There is a reason my group trains for the Peter's Canyon Trail Races on Thursday evenings. You see, the actual races are on Thursday evenings. As I've learned in the past, something that you can run with ease in the earlier (read cool) hours of the morning turns into a trail of terror on a hot summer afternoon.
This was my Peter's Canyon run. High temps + hills + my longest run in over a year = 1:35 for 6.3 miles. Yes, they were hilly. Yes, they were hotish. And yes, they were disappointing.
Last time I ran this distance, my time was just over an hour. No it wasn't Peter's Canyon, but sometimes I can't get that through my head. Just like when I "ran" La Jolla. Everyone told me it was hilly, but I wasn't ready for a 2:45 1/2 marathon, the climb up Torrey Pines be damned!
After I had time to digest the, well, time, I realized it wasn't all that bad. After all, it's the longest distance I've run/walk in a while (I walked up some of those hills. If you've been there, you know which ones. I'm not a mountain goat.). I'm ~15lbs heavier than the last time I actually raced a 1/2 marathon, 30lbs heavier than my lightest, or as I call it my fighting, weight.
I figure my pace can only get faster and my distances longer.
6.21.2010
Goal Setting
As I set off for an unscheduled run today (the weather was too good not to get out), I started setting end of the year goals in my head.
1) run the trail around my development at any pace.
2) run the trail around my development at a 10 min/mile or faster.
3) do things that make me happy
I'm pretty sure there were more things, but those are all I can remember. Probably something about races and getting out and meeting people, I'm sure.
I can cross #1 off my list. I ran 1/2 the trail, even part of the hills, without realizing it. So I willed myself to finish. Seriously. Anytime my conviction was starting to fail, I just thought of putting one foot in front of the other.
I wasn't even supposed to run today.
1) run the trail around my development at any pace.
2) run the trail around my development at a 10 min/mile or faster.
3) do things that make me happy
I'm pretty sure there were more things, but those are all I can remember. Probably something about races and getting out and meeting people, I'm sure.
I can cross #1 off my list. I ran 1/2 the trail, even part of the hills, without realizing it. So I willed myself to finish. Seriously. Anytime my conviction was starting to fail, I just thought of putting one foot in front of the other.
I wasn't even supposed to run today.
6.20.2010
Peter's Canyon
I know I've been a bit scarce lately. I'd like to blame it on the bean, but that's not completely true. There was some cleaning that needed to get done and I couldn't justify blogging over cleaning, so I just watched bad television instead.
But that wasn't all. Some anger/frustration/despair came knocking. The triggering event itself isn't going to be discussed now, except to say it had nothing to do with my baby daddy. It just shows that you never truly understand how much your life is intertwined with someone until you try to untwine it. (yes, I know untwine probably wasn't a word before I used it. That's how cool I am.)
So on to races!
I signed up for the Peter's Canyon Trail Race series. I love the attitudes of trail racers. Yeah, some of the fast peeps are really hard core, but they're still very courteous. And this race is awesome. 5 hilly miles on dirt followed by a BBQ and hangin' with your homies! (I don't get to hang too much as I have to get the bean from his dad's that day. It's yet another reason to get faster.)
The thing is, I ran Peter's Canyon in 66:44. Back in 2008, I ran the reverse course in 59:39. I figure a 7 min (plus ~9 months of and a baby later) ain't too shabby. And I loved it. (PS, that was an iPod free 66:44. I had it on, it was just dead.)
I won't lie, there was walking on the way out. (I think the dust triggered my asthma, as there was a bit of breathing difficulty that I chalked up to me being out of shape.) And much walking up the hills of Devil's Crotch. But there was also much running. Down the backside and all the way back to camp. I probably ran the whole back 3 miles.
It felt great. I remember how running made me feel before. There were points when I thought I'd stop, but I couldn't. My body wouldn't listen to my mind. Finally my mind STFU and said legs, I hope you know what you're doing because I'm not going to want to hear it later.
This race catapulted me back into tri/running training. I want to do it. I want to get faster again. I need to train. It's helping me with my mom/Yas balance. I just need to get me some good, reliable sitters.
But that wasn't all. Some anger/frustration/despair came knocking. The triggering event itself isn't going to be discussed now, except to say it had nothing to do with my baby daddy. It just shows that you never truly understand how much your life is intertwined with someone until you try to untwine it. (yes, I know untwine probably wasn't a word before I used it. That's how cool I am.)
So on to races!
I signed up for the Peter's Canyon Trail Race series. I love the attitudes of trail racers. Yeah, some of the fast peeps are really hard core, but they're still very courteous. And this race is awesome. 5 hilly miles on dirt followed by a BBQ and hangin' with your homies! (I don't get to hang too much as I have to get the bean from his dad's that day. It's yet another reason to get faster.)
The thing is, I ran Peter's Canyon in 66:44. Back in 2008, I ran the reverse course in 59:39. I figure a 7 min (plus ~9 months of and a baby later) ain't too shabby. And I loved it. (PS, that was an iPod free 66:44. I had it on, it was just dead.)
I won't lie, there was walking on the way out. (I think the dust triggered my asthma, as there was a bit of breathing difficulty that I chalked up to me being out of shape.) And much walking up the hills of Devil's Crotch. But there was also much running. Down the backside and all the way back to camp. I probably ran the whole back 3 miles.
It felt great. I remember how running made me feel before. There were points when I thought I'd stop, but I couldn't. My body wouldn't listen to my mind. Finally my mind STFU and said legs, I hope you know what you're doing because I'm not going to want to hear it later.
This race catapulted me back into tri/running training. I want to do it. I want to get faster again. I need to train. It's helping me with my mom/Yas balance. I just need to get me some good, reliable sitters.
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