Gotta Run Now

I just got back from a vacation with my husband to California where we spent most of our time in Long Beach. I ran on the beach in the mornings. My longest run was a 10 mile run. I ran on the bike/pedestrian path and on the sand, too. The weather was wonderful - nice and cool! There was no humidity - so different from home. It was fun to hear the waves and the seagulls and to see the Queen Mary, a light house and marinas along the run.


We had fun at the San Diego Safari Park with my mother-in-law (who lives in CA) where we saw a cheetah, lions, giraffes, elephants and more.

I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for running in the heat and humidity here at home. I'll let you know how it goes.

Monday Update: I ran outside today and even though it was humid (about 90%) and 75 (at least 10 degrees warmer than CA), it wasn't too bad. That's because I did hillwork on the treadmill first. I was dripping with sweat even before I stepped outside so, at first, it felt cooler out…

Today I ran 5 miles at an easy effort on the treadmill, but about a minute faster per mile than I would have if I'd been sweating it out outside, followed by some strength training exercises. My ankle has recovered from last Saturday's 25K. I ran three times this week, each time adding some distance. I don't have any races planned, but I'll build up my mileage again. My quads were beat after the race Saturday which means that I need to do more hill work on the treadmill.

A few links I liked that I came across this week:

Grandmothers of Endurance Video - I just finished running and watched this video again and now I want to go for another run! An article about one of the runners: How 77-year-old Ultrarunner Barbara Macklow Endures.

The Long and Short of Running Wisdom - What all runners can learn from ultramarathoners from Running Times.

The Boston Marathon, Vintage Photos

Today I started my first 50K trail race, but ended up running 25K instead. I twisted my ankle on a root around mile two. It hurt a little more the farther I ran and after running through the race mid-point, it hurt with every step I took. I hadn't even thought about quitting before I reached the mid-point, but I couldn't imagine running another 15 miles with the pain so I ran back to the mid-point, where my car was parked.

It felt worse after the race so I'm glad I stopped, but my ankle feels much better this afternoon after icing it and putting my legs up. I'm a little disappointed, but I'm fine. You never know what race day holds. Each one is a challenge and days like this make me more grateful for pain-free days.

A couple of good things: at least I was able to run 25K/15.5 miles (really, I ran 16 miles). That's the longest trail race I've done so far! (I ran a half marathon at this park in April.) There was a 25K along with the 50K race so the race shir…

After running the Houston Marathon in January, I increased my miles just in case I was able to work in an upcoming marathon, but instead of running a marathon, I signed up for a local 50K, a distance I've never run before. Instead of focusing much on speed and hills, I focused on more miles. I increased my weekly miles to 61, a new high for me. Since the marathon, I ran six 18+ mile runs (longest run - 24 miles), a 10K and a trail half marathon at the same park where the trail 50K takes place on April 14. I am so excited to run my first 50K race! But first, I taper...

My long run miles on day 1/followed by the next day's run, leading up to the 50K:
6 weeks out: 20/10
5 weeks out: 10K race instead of long runs
4 weeks out: 22/10.5
3 weeks out: 24/10 
2 weeks out: 20/10.5
1 week out: 11.5 - Today. My run was cut short because my knee felt a little off. It's probably nothing, but there was no reason to make it an even 12 if it might make it worse. During the run, I picked up some sp…