P.S.

I just signed up for the Disneyland half marathon in September, and now I am toying around with the idea of the Nike Women's Marathon in October. Guess I'd better start planning out the rest of my race year!

Marathon - Of Another Kind

Sorry for the long absence, friends. I've been running here and there, but not as consistent as I'd like to be. My last long run was 10 miles a few weeks ago. Since then, I've been cruising in the 5 mile range for a couple of different reasons...

1) I am a little burned out on running at the moment. I still love it, but I think my body was in need of a break, and is dying for some cross-training.

2) I am working on a major research project, which is like a marathon itself. It is slow-going, time consuming, and makes my body hurt just thinking about it!

I plan to run tomorrow morning, and keep to a new schedule where I am running 2 times/week anywhere from 3-5 miles, with 1 long run on the weekend. My long runs probably won't get over 10 miles, for now. I will definitely run the Las Vegas Half in December, so I will likely sneak in a 14 miler or 2 between now and then. I'd like to get a bit leaner as well, so I'm definitely beginning to focus on my nutrition again.

Sadly, I did not run the Disneyland Half. My good friend was married the night before, and I don't think I saw my pillow until sometime around 5am. I was definitely over-ambitious in my scheduling, but at least signing up for the race kept me on my training schedule!

I am starting to play around with the idea of triathlon training. SO many of my running buddies have made the transition, which I find intriguing...

CA Burning

Hello everyone! I'm still around, despite the somewhat lengthy absence. I've been running, but it's been limited due to my schedule/the fact that Southern CA is on fire! I'm supposed to run the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, but we'll see how the air quality changes, if at all. Stay tuned...

Strip Running

I registered for the Las Vegas half marathon today! Looking forward to spending a nice December weekend in Sin City... eating at some great restaurants then running it off!

The Best Laid Plans...

It has certainly been an interesting 2 weeks. Despite running 10 miles last Saturday, my midweek mileage = 0. My energy, motivation, and interest in running dove to an all-time low sometime around last Monday. The last week I haven't been feeling well, and given the fact that everyone around me has been sick, I've likely caught the bug. I planned to run 12 miles yesterday, but slept in instead. I had to force myself to commit to 5 miles this morning, which was a struggle. I can't remember the last time I felt sore after a flat 5-miler. During the run I felt extra hot and most likely had a fever.

The one question I've been asking myself all week: is this normal?? I had the best run 2 weeks ago. I fell in love with running all over again and felt so strong. The Dland half is a few weeks away, and at this point I am questioning my fitness/whether or not to participate. My ever-encouraging running buddies tell me I can pull it off without a hitch. My body (or just mind?) is telling me otherwise.

I suppose it is normal to have periods of lower motivation and waining interest in a sport like running. Of course, I feel better even after my short run this morning. My plan is to run at least 2 times this week before I travel to Lubbock Wednesday morning, and definitely try for a 12-14 miler next weekend. Perhaps it is time to really start committing to cross-training? I've been known to get bored easily, and it seems like some variety might be just what the doctor ordered.

Stay tuned...

Double Digits

On Saturday morning I embarked on my first double-digit run since the marathon. It was a fairly slow 10-miler through the old stomping grounds of PV. Laura and I took it easy, and it felt good to be out there. I'm hoping to get through 12 this coming Saturday, followed by 14 the next, and a taper week of 6 before the half-marathon. Wish me luck on the mid-week runs...my motivation has been WAY down the last couple of days!

Race Planning

Even though I have yet to run my first post-marathon race (Disneyland Half September 6th), I'm already thinking about my next marathon. Originally I was planning on RNR Phoenix in January, but they just announced that the L.A. Marathon will be moved back to March in 2010... AND it will be the "stadium to the sea" route! Given that I've lived in L.A. most of my adult life, I feel somewhat obligated (in a good way) to run in March. I also had considered the Pittsburgh Marathon in May, since I might be there around that time for Ph.D. purposes anyway. Obviously this would not work out if I am running L.A. less than two months before. With all this in mind, here is the current plan:

September 6th: Disneyland Half

December 6th: RNR Las Vegas Half

March 21st: L.A. Marathon

This certainly has the potential to change, but for now I'm sticking to it!

The Elusive Long Run

I am writing this from the lovely state of WA, where I am enjoying the "working" part of my vacation. My plan is to write and run, and I've been mildly successful with both. My primary frustration at the moment is my lack of motivation in getting a long run on the books. I've logged about 27.5 miles since the marathon. However, the most mileage I've accrued in any one run is about 5. I've read MANY articles on post-marathon recovery and how one should go about rebuilding their base. Some people take an entire month off...others start jogging 3 days after they complete their race. Either way, it's time for me to start with my Saturday long run schedule again.

The good news: TNT alumni runs are beginning! Anyone interested can return to practice in PV on Saturday mornings at 7:30am. This will definitely help with my motivation issues.

The bad(ish) news: I am registered to run the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6th! I have about 9 weeks to build up my base again. According to the adapted TNT training schedule, I should have ideally logged 8 miles over the weekend, and should embark on 10 next weekend. Let's hope some other TNT folks will be up for joining me on a longer route...

On another note, the Garmin continues to be awesome, especially the wonderful online world of Garmin Connect. I know many of you who read this have known about the wonders of the Garmin products for some time, but I still won't hesitate to share my excitement! :)

Goals for the week:

-log 25-30 miles by Saturday night

-incorporate some cross-training into my schedule (and not just talk about it)

-make yoga a priority next Monday

In Love...

with the new Garmin! How did I ever live without this before?? I'm still learning some of the tricks and advanced options, but so far this is a fantastic tool. I highly recommend taking advantage of the Costco.com sale if you are thinking about getting one. (Caution: the sale ends July 5th). I also tried the HR monitor this morning for the first time. I was initially concerned it would irritate me, but I barely felt it. Mind you, the run was only 3.5 miles. Something tells me that after 16, you'd definitely be aware of the strap wrapped around your torso.

Other than a few aches and pains (left knee and right ankle), I am feeling good about beginning a schedule to maintain/increase my fitness for the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6th. Ongoing TNT alumni runs on Saturday mornings will be a big plus, as I motivate myself to keep up the weekly long runs. Next step: adapting the marathon training schedule to the mileage necessary for the half. I'm guessing this will seem like a breeze compared to the last 5 months!