M.O.R.E.: Air Please!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Air Please!

I don't understand how three miles can be so difficult when a 10 mile run seemed relatively easy just two days ago. Today's run just started out awful for me. My feet and my ankles hurt so much in the beginning that our pace was pretty sad. I'm not sure if it was the cold, the long run over the weekend, or being on my feet all weekend, but Patty was also feeling it in her knee. We started from Cheese Park and went north to Copperhill where we entered the trail. Until we actually got to the trail, it was shear agony. Once we stopped to stretch a bit, things started to feel much better from the waist down; however, the breathing never got easier. Both Patty and I felt like we were laboring for breath the entire time. Perhaps it was the increase in humidity due to the clouds, but it seemed like I just couldn't get enough air in my lungs. I couldn't wait for this run to be over. We managed a decent 9.3 pace considering the extremely slow start. What we realized was that the weather today is probably very similiar to what the weather will be like when we run the marathon or even colder. We will have to start experimenting with layers of clothes to see what works. I'm glad I ran through the pain eventhough I really wanted to stay home and curl up with a blanket. I'm hoping Wednesday will be a better day.

2 comments:

Patty said...: Today was just a get it done run. It seemed like it was going to be so cold and windy, and I would have rather stayed home under a blanket. I am glad I got out and ran though, even though it wasn't pretty, I got through it. I think that finishing a run that we have to just get through, and the ones that we finish feeling good, are just the same. I just wish we could have the cooler weather without the wind, it seems like they go hand in hand. At least I got to go home and play with my "princess puppy", the specialist puppy in the world!; October 12, 2009 at 11:02 PM
marathon mom said...: On top of worrying about everything else that could go wrong, now I am worrying about the weather on race day. Yesterday's run made me remember how miserable the cold can be on the joints. Remember those mornings when everything hurt like it was going to break because it was so bone chilling cold? I supposed we will have to get used to the cold like we had to get used to the heat if we're going to race in it. It's just making me nervous with all this lousy weather lately.; October 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM

Post a Comment

Favorite Trails

South Fork 3.1: Start from dirt parking lot on Magic Mtn Pkway and run to the loop at Wiley Bridge and return the same way.

Tesoro 3.25: Start in Albertson parking lot and take sidewalk/trail until it ends and then enter the water tower road to the top two towers where the ends. Return the same way.

Chesebrough 3.25/4.60: From Chesebrough Park, N. to Copperhill, So. on Bike Trail, turn around at Decoro, back up trail to power lines to bridge at park. Turn around at Heritage will give you 4.6 miles.

Chesebrough 3.5: Chesebrough Park down to McBean, south to Northpark Dr., the paseo trailhead. Take the paseo to Helmers and back. Very hilly.

Bridgeport 4.0: Fairly flat, run toward Lowes and under Bouquet bridge to RiverPark community until you reach the closed gates and return. For a hilly run, go north into Helmers and run up the paseo switchbacks into Northpark where the paseo ends and return the same way.

Chesebrough 4.0: N. to Copperhill to west side of river trail, run S. on Bike Trail past Decoro bridge, across Decoro to the east side of river trail, up back to power lines trail, back to park.

Chesebrough 4.0: From park down power line trail to Heritage Park and back same way.

Bridgeport 4.0: From School, cross McBean via bridge or street and head into industrial center on Ave. Scott Bridge and enter bike trail going south toward the train bridge. Turn around at train bridge and return same way or cross the bridge and head toward Peet's after crossing train bridge and back onto the Lowes Trail.

Heritage 4.0: From park, run up bike trail to Decoro, over McBean Bridge into Helmers, and into Bridgeport through lake trail back to park. Can be done in reverse. Moderately hilly.

Chesebrough 4.25: Chesebrough north to Copperhill, left to Albertson side of bike trail. Run south on trail to Decoro and cross over bridge and head north all the way to Copperhill on east side of river trail and back to the park the same way as started.

Cheese/Decoro/Helmers 4.25: From the park, down dirt trail to bike path, south to Decoro. Leave bike path at Decoro and cross paseo bridge at McBean. Stay on paseo up hill towards Helmers. Run up water tower trail once then continue on to switchbacks and paseos back to park.

Heritage/Bridgeport 3.3: Heritage Park south to McBean Bridge @ Panera. Cross and head toward Lowes bike trail and head east toward Bridgeport Park. Halfway mark is at park bathroom, head back by entering trail along the lake and back onto the bridge.

Lowes 4.25: Lowe's parking lot to McBean, cross the bridge and to South Fork. At Valencia Bridge, enter trail behind Hart Baseball diamonds. Continue on trail to Bouquet and across the bridge on the east side and back under the bridge again towards Lowes.

Peet's & Decoro 5.2: Peet's Coffee to train bridge path; to Decoro and across bridge; back down McBean side of bike trail back to Peete's.

Peet's & Wiley 6.0: Start at Peet's Coffee and head east toward South Fork trail and past the Wiley Bridge. Keep running another 200 yards to where the trail forks left and right. Turn back same way.

Peet's & Copperhill 6.0: From Peet's to bike trail heading north to Copperhill and back.

Albertson 7.0: From the Albertson parking lot on Copperhill, enter the westside bike trail and head south until the train bridge. Return the same way.

Peet's 8.5: Run to Copperhill on east side of river trail and return via train bridge on other side.

Lowes 10: Start in the Lowes parking lot. Enter the bike trail heading west. At McBean, cross the bridge and head east toward SouthFork trail. Continue on trail until you come to the Wiley bridge and head back the same way.

McBean 14: This route can be done from anywhere along the trail route. Starting from McDonald's across the post office, run to the end of the South Fork trail and return the same way, cross the McBean bridge and run on the Lowes trail until you hit Bridgeport Elementary and then cross Newhall Ranch via the bridge or street and run back towards McBean. Continue north on McBean until you hit Copperhill. At Copperhill, cross McBean and enter San Francisquito bike trail and run south on the trail until you are back at McDonalds.