Rookie on the Run

Beautiful Lake Hodges Today's run was supposed to be ten miles... it ended up being shorter than that, but more on that later. I couldn't run with my group so I decided to do my run on the trails around Lake Hodges. Lake Hodges is in north San Diego County, about 15 driving minutes from my house. Lake Hodges was just one of the areas hit hard during our last wild fire in the fall of 2007. Several homes burned down and the landscape was blackened by burned trees and brush. The damage caused by the fires is still visible but there is regrowth everywhere. The flowers are abundant, the blackened trees have leaves, and there are little animals scampering around. It's beautiful again! Burned tree Miscalculations Poor me. I don't have a Garmin. It's OK, you may cry on my behalf. Would you like a tissue? I decided where I was going to run today based on a route I found on Mapmyrun.com. I've run at Lake Hodges before but only as far as 8 miles. There are no st...

Today's Stats Snuggles/Cuddles: 60 minutes (while watching Curious George and Oswald with 4 yr. old) Facebooking: 30 minutes in the a.m./ 30 minutes in p.m. Errands: Big 5 Sporting Goods, Target, Gas for Van, Grocery Store Laundry: Rest day Fun: Nature walk with boys, visit kittens at the pet store Run: 39.41 minutes (Trails) Wine: 1 glass Chardonnay... so far. As you might be able to tell, I got a lot done today. Except for laundry (putting away a monumental pile of clean clothes yesterday did me in). In actuality, it was a pretty frustrating day. This was one of those days when I just needed a Mommy Time-Out. As soon as my husband got home from work and I made certain my guys wouldn't starve to death, I gathered up my stuff and rushed out the door. Destination: Kit Carson Park's Trails Today's run was just the Mommy Time-Out I needed. Just me, my tunes, my camera, and half of my brain (the other half got lost somewhere in the dirty clothes pile... I...

I did it! I ran today, after more than a week off. My knee/leg did not feel 100% but I figured I could always stop if I needed to. I started out with a longer-than-usual warm up walk. When I did start running, it felt awkward at first. I felt stiff and hesitant about putting weight on my knee. Once I got into the flow of it, I felt good. Dirt Lover! I decided to give one of our local parks a try. They have lots of walkways and trails. I kept to the trails as much as possible since it feels better on my joints. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were a few different trails to choose from and it was hard to stick to the shorter trails. The routes I chose were pretty flat, with only a few small hills. Speaking of Hills... I used to dread hills. I avoided them as much as possible. Now for some strange reason I like running up hills. OK, I'm not talking about huge, steep hills... yet... but I do like the way my legs feel when I run up a manageable hill. I don'...

The good news is... My knee/leg is feeling lots better but I'm still giving it a rest. I enjoyed a belated 14 year anniversary dinner with my hubby last night (the kiddos had a Grandma's house sleep-over). I got to sleep in this morning... something I haven't done in a very long time! It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday and the house is quiet... the boys are still at Grandma's. I am catching up on my fellow runners' blogs. The bad new is... I had to miss our 14-mile group run this morning. I feel lazy & fat. My Asics Kayano 15's are gathering dust. The best news is... The good news out-numbers the bad news ! Also... I'm hoping to start running again next week. Maybe give the old knee a try on Monday & see how it goes. It's been very helpful and encouraging to read your comments regarding my knee/leg. It makes me feel good to know that resting it and taking my anti-inflammatories will payoff in the long run (ha ha... pun intended). Have a g...

Alive and Kicking So... I went to the doctor on Monday. After a lot of poking, prodding, twisting, and squeezing (of my knee , that is), my doctor had no real answers for me. He sent me to get X-rays and prescribed an anti-inflammatory. My X-rays were normal so I'm happy about that. The doctor said he would refer me to a specialist if the pain continued after taking the anti-inflammatory and after giving it a rest. True Colors I'm glad he's the type of doctor who can admit that he is not an expert on sports related injuries. I also like that he didn't suggest that I just stop running all together. Other runners that I know have had this said to them by their doctors. Take It Easy I've been resting my leg by not running all this week. I still plan to not run the 14 miler scheduled for Saturday. I've been taking the anti-inflammatories. And my leg & knee feel so much better! I still have pain that shoots up my thigh if I put too much weight on my leg...

Thanks, everyone, for your comments about my knee. I'm taking your advice (and the advice of my husband) and will be calling my doctor in the morning. I don't know how knowledgeable he is about sports injuries, but I'm hoping he will at the least refer me to someone who is. I really appreciate what you all had to say. I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again... the running community is amazingly supportive! I'll let you know how the doctor's visit goes. And Mark, thanks for deciding to not buy that house for me. I'm certain you saved me from certain doom during the next big storm. :)

My Longest Run Ever Today was our 12-mile group run. This is the longest run I've done to date. I was wrong when I said in my last blog that we were going to run past Torrey Pines Golf Course. We actually went the opposite direction and headed north along the 101. In spite of the trouble I had been having with my knee, the run started out great! The tide was low so we were able to run along the beach (the sand was compact) for about a mile. This felt wonderful on my joints! For the whole run, I was able to run:walk 10 miles before I really started to feel the pain in my knee flare up to a whole new level. The eleventh mile was painful but I could still keep up with the running intervals. It's All Downhill From Here At about the twelfth mile, it was downhill for the rest of the run. I'm sure you know that downhill running is really hard on the knees. I was in so much pain by then, I pretty much limped my way back to my car. I stretched, iced, and drank my chocolate...

This is my little Sand Monster. Gosh! I can't wait for summer!! Running notes: My knee still hurts but I bought a band to go along the bottom of my knee cap while I run. It seems to help. I ran yesterday but kept it slow... for the sake of my knee. Tomorrow's group run is 12 miles along the coast. This is a beautiful area but hilly. If you follow golf at all (I don't), you've probably heard of the Torrey Pines Buick Invitational. We'll be running in that area. I'm going to try my 2:1 interval strategy for this run. I'll let you know how it goes. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Yesterday (Monday) I tried out the run:walk method for the first time. I ran at 2:1 intervals. Two minutes running, one minute walking. These were my findings: Made time go fast : Maybe since it was a break from my usual routine... I like to mix things up (this applies to most areas of my life). Surprisingly smooth : It was not as difficult to run-walk-run as I thought it would be. Faster Pace : I found that I could run faster for the 2 minutes that I ran. My walking was at a brisk pace, as well. Good workout : Probably due to the faster pace, I felt like I was getting my heart rate up and working my legs. Not a knee-fix : After trying this method, my knee did not feel any better than it does after a straight run. As I mentioned, my pace was faster using this style. How much faster? Well, my usual pace- when I run the whole way- is at about a 15 minute mile. I've never established this time down to the second because I figured it was enough to know that I'm slow. Ye...

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question regarding getting my butt kicked by the "Minute Walkers". After reading your comments and looking into the Galloway method, I decided to give it a try. I don't think I'll do the 1:1... that's a little manic for me. I'm going to try a 2:1 (2 minute running: 1 minute walking) and see how that works for me. I have a few reasons for wanting to try this. First, my knee has been bothering me since my 10-mile run two Saturdays ago. Second, we have a 12-miler coming up this Saturday and I am very nervous about trying to run this. Finally, I'm ready to try something new, with the hope that it will be better for my body and maybe even make my time better. The main obstacle I have to get over is me . I have it in my mind that I'm somehow cheating or letting myself down by walking (on purpose). Intellectually, I know there is no shame in walking but it's harder to convince my pride of that. I'll try it...

Trail Fix Our group run today was 8 miles along a lake. The best part was, it was on trail. There's something about being out on a trail that makes me feel at "home". Maybe because my family liked to go camping and hiking when I was a kid. I take my kids out on hikes/trail walks as often as I can. I love running along the coast for its beautiful scenery and cooler temperatures but the beach areas are usually crowded and congested with cars, bikes, and people. Of course, the trail has its own sort of traffic... other runners, walkers, bicyclists, and the occasional horse rider. But, there are no cars and the amount of people strolling along the route is much less. Dirt, Rocks, Views Today's run was challenging for me. There were a few hills and my right knee has been hurting since last week's 10-miler. I loved every minute of it, though. The dirt beneath my feet, the sounds of nature, the rocks, the view of the lake... so much fun! I was tired and sore at...

This is my six year old. He lost his first tooth on Tuesday. That's the tooth in his hand. He was so excited, he even let me take pictures of him sporting his newly- gapped smile! A Sort of Enlightenment I had an epiphany that night when I got to be the Tooth Fairy. I've been a Mommy for over six years but often don't feel like much of a grown-up, myself. There are moments, however, in my Mommyhood when I feel like a grown-up... like a parent . For example, the first time I had to fight the school traffic jam in order to drop my son off at school~ it felt like such a grown-up thing to do. Playing Tooth Fairy made me feel like that too. As I quietly exchanged my son's tooth for a 1974 Silver Dollar, I felt mature. I felt responsible. I felt like a parent. I felt like MY parents! I think those are the times when I truly feel grown-up... when I find myself doing some of the things my own parents did for me . Now, before you call CPS and report me as an admit...

As a woman who runs alone, I am constantly aware of my surroundings. You just can't be too careful, I guess. These are the things I look out for while I run: Big white vans Dog poop Killer bees Drunk drivers Stupid drivers Skateboarders Coyotes Stray dogs Crows sitting above me on tree branches Horse poop Rattle Snakes (on trails) Aside from stupid drivers and poop of all sorts, I'm happy to say I have not encountered any of these possibilities... until today. I live in an area of San Diego County that has a lot of open spaces. Near my home there are hills, open fields, and avocado groves. As a result, we also have a lot of coyotes. Mostly they come out at night and their prey usually consists of bunnies, gophers, cats, and other small animals. It seems that they are becoming more bold these days as more and more people move into their stomping grounds. It's not uncommon to see them in the daytime, wandering around on the outskirts of populated neighborhoods. I was abo...

It's been a few days since my Saturday run but I've been so busy enjoying our beautiful weather, I haven't had a chance to blog. Here's a Quickie About How Saturday Went We showed up late for our group run... we got lost due to a freeway closure. Since my pace group was already on the road, I didn't take enough time to stretch or warm up before the run. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous !! There were quite a few hills. My muscles felt like lead... probably because I didn't stretch much or warm-up. The weather was perfect!! My new shoes felt great! It was a loooooong 10 miles. Did I mention the scenery was gorgeous ? I went thigh-deep into the ocean after my run. It was cold and it felt so good! To sum it all up, it was a tough run but the weather was unbelievable and La Jolla is one of my favorite places. I was actually distracted by the scenery and found it difficult to keep my mind on running. Next Saturday, we cut back back to 8 miles. My last 8-mile run...