Getting Back to Normal

A number of things are kind of getting back to normal these days. First off – the weather. Late summer in Southern California is back. After a little lighting, thunder, torrential rain and hail on Saturday morning, followed by Florida like heat and humidity, Sunday saw our normal weather back. Yay! I don’t know how all you folks in the Midwest and the Southeast put up with it.

With normal weather, I had no excuse to not head out for a quick 5 miler. I headed into the wild (or at least as wild as it gets here in Orange County) for some spectacular views and a spectacular run (well, okay – half run, half walk).

So, slowly but surely, things are getting back around to normal.Now,if anyone has a job for me, that would make things pretty darn  perfect….

Same Old Place, Brand New Trail

I was out yesterday in Laguna Coast. Again. But, this time I tried a different trail – West Ridge. I had been avoiding this trail because it has these things that I detest:

It was an absolutely stunning day, and even though the onshore winds were stiff, their cooling effect was pleasing and appreciated!

The plan was five miles. The first two and a half were spectacular. The views were tremendous:

Okay. I know I’m old, but I’m not a fossil yet!

I got to the turnaround point surprisingly fresh. I enjoyed the view toward the ocean:

Then I turned around. Gulp!

It wasn’t until I got back, that I found out that I had essentially run downhill for 2 1/2 miles:

That meant I would be climbing back up toward those homes in the distance that you can’t see in this photo:

After some huffing and puffing (and some less than speedy foot shuffling) I crested (yet another) hill and was welcomed back to civilization:

It’s kind of scary that in less than a month I have a race that is going to essentially do this climb three times in a row. Yikes!

Has it Been a Week?

Wow. I had no idea. No wonder my stats are down.

Sunday I made it out on the trails for the first time in several months. It was a perfect Southern California day. I’ll let the video speak for itself. No music. Just the sights, sounds, a heavy breathing. Join me for five miles squeezed down into 3:52. If that’s too long, skip to 3:08 for a view of the wildlife on the trail. Hope you enjoy it!

Bommer Ridge on a perfect Southern California day

Up for the Challenge

The weather was somewhat cooperative yesterday so I headed out onto Bommer Ridge in the mid afternoon. It was pretty warm and sticky (almost uncomfortable), but I put in an easy five miles on the ridgetop.

And just in case you thought *that* was the challenge – you are sooo wrong. A few days ago I was tagged by Patrick at The Road to list 10 random things about me. Sounds like fun, so here goes:

1. I am a second generation native Los Angeleno. My dad was born here in 1930. My grandmother moved here at the age of 6 in the early 1900’s. Snap. Almost a third generation native
2. My first choice for colleges (UC Irvine) was made based on my opportunity to surf everyday.
3. I don’t surf anymore.
4. I once played blackjack at the old Stardust in Las Vegas for 30 straight hours on $20.
5. Speaking of Las Vegas – the only time I left that town with more money than I started with ($3 net profit), I got a speeding ticket on I-15 on the way home. Net loser again.
6. My first car (a new 1975 Toyota Celica) cost less than my last big screen TV. It lasted 3 years more than the TV did. And when I sold it it was still running strong.
7. Speaking of cars, I used to do all my own maintenance (oil changes, brakes, heck, I even replaced a clutch in my first car). These days I won’t even open the hood.
8. I love to eat. In my college days I once hit up a Vegas buffet for 6 full plates of food. Then I hit the dessert bar. Maybe that’s why I have a name for this blog.
9. I’m not much into touristy travel. I’ve never been to Europe or Asia. I’d much rather spend a week camping/fishing. But I did take a three week vacation to Iran in the 90’s. It took almost three months to get a visa.
10. One of my bucket list items is to set foot in all 50 states. I’m up to 38. Trying to figure out how (or why) I’d get to the Dakotas (sorry Jerbear) or Maine (sorry Caratunk Girl).

So there you go. And I might as well play the other game too. If there’s something you want to ask me, go ahead – now’s your chance! I promise I’ll answer your question!

We Learn From Our Mistakes…

Or so the saying goes. If this was true, then I don’t know why I tried to eat all day yesterday without logging my food until the evening. Here’s the damage:

• Daily calorie budget: 1762
• Food consumed: 2944
• Exercise calories: 760
• Net calories: 2184 (422 calories over budget! Yikes!)

If you notice – there are some exercise calories there. My son and I finished seven hill repeats charging from the Back Bay to Jamboree Road on San Joaquin Hill Road:

Add a mile warm up and a mile warm down for 5 and half really painful miles. My legs are really feeling it today.

I’ll be out for three miles easy this evening. And hopefully an answer to the question of what I use to track my calories….

Training Plan Adjustment Required!

I just realized – I have a race in a week and a half. And nothing built into my plan in the way of taper. And some tired legs. So - I’m going to adjust a little this week and next so I can tackle the streets (and hills) of San Francisco.

Tuesday: Did just over five miles (5.2) in the hills of Shady Canyon, including a 14 minute hard run for about 1.6 miles. My legs were feeling tired and non-responsive – I’m sure from Saturday’s little escapade. I struggled to put together any speed whatsoever, and just felt like I was laboring to get anything done. When I got back and checked my data, I never did get my heart rate above 90% of max – even though I felt like I was pushing *very* hard.

Wednesday: Another struggle to put together a consistent four miler. I was sub 10:00 and kept my heart rate below 75% of max, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty.

Which is why I’m going to adjust a few miles down. I don’t want to just survive San Francisco next weekend. I’m not expecting to PR, but I would like my time to be competitive….

A New Week

With my fragile running psyche apparently on the mend, I am eager to get on with this week’s training schedule while it thinks that everything is good to go:

• Monday: Row 4 miles.
• Tuesday: 5 mile hill workout with Cal Coast.
• Wednesday: Easy 4 miles. Resistance workout of 2 sets each of single leg squat, oblique bridge, lying draw in, quadruped, split squat jump and 1 set each of box lunge, stability ball leg curl, forearms to palm bridge, dead bug(looks like some new exercises to check out).
• Thursday: 8 mile easy run.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 16 mile long run.
• Sunday: 8 miles at race pace. Resistance workout of 2 sets each of single leg squat, oblique bridge, lying draw in, quadruped, single leg box jump and 1 set each of box lunge, stability ball leg curl, forearms to palm bridge, dead bug
• Total mileage: 45 or thereabouts

ETP Day 8 (Monday): Hopped on the ergometer for 7 kms (4.34 miles), .34 miles over plan. Calorie wise – BMR of 1992 (program must be increasing based on higher activity level) plus 597 for exercise for a total of 2589 allowed. 2724 consumed, so over by 134 calories.

ETP Day 9 (Tuesday): Workout with Cal Coast in Shady Canyon. 5.6 miles (0.6 over plan) at an average pace of 10:06 (although middle 12 minutes done at 8:00 pace). Got heart rate above 90% of max for only 4 minutes this week, but ran at an overall faster pace. Food budget shows 2012 for BMR plus 896 for exercise. I ate 2697, which resulted in a deficit of 210 calories.

• Training variance week to date: + 0.9 miles
• Calorie variance week to date: – 76 calories

On plan today – four easy miles followed by a resistance workout.

Winding Down to Race Day

Well - I guess it's time for my inaugural race for 2010. I haven't run a race since mid December - and even that one was on a whim. In the past, I have always run at least a race a month. While most of the country shuts down outdoor activity for snow and cold, our race season is in full swing.

But, I am noticing a big difference this year. In the past, races were motivation to push through the miles. It was the thought of an upcoming race that got me out the door. This year though, I am honestly and truly enjoying the training (well - maybe except for those 20 milers). In fact, the thought of fighting traffic and parking to run with 20,000 of my close friends at Surf City and L.A. Marathon is not all that appealing. Maybe it's that my drawers are bulging with race shirts. Maybe I'm tired of fighting crowds and traffic. Maybe it's just that I'm just enjoying getting out and being active.

Speaking of training - I whipped out five easy miles yesterday at a 9:16 pace. Average heart rate was 77% of max. I guess I've come a long way since I rolled off the couch a couple years ago.....

Nothing Like Waiting Until the Last Minute

Yes, I was supposed to have this all out of the way and done on Monday. But I didn't. Then on Tuesday I was on a plane to Chicago. Yesterday I had to deal with this:

And this:

Earlier this morning I was back on a plane dealing with this:

And this:


(Wait a minute - didn't they drop him?)

So here we are, the last day of 2009. And I'm three miles short of my goal. So, a little after three today I laced up my shoes and headed to my favorite hill for some punishment for being such a bad boy. Two mile warm up, five hill repeats, one mile warm down for a total of 5.5 miles.

THAT MEANS I DID IT!!!! Woot! Woot! Sometime around 3:30 or so I ran 1500 miles for the year. Final stats for 2009 - 1502.03 miles. That's like Los Angeles to Minneapolis!

Here's hoping that you and your family have celebrating a safe and happy New Year!

Christmas is Coming!

In a Southern California way. Snapped last night:


I couldn't get out for my run until late evening yesterday (had some work in New Jersey - telecommuting from my office still beat having to get on a plane). But I did get out right before sunset and put in five easy miles. I'm glad I had my phone with me!

Ho ho ho! Or is it gobble gobble?

Week One Down

So my first week on my L.A. Marathon training plan was a success. No missed runs. One quality workout. One double digit run. Some easy aerobic miles. I finished up the week with a 5 mile pace run. I tried to hold my pace down, but it was tough to run that slow. Final stats - 31 miles. One session of three hill repeats (can definitely push myself harder on those). One 10 mile run. I feel like I'm back in the game.

On the plan this week is a little fun. I'll be running a Turkey Trot on Thursday in Van Nuys (in the San Fernando Valley about 60 miles north) that looks to be a *ton* of fun. I'm especially looking forward to our tweetup (the name given to a meeting of Twitter users) before start time. There looks to be somewhere around eight or nine people at this point. It's going to be great meeting some of my long time virtual runner friends - especially Ms. V!

The rest of the week shakes out this way:
Monday: 3 miles GA, stretching and core workout
Tuesday: 5 miles GA
Wednesday: 3 miles GA, stretching and core
Thursday: Balboa Lake Turkey Trot. One mile warm up and warm down, about 5 miles total
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 11 mile long run
Sunday: 5 mile GA
Total plan: 32 miles

Another day in the Books

After yesterday's little frozen hands debacle, I stopped by one of my local running stores and picked up a pair of these Nike gloves:

They're more like liners than gloves, but they let enough air through to keep my hands from getting sweaty. Just what the doctor ordered! They have a cool key pocket on the palm of each hand. Unfortunately my key is too big to use the pocket though. Too bad the pocket's not big enough for a cup of coffee. Oh well. The best part is they were the least expensive gloves in the store at $17.95.

And with those, day two of morning running is in the books. I got out around 7AM today. While the thermometer showed the same temperature as yesterday, the addition of the gloves and the bright sun made it seem infintely warmer. I ended up putting in 5 miles at an average pace of 9:10 with an average heart rate at 80% of max. Right dead on in the aerobic zone.

On the plan tomorrow - 3 easy miles. I'm heading out earlier and not forgetting the camera.

Final Week of Recovery

This week caps my four week Higdon recovery plan. I've had a tough time on this recovery cycle and haven't yet completed an entire week to plan. I did come close mileage wise last week, ending up at 26 miles (plan was 30), but I skipped my Thursday workout.

I'm going to go back through my blogs for the last three weeks to get down to the bottom of things. I know I've been a little physically thrashed since Long Beach - legs tired, knees sore, etc. And I can't help but thinking there is a little mental angst going on too. The hint that this is happening are the little things like putting my run last night off until pretty late in the evening. Speaking of which, I did put in just over 5 nice easy miles last night. And I did stretch and do some core work afterwards. So maybe things are looking up?

The plan for the rest of this week:

Monday: 5 mile GA. Stretching and core.
Tuesday: Track workout with the club. Somewhere around 5 miles.
Wednesday: 5 mile GA. Stretching and core.
Thursday: 30 minute tempo run. Should be somewhere around 3.25 miles.
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 9 mile medium long run.
Sunday: 40 minute tempo run. Should be somewhere around 4.25 miles.
Total plan: 30 - 31 miles

And with that - I'll be starting my next marathon training cycle. L.A. Marathon - here I come!

Now I need to be off to do some reading. I've been derelict in my blog reading responsibilities!

Exciting? Not So Much

Not much exciting happening on the running front. Such is the bane of recovery. The miles are racking up, but there's nothing earth shattering to talk about. I put in an easy 5 miles after dark. Final stats - 5 miles at an average pace of 9:45 with an average heart rate of 77% of max.

I *did* end up getting geeked out in my night gear and I was glad I did. I did a little bit of running (about a mile) on a fairly busy street and had to dodge more than one car. Let's be careful out there folks! I don't care whether the driver is at fault or not, the reality is he/she will win!

On a note related to collisions - my cycling accident is now officially a thing of the past. To recap, I was cut off by another cyclist on a bike path back in June of 2008. I gripped my brakes and tried to avoid a collision, went over the handlebars, and stopped the pavement with my face. I ended up with a concussion, a ton of road rash, a cracked jaw, a couple hundred stitches (most for an upper lip reconstruction) and some broken and chipped teeth. And a helmet that was in pieces.

Most of this was dealt with pretty quickly, but the teeth were an ongoing problem. I had numerous infections that resulted in four root canals, the last being Christmas Eve last year. There was some question whether the teeth would stay in. But, after a year, they looked stable. So, last week, I got them capped, and the last physical scars of the accident are a thing of the past. I can now smile without showing my hockey player teeth:


And yes Patrick - that is a Sabre's jersey (Derek Roy)

I'm living proof - cyclists - if you ride make sure you wear that helmet!

Eerie...

I've been a busy body the past couple of weeks. Hence today's late (and soon to be short) blog post. I'm managing to get my daily posts in for posterity's sake, but that's about it. I've fallen behind in my reading too, so bear with me. I'm hoping things kind of settle down toward the weekend.

I beat the darkness yesterday and got in a 5 mile general aerobic run. It was a nice evening out - temperatures in the mid 70's, sun going down over the bluffs and a light breeze blowing. It was a perfect evening to put in a run. Final stats - 5.12 miles at an average pace of 9:55 and an average heart rate of 76% of max.

I also wanted to share a neat photo with everyone. I was up pretty early this morning (unfortunately, even though I live on the West Coast, I have several customers on the East Coast). On my way to pick up my wake up juice (aka coffee), I noticed that it was foggy outside. Not strange for this time of year. I settled into my chair and started pounding away on my computer. I glanced up an noticed that it was sunny. Huh? Wasn't it just foggy? It never occurred to me it could be a little of both:

Tonight is track night. Gotta do the 800's this week folks.....

Back on Track - Literally

I was back on *the* track last night. Even if my running isn't quite back *on* track yet. Last night's interval session was one 1200 and 3 800s. Since I was a little sore and tired, I did the 1200 but then opted for three 400's (basically just peeled off after a lap):

Interval 1 (1200): 5:40 (8:18 pace)
Interval 2 (400): 1:48 (7:55 pace)
Interval 3 (400): 1:52 (8:12 pace)
Interval 4 (400): 1:58 (8:39 pace)

You can see the trend here. Basically, the 1200 wiped me out. I just didn't have the legs to get me through the 800s anyways. Oh well. I *am* still recovering (hands in pockets whistling). With warm ups and warm downs I ended up putting in 5 miles total.

Today I'm going to slow down and take it easy. I'll hit up Crystal Cove for a quick four mile run. Gotta remember the iPhone - the winds yesterday stirred up a lot of dust. Should make for a nice sunset!

Tuesday Track Workout

Now that marathon training is over, I joined my pals with Cal Coast last night and did Tuesday's track workout. Or tried to. My plan called for an easy 4X400 session. Coach had a 1200 followed by 2 X 800. I figured I'd look like a real dunce peeling off after 400, so I went with the flow. The good news is I got that 1200 in. The bad news is I had no legs left for the 2 X 800. So I did a bastardized interval session:

Interval 1: 1200 at 7:30 pace
Interval 2: 400 at 7:30 pace
Interval 3: 400 at 7:45 pace

I was actually pretty pleased with the first interval. I didn't feel like I was really sucking wind right up to the last 100 yards or so. I ended up hitting 98% of MHR (183 bpm) at the finish line. Overall I put in 5 miles at an average heart rate of 79% of max. Average pace was 9:27 per mile. Not too shabby. I'm paying for it this morning though with sore legs and hips. I need to admit that last night was a great ego boost after spending so much time going long and slow the past weeks.

On schedule today is a 3 miler. Nice and easy. I'll keep reminding myself. Nice and easy.

Five More Miles - Winding It Down

I just wanted to stop by on a Sunday for quick update. I put in an easy 5 miles yesterday. The weather seems to be cooperating this weekend - even though it was a brilliant, sunny day, the temperatures were in the mid to upper 60s. Perfect for a run along the coast.

The realization is setting in. The long training journey is almost over. Yup. One more week. Then it's time to collect my reward. It's MY reward. For MY hard work (sorry for being selfish!)

If there is one huge difference between this marathon and my first marathon - this time I *really* could care less about my finish. Yes - I have a time goal. But that is secondary to enjoying myself. And as long as the weather is nice (and right now the extended forecast is saying so), I will do that.

Yessiree. I am ready. Ready to be allowed to join my fellow runners who deserve to reap the rewards for THEIR hard work. I think I'm beginning to understand the lure of the marathon.

Back at It

Sorry. No more concert video. Or food pictures. "Vacation" is over. I made my way out of the house last night and hit the trails. I'll wait until tonight to say I'm back on track. I felt strong and fresh - I think the week off did some good. The run on the plan was a 5 mile recovery run, and it was pretty effortless. The only real problem was that it was hot and humid yesterday. Unusually so for Southern California. I left for my run at 7PM and it was still 78 degrees out. I was happy for a change that there *was* a stiff on shore breeze blowing. It didn't take long before I was drenched.

Tonight's run should be a little more challenging. Intervals on the track (See? Told you I'd wait until today to say I'm back on track). 3 1/4 mile warm up, 5 800s at 10K pace with a 400 yard rest, and a 1 mile warm down for a total of 8 miles. It's supposed to be a warm sticky day again today. Honestly - I don't know how you Easterners put up with this day in and day out!

Week 11 in the Books

I wrapped up week 11 yesterday with an *easy* 5 mile recovery run. I emphasize easy, because I kept the effort pretty low key. Just like yesterday I stopped on the trail and chatted with a family friend. Who said that running is not a social activity? I finished up by making it to the gym for stretching and core work. Final stats on last week - 48.5 miles.

This week is supposed to be my first week ever above 50 miles. But I have a whirlwind business trip to El Paso, so I'll end up having to forgo Wednesday and Thursday's runs. This week stacks up like this:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Was supposed to be a 6 mile recovery run. I'm putting Wednesday's run here instead - 3 1/2 mile general aerobic warm up, 6X800 intervals at 10K pace, 400 rest in between, 1 mile warm down for a total of 9 miles.
Wednesday: Aluminum tube to El Paso
Thursday: Aluminum tube back to Orange County
Friday: Rest day. Daughter's 21st birthday dinner with family (in other words I better not run).
Saturday: 18 mile long run
Sunday: 6 mile recovery run. Hit they gym.
Total mileage: 33 miles

So, the elusive 50 mile week is still tantalizingly close. But then a year ago, I never would have thought that it was even possible.

Finally, thanks for all the concern about running alone! I do belong to a running club (Cal Coast Track Club) that meets for long runs on Saturday mornings. But there are two things working against me. First, I'm using a training plan that the club is not - so I'm out of whack with everyone else. Second, three to four hours running is a big time investment. I'd rather do it early and get it over before the rest of family is up and moving around so they don't have to suffer the wrath of my schedule. Running alone is something I've brought on myself.

Plus - it's not as bad as it could be. I use the time to catch up on news and current events. While most people listen to music while running, I listen to a couple of podcasted radio shows: the Phil Hendrie Show and Coast to Coast AM. I can listen to some news, comedy, and things that go bump in the night. Out of curiosity - what do you all do to work through the boredom of hours on the trails and paths?