Tag: Running

Night Moves

Working on my night moves
In the winter time
in the dark winter time

Like my rewrite? Sing it with me!

You guys, I ran at night!!!! Which if we’re keeping track is only the second time ever! I braved the dark, the cold and the potential mountain lions and went for a run. It was only 2 miles but it was a start right?

I packed my gym bag on Monday but I really wasn’t feeling it. I had only found 1 blinky light and while I had checked my flashlight and while it worked, I had checked it in the daylight. I didn’t really know how much light it put out. Work ran late, I was exhausted and I was telling myself I still didn’t feel well even after a week off. I used the restroom before leaving work, went to grab my gym bag…and stared at it. It’s not like it was getting darker right? So, after a lightning fast change, I headed towards home.

The whole drive home, I wondered if I would chicken out. Running in the dark is not my thing. But I really hate the treadmill. I parked at a local business directly under a light and headed for what I think is the best street. Which is funny as it has like 4 street lights. 😛😛 I had a blinking light on my belt, a flashing band on my arm, reflective hat and my flashlight. I didn’t feel like it was enough. Bonus, my flashlight was dying. Slacker fail.

I stuck to the sidewalk. I kept it nice and slow. Can’t worry about pace when you can barely see right? My eyes adjusted quicker than I thought they would. It was colder than I thought it would be. It was in the high 50’s and I probably would have loved that during the day. At night, I wanted more layers.

A group of teenage boys drove by and catcalled me and I celebrated. They could see me!!! My lights were working! I did a little jig. A short, slow 2 miles later and I was back at my car. I did it!

All excitement aside, I will be more prepared the next time. I found my second blinky light. I need new batteries for my flashlight. I need to buy a reflective vest. That should be it for now. No need to get crazy. Let’s make sure I do this more than once a year this time. 😛

Do you run in the dark? Night or morning?

Best apparel advice?

Week 46 Un-Training Recap

Training for:

Nothing! I have no scheduled races for the remainder of 2016 right now. That is so weird! After the last month of feeling stressed and sick, slightly injured and seriously bitchy, I knew what I was going to do post Golden Gate Half.

I was taking the week off. I didn’t even do that post marathon. Mostly because I had crazy high hopes that marathon training would bring me speedy fall half marathons…which didn’t happen. Actually I don’t think I’ve taken a solid week off all year long. Which is odd for this Slacker.

I had plans, I really did. I was going to get on the bike to keep the legs loose and blood moving. I was going to try more of my yoga app. I was thinking about busting out the kettle bell, maybe attempting a plank or 2. What happened?

Nothing. Not a damn thing.

Well, I gained 5 pounds but let’s not go there.

I slept… a lot. Turns out I really wasn’t feeling well. The week kind of passed in a foggy haze. I took Monday off as a vacation day to recover from the race and had Friday off due to the holiday. You’d think all that extra rest would have helped me feel better but no such luck.

Granted part of that fog may be due to drastically cutting back on my caffeine and sugar intake last week. I also finally had an appointment with a neurologist last week so maybe my daily headaches will be coming to an end? Fingers crossed?!?!? The appointment made me laugh though- at one point I had to do the “one foot in front of the other walk” down the hallway and I fell into into the wall. Ha!

A week off is enough though. I’m feeling equal parts twitchy and nervous. That first run back is always so hard. Combine that with the fact that I know it will be on a treadmill and boo. I also have that same old shoe conundrum again. My Hoka’s are ok but not great. They aggravate a weird soft spot in the bottom of my left foot. Also, by the end of the Harvest Half, I felt like my toes were bruised and bloody. They weren’t but they sure felt like it. I admit that I no longer look forward to shoe shopping. Now it just stresses me out. Grrr.

Ever take a week off? Or more?

What did you do?

How was your week?

Golden Gate Half Recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Golden Gate Half to review 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!

Sorry this took so long!! When I left you last I was doubting my ability to run this race. After a restless night of tossing, turning, trying to ignore the crazies next door and likely running a fever, it was rough getting going in the morning. My first look in the mirror actually scared me! I got ready slowly, debating my outfit the whole time. I knew I was going to run the race but I also knew it wasn’t going to be a race. One last weather check had me wanting to cry- it showed a 40-50% chance of rain. Seriously?! I hadn’t recovered from the previous weeks rainy race. So I bundled up- capris over compression socks, arm sleeves and a windbreaker and my Buff® around my neck. It crossed my mind that I may be over dressed but I figured better to err on the side of caution right?
Due to the parking nightmare of San Francisco, I had picked my hotel based on proximity to the race. I had a short half mile walk to the race start. I was soon surrounded by thousands of other runners waiting for the race to begin. I was also officially confronted with the fact that the race started uphill. Ouch. I met up with another BibRave Pro- Brian– and we chatted. It was nice having someone to talk to pre-race, I usually try to just not freak out. 😛 The National Anthem was sung and the race started right on time.

This will be a little different from my usual recaps, I knew my only hope was to get across the finish line in one piece and not hate myself or running after. To that end, I never looked at my watch during the race. I didn’t even look at the splits for another 2 days. This race had nothing to do with pace or time. The odd thing was that I ended up predicting my finishing time within seconds. I had tried to give my mother a ballpark time just so she new when she and S should head down to the finish line. Nailed it! 😛

Miles 1-3

Outside of the hill right at the start, these miles were predominantly flat. We headed out through the Marina and the Presidio. The race had around 4000 runners but things felt really tight. It actually helped pull me along, looking back, these were my speediest miles. It wasn’t raining but the fog was so heavy it was misting and I realized my sunglasses were more of a hindrance than a help. I ended up carrying them for the next 8 miles. I just went with the flow and enjoyed what I could see of the sights. Parts of the course were parts of the SF marathon course so I thought I knew what I was in for. I was wrong.

Miles 4-5.5 ish

My calves were starting to tighten up a bit so I was thankful for the first hill. That was until I became so nauseous I was almost sick. Ok, new plan- walk all the hills. It’s cool. The course was very windy so there were plenty of times we could see the faster runners ahead of us, it was kind of cool. There was a lot of up in these miles so a lot of walking. There was a particularly long hill leading up to mile 5, we ran up it to a turn around before running back down towards the bridge. I passed Brian on my way up as he was coming down- he told me I had about a mile to go to the turn around. Damn I forgot the hill was that long. But that’s ok- I may have been sick but I could still rock a mean downhill- I kind of flew all the way the bridge.

Miles 5.5-9.8ish The Bridge

I was looking forward to running the bridge again as I was hoping I would be able to see more than last time. Unfortunately, it was just as foggy. We ran the walkways instead of the road this time and I liked that much better- it seemed less slippery. What I hadn’t counted on was the bottle necking. It hadn’t really thinned out so it was hard to pass people.. or be passed. Also, this was the race of selfies. I have never seen so many people taking pictures mid-race before. Dodging people became an art form. I was also starting to feel very tired. Once across the bridge we looped around Vista Point and down back under the bridge. #1- a downhill trail?!?! Sweet!! I ran like a 5 year old sprinting to the finish. #2- you can run under the bridge?!??! So cool!

Right after that we climbed what felt like the worst hill to me back up to the bridge. That could have have been due to my maniacal sprint down the trail though. 😛 From there it was back across the West Side of the bridge. It had finally thinned out so there was more breathing room. My Buff® was coming in handy though- I had it over my face and was breathing through it for most of this section. I felt like it had grown colder and I could actually see my breath.

Miles 9.8-11 Fort Point!!

Just off the bridge we looped under this side on a paved path. As we were coming down a small hill I could see Fort Point on my left- when I realized that I could see runners running up to the Fort and turning around I wanted to do a little jig. There was a field trip in 6th grade where we went to Fort Point and I remember loving it. I was so excited that we got to run by it. I even tried to photograph my excitement.

Miles 11-13.1

Once leaving Fort Point, we were on a dirt path along the bay. The last 2 miles were flat and I was starting to feel sore. I just tried to focus on the ocean to my left and Crissy Field to my right. I was alternating between running and walking and just kept making my way to the finish. We left the dirt path and turned onto Marina Drive and suddenly there were people cheering. We were close! Closer than I thought, I rounded a corner and suddenly the finish line was there! I had made it!

Finish- 2:30:17

The finish line was crowded and a little crazy but my mother and S found me fairly quickly after I was handed my medal and a water bottle. We moved away from the crowd and my mother, knowing how angry I was with the previous week’s finish asked how mad I was with this one. Not one damn bit. For once my brain and my body were in agreement- I was already pushing the limit by just being out there, whatever pace I could pull off was great. I walked when I needed to and didn’t berate myself for it, which is rare. I tried to enjoy the race and the course as much as I could.

Which brings me to- the course!!! People, this race freakin’ rocked! I loved the course. And I say that even with the 1200′ in elevation gain. To me, this race offered some of the best things to see in San Francisco and half of it was covered by fog and it still rocked. This is definitely a race I would like to run again someday. Maybe when I am healthy and can actually enjoy it? 😛 All the organizational details can be found here in my BibRave review.

This was my last half of the year. It may not have gone the way I had hoped when training but I am ok with that. I did the best I could that day and that’s all that matters. 😏😏😏

Week 45 Training Recap

Training for:

Golden Gate Half

It’s the final countdown! Race day was Sunday and I was hoping to get in a solid week of running before that. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The aftermath of the very wet Harvest Marathon took a toll on me. Boo.

Monday- Rest I was feeling a little rough so rest was awesome. I was also afraid to even attempt putting on a sports bra after the chafing hell leftover from Sunday’s race. Boo.

Tuesday- ~~45 minute recovery run~~ Sick. I didn’t even make it through the work day. I felt horrible and looked like crap so my boss kicked me out. I made the long trek home and took a very long nap that felt more like a coma.

Wednesday- 2.5 miles. I still felt wobbly but I wanted to try and get my legs moving. Putting on a sports bra was a little uncomfortable. Boo. I lasted for a slow 2.5 miles on what was most likely my last time running the lake path until next year. Good night lake.

Thursday- 3.6 miles Shouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t feeling so great but I didn’t want to only have Wednesday’s run before race day. So I headed out for a few miles after work. I told myself to stick to 3 miles but I allowed the thought that this was likely my last work run until next year get to my head. I ran on until the 2 mile point, not thinking about the fact that it was getting colder and the return trip was uphill. I crashed hard. Shouldn’t have done that.

Friday- Rest Felt like crap.

Saturday- Rest? The plan called for a shakeout run but I was feeling crappy and didn’t want to figure out the logistics of that in San Francisco. Instead my Fitbit says I covered almost 7 miles walking around San Francisco and it usually runs short so I figured that was enough.

My mom and I headed up to SF early and picked S up from college along the way. The plan was to hang out around the Embarcadero during the day, pick up my race packet and head to the hotel. The hotel was within walking distance of the start and then S and mom would come down to finish line on race morning. I started to feel worse during the day but I tried to chalk it up to a bad pepperoni pretzel. Wishful thinking. After finding dinner a nearby burger place, I still felt horrible so I headed to bed early. I also got a little bitchy. Sorry mom and S! I was tossing and turning, alternating between freezing and burning up. Then to make matters worse- a large, loud group of guys returned to the hotel room next to ours around 1:30am. They were the loudest, most obnoxious group of people ever. It sounded like they were slamming into walls. I can only imagine what the poor people below them heard. ☹ I just wanted to sleep. I was beginning to wonder if I should even race.

Sunday- Golden Gate Half….. could I do it?

How was your week?

Have any hotel nightmares? or chafing nightmares?

Would you have raced?

Run to the Music 4

But this isn’t giving up no this is letting go
Out with the old dreams I’ve borrowed
The path I carve from here on out will be my own
A path to take me home

Most of my runs lately have had me thinking deep thoughts. Maybe facing some truths too. I claimed that this was the year of no goals but I let myself get swayed by the dark side, the numbers side. It’s all too easy to get caught up with social media and fall into the comparison trap. Denying it can only dig you deeper and deeper into the hole. Combine that with a bunch of crappy things happening outside of running this year and I think I’m falling apart. Not completely but I’m starting to crack.

Which means a lot of things but one of those is letting go of those pesky numbers goals that snuck back up on me. I’ve become a little too mired in pace and miles. I realized the other week that I have run more miles this year than any year previous. Right after that, I realized how close I am to actually pulling off 1000 miles in a year. In other words, 2015’s failed goal. But let’s be honest, 2 hundred mile months right now would break me. Likely make me hate running too. I don’t want that, I want to enjoy running just to run for the rest of year. Maybe next year too. Who know? I want to enjoy races for awhile.

Thankfully, my iPod is still on shuffle all. The perfect song came on at the right time today.

This is Letting Go– Rise Against

So this me letting go. I saying it out loud…and in print. Hopefully, you’ll see a shinier Slacker in the coming months.