18 Miles

Hubby went to the dentist this morning. I slept in the car through his appointment. We weren't available to run long on Saturday or Sunday, so it had to be today. Girl cramps, wind, and the warmest day of the year so far. *sigh*

It sucked.

18 miles.
2:41.05
8:56/mi.

I pushed hard to get those negative splits.



....like tougher than I should have had to. Also, can you find the uphill miles? Thanks Mother Nature for that fabulous gift today.... haha.

Next week, I'm hitting the EASY button and spacing my runs out a little bit more so things don't suck as much.

Good points of long run :
1. Ryan and Shaina came along on their bikes.
2. They are fun to chat with and we had a great time.
3. Shaina baked brownies for us to eat on our run. They were still warm from the oven.
4. Despite the sunscreen, I got a new amusing set of tan lines.
5. Really awful runs help make me a bit tougher for the race.
6. The race course is pancake flat compared to our long run spot. Pull the hills and my pacing will be near perfect. :)
7. Pulled out some faster miles. Until the last two, they felt really easy. *sigh*

Last Week in Photos

Although my birthday week was dotted with lots of rest and orange juice, it still turned out to be pretty awesome!

Matt and I shopping for my birthday gift, a zoom lens for Konnie.

Every year, I take a photo of us on my birthday. One day it will be fun to look at them all
and see how I've aged (gracefully!!!).

Family photo with a less-than-cooperative kitty.

Music night. I'm playing for a my cousin's wedding next summer, and Matt doesn't know this yet, but I think we'll get him practiced up enough that he can play with me. :)

Who doesn't love a fresh pot of homemade pea soup?
I used to hate it when I was growing up, but it was one of the few things I could taste really well during chemo, so I ate tons of it.

Matt ran the Arcata Forest 4 Miler on one of my rest days. It was fun to cheer him on, but I was also a little sad
I didn't share in the excitement. He fought hard for 3rd place with another runner right down to the end.
He placed fourth overall and found the guy had the same goals
for the upcoming half marathon. Gained a racing buddy.

Tempo Run #6

It has been warmer than normal here, sunny, and ridiculously humid because of that darn ocean being right there. Add that to my allergies and you can imagine how my tempo run went today.

I started out feeling really great. I ran two miles into the wind. It felt great running in the wind, it seemed to cancel out the humidity. The next three at tempo pace, into the wind, were harder to sustain. I kept burping up the coffee in my stomach and my biggest accomplishment of those miles was to keep myself from vomiting. (What's up tummy?? IBS attack today because of the coffee?)

When I reached the turn around at 5 total miles, I decided that I didn't want to do his suggestion of six tempo miles. I hadn't even planned to run a tempo this week, but Matt thought it would renew my confidence to "redo" last week's tempo. I guess I didn't let on how terrible it felt because he was surprised one mile later when I decided to slow it down after just four tempo miles. He said that I looked so strong. Basically though, my heart just wasn't in it. I ran another 2 miles at MRP.

2 mile warm-up : 18:40, 9:22 mi.
4 mile Tempo : 31:18, 7:49/mi.
2 mile MRP : 16:52, 8:26/mi.
8 miles : 1:06.59, 8:22/mi.

Next week is a tempo-free week. I'll be hitting the Redwoods to run a trail that I've hiked with friends but Matt has never seen. It's going to be FAB-U-LOUS! :) Need a break to re-ignite my enthusiasm for speedwork.

Over-Training

"You've always got more to give." - Jillian Michaels.

Sure, I do. But should I always give more? The longer I'm at this training game, the more I understand how important it is to not give everything, every single run. Let me tell you a story.

Spring of 2010, I trained for the Green Bay marathon. I finished in 4:34. That summer, I switched to trail running and ran a my first trail marathon, the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks. It was hilly and the race organizers suggest you add 30 minutes to your road marathon time to get a reasonable finishing time for the difficulty of this race. I finished it, again in 4:34. Two short training months later, I ran a marathon near Tomah, Wisconsin (another on trails, but a flat one) Rails To Trails Marathon in 4:03, just two days after being officially considered *cured* of Ewing's Sarcoma. I had just moved to California, and the idea of having a winter without four months of nothing but sub-zero temperatures made me want to train at full-throttle all year round.

I decided that I didn't want to back down to 20 miles a week and begin the usual 18-week plan. My plan for the Green Bay 2011 Marathon was to run, starting January 1st, long runs of 12-16-20 until May. That would make me really fast, right? It worked between the Equinox and Rails to Trails races, so why not? I also added in tempo runs. My first 16 miler of that training cycle went amazing. The first 20 wasn't even bad, considering it was back in Michigan with ice and cold we weren't used to having. I was envisioning a 3:45-3:50 marathon for May.

Slowly but surely, my pace started to slip. It took more effort to hit the paces I was used to. If I didn't reach my goal on the tempo runs, I tried again the next day, and the next. I never did meet my goal. (Remember the goal of breaking 40 min for 5 miles that I just recently achieved?) I no longer had "easy" runs because I was always too preoccupied with hitting a certain pace. My resting heart rate jumped by 20bpm. I was constantly anxious. The only thing I could do to relieve the anxiety was to run. I mistakenly thought the anxiety was just extra energy I was getting from the extra miles and it just encouraged me to run MORE. But running got harder and harder, my legs were heavy. My IT Band also decided to give me trouble. A new pair of shoes and a foam roller helped the IT band. But by the time I realized that I was over-trained, I think I had been that way about a month. It was mid-March, just two months before the marathon.

They say that it takes at least the same amount of rest to undo a bout of over-training (so for me, it would require a month). I did one more 20+ miler and planned to let the taper undo all the rest of the over-training. Race day was really windy, but I could have pulled a 3:50. I wholeheartedly believe that I finished in 3:55 because I was still over-trained.
------
Definition of Overtraining : Overtraining, also described as chronic fatigue, burnout and staleness has been defined as an imbalance between training/competition, versus recovery.

Basically, you're stressing your body more than it can handle.

Symptoms :

• Fatigue
• Reduced concentration
• Apathy
• Insomnia and/or troubled sleep
• Irritability
• Depression
• Decreased performance
• Delayed recovery from training
• 'Intolerance' to training
• Elevated morning rested pulse
• Increase in injuries
• Chronic muscle soreness
• Weight loss
• Frequent minor infections
• Appetite loss
• Decreased enthusiasm for training

(Sources can be found by clicking on their respective links.)
The symptoms I experienced this spring are in bold lettering.

---------------
Last week, when I felt rundown, I knew exactly what was starting to happen. It was over-training. Not because I was running too much, but the combo of running the mileage, not backing off much with a cold, AND not getting enough rest. After the tempo run on Thursday, I knew I needed some rest days. I took Friday off, ran my long run leisurely on Saturday, took Sunday and today off. My fatigue has completely disappeared and I feel like I'm ready to continue on with training. My resting heart rate has returned to normal and I feel GREAT.

As much as I disappointed myself with the previous training cycle (for Green Bay) and not really understanding what my body was saying, I am really grateful that it happened. Matt tried to warn me to back off, but I mistook that anxiety for extra energy and didn't think I needed to back off. It may seem like I am too cautious with my training now, but I just like to think of it as training smarter.


Train smart, Friends!! :)
We all want to make it to the starting line feeling our best!

By the Skin of My Teeth

After that backpacking trip, I was pretty wiped out. That last day brought the total to 78 miles on foot in the previous eight days (46 running miles, 32 hiking miles). Doing it with a cold was fine, but not sleeping well was basically adding the stress that my body just couldn't handle.

Since Tuesday, I've had a racing heart-rate (about 60BPM, my resting is around 40BPM). Over-stressed. So I had to plan the rest of my running week very carefully so the stress could go away. I'm taking Friday, Sunday and Monday off. Saturday will be an easy trail long run. :)

Thursday night's tempo run called for 10 miles, and six at tempo (7:52/mi or lower). I wasn't feeling all that great at all. The coffee made absolutely no improvement in my energy level.

The warm-up mile was uninspired. Usually, I have to rein myself in. Thick 1/4 mi visibility fog rolled in. The air was so moist and it felt like I was drinking it in rather than breathing. Tempo miles 1-4 were met with tight muscles and lots of huffing and puffing. I realized that today, I wasn't going to make it to six. So I stopped the watch, caught my breath, tore my sweaty shirt off, and did the last two miles as mile repeats, rather than tempo miles. Not perfect, but all I could give it for that particular day.

6 miles tempo : 47:14, 7:52/mi. The running parts DID equal my target pace, but they were torture.

(Ten miles in 1:25.43. 8:34/mi.)

When you realize that your tempo workout isn't going to happen after you've completed part of it, what do you do?
1. Give up and run the rest however you feel like.
2. Do the remaining miles at a comfortable pace with no stops.
3. Do the final miles as mile repeats.

Today, I chose #3, but it definitely felt like cheating my pace. Getting my body used to running at that faster pace was successful (which is good but not 100% with the point of tempo runs, but more like that of intervals). Oh well, can't win 'em all, right? :)

Stuart Fork, Trinities. Day 3.

Matt awoke from a restful night's sleep and rifled through his clothing pile looking for his jacket. Myself, on the other hand, awoke from the last of many nights of broken sleep with a snarl on my face. With the cold and the miles, it was finally too much. I stayed in the sleeping bag, moaning in discomfort. Sleeping on the ground without my inflatable Thermarest really is awful, I thought. I could never be an ultralight backpacker. The sleep has to be comfy. So after a little more whining to myself, I popped some more Dayquil to get through the day and emerged from the tent for breakfast.



We pumped some more water at the stream and were on our way. Brian set off at a blistering pace. Seems he had even less sleep than I did and one of his knees was aching (one he had previously injured and never went to the doctor for, but obviously should have) from the descent. He just wanted to be back at the car with his flip-flops. We decided to have burgers in town when we got there, so the images of the tasty lunch waiting for me, kept me moving along without a single complaint.




We stopped in Weaverville for lunch. The burgers were basically microwaved, and by most people's standards, absolutely disgusting. But after a few days of eating things out of packets, anything that I had to actually chew was orgasmically delicious. We stopped again for more calories in Willow Creek. There's a little snack stand next to the grocery store called Raging Creek. It has THE. BEST. SHAKES. EVER!!!! I always order the blackberry. It's made with so much deliciousness that the blackberries clog in the straw on the way to my face. mmmmmmmmmm... Every bit as awesome as my beloved Dairy Queen Blizzards. :)

When we got home, I didn't unpack my backpack for two days. Normally, I like to unpack immediately from any trip just because I don't like clutter. Leaving the mess for that long was a true sign of how crappy I felt. I'm still fighting something, which I think has morphed into a sinus infection. I feel good in the morning and then have a raging headache by dinnertime.

One thing I did realize while on our first (and only) California summer backpack: I really don't function well in the heat. My profuse sweating really does mess up my electrolyte balance quickly. I'm looking forward to winter. Backpacking in the snow is probably going to become my new favorite winter activity. It's ridiculously slow, but at least I don't spend the day drenched in my own excretions. :)

Stuart Fork, Trinities. Day 2.

By nine a.m., it was already 60 degrees. Blue sky shone through the treetop branches. The sun was just about to come up over the nearby ridge and shine into our valley.

Three miles further down the trail, we decided to leave everything but the day's supplies in the bushes and return that night to camp. No point in carrying all of our stuff up the steepest part of the trail. We passed a few groups of unfriendly hikers on our way up the steep trail, also a few hunters. (Are you allowed to rifle hunt from a trail in a state forest?) Doesn't exactly seem safe to have hikers and flying bullets near each other.

The only photo with the three of us in it. Haha.

The beautiful dirt trail continued skyward. I could hardly believe how wonderful the footing was.

Photo op with Brian

By 2pm, we reached the hottest part of the day and the tree cover had vanished. Rocky, dusty trail replaced it. It wasn't too difficult to maneuver, but it was much slower than the happy dirt trail we had just been on. I yearned for shade. We stopped in the shelter of a small shrub for lunch about halfway up. That's when I ran out of water.

I was sweating profusely, as usual, and found myself dizzying as we climbed higher and higher on the boulders. I heard running water from a falls nearby, but it wasn't in an area I could get water. When I contemplated turning back, a valley breeze hit us and OH MY did it feel good.

Since I keep my running nearly as high as I can handle, I don't usually push myself on backpack trips. These are meant to be restful, designed to let me unwind and do something easier. This particular hike was turning out to be every bit as hard as my running efforts.

Yummy water! This is the stuff people pay $2 a bottle for!!

We reached a small pooled stream and refilled our Camelbaks. The trail leveled off after a few steeper pitches, I knew we must be close to the lake now. We descended into a lush alpine meadow. Trees and grasses carpeted an otherwise rocky landscape.

Swimming in Alpine Lake was incredible. Cold, and pretty perfect for being 85F, even up here at 6,200 ft.

We caught sight of two fishermen perched on boulders across the lake. They were naked. Wearing fishermen hats, but otherwise completely nude. Would you want to stand around naked when sharp hooks are flying around? No? Me neither. Eeek.



After a quick, refreshing dip, we headed back down to camp. We had another five miles to cover before dark. (Brian doesn't like to set up camp in the dark, so we always made sure we were ready by the time sunset came around.) The descent was beautiful. I had spent so much time watching my footing on the exposed parts of trail that I hardly noticed how beautiful the Stuart Fork valley was. Rocky mountains of a reddish hue, mountains covered with boulders, and mountains lined with Douglas Fir and Cedar were all mixed together. As we hiked down, we watched the sun retreat from the valley, replacing the brightly lit spots with shadow.

Besides the heat, I hardly could believe we were still in California. We reached the nice dirt trail after assaulting our knees with the rocky boulder descent and picked up speed. We covered that five miles in about an hour and a half. I didn't even run the 50K at that pace!! *sigh* So much for leisurely, hey?

Back at camp, I set up the tent and sleeping bags while Matt cooked us dinner. Brian joked about how Matt and I have our own roles in camp. I didn't realize it until then, but we really do have a system. I always set up the tent, he always cooks. In the mornings, it's the opposite. He gets our breakfast ready, I pack up. :) I gorged myself on instant mashed potatoes. After having just a salmon and cheese wrap for lunch, I was pretty hungry and dehydrated. The salt in those potatoes really hit the spot. YUM!

I took some more Benadryl, along with Ibuprofen to help me sleep. My legs weren't really sore, but I had a few hot spots on my toes. My hiking boots are great for Alaska, where it's cold and there isn't much sweat. But here? Damp feet all day and blisters in places I've never gotten them. Suggestions for more breathable shoes with a hard sole? I really like my hiking boots for their sole, but they are Goretex and way too warm.

Stuart Fork, Trinities. Day 1.

Remember that 20 mile run last week? Well I took a 30 minute ice bath that night, had trouble sleeping because my feet were still cold. I got maybe six hours of broken sleep and packed the car before heading to the office to pick up Matt and his co-worker friend, Brian.

After a few hours of driving, we made it to the trail with only mild carsickness. Highway 299 is crazy twisty. By now it was about six p.m.
We hiked just as far as we had to for a campsite. It turned out to be about three miles, with a gradual uphill, to the spot we camped. My legs felt absolutely none of the previous day's effort. My cold was raring its ugly head though. Perhaps the pain in my head helped me ignore the fact that I had run my fastest 20 mile run just one day prior.

Campsite photo from the next morning.

We camped on a flat near the Stuart Fork and everything was set up just as the last hint of daylight slipped from the sky. I took some Benadryl to keep my sinuses free while I slept. If I was going to keep up this activity level with a cold, I really needed some solid sleep at night. (Nyquil seems to keep me awake rather than do put me to sleep. Anyone else notice this?)

Twenty Seven Years

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blogging for an important announcement.....

It's MY BIRTHDAY!!

Now, normally I would revisit some of the highlights of the previous year, citing new-found wisdom I've attained in the years I've been around (yeah, all 27 of them). But that is until I got a birthday card in the mail.

A birthday card from my oncology nurse. Not a big deal right? Her daughter and I share a birthday, so she always remembers it. In an email to her a few months ago, I asked about Krissy, a girl that was diagnosed with the same cancer, the same day I was.

We went through treatment simultaneously, emailed each other, and visited when we were getting chemo at the same time. We both went to craft hour in the ped. wing of the hospital. We celebrated St. Patty's Day together with silly green shamrock hats and our IV poles by our sides. She relapsed and I visited her once while she was getting new chemo. She was happy that this treatment let her hair grow back. We both laughed that it had come back bright orange, since she was blonde before. She didn't always return my emails, so I thought she was just busy when I stopped getting replies.

At my final checkup, the one where I'd be released from their supervision and be considered cured, I was afraid to ask about Krissy, already half knowing what had happened. I wanted this final check-up to be a happy one with no tears.

That birthday card had confirmed it. About a year after treatment, Krissy passed away. She was only 20 years old.

---
We were supposed to make it through this together, I thought to myself through the sobs. After a good, long cry in Matt's arms last night, I became even more grateful for the second chance I had been given. I made it to 27 years. I could have just as easily not made it this long.

So when you have your birthday, don't complain about how your body is aging and sagging. Don't be upset that it doesn't always do what you want it to because it's getting older. Be grateful that you're here to blow out those candles.

Here's to living (at least) another 27 years!!

Perfect 20

Amidst my dreamlike haze, I slogged along. The Dayquil and nap beforehand had helped, but not enough to completely clear the fog in my head. The real fog, lowering overhead threatened to completely surround me. The first five miles were the worst. I rarely start a run as reluctantly. I took them at a 9:00/mi, which has just recently become my slow pace.



As we dropped down the hill to the ocean at mile 6, the fog lifted, both in my brain and in the sky. It was replaced by gorgeous sunshine, mental euphoria and a glorious downhill. At mile 10, our turnaround, I felt myself thinking "halfway already?". The second half of the run had more headwind and uphill, but I was feeling exceptionally good, so it didn't seem to bother me. My pace held remarkably steady the whole way.

A gorgeous soft light hung over the ocean and the beach bluffs. This spot really is my favorite in all of California. Although it is a mere 20 feet from a major highway, the roar of the waves seems to muffle all traffic noises. As far as I could tell, it was my own private beach.



Matt and I were joined by Shaina, on her bike. Not a runner, she always seems up for an adventure, and this trail starts near her house. She's beginning to realize that any adventure with Matt and I will end up kicking her butt. I hope this doesn't scare her away. Ass kicking is never our intention. :)







At mile 16, I reach the top of the bluffs. Just some flat distance to the end. I find a pocket of energy deep inside me and take off. The last four miles were not consistent, but they were faster than the rest of the run. No matter what my finishing pace is, I really love finishing strong. And this run was exactly that.



Twenty miles, 8:48/mi, in 2:56. A new time PR for that distance. I couldn't believe it. How effortless it felt until I pushed my pace at the end.

Sick

This week has dragged on. It all started on Tuesday with the onset of a terrible cold. Did a 14 mile hike up Grasshopper Peak with some friends. I thought the fatigue was from getting up early and my allergies, so I went along. I'm glad they're a little bit slower than I normally am because I was dragging, badly.

Did you know that it had been exactly one year, to the day that I had a cold. My most recent cold occurred a week before the Equinox Marathon. Is it that my immune system is stronger than most? Some people think so. Personally, I think it's because I'm no longer teaching and hanging out in a germ cesspool every day at work.

That night, I was in bed at 8pm and didn't wake until noon the next day. Wednesday was tempo run day. Running with a cold seems to help the symptoms so away I went. During the warm-up, I convinced myself to run whatever tempo miles I could do.



With one mile to warm up, I made it 4.5 miles pretty well. Matt and Alex were running a tempo on the same spot I was, and I was surprised at how long it took for them to finally drop from sight. By mile 4.5, I had enough. I was feeling dizzy. Often when I have a cold, I lose my appetite, eating and drinking far less than usual. Dizziness was not at all surprising.

So despite a cold, it was still a successful day in my book.

-----------------------------------------

What do you do when you have a cold? Most of the time, I park myself on the couch with a water bottle, box of tissues, and a cozy blanket. Since I've got pregnant friends up the wazoo right now, the crochet projects have joined me and my Kleenex on the couch.

I wish I could make one of these in my size!! :)

One finished baby package to mail out.

Marathon Race Pace

As Hubby and I built our training schedule, it was hard to decide what would be too much for me and what wouldn't. I've never really done formal speed training consistently, and the most recent time I tried, I ended up over-trained and running a slower marathon than I should have because of it. Cautious became my middle name.

So when we built the training plan, we took a shot in the dark for our first marathon race pace portion within the weekly long run.

16 miles (8 at MRP)

We set off at a 9:00/mi. Perfect pace for me really. It felt like an easy run, and I was so comfortable that I wanted to go faster. Careful to rein in my enthusiasm and run the prescribed pace for the first eight miles, we moved effortlessly down city sidewalks.

First eight miles : 1:10.50, 8:51/mi.
Okay, so a little fast. But the last three of it were slightly downhill, so I just let myself go at that "easy" feel.

The first real uphill came at mile 8, precisely when I was to speed up to the MRP. Not exactly the best timing for the fast portion. We continued uphill until mile 10, where I thought I was going to die trying for MRP. But just as I was ready to collapse, we turned slightly down and headed to Old Town. My pace quickly recovered and I tried to make up lost time. Yeah, bad idea, right? Soon we were on the same street I run my tempo runs.

This is where I do my tempo runs, isn't it pretty?

Compared to the tempo runs, I felt full of energy. So I unknowingly sped up. I had to stop for some walk breaks to catch my breath. It kinda sucked going at my race pace. How was I ever going to pull it off?

Palco Marsh has some hints of fall colors already!

After a few more mini meltdowns resulting in walk breaks, I returned home in a slump of disappointment.

Drama Queen.

2:19.13 for 16 miles, 8:42/mi.
1:10.50 first 8 miles, 8:51/mi.
1:08.10 last 8 miles, 8:31/mi.

I realize that I probably shouldn't have gone for HALF of my long run at race pace and something more like 1/4 of it. Or maybe I should have done the first half at a slower pace? I don't know. Either way, I tried to focus on the positive aspects of the run:

1. Negative splits by a respectable margin.
2. Last training cycle, I would've killed for anything under a 9:00/mi.
3. My first time even trying for the MRP.
4. Several more long runs and tempos lie ahead, plenty of time to dig up some fast.
5. I finally broke down and bought a new running backpack. It ROCKS! No longer are my poor boobies squished by the straps. It fits like a dream and dries really fast, so I'm not lugging around pounds of my own sweat. YAY! :)

Do you have any suggestions on how I should structure my long runs to include marathon race pace portions?

Evil on the Trails

Remember how I was sad that I had decided to go back to road running for a few months? Well that was just days before this baby appeared :


An entire summer of trail running, and I only get poison oak now? Well, I guess that's good. I believe it was from a 4 mile trail run we did on Hwy. 1 on our return trip from the 50K race in the Bay Area. The foliage was extra thick and I do remember running really fast and brushing against some plants. Then I went home and shaved my legs a couple of days later, and spread it all over the place. Maybe I'm not so sad to put trail running away for a little bit (at least til that rash heals).

Enter Tecnu, my new hero. I read online that this stuff was used to remove paint and radioactive residues from things. So I guess I should use it sparingly, huh?

Welcome to the West Coast, Karen!!

Do you have any home remedies for Poison Oak?
What is your worst Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac story?

Cheesecake!!!!

Well why the heck not?

Here's my cheesecake on a stick. Had it while watching the Packers (woooo!!) win. Just fueling up for my next tempo run, right?




----
How do you reward yourself when you meet a goal?

I don't usually reward myself with food. But look at that cheesecake, tell me it wasn't worth it? I have few food weaknesses, but cheesecake is definitely one of them. I'll reward myself with something pretty, anything from a workout top to a new coffee mug, and anything in between. Something small that I really want that feels special.

WOOOOOOOOO TEMPO RUN!!!!

Remember my plan back in January? To finally go Sub-40 on a 5 mile run?

Well, nearly eight months later, I FINALLY DID IT!!!

5 mi tempo run
7:36/mi
in 38:02!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As part of a 10 mile run, I warmed up for one mile, ran the tempo miles, and then finished comfortably for the remaining four miles. There was a thick fog, 100% humidity. Matt joked that he wasn't even thirsty because he was drinking the saturated air. On a day that my allergies were horrible and I spent the afternoon on the couch, I never EVER expected to pull that off. Just what I needed, a little reassurance that my marathon goal *is* attainable.

The Math : 10 miles, 1:23.20, 8:20/mi. (my fastest non-race 10 miler ever, too!!)
1 mile warmup : 9:22/mi
Five mile tempo : 7:36/mi
Four mile "Whatever felt easy" : 8:58/mi.

PS - I'm eating the cheesecake tomorrow. A local ice cream place has cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate, totally calling my name!

Ultramarathons

After finishing my first ultra marathon, I thought of what I wanted next. Do I want to continue to go longer and longer? Do I want to stop at the marathon? Or run another 50K?

I have eaten my words before, so this response might actually force me to do the same a few years down the road. When I first met Matt, he spent years trying to get me to run a marathon. I ran one, with him, as a gift for our first wedding anniversary. I swore it would be my only marathon. Five marathons and a 50K later, my mind changed. But here it comes :

I don't ever want to run a 100 mile race.

Here's why :

I LIKE TO SLEEP. If I don't get the full eight hours of sleep, I turn into a raging monster. No joke. Ask my hubby. Replace my night of sleep for two nights straight with running and I will probably kill someone. Running won't be fun anymore. And to me, there really is no point in running if it isn't fun.

Will I ever run longer than 31 miles? Probably. If I were to get fast enough to run 40 or 50 miles in a single day, I may consider that. But for now, I'm content where I am : trying to make my marathon faster and just enjoying running.

But this?


I'm pretty darn proud of this coaster! Ultramarathon finisher?? Me? Oh heck yes!

Headwaters PR

This is my favorite local running trail. I've written about it several times. Well, here's the elevation profile.


(Ignore that it measures just over 10.25 miles, Garmy gets lost somewhere at the top in the trees.)

Just after mile 3, it goes up and up and up, until it reaches an old growth Redwood grove. More often than not, it takes me 2:15 to cover the 11.5 miles. Because of the hill difficulty, that's really not that bad. 11:44/mi. Doable. Until a month ago, the mud was the limiting factor. Tons and tons of mud. That's where I went to get my dirty on.

Today, I ran Headwaters with the boys. I pushed a little bit, but already feeling kinda tired from my Saturday Domestic Extravaganza!!, not too much. The trail was nice and dry. And I managed it in 1:55, a dead-on 10:00/mi. I know part of it is from the lack of mud.

But all of my runs this week, except the shake-out run on Monday, have been STELLAR. Does anyone ever notice that after a really hard race or run, the following days feel a little easier by comparison and turn out faster? Part of it is that I can remember how hard the 50K was and I can still feel like I'm going hard, but it's not AS HARD as the race was, so a little easier.

San Francisco

The morning after the race, I was surprised at how good my legs felt. Trail running seems to cut my recovery time in half!

Perfect weather!

We wasted no time diving back into exercise, starting with a day-long hike in San Francisco. And if you know one thing about the city, it's really really hilly. Some spots were so steep that the sidewalks had notches into them, turning them into stairs.

Is Matt slanted, or is the road?The City!

Just two hours after breakfast, we were ravenous again. The day after a long run, I'm always super hungry. We stopped off at Tacolicious, right across the street from Fleet Feet. It was really delicious!

Tacolicious

The weather couldn't have been better. About 65F and sunny. And the tourists were out in droves. Compared to our rainy trip in January, they were everywhere. We basically had the tourist spots to ourselves. Now there were long lines to everything. I'm not much for crowds, so we decided to save some of those activities for later.

Grassy area near Ft. Mason on the Embarcadero.

We walked the Embarcadero and braved the crowds at Ghiradelli for our free sample, then headed back up the hill for dinner. At where else? Lemongrass. Once I find a place I like, I don't really see any point in deviating from it. By dark, we were headed back to our car and headed north to Petaluma.

Someone was feeding a raccoon family of four from their car. I hate when people feed the wildlife, it dooms them to
an unnatural life and they usually end up dead within a year. A guy was getting within a foot of the mama
and she puffed up really big. Great idea, pal.
Looking towards Oakland and the Richmond Bridge.

See you again soon!

Golden Gate Bridge.