Days 182-259

OK so it has been ages since a post. The NY Marathon was this past Sunday and it was a perfect day for a Marathon. I was there but I was on the sidelines cheering the runners on. So much has happened in the past few months and during that time, I made the decision to postpone my entry to 2012.

In a nutshell - my mom found out that she had a cancerous tumor and had to have a mastectomy followed by a course of radiation. Mom & Dad were going to go to NYC to cheer me along but given the treatment she is going through, she wasn't able to get to NYC for the marathon. So my husband suggested that I run it in 2012 instead and I knew that was the right decision to make. Especially since I feel that I was just not ready for a strong 26.2. I have still been running and going to track workouts and working with Coach Kees but I wasn't hitting my goals in my long training runs. I went out to do 18 miles and could only do 9, I went out for 16 and did 14. So...this is not my year.

But I now have one year to get myself ready and to have no excuses at all. Here's to a good year of training and working very hard. Starting off with a Half Marathon this weekend. Wish me luck!

Photo is from my most recent run at Bear Valley. We've been having amazing weather...

Days 171-181

What a great week and a half it has been for training. Working with the coach has given me focus and a new level of confidence that had been lacking. After the 14 miles, there were 4 slow miles at China Camp followed by a day where there was no running but Bikram yoga instead. Then there was 8 miles to the open space. And the coach helped me figure something else out - I shouldn't be doing my 8 miles up to the Open space because it's such a hill to get there and the NY Marathon really doesn't have many hills. So....the next step is to find a more flat place to run 8 miles. Around here, there are no truly flat places to get that many miles in but surely there must be something less hilly. The Thursday morning track workout was tough but good to do. I also had an easy mile with my 4 legged fur baby. Then came 16 miles back at Bear Valley and I was very happy with that run. First, I didn't do the big climb and instead went along Bear Valley Trail to the beach and then took a turn on Coast and ran to Coast Camp. There was some up and down but nothing like the last time. And most important, at the end of the run - I was super tired - but also felt better than after the 14 miles out there. And even more encouraging, I probably could have gone further. After that, what was supposed to be an easy recovery 5 miles at Phoenix Lake went awry when a wrong turn took me climbing up up up to Bald Mountain. The photo is from that run. After that there was an easy 3 mile run in the neighborhood and a track workout that evening. Today was a big day a 4 mile run then a strength training session where we did pushups, dead lifts, kettle ball stuff, sit ups, jumping to a step, burpees, one arm rows, lunges and we also pulled a tire that had a rope and it was put around your hops. And then at lunchtime, another 4 miles.

Stats:
Sunday Aug 14: 4.01 miles at China Camp in 41:40 10:24 avg pace/+357 feet
Monday Aug 15: Bikram
Tuesday Aug 16: 8.02 miles to Open Space in 1:22 at 10:19/+896 feet
Wednesday Aug 17: Bikram and Strength training exercises from a magazine
Thursday Aug 18: Track workout - 6.79 miles in 1:22 - this includes warm up/cool down and the recovery part of the workouts
Friday Aug 19: Bikram
Saturday Aug 20: 16.01 miles at Bear Valley in 2:48 at 10:31/+1723
Sunday Aug 21: 5.01 miles from Ross to Phoenix Lake to Bald Mountain in 57:13 at 11:25/+779
Monday Aug 22: rest day
Tuesday Aug 23: 3.01 miles in the neighborhood in 28:34 at 9:29/+120
Tuesday Aug 23: also, track workout. 5.14 miles in 44:30 at 8:39 including warm up and cool down
Wednesday Aug 24: 4.0 to Dominican in 40:12 at 10:02/+176 feet
Wednesday Aug 24: Madison Avenue Gym Workout
Wednesday Aug 24: 4.0 miles at lunchtime (hot) to Open Space in 41:11 at 10:15/+418 feet

Days 158-170

What an interesting 2 weeks these have been.

The Bad: I spent about a week in a panic about not being ready for the Marathon - despite the fact that it's not until November. The first (and unwise) move that I made in the panic was to find a training plan that dropped my long runs to 8s for much of August. The second thing I did in was to look into the NY Marathon online training programs which were being offered at a discounted price. I started to fill out the information form but even though they say that you get coaching advice from some of their experts - a sample plan was shown based on a few of my previous race times and I wasn't asked what I wanted my goal to be. It just came up with a plan for me and I didn't like that there was no input from me so I didn't enter my credit card information to buy that service.

The Good: The third thing that I did was that I decided to seek out a human coach - not an automated program like the NY Marathon online program. I emailed the coach of the Thursday morning track workouts and asked if he coached marathon runners and he said yes. We spoke on the phone once and have emailed a few times. He is out of town at the moment but I think that I understand his approach and he told me that I couldn't be running 8 mile long-runs so close to my Marathon date. I need to be 14+ on weekends. Also, he said that since my runs with Uli were so slow, I shouldn't count those miles towards my training miles. That makes sense. So today I ran 14 and next weekend I'll do something like 10 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday followed by 16 miles the following weekend. That kind of thing. And I'm running 8 miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mondays and Fridays as rest days. At least I think that's what I'll be doing. My Thursday 8 miles will start off with track workouts and then I'll add more miles until I get to 8. I'll talk with him when he's back in town but he's really nice and he's introduced me to a few others that he trains. I have had a hard time getting back my confidence back and I can't say that I am 100% confidant but I think that I can get there. I feel that I have a plan and as long as I am rigorous and dedicated to the plan, I'll get there.

So, I'll list out my stats for the past 2 weeks but I'll highlight today's 14 miler. First of all, Coach Kees suggested that I meet up with some of the runners for a run at Bear Valley today but I decided to hit Bear Valley on my own today and then make plans to meet up with the runners next time. The reason for that is because they were meeting at 8am this morning, it's about 45 minutes from my home and I've never met any of them so I wanted to figure out where Bear Valley is and what the trails are like on my own before I meet the group there. So that's what I did and it was absolutely gorgeous. On future runs, I'll do a different route because I did a big loop that brought me up up up to about 1100 feet and then dropped back down to the coast. That climb was tough and steep in places so my time was terrible but I sure saw some beautiful sights. It was forested and then I came across a meadow and worried about running into bears (I was in Bear Valley after all) and then I got to the coast and what a beautiful sight it was. It was a gorgeous, warm and sunny day. Just perfect. Photos from today's adventure.

OK here are the stats for my solo runs:
Tues Aug 2: 2 w/Uli and 2 on my own: 2.03 in 21:36 avg 10:37, +310 feet
Wed Aug3: 2 w/Uli and 4 on my own: 4.0 in 41:18 avg 10:19 +369 feet
Fri Aug 5: 2 w/Uli and 3 on my own: 3.01 in 28:32 avg 9:29 +296 feet
Sat Aug 6: 8.0 in 1:30:26 avg 11:17 +1230 feet - open space to Metallica's gate
And then I spoke with Kees, the coach which impacted the next week
Mon Aug 8: 5.0 in 49:58 avg 9:59 +508 feet and Power Yoga
Tues Aug 9: 8.0 in 1:23:38 avg 10:27 and +874 feet (from home to open space)
Wed Aug 10: 2 miles w/Uli and Power Yoga
Thurs Aug 11: 8.0 in 1:23:04 avg 10:22 and +870 feet (home to open space)
Friday Aug 12: Bikram
Saturday Aug 13: 14.0 in 2:46:29 avg 11:53 and +2182 feet

Days 146-157/the SF Half Marathon

I am humbled. I ran the San Francisco Half Marathon this morning (the first Half) and ran my slowest Half Marathon in years. I did it in 2h14m49s - and to think that I was hoping to do it under 2 hours like I did last year. Wow what a difference a year makes. The good thing about it is that I finished. And I started out feeling pretty good. But around mile 7.5 I started to feel nauseous and dizzy and started to listen to the stuff that was going through my head. I couldn't get out of my head. I also made the mistake of taking a GU while I haven't used GUs in my training. I guess I didn't think it would be a big deal because I've trained using GUs in the past but just not this year. It just didn't taste good and I had to force it down. And that's when my stomach started to bother me. Then I stopped to throw out the GU packet and that's when I started to feel dizzy. So I walked for a little while. Then I started to run again and my stomach just didn't feel great. Then after we got off of the Golden Gate bridge and ran up the hill, I decided that I needed to walk. And so it went. As soon as I realized that I wasn't going to make my goal, I let myself walk the hills. I kind of gave up trying very hard which was disappointing.

But rather than beat myself up, I have taken this as a good learning experience - I am going to change training programs to one that is published by someone associated with the NY Marathon. The program that I'm on now has me running 16 miles this coming weekend, 18 the next, 6 the next and then 20. At this stage, I'm not ready psychologically for those distances and the new plan ramps up to those miles better. It has me running 6 days a week instead of 5 so the weekly miles are similar but the plan is probably a better one for me. We shall see.

I have a huge job ahead of me and I have to take all of this much more seriously. I have been serious but I have allowed travel plans to interfere with my running. No longer.

I was in Louisiana last week and didn't run at all. I did run on Tuesday then had a migraine on Wedensday then the half today. Time to get serious!

Days 137-145

I can't believe I've been tracking my activity for 145 days. That's pretty great. It was a big week with lots of miles and a very tough 12 miles over the weekend.

Highlights of the week include a new track group. The Tuesday PM group that I have gone to the track workouts had a track meet last week so I went to the Thursday morning track group instead and I'm really glad that I did. The group was very welcoming and nice and while serious, they were also pretty laid back. I was instructed to run with a woman who was doing the B group workout (I'm definitely in the Tuesday PM's C group). And the coach is a really nice guy who said "we've got to get you in under 4 hours" when I told him I was doing the New York Marathon. I liked hearing that.

Last week, I was able to average under 10 minute miles on my 4 and 6 mile runs that include a good climb to the open space near my house. It wasn't much under 10 but it was under. But this morning, I was over 10 so...I am seeing improvement in my pace but I have to continue to work hard to make it stick.

I also picked out a great route for my 12 miler but it was hard. Lots of climbing (over 2,000 feet) and even though the last 2 miles were flat to downhill, I was tired. I usually finish strong but not on this one. I started in the Headlands and went over to Muir Beach and then back into the Headlands. The next day was a tough 19 mile mountain bike ride starting by going up Mount Tam and then going down to Muir Beach and then heading up to the Headlands then back to Mill Valley. It was fun but my legs were flat. They were super tired and appreciated it when the ride was over. Photo is from the Saturday 12 miler. It was a super foggy day so there weren't many views that I could capture in a photo.

Summary:
Monday: 2 miles w/Uli and 4 on my own
1.86 in 31:07 at avg of 16:47 +95 in elevation
4.34 in 43:11 at avg of 9:56 + 414 in elevation

Tuesday: 2 miles with Uli and 6 on my own
2.11 in 32:52 at avg of 15:34 +81
6.12 in 1:00:42 at avg of 9:54 +628

Wednesday: 2 with Uli and 4 on my own
1.98 in 29:38 at avg of 14:56 +90
4.01 in 39:11 at avg of 9:47 +416

Thursday: Track workout. I forgot my GPS watch but I think I ran around 5 miles

Saturday: 12.01 in 2:31:20 at an avg of 12:35 with +2,257 elevation gain

Sunday: 19.05 mountain bike ride in 3:23 with a +3,330 elevation gain

Monday: Bikram

Tuesday: 2 with Uli and 4 on my own
2.05 in 33:19 at avg of 16:14 and +78
4.01 in 43:13 at avg of 10:47 and +387

Days 119-136

I was in Colorado for fun and work for a few days last week and thought I would get a run or two in but nope. The one day I had plenty of time to do it, I was staying in a crappy hotel near a busy road and I didn't know where I could go. So...I will be making up missed miles this week.

But what was pretty interesting is that in today's run, I found that I was hitting a good pace so it made me want to run a little harder. And even though there is the climb up to the open space, I still averaged under a 10 minute mile for the run (not much under, but still under). And also at the end of the run I was feeling a bit nauseous and that is what happens when I push myself a little hard. So I just need to find the balance between running a good pace without getting sick at the end. And speaking of getting sick, the very next day I was sick. My stomach was upset so maybe I hadn’t pushed myself to run too fast, maybe I was just starting to get sick that day.

And then it was off to Ojai for the July 4th weekend so my plan of making up miles wasn’t very successful. Photo is from the car on the way down to Southern California. I did run in Ojai on Saturday and it was a beautiful warm day. So warm, in fact, that I had to stop and walk for some of mile 5 and most of mile 6. Ouch. I’m used to running in the 60s – it was somewhere in the 80s in Ojai and I melted. I feel like I’ve had a lot of excuses for not running lately but I recognize that and will not allow that to become a long-term trend. I can’t.

This week was a pretty good one but I didn’t feel as strong as I had the week before (before I got sick). I did 10 miles yesterday and felt great so I think I’m getting back on track.

OK so here is the summary:
Thursday: 2 miles w/Uli & 4 on my own:
2.1 m in 29:11 at an avg pace of 13:52 +117 in elevation
4.01m in 41:51 at an avg pace of 10:25 +373 in elevation

Friday: 2 miles w/Uli and 8 on my own (and I was done by 8:30am!)
2.11 m in 33:29 at an avg pace of 15:51 +88 in elevation
8.16m in 1:27:29 at an avg pace of 10:42 and +891 in elevation

Wednesday: 2 miles w/Uli and 6 on my own
2.02m in 29:18 at an avg pace of 14:29 and +86 in elevation
6.01m in 59:14 at an avg pace of 9:50 and +584 in elevation

Saturday (in Ojai): 6.01 miles in 1:07:52 at an average pace of 11:16. (Hot day)

Tuesday: 2 miles w/Uli and 2 on my own followed by a track workout in the PM
2.01 in 35:20 at 17:32 + 99
2.04 in 19:15 at 9:25 +63
track: 5.25 in 43:51 at 8:20 (includes warm-up laps in the avg pace)

Wednesday: 2 miles w/Uli and 4 on my own
2.15 in 41:40 at an avg pace of 19:21 and +140 in elevation
4.00 in 41:40 at an avg pace of 11:16 and +418 in elevation

Thursday: 2 miles w/Uli and 3 on my own
2.01 in 33:45 at an avg pace of 16:46 and +144 in elevation
3.01 in 33:09 at an avg pace of 10:59 and +659 in elevation

Friday: Bikram

Saturday: 10 miles in 1h49min at an avg pace of 10:56 and +1,121 in elevation

Also, one thing about the Garmin watch compared to the Nike + GPS App is that the Garmin is far more consistent in reporting the same mile markers while the Nike+ GPS App is kind of all over the place. But it's ok because I try to run until both devices say I hit my mileage goal so that psychologically, when I am ready to fall over at the 26 mile marker and realize that I have another .2 to go, I'll be used to it.

Days 109-118

It's been an interesting few days in running lessons. First of all, I did a track workout with some really fast runners which was incredibly intimidating but I also learned a thing or two. I joined a running group called Tamalpa Runners because they have a few different track workouts per week. I had emailed with the coach and knew where to show up and what time to get there. So I show up and I see three guys who look like they had been track stars back in the day. They were older but definitely fast, even in their older years. I could tell that just by looking at them. So the first thing I do is mispronounce the name of the running club when I ask if they are with the Tamalpa runners. Great. And then as each runner shows up for practice, they all look insanely fast. And then a very nice lady named Ruth shows up and the coach suggested that I partner up with her and he asked her to show me the ropes. It was great to have a normal runner for me to partner with. I wasn't really sure how fast to go because I didn't want to be dead by the end of the practice so I did my best to manage my pace. I was pretty much the slowest person out there but that's ok with me. I need a few more of those workouts before I really feel comfortable with my pace. We did 4 sets of 3/4 of the track, rest and then 2 laps. It doesn't sound like much but I was pretty tired when it was over.

Get this...a few days later, I picked up my pace on my normal run because I knew I could sustain it. I liked that! Thank you track workout. I didn't go this week because they had a track meet instead of the normal workout and I'll miss next week's because I'll be traveling but I will definitely be back in action after that. I think these workouts are going to be great. Even if I am always the last one to finish.

I also tried something else new with my running - I used the Camelbak RaceBak Hydration Vest and it was great. I used it for my 10 mile run and it was a great investment. I really don't like to carry water bottles when I run and I don't like the normal CamelBak backpacks because they move around too much when I run and I also don't like those belts because they shake loose and give me brush burns. The Camelbak is a tight shirt (compression fabric) with a water pack sewn into it. Of course it comes apart so you can wash stuff but it was great. I did get a few brush burns around the arms but I liked how it stayed in place and didn't shake around at all. I tucked the "hose" into my shirt which probably looked weird but it kept it from flying around out of control. I'll attach a photo of the product from REI's website (where I bought it). And while I'm at it, I feel the need to give a shout-out of support to REI. They are so good about returns - no problems at all. The first round of the CamelBaks had just a partial zip which was a pretty bad idea because it's made of compression fabric so it's pretty hard if not impossible to get on/off. So I returned it and ordered the full zip version. Which was much better but I decided to exchange it for a Medium. Every time REI made it super easy for me to make those exchanges.

OK, here's the summary of my activities since the last time. Also, I am really feeling good about my decision to not take Uli farther than 2 miles. He can do that distance without any problems and I don't feel like I'm making him do more than he's able to. It's finally started to get warm here and he's much much slower. So we just take it easy. OK, the summary.

I started the week with a Bikram class
Then the next day I ran 2 with Uli and 2 on my own. I'll share my stats for my running on my own part so I don't overwhelm with too much data. 2.02 miles at an avg pace of 10:04. +81 elevation gain. That evening was the track workout and I didn't use my watch perfectly but my average pace was 8:37. Not crazy fast but I'm just getting started!
I did Bikram the next day
Then I took a day off and the following, I combined a 2 days of miles. I did 2 with the pup and then another 6 on my own. I did 6.01 in 1:01 at an average pace of 10:12 +583 in elevation
The next day was a big one. I did 10 miles in a gorgeous space. The photo is from my run. As far as you can see the trail, I ran along it. I did 10.36 miles in 2 hours 14 minutes. 12:53 was my avg pace and the elevation gain was +2163. It was a tough run because parts were really hard but it was absolutely gorgeous and I was well hydrated thanks to my CamelBak.
The next day (Fathers Day), Paul and our friends Scott and Kris did a great bike ride which was pretty tough. We rode up Tam to West Point Inn to enjoy their Pancake Breakfast and then we got back on the bikes and rode to the very top and then over the backside to the lakes and then back to where we started (Mill Valley). We didn't go all the way up/over on the way back though. We rode 21.81 miles in 4 hours 28 minutes and our elevation gain was +3482. They would have been faster had I not been there but it was absolutely perfect. Sunny, gorgeous day.
The next day I did Bikram
Then I did 2 with my boy and 4 on my own: 4.04 miles in 42:13. Avg pace: 10:26. +428 gain in elevation
Today, I did 2 with my pup again and then 6 on my own: 6.02 miles in 1h 2m. Avg pace of 10:18 with a +629 elevation gain.

That's a lot of running these days, isn't it?

Day 108

New lesson #1. Don't have a glass of champagne 4 hours before going for a run.
New lesson #2. Don't eat 2 handfuls of potato chips 15 minutes before going for a run.

My time wasn't terrible but I felt pretty slow and heavy and my stomach didn't feel great.

5:09 miles in 56:52 and an average of 11:09 with +641 in elevation

Today's photo isn't from today but I think it's very pretty. It's from Limentour beach from a few weeks ago.

Days 94-107

Yes, I've been running and even getting back into Bikram and today got a little mountain biking in. Just been bad about reporting it all. Here's a quick overview of the past few weeks of activity, followed by good learnings about running with my favorite running buddy, learnings about the Garmin GPS watch vs Nike GPS App and I'll end it with my stats. Probably not something that you care much about but I'm trying to keep myself on track/honest...

Ran 7 miles out in the headlands, played golf! (not very well), ran 5 with the pup who wasn't feeling well so we went very slow, ran 6 - 2 with my 4 legged buddy and 4 on my own, ran 6 - 1.75 with my buddy and the rest on my own, did Bikram, ran 4 in Ross near Phoenix Lake and got caught in a heavy rainstorm, ran 9 in the headlands, ran 7 - 2 with Uli and 5 on my own, ran 6 on my own, ran 5 - 2 with Uli and 3 on my own, did Bikram and rode my mountain bike 9.6 miles while also working on technical skills.

What I have figured out in these past two weeks:
My Uli is not a young puppy anymore. Sometimes 5 miles is too much for him. I don't push him to run if he can't (we walk a lot when we're out together) but I also realized that I shouldn't be trying to take him out for 5 miles anymore. My plan for him is up to 2 miles and then drop him off at home and do the rest on my own. Unless he's feeling strong and dragging me down the street the whole way. Like the other day, he was on fire and I could tell that he wanted to do more. So we did 3. I won't take him further than that.

Also, it's really cool to use both the Garmin GPS watch and the Nike GPS App. I do find that they measure distance differently - sometimes dramatically different but most of the time they're pretty close. But I recently updated the Nike GPS App and they made two key changes that make it better: first, you can set it to NOT pause your workout if you get a phone call when running and second, with each mile, it now tells you your average pace for your run. It used to tell you your current pace but I really like that it's averaging out the whole run because the Garmin watch gives you your average pace per mile as you're running and you only see your average pace for the full run when you're finished. The Nike GPS always shows a slower pace than the watch but that is because I press the start button on the Nike App and then it takes a while to get the phone into my pocket on my running tights - it's a very small pocket and the phone just fits in. So I lose about 30 or so seconds before I actually start running. Also, I can easily pause the watch when I have to wait at a red light where it's too much of a hassle to take the phone out of the pocket so I just let it continue.

Also, I'm starting to feel strong and I'm very excited about that. Not all of the time but it's a lot easier to get the miles in. And I want to do yoga and ride my bike all the time now. Obviously that's not possible but it's what I am feeling now. And next week, I'm going to my first official track workout with a local running team. I'm nervous because I don't know how to do them properly and I don't think there will be much instruction but I want to really do speed workouts rather than trying to do them on my normal workouts which usually involve hills. It's hard to hold a consistent pace when you're going uphill. Will report on that track workout - should be interesting. And will be good to get the first one over. I hope the people are nice!

OK, here are the boring stats:
Rubharb/Miwok/Coyote/Miwok and back: 7.09, 1:17:36 at an average pace of 10:56. Also, this was a +1521' gain in elevation (thank you Garmin!)
Golf - no stats. Quit keeping score after the second hole
Towards open space with Uli (who threw up twice after eating lots of grass) 5:02, 1:10:09 with avg of 13:59 - +581' gain in elevation
In Neighborhood w/Uli - 2:01 in 31:58 avg of 15:17 +108 gain and on my own towards Open space 4.1 in 43:21 at an avg of 10:35 with a +441 gain in elevatino
In neighborhood with Uli then on my own to Open Space - kept time running for both - 6.22 in 1:13:24 at an avg of 11:48 +696' elevation
Bikram
Ross/Phoenix Lake - 4:21 in 42:59 with a 10:12 average and +452 elevation gain. Got drenched!
Marincello/Bobcat/Alta/SCA/back to Bobcat/Miwok/Old Springs - 9:13 in 1:41:59 an an average of 11:10 with +1,669' elevation gain - saw a few friends on the trails which was pretty fun (Peter and Sophie & Rob)
With Uli towards Open Space - 2:08, 33:57 avg 16:18 and +193 and then on my own to Open Space - 5:01, 52:19 at an average 10:26 with +498
On my own to Open Space - 5:97 in 1:01:43 avg 10:20 the elevation gain is not correct though. It says +1044 but I'm not sure that is right.
With Uli towards Open Space - 3:09, 45:42 avg 14:46 (he felt great, was dragging me down the street!) +261' and then on my own up Wolfe Grade - 2:14 in 21:37 at avg of 10:05 and +310' gain
Bikram
Mtn Bike at China Camp - 9.62 miles in 2:49 and +1296' gain. But this was a whole lot of stop, work on switchbacks over and over - it was about half stopping and working on skills and half riding. And lots of fun.

Photo is after a run when me and my favorite (and only) running buddy were relaxing in the sun.

Days 87-93

Let's see how the week shaped up. Overall, I missed 9 miles of running this week - I went to LA for work for 2 days and couldn't make those miles up. But I did run 6 last Sunday and tried out a new route which I probably won't do again because there were just too many cars nearby. None of the run was relaxing and peaceful but I did it and now I know better. Stats: 6.01 miles in 1:02:17 at an average of 10:22. There was one big hill at the beginning and end of the run. Then on Thursday I was out on the trails with my 4 legged buddy and we did 5.11 in 1:07:03 at an average pace of 13:06. And today was my first 9 mile run in a long long time. The stats are 9:07 miles in 1:34:25 with an average pace of 10:25. I ran from home to the open space which is my route for when I run with the pup so it was weird to not have him by my side.

But the most exciting part of this week in running is the arrival of my Garmin 610 gps watch! I used it for the first time today and it was fantastic. I initially wanted to get the gorgeous new Nike GPS running watch but decided to go with the new Garmin watch when I saw some negative reviews about Nike's GPS functionality. I have had a Garmin before (Forerunner) and it performed very well so I trusted that the GPS would perform well. The new watch is much better looking then the big boxy red Garmin that I have just put into retirement. I also like that it vibrates every mile and shows my average pace for that mile. Photo from it's maiden voyage. By the way, I still used the Nike + GPS running App because I was curious to know how close the results would be from the new watch and I would say that the distance started out very close but the watch and the App started to disagree on the distance about 4 miles in. I think the watch is more accurate because it was tracking exactly to the mile markers that the App has shown in the past. But it wasn't a huge difference. There are two reasons I felt that I really needed to get a new watch: 1. I want the convenience of being able to stop/start the watch without having to take the phone out of my pocket, swipe to start up, enter my security code and then stop/start. This is mostly relevant for waiting for green lights at crossings. I just let the App timer keep going but with the watch, I can pause and start it again easily. The next reason is that I like being able to look down at any time to see my pace - and I need to figure out how to do it but I will be able to set a pace goal in the watch and it will alert me when I get out of the target range. Pretty cool. Oh yeah, I also use a different App for cycling. It's called iMapMyRun. It's a running App that allows you to also track other sports. The Nike + GPS App doesn't let you do that.

Days 73-86

So it's been a while but I haven't been completely inactive. After my last reported run, that evening, my back started to feel very stiff and tight and I thought about how I needed to get back to a yoga studio. By the time I went to sleep that night, I was having back spasms. Went to the doctor's office the next day and was given a prescription for body work (therapeutic massage) and physical therapy. The spasms continued that day/night and the next day. I did get in for a body work appointment and couldn't believe that they could work on my back without triggering the spasms. It was better that afternoon (still having the spasms but not as often) and then slept well that night and they didn't come back. So I took it easy that week and didn't run at all but I did make it to a Bikram yoga class on Friday. Then on Saturday was the Girls on the Run Lollipop 5K and it was so much fun. My running buddy was ready to race. Which was pretty funny because she was not at all competitive when I met her a few weeks before but she took off like a bullet when it was time for the race to begin. I told her that I would run as fast as she wanted to run but that we might want to make sure we save up energy to finish the race. But she ran strong for the first mile and then she would walk for about 10 seconds and then take off again. As we got to about 1 mile to the finish she started telling me stuff like "my legs are burning" and then she would say "let's go" and she'd take off again. Then "I can't believe how much I'm sweating, I never sweat this much when I run" and then she'd take off again. And "it burns when I breathe" and she's off. I asked if she felt dizzy and she didn't so we just kept on with the run hard for a few minutes then walk for 10-20 seconds then run hard again. She was amazing. And when we finished we found out that of the 20 or so girls from her school in the program, she finished first! Afterwards, she told me that she didn't want to be last so she ran fast. Oh I could hug her. And we did the 5K in 29 minutes which was a 9:20 pace. Not bad at all Yoanna!

That evening, the weather forecast got better for Bay to Breakers which was taking place at 7am the following morning. Originally they were predicting hail and heavy rain for the race but by Saturday night, they said that the worst of the storm will have passed over by the time the race began. And indeed that was true. It was a blue sky, gorgeous morning. I did the 12K/7.55 miles in 1:09:59 and my pace was 9:16 which was great. I was happy with that. And it gave me a better sense of what to expect for race paces. We'll see if I can hold that or improve on it for the SF Half.

I did Bikram yoga the next morning and then had to go to Salt Lake City for work so instead of a 3 mile run, I did a 3 mile...swing or slide? What do you call it when you go 3 miles on an elliptical machine? The kind where your legs slide up and down? Then on Thursday I was back with my 4 legged running buddy and we did 4.19 miles in 57:19 at an average pace of 13:40. Saturday I did 8 miles in the Open Space near my house in 1:30:20 at an average pace of 11:17 and then finally, today I did 6 miles in 1:02:17 at an average pace of 10:22. I went in a new direction for today's run. I went up and over a hill called Wolfe Grade and dropped down to the outskirts of a nearby town called Larkspur. It wasn't very pretty and was almost all on sidewalks next to busy roads which I don't like. I'm trying to scout out nice places to run for when I have the really long miles to cover but this sure isn't it. I'll find a better place. I'm thinking of starting in Sausalito and then going to the Golden Gate Bridge and into SF which is very pretty. But I don't need to worry about that just yet. I'm looking at 9 miles as my longest run for next weekend.

Photos are with both of my running buddies and the starting area at Bay to Breakers where one of the traditions is to throw tortillas in the air like frisbees. And oh yeah, yes, there were hilarious costumes and plenty of completely naked runners. I just wore normal running clothes.

Days 67-72

It's been a slow week for running. I didn't run on Monday because I was tired from Sunday's bike ride and then on Tuesday, I had a meeting in the city followed by the onset of a migraine so I didn't run on Tuesday either. On Wednesday, I flew to Washington DC and was there until Friday night. I didn't run in DC either because there just wasn't any time. Oh by the way, getting on an airplane with a migraine just might be one of the most miserable circumstances for a flight. Migraines make me nauseous and to fly for 4 1/2 hours while nauseous is pretty awful. I took Pepto Bismol which made me feel better then I took my migraine meds which then made my stomach feel unsettled again. Anyway, I survived the flight and sat at an empty gate for about an hour before getting a taxi to the hotel. By the time I got into bed, I could tell that the migraine was going away. I woke up feeling much better and went straight to meetings.

OK, so I am 10 miles down for the week but I ran 8 miles yesterday and 7 today. Both days were super windy and I felt stronger today than I thought I would since I was running on tired legs. Yesterday was in the Headlands - starting on Oakwood Valley to Alta to SCA and back. The stats are: 8.01 miles in 1:31:30 with an average of 11:25. And today I drove to the close Open space near my house and went from there. Today's stats are: 7.04 miles in 1:14:34 at an average pace of 10:35. It's looking like my Headlands pace averages around 11:30 and when I'm running out here by my house, I get closer to a 10:35 average. That is because the Headlands present more severe climbs than out here. When I drive to the Open Space, I miss out on the big climb so while there are ups and downs along the way, I save a minute per mile on my pace.

Next weekend are two races - the first is the Lollipop run where I will probably run and walk with my running buddy, Yoanna. That is on Saturday in Golden Gate Park. And then on Sunday, it's Bay to Breakers - the 100th running! I am really excited for that one because it will give me my first real idea of what my pace is going to be on a mostly flat course. I know that there is one hill along the route but the rest is pretty flat. I can't wait to see how that one turns out.

The photos are from Saturday's run - the location is at the end of SCA, I took a left towards the Golden Gate Bridge until my Nike Training GPS told me that I hit the halfway point.

Days 64-66

What a weekend. It was warm and gorgeous. Saturday was a day of running and I did the same route I've done for the past few weekends and felt tired and heavy but my time was a tiny bit better than the last few times so I call that a victory. 7.5 Miles in 1:26:38 at an average of 11:33 minutes per mile. My last mile was my fastest so that felt great when I looked at the stats. I was going to run again on Sunday but Paul asked if I wanted to do a bike ride with some friends, Scott and Kris and that sounded fun. It was a killer ride though. Meaning, it almost killed me. It was a gorgeous day but I haven't been riding that much and we ended up going 18.54 miles. It took us 3 hours and 50 minutes - the others could have done it faster but I was slow. And I was on a geared mountain bike - they were all on single speed 29ers! (Super hard). We climbed 2776 feet ride and while I was totally exhausted when I was done, I was proud of myself. And Paul told me that he was proud of the way I rode. That was sweet. I went to sleep super happy because of that and also, well, there was huge news in the world of the USA with the US having found Osama Bin Laden.

And this morning, me and the pup ran 5 miles. We were both pretty tired and slow. 5miles in 1:16 at an average of 15:15.

The photos are from the bike ride. We started in Mill Valley and rode to the top of Mt Tam (the first photo is from the top) then dropped down to the lakes (the second photo), rode around the lakes and then back up Tam (though not all the way back up to the top). Thank goodness. Oh, and we went to Weezy's for their delicious delicious burgers and fries. As you see, I am badly failing South Beach.

Days 62-63

A morning run with the pup was a great way to start the day. We went 4.05 miles in 56:31 minutes at 13:57 minutes/mile. In the afternoon, I had the great pleasure of meeting Yoanna who is my running buddy from Girls on the Run! She is a sweet and adorable 11 year old. I wanted to be a Girls on the Run coach but realized that the time commitment was too much so I decided to be a running buddy which means that we will do the Lollipop 5K together on May 14th.

Yoanna and I (and the other girls and their buddies) covered 5K by mostly running but also walking and we even skipped! It was fun getting to know her a bit - she has two older brothers and lots of pets. She speaks spanish and told me that some of the boys who we passed were calling her fat (she is not) and I said, really? well, they're stupid. And then I realized that I shouldn't have said that so I said "oops, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, that was mean" and sweet Yoanna had a big smile on her face and she said, "no it wasn't" Also, until yesterday, the furthest she had gone was 2 miles and we did 3.1 together. She was so proud of herself and she said "my mom is going to be so proud of me". And yes, I did tell her that I was proud of her. On our very last lap, we ran super fast. It was really fun.

I wish I had a photo of her to post but I will get one when we do the race in a few weeks. So I'll post a photo of a pretty flower that I saw on last Saturday's run.

Oh yeah, I bought a few new items for my season of running:
1. a second pair of neoprene shoe liners to provide a little more cushioning
2. a new arm band that fits my iPhone so I don't have to carry it or make sure to wear something with a pocket
3. a new running cap
4. a book called Run like a Girl - it's supposed to have inspirational stuff for runners. If it's good, I'm going to get one for my sister.

That's it for now!

Days 57-61

I've missed a few days of updating but I haven't missed any of my scheduled runs. Even though I may do them on a different day than the schedule indicates. Here is my latest summary: Saturday was cloudy but not cold so it was a good day for a run. The goal was 7 and I did a little more than that because I wanted to do the same run that I did last weekend. One steep but short climb followed by a long descent followed by a longer but less steep climb and a fun, fast descent followed by a mostly flat but slightly descending finish. I felt sluggish and heavy but my average pace was almost the exact same as last weekend. The hills in the headlands are starting to lose their bright green brilliance and soon enough, they will be brown (though still beautiful). The trail that you see in the photo is the long descent (it's a fire road called Bobcat). My stats were: 7.4 miles in 1:27 at an average of 11:48 pace. I enjoyed Easter by having a homemade benigets for breakfast (South Beach Dr would be horrified) and then Paul & I went to friends house for lunch/easter egg hunting. Monday and Tuesday were running days with the pup. On Monday we had a 3 mile goal and Tuesday we had a 5 mile goal. Stats are: 3.16 miles in 50:59 at an average of 16:07. The next day was 5.22 miles in 1:13 at an average of 14:05 The 5 mile day was the longest Uli (the pup) has gone in quite some time and he did great. I'm proud of the boy!

Days 55-56

Wow, I can't believe I'm 56 days into the training season. I rested yesterday and did double duty today. This morning was a 4 miler with Uli the pup 4.14 miles in 58:35 at 14:08. And lucky for me, I got an email from the bosses saying that today was an early close day so I decided to get a mountain bike ride in. I did the ride to Metallica's Gate which is an 11.86 miler (hills!) and I did it in 1 hour and 43 minutes.

I am also completely obsessed with GPS watches these days. I have an older Garmin which used to work very well but it's probably 5 years old now and it's tired. It can carry a full charge and then shut down while I'm running. I know that the Garmin technology is very good but I really like the look of the brand new (sold out) Nike GPS watch. Garmin is coming out with a brand new version in 2 weeks and I'll probably get it because I'm seeing reports that say that the Nike GPS technology isn't great. There are many great apps out there that track distance, pace, and your basic stats. My favorite is the Nike plus App. You can listen to your music, the distances are measured accurately (they match the mile markers from when my Garmin watch worked better) and there are audio messages from Tracy Morgan and Lance Armstrong congratulating you as you progress with your training. But I need a watch that will tell me the pace that I am running and I need that to be accurate. I haven't found an App that does that. If one exists that you know of (and allows you to set a pace goal and you get audio notices if you are off pace), will you let me know?

I also found a GREAT new product. Camelbak has a hydration "shirt" called a RaceBak that has the water pack sewn into the shirt so you don't get chaffing from a backpack. I hate carrying water bottles when I run, backpacks give me brush burns and waist belts give me brush burns and they flop all around. And truthfully, I don't want to try one of those belts with multiple bottles all around it. I'm ok for now but when I start doing 12+ miles, I really should bring water with me. So I'll wear my Camelbak Racebak! I guess I shouldn't be too excited yet because I have not received it but it is on order. I'll let you know what it's like once it arrives.

Better get to bed, 7 miles to run tomorrow!

Days 53-54

Uli and I ran 4 today and it was really fun. 4.07 in 54:38 at an average pace of 13:24. Not fast but fun. We took this picture today on the run and it's one of my all-time-funniest photos of the pup.

My sister has a 10k this weekend which is the kick-off for her training season. She is doing the NY Marathon as well so I'm happy to see her getting started. In a few weeks I have a 5K on a Saturday (it is a fun run for Girls on the Run, I'm a "running buddy" for a girl who I will meet next week. I will run as fast or as slow as she wants and encourage her to get to the finish line.) And then the next day I am doing Bay to Breakers which is a 12K here in San Francisco. People wear costumes, some wackos even run naked and everyone seems to have a great time.

I'll have some work travel coming up but I'll work my miles around the travels as best as I can.

Days 51-52

Yesterday was supposed to be a 3 mile day but since I did 7.5 instead of 4 the day before, Paul and I went on a 12 mile bike ride to Metallica's gate instead. You'll hear that as a common ride this summer since it's a good but challenging ride from my home. And it was fun to get out with Paul.

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I won't be able to run tomorrow because of work so I did 3 miles today. The plan was to run 4 miles but my running buddy pictured above wasn't really feeling it. He kept stopping to eat grass for much of our climb and then he threw up when we got to the top. I told him that I sometimes feel like doing that too when I get to the top of the hills. The photo was taken before he got sick.

Days 48-50

Well, Thursday was a 3 mile day and I ran zero. I was exhausted from two full days of conference-ing. So by the time Friday came around, I was 5 miles down for the week that I needed to make up. Friday was a rest day but I ran 4 with my pup (3.98 in 52:13 at 13:06) and today, Saturday, I ran 7.54 instead of the 7.54 in 1:28:25 at 11:44. My route was a fantastic Oakwood Valley-Alta-Bobcat-Miwok-Old Springs-Rhubarb. A few big hills and lots of fun downhills. It was sunny but as I got closer to the beach it was a bit foggy. I felt somewhat slow going uphill so I did plenty of walking and had some Clif blocks around 45 minutes into it and I felt strong throughout. Even though I did some walking. Good times.

Days 44-47

I've haven't been great this week because I had a conference to go to Tuesday (a 3 mile day). Wednesday was a 4 mile day but I did run 5 after the conference. And today was a 3 mile day and I slept in. I will make up for the 5 missed miles but I do feel rested. Yesterday was a super windy run on the Golden Gate Bridge. Stats: 5.01 miles in 49:04 at a 9:47 average. It was pretty fun and so super windy. I also got a few nice photos.

Day 43

It's Spring, it's Spring! Another gorgeous day to get out and about. According to my training schedule, I was supposed to run 3 yesterday and 6 today but I ran 6 yesterday and rode my mountain bike 12 miles today. That's not very far for a bike ride but I got quite a workout. I think the overall climb is about 800 feet and my stats are: 12.02 miles in 1h 46 min an an average pace of 8:50/mile. I've been wanting to get back into riding and I think the best way to build my riding strength is to work on my strength which comes from riding uphill.

I call this ride the "Metallica's Gate" ride. One of the guys in the band Metallica, James Hetfield has a ton of property up here in Marin and part of that property comes right up to the edge of open space and I have heard that Hetfield didn't like having people be able to get onto his property so he was able to convince/pay off? the open space committee to put a gate across the fire-road that crosses his property. It's a bummer that there is a super ugly gate in the middle of super beautiful land. But, the gate is 6 miles from my front door and it's a good training ride. Especially at this time of the year when the hills are so vibrant and green. They will be brown soon enough but for now, thanks to all of the rain that we have recently had - the green is absolutely gorgeous. Photos from today.

Days 41 & 42

Yesterday was a rest day so I did the Nike Training Club Ab Burner. Today was the perfect day for a run. It was about 62 degrees and sunny and the breeze was blowing - it blew me up the hill and I ran into it on the downhill. Lucky me. I went to Tennessee Valley for today's 6 mile run. My route was a slight uphill for the first mile, a steep uphill for the next quarter of a mile and then less steep uphill for the rest of the second mile. The third mile is flat to rolling and absolutely gorgeous. If you're local, it was up Oakwood Valley, up Alta and onto SCA where you get to see the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Valley and the Pacific Ocean. See photo. I felt great - walked up the steep parts and ran fast on the downhill parts. I tried to think about the technique tips that I got at the UCSF clinic - kick back behind me, use the core, don't bounce too much, etc. My stats were 6.0 in 1:09 at 11:36.

After the run, my husband & I went out for burgers and fries. Not at all what the south beach folks would recommend but it's the weekend and we both did some exercising. He did a road ride (bike).

I also signed up to be a running buddy at the upcoming 5k Girls on the Run race. I had wanted to be a coach but realized that my work just wasn't flexible enough to dedicate the time needed for coaching. But I am very excited to run 5k with one of the girls and encourage her the whole way. That one is on May 14th and the following day, and the next day is the Bay to Breakers 12k.

While the scale isn't where I want it to be, I am feeling better when I run than I did a month ago. That's trending in the right direction.

Oh yeah, if anyone happens to read this who may have advice for me - please feel free to share. Especially if you think I should be doing things differently. Thanks!

Days 37-40

Monday was a rest day so rest I mostly rested but I also went to the RunSafe program at UCSF. I definitely got some good information out of it though it was expensive ($200 bucks!). I left with an understanding of what I need to work on (strenthen my glutes and hip flexors) and how that will improve my form. And the next day, I received a set of exercises via email telling me how to build that strength. At the clinic, I started out at the nutrition consultation and found out that most of what I'm doing pre/post run is good. I've read a lot about this so I know that chocolate milk or a latte or yogurt with granola and berries after a run are good things. And a bagel with peanut or almond butter before a long run is also good. I also learned that I should eat the full Gu packet or a full packet of Luna Moons each 45 minutes during a 90 minute or longer run. I usually eat a few Luna moons but not the full 100 calorie packet. Good to know! Then I went to the strength/flexibility station and I didn't learn much at that point but the next day when the exercises were sent to me, I better understood the areas that I need to work on. It was a little weird that during the tests the girl wasn't saying "oh this is good" or "lordy, this is going to need some work..." but that was also smart of her because I would have asked her lots of questions and we would have gone over our time. The next stop was at the podiatrist who looked at my walk, my feet and my shoes. She said that she normally doesn't recommend Nike's but since I am not having any foot trouble and I like the cushioning, there is no problem with me running in those shoes. I learned that I can get neoprene inserts to get a little more cushioning. My foot wasn't hurting at the time so she wasn't worried about that. Then the last part was the running part where they put dots all over you and then you run on the treadmill for about 10 minutes while they film you from different angles. Then the four people you spent time with consult with each other about you and then they call the runners back into the room and they evaluate your running and show you problem ares and what you need to work on. They are able to point out weaknesses in form that are related to weaknesses that they discovered in the strength/flexibility test. The good news is they say I'm a light, efficient runner, not much movement up and down and my cadence is 90 which is supposed to be great. But I have an inward rotation as I run and I step a little bit too far in front when running. They gave me exercises to fix the rotation and told me that as I work on speed, to think about kicking back farther rather than stepping forward more. Try to kick my butt with my feet. So I'll be doing those things. Oh yeah, they also did a body composition and I was happy with the results. I am losing weight, slowly. I was also told that I should lose the weight I want to lose before I start my serious training for the marathon because I can't be dieting while training. Makes sense. Another good thing about that clinic is that I found out that they have a running group that meets once a week to do track workouts, hill workouts or just a regular runs, they have a monthly lecture and do core work before heading out for the run. I won't do it all the time but I would like to from time to time.

Another result of the clinic is that I feel inspired to work on my form and a new desire to really understand how to do proper speed workouts. I am not doing speed work yet but in late May, I'll need to be starting that and I want to do them properly. The UCSF running group should help.

OK, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all 3 mile days and each one was with my running buddy. He's back and his paw is feeling good! Our stats:
Tuesday: 3.04 in 40:05 at 13:10, Wednesday 3.05 in 41:13 at 13:29 and Thursday 3.07 in 42:24 at 13:46. He definitely slows me down with all of that stopping, going to the bathroom, sniffing, rolling in the grass, etc. But he sure is good company and good fun.

Day 36

What a gorgeous day! It was an easy 3 mile day the the miles flew by. I felt great - even on the going uphill parts. Today's stats are 3.05 miles in 30:47 at 10:05. I went to the Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Open Space so there is some elevation but it's nothing like a headlands run where you can be going uphill for more than a mile. On this one, I drove to the entrance so you do run uphill from the start but you're not climbing very high. Photos from today. Tomorrow is the RunSafe program at UCSF. I am so excited! Lately my foot has been bothering me for a little while after I run. The area at the bottom of my right foot where the toes end and the foot begins so I will ask for their advice on that one.

Days 22-35

I have been so lame. I have been sick and today is just the second full day of feeling like a normal human again. I also went out of town for a long weekend of family and friends and fun. I had a 2 week cold which was mostly a cough but before it ended, I also spent just under three full days with a migraine. Yuck. But now, things are looking up and I went out for a 6 mile run to celebrate. I ran Rhubarb to Miwok to Coyote Ridge and it was a lovely, blue sky and warm day. Official stats are: 6.01 miles in 1:13 at 12:11. I felt a little bit sluggish but that's no big surprise given how I've felt the past two weeks.

I am also very excited because on Monday night, I'll be doing a clinic at UCSF called RunSafe. The whole idea of the program is to evaluate your stride, footstrike, etc. your feet, your nutrition, etc. so that you have a good and strong training season without getting injured. I am very excited to get a spot in the clinic before my serious training begins. I'll be sure to update you on what I learn.

And finally, I am lusting over a new Nike GPS running watch that will be coming out soon. I want it badly. I have an older Garmin GPS watch which used to work really well but it's quite old and now it just shuts off while I'm running, even when the watch has a full charge when I start the run. My only worry about the Nike watch is that it is based on GPS technology by TomTom and I don't have any idea how reliable or good their technology is. I know for sure that Garmin is great, I hope that TomTom is too. Especially out here in the hills where I like to run.

Well, that's about it for me. I'll post pictures from today's run for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Days 20 & 21

Well, I rested on Friday as per the plan. But this very rainy & stormy morning I dragged my tired self out of my warm bed and over to Rodeo Beach for the Pirates Cove 8k. I was so happy that I did not sign up for the 20k (some even did 30k and others 50k). And it was a rainy morning. It poured before start time but for the distance that I ran, it barely rained at all. It was sloppy but nothing like the last rainy trail race that I did. This was actually pretty fun and I felt strong doing it. I was in my car with the heat blasting trying to warm up and dry off after getting soaked while picking up my race number. And I was getting out of my car when I heard the race start. Oops. I wasn't very far and caught up to the field and then slowly started to pass people (not a whole lot of them, but enough to make me proud of my work). The course started at Rodeo Beach and went up Coastal then over to Wolf Ridge and down Miwok ending at the start. The stats are: 4.8 Miles in 55:05 at an average pace of 11:27. Super hilly for the first mile or two. Really fun run.

Days 16-19

Well, I've been a bit lazy when it comes to posting but not when it comes to running. Monday was a rest day so I did. And though Tuesday was a 4 mile day, I had bosses in town & didn't have time for a run so I did Tuesday's 4 mile run on Wednesday. The stats are: 4.02 miles in 41:26 and an average pace of 10:18. This was a slightly hilly run where I drove to the open space and went out from there so I didn't have to climb the big hill from my home to get to the open space but there are ups and downs along the route. And then today was another 4 mile day so I decided to tackle the hill from my house to the open space. Stats are: 4.0 miles in 42:34 and an average pace of 10:37. I have to say that I felt very strong today. I did stop to walk in a few spots but I still felt really good and strong. I hope I can keep this feeling up!

Day 15

Last night was Daylight Savings time and I had a tough time sleeping because every time I wanted to shift positions, I woke up because I am so sore from yesterday. Funny enough, it is mostly my butt. I guess because there were two climbs up and over Miwok. Despite that, we didn't sleep in this morning because we wanted to get Uli out to play ball so we did that and came home and had delicious waffles. I should have mentioned that I have been pretty good about following the South Beach Diet for the past three weeks with a few big exceptions: this morning's waffles, last night's ice cream with hot fudge, yesterday's toast and pizza snack, Friday night's pizza dinner and ice cream with hot fudge, Thursday's rice cracker snack and glass of wine and last weekend's deserts and wine. So I guess I should admit that I have not been good about following South Beach at all. OOps.

Despite my sore body, I had 5 miles to run today so that is what I did after the waffles had a chance to digest. I drove to Fort Baker and ran up and over the Golden Gate Bridge. I had my rain jacket with me but left it in the car because it looked like the rain would hold off for a while. Silly me. It started raining the moment I arrived at the bridge and has not stopped yet. I was soaking wet and the wind was blowing pretty hard. But it was a great run. I felt strong. 5 miles in 52:12 with an average pace of 10:25. I have to say that I was disappointed when I saw that time because I thought I was running much faster than that. Oh well.

Days 13 & 14

Day 13 was a rest day and I didn't do anything more active than take Uli out for a few walks. But Day 14 made up for yesterday's laziness. I signed up for the Run for the Seals. I did the 4 mile run and it was so much fun. I ran it with Sophie & Rob and we did the 4.05 mile run in 42.28 minutes at an average 10:28 pace. It was not very hilly but there were enough to slow us down. The best part was that we started about 20 minutes late and it was fun to run with no people around. We did catch up with some of the slower ones but it was a fun/easy run. The race is a good one because it is a fundraiser for the Marine Mammal Center and that is a place that is dear to my heart. When I was less crazy at work, I volunteered there. Anyway, they said that the roads would be closed until noon and I didn't want to be stuck there for hours after the race (it started at 9:30am - even though we didn't actually start running until a little before 10am). So I parked at Tennessee Valley parking lot and I walked 3.8 Miles to the start of the race. I didn't think it was that far of a walk. I knew that there would be a big ole hill to climb but I expected it to be a 2.5 mile walk. Oops. After the race, it was a 3.5 mile walk back to the car. So...I propelled myself just over 11 miles today. I think it's nap time. The photos are from the walk to/from the race and I also have one of some of the four legged participants. The race is very dog friendly and some dogs even wear costumes. Sadly, I couldn't take my buddy. He can definitely do the distance but he's not good around other dogs when he's on a leash. So...I told him all about the race and how much I wished he had been there with me. Tired legs. Time for a nap!

Days 11 & 12

Day 11 was a rest day and I rested. It was a bad day at work so I just sulked. But day 12 was a 4 mile day so that is what I did and even though work was still a little on the not-so-great side, going on a run made everything better. Especially when your running buddy is back from injury and ready to run. We did a 4.02 mile run in 56:28 with an average pace of 14:02. Ridiculously slow but keep in mind that my running buddy has quite a few stops to make along the way. First of all, there are bathroom needs. Lots of them. And then there are things to sniff. And don't forget about getting on your back and rolling around on the wet grass. And he also enjoys eating some of that grass too. How much better would the world be if we could all get out for a run with a dog named Uli.

Days 9 & 10

Day 9 was a rest day so I did a few Nike Training Club workouts (arms & abs). Day 10 was a 4 mile day which I knocked out before the morning's conference call. It was a bummer to do it without my running buddy but I think I'll bring him out on the next one to see how his paw does. Today was a 4.01 mile run in 43:15 with a 10:46/mile average. Yes that is slow but keep in mind that I'm running up a hill. Today's photo is of my running buddy looking like a giant.

Day 8

Rain and drizzle for the 4 miler but it was actually quite nice. I felt strong and enjoyed playing in the rain. The stats follow: 4.01 in 43:22 with an average pace of 10:48. Slow, I know but it was hilly. And sloppy. Hello dirty brand new shoes. The trail photo is from the only single track section of the run.