Saturday, and not running

We now have a foot of snow. The road hasn't been plowed, so I am not going to attempt to go into town. I can't run here—I can barely walk through the snow, and the ground is slippery and wet. So, no long run this weekend. I think Surf City is pretty well out of the question at this point. I was really counting on being able to do ten miles this weekend. Oh well, I can't do anything about the weather!

Tuesday

There is four inches of snow on the ground, so I couldn't run around the house. I had intended to use my trampoline for 30 minutes today in lieu of running, but instead spent my half-hour wrestling with my generator, which did not want to produce electricity, and scraping snow off the solar panels. Oh well, it was some physical effort anyway.

Week 8: Four miles

1:01 hours, 38 laps, 30:60 second run/walk ratio

I had a really good run today, despite the weather—it was cold and drizzly, then started snowing at about lap 23. I had originally planned to drive into town, but with the cold and wind I decided to just run around the house. I started out with the 1:1 lap ratio, but, as on Thursday, decided after three laps to switch to running about halfway and walking the rest of the way. So it wasn't exactly 30:60, but close enough. I ran the first 19 laps clockwise, and the second 19 counter-clockwise.

What really made it enjoyable was that I dug out my iPod shuffle and loaded it up with a couple of audiobooks, and listened to the first three parts of Pema Chodron's Getting Unstuck while I ran. It was very interesting and pleasant and kept my mind occupied while my body ran around and around. Yes, it's a bit ironic to be using a book about mindfulness and being in the present moment to keep myself distracted while I run. Hm. There was a short guided meditation in the middle where we were to relax and listen to all the sounds around us: I listened to the wind and my footsteps and my breath as I ran.

But even before I started running, I was using mindfulness to feel that running in the rain was going to be an interesting experience, rather than labeling it as bad and being attached to having good weather to run in. And I was actually kind of delighted when it started to snow, watching the white snowflakes falling all around, and feeling the cold little drops on my hands. I enjoyed the experience of being outdoors in the winter while I ran today.

After Getting Unstuck, I also have the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness to listen to. And then I suppose I'll have to get some more audiobooks to listen to while I run!

Thursday 19 laps

29:37 minutes, 1/2:1/2 lap run/walk ratio

I did my first three laps as usual, walk:run:walk, then I decided to try shortening the interval and running about half a lap, then walking the rest of the way, just to see if it made any difference in my time, and boy, I guess it did! I ran counterclockwise today—the "uphill" direction—and wasn't feeling particularly fast (my first complete running lap was a slow 1:27), and still managed to finish 19 laps in under 30 minutes! I guess I really should be doing 30:60 second run/walk intervals on my long runs. Although I think I'll stick to 1:1 laps for my midweek runs generally, and 1:2 for the shorter long runs, just to keep my endurance up.

I did go ahead and make reservations at the Hotel Huntington Beach for Surf City. I went to their website, just to see what their hotel was like and check prices without the "Surf City" discount, and they had king rooms for $87! That's cheaper than the $95 it said on the Surf City website! So I went ahead and reserved a room for Saturday and Sunday nights.

It's supposed to be really cold this weekend—highs in the 40s on Saturday—but no rain or snow until Monday or so. Brr! I hope it stays dry!

Tuesday 19 laps

31:00 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

I'm back! Decided to give it another go, and see if I can get back on track for Surf City. It was cold out there, but it felt good to get my circulation going, and I didn't seem to lose any time over the weeks of being sick. My cough is mostly gone—I'm still having the occasional bout of coughing, but not nearly as bad as before. Another week, at most, should see it totally gone, I think. I don't think it would have really stopped me from running anyway, unless I started coughing in the middle of a run, but I was sleeping 12 hours or more a night and just not having time to do my runs. Anyway, I feel better now, and am not quite ready to give up on Surf City yet.

I do need to make hotel reservations soon. I finally decided that the hotels within walking distance of the start/finish line were just too expensive (and the host hotel is sold out already anyway), so I'm going for the Hotel Huntington Beach, six miles from the start, and only $95 a night. I'll be able to stay two nights there for less than the price of one night at Hyatt Regency! I'll just have to drive to the start in the morning, or take a cab or something. I'll figure it out.

Still coughing

Well, obviously, my training is not going well at all. I haven't run in a couple of weeks, and I'm not going to run today, either. I'm still coughing—my cold seems to be gone, but I can't get rid of this cough. I feel pretty good, most of the time, but I'm sleeping a lot, which interferes with me getting up in time to do my runs before work and whatever else I have scheduled.

I keep thinking about canceling Surf City... but then, I think, I still have time to get ready if I just get back on track and don't miss any more runs! I might not be able to match my time in Long Beach, but I'm pretty sure I can still finish. Then there's the hotel... the main hotel is already full, and the only other one that appears to be within walking distance of the start/finish is $250 a night... I've been thinking of just staying overnight, driving down Saturday in time to pick up my race packet, then home Sunday after the race. Huntington Beach is about a three hour drive from here, so it's doable. The main problem would be the check-out time—I won't be finishing the half marathon until around 11:30, so if check-out time is noon, I've got half an hour to get back to the hotel, shower and pack and check out. Also doable, but a bit close. Maybe I can get a late check-out? Or maybe just bite the bullet and pay for two nights.

I need to make a hotel reservation soon, though, if I'm still even considering doing the race. Sigh. I don't want to give up on it, but it's getting harder by the day. I just wish I could get rid of this darn cough! It's been hanging on for weeks.

Well, I'll give it a few more weeks and see if I can get myself back into training.

Tuesday 19 laps

31:07 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

Still have this darned cold—it's at the coughing stage now, which means it should be winding down soon—but it doesn't seem to be slowing me down any. It was cold enough this morning that I wore my sweatshirt for the first mile, but then I warmed up and took it off. It was a nice fresh morning, but there's supposed to be a storm coming in today, bringing rain for the next couple of days. So... it may well be muddy and wet on Thursday, besides being Thanksgiving. My first weather challenge of the winter! And then a second storm is coming in on the weekend, bringing snow. I've only got three miles to do this weekend, but it may be too muddy and slushy to run around the house. Meadowbrook Park should be okay, though. And the library is closed this weekend, so I won't have to worry about finishing in time to go to work in the afternoon.

As for last Saturday's eight-mile run, I checked back and found that I'd done my best time for eight miles since I've been keeping track of times on all my long runs! And I was afraid it would be hard, after missing so much of my training for this half marathon, and having a cold to boot! I guess I was still in pretty good shape from Long Beach. I matched my overall time for that half marathon, and did it on the park's inclined course. That bodes well for being able to train up to San Francisco's hilly half marathon in the summer.

Week 5: Eight miles

2:07 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

When I was putting stuff in my waist pack this morning, I discovered the empty GU packet left over from Long Beach! I haven't been to the park since the half marathon, yikes!

Well, today, I did go to Meadowbrook Park for my eight mile run. I'd meant to get going by 8 am, but in fact it was closer to 8:20 by the time I got ready and hit the road. Still, plenty of time to finish and get ready for work at 1:30, and the weather is cool enough now that I don't have to worry about finishing by 10 am.

I had a really good run. Maintained a good pace and didn't get too tired. The weather was perfect, high clouds, light breeze, probably in the 60s the whole time. I wore my black running pants, and layered one of my AIDS Marathon tank tops under my red running shirt. Probably didn't really need the extra layer, but it didn't hurt, either.

I ate a couple of PowerBar Gel Blasts (like gummy candies) at 4 miles. They were one of the free samples I picked up in my race packet at Long Beach. They were lemon-flavored, very yummy! They helped my sore throat, too. I may try to get hold of some more. Only problem is, the package says to eat 1–2 pieces every 10 minutes while exercising! No way am I going to eat that many. But I don't use GUs as often as they say, either. Maybe one every half hour or so, or a couple every mile. Hm. That would be a big bagful of candies to carry along on a half marathon! Well, we'll see. I do need to eat more on the long runs than I did for Long Beach.

Thursday 19 laps

30:42 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

I didn't run on Tuesday, because I slept in late and was still feeling icky. But today I felt fine, if reluctant to get moving, and had a good run.

I'm scheduled for 8 miles on Saturday. The longest I've done since Long Beach was five miles, and that was a while ago. I'm having a real hard time getting back into training this time. I don't really want to do Surf City. But then, that was what scheduling another race right away was for—to keep me training throughout the winter even if I don't want to. If not for Surf City, I'd have been sitting on my butt ever since Long Beach. So I guess it's doing its job!

Week 4: Three miles

46:56 minutes, 30:60 second run/walk ratio

Did 28.1 laps around the house today. It was kind of a comedy of errors—I didn't get enough sleep last night, and feel a cold coming on, so I was tired and decided to take it easy and try out some new stuff. Used the Gymboss timer on vibrate to time intervals, using 30:60 second intervals, which is what Jeff Galloway now suggests in the training book I got with the timer. Same amount of running/walking time total, but with the intervals each cut in half. And used my iPod shuffle to listen to music while I ran. So, first thing, I went out of the house without earbuds. Went back for earbuds and started over. Then, after two laps, when it was too hot to keep my hoodie on, I realized I didn't have my hat, either, so I went back to toss my hoodie on a chair and grab my hat.

I didn't wear my sleeve, so I couldn't clip the timer to the gauntlet. I tried clipping it various other places, but nothing worked, so I ended up holding it in my hand. I messed up some of the intervals while I was fiddling with it.

Despite everything, I did a pretty good time. Averaged about 15:40 minute miles. I like the 30:60 second run/walk ratio, I don't get as tired with the very short run intervals. I'll try it next week on my 8-mile run and see how it goes.

Thursday 19 laps

31:32 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

Hm, faster than Tuesday and I did the counter-clockwise circle today. I felt like I was being slow, but I guess not. It was a bit warmer today than Tuesday and the driveway has mostly dried up.

Tuesday 19 laps

32:21 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

There was frost on the ground this morning! Winter is coming, brr! I told myself it would be bracing. Actually, it wasn't all that cold. I ran in my sweatpants and hoodie and it was fine. The driveway was a bit muddy—apparently, there was a big rain/snow storm here while I was out of town—but not too bad. There was only one spot where I had to kind of run around the puddles.

I felt kind of slow but still ran a decent time.

Week 3: Four miles

(Miles approximate) 1:05 hours, 1:2–2:3 minutes

Did my run on the treadmill at our hotel in South San Francisco—not quite the 6.5 miles I was scheduled to do, but not bad. I didn't wear my watch, thinking I'd just watch the timer on the treadmill for intervals, but found 1:2 hard to keep track of, so I switched to 2:3 after about 25 minutes. It was a pretty good run, and I'm glad I was able to fit it into my schedule this weekend, even though it wasn't the whole distance.

Thursday 19 laps

32:58 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

I was slow today. Still, I remember when "slow" was 35–37 minutes, and 33 minutes was fast for 19 laps. I really do feel as though I'm finally recovered from the medical problems I've had over the past few years.

I ran counterclockwise today, which is also the slow direction. It was a good run, but I got a late start and I'm driving to Monterey today! Now it's nearly 10 am and I still have tons of stuff to do before I head out, so I'd better get to it!

Tuesday 19 laps

31:01 minutes, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

I have really been finding it hard to keep up with my running since Long Beach. I think this is the first midweek run I've done since I got back! It was cold and windy out there, and it sprinkled a bit of rain on me, but I wore my sweatpants and hoodie and did it anyway. Had a pretty good run, actually. I haven't been sloughing off long enough to really affect my conditioning, so if I am determined and keep it up from here on out, I think I'll be fine for Surf City. But keeping it up throughout the winter will be a challenge! I'm still thinking of joining a gym, but I want to check out the various gyms in town and see who's the cheapest and see if there are any that have month-to-month memberships.

And this weekend, I'll be in South San Francisco for a con, so I will have to be creative and determined to get my 6.5 (or 7) mile run in.

Week 2: Five miles

1:22 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

Today was one of those days... I was grumpy and tired and really, really didn't want to run. I fiddled around with my schedule for a while, trying to figure out if I could get away with a shorter run, finally decided I really had to do five miles today, put it off until after 10 am, and finally shoved myself out the door to run 47 laps around the house. Then, after two laps, decided that it was too hot to wear my long running pants and came inside to change. Stopped my watch while I did it, but I didn't want to start all over again so I still counted those first two laps.

I was also trying out my new Gymboss interval timer, which I got from jeffgalloway.com. It's a clip-on timer with two programmable intervals that can be set to beep or vibrate or both. That took a bit of fiddling with: I tried it first set to vibrate only, clipped to my waistband, but I couldn't feel the vibration through my thick sweats, plus the clip began to irritate my waist after only a few laps. I reset it to beep and vibrate and carried it in my hand for a bit, then decided to clip it to the back of my compression gauntlet. That worked perfectly! I could easily glance at the timer to see where I was (and the display shows both timers, so I can always tell if I'm in a running or walking interval), and I could feel the vibration on my wrist. So I think that's going to work well. The vibration will work even if I'm running on a noisy road or in a race with a whole bunch of other people using watch beeps to time intervals, and I'll be able to use headphones if I want to on my weekend runs. So that was a success.

I'm still trying to work out what to do when I'm at BAScon in two weeks. I'm scheduled for seven miles that week. Ordinarily, I'd drive into SF and run in Golden Gate Park, but I'll be riding up from Monterey with my friend and won't have a car of my own at the con. I suppose I'll just try to run around the con hotel.

Thursday

19 laps, 1:2 lap run/walk ratio, 30:54 minutes

I got a very late start today... the solar guys came this morning to install a couple of new batteries and take the old ones away, yay! and I didn't want to run while they were out there, and by the time they left it was 10 am and time to clean the fish tank, and by the time that was done, my mom called and I had email I wanted to write, and anyway, it was 11:30 when I finally got outside to do my run 'round the house. Felt good, and finished in good time. I wore my sweatpants, thinking it would still be cool, but it was fairly warm outside. I thought about coming in to change, but decided to just pull my pants legs up above my calves and keep going. Still, it was nothing like summer, when running at 11:30 would have been disastrous!

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:2 lap run/walk ratio, 32:14 minutes

I felt very logy today, and got off to a slow start, but once I got going, I had a pretty good run. My quads were still sore from bowing at the temple on Sunday, but a few laps around the house loosened them up.

I haven't done a midweek run in two weeks. I'd like to say it's nice to get back out there, but meh. I'd rather be sitting on the couch websurfing. Oh well. Back to work! I've got another half marathon to run!

I'm sort of considering joining a gym again. Maybe try to get in a couple of workouts a week on my non-running days. And also have a treadmill available for winter days when the roads are too icy-slushy-snowy to run. I should take the tour of the gyms in town and see who has the cheapest rates.

Week 1: Three miles

46:26 minutes, 28.1 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio

I pondered over what to do my first week back after the Long Beach Half Marathon: take the week off? get right back into training? I finally decided to do a 3-mile timing run, to determine my pace and run/walk ratio for the next race. I cut my 3-mile time a good five minutes from the last 3-mile timing run I did, for Honolulu. Go me! But when I look at the chart I got for the last AIDS Marathon I did, I find that I'm actually slower than I was for LA. :( Oh well, I was really pushing myself in LA. And I think the three miles we ran in the park were probably flatter than my laps around the house. (I switched directions after 14 laps, to get the hills going both ways.) And the thing is, just last week I ran a half marathon in which I averaged that same 15:30 minutes per mile for the entire race, which I sure couldn't do in LA. So, never mind, I know I'm doing better than I was back then. Maybe I just had a bad day today.

Anyway, the chart tells me to use a 1:2 run/walk ratio, exactly what I've been using for Long Beach. I might try boosting it up to 2:3 or 1.5:2 for some of my shorter long runs, just to see how it goes.

I've already registered for the Surf City USA Half Marathon. I'm still working out my training schedule, but I think I'm going to try for a long run of 10-12 miles at least once every three weeks until the race.

Long Beach Half Marathon

Picture report has been added to my marathon website!

Long Beach Half Marathon

Long Beach Half Marathon

It's been a rough week... I didn't do either of my midweek runs, and if I hadn't already made plans with my Mom I'd have been tempted to skip the half marathon. But I didn't! Drove down to Long Beach yesterday, leaving around 12:30–1 pm, and arriving at the Long Beach Westin Hotel at 3:40ish. Found the Expo and picked up my packet (going the loooong way around to the Convention Center), then had dinner in the hotel restaurant with my mom. We were both tired and went to bed early, but I didn't sleep well. Got up at 5:30 feeling sluggish and icky, but was okay by the time I headed out for the race at about a quarter to 7 am.

I'd meant to locate the starting line the day before, so I'd know exactly where I was going in the morning, but didn't. The area is very confusing, with the convention center across the street from the hotel and lots of little twisty, turny streets, but I figured when the time came, I'd just follow the crowds. Which I did, and the start line turned out to be just the other side of the Convention Center, across from the hotel. No problem! Everything's a lot closer together than it looks on the map.

I wore my WearYourNumber shirt and my long gray running pants. It was a bit chilly waiting but by the time the race started, it had already begun to get warm. The weather was great for running all day, breezy and warm but not too hot. I'd considered not wearing my waist pack with water bottle, since there'd be water stations along the course, but decided I had too much other stuff to bring with me—GU and handkerchief and ID and chapstick—so I did wear it.

I had a good run. Started off with under 15-minute miles, which gradually increased to near 16-minute miles, but I had enough energy left to run the last maybe six minutes or so—turned the corner and saw the finish line and just ran it in. Finished in about 3:24—yay! I'd been hoping to finish under 3:30, but would have been happy with 3:40. 3:24 was icing on the cake! Averaged under 16 minutes/mile, and still felt good when I crossed the finish line.

Afterwards, I made my way back to the hotel to rejoin my mom. Rested in the room for a bit, then took a shower, and we headed out to find lunch. Ate in the Old Dubliner Irish Pub—yummy! Then, to top off the day, we continued on to the Aquarium of the Pacific to see all the fish and jellies and crabs and sea lions and sharks and rays and other sea animals. I petted several rays of various kinds and took lots of pictures.

That pretty much wore out both my mother and me. We got back to the hotel around 4 pm and are resting up before dinner.

All in all, a good day and a good run!

Week 16: Seven Miles

1:53 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I was going to do my run at Meadowbrook, but when I got there, the parking lot was full, and I noticed county sheriff cars parked at intersections on the way, so I presume there was something going on there. (Just checked the TVRPD website, and it was the Search & Rescue 5K Fun Run.) Anyway, I decided not to run there, but drove back to Highline and Dennison and parked at the mailboxes and did my old route, Dennison to Valley to Curry to Highline and back, with the additional jog down to Tehachapi Blvd on Curry for the extra mile.

The weather was cold today, windy and cloudy and even a few drops of rain. I wore my long running pants and hoody, and was comfortable but cool enough to keep the hoody on the whole way. Felt good, kept up a good pace—even finished my last mile up Dennison in under 17 minutes, which is pretty good for that mile.

I wore my WearYourNumber shirt to try it out. It was nice and comfy. I think I'll wear my long pants in Long Beach, since they say the weather averages around 60–70 degrees on race day.

Next week I'll be in Long Beach!

Thursday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:26 minutes

I was late getting out there this morning—not because of sleeping late, but because of getting distracted by bloggish stuff—and didn't start till after 9 am, but fortunately, it's cooled off enough that I didn't fry out there. I ran counter-clockwise this morning, the slow direction, and felt a bit off, but still had a decent run.

I'm pleased that lately I've been feeling much stronger than before. Walking next door to my mom's house, up her steep driveway, I barely breathe hard, and sometimes I break into a run just because I feel like it. So I guess all this exercise is worth it, heh.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 30:42 minutes

I felt like I was a bit slow this morning, but my time doesn't bear that out. I was thinking about stuff as I ran... things like, can I really expect to get any faster for the next half marathon? Should I try to increase my run/walk ratio, or stick to 1:2? I can do 15 minute miles at 1:2, the problem is keeping up with that pace over the course of 13.1 miles. How will I keep up my training over the winter for the Surf City Half Marathon? I might have to join a gym for the winter months so I can use a treadmill. Depends on the weather this winter, really.

I keep thinking about what kind of schedule I should try for the next race, since I won't be starting from scratch. But there's time enough for that once I finish this race. I think I should try to do at least six miles every week, and try to do a couple of 14-mile runs before the race. I'll have to sit down with my calendar and plan out a schedule. After Long Beach.

Did I mention I got my running shirt from WearYourNumber.com? It's fabulous! Fits perfectly, nice soft slinky material, and my bib number is part of the fabric! I love it! The only problem was—tags! Stiff, pokey tags! Two of them—one in the neckband and one in the side. I hate tags, and who puts tags in shirts for marathoners? I always pull the tags out of my clothes anyway, but for this shirt, I opened the seams and removed the tags, then sewed the seams up with my sewing machine, so it would be as smooth and neat as possible. Now it's perfect!

Week 15: Fourteen miles

3:49 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

The day got off to somewhat of a bad start, as I woke up at 2:30 am and couldn't get back to sleep. I'd been intending to get up at 5, but since I was still awake at 4:15, I decided to bag it and get up. I felt okay, though, except for a slightly wonky stomach, and at least I had plenty of time to get ready! I left the house around 6:20, and got to the park just as the sun was rising.

It was pretty cold at 7 am, and I wore my running hoodie at first, but was warmed up enough to toss it into the truck after three miles. Most of the run was very pleasant, sunny but cool. By the last few miles, it was starting to get hot, but nowhere near as hot as it's been. I kept up a good pace the whole way and never got too tired. The bathrooms were locked again—I stopped at 10 miles to check, and to refill my water bottle from extra bottles I'd brought with me in the truck. That kind of sucked, but fortunately I wasn't desperate. It would have been nice to take a break, but I finished okay without one.

I had a couple of GUs left over from the last marathon, so I took an Espresso Blast flavored one along with me today and ate it after my aborted break. I think it really helped. I haven't used any GUs or other sport gels or drinks this time, but I think I'll take one or two along with me for the half marathon, just for a boost near the end. I have only one left, but I'm sure I'll be able to pick up some more at the Expo before the race.

My time at mile 13 was 3:34, so, figuring another couple of minutes for the extra one-tenth of a mile, my half-marathon time would have been about 3:36. Still short of the 3:30 I'll need for San Francisco, but not bad. I think it's completely doable to shave another six minutes off my time in another nine months or so.

My WearYourNumber shirt is supposed to have been shipped, so I should be getting it soon! Yay!

Only two weeks to go!

Thursday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 32:54 minutes

Today was a slow, lazy, late run. I don't know, I was just really tired today. Slept in until 8:30, then didn't get out to run until about 9:40. It was already getting hot, not hot enough to cause trouble, but enough to slow me down a bit. Still, I got my run in, which is the main thing.

I'm not looking forward to doing 14 miles on Saturday. But the half marathon is getting closer! Hm, I still haven't got my tee shirt with my number on it. But there's time.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:00 minutes

I was going to run down the road and back this morning, but my stomach was threatening to be wonky, and I didn't want to get stuck half a mile out with an urgent need to go to the bathroom, so I ran around the house instead. I felt a bit slow and groggy, but my stomach was fine, and I finished in good time anyway.

I didn't do my six-mile run this weekend. Sigh. Events conspired, and all that. My solar guy emailed me Friday (while I was in Bakersfield) that he would come out Saturday morning to work on my system, and I figured I'd better stick around home. I planned to run on Sunday instead, but Saturday turned out to be a long and stressful day (watching out for a sick gray fox that wandered onto the property, as well as coordinating with the solar guy and working in the afternoon), and I was so exhausted Sunday I didn't do anything but read and nap and play Jewel Quest. Then I thought I might do it Monday, but I had too much other stuff to do, and running just wasn't in the cards.

In retrospect, I could have just started out running around the house Saturday morning, to get in as many miles as possible before the solar guy showed up. Since he didn't actually get here until around 11 am, there would easily have been time to do six miles before he arrived. But I didn't know that at the time, nor did I know that I was going to be so wiped out on Sunday. Oh well.

Still. If I had to skip a run this close to the half marathon, the six-miler was the one to skip. If all goes well with the 14-miler this weekend, and the seven-miler after that, the half marathon should be fine. The weather is much cooler these days—60s and 70s in the mornings, and highs in the 80s—so I won't have to try to finish the 14-mile run before 10 am. I still think I'll need to get up at 5 am in order to get started around 6:30–7:00 am. I imagine it will take around four hours, so I don't want to start any later than 7 am.

Thursday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:42 minutes

I did the run around the house counter-clockwise today, which is always a little bit slower than running clockwise, because the steep bit at the front of the driveway becomes an uphill climb at the end of the lap, instead of a downhill boost at the beginning of a lap. Plus, I was feeling a bit logy today. I stopped after four laps to come into the house and go to the bathroom, but I stopped my watch for that so it doesn't count in my time. My running laps were all between 1:20–1:24 minutes.

But it was still a pretty good run, under 16-minute miles.

I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing 6-mile run this weekend, in preparation for the final 14-miler week after next.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:34 minutes

Well, I was tired and a bit late getting out there this morning, and I lost about 20 seconds on my first lap stopping to move some boards off the side of the driveway, so I was surprised to find my time was still under 16 minutes per mile. Guess I'm faster than I think!

I checked last year's September runs and found that they were much faster than earlier in the summer, too. I guess it's the cooler weather. That heat really slows me down.

Week 13: Twelve miles

3:16 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I meant to get up in time to be on the trail by 7 am, but it was not to be. I set the alarm for 6 am, and was out the door by 7, but it was about 7:20 or so before I was out running. I still had a really good run, averaging a little over 16 minute miles, even with the heat slowing me down over the last few miles. I only stopped once, to fill my water bottle from the water in the truck, which added maybe a minute and a half to my total time.

I felt pretty good while I was out there, and even felt that I could have done another mile or two if I had to, but once I was done, I started to feel achy and tired, and I had a couple of dizzy spells when I got home. I am really going to have to get up early when I do my 14 mile run. Probably I'll set the alarm for 5 am, and try to get to the park by 6:30. That won't be for two more weeks, though, so I hope the weather will have cooled down a little more by then.

Next week I'll do a short 6-mile run. It will be nice to have a short week.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 32:31 minutes

Hm. I'm not sure why my run was a whole 40 seconds slower than Tuesday's run. I didn't feel like I was running any slower! I think the difference was in the first mile—today's Mile 1 was 15:30-ish, while I'm fairly sure Tuesday's was under 15. I dunno. Well, it was still a good run, and 16:15 miles average with that long uphill mile is pretty darned good, compared to where I was a year ago.

I'm sure the cooler weather is helping a lot. I'm going to have to make sure I finish my long runs by around 10 am. Which means getting up at 5:30 am on Saturday so I can get to the park by 7 am. (And hope the bathrooms are open this week!)

Tuesday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 31:52 minutes

Did the run down and up the road today, and still maintained my 16-minute mile speed! Of course, it was more like 14 minutes down the road and 18 minutes up, but still! That's the fastest I've ever done the road run, and I didn't even really feel like I was pushing it.

I did cut my turnaround a little bit short, because I didn't want to run all the way to the Dog Hill driveway, in case the dogs were out. But it was only three or four strides; 10 seconds' worth of distance at the most. Even with that bit added in, it's still my fastest run.

I don't know why I've suddenly gotten so much faster, but I'm not complaining!

Week 12: Ten miles

2:40 hours, ~1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I got up early this morning, 6 am, to get out there and try to finish my run before the sun got too hot, and was at Meadowbrook Park by 7:30 am. Was almost there when I realized I'd dummied up and forgot my watch. Oh well, it was too late to go back and get it, so I just guessed my intervals and checked the clock in the truck when I started out and when I got back for my overall time. It went really well! It was nice and cool for the first couple of hours and I never got overly hot or tired. I didn't feel as though I slowed down much over the ten miles, although of course I couldn't really tell. I didn't feel any more tired on my tenth mile than I do on my second mile when I run down the road and back. And my time was great! Averaged 16-minute miles. If I can keep up that pace for a whole 13.1, I'll be able to finish the half marathon in 3:30!

The only bad thing about running in the park this morning was that, when I stopped at the bathroom after mile 4, the bathrooms were locked! Luckily, I was not desperate and finished the run just fine without any bathroom breaks, but that sucked. Maybe they don't open until 9 am? Or maybe it was just a one-time thing? I've still got 12- and 14-mile runs to do, so I hope the bathrooms are open for those!

Thursday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 29:52 minutes

Woo hoo! I decided to run around the house again today, so, in lieu of running up the hill, I decided to kick out the jams and see if I could get my time under 31 minutes. And, in fact, I got it under 30! All my running laps were under 1:15—a couple were as low as 1:11–1:12—and walking laps were all around 1:50. I didn't slow down much the whole way and finished strong. My first mile was about 14:40, so my second would have been around 15 minutes. Not bad at all! Finally, I'm doing some fast runs that aren't flukes or watch screw-ups or miscounts or whatever, and doing them consistently. Obviously, I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace for a whole marathon, or even a half—at least, not yet—but these are the fastest 2-milers I've done since I started running again after the cancer.

I am half-thinking about doing Honolulu again next year. But, let's get through Long Beach and Surf City and San Francisco first!

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:27 minutes

Well! My stomach was wonky this morning, and I wasn't sure I even wanted to run. I put it off for half an hour, first taking in the laundry, and then playing a few games of Jewel Quest III, when my stomach finally woke up and I went ahead and did my run. I decided to run around the house, because I didn't want to do that hill (and I didn't feel like having dogs bark at me), but I did the 1:1 lap run/walk ratio so I'd get a little training with running longer than a minute. And it turned out to be a really good run! I did most of my running laps at around 1:20, even did one at 1:16, and walking laps were under two minutes. And I felt good! It helped that the weather has finally cooled down, so I didn't have hot sun beating down on me. That was a great time! If only I could keep it up over the course of a long run! Well, I'll just have to keep training.

I don't think I've mentioned that I finally started to lose some weight, too. I've lost the extra pounds I gained recently, as well as a few of the pounds I gained on chemo. Now I just need to lose the pounds I gained after moving to Tehachapi! I would love to be back down to my running weight for the first couple of marathons. I know I'm finally getting my energy back. I may never get back to 14 minute miles... but who knows? If I keep training, I might!

I got out my calendar and re-did my schedule for the rest of the weeks before the half marathon. Turns out... I'm out of extra time. I really need to keep to my schedule now. I hope the weather stays cooler this month. It's September, anyway, so we shouldn't have any more 100F days.

My plan is to run 10 miles next week, then 12, 6, 14, 7—and then it's the race!

Week 11: Eight miles

2:14 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

Meh. I was tired today, got off to a late start, and decided to bag it after eight miles. I ran at Meadowbrook Park, and was going to try for 11 miles (scheduled to do 12, but didn't think I'd have time because of my late start). The first five miles went really well, but then the sun came out from behind the clouds and started beating down on me and I just lost all my strength. Mile 7 (the uphill mile) was really hard. Mile 8 was better, but I just didn't want to run any farther.

I'll have to re-work my schedule again. I keep not making the planned runs. I still have plenty of time to complete my training by Oct 12, but I have to figure out miles and days.

If the weather doesn't start to cool down soon, I'm going to have to start getting up at 4 am to do my long runs. It's just too hot to run after 10 am.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 33:52 minutes

I didn't run on Tuesday this week, because my generator quit working the night before, and I had to spend the morning taking it into Bakersfield to get it fixed. Got some exercise wrangling the generator around, though.

Today I've been kind of spacey, didn't even get out on the road until 9 am, but I had a pretty good run. About a zillion dogs came out and barked at me today.

Week 10: Ten Miles

2:49 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I drove down to Meadowbrook Park and did the 1.5 mile path back and forth from the railroad tracks to Valley Blvd to make my ten miles. It was a pretty good run—my time was good, even including one bathroom break. I shorted my first mile, but probably not by much, by running down the inside path on my way to the spur that goes out to the railroad tracks. But the chalk marks were still there from the Fun Run last week, so I figured out that it was the outside path, closer to Westwood, that makes a half-mile from the parking lot to the railroad tracks.

It was kind of a hard run, though. My stomach was wonky (hence the bathroom stop at 4 miles) and it was really hot, with no breeze at all most of the time. I felt very tired by the time it was over. It was probably also hard because I only did 6.2 miles last week. The tenth mile was very hard! I almost skipped my last couple of run intervals, but I ended up doing them anyway.

Overall, my time was just under 17 minutes per mile. Not bad considering the hills and the heat and everything.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 32:34 minutes

Woo hoo! Cut another 45 seconds off my best time on the down-the-road-and-back run. I didn't sleep well last night, and got off to a bit of a late start, and was wondering if I'd be able to match Tuesday's time. Not only matched it, but did even better! I was helped by the weather—it's been much cooler these past few days, so even though it was 8:30ish by the time I got out there, it was pleasant running the whole way. I feel as though I'm actually running on my run intervals these days, instead of just plodding along.

Tuesday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 33:19 minutes

I got up early this morning, started my run by 7:45, and zoomed! I pushed it a bit, but still felt good—in fact, I was a bit surprised to turn the corner and see my driveway coming up. I think I cut about a minute off my usual time for this run.

I think the hill-climbing and hill training has really helped me pick up my pace this time. Also, the 1:2 minute run/walk ratio is working really well for me. I begin to feel that a 3.5 hour half-marathon is within reach!

I got an email from the Long Beach Marathon this morning with a link to this site: WearYourNumber.com. What a great idea! I want to order a shirt, but I can't decide which one. I worry about a women's short-sleeve shirt being too tight on my left arm. On the other hand, it's supposed to be cooler in Long Beach in October, so a sleeveless shirt might be a bit cool. On the other, other hand.... Well, I'll think about it for a bit. They'll be making/selling the shirts right there at the Expo, so there's no hurry.

Week 9: 10k

1:37 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

This morning, instead of my scheduled 9 mile run, I did the Tehachapi Mountain Festival Fun Run/Walk 10k. It was an interesting route, from Meadowbrook Park up the bike path almost to Valley Blvd, then a short jog over to one of the side streets that runs down to Westwood, out Westwood to the turnaround point and back.

There were some hills on the route, but I was surprised by how well I managed them, not slowing up too much or feeling too tired. I guess all those trips up to the water tank made a difference! Plus the running up and down the road for my midweek runs. I actually had a really good time, about 15.6 minute miles!

The only bad part was that I was way last. No one else ran the 10k anywhere near as slowly as I did, I think I was at least 20–30 minutes behind the next to last runner. So it was kind of embarrassing to make everyone at the water stops and turnarounds and finish line stay out there till I finally plodded in. I don't think I'll do it again, but other than that, it was a fun run and I'm glad I did it at least once.

I was planning to go ahead and do three more miles after I finished, but I decided to bag it and come home. Hope it doesn't make the 10-miler too hard next week, but I think I'll be okay.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 34:46 minutes

Still a little sore and tired today, but I kept up my pace pretty well up and down the hill and got my Thursday run in. I started about 8:30, with the sky a bit overcast, thinking it was going to be a cool run for a change—but the clouds started to burn off before I got half a mile down the road, and the sky was clear and hot by the time I headed back up the hill. Oh well!

Tuesday

I'm not going to run today, because I did my exercise yesterday: I was working on the plumbing all day, and climbed the steep hill in back of the house eight times to shut the water off/on at the water tank. I am exhausted and sore and am calling all that hill-climbing my training for today.

Week 8: Eight miles

2:16 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

It wasn't my fastest eight miles, but it was a good run. I kept up my pace and felt good the whole way. Even had enough energy left when I got home to climb the hill behind the house to turn the water back on (I have a leaky pipe under the bathroom sink I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to fix).

I ran Dennison to Valley, Valley to Curry, Curry to Highline and back, Valley to Tucker and back to Dennison. Slowed down on the hills but didn't feel too tired or get too hot, even though I'd gotten off to a slightly late start (a little after 8:30) and was out until almost 11 am. There was a good breeze, so that helped cool me down.

I wore my sleeve instead of my bandages on my arm and it felt much more comfortable. Think I'll use my sleeve for long runs from now on.

I drank my whole bottle of water. I'm going to have to start figuring out places to refill my water bottle for anything over 8 miles.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 36:44 minutes

My time was long today, because I had to stop when I got about halfway down the road to run off behind a tree and go to the bathroom. My stomach's been wonky since Monday; I think I'm having a delayed reaction to the antibiotics and my digestion's all off. Despite that, I had a pretty good run, was able to keep up my pace with an 18-minute mile on the uphill. I think my stop took about two minutes, so my time would have been around 34:40 if I'd been able to keep going.

I've decided to participate in the Mountain Festival Fun Run on August 16, instead of my usual Saturday run. They have 1 mile, 5K and 10K run/walks. I'll do the 10K, of course, which is about 6.2 miles. I'm scheduled to run 9 miles that weekend, so I'm figuring I'll do the run, then tack on another three miles somewhere. The run is starting at Meadowbrook Park (and ending there, presumably), so I can probably just do 4 laps around the trail after it's over. It starts at 8 am, so I should be finished with the 10K by 10 am and another three miles by 11 am, which will still give me plenty of time to get home, showered, and ready to get to work by 1:30 pm.

Last year, I thought about doing the Fun Run, but no one seemed to know if there was any time limit on the runs. I didn't want to still be out there after everyone else had packed up and gone home. This year, I don't care. I'll just do the run at my own slow speed and finish when I finish.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 31:59 minutes

Ha! Made it under 32 minutes, by a mere second! 16-minute miles, and it felt pretty good.

I decided last night to skip the Zyrtec I've been taking for my allergies. I've been wondering if it was one of the reasons I've been feeling so tired and enervated lately. I tried skipping it once before, but my head got stuffed up at night so I continued taking it. This time, my head remained clear all night and I woke up at 6:30 am feeling refreshed and ready to go, so that's a very encouraging sign! I'm going to stop taking the Zyrtec for a while and see what happens.

I'm also considering trying to complete the California Dreamin' Racing Series. It occurred to me that, if I really want to keep exercising regularly throughout the year(s), I need to schedule myself for a race at least every six months to keep myself motivated to run. Otherwise, I just sit around and get lazy until the next time I decide to sign up for a race. And, conveniently, here's this series. You need to complete either a marathon or a half marathon over two years in each of three races: Long Beach, Surf City (Huntington Beach), and San Francisco. I'm already signed up for Long Beach. Next race would be Surf City on Feb 1 next year, then San Francisco on July 26. Both Surf City and SF have 6-hour time limits on their marathons, so it would have to be half marathons for both. Surf City's half marathon limit is 6 hours, same as the marathon, so that's no problem. San Francisco has two half marathons, one has a 3-hour time limit, and the other is 3.5 hours. I'd have to do the 3.5-hour one, and hope I can cut my time down by about ten minutes between now and next August. It's a challenge, but it's doable, I think.

Let's see, 13.1 miles in 3.5 hours comes out to 16-minute miles. Right now, I can do 16-minute miles for about two miles. On a good day. Heh. I will really need to increase my speed, but if I keep training, I think I can do it. I should also lose about 20 pounds. Having less weight to carry would enable me to run faster.

Anyway, it's something to think about. I know I can do Surf City, and that would be next. That will keep me running over the winter, brr! I may have to join a gym so I can run on a treadmill when the weather's bad.

Week 7: Seven miles

1:57 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I had a really good run today. I guess I'm getting back into the swing of things after my hiatus.

I got up early today—I set the alarm for 7 am, but I didn't need it because the woodpeckers woke me up at 6:30 drumming on the side of the house. Aargh. But I was at the mailboxes ready to run before 8 am, so that was a good thing. I did my 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, I'm really liking it. Did the same run as last week, with the addition of the half-mile jog down Curry to Tehachapi Blvd and back, to add in the extra mile. I felt good the whole way, and even kept up my pace pretty well on the final mile back uphill on Dennison.

After last Thursday's post, I decided to take Mom with me to Long Beach after all. I'll find someone else to take care of the fish and fur kids. She's looking forward to it, it will be a fun little vacation for both of us. I changed my reservation to two nights instead of three. That will be plenty of time, and will save me considerable bucks. So yay! That problem solved.

Thursday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 35:19 minutes

I was a bit slow today—I didn't sleep well last night, and my stomach was a bit off—but less than a minute slower than Tuesday's run, so I guess I wasn't that slow.

Still getting up at 7 am-ish. It was hard today, but I was out of bed by 7:10 and out running by 8:20.

I'm vacillating these days between "Yay! I'm going to do a half-marathon and Long Beach will be so much fun!" and "Blah, I'm tired, I don't want to do this, and Long Beach is going to be way too expensive." It's hard to keep going. I really lost a lot of momentum while I was sick. Plus, the person I thought might come to Long Beach with me (and share hotel expenses, which would really be a help financially) is almost certainly not coming. I wish I could bring my mom with me—I know she'd enjoy it. But then I'd have to find someone else to take care of the cats and fish while we're gone. Hm.

Tuesday

2 miles, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio, 34:41 minutes

I did the run down the road and back today, so I wouldn't have to hurdle the trench, and also because I think the mile uphill is good for my training, even though it's hard! I tried the 1:2 minute run/walk ratio and I think I like it better than 2:3. I don't know if it makes my time any faster, but it doesn't make it any slower, and it's more comfortable doing 1 minute run intervals.

Week 6: Six miles

1:41 hours, 1:2 minute run/walk ratio

I didn't know whether to count the weeks I didn't run, or just start up again with this week, but I decided to skip them. My last long run was Week 5, so this is Week 6, just about a month later.

I did the same route as last time, down Dennison to Valley, Valley to Curry, Curry to Highline, and back. It went pretty well. The 1:2 minute ratio seemed to work well, it's easier to only run one minute at a time, and two minutes is enough to recuperate. Despite missing so many weeks of training, my time for the six miles didn't slow down any. So it looks like I'm back in business!

I set the alarm to get up at 7 am, so I could get started by 8:15-ish. It still got pretty hot by the time I was done, but I didn't have any trouble with the early start. When my runs get up more than three hours, I'll probably get up at 6 am to get started even earlier.

Thursday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 34:09 minutes

I slept in till 8:30 am this morning, and had a hard time getting going, but I did my Thursday run, and I'm back on track (so far!) to continue training for Long Beach. It was a bit of a slow run, I just didn't have any energy today. But I did it, which is all that really matters.

I'm going to do six miles on Saturday and continue on from there. That will still get me to 14 miles before the half-marathon. I think I'll try doing a 1:2 minute run/walk ratio instead of the 2:3, and see how I like it. It's a bit less running than 2:3, and only one minute at a time. It might be easier to keep up for the longer runs than 2:3. I'm going to repeat my six-mile run of four weeks ago, and see how my time compares.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, 32:10 minutes

Skipped another week... last Thursday, I got up late and was just too tired, Saturday I just blew it off. I almost didn't run today, either, but I finally kicked myself out the door at 9 am and actually had a really good run—16 minute miles, kept my running laps under 1:30 and my walking laps under 2 minutes the whole way.

The hardest part about getting back into running is that my sleep/wake schedule has slipped back an hour while I wasn't doing anything. If I'm going to run on Tuesday mornings, I need to get up by 7 am. This morning, I didn't get up until after 7:30, and it's going to be tight getting ready for work on time. But now that I'm finally off the antibiotics, I hope I'll get some of my energy back.

I've had thoughts of bagging Long Beach this year... but there's still time to get back on track. I'll keep going for the time being and see how it goes.

Tuesday

19 laps, 1:1 lap run/walk ratio, about 33 minutes

So. It's been two weeks since I've run. I got cellulitis in my left leg and was too sick to run, but I've been on heavy antibiotics for a week (and will stay on them for another week), and am finally getting better. So I went out today for two miles around the house—I didn't want to stray too far from home, in case my leg started to hurt, but it was fine and I had a good run. I'm not sure about the total time—I missed a split somewhere along the line, and was trying to figure it out, and ended up stopping my watch for maybe 20 seconds. But it was a good run, anyway.

I had plenty of extra time built into my training schedule, so missing two weeks won't hurt. I'm planning to pick up with another six mile run this weekend, and then carry on from there. I'll still be able to reach 16 miles before the half-marathon, if I decide to go that far, or do two 14-mile runs.

Tuesday

2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 34:47 minutes

Well, my decision to do my weekday runs on Mondays instead of Tuesdays lasted... zero weeks. I didn't feel like running yesterday; by the time I would have been ready, it was already 10 am and hot, so I canceled it and ran today instead. Got out there early enough, just after 8 am (and it was already hot, but not blisteringly so), and had a good run down the road and back.

I think that trying to do half-hour practice and running on the same day is not happening. I will make my morning run my practice for the day, and do sitting on alternate days. Hm.

Week 4: Six miles

1:42 hours, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

I had a bad week this week, blew off my Thursday run because I felt so tired and dragged out. But today I felt fine! Set the alarm so I could get up by 7 am (and got up a few minutes early, so I didn't need it), then got ready and was at the mailboxes ready to run a little before 8:20. (If I really want to be out there by 8 am, I need to start getting ready by 7:40, I think. It takes a bit of time to change clothes, fill my water bottle, get my waist pack ready, and drive down to the mailboxes.)

I decided to run Dennison to Valley, Valley to Curry, then up Curry to Highline and back, instead of continuing up Valley to Tucker. I'd only done that once before, and I remember that I thought the hill up Curry to Highline was very hard, but this time it didn't seem so bad. I think running down and up the road for my midweek runs has been helping my ability to go up hills. Didn't even slow down much on the final mile. So yay!

I suspect I've been feeling tired and bad-tempered because I haven't been getting enough protein or fat in my diet. I've been living mostly on fruits and vegetables and rice, with a bit of cheese and soy dogs thrown in. Yesterday, I had lunch at Gracian's—cheese enchilada with rice and beans and two glasses of soda—and I even had chocolate last night. I decided, I'm not losing any weight anyway, so why deprive myself? And I feel so much better today. I'm going to try to boost my protein quite a bit, and be careful not to cut down on fat too much, and hope that increases my energy levels.

Tuesday

19 laps, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 34:18 minutes

Bleah. I got up late, only 7:20, but on Tuesday mornings, every 20 minutes count. So I pushed myself to get out there by 8 am anyway, barely finished my cocoa, and my stomach was still a little queasy. I didn't feel like running that mile back up the hill, so I decided to just run laps around the house. Time wasn't too bad; I felt slow but strong enough.

Mom did the laundry this morning, so I took a break between finishing my run and doing my ab work and stretches to hang clothes on the line. That used up any time I might have had to do morning practice; I'll just have to do evening practice instead.

And, it occurs to me that it's pretty unrealistic to expect to be able to do a two-mile run and morning practice on Tuesdays with any regularity; all it takes is sleeping late by half an hour or mom doing the laundry or getting a phone call or any of a number of things to eat up my time. But, it also occurs to me that, since I'm doing my long runs on Saturday this time, I can do my midweek runs on Monday and Thursday, and avoid having to do any runs on my 11–5:30 work days. Next week, I'll try that.

I still haven't made my hotel reservations for Long Beach. I'd probably better do that soon

Week 3: Five miles

1:26 hours, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

I made myself get up at 7 am so I could get out there before it got too hot. I was hoping to be ready to run by 7:30, but it was actually a little after 8 am by the time I was at the mailboxes. Oh well, still better than starting at 9:30! I ran on Dennison from Highline to Valley, Valley to Curry, Curry to Tehachapi Blvd and back. It was hot, but I kept up my pace pretty well and felt good the whole run. I drank water every mile and poured some over my head once to keep cool. I didn't slow down too much on my final mile back up Dennison. Good run!

Thursday

2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 34:22 minutes

(*&#$ watch did it to me again—went into Recall mode instead of stopping when I hit the Stop/Reset button at the end. Finally got it stopped at 34:42; estimating that it took me about 20 seconds to fiddle it around and get it stopped, so I'm calling it 34:22. Guess from now on I'd better hit the Split button first, then stop the watch, so if it declines to stop I'll at least have the right time on the splits.

Probably the battery is getting low—I've had this watch since LA. I'll try to remember to take it in for a new battery soon.

Anyway, I pushed it a little today, trying to get my time down a bit, which I think I did, but I also really got hot and tired by the end. I couldn't finish my third run interval on the second mile. It was awfully hot out there, and I'd gotten a bit of a late start, getting up at 8 am so I wasn't ready to run until 9:30 am. And the summer is only going to get hotter for the next couple of months. I may have to start using the alarm clock to get up early for my runs. Or start carrying a water bottle on even the midweek two-milers.

But I did my run, and I feel fine now. My right shin is still sore. Hm. It doesn't seem to get any worse, but it doesn't get any better, either. I may have to take a few days off to let it heal up.

Tuesday

2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 34:45 minutes

About the same time as last time, but the difference is, I didn't feel like I was pushing it this time, I was just taking it easy. I didn't start to feel the hill on the way back until the last ten minutes or so, and didn't feel as though I slowed down too much (although it was still 16:20 out and 18:20 back).

The not-yay is that my right shin is sore. It's been hurting since yesterday, and now, after running, it's worse. I have a feeling it's the bowing I've been doing that's making it sore. Or maybe it was the drive into Bakersfield yesterday. I didn't use the cruise control as much as usual, so my right leg was doing a lot of work. Anyway, I hope it's better soon.

The new question is how I'm going to work daily bowing/chanting/meditation practice into my schedule, along with running. This morning it went well—I got up around 7 am, started practice at 8 am, went out to run at 8:30 am and am now finishing up breakfast and getting ready to go to work. Tuesday is going to be the tightest squeeze, with practice and running and getting to work by 11 am. Saturdays will also get tighter as my long runs get longer. But I am going to keep at it. My mind needs the exercise as much as my body.

Week 2: Four miles

1:08 hours, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

I'm a bit annoyed at my watch... somehow, instead of stopping it at the end of the run, I got caught up in a recall loop where it kept showing me the minutes for each mile, and I couldn't figure out how to get back out to turn it off. So I ended up with an extra 30 seconds or so while I fussed with it.

But, close enough! I averaged just under 17 minutes per mile, running down Dennison from Highline to Valley, then up Valley to Curry and back. It was kind of fun getting back out on my old stomping grounds. It was hot—I didn't get out there until just after 9 am—but not too hot, and I felt pretty good the whole way. So, I'm on my way!

Thursday

2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 34:44 minutes

Whee! I cut over a minute off my last run up and down the road. I pushed it a little bit today, but not too much. I'm getting my strength back after not exercising much at all since Honolulu.

My weight is bouncing around between 158 and 162. Every time I go below 160, I think, yay! I'm finally losing weight! and every time it goes over, I think, boo! I'm not losing any. I don't know. My pants feel looser. I think I'm gaining muscle so I must be losing fat just to stay even. I sure would like to get back down to around 140 lb. I'm exercising and watching what I eat. I should be losing, but my weight seems to be stuck. Oh well, I feel better anyway.

I've come thisclose to making my hotel reservations for Long Beach at least four times, and every time I bail at the last minute. I know I will eventually, but I can't quite bring myself to commit yet. I have a friend who might come with me; therefore, I feel that I should reserve a room for two with a double bed (costs the same as a single, so that's no problem). But, if I'm going by myself, I'd rather have a king bed (so I can sleep sideways and lean against the headboard. Don't ask). I can always ask for a different room when I get there, but there's no guarantee I'll get it. But if she does decide to come along at the last minute, I'll want the two beds. Hmm.

My mom has offered to pay for one night as a gift to me, which is very nice, but I hesitate to accept. I'm pretty broke right now, but by October I should be in good shape again. (Financially, I mean, as well as physically.)

Hmm again.

Tuesday

2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio, 35:58 minutes

Did my 1 lap around the house, then ran down to the driveway just before dog hill and back. It was a good run. I slowed down on my way back up the hill, but not as much as before, I don't think. I feel pretty good.

Week 1: Three miles

52:06 minutes, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

And, we're off! I did my three miles around the house, 28.1 laps as I calculated last time. It took me about a minute longer than it did when I started training for Honolulu last year, which is actually okay by me, since I've only been running for a week. For Honolulu, I'd started running three times a week for about a month before I officially began training, so I was already in better shape than I am now. This time, though, I decided to just jump right into it and see how far I could get before the race.

I got started at about 9 am, so I was done with my run before 10 am. When the runs get longer, I'll have to calculate how long it's going to take and make sure I get started in time to finish by 11 am. That will give me time for stretches and cool down and breakfast and a shower and so on, so I can be ready to head for work by 1 pm. It will also be better to get started earlier as the summer goes on and the weather gets hotter. It's already pretty warm out there, but we haven't hit the hottest part of summer yet.

Next week, four miles! I'm going to try to train at 2:3 this time, since it's a shorter race than the marathon. But we'll see. If I can do just as good a time at 1:3 as 2:3, why make myself more tired?

Thursday

36:31 minutes, 2 miles, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

Okay, this was another day that would likely have been blown off if I didn't have a race to train for. I had to get up early to take my truck in for service. My mom followed me in and drove me home. I was tired and would have liked to go back to bed, but instead I put on my running clothes and went out for my morning run.

Tuesday on the way to work, I measured off one mile from my place, which turned out to be just out to the curve near the top of what I call Dog Hill. (So Tuesday's run? About a mile and a half, at the most. And it was actually 2:3, not 2:2.) I decided to run just to the driveway before Dog Hill, starting off with one circle around the house to make up for cutting it a bit short (probably more than made up for it). It took me about 16:40 to get to my turnaround point, including the extra lap around the house, then 19:45 to get back, without an extra lap. Going uphill really makes a difference! But it was a good run.

Tuesday

My resolve was tested already this morning: the solar guys are here working on my new electric system (Yay!), and I really didn't want to go out and run around the driveway with them here. I thought about skipping the run and doing something else today, like T'ai Chi or trampoline; I thought about getting up early and doing it before they got here (ha!); but finally I decided to just run down the road and back for about thirty minutes, instead of running around the house, which is what I did. My time was 30:34, using a 2:2-ish minute run/walk ratio. I have no idea how far I ran—less than two miles, no doubt, especially considering that I stopped to chat with Merle for a minute or so (there have been bears and mountain lions spotted on the hills!), but close enough.

I've considered running on the road for my weekday runs instead of around the house before, but never actually tried it. Here's what I found:

1) The time goes by much more quickly when you're going someplace and back, instead of just around in circles.

2) It's downhill all the way out and uphill all the way back, which makes the return mile a lot harder than the outbound, but it's not as bad as I thought it might be.

3) There is the danger of being interrupted when people driving by decide to stop and chat. Oh well!

I think I will measure off a mile from the house in my truck this morning and try doing a real two miles on Thursday.

In other news, I did go ahead and register for the Long Beach Half Marathon. After counting up the months again more carefully, I realized that there are really just over four months until the race, which would definitely not be enough time to train for a full marathon. Maybe next year!

Then I choked on how expensive the hotels were. I may have someone who'll go with me (yay!), but if not, it's going to be about $200 a night for a good hotel within walking distance of the race start/finish. Oh well! This will probably be my only other weekend trip for the year, so I guess I can afford it. I need to make reservations soon, the hotels are filling up fast. The official marathon hotel, the Hyatt, is already sold out for the marathon.

Here I go again

This morning, as I was writing in my personal blog, bemoaning the fact that I can't seem to keep myself motivated to exercise on a regular basis unless I have some goal or purpose (other than a general "I need to exercise"), I jokingly wrote, "Maybe I should sign up for another marathon."

Then I thought, hm, when's the Long Beach Marathon? Do they have a time limit? It's close enough to drive, and it looks like a great course....

And then I put on my running shoes, watch, and cap, and went out and ran/walked 19 laps around the house. Took me 34:20 minutes, which isn't bad for having done no running at all since Honolulu. I did my old one lap running, one lap walking run/walk ratio, and felt pretty good.

I think I'm going to sign up for the Long Beach Half Marathon. For one thing, it's October 12, which is only five months, a bit short to train for a full marathon. For another, the course has a 7.5 hour time limit. They do have an early start for walkers—I'm not sure whether it's okay to start early if you're planning to run and walk, or if it's for race walkers only—but, bleah, I don't want to be on the course for that long. I'm getting too old for this stuff! Besides, I weigh another ten pounds more this year than I did for Honolulu, and I'll probably be even slower. And, for a third thing, I don't want to do the training for a full marathon. I've got other plans for Sundays—I go to the Buddhist temple from 11 am to 1 pm—and don't have a full day for running any more. I figure I can do my weekday runs on Tuesday and Thursday, and long runs on Saturday before work. I should be able to do a half marathon in under four hours, so if I get started by 7 am, even on the longest training runs I should be done by 11 am, and have time to get ready to go to work at 1:30.

Anyway, I ran today! Go me!

If I can finish the half marathon in under 3.5 hours, maybe I'll try Disneyland next year.