Los Gatos Creek Trail Run

http://www.sjparks.org/Trails/LosGatos/LosGatos.asp
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1509430

Even though I was up north (San Jose, CA) to see my parents, I was still determined to do my long run. I ran 10 miles (5 out, 5 back) on the Los Gatos Creek Trail , a beautiful, scenic east-west, 10-mile paved trail that starts in Los Gatos. I wasn't sure how I'd feel after the killer ride the day before. My quads were shot but I just started putting one foot in front of the other. Pretty quickly, I settled into a pace. It always is easier to get going when it's chilly (mid 50s) since you want to get moving to warm up.

The musky smell of eucalyptus and damp earth filled the air. I smiled at families, runners, walkers, and cyclists, who filled the trail. Everyone gave me cheerful smiles in return, fueling me with positive vibes. I reached Vasona Park in time to catch a glimpse of the little train making a circuit with parents and kids on-board. They smiled and waved. A pair of white ducks nestled happily together on the other bank. The water levels of the reservoir were eerily low; NorCal must be going through a drought. Normally, the creek is a rushing rapid this time of year; today it was a low, lazy trickle. I feasted my eyes on the water fowl--Canandian geese, ducks, coots, cormorants, and egrets. A black cat stalked its unsuspecting prey in the grass, so focused on his task he was completely oblivious to my passing kisses.

I reached the turn-around and headed back, bewildered by how good I felt. I had been clocking my time at the mile markers and was managing a comfortable 9:30 pace. Not bad considering the bike ride yesterday. Parts of my body took turns complaining. My left knee, then the arches of my feet from my new orthotics. Followed by my big toe where a new callous was forming. I patiently blocked out each nagging ache and twinge, knowing it would pass and eventually grow numb. This little shred of knowledge, expectation, helped greatly in dealing with the inevitable agonizing pain of a long run. Oddly enough, climbing uphill felt great. No problems there as I surged up every incline. Downhill was a completely different story. My quads screamed, and I grimaced as I half-skipped, half tip-toed down each descent. My quads were completely shredded. Feeling a little fatigued, I popped a Cliff Blok at 60 minutes, even though I didn't feel hungry. Sure enough, a few minutes later, my gait felt easy and rhythmic. I popped another one 15 minutes later, and this took me home.

The scenery was beautiful. I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of a painting. The noonday sunlight trickled through the trees lining the path, drenching the grass in flax and the leaves in cornsilk, a stark contrast to their deep native green. The sunlight played shadows on the lush mountains in the distance, tinting them a deep plum purple lined in amber. I drank it all in, feeling a quiet stillness inside. I wanted to linger here just a moment longer. I exchanged a smile and a wink with another passing runner, as if we each shared the same secret to happiness. At mile 9, my body parts were no longer taking turns--they were all yelling at the same time. Knowing I only had a mile left to go, I dug in and pushed towards the finish. When I finally finished, I felt fully satiated, albeit slightly tired. Like all long runs, there had been lows and there had been highs, but luckily on this one, the highs had far outweighed the lows.

Badger State Trail Run

http://www.badger-trail.com/
Great Rails-to-Trails path.
Goes on forever (~30+ miles) in Wisconsin (north-south
Started at the trailhead in Belleville (http://www.badger-trail.com/belleville)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1488779

I ran this the week of Thanksgiving. It was in the 20s and windy. The ground was hard. I didn't realize how stiff my joints get in the cold. On the plus side, I didn't need much water, and I ran faster to keep warm.

The path kept going straight. I could see forever. Once I became accustomed the headwind blowing from the south, I eventually warmed up and found a rhythm, urging my feet on. No one was around. I passed 1 guy walking his beautiful sleek, gray dog. He was dressed in a thick flannel jacket and wool cap. He also was protected by a lot more body fat than I carry. I was envious.

I reached "the Tunnel." I had read about it but didn't realize it would be so dark. I ran right up to the entrance and then stopped, spooking like a nervous horse. I couldn't see the other end. Since I was alone, and I had gone about 4 miles, I decided it was a good time to turn back.

As I headed back, I heard several shots of gunfire ring out from a thicket of nearby trees. Deer hunting season had just opened. I was wearing all black. I started sprinting, the adrenaline causing my heart to pound in my chest. I've never run so fast. Even though sprinting wasn't going to help me dodge a stray bullet, it made me feel safer to run away from the gunfire. So, if you want to PR, run in cold weather, near the woods during hunting season. That's the lesson.

Berbee Derby 10K

Trails (Capital City Trail which runs east-west, just south of Madison--a 17-mile paved trail) and roads in Fitchburg, Wisconsin (near Madison)
only 1 hill at the end
very fun
will post the race report soon
(http://amateurtrigirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/thanksgiving-day-turkey-trot.html)
http://www.berbeederby.com/

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1488764

Favorite Rose Canyon Run

Hilly trails and roads.
Add La Jolla Colony for more mileage
Also, 1 lap around Doyle Park is 0.3 miles

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1488747

Lake Miramar Run

• This is a great run, especially now that the dam is open.
• 1 loop is 5 miles.
• Expect to see water fowl, hummingbirds, and several fellow runners.
• Because it is inland, it gets pretty hot in the summer. Temps are wonderful in the fall and winter.
• Plenty of bathrooms and Port-a-Potties along the way.

Soma Half Ironman Run Course

2 loops

Each loop is 6.5 miles.

Course is 90% sidewalk and no trees. Some cacti.

Penasquitos Canyon Run

http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/penasq.shtml

12 miles of trail running

guaranteed to have hills and be difficult!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1396686

Evening UCSD Run

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1350109


This was a great run, mostly because I almost didn't do it. After an exhausting day, I didn't make it home to run in Rose Canyon before dark. I collapsed on the couch for an hour before grumpily dragging myself into my running shoes and out the door around 8:00 pm

Running at night is fantastic. The air is cool, damp and refreshing. The ground is slightly moist and smells good. I can't see where my feet are falling so my vision softens, and it feels like I'm floating. It's so surreal. I do my best thinking during my night runs.

I finally started to perk up about mile 2. Jason accompanied me and was able to rally the whole time. He ran 6 miles for the first time since his illness! Already, I'm having a hard time keeping up with him. Not fair! The last mile before the turn-around was new for us.

We just kept going for an extra 10 minutes, not really knowing where our feet would take us. We ran by some dorms into the heart of the UCSD campus. A large square building blinked in brightly colored neon lights, seeming very out of place amidst the quiet, dark campus. Words like "Fortitude", "Lust", "Envy", "Anger", and "Sloth" blinked on all 4 sides. I'm not sure what was going on but it seemed like the 7 deadly sins were fighting with antagonistic attributes. Weird art. We continued running past the Giesel Library before turning towards the Rimac and playing fields. At the top of the hill by the track, we turned around and headed back. It was a very rewarding run.

Virginia Creeper Trail

Since I'm here--minize well enjoy the best of the best. This trail has been around since before our country was founded and is chock-full of history. Extending 34 miles into North Carolina, the Virginia Creeper Trail was once forged by Native Americans, Daniel Boone, Revolutionary War soldiers before it became a rugged mountain railroad.

Should be beautiful fall weather with lots of changing leaves. I will be sure to take lots of photos! Forecast is for lots of sun and a high of 80! Guess I'll be bringing the SD weather with me.

http://www.vacreepertrail.com/

Directions to the Trailhead
From I-81 South:
Take Exit 17. At the bottom of the ramp, take a right onto Cummings Street. At the second traffic light, take a right onto Main Street. At the first traffic light, take a right onto Pecan Street.

Start:
Parking lot from Abingdon trailhead (201 Pecan St.)
5 miles out along trail and back.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1347508

La Jolla Cove to PB 10-12 mile run

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1295819

A fun out-and-back. Planning this for Sunday am, 9/9.

Mission Bay Run

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1295856

We did this last Sunday. 11 miles of hot, humid hell.

Favorite Treadmill Workout

It may be boring but nothing beats it when you need to get a run in and let your legs recover. Here's my favorite routine:

1 mile warm-up--jog at base pace
1/4 mile 3% grade; maintain good form and rhythm
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile increase speed gradually 10%
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile 4% grade; good form and rhythm
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile increase speed 20%
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile 4% grade; good form and rhythm
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile increase speed gradually 10%
1/4 mile increase speed until all-out-sprint
1/4 mile recover
1/4 mile active walk/cool-down
Total miles: 4.5 miles

Weekend Long Run--Batiquitos Lagoon

Beautiful 10 mile run from the coast in south Carlsbad through pristine Batiquitos Lagoon.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1225547

Glider Port to Shores (Hills!)

Nearly died on this run but the flat part on Torrey Pines at the end is a nice reward! Be careful of your knees going down La Jolla Shores!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1216961

Track Workout Recipes

Cooking up some track workout recipes
By Amanda McCracken

May 31, 2007 -- Many people don’t take advantage of the benefits offered from workouts on the track – a set, measured, flat course that speaks the honest truth about your pace. What better way to measure improvement than a series of track workouts that change slightly as your fitness improves? Track workouts are like recipes, a little addition or subtraction of one ingredient can change the whole result.

The two ingredients I’m speaking of specifically are recovery time and volume. There are variations upon variations of the same basic recipes. You have to play with them until you find one that works for you. The following are three of my favorite track workout recipes for Olympic distance athletes.

A basic set of 4 X 800 can be adjusted as you progress through the build phase in your training. The 800’s should be run at or just below your lactate threshold heart rate or a perceived exertion of 7/8 on a scale of 10. Remember that running a little above your LT for an extended period of time, even by only a few beats, can do a lot more muscular damage and require more time to recover. Get more bang for your buck with a little control in order to allow room for subsequent quality workouts. The rest interval should be half the distance of the work interval (400 meters) and jogged. The 400 meters can be shortened to 200-300 meters rest as you progress through your build phase. The number of 800’s can also increase in proportion to your fitness. Being able to maintain your heart rate at LT through a higher volume indicates an increased level of fitness.

As triathletes, we must not forget to simulate running on tired legs. Instead of calling it a double brick workout (which sounds terribly daunting), I prefer to call this workout the quadruple chocolate fudge layer cake. You can decide which is the fudge and which is the cake. Set up your bike on a trainer at a track or other site with a measured, out-and-back or circular course. Warm-up on the bike for 15 minutes to spike the heart rate. Then, transition to the track for a 400-meter run at 10k pace. Transition back to the bike for a 5-minute ride in which you spin easily for 2 minutes to recover and then build heart rate to the 4-5a zone and hold for 3 minutes. Transition to an 800-meter run at 5k race pace. Repeat this pattern of 5 minutes on the bike followed by an 800-meter run 2-3 more times. After the last one, cool down on the bike by spinning easily for 10 minutes. This workout will take approximately 1 hour and should be done during the build 1, or 2 phase (3/4 of the way through your training for a peak race).

Another great track recipe, done with or without the bike, is a set of 6 X 1 mile at 10k race pace or slightly faster. The recovery should be a 600 meter jog or half the work interval time. For example, a 6-minute mile pace recovery would be 3 minutes. If you want to “layer” the workout to simulate race legs, add in a 40 minute ride prior to the run. Build up to zone 3-4 and maintain the effort in this zone for at least the last 15 minutes. Try to run each mile at about the same pace. Test yourself a couple of weeks later to see if you can sustain a faster pace for all 6 repeats. This is either a confidence booster or a reality check. Is that pace you were planning to run in the race realistic? Far fetched? Too conservative? Consistency is the key factor in this workout.

The track is one of your best training appliances – consider it your blender. Play with the ingredients and speeds, but be smart about gradually increasing volume and decreasing recovery as your fitness progresses. Be your own Iron Chef!

from Triathlete Mag
http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/Training/2007/Cooking_up_some_track_workout_recipes.htm

Five Excellent Track Workouts for Long Distances

Workout number one:

· 10 x 400 with double rest-to-work time

This is a fantastic workout for developing the ability to maintain technique and speed at just above lactic threshold. You want to do this workout based on "best-average" time. This means that you should be completing the 400s in the fastest time that you can maintain for all 10 of them. The time of your rest should be about double the time of your work. At the minimum, your rest should be 2 minutes, but should not really be more than 4 minutes. The last few repeats should be very difficult and will hurt as lactic acid is accumulating in your body.

Workout number two:

· 1 x 1 mile with 1:00 minute rest
· 2 x 800 with 1:30 rest between each
· 3 x 400 with 1:30 rest between each
· 4 x 200 with 2:00 rest between each
· 5 x 100 with 2:00 rest between each

With this workout you want to be increasing your speed throughout. You will start at your 10km race pace for the first mile, dropping to 5km pace for the 800s. The 400s will be done at your mile pace and the 200s will be done at 1km pace. The 100s are to be done all out. As the speed increases, so will your rest increase in relation to the work being done. While you only get 30 seconds more rest between the 400s and 100s, you are also doing one-quarter the work. Focus on perfect technique as the repeat distance gets shorter.

Workout number three:

• 4 x 200 with 45 seconds rest
• 2 x 400 with 1:00 rest
• 1 x 800 with 2:00 rest
• 2 x 400 with 1:00 rest
• 4 x 200 with 45 seconds rest
  

A classic pyramid. In this workout the focus will be on the 800.Unlike the previous workout, where you increase the speed throughout the entire workout, the speed will peak at the 800. You want to perform the 800 at your mile race pace, meaning that the 400 will be at your 5K race pace and your 200 will be at 10km race pace, on both sides of the pyramid. The second time through the 400s and 200s, you will feel as though you are going slower than the first time through them, but in fact you will be right on pace. Slowing down after the tough 800 will feel like relief.

Workout number four:

· 3 x 400 with 30 seconds rest
· 3 x 1 mile with 1:30 rest
· 3 x 400 with 30 seconds rest

This workout is to mimic road-race conditions. Often in races you will see people sprinting off the start. Whether it is by design or just a burst of adrenaline, the majority of people take it out fast off the gun. After a few kilometers they settle into a more sustainable rhythm, only to build into another sprint to finish the race off. Thus it is important for you to work the set of 400s hard. You should perform the 400s at a pace that is faster than your 5km race pace. The goal is to fatigue yourself so that when you hit the middle part of the workout you will be mimicking race day. The workout does not work if you sandbag the first set of 400s so that you can run super-fast during the mile repeats.
Now, the crux of the workout lies in the mile repeats. The 400s are just really to set your body up for running with lactate during the mile repeats. During this portion of the workout you will want to be running at your 10K pace, focusing on technique and rhythm. The rest for the mile repeats is a bit longer than it was/will be for the 400s. Upon completion of the miles, it is back to speed. The second set of 400s is to toughen you up for the end of races. This is where "guts" are built. You will want to run this set of 400s as fast as or faster than your first set. No excuses. Run your butt off!

Workout number five:

· Continuous 400s as 200 hard/200 easy

This workout is a continuous run. After a good warm up you will begin running 400s. The pace for each lap should be based on a slow 1km pace for you. That means that if you can run 3:30 in a race, then you should be looking at about 5:00min/km for this workout, which would then translate to 2:00min/400m. This means that you will complete each lap in 2:00 minutes, but half of it is an all-out sprint, and the other half is a very, very easy jog. This will continue for a time determined by the individual or coach. A suggested time would be between 20-30 minutes, but (especially the first time that this workout is attempted) listen to your body.

from Runner's Web by Lance Watson

http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20050309_LW_Track.html

Track Workout: Doubles

Always warm-up with an easy mile, followed by strides. Don't forget to stretch!

• 2 x 200meters (rest interval slow-jog 30 seconds after each 200)
• 2 x 400meters (rest interval 45 second after each 400)
• 2 x 600meters (rest interval 1 min after each 600)
• 2 x 400meters (RI 45sec after each 400)
• 2 x 200meters (RI 30sec after 200)
  
  Don't forget the cool-down!

from SF Triathlon Club (http://www.sftriclub.org/newsletter/newbie/run/track.shtml)

Track Workout of the Day: Mixed Intervals

Always warm-up with a gentle 1-mile run, followed by 1-2 laps of strides.

• Mixed Intervals:
• 400
• 800
• 400
• 1200
• 400
• 1600
• Keep the pace of each interval the same, slightly faster than 5K race pace. So each lap of the 800, 1200, and 1600 should be the same pace as the 400s.
• Recovery will be approximately 90 seconds between intervals.
• Always cool down immediately after the final interval with an easy 2-4 laps.