For the First Time Since March

I’m pretty sure for the first time since March I put in a whole weekend of running per the plan.

ETP Day 13 (Saturday): 16 miles around the lower Back Bay. I successfully kept my pace in my long run range. Everything was fine right up through about mile 14. At that point the humidity started conspiring against me and I wilted pretty quickly once the sun started breaking through the marine layer. I toughed it out though and completed on target.

Calorie wise – BMR of 2012 plus exercise allowance of 2280 for a total of 4292 calories. Total consumed of 3818 for a deficit of 474 calories.

ETP Day 14 (Sunday): Things got a little interesting here. I woke up absolutely *exhausted* from Saturday’s run. Muscles that I didn’t even know about were sore. I wanted to hit at least 40 miles for the week, so I needed to put in at least 4 miles. It was also our monthly Trailheadz meeting*, so I rolled out of bed and headed up to Ridge Park. I decided to keep it easy on my body and stick to the ridge tops (reducing the amount of hill climbing) and to go out 2 miles, see how I felt, and then decide whether to finish the 2 additional miles. Long story short, 2 miles became 3 miles became 4 miles before I turned and headed back to the trailhead. Eight miles in the books.

Calories – 2012 BMR plus exercise allowance of 1204. Total consumed 0f 3140 for a deficit of 75.

• Training variance week to date: 1 mile less than plan. Total mileage for the week: 44.
• Calorie variance week to date: 530 less than plan. Should equate to about a pound of weight lost. I will be up on the scale this evening to check.

* And it’s a good thing I went! I ended up winning a some sweet socks during the raffle!

BBBRD! (Beautiful Back Bay Run Day!)....

Yup! Yesterday was a beautiful day for a run. Bright, beautiful blue sky. Light breezes. Temperatures in the low 60's.

As usual, I met with the Cal Coast club at 7AM. The plan for most on the marathon plan was a 16 miler (8 miles out and back) on the San Diego Creek trail. I usually tag along with them, and make my turnaround at the appropriate point (4.5 miles if I'm going 9, 6 miles if I'm going 12). But, it was such a beautiful day that as I got to Back Bay Drive, I waved good bye and hung a quick left down the hill to do a 12 miler around the bay.

I was quite happy keeping things slow and steady. Just before I got to the 2 mile point, I ran into Lori from the OC Trail Runners going the opposite direction! She was booking along with her marathon training group. We high fived as we ran past each other. I trudged along enjoying the sounds and sights. It was neat to see sooo many people out today. There were tons of runners, bikers, roller bladers and walkers out on the trails today. Must have had something to so with the absolutely perfect day to be out of the house.

I finally feel like I am getting back to pre-injury shape. By the numbers, today's run *was* easy - average heart rate of 77% of max. My pace is still lagging a little (today's pace was 10:55, versus 10:29 at the same heart rate in early December), but I felt good the entire duration. About the only negative today was my legs were tired and I ran with sore legs pretty much the whole way. I'm hoping that a couple more weeks of this will get me back to where I was late last year.

On tap today is a short, sweet 4 mile recovery run followed by some time in the gym!

Long Slow Saturday

Yesterday was my standard Saturday long run. On schedule was a 12 miler, so I took off from CDM early and made my way around the Back Bay. I had a problem though - I couldn't find my heart rate strap. I looked all over the place and it was no where to be found. The last I remember is it falling off as I got out of my car after the Turkey Trot. I was going to go back home and look for the strap, but decided that I would just run by perceived effort and pace and see how things went.

I ended up being late and missing most of the Cal Coast group as they took off from CDM. I took off with the last group out, but ran only a little way with them, since I took the left turn and proceeded down the Lower Back Bay trail. Overall the run went pretty well. I felt strong right through 8 miles, slowing down once to take care of various equipment problems (glasses fogging, headphones getting wet). At 9 and a half miles I started feeling a little fatigued and slowed down and I went through the rolling hills on the Upper Back Bay trail back toward CDM.

Critical stats - 12 miles, average pace 11:05, for a total time of 2:13 - three minutes faster than my best effort at the 12 mile LSD and a whole 7 minutes faster than the last time I ran the same route. Best part is I felt pretty fresh when done. I am looking forward to the Make Room for Santa 10K in a couple of weeks to see what I am capable of. This running stuff is getting fun!

Postscript - my heart rate strap was found hiding under one of the seats in my car....

Back Bay Loop

Wasn't it Alka Seltzer that had a commercial many many years ago where a guy eats a lot of food, says he loves it, and then the next scene shows him looking green saying "but it doesn't love me"? I had that experience yesterday. Friday evening my wife and I went out for dinner. I had an *excellent* pesto linguine at Garduno's (on 17th Street in Costa Mesa). But by 3AM, my stomach was tied in knots. I think it was just a little too much garlic that set my system on its side. I stayed in in the morning and missed running with the group. But I thought that was better as opposed to the alternative.

By 11 o'clock in the morning things pretty much settled down. At noon, I grabbed my gear and set off on what was supposed to be 9 miles. I had decided earlier that if I physically felt good at my turn around, I would continue around the bay. It had been a while since I've done any double digit mile runs (10 doesn't really count). I started at CDM and headed out the lower back bay. When I got to my turn around at 4 and a half miles, I still felt pretty well. Today's goal was to keep my heart rate between 73% and 83% MHR (132 to 150 bpm). At that point in the run, I was at 147, with an average around 135. The weather was perfect - warm but not too hot (probably in the low 70's). Partly cloudy so the sun wasn't beating down on me. I made decision at that point to continue.

About mile 7, I started having a little trouble keeping my heart rate below 150. I had taken a little walking break during mile 6 to take in a gel and some water, but other than that, I had been averaging a 10:30 while keeping my heart rate down. I slowed my pace in an attempt to keep my rate below a 150. But the heat, hills and distances conspired against me. At one point during mile 10, I literally had to slow to a walk to keep my heart rate at 150. I decided at that point that since I wasn't physically spent, I would run *slowly* the last mile back to CDM.

Final verdict - 12.04 miles, avg pace 11:21, average heart rate 144 (82% MHR). I finished with plenty in the tank, which means that I could have pushed a little harder. Mission accomplished! Next Saturday now I'll do a 9 miles with the last three at race pace. Today is a four mile race pace run (assuming the weather cooperates).

Newport Back Bay Trail

Us runners in Southern California are lucky in a lot of respects. We define "cold" as 65 degrees. Humid means 25 percent humidity. This year, it rained a total of maybe 15 days. Then, there are a lucky few who live near the ocean. For us, hot is over 80 degrees. In addition, we enjoy a *ton* of great trails to run on. One of those is the Back Bay Trail, which uses a series of paved, multi use trails around Newport Bay to provide a 12 mile training path.

I belong to the Cal Coast Track club. One of the programs that the club has are various marathon and half marathon training programs that take place during the year. I am currently part of the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon training group. A couple of weekends ago, we did a 12 mile training run around the Back Bay. I took advantage of the run to snap some photos. I thought I would dedicate a blog page to sharing this gem of a trail with others that may be interested in running the loop.




Cal Coast meets at Corona del Mar High School. The group is divided based on skill and experience, so in general there are always people to run with.

Every Saturday, we make our way out of the back of the track to Vista del Oro Street. We synchronize our Garmins, and with a hearty "GO" and a press of the start/stop button, we are off. The one neat thing about the trail network that we run is that Cal Coast has measured and marked mileage. The "Start/Finish" line is located at our starting point on the street. From that point, every half mile is marked on a number of trails.




I will be describing the Back Bay Trail as we leave CDM High School, and head to the north. The Back Bay trail is really comprised of two routes - "Upper" Back Bay and "Lower" Back Bay. Together these two routes make the Back Bay Loop. I will be describing the route by going out Upper Back Bay, and returning via Lower Back Bay.


The first mile is actually run on Eastbluff Drive. This is one of the few places where you share trail on a busy street. The grade here is gentle and downhill, so on a longer run you need to watch your pace to make sure you don't go out too fast. Just before getting to mile 1, you will get to an intersection with Back Bay Drive. If you want to, you could turn left here and do the route in reverse from what I will be describing here (out via Lower Back Bay and back via Upper Back Bay). There are some advantages of doing that. First, you will run down "the hill" (description coming later). Second, traffic on Back Bay Drive is one way going north. By running the trail in reverse, you will be facing traffic. If you are like me and run with an ipod, sometimes it's better to see the car that is about to hit you....




The disadvantage, though, of running in that direction is you will miss some of the tremendous views to be seen. The one to the left here is the first view of Upper Newport Bay just prior to mile 1. If you are wondering why you see no boat traffic on this pristine piece of water, it is because the Upper Bay is a State Reserve and is protected. Newport Bay is one of the last remaining estuaries in Southern California.




Just past mile one, the paved trail turns left at Jamboree Road. Here you will be running on paved/concrete trail for the next half mile. About a quarter mile past the left turn is a marked trail junction. Turning left at this junction puts you on the San Diego Creek trail, which provides several options for runs including the 22 mile Mountains to Sea Trail. But that is another story for another day. For this run, you continue straight ahead on the bridge over San Diego Creek.




This is the view of Upper Back Bay from the bridge on Jamboree Road. A little history - Jamboree Road was actually named in honor of the Boy Scouts National Jamboree held in 1953. It was the first National Jamboree ever held west of the Mississippi River, and was held where the present day Fashion Island Shopping Center is located.





Just past the bridge is Bayside Drive, where you will make a left. Across the street is Fletcher Jones Mercedes Benz, one of the largest Mercedes Benz dealers in the United States. When you make the left, glance down and you will see the yellow slash with the 1/2 painted in yellow. You've just passed mile 1.5 from our start point at the High School.





This photo is right at the 1.5 mile point as you turn left at Bayside. For the next 2.5 miles, you will leave traffic behind and run on a trail that you will share with walkers, cyclists, rollerbladers and the infrequent equestrian. In my humble opinion, this is the gem of this trail. The views along the way are outstanding as you look out over the back bay.




Just past mile 2.5, you will encounter the first of the uphill grades you will run into as the trail rolls through the coastal scrub. This one is the worst though - about a quarter mile in length. But, the grade is gentle, so other than a little hard breathing, it provides a good break in the routine.





Things pretty much remain the same over the next mile and a half. Outstanding views, gentle rolling hills, invigorating breezes. By mile 3, the trail has taken a gentle turn toward the south, and you parallel Irvine Avenue through the West Bay neighborhood of Newport Beach.



But, just prior to mile 4, the trail comes to an end. As the photo shows, you pop out onto a short stretch of concrete sidewalk.


Here is where the trail can get a little confusing. The sidewalk comes up to the intersection of Irvine Avenue and Santiago Drive. If you follow the Back Bay Trail marked on the sidewalk, you would continue south on Irvine Avenue. Our journey though, will require us to turn left on Santiago. Normally, there are yellow arrows on the street pointing the direction of travel, but here a repaving project has covered the arrows. So, trust me at this point and turn left.


Your left turn will place you in the Westcliff/Dover Shores neighborhood for the next 2 or so miles. The only trick in this neighborhood is just past the 4 mile marker. After turning left on Santiago, watch for the yellow 4 mile mark in the street. When you see that watch next for the left arrow on the pavement at Galaxy Drive. Turn left at Galaxy. Your next mile and a half are on Galaxy Drive. Just past the 5 mile mark watch for the small park on your left where you can refill your water at the water fountain.


The next point of confusion is past the park about a quarter mile where you run into an intersection at Polaris Drive. At Polaris continue straight! If you turn at Polaris, you will run down the hill toward the Newport Aquatic Center, which means you'll have another climb out of the "hole". If you have any questions, follow the yellow arrows to Santiago where you make a left turn. Follow Santiago until it begins to turn left, where you enter a trail just to the left of the start of the turn.




There are several yellow arrows - so just follow them to the trail.










At this point, you are off the street and back on shared paved trails. The trails run behind a neighborhood known as Castaways. The views are once again spectacular!







That's actually my youngest son rowing his single skull down on the back bay. Castaway's is the half way point on the trail. Keep your eyes peeled for the six mile marker! Past the six mile marker, the mileage marks will actually be counting down. Stay in the park and follow the yellow arrows.





The next mile or so has you going down this steep portion of trail to the intersection of Dover Drive and Pacific Coast Highway. You turn left at PCH and go over the bridge. As you go over the bridge you pass the yellow 5 on the street telling you that 7 miles are now behind you. Follow the yellow arrows and turn left at Bayside Drive.

This next section of trail is definitely my least favorite. The only view is of a concrete block wall on your right, and the back of the Newport Dunes Resort on your left. It lasts a little over half a mile .






At the end of that trail, and coincidentally at mile 8, you will pop put on Back Bay Drive (remember that name from mile 1?) Here you are back on a short but busy section of road. The can be a bit of auto traffic on this stretch of road with Newport Dunes on your left and the Newport Beach Hyatt on your right. This is a short stretch of road, and once you pass Shellmaker Island on your left (the State has a new Interpretive Center there), you are back on one way road.


For the next 3 miles you will be on Back Bay Drive. This is a popular stretch of road with many many cyclists, runners, walkers and inline skaters. But the caution is that cars also use this road. While the pedestrians flow both directions, auto traffic is one way travelling north. That means the autos are travelling the same direction as you are. A loud ipod and often you will not even know a car is there until it passes you. Stay to the left in the pedestrian lane to avoid any problems.


Just past the 1 mile marker (meaning 11 are behind you), you start up "the hill". This is a steep stretch of trail - gaining 100 feet in about a quarter of a mile. When you get here make sure to pay attention. Coming downhill can be Bomber Biker. The last thing you want so close to the finish is to be a casualty of an out of control cyclist.



At the top of the hill, it's time to take a brief rest, catch your breath, and turn right on Eastbluff Drive.










Here you rejoin the trail that you started on 11 and a half miles ago. Jog up the gently sloping hill to Vista Del Oro, turn right and greet the start/finish mark that started this whole madness!

That's the extent of the Back Bay trail - one of the pristine trails that we get to run here in Orange County!

If you want to see other pictures, feel free to visit my Flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/glennsphotos2007/sets/72157605107842366/. For a unique view of these photos on a map of this route, check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/glennsphotos2007/sets/72157605107842366/map/

Newport Back Bay Trail

This past weekend we ran our last long run as part of our San Diego Rock n' Roll training program. I have been physically tired lately (don't really know why) and have started to feel some tweaks here and there, so I didn't want to push things too hard. According to McMillan, my long run pace should be between 11:00 and 12:00 per mile, so I thought I would settle in and take it easy. What better opportunity than to take the new camera out and snap a bunch of pictures of the run!

I plan on putting a description of the run together -right now I am playing with some features of Flickr to place the photos on a map of the course. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it and have something later today for you all.

Twelve in the Heat

Yesterday's run was fun. Fun but slow.... Twelve miles in wilting heat (at least wilting for us Southern Californians).

The last of our long runs had us running around the Newport Back Bay for a nice little 12 mile jaunt. The heat was oppressive, and we started at 7:30 AM! I wilted, but still finished - out of water, out of energy, and at an 11:00 plus overall pace - but finish it I did! Unlike my 16 miler a couple of weeks ago, I didn't have any cramping. My legs - more specifically - my calves, just ran out of juice!

Over the next couple of days, I will post some photos and descriptions of the Back Bay trail. For now, photos are posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/glennsphotos2007/sets/72157605107842366/

Some photos of where I run

After Saturday's 20 miler, we have started a "mini-taper" period. Our weekly runs scale back to 40 minutes each, and our LSDs will start reducing in length.

So today, I armed myself with my new Olympus 790SW camera and took a few pics of my route. For those of you familiar with the Newport Beach Back Bay area, I start my runs at the Newport Aquatic Center (NAC). I head north through Dover Shores, and take off toward the upper Back Bay. For a 40 minute run, I do a 20 minute out and back:


Immediately leaving the NAC and turning north, the first thing that you will encounter is a hill. It's not much of a hill (87 feet according to my Garmin), but its enough to get the heart pumping:

Next, you wind your way through Dover Shores, a development of older but nice homes. Most of the homes in this neighborhood are in the $2.5 to $4 million price range. It is a quiet neighborhood, but there is enough traffic to require some caution. About two miles from the start, you pop out of the neighborhood and encounter the Back Bay trail. From here on, you will get to enjoy views of the ocean, bay, flora and fauna:

For me today, I ran about a mile of the Back Bay trail and then turned around and headed on back.

There is one thing that is really neat to know about this trail. The Back Bay Trail is actually an organized trail maintained by Orange County:

The club that I currently run with, Cal Coast Track Club, also has marked the trail. The markers actually start at Corona del Mar High School (I'll show that some other time), and the trail is marked every 1/2 mile:

And at each mile:

When the trail turns, you need only to follow the arrows:

To be sure, there are tons of other mileage marks around, but if you do use this trail, the yellow mile markers are accurate (set by GPS).

All in all, if you start at the Start/Finish line next to the track at CDM, and follow the marks around the back bay, you can make a nice 12.5 mile loop! But that's for another day!