Slowly but Surely

between family time, soccer coaching, and working around the house (two at this time because i'm trying to fix up the rental, which thankfully is now rented but still need some minor repairs), anytime i get to put in a run, swim, or bike is always a treat. yesterday's 30 minute run in and out of pebble beach was great in that i discovered another route to run on but i still lumbered along in the 9 min/mi pace. today's run to home depot, however, was a lot better. i did a 3.5 mile segment at 8:04/mi! could it be the shoes? i knew i made my goal pace of 8:30, but i was pleasantly surprised when i downloaded the data. at only the end of my second week of training, it sure is a boost of confidence and i am starting to enjoy running more. doing the almost 7 miles running and walking in less than an hour was also a surprise. i was supposed to do a 90 min run/walk, but i had to fix the garbage disposal at the other house, so whatever.
i just checked the couch potato challenge schedule for 2009. since i will be taking the land surveying exams next year, the end of april is going to be especially hectic. sea otter classic on the 18th (race) and 19th (century), the exams on the 24th and 25th, the big sur marathon on the 26th, and then wildflower the weekend after. we'll see how far i can push it.

New Swimming and Running Techniques

another morning bike and night swim day. i'm trying to learn the fish swimming technic and getting more comfortable in the water. maybe it's the fins (i didn't think they'd make that much difference).
so yesterday, i ran home in my new brooks beast and at about mile 1, my shins were killing me to the point where walking was painful. unfortunately, that means i had 3 miles to go and i can't stop because i was meeting somebody to show the house. after walking it off for 6 minutes, i proceeded to run again, this time with a forefoot strike. lo and behold, the pain went away. being wary that it's a new form, i didn't want to push it and only ran for another mile and a half. the lower part of my leg (below the calf) were feeling strained. walked again for 2 minutes and attacked a 1/2 mile hill forefoot. i finished relatively pain free. i'll try running that way again and see if it's for real.

Small Town Livin'

every once in a while i am reminded why i decided to live in a small town like pacific grove and tonight was a good example. i decided to ride my bike from work and take the 8-mile long route home. made dinner and enjoyed some time with my family. it's fall break for the kids, so i didn't have to come home for lunch to drop the kids off to preschool, which means i was able to go to the gym and work out at lunch time. that also means i didn't see the kids all day, so the catching up was a little longer than usual. but i digress.

after dinner, i hopped on the bike again and headed to the sports center for the endurance swim class. i am still training for triathlons afterall. my wife is nice enough to let me do this despite all my other obligations. after about an hour and half of swimming (the instructor is great, by the way. she's the same gal who does the triathlon training), i hopped back on the bike for a lazy ride home. it's harvest moon so it's bright out, the weather is relatively warm, and its clear. along the rec trail, which runs by the bay, i can hear the sea lions and the waves lapping the beach. the moon's reflection on the bay was priceless. i stopped by the grocery to pick up some fruits and lettuce and continued on my way home. i passed by a family of deers just hanging out on the side of the road as i ride by a neighborhood of quaint victorians. it's quiet. no cars. it's 9:00 and everything is still. ok, i admit, i sometimes i call my town pacific grave for the same reasons. but tonight was perfect. just me and my thoughts...thankful that i live here.

8 Minute Mile is the Goal

today, i ran 6 miles in 56 minutes from my house around the point to the aquarium and back on the trail; a little over 9 min/mile. that's the longest i've ever ran continually in my life! my cardio was ok and could have gone more but my legs (shin and calves) and feet started to hurt. i thought the shoes (avias) were good during my 20 minute easy runs, but they may not be as good as the miles pile on. or maybe, i'm just not use to the mileage yet. i tried my brooks beast yesterday for a 25 minute easy and my plantar fascia (in both feet) started to hurt about halfway through so i had to put my orthotics back on (might have been because i had the orthotics on all day?). good thing i had lyndsey, who has become my personal trainer, come along for the ride and carry them and my water bottle in her basket. so far, my feet are a little sore...hopefully they'll be better tomorrow.

today, i ran with the marine corp cadence (with leslie's old mp3 player) about the first two miles and it was quite cool to sing along, it makes running easier because it paces you...it was dorky cool and makes me want to join the marines.

Big Sur Marathon

the big sur international marathon is april 26, 2009. today, i officially started the first day of training. i also watched, attempted to watch, a running video (running revolution) last night, but it was so boring, i actually dozed off after about 5 minutes. i've also been combing the internet for various tips on running form. i am flat footed and have always been told that long distance running will be nearly impossible, and that's the reason why i'm running the marathon. needless to say, there's a lot of conflicting information out there, particularly in the area of foot strike. right now, i strike midfoot and seems to work. today's run with my daughter parker (she just joined the running club at school) was fairly easy and actually gave me a chance to pay more attention to my form. i felt a lot more comfortable and seemed like i could run forever (then again, i was pacing my 7 year old daughter).
anyway, i'm still riding with the gtr crew mwf and on weekends. ironically, i feel like i'm in top form and feel pretty good in the rides, although it's still hard to get up for the 6:00 rides. eventually, after soccer season is over, i will sign up to take beginning endurance swimming to get ready for wildflower. i'm gunning for the olympic distance.

PG Triathlon

so it's been awhile, been busy with work and life as we know it. i still have to blog about the pacific grove triathlon. boy it was a blast! definitely the first of many. i am already looking forward to next year as a redemption.

i did so bad in the swim leg it still eats at me looking back. somehow, once I got in the water, i can't seem to get my breathing underwater. whether it was the adrenaline, panic attack, or the kelp, i don't know. all i know is that i finished and at this point, that's all that matters. i clocked in at 1:17, which allows for a LOT of room for improvement. the bike leg was my only redemption (no big surprise there) and actually made up a lot of time. then came the run, with my flat feet, it's like slapping spatulas on a pan. it was the slowest 2 miles i've ever ran! might as well have walked it. actually, i can't seem to pace myself, which was my biggest obstacle the entire event. it was definitely an on-the-job-training. next year's goal is 1:05.

after the triathlon, i set my sights on the big sur half marathon and started training for it, but as luck would have it, life, once again, took over. i haven't run in almost 2 weeks now.

maybe i'll just go ahead sign up for the big sur marathon.