Distance: 2 miles
Time: ?
Location: Mojave River via Yucca Loma
Tonight's post will be a short one because we're leaving for Switzerland tomorrow and I haven't packed yet! I wanted to make sure to get one last run in before leaving on our trip, so even though we have a lot to do tonight I laced up and hit the road for a bon voyage run around my neighborhood. Originally I was going to get 3 miles in via the Yucca Loma to Rincon Route, but when my wife expressed interest in joining me I changed it to the river route, which she wanted to do. My wife rode her bike while I ran. I decided not to take my watch because I wanted to focus simply on the joy of being out on a nice night with my wife, running and taking in the fresh, cool air. So I ran the same 2-mile route from Monday, but this time I ran it a lot better (though since I didn't time it I guess that's only a presumption). My wife hadn't been to the end of Yucca Loma to see the river up close, so that was cool. We didn't stay over there long. On the way back I really felt a lot stronger (my legs were stiff on the way out). By the time I got back to our street I felt urged to pick up my speed. With about 200 meters left I gave probably my best kick in a long while. Something came over me and I turned on the burners and gunned it down my street. I think I partly wanted to get as much out of this little run as I could since I may not run again for a couple of weeks (though I am hoping to get a run or two in while in Switzerland). Now time for packing! Tonight's run was lovely, but now on to Europe's playground!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
River Run
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:02
Location: Mojave River at Yucca Loma
Tonight's run made it 7 miles in 3 days. My legs are definitely feeling the toll of 3 straight days of running, and so tomorrow will most likely be a day off. Then I'm hoping to get a run in Wednesday before heading off to Switzerland for 2 weeks!
Tonight I continued my sampling of the runs around our new neighborhood. Saturday was Yucca Loma Road; yesterday was Apple Valley Road; and tonight was a run to the Mojave River. I was originally going to run a 3-miler that would have taken me out to the river and south along the river's edge down to Ottawa Road. But night began to descend and I was hesitant to run along the river at night when I don't know the terrain at all. So I shortened the run to 2 miles with the river as my destination/turnaround point. I enjoyed the run along Yucca Loma heading out to the river. Like the other runs Saturday and Sunday, there is a nice running trail along this road that makes the run much more enjoyable. The route goes by a school and then descends down to the Mojave River. When I got to the river there wasn't much light left. I was surprised by how lush it was near the river (it being the desert and all). Large trees and a ton of brush actually blocked my way to the river itself. So I had to view it from a distance. I walked around a bit just to check the area out. I determined to return in the daylight to explore this area some more because it seemed to be a very scenic place with lots of trails to choose from. I finally turned and headed back home, the run back being just as pleasant as the run there.
As far as my performance, it left something to be desired. My mile to the river was an 8:48 and my mile back was a 9:14, for a total 2-mile time of 18:02. It was not one of my better runs, but that was due to soreness in my legs. I felt really stiff the whole run, especially in my calves. But I was glad I got out there and checked out another promising route. I can't wait to really get to know all these runs well in the coming months.
Time: 18:02
Location: Mojave River at Yucca Loma
Tonight's run made it 7 miles in 3 days. My legs are definitely feeling the toll of 3 straight days of running, and so tomorrow will most likely be a day off. Then I'm hoping to get a run in Wednesday before heading off to Switzerland for 2 weeks!
Tonight I continued my sampling of the runs around our new neighborhood. Saturday was Yucca Loma Road; yesterday was Apple Valley Road; and tonight was a run to the Mojave River. I was originally going to run a 3-miler that would have taken me out to the river and south along the river's edge down to Ottawa Road. But night began to descend and I was hesitant to run along the river at night when I don't know the terrain at all. So I shortened the run to 2 miles with the river as my destination/turnaround point. I enjoyed the run along Yucca Loma heading out to the river. Like the other runs Saturday and Sunday, there is a nice running trail along this road that makes the run much more enjoyable. The route goes by a school and then descends down to the Mojave River. When I got to the river there wasn't much light left. I was surprised by how lush it was near the river (it being the desert and all). Large trees and a ton of brush actually blocked my way to the river itself. So I had to view it from a distance. I walked around a bit just to check the area out. I determined to return in the daylight to explore this area some more because it seemed to be a very scenic place with lots of trails to choose from. I finally turned and headed back home, the run back being just as pleasant as the run there.
As far as my performance, it left something to be desired. My mile to the river was an 8:48 and my mile back was a 9:14, for a total 2-mile time of 18:02. It was not one of my better runs, but that was due to soreness in my legs. I felt really stiff the whole run, especially in my calves. But I was glad I got out there and checked out another promising route. I can't wait to really get to know all these runs well in the coming months.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Change of Scenery
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 17:56
Location: Apple Valley to Sitting Bull
Tonight I continued my exploration of my new running terrain. I decided to make use of the nice-looking running trail along the north-south Apple Valley Road. I mapped out a 2 mile run (since I felt a little sore from yesterday's 3-miler) that would take me south through my neighborhood to Ottawa and then east to Apple Valley Road. Then I would cross Apple Valley to where the running trail was and take it south to Sitting Bull Road, which would be 1 mile exactly. Even though I felt a little sore from yesterday, once I began running it didn't really bother me too much. I felt I started out with a good, strong pace as I headed out to Apple Valley Road. Once on the running trail I slowed down a bit, but I was also distracted by my surroundings. This was a very pleasant run. The trail is a perfectly kept two-lane trail that is handsomely landscaped. To my left was a wide-open field full of natural desert terrain. Nice neighborhoods surrounded me far and near. I could see the lights of the city out in the distance. The air was slightly cool after a hot day. Everything was perfect. After getting to Sitting Bull I turned and headed back up to Ottawa. Just like yesterday, it was that last stretch through my neighborhood that was the toughest. I finished with a slight kick, but really I didn't push it too hard for the whole run. I got a 17:56, but it was my first time on this route and I think I'll do much better next time. One thing's for sure, I'm really digging these new routes!
Time: 17:56
Location: Apple Valley to Sitting Bull
Tonight I continued my exploration of my new running terrain. I decided to make use of the nice-looking running trail along the north-south Apple Valley Road. I mapped out a 2 mile run (since I felt a little sore from yesterday's 3-miler) that would take me south through my neighborhood to Ottawa and then east to Apple Valley Road. Then I would cross Apple Valley to where the running trail was and take it south to Sitting Bull Road, which would be 1 mile exactly. Even though I felt a little sore from yesterday, once I began running it didn't really bother me too much. I felt I started out with a good, strong pace as I headed out to Apple Valley Road. Once on the running trail I slowed down a bit, but I was also distracted by my surroundings. This was a very pleasant run. The trail is a perfectly kept two-lane trail that is handsomely landscaped. To my left was a wide-open field full of natural desert terrain. Nice neighborhoods surrounded me far and near. I could see the lights of the city out in the distance. The air was slightly cool after a hot day. Everything was perfect. After getting to Sitting Bull I turned and headed back up to Ottawa. Just like yesterday, it was that last stretch through my neighborhood that was the toughest. I finished with a slight kick, but really I didn't push it too hard for the whole run. I got a 17:56, but it was my first time on this route and I think I'll do much better next time. One thing's for sure, I'm really digging these new routes!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
New Terrain
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 27:43
Location: Yucca Loma Out-and-Back
After a hectic couple of weeks I finally got a run in tonight. I last ran on Thursday last week, or 9 days ago. Too long a break, but an unavoidable one as we've been busy moving all this time. I've been anxious to try out some of the running trails around our new house because I immediately noticed that it seemed to be a much more runner-friendly area of town. Out east at our old home there were no established trails, no street lights, and running was sometimes a tricky affair. But the house we're in now sits in an established neighborhood and a much more kempt part of town. There are trails along the main roads and a river nearby that I can run alongside. I went on mapmyrun.com to map out a 3-mile route and luckily there was a perfect route that took me east along Yucca Loma to Rincon Road (1.5 miles) and back. It's actually a route reminiscent of an old route I used to run in Rancho Cucamonga that took me north out of my neighborhood to a major street (Milliken) then east along Victoria Park Lane to Rochester and back. This route takes me north out of my neighborhood to a major street (Apple Valley) then east along Yucca Loma Road to Rincon and back. But this route is much better! In fact, this Yucca Loma route that I discovered today was far better than any of the runs I ran around the Powhatan neighborhood and probably the best run I've run since starting my training in May 2010..... with my run at Newport Beach being the one expection. And here's why: the view. The route starts out unassuming, through our neighborhood and to a large intersection. But once it crosses Apple Valley Road and heads east along Yucca Loma the trail rises steadily until one section where it sharply rises and then levels off near Rincon. The return trip then is mainly downhill with amazing views. Westward, Yucca Loma descends gradually down to Apple Valley Road and ahead is an expansive view of all of the Victor Valley extending for miles and miles all the way up to the San Gabriel Mountains! I ran at dusk so I could see all the lights of the valley and the sillhouettes of the mountains in the distance. I was so taken with the view that I forgot all about the pain of running. An added bonus is that along Yucca Loma is a nice trail set aside for runners, walkers, and bikers. There were people walking along the trail and everyone was pleasant and polite. It really added to the positive vibe of this run.
The run itself was pretty good. My time of 27:43 was much better than last week's 28:50. After a week off my leg pain was all but gone. My endurance level wasn't that great, but I felt pretty good for 90% of the run. The final 400 meters or so were tough, but I guess that's to be expected with such a layoff. Most of the run I felt good. I loved the up and down terrain. It kept things interesting. Even the long uphill was a welcomed change. It was tough, but it also presented a nice challenge to keep my mind busy. Most of my runs to this point have just been flat. And then the downhill coming back was a blast. It wasn't such a sharp downhill that my knees took a beating. It was just right so that I could pick up my pace but still feel like I was exerting myself.
All in all, tonight's run gave me a promising idea of what running will be like in my new neck of the woods. I'm excited to run this route again and to discover new ones!
Time: 27:43
Location: Yucca Loma Out-and-Back
After a hectic couple of weeks I finally got a run in tonight. I last ran on Thursday last week, or 9 days ago. Too long a break, but an unavoidable one as we've been busy moving all this time. I've been anxious to try out some of the running trails around our new house because I immediately noticed that it seemed to be a much more runner-friendly area of town. Out east at our old home there were no established trails, no street lights, and running was sometimes a tricky affair. But the house we're in now sits in an established neighborhood and a much more kempt part of town. There are trails along the main roads and a river nearby that I can run alongside. I went on mapmyrun.com to map out a 3-mile route and luckily there was a perfect route that took me east along Yucca Loma to Rincon Road (1.5 miles) and back. It's actually a route reminiscent of an old route I used to run in Rancho Cucamonga that took me north out of my neighborhood to a major street (Milliken) then east along Victoria Park Lane to Rochester and back. This route takes me north out of my neighborhood to a major street (Apple Valley) then east along Yucca Loma Road to Rincon and back. But this route is much better! In fact, this Yucca Loma route that I discovered today was far better than any of the runs I ran around the Powhatan neighborhood and probably the best run I've run since starting my training in May 2010..... with my run at Newport Beach being the one expection. And here's why: the view. The route starts out unassuming, through our neighborhood and to a large intersection. But once it crosses Apple Valley Road and heads east along Yucca Loma the trail rises steadily until one section where it sharply rises and then levels off near Rincon. The return trip then is mainly downhill with amazing views. Westward, Yucca Loma descends gradually down to Apple Valley Road and ahead is an expansive view of all of the Victor Valley extending for miles and miles all the way up to the San Gabriel Mountains! I ran at dusk so I could see all the lights of the valley and the sillhouettes of the mountains in the distance. I was so taken with the view that I forgot all about the pain of running. An added bonus is that along Yucca Loma is a nice trail set aside for runners, walkers, and bikers. There were people walking along the trail and everyone was pleasant and polite. It really added to the positive vibe of this run.
The run itself was pretty good. My time of 27:43 was much better than last week's 28:50. After a week off my leg pain was all but gone. My endurance level wasn't that great, but I felt pretty good for 90% of the run. The final 400 meters or so were tough, but I guess that's to be expected with such a layoff. Most of the run I felt good. I loved the up and down terrain. It kept things interesting. Even the long uphill was a welcomed change. It was tough, but it also presented a nice challenge to keep my mind busy. Most of my runs to this point have just been flat. And then the downhill coming back was a blast. It wasn't such a sharp downhill that my knees took a beating. It was just right so that I could pick up my pace but still feel like I was exerting myself.
All in all, tonight's run gave me a promising idea of what running will be like in my new neck of the woods. I'm excited to run this route again and to discover new ones!
Slogging It Out
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 28:50
Location: Mesquite-Nisqually-Joshua-Powhatan Loop
*Note - This run occurred Thursday, June 30th.
This was my last run while living at our rental on Powhatan Road. My runs on Monday and Tuesday were shorter distances and decent times, but I had to deal with a lot of leg pain. So I took Wednesday off to let my muscles heal a bit and on Thursday I set off for a much-needed distance run of 3 miles. I decided to run the loop around my neighborhood which I ran the previous Friday while my wife rode her bike. It's a good route with a variety of terrain to run on, though I usually don't run great times on it for some reason. Tonight was no exception. I took it real slow because my legs still weren't 100%. And I never really got a good, strong pace going. On top of that, I encountered a couple of stray dogs on this run, which broke my flow a bit. Luckily they didn't seem to care about me, but running by them I had to just hope they weren't aggressive and it was a slight scare. By the end of my run I was disappointed to see a time of 28:50, which has been my slowest 3-mile this year. Really though I was glad just to be out there getting in some miles.
On Saturday, July 2nd, we officially moved out of the Powhatan house and into our new home in western Apple Valley. It had been a busy week of getting the house ready. We had a painter there all week along with tile guys, carpet guys, and laminate guys. And this week to come we'll be busy getting everything set up in the house so it's livable. I may not get many runs in, but I suppose it'll be forgivable.
Time: 28:50
Location: Mesquite-Nisqually-Joshua-Powhatan Loop
*Note - This run occurred Thursday, June 30th.
This was my last run while living at our rental on Powhatan Road. My runs on Monday and Tuesday were shorter distances and decent times, but I had to deal with a lot of leg pain. So I took Wednesday off to let my muscles heal a bit and on Thursday I set off for a much-needed distance run of 3 miles. I decided to run the loop around my neighborhood which I ran the previous Friday while my wife rode her bike. It's a good route with a variety of terrain to run on, though I usually don't run great times on it for some reason. Tonight was no exception. I took it real slow because my legs still weren't 100%. And I never really got a good, strong pace going. On top of that, I encountered a couple of stray dogs on this run, which broke my flow a bit. Luckily they didn't seem to care about me, but running by them I had to just hope they weren't aggressive and it was a slight scare. By the end of my run I was disappointed to see a time of 28:50, which has been my slowest 3-mile this year. Really though I was glad just to be out there getting in some miles.
On Saturday, July 2nd, we officially moved out of the Powhatan house and into our new home in western Apple Valley. It had been a busy week of getting the house ready. We had a painter there all week along with tile guys, carpet guys, and laminate guys. And this week to come we'll be busy getting everything set up in the house so it's livable. I may not get many runs in, but I suppose it'll be forgivable.
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