luluorange’s Training Blog

We embarked on a 12 miles run this morning. It is the longest run I have ever done. I was a bit nervous at first. We ran at a good pace, I focused on the people in front of me and every thing just fade away. After mile 8, I was kind of in a meditative state and just floating. I guess that is the runner’s high on steroid.

After the run, the only discomfort I have was bruising on my right toe. I feel a little tightness on my legs, nothing a good stretch won’t take care of. Great workout!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/12/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:57:00.00
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 9:45.37/mile

I think it’ll be good to change it up a bit. The instructor played the Tour De France race on the big screen. It was awesome, just like you are there with the teams riding along in beautiful French countryside. One can dream…right?

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 07/09/2008
• Time: 13:46:28
• Total Time: 00:48:00.00

I requested last week to upgrade my 1/2 marathon registration to a full marathon.  With the training I am doing with LA Leggers which is one of the official training programs for Pasadena.  I feel that I will be ready by November.  This is unexpected for me, at the beginning of this year when I set out to finally run some races since I’ve been running solo for about 3 years.  I thought if I can do a 10k and a couple of 1/2 marathons, I may have a chance to be ready for a full marathon next year sometimes.  I am glad that time has come sooner than later.  Of course, physically, there are still work to do in the months ahead, but mentally, I finally see the possibility and am excited about it. 

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/08/2008
• Time: 06:45:00
• Total Time: 00:50:20.00
• Distance: 5.22 miles
• Average Pace: 9:38.78/mile

So I decided to get out there for a run. After the July 4th holiday, the beach and the bike path, needs a lot of cleaning. Losing traction on my stride because of the sand piled on along the bike path isn’t exactly fun. Despite of that, I felt really good and had to constantly pull myself back from running too fast. As a rule, I want to last long and not tapped out at mile 2 or 3 and running too fast will do exactly that.

I ran into a couple of LA Leggers member along the way and we waved at each other, I thought I was the only crazy one to come out two days in a role to run the same path and mileage. Guess not!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/06/2008
• Time: 08:45:00
• Total Time: 00:49:31.00
• Distance: 5.34 miles
• Average Pace: 9:16.41/mile

Going forward we are increasing milage by 2 miles every other weekend and the weekend after long run, we run half of the miles of previous weekend.

Since we did 10 miles last Saturday, we are doing 5 miles today. We decided that since it is a short run day, let’s play it up a little to challenge ourselves. We are doing the “Indian Run” today. There were about 15 of us, we are running single file along the bike path on the beach. The last person will speed up and run to the front of the line and the next in line to the last person and continue to move to the font; we’ll keep rotating for the whole five miles. Well, it didn’t go so well, with the heat beating down on us and most members running fast once they got to the front of the line not properly pacing themselves, they pull the whole formation faster and faster. The speed drill took a lot out of everyone, we were tapped out and struggling by mile 4. Jokes on us, thinking 5 miles was nothing, throwing in a curve ball, we were all over the place. hahaha!

I took a couple of walk breaks in the last mile but overall, felt pretty good and just glad I finished. Funny how I felt a lot better last week after my 10 miles run. Well, next Saturday, 12 miles…can’t wait.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/05/2008
• Time: 07:40:00
• Total Time: 00:47:11.00
• Distance: 5.03 miles
• Average Pace: 9:22.5/mile

A couple of ladies and I decided to take advantage of the day light and head to the beach for a walk and do the Santa Monica stairs. The weather is pretty mild even at 4 p.m., a little breeze, just so pleasant to walk along the coast line. It’s very different experience that the normal city walk we do sometimes after work around the office. You feel like the world just opened up to you.

We added a couple of sets of stairs for challenge at the end of the walk. It was a fun workout.

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 07/03/2008
• Total Time: 1:30:00.00
• Distance: 4.8 miles
• Average Pace: 18:45/mile

While I was watching the CSI marathon on the spike channel in the gym. Time flies and I didn’t even feel the steep hills I was running. Sometimes having the distraction is a good thing. The holiday weekend is here, time to be outdoor and have fun!!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/03/2008
• Time: 06:30:00
• Total Time: 00:47:00.00
• Distance: 4.58 miles
• Average Pace: 10:15.38/mile