Friday, August 31, 2007

Early, warm, and dry

Ran 4 mi w/ Jen
Total Time: 35:29
AP: 8:52

Got up at 5:15 this morning and was out of bed at 5:20 - our running clothes were ready and waiting so we were out the door in 5 minutes. We ran the new route I did on Monday and had a fun run. It was warm out (maybe around 70)and the air was really dry so I was thirsty right away but Jen had her bottle with her (since she was doing 10 total) and I was able to get a drink. We kept a nice pace and chatted a bit during the run about glycogen stores, carbs, protein, and other nutritional things that a few months ago I could have cared less about. We got on the topic because last night we were watching the Track and Field World Championships and the announcer noted that the reigning world champ in the 400m hurdles did not eat on race days. Overall it was a great run - I had a bit of Blue 5 pain on the inside of my ankle above the bone. Sort of a shin splint in reverse. I was glad Jen joined me as running with her is always a lot of fun.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Change of Scenery

Ran 6 mi w/ Jen
Total Time: 49:53
AP: 8:19

Yesterday afternoon Jen went into the city with a friend to go to a Giants game and when the game was over she got a ride over to my office so we could do a run in the city. The weather was nice, maybe high 70's/low 80's, and there was quite a bit of shade to run in. We headed down to the Embarcadero then ran past Fisherman's Wharf and over to the Marina and Chrissy Field. We turned around down by Chrissy Field and headed back the way we came. Jen kicked up the pace on the last couple of miles and we ended up with 15:35 for the last two. The pace felt good and I didn't have any pain or soreness to speak of. My big toe hurt a bit when we started but that went away after a few minutes.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Heat Delay

Bike approx 6 mi
Miles Tracked: 4.87
Time: 15:35
MPH: 18.6

Last night was a warm one out in the ole East Bay so we waited a bit before heading out for a ride. We ended up waiting a bit too long and it was a race against darkness to get in a few miles. I tried to keep my speed up since I knew it was going to be a short ride and I wanted to try to maximize the workout. Jen went too but we split up and I rode ahead; we planned to turn around after 10 minutes and head back the other way to meet up. I stopped and turned around after about 9 minutes and had a drink of water before heading back to meet Jen. I slowed down for a street crossing and noticed someone behind me on a road bike out of the corner of my eye. I thought they may pass me after we crossed but I immediately cranked it up to about 20 mph and kept that pace until we had to stop at a major intersection. The road biker stayed behind me and when I stopped at the intersection he went off in a different direction. As he rode by he gave me a nod that I interpreted as "nice pace".

Side note to self = I need to get some "sun" glasses with clear lenses for riding at dusk/night/dawn/pre-dawn (yes, that is a variety of times). Last night it got too dark for my sunglasses but at the same time if I took them off my eyes my contacts dried out in a few seconds.

WED MORNING SLEEP

This morning I was planning on getting up for a home lift but I felt really tired and wanted to lay in bed for a while instead of getting up. I really didn't fall back to sleep but just laying there was nice (Jen being back in town also made getting up difficult since she gives off a hug me vibe in the mornings). I've gotten to bed pretty late the last couple of nights too so I'm sure that doesn't help when it comes to getting up early. If we would have totally skipped the ride last night then I would feel bad about missing this morning - but we didn't so I'm not too broken up over it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Monday Evening Swim

Swam 1250 y/m
Time: 24:11

Headed up to the gym after work to get some laps in. I had 750 on my schedule but ended up swimming 1250 because I felt good and I only got in approx 500 on Sunday (schedule called for 1000). There was only one lane available when I arrived due to a water aerobics class so I shared it with one other swimmer. About 15 minutes into my swim the class was over and the other lanes opened up. I moved over and had my own lane for the rest of my swim. I felt good and tried to swim a nice pace that did not wear me out. Toward the end of my swim my stroke count increased a bit but my lap time did not - guess I was sacrificing technique for power and coming out the same - I need to find a good balance so I can keep the stroke count low and my form solid.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Yaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwn - it's Monday morning

Ran 4 mi solo
Time: 32:47
AP: 8:12

Got up this morning for a run and surprisingly I only thought about going back to sleep 5 times instead of my usual 14. I set my stuff out last night so I only had to roll out of bed, put on my clothes and shoes, and head out of the door. I ran a new route this morning which was a nice change from up and back on the Iron Horse Trail. It's very quite at 5:30ish am in our area and running in the dark cool air is a nice change from after work sun runs. I'm sure that once I'm getting up and it's 35 instead of 60 I'll be singing a different tune, but for now it's great.

Weekly Totals - Aug 20 to 26

Running: 13.35 mi --- Biking: 42.5 mi --- Swimming: 500 y

Weekend Mega Post

Saturday Aug 25
Bike 17.5mi w/ Jen
Time: 1:06:36
MPH: 15.8

After our Saturday morning bagels and coffee Jen and I headed out for a ride on a new route we wanted to try. We headed up the IH Trail then over to San Ramon Valley Blvd. where there is a bike lane. We rode up the road for approx. 9 miles then turned off onto the IH trail again and took that all the way back home. The ride was really nice and Jen did a great job riding on the road. There was one downhill part that she said she got a bit nervous on because we picked up quite a bit of speed; I was riding behind her on that stretch and I thought she looked good. It was warm and sunny outside so I was glad we had brought plenty of water. No T run after this ride because we were planning on going for a run the next day.

After the ride we hung out for a bit then headed into the city to go to Sports Basement to look at bikes, racks, and some additional riding clothes. Jen didn't have any biking shorts, just her Tri shorts and Capri bike pants, and I needed an additional pair of shorts and a new jersey to avoid the constant wash cycle that my other gear has been in. Anyway, we ended up getting some new gear but no rack (they did not have the components we need) and no bike (I wasn't impressed with the selection or service). I ended up with new bike shorts and a jersey (same exact shorts, same jersey in a different color) along with a new pair of TYR swim shorts and some new socks. Jen found a nice bike jersey, got some bike shorts, some hiking shorts, and a new swim suit. We also stocked up on gels, blocks, etc. We ended the evening with dinner at the Fog City Diner.

Sunday Aug 26
Run 4 mi Trail Run w/ Jen
Time: 36:33
AP: 9:08

Sunday afternoon we drove up to the Del Valle Regional Park for a run and swim. The morning started off cool but by the time we headed up the sun was out and it was getting close to 90. The run was a trail run and it was pretty tough - Jen took the lead through the hilly part and set a nice pace. We went out two miles then turned around and headed back to the car. My legs were caked in dirt at the end from all the dust but that didn't really matter since we were planning on doing a little swim next.

Swam 500 y/m
Time: 9:14

This was our first time swimming at this location and the first thing I noticed was that the water was shallow and MUDDY. You couldn't see a foot in front of your face from all the mud that was churned up by everyone playing in the water. The swim area did not have a separate area for laps so we were in the mix with everyone. Luckily no one was out close to the far rope so we were able to swim with little interruption. Not only were the people churning up the mud, they were also creating waves and chop. This made the swimming more interesting since you had to fight the water to keep a straight line.

Afterward we hung out on the beach, had a snack, dried off, and relaxed. It was a great way to cap off a fun weekend.