Running: 6 Miles

Farthest run!  I can't believe I ran for 45 minutes.  When I started training again back in January I couldn't even fathom running farther than 3 miles.  Little by little I continue to push myself to set a new distance record.  I ran through Brentwood and Santa  Monica last night so it's pretty easy to just keep going.  Not as many major intersections or hills to throw off my pace.  The only complication is some pain I've been getting in my hip.  I'll have the opportunity to rest it this weekend so I'll reassess the sitch next week.  180 miles down...

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: 4 miles on San Vicente

Hmmm, don't know why my Nike+ widget isn't working?  Oh well...

Ventured down San Vicente Blvd. yesterday afternoon.  It's nice to change things up from time to time.  An okay but relatively slow run.  Not as far as I wanted to go but I'll adjust the route next time.

The deets:

Mile 1: 7'19"

Mile 2: 7'21"

Mile 3: 7'10"

Mile 4: 6'54"

Finishing Pace: 6'47"

4.4 miles total | 31'21" | 7'04"/mile | ~400 calories 

Can't wait for Boot Camp tomorrow morning!  w00t! The 1.5 hour long session will be broken-up for those of us who want to work with Jeff, a running specialist, during the first half of class.  You can bet that I'll totally be taking advantage of his expertise.  I'll then wrap up with 45 minutes of strengthening with Angela!  Bring it....

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...

Running: Can't Believe...

I can't believe I pulled myself out of bed this morning at 8AM for a run.  I was in a different hood this weekend so I mapped out my 4 mile route on the Nike+ site ahead of time.  Love that site.  Unfortunately the wind (which didn't seem so bad at first) totally SUCKED!   I cut my workout short at 3 miles.  Tired.  HUGE week ahead of me...NEED sleep!  Yawn...

Mile 1: 7'36"

Mile 2: 7'25"

Mile 3: 6'39"

Running: On Being Chased

Kicked serious ass this afternoon.  At about the mile mark I tuned into the fact that someone I passed earlier was on the chase.  I tore up The Hills and at the top of the 2nd major hill I was quickly reminded that breathing is indeed a fairly important part of running so I slowed down a bit to catch my breath.  This (around the 2.5 to 3 mile mark) is where the guy chasing me finally caught up.  My competitive side was only slightly annoyed that he caught me since the first thing out of Greg's mouth was "You run too fast!".  We ran together for a while which was nice but he had something on which was beeping like crazy.  I thought it was a heart rate monitor until he said it was his new GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner, no doubt).  Greg said the beeping was the watch telling him that he was running too fast trying to keep up with me.  Don't even care that it was (likely) just a line because I still seriously giggled like a school-girl (on the inside) as soon as the words came out of his mouth.  Yep, there you have it Fellas...tell me I'm a fast runner and I'll be putty in yer hands!

Not only was this my fastest run on The Hills to date but I also recorded my fastest mile during Mile #4!  Double f'g w00t!  Still tripping out over 6'28" mile...at the END of my run, no less!!!

The Cheviot Hills Loop Breakdown:

Mile 1: 6'47"

Mile 2: 7'14"

Mile 3: 6'58"

Mile 4: 6'28"

Finishing Pace: 6'25"

***Currently taking applications for a regular running partner!  

Running: No More Racing The Sun!

Thanks to DST I no longer have to race the sun in order to get my evening run in before dark. So nice. Though I can already tell that the warmer weather is going to have it's own impact on my training. But that's okay...I like getting sweaty! 

The (Cheviot Hills Loop) breakdown:

Mile 1: 6'58"
Mile 2: 7'22"
Mile 3: 7'11"
Mile 4: 7'10"

For those keeping track...I kicked ass on The Hills today.  Miles 2 & 3 are considerably faster than any of my previous runs.  If I keep this up I'll have no problems taking on Half Dome, again, this June! 17 miles with a 4800' elevation gain...bring it!