No Hangover Run

I was really looking forward to doing the Annual Hangover Run at Vasquez Rocks tomorrow. Oh well, I guess it's best not to overdo it if I'm still feeling under the weather. I would hate to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with just me, the rocks, the mountain lions and the coyotes. Maybe next year. The silver lining is that I get to finish my run at Peete's tomorrow instead and you certainly can't beat the company!

Running Weather

I've got to say that after one too many runs in the freezing (30 degree) weather, we have finally been able to enjoy what I consider perfect running weather. C and I met at 9am and were able to run our 4+ loop in shorts and a long sleeve running shirt. We started at Heritage and followed the trail to Decoro, then crossed the paseo bridge over McBean and ran that to Newhall Ranch, which we took to the paseo bridge that drops you into Bridgport Park, we caught the Lowe's trail till right before McBean and then took the paseo bridge back over McBean and hooked up with the Heritage Trail which took us right back to the park. We both agreed that we like that run, because it is in sort of circle and you are not going any one way for very long. I think we kept a pretty good pace most of the way, but there is no way to tell without technology since neither one of us wears a watch. We talked about the Wine Country Half Marathon, and both agreed we would like to enter as teams and hope we can get our friend Mary to join us. We could make it a weekend away and it would be our Mother's Day present, we will have to work on it. I hope the whole group will be able to make it tomorrow, our sick leader is sorely missed. 8am Peete's!

Running When Sick

Now that winter is here and so is the cold/flu season, we often deliberate on whether to run when we are not feeling all that well. We often use the rule of thumb that if the illness is above the throat and not in the chest then it's okay to run, right? Well what about if you have a sinus infection and your equilibrium is off and your energy level is low as in my case right now? I found this interesting article about running when sick with some good guidelines to follow:

http://running.about.com/od/gettingstarted/ss/illness.htm

I hope my friends were able to go out for a run without me today. I'm jealous.

Run Down

It seems the hustle and bustle of the holidays have all caught up with me and my friends. I think we are all a little rundown. It doesn't help that our legs are fueled by all the sugary sweets we have been feeding on the last week (thanks Patty) and it really shows by our lackluster pace (9.4/mile). After our run this morning, I tried to go back to bed, but thoughts of all the things that need to be done kept me up for the most part. Maybe its not a cold or sinus infection I'm fighting, but rather a sugar withdrawal? I just feel like my head is in a fog. I hope our next run is better. At least it will be later so I'll have more time to sleep in!

Running off the Christmas Cheer

It is the day after Christmas and we needed to get out and work off some of those Christmas goodies. I myself have eaten enough cookies to make Santa happy for years. Can't say I felt my best today, my legs just feel like lead lately and I am pretty sure it has something to do with all the cookies. The weather was cold today, and windy, but I don't think it was nearly as cold as the other day. I also think that my new running top and jacket made a big difference (gifts from my family)! Our fearless leader agreed to a short run, 4 miles and change and that was just fine with me, Ending up at Starbucks is what kept me going that last mile but we missed Marathon Mom cause she was off to freeze her assets while watching her son play a couple of soccer games (what a Mom). I hope the games were good and am looking forward to the next run (sort of) and to feeling even better.

A Merry Christmas

I'm so glad my friends and I were able to get together for a run before Christmas. It was a beautiful morning and not quite as cold as they were predicting, although there were patches of ice along the bike trail. I especially enjoyed the coffee afterwards and the exchanging of gifts. I love my gifts! I'm looking forward to our run after Christmas to burn off all of the holiday feasts. We still haven't made it over to Hart Park. Maybe Friday?

Anyhow, here is another version of us making a digital fool out of ours"elves".

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/bg0b5QobxWG2EBVXKl8U

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL of OUR FOLLOWERS!!

I Need to Run

I was a bit surprised this morning to wake up to the sound of rain coming down pretty steadily. The plan to run was out the window, and left me to shift my focus to the many things I still have to finish here at home. The thing about my time running is, that it makes the everyday responsibilities easier to deal with. Running with my friends seems to clear my head a bit of all the clutter and makes me a little more relaxed and able to deal with all of it. My foot is hurting and I KNOW I should be resting it anyway, but I am a little cranky today without my run. I truly was looking forward to catching up with the girls and running off a bit of the holiday goodies that I have been sampling. My fingers are crossed for tomorrow, hopefully we have a good pre-Christmas run!

Rained Out

Well, our intentions of running this morning were abruptly changed by the sound of rain upon waking this morning. I knew rain was in the forecast, but didn't really think it would come in so early. Some of my other friends didn't even know that it was forecasted to rain. It's just as well since Patty's foot hurts and my hip is aching from my hike. Hopefully tomorrow will look more promising.

Hike with Hubby and Hound

I knew I wasn't running this weekend with my friends so I went on a hike with my husband and our dog Phydo. I won't tell where we went to see how many of you can guess, but the sign at the trailhead said it would be 5.1 miles. I'm not sure if that includes the service road because it felt a little longer than that. It was a nice climb up and still chilly at noon. We even came upon small patches of ice and snow! My real reason for going here was to scope it out for a future run. Parts are definitely steeper than the Beast, but at least it's shorter. We'll have to wait until it dries up a little. The trail was extremely muddy and my shoes became huge mud paddies. In fact people coming down kept expressing concern for our dog and how dirty he was going to get. They didn't seem too concerned about us though.

Running Cold

It was really, really cold during our run today. Everything was blanketed in a cover of white frost, almost as if it snowed here in SCV. We ran (skidded) across the old train bridge off of Magic Mtn. Parkway, which was covered in a sheet of ice. Running when it's this cold creates a whole new set of problems as opposed to running when it's too hot. There's all these layers you have to put on, not to mention the foggy glasses. I almost prefer the heat. I'm sure I'll be saying the opposite when it's summer.

I'm looking forward to a weekend of sleeping in and no running. Our next run, CP 8:00 a.m.

Mad Dash

One thing about us girls when we run...when we are mad about something, we tend to run faster than our usual pace. That's probably why exercise is so good for relieving stress. Thankfully we're not mad often, but it's nice to be able to channel that energy elsewhere into something more productive. I'm sure the cold weather helped us along too and boy was it cold!

Oh and I thought today's quote fit our conversation today, but I think revenge helps too!

No Running

Well I think we all decided it was much too wet and cold to go running today so I think most of us went Christmas shopping instead. How do people back East ever get any exercise? I guess we can consider ourselves California wimps. There is the treadmill in our bonus room that I could use, but I hate running on that thing. To me, it is much harder to run a treadmill than for real outside. Besides, when I step off that thing I get motion sickness like I'm still moving. Let's hope we can run Thursday and Friday because our weekly mileage count is looking mighty low!

Jogger vs. Runner

I often wondered what makes someone a jogger versus a runner. Runners certainly don't want to be known as joggers and joggers probably would take offense at being called a walker. Last year when Patty and I went on a 9 mile run just before the half marathon, we walked into a coffee shop at the mall and the girl at the counter made the unfortunate mistake of asking if we had a nice "walk". We both snapped "WE RAN!" Boy if looks could kill. I think that its human nature to want accurate recognition for the pain and suffering one endures in pursuit of exercise.

Anyhow I looked up the definitions for both and I really don't see the difference, but I would still prefer to be called a runner.

Jog: To move along at a slow, steady, jolting pace or trot.
Run: To go by moving the legs faster than in walking. (Hmm, isn't that what jogging is too?)

It Really Hurts!

OK, it hurts so much that the husband is worried about me! I am taking the stairs one at a time and swallowing the Advil like candy. I ran with K for 3 miles today and it was fine, the legs even seemed to go numb by the end, but now they really hurt. I was told that the run would help and tomorrow would be better, so that better be true or I will be really mad. I did get the lights on my tree though so I am glad about that, what is pain when the tree needs decorating. I am a little upset by those who also ran on Sat. and aren't nearly as sore, you know who you are.

Enemy Stairs

Today the stairs in my house are my worst enemy. My quads ache so badly that I can only take one step at a time. I think everyone runs hills a little differently than the next person and the hills tend to accentuate a person's weak points. The reason I say this is because my husband's quads are just fine and it's his calves that are sore, whereas its the quads on me. I think I have stronger calf muscles in comparison to my quads.

Anyhow, I was thinking how we can improve for next time (yes, there will be a next time). I think we should run to the halfway gate at least once a month or every other week and then run a long run on the other weeks. Here I am complaining about how sore I am and I'm already talking about the next time.

We Must LOVE Running!

Before During After

We must LOVE running! Why else would we wake up at 5am on a Saturday morning, run uphill for over an hour and then back down for close to an hour more. All this with feet that are sore, calves that hurt and legs that never stop hurting the whole time. Not to mention the bone-chilling wind, the thick fog, and steady rain! If not for my friends I would have turned back at the half way point and not felt bad about it. There is just something about knowing that two other people are suffering just as much but still putting one foot in front of the other, that keeps me going. It may be my competitive nature, the camaraderie we share, or just plain stupidity, but I am not alone in any of those so it keeps me out there going one step at a time, no matter how slow. I am proud to say that I conquered "the beast" along with my partners in running, and our brave spouses. I am glad it is over and will be remembering the run for a few days with every ache and pain.

Beastly Weather!

I'm too tired to write about our experience today. I will comment later or perhaps one of my friends will instead. Right now my body feels like jello. 9.5 miles round trip, 3800 ft. elevation, approximately 2700 ft. elevation gain from start.

(Left, us after our run. Right, standing at the top of the Beast next to radio towers)

Jingle Bell Jog

Last night we ran the annual Jingle Bell Jog with the SCRs. It was quite a big group and as always, it was nice to see some old familiar faces. I was commenting during our run how amazing it was to see the spirit of Christmas lit up throughout so many homes even in the midst of our country's economic downturn. I feel conflicted in seeing so much waste in electricity when we are supposed to be "greener", but I think the holidays are a good exception. In the end with all the stops, it was one of the eastiest 4.25 miles we've done and probably the slowest.

Guilt

I'm feeling guilty about not running yesterday, but I really didn't know how everything was going to all fit in one day. I have to keep in mind that running should be a form of relaxation and not an added stress in my life, so if it has to be left off my list of things to do for a day or two, I guess that's okay. Today is not looking any better between ortho appointments and soccer games. What did I do with all of my time before I had kids?

Nap Time?

I'm having one of those days. I am so glad we are not running tonight because I am so tired. I remember the days when my children were little and I looked forward to their nap time. I'm glad those days are over because I just remember feeling physically exhausted all of the time. However, I am feeling like I could use a nap myself, but there just isn't time. There's homework to see to, shopping to do, dinner to make, laundry to fold, carpool to pick up, a house to clean, and gifts to wrap. Yes, the holidays are indeed here. It's amazaing that we are still able to get a run in here and there! See you at Heritage tomorrow.

Half a Beast

I guess you can say that we conquered half a beast today. Patty's foot held up okay and the course was not too bad considering the recent fire and rain. There were a lot of rocks in the way, which Patty was quite phobic about and who can blame her. It was a nice day to run the Beast and we're hoping we have similar conditions next weekend when we run for the SCV Food Pantry Fundraiser. C and I were commenting on how quickly the half way point comes up the more you run the trail, but it still doesn't seem to get any easier. As the daily quote says, "It only hurts up to a point" and then you basically go numb. I think it's only 4.5 miles to the gate and back. I'm not sure how well we'll do next week when we go the full 10 miles, but like we said, we can always walk.

It Is Just a Bruise

The fear of not being able to run for any length of time sent me to the doctor first thing this morning to have my foot checked out. The top of my foot has a nice bruise and my second and third toes look like they are leaning away from eachother. Since it hurts quite a bit to put weight on my foot, I was afraid that I may have broken a bone. The doctor said that it was a bad bruise and the rock caused a hematoma that was pushing my toes apart. He was nice enough not to tell me that they are a bit chubby and funny looking to begin with, but that is the truth. I am not supposed to run for 2 weeks, but I am sure that is just a conservative guideline. I will try and stay off of it for this weekend but like I told the doctor, I am a fast healer so who knows. I have my sights set on "The Beast" so cross your fingers for me. I am sure you won't let me get out of it by using the old stepping on a rock trick!

Never a Dull Moment

When all of us ladies are running together there is never a dull moment, especially when Mary is with us. She has the funniest stories, and it's usually at her expense. Bless her! She shared her Thanksgiving food poisoning story with us and although it sounded horrific, she was still able to laugh about it. Then C shared with the group her story of what happened when she returned from Indiana and it made us all angry and sad at the same time. Then when Patty stepped on a rock and hurt her foot , there was concern of how bad it might be. We're not sure if her toe is broken. Then there is me with my runner's acid reflux. I've been reading that it's actually a common condition for runners, but they're not really sure why. I think running on the rolling hills of C.O.C. was in some ways a reflection of the emotions we were all feeling tonight.

Street Lights

Patty and I ran last night from Pavillions to Newhall Ranch Road on the bike path and down towards the train bridge on Magic Mtn. Parkway. We ended up with just over 4 miles at a 9.1 pace. It really didn't feel like we were moving that fast, but I guess we were trying to beat the dark. We would have been done earlier, but we spent a good amount of time pondering where to go once we hit Newhall Ranch Road. We stopped several times trying to decide whether it was better trying to run illegally cross the street (not a good idea at rush hour), or run another 100 yards down the street and cross at the light. I'm not sure what it is about stop lights, but I try to avoid them. I think it's the fact that you have to wait for the light to change and then run across the street as people in cars wait while watching you run across. In the end, we ran to the light and crossed. Had we just done that in the first place, we probably would have been done before it became dark!

It's Not Going to be Pretty!

I was sitting in my car the other day listening to an awesome song by "James Morrison" and it occurred to me that it summed up my feelings during the recent half marathon I ran with my friends!
I asked, then pleaded, then bribed my youngest son, (he is of the You Tube generation) to set the lovely pictures that my husband took as we were finishing to the portion of the song that I thought fit perfectly. As you can see we ran with all we had that day, and there wasn't too much left at the end. In fact I apparantly ran with my eyes closed for quite some time. I hope you all enjoy these pictures and that the memories that they bring back are not too painful. I left out the pictures of my son Steven because he didn't look like he ran nearly as hard as we did and because he is not a "Mom Out Running Everywhere". I did however love the fact that he was there to share it with me and my friends and in the process ran a pretty awesome race. I just wanted to share this with my friends and say once again, GOOD JOB GIRLS, you get me through when I feel just like I look in these pictures! And a special thanks to my son, Josh who did a pretty awesome job on this video! I am implementing a ban on cameras at all future races unless we have hair and makeup waiting right before we finish, although that would really affect our times so forget it. No Cameras!

Ahhh!!! The Holidays are Here!!!

Well Its official, the holidays are here and so are the hectic days and nights. While I was away at my son's soccer tournament this weekend, I kept thinking about all the things I had to do before the holidays. The list seems endless and so do the gifts, but I'm not going to take it all so seriously. So to start the holidays off on a fun and cheerful note, I elfed myself and my friends. Check out the link below. Its good for a laugh.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/WrAzkMQ5fEFJAn4Q

Not only can they run, but my friends can also dance really well. Who knew!