need to travel as much to get my hours. i know there are no guarantees there never is in my industry the case load fluctuates everywhere...the advantage in w.c. is that it's a larger facility and has both rehab and sub-acute units. doesn't hurt that it's 5 important miles closer to berkeley.

i'm a little uneasy about breaking the news to my boss, understandable i suppose. but i've listened to my instincts on this and while the census will eventually go up again in concord i've been contemplating a change from there for awhile. a nicer larger facility, more patients with better rehab potential. i've examined the negatives...my new boss is tougher about time off, the culture is a bit "highbrow" in this building and there are still difficult patients that stay on caseload for too long but the pros and cons have been scrutinized carefully and i want to make the change.

personal training, anger management, new work place, and a half marathon on the horizon. who is this person i appear intent on becoming?

Sunday, January 14, 2007

First Date with Garmin

yesterday i met up with mia and she has generously offered me the use of her Garmin. i'm interested in technology...but wary. but i'm also curious to find out just how far and how fast/slow i really am.

i want to run trails but i need to run on the road.

so,we'll see....................

T and M have agreed to go into the city and help me preview the 1/2 marathon route. i'd like to run the whole course before race day. i'll need to prepare better for that next time, today was a preliminary review of the lay of the land and a lesson in needs and need nots.





getting to the route starting line was an event itself. a cold sunny day in san francisco had drawn everyone and his cousin out and about. by the time i actually started running it was already 1:00 pm.


while i have a slighty better sense of the route now i was only able to run just under 5 miles of it. i needed to meet T at a certain spot within an hour and i kept getting turned around. funny how much longer it takes to run a just few miles when your in a new place.

over accesorized!!!

i felt a bit bogged down between the hydration belt, my ipod, the garmin, multiple layers and a phone.
i immediately had to pee a soon as T dropped me off near the pan handle and the first order of business was finding a public restroom. i took awhile fumbling with all the gear. i must've left my zipper pocket opened and noticed later that i managed to lose 16.00 bucks. made somebody's day i'm sure.

i met up with a couple of other runners who knew the route and they were able to tell me that the section i was on was only three miles from where T and I would meet up later (i told T i'd call him in an hour but that we'd meet at 41st and fulton if something happened...dead cell etc.).

luckily i took a few wrong turns before I got to 41st and stretched things out to just under 5 miles (4.79 to be exact in 45ish minutes...i started messing with buttons and accidently added time while trying to figure stuff out...) anyways i was disappointed at the outcome mainly because it was tricky coordinating with T where and when to meet. next time i'll go solo, maybe take my bike along and scout out the route some more.

sections of golden gate park are closed off to traffic on the weekends which made it hard to find the start. it's a beautiful place to run and i'll definitely return before race day.

first date with the garmin...a bit awkward... but i'm looking forward to our second one real soon.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

dazed and confuzed

i know the past few posts i've been hemming and hawing on whether or not i'll be ready for the half mary on 2/4/07. to further undermine my decision it appears that i may have signed up for the wrong race. when i tried to confirm my registration my name was not to be found. i know i signed up some time in november and i've turned my house upsidedown trying to find the old statement and the printed confirmation page . wtf?

i am totally capable of finishing and it sort've pisses me off that i'm geting all hung up on how long finishing will actually entail. it's such bullshit . running makes me feel good and it's fun. but every so often the need to do well overshadows the fun, ya know?

right now my main concern is finding something to confirm that i signed up for this race. what did i actually sign up for? i'm not sweating the entrance fee but damn i am ticked at losing track of the confirmation form. i'll try looking for an old statement and work from there. am i pathetic or what?

Sunday, January 07, 2007

No Shortcuts

i decided to reverse the wildcat canyon run today. i did this for a couple of reasons, none of the least which was i had my fill of hills this week and wanted to make this run easier by avoiding several of the steep ass climbs.

ha ha ha.

seems i forgot about a few others in the opposite direction and failed to appreciate the challenge posed by going down said steep ass hills.

oh my knees!!!

there ain't nothing easy about running these trails.

high on the ridge the view was stunning. well worth the effort. a couple of baby cows watched me curiously... scooting away only once i was very close. i spotted a few equestrians and was impressed by a man's unleashed dog that heeled until they passed. my brandy is not so well behaved around horses..

yesterday mia and i were talking about how easy it is to go out too fast during a long race. i tried really hard to pace myself (sans technology) and when it felt slow i slowed down more. per usual the first 2 miles sucked, but then it got better. 2 hours into the run i felt like i had loads of energy still. the last half hour however took it's toll and my mind scrambled on how i could shorten the trek. instead of shortening it i opted to take a longer flatter route vs the shorter but steeper way back to the car.

the 2.5 hour long run left me feeling tired and content. i claimed a picnic table in the sun and stretched for a long time. a woman hiker coming off the trail first sat down on a bench but then saw me sprawled out like a gecko sunning itself and claimed her own table to stretch too.

so, the week ahead looks as unpredictable as last week...i will need to fit runs in as the opportunity presents itself. i actually enjoyed a run after work this week. maybe the adaptability factor from working in so many other buildings this past month is rubbing off. whatever the reason, if i plan on actually showing up for next months race while remaining gainfully employed adjustments in the training will need to be made.