Friday, May 30, 2008

Tired

I woke up on Thursday morning and was just beat. I hit the snooze button on our alarm for a full hour. I could feel that this wasn't lazy-tired. This was real tired and I'd probably not be benefitting myself by running. So I didn't. I did some sit ups, push-ups and yoga instead.

Friday...
I went for a short, about 4 mile run this morning. Unfortunately I only started feeling better around mile 3. I'm afraid that I'm a bit burned out and that I need to rest. It seems like I just don't recover inbetween runs like I used to. I wake up achy every morning and I hobble around like an old lady for the first few minutes when I get up. I'm afraid that I'll just get injured if I continue at this rate.

So I think I'll try a new schedule. Yoga has always helped me feel great and I really haven't been doing any of it for months. I don't have the time with all the running, kids and work! I think that I'll have to cut down on the running and add in some yoga to improve the running in the long term. My plan is to do yoga and calisthenics on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and run on the other days. I'll do more quality work on my running days and less of just getting in the miles. Getting rid of the running on those days will give me a decent rest, and especially on Saturdays it'll give me more time, which I desperately need. I'll do some home improvement projects and spend time with the kids instead. It's starting to become a strain to try and juggle the workouts between the hubby and I, and having one less weekend day of that will be a relief.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008






Hillbilly Heaven

No long run this past weekend. We went up to the cabin instead. It was unseasonably cold and wet, but we made the best of it. I got out for two 40 minute runs over the three days. It was a good break, actually, because I’ve been feeling some pains in my right ankle and I think that it needed the rest.

There was no time to do any really good trail adventuring up there with the kiddos to entertain. But I did find a nice side trail right next to the Pony Express Trail, where our little piece of heaven is. And I’m so used to the unseasonably cold weather that I just ran in a run tee and shorts early in the morning and felt totally comfortable.

The girls cried when we left and they’ve already started asking to go back up the cabin. We’ve got some budding mountain women here!

My ankle is feeling better – I think the aching is caused by me curling up and clenching my right foot. I do it unconsciously; I think it’s where my stress goes. Weird huh? So I’ve been concentrating on relaxing it totally. And when I run faster it goes away, but if I run “easy” it isn’t easy at all. My body makes no sense at all. I think the painful parts are the tendons of the muscles underneath my large calf muscle that emerge underneath the Achilles and insert into the arch area of my foot. It sometimes feels like my Achilles tendon is hurting (which freaks me out) but then I poke at it and it doesn’t hurt at all. But if I trace where these smaller muscles and tendons attach I can feel the soreness.

It also looks like I’m going to postpone my 50k debut for awhile. DH (darling husband) has to work that weekend and there’s no one to care for the kids. I think it’s for the best anyway with this ankle thing bugging me a bit. I could use a few more longer runs – so I’m looking to probably do Skyline to the Sea in September instead. If things are going very well I may even do my debut at Run on the Sly up near the cabin. We’ll see.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Phleger/Huddart - 2wks ago....



Here's some pics from my Phleger/Huddart run 2 wks ago. I'm going out every Sunday on these trails because I can connect all over the place with them.















The Beginning of Crystal Springs Trail. It's flat, but it's a good way to warm up.




Right around the corner up that trail was a very steep section.















There used to be a town here?














A nest of some sort. Probably a squirrel. They are the noisiest things out here.
Getting woodsier, and almost to Phleger.
Just entering Phleger.
Phleger Huddart. And getting more redwoodsy.
Phleger is really, really beautiful. I'll take some pictures tomorrow and post them.
Good luck and best wishes to everyone doing Ohlone this weekend! And good luck Catra on your 100!

Friday, May 16, 2008

TGIF

Oh how things can change in an hour.

I snuck out of the house while everyone was sleeping for a wonderful, peaceful trail run through Mills Canyon. I did an hour loop there and back to my house. Granted, it was a little longer than I had planned on but I thought things would be well taken care of by the time that I got back....

I get in the house and the kids aren't dressed yet and my husband is barfing in the toilet, suffering from a migraine. Egads. And then the morning went crazy.

I had to rush to get the girls dressed, and I ended up being very short tempered with them, yelling and screaming (which I feel terrible about now). Then I took a shower quickly and got dressed fast. I ended up running out the door with wet, unstyled hair, no make-up and a screaming four-year-old that was in full tantrum mode. Not very Zen.

Of course we were a half-hour late for everything. And now I feel super guilty for being such a b*tch and not keeping my Zen through the situation.

I'm going to try to sneak outta work a little early and get something fun for them at Target to try and make up for it. I don't know why, but lately when I'm really pressed against the wall with things I just blow up. It just all comes back to me about how I really wish I didn't have to go to this job and how I wish I could work from home and take care of things there. I hate living in chaos and creating chaos.

It will be a hot evening tonight. I'll try and make it up to the girls (although I know that they've probably forgotten all about it by now). We'll play outside in the yard until later and just RELAX for once.

IV drip for the tequilla, please.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Laggin' on the Pics

Yeah, I know. It's just when I get home I get too lazy to turn on the computer and upload them. I promise I'll do it in the next few days!

I had another nice run from Edgewood up into Huddart/Phleger. I ran a little in Huddart and then turned and went into Phleger. Next time I'm going to go directly into Phleger and do a big loop to the top and back down through Huddart. I just loved Phleger! It's full of beatiful ferns beneath the redwoods and the beginning trails run right next to Union Creek. So soothing. And soon it will be really nice to be in there when it's super hot outside.

I'm doing a rare evening work out tonight from my house on some of those "secret" trails that I found. I can't wait! I look forward to the warm evening, the meditating run and the soothing trails!

Thursday, May 08, 2008

You Just Never Know

Okay, so I knew that I was hired at my new job to take over some of my boss's responsibilities so that she could step back and take care of other things. But I was totally surprised this week by finding out that I'll be reporting to someone else entirely and that I'm basically taking over her job.

Not unpleasantly surprised, since the work will be much less tedious and my new boss is super chill. Mellow is where it's at.

In other news - I'll post some cool pics of last week's weekend long run soon. I've discovered a new starting point for my long runs that will be easier to park at and provides multiple trail connections. I could run 100 miles from this spot if I wanted to and not duplicate a trail!

I also found some "secret" trails in my own neighborhood that I can use during the week to get in my dirt fix! Yay!

Congrats to everyone who ran Miwok - it looks like it was a beautiful day/race!