Running: Bad, Bad, Bad

Wasn't feeling it this AM...had to cut it short. It felt like I had 5lb ankle weights on each leg....totally sucked! 'Nough said.

Running: Back In The Hills...

I woke up too late to get to the gym this AM so I decided to give my old Cheviot Hills route another chance. The last time I ran the loop was literally torture...I was abusing injuries that needed nursing because I'd gotten so completely obsessed with running a certain amount of miles each week.

It was nice to get back outside and especially nice to experience that run PAIN FREE! Silliness, I know. I'll chalk it up to a learning experience. My run was rather slow and quite challenging compared to where I left off... lots of make-up work to do!

All in all not a bad way to kick-off my HALF Birthday! :-D

Running: Easing Back In....

For those who aren't aware I've had to take a break from running in order to mend some injuries.  My 'new' NikeiD's crapped out just shy of 200 miles.   As such, they started causing some pretty painful wear and tear on my feet.  Then due to overcompensating for said pain my tracking was thrown off and my hip started to pay the price.  NO FUN AT ALL.  

After weeks of trying to push through the pain I finally forced myself to take the last 3 weeks off so my body could heal.  In the meantime I've been hooked up with a gym membership so that I can run safely on a treadmill rather than dodging cars and lifted sidewalks around Rancho Park/Cheviot Hills.

I kept tonight's run slow and short in order to assess things.  Glad to report that I feel great and I'm completely stoked about being back in the gym. 

Thirteen days until I climb Half Dome...

Running: 9 Miles To Go

Hmm, I think I need to recalibrate my Nike+.  It logged mile number 2 at a 9'58" pace and mile number 3 at a 5'01" pace.  Ya, I don't think so...

Nine more miles until I hit my 200 mile benchmark. w00t!

Running: It's About Time...

Ugh...I feel like such a slacker.  Only two runs last week.  No boot camp due to travel this past weekend.  And now on Wednesday I finally get my first run in of the week!  Granted Mondays are my walking nights (3 miles) with Erin but I just don't get the same cardio workout on these evenings as I do with running.  

Felt really good at the start of this run, as you can see, but started to poop out early.  With the temps expected to hit the 90's later this week I'm going to TRY to get my workouts over with in the mornings.  We'll see how that goes. 

Only 14 more miles to go until I hit my 200 mile benchmark!  w00t!

Running: Morning Run

Had to get a run in this AM since I knew I wouldn't be able to do it later this afternoon.  The air was brisk and clean...perfect for running.  Feeling great...such a good way to start my day.  I'm about half a mile shy of getting 175 miles under my belt (since January)!  w00t!  Hope to log mile number 200 by next week!  Fingers crossed.

Running: April = 50 Miles

With tonight's run I logged 50.11 miles for the month April.  Good stuff, for sure, but I know I can do better.  I hope to get that number closer to 60 miles for the month of May!  With all of the travel I have planned this month this goal may prove to be difficult to achieve...but I'm up for the challenge!

Running: 5 More Miles...

Still a little sore after a brutal Boot Camp workout last Saturday followed by a speedy 6 mile hike in Topanga Canyon.  Seriously don't know what I was thinking...my leg muscles are still recovering hence the slightly slower pace today.  Really tired...all for now.  G'night!

Running: Slow & Steady...New Farthest

I think I could benefit from longer breaks in-between runs...this afternoon was incredibly tough and it felt a lot slower than it actually was.   No fun! I ran 5 miles on Saturday, walked 3 miles on Monday, then ran 5 miles on both Tuesday and today. Definitely needing more recovery time...feeling it, for sure. Will be at a conference down in the OC tomorrow so I'll get a break and can reassess on Friday,  I suppose.  Tired...it's late.  Have to be on the road early tomorrow morning so here are the deets:

Mile 1: 6'39"

Mile 2: 8'18"

Mile 3: 7'04

Mile 4: 6'41

Mile 5: 7'04

Running: Yesterday's run...

This new route (which gets me 5 miles door to door) has FIVE hills.  Fortunately the first two are the worst...it's good to get them out of the way early on.  My legs felt very heavy during this run.  Tight muscles I suppose.  Must stretch more...

Mile 1: 6'45"

Mile 2: 7'10"

Mile 3: 6'51"

Mile 4: 7'32"

Mile 5: 7'19"

Running: 5 More Miles Closer To My 200 Milestone

(grrrrr!)

Saturday morning runs rock!  The air is clean and the traffic is light.  Not to mention that the weather was PERFECT running temp...(even though I was STILL sweating my ass off by the time I got home).

5.15 Miles | 36'46" | 7'07"/mile | ~500 calories

Mile 1: 6'47"

Mile 2: 7'21"

Mile 3: 7'08

Mile 4: 7'29"

Mile 5: 6'43"

New farthest run to date! w00t!

Running: 5 Miles, Fastest Mile & Farthest Run...Oh My!

Lame-ass widgets! hmph!

Good'ish run...my first mile clocked in as my fastest, to date.  And this was my farthest run, to date, as well.  It was  a tougher one because I was running a little earlier in the afternoon than usual and the heat...rather the sun, kinda got to me.  

The Deets:

5.12 miles | 36'18" | 7'05"/mile | ~500 calories

Mile 1: 6'34" ***New Fastest Mile!

Mile 2: 7'00"

Mile 3: 7'17"

Mile 4: 6'47"

Mile 5: 7'00"

No Boot camp tomorrow because I have my aerial silk and trapeze class on Sunday...doing both in the same weekend would be brutal.  I've recruited some other Burners to check out the class this weekend as well.  They're gonna love it...

Running: New Route & Fastest Mile!

(STILL don't know why my widgets aren't working...hopefully they'll come back online soon.)

Totally killed it tonight!!! I was actually a little nervous, yes nervous, about this run. I haven't been running as much as I'd like and it makes me feel as if I'm taking major steps backwards when I'm not able to squeeze more training into my week. So going into tonight's run I'd convinced myself that it would likely be a little slower than usual. Not to mention that I took a new route and there were WAY more hills than expected! Damn those Cheviot Hills!

The Breakdown:

Total Miles: 5.06 | Time 35'32" | Calories ~500 | Pace 7'00"/mile|

Mile 1: 6'37" ***(New Fastest Mile!)

Mile 2: 7'27"

Mile 3: 6'45"

Mile 4: 7'30"

Mile 5: 6'51

Feeling great but hungry!

Must go eat...

Running: Chilliciousness

Good run....much needed.  

Feeling uber-chill!  

So nice.

The Breakdown:

Mile 1: 6'59"

Mile 2: 7'37"

Mile 3: 7'02"

Mile 4: 7'08"

Finishing Pace: 6'37"

Running: A Little Behind

Catching up time...stats from Friday afternoon.  I'm really happy with this run.  Was able to get my average mile pace back under 7 minutes....before (literally) racing off to the Ani DiFranco concert.  But more on that later.

The Deets-

Mile 1: 6'54"

Mile 2: 7'21"

Mile 3: 7'12"

Mile 4: 6'58"

Finishing Pace: 6'41"

Running: 5 Miles! w00t!

I DID IT!  

Today was a SUPER special day!  I received a totally unexpected Thank You gift this morning which left me perma-smiling throughout the remainder of the afternoon.  My cheeks are still recovering.  Yow!  After flying through my day in complete euphoric shock I HAD to be sure to finish on a high note.  I finally sat down and mapped out a few additional blocks onto the Cheviot Hills Loop in order to extend the route to 5 miles.  

My unfamiliarity with the new streets (in conjunction with tired and *still* sore legs) actually made my run feel much longer than it was.  I'm sure once I get better acquainted with the longer loop it won't seem so far.  I also felt super slow and was completely surprised to see that my actual pace was a lot faster than I had expected.

A special day indeed! Double w00t!

Running: The Long Way Home...

This morning was my farthest run of the year. I swear one of these days I'll hit 5 miles again. Getting closer for sure...just need to take the time map out a few more blocks on my route.  I love the Nike+ site!

Sunday mornings are my absolute favorite time to run. When you're an urban runner you have a lot of obstacles to contend with...namely traffic and intersections. On Sunday mornings these hindrances become minor issues. It's the only time I can run across (what seems like) all 10 lanes on Pico Boulevard without waiting to cross at an intersection. Nice! 

My only issue with running in the morning is cold/tight muscles. This AM I was in cruise-mode because I woke up with sore hamstrings and gleutes (as a result of some recent non-running activities).  Just another reminder that being in running shape doesn't constitute being in all-other-activity shape. Pressing on...

Running: Weekend Kick-Off...

Started my weekend off right.

Back at it tomorrow...

Running: Play Time Is Over!

Woke up early this AM...crawled out of bed.  Got my gear on...then proceeded to crawl right back into bed.  It's been a week since my "Milestone" run.  I've had an insanely busy social schedule over the course of the last 8 days.  I'm pretty sure last night was the first night in a week that I got more than 4 to 5 hours of sleep.  Ahhh, absolute bliss!  

I've been feeling so guilty for not finding time to run.  I totally convinced myself that I was setting my progress WAY back after a whole week of pure gluttony along with very little sleep.  Glad to report that it was all in my head.  Tonight's run was fine.  Feeling good!  

The Deets:

Mile 1: 7'01"

Mile 2: 7'39"

Mile 3: 7'03"

Mile 4: 7'04"

***Side Note:  I found out today that I've helped motivate two separate long-time friends to begin training again!  Go Meg & Greenich!  Grin, we totally have to start hitting San Vicente and The Stairs together!  Meg, yer gonna LOVE your new Nike+!  Be sure to post your stats on your blog so we can watch your progress!  w00t!

Running: MILESTONE!!! (Click Here)

Back to running the Cheviot Hills Loop today...felt really strong.  I was looking forward to pounding the pavement all day because I knew this would take me over the 100 mile mark (since January 6th)!  w00t!!

I realized a couple of days ago that it's been exactly one year since I began running again.  Starting March 14, 2007 I ran regularly (and did Bootcamp) right up until the end of August when I blasted off to Burning Man.  I came back from BM the first week of September 2007 with Playa Lung and proceeded to get only a dozen or so runs in until January 6, 2008...when I started training again more seriously. 

The Stats Since January 6, 2008 

(2.5 months)...

Total Runs: 30

Total Miles Logged: 101.23 

Average Pace: 7'16"

Total Calories Burned: 9,115.62 

Weight Loss: 5lbs

Today's Breakdown...

Mile 1: 6'50"

Mile 2: 7'21"

Mile 3: 6'59"

Mile 4: 6'32"

Today's Power Song:

I need a shot 

I need a shot of ambition
I need a hit
I need a hit of nutrition
I need a fix
I need to fix my ignition
If you want to whip me into shape
I need a plan or a mission

Cause I'm gunna ride fast, going nowhere
And I left my brain in the past
I'm gunna ride fast
To where I don't care

Faa Faa Faa FA FA FA FA Faa...

Never felt better...