Which Brings Us To...

Yesterday, August 22nd.

10 miles. In the heat. Midday.

Yeah, you KNOW that was a blast. I burned 1052 calories, and averaged 8:52/mile for the run.

It wasn't the smartest run I've ever gone on. I was planning on running trails, but got sidetracked in the morning with other obligations. So, around noon, I finally went on my run, from the house. I hadn't run that far on roads in quite a while, so when I hit the 7 mile mark, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that I was feeling it. Add to that, the 85 degree heat, and a somewhat stiff headwind on the way out, and I was destined for soreness last night. This morning? I'm actually feeling pretty good.

August 20th

4.88 miles with an average speed of 8:06/mile.

August 7th

4 miles, averaging 8:07/mile. Not far. Not fast, but getting better.

August 4th

5.24 with an average pace of 8:15/mile. Feeling better

Then There Was August 1st

Ah yes, August 1st I remember it well.

I guess I ran 7 miles in 1:05. It was Westridge Canyon, and if memory serves me, I think it probably kicked my ass.

July 27th was a while ago...

I ran 5.26 miles and averaged 8:19/mile.

5.15 (well it's about f*cking time)

This morning I ran a bit over 5 miles and averaged 8:44/mile. It wasn't anything major, but it just felt good to get my ass out there.

Back to Square One

(sigh)

So, yeah, I ran today. I really did. I didn't go far mind you, but I ran.

I ran about 3.5 miles with an average of 8:50/mile.

Meh. It's a start.

1st in a Week

I went on my first run since the marathon this morning. I did an easy 4 miles and averaged 8:05/mile. I didn't feel too bad. I was pretty surprised.

Start Me Up

Yesterday, Monday, I started on my way back to getting my upper body back in shape. It's sure to be a long and painful road back. I did a light workout at the gym, (sorry, health club) and today, I've got the sore boobies to prove it. My arms aren't too bad though.

I Once Had a Bad Case of-

"Green Magma".

I got a product in my goodie bag from the LA Marathon called, "Green Magma". It's barley grass juice powder.

Eesh.

Really? Someone thought a product called Green Magma would be appetizing?

26.2

Wow. I've been bad about posting. I can't believe it's been a month, a month (!) since I posted last. Unbelievable. It's not that I hadn't been training, because I had. It was a pretty crazy couple of weeks there. We had a lot of house guests in the final couple of weeks. My final long run of 22 miles totally sucked. A real confidence shatterer. I ended up having to walk the final 2 miles due to some serious IT band issues.

Then there was the next week's 13 miler that got completely scrapped due to social engagements. Though, at the time, I didn't try too hard to get that run in because I felt the rest to my IT band would be more important than the longer run.

Which brings us to-

The LA Marathon.

First off, let me say that the new course, from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Pier, was pretty damn good. I believe that Frank McCourt, owner of the Dodgers, purchased the marathon. Everything from the technical t-shirts given out, to the t.v. coverage, all seem like they're headed in the right direction. Our little marathon is growing up. Now there is certainly room for improvement, don't get me wrong. The race started almost 45 minutes late, and good thing, too. We were trapped on the freeway trying to get to the start line. There were busses of runners stuck, and some people even got out of their cars on the freeway and began to run a mile or two to the start. And the expo? Sucked. It was too small. It may have been because of economy, but when you sell out a marathon (as they did) you would think that there would be a huge expo. They've always had a good expo in the past.

The weather was beautiful! Starting out at Dodger Stadium, which is inland, we ran some pretty steep hills in the first few miles. This is also where my run nearly ended. I was having sinus issues, (shocker, I know) and it began to upset my stomach. It really kind of came out of nowhere. Before I knew it, I was pulled off to the side, with the dry heaves. That woke me up in a hurry. I figured that I could easily psyche myself out if I sat there too long, so as soon as I was finished I started to run again. It took a mile or so, but the nausea went away, and I settled into about a 8:45/mile pace.

At mile 13, in the heart of West Hollywood, I ran into D, which is always a pick-me-up. Two minutes after that I ran past a friend, and a quarter mile after that I ran into another couple of friends. I don't think I've ever run by so many friends in a marathon. It was great.

I finished in 3:58:36.

Great time? Hell no. I was hoping to finish under 4 hours, and at mile 3 that seemed like a joke. I was really pleased with the fact that I just finished, period. The fact that I also met my original time goal was really icing on the cake. I'm pretty pleased with this run.

Next on the schedule: Malibu Creek Trail Challenge. A half marathon in May.

Are You Kidding Me?

"Excuse me, are you a manager here?"

The man wore a blue shirt, and was putting away a few 5 pound weights when I approached him.

"You know, you guys are all out of soap in the locker room, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. No excuse for it. We're expecting our shipment tonight around 4."

The manager, (a friendly enough guy, I suppose) went on to explain how they actually are supposed to get their shipments at the end of the month. It seemed to be a kind of, "See-how-awesome-I-am-that-was-able-to-procure-this-in-such-a-timely-manner?" type of thing. He lamented that "earlier in the week (he) had to pilfer soap from other clubs."

"You should have pilfered more."

I told him that the people working out later that evening would be really happy. Then again, maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would be completely unaware that there had been a critical supply problem with the hand soap only hours earlier.

C'mon, dude! Are you kidding me? Tons of people, taking a leak (or worse, eesh) and not able to wash their hands? Sure, they've got hand sanitizer, but that's not soap. Hey! Asshole! You need some fucking soap in here!!! Eleven televisions weren't working at the time and a couple of machines were on the fritz. Things break down. I get it. I do. There's a part on backorder, staff layoffs, rising price of steel, shit like that. Sure. But soap? At a health club? It's a health club! It's got the word "health" in the name! One usually frequents such establishments to become healthier, not to pick up viruses and intermingle with complete stranger's feces. I suggested that he send someone to a Sam's Club or Costco, hell, let's get real crazy with the Cheez Wiz and swing by a grocery store, but to pick up some soap.

I saw a lightbulb go on. Maybe he was thinking what a brilliant idea I had! More likely, he was thinking about what a colossal prick I was.

Oh yeah, and I got a run in, too.

Due to prior commitments I wasn't able to do my 18 miler this past weekend. I was delusional when thought that I'd do it on monday. I ended up doing 13, but I did them faster than I would have if I'd done the original mileage. I averaged 8:00/mile on the treadmill and then ran home.

where I promptly washed my hands.

5 Easy

Today I finally got my ass out the door again. After monday's tough run, I took a few days off. I was going to do something last night, but then my sinuses reared their ugly head and I didn't want to risk it.

I averaged 9 minute miles and my left calf bothered me quite a bit. My back was tight and I generally felt clunky. I was glad to not have to run a marathon today. It would've really sucked.

I think I'm going start writing what I eat before I run so that I have a better idea of what to carbo-load with in March. Excitement.

With that in mind, this morning, I ran on half a green tea latte with Rice Dream, one bowl of cereal, and a small piece of blueberry crumb cake.

15 Miles on Sunday

I've been a slug this week. Due to a busy weekend, I had to move my saturday 15 miler to monday, and it was pretty tough. It's been hot out here lately, and monday, it was 85 when I finished my run. It was basically 7 1/2 miles uphill, (the last mile and a half I ran the brutal Runyan Canyon) and then 7 1/2 miles downhill. My legs got pretty beat up, especially my left calf. It's still pretty tenderoni. I'm guessing I have a muscle pull from the steep hill.

Running My Chi Off

On the last couple of shorter runs, I've been aware of trying to work on my form. I'm trying to incorporate some tenants of "Chi Running". Maybe it's not a good idea to do that when I've never really studied Chi Running or even seen it done. The basic thing I know is that it's about running with better body alignment- avoiding heel strikes, and running more on the toes and mid-foot. Yesterday, while on my easy 7 miler, I felt really light on my feet, springy even! Although it was supposed to be an easy run, I averaged 8:14/mile and felt refreshed afterwards. Sometimes, you pull a nice run out of your ass, and you've got no idea where it comes from.

On a perhaps somewhat more ominous note, the last week or so I've awakened with a tightness and general soreness in my left ankle. I'm guessing all the times I've turned it on the trails is beginning to add up. After I walk on it for a bit, it always warms up and feels fine.

Jackasses Abound

So today D and I headed to the gym. Easy one hour was on the docket for me. I ran about 4 miles at 9:00/mile, and then started to warm up and feel better, so I increased the pace to 8:30/mile and ran the last 10 minutes on the way home. I guess I covered around 6 1/2 miles. Hey, I did say it was supposed to be easy. Jeez. Well, D did some riding on the stationary bike.

She had some asshole next to her hacking up a storm, not covering her mouth, looking like death warmed over. I feel bad for people who get sick. Everyone gets sick at some time. But I do my best to stay away from people when I feel like shit. D heard this woman mention that she had just finished with having the flu. Dandy. What the hell gets into some people's heads? Did she think that to go and contaminate other people and "working out" (read: sitting on a stationary bike incapable of doing anything) was a good idea for anyone involved?

Meanwhile, El Nino continues his soggy tour of Los Angeles. I shouldn't complain. At least we don't have to shovel it...

Well, At Least I Tried

When I last wrote, I was headed to the gym to run an endless mountain run on the treadmill. Going to an LA Fitness at 5:30 and expecting to use a treadmill, is a bad idea. Foolish me. So, instead, I did about 35 minutes on the Stairmaster. I could've done more, but really, I never do it, and I had fears that I'd pull some mystery muscle that would screw my workouts for the rest of the week, or worse.

14, Scratch That, 15 Miler

Saturday my 14 miler got extended a bit. I took a circuitous route and in doing so, added a bit of mileage. The recent rains washed out some of the single track I had to run, but most of the run was done on fire roads. I averaged around 9:30/mile and just beat the rain and wind. I also decided that hydration packs that sit on my waist really suck. My back is still sore from it. No mas. I'll be sticking with the Camelbak Mule. Now, I'm off to the gym to run an endless mountain. Good times.

Sweet Sunday 16

Last sunday I ran 16 on the roads. It was pretty brutal. I could tell after only 3 miles that I was gonna be in for a long day. Upset stomach from my allergies, and I just wasn't feeling the love. Since then I haven't run, instead, I've concentrated on finishing the studio where I'm writing right now. I missed an easy 8 miler on monday due to moving the saturday run to sunday, and then yesterday, I missed an easy 7 miler because of the studio. Today, I run! The question is, do I run an easy 7 or 8, or do I do my scheduled hill repeat workout?

Hmmm...

End(this) Mountain

Endless Mountain workout today on the treadmill. I ran at 10:20/mile (I think) and increased the incline .5 every two minutes until I was about ready to hurl. I jumped off at 40 minutes, 9.5 incline, which basically puts me where I was last year while I was training for Big Sur. Sweet.

13 Miles on Saturday

Yup. 13. On some rain-swelled trails. Can trails be "rain-swelled"? Hmmm, not sure, but I am sure that I ran pretty strong, and except for the twisted ankle crossing a stream, I emerged relatively unscathed. I don't have my running watch on me, but let's be honest- who cares how long it took me?

5 The Easy Way

Today, brought the threat of more rain, and an easy 5 miler. I averaged 8:36/mile, and finished before I got soaked.

Speed Work

Yesterday, I ran 12, 1 minute repeats on the treadmill at the gym. They began around 7:00/mile pace, and ended with a 5:45/mile repeat. All in all, I felt like I should have started with faster repeats. I don't feel like I ran hard enough, but it's tough for me to roll out of bed, and do speed work with no breakfast in me.

Shadows in the Rain

I love running in the rain. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the looks I get, or the fact that it feels like you're not "supposed to". Whatever the reason is, I love it. I really love running on trails in the rain, but today, I just had to run an easy 6, so I did so on the roads. At some point, I didn't start my running watch again, and so the distance was off. In reality, I ran close to 7 miles and averaged better around 8:15-:20/mile.

PLEASE

That's all the shirt said.

"PLEASE".

I passed the guy around mile 6 of my 10 miler.

Please, what?

I didn't feel all that great during the run. My sinuses were giving me some problems. It could be all the rain that's headed our way. I was happy with the final results, though. 10 miles in 1:18. I averaged 7:47/mile. My legs got kinda heavy in the latter stages, but I'm happy with the run.

4 Mile Negative Split

Today, I rest.

Yesterday, I ran a 4 mile negative split on the treadmill at the gym. I had caught a bit of a cold, or maybe it was allergies, I'm not sure, but I took Tuesday and Wednesday off from running. I'm glad I did. I felt good running the negative split yesterday, even though I ran it first thing in the morning. I ran a 1/2 mile warmup, then the first two miles were run at 8:00/mile pace, and the last two were run at 7:24/mile. It wasn't easy, but it was done. Tomorrow brings a 10 mile time trial run.

16, The New 15

Yesterday's 15 miler became 16 while I was trying to compensate for the earlier lack of mileage in the week. I averaged about 9:30/mile. My gps watch read "12.36" in the mileage field when I felt the cement being poured into my legs.

I was exhausted last night. That run really kicked my ass.

Rest day today.

4, The New 7

Thursday, I was supposed to do an easy 1 hour, with no less than 7 miles. Instead, I had to squeeze in 4 miles, and so, I ran them in the sub 8:00/mile zone. Tomorrow? 15 mile road run scheduled, but I may opt for the trails instead. Oooh, so rebellious!

Progressive Run

Last night, after a day full of auditions, I ran a 6 mile progressive run on the treadmill. I began with the first mile being run at 8:30/mile and dropped about 8-12 seconds per mile after that. I ended with the last mile being split up a bit. The first 3/4 mile being run at 7:45/mile, and the last quarter being run at 7:30/mile. All in all, I felt pretty good, especially given I tacked the run on the end of a busy day. Perhaps it was the chocolate turtles I ate before the run that fueled me to a good result. I would have added a bit of weights to the equation, but we had someone coming over for dinner and I had to get home.

45 Minutes

I took a few days off this weekend and ran about 5.25 today in 45 minutes. I felt good.

12 Miles on Saturday

Saturday I banged out 12 on the Sullivan Canyon/Westridge Canyon Trail. I felt pretty good. How long did it take? What was the time? Eh. Who cares. I'm lazy. I did it, I felt all right, and it's done.