Time: 7:00am, 2 hours
Distance: 11.5 miles
Meal: Protein shake - 2 full scoops in 8 oz. of rice milk at 6:30am. 1 Goo package at 1:15 into it.
Again, the team is on a break week so the run from the beach to Hollister was only 1:30. I parked my truck 1.5 miles away from Hendry's beach so I could add time to equal 2 hours and finally catch up with everyone else in training. I did it...I'm caught up...WHOO HOO!!
I found, again, that most people that run at or around my pace start off strong and taper out near the end. I get self-conscious (and somewhat competitive) at the beginning, but find that I become far more focused at about :30 into it.
The Expresso Goo was much more tolerable than the strawberry, but I still felt tired after I gulped it down.
My knees really began to hurt at around 1:00 - 1:15, and the pain was nearly unbearable during my final 17 minutes back to the truck (which was primarily uphill). I had difficulty climbing and (worse) descending the stairs for the rest of the day. I finally iced the knees later that night, which helped quite a bit.
I was so exhaused later that night! It was a great run, but certainly took a lot out of me!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Cross Training - Yoga at Spectrum Club
Time: 1:30pm, 1 hour
Meal: 1/2 chicken salad at 12:30pm
There were quite a few parts of this practice that were definitely a challenge, primarily because my legs are so exhausted by Thursday. Overall, I thing this is a good cross-training exercise, as I am using this time to work on my focus, breathe into some deep stretches, and to build strength in areas where I may be imbalanced (upper body and portions of my legs).
I tried to hold the standing splits but just couldn't do it, and I couldn't hold warrior one very long because my arms were getting uncomfortable above my head (I have that problem a lot). I found that I got extremely thirsty during practice and was sweating quite a bit.
Meal: 1/2 chicken salad at 12:30pm
There were quite a few parts of this practice that were definitely a challenge, primarily because my legs are so exhausted by Thursday. Overall, I thing this is a good cross-training exercise, as I am using this time to work on my focus, breathe into some deep stretches, and to build strength in areas where I may be imbalanced (upper body and portions of my legs).
I tried to hold the standing splits but just couldn't do it, and I couldn't hold warrior one very long because my arms were getting uncomfortable above my head (I have that problem a lot). I found that I got extremely thirsty during practice and was sweating quite a bit.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Track Training, Santa Barbara City College
Time: 6:00pm, approx. 1 hour
This is a break week for the team, which is nice to take advantage of even though I've fallen a bit behind.
The main goal of tonight's practice was to focus on our bodies and stay motivated with the task at hand. The theory is that running at a consistent (and perhaps somewhat slow) speed might create some boredom, so this was a practice on maintaining focus, as well as running as a group, taking turns drafting off of one another.
I am so glad it seems I am finally of the hump of feeling naseous when I train, but my body is still very slow to get into it. I'm not too worried about it, though, because I eventually reach that threshold and it starts feeling more natural (and actually good).
I notice that others in my time group (who ran the timed mile between 7:30 - 8:30 minutes) start off really strong and ctually push it pretty hard throughout the practice (so much that even the coaches ask them to slow down). My first instinct is to try and keep up with them, but I am finding that starting and ending at a more consistent pace is working better for me.
My kneeds did o.k. tonight, but were a little tight after practice. During the focus practice I noticed the tightness in my knees and also the occasional spur of pain in my shins. Paying attention to my legs, I have a whole new appreciation for just how much work this training is for them!
- 1600 warm up
- 3 laps strides
- stretch
- 3200 (8 laps) at constant pace (2:15 minute laps)
- Focus Training
- 3 lap cool-down
This is a break week for the team, which is nice to take advantage of even though I've fallen a bit behind.
The main goal of tonight's practice was to focus on our bodies and stay motivated with the task at hand. The theory is that running at a consistent (and perhaps somewhat slow) speed might create some boredom, so this was a practice on maintaining focus, as well as running as a group, taking turns drafting off of one another.
I am so glad it seems I am finally of the hump of feeling naseous when I train, but my body is still very slow to get into it. I'm not too worried about it, though, because I eventually reach that threshold and it starts feeling more natural (and actually good).
I notice that others in my time group (who ran the timed mile between 7:30 - 8:30 minutes) start off really strong and ctually push it pretty hard throughout the practice (so much that even the coaches ask them to slow down). My first instinct is to try and keep up with them, but I am finding that starting and ending at a more consistent pace is working better for me.
My kneeds did o.k. tonight, but were a little tight after practice. During the focus practice I noticed the tightness in my knees and also the occasional spur of pain in my shins. Paying attention to my legs, I have a whole new appreciation for just how much work this training is for them!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tradmill - Gym (Easy Run)
Time: 8pm, 30-minutes
Meal: Cliff bar at 7:30pm
I'm still afraid of disturbing my knees so I don't feel too bad about doing the treadmill. I actually would have run outside but the wind is very strong and I worked late so the temperature was intolerable (sure hope its not that cold on marathon day!)
Overall, I had a better experience on the treadmimll tonight than yesterday (but it helped that all I was planning on doing was running). My knees didn't give me any grief and I felt much more positive.
I managed to run a full 3 miles on the treadmill.
Meal: Cliff bar at 7:30pm
I'm still afraid of disturbing my knees so I don't feel too bad about doing the treadmill. I actually would have run outside but the wind is very strong and I worked late so the temperature was intolerable (sure hope its not that cold on marathon day!)
Overall, I had a better experience on the treadmimll tonight than yesterday (but it helped that all I was planning on doing was running). My knees didn't give me any grief and I felt much more positive.
I managed to run a full 3 miles on the treadmill.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Treadmill - Gym (Easy Run)
Time: 9pm, 50 minutes
My knees felt much better today, but still a bit tender so I decided the treadmill was a good, safe option for training. I started at 5.5 mph and, by the end, had accelerated to 7mph. After 30 minutes, I had run approximately 2.85 miles. The knees held up O.K., still a little sore but the workout did not seem to negatively affect them.
I am still dealing with some emotional issues so staying focused was difficult while I was lifting weights. This mild depression has negatively impacted my drive so I just could not wait to get out of there. Given that, I gave myself a huge pat on the back for even making it to the gym in the first place.
- Treadmill run @ 30 minutes
- Arms @ 15 minutes
- Abs @ 5 minutes
My knees felt much better today, but still a bit tender so I decided the treadmill was a good, safe option for training. I started at 5.5 mph and, by the end, had accelerated to 7mph. After 30 minutes, I had run approximately 2.85 miles. The knees held up O.K., still a little sore but the workout did not seem to negatively affect them.
I am still dealing with some emotional issues so staying focused was difficult while I was lifting weights. This mild depression has negatively impacted my drive so I just could not wait to get out of there. Given that, I gave myself a huge pat on the back for even making it to the gym in the first place.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Long Run - To The Bird Refuge & Back the Long Way
Time: 7:00pm, approx 1:35
Due to my cold plus some emotional stress this had been a very difficult weekend. Instead of training Friday or Saturday I tried to just take it easy and stay quiet to help recouperate. I felt much better today, but still have a little wheezing in my chest. Considering this was a long run in comparison to the rest of my recent training, I was pleased with my performance and energy level.
This was a good route to do by myself since there are plenty of water fountains along the way to help keep me hydrated. The strawberry goo that I ate at about 50 minutes was a little tough to swallow and I didn't really notice any increase in energy as a result of it. In fact, the last 20 minutes were the most difficult in terms of energy (but it probably didn't help that it had gotten dark).
I noticed some discomfort in my knees at about 1:20, which escalated to more serious soreness later in the evening. The pain is more prominent in my left knee, and clibming down the stairs produces the most discomfort. They felt better after icing for 15-20 minutes each.
- Home to the Bird Refuge then back to Cliff Drive & Rancheria via Loma Vista, out to Cabrillo Blvd (through City College path) & back on castillo to clifff to Rancheria to Home. Whew!
Due to my cold plus some emotional stress this had been a very difficult weekend. Instead of training Friday or Saturday I tried to just take it easy and stay quiet to help recouperate. I felt much better today, but still have a little wheezing in my chest. Considering this was a long run in comparison to the rest of my recent training, I was pleased with my performance and energy level.
This was a good route to do by myself since there are plenty of water fountains along the way to help keep me hydrated. The strawberry goo that I ate at about 50 minutes was a little tough to swallow and I didn't really notice any increase in energy as a result of it. In fact, the last 20 minutes were the most difficult in terms of energy (but it probably didn't help that it had gotten dark).
I noticed some discomfort in my knees at about 1:20, which escalated to more serious soreness later in the evening. The pain is more prominent in my left knee, and clibming down the stairs produces the most discomfort. They felt better after icing for 15-20 minutes each.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Cross Training - Softball
Time: 6:30pm, 1 hour
Meal: (Can't Remember)
This was the worst day of my cold, so I took it really easy during the game. I played left center and, despite feeling pretty miserable, played fairly well. While there was a lot of standing around during the game, the few mad dashes I made (base-running and to catch the ball) provoked some muscle aches and soreness. My legs, in particular, began to ache 1/2 way through the game and became progressively worse. Standing still caused the most pain, while bending my knees and sort of "dancing" around helped to at least take my mind off the soreness.
I skipped the second game and found that I really was not feeling well later that evening. Again the cough is pretty bad.
I am having the worst luck with this...
Meal: (Can't Remember)
This was the worst day of my cold, so I took it really easy during the game. I played left center and, despite feeling pretty miserable, played fairly well. While there was a lot of standing around during the game, the few mad dashes I made (base-running and to catch the ball) provoked some muscle aches and soreness. My legs, in particular, began to ache 1/2 way through the game and became progressively worse. Standing still caused the most pain, while bending my knees and sort of "dancing" around helped to at least take my mind off the soreness.
I skipped the second game and found that I really was not feeling well later that evening. Again the cough is pretty bad.
I am having the worst luck with this...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Track Training, Santa Barbara City College
Time: 6:00pm, approx. 1 1/2 hours
I was one lap late to training tonight but accomplished the rest of the exercises. Still battling a chest cold, I carried my ihaler with me through the entire practice. I had to use it twice during the workout, mostly for preventative concerns, in addition to the couple of puffs I took immediately prior to practice.
Despite the annoying hacking cough (which, incidentally, is keeping me up at night), I did pretty well. At the end of the last 800 I had some chest pain but felt relatively good by the end of the cool-down. The chest pain was a welcome alternative to the sensation of wanting to vomit I've had during previous track trainings :-).
- 1600 warm-up
- 3 laps strides
- stretch
- 2 fast 200's with a 200 rest in between each
- 2 fast 800's with a 200 rest in between each
- 2 fast 200's with a 200 rest in between each
- 3 lap cool-down
I was one lap late to training tonight but accomplished the rest of the exercises. Still battling a chest cold, I carried my ihaler with me through the entire practice. I had to use it twice during the workout, mostly for preventative concerns, in addition to the couple of puffs I took immediately prior to practice.
Despite the annoying hacking cough (which, incidentally, is keeping me up at night), I did pretty well. At the end of the last 800 I had some chest pain but felt relatively good by the end of the cool-down. The chest pain was a welcome alternative to the sensation of wanting to vomit I've had during previous track trainings :-).
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Snowshoe/Backpacking to Mammoth Mountain Inn
Time: 10:00am, 6 hours
Meal: Freeze-dried granola, scrambled eggs & oatmeal at 9am. Cliff bar at 12pm, trail mix & nuts at 1:30pm.
Distance: 7.5 miles, 1500 vertical foot climb
I caught a chest cold so this was a particularly difficult day and certainly was not any fun. My pack weighed an (estimated) 40 lbs, and I must have given at least 5 lbs to Scott about 1/3 of the way to the top. It was slow going, and I experienced rises and drops in my energy periodically.
My chest was very congested so I took quite a few "hacking" breaks. Surprisingly, my muscles felt pretty decent and I did not experience any excess soreness or weakness. My only weakness was as a result of experiencing shortness in breath and slight asthma (pretty much the same thing, I guess).
We didn't pack a full lunch for this day. It worked out O.K. but I have a hunch that a well-balanced meal might have helped to spike my energy level a bit!
Meal: Freeze-dried granola, scrambled eggs & oatmeal at 9am. Cliff bar at 12pm, trail mix & nuts at 1:30pm.
Distance: 7.5 miles, 1500 vertical foot climb
I caught a chest cold so this was a particularly difficult day and certainly was not any fun. My pack weighed an (estimated) 40 lbs, and I must have given at least 5 lbs to Scott about 1/3 of the way to the top. It was slow going, and I experienced rises and drops in my energy periodically.
My chest was very congested so I took quite a few "hacking" breaks. Surprisingly, my muscles felt pretty decent and I did not experience any excess soreness or weakness. My only weakness was as a result of experiencing shortness in breath and slight asthma (pretty much the same thing, I guess).
We didn't pack a full lunch for this day. It worked out O.K. but I have a hunch that a well-balanced meal might have helped to spike my energy level a bit!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Day Snowshoe to Devil's Post Pile
Time: 12:00pm, 4 hours
Meal: Freeze-dried granola, scrambled eggs & oatmeal at 9am. Freeze dried pasta salad (yuck), trail mix and cheese at 2pm.
Distance: 6 miles round trip
Still slow going today but not having the 40 lb. pack helped a lot. We did one very steep include and that felt o.k. The Devils Postpile in winter is really a unique sight! Very beautiful!
I still didn't get a whole lot of sleep, which continues to contribute to my exhaustion. Given that, I think I did o.k.
Meal: Freeze-dried granola, scrambled eggs & oatmeal at 9am. Freeze dried pasta salad (yuck), trail mix and cheese at 2pm.
Distance: 6 miles round trip
Still slow going today but not having the 40 lb. pack helped a lot. We did one very steep include and that felt o.k. The Devils Postpile in winter is really a unique sight! Very beautiful!
I still didn't get a whole lot of sleep, which continues to contribute to my exhaustion. Given that, I think I did o.k.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Snowshoe/Backpacking to Minaret Falls Campground
Time: 11am, 4 hours (includes 1/2 hour lunch)
Meal: Scrambled eggs, croissant, O.J. @ 9am. Ham Sandwich & Trail mix plus Gatorade for lunch @ 1:30pm.
Length: 6.5 miles
A long week of late nights and early morning followed by a late, emotional night made this a tough day. Last night my best friend Kelly called me to telll me that her dad had passed away, so all day I had doubts about even going on with the trip. Anyway, I physcially felt o.k., just slow moving for a variety of different reasons.
We cut across the mountain from one road switchback to another, so there was a good mile of very steep decline. The pressure hurt the tops of my feet and ankles after a while, and I felt a distinct tightness in my glutes. I survived, though - it was a pretty good hike.
The weather during the day was an incredible 60+ degrees. At night, however, it dropped down to 20 or below and I was FREEZING! I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I really enjoy this camping in the snow thing.
Meal: Scrambled eggs, croissant, O.J. @ 9am. Ham Sandwich & Trail mix plus Gatorade for lunch @ 1:30pm.
Length: 6.5 miles
A long week of late nights and early morning followed by a late, emotional night made this a tough day. Last night my best friend Kelly called me to telll me that her dad had passed away, so all day I had doubts about even going on with the trip. Anyway, I physcially felt o.k., just slow moving for a variety of different reasons.
We cut across the mountain from one road switchback to another, so there was a good mile of very steep decline. The pressure hurt the tops of my feet and ankles after a while, and I felt a distinct tightness in my glutes. I survived, though - it was a pretty good hike.
The weather during the day was an incredible 60+ degrees. At night, however, it dropped down to 20 or below and I was FREEZING! I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I really enjoy this camping in the snow thing.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Track Training, Santa Barbara City College
Time: 6pm, approx. 1 1/2 hours
I felt "iffy" for much of this training, but nothing intolerable. Finally, towards the end, I caught my wind and felt really great about the workout. My fast 400 is at 2 minutes, which is pretty good but I feel like I'm pushing it really hard. However, I'm comfortable that this speed will become more natural in time.
I spoke to Jeff (one of our coaches) about my sporadic training, as well as my upcoming overnight snowshoe of the weekend. He felt good that I will be o.k. in the training, especially if I can handle a 16-mile snowshoe trip!
- 1600 warm up
- 3 laps strides
- stretch
- 3 fast 200's (1/2 lap) with a 200 rest in between each
- 4 fast 400's with a 200 rest in between each
- 2 fast 200's with a 200 rest in between each
I felt "iffy" for much of this training, but nothing intolerable. Finally, towards the end, I caught my wind and felt really great about the workout. My fast 400 is at 2 minutes, which is pretty good but I feel like I'm pushing it really hard. However, I'm comfortable that this speed will become more natural in time.
I spoke to Jeff (one of our coaches) about my sporadic training, as well as my upcoming overnight snowshoe of the weekend. He felt good that I will be o.k. in the training, especially if I can handle a 16-mile snowshoe trip!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Gym - Treasure Island in Las Vegas (Yay!)
Time: 1pm, approx 45 minutes
Don't worry, I'll get to "naked hot tub time" in a minute.
I skipped training yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, gradually working up from 5 miles per hour to 7 miles per hour. I was worried about getting sick, but the more I ran the better I felt. My time was only cut short by my massage appointment, so I wasn't able to stretch as much as I would have liked to. The massage was good (not great, but still very relaxing). I'm actually starting to feel like I'm almost back to normal.
On naked hot tubbing - I think if everyone had 15 minutes of naked hot tub time per day the world would be a better place. One can enjoy this luxury at many spas across the country (if they don't have a hot tub in the privacy of their own home - which one woman at the spa was absolutely shocked to hear that I couldn't afford such luxury). "Wet", The Spa at Treasure Island (or TI as all all the cool kids are calling it these days) is incredible and has been added to my list of happy places. I highly recommend it. I was in for naked hot tub time and a massage on New Year's eve a few months ago as well, Tye was one of the best massage therapists I had ever been to.
- Run, 30 minutes
- Upper body strength training, 15-minutes
- 50-minute massage (melt)
- naked hot-tub time :-)
Don't worry, I'll get to "naked hot tub time" in a minute.
I skipped training yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, gradually working up from 5 miles per hour to 7 miles per hour. I was worried about getting sick, but the more I ran the better I felt. My time was only cut short by my massage appointment, so I wasn't able to stretch as much as I would have liked to. The massage was good (not great, but still very relaxing). I'm actually starting to feel like I'm almost back to normal.
On naked hot tubbing - I think if everyone had 15 minutes of naked hot tub time per day the world would be a better place. One can enjoy this luxury at many spas across the country (if they don't have a hot tub in the privacy of their own home - which one woman at the spa was absolutely shocked to hear that I couldn't afford such luxury). "Wet", The Spa at Treasure Island (or TI as all all the cool kids are calling it these days) is incredible and has been added to my list of happy places. I highly recommend it. I was in for naked hot tub time and a massage on New Year's eve a few months ago as well, Tye was one of the best massage therapists I had ever been to.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Track Training, Santa Barbara City College
Time: 6pm, approx. 1 hour
My first day back to training after suffering head injuries on Friday night (in short, I had a wee bit to drink, stumbled backwards and hit the back of my head, got up too fast, stumbled forward and hit the front of my head, and spent all night in the emergency room...not fun). I have been feeling very depressed and on and off naseous all week, and the combination is making it difficult to eat properly. Also, I'm aware that I'm not drinking enough water.
In any case, I started easy in the warm up and worked up to my normal warm-up pace. I felt good but fragile. The pace drills were a combination of warm up, one-mile, one lap, and stride paces. They started at warm up for about 30-45 seconds, then jumped immediately to one-lap pace, then down to 1 mile (I lost track of time), then back to one lap. I felt great until this point, probably only 5 or so minutes into it, then got hit suddenly with nausea. I had to slow completely to a walk. When the feeling had passed, I increased to warm-up pace but the nausea came back instantly.
I walked one more lap then called it a night. All things considered I guess I should feel pretty good by what I was able to accomplish.
- 1600 warm up
- 3 laps strides
- stretch
- pacing, 13 minutes
- 3 lap cool-down
My first day back to training after suffering head injuries on Friday night (in short, I had a wee bit to drink, stumbled backwards and hit the back of my head, got up too fast, stumbled forward and hit the front of my head, and spent all night in the emergency room...not fun). I have been feeling very depressed and on and off naseous all week, and the combination is making it difficult to eat properly. Also, I'm aware that I'm not drinking enough water.
In any case, I started easy in the warm up and worked up to my normal warm-up pace. I felt good but fragile. The pace drills were a combination of warm up, one-mile, one lap, and stride paces. They started at warm up for about 30-45 seconds, then jumped immediately to one-lap pace, then down to 1 mile (I lost track of time), then back to one lap. I felt great until this point, probably only 5 or so minutes into it, then got hit suddenly with nausea. I had to slow completely to a walk. When the feeling had passed, I increased to warm-up pace but the nausea came back instantly.
I walked one more lap then called it a night. All things considered I guess I should feel pretty good by what I was able to accomplish.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Cross Training - Softball
Time: 6:30pm, 1 hour
Meal: Cliff bar at 6pm
Can softball count as cross training? :-) I meant to run or hit the gym but time escaped me. I sprinted to the outfield, did a lot of jumping up and down, I say "good enough"! Running bases takes a toll on me, it really makes me feel like I'm out of shape!
Meal: Cliff bar at 6pm
Can softball count as cross training? :-) I meant to run or hit the gym but time escaped me. I sprinted to the outfield, did a lot of jumping up and down, I say "good enough"! Running bases takes a toll on me, it really makes me feel like I'm out of shape!
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