Anyways, back to marathon training. I was supposed to run 14 miles for my long run, but will only do 3.1 that day (+ any extra miles I run during my warmup/cooldown). So I decided to break down the other 11 miles throughout the week on my off days. After these crazy 3 weeks, I am definitely going back to the training plan and taking those days off, or cross training. I have been so exhausted (sleeping through alarm clocks and everything!) the past 2 weeks, I know it’s from running all these miles.

I mentioned on DailyMile how much I am enjoying running longer distances (at slower paces, but I’m ok with it). It just feels good to be able to run such a long distance, consistently too. We’ll just see what I have to say once I get up to those 20 mile runs. I may be back to complaining about running long distances after that. The splits for Tuesday’s easy 8 miles ranged from 7:56-8:18, with each mile only 5-10 seconds apart. I made sure that I didn’t run too fast, but not lose focus and slow down too much. It appears it was the right balance. Thursday’s speed workout was faster than expected. I was supposed to run 2 1-mile intervals at 6:13 pace. I can usually run that at the end of a workout so I didn’t really think it would be too hard. I got a little too ambitious and ran my fastest mile in months (or years) at 5:37 and was able to slow down to a 5:45 for the 2^nd one. I really need to focus on running at the paces the program is asking. The chances of burning out will increase if I go too far above and beyond these first couple of weeks. I keep forgetting that there are 8 more weeks to this program

Monday: 4 mi, 33:44, 8:26 min/mile
Tuesday: 9 mi easy: 1:12, 8:00 min/mile
Wednesday: 4 mi, 35:30, 8:52 min/mile
Thursday: 7 mi, 53:53, 2 1-mile intervals: 5:37, 5:45
Friday: 8 mi easy/recovery, 1:05, 8:07 min/mile
Saturday: 4 mi, 37:55, 9:28 min/mile
Sunday: 5K (see future post)

Total Miles: 39.1 miles
Avg HR: 147 bpm
Total Calories: 4,224 calories
Total Pushups: 555 pushups

The workouts for this week (and the whole plan actually) was pretty intense, including some pretty long easy runs, a tempo run with a pace I would have thought was way too fast for me and a long run that I’ve only did a few times before.

I felt pretty good completing Tuesday’s easy 9 miles since that was about the distance I usually ran for my long runs on the weekend. I was able to hit under the goal pace too: 8:02-8:32. Thursday’s tempo run was scary because I felt that the pace was a little too fast for me, but I stayed focused and hit well below the goal pace: 6:39. Sunday’s long run was another accomplishment. I ran the 8 miles very comfortably and when it was time to pick up the pace, I had more than enough energy to do so.

My mileage for this week hasn’t been this high since the beginning of the year and according to the training program, it’s going to go higher before it goes back down. But this is a good thing. I really don’t want to step on the line in June and not be able to complete the marathon because I did not build up enough miles to successfully complete the race. That is always going to be a fear of mine: DNF.

I’m sure I could go out and run a marathon right now if I really wanted to, but what I’m trying to do is run it at the pace that all my training tells me I should be able to run. It’s going to be hard to be able to maintain this focus and determination, but it’s definitely possible. I actually have a 5K this weekend, a wedding the next and a half marathon the weekend after. I’m going to need to re-prioritize some things to make sure I get all my miles in, but I know I can do it. I have to..

Monday: ~2.75 mi, 22:46
Tuesday: 9 mi, easy: 1:11, 7:53 min/mile
Wednesday: 4 mi, easy
Thursday: 7 mi: 3 mi warmup/cooldown; 4 mi tempo: 25:00, 6:15 min/mile
Friday: 8 mi, 1:05, 8:07 min/mile
Sunday: 12 mi long, 1:30, 7:30 min/mile; 8@7:50, 4@7:02

Total miles: 42.75 miles
Avg HR: 153
Calories Burned: 5,042
Total Pushups: 424

There are some cool stats in DailyMile: TVs Powered, Gas Saved and best of all, Donuts Burned!

So back to running, my first half marathon is in less than one week away! I am going into week 10, I suppose my taper week, of my half marathon training for the Silver Strand Half Marathon & 5K. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s pretty scary to spend 10 weeks training for one moment, one race. It’s a whole lot of pressure. Stepping up to that starting line and running a disappointing race is something that I fear most (from a running perspective). But on the flip side, because this is my first half, I want it to be fun too so that I will continue to want to run and train for these races. It’s going to be a big race and I just need to step back and enjoy the whole race atmosphere and see how cool everything really is.

I have about three week’s worth of runs that I need to catch up on, but that would make this post way too long. I won’t do that but just note some of the more important runs. It’s sort of business as usual for some days, but others have been very productive. For example, I’ve been continuing to tear up the track in my speed workouts, ran some very fast but comfortable times in my tempo runs and even ran the most miles ever as a runner (14 miles). I think one of the most notable runs that I had was being able to successfully run that long run because that just proved that I will be able to complete my upcoming marathon. It was a nice follow up to the 12 mile run that I did a couple of weeks before where I was able to run at a pretty decent pace, which also showed that I should be able to run this marathon pretty fast.

This final week will consist of some quick and short workouts, which concludes with an off day Saturday and then the half marathon. I ran in the morning at the end of last week and because of day light savings, it was actually light out which was a nice change. I’ll probably do the rest of the runs this week in the morning to help get used to running in the mornings since the race will be in the morning as well. I probably won’t post again until after my race, which I’m hoping will be a positive race report

10.13 – Long Intervals: 2 miles, 2×1 mi, 2×800m
2 miles: 12:44 (6:13, 6:31); miles: 5:53, 5:56; 800m: 2:55, 2:35

10.17 – Long Run (6 Miles Easy, 5 Race Pace + 20/30 sec)
5 miles: 34:58

10.20 – Hardest Intervals to Date: 5×1200m @ 6:40 pace
Splits: 4:31, 4:24, 4:23, 4:25, 4:20

10.25 – Longest Run Ever: 14 miles, ready for my half marathon
14 miles: 1:47

10.27 – 5×1000m Intervals @ 6:30
Splits: 3:40, 3:33, 3:34, 3:44, 3:27

10.30 – Tempo Run, 5 miles: 31:43
Splits: 6:36, 6:26, 6:19, 6:17, 6:03

11.1 – Long Run on the Trail
9 miles, 6:19 last mile

11.3 – Intervals, 5×800 @ 6:30 pace
Splits: 2:50 + 2:39 (5:29 mile), 2:44 + 2:36 (5:20), 2:40

11.6 - Last Tempo Run of my Half Training, 6 mi: 38:55
Splits: 6:31, 6:44, 6:38, 6:26, 6:28, 6:05

11.8 – Last Long Run
10 miles, 8:41 pace

Each week, as my first ever half marathon comes closer and closer to reality, it seems as if I’m having better and better workouts. On days I need to go hard, I’m able to hit the pace that I’m hoping for and on days where it’s easy or off, I may not have the best workout which I’m OK with. The only thing I’m afraid of now is if I am pushing myself too hard and will peak too early. Back in high school cross country, our coach planned our hard workouts for the entire season in hopes of us peaking at the very optimal moment (league finals for some, and CIF prelims/finals for Varsity). I do feel like the half marathon training program that I was recommended is geared toward peaking exactly when I actually run the half, but I may be pushing the pace too much that I begin to burn out toward the end of the program. I’m happy to say that nothing of that nature has happened yet, but who knows whether or not that will happen next week or the week after. So now I am in a position where I can either do really well and actually hit sub-1:30 for my first half (based off Sunday’s long run) or I will push it too hard to the point where I can’t even finish the race, which would be a huge disappointment. This is something that I have to keep in the front of my mind as I am completing this program.

So as far as runs for the past week, I’m going to try and keep it as short as possible. Tuesday’s intervals was successful, 6×1000m @ 6:40 pace (4:10). Results: 3:49, 3:50, 3:44, 3:41, 3:34, 3:22. It’s weird that this program never asks for mile repeats but I did them ALL the time in high school to train for 3 mile races..Oh well. Friday was a 6 mile tempo run at moderate pace (7:00), which I was a little worried about. But I was able to run it pretty well, splits were a little off though: 6:27, 6:50, 6:39, 6:39, 6:29, 6:09. Sunday was probably one of the best workouts I’ve had so far, it was supposed to be 12 miles, easy. I never ran that many miles before, so I just wanted to go at a pace where I would be able to finish the whole thing in one piece. So I started off pretty slow, but I felt pretty good and my breathing was under control so I started picking up the pace as each mile passed. I ended up running at a pretty quick pace for an easy run and was surprised at the finishing time: 1:26. I just thought to myself, “I know I could run 1.1 more miles, I’m ready to race!” So now that I know I should be able to complete the half, I need to focus on how fast I want to run it. I still don’t want to start off too fast and then die half way through, so I think I should consider the strategy I accidentally did today, which is go out thinking it’s an easy run and just gradually pick up the pace. I know it’s going to be easier said than done since come race day, I’m going to want to hang with all the others out front, but I need to use self control and know that I will catch up later on.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Intervals 6×1000m @ 6:40 min/mile  3.75 mi 00:22 05:51 pace

What better way to start off the running week than with intervals? Was looking forward to these, probably the hardest one to date since it was a lot of intervals at a longer distance. Ran them pretty well and was able to run progressively faster after each interval. Results: 3:49, 3:50, 3:44, 3:41, 3:34, 3:22.

175/187

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Loop – 5 mi

Post interval run, nothing special. Took it really easy and felt relaxed.

140/151

Thursday, October 8, 2009
4 miles, easy

Friday, October 9, 2009
6 Mile Tempo Run  6 mi 39:16 06:32 pace

Tempo run for the week, 6 miles at moderate tempo pace (7:00) with mile warmup and cooldown. I was a little nervous about this run since it’s a good amount of miles at a decent pace. Like always, I started off too fast, but toned it down the very next mile to run the next couple of miles very comfortably. Had enough energy at the end to hit a pretty fast last mile. Felt pretty tired after the run, which is expected, might have to take tomorrow off instead of the usual easy/recovery run. Splits: 6:27, 6:50, 6:39, 6:39, 6:29, 6:09

176/193

Saturday, October 10, 2009
Easy 25 min run around UCSD campus

Sunday, October 11, 2009
Fastest Long Run to Date  12 mi 01:26 07:10 pace

12 miles is the most I have ever ran so I wasn’t planning on going too hard, just easy enough to actually complete the workout. So I started off pretty slow (8:01) and would have been more than happy running the whole workout at that pace. But I ran the next mile faster and then the next and so on. My breathing was under control the whole time and it was actually cold out so heat was not an issue. It was quite a workout, and I still can’t believe I did it and did it well! I know that I would have been able to run 1.1 miles more, I’m so ready to run my half marathon already!! Too bad I’m only half way through my training! Patience..

Here are the splits, the loop I ran isn’t exactly 5 miles, so each mile within the loop is probably different. But if you compare the splits from loop 1 to loop 2, you can see that they are definitely progressives, nice!

Loop #1: 8:01, 7:43, 7:26, 7:21, 7:12,
Loop #2: 7:21, 7:18, 7:07, 6:46, 6:36,
1st mi of loop: 6:58,
Back: 6:42

161/185

Got some great feedback from that run: http://www.dailymile.com/people/SDrunner/entries/497603

Intervals
My three core workouts turned out pretty well. The intervals didn’t really feel that much like intervals since they were such long distances: 2 miles at 10k pace(6:40), 2×1 miles at 5k pace (6:25) and 2×800m at slightly faster than 5k pace. I thought to myself, ‘the 2 miles should be easy since it’s the beginning of the run and the pace is not that demanding’ but the miles might be harder because I’ll be a little tired from the 2 miles. 800 should be easy because it’s shorter and at the end of the workout which I just want to get over with. Results: 2 miles: 12:38 (6:00, 6:38); miles: 5:57, 6:07; 800m: 2:59, 2:44. I know for a fact that I should not have ran that first mile that fast, but I’m terrible with pace and I’d rather be faster than slower. I’m surprised that I hit the two miles that fast though, but because it asked for a faster pace than the 2 miles, I wanted to make sure I hit it. I am happy with the workout overall, but as always still questioning whether or not I’m shooting myself in the foot by not actually running the set paces..

Tempo Run
I hate doing tempo runs on Thursday because I still have work to worry about the next day, but this is the Ryan Hall half marathon training program, can’t question it! The workout asked for 25 min at hard tempo pace (6:45). Like always, I thought to myself because I have run this distance at this or a faster pace before, I know I can do it. I was really happy to find out I hit a fairly consistent pace: 6:28, 6:41, 6:36, 6:29. That never happens!

Long Run
My long run for the week may be my hardest workout because of the distance. The last time I had to do this workout, I was supposed to run 6 easy and 3 at half goal pace + 20-30 sec. I focused too hard to trying to hit those 6 at a reasonable ‘easy’ pace (7:45-8:25) that I was too tired to actually run the rest of the 3 miles at my half goal pace. I think the heat also made the workout nearly impossible to do. I went all out this time: I went to bed early so that I could wake up early and avoid the sun, I didn’t even look at my watch during the easy 6 miles and just focused on the 4 miles I had to run at half goal pace. I remember the first half mile was good but then I started thinking about other stuff and had to get my brain back into the run. I ended up running these 4 miles at a pretty good pace all at or below the pace I was supposed to hit: 7:31, 6:56, 6:39, 7:20. I was really happy with the workout. I also had a Clif bar 5 miles in, so that might have helped give an energy boost too. I will be getting some Gu in the mail, so I will be able to test those out on a future workout so I don’t have to risk using it during a race and possible ruin my first half ever.

On another note, I have noticed the left 2nd toe getting darker recently and it actually hurts whenever I touch it. I looked it up and I guess that nail’s gonna be falling off soon? Not cool. I keep reading about how it seems to happen to everybody and it’s not even a big deal! Some of the posts I read even has pictures! I’m not really a big fan of my nails falling off, but I guess I can’t really stop this one. A lot of people say that it may be from my shoes. I never got fitted for my New Balance 768’s but I think the toebox has been good for my foot structure. And I just found out that I have hit over 550 miles and ran over 6 months in these shoes. I will probably visit a Road Runner Sports this weekend, get fitted and find shoes that are actually made for my feet, which should be fun!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Intervals? / Speed Workout  5 mi 30:25 06:05 pace

Workout: 2 miles @ 10k pace (6:40), 2×1 mile @ 5K pace (6:25), 2×800m @ slightly faster than 5K pace.
Results: 2 miles: 12:38 (6:00, 6:38); miles: 5:57, 6:07; 800m: 2:59, 2:44

I have never done a workout like this before. On paper it didn’t seem too bad: a two mile run, 2 one miles and finish off with 2 800 meters. It felt weird starting off that 2 mile, I felt myself running a lot faster than I usually do on that route. And it showed: 6:00 first mile!! I got a 5 min rest after the two mile, which really helped. But my legs were really feeling it on the beginning of the mile interval, but I was still able to run it very well. Slowed a little on the 2nd one, but still ran it well below the pace. The 800’s weren’t too bad since I knew it was that last ones and it was a shorter distance.

I’m happy that I hit below the goal pace, but worried that it was too fast? I am really exhausted from that run, definitely one of the harder ones that I have ran in a long time. Need more sleep!!

177/188

Thursday, October 1, 2009
25 Min Tempo Run  4 mi 26:15 06:33 pace

Took yesterday off to nap instead of an easy/recovery run. I think it helped today. I was able to run the tempo run pretty comfortably. It was supposed to be 25 minutes at fast tempo pace (6:45). I didn’t start off too fast and was able to run pretty consistently: 6:28, 6:41, 6:36, 6:29.

180/191

Friday, October 2, 2009
Easy Run  3.85 mi

Easy day, decided to take random route just to change things up. However, body was weak and needed nourishment, cut the run short, oh well.

Saturday, October 3, 2009
Long Run (6 Miles Easy, 4 Race Pace + 20/30 sec)  10 mi 01:17 07:42 pace

This workout turned out much better than last time I did this workout. I think I was supposed to do 6 and 3, but I got too tired after those 6. This time I didn’t even look at how fast I ran the 6 and just went easy. HR was really low throughout and was able to run the last 4 miles at a pretty fast pace, at or below my half goal pace +20 sec (7:30). Splits: 7:31, 6:56, 6:39, 7:20. Now I can enjoy the weekend!!

180/193

Sunday, October 4, 2009
Easy Run  4 mi

Easy Sunday run just to get loose. Every time the alarm went off (after I snoozed), I looked out the window to see the trees swaying a lot from the wind. I thought to myself, ‘that’s how it’ll be all the time when winter comes’ It was a nice and breezy run and was able to just relax and enjoy.

147/166

I can’t really remember what happened on Monday, but it looks like I had a pretty good run. The pace was very consistent throughout and I was able to pull off a fast last mile, which I always like doing. On Tuesday, I wanted to get in a long run, but just wasn’t feeling it right from the start. I felt really weak and out of energy, which is probably lack of food or exhaustion from previous runs. So I cut that run short and planned on the long run the next day. Next day came and didn’t turn out as planned again. Had to use the restroom within the first mile or two and was hoping that I could just finish the run and go afterwards, but nope. Took a break at Target and then tried to get back into the run, which was really hard. I was going pretty slow at first, but after a while, I sort of got a second wind, which is rare for me. I decided to do a mini time trial for my last mile. And like I said in the DailyMile summary, I was literally flying! It felt pretty good the first half or so of the mile, but then I started to feel fatigued, which is understandable. I ended up running a 5:45 last mile! It’s the fastest last mile I’ve ever ran and even by itself (excluding high school..4:53..)

On Thursday, I finally got my long run in for the week and it turned out to be a pretty good run. Right when I first stated the run, I felt good and the only issue I had was around mile 2-3 where there was this winding road that had no headlights and cars were just speeding by me. So I could have easily been hit by a car or attacked by some wild animal. That was not a fun stretch. After I got over that part though, it was pretty quiet and then I finished the run on a slight downhill, which explains for the fast time. I felt pretty comfortable for most of the run though, which is good. I think I’m finally ready to start my half-marathon training, which starts this Tuesday. I’ve built up a pretty good base by now. I know it’s going to be tough to get used to all these different workouts and paces, but if I just focus, I should be able to do them successfully.

Monday August 31, 2009
The Loop – 5 mi / 34:01, 6:48 min/mile

Wanted to have an easy/comfortable run today, and I guess it sort of was. Felt kind of tired during the whole run, but was still able to run a decent time. There was a light wind present, which was nice. Splits: 6:54, 6:48, 6:48, 6:54, 6:34.

HR: Avg 170, Max 189

Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Loop – 4 mi / 30:17, 7:34 min/mile

Felt blah, had to cut the run short. A couple of reasons why I was so weak today: harder run yesterday, not enough rest, or just plain hungry. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

HR: Avg 154, Max 168

Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Restroom Break & Fast Mile – 5 mi

Didn’t feel well and had to stop at Target to use the restroom. Better during a workout than in a race.. Couldn’t get into the run afterwards, until the end when I got a 2nd wind. Went hard during that last mile and was literally flying: 5:45!!! Fastest last mile in a run and alone. Totally made up for the pitstop

HR: Avg 150, Max 195

Thursday, September 3, 2009
Comfy Long Run – 7 mi / 52:41, 7:22 min/mile

Always a good sign when the very first step feels great. No side effects from yesterday’s 5:45 last mile. Really comfortable long run today, so glad I went long. Not fun running at night up a road with no street lights and cars speeding by. Ran on an empty stomach the whole time though, and my stomach kept reminding me..

The great debate about running in the morning and running at night.

Morning Running

Athletes have different preferences when it comes to running in the morning or running at night. Back in high school we would run in the mornings during the summers and weekends. But once the school year started, we would run in the afternoon after class. The reason why we ran in the mornings during the summer was because it would have been way too hot to run in the afternoons. It worked out because big invitational races were always on Saturday mornings, so we would be running in the same conditions. However, when the school year started, we had no other choice but to run after school, which was a lot harder than the mornings. But during the school year, our league meets against other high schools were after school, so we would be used to those conditions as well. There were a few times during the year where we decide to run at night..

Night Running

Night running is a lot different from running in the mornings. We once ran with glow sticks, but that didn’t really help and my teammate just threw his into the trees on the run back. Running at night is actually pretty scary for a couple of reasons. When we ran on the trail, we wouldn’t be able to see the path ahead or anything on the ground so we could have tripped on rocks, branches and other stuff. It was also dangerous because there could easily be an attacker hiding in the bushes and we wouldn’t be able to react or anticipate it. Because of those reasons, I always ran a lot faster at night than when I would run in the mornings, similar to how I sometimes run faster in the rain. There are a lot of reasons why I run faster at night, and fear is definitely one of the main reasons. There have been many runs where I ran faster because I was running with the fear of my teammate catching up to me and beating me. In the case of running at night, I was always afraid that there was something or someone coming up behind me, so it was like it was being chased the whole way.

Today’s Night Run

Run: 3 miles, 19:01 (fastest running this route) Splits: 6:15, 6:23, 6:23
Avg HR: 183, Peak: 200 (HR I get during a race!), 400 calories

I missed this morning’s run so I decided to try and get a quick run in after work. I had to leave work late and ran some errands, so it was starting to get dark. I laced up headed out the door. I usually leave the door unlocked since I usually run at 6am and I’m just assuming that burglars are usually sleeping at that time. I needed to bring the key this time, so I tried to loop the key into my laces, which I used to do in high school. However, since it’s been so long since I’ve done that, I forgot to tuck the key into the shoe and double knot. The key got loose within the first 30 seconds of my run! Good thing I noticed right away and just had to walk back retrace my steps. But before I lost the key, I noticed that I felt really good right when I started the run. I had a feeling that today was going to be a good run.

And it was! My first mile was a whopping 6:15! I knew I was going fast at the beginning of the run, but I hadn’t run that fast in a while, so I didn’t want to miss my chance. I finished the 2^nd and 3^rd miles at a reasonable 6:23 each, which is just amazing. It got dark toward the end of the run, but I don’t think I ran that fast because it was night time. My initial thoughts were that I am just not awake at 6 in the morning and my body just going through the motions when I run in the mornings. There could also be other reasons for the great workout. I don’t eat or drink anything before my runs in the morning, so that could have been a factor. I’m walking around at work a good amount and my body is more awake at night. Whatever the reason, right after I finished this run I started thinking about running after work in the future. It would mean that I could get more sleep in the mornings, but it also means I have less time after work to do stuff. But if it really means that I’ll have a lot better workouts, then it’s sort of a no-brainer, if you ask me. I think I’m going to finish the week off running in the morning, but start off next week running after work and see if that makes a difference in my workouts. Hopefully running at night was the change I needed to kick-start my training program.

Images courtesy of Z@ch and Wolfgang Staudt

My old bike I used for the Brick workout..

Initially, I planned to run Lake Miramar, which is 5 miles and then immediately right after the run grab my bike out of the car and do that same 5 mile loop on the car. From what I’ve briefly read about the Brick workout, you’re supposed to bike first then run. But considering it’s my first ever Brick workout, I don’t even think I would be able to finish the run after biking, since I heard it was so hard in the first place. But as I got closer and closer to bedtime the night before the run, I decided to bike to the lake as a warm-up, run the 5 miles, bike the same 5 miles and then bike home. Now that was the plan, here’s what really happened:

Warm-Up: 3.2 mile bike ride, 24:53, HR: 122 bpm, peak: 164 bpm, 255 calories
Run: 5 miles, 40:13 8:02 min/mile, HR: 173 bpm, peak: 189 bpm, 775 calories
Cool-Down: 3.2 mile bike ride, 22:09, HR: 117 bpm, peak: 138, 95 calories

Warm-up Bike Ride to the Lake

I wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss the workout this morning since I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I wanted this past week. I took my water bottle out of the fridge, grabbed the bike out of the balcony and headed downstairs. Right when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I checked to make sure there was enough air in the tires..completely flat! I guess that’s what happens when you don’t ride an older bike for a whole year. To make matters worse, I think the heat bent the part of the wheel where you add the air so it took me like 5 minutes just to add air to one of the tires. I finally took off for my warm-up bike. Even though it wasn’t really part of the workout, I wanted to see how long it would take and see what my heart rate was during the warm-up.

The distance from my place to the lake is about 3.2 miles and most of it is on a main street. I was able to ride on the sidewalk for most of the time, but there was a point where I had to cross the entrance to a freeway, and there was no pedestrian crosswalk! So as I was approaching that very point, I kept looking back to make sure there were no cars approaching. It wasn’t that bad; I just pedaled like crazy while crossing that freeway intersection. After I passed that point though, there was a bus waiting at a red light. This next part of the road had no sidewalk and the light had just turned green! I was literally racing against the bus to get to the sidewalk!! I was able to out pedal the bus, but I was wearing a sweater and had started breaking a sweat and the sun was breaking through the clouds. Immediately after that part of the road, I noticed a gradual uphill. I have driven to the lake numerous times and have never noticed said hill. Because this is an old bike, it is stuck on the middle gear, so I wasn’t able to change it to make it easier to pedal. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely not the heart rate or warm-up that I was hoping to have. I rode a little more and then made another turn and found another hill! This one was definitely a lot harder. At the end of this one, I was sweating as much as I usually do at the end of a run. There was one steeper hill at the very end of the ride, but it was fairly short and got through it easily. All of this was just my warm-up!

The Run

I heard that your legs feel very heavy when you try to run after biking, so I was sort of anticipating it, but would not understand how it feels until I actually started to run. I think they get the name because your legs feel like bricks or something to that nature. Either way, that intense warm-up killed me for the run. I just wanted to get it over with at that point. And during the run, I came to the conclusion that biking another 5 miles would be too much. Since it’s too dangerous to bike to the lake and the hills are too killer for a warm-up, I probably will just drive to the lake next time and actually bike the loop around the lake.

Cooldown Back Home

The bike home was actually pretty fun since I did all the hard work coming up. I was going down the hills so fast that I had to use the brakes a lot and I didn’t even get to pedal for most of the ride. It was a good way to just get the wind to blow in my face and cool down. I would have been home a lot faster than the time says, but there were a lot more cars on the road and I had to wait at every stop light to cross. On a higher note, I did burn over 1000 calories for the very first time (1125). I’m sure all other runners that run 10+ miles on a semi-daily basis do it very often, but not me! Hopefully, if I get the hang of these Brick workouts, I will be able to run more miles and get to that marathon mileage stage of my training.

As I arrived at the lake, I noticed that there were significantly more cars today. I didn’t have the prime parking space like I did last time I ran at Lake Miramar. I noticed that there were two tents by the start of the loop. Apparently there was an event that was happening this morning called, “Ray of Sunshine Miramar Lake Walk”. The walk was going to start at 8, so I had more than enough time to finish before it started.

So, last time I tried to run along with another runner to keep me on pace, but that backfired on me because that runner was way too fast for me. I ended up running a lot slower for the rest of the run. This time, there was no one to start with me, so I was on my own this time. There were a lot of walkers and joggers this morning and I kept passing them one by one. I still started at a pretty fast pace (7:15 first mile). This was a very good start, not too slow and not too fast. I was hoping that I could keep up that same pace, maybe a little slower, for the rest of the run.

Around this time, I noticed another runner up ahead that was going at a pretty good pace. I surged a little to try and run with him (only if he wasn’t running too fast) but I ended up just passing him. So for the next 3-4 miles, that same runner was trailing behind me. At one point, he did catch up to me, but not long after, he dropped back behind me once again. Either he surged and caught up to me or I slowed down enough for him to catch up to me. During random sharp turns, I could actually see the other runner in my peripheral vision; he was so close behind me! I kept thinking to myself, “is he using me to keep up the pace and then pass me at the end?” I so didn’t want that to happen.

Finally at mile 5 (right before the dam, thanks anne for clarifying), I tried to pick it up a little. Because what I hate more than anything is getting beat at the end, and that has happened way too often in many races that I’ve ran in high school. There was a good amount of people on the dam and I just kept passing them. I finished the run, breathing the hardest that I ever have on any run for quite some time. I looked at my watch and found that I hit 35:59, over two minutes faster than the last time I ran the Lake Miramar Loop. My last lap was a whopping 6:30 which can only be explained from two things: I didn’t start off too fast so that I was too tired for the rest of the run, and I was afraid of the runner passing me right at the end. Obviously it won’t apply to everybody, but running with fear is almost always a good motivator. And if doesn’t work, then pacing yourself will also work too!

Lake Miramar is a very nice 5 mile loop that is fairly flat and has mile markers every ¼ mile which works out great for runners like me who do not have a fancy GPS watch to tell how fast they are running at every moment. I have to admit, it is getting harder and harder to remember my splits, the more miles I run. I think as I get more into my training, I’m going to have to find another way to keep track of my times and splits.

Starting Point Sign of Lake Miramar Loop

So when I got to the lake, there were quite a few other runners waiting around. I’m sure they were all meeting up with people to run. I wasn’t sure where the start of the loop was at, and as I drove to the lake, I actually passed a parking lot, which I hoped was not the start. But a woman who was part of the group that was waiting was asking where the start was and she stumbled upon that little sign that says, “Start”. So I actually parked right in front of the start of the course, how convenient!

As I was approaching the start line, another runner had just started before me, so I tried to follow behind him, hoping to have someone pace me. Bad idea. He went at a pretty fast pace and although I was breathing kind of hard, I think I was able to keep up for at least the first mile. I clocked in at 6:53, which is a pretty good pace, especially for me on the first mile of a 5 mile run. After the first mile, I started falling back and slowing down. The second mile was a lot slower than the first mile, probably because I was running alone now.

I can’t remember anything significant that happened for the rest of the run until the last mile when I was running on this sort of bridge. I didn’t really notice but I think I was at a higher level than at the beginning of the run. It was a really nice view; I’ll try to take a picture of the view next time I run it. I was trying to look out for the last quarter mile or half mile marker so that I could try and pick it up. But I guess I missed it and just finished the run without a real finishing kick. I had a good last mile though, 6:43! This was a pretty good run overall (37:34, 7:30min/mile); hopefully I’ll get to do it again soon.

View of Lake Miramar

A Row of Ducks at the Lake

Some non-running notes: There were some other runners along this loop, some running the opposite direction too. But the majority of the people at the lake were people just walking, which is cool that so many people at least do something to try and be healthy.

At random times in the run I would run through a huge group of gnats, they were everywhere! I guess it’s expected since I was at a lake, instead of around houses and buildings.

There were quite a few ducks here too and they didn’t really care that other people were around. I guess they are used it having other people around.  Overall it was a good run. I hope to do it again soon, and definitely improve my time.