Tuesday, April 30, 2013

3 miles and pain returns

I took a week off from running because my left leg was hurting (hip and back of knee area).  This morning I went for a 3 mile run and then worked out on the stationary bike for half an hour, followed by a short weight training session.

After the second mile, the pain in the back of my knee started up again. Not bad or painful, just uncomfortable. My hip feels fine. I'm not sure what could be wrong with my knee or what to do to speed up the healing process.

It's very frustrating because I really want to race and attempt a PR. I'm mentally ready to start training hard again and have already been planning a few races I want to run.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. Run less? Ice? Rest?

I have a race on May 19 (I really wanted to run hard for this race) and I'm not sure what's going to happen.

I guess in the mean time, I'll run less and ice/ stretch …. sad face

Monday, April 29, 2013

Real Salt Lake Roadtrip

I sent this last weekend in Utah. We were there for the LA Galaxy game against Real Salt Lake. 

One of my goals in life is to run a race in all 50 state. This trip was really last minute and I didn't have any time to look up anything. Saturday I noticed that there was a local half marathon that morning. I wish I could have known that a little earlier and could have checked utah off my list. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go back. 

Back to the trip: 

* Got to see a little of the beehive state


* And spend some time with my bf :)


* Catch up with friends I haven't seen in a few weeks and friends I haven't seen in more than a year


*Plus watch my boys in blue in gold

* LA wins 2-0. 



Thursday, April 25, 2013

Last minute road trip

I am not a spontaneous person at all.

I am more of a planner, list maker,  and list checker (X5) type. Doing things last minute really stresses me out and makes me really nervous.

Last night, I had the opportunity to join Anthony and friends in Salt Lake City for the RSL vs. LA Galaxy game. Really, there isn't a lot of pans to be made, but I still feel very uncomfortable with the short notice.

I'm taking the Amtrak from Hanford to LA tonight. And tomorrow, I'll be in a car for more than 10 hours on the way to Salt Lake. I packed a bag, mostly with comfy clothes for the long drive. Also, a few long sleeves in case it's cold and a running outfit, in case my legs feel up for a run.

I've missed the last few games so I'm excited to catch a Galaxy game. Plus, I've never been to Utah and I'm looking forward to a the adventure.


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

back on the stationary bike

The pain in my hip and knee came back after my Monday 7 mile run. I think it had to do with my LSD 13 mile run on Saturday.

I am not sure what exactly hurts. I think it might be the IT Band.  The pain is a little low on my hip (not really on any muscle).  The back of my knee also hurts especially when I put pressure on my leg. I'm taking some time off, stretching and ice.

This morning I did an hour on the stationary bike. This workout seems easy but after 10 minutes, I'm dripping in sweat.  I also feel my heart working so I'm still getting my cardio in even though I'm not running.

Plus, I did this very random weight workout:

50 burpees, 50 jumping jacks ( I did 10 or each for 5 sets)
3 reps of: 20 pushups, 20 weighted squats, 20 bicep curls with a twist,  20 lateral arms.
2 sets of : 20 pushups, 20 jumping squats, 20 squats with leg raises.
8 minutes of Abs.

What can I say, I love my squats.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

i miss my running route...

I loved my long run running route. It was long enough for a 24 mile LR and challenging enough for a 10 mile run. It had rolling hills. The shoulder was wide enough for a group. There were a few water fountains. It was near a trail. sigh…

I mentioned before that Dinuba is FLAT. Flat is boring.

Last week I went out for a 12 mile run on Alta Ave which turns into RD 80. It's the road that connects Dinuba to thing remotely fun in Visalia or any town south. Its surrounded by orchards (which has a nice nature/ country feeling) except there's construction, dirt and mayhem all around. No water fountain, no hills, no shade, no fun.

The run wasn't amazing. 12 miles were done. Can't complain.

This morning, I water to do 13 miles but didn't really feel like venturing out into the open and loose dirt road so I decided to run 5 miles around my neighbor and then run to the Jr. High ( a total of 3 miles, back and forth) and run 5 miles around the track. It wasn't terrible; there was a water fountain, zero spectators and there's dirt and cement options. 5 miles isn't too mind numbing and totally doable but anymore than that would have sucked.

It didn't suck. It wasn't awesome.

I miss the hills, the challenge, the So-Cal breeze. I miss my old running route.


Tell me about your favorite running route? Least favorite? 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Track Thursday- speed work

Except I didn't run on the track.

I focused on speed work for the second time this week. I don't have hills in Dinuba and since I want to run faster (and maybe BQ someday) I thought running sprints and less miles might do the trick.

There is a track in town- the local Jr. High has a dirt track that's accessible (There's a giant fence around the HS track). I prefer to run in the AM, and last time I tried running a track workout at this track I realized theres a period 0 P.E class.

Instead of the track, I found a 800 meter strip with very very little traffic near Centennial Park.  It worked perfectly.

I have been struggling with my speed for a while. Plus after the last half marathon my leg has been bothering me so it's difficult to run 100% since I don't want to hurt myself. ( I don't really know what part is bothering me, it seems to be the back of my knee/ thigh. I have been icing and stretching)

My first 800 meters was slow (3:44) and definitely defeating. I kept at it, huffing and puffing for 5 more repeats. When I looked at my Garmin after the 3rd one, I thought the thing might be broken since it said 3:26.  Hopefully this means that my legs are moving faster and not that the satellites were playing with my GPS.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

boston strong

I have never run Boston. I may never be fast enough to run it. But I have crossed plenty of finish lines and I plan to continue to do so. #BostonStrong

What happened yesterday at the Boston Marathon was terrible. I watched the race and then saw the explosion coverage on the news. It was unfair, sad, and scary.

As a runner, my thoughts turned to the athletes. What happened? Is everyone ok? The runners can't finish their race? I thought back to the marathons I've ran and the thought of enduring pain for 26.2 miles, being thirsty, hungry, tired and excited to finish only to have that sense of accomplishment taken away by some ruthless act.

The fact that this terrible act can happen during a race scares me. To think that something I do for fun could put me in danger or harm my friends or family is terrifying.

Running Boston has been a dream of mine for a while. This incident is scary but it won't stop me. I'll still run. I'll get faster. I'll run Boston.







Tuesday, April 2, 2013

finding a new running path

I'm semi moved-in. It's still a little weird because my stuff is still in boxes, in storage and just disorganized.

Last night, I went on a 7 mile run. I don't' normally run at night, but I spent the morning cleaning and unpacking. My run seemed a little more difficult than normal. I don't know if the elevation level is different in Dinuba more than in LA because I was out of break within 500 meters of my run.

Also, finding a new running path is always an adjustment. I've gotten so use to my normal routine that it feels like a challenge to 1) decide on the milage and 2) what path to take.

This morning I did some speed work. One mile warm up and then 6 X800 meter runs.

Ever since the half marathon 2 weeks ago, the back of my leg feels uncomfortable. It feels a little tight and stiff. In the middle of my sprints, I felt that weird feeling and it definitely put a damper on my run. Its been difficult to run hard because it does feel uncomfortable and I don't want to hurt myself.

I think I am going to take a few days off and do my cardio on a stationary bike.
---------------------
Best kind of cardio?

PM or AM workout?

Tell me about your running path?

Great Race of Agoura Hills- Chesebro Half Marathon

The Great Race of Agoura consist of 6 races (kids race, family 1 miles, 5k, 10k, Pacific Half, Chesebro Trail Half). All races end at Chumash Park where a huge after party is held. For more information about the other races check out their website

This year, I ran the Chesebro Half Marathon which is mostly a trail run. The race was named "best half marathon in the nation". Early registration starts at $70 for the half marathon and can run up to $100 if you register the day before.


Expo: I picked up my race bib and an awesome drawstring bag the day before the race on Friday. The pick up was pretty easy. The expo was held at a community center in Agoura Hills and I was in and out in 5 minutes. 

Race: I set a wake up alarm for 4:30am which gave me plenty of time for the 1hr drive. Getting off the Freeway, I noticed signs for parking and found a spot in a shopping area 2 mints away from the start.  Plenty of port-a potties leading up to the start.  ( The start times for the different races were staggered and at different locations) 



The start was in a residential area and we ran through a neighborhood for about a mile. 


After mile 3, we were headed up the mountain. The first few miles on the trail were serene, a lot of nature and great views. The second part was a complete uphill. At one point I felt like I was running on my toes trying to keep a nice pace. I didn't snap a lot of pictures because the trail was hard and I was huffing and puffing as I climbed all those rocks. 


The last few miles, I felt like I was sprinting down the road in comparison to the uphill climb. I finished at 1:55. Not my best time but considering the rock climbing, I was very proud of myself. 


The after party: The expo is giant. Tons of vendors, free samples and food. I also saw a bounce house for all the kids and different organizations providing information and free goodies. 


I scored some pink berry and fruit smoothies. I saw booths for bread, pancakes, bagels, different sports drinks and water.  


Overall: I think this is a great race. It is well organized and runs very smoothly. Also, the after party can't be beat. It's a lot of fun for the whole family.