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January 31, 2005
sunday run/workout/race
so...sunday morning we all got a wake up call at 3:30 am EAsTern time. ( to me this was like getting up at 12:30 am...!) the miami tropical marathon started at 6:00 am...but we needed time to get to the starting area, park, etc...
my parents in law, brother in law and i all shared one hotel room the night before the race. i didn't get tons of sleep...but i wasn't too worried.
we piled into our uncle's car at 3:45 am. all 7 of us were dressed in our best running gear embarking on a family first--! in my mind i was reminded of what our uncle repeated the day before , "this may be the stupidest thing we've ever done!' i smiled to myself and thought ,"No!"-- "this is a great famaily bonding adventure--no mattter what!"
it was less than 24 hours since i dropped out of my first marathon in arizona of the year...that i decided...gosh..i need to get back on the "horse" so to speak and just run a marathon for fun and to gain back some confidence...knowing that tons of family members would all be in florida in a few weeks i decided that if everything went ok...my recovery mentally and physically i would run the miami marathon...too!--as a group effort , with family and just for fun! )
so there you have it...
we all started the race at 6 am. it was dark. there were about 7000 people running the half and full marathon. i started off w/my brother in law. his previous pr was 3:15 or so..i knew he'd get a PR today..the course was flat and he's got a good base...!
the course was really really beautiful. at the start of the race...the temperature was already in the high 60s...and it was a bit humid but there was a wonderful ocean breeze. we ran via south beach, via downtown miami and via corral gables. the course is one of the nicest ones i've ever done.
i really wanted to run relaxed ...negative split...and just feel good. my brother in law and i started off together. our 2nd mile was a bit fast...so we wanted to put on the breaks.. after about 4 miles i went ahead just a little and we ran on our own from there.
7:29, 6:44, 7:02, 6:51, 6:52, 7:20, 7:29, 7:32, 7:34, 7:27, 7:30, 7:29, 7:09
for some reason...right at the half way point when i wanted to pick it up...i fell a part a bit...maybe i was too anxious...but i just kept clicking my watch and didn't look at the times...and hoped that my slow legs would come back to life...
7:51, 7:55, 8:12, 8:10, 7:53
i was a bit frustrated ...i thought i'm in much better shape than this..i saw people passing me and felt a bit sad...i also saw people dropping out and i could relate 100%...i decided to try pushing the pace...i already didn't feel great...so what's the difference really between not great and really not great...i decided to find out.
6:58, 6:47, 7:07, 6:58, 6:56, 6:48, 6:43, 6, 31, 1:28--final time 3:10.47
i was happy w/these last few miles. these miles felt just as bad as the 8 minute ones...but i just had to focus and keep my eyes looking forward...toward the end...my form was pretty horrible. i think i was compensating a bit...i felt like i was practically limping at the end...but i wanted to see how fast i could kick it in... w/two miles to go i could see two women up ahead...and i decided to try to catch them...i caught one...but couldn't catch both...
so that was my sunday workout
my brother in law ran a pr ...3:13..
my parents in law finished in just under 7 hours
my uncle and cousins ended up completing just the half... it wasn't my uncle's day...the first reaction was...never again...then my uncle did seem to be open to trying again in the future...
i'm really really proud of the whole family...it puts so much into perspective ...it's all very humbling...and inspiring and humanizing...i won't ever forget this experience...
believe me...there are tons of things i've gleaned from all of this...more on that later...
Posted by liz at 10:18 AM | Comments (2)
friday / saturday easy
friday:
this was a busy day. i dropped our car off --as it needed a tune up--and decided just to jog home from there. it was about 3.3 miles. i just ran easy...and tried to avoid the storm clouds above.
saturday:
i took another easy day. i ran 2 miles w/my brother in law and our cousin.
i was in florida visiting family. lots of family congregated together to support my uncle who was attempting to walk his first marathon. after a lifetime of exercise here and there and a history of heart complications including a quad. bypass ... earlier this year...in the fall...he stepped outside onto the hollywood broadwalk ...and he walked all day...he ended up walking 26 miles that day. this was after a recent history of NOT walking in Years!!!...and then he just starting walking (kind of like forrest gump)...soon the walking turned into a daily habit...and ...soon after that it turned into preparation for a marathon. when family learned of his 180 athletic turn around in their uncle's life...they too got inspired and my parents in law (who have been pretty much sedentary most of their life and who have already combined lost over 120 pounds this year...)started walking too...to support our uncle...one by one different family members started getting involved by either deciding to walk/run the marathon or by planning to travel down to florida to be present as a witness to this event...all together 7 family members walked/ran the marathon and 4 more family members came down to watch the race!!
as this was a first for many of my family members--saturday consisted of lots of marathon jitters--pre-race rituals (carbo loading, getting to bed early, going to the big race expo!!!), picking up family members at the airport, etc...
Posted by liz at 10:05 AM | Comments (1)
January 26, 2005
wed. morning run
well i woke up and by the time i walked out the door it was raining! we've had a couple of relatively dry weeks out here...(tons of FOG) but no rain....i was wondering when the rain would pick up again!
i ran the usual morning sidewalk loop (53:17) w/my larkspur friend. we made our rain adjustment at the end to avoid the puddles. we talked nonstop and enjoyed our run in the dark, rain and via the puddles. she'll be away for a month...so the only good thing about that is no more 5:20 wake up calls for awhile...
i'll miss the running and chatting though.
my body is sore from lifting and i think my cold is resurfacing again. my husband is sick today... i hope my cold doesn't come back full force...we'll see.
well more later...
Posted by liz at 09:33 AM | Comments (2)
January 25, 2005
4 mile "campus loop" & strides & even lifting
today i ran an easy 4 miles w/a few student athletes who are preparing for their outdoor track and field season. it started raining about one hour before we set out for our run. we ran from campus and then up the fire road (trail) by the school, nearly to the top of san rafael hill and then we cut via the winding narrow neighborhoods that border this little hill park...until we made our way back down to the flatlands of san rafael --lincoln avenue and then ran back to campus on mission avenue...the last mile. with the rain falling down on us...we all felt a bit chilled but as soon as we hit the neighborhoods we were protected from the falling drops by all sorts of tall trees and canopies galore.
after the run we did 8 x striders on the soccer fields. they felt pretty good.
finally i hit the weight room and lifted (arms).
i'm taking the rest of the week easy. i have a trip planned for this weekend and a pretty hard workout planned for sunday...it'll kind of serve as my test to see if "i'm back"/recovered mentally and physically from phoenix...we shall see...that's all i'll say until my post sunday report.
Posted by liz at 09:22 PM | Comments (1)
January 24, 2005
Monday morning run
well i somehow made it out of bed at 5:20 am to run w/my larkspur friend. we ran for 52:21...the winter morning loop...(except instead of going around the COM track we just ran over the bridge and along the bike path).
my friend also ran out in pt. reyes yesterday (she ran about 11 miles more than i did). we were both a bit tired from that ...so we just took it easy, chatted the entire time...and were surprised when the run ended relatively quickly.
it was a bit nippy out. i did however overdress-- wearing a long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt , sweatshirt and gloves...
towards the end of the run....i heard this crazy loud harsh barking noise..i thought i was hearing a pack of hungry , angry, wild dogs...in the dark you can imagine pretty much anything .....i was about to redirect my friend and i to avoid this miserable pack of hounds (in the middle of lovely suburbia)...when to my good fortune i heard the splash of the water and finally a little quacking and realized my misperception!--it was just a pack of lively ducks!
Posted by liz at 08:04 AM | Comments (2)
January 23, 2005
day off & Pt. Reyes 20
saturday:
i ended up taking the day off. i set out for a run but my legs were tired from my fast run on the ridge on friday and the arch of my left foot has been bugging me now for 3 days...not when i run just when i'm not running. it tightens up on me especially over night when i'm sleeping and then gets very sore when it s first moved.
sunday:
ran 20 miles in pt. reyes national park (this is about 30 miles or so from where i live--it's located right on the coast ). this park is truly a great place to run...you can run along the coastal trail and witness the ocean's roar and breakers galore, there are miles of trails that meander via beautiful grasslands, there's bushlands and forested ridges galores. the park is long (parallels the ocean) and a great portion of the park is cut by a tall ridge...that provides wonderful forest trails, camping, exploration...and of course hills to climb (there are tons of ways to reach the ocean from the many trailheads near the entrance of the park...in most cases however...you do have to climb at least 800 feet or more to get over this ridge!!)
we started our run early in the morning at five brooks trail head. we took the ridge trail (about a 2 mile up hill climb) over to Palomarin (which is right on the coast!!!). by the time we hit the coastal trail...the sun was out and it had warmed up a bit. the fog was not clinging onto the coast like it was the valleys. we ran by bass lake (a great summer swimming hole w/a rope swing and all) and then continued on to wildcat camp. the views of the pacific were just AWEsome! the bright blue waters with crashing white foam hitting the sands at regular intervals...right up against the green winter grasslands...it was a fabulous scene. from here i headed right up Stewart trail (another very big climb on a fire trail..over a mile long--you run by shrubs and via a pine forest...all with the ocean to your back!!! ) to a great single track trail called Greenpicker. This trail is short but fun. It's extremely narrow. Very wooded. Lots of tight turns to meander around. Rolling hills. One feels like a small little lucky speck running under the canopy of the lush douglas fir forest. within this wooded area i came across three banana slugs and two newts. The ground here is really moist..douglas fir trees are very good at capturing moisture out of the air...even where there's not much rain... after getting off this trail i hit stewart again...the big fire trail road and made my way back down to five brooks. although i still feel a bit congested...i felt pretty good on the run and of course very inspired by the setting. during the run my arch didn't bother me at all...however now it's sore. i'm going to start icing it and looking after it a bit more aggressively.
Posted by liz at 12:42 PM | Comments (2)
January 21, 2005
Friday runs
lunch time:
ran the elbow loop w/a coworker. we ran nice and easy and just chatted the entire time. it's about 4.6 -4.7 miles. 75% road, 25% trails. it was fun to squeeze the run in --during the middle of a school day--. however, i did try to fit in too much...as after the run i only had 7 minutes to get ready to teach my C block class (in the end it all worked out just fine... i just had about 7 minutes of rushing around, etc...)
after school 4:30 ish:
ran the "surprise mary loop" (8 miles --7 of it on trails) up on the ridge w/my brother in law and my border collie (on leash!!--the dog was on leash not my brother in law !!:) he he ). we warmed up for the first two miles and then we picked up the pace...for the next 6 miles. the course has a lot of gradual climbing and long gradual downhills...once you get up the first 1/2 mile switchback hills there are no major elevation changes...just long gradual grunts...along the ridge. night was falling, the clouds were racing in and the winter sky was brillant as we tried to finish the run before it was completely pitch dark. with xander to pull me...i had a bit of an advantage on the uphills...everytime we hit a downhill my brother in law would be nipping at my heals... the views up on the ridge were so pretty. we still have lots of low level fog in our area...and from up on the ridge...you could look down into the valley neighborhoods and just see the fog rushing in and engulfing entire streets and homes and blocks...it was a sight to see. by the end of the run so much fog had rolled in that we could no longer see 50 feet in front of us...it was peaceful and surreal. i ended up taking the fireroad down to the graveyard (my brother in law--"lost" in the fog behind me wasn't sure which way i went so he took the switch backs down the hill")...as i descended down the 1/2 mile fire road i tried not to let xander pull me too hard...we ran that mile in 6 1/2 minutes...when we got to the bottom of the hill...the graveyard...we arrived a little too late and we were locked in! (i think there's a joke that says...why are there fences around graveyards...b/c people are dying to get out??? is that it?) there's an electric gate at this graveyard that opens and closes daily...sunrise/sunset. i tied my border collie to the fence, climbed over the fence and then searched for a way to pull, drag, entice my puppy to my side. finally i found a wide enough opening at the very end of the fence...and w/a little encouraging (nudging) he made his way over to me. from this point we were only 1/2 mile from home. we finished with a couple strides and called it a day! i ended up running 58 flat for the course...
Posted by liz at 06:28 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2005
after school run
right after school--i hit the gym (?!@!!) and lifted weights!!-- it's almost a trend--
shortly after that--i ran the phoenix lake loop w/three of the tracksters at my school. everyone seemed to be feeling good...so we set a pretty good pace and stuck w/it. we talked non stop ! after running about 4 miles with the group i continued on for 3 more miles. i felt a bit weighed down but really glad to be outside and experiencing the effort, roads, trails, etc..(52:29 mins. of running)
Posted by liz at 04:54 PM | Comments (1)
More Catch Up...
Monday:
Ran 3 miles in the am. (Very easy) Up on the ridge... It was very nice. Lifted!?!! Yes, Arms! 10-15 minutes. Ran another 3 miles (MA 5k loop) in the pm w/the puppies. We ran a bit fast (7 min/mile)--they pull quite a bit...
Tuesday:
Ran 3.7 w/the student athletes...Ran the Makin' the grade loop. It's a fun loop that cuts via the ridge in town...and you get to run via all of these narrow little neighborhoods. Running the loop w/the kids was so fun...they have a positive take on everything. Also lifted and did sit ups ?!?!
--was going to go to track...but still not mentally ready...maybe physically too. Just felt really blah...and kind of unmotivated...so decided to call it a day after the pleasant run w/the kids.
Wednesday:
AM: Ran the Crown Road ~8 mile loop w/my larkspur friend. It wasn't too cold...that was a delight. It's been very FOGGy and Damp and cold here...lately. The run was at an easy pace...we talked the entire time and that made all the difference...( it was hard getting up at 5:20 in the morning).
PM: Ran a tempo run w/the puppies. I ran 6 miles at 6:45 pace. I broke it up into 2 x 3 miles. I ran the first loop w/my border collie. We ran the MA loop. He had such a strong stride. In many ways...he "pulled" me along. He kept such an even pace...even on the rolling little hills...! His little tongue was dangling out of his mouth the entire time and he just seemed so happy. It definitely lifted my spirits and motivated me to keep going. I stopped at the house quickly...dropped off the border collie and picked up my whippet. She usually starts off fast...and then slows down. I had a 3 minute break in between 3 mile repeats as I switched pups. My whippet and I took off. To my surprise my whippets pace was a bit stronger than the border collie and we finished the loop 25 seconds faster. My whippet also seemed to be just loving the run.
In the end I was happy I decided to split the workout up and run it w/the dogs. After feeling kind of unmotivated lately...they added just the right amount of distraction and fun that I needed. I think the distance works for the dogs...and typically when I run w/them on leash I have to hold them back a bit...so combining their run w/my tempo run really worked out well for all of us ..i think! :)
I felt better than I thought I would for the workout. I don't know if that's b/c I was getting dragged via the workout or b/c the air was so cool from the fog...
More later!
Posted by liz at 10:50 AM | Comments (1)
January 16, 2005
Easy 10 mile Dog Run
This morning... I slept in... & I was pleasantly suprised to see the sun out and what looked like a beautiful day. I quietly got ready to run (so as not to excite the puppies too early)..., I broke out my Timex GPS which I don't use that often...., and then I announced the Run to the puppies (they went wild and were so excited) and we were off!
I decided to explore the eastern side of the ridge by my house. I'd still go up the zig zag trail and stay on top of the ridge for most of the run but when I got to the lollypop where I usually turn around (4 miles out) I would keep going and hang an eventual right to check out the north san rafael ridge. (and this Is what I ended up doing ..10.2 miles according to the GPS)
The run w/the puppies was pretty fun. Since my bordie collie, Xander, has been testing his limits lately..., I decided to keep both puppies on leash. Initially they pulled me through a fast mile--which is typical--but then they settled down and we were running an easy 8 to 8:30/mile pace.
I thought about all the east coast runners today as I tried to keep my balance today. Due to all the rain we've had...many sections of the route today resembled a mud slide. I had to be careful about not letting the puppies drag me down the hills...on my bottom side! Needless to say we took the downhills with extreme caution. The puppies were particularly useful on the uphills...since they were both on leash and combined they weigh about 80 pounds so they were able to pull me up the hill pretty nicely (especially for the first half of the run!! :)).
It was an absolutely beautiful day. The temperatue was at least 25 degrees higher than yesterday. Shorts and a t shirt were enough to keep me warm and comfortable. The views from the ridge were Awesome (this makes me laugh...see Good Company--and you'll see why...it's a pretty good movie!!! :) ) today. The fog seems to have lifted...and today we had views of Mt. Tam, the bay, even the city and most of central Marin. The immediate surroundings were seasonally at their peak as well. The rolling hills that make up this ridge are brightest now...since we've gotten so much rain. The green grass is majestic and quite inspiring and rejuvinating after looking up at the golden dried out grass all summer and fall . this change of scenary is a very refreshing look for us here in northern california!
Well I better take off. I don't feel 100% back (physically) ...but running via the woods (yesterday) and via the fields (Today) certainly provide me with enough incentive and happiness to keep training and running regardless of my recent history / mishaps!
Posted by liz at 01:44 PM | Comments (3)
January 15, 2005
I'm back
THANKS for all the comments last week. Everyone had such great perspectives and words of encouragement!!! :)
This week I took it very easy. I took 4 days off from running to try to recover (from everything) and I have since decided to keep training and go for another marathon sometime soon.
The few days that I did run this week...I ran VERY easy and just for Fun!
This morning I went for a long run on Mt. Tam w/a friend of mine. It was very cold for most of the run. There is so much moisture in the air right now in northern california. We have gotten so much rain in the last 3 weeks...even when it's not raining...the dampness is still present...just gives you that chill all day long.
Our run was very fun. We started at Ross Commons...headed up to Phoenix Lake...up the Fish Grade Single track...we then hit Bon Tempe Lake...and took our first single track trail...up towards Rifle Camp...but then we took a turn and headed out toward Alpine trails and the Ben Stein trails. We climbed all the way up to the Mt. Theater. From here we went to the West Point Inn and then we traveled to Hoo Koo Ku fire road...and finally we took the most direct way back...to the car...going down Tucker single track trail to Phoenix Lake...and then the last mile back on the road.
When we started off on our run...we both showed signs of weariness...my friend has been dealing w/a cold the last couple of weeks..and I've been trying to recover from mine and just mentally decide what to do with myself running wise. I didn't think we d make it that far on our run. But...time flew by ...we enjoyed the beauty of the trails, the rising fog, the cold overflowing rushing creeks, even the coldness in the air...was refreshing and rejuvinating to us.
This week I'll get back on the marathon training wagon. I'm going to start doing Tempo runs w/a group on Tuesday mornings. I'm also going to keep an open mind as I prepare for my next big race. I'm going to Allow myself and my training and my race plans to be a bit more flexible.
Posted by liz at 04:51 PM | Comments (1)
January 09, 2005
DNF
well, i made it 12 miles-1:22.01!!!
first i should note that the course was awesome. incredibly flat. wonderful support--the bands were so great...they played covers and would change lyrics to make them more runner-centric--the cheerleaders were also so energetic and outgoing and supportive, the water and drink stations were abundant and the volunteers were out of this world.
the start time was reasonable...7:40. the organization at the start of the race was great. there were thousands of people on hand for the 1/2 marathon and full marathon.
all of this is to say...there really are no great excuses for why i dropped out.
so--after a saturday of relaxing in phoenix...w/my brother and husband...i set off at 6:55 am to get to the starting line. i had to find the UPS trucks to dump my sweats in...and then i wanted to get in the port o pottie line. once i did all this...i actually only had 10 minutes until the start of the race. i jogged around for 5 minutes...my legs felt great...and then tried to squeeze into corral #1. this turned out to be impossible...the corrals were overflowing so i was stuck in the funnel leading to corral #1 when the gun went off!
the race took off...the sky was clear and blue. after a couple days of rain and clouds in phoenix everyone agreed it was great to see blue again!!!!
about 1/2 mile into the race my nose started running and i just started to heat up. a combination of the flu that i was desparately trying to stave off all week and allergies that I'm used to contending with...(but really didn't think twice about --though i should have since the climate is a bit different in AZ)...hit me and even before i got to the mile...i thought" oh man, this is going to be a tough day."
i continued on...each mile thinking oh my goodness, 25 miles left to go. i was running right on pace between 6:46 and 6:52s each mile...w/the 3:00 hour pacing group right there w/me-- But I was struggling... my upperbody felt incredibly tired and my head continued to "enjoy" increasing pressure from my sinuses. I honestly felt like i was running 6 minute miles...that 's how much effort i was throwing into these miles.
to make matters more dramatic--a combination of not feeling well...flu symptoms and being stressed (I know stress had a lot to do with it...i certainly had high expectations going into this race))( just feeling so uptight during the race--i hate that feeling and try to avoid it at all cost!!! but today i couldn't!!!) caused me i think to throw up a few times between miles 8 and 10. everytime i would get too worried about how hard the miles felt my throat would tense up and there went my breakfast...(it was actually quick...and i managed to catch up to the group i was running w/after my episode...but i'm sure i wasted tons of energy and spirit doing this...) . the second time...my dinner went out the door!
by the time i got to 7 miles i felt like i had already done a marathon. i was trying not to panic and get too upset. i had already realized it wasn't my day. i was struggling w/the idea of just finishing vs. dropping out. i am always so critical of people who drop out...thinking why would they drop out. but during these minutes and hour and a half that i did run...i know why i decided to drop out. it's just not fun being out there when you are having an off day.
in the end , yes i'm disappointed. however, i got into very good shape training for this event--so i feel like that's a gain. and i'm definitely ok with my decision. i really wanted to achieve my goal...i had no intention of scraping by and just finishing ( i know that sounds awful!!! ) i thought if my team was there...i know i would have gutted it out for the team...but this marathon was for me...and i can live w/my decision. today just wasn't a great day for me.
what' s next? i'm not sure. i ll take a week off and regain my energy and motivation and see what the year has in store for me!!!
Posted by liz at 04:24 PM | Comments (12)
January 06, 2005
easy 3
today i left work early and walked right home. i didn't even say hello to the puppies, i just quickly changed and got right back out the door ..in order to get my 3 mile run in.
i ran the ma crossroads 5k loop...but didn't do the last .1 mile. it was overcast all day long, with a bite in the air..., it was that cold damp kind of northern california day. i never warmed up all day--as i drank my emergency C waters and kept an eye on the weather.
i tried to run comfortably...and not push the pace too much. today my body is still tired and i noticed i felt stiff and tired during the run..but no more headache...so i suspect (fingers crossed) i'm recovering from whatever i've been fighting...
the course today was just a road loop. i saw lots of dog walkers. it was nice to be running at 4:00 rather than 8 at night or 6 in the morning. i tried to imagine myself running the marathon today while i was running but everytime i did that i'd pick up the pace so i'd have to quickly stop visualizing..!
tomorrow a short 2 miles and then that's that.
my goal sunday is to stick with my plan for the first 22 miles or so...6:48 miles...and only then if i feel great to pick it up...i don't want to be tricked by the marathon. i know it'll be hard for sure, no matter what i do...so why add any more drama to the event. plus almost every world record or great performance or even pr was done by running negative splits! we shall see!
more later
Posted by liz at 06:12 PM | Comments (5)
wed's rainie run
today i woke up & my sore throat was gone!!! but i had a terrible headache for most of the day and my body felt really sore. i'm happy i don't have any full blown symptoms of a cold...i'm just hoping to keep this thing at bay. the emergency C drinks seem to be helping me (at least mentally), lots of water and sleeping a bunch (or at least staying in bed trying!!!!) all should help me in the long run.
at this point half of me wishes the marathon was today and i could just get it over with and the other half thinks...what the heck am i doing --why do this to myself. but i think these doubts are all just a product of tapering and feeling groggy!
around 2:00 pm i headed out for a run. i ran w/one of the girls on the team. we ran in baltimore canyon. it's my favorite place to run on a rainie day. you can stay somewhat dry in the canyon but you don't miss out on all of the sounds, scents and adventures of the rain.
we started in downtown larkspur and then hit king mt. we had to climb about 400-500 feet...up on a fireroad...at this point it wasn't really raining yet. we climbed up the hill easy--from the hillside we could see layers and layers of clouds covering the bay area ( i thought any minute it could rain!)...and then we ran halfway around the tip of the mt. on a single track trail...in order to get to ladybug trail. by this point...it was raining. as we ran down the switchbacks of ladybug trail we could hear the rushing stream...that was now practically a river down below us in baltimore canyon. (I was tempted to change the route at the last minute and head towards dawn falls...thinking the falls must look wonderful on a day like this...but i didn't want to add another mile to the run nor another hill!). we hit the canyon and got to run along side the thundering stream for about a mile. it was great. at this point the environment took over and i forgot how sore my body felt and i just imagined the stream was carrying me down the trail. many folks were walking their dogs and hiking beneath the great redwood trees in the middle of this rain shower. we finally hit the bridge and made our way back out to the road. we ran about 1 mile back to downtown larkspur and called it a day. it was about 5 miles...we ran it in ~ 38:30.
i didn't feel terrible...but my body just felt very very tired on the run and my head felt foggy. i do think i'm on the up and up and i'm doing better...so we'll see.
thanks for everyone's best wishes and great comments! :) a few more days and we'll see what i can actually do!
Posted by liz at 08:32 AM | Comments (2)
January 04, 2005
Monday & Tuesday running
Monday:
Ran 55:49 w/my Larkspur friend at 5:45 in the morning. Still feeling jet lagged the early hour was not a bother at all.
The rain Finally let up...and so we were left w/puddles, roaring canals and streams and a cool, crisp, fresh air to meander through.
We had not run with one another for close to three weeks so my friend and I had a lot to catch up on. I did most of the talking and we ran at a good clip..the chill in the air kept us moving.
We ran through the roads, bike paths and trails that we usually run on at this time of the year. The morning light is w/us now earlier than it was a month ago...so I was happy about that. We didn't really need our flashlights at all. We ran into a few other runners...but for the most part we just had our conversation, splashes and the twists and turns of the run.
I felt pretty good overall.
pm
This afternoon I had the fortune to run w/my brother in law. We ran a little loop in Clayton...through the cow fields. We ran very easy as my brother in law was recovering from the flu and had not been running at all for a few weeks. The cow fields were terribly muddy (clay mud) and the sky was dense w/a myraid of clouds, layered and layered and layered on top of one another...i thought any minute it could pour again... (it didn't). we talked nonstop; it was great. after our jaunt through the muddy fields we had to rinse our shoes off w/a hose...so the mud wouldn't cake onto our sneakers FOREVER!!!
Tuesday:
Today symptoms of a little cold hit me. I have a bit of a runnie nose, a very sore throat and a tired body. I know some of this is to be expected after so much traveling...but I can't help but notice ALL the sick people around me (stay in bed I think!--as I pray I don't catch their colds so close to my big day!!!).
I drank tons of water today, ate many oranges and rested a lot. (Work for me doesn't begin until Thursday...so I'm lucky I can really rest!).
I'm going to drink lots of those Vitamin C drinks between now and Saturday...to try to stave off this cold or flu or whatever it might be...!
This evening I went for a short 3 mile in total run. My last official "workout " before the big day. I ran 1/2 mile warm up. Then I ran 2 miles on the roads at marathon pace (6:48)and then I ran a 1/2 mile cool down.
I ran on the MA 5k loop. I picked a slightly rolling mile to run back and forth...! I felt good but the last couple of minutes my throat was bugging me!
I ran at 8 in the evening. The air was very very cold. There were a few folks walking their dogs, not a single car on the road the entire time, rolling fog in the distance and lots of homes still lit up w/holiday lights!
More later...
Posted by liz at 08:46 PM | Comments (5)
January 02, 2005
sunday long run in northern california!
january, 2
i heard it's been raining in northern california since monday!! almost an entire week.
this morning was no different. i woke up at 7 am california time...unable to sleep...only to hear the rain coming down hard on the roof top!
i figured the rain wasn't going to let up and i wasn't going to fall back to sleep so i might as well head out for my last "long run" before my marathon next sunday.
i had to run 10 miles today. i decided to run from home...over to phoenix lake and then do the yolanda loop and then run back home. it's essentially a lollypop loop.
2 minutes into the run and my fingers were freezing! I dressed lightly...shorts, long sleeve shirt, vest and hat...b/c i d rather for a bit cold then weighed down by water soaked clothes!
it took me at least 15 minutes to warm up...i was tired from traveling and cold from the rain.
the phoenix lake trail district...(which is home to hours and hours and hours of trails!!) is only a 20 minute run away from our home.
once i got there...i headed up the fire road...all the way up to five corners and then hit the single track trails. the single track trails up on the ridge were so beautiful. i was really glad to be back in california on the open space trails. as i looked down from the ridge fog was rising, rain was pouring down, all i could see were green tall trees, bushes and mt. tam in the background! i only ran into 3 other runners throughout the entire run. i wonder if everyone was waiting for the rain to let up?! (i usually run into tons of runners on the weekends on these trails!)
the last 15 minutes i got really cold. i picked up the pace a bit...and made my way home!
6 days before the marathon! i'm really really nervous and excited!!! i have to remember the hay is in the barn and rest rest rest and health health health are the most important things at this point!
ciao for now!
Posted by liz at 10:29 AM | Comments (4)
day of travel
1, january
we got up in italy at 6 am (rome time) and 25 hours later we walked through our front door and we were reunited w/our puppies!
there was absolutely no time to run today!
Posted by liz at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)
longish run in rome
friday adventures!
on friday we got up early and headed to the vatican museums. the line (to get into the museums) was crazy...we arrived at 8:30...the museums opened at 8:45 and we were at least 500 meters down from the start of the line...five minutes after getting in line...so many people had arrived after us...that w/o even moving up we were now in the middle of the line!!!
once in--there was so much to see! Classical & Renaissance art...there were portraits galore, Roman mosaics-on the floor and walls!!, greek statues, and of course the sistine chapel. both the walls and the ceiling were impressive & amazing to witness. the guards kept shhhhhhhing the crowds...silence is requested in the chapel...but it's hard to not whisper remarks and exclamations to whomever you are with while in the chapel! the ceiling overall was a lot more vibrant and colorful than i expected...
after our visit to the museums my husband went back to our hotel..and i took off for my run. this was the first day that i didn't start my run in a park...i started the run from the hotel.
about two minutes into the run i was running via st. peter's square...among hundreds and hundreds of visiters. next i crossed a busy street and ended up climbing up a wonderful one way street that was walled in (literally!) on one side of the road there was a huge 30 foot brick wall that lined the entire road...about 1200 meters long (at least...all going up hill!!!) and on the other side of the road...there were a mix of stone walls and fences. the climb up this street was maybe 500 feet or so...at the top there were great views of the tiber river, the vatican and much of rome in general.
once at the top of the road...all i had to do was go two blocks down and i was at the villa doria pmaphillj (the largest green space area in rome!!!) . it was probably only a mile away from the hotel we stayed at.
since i had run in the park earlier in the week...i had a plan...and knew where i wanted to run. i figured i d run the entire perimeter of the park and then spiral into the center of the park and then turn around and trace my way back to the hotel.
this was by far the nicest day of the week. it was probably 57 to 60 degrees out. i felt comfortable in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. almost every other jogger looked to be overdressed in my opinion...wearing tights, hats, two layered tops, etc!
the trails or tracks as they are referred to in italy...in this park and in villa borghese were very similar to fire roads...wide road like trails...filled w/hard packed sand, dirt and stones here and there...! the landscaping in the park was so nice. you'd be running down these tracks and you felt like you were running up to a palace...the tracks were all bordered on both sides by beautiful trees or statues...! you'd make a wide turn and all of a sudden the style of the canopy trees would change just a sliver but just that alone would transform your experience and you'd think you were some place entirely new.
in the middle of the villa doria pamphillj they had a monument and next to the monument was a little building that welcomed joggers...and sold water and drinks...there seemed to be a lot of people who started and finished their runs in this area.
after running the tracks in the park i made my way back to the hotel the say way i came. i ran down the winding cobblestone road that i ran up on the way there. i dashed via st. peter's square and then walked the final 2 blocks...since i had already been running for 1:21.
Posted by liz at 09:50 AM | Comments (2)