M.O.R.E.: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Get Better Kwan!!

It's been two weeks since we all ran together, an almost 8 miler through the Heritage Trail, and the paseos behind Helmers! It was a hot day, and I remember feeling queasy afterward from the heat, but all in all it was a pleasant run. Not so for Kwan, who has been out of commission ever since:( She doesn't remember specifically injuring her ankle, but has been unable to join us on a run, because it has been sore and swollen!! Her doctor mentioned "perineal tendinitis", I truly hope that is not the diagnosis:( I am hoping she can join us for part of our run tomorrow, or at least coffee! We miss you, and need you to navigate (I have a Garmin, but am directionally challenged!) I speak for everyone, when I say "Get Better Kwan, we miss you!"

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Heat Exhaustion

It had been almost two weeks since I ran due to a rather hectic schedule so I was a bit nervous about today's run. Not knowing how I would feel, I didn't know how far we were going to run. We did the same hilly long run as last time through the paseos of Northpark and Northbridge, but started instead at Peets Coffee and headed toward the train bridge. I think this route was a little closer to 9 miles. It had been so long since I ran that I got out of the habit of bringing my Garmin so we weren't totally sure about the miles, but I'm pretty sure it was further than when we started at Lowes and that was 8.8 miles. I wasn't feeling all that great during the run, but I attributed it to the lack of running the last week or so. I now think it was not drinking enough water the last couple of days, coupled with the fact that we had just come back from Vegas on Monday after several days laying in water, but not drinking it. When our run was done, I felt really terrible and nauseated. I also felt my heart rate increasing even though we had stopped. I have been feeling rather terrible today and have had a mild headache and had a nagging suspicion that it was heat exhaustion. After reading up on the symptoms, I'm now convinced. I guess even those of us who have been running a long time forget how dangerous it is to run in this heat,especially with the humidity. I have to say, this is the worst I have felt after a run in a long time. I will definitely have to prepare better for a run in the heat next time. Hopefully my friends have fared better than me today :)

Web MD Heat Exhaustion

Saturday, August 4, 2012

They Liked It!

I thought we needed to start adding hills into our long runs to get ready for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October, so I thought of a route that might do the trick. I wanted to add the hills toward the mid to later part of our run, just like what we'll be facing in San Francisco. I just wasn't sure how Bonnie and Caryn were going to feel about. I have to say, when I told them this morning we were going to add hills this morning to our long run, the look on Bonnie's face was priceless. Her jaw literally dropped. We started from Lowes because I was sick of running the back side of the river trail from Peets, off of the train bridge because it is brutally hot there with no shade. We headed toward Copperhill and cut toward Cheseborough Park through the dirt trail where we hit our first set of hills. We took a quick sip of water at the park and then headed into the neighborhoods of Northpark, which gave us more hills. When we finally reached the paseos, the trail gave us alternating ups and downs until we finally came back out at Bridgeport Park. From there, we finished as usual along the Lowes trail. Caryn and Bonnie did quite well and didn't complain once and in fact were commenting on how shady the paseos were and how nice it was to run without having to dodge the cyclist. The only drawback with the paesos is the concrete. It's a little harder on the feet. All in all it was a good run and longer than I expected to get out with 8.8 miles total. Poor Patty was on the road again, but I'm sure what was waiting for her was well worth it.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Still Running

We have been busy....

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.