Friday Night Recovery Run

Wow that was one slowww run. Last night was another goodnight at Spin. I almost always have good nights at Spin. Last night hopped on the treadmill right off the bike and had an excellent 5k run which had a little bit of everything; accelerations, sprints, climbs and a slow recovery walk in the end. Then I hopped on the swim machines and cranked it up, my core today can attest to my over exuberance last night. Nothing strained but sore. I have a 6+ mile recovery route that I usually do in an easy 55-56 minutes, that includes all the stoplighs along the way. Tonight, a whooping 1:05. Wasn't even raining, I was between showers. What was I doing out there? 1:05? Well day dreaming for one. I was thinking about the trail run on Sunday. Sa'll good. Just a recovery run.

Rain Rain Come On In

Rain is finally here, I've been waiting for it. The weather has been too good, besides we need it anyway. Couple of weak systems rolled by but are followed by stronger ones. It ain't that cold and frankly I love running in the rain but it does put a damper in the other activities I need to be doing like biking and swimming. Speaking of which I need to start swimming. Debating whether to drop in on a spin class this Saturday. Everything is just harder and more dangerous on the bike when it's raining. It's a joke around here that San Francisco drivers don't know how to drive in the rain, I don't think it's a joke. Then there's the bike, brakes are slower and the smooth skinny tires are slippery in the wet pavement. I don't know, it's still fun to be out despite all that. Play it safe indoors or ride outside anyway? Hmmmm....

Sunday's weather will be the same for the run. Rain? Puddles? Mud? Wind? bring it on. Wet shoes does give me blisters but not on a 6-hour run. It ain't even that cold, a good shell will do. This Sunday I'm leading our first trail run of the year. I mapped out a 4.5 and 9.2 mile course in the Marin Headlands that should be fun and challenging for all. I have a feeling though, that the weather is gonna keep most of the runners home. How it goes I guess. I understand, not everyone likes to run in the rain. Personally I'd like to be out 5-6 hours again so I'm probably going to do the majority of that workout before meeting up with the runners at 9AM.

Well that's what's coming up. Looking back, Wednesday I was quite the Slugg (slow and ugly). We had our first track session Tuesday, the previous week was just an intro course. We had about 50 people and a good number were new to the club. It was an easy workout, 8 x 200's with a 200 jog in between. However the easy track workout was preceded by a bunch of exercises so it ended up being a pretty good night overall. The men were initially separated from the women but once we started our intervals it was all a mess. People everywhere. Until we do our benchmark 2-mile run we won't have our pace groups. Our rival club was out there too, they had a good group going as well and with the addition of the other smaller groups we had one very crowded track. I think it's great we have a rival club, lot's of friendly competition. At one point it seemed like all of us was running at the same time, over a 100 people going round and round. I felt like I was in a start of a race. It went very smoothly though because everyone was working from the same play book; slower runners stayed on the right, no one was blocking the lanes, and people were polite.

It's tradition that the first track session is followed by a social at Kezar Pub. This is where I screwed up. Slow was from a good workout, Ugly was from having too many pints after the workout. Club buys the first round but I over estimated the amount of beer we needed and ended up ordering a little too much. So I stayed late with some of the other kids and drank more than I needed. Calories. Calories. Calories. Closed the evening playing wingman to a friend who wanted to talk to a couple of ladies at the bar. I obliged because I actually knew one of them:) An acquaintance who used to attend my church. We actually had a great conversation, comparing notes on what it's like to be in christian and non-christian social circles.

Well I hope everyone is having a great Friday.

You Can Have Your 13-Miles!

Jason and Stephen, a breather at the top of a ridge. Tennessee Valley in the background. Muir Beach and Point Reyes in the distance. Click Here for more images.

I'm sorry that I told people I was running the San Francisco Kaiser Half-Marathon and then flaking on them. I am not sorry that I spent 5 hours running somewhere else instead, 3+ hours of it in the Marin Headlands (Finally!) with a couple of buddies (Jason + Stephen).

Alarm was set early (5:20AM)and I hit the 5 minute snooze button 5 times before I came to my senses. I'm getting used to these early morning starts on Sundays, they pretty much will be the norm for the whole year. I hate to admit it but I'm starting to like it. I hate getting up but once I'm up. Yeah, crazy. I like being out running when the sun is coming up and I especially like being done before lunchtime. Kind of nice. This will only be once a week though, let's not go crazy. Now if I can only go to bed at a decent time.

Left the house a quarter past 6 and I made my way to the bridge. At 10 past 7 I met up with Jason and Stephen at a gravel lot by the Golden Gate Bridge. It was nice. A little hazy but not cold and only slight winds. We stayed around the valley of Rodeo Beach, Miwok 100k and Marin Headlands 50k runners would know what I'm talking about. In fact we incorporated the last 2 miles of the Miwok 100k race on our route; Miwok to Wolf Ridge to the top of the ridge, then down the single track trail filled with loose rock to the steps, then onto the old asphalt road down, down, more trail, then to the parking lot of Rodeo Beach which is the start and finish of both races. We took that section fast. Jason took the lead and just blazed down the trail. I tried to follow, skidding around switchbacks, kicking up rocks and dust, almost taking a head dive on the stairs but Jason was gone and once he hit the old asphalt road he increased his turnover and stretched out those long legs of his. Never caught him.

At Rodeo Beach we replenished water bottles and made our way home. It was good catching up with the guys since we rarely run together now. Jason's busy with work and he just got a place. Stephen is also busy with work and he and his wife is expecting their first baby in May. After I dropped them off at the parking lot and I made my way home via Crissy Field. There's a nice gravel topped road by the water that I like to run on. By this time folks were out in droves. Glad to see so many people outside. I'm sure it will dwindle to a small crowd once the Super Bowl starts.

A decent 5 hour run. Planned on 6 but I was done once I crossed the bridge back to San Francisco, I just had enough to make it back home. Not bad considering I biked hard for 3 hours yesterday. The bike on Saturdays is pushing me over the edge, I either have to shorten my long runs on Sunday or build my body up so I can do both, rides on Saturday and long runs on Sunday. Possible? Maybe. Last year in my training for WS I quit the bike. Ran long runs on Saturday and rested on Sundays. Not an option this year.

Well I better clean up. Hungry! I took some Endurox R4, my favorite recovery drink but now I'm thinking of a nice Subway Sandwich. It's a good thing I'm doing Sunday School again today, those 3-4 yr. olds will keep me awake. Our services are at 4PM, nice cause I can get my workout done bad cause there are Sundays when I'm just tired and exhausted. Today is definitely one of those days. If it was up to me there would be no lesson. Every Sunday I teach it would be "Rick's Sunday School Wrestling Hour". I wrestled in high school. I'm a lot rusty but I think I have few moves that could make a difference in the playground, don't think it will fly with management though. Too bad, for the moment our 3-4 yr. olds are boys, perfect for a little wrestling team...but I digress. I feel a lot better than last Sunday though. Today was a much longer and harder workout and besides being tired I feel fine. Last week I was barely walking. Body's adapting, nice to see.

Six Weird Things About Me

So I was tagged by Bob. I'm supposed to reveal 6 weird things about myself and then pass on to 6 other bloggers. I'm really not into chain games but I'll bite this time, kind of fun actually. However I won't forward to others - a compromise no?

1.
I train for and run/race ultras. That makes me "weird" to alot of people. I've heard snide comments concerning my intelligence before and sadly one came from another athlete who should have known better. I should have gotten up and kicked his ass, why didn't I?...oh right it was a formal dinner and I would have only proven him right. Wasn't a good guy.

2.
Seeing farm animals make me hungry especially cows, pigs, chickens, lambs, goats, dogs, hahaha kidding on the last one. Although I know what they taste like. Wasn't my fault I was tricked. I'm totally innocent. Ok I've said too much.

3.
I like fuzzy animal slippers. Yes I know I'm a grown man. I was visiting a friend and her kids one time and stuck my feet in one of the kids new fuzzy slippers, they were way small but I was like "whoa, these are comfortable. How great would these be after races". So I got a pair. If you run you should be able to wear what you want, including but not limited to fuzzy slippers. I just try to remember not to pick up the mail with them on. I don't need to give people more ammunition.

4.
I don't like heat in my apartment. If it's 40 degrees out, it will be 45-50 in my apartment. I had a friend over one time and she spent the majority of the evening on my couch buried in my down comforter and complaining about the temperature. Hasn't been back since. Note to self: some girls like heat.

5.
I used to iron my underwear. I stopped when my girlfriend at the time laughed at me. I still have the urge but I stop myself, I want to be normal. So now I crumple them all up and shove them in a shelf in my closet. They are either ironed or unceremoniously shoved in a corner, theres no folding in this household.

6.
I don't like crying. I don't like doing it and I don't like seeing it, yet I always get suckered by the TV and movie dramas. Once I even shed a tear on a Star Trek episode. True, True. Sometimes I just don't know about me.

So there, oh there were more but I'll stick to the limit.