Well, I've gotten a bit behind with my blog posts, but at least I can report that I've kept up with my runs, and I have only one week left before the Irvine 5K. So far, so good. We went through a little cold spell up here in the desert, and I had a couple of runs in the high 30s and low 40s, but by Saturday (2/8) it had warmed back up again. I also started to battle my first running-related pain, a soreness in my lower right calf, but it seems to be getting better after resting Thursday and Friday. So here is a quick rundown of my last four runs:
Week 3, Run 3 (Saturday, Feb. 1):
Distance: 2.54
Time: 28:24
Location: Yucca Loma-Apple Valley-Ottawa Loop
This was the coldest run I've gone on, probably ever. I had been running Saturday mornings the previous weeks, but this morning I opted to relax and run in the evening. Little did I know the temperature would be dropping so quickly. When I stepped out the house, around 8pm, it was 39°. I walked briskly up the street to get my blood going. But when I started running I felt cold and stiff all over. The whole run was rather slow, but it was decent, given the conditions. I warmed up eventually. The route I ran was a new one. I started by running over to Rio Vista School then took Yucca Loma to the river, turned around and took it east to Apple Valley, then ran down Apple Valley all the way to Ottawa, and made my way back home from there. When I finished the temperature had actually gone up a bit, to 41°, but it was still a brisk night and I was glad I took the cold head on and still got a run in.
Week 4, Run 1 (Monday, Feb. 3):
Distance: 2.84
Time: 30:44
Location: Apple Valley to Paraiso and up to Cronese
This was another cold night, but not quite as bad as Saturday. My runs this week were to be 2.75 miles, so I did my normal Apple Valley to Sitting Bull route, but to get the extra distance I turned east at Sitting Bull and ran to Paraiso (the farthest I'd ever run on that road), and then when I got back to our neighborhood, instead of turning onto Nimshew, I ran straight up Cuyamaca to Cronese. It was a good run overall, but I did begin to feel that nagging pain in my lower calf. It would definitely be a concern heading into the final stretch of my training regimen.
Week 4, Run 2 (Wednesday, Feb. 5):
Distance: 2.89
Time: 31:34
Location: Yucca Loma to Cronese
This was to be my weekly hill run. So I headed out towards Yucca Loma, though this time I started farther west, by Rio Vista School, to get the added distance. I then ran 1.3 miles straight along Yucca Loma, up the infamous hill, to Cronese and back. My calf was a slight bother, but running downhill seemed to make it feel better. Though I was glad to be able to rest it after this run, for it was starting to feel like that would be my one big hindrance to feeling great at the 5K. This run was a good one. My uphill was slow as usual, but each time I run it it feels better. Another cold night as well, but temps would start to climb back up soon.
Week 4, Run 3 (Saturday, Feb. 8):
Distance: 2.87
Time: 29:34
Location: Apple Valley to Lompoc
I took Thursday off and Friday, and most of Saturday, so I had nearly three days of rest. And it was needed. That lower calf pain I'd been having was becoming worrisome, but the time off seems to have helped. At the same time, three days off can sometimes make it hard to get back at it. Saturday was a day of cooking, cleaning, and having friends over, so when 8pm rolled around, I wasn't really in a running mood. Plus I felt really full from our meal. But I knew I had to go tonight, it was my last chance to get run #3 in this week. So I laced up and headed out. The first thing I noticed was how warm it felt! The temperature read 55°, but it felt in the 60s at least. Compared to the temps a week ago it might as well have been summer. I made up a new route. I took Cochise around to Powhatan and got to Apple Valley that way, then ran north to Yucca Loma, turned around and took Apple Valley 1 mile all the way down to Sitting Bull, then east to Lompoc and back. The run started off rough. I wasn't mentally or physically ready for it, and so I started off sloppy and clunky. I felt heavy and my stomach was feeling upset. But when I started up Apple Valley I amazingly started to feel better. By the time I was cruising south on that 1 mile stretch, I had shaken the clumsy feeling and I felt my stride smooth out. My pace for this run was actually one of my better ones of late. And my calf didn't bother me too much. It's not 100%, but it's an improvement. Now I rest one day and then embark on my final week of training. I run 3 miles Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, then the 5K is on Saturday. I can't wait, and I hope my final week of training will work out all the kinks. It looks like the weather will continue to warm up. One thing's for sure, for a 5-week training regimen in the dead of winter, the weather couldn't have been better.
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