« May 2005 | Main | July 2005 »
June 30, 2005
mon, tues, wed, thur...
mon:
ran ~4 miles w/the three dogs. ran the st. mark's loop and just added on a few exploration loops via the schools and a park. it rained the 2nd half of the run. the rain felt really great. i think the puppies even enjoyed the rain.
tues:
ran @ 6 pm ~6+ miles w/my brother via some new haven trails by and around local reservoirs. we ran about 1/2 mile on the roads to get to the trails. then we took a single track (rocky crazy footing) trail to the main "fireroad-like" trail that looped around the entire wooded reservoir area. this main trail was very nice. it consisted of rolling hills the entire way--most of the footing on the trail was very good...there were a few rocky spots...but nothing to fret over. it was very warm and humid running via the woods. by the time we returned to my brother's house we were both drenched despite the clear skies. i really liked the run.
wed:
ran @ 7 am ~3 + miles w/my sister in law. we ran around new haven via a small wooded section and via the local streets around her house. i took the three pupies w/me. we ran via a public water fountain/sprinkler...the dogs loved it. so did we! despite the early hour it was still a bit muggy outside.
thur:
ran ~ 8 miles in huntington state park (redding, ct). i took the two big dogs (border collie and whippet) w/me. i had never been to this park and just discovered it while searching for dog friendly parks in the area. this park ended up being very beautiful. the terrain was mixed...at times we ran via fields and other times thick forests on fire roads, single tracks, old river/stream beds, over and around huge rocks and via running streams and around many lakes and ponds. it was humid in the woods...but not too bad. i really enjoyed it.
Posted by liz at 02:04 PM | Comments (2)
June 26, 2005
Finally in Ct, Settling down, Another Race & the heat is on!
wednesday:
ran ~45 minutes easy on the fair lawn (NJ) bike path with all three puppies. we ran early in the morning. we ran into more wildlife and explored a few new trails.
thursday:
today we made it to our main destination in ct. the place where we'll be spending most of our time. i discovered a loop i call the "st. mark's loop". it's a 3.5 mile loop.
in the wee morning i ran ~2+ miles easy w/the puppies. after dropping off the puppies, i hit the roads again and ran the st. mark's loop. it's a rolling hills course that meanders along a very nice golf course, beautiful oak/maple lined streets, historic white colonial homes and three schools (1 middle school and 2 elementary schools). i ran the loop in 24:40. i felt pretty good.
in the evening i got to run the st. mark's loop w/my twin sister, her bo, her bo's dog and a couple of my dogs. we talked the entire way. it was the perfect time of day to go. the temperature was just right, by the time we were finishing up the run the first fireflies were buzzing around! we ran the loop in 26:20.
friday:
ran about 20+ minutes w/my twin sister and her bo and her bo's dog and one of my dogs down by long island sound. it was very warm. not terribly humid, but hot. none of us really felt like running much. we were kind of just going through the motions, luckily we had each other to talk to and a pancake flat course!
saturday:
ran in a local irish festival 5k. the race didn't start until 11:00am. kind of late, considering the heat. it was about 88 degrees for the race. i actually didn't mind the heat too much at all. my twin sister ran the 5k for fun and didn't register (just running easy she would have finished 3rd) , an old friend of mine also ran the race (we ran together for about 1.5 miles) and then one of my older brothers also ran the race (we ran the first 2 miles together until he dropped back a bit)--oh yes and my twin sister's bo ran the race and won! (we didn't run together at all!).
compared to last saturday i felt really fresh. i approached the race in much the same way. just go out there and see what happens. run hard and try not to give up. i went through the mile (fast) in 5:45. the 2 mile in 11:59 and then finished in 18:49. i was happy w/my time and i ended up finishing first too, so that was a nice plus.
the course was pancake flat. there were tons of turns on the course. lots of volunteers handing out water, showing us where to go and cheering us on. there was shade along most of the course, though you could still feel the heat.
sunday:
due to the heat (high 80s) i ran the st. mark's loop three times this evening (around 7:30 pm). by this time it was still a bit warm and a tad humid but the sun's rays weren't a factor. i ran the first loop w/the puppies (27:00). they were happy to be outside, but by the end they were tired! then i ran the second loop in 25:32 and finally i ran the last loop backwards in 25:54. 10.5 miles for the day. i hope to discover new running loops around here. as much as i like this st. mark's loop i don't think i could run it more than three times in a run!
Posted by liz at 06:01 PM | Comments (3)
June 21, 2005
driving across the country , a race & more!
wednesday pm:
we left california wed. at 3:00 pm. we drove over 24 hours the first day only stopping for gas/food/restroom breaks. we made it to omaha, nebraska thursday around 6:30 pm.
thursday: 0 running
friday: woke up in omaha, nebraska--ran about 35 minutes via a nice residential neighborhood with the two big puppies (border collie and whippet). it was a bit warm. my legs were stiff from being in the car so long!
friday night we stayed in toledo, ohio.
saturday: 0 running
we made it to towson, maryland saturday night. we hit a lot of traffic and 1 big traffic jam due to a bologna blow out (big rig crashed and dumped hundreds and hundreds of bologna packages across the Penn. turnpike!), but the overall distance we traveled this last day wasn't bad.
sunday: ran in a local 5k father's day race in towson, maryland. i didn't drive across the country to run in this race...it just happened that there was a local road race 3 miles from the hotel we were staying at and i thought why not. it'll be a fun morning and a good workout.
the race course was pretty nice. it ran via a local college campus. the course was rolling and the weather wasn't bad, warm but not humid and there was a slight breeze.
i felt pretty stiff from being in the car for so many days and very tired from the sleep deprivation i was collecting during this trip.
nevertheless, i got through the course in 19:18. this wasn't too bad. i wasn't going all out, but i certainly wasn't just doing a tempo run, i was looking ahead and working off people in the race and trying. i think i ended up 5th or 6th for the women.
monday: met up with a college friend in dc. we ran a great ~3.5 + mile run around the capital. i ran with the two big puppies too (the whippet and border collie). so they finally got to see the white house and "the government". it was warm but not too hot.
tuesday: ran in fairlawn, nj with the two big puppies again. we ran along the bike path. we ran an easy pace and ended up running for 1:19. 32. it was kind of like the wildlife channel. while running along the bike path and on some local trails that run parallel to the bike path we ran into: chipmunks, 2 beavers, tons of mallards, geese, squirrels, blue jays and brillant cardinals. the dogs were in heaven. today was really warm.
(heel update: my heel feels much better while running, but when i'm not running it gets really really stiff. so i'm working on stretching it and moving it around. i think it was sunday night, we went out to dinner in the dc area and we were sitting there for so long, that by the time i got up to leave my heel was so stiff i nearly fell down when i got up and put my weight down on it. it took me a few blocks to work out the cramping that had been building up in my heel and for me to walk properly again!)
Posted by liz at 11:25 AM | Comments (3)
June 15, 2005
mon/tues/wed
monday/tuesday:
off! rested!
wednesday:
ran the crown road loop @ 6:30 am w/my larkspur friend. it was such a beautiful morning. my legs felt better than i expected. my heel was still a bit stiff but it felt a lot better. we ran for 1:01.30 and chatted the entire way
east coast trip:
now we (my husband and all three dogs) are off to the east coast. we are driving back east. we'll stay in the tri state area (NY, NJ, CT) for about 5 + weeks. my husband will have to work on the week days (remotely on his lap top) but i'll have lots of time to visit family, friends and play and work with the puppies.
in some ways its hard to leave california--especially in the summer...but i really can't wait to catch up with family and friends. i'm even looking forward to the humidity back east.
driving for 3 days will give my heel more time to heal--so that's good. at the most i may just find opportunities to jog 20 minutes here and there with the puppies ...but at this point..my big spring race is over with and i have no racing or training agendas at the moment. i'll just play it day to day. however, one thing i'm sure i'll do are fun local races while i'm on the east coast...but i'll mainly approach them as speed workouts since i won't have a group to train with!
more when i'm on the east coast!
Posted by liz at 02:13 PM | Comments (3)
June 12, 2005
sunday-the dipsea
sunday:
the big day finally came. i have a love hate relationship with this famous trail race called the dipsea.
the dipsea:
it's the oldest trail race in the country and the 2nd oldest race in the country (2nd to the boston marathon). the course is brutal-- i love and hate that. (this is a beautiful 7.1 mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach . the course is known for its stairs and steep trails and its unique handicapping system --for example 6 and under boys, 8 and under girls, 72 and older men and 63 and older women get a 23 minute head start!). the time of year can be very hot -- i love and hate that. and the anticipation leading up to this race is just crazy. lots of locals train for this race, trash talk one another throughout the process, do secret training sessions to learn the course better--many short cuts ARE Legal..., folks talk about it nonstop, ahhh it's just dipsea mania January to June. i love and hate that.
so today was the race. i really wanted to be rested for this day. i've done a lot of great training this spring...but my racing all year has been up and down. so i just wanted to set myself up for the most success possible and a race to be happy about.
i had an 8 minute head start--along with 11 year old boys, 54 to 55 men, and 19-39 year old women. ours is the largest starting group.
i warmed up for about 12-15 minutes...really slowly with one of my high school runners. we stayed in the shade and just did our own little jog before the big race.
once the race started i just tried to relax. my main plan was not to over do it on the steps and this section called dynamite (a very very steep trail that takes you from muir woods to a long gradual open sunny grind called hogback.) my downfall in training runs and past races has been running too hard on the 650+ steps and running too hard on this steep little section. i finally convinced myself that the race can't be won at these early stages of the run and that i just have to be patient.
so--throughout the entire race...i stuck to my plan. i felt really strong the entire way. i didn't really over do it in any specific areas. i felt like i was just strong and steady the entire way. by the time i got to the highest peak (cardiac) i was certainly tired but not totally consumed. the steep downhill technical sections were the most difficult for me. i just don't have fast feet.
in the end i finished 25th and in 60:37. the top 35 get black shirts...that was something i was hoping for...so i was really delighted to attain one. & right before the awards ceremony i learned i had run the fastest time of any women in the race so i won a special prize for that too. that was really nice b/c it wasn't even on my radar...during the race. i just ran hard and tried not to be too wimpy or conservative and tried to get to stinson beach as fast as i could on this particular day.
now my heel is killing me. i'm going to have to take a little break to heal this heel. in the end though this was a very good day . one of the high school athletes i coach finished right behind me. that was really neat. coach and athlete striding in with all their might together. it was cool.
more later
Posted by liz at 03:25 PM | Comments (5)
thur/fri/sat
thursday:
ran 3+ miles easy with the high school team to get ready for our trail race on sunday. we ran the ma 5k loop backwards w/an addition via the small park in the area. the pace picked up a bit the last mile --b/c everyone was anxious i believe and we cruised in just under 7 minutes for the last mile. ran 4 striders/pick ups on the field after the run!
friday:
ran 20.43 w/my coworker and one of our high school athletes. we ran really easy to get ready for sunday's race. we talked the entire way. we ran along the bike paths/trails in larkspur ...very flat...and easy... we chatted the entire way.
saturday:
wasn't planning on running today. i was going to take the day off...but i kept missing my ridge friend all week...we played phone tag, etc... so i really want to catch up.
we met up on the ridge early in the morning and promised to run really easy. we ran for about 30 minutes or so...slow as pie and talked the entire time. it was very nice. i don't think i taxed my body too much!
Posted by liz at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2005
sun/mon/tues/wed
sunday:
ran about ~55 minutes w/two students in mill valley. we ran out to cascade falls via the neighborhoods and then the trails. the trails were so nice! it was very cool back in the woods.
monday:
ran ~35-40 minutes w/all three dogs. it was a fun adventure to be with all of them at once. we ran out to the elementary school, up the zig zag trail and then to the end of the fire road section and back. the puppies seemed to really enjoy it. i ran easy and just watched the dogs as i ran along the trails. we ran into a huge snake along the way. the dogs didn't even notice the snake as it made its way across the trail!
tuesday: bike/run
bike ride:
rode out to sausalito, then via the headlands, to the lighthouse and back. this was a beautiful ride. it was sunny and clear. riding along the bay/ocean was awesome. i had the best views of the golden gate bridge and san francisco as i made my way up to hawk hill on my bike. once to the very top of the hill the descent down was very steep but the view was worth it. the ocean, headlands and city across the bay were just wonderful sights! the hills didn't seem too hard on my legs. (2.5 hours+)
mini track session:
i warmed up for 1 mile +++ and then just ran 4 x 400. i didn't want to do too much since i have a big trail race coming up on sunday and i'm trying to hold back. my 400s were (76, 82,79, 76). i felt good. i then cooled down for another 1 mile +++ and called it a day!
wednesday:
off! no running -no biking - nothing today. i really want to be rested this week!
Posted by liz at 09:28 AM | Comments (1)
June 04, 2005
sat. lollypop loop
this morning i met a few friends up on the ridge for the lollypop loop (5 miles). this is the same loop we ran for mary's surprise run/party last summer! i always think of her while doing this run.
my friends and i ran pretty easy. we all had great excuses to run easy. mine was- my legs are still tired.
on the run one of my friends took a bad spill. he had to turn around and go home the fall was so bad.
it was a beautiful run on the ridge. we were out there around 8 am. we could see the bay, mt. tam and the valleys below.
Posted by liz at 01:01 PM | Comments (1)
friday pool running & extended dog running w/company!
friday:
i pool ran for about 40 minutes today with some kids on the track team. it was so nice to be in the pool. it felt great. it was a warm afternoon...and the cool refreshing water felt great!
later that evening i ran the extended dog loop w/a friend of mine. we ran up the single track trail with the two big dogs (border collie & whippet), ran out the fireroad and then ran down into san anselmo, back up via the eucalyptus trail and then back up the fireroad and then back down the zig zag trail. it was a bit warm on the trails. there was however a slight breeze that made it very bearable! it was a very nice run. i ended up talking so much to my running friend that i hardly noticed the dogs the entire time. they know a lot of the routes...so they were just running a few steps ahead of us the entire time! it was a nice "group" run. my legs still felt a bit tired on the run!
Posted by liz at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
thursday (1/2) salmon run
today was the last organized salmon run. there are about 4 of these runs every other week leading up to the famous dipsea race. they are practice runs/races that help prepare folks for the dipsea race or even just allow people who don't get into the race a chance to see/witness the course in action.
they always start at 5 pm at the depot in mill valley (the start of the dipsea). you run the course and then out at stinson there's a great big pot luck dinner w/grilled salmon! thus the name of the runs--salmon runs. they are always so much fun b/c tons of people come out and especially when you are finished w/the run the socializing at the finish (stinson beach) can not be beat!
this evening...i planned on seeing the documentary "Dipsea Demon" at the Rafael theater. the fact that the documentarian would be at the theater to answer questions after the viewing (58 minutes or so)...combined with the captivating nature of Jack Kirk (the dipsea demon)--96 years young--he's run 68 consecutive dipsea races--a World record!!! really compelled me to want to go out to the show tonight. anyhow the movie was starting at 7 pm and there would be no way i could make it all the way to stinson and get back to san rafael in time for the movie...
so i decided to run to halfway rock and back.
halfway rock is the half way point (time wise) on the dipsea. it's in the middle of one of the longest climbs in the race. i decided i would run out to halfway rock as a time trial and then jog back as a cool down. lots of students i coach who are running in the dipsea decided to do this same workout...as did my brother in law.
it was a very warm evening! i went out a bit faster than i should have. there are ~650 steps at the start of the race...the race is never won here...but it's lost here a lot. the key is not to waste your energy racing like hell up these steps. usually i walk fast...skipping every other step...it's still hard...but it saves my legs for all the other climbing in the race.
tonight i made the mistake of running portions of the steps to keep up with some folks i knew. this tied me up a bit on this steep hill called dynamite. once i made it passed dynamite it was a slow gradual grind to halfway rock. i made it there in exactly 30 minutes. that was my goal. so that was good. i waited there for my band of companions and then we jogged every so slowly back to mill valley.
i was very tired after this run. my legs in general have been tired lately!
Posted by liz at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2005
Tuesday Biking/ Wednesday Running
Tuesday:
After feeling so beat the last 3 days--I decided to get some mechanical help today and just went for a leisurely bike ride for 1 hour++. I rode the China Camp loop from my house. There are a few rolling hills, but nothing major at all. It's a really beautiful local ride that meanders via China Camp State Park and the Bay. The views along the water are very nice and the rolling hills of the park are just wonderful. I had a lot of fun on the ride. I coasted all the downhills and just had fun along the rollercoaster sections of the route.
Wednesday:
Ran the crown road loop w/my larkspur friend at 5:45 am. My legs still felt a bit tired but not as tired as Monday. We ran the loop in just over 1:01. It was a beautiful morning. Tons of birds singing and lots of noises in the brush along the way. The fireroad (crown road) is very nice this time of year. So peaceful. At this hour of the day we had the trail to ourselves. Come to think of it...I'm not sure I've seen anyone else out there at this hour...in the last few years! It's a luxury to have such a beautiful place all to ourselves so frequently.
Posted by liz at 01:44 PM | Comments (1)