A Little Work

I managed to get a short run in at last ... on a Friday evening!

So, a quick trot around Clover Park got my legs loose for a change. I felt a bit pleased with the motion; but, still, the lack of speed is disturbing.

31:56 of running

2.70 miles

11:49 pace

Long Run Friday

It was an unusual week and with some flexibility in the schedule, I did a long run on Friday.


It was nice running in the sunshine for a change on my own. After some street running in Santa Monica, I headed around Clover Park and did lap after lap. I enjoyed the change in time and saw some people I had remembered seeing when i first started to run again after being laid off at my old job.

I was thinking a lot about other things; so, I was struggling to focus on my running. May be that was good; may be it was bad.

The results were alright; but, I hoped for faster. My ability to keep ongoing power for speed is missing at the moment, which is frustrating. The good news is my knee is feeling better; it si not perfect, but it is better.


1:35.36 of running
8.11 miles
11:48 pace

Odd Intervals

Monday meant another run and this time it was some intervals. I am still keeping to the LA Running Club plan for the LA Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon rather than first week of LA Roadrunners' training.

The intervals this time went up 30 seconds to 6:30 and rest decreased 30 seconds to 3:30.

I warmed up walking to Clover Park for the waiting semi-circuit.

The first interval went relatively well. It was not quite as fast as I wanted; but, it felt comfortable and a relative success.

The second internal was decent as well. It was a little slower; but, it was close in pace which was a good sign for consistency.

The intervals got more interesting on the third session. About two minutes in, it seemed like my energy was drained. It was if I had a flat tire. I could not keep the pace and my desire to get back the speed went unfulfilled. It was a very rough run and frustration.

The fourth run came and was a bit better. I managed to pick up the speed for the second half.

All in all I got it done; but, it was disappointing not to have run faster and even more disappointing with the third run.

#1 .67 miles 6:32 of running 9:45 pace
#2 .66 miles 6:32 of running 9:57 pace
#3 .60 miles 6:31 of running 10:56 pace
#4 .66 miles 6:35 of running 9:58 pace

Friday Futility

It was a cutback week for the LA Running Club training schedule; so, less runs and less distance were planned.

I had planned to run Thursday evening; but, the all too clear sound of numerous police cars in the area gave me sufficient reason to alter the plan.

I set out on a planned short run and fairly soon realized it was not going to be an easy one. It was and is an unsettling feeling.

I continued onwards around the Pico Neighborhood, taking in the relatively busy evening compared to the much calmer pre-dawn. It is amazing how the neighborhood changes over a few hours, though there are constants like the doughnut store being open.

I ran towards Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park, seeing a few business jets. I felt quite lethargic and knew the statistics for this race would be less than stellar.

I kept going and headed for home.

I finished and faced disappointment ...

30:49 of running
2.42 miles
12:45 pace

80 for 1

I had taken a day off as my legs were unusually sore after the intervals. Thursday evening I resumed running.

The schedule from LA Running Club called for 80 minutes of aerobic pace, a decent run, to prepare for the LA Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon.

The evening was pleasant and there was even a slight breeze. I set out along Pico before heading towards the Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park areas again.

Setting out was relatively easy. I did have to dodge bikes, dogs, walkers, etc. that are not normally around at pre-dawn runs. I trotted south and then entered the airport area before heading for the welcoming lights of Clover Park after about 20 minutes.

I then began doing the laps around the park. It helps not having to stop for traffic lights, having a relatively level surface and also knowing the landmarks. The park also nicely provides water!

So around and round I went. I stopped at 40 minutes to take in water and a Clif Shot mocha flavor to see how I did with it as well as needing energy.

I must have been somewhat focused on running as I finally noticed a nice Citation jet had been replaced by a King Air on the ramp by the park. Normally, I would have noticed the slightest move.

The mocha Clif Shot seemed to be a boost as well. A bit messy to try and use; but, it tasted great!

So, I did the 80 minutes and felt decently. I still need to get faster; but, 80 minutes is not bad.

1:25.34 of running
7.21 miles
11:54 pace

Speed It Up

Well, with the LA Running Club schedule progressing for the LA Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon, it was time to start going for more speed.



In fact, it was time for intervals! The repeated fast runs with slow breaks. Being an old sprinter, I look forward to them.



This time, I headed to Clover Park for a semi-closed-circuit. It was a nice pleasant evening, which helped.



I set off on #1 and felt decent. I huffed and puffed around the cement sidewalk dodging a few walkers and joggers. I did the six minutes, stopped, and looked at my Garmin. I thought I had gone relatively fast; but, the results were disappointing. Four minutes of rest and repeat.

It happened again ... and again ... and again. I felt pretty good, thought I ran fast, and. ... dud. The only thing positive was there had been good consistency.

It really seems like I have shed speed and the ability to be fast as the range increased. Now, I have to regain that edge.

#1 6:03 of running .6 miles 10:08 pace
#2 6:04 of running .6 miles 10:01 pace
#3 6:04 of running .62 miles 9:53 pace
#4 6:04 of running .6 miles 10:13 pace

Woeful Wednesday

Wednesday came and armed with my revived Garmin I set out again for a scheduled 70 minute trot in Santa Monica.

Monday had seemed such a good run; but, Wednesday quickly felt awkward. I ran around the Pico Neighborhood, Clover Park and Santa Monica Airport.

I just felt drained energy-wise and the run reflected it as I really struggled on what should have been a challenging but doable trot. I just could not achieve a good, comfortable pace the entire time.

I made it back and stretched before sitting and just thinking about what had happened and the frustration and inconsistency.

1:13.42 of running
5.58 miles
13:13 pace

Heating Up

Due to scheduling this week, I was able to take a rare midweek run in the daylight. In fact there was lots of daylight in the morning.



It was a long run for a midweek trot, 60 minutes. It was also a clear morning and quite warm!



It did seem a bit odd running around the neighborhood in the sunshine; but, it was also nice seeing things in a different light (bad pun) as a runner.



I felt pretty good setting out and hit a few side streets before going east on Pico Boulevard to incorporate some hills into the trip.



I then turned for the Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park for a few laps and some water!



I was feeling relatively good and much better than last week, even with the longer run.



I made it back home and was quite happy to take my now soaking wet shirt off and take in some water and Powerade.

1:02.30 of running
5.31 miles
11:47 pace

Tuesday Trot

Tuesday was a short run again; I set out for a brief trot around Santa Monica, Santa Monica Airport, and Clover Park.



I ran in the evening due to scheduling issues.



I felt better than I had for a while and relatively comfortable.



Afterwards, though, the knee was rather sore.

35:30 of running
3.05 miles
11:38 pace

Sunday's Sortie

I took another brief run Sunday evening, heading out around Santa Monica, Clover Park, and the Santa Monica Airport.

I felt somewhat better than Saturday, which was encouraging. I did find it hard to get a good pace going with a series of traffic lights and people walking dogs.

I was happier though overall with the effort and results. My knee felt better after being quite sore for a few days.

I ran around the airport area, seeing all the nice business jets, and then headed home. I felt a bit of energy drained at 25 minutes in; but, it was decent.

The time was not as big a differential and improvement as I expected vs. Saturday; but, it was alright.

31:43 of running
2.71 miles
11:41 pace

Midweek Mission

It is a cutback week for my training; so, less running and less running time.

I gave myself a spare day and a half still trying to fight off a cold; but, it has not been too successful.

I set out Wednesday evening for a brief run around the Pico Neighborhood, Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park.

Fairly soon into the run, I noticed I still felt lethargic and even sore. I am not sure why as a 5K Saturday and a brief run Sunday should not be that trying.

I continued onwards and just tried to work on form as this was clearly not going to be a classic.

I made it around the loop and returned home frustrated once again.

32:23 of running
2.65 miles
12:15 pace

Sunday Run

Sunday started early as I left my parents' home in Orange County at 04:00 to get back to Santa Monica and then go to church to take care to the day's tasks.

I got home at 7:45 p.m. at last and decided to do a short run.

I set out and soon got a beep from Garmin ... a low energy warning and then it rapidly went blank screen.

I was not amused; but, I decided to try and run a Garmin-free trot. I headed around the area to the Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park.

I was hoping to feel relaxed without the electronic conscience; but, the opposite happened. Without my guiding light of timing guidance, I began to feel lethargic and slow.

My calves and thighs were sore; it was not good. The evening was nice and pleasant but the running was frustrating.

I continued onwards just kind of aimless plodding before heading home.

The lesson from this was there is a lot of room for improvement and I need to look at the causes of the problems very quickly.

Thursday Trial

After Wednesday's disappointing run, it was time for another try Thursday evening. I decided to try the same route as Wednesday. I was concerned that after Wednesday's struggles that I would be even worse Thursday; but, I needed the work, to vent some frustration, and wanted to see the results. So, off I went.

Initially, my calves felt a bit sore; but, overall I felt better than expected. I was going along decently. I reached the Santa Monica Airport area and felt good. I started the two laps at Clover Park and was happy to find I had a decent rhythm going and did not have a repeat of the 30-minute-fade from Wednesday.

I completed the laps and then headed on the way home. One difference in the night runs vs. the pre-dawn is there are even a few joggers, pedestrians, and more importantly dogs to be aware of to avoid problems. The pre-dawn has its own issues; but, sidewalk traffic is not one of them.

I made it back home, checked my Garmin, and felt relieved. The results were much better than Wednesday and physically I felt better.

Afterwards, I thought about the two runs. It really frustrates me not to be doing better, not to be more consistent, and being so unsure what will happen each time. I used to be very good at the mind games in high shcool runs; but, this is a harder time and needs to be fixed quickly.


53:28 of running
4.55 miles of running
11:49 pace

Wednesday Wobbles

I felt a bit better; so, I set out Wednesday evening for a run.

The plan was to try for a bit longer trot and go around Clover Park and the Santa Monica Airport. It was another overcast sky for the run.

I started and felt relatively strong, which was encouraging.

One issue with running at night vs. pre-dawn came to the fore again ... frequent stops due to traffic lights. This seems to really affect my momentum and flow. It is definitely an area to improve.

I cruised around the northern end of the airport, even seeing a business jet with a Canadian flag! Then it was onwards to Clover Park. I did two laps of the park. Lap #2 proved more of an adventure; I suddenly felt drained and sore ... I looked down at my Garmin and saw I was on 30 minutes.

It was very discouraging.

Still, I kept going and finished the lap of the park and then back along the northern end of the airport. I made it to the end of the loop and started to head back home and got there.

I had run alright; but, I was and am a bit disappointed in the results, especially pace. Lots of work to do ...

53:03 of running
4.30 miles
12:20 pace

Friday Night Lights

I ran Friday night for a few reasons.

One being I needed to as my scheduling had been off due to events. The other being I needed to release some energy froma lot of recent frustrating events.

I set out for Clover Park and the airport area again. I am used to running in the dark; but, nighttime is a lot different from pre-dawn. Far more people are out and about. There is much more traffic. It is noisier.

Still, I ran around and tried to get some miles in for the evening.

It was a decent run; but, not great. I was glad to just release the energy and feel at least momentarily productive.

31:27 of running
2.56 miles
12:16 pace

Run by Night

I have slowly resumed really trying to do better with mid-week running.

I made a run around Santa Monica Airport and Clover Park Wednesday night. I needed to run and just release some pressure.

I was also working on my stride again.

I felt decent, juts not near the peak, yet again.

My stride is slowly changing, which I hope helps long-term.

40:23 of running
3.56 miles
11:23 pace

Sunday Sun

Sunday morning was a post-long run run.

I felt a bit better and no really significant soreness, which was a plus.

I headed around Clover Park and Santa Monica Airport and made it back home to get cleaned up for the day.

30:88 of running
2.51 miles
11:26 pace

Looking for Consistency

I set out Sunday early for a little trot. I chose the normal Sunday route around the Santa Monica Airport's northern end and Clover Park.

I felt decent; but, it was not powerful or confident. It was akin to the rather dull, June Gloom, weather.

I finished and made it home; but, just need to get it going better ... much better.

A tad off of last week again:

2.87 miles
32:59 of running
12:21 pace

Sunday Sun Trot

After the eight miler Saturday, I wanted to see how I would react the following day. So, I got up at dawn and set out for a trot around south Santa Monica and Clover Park.

I did have a bit of soreness in the knee again; but, it was not anything unusual. My calves and thighs felt a bit stiff as well. The one thing I noticed was just a lack of energy, perhaps due to run plus a long day at church Saturday and not getting home until late. I was running, just quite slowly.

I made it to the park and I was stunned to see it empty on a stunning morning; I stopped just to take it in and enjoy the silence.

I got some water and went back at it and headed for home and a shower.

32:24 of running
2.57 miles
12:37 pace

Walk/Jog?

Well, it was the day after the Dodger Stadium Hill Training II ... and the LA Roadruners schedule called for 30 minutes of "walk/jog." That was a new one ... so, I was a bit perplexed as to what to do.

So, I decided to set out in the evening. I had decided since my knee was a little sore driving home form Dodger Stadium that I should take the extra sleep and rest time Sunday morning and go out at night after finishing church tasks.

Out I went ... I felt pretty good, in fact the best I have felt on a Sunday run in weeks or may be months. I looked down at my Garmin and saw I was indeed doing well ... almost LT time ... and thought I better ease the throttle back if this is supposed to be a walk/jog.

I headed down towards Clover Park and did a lap as well hitting the neighboring streets around Santa Monica Airport and the Pico Neighborhood. I was able to focus on the scenery and seeing which business was gone this week, kind of the sad economic reality game. Physically I felt comfortable and relaxed, which was a nice feeling indeed.

My calves did get a little sore and my knee was a bit more tender than at the start; but, overall it was a decent run.

I got my work in and may be more importantly at this point got a good mental feeling.

34:36 of running ... a bit over
2.92 miles
11:51 pace ... there we go