Category: Run!

LA Redemption

Disclaimer: I received an entry into Rock n Roll Los Angeles as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Los Angeles.

City of Angels, largest city in California.  I’ve run races from San Diego to San Francisco but some how missed Los Angeles.

That’s not say I haven’t registered for a race in Los Angeles.  In fact Rock N Roll Los Angeles.  I have unfinished business with this race as the 2016 race was home to my very first DNS.  😯  It’s time to balance the scales.

The course for 2018 hasn’t been set yet but 2017 was an out and back with some hills.  I can get behind that.  Plus I get to see the sights of a city that I haven’t toured on foot yet.

LAHashtag2018

Plus there is still all the new upgrades that Rock n Roll made for 2018 that will make the race awesome-

To name a few-

  • New corral markers that light up!
  • Clearer aid station signage
  • You can rock out to on-course mile markers!
  • You can also take a quiz to pick your Rock ‘n’ Roll Spotify BPM playlist that will help inspire you to rock your next run: http://runrocknroll.co/5eux3X

Now it’s still a ways off but I have a couple of options come race day.  If my PR attempt in San Jose fails then this could be a another chance.  If I succeed, then I could just sit back, relax and soak in the atmosphere of “the world’s largest Halloween half marathon”.  Heck, maybe I’ll wear a costume.  Maybe. No promises.  I wore a tutu for 3 miles once and that thing was riding up into places it had no business being.  🤣

Either way I have something to look forward to!

Want to join me?  Use code RNRBRP2018 to save $15.00 on the half.

Ever run in a costume?

*** Ok, so I totally thought I hit publish months ago but cleaning out some comments and drafts on my blog told me differently. Slacker!!!!

 

Run to the Music 9

Big Sur Edition 🙂

Oh, for crying out loud, I haven’t shared a music post since June 21??? How the flip did that happen?  Also, I started these posts when I was training for San Francisco in 2016 and I am only on 9? Slacker.

Well, it’s a good thing I have 2 songs today then.

Shinedown- Devil

I went to grab this video for this post and fell down a YouTube hole watching ALL the Shinedown videos.   I could spend a long time there.

Ok, back to the post- I love this band, this band has got me through training and with be with me on race day and if I have my way, I will see them in concert in August. 🤞 I’ve been a fan for years and can find a song to fit any purpose.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen me reference them in a #tbt post last week.  And FYI, they have the best cover of Simple Man from Lynyrd Skynyrd ever, actually it might be the best version ever.  Yes, I said that.

I loved this song when it first came out just because it was awesome, seriously, I’m hard pressed to think of one of their songs I don’t like- but then I watched a behind the scenes about the meaning of the song.   The “devil” being referred to is the thing that scares you whatever that may be.  So for me right now that could be the miles, the hills, my leg, my side- I have so many options!   So, yeah, I will playing this when things are getting heavy… like my legs.  😛

  • Side note- love the band, love the song but the video is a little odd.  I could have done with the baby bird moment.  Chew your own damn food.🤣

Papa Roach- Born for Greatness

On the other hand, this video is awesome if you stick around to the end.   I’ve shared this song before actually- last April with only a lyric video- but it hasn’t left ANY of my playlists since.  In fact it spawned my motto for the year- Sound the Alarm.  However I never hit publish on that post so surprise!   This song reminds me that we can be better and do better if we only wake up.     And I try not to whine too much when I think about the fact that they are on tour in CA this year but it either doesn’t fit my schedule or is in a town I won’t go to at night.  😢

I have another song that helps get me up hills these days but I’ll save that for another day.

What’s in your ear these days?

Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 15

I may have taken week 1 of taper a little too far.  And you know what?  I am ok with that.

At this point, cramming all the miles in isn’t going to help me come race day, in fact with this groin/leg issue, it could actually hinder me.  Maybe that’s just something I told myself as I embraced the Slacker in me but I’m still ok with it.

Work was busy in odd ways, time moved quicker than I needed it to and things didn’t always work out.  I threw my pen in the air a few times.   Bad habit, I know but I always make sure there are no customers around when I do it.  😛

I crossed some things off my to do list and went to the movies and saw Rampage.  It’s pretty good but then it’s rare that I dislike a movie with The Rock in it so I was kind of biased.

So how about the running?

Monday/ Tuesday- PT exercises & stretching I had planned on taking these 2 days off from running after my last long run.   I made sure to stretch really well and focused on my PT exercises each night.

Wednesday- Rest w/ some stretching.  I was going to run but I decided to give the leg one more day.  There was also something else but I can’t remember what it is.  Oops.

Thursday- 3.26 miles I headed to the river path after work a little nervous about my leg.  It was a little sore at the start but it loosened up and the run was pretty good.  However it was way too fast.  I told myself to keep all my miles in the 12’s this week to give my leg a break and my brain too.  Plus with how I’ve been feeling, I didn’t think that would be too hard.   However these were in the 10’s and a negative split at that.  Oops.

Friday- Nada Open to close, my brain was mentally fried and I was just done.  I picked up a pizza on the way home.

Saturday- 4.53 miles I headed out in the afternoon for a few easy miles except once again I was moving way too fast.  I obviously had no control over myself last week.  Luckily I knew my mother was out for a walk on the same roads so I had built in excuses to walk when my route met up with hers.  So my running portions may have been too fast but my overall pace looks perfectly slow.  😜

Sunday- Rest.  I’m not going to say oops.  When my alarm went off in the morning for my long run, I had a pounding migraine.  It was the throbbing kind and I can’t run through those, I slapped the phone off, pulled the covers over my head and tried to hide from everything.   The pain eased by mid afternoon and I could have headed out for my run but honestly, I didn’t want to.  My leg was sore, my head still hurt and overall I was concerned that doing the miles for the sake of the miles would actually do more harm than good.  Maybe that’s just something I told myself but I’m still good with it.   Besides I wasn’t completely lazy- I did clean my car- well the inside, and trust me that was quite the work out.

7.79 miles for the week.   I should be mad or feel guilty about that but I don’t.   Whether I regret this later remains to be seen.

How was your week?

Rambling On 31

Friday!

I’ve been a little tired lately and not sleeping great but still I was surprised when a customer told me I must be tired.  Oh…it’s that obvious? 🤣  It’s cool though, it was one of our favorite customers.

Monday was my 11th anniversary at work. I came in to find a decorated desk, a cute card and a Burger King crown.😀. They know me so well. Speaking of BK- my boss is on vacay this week so I can’t leave the building and 2 coworkers have brought me food for lunch without me asking. I seriously work with the best people.

Ok, geek moment- why did they have to move Avengers up a weekend??? Now it comes out the same weekend as Big Sur. I can’t do both! First world problems, I know.

The weather has been a little nuts this week- I think we’ve had all 4 seasons in the last 4 days. I can’t keep up!

I have to clean my car this weekend- if I say it here, I have to follow through, right?

What are you doing this weekend?

Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 14

Don’t freak out, don’t freak out.

My leg is giving me grief.  My back is putting up a fight.  I feel like I am barely running any miles and I am falling apart.  What gives?!  I really should be sleeping more.   How do I become less of an night owl??

Oh my gawd, I made it to taper.  Even though my whole training cycle has been another runner’s taper, haha.   Last week was a rather pitiful peak week but it’s done.

Monday- 2.62 miles  The irony of the mileage of this run is not lost on me.  My leg was not on board.  In fact it protested something fierce.  Fierce to the point of pain and I decided that rest days after long runs were going to have to become a thing during the next few weeks of this training cycle.   I turned around fairly soon into the run and headed back to the car trying not to be alarmed.

Tuesday- Nada I could feel my leg every time I moved.  From the car to work.  Every time I got off my chair or stood still too long.  Boo.

Wednesday-More of the same.

Thursday- 2.3 miles I headed for the lake path hoping the dirt path would be friendly to me and that I could get in a good 4-5 miles.   But that did not happen.  I managed 2 laps of the lake before I threw in the towel.  I may have pushed for more but with this weekend being my last chance to get in 20 miles I figured that was more important.

Friday- Rest I took a vacation day for a once again canceled tennis trip -rain, so I spent the day attempting to catch up on sleep and rest my leg.

Saturday- More of the same. Another rainy day.  I had started reorganizing my closet on Friday and it turned into the never ending project.  🤣

Sunday- 18.25 miles I overslept and started a little later than planned, oops.  I was also running in what I hoped would be my race day outfit to see how it worked out.  With my leg being fussy all week, I wanted to keep the run slow and steady and walk whenever I needed.  And things were actually good for the first 10-12 miles.  The temp was pleasant, my leg was cooperating and I wasn’t tired.  My clothing was another story.  My tank was riding up into a crop top, the shorties under my skirt kept moving around, my pack was shifting down my back, I had to put BodyGlide on at mile 6.  I don’t usually have to use BodyGlide when I wear skirts.  Grrr.   And my shoes were starting to hurt my feet.

The problem arose around mile 14- my back started to hurt.  And I slowed way down.  So much so, that I knew I was going to have a problem keeping my lunch plans with my mother.  Hence the 18.25.  My lower back was super cranky, I think part of the problem was the bladder of water in the back of my pack.  I stopped carrying water on my back due to back pain a few months back and stupidly forgot about it. Silly Slacker.  So another lesson learned- no bladder in the pack on race day- bottles in the front only.

When I mentioned how much slower I had gotten towards the end of the run during the lunch, my mother asked what the minimum pace was before being swept at Big Sur.  Thanks Mom.

23.17 miles for the week.  Not the 20 miler I was hoping for but not horrible.  I am trying to think positive… or maybe I am just in denial.

How was your week?