Land of the Lost- Sunday, January 30

So what started out as a nice Sunday run and a chance to explore Bernal Heights ended up being an exercise in what you need to do next time you go for a long run in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

I chugged up Cortland from Mission. Cortland is the main artery of Bernal Heights. I knew there was a park somewhere so my original plan was to go through that park and head back on Folsom. As I went down Cortland a little more, I did see Folsom. However, going in one direction I was at a dead end and the park was straight up a hill and the other direction was somewhere I didn't know. I practically spent a good 10 to 15 minutes chugging around hills and going down random streets to find something familiar. I did find where Alemany is and on Saturdays it's a Farmers Market and Sundays its a flea market. After chugging up a few more streets, I did find my way back to Cortland and back on Mission to Valencia back home.

My run this morning didn't start off too well. First of all, the heart rate monitor was acting wierd. Then I had to totally layer because I couldn't go out in a short sleeve shirt. Then I forgot to turn on the milage meter which in this case, I can't measure how far I ran or what pace I was running. So much for that.

Here are my measly stats:
Total time: 1:12:18 (1 hour and 12 minutes)
Average heart rate: 134 beats per minute
Time in heart rate zone: 16:42 beats per minute
Time above heart rate zone: 9:20 beats per minute
Time below heart rate zone: 43:40 beats per minute

Next time: have some sort of direction and a MUNI fast pass. I got so lost that even the MUNI buses and their number routes don't look familiar. Now that is truly lost.

Blorange- Saturday, January 29

I decided to give blorange a try. It's a pace group faster than orange. Actually I did pretty well. I knew a few people in there like Bill and Nina. It was a good pace where I can still talk to them if I wanted to but had me concentrate most of the time. I did five miles. The rest of the group was doing 10 or so miles. Good thing was that I had two other people with me to run the rest of the 5 miles. Bad thing was that I didn't have an interval timer for walk breaks so basically I was running probably a good mile or so at a fast pace. Comes to explain that I was a little worn out in the afternoon and feeling a tad sore behind my left knee. But blorange it will be for me.

Stats:
Total time: 55:09.31 minutes
Total milage: 3.95 miles (I think it might be off since there might be some times where I didn't get a reading like in Chrissy Field)
Average heart rate: 149 beats per minute
Time in heart rate zone: 9:30 minutes
Time above zone: 6:49 minutes
Time below zone: 22:13 minutes
Best pace: 8:51 minutes per mile
Average pace: 13:58 minutes per mile

Rats! Friday, January 28

So here I was, ready to head on to the track where it rained on the way there. When I got off the bus and headed there, it was rather cold even though I had on several layers. The track was slippery wet, most of the flood lights were not on and nobody was there. I dared not run on it since there were only two runners there walking gingerly. The track isn't one of those dirt ones but has some sort of covering that is slippery when wet. So off to the market for food.

It's Like Raaaain!!! Thursday, January 27

Today was the first night for Thursday night runs for SFRRC. The club decided to switch the runs starting from Marina Green from Tuesdays to Thursdays since track workouts used to be Thursdays and it didn't give people that much time to recover for Saturday long runs. There was a nice group- Rod, Bill, Emily, Michelle, Lisa (a newbie), one other person, me and Kate. It started to rain once we headed out of the green into Fort Mason and around Aquatic Park to Chestnut Street to the Presidio and back over. I totally felt refreshed and cleansed during the run but waiting for the bus and sitting on the way home on the 49 Van Ness literally made my teeth chatter. I was so happy to jump into a hot shower and eat a hot meal.

Here are the stats:
Total time: 59:56.83 minutes
Total milage: 4.98 miles
Average heart rate: 136 beats per minute
Average pace: 12:02 minute per mile
Best pace: 9:17 minute per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 12:39 minutes (wrong zones- I was in temp mode zone)
Time above zones: 0 minutes
Time below zones: 46:30 minutes

Rest Day- Wednesday, January 26

Originally I was supposed to do a track workout. However with the weather reports of chances of rain and that I stayed up a little late to pound out a scholarship essay, I decided to sleep in.

Over the 19th Street Hills and Dales- Tuesday, January 25

So I decided to go up and down 19th Street from my place to where it crosses Market Street. Part of me wanted to go see what Castelli Street was like during the day. I also found an open space around 19th Street past Douglass but it wasn't a park. There were some small and steep trails where I needed a good pair of trail shoes so I decided not to go exploring over there and just went ahead and ran.

Here are my stats:
Total time: 50:52.21 minutes
Total miles: 4.18 miles
Average heart rate: 147 beats per minute
Average pace: 12:10 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 6:51 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 6:20 minutes per mile
Time below heart rate zone: 36:18 minutes per mile
Best pace: 8:36 minutes per mile

Diet note: I had a chocolate chip cookie after dinner and I swear, I felt really gross and sluggish. Maybe it's the detox.

Nothing like a long run to the beach- Monday, January 24

Synopsis: I decided to go out to the beach because that's a place where I would go to run when things in my life are pretty shitty. Today happened to be the day after I spent a lot of time mourning the death of my relationship with my ex. Honestly, after last night, it is just plain dead. No communication, no interaction, nada...I won't go on anymore. So basically I just ran from my house, using the usual path I would take on my bike to Golden Gate Park except I went through the Panhandle and just ran down JFK Drive until I got to Ocean Beach and ran a bit from JFK Drive to Judah where I caught the N line home.

Here are the stats:
Total time: 1:15:23 (I had to get some water; forgot to adequately hydrate before leaving- doh!)
Total milage: 6.55 miles
Average heart rate: 149 beats per minute
Average pace: 11:31 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 5:47 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 5:35 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 59:10 minutes (did I put it in the wrong zones to start out with?)
Best pace: 8:53 minutes per mile

Diet notes: Need to find a place where I can find healthy Chinese food. Fried tofu and string beans at Yum Yum House isn't what I expected.

Punch and Pie Ride- Sunday, January 23

The annual punch and pie ride is back! A nice 22 mile ride from McClaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park to the Presidio and around Lake Merced and back. And yes, there is pie!

I wish I had stats but my bike computer somehow popped out. Luckily someone on my ride recovered it.

Diet notes: OK, I busted my diet on this. First I ate a Clif bar and two pieces of pie (shit I made two of them and everyone devoured my pie like locusts to wheat). Then I decided to hang out with Shelly and Alan post ride and we went to Sliders and got cheeseburgers and fries. I ended up conking out at Alan's even though we went walking around Russian Hill to check out the shops.

First run of the season with SFRRC- Saturday, January 22

The first run of the season. Lots of hellos to friends and a few suprises too. Seems like it's going to be a good season for me.

Started out in the orange pace group. Managed to keep a conversation with a few peeps. I think I might stick with them but try out Blorange if I have it in me.

Here are the stats:
Total time: 45:39.54 minutes
Total milage: 4.18 miles
Average heart rate: 143 beats per minute
Average pace: 10:55 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 4:48 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 4:51 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 32:04 minutes
Best pace: 9:27 minutes per mile

Damn That Hill- Friday, January 21

Synopsis: So the program says for me to do a hilly run. What did I end up picking- running up 17th Street from my place to Clayton which is a pretty good climb once you cross Market. Then the downhill part was going from Clayton to Market (one part of it being a little hairy since there was no sidewalk and it was evening) and hitting 19th Street. I actually took a wrong turn onto Castelli and then to Douglas to 18th Street.

So here are the stats:
Total time: 44:52.72 minutes
Total milage: 3.38 miles
Average heart rate: 137 beats per minute
Average pace: 13:17 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 3:38 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 5:11 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 33:05 minutes
Best pace: 9:51 minutes per mile

More comments:
I swear that after this run, I felt like someone really whopped my ass. I have never been so whiped out in my life (maybe after my first time doing Bikhram yoga). But yes it was an asswhooping. I gobbled a lot of sushi with Alan afterwards.

Recovery Run- Thursday, January 20

A note of dorkiness- I accidentally erased my stats for today's run which was somewhat putzing down 16th Street to Market down Castro to 18th Street and up Eurkea to 20th Street to Hartford to 19th Street to Dolores Park and home.

So here are some approximates:
Time run- around 38 minutes
Approximate milage- around 3 or 3.5 miles

Comments: Now I'm wondering what is wrong with me because most of the time, I was below heart rate range. I'm getting a little concerned because I want to know if I am really in shape or not pushing myself to my limits.

Hmmm...

Diet Notes: Day 3 of detox diet down. I swear I want to go back and eat fatty food. But I am actually feeling a tad bit healthier. I think it's just the fact that I'm on my period and want to go back to cooking good healthy meals. Something like this keeps me in check.

Shoe check- approx 70 miles accumulated from 12-25-04

Track Run- Wednesday, January 19

Here are the stats:

Average heart rate: 154 beats per minute
Time in zone: 11:15 minutes
Time above zone: no minutes
Time below zone: 27:23 minutes (take into consideration recovery laps)
Best pace: 8:28 minutes per mile

1x1200 m
Time: 6:40.05 minutes
heart rate: 154 beats per minute
Pace: 9:16 minutes per mile

2x1200m
Time: 6:43.01 minutes
Heart rate: 160 beats per minute
Pace: 9:20 minutes per mile

1x800m
Time: 4:24.12 minutes
Heart rate: 162 beats per minute
Pace: 9:22 minutes per mile

2x800m
Time: 4:30.31 minutes
Heart rate: 160 beats per minute
Pace: 9:35 minutes per mile

1x400m
Time: 2:07.28 minutes
Heart rate: 154 beats per minute
Pace: 8:50 minutes per mile

Seems like I'm zooming on the first interval of each bracket and then going slower and slower as I progress. I'm wondering if I should just take it slow on the first few intervals then zoom up which is something I should practice. For my 1200m and my 800m laps, I'm in between the goal times of doing those laps if I was going to run a 5K in 29 and 27 minutes respetively. However, my 400m time is actually pushing at a 25 minute finish goal time.

I'm actaully liking track workouts now. Before I would dread them but I do like just zooming around and seeing how much I improve each week.

I did a yoga class this morning. I didn't realize how tight my muscles are! So this should be on the regimine.

Detox Day- Tuesday, January 18

I didn't run today. I hardly got any sleep last night so how can you expect me to pound out some pavement.

I'm starting a detox diet for one week where I would eat a lot of lean proteins, fruits, veggies, whole grains...good for you food. It was something I saw in the November 2004 issue of Self. I figured I would eat better since the last few weeks I have been eating rather poorly. Still despite my bad eating habits, I'm still weighing in around 123 lbs (ugh, I was 118 lbs around November). But the good thing is that I am now at 32% body fat. I still could use some improvement but around this time last year, well, December 31, 2003, I was at 36% body fat. 4 fucking percentage points! Now that's a lot!

It really got me to jump start my detox diet. I totally felt energized all day, a steady stream instead of cranky and craving and having something icky then feel a crash in energy. Good clean fuel for food.

Yay!

Damn It's Warm Down Here- Monday, January 17

I will admit, I'm not too big on running in the afternoon. Yet, I didn's sleep that much last night since I was up watching the Chapelle Show (very fucking funny), a Project Runway marathon and parts of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I woke up around noon and did a run around the neighborhood. Since it was a tad warm, felt a little sluggish but here goes.

Stats:
Total time: 32:49.35 minutes
Total milage: 2.60 miles
Average heart rate: 149 beats per minute
Average pace: 12:37 minutes per mile
Time in zone: 23:33 minutes
Time above zone: 2:15 minutes
Time below zone: 5:36 minutes
Best pace: 10:28 minutes per mile

What I did notice during my runs is that in a lot of the older parts of where I grew up, there were no sidewalks, especially near the stand alone parts so there were some parts of the run where I was on the road. I puttered around Carriage Park, the place where one of my elementary school friends used to live as well as my elementary school crush, a half Vietnamese, half Czec-American guy. Sometimes I do think about him from time to time and wondering if his Vietnamese mom introduced him to the joys of pho, bahn mi (Vietnamese sandwhiches), bun (Vietnamese noodle salad) and industrial strength Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk....beats a Starbucks latte hands down!

Highland YMCA 10K- Sunday, January 16

I learned some rather valuable lessons from this experience. First of all, do pack food that you will actually consume on the day of the race and days that you do long runs. Luckily Ma and Pop had some instant oatmeal and a good old banana handy. I did pack my Cliff Bar and had some Gu and my water bottle filled with Gatorade Endurance. But I forgot the breakfast food.

I left 5 minutes before they closed down registration, thinking that I would find a parking space. I ended up parking where I could have walked to the race. I literally sprinted out of the car to make it to registration. Found out that I didn't have to run and that nervous energy really sapped me for my race. I did an OK warm-up and ran close to where the finish line was so that I could keep that in my head to prepare me for the last bit of the race.

Also, don't forget to set your zones. I totally had to guess mine so I went to I think a 70 to 80% zone using the first formula that I learned from my New York Road Runners Book.

Even though I brought the bottle of Endurace, I didn't strap on my hydration pack. Doh! It was rather warm out there. High 60s in January. Shit. It's not even like this in the City.

It was hilly and sunny. The first part. More or less, I took it as if I was doing a regular Sunday run. I knew most of the route though the new developments made things and landmarks unfamiliar. It was practically the route of the schoolbus that I took in elementary school.

Here are my stats:

Total time: 1:01.27 (one hour and one minute and 27 seconds)
Total miles: 5.78 miles (OK, it might be a tad off from the usual 6.2 miles in a 10K)
Average heart rate: 151 beats per minute
Average pace: 10:38 minutes per mile (slow)
Time in heart rate zone: 54:39 minutes
Time above in heart rate zone: 2:18 minutes
Time below in heart rate zone: 3:43 minutes
Best pace: 8:24 minutes per mile

First split at mile 1:
Time: 10:22.56 minutes
Average heart rate: 148 beats per minute
Pace: 10:55 minutes per mile (this was the hilly start)

Second split at 3 mile turn around for 10K and Half Marathon on Greenspot Road:
Time from first spit to second split: 21:14.22 minutes
Total time so far: 31:36.78 minutes
Average heart rate: 151 beats per minute
Pace: 10:37 minutes per mile (nice downhill on Weaver to dump into Greenspot Road. Greenspot rather flat)

Final Spit taken at finish:
Time from second spit to finish: 29.50:55
Average heart rate: 156 beats per minute
Pace: 10:33 minutes per mile (that last bit of the race where you turn from Greenspot to Church...a deceptive uphill where it looks flat but it goes up. Luckily I did that as part of my warm-up so I knew when to gun it. I didn't do such a strong finish. I so needed salts at this point. Or sugars. Something other than water for God's sake!)

Here's some thing I dug up from past races:

251 76/83 Edna Flores 25 WASHINGTON DC 1:04:52 Capitol Hill Classic, May 3, 1998
1060 180/202 Edna Flores 24 Washington DC 1:07:55 Georgetown Classic, October 5, 1997

These were past 10K times from races I did years ago in Washington, DC. My first 10K was the Georgetown Classic. There was one time I did the Chinatown YMCA Chinese New Year Run, my first one, as a 10K but I couldn't find my time. But I have come a pretty long way from a one hour and seven minute finish time.

One encouraging thing I did see. The advent of running clubs in elementary schools, especially within the wake of cutting quality PE time from public schools and childhood obesity. Too bad most of these clubs are in an affluent suburban public school system. I ended up talking to a counselor at my old junior high who has done a total of 9 marathons and had some of her kids, 6th grade students, run with her (my junior high is now a middle school). She is planning to take some of her kids and their parents to watch the LA Marathon this March.

Next goal after Chinatown YMCA is to run a 10K under an hour. Can that be done? Sure!

Rest Day- Saturday, January 15

Honestly, after doing such a run like that, you do get tired which was the case on Saturday. Tired and cranky.

I don't think I will do the traveling after work thing. I was soooo exhausted once I got in.

Push It Real Good! Friday, January 14

Route: The usual hospital loop with a twist- instead of just going by Dolores Park on 18th Street, went up Guerrero to 20th Street and went to the top of the park and coasted down from there. Same assed hospital loop.

Stats du jour:
Total Time: 35:02.44 minutes
Total miles: 3.17 miles
Average heart rate: 154 beats per minute
Average pace: 11:03 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 18 seconds (what the fuck?)
Time above zone: 5:17 minutes
Time below zone: 23:19 minutes
Best pace: 7:53 minutes per mile

This is what I don't really get. I have been totally pushing myself and still why is it towards the end, the heart rate goes down. I'm wondering if I am really working out at all. Am I fucking abnormal? Am I doing something wrong? Am I really burning fat? How can I still be in my temo zones when I'm supposed to be in anaerobic zones? Am I really supposed to go all out until I hurl?

Sometimes I wonder if I really am doing speed work right.

I'm Getting My Ass Whooped! Thursday, January 13

Today's route is the change of scenery route. Went from the end of the 22 Fillmore line at Fillmore and Bay through Chrissy Field to Fort Point and back.

Stats:
Total time: 55:55.21 minutes
Total milage: 4.79 miles
Average heart rate: 148 beats per minute
Average pace: 11:40 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 4:00 minutes
Time above zone: 4:57 minutes
Time below zone: 32:04 minutes
Best pace: 8:49 minutes per mile

Comments:
Fucking windy and foggy. Not too foggy where you can't see what's in front of you. I really wanted a nice sunrise and clear blue sky. Am I on crack or what? Bad assed headwind as I was heading out to Fort Point. As I was running through Chrissy Field (both towards Fort Point and back), my heart rate monitor just didn't transmit. It just beeped annoyingly for a good while like it does when it is out of range. I swear I was ready to toss this thing into the water.

I'm wondering if I really am setting my zones too high. Am I getting too fat? I don't think so because I've been fitting fine in my pants. This is my first week using these new zones. Funny thing is that if I were to use the zones set up by the old formula, I would be out of range.

Then again, I think I know what I did wrong. I set it up for a tempo run. Silly me.

Recovery Run- Wednesday, January 12

A loop around Noe Valley more or less.

Stats:
Total Time:40:49.20 minutes
Heart rate: 128 beats per minute
Best pace: 9:44 minutes per mile
Average pace: 13:23 minutes per mile
Total milage: 3.05 miles
Time in heart rate zone: 21 seconds
Time above heart rate zone: 2:41 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 34:35 minutes

Comments:
I put my heart rate zones way too high where my lowest was 139 beats per minute and the higher end was being 151 beats per minute. I honestly think that I should have set it where the lower end was 123 beats per minute while the higher end was 144 beats per minute. I was playing around with new setting according to a formula I got from the Polar Heart rate monitor website where where figure out your heart rate zones from your resting heart rate while the earlier settings I have been playing around with since I got my watch/ heart rate monitor was from the New York Road Runners guide. I think I will stick to the Road Runners guide from now on.

I actually felt a little sore but felt rather slow and sluggish for me to push it up. For goodness sakes, it is a recovery run after all.

Track Workout- Tuesday, January 11

Summary:
At first I was going to do a track workout this morning. It wasn't the rain coming down that made me say, "Oh hell no!" at 6am this morning. It was the sound of thunder and the lightning flashing through the sky that told me to stay in. I planned on going to the track after therapy and that I did.

Stats:
Total amount of time: 1:01.17 (that's one hour not one minute fools!)
Total milage: 5.38 miles
Average Heart Rate: 150 beats per minute
Time in heart rate zone: 11:30 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 9:56
Time below heart rate zone: 37:24 minutes (note my heart rate zones were between 164 and 174 beats per minute; the times I spent were either warming up or cooling down)
Best pace: 8:14 minutes per mile

1x1600m interval:
Time: 8:51.58 minutes
Heart Rate: 163 beats per minute
Pace: 9:02 minutes per mile

1x1200m interval:
Time: 6:54.58 minutes
Heart Rate: 165 beats per minute
Pace: 9:28 minutes per mile

1x800m interval
Time: 4:45.70 minutes
Heart Rate: 162 beats per minute
Pace: 9:43 minutes per mile

1x400m interval
Time: 2:01.78 minutes
Heart Rate: 163 beats per minute
Pace: 8:27 minutes per mile

Comments:
I was more or less concentrating on doing a stronger mile and 1200m interval than last week. On the 1200m interval, I was put in a lot more anger in that one. Basically, I was berating Joe mentally on my last lap, calling him names, tearing him down, being that major assed bully. It was something that came out when we broke up and I was so angry at him where I became that bully and called him names and such. It drained a lot out of me where I didn't feel like doing a recovery lap. I just walked and took a sip of Gatorade. I totally felt so weak on my 3rd interval that I had to really gun my 4th interval.

Overall, I felt ambivalent on my progress. I wonder if my lack of running last week really affected my intervals today. But looking at my stats from last week, I maintained my pace on both the mile and the 1200m whereas today I dropped. I still haven't gotten to the point where I totally work towards threshold. I'm actually scared of that where I would end up barfing and stuff like that. My mile was faster yet my 1200m was slower this time around.

It seems like my performance is going towards a 29 minute 5K as opposed to a 27 minute 5K. I still have yet to learn pacing and going out slow. Maybe this weekend ought to do it when I run a 10K not a half marathon God forbid!

But back to the Joe thing, there is still a lot of unresolved anger brewing. It's funny how it came out during my laps today.

Uh, how many laps around Lake Merced? Monday, January 10

Mondays are general cross training days. So that means time on the bike. My original plan was to go down to Pacifica but Shelly (my cycling buddy) and I opted to stay in the City. We looped around the Presidio with a bit of rain coming out of the park but treated to a rainbow once we were in the Presidio. Then some nice hills and a few laps around Lake Merced. We ended up doing three even though I picked the number 5 (5 laps? Are you on crack?).

Then got home, made a veggie burger and some edaname and slept like a log. Why is it when I go for rides that I eat like a horse and sleep like a log?

Oh and here are some stats too. I didn't take my heart rate monitor but here goes:
Average milage: 11.5 miles per hour
Time: 3:07.37 (3 hours and 7 minutes and 37 seconds)
Distance: 36.46 miles

Finally We Get Some Running Done! Sunday, January 9

Long run today. I particularly love Sundays, especially when I have them off because I can totally go exploring as I run. I love running through different neighborhoods and exploring those areas on foot.

So here's the route:
Left the apartment down 17th, up Guerrero to 16th up Landers to Dubose to cross Market and continue on 15th Street to Sanchez to Haight, past Buena Vista Park to Masonic past Geary and Trader Joe's to Euclid to Arguello to Clement to 8th Avenue down to Geary and back to Arguello and hop on the 33 Stanyan to home.

Stats:
Time: 56.29:13 minutes
Total Milage: 4.69 miles
Average heartrate: 145 beats per minute
Average pace: 12:03 minutes per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 27:53 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 11:13 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 13:58 minutes
Best pace: 9:45 minutes

Comments:
As always, I started off way too fast which really caught up to me when I was running through the Haight and the last tail end of the run. I wasn't huffing and puffing tired but more of a, "Dude, why did I expend all that energy too soon" tired. I think that's why my pace is a tad slow on average.

I so have to train myself to start off slower. Kind of something to pound in your head for the time being.

I'm thinking about sessions with Curtis to see if I can get a Boston time. Probably not this year since I need to save up for my trip to the Philippines.

Shit I'm Lagging! Saturday, January 8

I swear, when the alarm went off at 6am this morning, I heard rain coming down and didn't want to go out to run. When I finally got out of bed around 8am, there was a patch of blue sky where I wanted to kick myself for not running. However, it's all clouds and rain and ick the whole day through.

This week was a doozie week. Didn't run as much as I should but oh hell, get back onto the bandwagon again. Hopefully I'll be well to start a fresh week.

Nurtrition bits: Now I know why most dietitians reccommend eating breakfast for weight loss. This morning, expecting a donut muffin at the Farmers Market (but with none in sight since Downtown Bakery from Heldsburg wasn't around) I came over to the AIDS/ LifeCycle kickoff party chowing down a lot of food and eating greasy pizza from Blondie's a few hours later. I'm not sure that makes a rather healthy meal but I did have a healthy meal with lo cal mac and cheese and the last of my beet salad. But still, I feel hungry and I even want to go out and get a bite to eat. Yeah, it's that bad.

Lesson for the day- EAT BREAKFAST!!!

Grrr...I want this week to be over! Friday, January 7

The original plan was to go cycling today. But today with one of the worse winter storms to put in down pouring rain and winds up to 40 miles per hour, that wasn't going to happen.

What was going to happen was a whole lot of sleep. I didn't even feel like running today. I was coughing quite a bit, not coughing up stuff thank God but a bad cough where I had to drink quite a bit of water to quiet it down last night.

Feeling a little sore from the laps too.

I want next week to come so I can do this over.

Track Overachiever Dork Alert- Thursday, January 6

Note: I will admit that I was a little overeager and did more 400 intervals than what was prescribed in the program. This is due because I lost my little post-it with what I was supposed to do on the bus on the way to the track tonight.

Without much further ado, here are the stats

Total amount of miles ran: 6.08 miles (the first two warm-up miles I was fiddling around with my watch trying to reset my heart rate zones)
Average heart rate: 151 beats per minute
Average pace: 10:50 minute per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 29:29 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 6:09 minutes
Time below heart rate zones: 8:24 minutes
(NOTE: the heart rate zone times do not count my two warm-up miles)
Best pace: 7:46 minutes per mile

1x1600 m (1 mile) Stats
Time: 9:12.72 minutes
Heartrate: 159 beats per minute
Pace: 9:13 minute per mile

1x1200m Stats
Time: 6:49.21 minutes
Heartrate: 157 beats per minute
Pace: 9:13 minute per mile

1st 400m interval stat
Time: 2:00.78 minutes
Heartrate: 157 beats oer minute
Pace: 8:23 minute per mile

2nd 400m interval stat
Time: 2:06.77 minutes
Heartrate: 158 beats per minute
Pace: 8:48 minute per mile

3rd 400 m interval stat
Time: 2:02.90 minutes
Heartrate: 157 beats per minute
Pace: 8:54 minutes per mile

Comments:
I didn't really stretch. During my warm-up, I was more preoccupied on wondering how many laps I should do of each interval and what my heart rate zones should be. I somewhat guessed and put my highest at my 80% maximum heart rate instead of the 80-85% zones.

My heart rate in that zone during my mile intervals should be between 164 and 174. Obviously, I was below them and wasn't really pushing my max in all of my intervals. I was wondering because I was sick the last few days and haven't worked out really to my full maximum might be one thing. Another thing is that I really don't want to burn out too quick and take such a long time to recover. However, I discovered that I pretty much recover quickly if I do a brisk jog around the track once and usually about 3/4 the way around the track, I'm ready to hit the gas again. I honestly think the next level is for me to visualize that I can go a lot faster than I give myself credit for.

Let's see how much I have greatly improved: a mile ran back in 10-31-03: 12:20 minutes
Now today's mile: 9:12 minutes

Not bad- a good 3 minutes off my time.

My first 400m interval, the last 100 meters, I was literally racing with someone that was in my lane. Now I gunned on the gas but I really paid during the second interval in which I was slower. I saw that my pace got slower each time. It should be more of the reverse, the pace gets faster in each later interval. And because I really didn't stretch, I felt the ache in my right hip, the same ache I had when I fell and trained for the Chicago Marathon.

During my track time, I visualized myself being the track bunny, the speed demon, the jackrabbit of all my high school peers who are probably still overweight and have baby fat or fat from sitting at their desks all day long. I picture myself where Joe just looks at me and sees how fast I am. Although I'm not a big fan of getting to the track, once I get started, I get going.

***

Comments on diet: Yes, I want to take a bit of my journal time to talk about diet. I'm pretty good about eating healthy but lately I will have to admit that I have been scarfing down the fattening desserts and big cal dishes. The other night I was really craving meat and what I really wanted was a kabob over at the Mediterranian place down the street but it was closed so I opted for a chicken fajita burrito instead. I almost gave into having the cheese, guacamole and sour cream but passed.

I have to give kudos to myself for finally learning a good deal of portion control and drinking lots of fluids. This week, I drank a lot of peppermint tea to clear out my system especially when I was feeling sick and icky. I'm really good about drinking a lot of water. Funny thing is that I drink more water at work than I am at home.

Oh and can I say that beets are now my favorite veggie. Especially beet salad tossed with olive oil, lime juice, red onion and fennel and poured over mixed greens. Mmmmmm...

Ugh! When will this end? Wednesday, January 5

In lieu of my formal run, I just walked about a good 8 blocks (four blocks in one direction and four blocks back) from to and from work during lunch break. Didn't feel too great to run this morning.

Back to Running- Tuesday, January 4

Route: Go up Dolores, cross Market where it turns into Buchanan to Hayes, up Hayes to Divisidero up Divisidero where it turns into Castro and cross Market and go down 17th and back home.

Stats:
Total miles: 3.52 miles
Total time: 44:05.15 minutes
Average hear rate: 143 beats per minute
Average pace: 12:31 minute per mile
Time in heartrate zone: 14:08 minutes
Time above heartrate zone: 16:19 minutes
Time below heartrate zone: 11:20 minutes
Time in pace zone: 4:52 minutes
Time above pace zone: 0 minutes
Time below pace zone: 38:18 minutes
Best pace: 8:51 minutes per mile

Comments:
Honestly running does clear up your stuffy nose. Perhaps that is why my nose is always running when I ride. (ha ha!) But it was a great run because I just went out exploring. It was a little longer than I expected but I think at times you should have fun exploring.

Yet Another Sick Day- Monday January 3

I really didn't want to do this. I actually wanted to go cycling and see if I can climb the Marin Headlands twice. But waking up with a stuffed up then runny nose and a sore throat and going to work isn't going to do. Since I had the day off, it was lots of tea, a good dose of magazines and books and sleep.

So I only train five days this week. No biggie. I think with all my training the past few years, I've learned not to be so type A anymore. I still am but won't beat myself up too much if I have to take a day off. Your body is such a funny thing at times because it will be glad to remind you to take a day off. Even if it is in the form of a cold and an eye infection (I woke up this morning with my right eye all red and swollen and mucousy. Now that was tasty!).

I saw something on the Polar Heart rate monitor website about heart rate monitor training. I'll monitor my heart rate for the next three mornings then change my plans accordingly.

Ah so much to do.

Nasakit Ko- January 2

I was supposed to do a long run but decided to get more sleep since I woke up this morning with a stuffed up nose and a sore throat.

Poo!

Progressive Run- Saturday, January 1

Route: Down Valencia Street towards 24th Street through Noe Valley to Castro, up the hills, down the hills into the Castro and down 18th Street past Dolores Park and back.

Stats:
Total Time: 36:59.42 minutes
Total Miles: 2.91 miles
Average Beats per minute: 141
Average Pace: 12:43 minute per mile
Time in heart rate zone: 10:59 minutes
Time above heart rate zone: 15:09 minutes
Time below heart rate zone: 8:00 minutes
Time in pace zone (between an 8:30 minute per mile and a 10:30 minute per mile): 4:57 minutes
Time above pace zone: 0 minutes
Time below pace zone: 31:18 minutes
Best pace: 8:58 minute per mile

Comments: I found myself at least getting better in not trying to take off so fast. I still am above my heart rate when I start off so I figured it will take time before I learn to take it slow at first. I found myself really kicking it in at the end as I went down to the flat part of Castro on 19th Street. I was really gunning it home. In the same article that I am using for my speedwork introduction, I discovered that starting off slower than your goal pace really gives you that kick in the end. In the past, if I were to see around the corner where I am, I would kick in the pace then stop in a huff and puff. Now I'm not really panting that hard. Wowie!

Face it, I ran with somewhat fighting a cold and a hangover. I luckily flushed out all the alcohol sitting in my bloodstream by the time I got to work thanks to a lot of water and some decaf green tea from Starbucks. I'm drinking some tea now and hitting the hay tonight. Tommorrow I'm thinking of doing a practice run of the 5K that I will do in about 6 weeks.

Can't believe it's been a week since I had my heart rate monitor. Can't believe that I'm in my 3rd week in the program. Wowie!

As for progressive run, myabe I should set my hear rate to the longer interval pace that I have set. Something to try for the next set.