Nickel Run Saturday

The third LA Roadrunners' run came up and off I went to Venice.

It seems different this time. Somehow it is not as exciting. But, I do like seeing some familiar faces and exchanging hand shakes/fist taps and chatting a bit.

We set off north as usual crossing into Santa Monica relatively easily. The group was larger than the first two weeks.

For the first time, we crossed the "border" that is the Santa Monica Pier, only going underneath it vs. on and upwards to Ocean Avenue.

The group continued along and it was relatively easy. I was a bit nervous as we ran along a bike path, where the bicyclists are moving at a quick pace. Fortunately, no collisions happened and everyone was safe.

We turned around and headed back to the pier. Nice and easy we crossed the line back into Venice and into the final stretch, with the standard odd collection of denizens.

Finally, it was time to stretch in the school hall and then the Gatorade and bananas.

I also attended a lecture on running form, which was good.

My nickel run was done ... another step to LA Marathon 2011.

59:11 of running

5.14 miles

11:31 pace

Back At It

This was my second week of running with the LA Roadrunners in Year II.

We set out for a brief trip north towards Santa Monica. I had been resting my body a bit during the week; but, I felt alright.

The run went relatively smoothly, even though it got warm quickly.

The group returned to base and after stretching, including on the cement of the Windward square, it was back for Gatorade and bananas.

Not bad at all.


46:12 of running

3.99 miles

11:35 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

I SEE ROADRUNNERS!

Saturday was a change. I had been heading to the the Totem Pole for LA Running Club meets; now, I was wearing a LA Running Club shirt but headed to Venice.

Why? It was the first day of LA Roadrunners 2010-2011!

So, I was back into the familiar Westminster School parking lot. I had pre-registered and happily took my forms to the Pre-Registered line. I even began seeing a few familiar faces.

Soon enough, I was registered and had my new medium-blue Roadrunners shirt, schedule and binder, and the now mandatory shoe tag. Ready for Round II!

I then walked around a bit talking with a few fellow LARCs and Group 7s.

I then visited the exhibitor displays. Not being much for coffee, I skipped Don Francisco's. I visited the booth for the Halloween 5K at the Westwood VA Center. I am thinking about that race as it means some more work on those hills. KSwiss was there as well, with the unmistakable truck. I then visited some of the charities ... Meals on Wheels, Think Cure!, and LiveStrong. There were others; but, those interested me especially. I even managed to get some free kit and things like a water bottle.

There were some presentations; but, they were basics and for totally new runners. So, I headed back out and chatted some more.

I then remembered I still needed to get my LA Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon work in; so, I headed out ... to the Strand and Windward! The Roadrunners might not be running; but, I am running.

The schedule was for a 5K on fast pace; so, I set out north towards Santa Monica. Pretty soon, it was obvious this was going to be a mediocre run at best.

I was running along the very familiar trail but somehow I was not focusing well and thus not running well.

I kept trying to pick up speed; but, it was not coming. I was going, but not at the desired rate.

I reached the traditional water stop and turned back to Windward. I kept trying and trying to accelerate; but, there was no results.

It was difficult mentally and becoming difficult physically, for what should have been a very easy run.

Finally, the last .2 miles I managed to get a kick going and managed to get some speed passing the collection of denizens in Venice. Then I reached the flagpoles and called it a run after the frustrations.

38:33 of running

3.43 miles

11:15 pace

Labor Day Laboring

Labor Day was a welcome day off from work and an opportunity to run with the LA Running Group. I went to meet them at the KSwiss store in south Santa Monica for the late afternoon excursion.

I set out and decided to adopt a medium pace, meaning I was soon left for dead by the fast runners. Still, I was doing alright and headed north. The ascent up the Santa Monica Pier was a tad more complex due to the huge number of visitors enjoying the evening.

I felt alright and was keeping my pace along Ocean Avenue, reaching the turnaround at the Totem Pole, which meant time for some water.

The return was a solo run basically, even as I was encountering many other non-LARC runners.

It was very nice seeing the sunset over the Pacific Ocean; it is hard to beat as a running environment.

I returned back to KSwiss and enjoyed the nice pretzels and drinks. It is a nice way to end a run.

It then dawned on me that I was the very last one to return. The rabbits had blown by me and those slower, including even the walkers, had taken the short option. Humiliating, that.

Still, I enjoyed the run.

1:00.00 of running
5.39 miles
11:08 pace

Steaming

Saturday meant another day with the LA Running Club. My schedule for the LA Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon called for a mere six miles, just at lactic time (race pace).

It was cloudy at the start, which was a good sign for running.

I headed off south towards the Santa Monica Pier, encountering and partnering with Mitch from LA Roadrunners Run 7 on the way, which always helps.

I was doing decently on the way down Ocean Avenue and felt happy with the faster pace. The descent down the pier went well and the turn on to the more ocean-level portion of the run went smoothly.

We passed the Casa del Mar, crossed the bike path, and continued to make the proverbial run for the border, specifically Venice-Santa Monica.

At the turnaround point, I felt a little soreness at the front of my hip, almost like a small muscle pull. I slowed a bit, took some water, and decided to cut off the faster pace. I was still moving decently; but, now, it was labored.

I kept moving back north and realized how many tourists were now out as the sun began to appear. This added to the problems, with more people to go around. When I reached the pier, the ascent became tricky as I ran into a rather undisciplined LA Leggers group taking one side of the ramp and lot so tourists on the other side. Alas. This slowed me down quite a bit.

I reached the top and headed north again, just not feeling anywhere near full power. I was getting frustrated as it was a short run; but, I was struggling.

I got back to the starting base and happily drank some Gatorade. I noticed I had managed to resume my steaming trick again, with "steam" coming off my shirt, hat and head. Other runners even mentioned it!

All in all, it was frustrating.

1:04.43 of running
6.2 miles
10:45 pace

Solo for Sweet 16

Saturday came, and after a few rest days, I was ready to go again. It was time for another LA Running Club session. This time, thankfully, it was cloudy in Santa Monica.

I set out south as usual and felt decent. Shortly into the run after the Santa Monica Pier descent, I encountered a fellow alumnus of LA Roadrunners Run 7; so, we ran together for a few miles which was nice. I always seem to run better when I have a partner or group. We ke[t going and talking a bit beyond the Roadrunners' base at Windward in Venice.

He turned around and headed back; I continued onwards. For whatever reason the weirdness of Venice seemed even more weird than normal.

I continued along Speedway, past the seaside condos and homeless seeking to salvage cans and bottles. I reached the first little jetty and saw airliners taking off from LAX. Water time.

It was on to the tree-lined streets of Marina del Rey past the condos. I still felt decent, which was a relief after Wednesday. I made the turn at the edge of the little bay and began the weaving through the complexes and by the marina loaded with boats and yachts.

I soon reached Mother's Beach and kept going ... now my longest run since the marathon. I went down the little passage that had become so familiar from Roadrunners and went by the Ritz-Carlton. Then I glimpsed the target ... the library. I made the turn to the street and ran by a Sheriff Deputy stopped in the middle of the road. I kept going and made the library. Not bad.

It felt odd as there were no other LARCs/Roadrunners with me. I was alone. There were some other joggers; but, I knew no one. I was not blazing fast; but, I was still running. I think the others had been assigned shorter distances due to different races on their schedule.

I took some more water and headed back north. I was so glad the sun was still hidden behind clouds.

The run back was not too bad. I was hoping for more energy and speed; but, at least I was functioning.

I trotted back and faced growing numbers of tourists once I hit Venice. I also saw a lot of LA Leggers.

As I was crossing the California Incline, I saw the KSwiss truck heading south. Alas. They had been displaying their new merchandise for the LARC. I had been on the long run; so, I had not returned in time. Note to self ... run faster next time.

I was doing alright considering the distance and running alone; but, I wish it had been faster. Close; but, not there yet.

I finally made it back and got the leftover Gatorade and pretzels. Assignment completed.

3:16.14 of running
16.15 miles
12:14 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

The Jury Is Out

Monday was my final day of jury duty in Inglewood, thankfully. Getting out at 4:30 p.m. meant I could for once make it to the LA Running Club Monday night run at KSwiss store in Santa Monica.

It was still quite sunny and also and more importantly quite hot. I also felt a little tired from the day; but, off I went. I kind of settled in an in-between spot between the fast runners and the not as fast runners and the walkers. In essence, I was alone. The goal was to get to the Totem Pole and back.

It felt a bit sluggish going up and I resorted to the water bottle a few times. Still, it was nice to be running. I reached the Totem Pole, stopped for water, and then began the descent back to KSwiss.

Somehow, I suddenly felt quite peaceful and gained energy. May be it was the beautiful sight of the setting sun with the Santa Monica Pier, the bay, the palm trees ... I felt really good while running, a very wonderful feeling after all the struggles. It might have been hot physically; but, mentally, it was quite refreshing.

I reached the pier and saw one of my former Confirmation class students at her job; so, that was a bonus.

I continued onwards and downwards reaching Main and then the KSwiss store. Then it was back to the Gatorade and pretzels.

Still, I felt good ... that was a plus.

59:38.03 of running
5.32 miles
11:02 pace

Running Blind

Saturday came and it was time for another run with the LA Running Club.

I arrived early and it was already bright, sunny, and most importantly warm. In fact, it was as warm as it has been all summer. So, it was pointing to a challenging run. The view of the waves and the Pacific Ocean did help though; it certainly is an advantage running in Santa Monica.

As we prepared and stretched, I activated my Garmin ... or tried to. No response.

No response!

This is not good.

I asked my senior pace leader from LA Roadrunners and he suggested squeezing three buttons simultaneously. I tried and tried and tried without luck. At this point I was told to call Garmin.

That was definitely not good.

Facing a long run and no Garmin electronic conscience, I was a bit discouraged. Still, I started and headed south for the Santa Monica Pier. My load was a bit heavier since I had two bottles of water.

I just ran by feel since I had no Garmin and no real pace group. In some ways it was nice as I did not feel pressure to make a clock time.

I made the pier and the turn and headed further south, stopping for water at the hotels. I continued running into the wilds of Venice and then into Marina del Rey and down to the nice condos along the shore. It is a nice area with shade trees helping the feel.

Then I saw the marina and the yachts all filling the view. Eventually, after the winding paths and turns, I reached Mother's Beach, took in some water, and turned around to head back to Santa Monica.

I felt pretty good which surprised me and judging by my wristwatch my time was actually decent.

I headed along the route back and noted things I had always just passed like plants and some natural features of the waterways. I saw a squirrel do an amazing leap into a tree. It was kind of nice not being tethered to a clock; but, it was also a bit unnerving. It felt so old-fashioned. I was trying to calculate distances and speed mentally using landmarks and my wristwatch.

I felt good still, though warm, and began the ascent up the pier and Ocean Avenue. I reached the start and felt relieved to finish feeling pretty good despite no Garmin and despite the heat.

14+ miles of running

Thursday Turmoil

After Wednesday's morning run, it was time for another run. I decided to go out Thursday evening.

I set out and realized fairly soon that it was not as fluid a run as Wednesday. I was running the shorter route in Santa Monica and felt glad I did.

The run itself was a disappointing follow-up to Wednesday; but, I finished.

37:31 of running
2.95 miles
12:43 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

Opening the Week

Monday came and it was up dark and quite early for a trot as par of the LA Running Club schedule.

I did get a nice , clear sky with some stars visible, which was a nice change. I decided to change the route and did a quick leg to Cloverfield before heading east and east and east down Pico Boulevard, which brought some hillwork as a bonus. At the start I was having another round of coughing.

I decided to really go to a new frontier and crossed Bundy as I entered into Los Angeles; so, headed on to Barrington and turned around.

At this point I felt pretty good and no more coughing. I had thought there would be problems after running the night before and not sleeping well; but, I actually felt stronger, which was nice.

I headed back along Pico Boulevard amid the pre-dawn quiet and calm and made it home, feeling much better.

It was not perfect; but, it was a great relief after the recent problems.

30:12 of running
2.73 miles
11:04 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

When Saturday Comes

Saturday meant another LA Running Club run. It was scheduled to be a cutback week, so just about 60 minutes or so.

It was again overcast and kind of dull, even the Pacific Ocean waves seemed quieter.

The group seemed smaller as well, perhaps due to a paceleaders meeting for LA Roadrunners!

The goal for my training day was the Santa Monica-Venice border and return.

I set out fairly fast until about the Santa Monica Pier. Then, I began to feel drained mentally and physically and it became a struggle. I just could not feel a good flow or motion, even though my form should be better.

Near the turnaround point, my calves began to feel like they were weighted with lead. It was not a good sensation.

I resorted yet again to survival running and just trying to turn my feet over and keep going.

I felt a little surge of energy crossing California Incline and to the end; but, it was still not dominant power.

All in all for what was supposed to be an easy run, it was very frustrating and depressing. Still, six miles was a lot more than I would do a year ago.

6.17 miles
1:13.26 of running
11:52 pace

Try, Try Again

Thursday morning came and it was time for another run, again a short one.

I decided to see how I would react to another run eight hours after a prior one.

I set out and immediately came the feeling of congestion in my chest, a bit of soreness in the legs, and some pain in the ankle. Not a good start at all.

This was a different route running a bit west and then east into Los Angeles and back into Santa Monica. It also had a little bit of hillwork.

I did appreciate the relative quiet of the pre-dawn, the lack of traffic, the lack of noise, ...

It was still a hard run and disappointing. I keep trying to do better and it is not happening. The pace was really disheartening.

Still, better to have a bad run than no run.

30:02 of running
2.41 miles
12:29 pace

Tuesday Night

I went for a trot around Santa Monica Tuesday night, with a lot of frustration to release.

It turned out pretty well. No real body aches or pains and felt pretty energized.

I did decently time-wise; but, still want a lot faster. The night runs make it hard with the stop lights, the uncertainty on footing, etc.

Still, not too bad and better than expected.

33:45 of running
2.91 miles
11:35 pace

Wednesday: Woes and Weird

I set out this morning for another training run dark and early around south Santa Monica.

Immediately, it all seemed a struggle, just not much energy or more worryingly even enthusiasm.

I headed towards Santa Monica Airport and felt a twinge, right where I had pulled a muscle July 4, and from then on it was sore.

I slowed and tried to just keep going. Unfortunately, it was another survival run.

I trotted around the area and as I headed home saw something moving in front of me.
It turned out to be a raccoon out foraging. When a car approached, I saw it disappear down a storm drain! A storm drain?

I made it back a bit disappointed; but, I guess some miles, even if very slow, are better than no miles.

35.12 of running
2.71 miles
12:57 pace

My Running Tour 2010-2011

LA Marathon - March, 21, 2010, Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica FINISHED!
All Star Game Charity 5K - July 11, 2010, Anaheim Stadium FINISHED!

Upcoming

Baldwin Park Pride of the Valley 5K - August 7, 2010, Baldwin Park
LA Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon - October 24, 2010, Los Angeles
LA Marathon - March 20, 2011, Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica

Normal Service

Tuesday marked the resumption of midweek running.

I finally felt at least a bit motivated to set out; so, I did ... dark and early in Santa Monica.

I was trying to work on my form as had been discussed at the Saturday workshop. I also wanted to see how I would feel.

I was feeling relatively comfortable and felt like I was faster coasting around Santa Monica Airport's perimeter.

Reality was different ... I was not faster.

Still, it was nice to feel I was doing well ... and half the game seems to be mental (if not more).

32:20 of running
2.70 miles
11:59 pace