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May 30, 2005
Sunday off/Monday race
Sunday:
Really needed a day off. With so many running arrangements that I've committed to lately (with friends, students, etc) I lost track of my own needs... This day off was very much needed. After three days of hills (thursday's hill repeats, friday's dipsea effort and saturday's double dipsea effort) my legs were just crying out for a little positive attention called Rest.
Monday:
Ran in a local 10k. About a month ago, I was hoping to really attack this 10k and run hard. Even a week ago I thought I'd still be able to break 38, but after my rest day on Sunday I figured my fate was a bit predetermined by all my hill running lately.
During the warm up my legs were already tired. Just beat. Nothing too unusual--my quads were just burning and had no pep in them.
The first mile I ran in 5:58. I felt aerobically great but my legs were absolutely dying. I should have backed off a lot at this point--instead I just hung on. People passed me for the most part--until I got to mile 4. A friend came up to me and said come on..., let's get that pack ahead of us. This helped me out so much. This kept me from falling apart completely and was a godsend. The last .8 miles or so I had no no kick. I couldn't wait to finish. I was so glad to be done and I was really glad I didn't drop out. I contemplating dropping out the entire time b/c I felt really frustrated that I wasn't racing at all...I was just holding on and fighting.
I ran 39:20. Not really bad at all. But not what I think I'm capable of. My options were not to do the race, approach the race like a workout or try to race it. And of course I tried to race it. I think there's nothing lost. More experience to add to my resume. I definitely got a super workout in. My legs are absolutely beat now. Even cooling down my legs felt soooo tired.
I'm going to run easy the next couple of days and try to find the spring in my legs again. I did a bit too much the last 10 days or so. This is a good wake up call.
Posted by liz at 07:05 PM | Comments (3)
May 28, 2005
fri/sat dipsea running!
friday:
ran w/one of the students and my brother in law on the dipsea course. ran from the depot in mill valley to the first meadow and then turned around... my legs were a bit tired from thursday's hills. it was really fun to be on the course w/new people. ~ 58 minutes total of running
saturday:
drove out to stinson beach at 5:30 am in the morning. got there around 6 am. then ran to mill valley via the dipsea course, steep ravine, troop 80 trail and the zig zag trail behind mt. home inn that leads to cascade falls trails. i ran this entire part easy...1:15 or so.
then i ran the dipsea from mill valley to stinson with a new friend. we ran some sections harder than others. it was a very cool day on the mt. especially running down to stinson the day was still very overcast and the cool ocean breeze felt great. ~ 70 minutes of running for this section.
~14 for the day (mostly easy running- though the terrain was tough!)
Posted by liz at 11:06 AM | Comments (1)
May 26, 2005
thursday warm up loop & hill repeats
run 1:
ran a ~20 minute pre-meet ridge loop w/the high school team. we parked at the top of the ridge and just ran out and back --via/the single track lollypop loop. it was a warm afternoon up on the ridge. i felt a bit sick on the run b/c i had a very late lunch--but it wasn't too bad.
run 2:
ran 4x 1/2 mile hill repeats on the fire trail by the graveyard. i took the puppies with me. they made the workout go by so quickly. i didn't want to attack the first hill and go all out. i wanted to gradually get faster and faster for each uphill repeat and downhill repeat. the hill i ran up is a wide fire trail. for the most part its a gradual switch back climb with two mini steep sections that require some short stepping.
my splits: uphill/downhill: 4.24/3:30/4:17/3:20/4:09/3:15/4:00/3:08. i felt pretty good. it was very hot outside so i'm glad i didn't start off any faster. by the end of the workout i was sufficiently tired and working hard. the puppies were also tired.
we ran a 15 minute cool down and a 10 minute warm up.
70 minutes of running total for the day.
Posted by liz at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2005
wednesday running
am:
crown road w/my larkspur friend. we ran the loop in 1:02.01. i was a little slow for the first half of the run. i felt strong but my legs were tight from tuesday night's workout. at 5:45 in the morning we were so amazed by how light it was. the days are getting longer and warmer (at least out here in california).
lunch run:
ran w/one of the student athletes. we ran the ridge loop (37:33). i stopped by the house and picked up the two big puppies (border collie and whippet). we then ran the "dog loop" and on the way back to school dropped the puppies off at home. it was a very warm run. out on the dusty fireroad trails the dust only makes it seem that much warmer. the run was nice and easy. we talked the entire way.
Posted by liz at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)
May 24, 2005
tuesday trails and track
run 1:
ran w/some of the kids on the track team. we ran ~4 miles in baltimore canyon. it was a great place to be today b/c it kept us very cool on a warm california day. the running creek added to the atmosphere. it was just an all around beautiful run.
run 2:
ran the tuesday night san rafael workout. 200, 400, 800, 1600, 1600, 800, 400, 200. 37, 83, 2:53, 5:53, 5:53, 2:52, 81, (skipped the last 200 due to tight hamstrings).
it was a very very warm night. by the 2nd interval i felt drenched in my own sweat. i usually don't even sweat that much. considering the heat, i was happy with the workout. it was tough, but i felt strong --not really fast--but strong. a great group of people were out at the track...that only helped make the workout go by faster.
Posted by liz at 08:53 PM | Comments (1)
May 23, 2005
pm dog run
returned home from work somewhat early tonight (5:15 pm). it was a beautiful late afternoon-- so what else did i do? i took two of the puppies out for a run. my hamstrings had tighten up during the day so it was nice to stretch out my legs a bit.
we ran easy. we ran out to the graveyard, up the fireroad, down the ridge to the lollypop single track turn around and then came down the fireroad again and ended up on the zig zag single track trail. the puppies seemed to like the extended version of our dog run. i really liked it. i ran easy and just enjoyed the quiet time outdoors with my two energetic running pals (the border collie & whippet). we ran for about 42 minutes in total. all very very easy.
Posted by liz at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)
monday am running
met my friend @ 5:40 am to run. we ran over the hill to san anselmo. cut via the school and hit the trials and ended up back at the graveyard. from here we took the fire road trail up to the top of the ridge. we ran out and back to the lollypop half mile turn around and then ran back down the ridge. we exited the trails via ridgewood drive. we then ran "the run with a view" back to our starting point (my home).
it was a beautiful morning. cool and crisp. blue skies. lots of birds singing. i felt ok overall. not peppy. but strong. (58:14)
Posted by liz at 06:55 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2005
Sunday running
1st run:
Met my larkspur friend for the wednesday night "Lake Tour" run. we started in ross commons, ran up to phoenix lake via the roads, hit shaver grade fire road, ran uphill for ~1.5 ++ miles, made our way to the dam, ran around bon tempe lake on the single track trail, and then around lagunitas lake, we then made up way uphill a bit and headed to eldridge fire road, and ran the last 5 miles or so downhill and back by phoenix lake , down the road and back to our car. we ran an easy conversational pace. my legs were a little tired from sat's workout but by the second half of the run i could hardly tell. (1:35+)
it was a beautiful morning. it was so warm and sunny out. the trails were just beautiful. running by the lakes was picture perfect. i felt really lucky to be running today!
2nd run:
ran/hiked about 6++ miles with a group of student athletes. some of the students wanted to see some of the dipsea course, some of the students wanted to get a workout in. i played the role of sweeper. gave directions at certain points of the run and then stayed back with the last runners. we started at pan toll ranger station and made our way over to cardiac. we then ran the last 2.5 miles or so of the dipsea course. once we got down to stinson beach we made our way back to pantoll via the steep ravine trail. the way up was very hard for some of the runners so we ended up just hiking most of it.
again--the day was just so beautiful that at any pace--running fast, walking slowly, standing still-- i felt really good & lucky being outside in such a beautiful place!
Posted by liz at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2005
friday/saturday
friday:
ran the "run w/a view" loop but added on the half mile loop at the top of the ridge. i ran w/my coworker at lunch. 38:30 ish. we ran the loop backwards --the long uphill grind at the beginning made the run feel tough.
i added on the ma 5k after this run for a few extra miles. except i only ran 3 miles of it. i picked up the pace a bit. the winds picked up and i felt like i was running uphill the entire time (6:53, 6:53, 6:39).
about 8 in for the day.
right after the run i hit the roads with our team and we drove up to their championship meet in northern california. an overnight trip!
saturday:
after being away at a meet all day and working at the finish line for 8 hours-- i couldn't wait to get out for a run. i thought i would run my workout faster b/c my legs felt pretty good, but i think standing in the sun all day took a toll on me.
i ran 2.5 miles for a warm up. then i ran 2 x 2 mile repeats on the pac sun 10k course. i was hoping to run between 12:00 and 12:05 per repeat but instead ran 12:16 for the first interval, 12:15 for the 2nd.
it wasn't bad. i felt strong, but not especially fast!
Posted by liz at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2005
dog run
thursday pm run:
after track practice w/the kids and before family dog 1 class w/xander my border collie-- i decided to take the two older puppies for a ridge run. we ran our usual loop (~25 minutes). the puppies were eager to get out today and pulled hard the first 1/2 mile but then settled down. we ran into many other off leash dogs out for a walk/hike on the trails today. the dogs all got along well. that was great. i ran my usual easy, strolling pace w/the dogs. it was still a bit muggy out. i think the run with xander helped him in class tonight. he performed better than usual when he had to go solo in front of the entire group. :)
Posted by liz at 08:46 PM | Comments (1)
dog run / break run
wed dog run:
by the end of the day wednesday the heavy rains had dwindled down to a steady shower.
a fine mist of light drizzling rain couldn't keep xander (our border collie) and i away.
we went for a mini adventure rain run around the neighborhood. up and down streets we've never explored. after 20 minutes we returned -- wet, refreshed, a bit tired and w/a better understanding of the layout of our neighborhood.
thursday break run:
in between classes today i hit the roads for a quick elbow loop (~4.6-4.7 miles). the rain had stopped, the air felt really muggy and there was little to no traffic on the roads. i picked up the pace a bit on the last mile--besides that i kept the pace comfortable. my hips were a tad sore still but other than that...it was nice to sneak a run in--in the middle of the work day. (33.41)
Posted by liz at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2005
tuesday- off / wednesday- stormie
tuesday:
took the day off.
needed a rest day.
legs still stiff and sore from sunday's trail race.
the rest felt Great.
wednesday:
got up 5:20 am.
forecast called for big storm.
sure enough 10 minutes into the run we felt our first raindrops.
half way into the run-the winds picked up !
towards the end of the run we felt like we were getting blown off the bike path.
we missed the heavy rains. it starting really pouring after our run.
we ran the out and back to phoenix lake course (58:48).
although our pace was decent...the wind really slowed us down on the return.
Posted by liz at 10:23 AM | Comments (1)
May 16, 2005
am running
monday:
i got up early (5:20) to meet my larkspur running friend for a run. she came over to my place. my hips were a bit sore from yesterday's race up and down the hills of mill valley. we ran an easy to moderate pace. we ran up to the ridge via the streets and hidden stairsteps. once on the ridge we did the same lollypop loop that my friend and i ran on saturday morning. in general the gradual uphill climbing was more tiring than usual. in the middle of our run it started to sprinkle (rain). the rain was a nice touch--it's actually been a bit warm and muggy out here the past few days. we came back down the ridge via elizabeth road, went down eye street and then returned on center. we ran for 57:33 total.
Posted by liz at 06:44 AM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2005
sat/sun
saturday:
ran 40-45 minutes up on the ridge w/my SR running friend at 7 am. had to get the run in early b/c we had our league championship meet all day in the city. it was a beautiful morning. we ran easy, talked non stop and explored a bit of the western ridge of the hill side.
sunday:
ran a local club trail race. it was a tough course. all trails. out in mill valley (3 major hills, lots of uphill/downhill running). i ran 56:39 or so for the course. i'm not sure the exact distance...i'm sure once the official results are up...there'll be an estimate at the distance. overall i felt pretty good. i felt great on the uphills and flats ...i just need to continue to work on my downhills.
after the club race i met a few girls who i'm coaching independently and coordinated a workout for them in mill valley. i ran behind them...and probably got about 3 more miles in for the day. all in all i probably ended up with 10-11 miles for the day!
Posted by liz at 04:55 PM | Comments (2)
May 13, 2005
friday running
lunch time run:
ran about ~38:30 with my coworker up on the ridge. we ran from school, via the graveyard, up the fireroad to the 1/4 mile mark on the ridge and then looped back around and ran down the single track zig zag trail and made our way back to school.
we talked the entire way. i was really tired. my legs were a little sore from the hills last night...i was mainly just tired. we ran really easy which was perfect. it was pretty warm out too. i definitely noticed the Heat while running.
dog run:
tomorrow our team has their big league meet...so today at practice we just did a mini-easy practice. the team ran less than a mile to my house from school...on the way they had to solve two riddles that have to do with my neighborhood. (Riddle #1: Make your way to Liz's house. As you travel down 5th Avenue study the landscape. Do you see any signage error? ((there are many cross streets off of 5th avenue...all are labeled correctly except one is erroneously labed as 5th street)). Riddle # 2: Somewhere between Liz's house & school an anatomy of the human body is "lying" in the middle of the street. What am I talking about? ((the cross section of Center St and Eye St. That's the Center of the EYE!))) They all solved the eye riddle but had a much harder time with the first riddle. it was fun. when they arrived at my house we had strawberries and root beer floats.
after the team practice, i took the puppies out for a very easy dog run. we ran the usual loop--graveyard, firetrail, zig zag trail, elementary school & back. the puppies definitely noticed the heat and we all just strolled along! it was nice! (25 ish minutes)
Posted by liz at 05:26 PM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2005
pm hill repeats
after dog training class tonight i hit the roads/hills for another workout. i ran 4 x 1/2 mile hill repeats continuously. my goal was to take as little rest in between hill repeats as possible. basically make each rest interval shorter and shorter and keep the uphill running at a consistent pace.
i ran the elizabeth road 1/2 mile repeat. this is a long gradual uphill with two relatively steep sections. one grueling grind right at the very top of the climb!
i ran the uphill sections slower than i thought i would...but the effort felt tough. i also was happy just to be able to do this workout. it seems like my cold is finally cleared up ...i just have a little phelm & a tinie bit of congestion (not tooooo bad).
my splits uphill/downhill (4:05/3:30/4:04/3:20/4:10/3:00/4:06/2:40).
by the third uphill i was feeling the lack of complete rest. (as soon as i reached the top of the hill i immediately turned around and ran downhill to the start and then started right back uphill!) i did have fun running each downhill faster and faster. i think the downhill running will eventually help me out as much as the uphill running.
my warm up and cool down were relatively short. i probably got just under 5 miles in for this workout.
Posted by liz at 10:38 PM | Comments (1)
am running
this morning i got up at 6 am to meet my friend up on the ridge for a run. it was such a beautiful morning that despite my fatigue i was actually motivated and inspired to get out in the sun and run!
i met my friend at the top of the ridge. i jogged really slowly there...b/c i was still tired from waking up early.
once we met up we took off and ran the lollypop surprise loop. this is the loop where we just stay up on top of the ridge the entire time...climb gradually most of the way until we make a lollypop turn about 2.5-3 miles down the way and then turn around and follow the same path back.
we both had lots of excuses (why we 're not at our best) so we just enjoyed each other's company, talked non stop and ran at a very comfortable pace. i ended up running for about 65 minutes total.
Posted by liz at 09:01 AM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2005
pm dog run
i got home early from practice today (5:10 pm) and decided to take the puppies (2) out for a run. i also needed this too--as my legs were still tight and sore from the 200s tuesday night.
we set out to run the usual dog loop -via the graveyard-up the fireroad-down the zig zag trail--but the graveyard gates were closed. so we turned around and went up the zig zag trail first. once at the top of the trail we did a little loop across the ridge down a single track steep trail to the fire road and came back up to the ridge and then made our way back to the zig zag trail.
it was a warm evening. very beautiful (blue skies, slight breeze, perfect temperature for shorts and a tank top!)! i ran really really easy. i wanted to make sure this indeed was a recovery dog run. we were out there for almost 40 minutes.
Posted by liz at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)
wed. am running
this morning i woke up at 5:20 am to meet my friend over in larkspur. we ran about 5 ++(40:33) miles total (along the bike path to the post office in ross and then turned around.)
my hamstrings were Very tight from the 200s last night. i also was feeling a little tired overall.
after the run i couldn't stop sneezing & coughing. i am definitely getting better, but the running sometimes stirs things up!
Posted by liz at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 10, 2005
"a run w/a view" & tuesday track
monday pm run
"a run with a view":
during the last period of the school day i went out for a run w/one of my coworkers. it s always nice running together b/c we just talk non stop the entire way. i warned him that i d be a bit slow due to my sick and recovering state-- it was no problem.
we ran from school --out to the graveyard-- up the fireroad-- across the top of the ridge towards the single track trails--out to elizabeth way on the roads and then we stayed up on top of the ridge and took the long winding down hill road course back to school. it ended up being a pretty decent run (35:30 or so).
i love the view up on the ridge and roads...i was thinking i could name this course , "A run with a view".
i felt congested on this run, however my legs felt good.
tuesday track:
this evening i went over to the local club track workout. after checking out the workout on line (200m relay races--each individual runs 12 x 200s) i was especially motivated to give fast running a try after a bit of a lay off.
i jogged over to the track. i think i jogged over to the track slower than i've ever jogged over in my life. i felt like i was going in extra slow motion.
at the track it was great to see so many familiar happy faces. we ran 2 x 200s, 1 x 400 before the workout just to warm up. i ran my 200s as strides and my 400 at about 90% or so...just to see what i could do. i ran the 400 in about 83 seconds. it felt hard.
as we were getting assigned to our 3 person relay teams, i found myself already paired up with another female and suggested we take one more female on our team to be the solo all female team--and it worked out...we were a great , supportive, fun , fast , female team.
running workouts as relays can be fun. you can trick yourself into thinking...oh i can take it easy...i'm not really going head to head with anyone or the clock...no problem...i'll just go on effort OR of course the flip side of the coin is... you can get in over your head and start racing every one and end up having to stick to that pace the whole time...or gradually fade....or just try to gut it out...
i wanted to ease myself back into fast track running. i decided to try to crecendo the workout. by the end of the workout i hoped to be running my fastest. for the most part i think that worked. i didn't time myself, but i felt like i got a good workout. i was the 2nd leg of the 3 person team...i got about 70 to 75 to 80 seconds ish rest in between each interval.
i jogged home after the workout really really slowly. in general my body was very tired after this workout...i think from the cold etc.
i'm still congested and not feeling 100%. I'm certainly recovering however i m ever so aware right now how much i take for granted good health.
Posted by liz at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2005
monday morning running
my larkspur friend met me at my house @ 5:45 am this morning.
we ran a ridge loop.
we ran up and over the hill on the road to san anselmo first.
then cut up to the ridge via the eucalptyus patch single track trail and
then took the fire road up to the ridge. once on the ridge we took another single track to the
highest peak and ran a figure eight back down the ridge towards sun valley. instead of
heading down the zig zag single track trail we took the high road back down to the neighborhood.
it was right after we switched from trail to road ridge running that we spotted the most beautiful rainbow.
with the mountain in the background and the green foliage just dancing with raindrops left over from the night's showers...the scene was just magnificent!
sunday's rain persisted via the entire night. it died down during the morning. the only rain we encountered was just as we were finishing up the run, right after our rainbow observation, a light shower began again.
it was nice coming down via the streets on the way back. the roads felt a bit faster than the trails...it felt like we were now on a modern rollercoaster vs. a wooden old fashion rollercoaster (trails!). we were just coasting down the wide san rafael hilly roads.
i was worried that i'd slow my friend down this morning . i'm still not even 75% yet...! i defintely feel better, but for some reason this cold has been really hard to kick. i don't think we ran too slowly but we certainly weren't cruising at our usual pace. nevertheless it was very nice to be out early in the morning and catching the rainbow was a real treat!
we ran for just under an hour (59:33).
Posted by liz at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2005
dipsea rain run
sunday:
the high schoolers talked me into running and showing them the dipsea.
(although i would not have done this on my own accord (b/c i'm still feel congested and beat up from this lingering cold)... i have a hard time saying no to such eager anxious young up and coming trail runners.)
a group of us met at the depot (the start of the 7.1 mile historic dipsea trail) at 9 am. i informed the pack that i would not be racing this or running too hard due to my lingering cold, but that i would show them all the shortcuts and give them as much advice as i could! some of the high schoolers were running the entire course out to stinson (7.1 miles) and some of them were running with me to the top of cardiac and back (~9-9.5 ish miles).
when we started the run it was raining. it let up once. by the time we finished the run (1:25+ minutes later) it was raining even harder!
for the first 2 miles (up 600 steps and down to muir woods) i felt awful. i encouraged all the kids to run ahead and wait at certain points. i was surprised i wasn't too far behind them. they went out a bit too fast (it's a really tough course!)
after awhile i felt better and was able to keep a steady pace. the rain did a number on the course. the craziest short cuts were now ever crazier as they now looked like mother nature's slip and slide trails. we did our best to stay upright and not get injured. in every case we erred on the side of caution vs all out glory!
despite my initial reservations-- about wanting to do this run-- i had a great time running the course with first timers. they were so enthusiastic and brutally honest about the course ( their first impressions regarding the trail, etc)
more later!
Posted by liz at 03:21 PM | Comments (1)
dog runs
friday & saturday:
still sick.
ran the dog loop again (thursday) and again (friday).
(from my house, to the graveyard, up the fire trail, to the ridge and down the zig zag trail, to the elementary school, back to the house)
the lupine are still in bloom.
the dogs loved the run each day just the same.
i was happy to be outside
and unhappy to still be carrying around this congestion!
Posted by liz at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
May 05, 2005
just getting by- thursday
today i went into work -- taught my two classes-- came home -- slept for 2.5 hours w/all three dogs curled up around me (i think they can sense i'm not feeling well) -- returned to school for track practice with the kids -- drove the runners over to phoenix lake (trail area) -- and specifically told them... "take off, there's no way i'll be running w/any of you today. i'm still feeling sick. i'll be hiking, walking, huffing, and puffing it!".
set an all time "PW" personal worst for the phoenix lake loop. started at the tennis courts... then headed up to the lake, went around the single track trail (even took 2 short cuts) and then returned on the fire road back to the tennis courts (37:06). i walked/hiked all of the hills, steps and jogged very very slowly the flat sections. the incredibly cool air felt so nice... i've been so congested and had so many hot and cold flashes ..with this cold that it was so nice just to have a steady cool breeze on me the entire way. i noticed lots of things on the ground/trails that i usually don't see when i'm running faster or when i'm talking nonstop to friends. mainly i noticed lots of squirrels running up and down their little "branch-forts" on the forest floor...!
after the run/hike i was beat. it was nice to be with the student athletes after a two day break from coaching...(due to my cold). they filled me in on the last couple of days and were just so happy and nice and positive to be around that it lifted my spirits and my health .
i actually feel a little bit better at this moment. however, i'm still really congested, tired and my head feels about 40 pounds too heavy. (i did try thera-flu last night. i think it helped a bit..got me through the night...but i really did not like the taste (lemon) at all!!! i'll try the cherry tonight!)
Posted by liz at 07:06 PM | Comments (1)
May 04, 2005
sick
i'm sick.
i've taken the last two days (tues. and wed.) off from running. i'm not sure there's ever a good time to get sick. this doesn't feel like one. i'm busy at work, this is an exciting time of the year for coaching (championship season!), i was having fun getting back into 5k/10k racing shape, i was completely comfortable walking about oblivious of my fine health, etc., etc.,
i feel like i have a sinus explosion in my head. my nose is constantly running, my hearing is off, my throat is really sore and i'm very tired.
for now i'll keep resting...and hopefully i'll be back on track...living life in the fast lane again soon.
Posted by liz at 09:24 PM | Comments (3)
May 02, 2005
am running
met my larkspur friend at my house at 5:40 am and ran the san anselmo ridge loop. we started off from my house, ran up and over the road ridge towards san anselmo on the roads. after about 15 minutes of road running we hit the trails and ran up the eucalyptus patch single track trail, to the fire road up to ridgewood ridge. from there we ran out and back on the ridge. at the very end of the ridge we ran a lollypop single track trail. this section of the trail was overgrown with wild flowers (Lupine) and long grass but the views on the top of this hill were absolutely amazing. we were able to see the sun rising slowly over the bay with wonderful views of the east bay--a light orange glow lined the landscape!!!. we could also see fog rolling in from the pacific making its way via sausalito, angel island and out towards the bay. it was a wonderful morning scene. from here we hit one more single track trail for a figure eight mini loop and then we made our way back down the fire road to the single track zig zag lupine covered trail down to sun valley. once we hit the roads we added on about 1/2 mile via the ma 5k course just to make the run a complete hour. all in all despite the early hour it was a great run.
Posted by liz at 07:03 AM | Comments (2)
May 01, 2005
Iowa & Return to CA
Thursday:
Lunch run:
Ran 5.5+ miles at lunch. Ran from the Central College campus in Pella, Iowa (45 minutes outside Des Moines) out towards Lake Red Rock. There's a great bike path that leads you right to this Lake. The Volksweg Trail extends down to the Des Moines River and then out towards the lake. The trail, although paved, is incredibly scenic boasting views of prairies galore, pine plantations, mature forests and of course the Lake. From Campus it's about 2.5 to 3 miles to get to the Lake. The entire trail is about 17 miles long. I of course did not get to explore the whole length of the trail. Once you get to the lake region there are lots of little nature trail loops that you can explore on trail. They range from praire grass trails to wooded forested trails. On this run I just ran out and back. Out for 23 minutes. & Then I returned to campus.
Post conference run:
Ran another 35 minutes with one of my coworkers. We drove to the Lake Red Rock recreation area--Howell Station and decided to explore the trails. We ran on prairie trails via the grasses and saw tons of birds and then we headed out to the forested loops and ran into the most gorgeous packs of deer that carried along the longest biggest bushiest white tails. They were so cute as they literally bounced via the forest! They seemed to be egging us on...to try to inspire us into a race against them.
Friday Running:
Drove out to the Lake again with my coworker. We ran about 30 minutes via the trails. We ran into our deer friends again, lots of birds (cowbirds, red winged black birds) and a few hikers!
After our run together I ran 4.1 (26.45) miles back to our hotel at tempo pace. I ran along the Volksweg trail. The bike path was very nice. It was a gradual uphill back to the town of Pella. I passed a golf course, soccer fields, agricultural fields, a freeway, a few scattered houses and 3 churches. I think I was running against the wind too...but I wasn't too concerned about my final time...I just wanted to put a good effort in!
Saturday:
Day Off! Day of traveling!
Sunday:
Back in California. Really felt like I needed some time to reunite with my puppies. I ran 60 minutes with my border collie and whippet along the ridge trails. We took the zig zag single track trail up to Ridgewood Ridge. The trail is spectacular right now. The wildflowers (mainly purple lupine!) are in full bloom creating a wall of purple and green borders that keep us right on track on the trail and onwards up the hill! With Cosmo, my whippet, decked in her neon hot pink hound collar, the colors are enhanced that much more. Super fast Cosmo donning her Neon pink marker, black and white xander the border collie running purposefully with his tongue hanging out nearly draggin along the trail all running up the hill with me in tow...clad in my blue duds for the morning run, big blue sky above speckled here and there with big beautiful white clouds --it really was a beautiful morning scene. Once we got to the top of the ridge we ran one of my mini loops twice. Running north along the ridge and then dipping down the fire trail into san anselmo and then taking the single track trail via the eucalyptus patch to the fire trail back up a half mile to ridgewood ridge. We ran this section twice and then ran back through the tunnel of purple lupine to our house! the dogs were ever so happy to be out for the morning.
After i dropped the puppies off, I headed out the door to add on 3 more miles. I just wanted to make sure i got in about 10 miles for the day. i ran the ma 5k, but skipped the last .1 ...so ran about 3 miles. without the dogs i found myself running a bit faster, plus the course was on the relatively flat roads (20. 32). by this time it was close to 12 in the afternoon and it was pretty hot. i was anxious to return home and down about a gallon of water.
When I got home our last little puppy seemed really left out. this is our latest addition (we got her less than 3 weeks ago). she's a long haired whippet, or silken hound. a cross between a whippet and a saluki. she's actually pretty petite. 20 pounds and 1.5 years young. she's the silliest, cutiest dog. i haven't thought of her as a runner at all..but i decided today just to check it out.
after my 3 miles i ran another 1/2 mile loop around the block with saya, the silken hound. she was so funny...she 's very slow and looks around at everything. she's looking left, right, up at me, everywhere but right in front of her. i think she'll be a recovery dog. for example if i'm coming back from injury and can only run 1 mile or less...! she seemed to enjoy her 5 minutes of running though.
well that's that. i think for my sunday run i got in about 10.5 miles. it's great to be back in california. more later!
Posted by liz at 08:46 PM | Comments (2)