Wednesday, March 07, 2007
mission peak
met up with Catra this morning and we hiked to the summit of Mission Peak, aporrox. 3 plus miles up and than ran down. afterwards we went to REI where i used my dividends dollars to buy a new bigger waist hydro pak....cuz i'm gonna need more room for nutrition on the upcoming 20 milers!
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
1st Time Marathon Advice Needed (please)
so i've found my race. i have a plan. now what? i'm approximately 30 weeks out from my race. i found a 20 week intermediate (the beginners seemed too easy...) training plan at cool running. what do i do for the next 10 weeks? i've been running approx. 15-20 miles a week for the past month, long runs 7-13 mile range. am i correct in presuming i'm fit enough for the intermediate plan or should i back off?
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Trials on the trail
yesterday i asked M if she wanted to go for a bike ride and well let's just say she was less-than-enthusiastic. rather than bicker and cojole. i dropped it and proceeded to get dressed for a run instead. T was expected back soon and i could than go for a short BART trail run.
as i proceeded to get ready M announced that she would go for a ride. wanting to run now, i convinced her to ride her bike as i ran with Brandy in tow. after i hauled her bike out of the tent in the yard, i spent the next several minutes looking for Brandy's leash...only to be further delayed when Brandy bolted out of the front door...(she was anxious to go too!)i didn't have to work too too hard at getting her to come back and soon the 3 of us were headed for the trail. needless to say i was in a bit of a "mood" by the time we were underway. to have to work this hard just to get a measley little 3 mile run in seemed asinine.
the BART trail is split in two. pedestrians have their own lane and cyclist and runners keep to the main trail. our little band of 3 stayed to the right side of the main trail. i keep Brandy on a leash at all times on this trail and am very conscientious with on-coming traffic. keeping to the right as much as possible a cyclist from the rear can pass on the left around us no problem....except for this idiot woman on her bike who plodded past us grumbling that my dog was in her way and that it was safer for us to stay in the pedestrian lane.
any other time i would of blown this off but as i mentioned i was in a "mood". the idiot woman was barking up the wrong tree today and received a less than nice response to her suggestion that i switch lanes. i curtly stated that i had complete control of my dog, thank you very much.
so while not the most enjoyable run, i did manage to get the girls out for a little exercise. i knew i'd be getting my long run in the next day so it was all good.
armed with Mia's garmin i set out this morning to wildcat canyon. i've been guessing it's in the 9-11 mile range. had i not forgot to restart the garmin a couple of times i could say for sure. i made it a point to really work on slowing down. the first mile was 12:30 and i tried to go even slower. the weather was perfect and it took me a good 5 miles to warm-up enough to shed my outer layer. i followed Belgium all the way to San Pablo....this was even harder than my usual detour (2 big ass hills) that i usually take ...i walked off and on...which is what tripped me up with restarting the garmin, that and hydrating and guing......i saw a few hiker's with some of the sweetest little doggy's and even fewer runners along this part. it was a nice change from yesterday's busy urban trail.
once i reached the Nimitz it was still pretty much just me on the trail until i got about halfway. i spotted a women from my personal training studio...she and i have chatted a little and have our sessions on the same days with different trainers...i'll have to talk with her about maybe running together sometime.
i'll be meeting up with Catra on wednesday, were hiking in Mission Peak, another beautiful bay area trail system. it's been years since i've been there.
i'm pretty confident the run today was over 10 miles. i need to remember to turn the garmin back on after a rest period, guh!
i came home to a quiet house and have the luxury of blogging uninterrupted for a change. i just showered and feel completely refreshed and fatigued at the same time.
life is good:)
as i proceeded to get ready M announced that she would go for a ride. wanting to run now, i convinced her to ride her bike as i ran with Brandy in tow. after i hauled her bike out of the tent in the yard, i spent the next several minutes looking for Brandy's leash...only to be further delayed when Brandy bolted out of the front door...(she was anxious to go too!)i didn't have to work too too hard at getting her to come back and soon the 3 of us were headed for the trail. needless to say i was in a bit of a "mood" by the time we were underway. to have to work this hard just to get a measley little 3 mile run in seemed asinine.
the BART trail is split in two. pedestrians have their own lane and cyclist and runners keep to the main trail. our little band of 3 stayed to the right side of the main trail. i keep Brandy on a leash at all times on this trail and am very conscientious with on-coming traffic. keeping to the right as much as possible a cyclist from the rear can pass on the left around us no problem....except for this idiot woman on her bike who plodded past us grumbling that my dog was in her way and that it was safer for us to stay in the pedestrian lane.
any other time i would of blown this off but as i mentioned i was in a "mood". the idiot woman was barking up the wrong tree today and received a less than nice response to her suggestion that i switch lanes. i curtly stated that i had complete control of my dog, thank you very much.
so while not the most enjoyable run, i did manage to get the girls out for a little exercise. i knew i'd be getting my long run in the next day so it was all good.
armed with Mia's garmin i set out this morning to wildcat canyon. i've been guessing it's in the 9-11 mile range. had i not forgot to restart the garmin a couple of times i could say for sure. i made it a point to really work on slowing down. the first mile was 12:30 and i tried to go even slower. the weather was perfect and it took me a good 5 miles to warm-up enough to shed my outer layer. i followed Belgium all the way to San Pablo....this was even harder than my usual detour (2 big ass hills) that i usually take ...i walked off and on...which is what tripped me up with restarting the garmin, that and hydrating and guing......i saw a few hiker's with some of the sweetest little doggy's and even fewer runners along this part. it was a nice change from yesterday's busy urban trail.
once i reached the Nimitz it was still pretty much just me on the trail until i got about halfway. i spotted a women from my personal training studio...she and i have chatted a little and have our sessions on the same days with different trainers...i'll have to talk with her about maybe running together sometime.
i'll be meeting up with Catra on wednesday, were hiking in Mission Peak, another beautiful bay area trail system. it's been years since i've been there.
i'm pretty confident the run today was over 10 miles. i need to remember to turn the garmin back on after a rest period, guh!
i came home to a quiet house and have the luxury of blogging uninterrupted for a change. i just showered and feel completely refreshed and fatigued at the same time.
life is good:)
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Little Queen
this has been a long ass week....whew one more day to go.
personal training is going well. the trainer herself is a bit lacking in personality but she's reasonably knowledgable and i'm getting the desired results.
next time i spend this kind of money though she'd better have a running background and know how to swim. i'm afraid this studio despite it's small intimate environment fell short in a few key areas. still i've made progress and my arms and abs a looking pretty hot!
M and i saw Dream Girls last saturday and promptly purchased the soundtrack afterwards. we listen to it in the car and usually drive around the block or sit in the driveway singing along with Jennifer Hudson as she belts out "And I'm telling you I'm not going" being the divas we are. love it love it love it.
i picked up a few other cd's too. Heart, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zepplin. I remember, being 13 and sitting in my best friend, Tricia's bedroom listening to Hearts "Little Queen" album and playing "Love Alive" over and over. god, i loved that song especially the really cool guitar rift in the middle...Tricia was the youngest of a large family, 4 older sisters and 3 older brothers. she always had access to the coolest music. i was motown and she was a rocker. i was sensible and athletic. she was wild and a partier. we made no sense but were the best of friends.
the first time i smoked pot was with Tricia out back of the old Spruce Drive In theater in South San Francisco. Her sister Christy would take us to the drive-in in her Datsun, ditch us for a few hours to hang with her friends and we'd drink beers and smoke until she came at the end of the movie to drive us back home. i haven't thought about that in years, funny how music can tap into old memories.
Tricia's parents both drank heavily. her mom would be seen downtown stumbling out front of some dive bar just wrecked. my home life wasn't exacly "Leave it to Beaver" but by comparison i had it easier...alot easier. she had alot more material things than i did and often i was envious. it took me a long time to appreciate the fact my mother was at least sober most of the time.
i caught up with Tricia back in the early 90's. time had not been good to her. she was heavily addicted to alcohol and had been in and out of recovery for the past several years. when we first reconnected she was heavily into John Bradshaw, a recovery and addiction self-help guru. she had a couple kids, one the unfortunate victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. she was pregnant with her third and appeared to be clean but was struggling. we tried to keep in touch but after she fell off the wagon again it just got too hard. the last i heard she had moved up north somewhere to be with the kids dad. i like to think away from the city and all it's trappings that she found peace up there in the redwoods.
rock on Little Queen
personal training is going well. the trainer herself is a bit lacking in personality but she's reasonably knowledgable and i'm getting the desired results.
next time i spend this kind of money though she'd better have a running background and know how to swim. i'm afraid this studio despite it's small intimate environment fell short in a few key areas. still i've made progress and my arms and abs a looking pretty hot!
M and i saw Dream Girls last saturday and promptly purchased the soundtrack afterwards. we listen to it in the car and usually drive around the block or sit in the driveway singing along with Jennifer Hudson as she belts out "And I'm telling you I'm not going" being the divas we are. love it love it love it.
i picked up a few other cd's too. Heart, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zepplin. I remember, being 13 and sitting in my best friend, Tricia's bedroom listening to Hearts "Little Queen" album and playing "Love Alive" over and over. god, i loved that song especially the really cool guitar rift in the middle...Tricia was the youngest of a large family, 4 older sisters and 3 older brothers. she always had access to the coolest music. i was motown and she was a rocker. i was sensible and athletic. she was wild and a partier. we made no sense but were the best of friends.
the first time i smoked pot was with Tricia out back of the old Spruce Drive In theater in South San Francisco. Her sister Christy would take us to the drive-in in her Datsun, ditch us for a few hours to hang with her friends and we'd drink beers and smoke until she came at the end of the movie to drive us back home. i haven't thought about that in years, funny how music can tap into old memories.
Tricia's parents both drank heavily. her mom would be seen downtown stumbling out front of some dive bar just wrecked. my home life wasn't exacly "Leave it to Beaver" but by comparison i had it easier...alot easier. she had alot more material things than i did and often i was envious. it took me a long time to appreciate the fact my mother was at least sober most of the time.
i caught up with Tricia back in the early 90's. time had not been good to her. she was heavily addicted to alcohol and had been in and out of recovery for the past several years. when we first reconnected she was heavily into John Bradshaw, a recovery and addiction self-help guru. she had a couple kids, one the unfortunate victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. she was pregnant with her third and appeared to be clean but was struggling. we tried to keep in touch but after she fell off the wagon again it just got too hard. the last i heard she had moved up north somewhere to be with the kids dad. i like to think away from the city and all it's trappings that she found peace up there in the redwoods.
rock on Little Queen
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Storms and other barriers
bad moods can wreak havoc on training.
an emotionally draining phone call from a distraught relative.
hustling a less-than-cooperative child out the door.
other things like foul weather, or plain old laziness can pose a barrier too.
i can usually work through the weather and the laziness...but the mental hurdles are the real training threats.
i find it most difficult to get out the door when i'm in a bad mood. my whole attitude is completely in the crapper and i am too irritated to focus on running.
most people don't get this, for me the anger is physically draining and i shut down and i usually
a) want to hash out the problem or
b) be left the fuck alone.
completely contradictory, i know.
that said, it would be reasonable to assume that i'd want to go for run, blow some steam off, right? not! i'm not really sure why, but the minute i've "lost it" all of my concentration and focus is tuned inward. i feel trapped in myself and negative thoughts lead to inactivity.
the anger management classess were helpful in reminding me that the anger comes in waves and if one can be STILL long enough to ride it out , eventually it passess.
being still in the mind is fine but perhaps i need to reconsider it on the physical level...
it's as though some degree of harmony with my surroundings, my relationships, my world is required for me to FEEL ready and able to care for myself.....which is really not that out there....when you think about it.
despite the current stormy weather i'm lacing up and heading out soon....but this mental hurdle of mine has cropped up too many times ....not just with running....with just about any good pursuit. it has me thinking what has my anger cost me?
running in bad weather is damn near easy compared to taking on a black mood....riding out the storm is all i can do. i keep thinking if i do so long enough i'll be able to break through the real barriers.
an emotionally draining phone call from a distraught relative.
hustling a less-than-cooperative child out the door.
other things like foul weather, or plain old laziness can pose a barrier too.
i can usually work through the weather and the laziness...but the mental hurdles are the real training threats.
i find it most difficult to get out the door when i'm in a bad mood. my whole attitude is completely in the crapper and i am too irritated to focus on running.
most people don't get this, for me the anger is physically draining and i shut down and i usually
a) want to hash out the problem or
b) be left the fuck alone.
completely contradictory, i know.
that said, it would be reasonable to assume that i'd want to go for run, blow some steam off, right? not! i'm not really sure why, but the minute i've "lost it" all of my concentration and focus is tuned inward. i feel trapped in myself and negative thoughts lead to inactivity.
the anger management classess were helpful in reminding me that the anger comes in waves and if one can be STILL long enough to ride it out , eventually it passess.
being still in the mind is fine but perhaps i need to reconsider it on the physical level...
it's as though some degree of harmony with my surroundings, my relationships, my world is required for me to FEEL ready and able to care for myself.....which is really not that out there....when you think about it.
despite the current stormy weather i'm lacing up and heading out soon....but this mental hurdle of mine has cropped up too many times ....not just with running....with just about any good pursuit. it has me thinking what has my anger cost me?
running in bad weather is damn near easy compared to taking on a black mood....riding out the storm is all i can do. i keep thinking if i do so long enough i'll be able to break through the real barriers.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
abuela
being productive ranks high on my list. today i cleaned the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, did 2 loads of laundry ,grocery shopped and ran 5 miles...with Brandy all before 10 o'clock.
M is still snoozing, seems she is her father's daughter...stayed up late doing art and wants to sleep till???
my grandma T has been put on hospice and is home now. multiple health issues have taken there toll and she's essentially riding it out. my mom and other family members are convinced "it'll be anyday now" and are already discussing arrangements...almost to a morbid detail...what she'll wear at her burial, where the reception will be...i know these things need to be worked out and that it's about what's best for grandma...still it just feels premature. hospice doesn't necessarily indicate 2 weeks till the end. at work i see lot's of patients on "comfort care " or hospice...that thrive beyond the doctors expectations.
i need to go see her myself...it's been 3 weeks since i saw her in the hospital seeing her will be a reality check i suppose.
i have a jar of brandy in my cupboard, see grandma T was sure to bring her own hooch wherever she went...not one to risk the chance that her brand would be unavailable. the hooch is contained in a 10 oz GOYA Spanish Capers jar, mostly full. she even took care to seal the opening with a torn piece of plastic so it wouldn't leak. it's been in my cupboard for nearly 4 years when she came for Easter. we had just bought our house and had BOTH sides of family come for the holiday.
i remember she was so happy for us and proud that her grandaughter had done so well for herself.
i feel good from the run but a little sad as i prepare to see grandma T.
change is inevitable, this i know so well. M is starting to stir. time to shift gears.
M is still snoozing, seems she is her father's daughter...stayed up late doing art and wants to sleep till???
my grandma T has been put on hospice and is home now. multiple health issues have taken there toll and she's essentially riding it out. my mom and other family members are convinced "it'll be anyday now" and are already discussing arrangements...almost to a morbid detail...what she'll wear at her burial, where the reception will be...i know these things need to be worked out and that it's about what's best for grandma...still it just feels premature. hospice doesn't necessarily indicate 2 weeks till the end. at work i see lot's of patients on "comfort care " or hospice...that thrive beyond the doctors expectations.
i need to go see her myself...it's been 3 weeks since i saw her in the hospital seeing her will be a reality check i suppose.
i have a jar of brandy in my cupboard, see grandma T was sure to bring her own hooch wherever she went...not one to risk the chance that her brand would be unavailable. the hooch is contained in a 10 oz GOYA Spanish Capers jar, mostly full. she even took care to seal the opening with a torn piece of plastic so it wouldn't leak. it's been in my cupboard for nearly 4 years when she came for Easter. we had just bought our house and had BOTH sides of family come for the holiday.
i remember she was so happy for us and proud that her grandaughter had done so well for herself.
i feel good from the run but a little sad as i prepare to see grandma T.
change is inevitable, this i know so well. M is starting to stir. time to shift gears.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Change of Plans
so it would appear that i was a tad bit hasty when deciding on the venue for my first marathon. Bizz Johnson sounds like a fantastic race but i'm feeling anxious about the altitude....not to mention logistics. given how stressed out i can get just travelling a few miles from home, i don't think i'm ready to take it on the road yet.
my research on the altitude has been confusing at best. my only experience with running in altitude was a couple of years back when i was visiting up in garderville, nv. hiking around up there never phased me but 10 minutes on the treadmill was surprisingly hard.
a marathon is a BIG DEAL, especially my first. i think it's ok to cut bizz johnson loose and am now looking at another local trail race to be my first. the golden hills trail marathon is held oct. 13 right in my own backyard and makes way more sense.
i was really excited about the bizz johnson, i just hadn't thoroughly considered all the details...being somewhat impulsive. the last few nights i have tossed and turned not at the prospect of covering 26.2 miles but of bonking at altitude. i was too quick to register for the bizz johnson and will lose the $70.00 fee but in the end i would've spent even more on travel and accomodations.
oh well live and learn.
my research on the altitude has been confusing at best. my only experience with running in altitude was a couple of years back when i was visiting up in garderville, nv. hiking around up there never phased me but 10 minutes on the treadmill was surprisingly hard.
a marathon is a BIG DEAL, especially my first. i think it's ok to cut bizz johnson loose and am now looking at another local trail race to be my first. the golden hills trail marathon is held oct. 13 right in my own backyard and makes way more sense.
i was really excited about the bizz johnson, i just hadn't thoroughly considered all the details...being somewhat impulsive. the last few nights i have tossed and turned not at the prospect of covering 26.2 miles but of bonking at altitude. i was too quick to register for the bizz johnson and will lose the $70.00 fee but in the end i would've spent even more on travel and accomodations.
oh well live and learn.
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