Running Track

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:11

For my last run of the week, I knew I wanted to do something different. I've been getting pretty tired of my neighborhood route -- I run it probably 90% of the time. It's obviously easier to simply walk out my front door and begin my run, but running around a neighborhood gets old, and when it comes to distance running, monotony can be a dangerous motivation killer. Therefore I resolved to run something completely different today. After considering some new routes, I decided to attempt to run on a track, as that is something I've yet to do since beginning my training in May. The track up at Granite Hills High School is almost always closed (as are most school tracks), so I decided to try out the track at Apple Valley Middle School, about 2 miles south of our house. When I got there I saw that this track was just as inaccessible. A chain link fence surrounded all the athletic fields. But after driving around the school I noticed one fence opened just enough for me to squeeze through. Apple Valley Middle School is actually no longer a functioning school, having been closed down due to budget cuts and poor academic performance. So walking through the abandoned campus was rather eerie as the sun began to set and the shadows grew. I had to squeeze through yet another fence to get to the track, but I eventually made it there. (The picture above was taken looking east from the track). The athletic fields, though strangely green in the arid desert, were in obvious disrepair. The track was overgrown with weeds and pocked with rabbit holes. But I was happy just to have a track all to myself to run on. The evening was cool and clear, and a full moon was rising in the east. I was pumped to get my 2 miles in on the track.

The actual run itself, though, was a struggle. My back was bothering me again, as it's become my latest Achilles' heel. I pushed through the whole run without stopping, and I soon realized that 8 laps on a track becomes rather repetitious. In high school the longest distance I ran on the track was a mile. The only 2-mile runs I ever had officially timed were up in Lake Arrowhead and they were cross-country courses. But, at the same time, the scenery was new and I was glad to be running somewhere different. The run seemed to last forever. My mile split was around 9:30. My pace felt horribly slow, yet I ended up with a 19:11, which is actually my third fastest 2-mile time since I started running again. Had I not had the back pain I'm sure I could have challenged my 2010 PR of 18:16. The end of the run could not come soon enough. I struggled through the 6th and 7th lap and finally picked up the pace as soon as I felt the end was near. The Vitamin Water I had waiting for me at the finish line was the greatest thing I've ever tasted! After resting for a bit, I limped back through the campus to my car.

Tomorrow is a much needed rest day, and I'm greatly looking forward to Monday's run. Deborah and I are heading up to Lake Arrowhead to spend a couple of days in the cool relief of the mountains. Monday's run will have me dashing through thick pine forests and near the shore of the lake. I can't wait!

Preparing for San Jacinto

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:28

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm planning on hiking to the summit of San Jacinto Peak on July 30th. This means each of my runs is given greater importance. Tonight I ran a standard 2 miles around my neighborhood, and even though I didn't nearly match yesterday's time of 18:16, I came away with a decent 19:28. I'm still feeling pretty good with each run lately. My lower back has been giving me a little bit of trouble, but usually it's when I'm not running that it hurts. I want to get in at least 4 or 5 more runs before the big hike. And I'm sure after the hike I'll need a couple of days to recover.

During my run tonight I was thinking about the issues I've been having with my body. I know a lot of it is age, but more so I think it's the extra weight. My legs have never had to lug around 180 pounds before, and so it's been a struggle. It's why my feet hurt; why my back hurts; why my calves hurt. Since beginning training 2 months ago, I really haven't altered my eating habits. As a result my weight, despite numerous runs, has stayed the same. But my wife and I have just begun cutting back on fatty foods and making a more strategic effort to eat foods that aid weight loss. Today I had egg whites, fruit, salad, some vegetables, and lentils. By doing this I am adding another layer to my training. If my weight begins to drop I am positive my running will improve. Then I can finally begin adding mileage and going on real distance runs!

A New Mark

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:16

After weeks and weeks of stagnation and even regression, today was a big step forward. I set a new 2 mile PR since beginning to run 2-mile routes one month ago. My previous 2010 PR was an 18:47, set on June 29; tonight I shaved off 31 seconds by running an 18:16. My last run, on Tuesday, was a 19:56, so somehow in just 2 days I lowered my 2-mile time by 1:40! I don't know exactly why tonight's run was so much better, but I have some guesses. For one, I changed up my route. I've been sticking to my standard neighborhood course for quite a while now, and I'm sure I was mentally getting tired of it. So today I decided to head up to Granite Hills High School and run 2 laps around the perimeter of the school. The change of scenery was mentally stimulating I think. Plus, I ran earlier, around 7pm, so I wasn't running in pitch black, I was actually able to look around and see some stunning vistas as the sun began to set. Lastly, I never stopped. Very rarely, unfortunately, on these 2 mile runs, do I make it the whole way without stopping. I usually take a quick break at the half-way point, but I'm going to work on eliminating that now. Today I ran straight through the whole way, and I think it showed in my time. I kept a good pace, very steady, and was even able to muster a kick at the end. And what was really great was I didn't feel any muscle soreness or aches or anything. I felt pretty good throughout the run, with probably my biggest weakness tonight being my stamina. My breathing was pretty labored, and I accredit this to not running consistently the last couple of weeks. But I was just thankful to be feeling strong during the run and not hobbling on a bad leg or cringing with each step because of back pain. I hope tonight was a sign of things to come.

Like I mentioned, the views tonight were fantastic. The evening was clear and the temperature was perfect after a scorching day. The sun cast long shadows across the Mojave, and the distant mountains shown dramatically. I was actually lost in the scenery for a while during the run..... it was a nice distraction. The top picture is looking southeast toward the San Bernardino Mountains -- the setting sun made the desert brush rather colorful, and the near full moon was brightly luminous. The bottom shot is Granite Hills High School -- the perimeter of this school is a perfect mile, so it's a nice route to use when I need a straightforward and orderly course to run. It's also nice because the school sits virtually alone in the desert. This provides clear views of the surroundings, valleys, mountains, and sky. It's a peaceful place to run (as long as school isn't in session).

Smooth

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:56

Tonight's run felt pretty good. I purposefully maintained a slow and steady pace, preferring to have a nice and smooth run tonight rather than an all-out blitzkrieg that would have left me aching and keeled over. My current goal is to get my body strong and healthy and able to withstand running long distances. Right now I'm still struggling with 2 miles, and the past few weeks have been difficult due to the aches and pains brought on by sudden workouts after years of lethargy. So, again, tonight was all about feeling good, keeping good form, and getting back to the enjoyment of running. Even with keeping a slower pace, I somehow ended up with a 19:56, which, lately at least, is one of my better 2 mile times.

The summer outings continue, as tomorrow my wife and I are making a trip to Raging Waters to escape this intense desert heat. I may not get a run in, but I need to make sure to run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It's rather crucial that I get in as many runs as I can in the next week and a half, because on July 30th we have another big hike planned. My brother, my brother-in-law, and I will be hiking to the summit of San Jacinto Peak. This hike will be longer than Baldy and probably more strenuous, and so I need to be in as much shape as possible. Tonight's run was good and I hope that each successive run coming up will be better.

Vacation Blues

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 8:37

Tonight was my first run since last Tuesday. As I mentioned in my last post, my wife and I were venturing down to San Diego to get away for a few days. I was hoping to get a run in on the beach, or at the very least in Rancho Cucamonga while we stayed with my parents over the weekend. Neither of those things happened though. Our vacation ended up yielding no time to spare for a lengthy run (plus I would have felt bad leaving my wife alone at the hotel). And when we got back to Rancho Cucamonga, I lost the will to get out and run, opting instead to hang out at the house with my nephew Holden. Well, by the time we got back to our house in Apple Valley I was feeling pretty guilty. To be honest, I think the extra rest was good for my body, which had been hurting more than it should have been, and was thus preventing me from having any really good workouts anyway. But, rest also causes one to lose stamina and conditioning, and that definitely happened.

I ran only 1 mile tonight, mainly because I wasn't feeling motivated and I thought the shorter distance would get me out the door easier. Like I said, I felt more than rested, so I wanted to really give it all I had and not throw in a lackluster performance. The last time I ran a single mile, I clocked a 9:04. I definitely did not want a 9+ mile again. So I gave it all I had, but the extra time off really weighed me down. I felt too tired and sluggish. I was hoping for the low 8's, but I ended up with an 8:37.

I really need to get a solid routine going again. The months of May and June were great -- I didn't miss a single run, and it seemed like each run was better than the last. July, though, has been a month plagued by injury and busy-ness. I should be able to get my 5 runs in this week. And hopefully that will be my kick-start to push it into high gear again.

The Post-Vegas Run

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:23

Yesterday, Deborah and I headed up to Las Vegas for the day. I figured it would be a good chance to take a day off from running and have a good time wandering the streets of that crazy town. Before we knew it, though, we had walked about 8 miles up and down the Strip, meandering through almost every casino along the way. By the end of the day our feet were killing us. So even though I didn't go on a run yesterday, I gave my legs a good workout.

Today, though, I knew I needed to put in the extra effort, because tomorrow we're heading out yet again, this time to San Diego for a couple of days. I don't know for sure if I'll be able to get a run in tomorrow or Thursday (though ideally I'd like to get a beach run in). So tonight I set out on my standard 2 mile run. It felt only slightly better than Sunday's run. On Sunday I ran a 19:42, and tonight I shaved off 19 seconds and ran a 19:23. The muscle pain I've been feeling was there only slightly. I had a little bit of back pain, but overall it seemed that my body was handling everything a lot better. I didn't think I was keeping a good pace -- I felt too sluggish for most of the run, so I was surprised at my time. But one thing's for sure..... I'm not even close to being ready to increase my mileage. I was hoping to move up to 3 miles by the end of July, but I really don't think that's going to happen. I'm still struggling with 2 miles way more than I should be, plus I took a whole week off to recover from the Mt. Baldy hike. I'd like to get my 2 mile time down to 16 or 17 minutes, and as of now the fastest I've run it is 18:47, which is horribly slow.

I have no idea where my next run will be. Possibly along a beach in San Diego, or maybe at my parents' home in Rancho Cucamonga, or (hopefully not) back up here in Apple Valley. I love these freeflowing summertime agendas!

The Doldrums

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:42

The reason for this post's title is that I'm beginning to realize that I've hit a bit of a slump in my training. I'm not rapidly progressing as I was in the beginning. I have some good days and some bad days, and I never seem to know which it will be each day. I can't shake muscle pain, soreness, back stiffness, etc. Yet I know that as long as I don't give up, these "doldrums" will pass. I knew that injuries were inevitable, but it's still tough to deal with. I have to keep in mind that I'm only about 7 weeks into my training, and I plan on keeping this going indefinitely, i.e., years and years to come. My body will adapt, I just have to be patient.

Tonight's run wasn't all bad, but I'm still not feeling great out there. I ran a 19:42, which is a much better time than I felt I ran. I knew I wanted to get 2 miles in, but about 1/4 mile into the run I was feeling so stiff and achy (especially in my lower back) that I almost considered shortening it to a single mile. But I'm glad I didn't. I began to loosen up eventually, but the back pain and some leg pain never went away completely. As soon as I finished, my back stiffened up pretty bad, so I did some post-run stretching that I usually don't do.

All the negatives aside, it was a lovely night to be out and running. It's been cloudy up here lately, even raining yesterday, and tonight the clouds began to part, revealing a plethora of stars in the sky. After a day in the heat, it's nice to be out in the refreshing night air.

Tomorrow, Deborah and I are heading to Las Vegas, so I won't be getting a run in. I'll be right back at it, though, on Tuesday. I may feel like I'm in the doldrums, but the only way out is to keep on trucking.

Back To The Grind

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 9:04

What started out as one day of rest suddenly turned into five! As I mentioned in my last post, my body was beginning to fall apart on me and so I knew I needed some extra days of recovery. My last run, on July 3, was a disaster, as muscle pain prevented me from hitting any sort of stride (21:43 in 2 miles). And then the hike I went on to the summit of Mt. Baldy on Monday caused even more problems: strained calf muscles and a bad sunburn. I had no choice but to rest on Monday and Tuesday, but I thought for sure I'd be ready for action by Wednesday -- though my body had other plans. I still couldn't use my calf muscles without pain. I sat out Thursday as well. Eventually my mindset became one of patience and reason. I thought back to my pre-hike condition -- I was in severe muscle pain, I was stiff and tight all over, and I really hadn't had a good run in quite some time. My body needed rest, real rest, more than just one day. So I figured I'd give my body a whole week. I probably could have forced a run last night, but instead I went on a date with my wife to see Toy Story 3. It was a relaxing night, and I'm glad I was forced to take the a week off from running to let my body do some serious recovering.

But I knew for sure I didn't want to take more than one week off. After all, I had put in a solid 6 weeks of training, and I didn't want to see it go to waste. So tonight I laced up my running shoes for a much-needed run. It felt great just to get in that mode again -- to start stretching and envisioning the run. My original intention was to do 2 miles along my usual neighborhood route. But after stretching I realized that I wasn't 100% yet. That same lower calf pain began to resurface and I began to worry that I would be right back where I was a week ago. At the suggestion of my wife, I decided to cut back to 1 mile. I'm glad I did, too, because tonight's run wasn't one of my better ones. It was an improvement over last Saturday's sloppy run, but I felt more winded than I had been feeling, and I did feel some muscle pain again. I tried my best to keep a steady, quick pace, but my body was too busy getting used to the movements and motions of running again. In the end my pace was too slow, and I clocked in at 9:04, which is the first time I've run over 9 minutes since I ran a 9:12 on June 10, exactly one month ago! I'm not considering it a setback, though, as it's expected that after a week off there will be some time needed to get back into the swing of things. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will try out a 2 mile run and see how that goes. My only hope is that I can get rid of that pesky muscle pain in my left calf for good, for I feel like it has been my lone nemesis in my drive to lower my times.

Another motivator I have is that we've planned another big hike for the end of the month. We're planning on summiting San Jacinto Peak, which is taller than Mt. Baldy by about 800 feet. It will be a grueling hike, and I want to make sure I'm in good shape for it.

Running in Rancho

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 21:43

This is a belated post, as my last run was actually on Saturday. Deborah and I drove down the hill to stay with my parents in Rancho Cucamonga for the 4th of July weekend. On Saturday we met up with friends in Temecula to go wine tasting, and when we got home it was time for a run. I had mapped out a run around my parents' neighborhood (actually an old route I used to do years ago). But when it came time to run I was plagued with the same muscle pain that has been bothering me for over a week now. My left calf is the main culprit -- it simply doesn't want to get better. Because of this the run was a bit of a bust. The first half-mile, especially, was sloppy and formless. I couldn't get a strong and steady rhythm going. My legs felt tight and sore and each step hurt, so I ended up adapting my stride to compensate, which never leads to anything good. I was tempted to stop right away, but I forced myself to continue on. By the time I reached the mile mark, I was sure I was making matters worse with my legs. At about 1.5 miles I stopped, not because I wanted to, but because my body forced me to. I tried massaging my calf and stretching it out a bit. I continued on, and the last section of the run actually felt okay. But overall it was a struggle, and I knew I needed major rest to allow my muscles to heal.

I was concerned, too, because we had plans to do a big hike on Monday. I didn't want to injure myself or make my muscles so sore that I couldn't go on the hike. Sunday is normally my rest day, so I made sure to lay low that day. We had a 4th of July/birthday party for my nephew, so the day was spent relaxing and having a good time with family. On Monday I could tell the rest paid off, for my legs felt much better. The soreness was almost gone completely. But then we went on the hike. It was a strenuous 6 mile hike to the top of Mt. Baldy and back. My wife went, along with my dad, my brother, my brother-in-law, and his dad. We had a great time, though we were all exhausted by the end of it. I was extremely proud of my wife, who isn't a big hiker, but she gave it all she had and made it 99% of the way, stopping just shy of the peak. When we got back to my parents' house, we were beat, and we all ended up unwinding in the spa. My routine calls for a Monday run, but I knew right away that I wouldn't be able to do that. The hike was quite a workout anyway. Plus, I was sun-burnt and hardly able to move. I had a lot of soreness in my legs, but luckily not the same soreness I was feeling prior to the hike. The pain had moved up to my upper calves.

The next day, Tuesday, I was still hurting from the sunburn, and my legs still felt too sore to run! I didn't think I would have to take Tuesday off from running as well, but that's just what happened. I desperately wanted to run, but after doing a "test run" around the house I realized it would be impossible.... I couldn't lift my heels up without a shooting pain in my calf muscles, and the sunburn was worst on the back of my legs, where it was causing my skin to tighten. I was a mess and needed more time to heal and recover. I really hope tomorrow will be better, because I don't think I can afford to miss another day of running.

The Road to Recovery

Distance: 2 miles (roughly)
Time: 21:00

I rested as much as I could yesterday, doing almost nothing physical at all. The previous 6 days or so I had overworked my leg muscles until I could hardly run at all. The worst pain was in my left calf muscle. After a full day's rest I do feel a lot better, though I won't say 100%. My left calf still feels sore, and I probably could have used one more day of rest, but I'm stubborn when it comes to routines. So I embarked tonight on a 2 mile run at Horsemen's Center Park, sore muscles and all.

Fortunately, I no longer felt the stiffness over my whole body that I was feeling earlier in the week. The run felt pretty good, though it was still challenging owing to the difficult nature of the course itself. The one major improvement tonight was that I ran the full 2 miles over the up and down desert terrain without stopping at all. Tonight was the third time I've run this route and it ended up being the fastest. (I ran it in 22:27 on Monday and 21:00 today). There was definite pain in my left calf, but it wasn't overbearing. I was able to tackle the hills confidently and my breathing felt good throughout. I'll probably never get "fast" times at Horsemen's Center simply because the course there makes it difficult to build any momentum. There are almost no flat stretches -- as soon as I build a good, quick pace, I have to run up a hill, or transition from dirt to grass. But I don't run Horsemen's Center for fast times, I run it because it is a fun course. There are no dull moments, no monotony of scenery. Tonight especially was quite nice. The sun was setting and the park was quiet and peaceful. At one point I even saw a group of California Quails scattering across some boulders.

These next few days are going to be busy, so getting my runs in will be a challenge. I may need to find some new routes in some new locales in order to avoid missing a crucial run. I am greatly looking forward to this coming Monday when my wife and I, along with other family members, will be hiking to the summit of Mt. Baldy, 10,064 feet in the air! The timing works out perfectly as these past few weeks of running ought to make the hike a lot more manageable.

In Need of Rest

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 8:33

I had high hopes for today's run. The aches and pains I was feeling Sunday and Monday had disappeared and last night's run felt great. I figured tonight, being only 1 mile, would be a breeze, with possibly a new 2010 PR. Yet, as soon as I started running I immediately knew things weren't going to go so great. I decided to head up to Granite Hills High School to run my mile. Last time I ran at Granite I clocked a 7:58, so I figured I'd try for another sub-8 mile. But, even though I no longer felt any back pain, the muscles in my legs were killing me. My calf muscles and lower tendons felt tight and sore and for the first quarter-mile I felt clumsy and completely stiff. I tried long strides and short strides, but nothing felt good; I simply had no fluidity of motion. Right away I knew I could forget trying to get any record times. By the half-way point things began to improve slightly. I didn't feel so awkward in my stride and I got a decent pace going. And finally at the 3/4 mark I was able to feel like I was actually running and so for the last quarter I gave it all I had.... but it was only enough to come out with an 8:33. Not terrible, but I should have done better.

I was disappointed with my time, so a couple of hours after my run I went to the gym with my wife to make sure today wasn't completely wasted. I did about 40 minutes of cardio to try to make up for the half-mile of clumsy running/floundering I did earlier. But tonight wasn't all bad. I ran around 8 pm, right as the sun was going down. The picture above captured the bright sun as it set behind the mountains separating Victorville from Apple Valley. As painful as it was to run tonight, it was nice to look out and see that desert sundown.

Tomorrow's rest day will be much needed. I'm pretty sure my leg muscles are suffering from overuse. It may not seem like my workouts are much on paper, but because of how out of shape I was, even just running 1 or 2 miles a night is enough to send shock-waves through my underused muscles. My calf muscles have been bothering me for days now, but I just stubbornly continue to push through it. Tomorrow I'm going to do my best to not use them at all, for they are in need of much healing.