LA Girl On The Run

I really enjoyed my 10 mile “recovery run” this morning.  I ran the first 3.5 miles with a friend then at mile 6.5 I met up with one of the LA Leggers training groups and finished out my run with them.  They were in the middle of a 24 miler (second to the last long run before the marathon). Sometimes I miss being a mentor.  While running with the group this morning, I overheard a couple first time marathoners asking the mentor several questions.  The joy and excitement that they felt was palpable and contagious!  I had a lot of fun just listening to the first timers.  I remember the first time I ran 24 miles.  I was BEYOND excited and could not believe it!  When I first started running in 2006, I had not run 5 miles since high school and could not imagine 26.2.  To this day, I try not to dwell on the mileage because it can be overwhelming.  

Next week when I run my 20 miler, I will think back to this morning and to the joy of the first time marathoners.  Their joy will carry me through… 

Last night I decided that I really want NEED to run 50 miles for my birthday this year.  I cannot pass up the opportunity to run the American River 50 in April.  I registered for the wait list (fingers crossed!). I promised my beloved husband that I would not run a lot of races in 2011 and that I would be selective with my choices.  I think that even he is surprised that I have kept to my word.  Choosing to run 50 miles might make him question my sanity, but I know that he will be there to support me at mile 50.  The race is 3 weeks after the LA Marathon…. Wish me luck!!! 

Workouts this week: Sun spin, Mon rest, Tues 7 mi tempo am, spin pm, Wed 5 mi easy, Thurs 8 mi, Fri double spin, Sat 10 mi easy Mileage: 30 

“Do not buy into other peoples BS.  You’re the CEO of your journey” - Chris “Macca” McCormack

A little more than a week ago I wrote about feeling the need to get back to basics with my running.  I followed a plan to get me through the 50K in December but since then I have been a little lost on where to go from there.  Sure, I know I am running the LA Marathon in March.  I know I have time goals this year.  But how will I get myself from here through to my goals?  I have found myself trying to emulate those around me.  ”Maybe if I do what they are doing I will get faster, stronger…” blah blah blah. The problem is that they are following a plan that works for them.  I need to follow a plan that works for me.  I have decided to go back to basics.  I plan to keep doing what I have been doing for the past 6 months (tempo run, recovery run, hill training, long run each week). I will check my progress after the LA Marathon and make the proper adjustments for the fall marathon (looks like it will be Portland afterall).  It looks like I will be running my long runs alone for the first time ever.  It is hard to believe that I have been running with a group for almost 5 years.  I look forward to it!  First up- 18 miles this Saturday.  

Workouts this week: Sun spin, Mon intense yoga (more on this in a later post), Tues 7 mi tempo am, spin pm, Wed 5 mi easy, Thurs 8 mi trails, Fri double spin, Sat 18 mi easy Mileage: 38.  It looks like I will not fit in a swim this week.  (Sorry MYB). 

I woke up late this morning, still feeling the funk. I drove down towards the beach to meet a friend for breakfast. I saw the sea of humanity, otherwise known as the LA Roadrunners and LA Leggers training groups, running along the side the road. There are literally thousands of runners that train with these two groups. It is quite the sight to behold. I felt bad that I did not wake up early to train before breakfast but then I realized that on a day like today I do not want to run on the road, I want to run on the trails! Once I made that decision, I was able to enjoy the time with my friend. After breakfast I stopped at home, grabbed my shoes and water bottle, and made it to the trailhead by 10AM. It is an amazing day in LA: crystal clear blue skies, 80+ degrees, with a slight breeze. Heaven! I ran 10.5 on the trails and felt like I could have run more. That is exactly where I want to be. The funk is gone and I feel great!

Last week I worked out like a woman possessed, this week I decided to pull it back and rest a bit more.  I find myself in a funk today, a funk so deep that it kept me from spinning this morning (I honestly cannot remember the last time I missed a spin class).  A friend of mine noted that resting instead of spinning may have deepened my funk.  I think she may be right.  I feel off kilter.  I had planned to swim tonight but was held up in LA traffic and I am not going to make it in time. (deep sadness) Instead, I am going to head out for a run.  I hope it will clear my head and lift my spirits. That is why we run, right????

Workouts this week: Sun rest, Mon spin, Tues 6 mi tempo am, spin pm, Wed 5 mi easy, Thurs rest, Fri 5-6 mi easy, Sat 11 mi w/hills  Mileage: 27-28 

I am marking today as my first official training run for the LA marathon.  I had intended to run 16 but ended up back at my car after 14.5 (I made an error and ended back where I started a mile and a half short, ooops).  Overall, it felt good. I had Bruno Mars “Just the Way You Are”  and Jay Z “99 problems” stuck in my head for most of the run.  I do not run with an ipod so usually songs pop into my head and do not leave.  Somewhere along the way this morning I realized that I need to get back to basics with my running. Look for more on that idea in future post.

Where’s that? Nice pool! 

It is one of the pools at UCLA.  

Tonight I conquered a fear that I did not really want to admit that I had.  In all honesty, I have been thinking about going back to swim club for at least 2 years. 2 YEARS!!!  In that time, I have done some ocean swim training, swam in a couple of ocean races, but have not gone back to a club to swim with a coach for a structured workout.  Here is some background:  I grew up a swimmer.  My mom put me in the pool when I was 13 months. I swam for a swim team.  I was a lifeguard and swim instructor for many years.  I played water polo for a short time and toyed with synchronized swimming (NOT EASY!).  In my head, I am still a swimmer even though I have not swam competitively for years.  

I am not sure why I was anxious about going back to the pool.  Maybe it was because I knew it would be hard since I have not done it in so long.  Earlier today, I started to make excuses (maybe valid excuses) as to why I should not swim tonight.  ”I did a double spin class this morning.  I am sore from my workouts this week.  I am running 16 miles tomorrow morning.  This is crazy.  I am not training for an Ironman… ” blah blah blah. The list of excuses was long.  I gave my best excuse pitch to my sister this afternoon. My sister called me out (Thanks G!).  She told me to go to swim practice because I needed to overcome this fear.  I knew she was right so off I went to Friday night swim practice.  

I made it to the pool building but could not figure out how to get into the pool area. I almost went back to my car but finally found the door to the pool.  I introduced myself to the coach and gave her the rundown of my background.  She asked “Oh, so you are good?”.  I replied, “Maybe, but it had been a while so I am going to take it easy”.  As soon as I got back in the pool it was like I was transported back to a different time.  It was a hard workout but I made it through.  My calf seized up during the first sprinting set.  Luckily, it relaxed and I was able to complete the sets.  I allowed myself to be coached. I realized that while I am still a swimmer on the inside, I have a long way to go to get back to swim conditioning.  Like a runner who has not run in years, you cannot go from zero to a 15 mile run.  You have to take it one step at a time.  In this case, I will take it one stroke at a time.  

mollierunsherbunsoff replied to your post: There are some limits uhhh…. no rest days?? WOW!

Do not worry.  I do rest.  I took Saturday Jan 1 as a rest day and will also rest this Sunday.  

Waking up before 5AM three days a week is just too much for me.  I set the alarm for 4:45AM for my first swim workout yesterday only to turn it off and go back to sleep.  I rescheduled swimming for Friday after work.  I think I am going to stick with evening swim workouts this month.  I will take it easy tomorrow night since I plan to run 16 miles Saturday morning.   

I did wake up at 4:30AM this morning for 8 miles on the trails.  It was beautiful up on Westridge with a crystal clear view of the lights of LA.  The whole time I was singing Cee Lo’s “Bright Lights, Big City” in my head.  (If you have not heard that song, check it out. So good!) The sun just started to rise when we finished our run.  It does not get any better than that!  

Updated workouts this week: Sun spin, Mon spin, Tues 7 mi tempo am, spin pm, Wed 5 mi easy, Thurs 8 mi trails, Fri double spin am, swim pm, Sat 16 mi easy  Mileage total: 36

“Do you want to struggle with your weakness or surrender to your strength?” - said by spin instructor tonight

In 2011, I choose to surrender to my strength more often than not.  So far, so good.  

I committed to the Move Your Booty (MYB) January JUMPoff: 22 workouts in 28 days challenge (you can check it out here http://moveyourbooty.tumblr.com/).  I knew that 22 workouts would not actually be the challenge for me, rather adding something new to my workout regimen would be the challenge.  I told MYB that in addition to running and spinning, I would add one swim workout per week and one yoga session every other week (I have been slacking on Runner’s Yoga).  I surveyed my options and decided to go back to the UCLA masters swim team for my swim workouts this month. It has been many years since I did an actual swim team workout.  I signed up for the 5:45AM workout on Wednesday.  I am actually feeling a little nervous.  We shall see how it goes.  I hope that there are not too many IM sets.  

It has been a month since the 50K and I am finally feeling close to 100%.  I am going to attempt my first run over 10 miles since the race on Saturday (I overslept my long run on New Year’s Day, oops).  I look forward to hitting the high mileage again.  

Workouts this week: Sun spin, Mon spin, Tues 7 miles am, spin pm, Wed swim am (eek!), 5 miles easy pm, Thurs. 8 miles trails am, Fri spin, Sat 16 mi. easy  Mileage total: 36