Cold-weather running

Between the cold and the ice-slicked sidewalks, conditions have not been conducive to running here in Minneapolis - but I did manage it twice. I'm looking forward to getting back to Venice, where I can wear shoes, shorts, a shirt, and a hat - and that's it!

Sat, Dec. 12 - 16 miles

Ugh, this is the most I've run at one time since the LA Marathon last May - and man, was I feeling it. It didn't help that we ran it at our very slow "aerobic" pace of 11+ minute miles, so we were on the road a loooonnnngggg time. Very hard on the feet and joints, but excellent training for the four hours plus it will take us to run the Marathon.

Luckily, we go to a faster (10 minute per mile) pace starting in January.

Venice Christmas 10K - personal best!

Okay, so I've only run 3 official 10ks in my life - but still, it feels good that I ran my first in 8.29, my second in 8.32, and my third, just last Saturday, in 8.13.

Woohoo! Of course, I ran way too fast the first couple miles and then felt rotten the rest of the race (weak legs, hot and pounding head). This was an attempt to get away from my usual method of being too conservative the first few miles and then zooming the last mile or two, but frankly, I have more fun that way.

I get the feeling that 10ks are not my event - I much prefer half-marathons because you have time to warm up and really enjoy yourself.

Note my weird thumbs - I can't seem to hold them any other way while running. Very silly. Oh, and yes, it was raining.

Roadrunners - up to 8 miles; still slow

The Roadrunners is trying a new training plan, building up the miles at a slower-than-usual pace for a while and then going back to fewer miles at race pace and building up the miles again. So we ran 8 miles at a very leisurely 11 minutes per mile, as opposed to our race pace of 10 minutes per mile.

I will miss next week, perhaps the week after, and then the first two weeks in November due to work commitments. ARGH! But if we really are going down in miles soon, it will be easy to do them on my own.

In other news, I ran the Santa Monica 5000 (but I did the 10K) on the 11th - did a respectable 52:54, which was nevertheless slower than last May's 52:34, darn it! I'd REALLY like to break 50 minutes on my next 10K.

LA Roadrunners back in action

I may not have been an energetic blogger, but I've been running all summer long -mostly 5 or 6 miles a run, about 4 times a week. Because I've kept my base fitness strong, I feel absolutely ready to move up to Group 6 from Group 7 of the LA Roadrunners (10 minute miles). We've beening running for 3 Saturdays and are up to 6 miles - no problems so far, obviously.

Goal - to finish the 2010 LA Marathon in under 4 hours 15 minutes.

Stadium to the Sea in 2010!

The LA City Council voted yesterday to put on the Marathon on a Sunday in March (booya, religious leaders) and to change the course to a point-to-point one, going from Dodger Stadium to the sea (hopefully Venice...). Woot!

I've been running about 5 miles every other day, including when I was in Davis and Oakland last week. Feeling pretty good while running, despite heat and lack of sleep.

lots of running in Minneapolis

I went on three runs around various lakes while in Minneapolis - from 5 to 7 miles long. Twice I ran to and then around Lake Calhoun, but once I also ran around Lake of the Isles.

Very very pleasant, but I love my ocean breezes...

Back in Venice, I've had one 5 mile run since getting back. It may be time to hike up the mileage a tad...

Falling behind on blogging, but not running...

I've done three 5 or 6 mile runs, plus a 16-mile bike ride, since I wrote last - so the running is going well. The blogging - not so much.

Back to my regular schedule, minus grueling Saturdays

I've been running about every two to three days, always 5 or 6 miles. My legs feel just fine and I've even begun to speed up again - after beginning to worry that I'd never break that sturdy, slow 10:30 Marathon pace.

My goal is to train steadily for speed, not distance, all summer. When I join up with the Roadrunners again in August, I'll run with Group 6, which has a 10 minute per mile pace, rather than 10:30 Group 7. Who knows, maybe I'll even move up to Group 5 after the holidays (although that seems rather unlikely).

Had a nice hike today - about 9 long miles. My feet and hips hurt, but the weather was absolutely perfect.

Sat. May 30 - 5 miles

This was my first run post-marathon. I've felt fine, leg-wise, for a few days so I was quite eager to lace on my new running shoes and hit the pavement. However, there is clearly still a bit of healing to do - by mile 4, my thighs ached and my right hip was sore, something unheard of in such a short and slow run. Still, it felt really, really great. I wore my new Marathon t-shirt!

My Marathon video - highly shortened version

Almost recovered - and some pix

After several days of walking like a penguin, my legs are finally recovering. I can actually sit down without having to use my arms to lower myself down! I went for a nice walk yesterday and should be ready for a very mild run tomorrow (in my new post-Marathon running shoes).

Here are some photos of the last pre-LA Marathon LA Roadrunners training run - group 7, natch.

How I've been spending my Saturdays

WOOOO! I'm a Marathoner!!

I finished the LA Marathon in 4 hours and 32 minutes! It was all fun and exciting, with plenty to look at along the route - until about mile 22, when the sheer agony in my legs and feet began to suck much of my enjoyment from the run. I felt like I was staggering the last four miles, although I think it was mostly in my head - my form stayed more-or-less a run or at least a trot. Never needed to fall to my knees and crawl, anyway - and I didn't walk, either.

Now my legs, and particularly the front of my thighs, are aching so much that I limp when I walk - and I have to carefully lower myself down when I sit. It was HELL walking down the Library Steps (the escalator was out of order, natch) on my way back to my car - I had to use the handrail and limp down like an old lady.

Still - all worth it! And as soon as the ache wears off and I can't quite remember how agonizing those last few miles were, I'll be raring to do it again. Sort of like childbirth...

Dorky Marathon movie to come soon!

Wed. May 20 - 3 miles?

This was such a tiny little run, I didn't even bother to measure it. We were officially told by our pace leaders to "chill" and so that's what I'm doing. I'll take one more very short run on Friday and then that's it until the Big Day.

Sun. May 19 - biked 16 miles

Decided to throw a little cross-training into the mix... felt great.

Sat. May 16 - 8 miles

Our last Roadrunner run of the season! This was a 'happy run' - just 8 easy miles, with lots of phot0-taking along the way. Great vibe - we're ready!

May 13 - 4.5 miles

Another short run as I taper down. Next comes the 8-mile "happy run" on Saturday, a few little runs next week, and then - MARATHON!

May 11 - 3 miles

Well yeah - I'm tapering down, you see! And this little run was so short and sweet that I really did feel gazelle-like for once.

Saturday, May 9 - 15 miles

I'm happy to report that this run was enjoyable, pain-free, and as "effortless" as a 15-mile run can be. We're tapering down from now on, with our next Saturday run on the 16th being only an 8-mile fun run.

I feel ready for the Big M!

May 6 - 3 miles (if that)

Oh, very bad run indeed! My shins felt sore from the get-go, and soon my entire legs were burning. I had unnerving flashbacks to last summer, when a mysterious shin/ankle injury kept me from running for several months - so I cut my run short and walked the last half-mile home.

I'm hoping that a rest on Thursday and Friday will appease my legs in time for Saturday's 15-miler.

May 5 - 5 miles

Went slow, as last weekend was tough on my legs. Felt fine, though I had no inclination to go any faster than absolutely necessary.

Update on Santa Monica Classic

My tag time was 52 minutes 34 seconds - that's a pace of 8 minutes 29 seconds per mile.

Woohoo!

Feel like I could do it a bit faster - perhaps if I weren't training for a Marathon just a few weeks away!

Two weeks of running

Oh wow, I haven't posted in almost two weeks, but luckily I haven't been falling behind in my running. I can't remember what I ran during the week of April 20, but it was probably two or three days of 5 to 6 mile runs.

Saturday, April 25 - 20 miles! This was our second 20 miler, and it was even tougher than the one two weeks before, at least for me. I didn't get that awful muscle cramp in my right shin - in fact, my feet and legs felt fine, considering - but I was suffering from bad hay fever and it made me feel weak (not to mention very drippy). But I stayed with the group, just barely. It's somewhat heartening to know that I can run 20 miles even feeling like crap.

Monday, April 27 - 4.5 miles. Felt I needed to have a mellow week. Legs felt fine.

Wednesday, April 29 - 5 miles. Ditto.

Saturday, May 2 - 10 miles. This was great - a beautiful day and an easy 10 miles. Didn't have to go pee at all during the run, a first for the longer training runs!

Sunday, May 3 - Which brings me to today - the Santa Monica Classic 10K. It was at 8, which meant I had a leisurely morning with the paper and still had time to bike over to the start. I run 10Ks regularly as training runs (a bit more than 6 miles), but I don't run them fast, so I had no idea how to pace myself or when to push it. I achieved my goal - under 54 minutes, meaning a less than 9 minute per mile pace - but it was a bit hard. First I was going slower than I wanted to because of all the crowds, and then we were going uphill all the way to mile 4, which was about at San Vicente and 14th, but then it was blessedly downhill after that. Felt a bit light-headed, which was very unpleasant. Otherwise a fine race, especially considering it came the day after a 10-mile run!

Sun. April 19 - 10 miles

Left the house at 8:15 am - should have left earlier as it was a HOT day and soon the sweat and sunscreen were dripping into my eyes. That's the last time I go running on a sunny day without my trusty jogger-nerd headband! Legwise, I felt fine the whole way, although I did feel a bit light-headed at times toward the end of the run.

It will be REALLY awful if Marathon Day dawns bright, sunny, and hot.

Sat. April 18 - 5 miles

Got these miles in before work - nice and easy, felt just fine.

April 16 - 5 miles

Yep, keeping it nice and easy for this recovery week. My legs felt just fine while running, although my right knee feels the tiniest bit hot as I'm writing this.

April 14 - 5 miles

There was some residual all-over soreness but luckily no particular pain in my right calf. Didn't feel too bad, considering that 20 miles on Saturday.

Saturday, April 11 - 20 miles!!

I did run between March 31 and April 11, but it has all faded into the past - that's what happens when I don't keep up with my blogging. But anyway, it seems insignificant compared with the amazing 20 miles I did with the Roadrunners Lucky Seven group. Woohoo! Took us 3 1/2 hours (and man, was the last hour difficult) - and it felt so good to know I can do it.

My legs and feet were so sore that I could feel myself trying to run more gently, so as to put as little pressure on them as possible. The worst, though, was a muscle in the back of my right calf that I could feel tightening steadily during the last five miles. It was so knotted Saturday and Sunday that I could feel all these lumps in my muscle under the skin. Didn't run yesterday or today, choosing to walk instead - and I think it's much better. I do NOT want to injure myself now, with the Marathon only a month and a half away.

I'll miss next week's 10 mile run (have to work), but I can do that on my own. In two weeks we'll run 20 miles again, a run so essential that I've found a sub to work for me that day. And then we'll taper down, with only a 15 mile run in May and lighter runs until The Big Day.

I did it! I did it! 20 miles!

Tues. March 31 - 7 miles

Felt a bit tired at first but warmed up about half-way through and ended up enjoying myself. It helps that the weather has been so lovely. Lots of folks cluttering things up as a result, though.

Sunday, March 29 - 14.5 miles

Because I missed my group's 18 (!) mile run yesterday due to a work-related event, I was determined to run 17 miles on my own today. Nope - only managed 14.5 miles. It's so much harder to stay motivated on a long run without the group - can't wait for next Saturday's run. I'm feeling a little behind should be able to catch up. Legs, don't fail me now.

March 27 - 7 miles

Sore ankles and lower shins - otherwise a decent run and not plagued by the weakness of recent runs. Not feeling quite up to snuff, however.

March 25 - 6 miles

Really awful run - felt tired, weak, and sore. At one point, thought I'd have to walk home (didn't, though). Bleah.

March 24 - 5 miles

Legs were sore from Sunday's race but the five miles felt fine. Slow to moderate pace.

Pix and results

Woot woot! Here's proof that I was really there - and my results were finally posted on the Pasadena Marathon website as well.

Bib:
4543
Name:
Eva Mitnick
Gender:
F
Age:
43
Hometown:
Venice, CA
Overall:
670 out of 2974
Women:
185 out of 1654
F 40-44:
33 out of 224
Age/Grade:
58.51% Place: 408
Finish:
2:00:31 Pace: 9:12
Tag Time:
2:00:31
Gun Time:
2:31:05
10 Km:
57:15 Pace: 9:13

Sun, March 22 - 13.1 Miles

I popped an Ambien Saturday night at 8 pm, which threw me into a hard sleep until 4 am Sunday. Got up, ate a leisurely breakfast, put on my running gear, shoe chip, and bib, and headed out to the car at 4:40 am.

Damn. Flat tire. And I had to be in Pasadena by 6:30 am for my half-marathon.

AAA came quickly and I zoomed off on a temporary tire to Pasadena. It began to pour rain on the way - argh. But I made good time, taking a circuitous route from the 110 to the 210 as the Pasadena Marathon planners dictated - and then I spent almost an hour trying to get off the freeway at the designated offramp. By the time I got to the start line, I was at least 30 minutes late and the place was deserted.

I duly went through the start gate and ran the first 8 miles at a moderate pace, picking up slightly toward the end and really chugging the last mile or two. It poured rain - I mean really bucketed - during several points in the race, leaving everyone with soggy shoes.

Managed to put off a pit stop until Mile 10 - an achievement for me and my walnut-sized bladder.

I think I ran really well - but I can't prove it. When I looked up my time, it showed all zeros - except that my 10K split was up (57.15, with an average pace of 9.13). All I can assume it that my shoe chip wasn't read at the finish line. It's really frustrating - I think I ran better than my 2 hour 7 minute finish at the City of Angels, but unless I get an official time, I won't know (because I stupidly forgot to note my start time - which must have been 30 minutes or so past the official start. I did notice my end time of 2.31 - so I very likely did break 2 hours).

Anyway, it was a great day despite the flat, the rain, and the lack of an official time.

Thurs. March 19 - 7 miles

This was a slow and unpleasant slog - was tired, thanks to our incredibly noisy neighbor, and somehow had no energy. I'd much rather be having invigorating, fun runs in this pre-Pasadena Half Marathon week, but at least I'll have a two-day rest before Sunday.

I'm looking forward to the Half despite my aches and pains. The racing high I experienced during the City of Angels Half was so exhilirating that I felt strong and fast the whole way through, and I'm hoping for a similar experience on Sunday. It'll make up for getting up at 4 am that morning!

Wed. March 18 - 6 miles

This was a fairly fast-paced run, but I was plagued by stitches. All went away, but it's a worrisome trend.

Mon, March 16 - 5 miles

I really should have taken a nice long walk Sunday to stretch my legs, as they were still fairly stiff on Monday. Jogged with Dan, so my pace was a bit faster than usual. Felt fine.

March 14 - 15 miles

This is the longest I've ever run! It was a nice overcast morning, which really helped. Legs still felt a bit sore, but they carried me through all 15 miles with no problem. Woohoo! Of course, I completely cramped up the next day, but now I feel fine.

March 12 - 6 miles

Still a bit sore, but not too bad. Steady pace. Gorgeous day, with some wind to blow me home. 15 miles this Saturday!

March 10 - 5 miles

Bleah - sore ankles, felt weak and tired.

March 9 - 7 miles

To the Santa Monica pier and back. Felt graceless but strong.

March 7, 2009 - 14.41 miles

This is the most I've run, EVER!! And it wasn't so bad - felt about the same as 13. Woot! After a bad week, this was such a relief. We (group 7) ran from Windward north along the Boardwalk to the totem pole, east along Adelaide to 7th, back down San Vicente, then all the way south to the jetty, to Bora Bora and down to the end of Bora Bora, then back to Windward. Was sore all day but feel fine today (an off day, as we went to see Rent).

March 5, 2009 - 6 miles

I ran my approximately 6-mile Marina route (Lincoln to Venice to the Boardwalk, south to the jetty, then along Admiralty Way (turns into Ocean) to Venice, back to Lincoln and home.

Bleah, another dorky dorky running day. Legs felt heavy and weak and I had no impulse to pick up my pace - kept up an unhappy medium pace the whole way.

Today is an off-day and then tomorrow we Roadrunners will run 14 miles. Hope I feel perkier by then!

March 3, 2009 - 5 slow miles

My legs were sore from Monday's quick run, so I went slow and steady (but not slower than our 10 minute 30 second race pace!) and completed five miles without undue exertion. Had no impulse to pick up the speed however.

Mon. March 2 - 5 miles

I ran my 5-mile counterclockwise loop - more or less Palms to Walgrove to Rose to the Boardwalk to Venice to Lincoln and home. I hadn't run since Thursday due to being under the weather, but luckily it was just fine. As usual I forgot to check what time it was before I left so I have no idea how long it took, but it was definitely faster than the 10 minute 30 second Saturday pace.

Had a stitch for the first mile or so and legs started to feel sore, but nothing too bad - lungs and heart felt great, and I knew I could have run much longer.

It would have been 26 miles today...

This would have been the day of the 2009 LA Marathon if the religious leaders of LA hadn't managed to bully the city into changing the date to a holiday Monday. After city leaders determined that too many people have to work Presidents' Day, that left - Memorial Day! All the more time to train.

I've been training seriously since early September, when I joined the LA Roadrunners. We meet every Saturday at 7 am at my old elementary school Westminster Ave. and then head down to Windward and Ocean Front Walk, where we set off in pace groups. That first day was 6 miles, and we added a mile a week until we got to 13 in late November. Right about then was when they set the late date for the marathon, which changed our training plan radically. Rather than continue to add a mile a week, we have been running between 10 and 12 miles every week.

Now, however, the pace is about to pick up. Yesterday was our first hill-training run at Dodger Stadium - I missed it due to illness (shucks). Next week we'll run 14 miles, and it'll increase steadily from there.

I have been wearing a pair of Mizuno shoes - Wave Alchemy 7 - but I prefer the pair I had before - Wave Nirvana 3. When I next need a new pair, probably in early to mid-April, I'll go back to the Nirvana.

I started with pace group 8 at a race pace of 11 minutes a mile, but after I did the City of Angels Half in December in 2 hours, 7 minutes, I moved up to group 7 at a 10.5 minute pace. It's still pretty slow - my shorter weekday runs are much faster - but with our miles about to increase, it seems sensible to keep it slow and steady.